Volta

Hi Everyone,

Since I’ve started using computers, one particular field I’ve always enjoyed was tweaking hardware and trying to push as much juice out of them as I could. There is something magical about this. Either way…

With this in mind, I’ve decided to go to the drawing board and conceptualize a desktop application that would eventually help those who’d like to have a central place for monitoring hardware and other system related activity as easy as possible, while also being able to overclock and benchmark their system.

Taking all this into consideration I’ve decided to split the application into 3 core sections (Reports, Overclocks, and Benchmarks) each of these sections takes on one main function in particular. What you can see in this Dribbble shot is a preview of the Reports section which aims at reporting overall hardware monitoring such as Temperatures, Hardware Usage, System Monitoring, and even providing the ability to choose automatic configurations for controlling fan speeds for optimal efficiency (Eco, Performance, and Custom).

The system monitoring section was interesting to design as I felt that it was fundamental to have a list of the current running processes, specially if you want to compare usages and how these processes impact the system performance. Comparing GPU and CPU usage for example is crucial to find out if there is a bottleneck that’s impacting performance in games. The CPU may not have enough juice to keep up with the GPU, and vice-versa.

As a promoter of modular layout configurations and customizations, I felt that the card view was optimal for this kind of task. I wouldn’t want to feel obligated at having all the same modules and layout distributions. So, at the top of each card you can find not only the option to filter the results within each card, but also the option to add new sections. I’ve not drawn these, but it’s all sketched and written.

I also had to try to find the right balance between breathability and compact-ability. Desktop apps are mostly more compact than their web counterparts, and rightly so as you may wish to not use the app in full screen mode, and most important, as there are countless resolutions we have to take into account (just as a note, I’ve also kept in mind a potential mirroring mode for the iPad, it could be useful to have the reporting screen on another display while running a benchmark or gaming).

Overall I’m happy with the result so far. It was a nice exploration of some ideas I had in mind for a while. I hope you all enjoy it. If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to drop a comment bellow.

P.S. Oh, the name Volta, was chosen due to the amazing work Alessandro Volta did on the invention of the battery. And because it sounds like the word volt… voltage… overclocking. ;)

Please make sure you check out @2x preview and the attachment. I highly recommended for you to view the preview in either a 4K display or a retina display.

Attachments:
volta_preview.png
volta_logo.png