Tech News April 2008

Ultra X Pro 600W Psu Review

Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Ultra have some high end power supplies available on the market, such as their mind boggling 1.6kW unit, however for the majority of enthusiasts this is overkill. Today we will take a look at the more modest X-Pro 600W, a unit Ultra have designed for budget-conscious enthusiasts. According to Ultra, the X-Pro 600W offers high performance within its output range and they back it up with a lifetime warranty. The retail price of the unit is very reasonable ($130) and today we will ascertain if the performance is as good as the price.

Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock
Modders Inc :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Ever found yourself in the need to be able to take a huge amount of computer related files with you on the road or say just over to a friends house. Vantec just may have the answer you are looking for with their new NexStar Hard Drive Dock.

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1000W Power Supply Review 
Think Computers :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
“ThinkComputers looked at Cooler Master’s Real Power Pro series last year when I reviewed the 650W version. Cooler Master submitted its big brother, the 1000W version, to us for review. This powerhouse (literally) is ready to pump juice into a high-end gaming rig, possibly with multiple video cards or multiple processors. ThinkComputers has the review herein.”

Ultra m998 ATX Mid-Tower Enclosure
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
“Anyone who has tinkered with computers for any amount of time will immediately know the name Ultra. With a number of products that cover case fans and lights, designer cases, DVD products, hard drive coolers, media drives, complete memory solutions, memory coolers and power supplies, these folks can provide you with a large selection of upgrade items.

Today we will be taking a look at one of their system enclosures, the m998. It is a mid-tower design based around the ATX standard and has some features that may be a little different than what you have seen in the past.”

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz Review
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The wait for an affordable 45nm Quad-Core is now over, and the Q9450 promises to become the ultimate choice of the new offerings. It’s not much slower than the QX9650, offers 12MB of cache and as expected, has some fantastic overclocking ability. How does 3.44GHz stable sound?

Thermaltake M9 VI1000BWS 
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
With cooling performance nearly matching a full tower, the M9 VI1000BWS certainly fulfills Thermaltake’s slogan: ‘COOLall YOUR LIFE’. The 2 included 120mm LED fans certainly do their job well and with space for up to two more fans on the windows, anyone’s cooling needs are surely within reach. With a stylish mesh grill up front and blue LED fans; it is certain to please many with its looks.

CygNET USB CopyNotify! v1.3
Bios Magazine :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
“USB CopyNotify! (£67.99, monitors 10 PCs) plugs the data leak that takes place in most offices due to unauthorised usage of USB devices, such as phones, cameras and MP3 players. Flash drivesare a particular threat because they are so small that they are easily carried into the office, plugged into a computer and used to copy confidential data without detection, thus making established data security measures vulnerable. While there is lots of software that takes care of data security and theft of confidential data, these products are probably too complicated and bloated for small companies with limited IT staff. USB CopyNotify! is simple to install and manage and doesn’t require network security policies, access and control policies, active directories or domain controllers. In other words, it’s aimed at the small-business user who is data security conscious but doesn’t have the time, money or expertise for sophisticated network management and control.”

Nzxt Tempest Case Review
RB Mods :: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Swedish distributor for Nzxt send us their latests case named Tempest. Nzxt has earlier been well know for their superb designs on the case but they have lacked a bit when it comes to functionality and quality. Will this case change this? We are going to see what type of features they have been able to manage in to this case that they call the “Airflow King”.

Canon PowerShot A470
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This bargain-priced, no-frills camera offers very good image quality.

 

First Look: Outlook Add-Ons Bring CRM to E-Mail
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Avidian Prophet Premium and Microsoft Business Contact Manager each turn Outlook into a full-blown CRM application, but which one is right for your business?

Save on Ink, Make a Podcast, Be a Chocolatier
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Economize with an earth-friendly printer utility, broadcast around the world, and go globe-trotting in a delectable game.

Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Camera
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Sleek design, superb image capability and intuitive controls make the SD1100 a solid buy.

Plustek SmartOffice PL806 Scanner
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Plustek’s entry-level document scanner does both prints and multiple pages, but its pace is pedestrian.

QuickBooks Simple Start 2008 (Free Version) Accounting Software
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This program offers a great escape from your homemade accounting system, but the software’s simplicity and limitations make it easy to outgrow.

Keep Business Teams Organized With JuggleMyStuff
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
JuggleMyStuff’s Web service helps small businesses share files and track to-dos and appointments.

5 Gadgets That Make You Seem Artistic
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
You may have never been trained as a painter or musician, but today’s tech tools make faking it easy. Here’s our favorite gear for the creatively minded.

PayCycle Payroll Plus 2008
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Premium price is worth it if you seek integration of your payroll preparation service with your accounting apps.

