2012-01-20

Let us talk about Chat Watch and Catch Cheat Spy

Chat Watch
Chat Watch is a commercial monitoring software with a danger rating of 7 out of 10 which means that it is moderately dangerous, capable of logging activity and difficult to remove. It is a product of Zemerick Software.

Such programs are meant to monitor the activity of the user. These software don’t necessarily ask the user his consent for installation. Since this software is sold commercially, many anti-virus programs aren’t even equipped to detect them. The most common of such tools is the key logger which logs keyboard activity and stores it in the form of a log file which can be sent back to the owner of the software. Often even screenshots or videos do the same purpose. These software take complete control over the experience a user experiences over the internet!

Properties
Altering of Key Windows Components of the machine
Autostarting or Staying like a Resident
Connecting to the internet
Logging URLs of webpages
Logging e-mails sent through the machine
Logging of keystrokes from the keyboard
Stealth Tactics

Removal

Delete the following files:

Name Version Publisher Signature (MD5) File Size (in KB)
..\cw4\cw4.exe 4.2.0.3 zemerick software inc. 5dba069f15d39e9800faeec55e2c6de8 221696
..\cw4\cwutil.exe 1.0.0.0 zemerick software bc84aae7574e4825454dd79fd3f104e5 24576
..\cw4\polarcrypto.dll c0d86a29656e613c528bef761afdfe85
..\cw4\smtp.ocx 4.0.0.390 pdsoft b403b57ddc9236b1e24669965c940c69 149020
..\cw4\unins000.exe
..\cw_setup.exe 5.0.0.3 zemerick software inc. 24ef63485b1cb490e9c4a46e17f8a58e 3047856
..\81d33387.exe 4.2.3.0 zemerick software inc. 2d7de94504b338f5a0cbeb6a37a27b07 2226208
..\aa89d7f0.exe 2400876aa6a02ecae478766ac16f6432
..\9cd22a76.exe 00CDA759EC5C60425C268FF60EC3249D
________________________________________


This is a critical spyware and it is advised that it be immediately remove from your machine once it is detected! Detection if not through regular anti-virus programs, could be through general PC symptoms and the like…

Catch Cheat Spy is a commercial monitoring software from CatchCheat Inc with a danger rating of 8 out of 10 which makes it highly dangerous, difficult to remove besides making it capable of logging activity with stealth installation.

Such programs are designed to monitor activity of the user and need not require the consent of the user for installation. Since these software are sold commercially, not all anti-virus programs are capable of detecting them. The most common type of such software is the key logger which logs keystrokes from the keyboard to send back to the owner of the software or send back videos and/or screenshots through outbound connections. In fact, physical access of the victim computers is not even required! A regular file which looks like an email is sent to the computer you wish to monitor and from that point you get going!

Properties
Autostarting or staying like a resident on the machine
Allowing remote connections
Capturing screenshots on the PC
Connecting to the internet
Logging of keystrokes from the keyboard
Sending email from the machine
Stealth tactics

Removal

Start > Search > All Files or Folders
In "All or part of the the file name", type "Catch Cheat Spy 1.4"
Delete the files found

To delete Catch Cheat Spy 1.4 registry keys, open the Windows Registry Editor by clicking on the Windows "Start" button and selecting "Run." Type "regedit" into the box and click "OK." Once the Registry Editor is open, search for the registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Catch Cheat Spy 1.4." Right-click this registry key and select "Delete."

2012-01-16

Let us talk about Movavi Flash Converter and Cucusoft Ultimate DVD Video Converter Suite

Movavi Flash Converter

Cucusoft Ultimate DVD Video Converter Suite
Movavi Flash Converter is a product of Movavi and is rated at 5.4 on a scale of 10! Movavi Flash Converter is the tool to use when it comes to downloading videos from Youtube, Google or any other video sharing website or converting videos in .flv format to videos in any format!

Movavi Flash Converter makes it possible to store videos in .flv format to be saved onto your iPod, PSP, iPhone, PC or cell phone. In fact this software makes it possible to save whole collections of flash videos and convert them into appropriate formats to burn DVDs!

Input format: FlV (.flv)
Output formats: AVI (DivX, XviD, etc), MPEG4 (iPod, MP4), 3GPP (GSM), 3GPP2 (CDMA), QuickTime (MOV), WMV, Flash (FLV), WMA or WAV.

