Network Magic
PC Mech :: Friday, December 29, 2006
I’ve never taken a formal class on the finer points of networking, but I have managed to learn enough to set up a home network. But it was not the easiest process, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has encountered difficulty with this project. So when I found a program that promised to act as a central point to setup, manage and even fix my network, I thought I would check it out. So this week, I’ll be sharing with you: Network Magic v4.0
Synology – DS-106E NAS Server Review
Overclockers Club :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“Storage. Something that I always find myself short on and needing more of. Backups, that’s the other word that I dread to hear, as when it comes time to backup that critical data, it can take hours or even days depending on the amount of data. Let alone the giant pile of CD/DVDs that you have to store, label, and then hunt through, if you ever need something. Synology has come to my rescue with the DS-106e, an all-in-one home backup and SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) server solution. According to the spec sheet on this baby, it comes loaded with tons of features to make our lives easier. Synology may not be a very well known company, but they have a very strong lineup of backup solutions and various NAS’s. The DS-106e is one of the latest additions to this strong lineup. Today I will be taking a look at this unit and testing it to see if it’s really worth its price, as well as whether or not it’s actually useful for what it claims to do.”
ASUS Striker Extreme NVIDIA 680i SLI MotherboardReview
Virtual Hideout :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“Now, I recently updated to the new official 505 BIOS listed on ASUS` website. That did not fix either the sound or memory issues for me. I then contacted ASUS and was sent an unofficial 701 BIOS after I explained my issues. The 701 BIOS also did nothing to fix either of these issues. So the wait continues….*sigh*.”
Coolermaster Mars CPU cooler
RBmods :: Friday, December 29, 2006
Todays Cpu´s tend to get quite hot even though both Intel and Amd work to make cooler cpu´s. For this you need a good cpu cooler that is able to keep your computer cool and stable. These are not to hard to find but most people have another criteria they want to look for and that is low noise. Getting a good performing cooler with a high speed fan is not hard but finding one that actually do perform well under low fan speeds is a bit harder. Coolermaster have sent their latest creation to us, the Mars looks like a big ball with a fan mounted in the middle of the heatsink. We will see how well this perform vs a Zalman cooler and how it works under normal usage and also gaming so stay tuned.
Noctua NH-U9F CPU Cooler
Dragonsteel Mods :: Friday, December 29, 2006
” Noctua has become one of my favorite companies, not only because of the excellent quality of their products but because of the excellent performance of them as well. Noctua has established itself as a new force in the cooling industry, a force that is to be reckoned with, the other cooling companies out there should take heed and pay attention to where Noctua is going. Noctua is quickly becoming the new big kid on the block, partially due to their diligence, quality and time spent on research, but mainly due to the excellent performance of all their products. Noctua is a company dedicated to achieving perfection in all their products. Today for review I have the NH-U9F CPU cooler, which can only be described as the culmination of research and a dedication to performance, quality and perfection, this CPU cooler not only looks good, it performs great and it is silent as well, so continue on to see your next CPU cooler.. ”
Spire Rocketeer III 500W Review
Tech Gear :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“As you can see the rails are pretty stable, with almost no variation between the idle and load readings. However, you may have no noticed that there is a little difference between the readings of the tester and the readings from Speedfan. So, which one do we go with? The PSU tester is specifically designed to test PSU voltages and therefore should be more accurate. However, the voltages are tested through a Molex cable and not firectly from the motherboard like Spe…”
The Future of Computer Technology
BTX Form Factor :: Friday, December 29, 2006
In the past twenty years, there has been a dramatic increase in the processing speed of computers, network capacity and the speed of the internet. These advances have paved the way for the revolution of fields such as quantum physics, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology. These advances will have a profound effect on the way we live and work, the virtual reality we see in movies like the Matrix, may actually come true in the next decade or so.
ECS KA3 MVP Extreme ATI Crossfire Xpress 3200 Motherboard Review
Futurelooks :: Friday, December 29, 2006
This board is almost like foreshadowing. It combines technology from ATI in the form of Crossfire and AMD in the form of the AM2 socket onboard. Who would have thought that both companies would actually become the peanut butter and jam of the industry in real life? Anyway, we check out this unofficial union in our review.
Mushkin XP2-8500 DDR2
Bjorn 3d :: Friday, December 29, 2006
Today that may all change and I may be procuring this reference sample as my new reference memory to use as I will be reviewing the Redline XP2-8000’s big brother, XP2-8500. This time we’ll testing the memory’s performance with an Intel Core 2 Duo based system whose components are tried and true and should easily be able to push the XP2-8500 to its potential and beyond. Please join me to see if we have another winner on or hands or just another contender.
Scythe Andy Samurai Master CPU Cooler
Pro-Clockers :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The Andy Samurai Master has an unusual name and a new shape uncommon to fans of Scythe. Honestly, I have no idea where they got the name for. The only thing I will say is this cooler is a combination of West meets East. I guess the Andy is the “West” and the Samurai is the “East”. That’s all I can gather from it. The shape is a two tier design linked by six nickel covered copper heat pipes. The size and design of it looks to be able to perform really well. It also shares some features of another Scythe cooler, the Infinity. Does it cool as well as the Infinity? Let us run it through some tests and find out.
Asus P5B-E Plus socket 775 Motherboard Review
Overclock 3d :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“Asus have a reputation of making some of the finest and most stable boards on the market. They’ve sent us their latest 965-based mid-range socket 775 board for their perusal and we take a good look at it in our labs.”
Noctua NH-U9F Review
Technic 3d :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“The Noctua NH-U9F CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The next Silent Cooler against others see you in the following Review.”
ABIT FATAL1TY AN9 32X nForce 590 SLI Motherboard Review
PC Stats :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“Scanning through ABIT’s product lineup of late is like reading the menu at an enthusiasts restaurant – it’s easy to see that ABIT is taking its new role seriously and producing performance oriented motherboards that may just rival the great LanParty series from DFI. Heat pipe based chipset cooling systems that operate silently, board level motherboard cooling fans, a peppering of LEDs for that special effect, outstanding voltage options in the BIOS and good overclocking ability – ABIT has crossed its i’s and dotted its t’s.”
Ubuntu: 32-bit v. 64-bit Performance
Phoronix :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“While 64-bit support is now considered common for both Intel and AMD processors, many Linux (as well as Windows) users are uncertain whether to use a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system with there being advantages for both paths. With this being the last Phoronix article for 2006, we decided to take this opportunity to look at the common question of whether to use 32-bit or 64-bit software. In this article, we will be comparing the i386 and x86_64 performance with Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft and Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn Herd 1 to see how the numbers truly stack up.”
IWILL ZMAXdp Dual Opteron SFF Barebones System Evaluation
Big Bruin :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The IWILL ZMAXdp Dual Opteron Small Form Factor Barebones System may not be the latest or greatest, but it is capable of providing some serious computing power in an attractive small form factor configuration that doesn’t skimp on extras. With the potential for two dual-core Opterons (effectively quad-core), 2GB dual channel DDR, SATA RAID 0, and many other modern features, it is a work horse disguised as a pony.
Thermaltake TMG A2 and TMG I2 Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“To round up stuffs, we would say the TMG A2 and I2 are definitely quite some performer for their price. Though the design is quite normal looking and pretty common, Thermaltake managed to round out its new TMG series of products, advertising them as they should work, and it definitely is so for the TMG A2 and I2. Packed in solid packagings, come with a few case badges, silent and good enough to cool down processors decently thrown in some overclocks and quite some voltage, not to mention it is actually very easy to be installed, Thermaltake had once again hit the market with some good products. Rated to be priced around 33USD to 38USD over some international online sales site, the TMG A2 and I2 is certainly something worth putting attention on for enthusiasts.”
Akasa integral fusion External HDD enclosure
techPowerUp! :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The Akasa integral fusion combines two devices into one sleek functional device – an USB hard drive enclosure and a multi format card reader. It may not be the fastest enclosure for your money and the software may be a bit crude, but it gets the job done – that is what counts.
ExtensiveMods Modding Contest Extended
Extensive Mods :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The ExtensiveMods modding contest has been extended till January 31, 2007.
The contest was extended due to some modders was concerned about it being
At the same time as the CM contest.
Tagan TurboJet TG1100-U96
LAN Addict :: Friday, December 29, 2006
On paper, the TurboJet TG1100-U96 is very impressive. So was the Titanic, and we all know how that ended! That is why I installed the TurboJet TG1100-U96 into my gaming system and gave it several weeks to show its stuff. I played a lot of Neverwinter Nights 2, ran full system backups and virus scans, and fired off multiple benchmarking programs simultaneously.
Ratpadz XT Body Armor?
techFEAR :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“Durability is always a concern with a product like the Ratpadz XT. Perhaps, then, this article should be titled, “What to bring if Dick Cheney invites you bird hunting.”
OCZ Launches GeForce 8800 GTX GPU, Hand-Selected for the Extreme Gamers!
OCZ :: Friday, December 29, 2006
Separating OCZ’s GPU from the rest is the stringent requirement for the highest level of performance and stability. Each and every 8800 GXT card offers more overclocking headroom by means of premium GDDR3 memory and an advanced screening process in which only the best complete cards make it into the systems of worldwide gamers.
G.SKILL F2-6400CL6D-4GBMQ 4 GB Kit
techPowerUp! :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
The G.SKILL F2-6400CL6D-4GBMQ are one of the first 2x 2 GB DDR2 memory kits that let you run high frequencies, DDR2-800 in this case. In our review we will point out the difficulties you will experience when installing 4 GB of memory on 32-bit platforms. Is this $500 memory kit the solution to a smooth Windows Vista experience?
Enermax Aurora review
Techgage :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
If you are looking for a sleek keyboard, then the Enermax Aurora may be for you. It’s built with aluminum for a strong frame and uses the same technology behind laptop keyboards for ultra-quiet and smooth operation.
Antec Nine Hundred Gaming Case Review
Think Computers :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“Antec is not afraid to show its design prowess and incredible attention to detail when it markets a new case to enthusiasts. The established hardware supplier continually wows builders with stunning designs and convenient amenities built into its cases. The Antec Nine Hundred is no exception. Its dark and grilled appearance, along with its incredible size and cooling potential, make the case simply exude awesomeness. However, looks aren’t everything-this case is missing some conveniences, an omission that may cost it top marks. Read on for the review.”
A fistful of nForce 590 SLI motherboards compared
Tech Report :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
THE NFORCE 590 SLI is easily the most feature-rich core-logic chipset available for Athlon 64 processors. Nvidia takes feature integration further than any other chipset maker, and that’s enabled the company to ensure a measure of consistency between motherboards based on its chipsets. Unfortunately, although core logic consolidation has done wonders for promoting a consistent end user experience, it’s also made it increasingly difficult for motherboard manufacturers to differentiate their products.
With an eye toward maintaining a measure of unique identity in a sea of boards whose performance and features are largely defined by the chipsets they use, mobo makers are scrambling to break new ground. For some, new ground comes in the form of workstation-specific amenities like PCI-X slots. For others, it’s digital voltage circuitry around the processor. Some have even challenged the chipset itself, replacing integrated audio with something a little more exotic.
But do these attempts at differentiation actually make for better boards, or are you better off with simpler designs that do little more than bring a chipset’s payload to bear? To find out, we rounded up a fistful of nForce 590 SLI motherboards from Abit, Asus, DFI, ECS, and MSI.
VIZO XENA w/One Touch Backup Notebook Cooler Review
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“To date, I have reviewed about 90% of the VIZO product line, and as long as they are coming out with new items I will be here waiting for a sample to review. Speaking of review samples, this is what brings us here today. VIZO sent out a new product for laptop computers. The product is named XENA, a notebook cooler/stand that has some first-of-its-kind features included, like a spot for a 2.5″ SATA hard drive that slides into the notebook cooler and can be used to back up data via a USB link.”
Mushkin Extreme Performance XP2-8500 2Gb Memory Kit
Club Overclocker :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
Today we conclude our series of DDR-2 memory tests on the EVGA 680i SLI motherboard by testing Mushkin’s new Extreme Performance XP2-8500 2Gb Memory Kit (2 x 1Gb) with 5-5-4-12 timings. These are very quick latency timings for memory running at 1066MHz. With such a high rating will Mushkin’s XP2-8500 beat our previously established records? Is there any chance this memory will go any faster than 1066MHz? I’m eager to find out so let’s get to
High Power 620W PSU
Bjorn 3d :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
The backbone in every good system is the PSU. If the PSU fails to provide enough power it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the hardware is as the system still will be unstable.
Today I am looking at a PSU from High Power that on paper promises a lot: three 12V rails, Active PFC, >80% efficiency and a extremely low noise level. With its 620W it should be sufficient for even demanding systems as long as it can manage to produce stable and clean power.
Computer Technology of 2006
Hardware Logic :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“Doesn’t it seem like last week we watched the ball drop on 2006? Well don’t look now, but 2007 is just around the corner and you’ve missed A LOT! Fear not, HardwareLogic is here to point out the highlights of 2006 and get you up to speed on the year’s happenings in the world of computer hardware!”
Akasa integral fusion Review
Technic 3d :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“The Akasa integral fusion (3in1) arrived Technic3D. The external HDD Case with Backup, Cardreader and USB-Hub can you see in the following Review.”
Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3 945PL Express Motherboard Review
PC Stats :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“The Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3 motherboard is an affordable Intel platform of complementary technologies for consumers on a budget. Best suited to the upcoming ‘Conroe-L’ Celeron processor, the GA-945PL-S3’s system bus runs at 800/533MHz FSB. ”
OCZ GameXStream 850 Watt Power Supply Review
Tweaknews :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“OCZ’s GameXStream 850W power supply packs a lot of power and stability into a compact package that will make a lot of gamers and other power users very happy. Their three-year PowerSwap warranty program makes the package even more attractive. The handsome satin finish, sleeving and blue LED fan give the OCZ850GXS a very definite eye appeal and the performance is outstanding.”
Etasis ET-850 850w Power Supply Review
OCIA :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“The ET-850 is certified to be SLI Ready by Nvidia, and even features four PCI-Express power leads for graphics cards. It is rated for over 80% efficiency with four independent +12V outputs, and has eight Serial ATA power connectors. With plenty of power and plenty of connections, it sounds like it’s ready to take on anything available on the shelf from quad-core CPUs to SLI graphics cards with as many Serial ATA drives as you can fit in most cases.”
“You Can’t Do It Without One Or The Other” Contest Final Call Posted!
Tech ARP :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“There’re only 3 MORE DAYS before the contest ends. If you want to get a new ASUS GeForce 7600 GT graphics card for this Christmas and New Year, what are you waiting for? There are SIX of them to be given away.
Come on in and find out how you can win one or two of these graphics cards! Join the contest now! ”
DDR2 1000 High End Ram
Tweak PC :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
DDR2 clocks higher and higher, so even PC8000/8500 are high end standard now. We took a look a three new models from G.Skill, OCZ and Supertalent.
Cooler Master CB5-7KFSA-02-GP Type II BTX Cooler Review
BTX Form Factor :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
Straight out of the box, the Cooler Master CB5-7KFSA-02-GP Type II BTX Cooler looks like it is ready to get down to business on some serious cooling. It is well built and heavy duty, and the specifications lead you to believe it will move a good deal of air to cool your CPU. Unfortunately, things aren’t always what they seem.
ASUS P5N-E SLI Review
Techgage :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
When the 680i chipset was launched last month, it proved to have exactly what the enthusiast was after. However, most of those boards range in the $250 area. ASUS has just released their new P5N-E SLI board which offers the 650i chipset. It’s a scaled down version of it’s bigger brother, but costs far less and still contains a huge punch for enthusiasts.
Antec P-180 Case Review
Missing Remote :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“The most obvious difference in this case is the internal cavity is divided into two separate chambers. The thought is that if the items that generate the most heat can be segregated, then the overall system temperature and noise will be reduced. The upper chamber is designated for the motherboard, expansion cards, 5.25″ and some 3.5” drives. A total of three 120mm and one 80mm fans can be used to assist in the cooling of this section. The lower chamber resembles a wind tunnel and is reserved for the PSU and more hard drives. This section is cooled by a 120mm fan mounted between the PSU and hard drives. Choosing to mount the fan internally should help remove that as a potential noise source.”/
ek Waterchill Xternal Kit
Bjorn 3d :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
I was a watercooling neophyte and somewhat fearful, so I started out by reading how-to’s and tutorials on watercooling and then reviews on watercooling related products such as waterblocks or watercooling kits. After I got a feel for the basics of watercooling and what it’s all about, I began to frequent some of the hardware forums on the Internet. As my reading continued and I digested the various thoughts and opinions on watercooling techniques and equipment, my own conclusions were formulating.
Since my current motherboard uses a heatpipe on the chipset, I decided that the cooling solution provided by Asus was sufficient. And since my XFX video card’s warranty would become null and void if I modified it by adding a gpu waterblock, I decided that its cooling solution on it was sufficient as well. Finally, keeping in mind that I am lazy and that my primary goal was to cool the CPU that had become unbearably hot, I decided that an external watercooling kit was the best solution for me and that of all of the external kits, the asetek Waterchill Xternal kit would be the one that earned my hard earned dollars.
Thermaltake TMG AT3 Review
Technic 3d :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“The new Thermaltake TMG AT3 VGA Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The next Water Cooler in the Thermaltake Line. See you in the following Review the Upgrade with Air and Water Cooling.”
SilverStone Temjin TJ09
Phoronix :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“The SilverStone Temjin TJ09 is a beautiful chassis that offers a unique cooling design and can accommodate Extended ATX SSI motherboards. Simply put, the SilverStone Temjin TJ09 is the best ATX/EATX case we have seen in 2006 and SilverStone engineers certainly deserve props for this marvelous creation.”
ECS PN1 SLI2 Extreme Motherboard Review
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
ECS continues their trend of trying to produce enthusiast motherboards and is getting ready to release an nVidia 590 SLI motherboard for Intel users. Do they succeed with their Core 2 Duo board based on the Nvidia 590 chipset? With a simple motherboard layout and support for SLI this motherboard should be budget friendly and pack a mean punch. Let’s take a look and find out just how Extreme this board is.
Transcend Releases its New, High-Speed 1GB 200-Pin DDR2-800 Non-ECC Unbuffered SO-DIMM Memory Module
Transcend :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Transcend’s 1GB DDR2-800 Non-ECC Unbuffered SO-DIMM memory modules are engineered using 16 pcs of 64Mx8 original brand name DDR2 FBGA chips. The eight-layer PCBs used in Transcend’s modules are designed to meet the highest specifications by minimizing noise signal disturbance and enhancing overall performance. In addition, DDR2 memory chips incorporate On-Die Termination (ODT) to minimize signal reflections at higher speeds, thereby improving timing margins, which increase operating speeds. Transcend’s superior design results in better system stability and reliability, making our 1GB DDR2-800 Non-ECC Unbuffered SO-DIMM memory modules the best choice for your high performance system.
G.Skill unveils the world 1st DDR2-800 CL4-4-3-5 memory module
G.Skill :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Last week, G.Skill became the 1st company to launch DDR2-800 4GB memory module kit, today he gains another the world 1st specification owner by 2007. No matter you would like to upgrade your system or buy a new PC. F2-6400CL4D-2GBHK absolutely is your best choice.
Hard Drive Cooling: Is it Worth it?
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
With all those crazy high-speed CPUs and GPUs out there, one area of cooling tends to be taken for granted or forgotten: Hard Drives. Is it worth going around and installing fans and coolers onto them to drop those few degrees? What about the noise? Let’s find out!
Swiftech Quiet Power P180 Water Cooled Case
3dgameman :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“Swiftech has done a fantastic job at selecting and installing their water cooling components into the Antec P180 Case. The case have plenty of drive bays, fans, air filters, and sound proof side panels and front. Swiftech has used an improved version of the H20-120 premium water cooling kit. Included is the Apogee CPU waterblock, MCP350 Pump, MCR120-QP Radiator, MCRes Micro Reservoir, 3/8″ A-60 Norprene™ tubing, and Hydrx™ coolant. An excellent product that performs very well. It’s a no brainer! Watch the Video to find out more…”
Second Opinion: LapWorks – Laptop Desk 2.0
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
” Laptops are great for getting work accomplished outside the desktop setting. As they have gotten more powerful, they have also become hotter. These days, if place your laptop on your lap, you may require some burn cream or an ice pack. In today’s Second Opinion review, I will review the savior of laps – the Laptop Desk 2.0. The Second Opinion series of reviews where I will re-review a product that Dracos has already reviewed so you the reader can get a different opinion, or viewpoint of the product in question. ”
Fedora Core 6 Zod LiveCD
Phoronix :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“Out just in time for Christmas from Red Hat is the official Fedora Core 6 i386 LiveCD. Offering a LiveCD is one of the areas where the Fedora Project has lagged behind the other distributions. For some time Fedora developers had been experimenting with Kadischi but this official LiveCD was built using the Pilgrim project. The tools used to build this LiveCD have been added to Fedora Extras. Some of the features for the Fedora Core 6 Zod LiveCD is GNOME 2.16, Linux 2.6.18 kernel, and a great deal of other desktops. Overall this is a very clean and polished LiveCD with some of the best software and advancements found within Fedora 6.”
TEAM Xtreem 2x1GB PC2-6400 3-3-3-8 Overclocking
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
These PC2-6400 modules are rated for DDR800 3-3-3-8 operation with 2.2v~2.35v but I have managed much more out of them. If you haven’t heard of TEAM Group before, you are going to want to have a look.
LiteOGP2X Portable Console
CDR Info :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
This is a portable handheld device that runs on Linux and has already a big community that supports it with many free software and of course games. We take the course and examine how exactly it works, what are its true potentials and how it compares against the obvious competitor, Sony’s PSP.
SuperTalent PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory
CDR Info :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
A very fast and at the same time impressive overclocker for the DDR2-6400 category. According to our tests, the memory reached 480MHz with voltage up to 2.25V. The overclocking potentials are superb with this memory. You can either select low CL3 latency at DDR2 667 or select default timings of 4-4-3-8 and test your system’s stability.
Super Talent DDR2 T1000UX2G4 Overclocking Memory
Pro Clockers :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Super Talent’ newest overclocking ram entitled T1000UX2G4 which boasts 1000 MHz of bandwidth at some pretty impressive timing. And with new memory comes new heat spreaders. Super Talent changed from their trademark silver clothing to some sweet blue aluminum threads. So, let’s see if the latest from Super Talent is all show and some go.
Intel Core2Duo processor comparison (E6300 – X6800)
Hardware Overclock Austria :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Hardwareoverclock Austria has posted a new processor comparison. In the article we compared 5 processors of the Core2Duo series, from E6300 to x6800.
Zalman CNPS9700 NT CPU Cooler Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“I think it looks great, cools great, can be adjusted from silent to OMG!, and also can be easily configured to face any direction (north, south, east or west). It’s a no-brainer to award the Zalman CNPS9700 NT the Editors Choice Award!”
Rosewill RCX-Z3 CPU Cooler Review
RBMods :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
As today’s processors crank out more performance and heat, you really need to pay attention to the temperature of your CPU and therefore the performance of your CPU cooler. Rosewill, makers of a wide range of computer components, has developed a new CPU cooler, the RCX-Z3, which certainly has a size advantage over much of the competition. But how will it perform? Let’s find out in today’s CPU cooler review.
EVGA 680i SLI Motherboard
Club Overclocker :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Over the past few months we have been hearing about how great the new NVIDA nForce 680i motherboards were going to be, but at first they were all suppose to be released in early December, now many of those release dates have been pushed back to January after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But while the big boys on the block were stalling, EVGA comes along and takes everyone by surprise and has their version on the market and readily available to the public. Now we all know EVGA, but we know them for their NVIDIA based video cards, not motherboards. EVGA has a huge lead on the other motherboard manufactures with their 680i SLI motherboard, but with EVGA being somewhat new to the motherboard scene as well as getting an early start, will their 680i SLI motherboard be something computer enthusiasts and gamers alike will flock to and trust? From what I’ve seen from the 680i SLI board so far, that answer will be a firm YES
Scythe mine cooler on E6600
Hardware Overclock Austria :: Monday, December 25, 2006
Hardwareoverclock Austria has posted a new heatsink review. After the lga775 roundup, we have tested another one LGA cooler on our E6600 system, the Scythe mine cooler.
Electricity Quiz
Hardware Secrets :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“A new quiz on Electricity has just been added to Hardware Secrets Test Your Skills section. Take this quiz and check whether your knowledge on electricity is good enough or if you should study more.”
AMD’s 65nm L2 cache looks to be slower
Tech Report :: Monday, December 25, 2006
After we published our first look at AMD’s 65nm Athlon 64 X2 processors yesterday, some readers raised questions about funky performance numbers you’d seen from these 65nm CPUs at other sites. We focused on power consumption and overclocking in our initial look at the processors, assuming those would be the most interesting aspects of the die-shrunk parts, which were billed as otherwise offering performance identical to their 90nm predecessors. We should have known better, given the difference in L2 cache performance we noticed between 130nm and 90nm Athlon 64 processors during AMD’s last die shrink.
AeroCool Zero Degree Flexi Case Review
OCIA :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“Viewing the case from the rear, it really looks like an upside-down ATX. This rear plate is interchangeable for either an ATX or BTX motherboard. Each side panel comes with two thumb screws for easy removal. This case gives you the choice of using either two 80mm fans or a single 120mm fan for rear exhaustion, and has a removable plate for mounting the PSU through the rear.”
Zalman Super Thermal Grease ZM-STG1 Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“Overall, the Zalman ZM-STG1 is not the best thermal paste in the market but having it in the market gives end users options. However, we find that our current favourite thermal paste, the Arctic Silver 5, to be quite effective when directly compared towards the ZM-STG1. Anyways, the ZM-STG1goes for about $10 / RM35 while the Arctic Silver 5 is sold at $6 / RM25. So, the ZM-STG1 is slightly expensive than the better performing Arctic Silver 5, but we suspect this is mainly due to the fancy packaging and glass bottle that the Zalman comes with. The Arctic Silver 5 is no doubt the better choice when it comes to thermal pastes and we have been getting great results with it for the past two years.”
99 Performance Tips for Windows
PC Stats :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“Brrr.. the weather outside is frightful, but the Guides are so delightful… :-) Good thing PCSTATS has a pile of handy Guides freshly updated so you can sit by your warm computer, and tweak away during Christmas. Welcome to PCSTATS massive Tips and Tweaks Guide! This time around, our focus is on making your Windows XP computer perform faster, boot quicker and run better! Whether this means booting and shutting down quicker, achieving better 3D gaming performance, or just making your PC feel quicker, chances are there’s a tip or two in here to help you speed things up. We’ll also cover the basics of overclocking the processor, memory and video card, so as not to miss out on this important area of extra performance potential. Please pay special attention to our ‘Tweak Insurance’ tips at the beginning of this guide to help you prepare your system against any potential mishaps. Now, let’s begin.”
USB Mini Aquarium w/Blue LED from Brando Workshop
Dragonsteel Mods :: Monday, December 25, 2006
Lately there have been a slew of USB powered gadgets that have come onto the market, some are great while others are just basically decoration, but some though, can add a bit of coolness to our otherwise boring workspace. Today for review our friends at Brando Workshop have sent us another really cool USB gadget, this time it’s a USB Powered Mini Aquarium with blue LED. Read on to check this out…
AMD confirms provisions for larger cache at 65nm
Tech Report :: Monday, December 25, 2006
The reason for higher cache latencies in AMD’s new 65nm CPUs has become clear: AMD has unexpectedly built in provisions for larger L2 caches. The story is here:
NZXT Zero Case Review
Think Computers :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“NZXT has been offering very nice looking midrange cases since their establishment in 2004 and they have decided to enter the high-end market with the Zero Crafted Series. The Zero case is designed to appeal to that group of computer enthusiasts who are looking to provide their case with the maximum amount of cooling without weighting a ton. In addition the NZXT case also features a tool-less drive bay system so many of us who are always swapping out hardware won’t be slowed down by screws. So without further delays let’s begin our look at the NZXT Zero case.”
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750GB – Perpendicular recording at its best
Tweak Town :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“The hard disk is simply the slowest part of the computer system. CPU’s can transmit data in the form of gigabits per second, memory bandwidth goes over 5GB/s and graphics cards can handle data in the order of 38GB/s across its memory buses. But the trusty hard disk in most cases cannot deliver sustained data faster than about 60MB/s, simply put, going for the faster CPU isn’t going to be able to speed up your load times on games if you can’t get the data off the disk quickly enough.
In recent years, the advancement of the hard disk has started to become a major part of the PC industry with Serial ATA replacing the older Parallel standard that was used for over 10 years. Native Command Queuing or NCQ for short sped up the way the data is read off the drive, and now with perpendicular recording coming into the frey from companies like Seagate, we are now starting to see speed increases as much as what a magnetic recording device is capable of.”
Macally NDAS Network Drive Enclosure Review
Futurelooks :: Monday, December 25, 2006
Network storage without a file server; how is that possible? Well Macally seems to think they have a solution. A small rectangular box that houses a hard drive and is connected to a network router; that’s how Macally has created a network storage solution. Does it work? Let’s find out!
ATI Year in Review 2006
Phoronix :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“After running 120 tests using ten benchmarks and the twelve ATI display drivers that were released in 2006, our ATI A Year in Review has been completed! In this article we delve into how ATI has affected the Linux community this year, and how they are actively working on improving their image and support. But what direction is ATI/AMD headed in for 2007? We answer all of these questions and share a lot more exclusive information in our Phoronix ATI/AMD AYiR 2006 review.”
Foxconn MCP61SM2MA-ERS2H PCIe AMD Socket AM2 mATX Motherboard Review
OC Inside :: Monday, December 25, 2006
MicroATX motherboards are unfortunately often less overclockable than ATX boards and are partially a nightmare regarding the overclock options. The Test of the current Foxconn WinFast MCP61SM2MA-ERS2H motherboard will clarify, whether this inexpensive board is an exception. Moreover the Review shows, whether the integrated GF6100 onBoard graphics solution is fast enough for current 3D games and if the board also has enough features to satisfy power users.
Mushkin HP-580AP 580W Modular Power Supply
Bjorn 3d :: Monday, December 25, 2006
This year alone the computer industry has made huge leaps in power supply technology. Single rail power supplies were dominantly standard heading into 2006. Now just one year later, we have seen a very sudden shift making dual-rail power supplies the most common configuration. As power supply technology continuously evolves, the number of power rails will keep getting higher in these newer PSU’s. What used to be bleeding edge with five rails is getting closer to the average with each new release. Mushkin helps to drive power supply evolution forward and offers the HP-580AP with four power rails to enhance power stability under load; all at a reasonable price.
Noctua NC-U6 Heatpipe Chipset Cooler Evaluation
Big Bruin :: Monday, December 25, 2006
The Noctua NC-U6 Heatpipe Chipset Cooler is an excellent choice for those looking for a significant upgrade in the chipset cooling department. It provides excellent performance that would make it appealing to overclockers and gamers, while offering absolutely silent operation that anyone could appreciate, especially HTPC users.
Cooler Master Mars Cooler
Technic 3d :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“The Cooler Master Mars CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The next Cooler in the new Cooler Master Line. See you in the following Review against others CPU Cooling.”
Zalman FC-ZE1 Case Review
Hardware Logic :: Monday, December 25, 2006
Over the past two years, enthusiasts have been bombarded with “Fatal1ty” this and “Fatal1ty” that…..ad nauseum. Unfortunately, the Fatal1ty marketing gimmick to this point has been pretty much that….a gimmick. Zalman hopes to break the curse with the release of its new Fatal1ty FC-ZE1 case. If initial impressions are in fact the most lasting, Zalman has not only broke the curse….its obliterated it.
OCZ PC2-6400 Spec Ops Edition Urban Elite Review
MVK Tech :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“When looking for some special edition memory, the first name that comes to my mind is definitely OCZ Technology. They have been manufacturing high quality memory for quite some time, and each time they have consistently developed innovative features, which have allowed OCZ to fine tune their memory for specific needs. Featuring ultra-low 4-4-3-15 timings, the new OCZ Special Ops Edition (SOE) Urban Elite is ultimate balance of speed, reliability, and high capacity, making them an ideal solution for gamers. This new line of limited edition OCZ memory features a distinctive urban camouflage motif heat spreader and a price tag that has an edge over competitors.”
