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  • Best Power Supplies to Buy In India (covers every budget!)

    Best Power Supplies to Buy In India (covers every budget!)

     

    Power Supply Units or PSUs are one of the most important part of a PC Build since they power your entire build. Be it a low-end PC or a higher-end one, a good PSU is really important. As after all, nobody wants a ticking time bomb in your PC (that’s right, bad PSUs have a tendency to explode). Now choosing a power supply can be quite boring since there are a lot of options available and they’re not exactly easy to distinguish. A buyer can easily get confused when it comes to the wattage of a PSU, its rating, efficiency, and overall reliability. But I’m here to make things a little easy (I’ll try).

     

    So let’s start with one of the most important questions, what power output do you need?

     

    Now instead of calculating the power consumption of each part, you have individually you can use a wattage calculator to get a better idea and save a lot of time.

    Some good wattage calculators online-

    Power Supply Calculator – PSU Wattage Calculator

    Seasonic Wattage Calculator

    To use the tools, select the components you plan on using, and it will automatically calculate the estimated power output you’ll need.

    For example, if I plan on getting a Ryzen 5 5600x, pair it with an RTX 3070, along with 16 gigabytes of memory and a 500 gig SSD, the recommended PSU wattage will be 472 watts. (according to the Newegg one)

    Now hold on, don’t go buying a 500W PSU for your RTX 3070 build, there are a few more things 

    you need to consider while deciding the wattage.

    1-Extra fans and coolers you plan to add to your build.

    2-Extra headroom for power spikes ( the spikes aren’t that much in modern components but it’s good to leave a headroom of approximately 100 watts)

    3- Future Upgrades- It’s important to think about future upgrades as a good PSU may easily last 10 years or so (some PSUs have a 10-year warranty)

    Now taking all this into consideration I’d suggest getting at least a 650W PSU for an RTX 3070/5600x  build, which is like +200W from the recommended wattage. 

     

    What is 80 Plus Certification?

     

    Now as you go on browsing PSUs for your build, you’ll notice many are labeled with an 80+ certification. 80 Plus is a certification program that manufacturers utilize to provide some assurance that their power supplies will meet certain efficiency requirements.80 Plus has various levels ranging from Basic to Titanium.

    This is a table consisting of efficiency levels for consumer power supplies-

     

    % of rated load 10% 20% 50% 100%
    80 Plus – 80% 80% 80%
    80 Plus Bronze – 82% 85% 82%
    80 Plus Silver – 85% 88% 85%
    80 Plus Gold – 87% 90% 87%
    80 Plus Platinum – 90% 92% 89%
    80 Plus Titanium 90% 92% 94% 90%

     

    Now I know all this is a little complicated to understand but to keep it basic, the difference is how efficiently the PSU transforms energy on a specific load level.  To conclude this complicated part, simply getting an 80 Plus Bronze rated PSU as a minimum is recommended.

     

    Should you get a Modular PSU, a Semi-Modular PSU, or a Non Modular one?

     

    Another important aspect of buying a PSU is choosing between a Modular, Non-Modular, or a Semi-Modular one.

    Non-Modular PSUs– These PSUs have all their cables attached.Probably cause they were around since cable management wasn’t a thing and people didn’t care about cables making a mess. Although they still have some advantages like being cost-effective and if you’re someone who uses all the wires which come with a power supply, there’s no point in paying for modularity.

    Semi-Modular PSUs– Semi-modular power supplies are kind of a middle ground between modular and non-modular PSUs and that’s what makes them great. They come with most of the necessary cables pre-attached and thus are really easy to use for new builders.

    Modular PSUs- These power supplies have some or all of their cables detachable. They help in cable management but are really hard to use for new builders as connecting the plethora of cables can be a little complex.

     

    Which one should you get? Well unless you’re using custom cable mods, there’s no reason to pay extra for a modular PSU, getting a semi-modular PSU will be enough for most people.
    The option to detach cables is nothing but a luxury and it shouldn’t be a deciding factor when you’re choosing a power supply.

     

    Getting to the part you’ve been waiting for (I hope), here are some of the best PSUs you can buy in India according to their price and wattage.

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 4000 (450W, 550W)

     

    1- Cooler Master MWE 450W Bronze V2 230v  80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular Power Supply 

    This power supply is a great bang for your buck especially at Rs 3099 (on Amazon India at the time of writing). 

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Flat black cables
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
    • Fixed the ripple issue with revision 2

     

    2-Cooler Master MWE 550 V2 80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular Power Supply

    The 550W version of the MWE v2 again is very cost-effective and a great budget option at Rs 3500 (on MDComputers at the time of writing)

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Flat black cables
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 6000 (650W)

     

    1- Corsair CX 650 80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular ATX Power Supply

    At Rs 5500 (on Vedant Computers at the time of writing), it’s one of the best 650W power supplies from Corsair.

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Matte black finish and sleeved cables
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
    • 120mm thermally controlled fan

     

    2- Deepcool DQ650-M-V2L 650 Watt 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The Deepcool DQ650-M-V2L is simply a great power supply that is feature-packed and comes with the added bonus of a sweet 10-year warranty at Rs 6500 (on MDComputers at the time of writing).

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • High-Grade Japanese Capacitors
    • Fully Modular

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 8000 (650W,750W)

     

    1- Antec EA650G PRO 80 Plus Gold Certified 650 Watt Semi-Modular Power Supply

    The Antec EA650G PRO at Rs 7000(on Amazon India at the time of writing) is one of the best and most feature-packed power supplies you can find in this price range.

     

    • 7-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • 120 mm noise optimized fan
    • Semi-Modular

     

    2-Deepcool DQ750-M-V2L 750 Watt 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The 750W version of the DQ650-M-V2L is another great power supply at just Rs 7400 (on MDComputers at the time of writing)

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • Fully Modular

     

    3-Antec EA750G PRO 80 Plus Gold Certified 750 Watt Semi-Modular Power Supply

    The 750W version of the EA650G Pro at Rs 7500 (at the time of writing on Amazon India) is again a feature-packed power supply at a great price.

     

    • 7-year manufacturer warranty
    • Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
    • Semi-Modular

     

    4-Antec HCG 750 80 Plus Bronze Certified Fully Modular Power Supply

    This is from the Antec HCG series and at just Rs 6800 (at the time of writing on Amazon India) is a good choice to consider and is one of the cheapest 750W Power Supplies you can find.

     

    • 5-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
    • 135mm noise optimized fan

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 10000 (750W,850W)

     

    1–NZXT C750 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The NZXT C series is a good and reliable option to go with since it basically is a rebranded Seasonic Focus PSU which is a good power supply not usually sold in India. Currently at Rs 8800 (currently at Rs 8800 on Vedant Computers) is a good option if you’ve got the budget.

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 120mm dynamic fan with Zero RPM mode

     

    2-Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The 850W version of the DQ650-M-V2L is a great bang for your buck and has a lot of features. It is a great power supply to consider if you have a high end build (looking at you 3080 and 3090 owners) and also want to be future proof. Currently costs Rs 8750 (at the time of writing on MDComputers)

                          

    • 3-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • High-Quality Japanese Capacitors

     

    3–Antec HCG-850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The 850W Gold version of the HCG 750 is a good option especially with the 10-year warranty at Rs 9600 (at the time of writing on PCStudio).

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • Fully Modular
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 120mm noise optimized fan

     

    Best PSUs under Rupees 12000 (850W)

     

    1-Corsair RM850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The RM850 is one of the best power supplies you can buy at Rs 11900 (on MDComputers)

    with tons of features and high build quality. This power supply has Modern Standby Mode which is a feature for Windows 10 which will vastly improve your PC’s sleep and wake functionality.

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 135mm noise optimized fan
    • Fully Modular and Multiple GPU ready

     

    2-Gigabyte Aorus P850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply

    The Aorus P850 is a solid option to consider as another great feature-packed power supply at a great price. Currently at Rs 10100 (on Vedant Computers at the time of writing), often falls down to Rs 8500 during sales, so I suggest keeping an eye out for this amazing deal.