Salient Features:

Downloading videos from video sharing websites
Saving online flash videos into other video formats
Converting flash video files
Storing video on various mobile devices
Extracting audio files and converting to WMA or WAV format
Preparing songs for high quality CD/DVD burning
Offer handy preview mode
Batch Conversion
Ready-made presets for all major output formats.
Automatic URL insertion.
Easy to use - no knowledge of video formats required

Now, it isn’t correct to form an opinion about anything without actually experiencing it and Movavi Flash Converter is no exception. Until you get your hands on this thing you will never really know how good a tool it can actually be. That is why Movavi offers a free trial download. Once you start getting the hang of it, you can buy your own copy starting at just 29.95$!

Cucusoft Ultimate DVD Video Converter Suite is a product of Cucosoft Technologies and rated at 6.4 on a scale of 10! Cucusoft Ultimate DVD Video Converter Suite
Comprises of 3 pieces of software namely Cucusoft Ultimate DVD + Video Converter Suite, Cucusoft Ultimate DVD Converter and Cucusoft Ultimate Video Coverter!

Cucusoft Ultimate DVD + Video Converter Suite
This piece of software converts DVDs and videos so that they can be played on devices which include the likes of iPod, iPhone, PSP, Zune etc. Besides, it also supports output from audio/video format including Video format(H264, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, RM, 3GP, flv, SWF, mpeg-1, mpeg-2, VCD, SVCD, DVD, etc.) and Audio format(AC3, AAC, MP2, MP3, MP4, RA, WMA, etc.). This tool can certainly make your audio and video experience enjoyable!

Cucusoft Ultimate DVD Converter
This tool coverts DVDs to play on portable devices like iPod, Zune etc. It supports audio and video output of various formats chiefly H264, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, RM, 3GP, flv, SWF as video formats and AC3, AAC, MP2, MP3, MP4, RA as audio formats. Basically, with this tool you can create your own videos from DVDs!

Cucusoft Ultimate Video Coverter
This software again is meant for portable devices like iPod and PSP besides a few dozen more. Meanwhile, it can also support output almost any audio/video format, including Video format(H264, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, RM, 3GP, flv, SWF, mpeg-1, mpeg-2, VideoCD, SuperVideoCD, DVD, etc.) and Audio format(AC3, AAC, MP2, MP3, MP4, RA, WMA, etc.). However its main functionality is the powerful all in one video file converter!

Although a free download for this suit is available, the entire suite.

2012-01-12

Let us talk about VSO Copy To DVD and Nevo DVD Ripper 2008


CopyToDVD is the ultimate C and DVD backing up solution created by none other than VSO Software with a rating of 8.4 out of 10! Now backing up CDs, DVDs, music, games and other data files is just a click away…

This great piece of software is a perfect blend of performance, speed and simplicity and will let you archive any sort of data using just this software alone. CopyToDVD supports Windows shell integration or FileDepot technology that allow different ways to create CDs and DVDs. The nice thing is that it provides voice notifications too so that the user doesn’t get bored so easily! This program gives way to a smart data analyzer which suggests the best data output format be it CD or DVD for varying needs of its customers. With CopytoDVD CD/DVD backup software, save your files as hard copies, schedule backups for specific days and burn your audio files (MP3, Ogg etc) to CD to play on any CD Player and far more!

Some of the salient features of CopyToDVD comprise creating audio CDs from MP3 Vorgis formats etc. Creating data CDs from formats like ISO and Joliet with an option for multi session. It also allows creation of high quality DVD video backups and copying them with high playability. This software is rather customizable too! There is hardware support for CDs, DVDs and blu ray writers. It also features latest technologies like HD-Burn and Double besides providing for multilingual support. These are just some of the features of CopyToDVD!

This software can be purchased for just 29 euros prior to which you can opt for a free trial!

Nevo DVD Ripper 2008 is a DVD ripping and copying software manufactured by Nevo Multimedia and has a rating of 7.4 on 10 and sells at a price tag of 34.95$, although the trial version is available free of cost!

Nevo DVD Ripper 2008 has an easy interface and is convenient to use. It still capable of copying DVD files to XVID, DVIX, AVI, MPEG1 and MPEG2 formats! The purpose of these conversions is basically to reduce the file size and make the data portable. Besides all this Nevo DVD Ripper 2008 is also capable of converting DVD to VCD or SVCD formats or creating back up discs or recordable CDs, although a DVD burner is required for all this.