FOXCONN 975X7AB-8EKRS2H Motherboard Review
Legit Reviews :: Monday, December 25, 2006
” Foxconn really has outdone themselves with the offering of the 975X7AB. The performance and overclockability of the board are outstanding and the customer support is first class. This board certainly was not a “Dog” but a Fox to be desired. What more could you ask for in a board?”
Super Talent Holiday Giveaway – 1 week left!!
Think Computers :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“Well it is the Holiday season, which is the giving season. Super Talent was nice enough to supply us with some prizes to give to you! So here is what we are giving away! One 2GB Mega Screen MP3 player, and 1 1GB ReadyBoost USB Drive!! To be entered into the contest all you have to do is send us an e-mail to supertalent@thinkcomputers.org with your name and address and you’re entered! It’s that simple! So go ahead and send us an e-mail for a chance to win one of these cool prizes from Super Talent. The contest will run for 2 weeks starting December 13th and ending the 27th, so this will make a nice “after-Christmas” gift.”
Beginners Guides: Setting up an FTP Server in WinXP
PC Stats :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“FTP is an easy way to transfer files over the Internet and in this guide PCSTATS will explain the basics of using it, and how to set up a home FTP server in WindowsXP. If you’ve ever tried to share a large number of files over the Internet, you’ve no doubt noticed that it is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Sure you can use MSN messenger to send things… One file at a time. You could email, but that’s slow and limited by the size of your mailbox. What if you want to make several directory’s worth of your files available to yourself over the Internet while you are traveling? You could use remote desktop software, but that typically has anemic file transfer options and slow performance. What’s the solution? Why FTP of course!”
NZXT Zero Full Tower Aluminum Chassis Review
OCIA :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
“The rear of the case offers two 120mm exhaust fans. I was happy to see a free-flowing design with these exhaust ports, rather than the restrictive grill designs that many other case manufacturers use. You can also see that two thumb-screws are used to hold the left side panel in place, allowing you to gain access to the case without the need for a screwdriver.”
Enermax Galaxy Gamer 1000W DXX PSU
PC Apex :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
“Thanks no doubt to my recent sacrifice of a package of lamb chops to Fedups, the Greek god of shipping and shuffle board, the parcel arrived quickly and in good shape. Once I rounded up a couple of neighbors to help me carry it inside, I got started. Have I mentioned the Galaxy is heavy? Fourteen pounds is the weight listed on the shipping label. That’s more than some complete SFF rigs I’ve seen.”
Upgrading to Vista?
PC Mech :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
It’s that time again. Microsoft has released a new operating system. It’s called Vista. That you will have to upgrade to Vista some day, is a given. The question is when.
Tech In-Depth: System Booting
PC Mech :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Besides being interested to know what exactly happens when you boot your computer, being familiar with the basic steps that are executed during system boot can help you troubleshoot problems on your own, rather than depending on Technical Support for minor issues, like an unplugged power supply cable, for example. If you are in Technical Support, then certainly it is a must to know the boot sequence of the type of machines you are supporting. Truth be told, if you are in Technical Support, you definitely need to know more about booting than what is presented in this article but I believe that even experienced Technical Support maniacs can learn something new from this article.
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Vs. CoolerMaster Hyper TX for Socket LGA775
Futurelooks :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Like meeting the twin you thought you never had, there is sure to be a battle for dominance between these two CPU coolers for Socket 775. It’s a battle of heat pipes! Let’s see who flexes them better. FIGHT!
Christmas competition @ Tekbunker.com
Tekbunker :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
For this year’s Christmas competition we are giving away a Hanns-G 19 inch widescreen TFT. Bought especially for the lucky winner and shipped right to their door, in a choice of 2 colours – Black, or Silver.
Silverstone Tundra TD01 Watercooling Kit Review
XS Reviews :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
“Water cooling has always been appealing to the HTPC crowd as it gave them a near silent cooling solution for their pride and joy. However, WC kits can often be ugly and bulky which means that internal kits are often the order of the day. Today I am testing the Silverstone Tundra TD01 which aims to provide an eye catching solution to silent cooling that will fit right in with your other living room electronics. ”
Noctua NC-U6 Chipset-Cooler
Dragonsteel Mods :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
” Noctua, not many people really know who they are, but I’m sure with time you will, as they make some of the best products I have seen. The quality of their products is exquisite, as is the performance of them all. I’ve reviewed quite a few Noctua fans, but today I have the NC-U6 Chipset Cooler, it is essentially a mini heatpipe tower cooling system for your chipset, one thing that makes it really special is that it cools with no fan. Read on to learn more… ”
Mozilla’s 1st Update to Firefox 2.0 Fixes Bugs
Firefox :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Five of the eight flaws were rated as critical, according to Firefox. A critical rating means a Firefox user would be vulnerable to attack and remote software installation on their machines just from browsing the Web in the usual fashion. Two of the flaws were rated as high, while one received a low security-risk rating, Firefox said.
Study: Robots May Eventually Demand Freedom from Owners
Associated Press :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
The study was conducted on behalf of the U.K. Office of Science and Innovation’s Horizon Scanning Center by research firm Ipsos-MORI; Outsights, a consultancy; and the United States’ Institute for the Future, according to the AP. The research was performed to discover issues with “potentially significant impact or opportunity” 50 years in the future, the AP reports.
Asus Announces “Commando” Gamer Motherboard
AsusTek :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
The board, which supports ATI’s CrossFire graphics architecture, contains several nifty features designed for the enthusiast: overclocking features to boost the front-side bus and memory up to 2.280-GHz and 1.30 GHz, respectively; 8-phase capless power, which eliminates capacitor problems; and a one-touch onboard switch that powers up the system and resets the CMOS, for those people that build their systems outside of the case.
Asus P5B-E Review
Neoseeker :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“The last motherboard I reviewed, the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3, reached a record stable 3.64GHz (455×8) overclock for us with our Conroe E6400 – however the Asus P5B-E just blew past it, setting a whole new stable FSB record – 480MHz with a 7x processor multiplier – heck, it ran at 505MHz FSB with a 6x processor multiplier.”
OCZ 2x1GB PC2-8500 NVIDIA SLI Edition DDR2 Memory Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“If you’re looking for a solid high performance memory kit to use with your new NVIDIA SLI 590 or 680i chipset board, I have no problems with recommending this OCZ PC2-8500 NVIDIA SLI Edition DDR2 Memory Kit.”
Patriot Memory EPP Ready PC2-6400 Memory Review
Club Overclocker :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Today the EPP Ready DDR2 tests continue. This time we have a look at Patriot Memory’s EPP Ready PC2-6400 with timings of 4-4-4-12. The results on our new EVGA 680i motherboard are simply amazing!
A quick look at AMD’s 65nm Athlon 64 X2 processors
Tech Report :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
AMD HAS BEEN PROMISING for some time to deliver chips made on its 65nm fabrication process by the end of 2006. The year’s end is perilously close, but a small package arrived at Damage Labs last week bearing evidence of AMD’s success: a pair of 65nm Athlon 64 X2 processors. Looks like they’ve just made it in under the wire. In fact, Athlon 64 X2 processors built in this 65nm process are filtering out into the market now.
Process shrinks often bring with them some nice benefits, because smaller chips tend to require less voltage, consume less power, and generate less heat. They also sometimes allow more headroom for clock frequency increases. The question is: how is AMD doing on these fronts? What benefits does its 65nm process bring to the Athlon 64 X2? Let’s have a look.
Crucial’s High-Performance RAM – Ballistix PC2-8000 EPP Tested
Crucial :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“Crucial has been in overclocking for some time now, and the Ballistix modules do show the best of what Crucial has managed to engineer. While it’s not as good as high-end modules from companies like OCZ and Corsair, it is still pretty good and managed to produce quite a decent overclock during our testing.”
Noctua NC-U6 Chipset cooler
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Well Noctua is at it again with a different cooler. This time however it is for your north bridge and not your processor. The NC-U6 looks like a miniature version of the NH-U12F CPU cooler. Sporting a high towering structure, the NC-U6 is bound to take the heat off your chipset. Consisting of twenty-nine aluminum fins and two copper heat pipes will look good doing it. This in turn will aid in a few more megahertz on that new CPU.
ASRock 775Dual-VSTA Motherboard
Phoronix :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“Fedora Core 6 is one of the first Linux distributions that works almost out-of-the-box with the ASRock 775Dual-VSTA, so with that said we are back here today looking at the performance of this budget Intel motherboard.”
iPhone and Mobile OS X: Doomed to Fail!
Cool Tech Zone :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“Could the persistent rumors of an Apple iPhone entry into the mobile market become an eventual threat to the Windows Mobile market? Perhaps, but not for a long time, I don’t imagine. At this point, I’m not convinced that Apple would ever be able to gain the level of success that they have seen with the iPod specifically. While there are other mobile platforms that certainly keep Windows Mobile on its toes, OS X, should it enter the race, is frankly a little too “new” to become a real threat right away.”
E-Mail Clock for Compulsive E-Mail Checkers
Cool Tech Zone :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“This is strangely cool, I suppose. The purpose of the e-mail clock is to supposedly prevent compulsive e-mail checkers by ticking off the kilobytes of messages as they enter your inbox. Although cool, I don’t see the point behind it.”
Lian Li PC-G7 A Case Review
Technic 3d :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“The Lian Li PC-G7 A Case is the next Midi Tower in the Technic3D Editorship. See you in the following Review which qualities the case presents.”
2006 Year in Review
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Today we bring you a look at all the reviews of 2006 from Bjorn3D.
Why 99% of Power Supply Reviews Are Wrong
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“With computers (and users) asking for better power supplies, nothing more natural than reviewing websites publishing power supply reviews. But contrary to other hardware parts like CPUs, motherboards and video cards, one must have deep electronics knowledge in order to test a power supply. Since most reviewers are simply users with a above-the-average knowledge in computers – but not in electronics – almost all PSU reviews posted on the web are completely wrong and they do more warm than good, as some websites recommend products that are really flawed. In this article we will explain in details why 99% of power supply reviews posted on the web are wrong and we hope that reviewers learn more about the subject by reading this article and also that users learn how to identify a bad review.”
OCZ 2GB DDR2 PC2-6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite Memory
Bonafide Reviews :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Tis’ the season to upgrade and what better way to take part in the festive spirit than to buy a pair of memory sticks decked out in army camouflage that will most likely be used by someone to go on a massive killing spree in Quake 4. Nothing says Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah like a no-scope head shot from across the map while in mid-air.
The Future of AMD
HW Upgrade :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The first Analyst Day held after the completion of AMD’s acquisition of ATI, the event held last Thursday combined the futures of both ATI and AMD into one. Having introduced a new roadmap with more information of Fusion, we offer a complete overview of AMD Analyst Day December 2006.
Thermaltake Armor Jr.
techFEAR :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“The Thermaltake Armor Jr. is a mid-tower sibling to the larger Armor series. techFEAR examines this smaller little brother and determines if it has any usability in the mid-tower space.”
Super Talent PC2-6400 Review
CDR Info :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Super Talent PC2-6400*: This is the latest offer from Super Talent for fast memory at 800MHz with LE of 4-3-4-8. Decked out with thermally bonded aluminum heat spreaders, these modules offer optimum thermal performance. A real overclocker champion since reached DDR2 960 without much effort…
Foxconn Q9657MC-8KS2H Motherboard Review
CDR Info :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Foxconn Q9657MC-8KS2H*: The Q9657MC-8KS2H is based at Intel’s vPro Technology supporting Core™ 2 Duo processor and armed with Intel’s X3000 IGP platform. We test this motherboard with a variety of benchmarks and we test if Intel’s X3000 embedded graphic card can make the difference compared with previous Intel’s G950 series.
Beginners Guide to Linux Desktops
Techgage :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
So you use Linux, but have you ever used a different desktop environment than the default? Surprisingly, there are too many to even count, but we are taking a look at a few of the most popular and explain advantages of each one.
Etasis 850 Watt PSU Review
Overclockers Club :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“There are only a few elite power supplies certified to run dual 8800GTXs and quad SLI and this juggernaut is one of them. The capability to run the power-gobbling 8800s in SLI says something about this PSU (Power Supply Unit). Very few power supplies can run a single 8800gtx, let alone two in SLI configuration. Featuring all of the latest standards and connectors, the ET 850 may be one of the best power supplies on the market.”
Etasis ET850 850W Power Supply
3dGameman :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“The Etasis ET850 850W Power Supply performs very well, has lots of leads, is 80% efficient, and has Active PFC. These are very important factors to take into consideration when purchasing a power supply. It’s also dual NVIDIA 8800 Video Card certified, which is fantastic. This power supply doesn’t have any modular leads though, but that’s common for a power supply of this wattage. Watch the Video to find out more…”
First Look: Adobe Photoshop CS3
Macworld :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
In ordinary times, Adobe products only see the light of day when they’re ready to land on retail shelves. So it’s a bit of a departure from the software giant’s playbook to make a free beta of Photoshop CS3 available for download. But, with the CS3 release date still months away, and Apple’s transition to the Intel processor complete, the CS3 beta program provides a welcome solution for Mac users who have been hesitant to upgrade their Macs due to a lack of an Intel-native Photoshop.
eVGA NVidia 680i SLI Motherboard Review
Hardware Logic :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“The world of Core 2 Duo ownership is changing rapidly. We haven’t seen this type of technology race since the U.S. and Russia went at it after WW2! The casualties are numerous and the battlefields aren’t always pre-defined in this dynamic we find ourselves in. Low and Behold! NVIDIA’s latest attempt at satisfying the Intel crowd, the eVGA 680i SLI has arrived!”
abit NF-M2 Motherboard Review
Motherboards.org :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Positives of this board include the integrated graphics, dual monitors without the need for an external graphics card and support for the AMD Live digital home. While gamers will want to steer away from any integrated graphics on the market today, the home theater enthusiast will love the fact that Blu-Ray and HD-DVD content are supported out of the box with the integrated video the GeForce 6150 with PureVideo.
G.Skill 2GB Kit DDR2-800/PC2-6400 (F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK) Memory Review
OC Inside :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
G.Skill has launched the new F2-6400CL4D-2GBPK 2048MB DDR2-800 memory kit, which already represents a nice eye-catcher with the packing. Because the two 1GB memory modules with the azure heat spreader are delivered in a wooden box and are thus optimally protected against possible damages. But let us see if a complex packing help us to get higher overclocking results …
Thermaltake Muse eSATA 2,5 Review
Technic 3d :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“The Thermaltake Muse eSATA 2,5″ arrived Technic3D. The little external HDD Case with eSATA can you see you in the following Review.”
Budget Dream Machine
Fast Silicon :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“Intel’s E6300 is the best CPU for the price. Overclocked, it outperforms AMD’s current offerings and equals that of a $1000.00 processor. Long has it been since we’ve seen such an amazing overclocker, and the E6300 will certainly go down in history. It’s the perfect match for our AB9-Pro Dream Machine on a Budget. We hope this will serve as a guide for those looking to get the most for their money, while at the same time having a computer that is nothing short of spectacular in terms of performance.”
Apevia XQpack AL/420 Aluminum case Review
Tekbunker :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
At first glance this case looks amazing, very compact and lightweight with a lot of emphasis on the internal components, as the 3 windows allow you to see into all sections of the case. The case lid is a bit flimsy, but I highly doubt that taking the case lid on and off would cause it to deform, not if exercised with a little common sense.
OCZ PCS2-6400 Crossfire Cert Ed / Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 SLI-Ready
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
As most people know, SLI and Crossfire are technologies developed by NVIDIA and ATi respectively to allow the installation of multi-graphic cards in a single system. We have seen a number of SLI/Crossfire ready VGA cards, motherboards and power supply units. It was only recently though that the SLI/Crossfire certification appeared on RAM modules. Even a few months ago, we could not imagine the day which SLI and Crossfire would cross swords on a RAM review could come. The OCZ PC2-6400 Crossfire certified edition 2GB dual channel kit is tested with the Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 SLI-Ready 2GB kit.
abit AW9D-MAX i975 Express Motherboard Review
Legit Reviews :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“The abit AW9D-MAX motherboard is one of the best Intel 965P/975X motherboard that I have used to date. It’s actually refreshing using a motherboard like the abit AW9D-MAX because everything just works out of the box. The NVIDIA 680i chipset has gotten a ton of attention in recent weeks, but at the same time it launched with numerous bugs that are just now starting to be taken care of via BIOS updates. The Intel 975 Express chipset has been on the market for over a year and has 99% of the bugs worked out, which is nice for those of us that want to set up their system with a stable overclock and be done.”
Intel QX6700 Quad-Core
techPowerUp! :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
When Intel Core Duo hit the stores, people went crazy. Many wanted to experience the amazing performance for themselves. Now, Intel brings us the QX6700 – a quad-core CPU. Is another revolution about to take place? Or are we going to find just a small increase compared to dual core? What about single threaded applications? Multi-core scaling?
Silverstone Temjin TJ06 Review
XS Reviews :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“The word Silverstone is not only synonymous with the famous race track, but also with high quality cases and coolers. SilverStone create some of the most visually stunning products on the market and not only do they look good, but most of them perform beyond the expected. Today I’m testing the TJ06 case, lets see how it performs.”
ASUS M2R32 MVP Motherboard Review
Lost Circuits :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Missing inhouse support for their processors by a competitive core logic has always been an Achilles heel for AMD, even though, in the last minute, the one or the other chipset manufacturer came to the rescue. Among others, VIA Technologies stepped up to lay the foundation for AMD’s climb to success – but those days are long gone. nVidia’s crush to fame in the chipset arena was more a symbiotic relationship with AMD – forced by a lack of licensing agreements with Intel – among other issues. All this is about to change, the current season of desperate chipwives dishes up ATI’s merger with AMD to open the doors for an intimate relationship between processor and chipset under the same corporate umbrella. Needless to say that the so far strongest supporter of the Athlon64 platform, namely nVidia may have its own perspective of the situation that may not be entirely favorable. As long, however, as the AA alliance is successful, envious competitors loose their momentum – but first, this success needs to be demonstrated. In the wake of the AA formation, the family tree of partners has been mercilessly pruned; true to Darwinian principles, only the strongest survived. Lack of strength, on the other hand has not been any problem for ASUS in recent years, a consistent quality level along with solid performance and a certain uniqueness of their boards has seen to that. Consequently, AA turns to AAA with ASUS supplying the third A. The first promising result is the ASUS M2R32 which we have here today in MVP flavor. Solid performance and stability up to 325 MHz system clock speed are all we reveal as sneak preview.
OCZ Technology Expands their Popular Modular EvoStream Series to 720 Watts
OCZ Technology :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the availability of a 720W configuration in the EvoStream power supply family. This 100% modular PSU is equipped with EZMod technology to allow complete customization of your power system by utilizing only the cables you require. Ideal for the high-power user, the 720W EvoStream combines leading-edge technology for high power users with a classic, sleek look that enthusiasts and system builders enjoy including in their PCs.
Gigabyte 3D Galaxy 2 Liquid Cooling System
Driver Heaven :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Gigabyte are a company well known for their motherboards and graphics cards however more recently they have been branching out into all sorts of other areas such as peripherals (keyboards, mice, speakers and so on) and cooling solutions. The Gigabyte motherboards and graphics cards we have looked at in the past have always been good, however if we are honest the cooling solutions have been average at best. The G-Power in particular performed well – however was a nightmare to install on Socket 775 motherboards. Today’s review product brought back memories of the G-Power when we opened the box primarily because the fan used on the CPU section of the cooler is the exact same design…that’s right, a fan on the waterblock, certainly sounds different. Let’s see what the 3D Galaxy 2 is all about…
SilverStone Milo (ML01) case
Modders Inc. :: Monday, December 18, 2006
The SilverStone Milo ML01 was created to further the emerging trend of MoDT (mobile on desktop) processors for building home and office computers. Equipped with a compact yet powerful 300W PSU and an intelligent airflow layout to ensure even lower powered desktop processors can be cooled sufficiently, this case can accommodate a wide range of system configurations easily.
Intel Quad-Core Memory Performance
Phoronix :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“With two Intel Quad-Core Clovertown processors and eight sticks of Kingston FB-DIMM DDR2 we set out to see the level of memory performance in an octal-core environment. We had tested the memory in single, dual, and quad memory channel configurations. Read this article to see how the Intel Xeon 5300 performs in various Fully Buffered Dual Inline Memory Module configurations.”
Cooler Master Eclipse Cooler
3dgameman :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“Over all, Cooler Master has not let us down with its latest product release. The Eclipse cooler has all the makings of a great cooler with the ability to impress in any case window. I am still calling out to Cooler Master to correct its centering issues with these coolers as this is a very crucial step in assuring proper cooling of the customer’s CPU. The shape of the cooler has a very interesting appeal to it, but the functionality with surrounding components presents a problem on some motherboards…”
How Much Does a Web Site Cost?
PC MEch :: Monday, December 18, 2006
I build web sites for a living. Small sites, big sites, simple sites, complex sites, storefronts, applications, Web 1.0, Web 2.0 — you name it, I build it. If I have to name one question that my prospective clients ask me without fail, regardless of the type of site, it is “How much will it cost?” Most people expect me to say something like “Four thousand eight hundred and sixty-three dollars and twenty-nine cents. Plus tax. Not a penny more, not a penny less”. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything like it. My answer usually resembles “Hmmm… let’s see… uh… that depends”.
Tagan TG1100-U95 1100W Power Supply Review
Techgage :: Monday, December 18, 2006
There are a handful of 8800GTX certified power supplies, today we take a look at one that’s been hit with a bit of controversy recently and see if there’s more to it than certain people think there is.
Lian Li PC-C30A
techPowerUp :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Lian Li is entering the media PC enclosure market with their PC-C30 series. With more and more media system components available and enthusiasts looking for the perfect balance of form and functionality the PC-C30 series is a perfect choice. Many enclosures limit builders and enthusiasts to certain components where as the PC-C30 allows them to use whatever they need to fit their demands.
CoolIT Freezone Liquid Cooling System Review
Virtual Hideout :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“The CoolIT Freezone can cool so much better than any stock water cooling kit on the market. This unit is completely capable of cooling a processor, dual video cards, and chipset, AND any other blocks you want to throw at it.”
Thermaltake Mozart TX VE1000 Series Chassis and 7″ LCD Monitor
Pro Clockers :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Thermaltake has always been at the forefront in their PC chassis designs, producing everything from LAN boxes to server chassis and everything in-between. Today we are going to be looking at one of their newest releases, the Mozart TX, which Thermaltake calls their ideal home entertainment center. The Mozart has a long list of innovative features that would make ideal for a HTPC as well as a high-end gamers/enthusiasts chassis to keep their hot running components running cool and quiet.
Xigmatek AIO-S80DP Cooler
Technic 3d :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“The new Xigmatek AIO-S80DP CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The next Cooler with a “compactly” Watercooling inside. See you in the following Review the Performance Analysis against other Cooling Stuff.”
GeCube X1950PRO Champion Edition with “TEC” Cooling
Tweak Town :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“Fortunately though a smile came to our face when we realized it was the new Champion Edition (CE) from GeCube. We saw the press release a few weeks ago about the CE X1950PRO which used a Thermal Electronic Cooling (or TEC) method for cooling.
We hoped that with great cooling, come equally impressive power. TEC cooling is not common at the moment but if companies find that they are able to do it without killing the wallets of potential buyers, we could begin to see it more and more on high-end cards. While we haven’t seen what it’s capable of yet we hope that the GeCube X1950PRO will give us a good idea.”
VIZO Paragon HHD Enclosure
Modders Inc :: Monday, December 18, 2006
The VIZO Paragon is described as a “2.5 inch One touch Backup HDD External Enclosure”. Put very simply, you drop a laptop drive into one of these cases, and then attach the USB cable… you have an external hard drive. What we are reviewing here is the chassis, installation procedures, transfer speeds, included bitsies and aesthetics….
VIZO Uranus & Saturno eSATA HDD Enclosures
Bjorn 3d :: Monday, December 18, 2006
We are in the age of mobile data and removable media. You can see it all around us. Most industry professionals keep a portable computing device in close company, and nearly everyone carries a USB flash drive on them. Cell phones double as MP3 players, and MP3 players double as personal video devices. It seems progressive then that external hard disks are quickly becoming something more of a personal carry item as their size grows smaller.
Intel and Abit Overclocking Event
Driver Heaven :: Monday, December 18, 2006
So it is no surprise that these two companies held a private overclocking event on Friday December 15, 2006 to push the Kentsfield and the AW9D-Max to the extreme with the help of some of the biggest names in overclocking. So what happens when you get a retail Kentsfield, an AW9-D Max (modded hipro5 from Xtreme Systems style), a three stage cascade system, and a big container of ln2 (liquid Nitrogen) in a room alone with Charles “Fugger” and Don “Philly-boy” from Xtremesystems? Driver Heaven has the answer.
Google to Put NASA Data on the Web
Google :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Google and NASA announced on Monday the signing of their Space Act Agreement, which calls for them to collaborate on making it easy for people to find weather visualization and forecasting data, see high-resolution 3-D maps of the moon and Mars, and track, in real-time, the International Space Station and the space shuttle.
MySpace Goes Mobile with Cingular
InfoWorld :: Monday, December 18, 2006
For $2.99 per month plus standard use charges, Cingular subscribers can download a Java application that lets them blog, upload photos and update their MySpace profiles, among other things. The service, MySpace Mobile, is available now on select handsets. Subscribers can text-message “MYSPACE” to the Cingular number 386.
Trend Micro: Windows zero-day exploit for sale
InfoWorld :: Monday, December 18, 2006
An online criminal has offered to sell software that exploits an unpatched bug in Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Vista operating system, according to security vendor Trend Micro Inc.
The code was offered for sale in an underground hacker discussion forum last month, said Raimund Genes, Trend Micro’s chief technology officer. The asking price? US$50,000.
Dude, Where Is Your WEP?
Tech ARP :: Saturday, December 16, 2006
Veteran Pocket PC or SmartPhone users would probably have this application installed on their WiFi-enabled devices right now. But if you have not tried it yet yet, I highly suggest you do.
However, I’m not writing this article to tell you about this cool application. Instead, I’ll be showing you some interesting data I’ve gathered using this WiFi scanner. You’d probably also end up following my steps.
But first, let me set the premise of this little “experiment”. ”
Gigabyte 3D Galaxy 2 Liquid Cooling System
Driver Heaven :: Saturday, December 16, 2006
Gigabyte are a company well known for their motherboards and graphics cards however more recently they have been branching out into all sorts of other areas such as peripherals (keyboards, mice, speakers and so on) and cooling solutions. The Gigabyte motherboards and graphics cards we have looked at in the past have always been good, however if we are honest the cooling solutions have been average at best. The G-Power in particular performed well – however was a nightmare to install on Socket 775 motherboards. Today’s review product brought back memories of the G-Power when we opened the box primarily because the fan used on the CPU section of the cooler is the exact same design…that’s right, a fan on the waterblock, certainly sounds different. Let’s see what the 3D Galaxy 2 is all about…
Yahoo to Purchase Taiwan Blog Site Wretch.cc
Yahoo :: Saturday, December 16, 2006
Yahoo Taiwan agreed to buy popular blog site Wretch.cc in a deal the companies expect to push them into the Web 2.0 era in Taiwan.
Wretch.cc is the most popular site in Taiwan offering Web services broadly defined as Web 2.0, which entails mixing user-generated content and multimedia applications such as video. The site offers blogs, video blogs and photo albums, and had announced plans to expand to video publishing similar to YouTube next year.
MSI P965 Platinum Motherboard Review
Hardware Secrets :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“MSI P965 Platinum (also known as MS-7238) is a socket 775 motherboard targeted to new Core 2 Duo family, as it is based on the new Intel P965 chipset. One of the main advantages of this new chipset is the unofficial support for DDR2-1066/PC2-8500 memories, feature present on this motherboard from MSI. Let’s see how this new motherboard from MSI performed against competitors from ASUS and Gigabyte.”
AMD outlines plans for future processors
Tech Report :: Friday, December 15, 2006
During its four-hour Financial Analyst Day presentation today, AMD revealed new elements of its processor roadmap spanning the next couple of years, as well as its plans to scale beyond the current multi-core model. Intel talked about processors with “tens to hundreds of cores” at IDF earlier this year, but AMD believes the core race is just a repeat of the megahertz race and that adding more cores isn’t the best way to go about scaling processor performance in the future. Instead, AMD is cooking up what it calls “Accelerated Processing Units.”
Noctua NH-U12 and NH-U9 CPU Coolers Review
NGO HQ :: Friday, December 15, 2006
Today we have a review just for those who are looking for some extra cooling for that gaming rig they own. A new company has sent us some very cool coolers to review. This will not be a traditional review like we had in the past; it will be a Flash presentation because you know that many people are just too lazy to read – so we made a small change.
nPowerTek NPH SF775-2 Heatsink
Frosty Tech :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“The nPowertek SF 775-2 heatsink features a body made of copper fins which have been wrapped around a central copper slug. The copper column makes contact with the actual CPU core, and the heatsinks’ 136 copper fins radiate the heat out into the surrounding air. Anyway you slice it, there is a lot of copper in this puppy. Does a half kilo of guarantee amazing thermal performance? Nope, not by any stretch; it’s how that copper is used, not how much is crammed in there. Of course, we’ll reserve judgement until the thermal test results come in… a little later in FrostyTech’s review.”
Jetart Hard Drive Protector Review
Tech Gear :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“The CK6000 is a silicon hard drive protector which also acts as an anti-vibration and impact-proof protector to prevent damage for application out of PC chassis. It is also water-proof, dust-proof and is made of very flexible silicon rubber. The Jetart protector is packaged with a minimalist design to keep costs down, and they have done well to do so.”
Thecus Y.E.S. Nano Portable Drive Enclosure
Think Computers :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“The last time we took a look at a product from Thecus it was the N2050 RAID enclosure. It proved to be a quality made device and received out Editor’s Choice Award. This time we are taking a look at one of Thecus’s portable drive enclosures, the Y.E.S. Nano N1050 drive enclosure. This drive enclosure is unlike other drive enclosures out there because it features a copy feature that will automatically copy anything from an attached USB device with the press of a button. So let’s take a look.”
New-look Xeons and Opterons square off
Tech Report :: Friday, December 15, 2006
MUCH HAS CHANGED in the realm of server and workstation processors since our last round of tests, just before Intel’s “Woodcrest” Xeon 5100 series debuted. Those Xeons have now made their way into the market, and AMD has countered with Socket F Opterons that promise higher performance and lower power consumption. More recently, Intel unleashed its new quad-core “Clovertown” Xeon 5300 series that aims for an even higher performance plateau.
As a result, the time has come for us to turn our attention once again to server/workstation-class processors and see how these latest offerings compare. To that end, we’ve employed a revised set of extensively multithreaded benchmarks and new methods for testing energy efficiency. What we’ve found is excellence on several fronts from both camps, in a market that is more tightly contested than ever. Read on for our take.
Tagan TurboJet 1100W
Phoronix :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“While Tagan is not a center point with consumers for power supplies here in the United States when compared to Antec or SilverStone, they are working on improving their presence. The Tagan power supply that had caught our attention was the TurboJet TG1100-U95. This power supply provides 1100W of power and is geared for MultiGPU and multi-core systems. The Wattage may be high, but so is its price tag at $399 USD.”
OCZ PC2-6400 Titanium Series
Pro Clockers :: Friday, December 15, 2006
With the industry rapidly growing and changing, OCZ has been one of the few companies that have led a charge with the newest forms of DDR2 technology. With this being said they were kind enough to send over their newest memory from their Titanium series, OCZ2T8002GK. This kit consist of two one gig sticks of DDR2 800 rated at 4-4-4-15 at a command rate of 1T when using it in a EPP compliant board or 5-4-4-15 at 2T when used in a non-EPP board. Today, we will see how well these DDR2 800 Titanium pieces perform on today’s best overclocking Intel based boards.