Intuit Online Payroll
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Stand-alone online payroll preparation service is a good value.

The 5 Best SLR Cameras
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Single-lens reflex cameras offer powerful features and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, so you can shoot like a pro.

Web Services Make Quick Work of Payroll
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Intuit Online Payroll and PayCycle Payroll Plus do a solid job of handling payroll preparation for small businesses.

EditGrid Brings Web 2.0 Tricks to Spreadsheets
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Like Google and Zoho, EditGrid excels at Web-based collaboration, but it also brings online charts and other features to spreadsheets.

HP’s 2133: A Tiny Laptop an Adult Can Really Use
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
HP’s new mini-laptop comes hot on the heels of the Asus Eee, offering smart industrial design–and a Windows OS–at a reasonable price.

Are Extra Laptop Features Worth It?
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Laptop manufacturers load their online configurators with add-on options–but which extras are worthwhile?

5 Ways to Cure Cable Clutter
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Do your pets get hopelessly trapped in the tangle of cords and cables behind your desk? You may need help. And we’ve got it.

Casual Friday: Freaky Free Games (and Music)
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This week we find more free games, turn you on to some new music, and get a major art attack in some sweet online art galleries.

How to Buy a GPS Device
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
They are among the hottest products in technology, but it’s easy to spend a lot on a GPS device and be disappointed. We explain the benefits and pitfalls.

The Really Big Show on My Wall Every Night
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Front-projector TVs can be the least expensive way to get the big picture in high definition–but read this before investing your hard-earned cash in one.

HP Media Vault mv2120 Network-Attached Storage Drive
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Well-designed graphical interface makes network-attached storage accessible to anyone.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz
Techgage :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The wait for an affordable 45nm Quad-Core is now over, and the Q9450 promises to become the ultimate choice of the new offerings. It’s not much slower than the QX9650, offers 12MB of cache and as expected, has some fantastic overclocking ability. How does 3.44GHz stable sound?

ASUS M51S 15.4″ Notebook
Techgage :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Have a $1,000 budget for a new notebook? Look no further than the ASUS M51S. Touted as a multi-media notebook, it offers a 15.4" screen, 250GB HD and 3GB of RAM. Included also are4 USB ports, DVI and VGA outputs, full numpad, fingerprint reader, a face-detection logon system and more.

Futuremark 3DMark Vantage Review
Overclockers Club :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Vizo Propeller System Cooler Review
Overclockers Club :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Links to Reviews for April 27-29
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Working with Wireless in Linux – Setting up a wireless network on Windows etc… is very simple due to easy access to the proper drivers. Since Linux is open source this driver info is guarded by corporations interested in keeping this info secret to protect their own interests. In this article bit-tech has tried to put […]

Download Internet Explorer 8 (Beta)
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
For web developers and those of you who prefer Internet Explorer as your web browser, you might want to give a look at the latest and greatest version 8. Perhaps the biggest change in IE8 is the move to being more “standards compliant”. All the old quirks which IE supported will still be available, but users […]

Psystar With OS X Is Real
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Gizmodo has a true-blue video of a real Psystar box with OS X running. And yes it’s is OSx86 Project OS X that’s running on the box. Now you know. The only people who really care about the Psystar are Mac owners (including Dave). Personally speaking this is not really a hot item to me, but evidently this […]

Wrong, Wrong, WRONG.. NO Emoticon/Smileys/LOLs in Schoolwork, Darn It..
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
If I were a schoolteacher and some dopey teen put an emoticon or dared put an ‘LOL’ in any written assignment given, here’s the mark he or she would receive from me: F I don’t care if what was turned in was the most masterfully written thing on the face of the planet. If there was so […]

Cool Google Maps Feature for Garmin GPS Owners
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
There is a way to directly send a Google Maps location to just about any mobile Garmin GPS device (StreetPilot, nuvi, zumo, etc.) Step 1. If you haven’t done so, install the latest Garmin USB drivers. Install the Garmin Communicator Plugin (this is so your web browser can “talk” to Google Maps correctly). Remember to restart your web […]

For Those Of You With Pets
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Yesterday I wrote about periodically cleaning out the insides of your computer, but I thought I would post a follow up for those who have pets. We have a couple of cats and a dog, all of which shed a good bit. Of course, this creates a problem as whenever I clean out my computer, there […]

Cleaning Out The Insides
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Periodically, it is a good idea to clean out the inside of your computer. Doing so prevents dust from building up on your components which acts as an insulator to bottle in heat. There are many different ways to go about cleaning your computer (for example, see this article), but personally, I just do the […]

Ubuntu 8.04 Released
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Ubuntu users (or perspective users) take note 8.04 was just released. This release is named ‘Hardy Heron’ has long term support (LTS), meaning this desktop release will be supported for 3 years. Ubuntu 8.04 offers many attractive features, including (the somehow “important”) eye candy enhancements. Having used the first LTS release of Ubuntu myself (6.06) exclusively […]

DIY: Building a “Disaster Recovery” Computer
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
In the corporate world, larger companies build what are called “disaster recovery” centers. This is an off-site building that houses a miniaturized version of the entire company’s computer network. Its sole purpose in life is to be there in case a disastrous situation happens at the primary data center (fire, explosion, etc.) so the company […]

HP Officejet H470wbt Mobile Inkjet Printer
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This travel-friendly inkjet is good for on-the-go printing, but it may be too slow for in-office use.

