Comparison Artline Gaming X67 X67v43 vs Artline Gaming D31 D31v52

The form factor of a computer case characterizes, first of all, the internal volume. Main PC Form Factors:

— Midi Tower. A representative of the tower family (tower cases) of medium size — about 45 cm in height with a width of 15-20 cm, with the number of external bays from 2 to 4. Most popular for middle-class home PCs.

— Mini Tower. The most compact "vertical" case type, with a width of 15-20 cm, has a height of about 35 cm and (usually) less than 2 compartments with external access. Used mainly for office PCs that do not require high performance.

— Full Tower. The tower case is one of the largest form factors for PCs today: 15-20 cm wide, 50-60 cm high, with up to 10 externally accessible bays. Most often in this form factor running advanced high performance PCs

— Desktop. Enclosures designed for installation directly on the desktop. They often have the possibility of horizontal installation — in such a way that a monitor can be placed on top of the case — although there are also models that are installed strictly vertically. Anyway, "desktop" models are relatively small.

— Cube Case. Cases having a cubic or close to it shape. They can have different sizes and are intended for different types of motherboards, this point in each case...should be clarified separately. Anyway, such cases have a rather original appearance, different from traditional "towers" and "desktops".

The result shown by the PC processor in the test (benchmark) Passmark CPU Mark.

Passmark CPU Mark is a comprehensive test that allows you to evaluate CPU performance in various modes and with a different number of processed threads. The results are displayed in points; the more points, the higher the overall performance of the processor. For comparison: as of 2020, in low-cost solutions, the results are measured in hundreds of points, in mid-range models they range from 800 – 900 to more than 6,000 points, and individual top-end chips are capable of showing 40,000 points or more.

The type of graphics memory used by the discrete graphics card (see "Video Card Type").

In most of these adapters, GDDR graphics memory is installed — a kind of regular DDR "RAM", optimized for use with graphics tasks. This memory is available on the market in several versions; in addition, there are other varieties. Here is a more detailed description of the different options:

— GDDR3. At one time — a fairly common type of graphic memory; today, however, it is considered obsolete and is not used in new PCs.

— GDDR5. The most popular (for 2020) type of GDDR graphic memory. At a reasonable cost, it provides good performance, due to which it is found in computers of different price categories.

— GDDR5X. Modification of the above-mentioned GDDR5, characterized by a 2-fold increased throughput. Accordingly, the performance of such memory (with the same volumes) is noticeably higher; on the other hand, such modules are expensive.

— GDDR6. The newest of the GDDR standards for 2020 — the first video cards based on this type of memory were introduced in 2018. It differs from its immediate predecessor — GDDR5X — in both increased bandwidth and lower operating voltage, which provides both increased efficiency and reduced power consumption. It is also worth noting that GDDR6 was developed with specific applications in mind, such as VR or work with resolutions above 4K UHD.

— HBM2. The original HBM is a type of RAM d...esigned to maximize the speed of data exchange; HBM2 is the second version of this technology, in which the bandwidth compared to the original HBM has been doubled. Such a memory is fundamentally different from DDR in terms of device — in particular, the memory cells in it are placed in layers and allow simultaneous access. Thanks to this, HBM is several times faster than the fastest versions of GDDR, which makes this technology perfect for high workloads such as processing UltraHD graphics and virtual reality. At the same time, the clock frequency of such modules is low and, accordingly, power consumption and heat dissipation are small. The disadvantage of this option is traditional — the high price.

— DDR3. Memory that does not have a specialization for graphics — in other words, the same DDR3 that is used in RAM sticks (see "Memory Type" above). In the case of video cards, such solutions are completely obsolete and are almost never used nowadays.

The number of internal 3.5" component bays in the computer. This form factor is standard for hard drives, and is also often used in other types of drives; accordingly, the more bays, the more drives you can install on your computer.

Paying attention to the number of internal 3.5" bays makes sense, first of all, if you purchase a configuration without drives or plan to upgrade your PC in the future. It is worth noting that it is recommended to install drives not in a row, but through one slot — for cooling efficiency ; so ideally the number of slots should be twice the number of devices to be installed.

The number of internal bays in the computer for components of the form factor 2.5 ". This form factor is popular, in particular, among SSD drives, as well as compact ("laptop") hard drives.

Paying attention to the number of internal 2.5" bays makes sense, first of all, if you purchase a configuration without drives or plan to upgrade your PC in the future. It is worth noting that it is recommended to install drives not in a row, but through one slot — for cooling efficiency; so that ideally the number of slots should be twice the number of devices installed.

The number of full size USB 2.0 connectors provided on the front 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. Specifically, version 2.0 was the most popular some time ago, but now it is considered obsolete, it is gradually being replaced by more advanced standards like USB 3.0 (3.1 gen1). However, USB 2.0 capabilities (data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps) are still sufficient for many peripheral devices, from keyboards and mice to printers. So this standard is still far from completely disappearing, and some PCs may have several of these ports on the front panel at once.

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

The number of USB-C 3.2 gen2 connectors (previously labeled USB-C 3.1 gen2 and USB-C 3.1) provided on the front panel of the PC; respectively, the number of devices with such plugs that can be simultaneously connected to the front panel without the use of splitters.

USB-C was created as an improvement on the classic USB plug: it is noticeably smaller and has a reversible design that allows you to connect the plug in either direction. And version 3.2 gen2 is an improvement on 3.2 gen1, which allows you to achieve speeds up to 10 Gbps and power supply up to 100 W (due to the USB Power Delivery function). These capabilities are enough even for the most demanding modern devices with a USB-C connection; at the same time, peripherals under USB-C 3.2 gen1 can also be connected to ports of this type.

Separately, it is worth noting that USB-C ports can also be provided 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.

The presence of a water cooling system in the design of the PC.

Such systems are highly efficient, but complex, cumbersome and expensive. Therefore, it makes sense to use them only in the most powerful and "hot" PCs, as well as systems with the potential for further "overclocking" — that is, in configurations for which traditional air cooling with coolers is not enough. Thus, the presence of this feature is an unmistakable sign of a high-end performance PC, usually a gaming one.