ASUS P5B Motherboard Review
Hardware Secrets :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“ASUS P5B is a socket 775 motherboard targeted to new Core 2 Duo family, as it is based on the new Intel P965 chipset. One of the main advantages of this new chipset is its unofficial support for DDR2-1066/PC2-8500 memories, feature present on this motherboard from ASUS. Let’s see how this motherboard from ASUS performed against competitors from Gigabyte and MSI.”
Kingston HyperX 2GB PC2-6400 Kit
Gideon Tech :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“Kingston Technology was kind enough to send over some of their evaluation DDR2 RAM to test out. The RAM kit that came in, is the KHX600D2K2/2G; for those of you who aren’t versed in Kingston product nomenclature, this is a 2GB Kit made up of two 1GB 128M x 64-bit PC2-6400 CL5 240-pin DIMM modules. Each of the modules has been tested to run at DDR2 800MHz with the low latency timings of 5-5-5-15 at 2.0v.:
Thermaltake Volcano 4008 Water Cooler
Technic 3d :: Friday, December 15, 2006
The Thermaltake Volcano 4008 CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The next Water Cooler in the Thermaltake Line. See you in the following Review the Upgrade.”
Lawsuit may determine whether compulsive Internet use should be recognized as an addiction
BusinessWeek :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
By his own admission, James Pacenza was spending too much time in Internet chat rooms, in some of them discussing sex. He goes so far as to call his interest in inappropriate Web sites a form of addiction that stems from the posttraumatic stress disorder he’s suffered since returning from Vietnam. Whatever it’s called, Pacenza’s chat-room habit cost him his job.
After 19 years at IBM’s East Fishkill plant, Pacenza was fired in May, 2003, after a fellow employee noticed discussion of a sex act on a chat room open on Pacenza’s computer. IBM (IBM) maintains that logging onto the Web site was a violation of its business conduct guidelines and a misuse of company property—and that it was well within its rights to terminate Pacenza’s employment.
Pacenza and his attorney beg to differ. They filed suit in a New York U.S. District Court in July, 2004, seeking $5 million for wrongful termination. Earlier in the year, Pacenza had admitted to a superior that he had a problem with the Internet at home. Pacenza’s attorney, Michael Diederich Jr., alleges that the perception that Pacenza was addicted to the Internet caused IBM to fire first without asking questions or “even attempting to examine the situation.” Diederich says there are several steps IBM could have taken, including limiting his Internet use or blocking certain sites. “It’s not productive or useful for the employer to unfairly terminate employees,” says Diederich.
The case was held up for years due to Pacenza’s medical problems and his attorney’s service as a military lawyer in Iraq. But it has come back to the fore recently, and IBM on Dec. 8 sought a dismissal of the case, saying it’s without merit. On the surface, Pacenza’s may appear to be an open-and-shut case. He doesn’t deny logging onto the chat room at work, and company policy provides for the termination of employees who access inappropriate Web sites.
Scythe Quiet Drive HDD Cooler and Silencer Review
Madshrimps :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“The original Scythe Silent Box has been discontinued, in its place this superior, lower cost Quiet Drive will take over the task of keeping your hard drives quiet and cool. Can this compact box reduce high pitched noises or will it melt your HDD platters? Find out in this review.”
Abit IL9 Pro 945P Motherboard Review
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“The ABIT IL9 Pro LGA775 Motherboard is the most basic budget user motherboard to be offered for those who want a few extra features beyond the typical budget platform. It provides reliable performance and extra features such as SATA II and 8-Channel High Definition Audio.”
Zalman CNPS 9700 LED
Madbox PC :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“Meet the new big guy from Zalman, it is one of the biggest CPU coolers ever. It’s made from copper, has an easy installation and can cool even the hottest CPU”
EVGA 680i nForce 680i SLI Motherboard Review
Overclockers New Zealand :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“Nvidia finally released a successful Intel chipset for the enthusiasts, which offers unparalleled performance and a huge overclocking potential. The extreme gamers can now enjoy full 2×16 SLI operation while operating over 1800MHz FSB (quad pumped). This is quite an improvement over the old 590SLI, which often tops out around 1400MHz.”
Silverstone GD01B-MXR HTPC Chassis Review
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“The SST GD01MX is without a doubt a very attractive looking HTPC enclosure. The aluminum front bezel is not cluttered with stuff you don’t want to see, allowing it to blend in nicely with an entertainment setup.”
Enermax Galaxy 1000w Quad-SLI ATX PSU
Overclock 3d :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“Having already reviewed a couple of 1000w+ units on the market, it seemed necessary to get hold of one of Enermax’s Quad-SLI beasts to put through its paces. Does the Galaxy deserve all the attention it’s been getting recently, we find out.”
ARMD Emulation Type BIOS Feature Posted
Tech ARP :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
I am happy to announce that we have just posted 1 new BIOS options for both the FULL and also FREE BIOS Optimization Guide.
Jetart SL1600 & SL1800 Slim CPU Coolers Review
XS Reviews :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“Here on XSReviews.co.uk, we have reviewed many Jetart products, but never a CPU cooler. Today I have a couple of their slim LGA775 coolers compatible with today’s Core 2 Duo technology. Let’s see how they perform.”
SCPC 2006 – Celeron Mobile 1500@4170MHz = 178% overclock
Nordic Hardware :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
Andreas has namely published his first result in the Percentual Overclocking category and has submitted the second best result in the history of the competition, namely a 178% overclock. Just as last year it’s a 1.5GHz Celeron Mobile which is the heart of the system and with a final frequency at 4.17GHz it’s a very impressive achievement.
4 LGA775 coolers tested on Core2Duo
Hardware Overclock :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
Hardwareoverclock Austria has posted a new LGA775 cooler comparison. We have tested the SamuraiZ and Infinity from Scythe, the Polargate Heatpipe and Helado from Verax. The testing cpu was a E6600. more about the temperatures you can find in the article.
ABIT AW9D-MAX Core 2 Duo Motherboard
OC Tools :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“We were able to overclock the system up to 4.35GHz rock solid! That’s almost 1.7GHz overclock over stock. We achieved this feat by setting our multiplier to 10x while running our FSB at 435MHz.”
Crucial 10th Anniversary DDR2 PC2-5300 2GB Kit Memory Review
3d Xtreme :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
Crucial, for a limited time, offered 10th Anniversary kits of PC2-5300 memory. Little did anyone know these were monsterous overclockers in disguise. Commonly criticized for releasing this Anniversary kit in only PC2-5300 DDR 667 there was more than met the eye with these kits. Today 3DXtreme has the opportunity to take a look at this product in a 2GB kit.
Cooler Master 850W Real Power Pro Review
Neoseeker :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“I was quite impressed with the quality of heat sinks that Cooler Master used in this supply. Upon inspection, they appear to be pieces of Aluminium T-channel that has been cut to act as heat sinks for the SCRs (Silicon Control Rectifiers). These SCRs can get quite hot, and will burn out if not sufficiently cooled. Good cooling is a must in any power supply. The large 135mm fan helps too.”
Thermaltake Armor with 250mm Side Fan Review
Hardware Pacers :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Thermaltake Armor with massive 250 mm side fan is an amazing beast of a computer case. With a height of just over .5 meters, this case is an awesome presence in any room. This case packs an amazing 250mm side fan that is by far the largest included system case fan that the Hardware-Pacers team has seen. If that wasn’t enough, this amazing case also includes 4 more system fans (2 x 120mm fans, and 2 x 90mm fans). The Armor is also built to support any type of cooling weather it be a liquid cooled or a fanless cooling system. This case is capable of supporting Micro ATX, ATX, Extend ATX, and BTX motherboards, and is equipped with an awesome 11 5.25in drive bays. The case uses a screwless slot mounting solution for easy assembly. A front drawer for storage and magnetic folding front brackets give this case a stylish design and functionality that hard core computer users will love.
Reference Wiki launched & contest for cash
techPowerUp! :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
We have recently launched our Reference Wiki, which we hope will act as useful knowledge base for computer related topics. Following the Wiki concept, everybody can edit and add content, even without registering. From all registered users who contributed to the Wiki, we will pick five every month, who will be awarded cash prizes of USD 150, 100, 75, 50 and 25.
Super Talent & OCIA.net 2006 Holiday Giveaway!
OCIA :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
OCIA.net has teamed up with Super Talent to give away a 1 GB RBST USB Flash Drive and a 2 GB MEGA Screen MP3 Player!.
Linux (Basic) Quiz
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“A new quiz on Linux (Basic Level) has just been added to Hardware Secrets Test Your Skills section. Take this quiz and check whether your knowledge on basic Linux is good enough or if you should study more.”
Mushkin 2GB XP2-8500 Review
Techgage :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
It’s been a few months since we’ve had the opportunity to play with a Mushkin kit, but we now have their XP2-8500 on the hotseat. We compare its performance to Super Talents and Kingstons top kits to see who comes out on top.
Thermaltake Tribe VX – external water cooling Review
Xtreme Computing :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“All in all I couldn’t have asked for a better result and as the thermal paste settles it may well improve further. Taking into consideration the Price and ease of install this is very nice bit of kit. I just wish although it is not noisy there were some sort of fan control for the fans,”
ASUS Striker Extreme NVIDIA 680i SLI Motherboard Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
I think the price is a bit high, even for what you get, but you know if there’s only a couple things you should spend the extra money on it’s the power supply and the motherboard to base the rest of your high powered gaming system off. Sure you can pick up a competitors new 680i SLI motherboard for a lot less money, but you won’t get the ASUS exclusive features like the on-boards LED’s, the Q-Connector, the LCD Poster, the EL back plate, the silent copper heatpipe cooling solution and 8-Phase power design among others.
abit IL9 Pro Motherboard Review
Motherboards.org :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The abit IL9 Pro is an interesting mix of a board. The board is not an enthusiast board but is available on Newegg for under $85, matching or lower than the price of some available 945P boards. The IL9 Pro is a good choice for those wanting an inexpensive Crossfire solution, as this board is one of the few 945 boards that support Crossfire, albeit at a x16, x4 configuration.
ABIT SG-95 Motherboard Review
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The abit SG-95 is a mATX board which targets budget segments. It features SiS 622 and 966L chipsets. It has some nice features such as 16x PCIe support for latest graphic cards, HD audio, DDR2 667 support, and SATA RAID support. Well, the question remains, is this a good choice if you just want a board that works and maybe with the option to upgrade to the newer Core 2 Duo? Read our review and find out.
Abit IL9 Pro Review
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
One of those no-frill motherboards is the IL9 Pro. This is a motherboard based on the older but newly improved Intel 945 chipset, now labeled 945P. All boards offer support for Intel’s current beast, the Core2 Duo and up to four gigs of ram. If you take into account just these two features, the board has room for upgradeability if you choose not to go the Conroe route just yet. Another advantage this board holds is that it is priced right for the budget minded person.
G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ Memory
Technic 3d :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“G.Skill offers a Memory PC 6400 DDR2 2 GB Dual Kit with a good Price. Technic3D will see as good they are with 5-5-5-15 and Overclocking against other Memory Kits.”
Water-Cooling.com 2006 Modding Competition
Water-cooling.com :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Similar to the Case Modding competition back in 2004 that our Mods sorted out, what we want to see is modded “areas” this time where your PC is currently perched. Area meaning Sorrounding walls/Desk space/Monitor/Keyboard/Mouse etc (use your imagination) The more festive the better obvoisly, BUT and this is a big BUT, it doesnt have to be festive it can be themed to anything you want! I personally would love to see a bat cave with tinsel and fairy lights but hey thats just me
Ultra X-Wind CPU Coolers
Modders Inc. :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
With processors becoming more and more powerful, they will tend to generate more heat. The air cooling solutions are showing the after affect of this, typically being larger and louder to offer adequate cooling for the faster processors. Ultra recently released a new line of coolers targeting the faster processors while trying to keep the size of the cooler manageable. The X-Wind coolers are available in three basic sizes (Aluminum 90mm, Copper 90mm, and Copper 120mm)
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 Motherboard Review
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Our review of Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3, a mainstream socket 775 motherboard using solid silver capacitors based on Intel P965 chipset and supporting all new Core 2 Duo CPUs and also DDR2-1066/PC2-8500 memories.
Zalman ZM600-HP 600W Power Supply Review
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“If you are looking for a quiet 600W power supply with an efficiency of 84%, a power factor of 99% and a modular cable system, look no further! The new Zalman ZM600-HP 600W power supply has all that, as well as a heatpipe cooler! ”
Apevia X-Cruiser Case Review
techPowerUp! :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Apevia is the new company name of Aspire. The Apevia X-Cruiser sports three gauges with blue light as well as a window for a small price tag. While the inside is quite simple and does not feature anything out of the ordinary, the outside look of the case did bring a smile to our face, especially considering the price tag and multiple color choices available.
OCZ 2GB PC6400 Special Ops Edition Urban Elite Review
Madshrimps :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“For those that do not want to break the bank just for a pair of performance memory sticks, we’ve got a promising PC6400 DDR2 2Gb kit from OCZ, let’s find out how it stacks up to the competition.”
ASRock Conroe 945G-DVI Motherboard Review
Virtual Hideout :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“The ASRock Conroe 945G-DVI is a formidable and decent looking platform for your next Home Theater. ASRock has done much better than anticipated with the included features, integrated peripherals and stability.”
MSI’s mPC 51PV small form factor barebones system
Tech Report :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
MSI’S SMALL FORM FACTOR SYSTEMS have traditionally been tardy, arriving to market a little too late in the life of the chipsets and sockets they sport. That tendency toward more dated hardware has been made even more apparent by other makers of barebones SFF systems, who have aggressively adopted newer sockets and core logic. Fortunately, MSI’s new mPC 51PV is coming to market in a much timelier manner.
The mPC 51PV is compatible with AMD’s Socket AM2 processors and features an Nvidia GeForce 6150/nForce 430 core logic combo that’s still the best integrated graphics chipset on the market. The system also has a PCI Express x16 slot and enough room to house a dual-slot graphics card, so you’re not stuck with integrated graphics. Combine that with a PCI slot, Mini PCI Wi-Fi, and loads of audio and video output options, and the mPC 51PV starts to look just like what the stagnating small form factor market needs.
Squeezing everything into a smaller form factor isn’t easy, though, and MSI has made a few concessions along the way. Read on to see how those concessions affect the mPC’s appeal and whether the system can breathe new life into the small form factor barebones world.
Foxconn G9657MA-8KS2H Motherboard
Overclockers Online :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
I don’t have much anything negative to say about the G9657MA-8KS2H and how could I? The specifications and feature list is as long as a full size motherboard, the performance seems to be on par with its older brother the P965x chipset as well as the 975x chipset, and the price is something that will not hurt many people. The G9657MA-8KS2H is almost like a full sized motherboard squeezed into a m-ATX form factor complete with the m-ATX price tag.
Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Chassis
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
We recently reviewed the Antec SOLO case here at Driver heaven and weren’t disappointed with its performance and design. Today we are having a look at a completely different Antec case which not only differs in design it also has one of the longest names we’ve ever seen on a computer enclosure, ladies and gents meet the “Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Gamer Case”
OCZ Technology 600W EvoStream Modular SLI Power Supply Review
Big Bruin :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
The OCZ Technology EvoStream Modular SLI Power Supply is only available with a power rating of 600W, however it has quad 12V rails which allow the user to have a multi-GPU system. It also has some impressive features including modular cables, 75% efficiency, Active PFC, and various voltage protections. Let’s take a look at the EvoStream and see if it is a good choice for the “performance-minded and high-power user” target user.
2006 Holiday Shopping Guide: Building a high-end Gaming PC!
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“Christmas and New Year holidays… this is the season to be jolly, they say. We say it’s a time to ignore your budget and go out and build yourself a kick-ass new high-end gaming PC. Besides eating too much and avoiding confrontations with your family, what else will you do during the holidays? Play games and try and make your fast PC even faster!
In this guide we will provide computer component recommendations for building a high-end gaming PC these holidays. It won’t be an ultra extreme beast as found in our “Slayer” system in our System Builders Guide section but it will still pack a bunch without sending you broke for the next year or more.”
Foxconn N570SM2AA Motherboard
CDR Info :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Foxconn N570SM2AA Motherboard: The latest available motherboard from Foxconn supporting AM2 platform with nVidia 570SLI chipset.
Fujitsu Claims 1st 300GB SATA 2.5-Inch Drive
Fujitsu :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Fujitsu has developed a hard-disk drive suitable for use in laptop PCs and video recorders with a capacity of 300GB, the largest in its class, the company said Tuesday.
The drive is a 2.5-inch type with a serial ATA interface and offers a 50 percent jump in capacity over Fujitsu’s current most capacious hard-disk drive of this type, it said in a statement.
December’s Coolest Gadgets
IDG News Service :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Nothing’s worse than delays when you’re waiting for a hot new gadget. Just ask the tens of thousands of people who queued up all night for the PlayStation 3 when it made its global debut in Japan Nov. 11. The console had originally been due out in the early part of the year but was held up by several problems. Judging by the lack of stock in stores, it’s still difficult for people who want one to do so before the holidays.
So it’s nice to see Panasonic living up to the promise it made at this year’s Ceatec show with the HDC-SD1 camcorder. This small-size, high-definition video camera records straight to a Secure Digital (SD) card. If you hate dealing with tapes but want home movies in high-def glory, this might be just the thing—if you can afford it. By comparison, you could pick up three PlayStation 3 consoles for the price of this camcorder, assuming you can get your hands on them.
Cooler Master Hyper TX AMD CPU Cooler
Think Computers :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“A little while ago we took a look at the Cooler Master Eclipse CPU cooler. While it had a very unique design its’ cooling was not up to par with other coolers out there. Well today we are going to check out the Hyper TX from Cooler Master, which has a fairly basic design, but offers exceptional cooling and easy installation. Sorry to all you Intel fans out there, but we are taking a look at the AMD version. Cooler Master does make an Intel version that will fit Intel CPU’s including the new Core 2 Duo’s. So let’s take a look.”
A new system guide
Tech Report :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
At The Tech Report, we’ve published the latest rendition of our system guide, with recommendations for building the right enthusiast’s PC at a range price points, from the high-value to the high-dollar. We’ve included a suave new home theater PC spec in this edition of the guide.
ABIT IL9 Pro Motherboard
Club Overclocker :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
The release of Intel’s Core 2 Duo processors seems to have heralded the official start of the next generation of hardware must have upgrades. Fortunately there are a wide variety of affordable options to help ease this transitions effect on your budget. ABIT Universal’s new IL9-Pro is designed to bring you up to speed with everything you need to upgrade without emptying your wallet.
Foxconn K8T890M2AA-KRS2H Motherboard – VIA back in Business?
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“While VIA hasn’t been able to take the performance crown from the chipset giant nVidia, it doesn’t mean they have stopped their production of chipsets. It has been some time since anything VIA has hit out shores here at TweakTown and today we are going to give the first board we have here based on the K8T890 chipset a real going over.
Today we test Foxconn’s K8T890M2AA-KRS2H and compare it against the nForce 570 chipset to see just what this chipset does have on offer. Is VIA back in business? We’ll find out shortly! ”
Aerocool Zero Degree Case Review
3d Xtreme :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Well the Aerocool Zero Degree has proven itself here. While keeping it ingenious the Zero Degree doesn’t lack any functionality or allure. A beautiful Case featuring a quality aluminum front door, UV active window, cooling options galore and space to boot there is nothing but great things to be said for this Case. Kudos to Aerocool on a perfect job!
ctua NF-R8 80mm fan
Dragonsteel Mods :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
” Our friends at Noctua have sent us there latest fan for review, it is the NF-R8, an 80mm fan based on the same technology as their 120mm fans I reviewed a little bit ago. I’ve found that Noctua makes some of the best quality silent fans around, and I happily use them in my system builds. The NF-R8 continues this tradition of quality, silent fans with three modes of operation and the addition of silicone vibration dampening fasteners. Read on to check out the Noctua NF-R8 80mm fan… ”
Everything You Need To Know About The Screws Used on The PC
Hardware Secrets :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“When you buy a case for assembling a new PC it comes with several screws and other small components. Even seasoned technicians have trouble in telling what is the exact use of each screw that comes with the PC case. In this tutorial we will present a detailed explanation about all screws used on a PC and when to use each one of them, so by reading this tutorial you will enhance your PC assembling skills.”
How-To: Custom Epoxy Shapes
AOA Forums :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
One of our members, booman, has written a guide on building custom > plastic shapes from epoxy. In the article he discusses the creation of > the clay forms which are used to make the latex molds which are > finally used to create the epoxy casts. Lots of pictures and detailed > instructions guide the reader through the process of creating very > realistic-looking icicles.
Installing Windows Vista For N00bs
Tech ARP :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Welcome, my young Padawan. Learn to install Windows Vista, we shall. Make you a master, we will. Cheerleader too, will you get. Soon, you will see. ”
LANParty UT ICFX3200-T2R/G Motherboard
DFI :: Monday, December 11, 2006
The merger of ATI and AMD placed the RD600 chipset in an unusual position. Despite all obstacles DFI decided to keep the faith with the eager public, which has been dreaming of the RD600 board, and continued production plans for the RD600. The power of the chipset’s graphics processing capabilities with the incorporation of physics processing support has drawn interest from every hardcore gamer and over-clocking enthusiast around the world. Despite a flurry of rumors in the market, DFI’s determination to bring excellent products to the market remains unchanged.
Kingmax Releases Latest Version of SuperRAM DDR400
Kingmax :: Monday, December 11, 2006
With the memory market continuing to expand and mature, Kingmax’s SuperRAM series adheres to standards by using TSOP packaging technology and high-quality IC chips to achieve the high-quality performance required of Kingmax products. By doing so, Kingmax provides consumers numerous advantages in factors such as price and functionality. But while Kingmax enjoys wide recognition as a memory manufacturer, its success has resulted in a number of illegal manufacturers producing counterfeit products, which has severely damaged the lawful rights of consumers.
Microsoft Windows Vista Final Review
Tech ARP :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Windows Vista is already in use by businesses all over the world, but it won’t be available to the rest of us until January 30th, 2007. That didn’t stop us from testing it though.
Today, we will show you what Microsoft has improved since our Vista Beta 2 review. Is it everything that Microsoft promised it would be? We will see…”
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Platinum SLI-Ready Edition Dual Channel Memory
R&B Mods :: Monday, December 11, 2006
More demanding games and software forcees the hardware manufacturers to make faster products, of course the ram is an important part of the computer and today we will review one of these memory kits from OCZ. Their memory has performed extremely well in our previous tests and it will be interesting to see if this new PC2-8500 Platinum kit can do the same. We are going to compare it vs another OCZ kit in both normal use and overclocking to see how well this one does.
Swiftech MCWRamcool Review
Techgage :: Monday, December 11, 2006
One of the drawbacks of full graphics card water blocks is that they don’t always fit the cards being used like they should. There are tolerance issues depending on the height of the ram versus the height of the GPU. Swiftech offers a cure to those ills with the MCWRamcool.
OCZ GameXtreme 700W PSU
t-break :: Monday, December 11, 2006
OCZ is pretty well known when it comes to highly overclockable memory modules and high end Power supply units, With us today, we have their GameXtreme 700W PSU which supports dual graphics cards and is design for all PC Enthusiasts, Power Users, and Gamers. Although we’re looking at the 700W version, this PSU is also available in configurations of 600W and 850W
Sytrin KuFormula SHF1 Hard Drive Cooler
Bjorn 3d :: Monday, December 11, 2006
Even with the best cooling available for your CPU, motherboard, and video card, there are still components which may suffer from thermal breakdown. This is why supplemental cooling solutions will prove invaluable to preserving performance and stability. Sytrin offers a solution that is just what high-performance hard drives need to sustain high output and maintain stability.
Kingston HyperX KHX6400D2LLK2/2G 2GB PC2-6400/DDR-800 Review
Hardware Logic :: Monday, December 11, 2006
For those not planning to overclock their systems, DDR2-800 is as good as it gets. For the enthusiast on a budget, there sometimes comes a choice between more speed or more capacity. Will Kingston’s latest kit satisfy our need for multitasking prowess, as well as our need to push every piece of hardware we come across to it’s limit?
Thermaltake Toughpower 850w Modular Power Supply Review
Tweaknews :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“With the Toughpower 850W PSU, Thermaltake is targeting the very top of the enthusiast/gamer market. Four very strong +12V rails and native support for four graphics cards and eight SATA drives is certainly not the norm and will almost surely be embraced by its eager, albeit small, target market. The 850W PSU should prove to be a worthy addition to the very competent Toughpower line.”
Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5 Mainboard Review
Technic 3d :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“The Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5 Mainboard arrived Technic3D. The fanless High-End Mainboard for Gamer and Overclocker with nForce5 SLI. A Dream? See you in the following Review on Technic3D”
Scythe Kama Meter Fan Controller & Temperature Gauge Review
Review Desk :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Only the nerdiest among us use fan speed controllers and temperature probes, right? Well, that’s what I used to think – not anymore. I never tested out a multi-function controller that fits in the 5.25″ bay because, well, I never really cared… However, my ideals have changed now, thanks to the Scythe Kama Meter.”
OCZ PC2-8000 Titanium Alpha VX2 DDR2 Memory Kit Review
Tech ARP :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Overclockers looking for a good memory kit to play with should take a look at the OCZ PC2-8000 Titanium Alpha VX2.
Thanks to its Micron D9 chips, and its ability to support up to 2.52V, it’s fast, loaded with capacity and will give you plenty of room to play in. ”
AeroCool Zero° Gaming Case
Club Overclocker :: Monday, December 11, 2006
AeroCool, makers of some of the coolest front panel displays and system monitors available, has a new case hitting the market this month called the Zero° (Zero Degree). Targeted towards gamers and computer enthusiasts, this case has some fresh and innovative features that will take you by surprise. Some of the cool features include a HUGE 250 millimeter cooling fan mounted right on a professional looking window mod. The internal design of the case is also different than most standard ATX cases because the motherboard actually mounts on the left side of the case, not the right. This means the motherboard is mounted upside-down. AeroCool has dared to be different with the Zero Degree Case, but is the Zero Degree a good quality gaming case or just another box? Let’s take a closer look and find out.
Tyan Tempest i5000XT S2696
Phoronix :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Last month Intel Corporation had announced their Kentsfield and Clovertown processors. The Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad QX6700 was the first processor (and only one at this time) based upon the quad-core Kentsfield. Meanwhile Intel had introduced the Clovertown Xeon 5300 series at Super Computing 2006. With the two Clovertown quad-core processors in hand, we had delivered our launch-day preview back on November 14. The motherboard we had used for those tests, as well as to test the Xeon 5000 and 5100 series, was the Tyan Tempest i5000XT S2696. Now having spent nearly a month with this flagship motherboard we have a few thoughts to share about this Xeon creation.”
OCZ GameXStream 850w SLI-Ready PSU Giveaway
OCIA :: Monday, December 11, 2006
OCIA.net has teamed up with OCZ Technology to give away an OCZ GameXStream 850w SLI-Ready PSU.
Coolit Freezone Review
Overclockers Club :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“Coolit? Cool what? Coolit The name of the company that released the Freezone CPU Cooler. While not being a major name in cooling they seem to be making a name for themselves, skipping the entire line of air cooling, as well as water cooling, and moving straight to a hybrid TEC (Peltier) cooling method. This may have been a very bold step, coming from no one to someone seemingly overnight, and skipping the entire general market, aiming their products at the enthusiasts of the market. This seems to be a bold step though this product is acclaimed to be a very safe the thought of using a TEC system without insulation is still a little bit daunting. Coolit Systems while being a fairly new, they seem to have done their research of just what we want. That being the ultimate in performance, at a reasonable cost, we are about to get down and dirty with the new Freezone CPU cooler.”
Thermaltake Extreme Spirit II Chipset Cooler Review
Hardware Logic :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
While CPU’s and GPU’s get lots of cooling attention, chipsets often seem to go overlooked. Most chipsets are cooled by a cheesy plastic heatsink or a noisy active cooler. Today we will take a look at the latest chipset cooler by Thermaltake, the Extreme Spirit II.
Ultra X Connect VS 700w
Driver Heaven :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
Today we will take a look at the Ultra X-Connect VS 700W power supply, those with good memories will remember Ultra introduced modular power supply units to the PC world. As strange as this may sound to some, this is not a power supply unit for the hardcore enthusiast but mostly aimed towards gamers and modders.
PC Power & Cooling 1KW-SR, 1 KW Power Supply
Bjorn 3d :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
It was about this time last year that I had a most enjoyable time playing with NVIDIA’s new 7800GTS 512MB’s in SLI. As you may recall finding a power supply that would run those 2 cards turned into a nightmare. Several high end power supplies could not keep my system from shutting down. In the end I turned to PC Power and Cooling and got a 1KW from them to solve my problem. That power supplied worked flawlessly and earned a Golden Bear Award from Bjorn3D.
Now I have a new configuration, running XFX 8800GTX cards in SLI along with a few other power hungry system goodies. The XFX 8800GTX(s) each require 2 PCI-E power connectors. I almost went with the PC Power and Cooling 1K Quad for this system, but was just a little concerned that the power supplied on each rail might not be adequate to meet the needs of the extremely power-hungry 8800GTXs. After discussing the mater with the professional staff at PC Power and Cooling, I decided to try out their brand new 1KW-SR.
OCZ EvoStream 600-watt SLI PSU using Modular Design
Tweak Town :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“As far as the numbers are concerned, the EvoStream 600 is designed to handle a continuous load of 600 watts. It makes use of four 12v rails, each of which are rated at 15A. While this isn’t the beefiest setup on the block, it will be sufficient for all but the most hardcore systems. Our test system runs a pair of hungry video cards and no issues were noted even under load.
The 5v rail is rated at 30A and the 3.3v rail is rated at 20A, so even older Athlon based systems should be well provided for.”
Christmas 2006 Gaming PC Buying Guide Posted!
Tech ARP :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“Christmas is very close now. Don’t settle for yet another t-shirt or more free kisses under the mistletoe. Get yourself a brand-new gaming PC!
If you think it’s too expensive, think again. We will show you how to get it all for only $1010! Heck, we will show you how to get an SLI gaming PC for less than $1200.”
NZXT LeXa Case Review
Technic 3d :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“The NZXT LeXa Case is the next Midi Tower in the Technic3D Editorship. See you in the following Review which qualities the case presents with a new Lan Style.”
Test Your Skills
Hardware Secrets :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“We’ve just added a new section to Hardware Secrets called Test Your Skills. On this section you can take quizes on several hardware- and LAN-related subjects in order to check whether your knowledge on a given subject is good enough or if you should study more. We started today with 23 quizes and we should be adding more quizes in the near future.”
Silverstone ST40EF PSU Review: Power Through Efficiency
Madshrimps :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“Equipped with a new generation of design and components, the Element ST40EF continues SilverStone’s stride toward more efficient power supplies, with higher than 80% efficiency across all loading conditions.”
Logisys Blue Acrylic/Clear Yin Yang Case
Modders Inc. :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
The clear Yin Yang Case combines the beauty of colors with the contemporary sense of clarity in the form of ancient Chinese Yin Yang curve. With a clear front door, it adds more protection for your valuable drives and more elegance and style. The light transparent color gives the case a fresh look in the beige dominated PC world. You have to see it to appreciate its beauty.
Windows XP Safe Mode Explained
PC Stats :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“In this article, PCstats will explain how Windows XP’s various ‘Safe Modes’ work, how you access them and how they can help you troubleshoot various software and operating system issues. Now, isn’t this a handy topic!? Safe Mode has been a component of the Windows operating system since the days of Windows 95. The basic idea is to allow the user (or technical support worker) access to the windows interface without loading any unnecessary drivers or software.”