Canon PowerShot A470 Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This bargain-priced, no-frills camera offers very good image quality.

Google Docs Goes Offline
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Though buggy and limited in its current form, this software service has potential as a competitor to Microsoft Office.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y510 Laptop
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This well-built laptop combines middle-of-the-road performance and a sizable hard drive at a good price.

NEC NP100 Portable Projector
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The affordable NEC NP100 portable projector provides bright images for both business and home-entertainment users.

Make Sure That General E-Mail Gets Answered
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Email Center Pro helps small businesses manage shared e-mail accounts for receiving such correspondence as general inquiries and customer service requests.

Fujitsu LifeBook A6120 Laptop
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This all-purpose laptop performs very well without being overpriced.

Sony VAIO VGN-SZ791N Laptop
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This stylish, lightweight laptop comes loaded with powerhouse components–but it’ll cost you.

First Impressions – Live Mesh Review
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Palm Centro PDA Phone (AT&T)
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This sporty, slimmer variant of the Treo is available on the AT&T network.

Casual Friday: MTV’s Virtual Music Scene
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This week we play entire albums in Rock Band and cruise New York’s virtual Lower East Side, then score you some sweet DS deals (while supplies last).

Asus P527 Cell Phone
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The P527 smart phone is loaded with features, including extensive GPS options, but it’s far too slow for even casual users.

Samsung Ace SPH-i325 PDA Phone
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This PDA phone includes plenty of features that will keep you entertained while you’re on the go.

Helio Mysto Cell Phone
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This slim slider-style cell phone is stocked with extras, including a mobile version of MySpace.

Mio Moov 310 GPS
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Despite its simplicity, this Moov is a great buy as an entry-level GPS device.

SugarSync File Syncing Service
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
This sweet service is easy to use and works across different platforms to keeps files in sync on multiple devices.

WordPerfect Office X4 Standard Edition
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
WordPerfect keeps its traditional look, but beefs up support for PDFs and Office 2007.

Onkyo TX-SR805 Home-Theater Receiver
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The first home-theater receiver to decode DTS Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD from Blu-ray movies produces phenomenal sound.

The 10 Best Compact Cameras
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The newest compact digital cameras give you only limited controls in most cases, but low prices and excellent image quality make these low-frills options worth considering.

Collaborate Using Online Tools
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Several new services make it easier for small companies to keep projects on track and hold online meetings.

Casual Friday: Gran Turismo Edition
PC World :: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Take a Gran Turismo 5 test drive, make some hard turns with new hardware, and check out the hardest (and easiest) games you’ll ever play.

Tuniq Miniplant 950W Power Supply Review 
OCIA :: Monday, April 28, 2008
“Tuniq, a subsidiary of Sunbeamtech, really made their name known with their Tuniq Tower CPU air cooler. The Tuniq Tower was recognized as one of the best air coolers on the market for longer than a year. Since then, they have become increasingly popular for their cases, thermal accessories, and most recently, power supplies. One power supply that has been getting a lot of attention lately is the Tuniq Miniplant 950W which we have for review today.”

Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 650Watt reviewed
Burnout PC :: Monday, April 28, 2008
“Be Quiet! recently revamped their range of power supplies with the addition of the updated Dark Power Pro series. They now call this power supply their “First Class” edition. The efficiency rate according to Listan, has gone up to 88% (85% on average load) and it comes in four different wattages. From 450watts up to 1000watts, we’ll be taking a look at the 650watt version”.

Noctua NF-B9 92mm Fan Review
Mikhailtech :: Monday, April 28, 2008
Today we are looking at Noctua’s NF-B9 92mm fan. Everybody who uses computers know how annoying computer fans can get during operation. Sometimes only two or even one fan can create a tremendous amount of noise in your computer system. As a Noctua Fan, I have set up a system with 9 of their NF-F12 fans and they perform completely silent at all operations. Noctua’s fans use high-grade components as well as extremely strict quality control in order to maintain the highest possible quality standard. Will this been the case with Noctua’s 92mm fan, and will it perform good enough to keep up with other companies fans? Let’s take a look!