     

    • 10-year manufacturer warranty
    • 80 Plus Gold Certified
    • 135mm smart fan
    • Fully Modular 

     

    Note-This power supply is not to be confused with the Gigabyte P750GM and P850GM ones which are relatively cheap, as they’re bad quality power supplies having a tendency to explode.

     

    Where are the 1000W+ PSUs?

    After going through the list you might be wondering where the 1000W+ Power Supplies are. Well the reason I decided to not include them is most people who will read this won’t actually need a 1000W+ power supply. An 850W one is enough for most consumer PC Builds.

    But if you’re someone who wants to future proof for the next 10 years or wants to SLI 3090s or you’re a miner with multiple GPUs, here are some good options you could consider-

    1-Corsair RM1000x

    2-Cooler Master V1000

    3-Corsair HX1200

     

    So many options, which one should you get?

     

    Selecting a power supply out of the ones I’ve listed above might be a bit confusing but what you should keep in mind is, the above power supplies are all good quality ones backed by a warranty from a reputable company. So simply, decide what features you want and what budget might be the best for you, and voila! You’ve decided which power supply to get. Now you can finally power up your build and enjoy hours of gaming.

     

    Conclusion

     

    Whatever you end up buying, keep in mind that a good PSU is an investment. Most good power supplies have long warranties thus lasting for years. When your PC can no longer handle the latest games, upgrading your GPU and CPU can solve the problem. But your PSU will remain the same between many builds and thus it should be a priority.

    Remember, never cheap out on your PSU!

     

  • Best gaming monitors under 15000 in India [2021]

    Best gaming monitors under 15000 in India [2021]

    Introduction

    Gaming. The World’s biggest and most profitable form of entertainment. With an estimated revenue of $179.7 billion in 2020 it is bigger than movies and most sports industry revenue combined.

     

    We all play games. We always talk about big high clock speed CPU’s, shiny new graphics cards, faster RAM that’s better and faster [and often more expensive] than the previous versions and we all want the latest and greatest. But are these parts the things we interact the most with? No.

     

    We interact with Displays. TV’s, Monitors… And more often than not, we decide to skimp on a monitor while pouring more money into some other PC parts. But in doing so we are not only limiting the system of delivering the beautiful performance it is capable of producing, but also limiting our enjoyment.

    But does that mean we also have to spend an eye watering amount on monitors? No absolutely not. Today i will list 5 of the best gaming Monitors you can buy under Rs 15000 and have a great time in gaming and maybe even content creation and professional work.

     

    But before we do that, lets first learn about some of the technical terms used in Display space and what they mean. Trust me, follow along and they will make sense and even come handy not just for now, but also in the future.

    Refresh rate

    Refresh Rate is the number of times per second that a display can show a new image. The higher the number, the smoother and faster it is.

    Most common refresh rate on any display is 60hz. If you are a gamer, you would preferably want a refresh rate of at least 120hz or more.

    Most common high refresh rates used in Monitors are 144hz, 165hz and 240hz. Which means they can show 144, 165 and 240 new images every second on their respective displays.

    Simply put, you will not experience the blurring effect that occurs when moving too fast in a game, making it feel easier on your eyes. Also, simple activities like regular scrolling in a web browser or moving the mouse cursor would feel much smoother than on a 60hz monitor as a side effect.

    Please note Refresh Rate is not the same as Frame Rate. A Frame Rate is the number of frames your computer [the graphics card more precisely] can produce per second. Your PC can produce 300 frames per second but if you are stuck on a 60hz display you cannot fully take advantage of the extra frames.

    Response Time

    Every display has millions or even billions of pixels. A Pixel Response Time is defined as the time it takes for a pixel to change from one colour to another. This is normally measured in “GTG” or “Grey to Grey” time where the measured is the time a pixel takes from changing from one shade of grey to another. Most monitors have a GTG time of 8 milliseconds or 8ms. Any higher and the image looks blurry.

    The best possible refresh rate displays currently in the market are 1ms.

    The higher the refresh rate, the smoother, faster and more accurate it is to track an object displayed on the screen.

    TN vs IPS vs VA panels 

    There are 3 main panel types.

    • Twisted nematic (TN): This is the most traditional type of LCD panel.
    • In-plane switching (IPS): LG coined this term. Similar technology is known as “plane-to-line switching” (PLS) by Samsung, and “advanced hyper viewing angle” by AU Optronics (AHVA). They’re all equal.
    • Vertical alignment (VA): Samsung calls it “super vertical alignment” (SVA), while AU Optronics calls it “advanced multi-domain vertical alignment” (AMVA). Many of them have the same characteristics.
    1. TN or Twisted Nematic panels

    The first mass-produced flat screen displays used TN panels.

    They were instrumental in making the bulky cathode ray tubes (CRTs) obsolete, and they are still manufactured in large quantities today.

    There are some significant disadvantages of TN display technology. One of the drawbacks is the limited viewing angles, particularly on the vertical axis. When viewing a TN panel from an extreme angle, it’s not uncommon for the colours to fully invert. Its colour reproduction is also not very well.

    Most TN panels can’t show 24-bit true colour, so they have to rely on interpolation to get the right shades.

    As compared to IPS or VA, this may result in clear colour banding and lower contrast ratios.

     

    1. In-plane switching (IPS)

     

    IPS is a type of LCD monitor panel that stands for In-Plane Switching. It was developed to improve the image quality of TN panel technology. As compared to other LCD technologies, the most notable selling point of In-Plane Switching panels is their stability, better viewing angles, and superior colour accuracy.

    Regardless of where it is on the monitor, each colour shade maintains its distinct identity and distinctiveness. These features make IPS panels ideal for graphic design work as well as gamers who want the best visuals possible (but don’t mind a lower response rate). When using an IPS panel, one of the most noticeable flaws is a shimmer or sheen on the screen.  

    When displaying dark content, one of the most noticeable flaws of IPS displays is a shimmer or sheen on the monitor. When viewing the display from a wider angle, the glitch becomes more apparent.

     

    1. Vertical alignment (VA):

    VA panels (Vertical Alignment) are a good compromise between TN and IPS panels. VA was created to combine the benefits of IPS and TN tables, and it mostly succeeded, but again with some compromises.

    When compared to IPS panels, VA panels have a higher refresh rate potential. There are a handful that are above 60Hz, despite the fact that the majority are currently 60Hz. With improved colour reproduction, higher maximum brightness, and better viewing angles, VA panels outperform TN panels.

    While VA panels have the best contrast ratios of all the panel types discussed, they also have the slowest response times of all the display technologies discussed. This triggers blurring of fast-moving images, which is bad for gaming.VA panels are a jack-of-all-trades type of panel.

    VA is not the best choice for gaming because of its slower response time as compared to other panel types; this slower response creates more motion blur, essentially preventing its use in fast-paced games.

    VA panels have high contrast ratios, brightness, refresh speeds, good colour reproduction, and good viewing angles for a general work display.

    Backlight glow

    Backlight glow (also known as backlight bleed) is a common issue with IPS panels, which essentially means that if you attempt to display a completely black picture on your monitor in full-screen mode and create a pitch black area, you would be able to see the IPS panel’s inaccuracies. At different parts of your screen, you can note a faint yellowish colour of the backlight.

    When people see this, they become alarmed and often request a replacement, only to be frustrated by another display with a glowing backlight.

    Almost all IPS panels have some sort of backlight glow, which can be disconcerting to see in your new display, but it’s important to remember that this is a feature of the technology.

    And, with a black picture on the screen, this is only noticeable in very dark areas.

    This occurs because the IPS monitor is unable to fully switch off all of the lights behind the screen, resulting in non-uniformity.

    Cameras try to adapt to the low light atmosphere to make it look worse than it really is, so images shared online are often exaggerated.