Foxconn WinFast MCP61SM2MA-ERS2H Mainboard Review
Technic 3d :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“The Foxconn WinFast MCP61SM2MA-ERS2H Mainboard arrived Technic3D. The new Mainboard for Office PC, HTPC Cases with NVIDIA 6100 Onboard Graphic? See you in the following Review on Technic3D”
Cube Dual GPU Radeon X1650XT Tested
Tweak Town :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“This week we were given an exclusive opportunity to visit the GeCube office here in Taipei and test out their unreleased, highly anticipated and upcoming Gemini 2 dual GPU Radeon X1650XT graphic card. In the CPU game, everyone is talking about Quad but in the VGA game, Dual cards are on the mind at the moment. According to the product managers and marketing folks from GeCube who we talked with throughout our visit, the product is almost finished and will be ready and for sale early next year – that is, very early January, as long as everything goes to plan. That’s good news as GeCube as well as Gigabyte and ASUS (and the former XGI and probably many others behind closed doors) have tried producing dual GPU graphics cards in the past but they didn’t really turn out as planned.”
Vizo Uranus External HDD Enclosure Review
R&B Mods :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
Looking for a simple solution to backing up your computer’s system or critical files? Vizo, makers of a wide range of computer peripheral products, has released a new series of hard drive enclosures offer such a solution. Today, we’ll be looking at the Vizo Uranus 3.5” SATA HDD enclosure that offers a one-touch backup solution. Read on to find out more.
Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn Herd 1
Phoronix :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
“The first development build for Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn has been released. While Ubuntu has tagged development builds as Colonies, Knots, and Flights in the past, this time around the development versions will be Herds: Ubuntu Feisty Fawn Herd 1, Feisty Fawn Herd 2, etc… Featured in Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn Herd 1 is GNOME 2.17, new disk analyzer, Linux 2.6.19 kernel, and a massive package merge from Debian.”
CoolerMaster Mars at Overclockers Online
Overclockers Online :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
Overall I was pleased with the Cooler Master Mars. The size and design of the Mars compliments installation on a number of motherboards and the mounting hardware included with the Mars makes it a snap to install on AMD or Intel. Performance wasn’t quite were I was hoping in the AMD testing but the C2D from Intel responded quite well to the Mars.
DFI Infinity 975X/G Review
Techgage :: Saturday, December 09, 2006
Long known for their overclocker friendly motherboards, DFI is back with a board for the highly popular and extremely powerful Core 2 Duo. Using Intels 975X chipset, the DFI Infinity 975 X/G looks to introduce the enthusiast crowd to Conroe, DFI style. Using the BIOS that shipped with the board, we got less than spectacular results, forcing us to go with a poplar Beta. How high could we get the FSB and is the board worth it?
Ultra Grid ATX Case
Think Computers :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“Computers have really changed over the few years, gone are the days when a simple “duct-mod” meant that your cooling needs were more than met. Today’s computers generally require a lot of cooling but at the same time the cooling must be efficient otherwise the noise level would be unbearable. Ultra has recently released the Ultra Grid ATX case that includes a slick paint job, stylish looks, and a 500 watt V-Series Power Supply which should be able to meet the needs of most mid level users without breaking their budget.”
Swiftech H20-Apex Ultra Watercooling Kit Review
Madshrimps :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“Swiftech is an institution in the water-cooling field. They are a true pioneer bringing water-cooling into the homes of many countless PC-enthusiasts. Today we review their H20-220 Apex Ultra, a water-cooling kit anyone can love. Based on the APOGEE water block, the kit features a dual 120mm radiator and powerful pump for overclocking performance or can be setup for near silent operation.”
ASUS EAX1650XT Review
Gamepyre :: Friday, December 08, 2006
The EAX1650XT is not meant for the high-end of the market, and should be compared performance and feature-wise to similarly price cards. The features of the X1650XT are excellent, with full support for Pixel and Vertex Shader 3.0 programs and HDR. In terms of performance, the card outperforms its intended competition, the 7600GT by goodly margins, but the market doesn’t stand still and the 7900GS is much closer in price to the EAX1650XT card making it harder to choose the best value on this price point. As such I can easily give the card a Silver Gamers’ Choice award.
Spire Swirl SP-7062B Case Review
Technic 3d :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“The new Spire Swirl SP-7062B is the next Case in the Technic3D Editorship. See you in the following Review which qualities the Case presents.”
Albatron KI51PV-754 Mini-ITX Motherboard Review
PC Stats :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“Albatron takes Mini-ITX into a new direction with its KI51PV-754 motherboard, a high powered 64-bit compatible alternative based on a pair of very capable nVidia chipsets which boast an integrated Geforce 6-series videocard and MPEG-2/WMV9 High Definition video playback support. Outside of purely industrial single board computers (SBC), it was VIA that originally delivered the Mini-ITX formfactor in all its 170 x 170mm glory to mainstream computer geeks. The standard is quite a bit smaller than conventional ATX or BTX motherboards, but really the only features lost are expansion slots. With the high level of integration in most of todays graphics-enabled core logics, the loss of a few, or virtually every expansion slot is not that big a loss. Compact sizes also make the Mini-ITX motherboard a really versatile x86 platform.”
Overclocking AMD’s Quad FX Platform – Hit or Miss?
Legit Reviews :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“Although it is far from orthodox and practical I took the system outside and onto the patio for the rest of the time I spent overclocking it. St. Louis just had a huge ice storm and with about 3 inches of clear ice on the patio and plenty of snow I figured the nice below freezing temperatures would be the best way to cool AMD’s Quad FX platform…”
BitDefender
PC Mechanic :: Friday, December 08, 2006
I am always amazed at just how many anti-virus programs are available online for free, yet so many computer users are still shelling out cash for Norton or McAfee products. Everyone has an opinion on those programs, but as your Freeware Frenzy editor, I’m here to bring you free alternatives. I’ve covered a few others in the past, but for this week I’m taking a look at BitDefender 8 for your virus combating needs.
The Vast Web of Insecurity
PC Mechanic :: Friday, December 08, 2006
I wanted to point out an interesting comment made by a few members about my last article concerning efficient use of technology in counting election votes. A majority of the responses I received pointed out security needs — how the nation as a whole can trust the integrity of the ballots cast. When writing the article, I gave the topic little thought — I dismissed such notion as a non-issue. The fact is security IS an issue. The system used for counting ballots should be no different than the system running your computer right now — more than likely, Microsoft Windows, which, like all operating systems, has vulnerabilities. Then I question myself in a broader issue: Why has security been such a big issue in recent years? How has technology or more specifically the mode in which we communicate using technology, come to deserve a label of mistrust?
Is Your Site Down Again?
PC Mechanic :: Friday, December 08, 2006
Obviously, if you have a web site for your business, you must monitor its availability. But how? The answer to the question has three parts. First, choose a reliable hosting provider. Second, monitor your site for availability. And third, be prepared to take up the issue with your hosting service provider. A few weeks ago, I wrote an entire column on how to Select the Right Hosting Service. So I will limit this column to the final two parts. Monitoring a site for availability is a task that screams for automation. An application that can seek a response from your site at regular intervals would be ideal. As it happens, there are subscription services that will monitor your site at regular intervals. But they also lighten your wallet at regular intervals. Regular readers of this column know that I prefer free (free, in my vocabulary, means no advertisements either), no-strings-attached alternatives to paid services. I found one for this purpose too – Site 24X7.
CoolIT Freezone Peltier/Water Cooling Hybrid CPU Cooling System
Club Overclocker :: Friday, December 08, 2006
When I find out that I am going to review a product, usually I will surf around the internet, and try to get a feel as to how a product is performing. Researching the FreeZone, however, I found that there were a lot of conflicting opinions. Some were happy with the product, others argued that the premise was unworkable. Today, we are going to cut through the mystery and see what is fact, and what is fiction.
Tagan TG900-U95 900W Power Supply
3dgameman :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“The Tagan TG900-U95 900W Power Supply performs very well, and that’s to be expected from a 900W Power Supply. If that’s not enough power, Tagan has a 1100 watt model. Who needs this kind of power? If you are a serious gamer with a quad video card setup and have lots of other hardware, you require a high wattage power supply to keep everything running. While this power supply has plenty of sleeved/shielded leads they are not modular. Watch the Video to find out more…”
Zalman ZM600-HP Power Supply
Pro-Clockers :: Friday, December 08, 2006
Zalman’s newest power supply is the ZM600-HP. The ZM600 is the first PSU in the HP lineup. The ZM600 boasts 600 watts of pure quiet power and is completely ATX 2.2 compliant. Those who think that the HP in the name stands for high powered or high performance (Hotpants? – Ed) would be awfully wrong. The HP stands for heat pipes, as the PSU uses these to aid in the cooling process. And the 120mm Zalman fan doesn’t hurt either. Lets see if the ZM600-NP has what it takes.
VIZO Orbiter Hard Drive Cooler Review
Futurelooks :: Friday, December 08, 2006
Noooooooooo! I have hard drive failure! What made my hard drive fail? Overheating is one of the most common reasons for hard drives to fail. VIZO has a solution to deal with the heat and make your PC look cool at the same time. How good is it? Read on to find out!
Sans Digital MS2UT eSATA RAID Enclosure
Bjorn 3d :: Friday, December 08, 2006
QNAP is one of the many new companies which aim to satisfy the growing need for external storage solutions. In this product review, I will take a close look at their MobileSTOR MS2UT eSATA RAID enclosure. This enclosure offers RAID-0 and RAID-1 capability, with high-speed transfers available up to 1.5Gbps through the included eSATA cable, or 480Mbps with USB2.0.
Gigabyte Aurora 570 Chassis
t-break :: Friday, December 08, 2006
The first thing I noticed about the Auroro570 is that the entire chassis is now made of aluminum which is a good thing. Like the previous model, the side window can either be a fully transparent acrylic or steel mesh- I prefer the latter. Also like the previous model, the chassis comes in black or Silver. Gigabyte has also extended the body so you a have a 10% more room inside- again, a good thing.
Vizo Starlet Cable Binding Kit
Dragonsteel Mods :: Friday, December 08, 2006
” Our friends at Vizo have sent us another great and useful product for review, it is the Starlet Cable Binding Kit. This kit has enough stuff in it for many jobs, and is well worth buying it, you could do several computers with it. The Starlet Kit has everything you need, there’s over 30 feet total of varying lengths of braiding, heat shrink tubing and zip ties as well, everything you need to get your system looking great and alleviate the cable mess you might have in your case. Read on to check it out… ”
Installing Windows Vista For N00bs Posted!
Tech ARP :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“Welcome, my young Padawan. Learn to install Windows Vista, we shall. Make you a master, we will. Cheerleader too, will you get. Soon, you will see. ”
SilverStone ST50EF-Plus-SC PSU Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“The power supply looks and feels like the high-end brothers and everything is kept within the black theme. It also features a silent running 120mm fan which stayed pretty silent under heavy loads. In short, this is the power supply that you should be checking out if you plan to build a decent HTPC or SFF rig. The cables were short and perfect for any chassis that does not have much space for cable hiding/routing. The overall build quality was top notch and for $90, we didn’t expect such exceptional package with the ST50EF-Plus-SC. The rails held up pretty well as the +5V and +3.3V showed exceptional stability without any fluctuations.”
BIOSTAR TForce 590 SLI Motherboard Review
Motherboards.org :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
The Biostar TForce 590 SLI motherboard is an excellent purchase choice for those wanting a Socket AM2 platform for their next computer. The hype surrounding the new Intel Core2 CPUs means that most people wanting the high-end will want to go that route, as a Core2 Duo CPU is faster in most respects than the equivalently priced AM2 CPU.
Lian Li PC-A10B
techPowerUp :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
The PC-A10 is a fantastic case. All the little things that Lian Li does over and over again make this case stand out from the crowd. The anti-vibration mounts for the fans, drives and side panels, the removable motherboard tray, PSU tray and drive cages, as well as the tool-less design make this case a pleasure to work with.
Antec SpotCool Flexible Fan System Cooler Review
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“I can easily recommend this SpotCool for anyone with a motherboard that’s looking for that perfect cooling system to fit into tight spots and cool that certain hot area (yea, that’s just about everyone!).”
ECS’s PX1 Extreme motherboard
The Tech Report :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
LONG A STAPLE in the budget world, ECS recently turned its attention up market with an “Extreme” line of motherboards geared toward enthusiasts. ECS’s first Extreme offerings were reasonably solid boards, but despite flashy colors and neon extras, they lacked many of the tweaking and overclocking options that enthusiasts have come to expect. Undeterred, and apparently eager to improve, ECS pressed on and introduced a new wave of Extreme boards, including the PX1 Extreme for Intel’s new Core 2 processors.
At first glance, the PX1 looks promising. The board is built around Intel’s latest P965 chipset—complete with a Viiv-compliant ICH8DH south bridge—and features passive chipset and VRM cooling, dual PCI Express x16 slots, two Gigabit Ethernet controllers, and eSATA and Firewire connectivity. A BIOS update also gets you support for CrossFire configurations and even Intel’s latest quad-core processor.
Of course, it’s easy to fill out a spec sheet. To really appeal to enthusiasts, the PX1 Extreme also has to deliver competitive performance and impeccable stability alongside all of the tweaking and overclocking options that ECS boards have typically lacked in the past. Read on to see if it does.
Seasonic M12 Modular 600W Power Supply Review
Madshrimps :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“Gone are the cheapo power supplies of yesteryear. Processors today from both Intel and AMD require a power supply that can deliver a steady diet of power. The Seasonic name has become the standard of barrier in power supply from a distant land, China. We are looking into one of the new M12 Modular series today rated at 600 watts from Seasonic.”
Corsair HX620W Power Supply Review
Techgage :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
Corsair knows their stuff when it comes to performance memory, but how about power supplies? Despite the fact that they are new to the PSU market, they prove that they are not newbies. After taking a look at their HX620W, we walk away impressed.
Synology Cube Station Review
Maxit Mag :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“A small footprint, terabytes of capacity, RAID redundancy, ADS support and stylish design make the CS-406 the Swiss Army knife of NAS Appliances. With built in features such as create your own website, schedule data backup, digital media adaptor for music share, continuous file download without a PC and lots more, it could just be the best product ever for high powered lifestyles. Let’s go!”
DDR2-1000 by Geil and Supertalent
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
In the last few months we have seen some insanely fast memory released with some heavy competition between manufacturers such as Corsair and OCZ. This performance comes at a premium and really only the most avid enthusiast would consider these products. As with all sections of the industry, by choosing a slightly lower specified product it is possible to save money and still achieve some excellent performance. Today we have two products in for review which aim to do exactly that, let’s take a look at Super Talent and Geil’s take on DDR2-1000.
Mushkin HP2-6400 Memory
Modders Inc :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
With DDR2-800 still in the early stages, PC users have to often pay a lot more for the latest and greatest memory products. The Mushkin High Performance (HP) Series memory is just what the doctor ordered. Mushkin offers the HP2-6400 at an affordable price with all the features enthusiasts want.
Sytrin KuForumla VF1 Plus GPU Cooler Review
XS Reviews :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“Sytrin are known for their innovative designs of mixing Air Conditioning with PC cooling. They have used this technology to develope their own air conditioned cases and CPU coolers. Today however, I am testing another unconventional product, a GPU cooler with a coaxial fan. Can Sytrin follow up with their previous successes? Lets see.”
Swiftech H20-Apex Ultra Watercooling Kit Review
Madshrimps :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“Swiftech is an institution in the water-cooling field. They are a true pioneer bringing water-cooling into the homes of many countless PC-enthusiasts. Today we review their H20-220 Apex Ultra, a water-cooling kit anyone can love. Based on the APOGEE water block, the kit features a dual 120mm radiator and powerful pump for overclocking performance or can be setup for near silent operation.”
NVIDIA: A Year in Review 2006
Phoronix :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“This year is quickly coming to a close and we are here again with what has become a yearly ritual for Phoronix. Time and time again with each NVIDIA and ATI Linux driver release we thoroughly examine the change-log as well as dissecting the performance changes through our rigorous benchmarking process. Now for this article we are retesting all of the major display drivers released this year to see how they compare as a whole and commenting on some of the most prominent advancements made throughout the year. In this article we will be examining the NVIDIA proprietary display drivers. Our ATI A Year in Review article will be published later this month after the 8.32 fglrx driver release. Without further ado, we present the NVIDIA AYiR 2006!”
Sempron 3000+ and Celeron D 331 Review
Hardware Secrets :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“We finally got to review processors designed to the low-end market, i.e., the most inexpensive processors in the market. Nowadays Intel has the advantage on the high-end market, but who gets to be the best at the low cost PC market? Read our review and find out.”
OCC NZXT Zero Crafted Chassis Review
Overclockers Club :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“Neither flashy nor plain, the Zero weighs in with a whopping 8 fans, seven of which are 120mm! Along with its “ultimate cooling solution” it is dead quiet and is quite an eye catcher without the fancy lights and gizmos that many people hate. NZXT is a new company, established back in 2004, but since then, it has pumped out some very beautiful cases and power supplies designed for the gamer and enthusiast. The company has been rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the best chassis manufacturers out there.”
Quad-Core Lust and Vista: Getting Ready For Megatasking
Digital Trends :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“With the entry of AMD’s 4×4 platform into the market and Intel clearly pushing the future of quad-core, let’s talk about why you might want one. ”
XFX 8800 GTX: SLI Performance
Bjorn 3d :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
Let’s cut to the chase, as those of you that have read my reviews know is my style: I thought it might be fun to do a short addition to the first review as since writing it I have made some rather significant upgrades to my test rig and also added a second XFX 8800 GTX running in SLI. Now that I have your attention, just a few words on what to expect. First, this addendum will only contain the outline for testing the SLI configuration and the test results as anything more would be a rewrite of the article I’ve already published.
Windows Vista Preview
HW Upgrade :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“Microsoft has officially released their new operating system, Windows Vista, to business customers; however, it will not be available to the common user until the end of January. After taking Microsoft several years to develop, here is a preview of the successor to Windows XP. The changes range from a new graphical interface to stronger system security.”
All Sempron Models
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“Sempron is an AMD CPU targeted to the entry-level market, i.e. to users that don’t need a high processing power and are more worried with price than performance. Sempron main competitor is Celeron D from Intel and you can read our tutorial Sempron vs. Celeron D for a technical comparison between these two CPUs.”
Computer Processor Codenames: What the processors are and the inspiration behind the names
Technibble :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“In the computer industry there are plenty of buzzwords that get slung about when talking about the next generation of computer hardware and CPU codenames are quite possibly the hardest to keep track of due to the sheer amount of them. We have put together this list with the codename of each of the existing AMD and Intel processors and how their names came to be.”
AeroCool Infinite Drive from Brando Workshop
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Today for review I’ve got a cool little device that fits into a free 5.25” bay, it’s got pretty much what most other all-in-one panels have but this one has a built in dock for a removable 2.5” HDD. It is the Aerocool Infinite with Infinity Drive and it was provided by our friends at Brando Workshop for me to check out. The Aerocool Infinite features a security system with keys to activate the drive and to lock the drive in place, just turn the key to remove the drive to take with you. Read on to check it out… ”
EPoX’s Socket AM2 MF570 SLI Motherboard Reviewed
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Its also been some time since we have seen a motherboard in our labs from EPoX. This company really made a name for itself when Socket A was the big thing with boards that packed features and overclocking into a affordable package, proving you don’t have to spend the earth in order to get a good board.
Today from EPoX we have our first board in quite some time. Designated the MF570 SLI, it makes use of nVidia’s nForce 570 SLI chipset, how does it stack up? Come find out”
ECS PN1-SLI2 NVIDIA 590-SLI Intel Edition Motherboard Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Finally, an ECS motherboard that dares to challenge the competition with much better results leaving days of average performance behind and truly ventures in to the ‘Extreme’. We definitely appreciate that the color scheme has been evolving..”
Antec ATX Power Supply Tester
Tech Gear :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Today we will be looking at a nifty little device very useful to PC builders and hardware enthusiasts. The Antec 12V PSU Tester is a straightforward tool that tests your 12V ATX power supplies for any incorrect voltages of the rails. It means you no longer have the bother of using voltmeters and such to do tests. Just plug in the power supply adapters into the 20 or 24-pin connector and the LED will verify it. Green for normal, yellow for not enough voltage and Red for too much voltage.
Foxconn 945G7MD-KRS2H Mainboard Review
Technic 3d :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The Foxconn 945G7MD-KRS2H Mainboard arrived Technic3D. The new Mainboard for HTPC Cases and Onboard Graphic? See you in the following Review on Technic3D”
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 750W
techPowerUp! :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 750W is a PSU of the next generation. It has four independant 12V rails which can supply 20 Amps each. You can connect up to four PCI-E video card connectors which makes this a great PSU for a GeForce 8800 GTX SLI rig. The power supply uses a modular concept which is a great way to keep the cable mess in your case at a minimum level. With over 30 connectors available this PSU will be able to power all peripherals you may have.
ASUS Holiday GiveAway at Motherboards.org
Motherboards.org :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Grand Prize: ASUS CROSSHAIR Motherboard 2nd Prize: ASUS EAX1950PRO 3rd Prize: ASUS Silent Square
abit Fatal1ty AN9 32X
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
For the fanboy loyal only to AMD, abit has released the Fatal1ty AN9 32X motherboard based on the Nvidia 590 SLI chipset. With support for AMD’s newest chip socket, AM2 and DDR2, the Fatal1ty AN9 32X should be a great platform to keep you afloat until future releases by AMD regain the performance crown.
AMD Quad FX with FX-74 Processors
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“By doubling the scores across the board AMD was able to catch up to Intel’s latest quad-core processors in a number of benchmarks, but it’s clear from our use of both system that Intel still has the lead when it comes to ‘quad’ platforms. When it comes to pricing AMD has really slashed prices on their FX-70 series processor pricing…”
ASUS P5B-E
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
We have been reviewing several of ASUS high-end motherboards the last few months (ASUS P5N32-SLI Premium, ASUS P5W64WS Professional Motherboard, ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition). ASUS however also have cheaper and simpler motherboards in the line-up.
Today I am testing the ASUS P5B-E, an Intel965 based motherboard which might not come with all the bells and whistles of the nForce 590 or the i975 chipset but which still offers a lot of functionality for its price.
Corsair HX620 620w Modular PSU
Overclock 3d :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Corsair have made a brave branch out from the memory market into their own line of PSU’s. Today I’ll be putting their HX620 through its paces to see if it lives up to Corsairs reputation for high performance components.
Akasa AK-860SF AMD Athlon64 Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The Akasa AK-860SF is an economical socket AM2 or 939 AMD Athlon64 heatsink of the most basic sense. It’s been a while since FrostyTech has seen a pure extruded aluminum cooler for a modern processor, and because there are no special copper inserts, heatpipes, fancy fans, or oversized anything… the Akasa AK-860SF heatsink is cheap and simple to use. It’s thermal performance isn’t particularly grand, but it should be satisfactory for AMD Sempron or any of the new lower wattage Athlon64’s AMD is set to introduce.”
High-End DIY Computer Buyer’s Guide
The Tech Lounge :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The big corporations of this world are starting to foam at the mouth at the thought of astronomical holiday sales. Let’s be honest, we’re going a little rabid ourselves. Our high-end system budget is set at $3,200, and our goal in this article is to recommend components which offer the best bang for the buck while maintaining an overall balanced system.”
ASUS P5W64 WS Professional Motherboard Review
Motherboards.org :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
This is a great board for those seeking a workstation class motherboard that has multiple-monitor support. Stability and options are the P5W64 WS Pro’s stand-out features. The lack of any PCI-X slots for 32-Bit SCSI may be daunting to those wanting to do video editing, but with SATA 2 at only a bit slower than the ultimate SCSI transfer rates available it’s not much of a sacrifice. Not the fastest ship in the ASUS fleet, but it does have many things to attract a variety of users.
Buffalo FireStix 2x512MB PC6400 5-5-5 at Overclockers Online
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Throughout the extensive overclocking and testing of these modules, I could not come up with anything to complain about. They look great, they perform as they should, and they have plenty of overclocking headroom for the enthusiasts out there. Again, without a retail price anywhere it is hard to give a very concrete judgment but something tells me that these modules should be a part of anyone’s buying decision if you’re in the market for a 1GB memory kit. I can hardly wait to get my hands on a 2GB kit of some hot FireStix.
AMD’s Quad FX platform reviewed
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The Tech Report has taken a look at AMD’s new Quad FX platform, which allows PC enthusiasts to build tweakable, overclocking-friendly systems with dual-socket motherboards in order to achieve a “quad-core” result. In keeping with the quad-core theme, we’ve tested a range of widely multithreaded applications on a Quad FX system and on an Intel quad-core system, as well. We’ve also cooked up some new methods of measuring power efficiency that shed a different light on the quad-core proposition.
FSP FX700-GLN Epsilon & Thermaltake Toughpower 650
Pure Overclock :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“600 to 700W units seem to be the sweet spot for high end systems, they offer enough headroom for some serious overclocking, but not so much so that the extra premium for the unit was an absolute waste of money (1kw units anyone?). In this review we’ll be looking at two popular units – the FSP FX700-GLN Epsilon and the Thermaltake Toughpower 650W. We’ll be testing them under multiple conditions with X1900 CrossFire and a high end Core 2 Duo setup (X6800). ”
Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H nForce 590 SLI AMD Socket AM2 Motherboard OC Review
OC Inside :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Two 16x PCI express Slots, four DDR2-800 Slots up to 8 GB memory, six S-ATA II ports, ten USB 2.0 ports, two 1 Gigabit LAN connectors and wonderful OC features is not my list of wishes for Christmas, but rather the excellent equipment of the new Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H Socket AM2 motherboard. Without anticipating the result, this Socket AM2 board is a dream for overclocker, because this mainboard has as many OC options, that it would be possible to write dozens of OC guides. And overclocking an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ processor to 3000 MHz is really nice … ;)
Remote Connection Guide
PC Mech :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Remote connection is one of those things, like high speed Internet, when, once you have it, you can never go back. Most people never bother to set it up either because they do not [think they] need it, think solutions cost too much or believe it is too hard to set up on their own. If you fall into the one of these groups, I am going to change your mind.
Decembers XFX Contest
Bjorn 3d :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
This month I am giving away a XFX 7950GT.
Rules:
Must post a least 25 post in the forums this month.
Pretty Simple.
The card will ship to anywhere in the world but you may be liable for any duty fees or custom taxs. I can only pay for the card and provide shipping.
The winners name will be drawn out of a hat for all the contestants that qualify.
Power Color X1950 Pro Extreme
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
»Bigger is better« holds true practically everywhere except in electronics. A smaller manufacturing process benefits both the manufacturer as well as the consumer. The first enjoys lower costs of production while we see this improvement in the form of reduced power usage and lower work temperatures. Behold the ATI X1950 PRO, a rejuvenated version of the crowd favorite X1900GT. With higher clocks, a similar price and native internal crossfire support the card may become even more popular than the X1900GT was.
Robert ‘Razerguy’ Krakoff Interview
TechFEAR :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“techFEAR asks Razer’s co-founder and president, known as Razerguy, questions about Razer’s past, present, and future. Razerguy answers with his usual flair and honesty; you’ll have to read the interview to see if he gave up any information on Razer’s upcoming product.”
Mind Manager Software Review
XYZ Computing :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“This is a difficult area to research because everyone’s requirements are different and personal preference plays a huge role in choosing how one should go about organizing their life. For some people those to-do lists and pieces of paper work great, but all too often we only think they are working when in fact they are causing much unneeded stress and under-performance. The next step to take is choosing something that works for you. Lots of people rely on Microsoft’s Outlook, but this solution designed for the corporate workplace and it is highly structure, something which may not mesh well with that jumble of thoughts in your head.
One option I was fortunate enough to have the chance to investigate is Mind Manager from Mindjet. This is a productivity software that is designed to allow both individuals and teams to visualize things like thoughts and plan in an environment that is scalable yet adaptable.”
Zalman ZM600-HP 600w Modular Power Supply Review
Virtual Hideout :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“The Zalman ZM600-HP accomplished what it set out to do in delivering a solid combination of power (600w), a nicely done modular cable system, and the uniqueness of the first heatpipe cooled power supply interior.”
QNAP Turbo Station TS-201 NAS Server
Bjorn 3d :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
You may not know this, but there is a fast moving trend among power users which began in the corporate office and will end in your home. You may not be aware of it yet, but very soon you will be telling others about it. A few years back, IT directors noticed that it might save their company a lot of money to have a device which did all of the same functions as a file server, but without the cost and overhead of an operating system. Since licensing costs have soared in the corporate environment, devices known as Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers have started showing up everywhere. Up until recently, these items were usually somewhat expensive, and very limited in functionality. With technology evolving at a tremendous rate, it didn’t take long for the NAS servers to completely replace the networked file servers and reach prices that even home users could afford.
NVIDIA 680a-SLI Preview
Technic 3d :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“Today the NVIDIA 680a-SLI Serie comes out! See you in the following Preview from Technic3D a first Look.”
MSI 975X Platinum Motherboard Review
PC Stats :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“If you plan on running a high end Intel Core 2 Duo system, you’re advised to upgrade your power supply to something that’s ATX2.0 compatible and has an ESP12V connector. The MSI 975X Platinum will run on older power supplies but older units are not designed to handle the power requirements of modern machines. A compatible power supply is definitely required if you plan on running a dual videocard setup.”
L.O.V.E. Affairs Posted!
Tech ARP :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“LOVE is truly in the air. Microsoft launches the new Office 2007, Windows Vista and Exchange Server 2007. Let’s take a look at the recent sneak preview and see what LOVE is all about! ”
Sytrin KuFormula SHF1 HDD Cooler Review
XS Reviews :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“Sytrin; a fairly unknown company who produce some highly original products, including air conditioned cases. Today however, I have their HDD cooler; the KuFormula SHF1 Ultra.”
Thermaltake Armor LCS Liquid Cooled ATX Chassis Review
Virtual Hideout :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“The Thermaltake Armor LCS features a 120x240mm front mounted radiator with dual 120mm fans sporting blue LEDs, a hefty CPU water block with an acrylic top and another blue LED, and the P500 pump with an attached reservoir. Plenty of coolant and tubing is included, and also happens to be UV reactive”
Xtreme Christmas Competition – were giving away a Complete modded PC tower
Xtreme Computing :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Yes the holiday season is upon us and what a Christmas we are going to have, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas we can give you something to celebrate with. This year I thing we pulled the cat out of the bag and have a whopping prize for you. A Whole complete tower!, yes you are reading this correctly this years Christmas Prize is a whole complete full tower kitted out with hardware.
Yes for the last two months I have been begging and grabbing what I can for this project, The process of which can be found in the forums, over the next 2 weeks we will be building this PC. A total of 7 manufactures and one shop donated to the project so let me tell you a bit about them and what they donated for the competition.
Xtreme Christmas Competition – were giving away a Complete modded PC tower
Xtreme Computing :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Yes the holiday season is upon us and what a Christmas we are going to have, even if you don’t celebrate Christmas we can give you something to celebrate with. This year I thing we pulled the cat out of the bag and have a whopping prize for you. A Whole complete tower!, yes you are reading this correctly this years Christmas Prize is a whole complete full tower kitted out with hardware.
Yes for the last two months I have been begging and grabbing what I can for this project, The process of which can be found in the forums, over the next 2 weeks we will be building this PC. A total of 7 manufactures and one shop donated to the project so let me tell you a bit about them and what they donated for the competition.
Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3 Motherboard Reviewed
PC Stats :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“The Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3 motherboard is an affordable Intel platform of complementary technologies for consumers on a budget. Best suited to the upcoming ‘Conroe-L’ Celeron processor, the GA-945PL-S3’s system bus runs at 800/533MHz FSB. The list of features here is a short one, but all the major must have’s for a modern day computer are ticked off: USB2.0, multi-channel audio, 3GB/s Serial ATA support and Gigabit networking. Anyhow, keep an eye out for those Conroe-L CPUs, they will be the best processors to use with the GA-945PL-S3. ”
TechwareLabs Cooler Master Combo Holiday Give-A-Way
Techware Labs :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
TechwareLabs is continuing its contests and bringing you an amazing wrap up for 2006. A HUGE thanks goes out to our friends at Cooler Master which have brought TechwareLabs fans a package that will surely make your Holiday Merry.
OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 Gold GX XTC Rev 2 Review
R&B Mods :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
: With the release of the latest processors from AMD and Intel, the demand for higher performing RAM is increasing, especially for gaming rigs. OCZ, well-known in the memory market, has always been up to the challenge, providing end-users with top-quality and stable memory. Today we’ll be looking at one of their latest products in the Gold series, the OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 Gold GX XTC Rev 2 2GB Kit. Let’s find out if the memory is worth its weight.
Zalman FATAL1TY FC-ZV9 Videocard GPU Cooler Review
Tweaknews :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“When Zalman and Fatal1ty team up, you expect some special results. The FC-ZV9 graphics card cooler combines good cooling performance, great looks and wide compatibility into a product that any gamer would be proud to have in their case. The nickel plating and red LEDs give it a distinctive look that many folks will find appealing. The price, however, may deter some potential buyers.”
Akasa AK-873 Heatsink
Frosty Tech :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“Over the years we’ve seen aluminum heatsinks migrate to copper, and then heat pipes slowly began appearing here and there. The first heat pipes were added on as afterthoughts, and then thermal designs caught up with the technology. Now, what we’re seeing is a shift from multiple 6mm diameter heatpipes to a reduced number of larger, 8mm diameter heatpipes. There will be more coolers arriving on the market place with this method of enhanced heat transport, but the Akasa AK-873 is clearly one of the first to cross our test bench.”
MSI K9N Neo-F Socket AM2 motherboard
R&B Mods :: Monday, December 04, 2006
Today it’s time to take a look at a motherboard. Msi has sent us a sample of their K9N Neo-F motherboard for socket AM2 and we are going to test it with our brand new 4800+ X2 processor to see what type of speeds we can get out of it. The market is getting full with different sockets these days and it can be hard for consumers to know which one to get and hopefully this review will help you with that issue since we will compare it to a S775 board to see the actual speed difference.
OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 ATI CrossFire Certified Edition Memory
3dgameman :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“DDR2 memory is now mainstream and needed for current motherboards. So, when upgrading your computer system, it’s required to pick up at least 2 gigabytes of DDR2 memory. Selecting memory can be a daunting task, as there are so many memory companies on the market. OCZ has really taken the guesswork out of this memory though, since it’s designed to work best with ATI chipset motherboards. So if you are getting a new ATI chipset motherboard, this would be the memory to get. With a default speed of 800MHz DDR2 and a timing of 4-4-4-12 it is sure to perform very well in high-end motherboards…”
SilverStone FM92, FM122 Fans and FP33 Fan Controller
PC Apex :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“The first thing you’ll notice about the FM series fans is the color. SilverStone isn’t the first manufacturer to use a particular color to set their product apart from the crowd; Noctua uses an understated red brick color against a white frame, Enermax opts for translucent blades and Thermaltake has used the same butt ugly orange for years. But the plain white of the SilverStone fans looks particularly classy. In a sea of translucent, multi-color, neon, UV, anodized bling bling, the pure white makes a definite statement. Whether the look will hold up under all the dust they will eventually collect remains to be seen, but fresh out of the box they look killer.”
QX6700 Quad Core, two times better than a dual core with double power requirement
Madbox PC :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“One of the most complete reviews of Intel Quad core CPU”
Review: Scythe Mine Cooler
Gideon Tech :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“When you look at the package for the first time, you see that it supports all the current AMD desktop sockets (754/939/940/AM2) as well as Intel’s current LGA755 and Socket 478. Pretty impressive!”
Cooler Master itower 930 review
Driver Heaven :: Monday, December 04, 2006
Imagine yourself a PC enclosure designer, charged with the responsibility of distinguishing your company’s product from a crowded field of competitors. Tough job, eh? Admittedly, cases have come a long way from the beige box days (for those of you who were alive back then), but they generally must adhere to a set formula…mount a motherboard, power supply, drives & peripherals.
Aside from purely aesthetic changes, one thing a case designer can do is take advantage of new technology to add features, an opportunity that presents itself rarely. There one is very ripe opportunity for case designers at the moment, though, and that opportunity comes from hot-swappable SATA technology. As we pointed out in a recent article here at DH, SATA drives are fighting their way out of internal, permanent drive bays and into the open, where one of their coolest features can be readily used.
Intel Joins the Overclockers – Bad Axe 2 Motherboard
Tweak Town :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“Today Intel joins overclockers by giving them the option of overclocking on their very own desktop boards and who would have ever thought such a thing? This is definitely a first for the big CPU giant who tried to prevent overclocking by introducing locked multipliers and even removing asynchronous bus clocks in its early PCI Express 915 chips.
Today we have Intel’s D975XBX2 or Bad Axe 2 motherboard in our test labs. This board was originally intended to be the flagship board for the Core 2 Quad. While we did have it to use for the Core 2 Quad, we decided to use our trusty Gigabyte DQ6 for our CPU review, as its proven to overclock to the max. This time we are looking at the board which Intel provided and just to see how well it stacks up to the mother of all Core 2 overclocking boards, the Gigabyte P965 DQ6. ”
Cooler Master Eclipse Cooler
Technic 3d :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“The Cooler Master Eclipse CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The next Cooler in the new Cooler Master Line. See you in the following Review against others CPU Cooling.”
AOpen 18X Triple Format DVD ReWriter Review
Techware Labs :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“The upcoming release of Microsoft Corporation’s © Vista operating system has users asking the question; Does my PC have what it takes to not only RUN Vista, but can it load the OS as well? Well, one point in interest is they way you install the OS and take advantage of most of the features with one peripheral, the CDROM. As some are aware Vista recommends a DVD Drive with the system and to take advantage of some features it also requires a DVD drive. Most have already upgraded to or maybe your system came with a DVD ROM already. Drives included with most systems as well as most drives offered before a year ago were slow. Burning a full DVD can take a slower DVD drive a hour or more. Considering the peripheral market today for DVD RW ROM drive is relatively cheap there is no reason to settle for slow drives. Our friends at AOpen sent over a Triple format DVD Rewriter for us to take a look at.”
BeleniX LiveCD v0.5.1
Phoronix :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“BeleniX, our favorite OpenSolaris-based LiveCD here at Phoronix, has come out with a new release. New in BeleniX 0.5.1 Firefox 2.0, Thunderbird 1.5.0.8, Koffice 1.6.0, C++ runtime libraries from the SUN Studio Suite, and the inclusion of NVIDIA’s proprietary display drivers. BeleniX 0.5.1 is also up to date with OpenSolaris build 52. If you’ve never tried out BeleniX, it’s certainly a handy LiveCD worth trying out.”
Zalman CNPS9700 LED Low Noise Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“The Zalman CNPS9700 LED is a supersized version of the CNPS9500-series heatsinks we’ve all come to know so well. Now, there’s no point in dancing around the fact that Zalman’s CNPS9700 LED is just about the best socket 775 heatsink FrostyTech has tested to date, and among the very best ever on the socket 939/AM2 platform. It’s been a while since Zalman produced a heatsink that displayed such admirable thermal qualities, and even more impressive considering the low noise levels… The Zalman CNPS9700 LED is a big copper heatsink, made up of about a hundred 0.2mm copper fins attached at regular intervals to three copper heatpipes that form a figure-eight. The entire heatsink is cooled by one 110mm diameter fan which is internally illuminated with blue LEDs.”
IcyDock MB122SKGF SATA Hard Drive Rack Review
PC Stats :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“The IcyDock M122SKGF removable hard drive rack is a hot swappable Serial ATA device, with integrated LCD display and thermal alarm. The unit is beige in colour, and supports Serial ATA I and Serial ATA II hard drives. The HDD caddy is made of aluminum which should help keep high speed drives a littler cooler than plastic would. There is also a small 40mm ADDA fan at the back of the unit to draw air through the unit. On the front of the HDD caddy is blue LED illuminated LCD that displays the ambient temperature and has a few simple temperature related alarm controls.”
Scythe Kama-Thermo
techPowerUp! :: Monday, December 04, 2006
The Scythe Kama-Thermo is a very simple, blue backlit temperature LCD display with a connected diode. The cheap price tag makes it very appealing to most case modders. It is quite small, but has large enough digits and a very good contrast so that the temperatures can be read from further away. The Kama-Thermo combines simplicity and functionality to form a great little device.
Tagan Turbo Jet 1100W PSU Review
XYZ Computing :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“Tagan may not be a company with which most consumers are familiar, but they have been making quality power supplies for some time. Their most recent push is to enter the competitive performance PSU market, something that will put them up against firmly established companies like Antec, PC Power and Cooling, SilverStone, and Thermaltake. This is no easy task but Tagan has a number of things going for them, the most exciting of which is their Turbo Jet. This is an 1100W power supply that, unlike some other models, is sized to fit within ATX specifications. This review will be taking a look at the Turbo Jet and using it to see just what Tagan is bringing to the table with their line of enthusiast power supply units.”
Cooler Master ITower 930
Club Overclocker :: Monday, December 04, 2006
At first glance, there is no mistaking who makes this case. Yes that’s right, Cooler Master. With their signature “wave” design and high quality finish, Cooler Master cases are always a crowd pleaser. Today we have our first look at their ITower 930 Premium Case. This new cases pushes “tool free design” to its limits with innovative ideas we’ve never seen until now. Is the ITower 930 one of the best cases of 2006 or has Cooler Master taken the tool free design a little too far?
Red Steel (wii) Review
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
Out of all of the launch titles for the Nintendo Wii, Red Steel was certainly near the top of the list for gamers. The concept of using the Wiimote and Nunchuk in order to replicate authentic Japanese sword fighting techniques has never been seen before, and even the first person shooter action looked like it could be loads of fun if it was pulled off correctly. While Ubisoft undoubtedly had an interesting take on using the new control scheme, sadly this rushed title doesn’t live up to the hype.
Transcend Standard DDR2-800 (PC2-6400) RAM
PC Apex :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
We have a new review up on some solid DDR2-800 (PC2-6400) RAM from the people at Transcend. The Transcend Standard DDR2-800 sticks that were tested offer solid performance at a reasonable price. Here is a snip from the review:
“The RAM modules themselves are very unassuming. No colored PCB’s, no blinking LED’s and no heat spreaders. It’s just basic RAM sticks with no gimmicks. Even Transcend’s JetRam line of products differentiates itself by performance alone rather than marketing fluff. The DRAM used is Samsung K4T51083QC-ZCE7, the same chips are used by Kingston, TwinMOS, Wintec and no doubt many more manufacturers.”
OCZ Tempest CPU Cooler Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“While testing on a dual core X2 3800+ AMD processor, we found that the Tempest was good enough to allow our system to run at stock speed. Judging by the load temperatures, we would not expect the Tempest to allow us extreme overclocking, but we could overclock up to 500MHz while maintaining temperatures below 60ºC. If you’re looking for a small sized CPU cooler that does the job right, the OCZ Tempest is probably the suitable cooler for you. Priced at $50, the OCZ Tempest is not too expensive considering that you are getting a CPU cooler with excellent bundle and bright blue LED fan.”
Noctua Cooling Solutions
3dgameman :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Noctua has definitely made an impression with me! The superb build quality that goes into these different products is amazing. The toughness feel that I felt with the NF-S12 series fans is something you just have to experience to understand. The leads on these fans are extraordinary. I was able to run the back exhaust fan from down the back and along the bottom of the motherboard to reach the front intake fan header…”
Apevia X-Discovery Case Review
XS Reviews :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“I have in front of me the Apevia X-Discovery case. Toted as a ‘silent case,’ I’ll be testing this claim and whether this case reaches the standards set by gamers…”
Zalman CNPS7700-Cu LED Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The CNPS7700-CU LED is Zalman’s famed ‘flower’ heatsink technology at its best, and it’s a method of manufacturing that offers very direct thermal pathways between the cooling fins and heat source. Each individual copper fin is in direct contact with the CPU, and that dramatically reduces elements of thermal resistance from entering into the equation. Coupled with a large slow moving fan, the Zalman CNPS7700-Cu LED uses its sheer amount of surface area, and large volume of air, to cool itself quietly above all else.”
Noctua 120mm Fans Review
R&B Mods :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
With computer components generating more and more heat, getting rid of the heat is becoming increasingly important. One of the main ways that most computers dissipate this heat is by using fans. Today we’ll take a look at a couple of 120mm fans from Noctua, who claim that their fans offer no-frills performance and quiet operations. Read on to find out if these fans live up to their claims.
ECS KN3-SLI2 Extreme AM2 Motherboard Review
Motherboards.org :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
The ECS KN3-SLI2 board retails online for a mere $119 at the time of this writing. At this price point, the board makes a compelling argument as you get the performance and features of the nForce 590 SLI chipset without having to pay for a premium as you would if you purchase one of the top name brand boards.
Review: Epox MF 570 SLI
Madbox PC :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Maybe the best 570 SLI motherboard available, full of overclock options but also newbie friendly. It comes with one of the best BIOS recovery system that we ever tried.”
Noiseblocker fans review
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Noiseblocker are a German computer components manufacturer, who aim to design fans that perform well with a minimum amount of noise. They offer a wide range of silent or near silent high quality computer fans.”
X-Micro Super G Networking
Overclockers Online :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
X-Micro has put together a very combo to let anyone quickly setup a decent wireless network capable of reasonable speeds and quality of service inside ones home. The router has a very simple look that is small enough to fit anywhere inside your house.
Thermaltake Soprano VX Computer Case Review
Tweaknews :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The Thermaltake Soprano VX is a computer chassis with some style and panache that some people may find appealing. Personally, I like the look of the case. I like the front panel I/O treatment, too. While the finish doesn’t quite live up to the hype, it’s not bad either.”
OCZ Technology GameXStream 850w Power Supply
Club OC :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
Looking for the ULTIMATE power supply that will have absolutely no problems what so ever running that extreme dream machine with multiple video cards? Well, stop looking because the overclocking freaks at OCZ Technology have released their biggest, badest power supply yet. Pumping out an incredible 850 watts of power, and an unprecedented 36 month warranty, the GameXStream may very well be the last power supply you’ll have to buy for many years to come.
Modding the Corsair Nautilus – Perfecting Perfection?
Dragonsteel Mods :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
” The Corsair Nautilus 500 External Liquid Cooling system has received rave reviews from many, many reviewers, including myself. I’ve had the Nautilus installed in my system since I got it for review I liked it so much, it’s relatively quiet, and performs very well. I’ve built my own liquid cooling systems and have reviewed many others, but I have always come back to the Nautilus. I don’t like noise and I found that after a while having the Nautilus on high became annoying to me, so I felt that needed changed, and while I was at it I thought about switching the rad out as well. This isn’t quite the hardcore mod, but I did get to rip apart the Nautilus, and get to use my Dremel, drill and other tools while I was at it. So read on to see what I did and what I learned from this experience… ”
HIS X1950Pro IceQ3 Turbo
Bjorn 3d :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
Even though I am sure most of us would love to be able to buy one or two X1950XTX or GeForce 8800GTX cards, the hard reality is that we cannot afford to. We have to look to a cheaper alternative that still hopefully will perform well enough.
ASRock ConRoe945G-DVI Motherboard Review
Legit Reviews :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The ASRock 945G-DVI was intended to be a budget board. If you keep this in perspective, then the results here should be very pleasing to the intended target of this board. It performed very well at default speeds against the Gigabyte DS3, which is a proven overclocking monster. With the ability to overclock to around a FSB of 300, you can get some additional speed for you HTPC or office PC by using thE ASRock ConRoe945G-DVI motherboard…”
Super Talent T800UX2GC4 DDR2 800 Memory
Technic 3d :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Super Talent offers a Memory PC 6400 DDR2 2 GB Dual Kit with good Timings. Technic3D will see as good they are with 4-4-3-15 and Overclocking against other Memory Kits.”
NMB-MAT Panaflo L1A Fan w-RPM Sensing
PC Apex :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The general consensus is that there are only two types of 12V DC fans, sleeve bearing and ball bearing and the latter is the superior design. Neither assumption is entirely true. The second widely held belief is that ball bearing fans are the quietest fans you can buy. I actually had someone tell me recently that he had installed six fans in his computer case and since they were all “ball bearing” fans you could barely hear them. I just smiled and thought to myself, ‘The quiet you’re experiencing is no doubt due to hearing loss caused by excessive fan noise.'”
Enermax Galaxy 1000w Quad-SLI Power Supply Review
Virtual Hideout :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The ratings and specs for this unit is truly amazing. It will power anything on the market today and the foreseeable future. If you’re running a Quad-SLI rig, or thinking of building a Quad-SLI rig, this is the perfect power supply to future-proof yourself as much as humanly possible.”
MSI MEGA mPC 945 Barebones Small Formfactor PC Review
PC Stats :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The MSI MEGA mPC945 system is based around the Intel 945G and is compatible with all Socket 775 Intel processors. Under the glossy white hood, the mPC 945’s two DDR2 memory slots will support up to 2GB of dual channel DDR2-533/667 memory. In terms of storage space, the system has one 3GB/s Serial ATA II channel and one IDE controller. There is onboard video care of the integrated Intel GMA950 graphics card, it comes part and parcel with the Intel 945G chipset. If you want to use a better videocard the system will accommodate single or double slot PCI Express graphics card. PCSTATS would advise a Geforce 7800GTX or equivalent videocard if you plan on doing any gaming at all… as you’ll see in the benchmarks.”
Guide: Power Packed MP3 Players For Under $300
Design Technica :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“Not everyone wants to lug around a honking media player, yet you might want a player with enough storage space to hold most of your tunes. We have put together a list of our favorite MP3 players, all small in size and with an affordable price tag. Sure, there are cheaper players out there, but none of them come as close to these three when it comes to features. We hope you will agree. ”
OCZ Mega-Kart 8GB Review
Tech Gear :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“Performance wise the Mega-Kart isn’t bad at all we managed to hit a burst speed of 25.3 megabytes per second which is not bad for an 8GB storage device. Random access time is around 10.8ms with the average read being 21.5 megabytes per sec…”
Yakuza Game Review for Playstation 2
RB Consoles :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
Looking for an organized crime/mafia game with an Asian flare? Sega, well-known developers of games, has created such a game for the PS2 called Yakuza, which explores the mysterious world of the Japanese criminal underground. Will this game stand up to other popular games such as Scarface and GTA? Let’s find out in today’s video game review.
Logitech diNovo Edge
Modders Inc. :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
Logitech introduces the diNovo Edge ultra slim Bluetooth keyboard. This thin rechargeable keyboard is not only functional but highly stylish. The gloss black and brushed silver finish with back lit controls add a high end feel. Bluetooth technology combined with functional extras mean there should be a lot to love about this keyboard.
Review: Nokia N93
Digital Trends :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“Nokia’s N93 is the Swiss Army knife of cell phones, a teeming tenement of technologies. A 3.2 MP digital camera and a 30 frame per second (fps) camcorder are a combination available on no other phone besides the N93 (at least, not as this is being written). This phone also has camcorder-like ergonomics with a swivel-up-and-around 2.4-inch LCD screen, WiFi connectivity, an MP3 player with stereo Bluetooth, and lots of included multimedia software that turns the phone into a pocket PC. And as a tri-band EDGE/GSM 900/1800/1900 phone, the N93 is compatible with high-speed EDGE networks all over the world. ”
QPAD EC-R
techPowerUp! :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
QPAD is known to produce some of the best mouse pads on the market. Their pads are optimized to give gamers the best possible experience. The QPAD EC-R is the smaller sister of the QPAD XT-R. It is a bit thinner, which makes it more comforable to use. Also the price has been reduced a bit, to make it more affordable.
VIZO NINJA Notebook Cooler Review
Think Computers :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“VIZO is a relative newcomer to the computer products market, at least in the Pittsburgh gaming scene. I’ve not seen their products before, save at a recent Pittco event where VIZO had donated some 80 mm fans for prizes. This review is for VIZO’s NINJA Notebook Cooler, an aluminum, graded, and air-blowing unit for laptops. VIZO gives this somewhat-Engrish description for the NINJA Notebook Cooler. VIZO decided to take advantage of the news of the recent laptop fires in summing up their product: For many notebook PC users, the overheating unit is an ongoing point of frustration and worry. Oftentimes, they are hard at work while their notebook is literally on fire. VIZO notebook cooler, NINJA, is designed to draw a continual flow of cool air across the computer’s hottest surface, plus, it’s aluminum housing offers the best heat conduction. NINJA can kill the unit’s temperature in a flash. Moreover, NINJA works at low dBA level as cat walking. NOISELESS HEAT KILLER, NINJA, is the best guard for your notebook PC.”
USB Retro Radio from Brando WorkShop
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
” Ever been sitting at your computer listening to music, and just got tired of listening to the same old CDs you have? Wouldn’t it be nice if an AM/FM radio was built-in to your computer, so you could listen to your favorite stations while you worked and maybe catch the news as well? Well, today for review I have a solution for you, how about a radio that is USB powered, that looks like something from an old 50’s radio show? It is called the USB Retro Radio, it’s from Brando WorkShop and it’s fully powered by your USB port, it looks like an old fashioned microphone, and even has a sign that lights up ‘On The Air’ when powered up. This is just one of those gadgets that is just plain cool, so continue on to check it out… ”
Column: The Best Products of 2006
Digital Trends :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“Each year brings its fair share of bozos and its stars. Those that brought out the bozos (or bought them) know it and we don’t want to rub salt in their wounds during the holiday season (well do that right before CES instead). This week we’ll chat about the products that stood out in our minds as ground breaking and spectacular in a number of categories. ”
Stylish Superb Lightweight Digital Note Recorder
UC Logic :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Have you ever exhaustively looking for a note that you handily wrote down? Or if you have already been piled up by a lot of files, but you still need to re-organize the note took from meeting minutes?? Inspiration or idea sometimes is just a moment. Have you worried such a good idea or inspiration without capturing its original work after it has been digitalized? Those should be annoying and troubled for most of people when processing works, particularly designers. However, they will not be any problem now. UC-Logic’s D-Note (Digital Note Recorder) can help you to solve those problems effectively and efficiently. By using D-Note, you also can experience joys brought by technology.
Lenovo Thinkpad X60 Tablet Review
XYZ Computing :: Monday, December 25, 2006
In case you are not overly familiar with the Thinkpad lineup, it is worth spending a few minutes to get a basic understanding of what is going on. The ultraportable “X” line is composed of laptops with a 12″ display, Intel mobile processor (a low voltage model in some cases), and very low weight. To make a long story short, the X60 Tablet is long overdue successor to the X41 Tablet but if it is anything like the X60s, it will be worth the wait. It should be noted that the X60t is actually based on the X60s, not the X60, a fact that can be quickly be discerned by a quick look at the specs.
Logitech diNovo Edge Review
Techgage :: Monday, December 25, 2006
Logitech has released quite a few “revolutionary” products this year, and plan to finish 2006 off with their diNovo Edge keyboard. They claim it’s the most technologically advanced keyboard available and is probably one of the most expensive. Is it worth your time and money?
USB El Wire Mod How-To
GruntvillE :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“I looked at it, and realized it was an A-B type connector: like for printers. What good is that, what are these companies thinking? Can’t use it for mice, or keyboards, or cameras, or anything but a printer without an adapter. Unless…
Unless I could match up the USB wires and patch it directly onto my favorite Peripheral.”
OCZ Roadster 1GB review
DV Hardware :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
The OCZ Roadster is a new ultra-portable memory stick that features a “top-down” design. Contrary to most other flash drives the OCZ Roadster doesn’t have a cap that you can lose. Instead it features a convertible design, with one flip the USB connector comes out the black protective cover.
Raptor Gaming M3 Mouse review
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
“A few months ago we reviewed the Raptor K2 keyboard , the cheap and less than cheerful followup to the excellent (and rather expensive) original K1. Unlike many companies, our less than positive review didn’t deter Raptor Gaming from supplying us with their newest gaming mouse the “M3”. The M3 is the highest specification mouse in their newest series.”
Art. Lebedev Mus2
techPowerUp! :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Art. Lebedev is well known for its industrial designs as well as the Optimus range of keyboards. The Mus2 is a very nice looking optical mouse, shaped like a mouse pointer. This would make the perfect accessory for every HTPC. We take a look at it, to acertain if it performs as well as it looks.
Palm Treo 700w Smartphone Review
Techgage :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
The 700w from Palm packs a lot into it’s small frame. This smartphone runs on the feature-rich Windows Mobile 5.0, includes a 1.3MP camera, good battery life and a full QWERTY keyboard.
Cyber Snipa Dog Tags Multitool USB Flash Drive Review
Tweaknews :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
“The Cyber Snipa Dog Tags take the simplicity of a USB flash drive and turn it into quite the geek chic multipurpose gadget while still maintaining functionality. Personally, I can’t say I’ll be wearing these around my neck but I’ll definitely be carrying them with me. They are durable, ultra portable, and have lots of handy devices readily available. Highly recommended for both gamers and computer techs!”
Lego Star Wars 2 Goes Mobile!
THQ Wireless :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
With a comical take on the Star Wars Trilogy that revolutionized pop culture forever, LEGO Star Wars II includes even more of the family-friendly LEGO action, puzzles and humour that earned the original LEGO Star Wars such popularity and acclaim.
Take on the role of your favourite Star Wars character including Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 and battle to find Princess Leia.
Update Lets Microsoft Zune Play With Windows Vista
Microsoft :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Microsoft released its Zune video and music player and accompanying Zune Marketplace online store in November, but out of the gate the device was not Vista compatible. However, at the time the company said it would be available in plenty of time for Vista’s consumer release, which is scheduled for Jan. 30.
Anydrive 3 MP3 Player Review
RB Mods :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Nowadays, mp3 and other digital audio players are everywhere, each offering mostly the same basic functions in different shapes and sizes. With big-named companies like Apple and Microsoft in the mp3 player business, products have to come up with creative features to make a name for themselves. Merconnet, popular online retailer, sent us one such “unique” mp3 player, the Anydrive 3. Let’s just say that totally different than your iPOD or most other players on the market. Read on to find out about this unique product.
Samsung/Cingular BlackJack
Digital Trends :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
At some point cell phone designers will stop screwing around with the keypad layout. To help differentiate its otherwise slammin’ Blackjack (aka SGH-1607), available from Cingular for $499.99 (or $199.99 with the usual contract commitment stipulations), Samsung’s industrial designers could not resist screwing with the numeric keypad. Instead of integrating the standard three-by-three plus 0 arrangement into the QWERTY layout like every other Smartphone extant, they’ve instead bizarrely alternated the grey number keys with black alpha keys. In other words, the 1/E key is next to the @/R button instead of the 2. What in the Sam Hill were they thinking? Different sure, but Samsung also has vastly increased the level of difficulty for this device’s primary function — making a phone call. Talk about your fatal flaws. ”
OCZ Rally2 2GB USB2 Flash Drive
Overclock 3d :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“The sales of flash memory products are on a steep increase with many people realising how handy having all their data on the go can be. Today I’ll be looking at OCZ’s “Rally2″ flash drive to see if it can compete in an already flooded market.”
LG UP3Flat Shuffle Killer
Cool Tech Zone :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“I’m speechless. Usually, I’m quick to blast off iPod gimmicks, but honestly, I don’t know whether I should like or dislike the UP3Flat. Really, it looks better than the Shuffle, some might argue. But on the other hand, couldn’t LG have been just a tad bit unique and maybe added a display to separate from the millions of Apple copycats?”
Aztech Modem Bad Flash Recovery Guide
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
If you have ever been plagued by a bad firmware flash, there’s a way to correct that and restore your modem to working condition.
Join zy as he shows you just how easy it is to recover from a bad firmware flash. ”
Nova Raider Mouse Mat Review
XS Reviews :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“Nova are a company that took an old design, the humble mouse mat, and attempted to do something special with it. They added fancy features and outlandish colours with their Killer and Winner mats but today I am testing a slightly more conservatively styled pad, the Raider. Lets see how it does. ”
Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard
The Tech Lounge :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“The Tarantula sports a whole host of features designed to help the gamer. There are ten macro keys, a button on the keyboard to switch profiles, and even the ability to store profiles on the keyboard itself so you can take your profiles with you. But how does this keyboard stack up to other “regular” keyboards? Read on and find out.”
How to Disable Error Reporting in Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0
Project PDA :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“Many users have been reporting increased performance on their PDA or Smartphone by disabling error reporting. If you have been a user of any Windows XP anytime in the last couple of years, then you probably know what this is. Basically, when one of your programs crashes, and error is sent out to Microsoft so they can fix the bug. Turn this feature off, and get better performance out of your PDA or Smartphone…”
X-Gene Wired Multi-Media Keyboard with Optical Trackball
Dragonsteel Mods :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
” Today on the review block we have another product from X-Gene, if you recall the last X-Gene review it was a review of their wireless keyboard with trackball, well this review is of their wired keyboard with trackball. No, it’s not the same, not even close, the wireless version was more fun looking, while the wired version looks like it belongs in an office, it is very stylish and has quite a few useful functions. Features like multimedia keys, internet function keys and the optical trackball built-in all make this one really cool keyboard, so read on to check it out…. ”
Holiday 2006 – Our Christmas Wish List
Think Computers :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“Here at ThinkComputers we do not get everything for free. There are a lot of items that we wish we could get a chance to take a look at and review. So I have asked a few of my staff members to pick 5 items that they would like for Christmas. This might give you some ideas for someone on your Christmas list, or yourself! I have also included 5 items that I would like as well. So let’s see what is on our Christmas list’s…”
Ratpadz XT Premium Mousing Surface Review
Virtual Hideout :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Is the Ratpadz any different?. If you want a good comparison to something you might already have, think indestructible cutting board, or armor plating, and you’ll get a good idea on how sturdy it feels (that’s a plus btw)”
Ratpadz XT Premium Gaming Mousepad Review
Tweaknews :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“Truthfully, I never knew gaming could be this effortless. I know I know, it is just a mousepad, but you really have to try one of these out. There are several companies bragging and touting their mousepads to be the best out there and when they turned up to the Tweaknews labs they were judged to be overpriced, over-hyped and under performing pieces of marketed junk……..but this doesn’t apply to the Ratpadz XT. It is what it is and that is an exceptional mousepad. And it isn’t that badly priced to boot.”
Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard
Phoronix :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“Razer has been known for their array of professional gaming mice while recently we had looked at their Barracuda AC-1 and HP-1 audio products, but how well is this company able produce a professional gaming keyboard? After months of anticipation the Razer Tarantula Keyboard is finally shipping to retailers, and we happen to have our hands on this keyboard to see whether it is worth using under Linux.”
Ratpadz XT
techFEAR :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
The Ratpadz XT is a solid polymer mousing surface designed to improve accuracy while providing long-lasting use. techFEAR takes one out for a spin and sees what “greased silk” feels like.”
Titan TTC-G2T Aluminum Notebook Cooler Review
OCIA :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“Laptop coolers of various forms have been around for years, from special insulating pads to stands to things with fins and fans, but for every different type you see there are a myriad of mixed reviews over whether they’re actually very effective or not. As I mentioned, in my experience their performance has been less than stellar. But today I have for review the latest from Titan/Inland in their G3T aluminum cooler.”
Antec brings powerful cooling to laptop users
Antec :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Antec, Inc., the leading global brand of high-performance computer components for the PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, has released Notebook Cooler S, a small portable laptop cooler that effectively prevents overheating and associated problems, and NP-100, a high-capacity notebook power adapter that increases the life of laptop batteries.
Palm One Tungsten T5 Review
Project PDA :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“The T5 has been able to handle almost everything I’ve thrown at it. I have found it incredibly useful, very easily finding its way into my routine throughout the day. For example, I have an approximately 20 minute drive to the office and in the morning I don’t always have the time to read as much as I’d like before I have to head for school. So, I simply downloaded some MP3 lectures that I’d been wanting to hear, transferred them to the T5 using the Drive Mode, and then listen to them via the built-in speaker. The MP3 playback is wonderful, especially considering the fact that if you are listening to an MP3 and the times comes for your Palm to go into “hibernate” it will continue to play the MP3 with no interruptions. If you have a playlist queued up, it will play the playlist clear through, with the screen blanked out so that you don’t waste your battery life.”
Netgear Storage Central SC101 review
DV Hardware :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Netgear’s Storage Central model SC101 is a hard disk enclosure with built-in disc controllers and networking features. This device emulates one or more logical drives using one or two physical IDE or PATA hard disks and provides a shareable storage facility accessible by all windows computers on a DHCP enabled network.