AMD’s Phenom X3 8750 – The Power of 3 (
Lost Circuits :: Monday, April 28, 2008
Three Cores instead of four. AMD follows in the footsteps of ATI’s “Pro” series to increase yield on the Phenom series. As it turns out, though, it is not just an issue of reducing the number of cores and incur some scaling back of performance, there are also software recognition and licensing issues that come into play. In the end, while the Phenom X3 performs admirably well in some applications, it’s performance comes in last in a number of other applications simply because, in a triple core configuration, those will only utilize a single core.

AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition Review
Inside HW :: Monday, April 28, 2008
…”Users familiar with AMD Black Edition brand already know what kind of CPU we got in our test lab and for those unfamiliar with BE AMD CPUs we are going to explain it. Back in the past AMD had prestigious FX series of CPUs which were very expensive but those were made from best parts of wafer and had unlocked multiplier. Now AMD has CPU series called “Black Edition” and it has very similar characteristics to FX series, but with changed price politics.”…

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Processor
Hot Hardware :: Monday, April 28, 2008
Intel’s Core 2 Quad Q9300 has some rather large shoes to fill. This newly shipping, relatively low-cost quad-core processor from Intel is a replacement for their long-standing price to performance champ, the Core 2 Quad Q6600. The Q6600 was the first quad-core in Intel’s arsenal which was actually affordable, and even today, it remains one of the best values on the market. Not only is the Core 2 Quad Q6600 inexpensive for a quad-core CPU, but it is extremely overclockable and provides a significant amount of computing power for the dollar. Core 2 Quad Q6600’s are still in high-demand – a trend which is likely to continue until they are no longer available.

ASUS Striker II Extreme Motherboard Review 
Hardware Logic :: Monday, April 28, 2008
“Hitting the enthusiast scene decked out from head-to-toe, this motherboard brings next-gen right to your doorstep with the new 790i nForce chipset, 1600MHz front side bus support, Tri SLI compatibility, PCIe 2.0, DDR3-2000 support and an integrated water cooling system. Holy cow! Hold on to your seat as HardwareLogic puts this monster on our test bench and unleashes the full assault of our benchmarking suite.”

Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock Review
Virtual Hideout :: Monday, April 28, 2008
“The Vantec NexStar Hard Drive Dock lived up to its promise. It provides a convenient method of connecting any SATA drive to your system so that you can easily access the data on it. Performance was up to par, but the real benefit is from the design. During disaster recovery, you need something that’s straightforward and easy to use and won’t add more trouble to your life. The NexStar Hard Drive Dock succeeds in this aspect.”

3DMark Vantage tested
Bjorn 3d :: Monday, April 28, 2008
‘Few benchmarks have had such an impact amongst gamers as the 3DMark benchmarks from Futuremark. Whether it is to verify that you are getting the expected performance out of your system or to brag about how fast your system is, 3DMark has always been the benchmark to use.

As the last version came out 2 years ago many gamers have been anxiously waiting for a new version that more accurately can test today’s cards and today it is finally here: 3DMark Vantage.’

Guide to Creating a Hackintosh
Techware Labs :: Monday, April 28, 2008
If you ever wanted to play around with a Mac OS but wanted to do it on your own hardware then this guide is for you. Dan takes you through the basic steps needed to create a “Hackintosh” in a simple to understand process. Grab that extra hardware off your shelf and put together your Mac today.

NZXT Tempest
techPowerUp :: Monday, April 28, 2008
The enclosure market is a one tough cookie. From what Tempest offers, NZXT is certainly bringing an advanced feature set to the entry-level crowd or people seeking simple design. If you’re on a tight budget, want to save up some money for better performing hardware and don’t care about premium features like a removable motherboard tray you should check out this case.

AVG Anti-Virus 8.0 Review
TechReviewSource :: Sunday, April 27, 2008
“The new version of AVG Anti-Virus has just been released and TechReviewSource.com’s review shows that it is still one of the best anti-virus programs on the market. The paid version includes some really nice features that will surely protect your computer from malicious files and sites on the Internet. Check out their full review to find out more about AVG Anti-Virus 8.0.”

Western Digital VR150 300GB Velociraptor Review
Motherboards.org :: Friday, April 25, 2008
It seems as if the folks at Western Digital have been working late night in their R&D department as the new Velociraptor takes the Raptor series to the next level. The Raptor series of drives were already a hall of fame winning product and with new drives with basically twice as fast overall performance levels these new Velociraptors will take their rightful place alongside their predecessors. The new Velociraptor is also very quiet running; you can barely hear it when engaged, always a good thing. Games were accessed faster, files transferred quicker and Music ripped seamlessly.

