SYSTEM DOWNLOADS & INFORMATION
SYSTEMS TUNING, BENCHMARKING, FIXES & UPDATING
(This index will appear on our Technical System
Informational Pages for Easier Access)
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SYSTEM TUNING
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(main) PC Complete System Tuning - Optimization, Calibrations Etc...
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AWARD BIOS
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BIOS Setting - Tech Terms Information
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GAMERS AWARD BIOS 1
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BIOS Optimization - Tutorials about your BIOS
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GAMERS AWARD BIOS 2
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BIOS Optimization- Our Favorite BIOS Settings
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BIOS UPDATES
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BIOS Flashing - Tools /Utilities /Downloads /Information
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VIDEO CALIBRATION
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Calibrating Video Displays - Gamma /Color /Free Software
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CONNECTION SPEEDS
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Increase Speed - Cable /DSL /Modems /Updates /Software /Testing
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INTERNET SPEED TESTING
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Internet Connection Speed Test - Test Cable/ISDN /DSL /Modems
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HIGH TECH FORUMS
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High-tech Forums - Benchmarking / Help / Hardware /Software
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TWEAKS & TUNING
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High-tech Programming Tools - CPU, FSB, RAM, Tech Programs
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HARD DRIVE SPEED
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Jumpers & Transfer Modes - Helpful and Thorough Information
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RAM CHIP MODULES - DIMMS/SIMMs
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Examples of RAM - View modules used in today's Computers |
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Did you know the normal human eye
can see over 7 million different colors?
Did you know women blink
nearly twice as much as a man?
 Video Monitor Gamma Calibration Software
Video Monitor Color Calibration Software
XP Video Monitor Color and Gamma Calibration Software
Simple Instruction Readme for ICC Color Setup |
The Most Common Screen Resolution
Click the image above to display a chart showing the most common screen resolutions used today. |
Download the simple
but Accurate Windows Control Panel Tool. Then install and run the calibration tool. When finished return back here and Compare your Correction with the " 21 STEP " Gray Scale below. |
| 100 |
95 |
90 |
85 |
80 |
75 |
70 |
65 |
60 |
55 |
50 |
45 |
40 |
35 |
30 |
25 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
The usual or normally correct way for video display monitor adjusting is done as follows:
1). Please Be Aware that not all monitors are the same or
are going to react in the same way while you perform these adjustments. Be absolutely sure that you record the setting that the display reads before making these calibrations, this is so you
may return to them if your display does not look correct.
2). Start by adjusting your Contrast setting to its
highest setting, 100 or 100%
3). Now, While viewing the 21 step scale in normal room light conditions, adjust your Brightness
until all the 21 steps appear to be evenly and consistently toned and all 21 are showing. Your 5% and 95% steps are the most critical areas and if they can be viewed correctly then usually the
mid-tones and quarter tones will fall nicely into place.
4). Your all done...How'd you do? Some monitors may require a fine tune adjustment per the owner's likings.
This is ok, but remember use the " 21 STEP " grayscale and do not get too carried away with changes.
5). The Gamma Calibration Software shown in the link above can further make fine adjustments to pinpoint
your display. After installation and rebooting, you will have a new icon in your control panel which runs the controls of this simple program.
Monitor Calibration
ABOUT COLOR AND THE WEB
Regardless of the software you use, the rules of Web publishing don't change. Rule number one states the Web is an imperfect medium, and you're
going to have to sacrifice some of your photograph's integrity in order to showcase it online. Once you've accepted that, rule number two becomes easier to swallow: Your visitors have less of
an emotional attachment to your images than you do, and they're not going to wait forever to see them. Here are some ways to limit the size of graphics files shown below.
When quality counts
If you're not ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of speed, save your files as JPEGs. Of the two file formats widely supported by the Web-JPEG and GIF-JPEG provides a higher quality image.
Both compress file size, but JPEG supports millions of colors. As long as your system is set to 16- or 24-bit color resolution, your browsers will display JPEGs at the best possible quality.
But keep in mind if users are viewing your images at a 256-color resolution, they're seeing only 216 colors. Standard browsers are limited to the 216-color Web-safe palette at this resolution.
The format's compression will result in some quality loss, but it's often so minute it's impossible to discern.
Compromising colors
If you don't mind sacrificing some colors, go with GIF. The GIF file format supports only 256 colors, and the Web-safe color palette further reduces that to 216 colors. This may make your image
appear significantly dithered or grainy. If you're not ready to take that kind of quality hit, at least create thumbnails of your images in GIF format. That way, visitors can get an idea what's
at the end of the wait.