Cooler Master NotePal P1 Notebook Cooler Review
Think Computers :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“Almost all notebook coolers are the same or have the same design. The basic design that we have seen on them works, but is there a better design? Well we will see today if there is. The Cooler Master NotePal P1 has a stylish ergonomic design unlike other notebook coolers out there. It is very lightweight and has an extra USB port so let’s see if it can get the job done.”
Super Talent 2GB Mega Screen MP3 Player Review
Legit Reviews :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Today we look at the Super Talent 2GB Mega Screen MP3 Player, which is Super Talents first attempt at the MP3 player market. Is this the MP3 Player for the iPod craver on a budget? With a built in FM tuner, OLED color display, lithium battery and simple button layout it just might be! Read on as we take a look at the 2GB white version to see if this is the MP3 Player is right for you.
What To Do if Your iPod Falls in the Toilet
Big Bruin :: Monday, December 18, 2006
This article isn’t our usual fare, but it covers a very serious topic and I thought it should be shared! Who knows, it might just be you that is saved, or at least it might be you that has a little laugh. The moral is that “Next time you want to hear music when you are in the toilet please be extra careful. Especially if you had bad seafood the night before.”
Holiday 2006 – The Upsize and Downsize Gift Guide
Futurelooks :: Monday, December 18, 2006
With so many good ideas out there, it really is hard to find something that is just right. Well, why settle for “Just Right”? And who said size doesn’t matter? We’re going to help you identify those gift ideas that are just waiting to be upsized or downsized to perfection.
Logitech G5 Laser Gaming Mouse: Battlefield 2142 Edition Review
Hardware Secrets :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“A sluggish mouse is a nightmare for any gamer. Quickness of response and precision mean the difference between life and death in a digital battleground. The Logitech G5 Laser Gaming Mouse has been around for a year now, but it’s gaining a facelift with a special version based on the newest installment of the successful Battlefield series from Electronic Arts, Battlefield 2142 (BF 2142 for short). What was already the weapon of choice of any serious first person shooter gamer has become also a beautiful mouse with some cool graphics inspired by the game.”
Germ-free Wireless Laser Mouse
IO Gear :: Monday, December 18, 2006
IOGEAR has figured out a way to keep those germs away with its Germ Free Wireless Laser Mouse. Coated with a “Nano shield,” this mouse is supposed to neutralize 99% of all bacteria, fungi and algae on the mouse surface. Hey, that aint too bad.
MySpace Goes Mobile with Cingular
InfoWorld :: Monday, December 18, 2006
For $2.99 per month plus standard use charges, Cingular subscribers can download a Java application that lets them blog, upload photos and update their MySpace profiles, among other things. The service, MySpace Mobile, is available now on select handsets. Subscribers can text-message “MYSPACE” to the Cingular number 386.
Palm One Tungsten T5 Review
Project PDA :: Saturday, December 16, 2006
“The T5 has been able to handle almost everything I’ve thrown at it. I have found it incredibly useful, very easily finding its way into my routine throughout the day. For example, I have an approximately 20 minute drive to the office and in the morning I don’t always have the time to read as much as I’d like before I have to head for school. So, I simply downloaded some MP3 lectures that I’d been wanting to hear, transferred them to the T5 using the Drive Mode, and then listen to them via the built-in speaker. The MP3 playback is wonderful, especially considering the fact that if you are listening to an MP3 and the times comes for your Palm to go into “hibernate” it will continue to play the MP3 with no interruptions. If you have a playlist queued up, it will play the playlist clear through, with the screen blanked out so that you don’t waste your battery life.”
Skype Supports Smart Phones
Skype :: Saturday, December 16, 2006
Skype released the beta version of Skype 2.2, a software client that allows Windows Mobile smart phones to access the company’s voice over Internet Protocol (VOiP) service over Wi-Fi connections.
Previous versions of the software were compatible only with Windows Pocket PC devices.
MyFlash Fingerprint Disk FP1 Review
Overclockers Club :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“This brings me to the MyFlash Fingerprint Disk, produced by A-Data Technology. This is a standard size USB 2.0 flash drive, but includes the security of a fingerprint swipe system. I must say, when I first saw this little item, I was skeptical about its reliability. I mean, the government has been talking for years about using biometrics for security at places such as airports, but has been unable to implement a system that works and is cost efficient. But I, as a consumer, can purchase, for a reasonable price, a reliable, secure, fingerprint recognition system? I was pondering the government and how it always seems to be years behind, and then it happened. “Fingerprint Device Not Registered”… I will explain shortly.”
Razer Barracuda HP-1
techPowerUp! :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
The Razer Barracuda HP-1 is a unique headset which offers true surround sound. A number of small speakers in the headphone are placed at different positions and are driven by a small amplifier included with the headphones. Now you can enjoy positional sound effects while using a headset. In our testing we found out that this makes quite a difference in games like Counter-Strike or Battlefield, where you can locate enemies based on the sounds they make.
Gifts for the discerning geek
Digital Trends :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“We’ve got reviews of the Microsoft Zune, Logitech X-530 speakers, Alienware Area-51 7500, and soon you’ll be seeing my take on the Sennheiser MX90VC and Sony Altus headphones. I give an audio review of the Altus headphones featured in a previous Podcast.”
Project PDA: Holiday 2006 Smartphone Buyer’s Guide
Project PDA :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“The first and arguably the most important decision that needs to be made before buying a new mobile phone is deciding which service provider to use. With all of the complex voice, data, and feature plans available, there isn’t a magic formula or overly simplistic piece of advice to give. We recommend relying on the service providers’ technology and coverage that will best meet your needs. Remember to take into consideration that you may work in an area that has great coverage, but live in an area that gets horrible reception.”
USB WebCam with Mic and NightVision from USBGeek
Dragonsteel Mods :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
” With services like YouTube, MySpace and others out there, Webcams have become increasingly popular. There was a time when they were more of a novelty item, but now it seems that everyone has one in some form or another. With that popularity increase of course comes forced advancements in the technology itself, with those advancements comes specialization. Today for review our friends at USBGeek have sent us a very cool WebCam, this one features Night Vision, and of course it has built in microphone as well. Read on to check it out, it really is a great camera…. ”
Atari’s Centipede Headed for Mobile Phones
Glu Mobile :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
While the game play and graphics of Centipede capture the essence of the original game, Glu has incorporated 21st century elements including additional themes, power ups, and upgrades in graphics, control and functionality.
Ratpadz XT Review
Techgage :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new Ratpadz release, but here we have the XT. It’s an update to the original, which is designed to be very sturdy while offering you a slick surface to give you precise control.
Super Talent Holiday Giveaway
Think Computers :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“Well it is the Holiday season, which is the giving season. Super Talent was nice enough to supply us with some prizes to give to you! So here is what we are giving away! One 2GB Mega Screen MP3 player, and 1 1GB ReadyBoost USB Drive!! To be entered into the contest all you have to do is send us an e-mail to supertalent@thinkcomputers.org with your name and address and you’re entered! It’s that simple! So go ahead and send us an e-mail for a chance to win one of these cool prizes from Super Talent. The contest will run for 2 weeks starting December 13th and ending the 27th, so this will make a nice “after-Christmas” gift.”
A HardwareLogic Christmas
Hardware Logic :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“With Christmas just around the corner, we’re here to help you procrastinators pick out those last minute gifts for the tech lover in your family. The HL staff got together and came up with some creative, and some not so creative, gift ideas. With a variety of budgets, and themes, the HL Christmas list should have something for everyone.”
Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
” The Tarantula is one step ahead of any other gaming keyboard in the market and it is truly a next generation keyboard. Razer did a great job with the Tarantula and everything from the top-notch packaging to the software was impressive. The high-glossy keyboard surface makes the Tarantula appear as the one of the nicest and shiniest keyboard in the market, but this also means that you have to take good care of the keyboard to keep its shinny condition. The keyboard features built-in 32Kb memory which allows to store up to 5 Synapse profiles on the keyboard itself. Software installation was not necessary to get the Tarantula alive but Razer did put quite a lot of effort in crafting the software as much as they invested into building the keyboard.”
A4Tech’s X-750F Laser gaming Mouse
Techtastic :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Today we take a look at another mouse offered by A4tech called the X-750F Laser Gaming Mouse. This particular mouse can adjust it’s DPI from 600-2500 DPI ‘on the fly’ while gaming and features a unique Triple fire button.
Motorola’s mobile flagship: KRZR K1 Mobile phone review
Target PC :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
An interesting option on the KRZR is the “call delay”. Once enabled, this feature acts as virtual answering machine that holds your incoming calls. In other words, when you receive a call, by opening the flip you get an option to answer the call or delay it. The delay option automatically activates a women’s voice saying to the caller: Please hold, your call will be answered in a moment. The neat part is that you can record your personalized message or music, for example: You’ve reached the offices of “YOUR COMPANY NAME, all of our representatives are currently busy, please hold, someone will be with you shortly. It’s a great way to give a professional business impression to your client via your own cell phone.
Revoltec Gaming Review
Technic 3d :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“The Revoltec Gamer Fightboard, Fightmouse and Pads arrived Technic3D. The new Equipment for Gamer? See you in the following Review on Technic3D ”
December’s Coolest Gadgets
IDG News Service :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Nothing’s worse than delays when you’re waiting for a hot new gadget. Just ask the tens of thousands of people who queued up all night for the PlayStation 3 when it made its global debut in Japan Nov. 11. The console had originally been due out in the early part of the year but was held up by several problems. Judging by the lack of stock in stores, it’s still difficult for people who want one to do so before the holidays.
So it’s nice to see Panasonic living up to the promise it made at this year’s Ceatec show with the HDC-SD1 camcorder. This small-size, high-definition video camera records straight to a Secure Digital (SD) card. If you hate dealing with tapes but want home movies in high-def glory, this might be just the thing—if you can afford it. By comparison, you could pick up three PlayStation 3 consoles for the price of this camcorder, assuming you can get your hands on them.
Buffalo 1GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Review
Virtual Hideout :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Folks, it’s a flash drive and not a super computer, and with 1GB of storage you can transfer files easily from computer to computer. The main reason for the review is to see how fast it can transfer that data, because, of course, the one who can do it the fastest gets the bragging rights.”
Ratpadz XT Mouse Pad
Dragonsteel Mods :: Monday, December 11, 2006
” Over the time I’ve been reviewing products and owned a computer I’ve reviewed and owned many mouse pads, and of course I have found some to be better than others, but is there a perfect mouse pad out there? Well I think there is, and it is called the Ratpadz XT, and I have it for review today. This mouse pad is the best I have ever owned, it makes using a mouse more enjoyable and effortless. The design if the Ratpadz XT makes it almost indestructible but at the same time like sliding your mouse across a sheet of ice. What’s unique about the Ratpadz XT is not only the shape of it but the fact that it is rough to the touch, but yet smooth under your mouse. Read on to check this most excellent mouse pad out… ”
Gainward BLISS 7950 GT 512MB Golden Sample Review
MVK Tech :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“You got that right; Gainward comes up with an exciting product. Gainward is a world leading producer of high-quality, high-end 3D accelerators for the personal computer market. Gainward offers a full product line of value adding products targeting gaming enthusiasts as well as entry-level consumers. NVIDIA’s venerable G71 chip has been going strong for a while now. It’s seen action as the GeForce 7900 GTX and coupled with a twin for some GX2 internal SLI loving, which was marketed as the fastest graphics card in town. More of this goodness comes in the form of the BLISS 7950 GT Golden Sample, raising the bar once again with awesome overclocking results of 675/1800MHz…”
Casio EX-Z1000 10MP Digital Camera
Bona Fide Reviews :: Monday, December 11, 2006
It seems like Casio releases a new camera every few months however, when the EX-Z1000 was announced, it generated a lot of buzz on the internet and sold very well in the marketplace. So what’s all the excitement about? 10mp, that’s right, Casio has upped the ante in the mega-pixel war, but do numbers tell the whole story?
Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 Review
Hardware Pacers :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Back by popular demand, the Microsoft® IntelliMouse is being reintroduced. The new IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 offers legendary tracking, responsiveness and comfort in a design that gamers know and love. The mouse offers basic functionality with few extra bells and whistles. This is a product which is supposed to rival Logitech and their line of G5 gaming mice. Judging from the first tests, this may not be the case.”
Logitech AudioStation for Ipod
Think Computers :: Monday, December 11, 2006
To be honest I was never really a fan of iPod speakers. I never liked the idea of a set of speakers that can only be used for 1 device. Well after taking a look at the AudioStation from Logitech I was extremely impressed, and I actually purchased an iPod just to do this review. Logitech has done an amazing job on the AudioStation and it sets itself apart from other iPod speaker systems. It features touch-sensitive controls, an illuminated display, remote, and charges your iPod. So let’s check it out!”
Jabra BT325S Bluetooth Headset
Digital Trends :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“The Jabra BT325S Bluetooth headset works just as well with your cellphone or your favorite MP3 player. We also take a look at the Jabra BT125 earpiece. ”
Holiday 2006 – Things You Can Buy a Computer Gamer That They’ll Keep
Futurelooks :: Monday, December 11, 2006
Nice! You got stuck buying for a PC Gamer. Well, you can cop out again and buy them gift certificates and underwear, or you can actually put some thought into something that might not end up on eBay or back at the store for credit after the holidays. Here are a few things that we thought would do the trick.
Nova Killer Mousemat Review
XS Reviews :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“There are several parts of PC that can be considered essential for top performance gaming. Mouse, of course, keyboard, certainly, maybe headset too? However, many people often overlook the importance of the humble mouse mat. Today I will be testing Nova’s Killer mouse mat; lets see if it makes the grade and qualifies as a gamer’s best friend.”
Fanatec heäd$h0t Controller Review
Virtual Hideout :: Friday, December 08, 2006
The rest of the mouse, I like quite a bit. I still prefer the Copperhead, but with the nicer feel and extra weight, it is a very close fight. The Copperhead’s onboard driver-less macros and better customization (both in options and usability) keep it ahead. I do happen to have 2 computers at my desk right now…”
OCZ Ultra-Slim Mega-Kart USB 8Gb 2.0 Flash Card Review
Tweaknews :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“For anyone needing large amounts of memory and easy portability, the Mega-Kart would be a very smart buy. Although it costs a bit more money, you have to remember the capacity it is squeezing into its small package.”
Review: Targus 17″ XL Notebook Backpack
GideonTech :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“Targus is a company that is well known for their bags and backpacks as well as security items for laptops. I recently purchased a new laptop that has a 17″ screen, and until today I really had not been taking it out of the house. This is mostly because I had no convenient way of protecting it against the the horrors that await my pretty new laptop from the brutal outside. My old laptop bag was made by Targus and has seen its share of action over the last 7 years. Even though it was still perfectly usable after all this time (albeit, a little dirty), it was limited to a 14″ screen. Fortunately for me, Targus was nice enough to send over one of their 17″ XL Notebook Backpacks.”
Ideazon MERC Gaming Keyboard Review
XYZ Computing :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
Ideazon is best known for their Zboard- a keyboard that is made up of a base and removable keyset. A dedicated keyset is included for gaming and one comes for standard use- a novel idea, but something that take time to change and can get expensive if you start to buy specialty keysets. The MERC takes a standard keyboard and slaps a Fang Gamepad on the left side, but it can also be seen as the best qualities of the two Zboard keysets combined into one product.
With a retail price of under $40 and a street price closer to $30, the MERC is not going to have to offer a lot to impress consumers. That said, many people are going to resist any changes to something as familiar as a keyboard, so the price will not matter if the product does not stand up to expectations.
Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 Review
Hardware Pacers :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“Microsoft’s LifeCam NX-6000 is a nice little webcam, but may not be all that a user may expect. The NX-6000 is a high resolution webcam with 2.0 mega pixel video, but the quality of the video is not all that it would seem in some of the resolution settings. At 640×480 and 800×600 the NX-6000 performs marvelously, but other resolution settings are not as nice. At higher resolution motion is blurry and distorted due to low frames per second, while at the low resolution settings the picture is out of focus.
The video quality settings are an issue, but the design of this camera is amazing. Very small and portable, with a retractable lens. Once the lens is out it has the ability to tilt up and down for the perfect angle. This camera is perfect for portability; it is rugged and the lens is protected. The camera clip on back is quite sturdy as well. In addition to all that, this camera comes bundled with a nifty carrying case.”
XtracPads PRO
Nippy Chips :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“XtracPads has propelled itself into the field of big mousing surfaces, little mousing surfaces, and performance mousing surfaces. All an all the company is great at what it does, and all its products show the company’s strength. Today I have one of the smaller breed mouse pads from their line of mousing surfaces. I have the Xtracpads Pro. The Pad is consistently smooth, grips very well to my desk surface, and has awesome performance in conjunction with my Razer Diamondback Plasma LE. Read on for more…”//
Corsair 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Voyager Review
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“I can totally recommend this unit to anyone looking for a large capacity USB 2.0 flash drive. You just can’t beat the warranty, the durability and the read/write speeds of the Corsair 8GB Flash Voyager”
Icy Box NAS IB–NAS2000
Overclock 3d :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
In the market for a NAS solution for your small Network? We take a look at the Icy Box IB-NAS2000 to see if it fits the bill.
Holiday 2006 – Five Things You CAN Buy a Digital SLR Owner
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
DSLR owners are a special breed that will spend a lot of money for the right lens or accesory. They can be a really tough crowd to shop for. We’ve actually managed to find five things that might impress them. Things that from our own experience, we would love to have, but just don’t buy ourselves for some reason or another.
Ideazon Reaper
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Ideazon is a company whose products are specifically designed for gaming purpose. They have a range of products from keyboard to gamepad and most recently, gaming mice. Their first product—Zboard is a gaming keyboard that is specifically designed for some of the world’s hottest games: Doom 3, World of Warcraft, and Battlefield 2. What Ideazon strives to do is design the product that is from the gamer’s perspective. Today, we’ll be looking at the Reaper, Ideazon’s first gaming mouse. Join us and see if Ideazon can bring innovation and good performance to the Reaper as with what they have done with their keyboards.
Linksys WIP300 Wireless-G IP Phone Review
Buzz Me Baby :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“A new Wi-Fi VoIP phone, with not the same disappointing features as previous VoIP phones, is in the market for VoIP lovers. Linksys have launched its VoIP and Wi-Fi enabled phone – The WIP300. It allows you cheap high-quality voice over IP calls through a wireless network network attached to a high-speed Internet connection allowing you to escape your computer when using VoIP.”
Hiyatek CF-6159-1 Laptop Cooler with USB Hub Review
Big Bruin :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
There is a compartment on the bottom side of the Hiyatek CF-6159-1 cooler between the two fan openings. Opening a sliding door reveals a storage area for the included USB power cable which has two full size connectors on the end intended for your notebook computer, while the end intended for the cooler has a single mini USB connector. In some situations it may be necessary to have both connections plugged into the host computer to make sure that enough power is provided and that data can be transferred through the hub connections, but I found that using just one USB connection was more than adequate on my notebook computer.
Canon HV10 Review
Digital Trends :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The HV10 uses the HDV format that records 1080I high-def signals on blank MiniDV tapes, similar to the Sony Handycam HDR-HC3 ($1,399 US)—and much more expensive Sony HDR-FX7 ($3,499 US) and Canon XH A1 ($3,999 US). Video quality is very good. Don’t take our word for it–you really need to see it on new flat panel TV to appreciate it—and some retailers have displays that do just that. Canon was a little late to the HDV game—as they are always laggards when it comes to new video technology. A very conservative company, they’d rather let pioneers take the arrows to determine if there is a market. Once it’s “real,” Canon jumps in. That’s why Canon’s first generation HDV model arrived late in 2006, almost 18 months after Sony’s HDR-HC1, the first really consumer-oriented HDV camcorder. But that’s ancient history. How does the Canon HV10 fare—and should you use it to record your New Year’s revelry?”
Sandisk Cruzer Titanium 2GB USB U3 Flash Drive
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“This isn’t just any ordinary flash drive. In fact, it not only holds 2GBs of data, it also houses U3 software. What is ‘U3’, you might ask? Well, have you ever wanted to carry around all your personal programs and preferences, or even your wallpaper, to take to a work, or friend’s computer? Well this flash drive can do that, and so much more, all in a super heavy-duty case!
Sandisk is a very well known name, selling in countless stores worldwide. Established in 1988, Sandisk has grown into one of the world’s largest flash memory manufacturers. They have pioneered the flash memory front with 315 US patents, and rights to manufacture any flash format there is.”
Ken’s 10 Christmas Wishlist for 2006
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“Ken Ng’s a geek in need of his toys this Christmas! Will you help him get them? Find out what he’s hot about this Christmas and if you are in a festive mood, get him (and the team too!) some of those uber-cool toys! ”
Gennum nXZEN VoIP Bluetooth Headset Review
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“We paired up this headset with our normal cadre of cell phones: Treo 650, Treo 700w, Motorola RAZR V3, and a T-mobile MDA Vario. They all paired well and easily. The Gennum nXZEN gave us pretty good range away from the handset. I was able to stay in contact with my caller when walking almost 20 feet away from the phone. The headset’s main action button has the ability to redial your last call, swap incoming/outgoing calls, as well as transferring calls from the headset to the handset – pretty standard stuff for headsets these days…”
Vizo Ninja Notebook Cooler Review
R&B Mods :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Like most desktop PCs, a typical notebook PC nowadays is using more power and thus is creating more heat. In response to the heat, many companies are starting to offer notebook PC coolers designed to provide additional cooling capability. Today we’ll be looking at the Vizo Ninja Notebook cooler, which advertises itself as a noiseless heat killer. Read on to find out if it can complete its mission. VIZO Technology Corp. mainly provide computer peripheral products to everywhere all over the world. We own the best team and complete innovation technology. Utilizing experiences for many years and sufficient skills, VIZO insist in developing innovative and nice quality products to meet mainstream users’ demands.
TechWareLabs Notebook Buyers Guide
Techware Labs :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“Considering the purchase of a laptop or in the market already? You should consult our guide to help clarify the confusing terminology you will find when looking for a laptop. We will help you make a better buying decision so you get a laptop you want and don’t overpay for something stuff you don’t want or need.”
Alienware Aurora M9700 Laptop
Digital Trends :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“Be the envy of your friends with the Alienware Aurora M9700 laptop, with dual video cards in SLI mode.”
USB Combine Telephone for Skype from USBGeek
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
” VoIP has become something that pretty much everyone uses for its convenience and the fact that most of the time it’s free. Many companies have come out with handsets that are made just for Skype or VoIP systems, and many just aren’t that good. Today for review I have one that is relatively cheap in price but is actually a decent phone and it’s from our friends at USBGeek.. It’s a basic handset without all the frills of others but it does the job and does it well. Read on to check it out… ”
Alienware Sentia m3450 14″ Widescreen Notebook
The Tech Lounge :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The Alienware Sentia m3450 14″ widescreen notebook sports a 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of 667MHz DDR2, 100GB 7,200 RPM Hard Drive, and a Dual Layer DVD Writer. It looks promising as a notebook for students and businessmen who want something portable without sacrificing too much power. We knew it wasn’t going to be a gamer’s laptop from the onset, as it uses integrated video, but we put it through its paces for 30 days to find out whether it’s worth the Alienware price premium.”
Alienware Area-51 m5550 15.4-inch Laptop
Think Computers :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“Power and mobility are 2 very important factors when choosing a laptop. You want something that is powerful enough to suit your needs, but also portable enough so that it is not a hassle to travel with. We recently reviewed the Dell XPS M1210 laptop and it achieved both of those factors easily. Today we will be taking a look at Alienware’s Area-51 m5550 15.4-inch laptop and we will see how it stacks up to the M1210 and if it is portable enough for our needs. So let’s take a look.”
OCZ Technology Mega Kart 8GB Ultra Slim USB 2.0 Flash Drive Review
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The first thing someone will likely think when they lay eyes on the OCZ Technologies Mega Kart is that it looks like a credit card. Well very true indeed, the OCZ Mega Kart is designed to be similar in size to that of a credit card so you can carry it in your wallet. With 8 GB of storage bulging from your pocket, don’t be surprised if you get comments filled with innuendo.
Vantec Piano 101 Notebook Cooler
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Anyone who has worked with a laptop for a longer period of time knows that it gets very hot underneath. Not only can that produce some nasty effects on your lap but it also can both shorten the life span of the laptop as well as affect the performance when the computer clocks back the speed of the CPU and/or GPU due to the heat.
Notebook coolers have been available for a few years now so when Vantec released their Piano 101 they made sure to make it more than just another laptop cooler. In addition to the fan cooling the laptop they also put in a complete sound system and USB-hub.
Logitech G7 Laser Wireless Gaming Mouse Review
Tweaknews :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The G7 in my mind should be standard equipment for any computer user that wants to truly enjoy his/her computer with complete control, accuracy and problem free longevity you want for your money. Kudos to Logitech with their quick swap battery technology. Finally a wireless mouse that isn’t heavy to use.”
Netgear SC101 Network Drive Review
Tekbunker :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
I’ll start off with the scenario. With all the websites I design, run and maintain, I need a lot of backups. With all the recent hacking and defacing of websites, I defiantly need backups. The frequency was increasing to a daily dump of information which is necessary to keep the sites alive. I also beta test for mainly Microsoft, Vista, MSN messenger and a few other programmes.
Frog Mouse and Pad from USBGeek
Dragonsteel Mods :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
So are you looking for that perfect gift to give that someone special? Or maybe just a gift for yourself to brighten up your day. I’ve got a great little mouse and pad combo from USBGeek for review today, the mouse and pad are shaped like a frog! This isn’t your typical mouse, it really is kinda cool and goofy as well. Why not add a little character to your workspace, and turn a few heads as well. When people see your new Frog mouse and pad they are sure to stop and check it out. So why don’t you continue reading to learn a bit more about this unusual little product…
Holiday 2006 – A Look at the Latest High-Tech Robotic Toys
Futurelooks :: Monday, December 04, 2006
What little boy and even some little girls too, would want their very own robot? But let’s not let just the kids have fun. Many grown ups would love to have a robot around the house as well. We check out some of the most popular robotic toys available this holiday season. Also looked at are some of the coolest robots that you won’t be able to own today, but hopefully in the future.
X-Micro X-VDO MP4 F610 – Portable Music Video Player
Tweak Town :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“As far as features are concerned, you would be hard pressed to find another player that does more for the money. Between the audio and video file playback, you also have an FM radio tuner, a photo viewer and a backup storage device to boot. With these devices coming in at 512MB, 1GB and 2GB sizes, you can choose the one that best handles your needs.”
AnyDrive 3 Multifunction MP3 Player FM Wireless Transmitter Review
Tweaknews :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Overall, the AnyDrive is a mixed bag. By itself, it’s a decent enough player, but very limited. Lack of file support, quirky backlighting, and all but useless instructions knock the Anydrive down a few notches.”
X-Gene Imperial Wireless Keyboard
Dragonsteel Mods :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
” Hey, check this out: For review today I have what I believe is the perfect keyboard for any HTPC system. The keyboard is from X-Gene and it is not only wireless but also features a trackball and ergonomic grips on the sides. It looked like a really cool keyboard on the X-Gene site, but it wasn’t until I got it into my hands that I found out just how great it really is. The X-Gene Imperial has your standard keyboard sans the keypad, with multimedia and internet hot keys lined across the top and an optical trackball built into the keyboard itself. It’s small size make it perfect for storing when not needed. The X-Gene Imperial isn’t just for HTPC systems by any means it would work for any computer, but I just found it to be the perfect compliment to my HTPC system. Well read on to check out this exciting and very cool product… ”
Snappy Face Recogniser Review
Technic 3d :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The Snappy Webcam arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review a Webcam with Face Recogniser. Good-bye password?”
SD Card Roundup article
Techgage :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
The market is completely saturated with SD cards, but which one will give you the best bang for the buck? We are taking a look at seven different cards ranging in different densities and speeds to find out.
Belkin F1PP000GN-SK Wi-Fi Phone Review
Buzz Me Baby :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“One more Skype service supporting mobile phone is in the market which will free you from your PC. The phone allows you to make calls to your Skype buddies via Wi-Fi connection for free. You can also make cheap calls to any landline / mobile phone at your home /overseas with your SkypeOut credits. Buzz Me Baby looks at the Belkin – F1PP000GN-SK Wi-Fi enabled Skype supported mobile phone.”
Nokia 5300 XpressMusic Mobile Phone Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“As the dominant mobile phone manufacturer in the world, what should Nokia do when Sony Ericsson released their Walkman-series of music-playing phones? Strike back, of course!
Their new Nokia 5300 XpressMusic mobile phone is aimed squarely at challenging the SE Walkmans. Will they succeed? Or will they fall flat in the face? Let’s find out! ”
Rock Xtreme SL Pro laptop review
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Close your eyes and picture two 7950GTX graphics cards, an SLI motherboard, a dual core AMD processor, RAID SATA hard disks, 20” widescreen TFT and DVD writer, then squeeze all that into a laptop – you’ll probably be thinking we’re crazy… well Rock Ltd has done just that!”
Microsoft Zune Hands-on Video
Digital Trends :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Microsoft enters the portable media player market with their Zune Player. The Zune Player is a portable video and MP3 player that also lets you share your media with other people with Zune players, adding a social twist. The Zune player comes in black, brown or white colors, has a 3 inch LCD screen with a 320×240 resolution. It can playback MP3s, WMA, AAC audio files, JPEG image files, but it can only playback Windows Media video files.”
VIZO Ninja Laptop Cooler Review
Futurelooks :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
Ouch! Hot laptop! As most laptop owners know, systems can get pretty hot to the touch. So hot, that you never want them anywhere near your lap. The VIZO Ninja laptop cooler can help things cool down a bit while being silent like a Ninja. Built of solid aluminum, the Ninja is also durable, but will it be the right cooler for you?
XTrac Ripper XXL Mouse Pad Review
NGO HQ :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
: In the package we received was an XTrac Ripper XXL mouse pad. The “XXL” stands for Extra, Extra Large. Well, you can imagine our surprise when the package was opened to find a nice black mouse pad that would completely cover a small student’s desk! In fact, we have a small student’s desk being used for a second computer and this mouse pad is too wide for it! We weren’t sure if we should put it on the desk or wear it.
Razer Krait Review
XS Reviews :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Razer are known the world over for their high DPI gaming mice and awesome precision mouse mats. Their Copperhead and Boomslang mice are legendary and I am sure there are literally millions of frags that can be acredited to these gaming periperhals. The only down side with Razer products is the price. That’s where the Krait comes in; high DPI, lower price. Sounds like a perfect combination? That’s because it is.
Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer (Night Vision)
Hardware Pacers :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“With the new change in ownership, Hardware Pacers is trying to do a few things to improve the site. Before we get started let me introduce you to the new owner of www.hardware-pacers.com, Kevin Reynolds. Kevin has decided to offer the Hardware Pacers faithful a reward while improving the site and making it a more viable web site. You can click on the above link or just visit the contest forum by pasting or typing the below link into your browser:<
Sumo Omni Bean Bag Chair
techFEAR :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Sumo has redefined the bean bag chair with the Omni. techFEAR takes a look at one of these massive chairs and comes away from the evaluation with a positive experience.”
Marvell XScale PXA3xx Application Processors Tech Report Posted!
Tech ARP :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Marvell’s purchase of Intel’s cellular communications & applications processor division has catapulted them to the forefront of the industry. Just 21 days after the sale is complete, Marvell is ready to announce the new XScale PXA300-series processors.
Sling Media – The Dolby of Placeshifting?