    If you keep some lights on when using your monitor, you can solve this issue.

    If you want a dark room, use bias lighting at the very least.

    Input Lag

    The time between transmitting an electrical signal and the occurrence of a subsequent event is known as input lag. For example, the time between pressing a key on a keyboard and a letter appearing on the display is known as input lag.

    In video games, input lag refers to the time it takes for a signal to reach the television or computer and be shown on the screen[1] (see display lag below), or the time it takes for a player to press a button and see the game respond.

    A display with a high input lag can be unusable.

    Adaptive Sync Technology

    The dynamic adjusting of a monitor’s vertical refresh rate with the graphics card’s frame rate (GPU). Adaptive sync was designed for the video game industry to remove tearing, stuttering, and judder. Today, a gaming display must have a variable and customizable refresh rate in order to be marketed as such.

     

    VESA standardised adaptive sync, which is available in VESA’s embedded DisplayPort (eDP) and DisplayPort 1.2a interfaces. Under the FreeSync brand, AMD supports VESA Adaptive-Sync.

     

    G-Sync is an NVIDIA adaptive sync technology that requires both the card and the display to be present. G-Sync is a proprietary NVIDIA technology that is not VESA Adaptive-Sync compliant as of 2020.

    Contrast Ratio

    Contrast ratio is the ratio between the maximum and minimum brightness, or in other words, the ratio between the brightest white and the darkest black. A 1000:1 contrast ratio, for example, means that the brightness of a fully white image is 1000 times greater than that of a completely black image.

    Since the disparity between black and white is greater, pictures with a higher contrast ratio have more saturated colours.

    Basically, higher the contrast ratio, the better the display is to have more saturated colours, resulting in a better image quality.

     

    In fact, you should aim for a contrast ratio of at least 1000:1. Most TN and IPS panels are limited to a 1300:1 aspect ratio. The ratio of VA panels can vary from 3000:1 to 6000:1, with the majority of panels falling in the 3000:1 range.

    If you watch a lot of videos and images, contrast is crucial, as a higher contrast monitor can produce significantly better picture quality, so you should opt for a VA screen.

    If your primary role is productivity-related, such as browsing websites and editing documents, then an IPS display can be preferable, even if contrast ratio is sacrificed.

    Input Ports

    Many modern monitors have a sufficient number of useful ports. Basically, you should check if a monitor has a Display port or not as is it more commonly used gaming than the underpowered HDMI 2.0 or the more recent and expensive HDMI 2.1.

    Displayport or DP is the only way for most monitors to use both Freesync and High refresh rate at the same time. So you should always check for a Displayport option in any monitor you are looking to purchase.

    High Dynamic Range

    The ability of a monitor to display a wider range of contrast ratio and colour than an SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) display is referred to as High-Dynamic Range (HDR).

    This means that the display can produce darker blacks and brighter colours, resulting in a more realistic picture.

     

    The problem with HDR is that it is expensive. It needs at least a display capable of producing 400 nits. Any less is just software HDR which should be avoided.

    True HDR effect comes from HDR 1000 and above.

    HDR Certification and Performance Tiers

    (Image courtesy of Anandtech)

     

    The top 5 gaming monitors under Rs 15000/-

    The absolute best gaming monitor under Rs 15000 as of March 2020, the Acer Nitro VG240YS has emerged out as the jack of all trades and king of some.

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 165Hz
    • IPS Panel Type
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Full HD IPS Panel with Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Overclocked to 165 Hz Refresh Rate
    • Wide Viewing Angle [178 degrees]

     

    CONS:

    • Display Resolution 1920×1080 is a bit on the lower end by today’s standards
    • So is the display size of 24″
    • 1ms Response Time is advertised but physically impossible in IPS panels.
    • With 250 nits of peak brightness, the HDR is software only and pretty bad.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    This Monitor was the previous top IPS gaming monitor in India, only recently surpassed by the newer Acer model. Let’s take a closer  look at the specs.

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • IPS Panel Type
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Full HD IPS Panel with Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Wide Viewing Angle [178 degrees]

     

    CONS:

    • Display Resolution of 1920×1080
    • Display size of 24″
    • 1ms Response Time is advertised but physically impossible in IPS panels.
    • With 250 nits of peak brightness, the HDR is software only and pretty bad.
    • Refresh Rate cannot be Overclocked.
    • Older versions of this monitor had some flicker issues.
    • Height is not adjustable

     

    VA and especially Curved gaming monitors are always a curious case of design and technological choices made by the manufacturer. Let’s see how it holds up to the competition.

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • 27 Inch Display size
    • VA Panel Type
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Radeon FreeSync Technology

     

    CONS:

    • Display Resolution of 1920×1080
    • 4ms Response Time advertised.
    • Refresh Rate cannot be Overclocked.
    • Curved Monitors can be an issue for some people.

     

     

     

    Yet another Acer product, you may ask? Well its because they have really tripled down on dominating the budget gaming monitor market, and it shows. Let’s take a look.

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • Advertised 0.5 sec of Response Time due to the TN panel.
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Overclockable to 165hz

     

    CONS:

     

    • Display Resolution 1920×1080
    • TN Panel Type
    • Display size of 24″
    • Lower viewing angles than IPS panels

     

     

     

    PRO’S:

    • Refresh Rate 144Hz
    • True 1ms Response Time due to the TN panel.
    • 2xHDMI (2.0) + 1xDP (1.2)
    • Radeon FreeSync Technology
    • Height is adjustable

     

    CONS:

     

    • Display Resolution 1920×1080 is a bit on the lower end by today’s standards
    • TN Panel Type
    • So is the display size of 24″
    • Lower viewing angles than IPS panels
    • Non overclockable refresh rate.

     

    What’s interesting about the best LG gaming monitor in this budget is that while LG has innovated the IPS panel technology and even hold the patent for it, it’s weird that they themselves chose to stick with a TN panel display while the rest of the pack has used their own IPS tech in their products. LG, it’s time to play on even grounds.

     

     

    Conclusion

    The gaming monitor scene has improved tremendously in the last 3-4 years, showing a similar trend to the recent improved in the gaming scene, from CPU’s to Graphics cards to even consoles. Every product you can buy today, no matter how cheap in price, far outstrips the average or sometimes even the high-end products offered to gamers by companies just a few years back.  Gaming has truly entered another Golden age.

     

    Basically, anything you choose above a certain price and product category will give you a very satisfactory experience for years to come. And with the advent of High refresh rate IPS displays, if you are willing to accept slightly lower refresh rates than TN panels, you can even used them for Office and most creative workspaces.

     

     

  • Best SSD for laptops in India

    Best SSD for laptops in India

    Storage and speed are two essential components when it comes to purchasing laptops. Everyone wants enough storage to ensure that they can store their favourite movies, pictures, work files, etc. on their laptops. They also want that their storage should be fast to load, meaning it should have a good read and write speed. The answer to these needs of people is an SSD. An SSD, which stands for Solid State Drive, is a flash memory-based storage that works much faster than a Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

    An HDD works by using moving parts to read and write on the memory. This makes the process much longer, much more power-consuming, and also makes it very likely for the HDD to fail. The SSD is an upgrade to an HDD. Not only is an SSD much faster than an HDD, but it is also much less power-consuming and is likely to last longer. An SSD can breathe life into an aging and slow laptop, and it can also make the newer laptops work much faster. Thus, an SSD is essential for both old as well as new laptops.

    Before figuring out the advantages of SSDs and the needs for which an SSD is best suited, we try to understand how SSDs work. SSDs are flash memory storage devices. The memory chips on an SSD are comparable to random access memory (RAM). Instead of a magnetic platter, files are saved on a grid of NAND flash cells. Each grid (also called blocks) can store between 256 KB and 4MB. The controller of an SSD has the exact address of the blocks so that when your PC requests a file it is (almost) instantly available. There’s no waiting for a read/write head to find the information it needs. SSD access times are thus measured in nanoseconds.

