Comparison ETE GAME CASUAL PLUS vs ETE C2 SILVER

The main manufacturers of video cards nowadays are AMD, NVIDIA and Intel, and each has its own specifics. NVIDIA produces primarily discrete solutions; Among the most common are the GeForce MX1xx, GeForce MX3xx, GeForce GTX 10xx series (in particular GTX 1050, GTX 1050 Ti and GTX 1060), GeForce GTX 16xx, GeForce RTX 20xx, GeForce RTX 30xx( GeForce RTX 3060, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, GeForce RTX 3070, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, GeForce RTX 3080, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, GeForce RTX 3090, GeForce RTX 3090 Ti), GeForce RTX 4060 , GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, GeForce RTX 4070, GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, Ge Force RTX 4080, GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, GeForce RTX 4090 and separate Quadro series. AMD offers both discrete and integrated graphics - including the popular Radeon RX 500, Radeon RX 5000, Radeon RX 6000, Radeon RX 7000 and AMD Radeon Pro series. And Intel deals exclusively with modules integrated into processors of its own production - these can be HD Graphics, UHD Graphics and Iris.

Note that many configurations with discrete graphics also have an integrated graphics module; in such cases, the name of the discrete video card is indicated as more advanced.

The type of storage device that is installed in the computer.

Note that many PCs allow you to add a complete drive or even completely replace it, but it is more convenient to buy a suitable configuration initially and not bother with re-equipment. In terms of types, traditional hard disk drives ( HDD) are increasingly losing ground to SSD solid-state modules nowadays. In addition, HDD + SSD combinations are quite popular (including those using advanced Intel Optane and Fusion Drive technologies). But solutions such as SSHD and eMMC have practically fallen into disuse. Let's take a closer look at these options:

— HDD. Classic hard disk. The key advantage of such drives is their low cost per unit of volume — this allows you to create capacious and at the same time inexpensive storage. On the other hand, HDDs are noticeably inferior to SSDs in terms of speed, and they also do not tolerate shocks and shocks. Thus, this type of media is less and less used in its pure form — it is much more common to find a combination of a hard drive with an SSD module (see below).

— SSD. Solid state drives based on flash memory. With the same volume, an SSD is much more expensive than an HDD, but this is justified by a number of advantages. First, such drives are much faster than hard drives; specif...ic performance may be different (depending on the type of memory, connection interface, etc.), however, even inexpensive SSDs outperform advanced HDDs in this indicator. Secondly, solid-state memory has no moving parts, which offers several advantages at once: lightness, compactness, shock insensitivity and low power consumption. And the cost of such memory is constantly decreasing as technology advances. So more and more modern PCs are equipped with just such drives, and these can be configurations of any level — from low-cost to top ones.

— HDD+SSD. The presence in one system of two drives at once — HDD and SSD. Each of these varieties is described in more detail above; and their combination in one system allows you to combine the advantages and partially compensate for the shortcomings. For example, an SSD (which usually has a fairly small capacity) can store system files and other data for which speed of access is important (for example, work applications); and HDD is well suited for large volumes of information that do not require particularly high speed (a typical case is video files and other multimedia content). In addition, the solid-state module can be used not as a separate storage, but as an intermediate cache to speed up the hard drive; however, this usually requires special software settings (whereas the "two separate drives" mode is most often available by default).
We also emphasize that in this case we are talking about “ordinary” SSD modules that do not belong to the Optane and Fusion Drive series; the features of these series are detailed below.

HDD + Optane. Combination of a traditional hard drive with an Intel Optane series SSD. For more information about the general features of this combination, see "HDD + SSD" above. Here, we note that “optains” differ from other SSD drives in a special three-dimensional structure of memory cells (3D Xpoint technology). This allows you to access data at the level of individual cells and do without some additional operations, which speeds up the speed and reduces latency, and also has a positive effect on memory life. The second difference is that Optane is usually used not as a separate drive, but as an auxiliary buffer (cache) for the main hard drive, designed to increase speed. Both drives are perceived by the system as a single device. The disadvantage of this type of SSD is traditional — a rather high cost; it is also worth noting that its superiority is most noticeable at relatively low loads (although it does not disappear completely with increasing load).