Digital Trends :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Sling Media CEO and co-founder Blake Krikorian recently took time out from a busy schedule to do an interview with Digital Trends regarding the founding of his company, their quick rise to stardom and how they continually need to reinvent themselves to compete in the ever changing consumer electronics marketplace. ”
GIGABYTE GeForce 7600GS Review
Tech Gear :: Friday, December 29, 2006
“The meat of any gamers’ system is going to be the graphics processing capability and if you’re a serious gamer you know that all to well. However not all of us have pockets deeps enough that allow us to go out and buy a £400 graphics board. With PCI Express as the new standard for all major graphics board manufacturers it seems some of them have totally ditched their AGP boards. However, despite…”
XFX GF 8800GTX 575M SLI Review
Motherboards.org :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The 8800GTX is the fastest single graphics card on the market today bar none. The performance with two of them just flat outperforms everything on the market and then some when it works. Two of these cards working together in SLI flat out allows gamers to play games at Ultra High Resolution gaming like 2048×1536 or 2560×1600 with little trouble as long as the rest of the system including the PSU matches up to the requirements.
Win a Hanns-G 19″ Widescreen TFT
Tekbunker :: Friday, December 29, 2006
For this year’s Christmas competition we are giving away a Hanns-G 19 inch widescreen TFT, shipped right to the winners door, in a choice of 2 colours – Black, or Silver.
This competition is international, and to be eligible to enter you must have 20 non-spam posts. This competition will close on the 31st of December.
December Giveaway, HIS X1650 Pro Turbo Video Card
XYZ Computing :: Friday, December 29, 2006
It is the holiday season again so here is a gift to the forum members from the XYZ Computing staff. This time we will be giving away a HIS X1650 Pro Video Card from our private stash! This is a little different from our previous giveaways- all you need to do to enter is become a member and post your entry (no minimum amount of posts) and the duration is shorter than normal because I have some thing to take care of in January.
Connecting Both a DVD Recorder and a VCR to a Television
Robert Silva :: Friday, December 29, 2006
With the increasing popularity of DVD recorders, many consumers are facing the dilemma as to how to add a a new DVD recorder to their current VCR and Television setup simply. Here some useful tips to make this task easier.
Best Buy and Circuit City Get A Lump of Coal For Christmas
About Home Theater :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The fierce competition and price wars, amongst the major U.S. consumer electronics retailers, have delivered great Holiday Joy for consumers, looking for low prices, especially in the area of HDTVs. With stores such as Wal-mart and Costco offering more HDTVs, in both Flat Panel and Projection types, accompanied by bargain basement prices, have successfully put the pressure on Fry’s, Best Buy, and Circuit City to engage in an all-out price war to get customers into their stores for HDTV purchases. However, this state of affairs has delivered the “lump of coal” for the likes of Best Buy and Circuit City, which have reported a decrease in profits, due directly to the HDTV price war. For additional details, check out the folllowing reports by Phillip Swann of TV Predictions: Circuit City: Another Victim of HDTV Prices, and Are ‘Big Box” HD Stores Boxed In?.
After-Christmas And Clearance Sales – What You Need To Know
About Home Theater :: Friday, December 29, 2006
After-Christmas, Year-End, and Clearance sales are a great time get some good deals, but you can also end up with a purchase disaster. This is where the consumer needs to shop smart. Don’t just grab the newspaper AD and run down to your local consumer electronics retailer without arming yourself with useful knowledge and tools to get the most from your dollar.
NeoDigits Helios H4000 DVD Player with HDMI Output
About Home Theater :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The Helios H4000 is feature-packed DVD player with several innovative features. The H4000 can deliver 720p/1080i/1080p upscaled images through HDMI connectivity and/or component video connections. In addition, other features, Region Code Free and PAL/NTSC compatibility add to its flexibility. If you are looking for a new DVD player, whether to use with that new flat panel HDTV and surround sound system, make sure you check out the Helios H4000 as an option.
Klipsch Synergy Sub10 Powered Subwoofer
About Home Theater :: Friday, December 29, 2006
The Klipsch Synergy Sub10 Powered Subwoofer is not just a powerful subwoofer. The Sub 10 also delivers a clarity, tightness, and undistorted deep bass response that you find on more expensive subs. My overall impression of the Klipsch Synergy Sub10 is extremely postive. It is a real five star winner. However, I would caution those that live in a second floor apartment, the downstairs neighbors will definitely take notice!
Mid-Range Graphics Card Warfare – AMD vs. nVidia
Tweak Town :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“Today we have with us a total of four mid-range graphics cards – two from AMD and two from nVidia. While all cards are mid-range, it’s clear that they sit at different end of the scales – let’s call them low-end mid-range and high-end mid-range. The Radeon X1650XT and GeForce 7600GT sits at the lower end of the mid-range scale and at the other end we have the GeForce 7900GS and the Radeon X1950PRO. While offering high-end type performance, the 7900GS and X1950PRO still in belong at the mid-range level due to their pricing.”
Logitech Z-10 Interactive Speaker System Review
XYZ Computing :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
What do you get when you mash up the LCD from Logitech’s G15 gaming keyboard and a set of stereo speakers? This is not a question that many people would ask, but Logitech’s designers must have because that is what we have in the Z-10 Interactive Speaker System. This 2.0 speaker system is part of Logitech’s new line of high-end tech luxury items known as their Advanced Peripherals. These match style with high performance in products that are not cheap, but will be finding their way on to a lot of wish-lists this holiday season. Of course, one of their main selling points is that the right speaker has an on-board LCD and a set of touch-sensitive controls that can interact with your computer to control the music and display.
HD-DVD Content Protection already hacked?
Tweak Town :: Thursday, December 28, 2006
“Some companies and consumers have said in various places around the Net that most HD-DVD’s will not come with content protection until around 2010 or so. While that seems the case as of right now, at any tick of the clock Hollywood could start implement content protection into their media. In any case, and as far as we can tell from software companies like CyberLink, if you don’t have HDCP support (graphics card + driver + monitor and so on), the ICT rule states that the player must stop playback after just a few seconds. And it does, we tested using a Windows XP system fully HDCP compliant using an Xbox 360 HD-DVD USB drive with The Bourne Supremacy which lacks content protection at this point and the newest version of PowerDVD Ultra indeed stops playback after a few seconds. In essence, this is worse, because if you go out and buy a HD-DVD movie, you won’t be able to watch the movie at all, let alone at a reduced resolution. Of course though, you could solve the problem by going out and buying an uber expensive HD-DVD player but who wants to spend that much money and what if you want to play the movies on your PC or any computer like device connection to your HD display?”
ASUS EAX1950PRO CROSSFIRE 256MB Graphics Card Review
Virutal Hideout :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“With the ASUS EAX1950PRO and EAX1950PRO CROSSFIRE being under $200 each, the budget gamer will love its performance and price. Plus, for the same price as a 1950XTX, you can buy two 1950PRO’s and run them in Crossfire mode”
SteelSeries 3H Gaming Headset Review
Think Computers :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“Copenhagen, Denmark-based gaming gear company Soft Trading is a a relative newcomer to the gaming product market. You may have heard of Icemat or the SteelSeries, two of the company’s brands. SteelSeries is most well known for its Steelpad, an aluminum mouse pad, which ThinkComputers reviewed this past August, while Icemat is known for its namesake glass mouse pad. The SteelSeries Steelsound series of gaming headsets is comprised of the 3H, 4H, 5H, and 5H USB. This review is for the 3H, the series’ compact and inexpensive model.”
Albatron GeForce 7600 GS 256MB Review
Sharky Extreme :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Today on Sharky Extreme, we’ve reviewed the Albatron GeForce 7600 GS 256MB card:
Sapphire X1950 Pro 512Mb AGP
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The industries shift to the PCI-Express platform left many enthusiasts lacking the ability to update their graphics card. Because of that they were forced to either change their motherboard (often requiring they replace the CPU as well) or to keep their current hardware and hope that some day a quality AGP card would come out. Those who have been unable to afford the upgrade to PCIe have had very slim pickings this year, however Sapphire have announced the AGP version of one of the best cards of 2006 – the X1950Pro.
NGO ATI Optimized Driver v1.6.12
NGO HQ :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The NGO ATI Optimized Driver is a modified version of the ATI Catalyst driver. The main purpose is to satisfy the users with better performance, image quality and compatibility. The NGO ATI Optimized Driver can enhance your experience in games, multimedia and general usage. This project is especially suited for enthusiasts and gamers that want to have the best gaming experience.
This driver includes ATI Control Panel and ATI Tray Tools by Ray Adams (Optional). We’ve preferred to include Control Panel over Catalyst Control Center due to the lower memory usage and flexibility. You can use ATI Tray Tools to take full control and to adjust advanced features while the Control Panel will give you basic control options. With ATI Tray Tools you can create game profiles and assign specific settings for each application.
Nouveau: A First Look
Phoronix :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“Nouveau is a community project that is working on producing open-source 3D display drivers for NVIDIA’s graphics cards. Nouveau is not affiliated with NVIDIA Corporation and is an X.Org Foundation project. While this project is still far from being completed, for this holiday special we are sharing some of our first thoughts on this project from our experience thus far. We would like to make it very clear, however, that the Nouveau driver is no where near completed and still has a great deal of work ahead for the 3D component. This article today will also hopefully shed some light on the advancements of this project so far.”
LiteOn LH-2B1S Blu-Ray Drive
CDR Info :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
This is the first Blu-Ray PC drive from LiteOn. We examine the drive under various burning tests, both in CD/DVD and of course Blu-Ray media formats. In addition we measure all burned discs with DataRius Professional Tester and we present our thoughts at a 53pages long review.
FOXCONN 7950GT
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
For those enthusiasts waiting for the prices on the new G80 hardware to come down or those holding out to see what ATI (and NVIDIA) has to offer early next year, but who still need a graphics card that can power their games for the interim, then cheaper but still powerful cards such as the 7950GT might easily suffice as a holdover until then. When the market eventually becomes inundated with DX10 graphic cards this coming Spring, availability is not certain but high introductory prices certainly are. Not everyone can or is willing to wait until the dust settles and prices on DX10 parts reach normal levels, especially those who may very shortly be receiving some new PC games under the Christmas tree!
Acer AL1916 19″ LCD
Monster Hardware :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“Like most budget monitors the Acer AL1916 has a fixed base; that means no height adjustments and definitely no swiveling screen. What you will find on the back of the monitor in addition to the power & VGA connector is a DVI connector as well as an included DVI cable (Shock!). The literature I had on the AL1916 before it arrived hadn’t mentioned either of these items and I found their inclusion to be a pleasant surprise.”
Sound Blaster X-Fi Issues Explored
NGO HQ :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Back in May, we published an article and report about many issues reported on the latest Creative Labs product – The Sound Blaster X-Fi. A few weeks later Creative released information and blamed DDR Dual Channel for these related issues. And, after a few months, they changed their version and blamed Nvidia’s nForce4 for these issues, instead. Nvidia never responded to us about their side in the story, but they denied it on a chat.
We kept following this story and we received a lot of reports from users without nForce4 that claimed they had the same issues. So, to investigate these issues, we grabbed an X-Fi XtremeMusic from the closest hardware store and checked it out on the following motherboards: Asus M2R32-MVP, Asus A8N-SLI, Asus A8N32-SLI, ECS RS482-M and Gigabyte GA-965P. We used Windows XP SP2 with the latest updates and the latest drivers for all the devices. We also used the latest BIOS versions and ensured that the X-Fi was not sharing an IRQ with any other device by plugging it into non-shared PCI slot.
Sony Altus MDR-D777LP Headphones
Digital Trends :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“The Sony Altus MDR-D777LP headphones reach an incredible frequency response of up to 80 kHz. Is this just a gimmick or a true breakthrough?”
Altec Lansing FX5051 5.1 Speaker System Review
Think Computers :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“There are so many great speaker systems for your PC, from 2.1, 5.1, even 7.1 systems, but to use them to their full potential you need a top of the line sound card. This is the dilemma a lot of people face when going out to get a new set of speakers. Well Altec Lansing has solved your problems with the FX5051 5.1 Speaker System. The system is able to deliver 5.1 surround sound without a 6-channel sound card, without any sound card at all! The FX5051 uses USB to bring surround sound to any computer without a sound card.”
SPARKLE Speeds up 80nm GPU by Rolling out Calibre P768 Graphic Card
Sparkle :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Selected as the most powerful 7600 GT graphic card from SPARKLE, Calibre P768 Graphic Card features the award-winning GeForce 7 series architecture plus advanced 80nm process from TSMC, it can brings extreme high definition gaming to pc gamers with relative low selling price. Helped with the new 80nm process, Calibre P768 Graphic Card features higher working frequencies working at 650MHz core speed and 1600MHz video memory speed compared with the old 90nm GeForce 7600 GT Graphic Card. Also Calibre P768 Graphic Card gives much more overclocking space and less working heat to users with the new 80nm process.
Gainward introduces NVIDIA GeForce 8800 series
Gainward :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
We know how competitive gamers are, we realize how demanding they are and we know how much effort they put into becoming nr 1 in their field. We also know how little it takes to ruin all that. How devastating it can be if only one component does not perform to 110 percent. Therefore at Gainward we take just that little extra time to double check the performance of our Golden Sample® products, ensuring a rock-solid trustable fast product for all hardcore gamers who demand nothing but perfection.
SPARKLE Launches GeForce 7900 GS COOL-PIPE 256MB/512MB to High End Market
Sparkle :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Based on NVIDIA’s award-winning GeForce 7 GPU architecture, SPARKLE GeForce 7900 GS COOL-PIPE Graphic Card is designed for extreme HD gaming and users can get unparalleled image quality in latest DirectX 9 pc games. 20 Pixels rendering pipelines,450MHz core speed, 256-bit memory interface and unbelievable fast 1320MHz 256MB/512MB GDDR3 memory enable blazing graphics performance with maximum quality. Also helped with advanced NVIDIA® PureVideo™ technology, SPARKLE GeForce 7900 GS COOL-PIPE Graphic Card delivers smooth, high-definition video playback and crisp HD picture quality.
ITurbo Keeps Your iPods Playing
Voxred :: Wednesday, December 27, 2006
“Whether it’s music, movies, TV shows, audio books, games or other forms of entertainment, iPod users no longer have to worry about getting stranded with a dead battery when away from home,” said Norman Docteroff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Voxred International, LLC, developers and distributors of the iTurbo. “We believe that consumers everywhere will find the iTurbo a necessary and everyday companion to their iPod.”
Shaped like a compact round tube, and initially available in all- black or all-white, the iTurbo is intended for anyone who uses an iPod–tweens, teens, Moms, Dads, gym enthusiasts, runners, hikers, business or leisure travelers, and more. The compact iTurbo fits comfortably into a front or back pocket, backpack compartment, purse, laptop bag or other small carrying case. It is reusable, runs off of one AA battery and can be used anywhere in the world. When the blue light on top of the iTurbo no longer illuminates, simply change the AA battery and continue using the device.
Logitech FreePulse Wireless Bluetooth Headset Review
3d Xtreme :: Monday, December 25, 2006
Recently Logitech delivered a wireless set of headphones. This new product marketed towards the iPod crew uses bluetooth technology to deliver interference-free wireless audio for up to 33 feet. The FreePulse wireless headphones are also rechargeable and can deliver up to 6 hours of use on a single charge.
Logitech Z-10 Interactive Computer Speakers
The Tech Lounge :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“I love music. It helps me focus, fuels creativity, and breaks the dull silence in my isolated working environment. A long time ago I reviewed Logitech’s Z-680 5.1 Computer Speakers. I quite liked them, and they served me well for a while. However, since I work from my home office, the acclaimed speakers’ boomy subwoofer annoyed my family after only a short period of time. Eventually, I just unplugged the speakers and put them in a closet, because if I couldn’t have the full Z-680 experience (bass included), I didn’t want any Z-680 experience at all. With that said, I’ve been music-less for over a year in my office… until now.
On the surface, Logitech’s Z-10 2.0 USB Computer Speakers appear to be a great match for somebody in my situation. I don’t want to sacrifice on quality, I want something that looks nice, and as much as I love deep, thumping bass, unfortunately that’s an area where I’m going to have to sacrifice for the benefit of working from home. I’ve been using these speakers for one month now, so the time has come for me to give you the skinny on these glossy black pretties.”
XFX Geforce 7800GTX video card
RB Mods :: Monday, December 25, 2006
These days most dream of the new 8800 Geforce cards, but few can afford to pay 600$ for a videocard. Therefore we decided to make a review again of the older 7800GTX card. Are you still able to get out good performance out of this card and is it really worth paying out the 180$ for a older videocard? Those are a few questions we will answer on tonights review.
Biostar 7600GS (V7603GS21)
Overclockers Online :: Monday, December 25, 2006
The Biostar E-Gate 7600GS is a ground breaking video card but not because of the hardware, but because of the software that it comes with. The Biostar V-Ranger software is the first of its kind and we saw from the overclocking section that the ability to increase memory and core voltage has its advantages, being able to do it so easily from software is just the icing on the cake.
Setting up HDMI on your HDTV – nVidia vs. AMD
Tweak Town :: Monday, December 25, 2006
“When you connect a computer to your TV using a digital signal like HDMI, the process isn’t as seamless as connecting a dedicated piece of AV hardware, like a TV tuner or DVD player. This is because AV equipment makes automatic allowances for overscan whereas graphics cards don’t. To fix this, there’s a certain amount of manual tweaking required in the driver.
I wanted to compare AMD and nVidia’s driver capabilities to get your system up and connected properly to an HDTV. The two cards used were an MSI NX7600GT Diamond Plus and Sapphire X1600 Pro HDMI. Both cards have native support for HDMI.”
Mad-Moxx 7900 GTO 512 MB Burstfire
techPowerUp! :: Monday, December 25, 2006
Mad Moxx has been providing pre-modded cards to their customers for several years now. Their GeForce 7900 GTO Burstfire is a GeForce 7900 GTO, overclocked to 7900 GTX speeds. In our benchmarks we saw that performance is identical to the 7900 GTX, at a much lower price. What makes the Mad Moxx product special is that you retain your warranty and the GTX overclock is tested and guaranteed.
MediaMonkey
PC Mech :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Ever since the first PC sound card, computers have grown more and more media-centric. We use our PCs to mix music, edit home movies, burn CDs and DVDs, and tweak our photos. It then stands to reason that some of the most popular applications are media players. Winamp and iTunes are very popular, but there are hundreds of alternatives. So, for this week’s Freeware Frenzy, I’ll be examining one of those other programs: Media Monkey v2.5.4.978
Gainward introduces NVIDIA GeForce 8800 series
Gainward :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Gainward, a world leading producer of High-quality, High-End 3D accelerators for the Personal Computer market, proudly announce it´s release of their first Golden Sample version of GeForce 8800GTS
1080p using Xbox 360 VGA cable?
Extreme Tech :: Thursday, December 21, 2006
Question from sarvic “I was looking to get a new HDTV but I wanted one that supported 1080p over VGA for my XBOX 360. What are some really good models out that that support this? Do the new Sony Bravia’s or SXRD’s support this? ”
Answer from rabidrabbit16 “you can’t get 1080p through vga, only composite on the 360. the bravia series does support component but only up to 1080i. Not sure about sxrd.”
Answer from Deathwish238 “Pretty much any 1080p Samsung accepts 1080p via VGA. Some of the latest Sonys(I think the XBR2s) accept 1080p via VGA but it is not working properly with the 360 yet.”
Audio Quiz
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“A new quiz on Audio has just been added to Hardware Secrets Test Your Skills section. Take this quiz and check whether your knowledge on audio is good enough or if you should study more.”
Steel Series SteelSound 4H Gaming Headset Review
Tweaknews :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“So, you want a 5H V2 but are a little short on cash? Then the 4H should be right up your alley. With all the same specifications as the 5H V2 the 4H is definitely a contender. However the poor quality cable prevents me from awarding the 4H with a Top Rank Award. Having a great headset is all well and good but its useless if you trip over the cable once and its dead.”
SteelSound 4H Headphones
Modders Inc. :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The SteelSound 4H headphones are simplified version of the SteelSound 5H v2 headphone and have a very close resemblance to the it’s older brother. So lets dig in and see if they knock our socks off again.
Steelsound 3H & 4H Headset Reviews
ASE Labs :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
” Steel is a company that I have much respect for. They have always thought of the gamer when building products. Even to this day, I use the Steelpad S&S for my mousepad needs. I have not used a better mousepad, ever. Continueing the tradition of quality products, Steel released sound gear to fullfil your gaming desires back when the 5H was first introduced. Since then, Steel has released a new 5Hv2 and, most recently, two new headsets. Let me introduce you to the 4H and the 3H. ”
XFX GeForce 8800 GTX SLI Video Card Review
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“NVIDIA really came to play with the 8800 GTX and in SLI you can bet that just about anything you can throw at them will run as smooth as silk. I spent several days with the cards in my own system trying to find something that could bring them to their knees and only found a couple of games that did just that. While not a wildly popular title, Marvel Ultimate Alliance can absolutely kill a single 8800 GTX at just 1920×1200 with Dynamic Lighting enabled. Throw in some AA and you have a card that is just able to keep the frame rates playable.”
Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro AGP
Hartware.net :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Wanna upgrade your (older) AGP system with high-end graphics? Sure. Now you can. But how much faster will it be? Hartware.net has reviewed the Sapphire Radeon X1950 Pro AGP with 512 MByte and compared it to the latest AGP offering from nVidia, the GeForce 7800 GS, and other, older AGP cards, e.g. Radeon 9800 Pro and even GeForce4 Ti4200.
Qpad Ce-r and Xt-r reviewed
Burnout PC :: Wednesday, December 20, 2006
“Somehow the XT-R feels softer than the EC-R and smoother. A bit more refined so to speak. The extra thickness is no problem and it doesn’t affect the comfort level at any point. The XT-R feels stronger and looks much better too. However the EC-R is half the price of the XT-R so if your looking for a new mouse pad, any of these two will do just fine. But it’s still a matter of would you spend twice as much for the XT-R if you can get the CE-R.”
HIS X1950 Pro IceQ3 Turbo Video Card Review
XYZ Computing :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Moving past the top end, the focus of this review is on ATI’s X1950 Pro, a performance card that finds itself in that $199-$249 sweet spot. This is a price point that offers very nice bang-for-the-buck and is perfect for dedicated gamers who are working within a budget. The equivalent card in the Nvidia line is probably the 7900 GS, though with newer cards out now there is some blending of price points as previous generations drop in price.
Gigabyte GV-RX165P256D-RH ATi R1650Pro Video Card Review
Overclockers NZ :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
“The Gigabyte GV-RX165P256D-RH is quite an interesting 3D accelerator, offering zero decibel cooling and a very good game bundle, SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION IV. This card could be a reasonable choice for the HTPC flocks but it would not be the best choice for the performance-orientated gamers.”
ATI Catalyst 6.12 with Control Panels
NGO HQ :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
We have noticed that some people still prefer to use the old Control Panel (CP) over the Catalyst Control Center (CCC). As a result we have decided to incorporate the Control Panel into the newly released Catalyst 6.12s.
CyberLink PowerDVD, PowerDirector, and MagicSports Optimized on Intel Core 2 Duo Processors
Cyberlink :: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
CyberLink Corp. (5203.TW), a world leader in digital home solutions, announced significant performance gains for playing, analyzing, and producing high-quality video content using CyberLink’s leading applications on systems featuring the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors.
SilverStone Milo (ML01) case
Modders Inc. :: Monday, December 18, 2006
The SilverStone Milo ML01 was created to further the emerging trend of MoDT (mobile on desktop) processors for building home and office computers. Equipped with a compact yet powerful 300W PSU and an intelligent airflow layout to ensure even lower powered desktop processors can be cooled sufficiently, this case can accommodate a wide range of system configurations easily.
SteelSeries SteelSound 4H Headset Review
RB Mods :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Today we conclude our look at the new SteelSeries SteelSound headsets with a review of the SteelSound 4H headset. We’ve been impressed so far with the quality and comfort of the two other headsets recently reviewed, the 3H and the 5H v2. Will this headset suffer from being the “middle child” syndrome? Let’s find out.
Review: MSI NX7600GT Diamond
Madbox PC :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“Featuring a huge heatsink, VIVO, HDTV support and DVI 2560×1600 output, is one of the most interesting 7600gt versions available on the market.”
Ultrasone iCans Headphones
The Tech Lounge :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“Like most products beginning with a lower case “i,” the iCans are meant to be associated with the iPod, and primarily intended for use with similar portable media players. The primary selling points seem to be (in no particular order) portability, style, and sound quality. Let’s see how well the iCans live up to their strong heritage and meet their apparent design objectives…”
ATI Catalyst 6.12 Performance Analysis – Final for 2006
Tweak Town :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“Hopefully next year as the merger of ATI and AMD gets into full swing we begin to see a more interesting line up – we really do have high hopes for the R600. Crossfire is clearly moving in the right direction with the internal bridge setup seen present on the Radeon X1950PRO.
ATI mention no performance improvements this month – disappointed? Yes! Last year at this point in time we saw the Catalyst begin to make use of Dual Core processors and huge improvements across the board, unfortunately there isn’t anything that major out. While we do have Quad Cores, it’s safe to say that it’s still going to be a while till they become mainstream with it taking almost 12 months for the Dual Core to become mainstream.”
How To Build A Media Server
Missing Remote :: Monday, December 18, 2006
After the initial flurry of activity surrounding your first Home Theater PC (HTPC) project subsides and your significant other is thoroughly addicted to its convenience, it’s time to think about phase 2 of the operation. No, I’m not talking about “Phased Redeployment”, but rather about building a media server. This is a device which will centrally store all media and make it accessible to all client HTPCs. It can contain redundant hard drives to help protect against data loss. It can be located in a media closet or the basement keeping the noise of fans and hard drives out of earshot. It can even make cabling easier as all Satellite/CATV runs need only go to the media server rather than throughout the house. A media server can wear many hats, but today we will discuss the most common highlights of planning a media server into your existing A/V environment.
Samsung SyncMaster 971P LCD Monitor Review
Tweaknews :: Monday, December 18, 2006
“Now don’t get me wrong, just because this monitor doesn’t game doesn’t mean it is not an exceptional piece of visual computer hardware. Just make you understand, gamers make up only a small percentage of the purchasing population. The rest of this monitor’s features make it an excellent options for consumers needing a top of the line monitor for work and standard computer duties. But for less money you can get a brand named 1000:1 contrast ratio monitor which is capable of gaming and you will still have money left in your wallet.”
Holiday Shopping Tip – Extended Warranties
About :: Monday, December 18, 2006
An extended warranty is a non-affiliated extension to your manufacturer’s warranty offered by a retail store or third-party company. Many times, they offer extra benefits like preventative maintenance, free replacement, no or low-cost repairs, and power surge protection. Items covered vary, but usually all televisions, DVD/VHS recorder/players, and speakers have some sort of extra protection available.
Great Home Theater Products Priced at $199 or Less
About :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Many consumers have the impression that home theater is complicated and expensive. Although you won’t find that 42-inch Plasma Television or LCD flat panel television for $199, there are a… 12/16/2006 10:00 PM
Home Theater-In-A-Box Systems
About :: Monday, December 18, 2006
Looking for the perfect gift to get that special someone started in home theater without all the hassle of buying everything and figuring out how to install it? Then a… 12/16/2006 2:00 AM
SteelSeries SteelSound 3H Headset Review
RB Mods :: Friday, December 15, 2006
Improving upon a successful produce line is usually hard to do. Steelseries, makers of a wide range of gaming accessories, is attempting to do just that with the release of two new SteelSound headsets that offer different features than their already successful SteelSound 5H v2 headset. We are fortunate enough to get an opportunity to test them out prior to their release. Today we’ll be looking at the SteelSound 3H headset, which is the smallest of these new headsets. Will its smaller size and price hamper its quality and performance? Read on to find out more.
Interview: The Sopranos Vincent Pastore
Digital Trends :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“Never mind having to survive a corkscrewing plotline designed with help from series creator David Chase and set somewhere between seasons five and six. Forget the fact that between visiting familiar locales like the Bada Bing and Nuovo Vesuvio, you’ll have to dispense with adversaries using brutal intimidation techniques, arson or murder. Ignore the need to hobnob with familiar faces like Silvio, AJ and Vito as well. The biggest challenge one must face here, according to Pastore, whom we recently caught up with? Just, ahem, getting your feet wet, so to speak. Read on and prepare yourself for what could be the most controversial criminal opus yet.”
Altec Lansing PT6021 Review
Techgage :: Friday, December 15, 2006
Altec Lansing fields us a new concept in powered audio – a simpler route to home theater sound. Their new PT6021 system holds special promise for Home Theater PC applications. But can it meet the performance challenges of true home theater use?
MSI GeForce 8800 GTX review
TechSpot :: Friday, December 15, 2006
Nvidia is now mass producing what can only be considered weapon-grade silicon with their latest and greatest G80 GPU architecture (a.k.a. GeForce 8800). Currently the G80 is available in two mouth watering flavors, both of which are capable of blowing any existing competitor out of the water.
In fact, that could well be considered an understatement as we have already seen SLI 7900GTXs and CrossFire X1950XTX cards being defeated by a single GeForce 8800 graphics card. The GeForce 8800 GTX is the cream of the crop, featuring 768MB of on-board GDDR3 memory operating at 1.8GHz with a core clock frequency of 575MHz. And while all this sounds fairly typical of a high-end graphics card (the large memory capacity, high memory and core frequencies), the G80 architecture is like nothing we have encountered before.
Altec Lansing AHP612 Wireless Studio Headphones
The Tech Lounge :: Friday, December 15, 2006
“Headphones. Some like them big, some like small, some people want noise-canceling and some want wireless. Wait… wireless? Yes! Altec Lansing AHP612 Wireless Studio Headphones to be exact. While not exactly portable in the taking-the-bus-to-work sense, they promise to let you roam free of wires when home. No more being tethered to your computer or knocking the headphones off your head when you get carried away with the air guitar.”
ATI 8.32.5 Display Drivers
Phoronix :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“With the release of X11R72, the new ATI fglrx drivers now support X.Org 7.2. But what else is new with these display drivers? At Phoronix, we have once again examined these latest Linux drivers, and with today’s public release we have all of the details to share.”
Samsung 931BF 19 Inch LCD Display Review
XYZ Computing :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
At this point in time 19″ LCD displays are very common and they can be had quite cheaply. Among those available there wide spectrum- from those that are extremely inexpensive to those that are not as affordable but have performance advantages or an improved base. The Samsung name carries a price premium in and of itself, but most of their models bring something more to the table than an average 19″ LCD. The 931BF has a few interesting selling points, such as a 2ms response time and Samsung’s MagicTune display technology. On the surface this product does not look any different from a number of other models, but it should be interesting to see how Samsung has set their product apart from the rest.
Silverstone GD01B-MXR HTPC Chassis Review
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“The SST GD01MX is without a doubt a very attractive looking HTPC enclosure. The aluminum front bezel is not cluttered with stuff you don’t want to see, allowing it to blend in nicely with an entertainment setup.”
SteelSound 4H reviewed
Burnout PC :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“The 4H is priced at around 50 Euro and the 5H at around 80 Euro. The 4H performs just as great as the 5H and does this at a fraction of the cost. Overall a really nice headset, if you don’t care about the removable cables, or the removable ear cone than the 4H is a great choice.”
Catalyst 6.12 Comparison
Technic 3d :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“Catalyst 6.12 Comparison on Technic3D. Faster then Catalyst 6.11? See you in the following Catalyst Roundup up to Catalyst 6.4.”
Sapphire X1950XT 256MB Review
Tekbunker :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
Today I am reviewing my recently purchased the Sapphire 256 MB X1950XT PCI-Express Graphics card. This graphics card is very similar to the X1900XT, only featuring some higher speed 256mb 1.0ns memory that has a stock speed of 1800 MHz. Like the X1900, it features 48 pixel shaders and features HDCP support.
Thermaltake Mozart TX Entertainment Center Case
The Tech Lounge :: Thursday, December 14, 2006
“There’s something about Thermaltake’s Mozart TX that is uncommon in cases; something beyond its aluminum construction, minimalist styling and size. It’s potential. With all its compartmentalization, easy access, and big, empty spaces, Thermaltake’s Mozart TX is designed for customization. This case is more than a home for your computer; it’s a breeding ground for creativity and invention.”