    The image below shows just how much better an SSD is when compared to an HDD.

    ADVANTAGES OF SSD:

    Faster device boot time– If the operating system is installed on the SSD, the time it takes to boot up the device goes down by a great amount. It takes seconds for an SSD to boot up your device from a total shutdown. This is a great advantage for people with older and sluggish devices, which took a long time to start.

    Faster reading and writing speed– Since an SSD reads and writes data from flash cells, the reading and writing speed of SSDs is much faster than normal. Copying or moving files is much faster in SSDs, thus they are especially good for people who have to frequently transfer large chunks of data on their device.

    Reduced game load times– Gamers should go for SSDs as games installed on SSDs load up much faster. Reduced load times help you enjoy the game much faster. Although, it should be kept in mind that it won’t affect the performance of the game otherwise.

    Faster rendering– The people who will feel the biggest difference with an SSD over an HDD are people who use their devices to render things. Any people who edit pictures or videos, or create renders of 3D software, will feel the difference as the faster read and write speed ensure that the device renders things much faster. However, rendering also depends on strong hardware, so you can’t expect that installing an SSD on a weak device will significantly improve render times.

    General responsiveness– Due to faster read and write times, the programs launch much faster and the overall system feels much faster and snappier. The overall quality of the device improves. That is why a good SSD can even bring an old, slow device back to life.

    Most laptops today already come with SSDs as they are becoming cheaper and they are becoming the norm. SSDs are slowly replacing HDDs in laptops and desktops. However, there are still many newer and older laptops that do not have pre-installed SSDs. This article is helpful for those people. After reading this article, you will probably be able to identify which SSD is best for your laptop according to the different features and according to your budget.

    Before figuring out what kind of SSD you should purchase, you need to find out whether your laptop supports SSDs or not. If the BIOS of your laptop doesn’t support an SSD, even an external caddy can’t be used to attach and install an SSD on your laptop. Thus, it is of the utmost importance to find out whether your laptop supports an SSD or not.

    To check if SSD is compatible with a laptop, you need to figure out the interface type of hard disk in your laptop at first. It is hard to take apart the laptop but you can check it in the manuals. The manual talks about the hard disk interface. If you cannot find out your manual, then you should look on the internet to find about the disk interface of your specific model laptop. It is only difficult for older laptops. Otherwise, you can find out the type of SSD your laptop supports pretty easily.

    TYPES OF SSDs FOR LAPTOP:

    After figuring out what kind of SSD your laptop supports, you will need to purchase the best SSD in that category. However, before we proceed to that stage, we must know what are the types of SSDs available for your laptop. This article talks about the various kinds of SSDs available for laptops below.

    2.5-inch SATA SSD– This is the oldest form of SSD available for your laptop. SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) SSDs are the first generation of SSDs. The SSDs are much faster than HDDs. They can range from 2.5 to 7 to even 9 inches. However, laptops usually use the 2.5 inch versions. The highest speed that is offered by the SATA SSDs is around 570 MBPS, which is very fast when compared to the hard disks. Since these SSDs are connected to laptops using SATA ports, which the hard disk drive already uses, generally 2.5’ SSD replaces your original hard disk drive in your laptop. It is the most common type of SSD used, but it is getting older now. This is used in most of the older laptops as they don’t have another dedicated SSD port.

    mSATA SSD– The mSATA SSD is a newer form of SSD and is just a circuit, unlike the SATA SSDs. It is much more compact when compared to the SATA SSDs. These SSDs are uncommon now because they are defunct and have been replaced by the M2 slot. SSDs of this type are used in laptops that are not very old and have an mSATA connection.

    M.2 SSDs– M.2 SSDs also are a bare circuit board. They can be either in PCI form or SATA form. They differ from the other SSDs as they come in all types of sizes and can be bigger as well as smaller. Thus, you need to find out the specific measurements of your SSD slot to find the correct m.2 SSD. Owing to their varying sizes, they are typically used for mobile solutions such as ultrabooks. Most of the current-gen laptops support M.2 form of SSDs.

    M.2 NVMe SSDs– M.2 NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory express) SSDs are a form of SSDs which work with newer technology. NVMe SSDs use flash memory and are the most common form of SSDs in today’s world. They can easily offer read/write space of 2600 MB/s. However, they have a lower life when compared to the other SSDs.

    PCI- Express SSDs– Recently, PCI-Express SSDs are becoming common. They are the fastest SSDs till date and are used in servers and supercomputers. They utilize the PCI-E slot of the device. They are the future of SSDs as they have a huge market potential. They are very expensive and will not be covered in this article.

    ESSENTIAL FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHILE PURCHASING AN SSD:

    Now that the types of SSDs for laptops have been discussed, we need to find a few qualities of a good SSD. The following are the things that need to be kept in mind while purchasing an SSD.

    Purpose or usage– Depending on the purpose of the SSD, you can decide which SSD is best for you. If you want some additional space just to store your data like photos and videos, you can just go for a SATA SSD. You can even use an external caddy to install it as a portable disk. If you are however looking for a performance change, especially if you are using it for editing or for rendering, you should go for an NVMe SSDs, as they will benefit you more.

    Quality– The quality of SSD is an essential element while purchasing too. You should go for a well-known and reliable brand while purchasing an SSD. You should also look for the warranty period of the SSD. Since SSDs are delicate equipment, going for high-quality and trusted brand SSD should be a no-brainer.

    Storage capacity– The storage capacity of an SSD will depend on your needs. If you want it just to install your operating system and for editing a few pictures, a 256GB SSD is more than enough, however, if you are looking to render videos or 3D models, or play video games, a 512GB or 1TB SSD is recommended.

    Lifespan– Unless you are purchasing the SSD for general usage purposes, the lifecycle of the SSD should be a very important factor to be kept in mind. The Read/Write Cycle of an SSD talks about the lifespan of the SSD. The write cycle is the most important factor. The higher the write cycle, the more the SSD can withstand the writing of data. Hence, it is always advised to buy an SSD with a higher write cycle if you are looking to use your SSD for more than general purposes.

    Type of NAND Memory– NAND memory is also of many types. It may be Single Level Cell (SLC), Triple Level Cells (TLC), Multi-Level Cells (MLC), etc. SLC is the fastest and the most durable, but also the most expensive. Similarly, TLC is the slowest and the one to end its lifecycle the fastest, and also the cheapest. MLC falls in the middle. You should keep this in mind while purchasing an SSD.

    Now that we have talked about all the types, needs, and essentials of an SSD, we can finally talk about the best SSDs for your laptop. Keep in mind that this list is just a guide of which SSD you should purchase, it is not gospel you should follow blindly. Try to figure out your own needs and then only decide which SSD you should purchase. The SSDs will be under different budgets and two main sections- SATA SSD and M.2/M.2 NVMe SSDs.

    The Amazon links of all these SSDs will be added. Keep in mind that the prices are susceptible to changes and they might be different on the day you are reading this article. Hence, always be on the lookout for sales to find the best deal available. You can also check other websites like MDComputers. However, the cheapest and best option would be to go to your local PC hardware stores. If they have SSDs, they will generally be sold at a cheaper price than online. So, it is best to check all sources before purchasing your SSD. This will ensure that you get the best price deal. Remember to buy from trusted sellers only.

    Also, this article will talk about the 256GB variants of SSDs as they are the most commonly purchased ones. You can go for a higher storage variant by yourself. However, keep in mind that it will cost you more than the 256GB one. Also, the actual storage is less than the written storage, therefore, a 256GB SSD will give you 240GB of actual storage.

    BEST SATA SSDs FOR LAPTOPS:

    If your laptop doesn’t have an M.2 slot, SATA SSDs are for you. They replace your original hard disk.

    ADATA ULTIMATE SU650 3D NAND 240 GB SSD

    This is the cheapest SSD for your laptop. This is a 2.5-inch SATA SSD. The SSD has a read speed of 520 MB/s and a write speed of 450MB/s. It works especially well if you want to use it to boost up the general speed of your old laptop and decrease the boot time. It is very good for general purposes and general storage. The build quality could be better, but that is what you should expect at this price point. The SSD has a lifespan of 560 TBW (Terabytes Written).