Nevo DVD Ripper 2008 is a 14.6mb download and supports all operating systems of Microsoft from 95 to Vista barring the Millennium Edition. You can contact them support@nevodvd.com. Nevo DVD Ripper 2008 has an external codec to optimize video quality output. Besides, both professionals and amateurs can find use of this powerfully potent software due to its advanced features and options. This software adjusts the ripping settings to the CPU speed of the user’s computer to offer the best output for a given system. Before ripping DVDs, they can be previewed so that you are sure of what you are ripping. Entire DVDs or just parts of it can be ripped by this software. Besides, Nevo DVD Ripper 2008 has an easy to use interface and also supports batch conversion!

So if you are planning to buy a new DVD ripping software, at least take a free trial before making up your mind!

2012-01-09

Let us talk about WinXmedia DVD Ripper and Wondershare DVD To iPhone Converter


WinXmedia DVD Ripper is one of the more powerful and convenient DVD video converting software available in the market. Manufactured by WinXMedia (McAfee) it sells at a price tag of no more than 29$!

WinXmedia DVD Ripper converts DVD to MPEG1 aka VCD, to MPEG2 aka SVCD etc. Besides opening DVD and ISO formats, WinXMedia DVD Ripper can also open MPEG and VOB files. This software is capable of splitting large video files into smaller volumes according to the user’s needs. You can even slice out particular instances or groups of instances using this software from the timeline to make smaller and more relevant videos. It even provides for a deinterlace filter and luminance filter. In fact you can even select audio tracks and convert subtitles. Last but not the least WinXMedia DVD Ripper gives you the opportunity to set the resolution of your videos.

Needless to say, WinXMedia DVD Ripper is a gem of a software which is easy to use and yet offers powerful and advanced video output and the like features right out of the box! So the next time you come from a function and want to get the videos compiled right and don’t have the professional fellow at your call, just install WinXMedia DVD Ripper and do everything he would do yourself. It won’t be that difficult once you get the hang of it which shouldn’t take too long either!

In short WinXMedia DVD Ripper is a powerful DVD manipulating and ripping software which is easy to use and offers many other features too!

Wondershare DVD To iPhone Converter is a product of Wondershare and has received a rating of 5 on a scale of 10! This program is basically a DVD to iPhone converter besides ripping DVDs to iPhone, Apple TV, iPod and M4V files.

This tool can boast of being the fastest DVD to iPhone conversion in the market! While making these conversions, this software provides for a plethora of other features like customizing file sizes, ripping various segments of DVDs separately, cropping and trimming videos, setting audio tracks, selecting target subtitles and so much more…

This tool is going to do you good regardless of your expertise in converting videos. In fact its attractive interface is sure to make you fall into love with it! Salient features as follows:

Fast ripping of DVDs to iPhone Video MP4, MP4 AVC, MPEG-4, M4V format and great quality

Easily ripping of audio signals from DVDs to iPhone, MP3, M4A and AAC audio format and excellent quality

Native support for dual core processors

Options to adjust brightness, contrast, volume etc

Video Trimming and Cropping allows definite sections of the DVD only to be ripped as per the requirements of the user

Supports different kinds of play modes

Rich options for setting high levels of customization

Supports photo capturing of DVD movies

Automatic PC shut down mechanism after conversion is available

Friendly and easy to use interface


All this for a price of just 29$! If you still aren’t too sure whether you would like to spend your money this way, then jut go in for a trial download and test the software before you pay!

2012-01-03

Rating a Computer Game 3. Unreal Tournament 3

Let us talk about Unreal Tournament 3 today and have it totally revealed to the last bit.

Graphics & Appeal –13/ 15
The graphics of this game are good. I won’t say that they are the best in history of they are totally mind blowing, however they are based on the Unreal 3 engine and they are definitely nothing short of good. The graphics disappoint me for they are only a notch or two above Unreal Tournament 2004 which was released a couple of years back and who system requirements are not one third as demanding.

Sound & Music – 8/10
The sounds and music in the game are pleasant to hear and match with the theme of the game. They are not mind blowing, nor are they brilliant stuff, however they do a fair job and enhance the gaming experience by a very huge margin. They are pretty decent although the game developers could have thrived for something better.

Gameplay – 19/20
Gameplay is something in which this game is pretty much perfect, flawless is the word. As usual, like any other Unreal Tournament, the gameplay is awesome and nothing which leave you to complain about.