Icemat Siberia Headset Review
RB Mods :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Mike reviewed Icemat Siberia In:Ear a few weeks ago and he thought they were a pretty good set of earphones. I got the chance to try out their headphones this time. The gaming market is growing so fast these days and you need a good set of headphones/earphones to be able to keep up with the advanced sounds that the new soundcards are able to push out. A microphone is essential for todays gamer also as you always talk though Ventrilo or other voice communication software. Therefore I thought we are going to test this kit with music, games and voice communication software to get a final solution of how good these are.
SteelSeries SteelSound 3H & 4H Headsets
3dgameman :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“Both the SteelSound 3H and 4H headsets offer great bang for the buck. The 3H headset is targeted at the budget market, but great if you need an inexpensive, small, foldable headset for a LAN party. The 4H has a little better sound quality, larger earcups, and is more comfortable, but it’s not foldable like the 3H. Watch the Video to find out more…”
Steel Series SteelSound 3H Portable Gaming Headset Review
Tweaknews :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“Well, given the price of the 3H I don’t think you could ask for a better headset. This is definitely a solid entry-level product from SteelSound. The sound quality is amazing and the build quality is solid. Just listening to a few music tracks was enough for me to fall in love with these Headphones and trust me when I say that’s no easy thing to achieve.”
College Bowl Game Contest – Win a Set of Wireless Speakers
Big Bruin :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
In the spirit of college football bowl season, Bigbruin.com has a new contest for registered members of the forum. Up for grabs is a brand new, unopened Saitek A-250 Wireless 2.1 Speaker System. Even if you know nothing about college football, you can still compete in this contest. All you need to do is enter your predictions for the final scores of the bowl games featuring the top 25 ranked teams
Gigabyte x1600 Pro Video Card Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“Gigabyte, a name that has been around in the industry for years. Ranging from one side of the hardware spectrum to the other, Gigabyte is defiantly not a new name in the computer industry. Today we will be taking a look at a seeming revival of their old line, earlier this year we reviewed a card that used their “Silent Pipe” cooling. The x1600 Pro that we are looking at today has a revival of the Silent Pipe, dutifully dubbed “Silent Pipe 2”. While usually not crowned as the king of performance Gigabyte does one thing, and that is manufacture a solid mid-market product, hopefully this x1600 Pro will fill the slot for ATI based mid market performance, with the addition of the “Silent Pipe 2″ it is bound to be a sneaky competitor as well.”
22″ LCD: Westinghouse LCM-22W2 vs. Samsung 225BW
Review Desk :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“The Westinghouse monitor has built-in inputs. I really like the inputs, because it allows me to use the monitor as a TV without needing a tuner card and RF modulator. This isn’t a common monitor trait, though, so it really is kind of specialized. I’d say that the Westinghouse is more suited for a college student, or someone who just plain lacks space, while the Samsung is suited for the office environment.”
The NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX and GTS in SLI
HW Upgrade :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
We take an in-depth look at performances offered by the GeForce 8800 GTX and GTS while under SLI. What is the final result? An extremely expensive system that turns out to be the fastest gaming solution on the market.
SteelSound 3H reviewed
Burnout PC :: Wednesday, December 13, 2006
“The 3H is priced at around 40 Euro, and the 4H 50 euro. My advice, get the 4H. Performance wise these headphones are great. But their just not as comfortable as the 4H.”
ASUS EAX1950PRO 256MB Review
Techgage :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
If you are looking for a card around the $200 mark, then be sure to see the performance of the X1950PRO first! This particular card retails for less than the 7900GT in which it competes, but which takes the top spot?
Sondigo Sirocco Wireless Audio Bridge
Viper Lair :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“Quality of the playback is going to be dependent on two things, quality of the recording and connection to your Home Entertainment System. I used a FLAC backup of my CD “Bad Company – Desolation Angels” then connected the Sirocco into my Akai receiver using the analog jack for R/L (Incidentally, Sondigo use a FLAC based codec for the Sirocco). I then connected the Sirocco to the Akai using Toslink, I honestly could not differentiate between the two (which is actually a good thing as older CD music is recorded 2 channel).”
Auzentech X-Meridian 7.1 Sound Card
Think Computers :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
We all know them, our one friend who is completely obsessed with their PC’s audio performance. They generally spend hundreds on the top of the line sound cards, the best studio quality head phones, and a completely absurd amount on 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound audio systems. As computer graphics get more and more realistic the quality of the computer’s sound must improve now and many of us have seen that onboard audio simply cannot deliver without a massive cost of PC performance. Auzentech has recently released the X-Meridian 7.1 which is capable of delivering audio that will make your audiophile friend start drooling.”
Mid-Range VGA Mayhem – ATI and NVIDIA compared
Madshrimps :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
“Following our mid/high end roundup we explore the performance of mid-range products from HIS, Powercolor and Sparkle. Which VGA card can provide you with the most bang for the buck? Do you fancy silence and power at an acceptable price, keep on reading.”
Add Webradio Stations to My Radio (Windows Media Center)
Home Theater Tips & Tricks :: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Here is a nice way of adding webradio links to MediaCenter
Extract this zipfile to:
\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\accessoires\Media Center\Media Center-programs\Radio
I’ve added a few dutch radiostations to the list. It would be nice if the list was extended and you posted some more examples here. It is just an mcl file and a htm file.
SilverStone TJ09 Case
3dgameman :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“The SilverStone TJ09 Case has lots of drive bays, a removable motherboard tray, excellent air circulation, is all aluminum, has exceptional build quality, and looks fantastic. This product is truly an example of what you should be looking for in a high quality mid-tower case. It’s simply one of the best mid-tower cases on the planet! Watch the Video to find out more…”
Sapphire Ultimate X1950PRO 256MB Graphics Card Review
Virtual Hideout :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“As you can see in the benchmark results, the Sapphire X1950Pro performed quite well and is really competitive with the X1950XTX, which has 512MB of GDDR4 RAM versus the Pro model of 256MB of GDDR3. I feel that with an extra 256MB of RAM, this would’ve beaten the X1950XTX.”
ASUS EAX1950PRO 256MB
Phoronix :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“While NVIDIA has already introduced their G80 8800GTX, after several delays the ATI/AMD camp still has not delivered their next-generation graphics processor: the R600 GPU. While the R600 remains behind closed doors the X1950 remains the fastest Radeon series available. Among the products in the X1950 family is the X1950 CrossFire, X1950PRO, X1950XT, and X1950XTX. What we are looking at today is the X1950PRO, which for this article is coming from ASUS. The ASUS EAX1950PRO offers 256MB of GDDR3, HDCP support, heatpipe-based GPU heatsink, and many more ASUS innovations. With the supportive Linux drivers not coming out till later this month, this is the world’s first look at X1950 series under alternative operating systems.”
Hanns-G 191D 19′ widescreen TFT Review
Tekbunker :: Monday, December 11, 2006
As the technology of flat screen monitors gets faster and cheaper all the time, and the space on my desk being constantly eaten away by this rather bulky 15″ CRT, I decided to get myself a new monitor. The monitor that I chose was a Hanns-G 191D 19″ widescreen TFT Monitor, available from Microdirect, and coming in at £129.24 Inc vat, it wasn’t too heavy on the bank balance either. Not only has it a rather budget price tag, it also has a really good spec.
Logitech X-540 Speakers Review
XYZ Computing :: Monday, December 11, 2006
Chances are that you someone who has a nice computer but uses terrible speakers. You know, those cheap stereo speakers that come free with a purchase or you buy for $15 as an afterthought. Similarly, you probably know even more people who listen to their digital music through the speakers on their laptop. Some of these people don’t care about their sound quality, others don’t have the room for a speaker system, but too many of them simply think that they can’t afford quality sound. Logitech is trying to change all of this with their X-540 speakers. This kit retails for $99 but packs in a considerable amount of features and functionality. This kit is not for audiophiles, but if you want solid sound at a reasonable price Logitech may have the product for you.
SiliconDust HDHomeRun
HTPC News :: Monday, December 11, 2006
SiliconDust has really hit on a favorite with their HDHomeRun. While its documentation is a bit lacking its feature list sets it apart from the competition and gives it a distinct advantage. The fact that it is network attached allows the user to place the device where it is convenient rather than taking up space and generating more heat inside the HTPC. The addition of a wall mount bracket would allow the unit to be mounted next to the cable splitter and amp./
Leadtek WinFast PX7950 GT TDH Extreme 512mb Review
Xtreme Computing :: Monday, December 11, 2006
“Splinter Cell double agent is a slow moving game so it would be hard to notice low FPS. So much so it is possible to play this game at 2048×1536! Should you wish too, Just check out that shadow eye candy….! Which shows the Leadtek 7950GT Extreme 512mb is more than capable of dealing with today’s games.”
HDHomeRun
Missing Remote :: Monday, December 11, 2006
SiliconDust has really hit on a favorite with their HDHomeRun. While its documentation is a bit lacking its feature list sets it apart from the competition and gives it a distinct advantage. The fact that it is network attached allows the user to place the device where it is convenient rather than taking up space and generating more heat inside the HTPC. The addition of a wall mount bracket would allow the unit to be mounted next to the cable splitter and amp.
Sparkle’s 80nm Calibre P735+ Graphic Card With 256MB GDDR3 Video Memory
Sparkle :: Monday, December 11, 2006
Based on NVIDIA award-winning G73 architecture, Calibre P735+ graphic card is designed for latest shader model 3.0 games and delivers ultra-realistic gaming experiences and unparalleled image quality at resolutions of up to 2560×1600.With double capacity video memory than ordinary GeForce 7300 GT graphic cards, Calibre P735+ graphic card is the right products anticipated by mainstream customers. Compared with 350MHz core speed and 800MHz DDR2 video memory of ordinary GeForce 7300 GT graphic cards, Calibre P735+ graphic card features advanced 80nm G73-B1 core from TSMC. Thanks to advanced 80nm process, now DirectX 9 PC gamers can embrace Calibre P735+ graphic card with 560MHz core speed and 1400MHz video memory speed with higher over clocking capability than old 90nm SPARKLE Calibre P730+ graphic card.
Sparkle Calibre P795 Delivers High-End Gaming
Sparkle :: Monday, December 11, 2006
SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer and supplier, today announced Calibre P795 graphic card with incredible value to high-end gaming market. Calibre P795 graphic card brings the most graphics performance bang for your buck, including ultra-realistic gaming experiences and resolutions up to 2560×1600.
Xbox Live Marketplace Videos vs. HD-DVD
XYHD :: Friday, December 08, 2006
Lets start with the Basics. HD-DVD has the potential to be 36.55 Megabits per second, but tends to average about half of that. Marketplace videos or at least the one I checked out ‘V for Vendetta’ is 6.5 Megabits VBR. Account for 720p vs 1080p and you are looking at about 2.25 more pixels so pixels per bit the two are pretty close.
Conclusion HD-DVD is spectacular I was unable to find a single artifact in the copy of ‘V for Vendetta’ the same was true for Tokyo Drift which is rather hard content to encode. Marketplace videos on most TV’s in most home theatres, also spectacular. You being the Video enthusiast and cocky SOB that you probably think you have a home theatre that the quality difference will matter, well you are probably wrong.
Unless you have: * A 1080p Display, that really runs at 1920×1080 as its native resolution. * Have paid someone to calibrate the TV to reference, not the Dynamic, or Vibrant mode that many TV’s are set to. * Have disabled noise reduction on your TV. * Are Viewing in a theatre lit room.
Optical HD Battle May Be Over: HD DVD Wins
Digital Trends :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“The basis for the prediction, which did accurately point out that Sony’s win here might actually cost them more than a loss, was the PS3 and the forecast volumes for that product. Back in August of 2005 we did know that HD DVD, which used DVD production technology, would be easier to bring to market but it simply did not seem reasonable that Sony would put their PlayStation franchise at risk for anything but a technology they were absolutely certain they could bring to market on time. That turned out to be incorrect. The problems with Blu-Ray have created extreme cost and execution problems for Sony and now their premier division (instead of being the profit center for Sony) is predicting they will take a $1.5B loss next year largely resulting from this decision. To put this in perspective, just think what would happen if Apple’s iPod group, instead of generating massive profit, suddenly dropped into massive loss. Now you can see why the Sony PlayStation division just changed out their top executives. ”
Silverstone LC20M Media/HTPC Case Review
Xtreme Computing :: Friday, December 08, 2006
The other piece of software that was installed was the Imedian software and the driver for the remote control. Installing the remote control was, again, simple all I had to do was pick my remote control out for a line up of a few different types and the software did the rest. It also went as far as setting it up so that winamp was controlled by it, which was great news as that is what I normally use.”
Asus EAX1950XTX: Asus’ Fastest Video Card
CDR Info :: Friday, December 08, 2006
Steinberg Groove Agent 2 Virtual Drummer review
Cyberwizard Pit :: Friday, December 08, 2006
“In today’s world of electronic music making, quality, time and versatility are of extreme importance as far as music is concerned these days. The faster one gets the job done, the higher the quality of the job and the more versatile the composer is the better things are. Due to this quality drumkit samples are highly prized, and what better to help one lay down a beat than a drum machine. This review takes a look at one virtual drum machine, running on a computer by Steinberg themselves; dubbed Groove Agent 2, the sequel to the original Groove Agent, is loaded to the brom with beats and styles – but does it make any sense when put to practical use? This drum machine review by a drummer himself tells all.”
Nvidia 7950GT Roundup
CDR Info :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
We compare three of the latest available 7950GT cards, XFX 7950GT Silent, eVGA 7950GT KO and Gainward Bliss 7950GT PCX with many games and synthetic benchmarks.
tec Lansing 2.1 Soundsystem FX4021
Tweak PC :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
The Altec Lansing 2.1 Soundsystem FX4021 comes with innovative technics, a nice design and compact dimensions. We listened to it…
Samsung HL-S6187W
Bytesector :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“When it comes to reviewing behemoth-sized TVs, Bytesector has had a good run at it. We have tested some fairly large TVs, and once again, we are at it with Samsung’s newest 61†DLP TV (HL-S6187W). There is no doubt this TV is big; it looks big, it feels big, and it acts big. So if big is what you are looking for, this is it. This mammoth weighs in at 104 lbs and (brace yourself, HD fanatics) can natively display up to a 1080p resolution. That means true 1920x1080p.”
LTB Audio Systems 5.1 Magnum USB/3.5mm Headphones
LAN Addict :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
Hi everyone, wow, it has been a long time! Though, we have some great news: LAN Addict is back with yet another review! Just a heads up, we should have some more reviews going out over the next month or two. Thank You all for your support and generosity! Keep up the good work, looking forward to hearing from you! Quote: Bruno is back in the saddle with LTB Audio System\’s newest headphones! Do the Magnum 5.1 headphones make up for lost time, or are they yet another item on their wall of victory? You will have to read the review to find out!
The Radeon X1950PRO Ultimate: Sapphire teams up with Zalman
HW Upgrade :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“We continue our review of RV570 based video cards with Sapphire’s most recent proposal the Radeon X1950PRO Ultimate. Coming factory overclocked and with a Zalman cooler, can this card lead the pack while still maintaining low temperatures?”
ATI Radeon X1650XT vs. Nvidia GeForce 7600GT
Techspot :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
The next generation of mid-range graphics cards are just around the corner, so should you even consider purchasing a GeForce 7600GT or Radeon X1650XT graphics card? Currently the average 7600GT costs just $130, while the X1650XT is closer to $150. At these prices both present very affordable upgrade solutions, and while we can not predict the future something tells us that we won’t see DirectX10 cards this affordable until at least the end of next year.
Given the fact that both products can run the majority of new games at 1600×1200 with maximum in-game quality settings enabled, there is no real reason why you should ignore them in the hope that the next generation mainstream contenders will be much more powerful.
Steel Sound 3H & 4H Headset Reviews
XS Reviews :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“LAN parties are becoming all the rage these days, and manufacturers have realized that there is a niche that is yet to be fully exploited. Today I have the SteelSound 3H gaming headset, which is fully collapsible and ready for transportation.”
Biostar Simga-Gate GeForce 7600GS V7603GS-21 Videocard Review
PC Stats :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“What’s it like to overclock a videocard with full control over the voltage fed to the Geforce 7600GS GPU, and GDDR2 memory? Pretty darn cool! You can play it safe and overclock with the default voltage settings (for GPU/memory) of course, but the real fun happens when you open up a tool called the “V-Ranger” and key in some pretty serious voltage adjustments. There is enough room to manoeuvrer with the voltage values, that mainstream and hard core overclocking enthusiasts alike will be satisfied… again, all from the comfort of your Windows XP desktop.”
Biostar Simga-Gate GeForce 7600GS V7603GS-21 Videocard Review
PC Stats :: Thursday, December 07, 2006
“What’s it like to overclock a videocard with full control over the voltage fed to the Geforce 7600GS GPU, and GDDR2 memory? Pretty darn cool! You can play it safe and overclock with the default voltage settings (for GPU/memory) of course, but the real fun happens when you open up a tool called the “V-Ranger” and key in some pretty serious voltage adjustments. There is enough room to manoeuvrer with the voltage values, that mainstream and hard core overclocking enthusiasts alike will be satisfied… again, all from the comfort of your Windows XP desktop.”
MSI Radeon X1950XT-CF and X1950XTX Watercooled
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Much has been written recently about DirectX 10 technology and the hardware to power it, however until the retail launch of Windows Vista, and more importantly the launch of the first DirectX 10 titles there are still a number of DirectX 9 cards which warrant some serious consideration if you want the ultimate gaming experience today. One such product is the X1950XTX which along with a CrossFire master card can provide some incredible performance in the latest games.
HIS X1650 XT IceQ Turbo Dual DVI 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express Video Card
Bona Fide Reviews :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
After reviewing HIS’ X1950 Pro Turbo card just the other day we now take a look at their X1650 XT. You may think that the X1650 XT is just a slightly higher clocked X1650 Pro but you would be wrong. Yes the XT does have a tad increase in clock speed over the Pro version, 5MHz in core speed and 60MHz in memory speed, but the biggest difference is in the physical structure and architecture of the card.
ASUS EAX1650XT 256MB Review
Techgage :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
If you don’t have $300 to spend on a GPU, then there are a slew of budget cards for you to ponder over. Last week we took a look at an X1650 Pro, and today we are taking a look at a similar model. Is the card worth your $150?
Samsung SyncMaster 960BF LCD Monitor Review
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The Samsung SyncMaster 960BF is an all white 19 inch LCD monitor. The panel sports a 4ms pixel response time, 700:1 contrast ratio, a highly adjustable base, and runs at a native resolution of 1280×1024. The unit itself is anchored by a large heavy base, and the bezel is all white with light gray highlights. This colour scheme is reminiscent of a Mac Mini , and this monitor along with a Mac keyboard and mouse would like quite nice next to such a unit. In the PC world, it’s difficult to find an all white computer. The closest one can come is beige or off-white. As for those who have silver or black computers, well that is a matter of wanting a well performing monitor versus wanting something that matches.
Playing DivX and Xvid content on Xbox 360
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“Microsoft’s Xbox 360 gaming console is one of the most popular ever. It’s great for sitting around and playing games with friends and you can even play DVD’s and music CD’s on the console. While this isn’t terribly exciting, if you have a system that is running Windows Media Center (MCE) or Vista Ultimate Edition, you can stream Windows Media Video (WMV) movies to your 360 console over the network.
The down side is that you are forced to use one of these operating systems and the WMV codec isn’t all that good – compression is not that great and although it’s becoming more popular these days, DivX and Xvid are preferred “DVD backup” choice codec’s, shall we say? These lesser mainstream codec’s offer better compression and many folks on the darker side of the Web mostly use this format to distribute movies around the Internet since they are the most 1337 choice among enthusiasts.”
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The GeForce 8800 GTX is clearly targeted towards widescreen users and you might end up wasting your cash if you plan to run it below 1280×1024 resolutions. Priced at $599 a piece, the GeForce 8800 GTX is not for budget users. Although the GeForce 8800 GTS at $449 may look a little attractive, we suggest you guys wait until DX10 games hits the stores. We would also like to see how NVIDIA responds to the AMD (or ATI) team when they announce their DX10 lineup. If you’re looking for a solid graphics card with budget not being an issue, the GeForce 8800 GTX is surely a next generation graphics card that is available in the current generation. Just remember to have a really good PSU and a big enthusiast-class chassis if you plan to cage this monster in your desktop.”
Gigabyte NX79T256DP-RH 7900 GS Review
Technic 3d :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“The Gigabyte NX79T256DP-RH 7900 GS arrived Technic3D. As good is the Graphic Card 7900 GS with Zalman Cooling really against others Graphic Cards? Technic3D will see that in the following Review.”
SageTV Version 6.0 Beta Review
Missing Remote :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
SageTV just released Version 6.0 to the masses. In the past they have garnered much praise for their PVR capabilities but have taken some heat due for their Media Center Capabilities. Is Version 6.0 the XP MCE killer we all have been wiating for? Read on to find out.
ASUS EAX1650XT 256MB PCI-E Graphics Card Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
“Game play was great and the image quality was sharp and crisp. The upped megahertz of the GPU really pays off along with the GDDR3 RAM. When comparing the ASUS EAX1650XT with the X1600Pro, each card having 256MB RAM, you can see how well the 1650XT outperforms the 1600Pro”
NVIDIA Optimized Driver v1.9381
NGO HQ :: Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The NGO NVIDIA Optimized Driver is a tweaked version of the NVIDIA ForceWare driver. The main purpose is to satisfy the users with better performance and image quality. The Driver has support for all GeForce cards (including mobile series as well).
Asus EAX1950Pro HTDP/256M/A Radeon X1950Pro Videocard Review
PC Stats :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“The Asus EAX1950PRO/HTDP/256M/A is the first of this new class of native CrossFire compatible ATi videocards to land on PCSTATS test bench. The best thing about the Asus EAX1950PRO is that it doesn’t require a Master card to run Crossfire. The ATi Radeon X1950 Pro based PCI Express x16 videocard has 256MB of GDDR3 memory. It supports dual digital monitors and TV/S-Video output, along with high definition output through a set of component outputs. It doesn’t come with a whole lot of software for an Asus videocard, only a driver disc and some Asus video utilities. TThere are no more messy external connector cables, no more Master videocards… so Crossfire might just have a chance in hell of succeeding now.”
ASUS EAX1950 Pro Review
Gamepyre :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
The ASUS EAX1950Pro is an excellent buy for the consumer at $199 retail. It has all of the DirectX 9.0c features that you would want for today’s computer games and the performance that outstrips its nearest competitor in most cases. ASUS has done a stellar job with their card, with it having a unique heat sink with a heat pipe not found on other X1950Pros. As such I can easily give the card a Silver Gamers’ Choice award.
ASUS GeForce EN7950GT Graphics Card
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“The 7900GT generally caught onto a lot of bad press thanks to the extremely high failure rate from some companies who simply offered too much of an overclock. Cards died from anywhere between one week to three months but on particular brands the failure rate was consistent enough that you couldn’t put it down to a bit of bad luck. With the bad press it made sense that nVidia would want to do a bit of a rehash with the highly popular card. The 7900GT became discontinued and the 7950GT took its place, it is actually the highest spec card in the GeForce 7 series line up now with both the 7950GX2 and 7900GTX being also discontinued. If you’re after a high-end card and don’t have the bucks to spend on the GeForce 8800 series, this is your only option from nVidia.”
PUROSOL Plasma: Plasma TV, LCD and Computer Screen Cleaner
Dragonsteel Mods :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
” It’s the holiday season and the popular gift this year is Plasma, LCD and other types of big screen TVs. Today for review I have something that will compliment that gift perfectly, a product called Purosol Plasma. It is a non-toxic cleaning solution specifically made for cleaning such devices, and other things like LCD and CRT computer monitors. Purosol Plasma is an enzyme based formula that cleans at a molecular level and actually repels dust and dirt to help keep the screens clean longer. Read on to learn more…. ”
HW192D 19″ Widescreen LCD Review
Fast Silicon :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“Hanns-G is a relative unknown in the “brand-scape” when it comes to PC monitors and LCD Televisions. The past year however they’ve been slowly making their presence known through major online retailers. Their pricing is always aggressive, which often leads one to believe there is some sacrifice in quality. As we hope you will discover from the video review, no such sacrifices are taking place here.”
NVIDIA 7950 GT Roundup – Speedbump to High End
Madshrimps :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“At the beginning of September NVIDIA released their reincarnation of the G71 based GeForce 7900 GT. As midrange card the 7900GT seem to be the best buy for a big group of gamers in the first half of 2006. This time around they’ve given the mid-range card a speed boost to high end! With world leading VGA partners offering their version right away let’s see which can give us the best 7950 GT.”
MSI NX8800GTX-2D3768E-HD Video Card
Viper Lair :: Tuesday, December 05, 2006
“Gaming performance was, on average, double of anything the multi-GPU MSI 7950GX2 was capable of. Battlefield 2142, the newest title we tested with, proved to be no challenge at all for the MSI NX8800GTX. Despite the fact that widescreen gaming isn’t officially supported, our quasi-widescreen settings still looked very good and performance was right up there. In fact, now that we’ve really gotten used to it, we think it’s going to be very difficult for anyone to go back to traditional 4:3 gaming once they’ve played games in widescreen mode.”
ASUS Extreme AX1950Pro review
The Tech Spot :: Monday, December 04, 2006
Better late than never they say. Ever since Nvidia launched the GeForce 7 series ATI has been playing catch up, and it wasn’t until late this year that they finally caught up. The new Radeon X1950 Pro is a reasonably powerful alternative that is designed to compete with the GeForce 7900GS in the $200 price bracket. The good news is, the Radeon X1950 Pro is faster, if only by a small margin, but faster. Today we will be taking a close look to the ASUS Extreme AX1950Pro which is an actual retail product that strays somewhat from the typical ATI reference design. There are many ways in which manufacturers can add more value to their particular graphics card offerings. The ASUS Extreme AX1950Pro is a serious Radeon X1950 Pro contender, offering slightly overclocked core and memory frequencies along with an improved cooling solution.
Geeks.com USB 2.0 TV Tuner/Video Capture Box Review
Big Bruin :: Monday, December 04, 2006
The Geeks.com USB 2.0 TV Tuner/Video Capture Box may not be for those with a desktop PC wanting high end performance from a TV card. But, for those who want their TV tuner to be as simple as possible, this may be the ticket. It is portable, sharable between computers, compatible with notebook computers, will not require you to open your desktop computer, and you do not need to have an available PCI slot. It is just very easy to install and use!
Video: Logitech Noise Canceling Headphones
Digital Trends :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“Do you travel a lot and wish you could have some peace and quiet? Use the Logitech Noise Canceling Headphones to block out the noise! ”
Sapphire Radeon X1300 XT 256MB Video Card
Think Computers :: Monday, December 04, 2006
“Out of all of the video card makers out there Sapphire is one of the names you hear the most. Probably because they are ATI’s largest and best performing partner world wide. Today we will be taking a look at the Sapphire Radeon X1300 XT PCI-E video card. This video card features 256MB of GDDR3, CrossFire support, and is Vista ready. So let’s take a look and see what this card can do.”
PowerColor X1650 PRO Review
Techgage :: Monday, December 04, 2006
If you are a gamer on a budget, you are always in a good position to purchase a great card since there are many choices available at any given time. The card we are taking a look at today is the X1650 Pro from PowerColor. It proves to pack a nice punch and goes to show that “value” is nothing to shake your head at.
HIS X1950 Pro IceQ 3 Turbo Dual DVI 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express Video Card
Bona Fide Reviews :: Monday, December 04, 2006
With the holidays right around the corner many enthusiasts are in the market for a brand new video card. Some may want the fastest card out there, regardless of its price, which means they would probably want NVIDIA’s newest card, the 8800. Others are looking to upgrade their card that they’ve had for the past 3-4 years and is a couple generations old. They don’t want to spend a lot of money but don’t want to have to replace their card next year. In their case they will probably want to shoot for a card in the $150-$250 range which means that the X1950 Pro from HIS might just be the card for them.
Palit GeForce 8800 GTX
techPowerUp! :: Monday, December 04, 2006
NVIDIA’s new G80 GPU is the first to implement DirectX 10 support and Shader Model 4.0. Palit is one of NVIDIA’s board partners who is selling the GeForce 8800 GTX. The card comes with 768 MB of video memory and can will run whatever you throw at it at highest resolutions with maximized settings. We test the card against the ATI Radeon X1950 XTX, X1900 Crossfire and the Geforce 7900 GTX.
ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon X1900 Videocard Review
Tweaknews :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“This card, much like its older brothers, is an excellent all around card for a user needing an multimedia card that can also be used for gaming. To boil it down, this card has it all. It is too bad that this will be the last of a breed that has dominated the multimedia market with such force that all rivals were laughed off of the market before they even left the white paper.”
Compro VideoMate TV Tuners – T100 Digital and U500 DVB-T
Tweak Town :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“The T100 built up a channel list OK the first time ComproDTV2 ran, and we were able to surf between all channels without a problem. Opening all the subwindows using PIP and a different channel for each window caused some dramas, however. With each subwindow opened, performance within each window dropped substantially. The Compro website does state that for each window displayed, extra CPU power is needed, but the system we used should have been fine…possibly you need a VERY strong signal if you’re going down this path, or better signal caching.”
SteelSeries SteelSound 5H v2
techPowerUp! :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
The SteelSound 5H v2 is a headset designed with gamers in mind. SteelSeries’ first headset was called the SteelSound 5H, today we test the second version. The new version features even better padding than the old one, to make it more comfortable. Besides that the internal connections were reworked for increased durability, which was a problem with the old version.
X-Micro F610 Music Video Player
R&B Mods :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
Ipod has taken over the market as the biggest mp3 player. Iriver and some smaller companies are trying to keep up and X-Micro is one of them. We got a sample of their latest creation named F610 which is a combined video and music player. With a extremely small design and light weight they have been able to combine these two players into one. It looks good but does it also work good? How good of a battery time can we get with this? How is the sound quality? Those are just a few questions we hope to answer in this review for you.
XFX GeForce 8800 GTX review
Nordic Hardware :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
When ATI or NVIDIA launch a new graphics card they usually claim it’s a new architecture. The truth is often closer to a refined or extended version of an already proven architecture. In this case it’s entirely true though, the graphics circuit housed on 8800GTX’s long black PCB is of a completely new design. We start off with a comparison of the specifications
Microsoft Zune Review
Digital Trends :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“Featuring a large 3-inch screen, the Microsoft Zune allows both music and video playback for under $250 US. Read our review before you buy it!”
Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset Review
Big Bruin :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Siberia In:Ear Headset take my expectations for earbud style headphones to a whole new level thanks to the sound quality, comfort level, and noise blocking capabilities. They work well for audio playback, and adding the microphone creates a convenient way to communicate over IP telephones or in online games.
Holiday 2006 – Know your HDTV Options This Holiday Season
Futurelooks :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
So you’re finally ready to ditch that 15-year-old, 21 inch, colour-distorted, sound-crackling beast of a television and trade up more deserving of your 20/20 vision. But with so many options out there, how can you be sure that you’re making the right choice? We’ll talk about all the options available today and help you find right HDTV for the family this Holiday.
How to Overclock Your Video Card
Hardware Secrets :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“You can increase the gaming performance of your computer by overclocking your video card. Overclocking is a technique that makes a given hardware part to operate at a clock frequency above its standard frequency, thus increasing its performance. In this tutorial we will explain in details how to overclock your video card, with several tips and tricks.”
Gigabyte call on Zalman – Radeon X1950PRO vs. GeForce 7900GS
Tweak Town :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
“We’re looking at two graphics cards today that both utilize the Zalman cooler, both are mid-range cards and both come from different sides – one red and one green. They come in the form of the GeForce 7900GS which has easily become a favorite due to the huge overclock on offer and competitive pricing. The other comes in the shape of the Radeon X1950PRO which sits behind the green team as far as popularity goes.”
Guide: Cleaning LCD displays
DV Hardware :: Sunday, December 03, 2006
LCD screens are commonly found in laptops, PDAs, iPods and high definition TVs. If you look around your home, you will probably see 5 or more of these screens in your presence. They are everywhere! However, anyone who owns any type of LCD screen knows there is one minor problem with them. These screens or displays gather dust and dirt like there is no tomorrow..