    The price of the SSD is currently 2975 on Amazon. The price will drop eventually below 2500 and that is when you should ideally purchase this SSD.

    PROS:

    • Cheap price.
    • Decent read/write speed.
    • 3-year warranty.
    • Monitoring software to check the lifespan.
    • Good lifespan.

    CONS:

    • Good for general use only.

    WESTERN DIGITAL WD GREEN 240 GB 2.5 INCH SATA III INTERNAL SOLID-STATE DRIVE

    The WD Green SATA III Internal SSD is an SLC SSD. This is the best SSD if you are looking for a low power consumption SSD. It is a very lightweight SSD too and is also environment friendly. This SSD offers a read and write speed of 540 MB/s and 465 MB/s respectively. The lifespan of this SSD is very short though as it has a lifespan of 80 TBW only. You should go for the WD Blue if you can afford it, since that SSD will give you a much better performance.

    The price of this SSD is currently 3399, but it goes to around 2500 easily.  You can wait for a sale or purchase it from another website.

    PROS:

    • Lightweight and environment friendly.
    • Good read/write speed.
    • 3-year warranty period.

    CONS:

    • Short lifespan.

    WESTERN DIGITAL WD BLUE 250 GB 2.5″ SATA SSD

    This is the best SSD if you consider the price to performance ratio, and you want to use the SSD for more than general purposes. It has a very good read and write speed of 550 MB/s and 520 MB/s respectively. There is a 5-year warranty as well which is more than what you normally get for SSDs. This SSD is good for all purposes- gaming, rendering, editing, etc. However, if you can afford a bigger storage version, you should go for that. The lifespan of this SSD is also very good as it has a lifespan of 500 TBW.

    The price of this SSD on Amazon at this time is 3999 rupees. However, on lighting deals, you can get it for around 3500 rupees also.

    PROS:

    • Best in class read/write speed.
    • 5-year warranty period.
    • Very good lifespan.
    • Fit for all purposes.

    CONS:

    • The price is on the higher side.

    SAMSUNG 860 EVO 250GB SATA 2.5″ INTERNAL SSD

    This SSD is for those people who wanted a trusted brand and guaranteed quality from their product. This SSD has a read speed of around 550 MB/s and a write speed of 520 MB/s. This also has a 5-year warranty. The SSD has a lifespan of 2400 TBW. This is the biggest lifespan of an SSD. Therefore, you can easily overwrite lots of data on this SSD. This SSD is best for people who need to write a lot of data regularly.

    The price of this SSD is at rupees 4970, but you can get this as low as rupees 3300 on Amazon lighting deals and sales. If you get this SSD around 3500 or below, it will be the best purchase in this list. However, you can always go for the WD Blue instead of this SSD.

    PROS:

    • Best in class read/write speed.
    • 5-year warranty.
    • 2400 TBW lifespan.
    • Good customer support.

    CONS:

    • Very high retail price.

    SAMSUNG 870 QVO 1TB SATA 2.5″ INTERNAL SSD

    These SSDs mentioned above are the best SATA SSDs for your laptop. However, if you have the budget and want higher storage, you can go for this SSD. This SSD offers a read/write speed of 560 MB/s and 530 MB/s. The lifespan of this SSD is also 2880 TBW, which is extremely high. If your laptop doesn’t have an M.2 slot, this SSD would be the best for you. This would give you a long lifespan and can be used for all purposes.

    The price of this SSD on Amazon currently is 8988 rupees.

    PROS:

    • The lifespan of 2880 TBW.
    • Best for all purposes.
    • Best read/write speed.
    • Very big storage capacity.

    CONS:

    • High price and out of budget for most users.

    These were the best SATA SSDs. SATA SSDs should be used only if your laptop doesn’t have an M.2 slot. M.2 SSDs are not only much faster, but they are much more compact and better too.

    BEST M.2 NVMe SSDs FOR LAPTOPS:

    M.2 NVMe SSDs are becoming the norm. They are in addition to your hard drive disk, so you get extra storage on top of your hard drive storage Although NVMe SSDs are costlier than SATA SSDs, they are well worth the cost. Below are the best M.2 NVMe SSDs for your laptop.

    WESTERN DIGITAL BLUE WD SN550 250GB NVME INTERNAL SSD

    The WD Blue SN550 M.2 NVMe SSD is the cheapest NVMe SSD on this list. It offers a read/write speed of 2400 MB/s and 1950 MB/s respectively. The SSD has a lifespan of 600 TBW which is very good. It has a 5-year warranty too. For the price it is available at, it is a very good M.2 NVME SSD. If your budget is tight, you can go for this SSD without worries.

    It costs around 3474 rupees on Amazon currently.

    PROS:

    • Good read/write speed.
    • Good lifespan.
    • 5-year warranty.

    CONS:

    • None found so far.

    KINGSTON 250GB A2000 M.2 2280 NVME INTERNAL SSD PCIE

    This SSD has a read speed of 2200 MB/s and a write speed of 2000 MB/s. This SSD is the best price to performance ratio SSD in this list. It is especially good for gaming. The only issue with this SSD is the TBW of 150, which makes it a no-go if you want to use this SSD for editing and rendering. The SSD has a 5-year warranty and the build quality is quite good as well.

    The price of this SSD is currently at 3700 rupees on Amazon. During sales, you can get this SSD for as low as 3300, at which price point, it is a very good option.

    PROS:

    • Good read and write speed.
    • 5-year warranty.
    • Affordable price.

    CONS:

    • Short lifespan of 150 TBW.

    WESTERN DIGITAL WD BLACK PCIE NVME SSD

    The WD Black NVMe SSD is a very good NVMe SSD. It offers a read speed of 3200 MB/s and a write speed of 1600 MB/s. It is well designed and comes with a 5-year warranty. It comes with a lifespan of 1200 TBW. This is a good option but is held back by the slow write speeds. If you are happy with the slower write speed, you should go for it. However, this SSD won’t perform as well as its competitors when it comes to performance in tasks where write speed is crucial.

    The price of this SSD on Amazon currently is 4599 rupees. This is a decent price. However, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus is also available at a similar price and you should prefer that over this.

    PROS:

    • Amazing read speed.
    • 5-year warranty.
    • Long lifespan of 1200 TBW.

    CONS:

    • Low write speed.

    SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS 250GB PCIE NVME M.2

    This Samsung SSD is the most popular NVMe SSD. Most users will recommend this SSD if you have the budget for it. The SSD offers a read/write speed of 3500 MB/s and 3300 MB/s respectively. This speed is mind-blowing. Not only does it come with a 5-year warranty, it also has a lifespan of 1200 TBW. This SSD is the best NVMe SSD if you have the budget for it. This SSD is good for every purpose. You can even render and edit tons of data on it.

    This SSD is currently priced at 4499 on Amazon. If you have the budget, you should go for it blindly.

    PROS:

    • Best read/write speed.
    • Long lifespan of 1200 TBW.
    • 5-year warranty.
    • Premium quality offered by Samsung.
    • V-NAND technology for better performance.

     

    CONS:

    • Price may be a little higher.

    CRUCIAL P1 500GB 3D NAND NVME PCIE M.2 SSD

    If you want a high storage M.2 NVMe with decent specifications at a very affordable price, then this SSD is for you. This offers a read/write speed of 2000 MB/s and 1700 MB/s respectively. It has a 5-year warranty and is low power consuming. However, it has a short lifespan of 100 TBW. It also has a very basic design, which might make it less durable. However, this is the price you pay if you want a cheaper NVMe SSD.

    The SSD is currently priced at rupees 4699, but it goes down to around 4499 regularly. It is a very good option if you have a low budget but need more space.

    PROS:

    • Decent read/write speed.
    • 5-year warranty.
    • Very cheap and pocket-friendly.