Fun –14/ 15
Playing Unreal Tournament 3 is synonymous with fun just like it was with its predecessors. Everything is perfectly made and uniquely invented to make the game as much fun as possible.

Replayability – 9/10
Unreal Tournament 3 is one game which many people could probably play hours at a stretch and for years without changing their primary first person shooter game. This tells a lot about Unreal Tournament 3 I guess.

Learning Curve –9/ 10
The game is pretty easy to learn and time is not wasted in the process.

Scalability PC –9/ 10
One of the most scalable games in the market and works with even relatively slow hardware which needs a nice powerhouse for flawless performance with everything cranked up.

Scalability Difficulty –8/ 10
This is again something where the game does take somewhat a back seat however I can bet on it that it is better than most of the games in the market.
Total: 89/100 Very Good

2012-01-02

Rating a computer game 2. Crysys

Let us talk about Crysis today and have it totally revealed to the last bit.

Graphics & Appeal –14/ 15
The graphics of this game are very good. Based on the Crytek engine, the game developers have done little to leave the graphics from being mind blowing. The downside is that the game is extremely demanding and the graphics it delivers definitely do not compensate for the system hog the game is. The graphics in themselves are no doubt a masterpiece and an excellent creation, something which probably no other developer would boast of at least till another year or so.

Sound & Music – 8/10
The sounds and music in the game are decent to hear and match with the theme of the game. They are not mind blowing, nor brilliant stuff, however they do an okayjob and enhance the gaming experience by a very huge margin. They are pretty acceptable although the game developers could have thrived for something better.

Gameplay – 17/20
Gameplay is pretty good however it does not really compete with the legends in history. Nevertheless the gameplay is quite impressive and thus it takes away a good score here as well.

Fun –12/ 15
I won’t really call Crysis too much of fun. It is that it doesn’t meet my tastes however Crysis is not something which each and every person may like. Sure, the one who does will probably really enjoy the game.

Replayability – 8/10
Crysis is one game which many people could probably play hours at a stretch and for years without changing their primary first person shooter game. This tells a lot about Crysis I guess.

Learning Curve –8/ 10
The game is pretty easy to learn and time is not wasted in the process.

Scalability PC –6/ 10
This game is not very scalable, it is not that it is not scalable at all. However the minimum system requirements are too high and it needs a power hog for good performance.

Scalability Difficulty –6/ 10
Again, an average scalable game in the market which leaves lot to be desired.
Total: 79/100 Acceptable

2012-01-01

Rating a computer game

With so many computer games coming in the market and often being so good, it becomes difficult to decide which is better. We often need to fall back to the age old method of rating any product, using mathematics to rate any product on a scale of 0 to 100. This is what we will do with computer games today. Let us devise a good method to decide which computer game is more capable and which is not up to the mark. Let us first decide the parameters and give them appropriate weights.


With so many computer games coming in the market and often being so good, it becomes difficult to decide which is better. We often need to fall back to the age old method of rating any product, using mathematics to rate any product on a scale of 0 to 100. This is what we will do with computer games today. Let us devise a good method to decide which computer game is more capable and which is not up to the mark. Let us first decide the parameters and give them appropriate weights.

Graphics & Appeal – 15
This is one of the most important aspects in a computer game and usually game developers try to showcase the graphics ability of their games and display the latest technologies in their games. The better the graphics the higher the chance that you would be appealed to play the game and upgrade your graphic card for the same to witness the performance as the developers planned to display. So this is a really attractive point when it comes to computer games.

Sound & Music – 10
The music you listen to within a game and the sound tracks which are played leave a deep impact in the mind of the gamer often even when he is not playing the game. So sound and music tracks besides their quality plays a major role in building the interest in a game and enjoying a more complete and thorough experience in the game.

Gameplay – 20
Gameplay is called the quality of gaming of a game. If a game is well made and the gameplay is perfectly suited to the game with no flaws, then that would be perfect.

Fun – 15
Fun means the amount you enjoy while playing a game. The more you enjoy the higher the fun index. Basically a game is truly judged by its gameplay and fun in the long run.

Replayability – 10
This factor indicates the number of times a game can be played or how long a game can be played without you getting tired of playing that game over and over again.

Learning Curve – 10
Learning curve basically indicates the ease with which a game can be learnt.

Scalability PC – 10
This point indicates how easily a game can be scaled to various PCs so that maximum number of people can play that game.

Scalability Difficulty – 10
This indicates as to how much scalability is offered in the difficulty index of the game.