Noctua NF-P12 Case Fan 
Modders Inc :: Friday, April 25, 2008
Noctua has come up with another uniquely designed fan, the NF-P12. Although some might mistakenly think these are similar to their NF-S12 fans due to the colors used. They are completely different in design.

OpenSolaris 2008.05 Gives A New Face To Solaris
Phoronix :: Friday, April 25, 2008
“In early February, Sun Microsystems had released a second preview release of Project Indiana. For those out of the loop, Project Indiana is the codename for the project led by Ian Murdock at Sun that aims to push OpenSolaris on more desktop and notebook computers by addressing the long-standing usability problems of Solaris. We were far from being impressed by Preview 2 as it hadn’t possessed any serious advantages over a GNU/Linux desktop that would interest normal users. However, with the release of OpenSolaris 2008.05 “Project Indiana” coming up in May, Sun Microsystems has today released a final test copy of this operating system. Our initial experience with this new OpenSolaris release is vastly better than what we had encountered less than three months ago when last looking at Project Indiana.”

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3P Motherboard Review
Virtual Hideout :: Friday, April 25, 2008
“The Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Motherboard is an aggressive, extreme, yet efficient platform. It’s a shock to see this board do so well and do it even better at more extreme frequencies. It’s more affordable than most P35 overclocking motherboards and has plenty of the top end features a power user could want. There is a large void out there for energy conscious users who still want real power. This is absolutely the best choice for those on a budget who didn’t think they could afford extreme performance.”

Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 Intel X48 Motherboard Review 
Think Computers :: Friday, April 25, 2008
“Gigabyte was one of the first two computer hardware companies that I was aware of, along with Kingston memory. More than a decade before I decided to build my own rig, I had seen Gigabyte’s name associated with motherboards. They have been around since 1986, the dawn of the era of the PC. Today I will be looking at my first Gigabyte motherboard, the X48T-DQ6. This board is presently Gigabyte’s flagship motherboard. It sports a ton of features, natively supports DDR3-1900 memory and 1600FSB, along with CrossfireX, and looks sharp to boot. Will the Gigabyte board end my current love affair with motherboards by a four-letter word? Read on to see.”

Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Motherboard Review 
Hardware Logic :: Friday, April 25, 2008
“Today we look at their GA-EP35-DS3P motherboard which takes a new road towards energy efficient motherboards. Even with all the extra options available, at its very core it is still a strong P35 based board. With a standard LGA775 socket, compatible processors range from the earlier Pentium4s and Celerons using the 90nm process to the latest 45nm quad core Extreme Edition processors. This board can handle pretty much any LGA775 based processor Intel has or has had on the market in the past few years. Whether you’re looking for a strong board with plenty of options or saving a few dollars on your electric bill, this board appears to fit into both columns.”

GIGABYTE G-Power 2 Pro CPU Cooler
Tweak Town :: Friday, April 25, 2008
“The GIGABYTE G-Power 2 Pro was first presented to me with a flash presentation detailing the functions and basically letting me know that it was not a mediocre product. From the start I was interested, and now that I am finished with my testing I can make you interested too.

The G-Power 2 Pro is the third in a series of G-Power products. The first and second, the G-Power Pro and G-Power Lite were both good products, but when it came to design they followed in the footsteps of other traditional CPU heatsinks. The latest version, 2 Pro steps away from what’s traditional and looks to prove that innovation leads to higher performance.”

ASUS P5K PRO Intel P35 Green ATX Motherboard Review
Big Bruin :: Friday, April 25, 2008
When people think of energy efficiency they may have the misconception that it has to equate to a lack of power and excitement. In terms of automobiles, perhaps thinking that all hybrids are like a Prius. But what we have with the P5K PRO is a sporty, high performance model that just happens to have a smart design capable of saving energy.

The World Ends With You (DS) Review
Gaming Heaven :: Friday, April 25, 2008
The World Ends With You is Square Enix’s latest release on the Nintendo DS, however instead of crafting a fantasy world environment the game is refreshingly set in Tokyo’s real life Shibuya district.

LiteOn EZ-DUB External DVD Drive DX-20A4PU 
Techware Lbas :: Friday, April 25, 2008
Today Michael checks out the new EZ-DUB drive by Lite-On and we show you why this drive may well be the last drive you buy before migrating to Blu-Ray. We show you the testing, features, and performance of this mighty external DVD-RW that won’t leave you burning drink coasters.

Asus M3A78-EMH HDMI Motherboard Review 
Legti Reviews :: Friday, April 25, 2008
The AMD 780G chipset is all the rage right now for micro-ATX socket AM2+ motherboards. Today, we take a look at the ASUS M3A78-EMH HDMI motherboard. It features DX10 compliant integrated ATI RV610-based graphics, which supports dual VGA outputs including DVI/HDMI interfaces with HDCP. It also incorporates AMD’s UVD with hardware acceleration of H.264, VC1 and Mpeg2 used in HD DVD and BluRay disks. Is this board the right choice for your next HTPC or PC?