    CONS:

    • Short lifespan of 100 TBW.
    • Basic and cheap design.

    These are the best M.2 NVMe SSDs for your laptop.

    CONCLUSION:

    The above SSDs are the best SSDs for your laptops. You need to choose your SSDs after keeping in mind all the above features, your requirements, and your budget. SATA SSDs are slower but are better for older laptops where you are looking to replace your hard disk. M.2 NVMe SSDs are better for newer models where you want to add storage in addition to your hard disk storage.

    This article didn’t discuss normal M.2 SSDs because M.2 NVMEs cost just a little higher and give much better performance than M.2 SSDs. Hence, there was no point in discussing those SSDs. However, if you still want to purchase normal M.2 SSDs, you can do so. The WD Green M.2 SSD is a decent option.

    Another thing that should be kept in mind is that the lifespan of SSDs around 100 TBW is not less per se. For example, an SSD with a 5-year warranty has a TBW of 100. Then you could write 54 GB per day for 5 straight years to exhaust the SSD. Hence, for normal users, a low TBW of 100 is enough. It is only for people who write large quantities of data on their device, that the TBW should be higher. Hence, unless your work has you writing more than 54 GB of data per day, be it through copying and pasting, rendering, or editing, you don’t need to worry about exhausting your SSDs lifespan.

    Therefore, most SSDs in this list are good for you. If you want a good and cheap SATA SSD, ADATA Ultimate SU650 is a very good choice. The WD Green is also decent. If you want the best quality though, you should go for the Samsung 860 EVO or 870 QVO. The best price to performance ratio SATA SSD is WD Blue. In case of NVMe SSDs, the best SSD for general purpose is either the WD Blue or the Kingston A2000. But the best overall SSD is clearly Samsung 970 EVO Plus. I would personally recommend the Samsung 970 EVO plus to anyone looking to purchase a new SSD. The Crucial P1 is also a good option if you want more storage at less price.

    Finally, once again, I recommend you to check the prices at different stores online. Preferably, go visit your local PC hardware shop as they will most of the time offer you the best price possible.

     

  • Best budget microphones for recording and streaming in India (All budgets)

    Best budget microphones for recording and streaming in India (All budgets)

    With the boom of YouTube and other websites like Twitch and with the emergence of the newer avenues like podcasts, more and more people have started moving towards the field of streaming, hosting podcasts, becoming YouTubers or Vloggers. To become successful in these fields, good content is not enough by itself. You need good quality as well. To ensure that the content is recorded in the best quality, people seek a good quality microphone. The difference made by a good quality mic when compared to an average one is like night and day. It can be a life-changing experience for most people.

    To make sure that the people are experiencing your content in the best quality possible, you will need a good quality mic. However, most good quality mics are very expensive and most people who are just starting their journey in these respective fields, can’t afford such expensive equipment. So, in this article, we will talk about the best microphones under different budget ranges in India. The budget range is wide enough so that people with the smallest budget to people with a high-end budget can find the best quality product for them.

    But before purchasing a mic, we should know what are the basics you need to know. A microphone has many different qualities which must be kept in mind while making the purchase. We will firstly cover these basics so you can understand and try to figure out which features you need in your microphone.

    TYPES OF MICS:

    There are two main types of mics, dynamic mics, and condenser mics. They both have their own uses and are suitable for different conditions.

    Dynamic mics are the mics you usually see in concerts, stand-up shows, etc. These are sturdier than usual mics and are used to record louder sounds like drums, sounds in noisy environments, etc. However, they are usually costlier than the usual microphones. If you want to record music with high vocals or loud sounds, for example, rock or metal music, a dynamic mic is the correct choice. But our focus is on streaming, so we will not discuss dynamic mics.

    The second type of microphones is condenser mics. Condenser mics are very popular and are the usual mics that are used by your favourite YouTubers, streamers, vloggers, podcast hosts. They are good at recording delicate sounds and recording soft vocals. Therefore, we will be looking at condenser mics in this list as they capture every sound clearly and give very good quality of the audio. These condenser mics are also cheaper than the dynamic mics, thus making them better for our budget.

    In this article, only 3.5mm audio jack mics and USB mics will be listed. There is also another type of mic- the XLR mics. The XLR stands for X Connector, Locking Connector, and Rubber Boot. XLR mics are very high-quality mics that are used in studios, concerts, etc. This article will not have any XLR mics as they are too expensive and they are not needed for simple things like recording YouTube videos, streaming, hosting podcasts, or vlogging. They are made for professionals like sound engineers, music artists, music producers, etc.

    POLAR PATTERN OF MICS:

    The polar pattern of a mic tells us about the pattern in which the mic records the sounds. The polar pattern of a mic we need depends on the audio we want to record. There are several patterns that can basically be classified into omnidirectional and directional. Directional polar pattern in itself has several subtypes, but the most common one is cardioid. We will talk about these two patterns.

    Omnidirectional pattern mics are mics that pick up sound from all directions. These mics are preferred while recording ambient noises. However, since streamers don’t want to record ambient noise, these mics are not our concern.

    Directional pattern mics pick sound from some specific direction. There are many types of directional patterns like cardioid pattern, which is discussed below, bi-directional pattern, supercardioid pattern, and hypercardioid pattern.

    Cardioid pattern mics are a type of directional polar pattern mics, which record audio in a heart-shaped pattern. They record audio from the front and the sides. Cardioid mics are the mics used most commonly by streamers. Most of the mics in the budget range offer cardioid polar pattern only. Therefore, it is the best choice if the mic you are looking to get has a good cardioid pattern.

    FREQUENCY RESPONSE:

    Frequency response is the range in which the mic picks up and records audio. Generally, the frequency response is between 20 hertz to 20 Kilohertz, but for microphones, the range is even higher as a good microphone needs to record more sounds. The higher the frequency range, the better it is for the mic. However, the range by itself isn’t the only indicator. The responsiveness to various frequencies is also an important factor.

    IMPEDANCE:

    Impedance means the resistance of an electric current circuit. A lower impedance makes for a better quality of audio as the audio quality is maintained. Therefore, the lower the impedance, the better is the audio quality, and vice versa. That is why we should always choose a mic with low impedance.

    SENSITIVITY:

    The audio sensitivity of the mic means how good is it at picking up sounds which are low in volume. The sensitivity is usually measured in a negative number of decibels, therefore the higher the number, the better it is. Thus, a mic with -50 decibel sensitivity is better than a mic with -30 decibel sensitivity.

    There are many other factors also which must be kept in mind, however, those are not as important as the above-mentioned factors. Therefore, we should keep in mind these factors first and foremost if we want to get a very good quality microphone for streaming. The microphones we will discuss will be in different budget ranges. This will help users with the lowest budget to users with a much higher budget figure out which microphone they must purchase for their streaming.

    The links to all the products will also be attached. Keep in mind, the prices of these microphones are susceptible to change, therefore, you should keep a watch out for sales and price drops to get the best price deal available. Without further ado, here is the list of the best microphones for streaming on a budget.

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 500

    MAONO AU-400 LAVALIER MICROPHONE:

    The Maono AU-400 Lavalier Microphone is the best microphone under 500 rupees in India. If you have a very tight budget, this is the best microphone for you. It is an omnidirectional mic, which records sounds from all directions. It comes with a carry bag and a clip to attach to your clothes. The wire is 1.9m long as well. It is very lightweight and portable and can be easily hooked up to mobile phones, laptops, etc. using the 3.5mm audio jack at the end.

    To connect it to your PC, you will need a splitter, which you need to buy separately. It can also be attached to DSLRs through the provided adapter. In this price range, you will not find a better microphone. It is also very lightweight and is easily portable. The audio quality is very good in quiet environments. The audio does take a dip in noisy environments, but that was expected at this price range.

    It is currently priced at rupees 429 at the time of posting this article, however, the price may go up and down.