After all these points you can truly judge which game is better and which lags behind by a small margin or which game doesn’t even come close. Off course different people could give different weights to different parameters according to their tastes, but this is the way I like my games to be, at least this is what I think of them.

2011-12-31

Which PC should I buy?


The PC which you need totally depends upon your requirements and more importantly on how much you are willing to spend. High end PCs are often bought by those who are not hard core gamers but who want the option to have a casual game or two and generally like to have the hardware which can be showed off or which makes them feel good. They usually have that kind of money to spend. Similarly the mid range systems aren’t much behind for most purposes, although they are a bit slower in things which are intensive, however for internet usage and the like they are good performers. However having them is not a status symbol for sure. The low end PCs are usually bought where PCs need to be bought in bulk or if somebody is on a real tight budget and performance hardly matters to someone!

I recommend going in for an assembled PC over any of the brands as they are far more customizable with options available which are not only cheaper but also more powerful with better opportunities to make use of warranties etc. Going in for assembled PCs is surely the way to go.
Low End PC
A basic value for money PC meant for running basic applications and software like Microsoft Vista, Microsoft Word, Adobe Page Reader and the lot. These PCs are meant for regular folks and definitely not meant for gamers or enthusiasts. They usually need to be upgraded within 2 years and perform basic applications in a decent manner.
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E2160
Motherboard: Motherboard with onboard video
RAM: 2 X 512MB DDR2 667
Hard Disk Drive: 160GB SATA II
Power Supply: Generic Brand with 400 – 500 watts power supply
Mid Range PC
A medium priced PC which is a lot more powerful than the a low end PC and also allows better gaming and professional applications. Basically again it is meant for general users who can afford more than just the lowest and therefore ask for better equipment. These machines are just better equipped and a little faster and somewhat more upgradable for future applications.
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E7200
Motherboard: XFX 650i ultra
RAM: 2 X 1GB DDR2 667
Hard Disk Drive: 250GB SATA II
Power Supply: Antec or Coolermaster 400-460 watts power supply
Graphic Card: Geforce 8600GT or Geforce 7600GT
High End PC
This kind of PC is meant for enthusiasts who generally have a big bundle to spend and can easily afford the greatest hardware that is available in the market. These PCs handle gaming well too and also handle professional software with ease. These systems are really good to handle anything which otherwise becomes rather taxing.
Processor: Intel Quad Core E6700
Motherboard: Asus P5N E SLI Deluxe
RAM: 2 X 2GB DDR2 800
Hard Disk Drive: 2 X 320GB SATA II
Power Supply: Corsair 620 watts
Graphic Card: ATI Radeon 3870 or Nvidia Geforce 9600GT or Geforce 8800GT
The PC which you need totally depends upon your requirements and more importantly on how much you are willing to spend. High end PCs are often bought by those who are not hard core gamers but who want the option to have a casual game or two and generally like to have the hardware which can be showed off or which makes them feel good. They usually have that kind of money to spend. Similarly the mid range systems aren’t much behind for most purposes, although they are a bit slower in things which are intensive, however for internet usage and the like they are good performers. However having them is not a status symbol for sure. The low end PCs are usually bought where PCs need to be bought in bulk or if somebody is on a real tight budget and performance hardly matters to someone!

2011-12-30

How would you rate your Graphic Card?

Today a wide variety of PCs are available across a huge number of brands. Many brands in fact offer complete customization of the PC whereby each and every component can be customized to suit your requirements so that you don’t end up buying a higher configuration which is much more expensive just to fulfill one need of yours which wouldn’t have cost half as much. However users are becoming more and more aware of the PC configurations and especially advanced users prefer to go in for assembled PCs where they tune and buy each and every component to satisfy their needs and also save on a whole lot of money.
So how would you rate your PC? Is it good enough? Can it live up to the task? Let us get about rating different parts of your PC, in this article let us talk about the processor.


Today a wide variety of PCs are available across a huge number of brands. Many brands in fact offer complete customization of the PC whereby each and every component can be customized to suit your requirements so that you don’t end up buying a higher configuration which is much more expensive just to fulfill one need of yours which wouldn’t have cost half as much. However users are becoming more and more aware of the PC configurations and especially advanced users prefer to go in for assembled PCs where they tune and buy each and every component to satisfy their needs and also save on a whole lot of money.

So how would you rate your PC? Is it good enough? Can it live up to the task? Let us get about rating different parts of your PC, in this article let us talk about the graphic card.

