| Case | Optical Drives (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) |
| Hard Drives | Overclocking & CPU cooling |
| Mainboard | Processors (CPUs) |
| Memory (RAM) | PSU |
| Monitors | Video Cards |
| Operating Systems | Warranties |
| Internal Expansion |
Processors (CPUs)back to top
Before you decide on any other components you must select which CPU you need.
Processor choices are a bit more difficult now than they were before. It is still really a choice between an AMD and an Intel processor. The difference really comes in how many cores there are in the processor and its relative speed. Dual core processors have two CPU cores for data processing, Quad core processors have four cores, Hexa cores have six and Octo cores have eight. Dual core processors are very good for games and quad core and higher processors are fantastic at games and video editing and multimedia tasks. Octo cores are a new technology and are great for everything; to future proof a system a Hexa core or higher is recommended.
CPUs are determined by the type of system you order. Only the CPU's for that specific system will appear on our configurators. Currently we have 7 configurators:
| AMD Eight Core Configurator | AMD Quad Core Configurator |
| Socket AM3+ FX 4XXX (Quad Core) | Socket AM3+ FX 4XXX (Quad Core) |
| Socket AM3+ FX 6XXX (Hexa Core) | Socket AM3+ FX 6XXX (Hexa Core) |
| Socket AM3+ FX 8XXX (Octo Core) | Socket AM3+ FX 8XXX (Octo Core) |
| AMD Fusion APU Configurator | X79 Configurator |
| Socket FM2 A10 Quad Core | LGA 2011 Intel® Quad Core™ i7 38XX (HT) |
| Socket FM2 A8 Quad Core | LGA 2011 Intel® Hexa Core™ i7 39XX (HT) |
| Socket FM2 A6 Dual Core | |
| Socket FM2 A4 Dual Core | |
| Z77 Configurator | H61 Configurator |
| LGA 1155 Intel® Celeron G Dual Core™ | LGA 1155 Intel® Celeron G Dual Core™ |
| LGA 1155 Intel® Pentium G Dual Core™ | LGA 1155 Intel® Pentium G Dual Core™ |
| LGA 1155 Intel® Dual Core™ i3 (HT) | LGA 1155 Intel® Dual Core™ i3 (HT) |
| LGA 1155 Intel® Quad Core™ i5 | LGA 1155 Intel® Quad Core™ i5 |
| LGA 1155 Intel® Quad Core™ i7 (HT) | LGA 1155 Intel® Quad Core™ i7 (HT) |
HT = Hyper Threading means for each processor core that is physically present, the operating system addresses two virtual processors, and shares the workload between them when possible.
* LGA 1155 CPU's ALL come with onboard VGA when used with a compatible mainboard. This gpu is not suited for gaming.
* AMD APU Fusion Series have class leading integrated graphics which can be combined with an AMD graphics up to HD6670 for Hybrid Crossfire. This is ideal for gamers on a tight budget.
* All CPU's on the X79 configurator do not have onboard GPU so they must be bought with a VGA card from the VGA card section.
Memory (RAM) back to top
The amount of memory you choose for your pc is very important as along with the processor it determines how fast your pc will run. In days gone by PC's could run on small amounts of memory however today we recommend at least 4GB if you are using Windows 7 or 8 however 8GB DDR3 would now be considered a normal amount of ram to put in your pc. The quicker the speed the quicker the data flows between the CPU and the RAM. When choosing RAM, generally more RAM is a better option than faster RAM.
Some RAM is more expensive than others on our website even though they are the same speed. This can be due to heat spreaders, large heat spreaders to keep the RAM cool or lower latency. Latency means the delay time which elapses between the moments a memory controller tells the memory module to access a particular column in a selected row, so the lower the latency the quicker this becomes which increases the bandwidth between the RAM and CPU.
In relation to our configuartors, your options are:
| Dual Channel DDR3 | |
| 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, (1600MHZ to 2133MHZ) | |
| AMD Eight Core Configurator | |
| AMD Quad Core Configurator | |
| AMD Fusion APU Configurator | |
| Z77 Configurator | |
| H61 Configurator | |
|
Intel Celeron and Pentium CPU's have a max RAM speed of 1066MHZ. Exceptions: Please beware some mainboards (H61 and some AMD) only have 2 x RAM slots so 8GB max (2 x 4GB sticks) |
|
| Quad Channel DDR3 | |
| 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB (1600MHZ to 2133MHZ) | |
| X79 Configurator | |
Mainboardback to top
Everything around the PC you buy will operate on the mainboard. Every component will be plugged into the mainboard (motherboard) in some way, which is why it acts like a heart that everything relies on. In car terms it is like an engine, and you want the most reliable engine you can get.