    PROS:

    • Portable and lightweight.
    • Long wire, which helps to use it from a good distance away from the device to which it is connected to.
    • Sharp and clear audio in silent indoor conditions.
    • Very affordable price.

    CONS:

    • Doesn’t perform well in noisy outdoor conditions.
    • Requires a separate splitter if you want to use it with your PC.
    • It can break very easily and is not very durable.

     

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 1000

    BOYA BYM1 OMNIDIRECTIONAL LAVALIER CONDENSER MICROPHONE:

    If your budget is more than 500 but is limited to 1000 rupees, the Boya BYM1 Omnidirectional mic is the best option for you. It is an omnidirectional condenser mic. It is lightweight and portable and comes with a very lengthy cable which is 6m in length. It has a 3.5mm audio jack to connect it to devices. It is also compatible with a DSLR. It is durable enough to last long if proper care is taken. You must have seen this microphone used by several new YouTubers and streamers.

    It is one of the, if not the most popular mic in use. The audio quality is very good and clear too. It is almost unbelievable that such good audio is provided at this price range. The noise cancellation works well and makes sure that the audio is clean. The quality of recording falls apart outdoors, however, as the noise cancellation of the mic not being strong enough, coupled with the fact that the mic is omnidirectional.

    The price of this mic also keeps on fluctuating a lot. Currently, at the time of posting this article, the microphone is priced at rupees 649 on Amazon. The price may drop or increase on the day you are looking at the product.

    PROS:

    • Frequency range 65 hertz to 18 Kilohertz.
    • Lightweight of 100 grams.
    • Easily carried and portable.
    • Long wire to record from a distance.
    • Amazing sound quality at the price range.
    • Good for using with DSLRs

     

    CONS:

    • Needs a splitter to use with a PC.
    • Background noise in the outdoors degrades audio quality.

     

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 2000

    BOYA BY-MM1 UNIVERSAL CARDIOID SHOTGUN MICROPHONE MINI MIC:

    The BOYA by-MM1 Universal Cardioid Shotgun Microphone Mini Mic is hands down the best microphone under 2000 rupees. It is a cardioid shotgun microphone. The mic comes with a 3.5mm to TRS cable as well as a 3.5mm to TRRS cable. It also has a furry windshield to reduce wind and other sounds from affecting the audio. There is also a plastic shock mount and a storage bag. The microphone is a cardioid mic, therefore the audio it records is much better and free from background noise. It provides a very good audio quality. The microphone needs a splitter to work on PCs. The design is well made and it appears to be a very durable product also.

    The price of this microphone varies a lot. Around January it cost around 1450 rupees but currently, it is priced at rupees 1999 on Amazon. The price keeps constantly changing so you should be on the lookout for a lighting deal or look for better offers.

    PROS:

    • Premium audio quality.
    • Durable design.
    • Good range of connectivity.

    CONS:

    • The length of the wires is too short.
    • The windshield and shock mount are very fragile.
    • Need a splitter to use on a PC.

     

    BEST MICROPHONE UNDER RUPEES 3000

    MAONO AU-A04TR USB CONDENSER CARDIOID MICROPHONE:

    The Maono AU-A04TR USB Condenser Cardioid Microphone is the best mic for recording and streaming for under rupees 3000. It can be considered to be the first true mic for streaming and recording in this article. This is so because it is a USB mic designed specifically for the purpose of recording and streaming, and doesn’t require a splitter for PC use. It is a well-built and designed mic and is very sturdy and durable. The mic also comes with a stand. The microphone has amazing audio quality. It is a cardioid mic and it works flawlessly in the audio department. For beginners, it has to be the best microphone for streaming under a budget. It is designed specifically for podcasts so if you are looking to host a podcast, buy this mic without any second thoughts.

    The price of this microphone fluctuates often, but at the time when the article was posted, this mic cost rupees 2499. The mic should be tracked to get a good deal.

    PROS:

    • Good price to performance ratio.
    • Premium audio quality.
    • Sturdy design.
    • Adjustable stand.

     

    CONS:

    • The stand is a little too short.
    • The microphone is heavy, therefore a little difficult to carry.

     

    BEST MICROPHONES UNDER RUPEES 4000

    MAONO AU-A04 CONDENSER MICROPHONE KIT:

    Maono seems to sweep the budget section under 4000 rupees with their microphones. This microphone also blows the competition out of the water. This microphone not only has a sturdy design and premium audio, but the best thing about it is that it comes as an entire kit. You get a shock mount, Pop Filter, and a boom mic stand in the kit. Therefore, after buying this microphone, you need not purchase any accessories as all the accessories required come packed within the microphone. The microphone would last long and is good for all kinds of recordings. It is one of the best microphones you can purchase.

    The price of this microphone is almost as crazy as the cryptocurrency market. It is currently priced at rupees 3989, but there are so many fluctuations. It even goes down as low as 2500 or below on very rare occasions. It is a good mic under 4000, but if you can grab it under 3000, that is a steal in my books.

    PROS:

    • Amazing sound quality.
    • Good noise cancellation.
    • Complete kit for setting up the recording.
    • Sturdy design.

    CONS:

    A lack of a mute button.

    Since this mic can be grabbed for under 3000 on a few occasions, we decided to add another mic in this price range just as an alternative.

    FIFINE K669B METAL USB MICROPHONE:

    The Fifine K669B Metal USB Microphone is a condenser microphone. It has one of the best recording capabilities in the price range. Purely on audio quality, this beats even the A04. It performs as well as mics which are much more expensive than this microphone. This microphone is also very good for recording music and it works especially great with string instruments. The design is sturdy and it doesn’t feel cheap at all. The microphone also comes with a stand. However, no pop filter is provided.

    The cost of the mic is rupees 3490 at this point but on deep sales, even this can be purchased for under 3000 rupees. However, even above 3000 rupees, it is a very good quality microphone. You can also go for Fifine T669 Condenser USB Microphone Kit, as during sales, even the price of this mic is under 4000.

    PROS:

    • Great sound quality and sensitivity.
    • Great for recording musical instruments and singing too.
    • Easy to set up.

    CONS:

    • The stand is flimsy and you may need to purchase another one.
    • Lack of a pop filter.

     

    BEST MICROPHONES UNDER RUPEES 5000

    MAONO AU-902 USB CONDENSER PODCAST MICROPHONE:

    Again, Maono takes the spot of the best microphone. In the range of rupees 5000, Maono has clearly won the battle with the MAONO AU-902 USB Condenser Podcast Microphone. This microphone has a strong metal build quality. It comes with many features which you won’t find in mics in this price range. A headphone jack is provided in the mic which helps the user hear their own voice through earphones and headphones by connecting them to the mic and this is a very cool feature. This microphone has a dual volume control which is used to control the headphone volume as well as the microphone gain. It also comes with a mute button which helps the user a lot. The microphone is by far the best in its price range. The audio quality is extraordinary. The only downside is that it is very sensitive and captures a little background noise as well.

    This mic is currently priced at rupees 4949 but it falls down in sales. Keep a lookout at it for sales as this microphone is mind-blowing.

    PROS:

    • Volume control and gain control in mic.
    • A mute button is provided.
    • Audio quality is extremely good and the mic is very sensitive to even the smallest sounds.

    CONS:

    • The microphone is too sensitive sometimes and the noise cancellation isn’t strong enough to remove all background noise from the microphone.

     

    BEST MICROPHONES UNDER RUPEES 6000

    HYPERX SOLOCAST – USB CONDENSER GAMING MICROPHONE:

    The newest addition to the list of microphones, the HyperX SoloCast shows that sometimes simplicity is enough to be the best. At 261g, this lightweight and simple microphone just has a mute button on it. The design is extremely good considering the weight of the product. It is the best-sounding microphone in this entire segment. Not only is it great for streaming and recording, but it is also the best mic in the price range for recording music. The audio quality might appear a little muddy while speaking too fast, but that can be fixed by purchasing a simple pop filter. It is tough to beat this microphone in this price range. HyperX has delivered a solid product.

