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There’s a whiff of something new, something different in the air in 2010. It’s a smell that will become an overpowering pong during the next few years until it eventually drowns out everything else in PCdom. Yup, this odorous wind of change is the coming age of CPU-GPU fusion processors. And we’re not sure we like it. Not on the desktop, at least… It’s Intel, of course, that has been first to assault our noses with a fusion processor, the chip commonly known as Clarkdale

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Building on the strong foundation of its excellent Studio 15 range, Dell’s Studio 1747 packs the same stunning quad-core power and usability, while adding a larger screen and improved graphics and sound, making it a fantastic multimedia machine. Performance is truly stunning. Built around the same Intel Core i7 processor as the Studio 15, the same level of quad-core power is on offer, making light work of even the most demanding tasks.

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My 5-year-old computer—Windows XP, 2.4GHz Pentium 4, Antec server case, 430-watt PSU, Seagate HD, and two 256MB Corsair DIMMs in an Asus P4P 800 Deluxe motherboard—no longer boots. It was fine until the day my son used it without opening the door to the cabinet that it’s stored in. Now when I try to start it, I get an error saying “CPU Test Failed” and the machine won’t boot. I’ve switched the CPU out with a known good 2.8GHz Pentium 4 (tested in a second PC), to no effect.

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How is that motherboard makers can cram all kinds of innovative technologies onto a motherboard and serve up marketing bullets that will have buyers thinking they’re investing in a little slice of Heaven, yet when it comes to naming their creations, all that creativity goes out the window? To quote Bill Belichick, “It is what it is.” In any event, meet the newest member of MSI’s P55 motherboard family, the P55-GD85. Built around Intel’s P55 chipset, MSI’s newest addition brings official support for Intel’s 32nm Core i3/i5/i7 processors. It also comes equipped with support for SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0, the latter of which will probably prove more useful during the board’s lifespan. To make sure the board squeezes out every last bit of bandwidth, MSI tossed in a PLX PCI-E bridge chip “to multiply the PCI-E bandwidth as well as most effective distribution when using the functions of SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 functions.” Other features include four DIMM slots supporting up to 16GB of DDR3-2133(OC) memory, a pair of PCI-E x16 ports, two PCI-E x1 ports, an IDE port, seven SATA II ports, two SATA 3 ports, six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Firewire, eSATA, and various other odds and ends.

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We know how it is. You really want a sweet Intel Core i7 PC, but it has to be small. No, small is the wrong word; it has to be tiny .

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Ever wondered what the Asus AM3 motherboard would have look like if it was DDR3-based, then the answer would be something like this board, the 785GM-E65 from MSI. Based on the same AMD 785G northbridge and SB710 southbridge, on the face of it this offers near identical features as the cheaper Asus board. There’s the single x16 PCI-e slot, six USB ports, five SATA ports, the single eSATA port, plus the PATA channel and a full range of VGA/DVI and HDMI v1.3 video outputs from the integrated Radeon HD 4200.

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The Asus P7P55-M is a mid-range P55 motherboard sporting some of the latest features but also chops a few out to try and keep the price competitive. For anyone who’s been living under a rock this last year, or perhaps ignoring any hardware news that might tempt them to spend money, the new Intel P55 Express chipset is Intel’s way of benevolently letting the majority of us afford Core i7 technology. The P55 Express chipset heralds a new approach for Intel to desktop chipsets.

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I had a problem with the speed on my Intel motherboard so I went into the BIOS and reset the RAM speed to 800MHz. On restart, I got three beeps, which signals a RAM failure or RAM not recognized on my board. Is there a way to reload the BIOS? I have tried resetting the CMOS by pulling out the battery but I still get three beeps with no POST

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One of the best things about owning a PC is that if you’re prepared to open the case up, you can upgrade your system any time you choose. In addition, because it’s a modular design you can concentrate on upgrading the oldest parts, or even add completely new functionality with the addition of a plug-in cards or USB devices. The heart of this system is the motherboard, into which all your other PC components plug into and communicate with each other. There’s a great deal of choice when it comes to buying a new motherboard, from the type of CPU that it’s compatible with, the memory it uses, the size, and even if it has extra functionality such as onboard audio and graphics. One of the most important decisions about choosing a new motherboard is what processor you want to use, and your choice will dictate how the CPU fits into a socket on the motherboard.

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Need overclocking? In motherboards—as in life—it’s the little things that bring the greatest pleasure. Take the new Core i5/i7 LGA1156 board, the Asus P7P55D Deluxe. Enthusiasts are used to the flashy heatsinks and tons of ports and slots, but small touches like Asus’s innovative RAM slots will make you take notice.

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