You should already have an idea of which CPU and RAM you want and then the choice of mainboard is simple. Only the mainboards on the selected configurator will work on the type of CPU and RAM you have chosen.
Just because a mainboard is cheap it does not make it any less reliable. Cyberpower only source components from top quality manufacturers, so if a mainboard is cheap it means it does not have as many features a more expensive mainboard. Next to each mainboard on our configurators, please click on this symbol 
to find out the specific features of that mainboard.
What is a feature?
Chipset - The chipset drives the mainboard. These are normally made by the CPU manufacturers such as Intel (X79 example) and AMD (990 example). Different chipsets contain different features, for example low end chipsets (H61 and AMD 760G) don't support multiple graphics and H61 / B75 can't be overclocked.
FSB - Now known as the HyperTransport Link on AMD or Base Clock on Intel i7/i5, the FSB is the bus that carries data between CPUs and RAM. The higher the FSB bandwidth the quicker the PC will run. A board that allows for higher than normal FSB/HT/BLCK is needed when trying to overclock a system with a multiplier locked CPU. Typical FSB speeds are 100-133MHz for Intel and 200MHz for AMD.
PCI-E 16x Physical - This is a dedicated slot for VGA cards. All VGA cards Cyberpower use fit into the PCI-E slot. Some motherboards do have more than 1 16x PCI-E slot to accommodate multiple graphics card technologies such as SLi or Crossfire. This means you can get more than 1 VGA card working together to make a better all in 1 VGA card. If a mainboard has more than 1 16x PCI-E slot it will tell you in the item description on our website if it is SLI or Crossfire and how many slots it has.
Note: most high end VGA cards require at least two PCI-E slots running in 8x - 8x mode to enable Sli or crossfire.
PCI-E 1-4x Physical - They are smaller in size and have a lower bandwidth than 16x, and can be used for such devices as:
Sound cards, Firewire IE1394 cards, TV Tuners, Wireless cards and network cards.
Note: Some of these slots may get covered by double slot VGA cards, so may not be accessible.
PCI-E 1/4/8x Electrical - This is physically the same as 16x but runs at lower bandwidth. They can be used for VGA cards and other add-in cards. Many SLi and Crossfire boards may operate in x8 or x4 mode when more than one graphics card is connected.
PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) is an older slot that is still used on most mainboards. It is slower than PCI-E and it connects older devices, it will take equivalent components to the PCI-E 1x slots but they will run at a lower speed.
Note: Some PCI and PCI-E slots may get covered by double slot VGA cards, so may not be accessible.
Note: Some high end boards no longer have PCI slots please check when ordering add in network or sound card.
SATA - Serial ATA or SATA are dedicated ports for SSD, HDD and DVD/ Blu Ray drives. SATA II is rated at 3GBs per second and SATA III is rated at 6GBs per second. At Present only high performance SSDs are capable of using SATA-III speeds. It is still worth buying a SATA III mainboard even if you want SATA II HDD as it may run quicker due to the speed of the port. Please check the number of SATA ports on your desired mainboard by checking .
MB-SRT - iSRT/SSD Caching - SRT is a relatively new technology form Intel and is currently only available on a Z77 mainboard. It allows a small (upto 64GB) SSD to be used as a cache. So the most commonly accessed file on your HDD are mirrored on the SSD allowing SSD like performance but the same drive capacity as an HDD. Using SRT on your Main OS drive will give you faster application loading times and boot up times than an HDD but slower than a high capacity, high performance SSD. SRT when applied to a secondary drive is useful for power users and videobloggers. SRT is compatible with RAID on Z77 mainboards.
RAID - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks or RAID is a way of getting HDD's to perform at a higher speed or a higher level of security. To run RAID you need identical HDD's with a Minimum of 2. The options are:
RAID 0 - This is called a Stripe and it allows 2x HDD to run as one but faster than they would as a single drive. So you would only see 1 drive present but it would be double the size of a single disk. So 2 x 500Gb in RAID 0 would show as 1 drive of 1TB.
RAID 1 - This is called a Mirror. This is for security, it needs 2 identical drives and one backs the other up in "real-time". So if anything happens to the first drive you will not lose any data as it is backed by the second drive. So you will only see 1 x drive show up , so if you buy 2 x 500GB this will show as 500GB. There will be 2 drives physically in the PC but you will not see the second drive unless the first drive develops a fault.