Reducing resolution
The standard resolution for Web viewing is 72 dots per inch, so always save your images at this resolution. But start out with high-res images and make sure your system is set to at least high
color (not 256 colors) when you edit the original images.
File size matters
Keep your files as small as possible (30KB is reasonable ) to help decrease download times. Reduce the height and width of large images to no more than 640x480 (the default monitor resolution)
whenever possible. Compress your JPEGs whenever you can and keep your GIFs' color palettes small.
Monitor Calibration
VIDEO MONITOR COLOR ADJUSTING
Take a good look at each step in the grayscale bar image shown below. There is 21 steps of 5% increments ranging from 0% Solid White to 100% Solid
Black.
Can you see each of the 21 steps in a gradual and consistent increase/decrease?. Is there a color cast?
Gamma is the measurement between the Lightest 0% to the Darkest 100% areas of any image. Shown in that 21 step grayscale is about the best visual
way to determine if your monitor adjustment is in calibration standards or too dark or bright.
If your experienced with making a color change to your RGB
monitor settings, then this is your goal setting to achieve for best results.
This " 21 STEP " grayscale is the perfect shade of gray, hence the
name. If yours looks Green, Blue, Red or Yellow in a slight cast or possibly
a more severe color cast, then find your monitor's setting adjustments and make very small adjustments until the Scale has reach the best possible Neutral
Gray Tone.
Once you think your in the ballpark, Get up from your chair and move away from the monitor for a minute. Return back and take another look, after
your eyes have re-adjusted themselves. If it looks Great to you, Congratulations you just completed this lesson in calibration. If not and you tweaked out the color too much or things got worse,
then go through the monitor's settings until you find Recall, this will correct your monitor to factory settings and give you another chance. Be sure that you take special care and note
your changes as you go. Remember, Do Not Make Big Adjustments, Tuning your monitor should be in very small increments to achieve gray.
Don't Forget to take a break for your eyes to re-adjust and self correct often and try not to have strange contaminating light that can distort
the true color of gray on your screen. During my career we have always worked in an atmosphere similar to a movie theaters darkness so that no color distortion would be present from incandescent
or florescent lighting. We also used very special lighting boxes for viewing our proofs or art. This was so that we could achieve a true color match with any surface of color.
EXAMPLES:
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GAMMA:
Number indicating the degree of contrast between the darkest and lightest parts of a photographic image. |
COLOR
Cast adjusting or usually needed if you own an
Old monitor and controls get maxed out in any direction. Follow software directions |
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21 Step Grayscale Calibration Strip (Jpeg format)
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10 Step Grayscale Web Color Gray Strip |
| Red |
Green |
Blue |
Black |
Cyan |
Magenta |
Yellow |
| Monitor Color Format |
Printing Color Format |
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White Point, Black Point
Gamma Patches
| Monitors |
CRT LCD |
Analog LCD |
DVI |
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Contrast |
100% |
50% |
30% |
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Brightness |
50% |
75% |
50% |
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Gamma settings can be adjusted with these test patches. For PC monitors, the normal setting is 2.2 for mid-tone brightness. Above and the patch on
the left can be used to setup your systems brightness by standing back a few feet until the visual lines from the patches disappear and the area looks like a gray tone. Match the 2 areas
by adjusting brightness until both areas blend as 1. As you adjust your screen, keep in mind that the white point and black point patches will need to be adjusted as well. Contrast adjustment
can adjust these areas. White point adjustment should be adjusted to show a clean white in the 100 zone and you still can see the steps for 95,90 and 85. Black point is adjusted where the
black 0 patch is black and you can still see the following 10, 20 and 30 patches. After you complete this, your monitors gamma will be set. |
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The RGB standard specifies a color temperature of 6500 . Most monitors have provisions for setting color temperature using on-screen menus. We find
6500 a bit too warm, so we set the color temperature to 7300 . At this setting our monitor, whites appear white. |
Streaming on the WEB - SOFTWARE TO GET YOU STARTED
Streaming Audio or Video is not that hard to do. The Most important part is being able to display it for your visitors fast enough so that the file does not
crackle or frame jump as it is being enjoyed, This is called bit rate. Below You will find links to sites that have encoding and the proper software to help enable you to create a stream.
Download and install the free encoding software tool from Real Networks, Microsoft and Apple (depending on which format you wish to stream). Basic free versions
and more advanced versions of encoders are available. |
DISPLAYS
Screen Sizing
VGA Connectors DVI Connectors /
VISUALS OF DISPLAY CABLE CONNECTION TYPES
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