— HDD + Fusion Drive. A kind of HDD + SSD bundle (see above), used exclusively in Apple computers and optimized for the proprietary macOS operating system. However, it would be more correct to compare this option with the “HDD + Optane” combination (also described above): for example, both drives are perceived by the system as a single unit, and the Fusion Drive module is also used as a high-speed cache for the hard drive. However, there are also significant differences. Firstly, Fusion Drive has significant volumes and is used not only as a service buffer, but also as part of a full-fledged drive — for permanent data storage. Secondly, the total volume of the entire bundle approximately corresponds to the sum of the volumes of both drives (minus a couple of "service" gigabytes). This type of drive is expensive, but the efficiency and convenience are well worth the price.

— SSHD. The so-called hybrid drive: a device that combines a hard drive and a small SSD cache in one case. Some time ago, this solution was quite popular, but now it is almost never found, having been supplanted by a more practical option — various types of HDD + SSD.

— eMMC. A type of solid-state memory originally developed for portable gadgets such as smartphones and tablets. It differs from SSD, on the one hand, in lower cost and low power consumption, on the other hand, in relatively low speed and reliability. Because of this, this type of drive is used extremely rarely — in particular, in single models of microcomputers and thin clients (see "Type").

— HDD + eMMC. Combination of hard disk drive (HDD) and eMMC solid state module. These types of drives are described in detail above; here we note that this option is extremely rare, and in rather specific devices — monoblocks (see "Type") with a transformer function, where the screen is a removable tablet that can be used autonomously. In such a tablet, an eMMC module is usually installed, and a hard drive is placed in the stationary part. However, another option is also possible — a bundle similar to HDD + SSD (see above), where eMMC is used to reduce cost and/or power consumption.

— SSD + eMMC. Another combination of the two types of drives described above. It was used in single monoblocks and nettops — mainly to reduce the cost; Today, this variant is almost non-existent.

The capacity of the optional storage installed in the PC.

This parameter is relevant primarily for configurations with different types of media. So, in HDD + SSD and HDD + eMMC bundles, the hard drive is considered the main drive, and this paragraph indicates the capacity of the solid-state module. In SSD + eMMC configurations, eMMC is considered the second drive — less capacious and performing an auxiliary function. There are PC models with two hard drives, but in such cases, the drives usually have the same volume, and it does not matter for them which one is considered the main one.

If we talk about specific numbers, then the volume up to 128 GB can be considered relatively small, and 128 GB or more is solid. For more information on volumes in general, see "Drive Capacity" above.

Number of 5.25" bays on the front of the PC.

One of the most popular ways to use such bays is to install DVD and Blu-ray drives, but they can also accommodate other components: “pockets” for removable HDDs and SSDs, card readers, and even specific devices like cooler control units. Accordingly, the more compartments, the more peripheral devices you can simultaneously install in your computer. However an abundance of 5.25 "peripherals is not often required in fact; on the other hand, it is recommended to install some types of devices not in a row, close to each other, but through a slot — for sufficient cooling efficiency. Therefore, most often the number of compartments of this type does not exceed 4 , but in some configurations it can be as high as 10.

The number of full-size USB 3.2 gen1 connectors(previously labeled USB 3.1 gen1 and USB 3.0) provided on the front panel of the PC.

USB is the most popular modern interface for connecting peripherals. And the number of connectors is, accordingly, the number of devices that can be simultaneously connected to the front panel without the use of splitters. As for version 3.2 gen1, it has speeds up to 4.8 Gbps). USB 3.2 gen1 connectors are also compatible with USB 2.0 peripherals. Thus, 2 or more such connectors are often provided on the front panel at once.

Separately, it is worth noting that similar ports are most often available on the back of the case. However, the front panel is closer to the user, the connectors on it are optimally suited for peripherals that need to be connected and disconnected frequently, such as flash drives.

Audio format supported by the PC sound card. Specified depending on the device type. For classic PCs (see "Type"), the sound format corresponds to the largest number of channels that a computer can output through analogue outputs — the possibility of using one or another set of acoustics directly depends on this. And for devices with built-in speakers, primarily monoblocks (see "Type"), this paragraph usually specifies the format of the built-in acoustics.