RAID 0+1 - This is sometimes know as a mirrored stripe, it requires 4 HDD drives, two are configured as a Stripe which is then mirrored by the second pair of drives. This provides both the speed benefit of a normal stripe and the data security of a mirror.
RAID 5- Cyberpower does not offer RAID 5 or any other RAID types apart from 0 and 1.
Please make sure your mainboard supports RAID if you need this function by clicking next to the mainboard. As a guide the cheapest boards will not have this feature, and normally if there is only a single PCI-E slot they will not. So most boards with Sli or Crossfire in the title should support RAID.
Note: the maximum size of a RAID array to show disk size is 2TB. This is 2 x 1TB HDD in RAID 0 or 2 x 2TB HDD in RAID 1.
LAN - All mainboards have onboard Network cards or LAN cards (Local Area Network) for connecting your PC to your home network or directly to your broadband modem. All mainboards now come with gigabit LAN which has a max speed of 1000MBPS.
We sell LAN cards separate in PCI and PCI-E format such as extra 10/100/1000.
USB -All Cyberpower PC's come with a minimum of 4 x USB ports on the rear of the mainboard. Further headers can be used to connect card readers and front USB. Since most case's have a min of 2 front of top USB's it is typical that most Cyberpower PC's come with a minimum of 6 USB ports.
USB 3.0 is now available on most mainboards, but the majority of ports are USB 2.0.
Note : Most cases now have USB 3.0 front USB support.
Audio - All mainboards supplied by Cyberpower have onboard audio. The more expensive the mainboard the better the onboard audio. Normally they are 7.1 but a few cheaper boards have 5.1 audio. Most onboard audio is by a 3rd party company like Realtek or Soundmax, some expensive boards even have Creative X-fi or Xonar onboard audio.
Upgrade audio can be done with expansion cards in the PCI or PCI-E slots and is recommended for superior sound quality if you plan to use your PC with a high performance audio system or high end headphones.
PS/2 Port - PS/2 ports are dedicated for mouse and keyboard input. Most mainboards have at least 1 PS/2 port. Traditionally mainboards used to have 2, green for mice and purple keyboards. Since most mice and keyboards now come with USB some mainboards have 1 and some have none. Most high end boards have a single PS/2 port that can be used for a mouse or a keyboard. Please check the to see if the mainboard you have selected has any PS/2 ports.
Wherever possible Cyberpower will always advise if a customer has ordered 2 PS/2 devices but only have 1 port. It is recommended however that you check before ordering them to see how many ports your board has.
IEEE 1394 Port - IEEE 1394 Port or "Firewire" is a port for high speed communications and real time data transfer. It has many uses but in a Personal Computer it is normally for the transfer of video from a camcorder. Higher end mainboards come with IEEE 1394 onboard but cheaper ones tend to miss them out. If this port is not onboard there may still be a header on the board if you have a case that supports 1394 ports. If you need a additional card or select a mainboard without 1394 then we sell them in PCI and PCI-E format. Most mainboards come with IEEE 1394a which runs at a transfer rate of 400 Mbit/s half-duplex but you can get PCI-E add in cards which run at 786.432 Mbit/s full-duplex nearly double the speed.
E-SATA Port - Some higher end mainboards and cases come with E-SATA. This is a port for connecting an external hard drive. It does the same as a serial ATA or (SATA) mentioned above but it is on the external part of the mainboard instead of the internal side. Even if the mainboard does not have a E-SATA port on the back of the mainboard it may have a header if you buy a case with a external E-SATA port. This would simply connect to one of your internal SATA ports. Please check the to see if the mainboard and case you have selected have E-SATA ports.
Onboard VGA- Some of the cheaper mainboards will have onboard VGA cards. They are normally very basic in terms of graphics performance and may have VGA, HDMI or DVI display outputs. Apart from AMD APU Fusion, none of the onboard VGA cards are suitable for gaming. They will however be OK for office use, internet browsing and Hi-Definition (Blu-Ray) playback. Once an additional VGA card is inserted it may disable the onboard VGA except in with a compatible Hybrid crossfire card on AMD Fusion systems.
Onboard VGA AMD Fusion and Dual Graphics - AMD Fusion APUs contain a GPU. A55/75/85 mainboards can pair a low end AMD VGA card (up to HD6670) and an A Series APU in Hybrid CrossfireX mode. Hybrid CrossfireX provides a moderate level of gaming capability and is ideal for gaming on a tight budget. Please check the to see if the mainboard you have selected has onboard VGA.