Graphic Card

The graphic card is basically a component that handles the games or the graphics in the games in any computer. With the launch of Microsoft Windows Vista operating system, there has been a requirement of decent graphic cards in every PC that runs Vista as the operating system itself is graphically heavy and very appealing. However still the crux of the graphic card industry primarily lies with the PC gamers and other professionals who are engaged in 3D work.

High end graphic card solutions are available from two majors in the industry under the name of Nvidia and ATI. Their solutions are Geforce 9800GX2 and Radeon X3870X2 respectively and both cost in the domain of 500-700$ per piece. These solutions are capable of playing the latest games with all the eye candy turned on at super smooth frame rates without a glitch. However once in a while an occasional game like Crysis does sometimes give them a run for their money too, although these graphic card solutions handle them really well. Usually these graphic card solutions retain their flagship for less than a year, however you often don’t need to upgrade them for 2-3 years.

Performance mainstream solutions are currently sold only by Nvidia for around 300$ and can play nearly any game with full eye candy on and enjoy super silky frame rates. These solutions are meant for the well off who don’t want to waste too much money yet want the performance needed for a desirable gaming experience. These are great solutions and last for a decent amount of time.

Mainstream graphic card solutions are available from both the vendors: ATI and Nvidia: Radeon 3850 and Radeon 3870 and Geforce 9600GT and Geforce 8800GT respectively. Solutions from Nvidia are a little more advanced although they don’t really cost more, around 140-200$ and out perform their ATI counterparts. These graphic card solutions are not meant to last over a year if you want silky performance in the most intensive of games.

2011-12-29

How would you rate your PC?

Today a wide variety of PCs are available across a huge number of brands. Many brands in fact offer complete customization of the PC whereby each and every component can be customized to suit your requirements so that you don’t end up buying a higher configuration which is much more expensive just to fulfill one need of yours which wouldn’t have cost half as much. However users are becoming more and more aware of the PC configurations and especially advanced users prefer to go in for assembled PCs where they tune and buy each and every component to satisfy their needs and also save on a whole lot of money.
So how would you rate your PC? Is it good enough? Can it live up to the task? Let us get about rating different parts of your PC, in this article let us talk about the processor.


Today a wide variety of PCs are available across a huge number of brands. Many brands in fact offer complete customization of the PC whereby each and every component can be customized to suit your requirements so that you don’t end up buying a higher configuration which is much more expensive just to fulfill one need of yours which wouldn’t have cost half as much. However users are becoming more and more aware of the PC configurations and especially advanced users prefer to go in for assembled PCs where they tune and buy each and every component to satisfy their needs and also save on a whole lot of money.
So how would you rate your PC? Is it good enough? Can it live up to the task? Let us get about rating different parts of your PC, in this article let us talk about the processor.

Processor

High end processors usually cost around 200-300$ or more nowadays and include Quad Core Intel CPUs or three core CPUs from AMD. These processors are more than what most users are in need of and are meant either for enthusiasts or for workstations or for future needs. Nobody really uses this kind of computing power at the moment and if you have such powerful processors then you definitely don’t need to upgrade for a really long time, maybe as much as even 2 – 3 years!

Performance mainstream processors basically include the Intel 8xxx series from Intel and retain around 150$ and upwards and their corresponding counterparts from AMD are Phenom processors which are priced about the same. These are fast dual core processors and take care of any application that you need to run, be it the latest computer game or the most intensive software application that needs to be dealt with. These processors are meant for those who have a fair budget but don’t want to shell a bomb and are looking for high performance and effective solutions which can last another 1 – 2 years.

Mainstream and low end processors are usually what Intel caters to better nowadays as they are not only cheaper but also more effective. The fastest mainstream processor being Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 which costs around 140$ or so and is definitely a mix between the new E8xxx series and previous E4xxx series. It doesn’t cost much and is a good performer and nice overclocker too. If you don’t want to spend even as much as then there are good E4xxx solutions available from Intel which are good enough for most day to day applications and can run pretty much any game without a hitch once overclocked. However these aren’t super computers but fast nevertheless. They usually retain around the 100$ mark.

If you don’t want to spend much then there are Intel E2xxx series available and the Celeron series available which are not expensive at all and are meant for people on a budget. The E2xxx series is still a decent performer at least when overclocked but it s not meant for the most intensive of graphic applications besides doesn’t have a very large future proof index.