Also note that digital interfaces like SP / DIF (see "Connectors") can provide more channels, but such a signal cannot be directly output to the speakers — you need an audio receiver or other additional converter. So the main parameter is considered to be the number of "analogue" channels or speakers. The options here might be:

— 2.0. Traditional stereo is the most modest format that can provide the effect of surround sound. Of course, such a sound cannot be compared in terms of “presence effect” with advanced standards like 5.1 and 7.1, but in many cases even it is more than enough. Note that the 2.0 format is most often provided for in monoblocks — it means the presence of a pair of built-in speakers; it can be difficult to provide more extensive acoustics in such PCs.

— 2.1. Two-channel stereo sound (see above) with a subwoofer to enhance the bass sound. For a number of reasons, it has not received much distribution, it...is found, again, mainly in monoblocks — in such devices two ordinary speakers and a “sub” are installed.

— 2.2. Extended version of the 2.1 format with two subwoofers. Theoretically capable of delivering more powerful and authentic bass, but at a higher cost, these benefits are rarely seen in fact. Therefore, it is used even less frequently than 2.1 — again, mainly in monoblocks.

— 4.0. Theoretically, 4.0 is a surround sound format with two front and two rear channels. At the same time, in a PC this format is found exclusively among monoblocks and usually means the presence of two additional speakers, in addition to the standard stereo speakers. The effect of "sound from all directions" on such a system cannot be achieved, but the sound is still better and more reliable than with 2.0 systems. However, the price also comes out higher, despite the fact that the difference in sound is not fundamental for everyone. Therefore, this format has not received distribution.

— 4.2. An extended version of the 4.0 described above, where a pair of subwoofers has been added to an improved 4-speaker stereo system. Due to this, the quality of the bass improves, but the dimensions and cost of acoustics increase even more, and therefore such systems are even rarer.

— 5.1. The classic format of full-fledged surround sound ("from all sides"): two front channels, one centre, two rear and a subwoofer. A lot of content has been released under this sound, and games often provide compatibility with 5.1 systems. At the same time, support for this format in its pure form is relatively rare among modern PCs. 7.1 audio cards are used much more often: having more advanced features, they almost do not differ in price and are quite capable of working with 5.1 as well.

— 7.1. Further, after 5.1, improvement of the idea of surround sound. Such systems have 5 traditional sound channels (2 to the front, 1 front centre and 2 rear), and 2 additional channels can be placed in different ways — as side, as "add-ons" above the front or rear, etc. In any In this case, the 7.1 format allows you to achieve a more reliable sound than 5.1, and its support in modern sound cards is very inexpensive.

— 10.2. A specific audio format used in some high-end multimedia monoblocks. The 10 main speakers in such devices are combined into a soundbar under the screen and provide as authentic surround sound as possible in systems without rear channels. In addition, such acoustics are often made multiband — that is, they include specialized speakers optimized for a specific frequency band and reproducing only it. This further improves the sound quality. And two subwoofers, in turn, allow you to achieve the corresponding bass characteristics. At the same time, this option is extremely rare — both because of the high cost and because it is easier to achieve the desired sound quality on separately selected acoustics.

The type of backlight provided in the design of the PC. Indicated by the part of the computer that is actually highlighted; most often this is the case, but other places of installation are possible, for example, cooling fans.

Anyway, this feature does not affect the functionality of the PC, but gives it an original and stylish appearance. This is especially appreciated by gamers, so most of the backlit configurations are just for gaming (see "Type"). The most advanced backlight systems may provide the ability to change colour and/or synchronize with other system components and peripherals.

The colour of the backlight provided in the PC.

About the backlight itself, see above, the choice for this indicator depends solely on the user's personal aesthetic preferences, as well as the wishes for the design of the computer and the space around it. Separately, it is worth mentioning RGB-backlight — this is the name of the system in which the shade of the glow can be chosen at will. This provides extensive customization options and allows you to provide various additional functions such as synchronization or colour music (however, the presence and set of such functions will not hurt to clarify separately).