Onboard Graphics (Z77) - The Z77 mainboards will allow onboard VGA. The iGPU is part of the CPU but needs the board to have a display output, typically DVI, VGA or HDMI. If a discrete card is used the iGPU will be disabled by default. Certain video editing applications may still be able to access the iGPU if it is enabled through BIOS and Lucid Virtu software.
Onboard Graphics (H67/H61) - The H67/H61 mainboards will allow onboard GPU is used with ANY LGA 1155 CPU. The iGPU is part of the CPU but needs a H67/H61/Z68 mainboard as this has the required VGA, DVI and HDMI output. Certain video editing applications can access the iGPU if it is enabled through BIOS and Lucid Virtu software.
Onboard VGA - This uses the onboard VGA chip as stated above but can transmit an analogue signal. Please check the to see if the mainboard you have selected has onboard VGA.
Onboard DVI-This uses the same onboard VGA chip as stated above but can transmit a digital signal. Please check the to see if the mainboard you have selected has onboard DVI.
Onboard HDMI - This also uses the same onboard chip as VGA, the difference is this can transmit a digital picture and digital audio, where as DVI just transmit's images. Please check the to see if the mainboard you have selected has onboard HDMI.HDMI is very useful for connecting your PC to an High Definition Television.
Onboard Display Port - This also uses the same onboard chip as VGA/DVI/HDMI but outputs through the new display port.
Internal Expansion back to top
If you have a case with 4 front USB ports and an internal card reader then to get all ports working you may need an Internal USB expansion. This will add another 2 headers for USB and allow all ports to be working.
+ Bluetooth
If you are ordering a USB internal expansion you can also add a Bluetooth module. This fits internally connecting to the USB ports, and allows you to communicate with a mobile phone or other portable devices up to a maximum of 10m.
Hard Drives back to top
This is the component that stores all the information you have saved. And is the part of the pc where your operating system, games and programs are installed. Everything you load or save on a pc takes up space on the hard drive. If you plan to store music and video on your pc it is better to go for a larger hard drive as music and video files can be quite large in size so take up a lot of space. We would recommend a minimum 500GB hard drive for normal desktop computing or up to 3TB (3000GB) for music and video storage. More than one hard drive can be added to a pc for extra storage space.
MOST DRIVERS NOW COME IN EITHER SATA II (max 3GBPS) and SATA III (max 6GBPS)
500GB, 750Gb, 1TB, 1.5TB, 2TB and 3TB (1GB = 1,000,000,000bytes 1 TB = 1000 GB)
These drives are traditionally 3.5 inches long and tend to run at 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM (revolutions per minute) and have a Cache (temporary storage area) higher cache drives have higher performance than lower cache.
HDD coolers are available for all 3.5 inch HDD although not required will help keep noise and temperatures down.
Note: Due to software limitations the 3TB drive cannot be used as single volume for the operating system
150GB,300GB and 600GB (SATA III) VelociRaptor
These drives are 2.5 inches but are in a 3.5 inch HDD cooler. They run at 10,000 RPM (revolutions per minute) and have 64MB Cache (temporary storage area)
The higher the RPM and Cache the better for performance.
Solid State Drivesback to top
60GB, 64GB, 120GB, 128GB, 240GB, 250GB, 256GB and 480GB SSD
Solid state hard drives (SSD) are drives that have no moving parts and offer quicker access time to information and programs stored on them. Solid State Drives are very popular with pc gamers as they greatly reduce level loading times.
These drives are traditionally 2.5 inches long and are near instant data transfer. They have no moving parts (think like a USB pen drive). With SSDs the more you spend the faster the drive will operate and the greater the capacity. SATAIII SSDs require a Mainboard with SATAIII support to run at their full speed. Drives smaller than 64GB are not recommended for the Operating system.
SRT - Intel Smart Response Technologyback to top
SRT is a function only available on the Intel Z77 chipset. It allows a small SSD to perform as the cache for a large capacity HDD. Although not as quick as a standalone SSD it does allow a large capacity disk to run much faster.
SRT can only be performed on a SSD 64GB or less in capacity and can run on any HDD with a capacity of 500GB to 2TB.
Optical Drives (CD/DVD/Blu-ray) back to top
Most of the systems on the market today contain a drive which is commonly known as a DVD burner. These drives are used to load software on to the pc and can also be used as a way of backing up/saving information and onto a blank DVD disk. These drives are an excellent way of backing up movies and music files. They can also be used for playing DVD movies and music cd's through your pc. Quite a new entry into the field of optical drives are BLU-RAY drives these drives allow you to play high definition movies on your pc at much higher detail and are proving very popular with movie lovers.
