Now, PCs get a 3D vision

The runaway success of movies like James Cameron's Avatar and Disney's Alice in Wonderland has not only generated a welcome interest in cinema-goers but also driven interest in 3D gaming.

Simply speaking, jump-out-of-the-screen 'stereoscopic 3D' is the technology that has caught everybody's attention, including gamers'. Here's what you need to do to get 3D gaming home.

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Alienware Aurora ALX

The Aurora ALX is a top-of-the-line Alienware, Dell's premier high-performance PC gaming brand, and what it offers proves that this company knows how to make a gaming system.

A truly mean machine, it packs an Intel Core i7-975 processor that delivers a whopping 3.33 GHz, Intel's fastest, most expensive and powerful desktop CPU.

The device has on the top of the case a row of vents that lift up when you boot the PC. It just makes the Aurora ALX look alive.

With the gills of a monster as it draws breath, visually speaking, it's simply beautiful. Alienware supplies its own Command Centre software, which you can use to configure the vents to lift when the CPU hits a given temperature, much like a sports car spoiler, which lifts automatically when you hit a certain speed, for increased stability.

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What it gives

The liquid-cooling system that surrounds the CPU can keep this power machine remarkably quiet (and cool). The Aurora comes with only one optical drive, a Blu-ray and DVD multi-drive (which should do everything you need), but there is room to install another if you feel it's necessary.

Inside the water-cooled chassis, there is a Micro ATX X58 motherboard and, for flawless graphic performance, you get two CrossFired ATI Radeon HD 5870s.

Without enough RAM, your computer simply won't be able to handle what it is meant to do.

That's why a 6GB RAM and 2TB hard drive should leave you satisfied. Aurora ALX has six USB ports, FireWire port, an Ethernet port, an optical port, HDMI ports, and audio inputs.

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What you pay

Prices start from Rs 125,000 and, before you get all hot and bothered by the price of this machine, just try to understand the technology inside it.

You are getting the highest-performing CPU in the market, two top-of-the-line video cards and 6GB RAM (for ALX). It does not get better than this.

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Samsung 2233RZ 3D monitor

Samsung 2233RZ is a 120-Hz LCD monitor required for crystal-clear, flicker-free stereoscopic 3D gaming. Although it is officially positioned as a monitor for supporting Nvidia's stereovision technologies, nothing prevents you from using it without any glasses.

What it gives

The specification that makes Samsung's monitor such a good fit for 3D gaming is its 120-Hz refresh rate, which allows the display to flash two sets of images, each running at the traditional 60 Hz frequency to which most computer users are accustomed.

When viewed through stereoscopic eyewear, the two image streams are directed to different eyes, creating a smooth 3D effect.

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We played 3D-enabled games like Call of Duty 4 and watched a clip of the film Up. The effect was virtually identical to what you might see in a modern 3D-equipped movie theatre.

Clearly, a small 22-inch PC monitor is no match for a plasma or an LED television when it comes to rendering deep blacks, but as desktop displays go, the 2233RZ isn't too shabby.

Nvidia's GeForce 3D Vision stereoscopic glasses make perfect sense with Samsung 3D monitor. Its each lense is a liquid-crystal shutter that opens 60 times a second.

To support these glasses, the monitor must show twice the number of frames, alternating between pictures for right and left eyes. In other words, it must have an honest refresh rate of 120Hz, which the 2233RZ delivers.

What you pay

You need to pay nearly Rs 18,000, for Samsung's 3D monitor, which delivers terrific gaming performance.