XFX nForce 630i GeForce 7150 Motherboard
Hot Hardware :: Friday, April 25, 2008
We’re writing to let you all know that we have just posted a new article at HotHardware in which we evaluate the features, performance, and value of XFX’s nForce 630i GeForce 7150 based motherboard, the cryptically named MG-630I-7159. Thanks to its integrated graphics processor, the MG-630I-7159 sports VGA, DVI, and HDMI outputs, and it’s got some other handy on-board features as well, like an LED POST code error reporter and micro power and reset switches. Head on over to the site and check it out…

Mushkin XP-800 AP 800W PSU
techPowerUp :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
Mushkin’s new XP-800AP power supply offers enough power for even the most demanding rigs. The shiny black paint looks great and the connectors are numerous. One special feature is Rail Fusion which lets the user select if the whole PSU should run with one big rail or in Quad Rail mode.

Cable vs DSL
Techware Labs :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
The two most prevalent technologies used today to access the internet are Cable and DSL. making the decision between one or the other can be difficult. We explain the technologies behind each, how they work, and the pro’s and con’s of each.

Cooler Master Cosmos S Case Review
Hardware Secrets :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“Cosmos S (internally called RC-1100 by Cooler Master) is a big full-tower case featuring aluminum body, ten 5 ¼” bays, a big 200-mm side fan and several other features. Let’s take an in-depth on this new case from Cooler Master.”

Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider
NGOHQ :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“Microsoft did well bringing the 64-bit architecture to Windows Vista but somehow they screwed up. Apparently they forgot who their target audience was when they introduced a very restricted module of driver signature enforcement. In laymen’s terms, all drivers and system files must be digitally verified or they cannot run when using the 64-bit version of Vista. In the past it was possible to turn that feature off; but due to new kernel security updates it is impossible to turn it off without degrading security and stability of your operating system. In order to turn this off it involves uninstalling critical security updates that Microsoft has released to increase system security. Sadly, this feature makes Windows Vista 64-bit into a closed and locked down operation system. So what’s the problem with digital certificates? Well, the problem is… developers have to pay Microsoft to receive verified certificates, and that makes many applications inaccessible under Windows Vista 64-bit. This driver signature enforcement can be a serious pain to end-users; however it is still possible to turn it off by disabling it up by pressing the F8 function key during system boot up. Pressing F8 every time on boot up can be a serious pain in the ass and frustrating to those that miss the time window available to press F8 during start up. Others have found workarounds, but most of them are too complicated for the average end user to perform, atleast until now.”

NZXT Tempest PC Case Review
i4u :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“Today we are checking out a PC case from NZXT called the Tempest. The NZXT Tempest lacks some of the polish you get from much more expensive cases like you get from Cooler Master, but it offers lots for the $100 price.

All the fans in the case make it louder than some you will find, but there is no denying the amount of air flow to keep your components cool. The case is also attractive with a clear side window with a blue LED fan. The case retails for around $100 making it less than half the price of my Cosmos S. While the NZXT Tempest lacks the polish of the Cosmos S, it is a very good case.”

Intel QX9770 Quad Core Extreme 3.2Ghz Processor Review 
Tweaknews :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“The QX9770 being reviewed today is Intel’s latest Socket 775 Quad-Core which not only boasts the smaller 45nm manufacturing process as the QX9650, but it also ups the stock core speed by 200Mhz to 3.2Ghz, cranks up the FSB from 1333Mhz to a screaming 1600Mhz, and for good measure slaps on another 4MB of on die cache to keep all cores fed properly.”

Buffalo TeraStation Pro II 1TB Rackmount NAS Review 
Think Computers :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“Some organizations-or people-need serious storage. Sometimes a simple server running Windows 2003 or Linux might not be sufficient, in terms of storage space, redundancy, or cost for all of these. The Buffalo TeraStation Pro II series of network-attached storage devices aims to please users and administrators who need a large amount of redundant storage, automatic backups to other units, gigabit networking, and the ability to increase the capacity. ThinkComputers takes a look at the one terabyte rackmount version in this review.”

Enhance Tech T4H CR External RAID Tower
Tweak Town :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“Getting your hands on this device should solve your problems when it comes to flexible mobile storage with fail-safe protection. This is Enhance Technology’s T4H CR. The unit comprises a very nicely built enclosure with handles for easy mobility, four HDD eSATA bays, a built-in LCD display for setup and configuration, and last but most certainly not least, a RAID controller with levels 0, 0+1 and 5. An independent PSU and rear mounted case fan is also resident.

Before we get into the benchmarking side of things, let’s perform a close physical inspection of the unit itself to get the full gist of what’s on offer.”