Currently Cyberpower offer:
DVDRW - These drives can read/write a DVD at 24 x speed, read/write a CD at 52x. They will read and write to DVDR +/- and also DVDRW +/-.
SATA drives will be used unless your system does not have enough SATA ports.
Since these drives are the cheapest we will do there is no saying which brands they will be.
Blu Ray drives - Theses drives come in 3 types. Blu-Ray Writer (writes both BDR and DVDR discs), Combo (reads BD and writes DVDR discs) and Reader (cannot burn BD or DVD).
PSU Guideback to top
|
For DEDICATED PHYSX CARD please use the next requirement up. |
For DEDICATED PHYSX CARD please use the next requirement up. |
|
NVIDIA GT610, GT620, GT630, GT640 - Single Card AMD HD6450, HD7750 - Single Card |
450W and above |
|
NVIDIA GTX 650 - Single Card GTX 650Ti - Single Card GTX 650Ti Boost - Single Card GTX 660 - Single Card GTX 660Ti - Single Card GTX 670 - Single Card GTX 680 - Single Card AMD HD7770 - Single Card HD7790 - Single Card HD7850 - Single Card HD7870 - Single Card HD6450 - CrossFire™ (2x) HD7750 - CrossFire™ (2x) |
500W and above |
|
NVIDIA GTX 690 - Single Card GTX Titan - Single Card GTX 650Ti Boost - Sli mode (2x) GTX 660 - Sli mode (2x) AMD HD7950 - Single Card HD7970 - Single Card HD7770 - CrossFire™ (2x) HD7790 - CrossFire™ (2x) HD7850 - CrossFire™ (2x) HD7870 - CrossFire™ (2x) |
600W and above |
|
NVIDIA GTX 660Ti - Sli mode (2x) GTX 670 - Sli mode (2x) GTX 680 - Sli mode (2x) GTX Titan - Sli mode (2x) AMD HD7990 - Single Card HD7950 - CrossFire™ (2x) HD7970 - CrossFire™ (2x) |
850W and above |
|
NVIDIA GTX 690 - Sli mode (2x) GTX 660Ti - Triple Sli (3x) GTX 670 - Triple Sli (3x) GTX 680 - Triple Sli (3x) GTX Titan - Triple Sli (3x) AMD HD7950 - Tri-Fire™ (3x) HD7970 - Tri-Fire™ (3x) |
1000W |
|
AMD HD7990 - Cross-Fire™ (2x) |
1200W |
It is important that you buy a PSU that can cope with your selected CPU(s) and GPU(s). CPUs can take up a lot of amperage on a PSU, our standard case PSU will easily support all types of CPU we supply (excluding the i7 3900 series on X79). Generally the VGA cards in your system will determine the minimum recommended PSU. So when choosing your PSU check our PSU recommended chart for our OEM PSUs. This will tell you which PSU will go with your selected VGA cards. If you plan on adding extra graphics cards in future upgrades it makes sense to specify a PSU that can cope with this in. Again please refer to our PSU guide for Crossfire and SLi combinations.
Graphics Cards back to top
Graphics card technology changes every three to six months. If you aren't really doing any 3D gaming at all, then onboard graphics should be fine. Beyond this, there is a wide selection of cards. Things to consider include performance, the amount of memory on the card, output connectors and the version of Direct X supported. Those looking to do any gaming should really consider a Direct X 11 card with at least 2GB of memory onboard. All new systems will use the PCI-Express graphics standard. Quite simply put the better the graphics card the faster the games will run and the more detailed the graphics will look. Some of the games on the market today have high levels of detail and look stunning and more and more people are linking their pc's with high definition large screen TV's. For Full HD resolution (1920x1080) gaming AMD HD7850 2GB or 2 HD7770 1GB in Crossfire or Nvidia GTX 660 2GB.
It's really a simple choice between AMD and Nvidia. Usually this will come down to brand loyalty or relative performance at a given price point. All of Cyberpower's graphics cards are now Direct X11 compatible and support 7.1 audio via HDMI. Nvidia cards also support PhysX, CUDA and 3D Vision and Surround technology while AMD GPUs support Eyefinity and HD3D.
You can spend anything on VGA cards from £40 upward obviously the more expensive a VGA card the better the performance. Sometimes you can find a cheaper card to outperform a more expensive one but this is very rare. For the same cost a higher GPU spec is generally a better choice then extra memory.
SLi - SLi is Nvidia's name for the use of 2 VGA (or more) GPUs as one better all in one display. If you are using 2 or 3 cards you will need to check the mainboard you have selected has 2 or 3 PCI-E (16x or 8x). The description of the mainboard should state SLi. The maximum GPU's (VGA cards) that can be supported for Sli is 4 which is called Quad SLi this typically requires a pair of dual GPU cards such as the GTX 690.