    The price of this microphone is rupees 5790. There won’t be a sale in the coming period because it is a newly launched product in India. Still, this product is well worth it.

    PROS:

    • Phenomenal audio quality even without editing.
    • Simple but elegant design.
    • Lightweight and portable.
    • Easy to set up and use.

    CONS:

    • Lack of shock mount or a pop filter.
    • Higher gain in the audio.

    This article will discuss only microphones in the price range of rupees 6000. This is because even though there are better microphones present over this price range, they don’t offer something substantially different and something so unique, that they are worth spending the extra money for. Users should only look for more expensive microphones if they want to record professionally, for example, if they are professional musicians or music producers.

    SUMMARY:

    All these microphones have their own pros and cons as listed above. They can be used for different purposes. For recording outdoors, the cheaper microphones under 2000 rupees are the best choice. For recording indoors and streaming, the microphones from 2000-6000 are the correct choice. The choice should be made based upon the requirements of the user and their price budget. The Maono AU-A04 Condenser microphone kit appears to be the best choice as it comes with all the required accessories to set up the kit and thus nothing extra needs to be bought. The only reason to go for a more expensive microphone is if you want a very premium sound quality from your videos and recordings and if you need to record music as well. Other than that, there is no need to purchase a more expensive microphone. If you do buy the other microphones, below are a few tips to make your videos sound much more professional.

    TIPS TO GET THE BEST OUT OF YOUR MICROPHONE:

    ACCESSORIES:

    The two most essential accessories while purchasing a microphone is a boom mic stand and a pop filter. These two are the most essential accessories for the microphone. A shock mount is also good, but it is not essential. A boom mic stand is a much longer and flexible mic stand that helps you set up the microphone as far away or as close to you as possible. This makes recording a lot easier since you can set the right distance at which the sound appears crystal clear. A cheap mic boom stand is the Juarez JRZ16MS Microphone Boom Scissor Suspension Arm Stand, which costs around 500 rupees. It is definitely worth it.

    A pop filter is an accessory that acts as a noise filter while recording your voice. It helps to reduce the noise and muddiness from the final audio. Hence, a decent pop filter helps prevent noisy audio. The Juarez Pf-100 6-Inch Studio Microphone Pop Filter is a good pop filter that costs just rupees 289. These two accessories will improve the audio quality by a large margin. This can make the difference between the recordings sound like night and day. It is advisable to invest in a good boom mic stand and a good pop filter. A shock mount is an accessory that protects the mic from low vibrations and noise and it can also be helpful. However, a shock mount really isn’t necessary for most users so we would advise you to not purchase it as it would just be a waste of money.

    ENVIRONMENT:

    In order to get clean and sharp audio without any background noise, you must ensure that your environment is suitable for recording. The room should be locked and the doors should be closed. There shouldn’t be devices like fans running which might at background noise to the audio. Try to keep the room as quiet as possible to get the best quality audio for your recordings and streams. Ensuring that background noises are removed is one of the most overlooked parts of streaming and recording. If your environment and background are noisy, even a 12,000 rupees microphone will catch the background audio. Even though condenser mics are designed to record audio close to them, still a lot of background noise can find its way into the audio. Therefore, always record and stream in a quiet place.

    SOFTWARE AND MICROPHONE SETTINGS:

    The microphone settings in windows and the use of a few software can drastically improve the audio quality. Just adjusting the boost in the microphone settings from the sound settings panel in the windows settings can reduce the background noise and make the recording sound very clear. Play around with these settings to find out which setting makes the sound quality match your desired quality. It might seem a little confusing at first but after researching and studying and a little bit of trial and error, you will start to get the hang of things.

    There are also many software that changes the microphone settings and adjusts them to give the clearest audio possible. One example of free software is Krisp. Krisp is a free software that helps and improves the noise cancellation of your microphone to ensure you have the clearest sound possible. There is a solution for those people who don’t want to take time and try to find out the best settings for their microphones and just get straight to the point. There are also many other software that can be used to edit the sound quality post-recording. They can adjust the volume, grain, etc, and make the recording sound much better. An example of a free software is Audacity, which is an open-source software used to edit audio. You can research more about these software and give them a try to improve your recording quality if you are serious about improving the quality of your content.

    CONCLUSION:

    Keeping all these things in mind, the users must remember that the good quality of audio does not depend on the mic only. There are several factors like accessories, environment, and microphone settings, as stated above, which affect the quality of your audio. When a good quality microphone is paired with all these factors, the users will get the best quality audio for recording their videos as well as for streaming or for podcasts or vlogging. With the growing competition, users need to keep up with the demands of their viewers and provide the best quality content with the best quality equipment. A microphone under 4000 is enough to get good results. However, if the content of the user depends highly on the audio quality, or if the microphone is needed for recording music as well, microphones costing over 4000 will be preferred.

    Another thing to keep in mind is that the price of these products keeps on fluctuating regularly, so the costs of the products mentioned in the article are susceptible to changes. A microphone may get cheaper or it may get more expensive. It is advisable that the users install an extension in their browsers which helps keep track of the prices of the microphones.

  • Fake RAM; How to Identify and Avoid Counterfeit Ram.

    Fake RAM; How to Identify and Avoid Counterfeit Ram.

    So, you just bought a shiny new stick of ram to get that dual channel fps boost on your favorite game, or for that extra memory you needed to export that video you were editing on with ease, or maybe you are about to buy one. Well in that case you are at the right place here is a guide on how you could save yourself from the counterfeit memory scam!

    What’s counterfeit memory?

    Whenever some ram sticks are found to be faulty, chips from them are extracted and resoldered on to a new PCB and sold as an original RAM module from a favoured brand. Ram modules have a SPD (Serial Presence Detect) chip that has reserved space to hold details about the stick. At times there could be false information loaded onto it so that the end consumer mistakes it to be the original one.

    Things one must consider before buying RAM for their Computer are;

    • Clock speed.
    • CAS Latency.
    • Ram chip Manufacturer.

    If all three match you should be good. But fake memory sticks could be running slower while it still shows up as faster memory.

    It’s Counterfeit but works fine should you be worried?

    Yes, there are many reasons why you must not use Fake ram sticks even if they perform upto the mark.

    • You can’t claim warranty on the product if something goes wrong overtime.
    • There is a high chance of it causing random BSOD crashes.
    • You paid for the original product but received a fake one that is made up of unreliable used goods, nothing is confirmed about it’s shelf life.

     

    Alright you are now afraid that your ram could be fake how do you confirm it or the otherwise?

     There are some key giveaways of fake ram sticks;

             1.The box didn’t have a warranty card in it

                       

             2.The inner box is shorter

                     

            3.The Serial numbers on the ICs are scratched

                     

             4.The reflective Sticker on the ram doesn’t reflect

                     

    You can further stress test the ram to check if the ram is indeed competent most fake ram sticks show signs in these tests. One such application that helps you achieve this is MemTest86

    MemTest86 and Memtest86+ are memory test software programs designed to test and stress test an x86 architecture computer’s random access memory for errors, by writing test patterns to most memory addresses, reading back the data, and comparing for errors. www.memtest86.com

    Or you could install CPU-Z on your system to check the serial numbers. (missing part numbers/manufacturer name)

    CPU-Z is a freeware system profiling and monitoring application for Microsoft Windows and Android that detects the central processing unit, RAM, motherboard chip-set, and other hardware features of a modern personal computer or Android device. www.cpuid.com

    The following images will help you identify fake ram sticks through CPU-Z

    Original;

    Counterfeit;

     

    Conclusion

    Always look for trusted sellers if you want to purchase ram from e-commerce sites. (crucial.com/adata.com) crucial will redirect you to the proper seller once you have specified your specs/model. If you wish to purchase ram from amazon look for the official sellers that offer return policy.

    If you would like to purchase ram locally it is recommended to check the stick thoroughly while you are at the place.