OCZ DDR3-12800 Platinum vs. Patriot DDR3-1500 Viper 
Bjorn 3d :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
Recently we received two DDR3 kits, one from OCZ Technology and one from Patriot Memory. The kit from OCZ was their 4GB DDR3 12800 (DDR3 1600) Platinum Enhance Bandwidth product and Patriot sent us their 2GB Viper DDR3 15000 (DDR3 1866) kit. Both of these products were used in our recent review of the ASUS P5E3 Premium motherboard. We saw some rather interesting phenomena with both of these memory kits in that review so we have decided to review both of these kits comparatively in much more detail using the same test rig. Our goal is not only to give you a complete review of these two memory products, but to also answer the questions we alluded to in the beginning of this introduction.

Biostar TF8200 A2+ Review
Inside HW :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
” It’s very interesting whenever we test Biostar motherboards with integrated graphics, especially when they are based on new chipset. This time we have tested new Biostar model from “T-series” based on GeForce 8200 chipset. GeForce 8200 is single chip solution aimed for AM2 and AM2+ platforms and it integrates complete south bridge and graphics accelerator. This integrated GPU has full support for HD video resolutions up to 1080p and has interesting options for connecting more than one monitor. With this chipset you can create hybrid SLi which means that you can insert another graphics card in PEG slot and create SLi system with integrated graphics card.”…

OCZ Rally2 Turbo 4GB USB Flash Review
ASE Labs :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
” OCZ may be best known for their memory products such as low latency and high speed RAM, but they also provide other products with enhanced speed and performance. Their line of cooling products as well as flash memory provide excellent performance in today’s market. Today, ASE Labs has the OCZ Rally2 Turbo 4GB USB flash drive for review. Even flash can be dual channel. ”

Alienware High Definition Media Server Review
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“The Alienware High Definition Media Server is not the Cadillac of media servers – it’s more like a Maybach. If you have to ask how much, you probably can’t afford it, but once you drive one everything else is pretty much crap. In a world that is moving towards complete home integration, Alienware has drawn first blood and set a high standard for others to beat…”

Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme & IFX-14 Review
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
Thermalright is a company with a long history in the enthusiast PC market and they have created some of the best, hardcore CPU coolers over the last decade. Today we will have a look at two of their greatest CPU coolers, the Ultra-120 eXtreme and the IFX-14. The Ultra-120 eXtreme is an updated version of the extremely successful Ultra-120, while the IFX-14 has quickly became famous because of the monstrous size.

Is The Mac Overpriced?
PC Mech :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“The “Mac versus PC” debate will rage until the end of time, but one constant argument I hear about the Mac is that it is overpriced. In fact, an anonymous employee of Psystar (the makers of the so-called Mac clone) was quoted as saying that Apple marks up their hardware as much as 80%.”

The Computer Council – Clocked Gamer Quad
Overclock 3d :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
“Fitted with top quality components and overclocked to 3.3ghz, the Clocked Gamer Quad offers top performance at a reasonable price.”

AMD Phenom X3 released; reviewed
Beyond3d Processor News :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
AMD has finally released the Phenom X3 outside of the OEM market, with reviews already available at all major hardware websites, including The Tech Report. But is it good?

Apple acquires PA Semi; Press proves lack of understanding.
Beyond3d Processor News :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
It’s official: the iPhone’s future CPU will have a TDP of 25W! Or so mindlessly speculate Forbes and a variety of other websites following Apple’s stunning acquisition of P.A. Semi,…

Sansa C250 MP3 Player Review
Overclockers Club :: Thursday, April 24, 2008

Gigabyte Radeon HD 2400 XT Review
Overclockers Club :: Thursday, April 24, 2008

Is The Mac Overpriced?
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
The “Mac versus PC” debate will rage until the end of time, but one constant argument I hear about the Mac is that it is overpriced. In fact, an anonymous employee of Psystar (the makers of the so-called Mac clone) was quoted as saying that Apple marks up their hardware as much as 80%. Whether that […]

How To: Set Up an Email Subscription for your Blog with Feedburner
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
Some of us net-junkies have really come to appreciate the concept of the RSS feed/reader, and what isn’t to like about it? It can keep us updated on just about everything we want, is generally super easy to use, and it can all be done for free. However, not everybody needs, or even wants, anything […]

VPN – The Fastest Way to Get Hacked!
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
As with all network devices, once you leave the safety of the local area network (LAN) and connect to the Wide Area Network (WAN) or World Wide Web (WWW) your protocol is subject to attack by the unscrupulous that inhabit the WWW.