Note:Note: for SLi to work both cards must be identical and ideally have the same BIOS on them. Minimum spec for PCI-E slots is Dual 8x PCI-E.
Crossfire - This is AMD's name for use of 2 VGA (or more) GPUs as one better all in one display. Some cards come with Crossfire as standard, as they are 2 cards put into one (HD7990 6GB), but normally you would need to buy at least 2 cards.
If you are using 2 or 3 cards you will need to check the mainboard you have selected has 2 or 3 PCI-E (16x or 8x). The description of the mainboard should state Crossfire. The maximum GPU's (Graphics cards) that can be supported for Crossfire is 4 which is 2 x Double cards (i.e. HD 7990 3GB) which is called Quad Crossfire.
Note: for Crossfire you can mix and match cards but it is best to get 2 cards at a similar level. Minimum spec for PCI-E slots is Dual 8x PCI-E.
Note: For multiple graphics cards an overclock is recommended to increase the performance advantage by reducing the CPU bottleneck.
Watercooled Graphics - Some graphics cards are available with water cooling, this allows the GPU to run much cooler and eliminates the need for a GPU fan reducing the overall system noise. Large CPU watercooling is required for watercooled graphics.
Multiple Display Gaming: NVIDIA Surround & AMD Eyefinityback to top
All graphics cards and most on-board graphics support dual monitors. Most graphics cards will run a minimum of three screens, the typical layout is one VGA (or VGA capable DVI-I), one DVI-D and one HDMI*. For on-board graphics even where the system has all four outputs (VGA/DP/DVI/HDMI) it is usually only possible to use a maximum of two screens.
Multi-screen gaming is where the PC treats an array of screens as a single large screen this can provide an extra sense of immersion, for flight and driving sims, extra screen space which is ideal in strategy games and peripheral vision which can provide a tactical advantage in first person shooters.
Nvidia cards support multi monitor gaming with Nvidia Surround. AMD cards support multi monitor gaming with Eyefinity.
Surround/Eyefinity gaming requires a huge amount of graphics processing power so a high end single GPU (7950/GTX660Ti) should be seen as a minimum for a satisfactory experience on medium-high in game settings and a multiple GPU system is recommended for high levels of detail in games. Ideally a triple GPU system running three screens will typically maintain equivalent performance to a single GPU on a single screen in practice games respond differently to multiple GPUs, Screens and 3D gaming.
* Most current graphics cards only support a single analogue display so a triple monitor setup will require at least two digital (HDMI, Display Port or DVI) capable screens
3D Gaming back to top
3D gaming requires a 3D capable display and one set of 3D glasses. Gaming in 3D typically requires twice the graphics performance for the same frame rate and image quality so an SLi graphics configuration is recommended.
Note: 3D and Surround can be combined for the total immersion gaming, however this requires an enormous amount of processing power and should only be considered on triple or quad high end GPU systems SLi GTX690 or Tri-SLi GTX670/680/Titan.
Monitors back to top
Every pc needs a monitor that's a simple fact. Cyberpower only stock TFT LCD or LED display's (flat screen) and hand select a few models with gaming in mind. Our range is currently 19" to 27" as any higher is geared towards TV usage and not game play. The most important thing for gaming monitors is the response time which is gauged in MS (Milliseconds). Milliseconds is the time it takes a pixel to switch from Grey to grey. A very good gaming monitor will have 3ms, 5ms and 8ms are also very common. There is usually a trade-off between response time and image quality.
The most important thing to remember when ordering a monitor is the input. Some monitors are still analogue, but most are now Digital.
Analogue monitors (19")
VGA - VGA - Video Graphics Array (VGA) is an old analogue port. Most graphics cards now come with a DVI connection so a VGA to DVI dongle is required if you use an analogue only monitor. Analogue screens are not suitable for multi screen systems as most cards now only support a single analogue display.
Digital Monitors (22" upwards)
DVI - Digital Visual Interface or (DVI) is the standard digital port for transferring digital images giving a much clearer picture than VGA. DVI capability is listed in the monitor description when available.
HDMI - High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the same as DVI but it also transmits a digital audio signal. Most graphics cards come with HDMI as standard and you can use a DVI to HDMI dongle without losing any of the features. HDMI capability is listed in the monitor description when available.
Display Port - Is a digital display interface standard, it is very new so not many monitors carry this port but a most graphics cards now do. Like HDMI DP also carries audio. DP supports massive screen resolutions for AMD Eyefinity and 4K screens.
3D Monitors and 120Hz Gaming
For 3D gaming you need a 3D monitor and suitable 3D glasses (included with some screens, check the description and add 3D Vision 2 Glasses if not included). Gaming in 2D on a 120Hz screen can provide a very smooth and fluid gaming experience and is why it is possible to buy a 3D Screen without the accompanying glasses. 120Hz gaming requires a powerful graphics system as there is little to no benefit unless your PC can run games at frame rates approaching 120fps.
Note: To watch 3D movies you will need a 3D monitor, 3D glasses and POWER DVD version 11.
IPS Professional / IPS Monitors
IPS - In Plane Switching monitors are preferred by professionals who work on content creation, publishing, 3D rendering, photo, video and other aspects of digital media because they produce much more vivid and true-to-life colour, have higher contrast and overall higher image quality. Image quality comes at the cost of higher response times which can lead to smearing and blurring in fast video and gaming as such they are generally not recommended for fast paced competitive gaming.
Screen Resolution
Most monitors are 1920x1080 also known as Full HD or 1080p, some of our cheaper monitors may be lower at 1440x900 or 1366x768 and some of our high end 27" monitors feature 2560x1440. Higher resolutions are possible with multiple monitor arrays. The more pixels the screen has the higher the demand on the graphics card and specifically on graphics card memory. Gaming on a 2560x1440 monitor requires a high-end graphics card such as the GTX660Ti 2GB or the HD7950 3GB.
Operating Systems back to top
This is a piece of software which makes all the part of the computer work together without and operating system a pc is just a box of parts. Cyberpower offer Windows 7 or Windows 8 64 bits.
Currently the OS we offer are:
| Windows 7™ Home Premium 64 bit | Windows 8™ 64 bit |
| Windows 7™ Professional 64 bit | Windows 8™ Professional 64 bit |
| Windows 7™ Ultimate 64 bit |
The more expensive the OS the more features it will have, cheaper versions will have features disabled. To see what features are on each OS please check the next to each OS.
NO OS:
You may have an OS at home that you wish to put on the PC. This is fine although we cannot offer the Overclocking service with no OS systems. If you order a PC with no OS then we will install as OS to test with and then delete once the testing is finished.
If you want an overclock but have your own version of Windows, please let us know the OS version in the special instructions and we will leave this OS on for you to activate.
Case back to top
Cases are a very personal thing, either you like the look or you don't. They do however have a practical use also, to keep all your components cool. We split our cases into 4 sections:
Mini Tower (up to to 45cm tall)
Mid Tower (Around 45cm to 55cm tall)
Large Tower (above 55cm tall)
Silent Tower (various heights)
Mini towers are generally for people with space issues. Although they are small they still have ample enough cooling for a gaming PC.
Mid tower can be use for extreme PC's and overclocking is fine in these cases. For overclocking please select Max case fans.
Large towers look amazing and are full of all the bells and whistles. They are very much a looks thing and anyone with space concerns should probably stay clear. These are the best cases for overclocking and come with good cooling and plenty of room for air flow on all components.
Silent towers are for users who noise is an issue. They are all fitted with minimum fans which don't affect the performance. We supply these towers in all sizes so space is no longer an issue.
Maximum Case Fans
If you select Max Fans cyberpower will make sure a fan is placed in every fan hole on a case. Some cases come with several fan holes but only 2 fans (an intake and an outtake). Max fans is recommended for anyone with a high end system or an overclocked system. Max fans is not recommended for silent cases as they will just create more noise.
Maximum Coloured Case Fans
This is the same as max case fans, but the fans we add will match the colours of the fans already in the case. Example Cosmos S has a RED 120MM front fan so we will add all RED case fans. If the case fans are black then we will add black etc. For the colour of your fans please check the pictures on our website to see what your case comes with.
Silent Case Cooling Fans
We will fit 3 x 120mm cooling fans to the key areas in your case. Wherever possible we will only fit these 3 fans. The fans are high CFM (High air flow) which makes them better than the fans originally in the case. Sometimes (mainly with overclocks) we may need to keep some original case fans in also to make sure the airflow is even.
The 3 silent fans will normally be fitted , one in the front (intake) , one in the back (exhaust) and one on the side for the VGA cards (blowing in). With all cases being different some may need to be added on the top or the bottom.
We have options for coloured or plain case fans for your preference. If you order coloured fans we will replace the color of the fans originally in the case unless told otherwise. i.e. red for red , blue for blue.
Cyberpower Noise Reduction Technology
This section is all about how quiet you would like your PC. This section will do nothing for performance and will not make you PC 100% quite, it will simply make it more quiet than it would be.
If you are effected by noise then we recommend you take all options in this section AND we would recommend our BE Quiet PSU's and Silent Case Fans.
Cyberpower Sound Absorbing Foam - This is foam dampening that we will fit on all available flat surfaces on your PC. The Foam absorbs the noise from within the case allowing a minimal amount of noise to escape.
Notes: NZXT Hush and the Coolermaster 1000 Silver already have factory fitted sound dampening foam. Cases with large side windows and mesh vents do not allow much foam to be added. So there is no need to purchase extra foam with these cases.
Cyberpower Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts -When case fans spin the generate noise form rotations. Fans are normally held in place by metal screws which amplify sound. Anti vibration fan mounts are rubber so they absorb the sound before it leaves the case instead of transmitting it to the case as metal fan screws would.
Notes: We will not use anti vibration fan mounts on side fans. Since the side panel will need to be removed when unpacking the PC the fans will drop off. So we will use normal metal screws for all side fans.
Cyberpower Power Supply Gasket - Power Supplies have a internal fan which again generates noise from rotations. PSU's are one of the loudest components in a PC case. A PSU gasket fits around the mount of the PSU and the case. So it absorbs the noise of the PSU because it is rubber, allowing a minimal amount of noise coming from the PSU to escape.
Overclocking & CPU cooling back to top
Overclocking is a way to push a PC to perform faster than default clockspeed. Overclocking mainly focuses on the CPU speed but your RAM and VGA cards may also be overclocked.
Cyberpower offer a Safe and Stable overclock (S&S) or an Extreme overclock (XXX).
Why overclock my PC? Quite simply, performance of an overclocked system is much higher. All Intel CPUs come off the same production lines, they are then tested. The strongest CPUs are designated as K series which means they are overclockable and capable of running at extremely high speeds if cooling and power stability is maintained. AMD FX CPUs are also extremely overclockable and are better suited to mid priced systems.
Example i7 3770K (3.5GHZ) can run a maximum of (4.55GHZ)
Example FX 6100 (3.3GHZ) can run a maximum of (4.29GHZ)
S&S pushes the PC from stock speeds to between 10% or 20% faster than stock speeds. This is done very comfortably keeping voltages and temperatures as low as possible.
XXX pushes the PC from stock speeds to 20% or 30% faster than stock speeds. This would still be a stable overclock but the customer is to expect higher temperature as more voltage will be required to achieve higher clock speeds.
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To order a Overclock the conditions in the PC must be correct. That means all the components must be suitable to take the levels of overclocks you order.
CPU, CPU Cooling, mainboards and RAM must always state that overclocking is available or we cannot complete your order. If you just want S&S then these 4 components must have "***Overclockable S&S***" or ***Overclockable XXX*** next to them.
For a XXX overclock all those components must have ***Overclockable XXX*** next to them.
We would also recommend MAX CASE FANS for any overclocks and a case larger than a Mini Tower.
Note: Attempting to Overclock your CyberPower PC yourself may void your warranty as damaged caused by over-volting will not be covered within you warranty. So leave it to us and the warranty will be intact.
No H61 / B75 mainboards and Celeron / Pentium CPU's will not overclock.
Warranties back to top
Since Cyberpower are a distance seller all warranties are return to base. If a problem occurs and service back to us is required within the first 30 days then Cyberpower will cover the cost of the return of the PC to us.
After 30 days the warranty is return to base. This means if you opt for a standard 3 years warranty you will need to pay for the PC to come back to us. Within the first year of the warranty we will arrange a collection on your behalf but we will need to charge a shipping charge for this as we need to pay our courier. After 1 year it is the customer's responsibility to arrange the shipping back to Cyberpower
Note: We ask all customers to retain the packaging of the PC through-out the warranty period in case the PC needs to come back for service.
Extended Warranties:
If you buy an extended warranty this does not extend the length of the warranty it converts the warranty from a return to base warranty (RTB) to a collect and return warranty. The warranty terms remain the same as the ones set out here: http://www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk/company/warranty.aspx
1 year on-site warranty - 3 years limited warranty (1st year on-site meaning an engineer will come out to fix your problem in the house)
Silver Warranty - 3 years limited warranty (1st year collect and return)
Gold Warranty- 3 years limited warranty (1st & 2nd year collect and return)
Platinum Warranty - 3 years limited warranty (3 years collect and return)
Note: A cyberpower warranty does not affect your statutory rights.
For further support and advice when selecting components for your CyberPower PC see our Forums.