PCMech Free Wallpaper #39: Toy Cars
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
This is an exclusive RSS-feed-only wallpaper download. Click the image below to view, right-click (or command-click on Mac) and set as your wallpaper. Note: A new PCMU course will be offered soon so you can learn how to take photos like this even with the most inexpensive digital camera! Standard Widescreen

Just Because Software Is Free Does Not Mean It Is…
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
… bad. … good. … safe to use. This tip is just a simple reminder that free software is not always best or worst choice when trying to figure out the best tool for the job. An import thing to remember is just because it is free, does not mean it is free of malware. Think about it for […]

ReactOS, the “other” Windows
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
I remember using ReactOS a really long time ago and essentially forgot about it. Dave discovered it recently, told me about it, and I said “Oh yeah! I remember that OS.. I guess it’s still alive and kickin’.” Yes it is, however to this day it’s still in alpha stages meaning you absolutely should not use […]

“Cheat Sheet” Proves Ubuntu Still Has a Long Way To Go
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
First of all I want to say it’s very cool of FOSSwire to have posted an Ubuntu “Cheat Sheet” listing in a very easy-to-read rundown of terminal commands. But in all seriousness, just looking at this sheet just gives you an itty-bitty glimpse into all the command line crap you have to learn with Ubuntu (and […]

Linux is 70% Corporate
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
Would you believe me if I told you that 70% of Linux kernel development is performed by PAID employees in commercial enterprise? It’s true. If you’re a Linux user, does that make you mad? Does that make you hang your head in shame? It shouldn’t. Personally speaking I was really happy to discover this. It means that big-biz […]

PCMech Free Wallpaper #38: Pelican in Flight
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
This is an exclusive RSS-feed-only wallpaper download. Click the image below to view, right-click (or command-click on Mac) and set as your wallpaper. Note: A new PCMU course will be offered soon so you can learn how to take photos like this even with the most inexpensive digital camera! Standard Widescreen

Four Ways To Open Task Manager
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
As you probably know, Task Manager is what you use in Windows to view (and kill) currently active processes. There are several ways you can easily open Task Manager so I thought I would list four easy ones here: Ctrl + Alt + Del > Click Task Manager. This is the most commonly used method. Right click […]

Gear Up at Techgage Guild Wars Style
Techgage :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
NCsoft gave us a whack of stuff to give away to you, our loyal readers, and that’s what we are doing throughout the month.  This week, we are offering up some rare Guild Wars swag, so fill out the form and enter!

Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital-SLR Camera
Techgage :: Thursday, April 24, 2008
Targeting newer photographers, the Nikon D60 is priced right and includes a fantastic feature set. On top of the 10MP sensor, the D60 includes an automatic sensor cleaner, a vibration reduction kit lens, fast 3FPS performance, high ISO modes and a lot more.

Beginners Guides: Installing RAID on a Desktop PC
PC Stats :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“With the right number of identical hard drives, motherboards that support RAID can choose from RAID 0, RAID 1, and sometimes even RAID 0+1 for improved performance, data redundancy and backups. In this PCSTATS Beginners Guide, we will explore how the different implementations of RAID technology function, and how you can make your own RAID setup using a hardware RAID controller.”

Tagan Icy Box JBOD Hard Drive Enclosure Review
Hardware Canucks :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
As with many companies which want to break into a market niche, Tagan has opted for distributing an otherwise unavailable product. Namely, the Icy Box line is made and distributed in Europe by RaidSonic who owns the IP and trademarks on the whole Icy Box line. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view, RaidSonic does not have any presence in the North American market. This is where TAGAN comes into the picture. Today we will be looking at the black Icy Box IB-3220STU.

AMD Phenom X3 Triple Core CPU
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“While the X4 is the more costly option (though in today’s world the cost of a $250 processor isn’t really that expensive), AMD is going to start shipping a cheaper option based on the same K10 architecture, and yes it keeps the Phenom branding, it’s a direct descendant of the X4, but with a few modifications.

On the chopping block today we have the new kid on the block designed to take over where the Athlon 64 X2’s price range is set. Help us welcome to the Phenom family the triple core X3. How well does it perform? Stick around while we find out!”

Buffalo MiniStation 320GB TurboUSB Portable Hard Drive Review
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
When it comes to portable hard drives, we don’t normally think of a large four legged animal that resembles a wooly ox to be one of the usual suspects. Questionable tech company naming aside, Buffalo has been around since 1975 and provides a wide range of wireless networking products. The Japanese based company also creates a range of storage, memory and multimedia devices. Buffalo sent along their MiniStation 320GB TurboUSB Portable Hard Drive, a portable hard drive that features a shock proof enclosure and a utility that boosts performance up to 64% over standard 4200 RPM drives. Let’s check it out!

Xigmatek Red Scorpion S1283 HDT CPU Cooler
Benchmark Reviews :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Inheriting a design from the HDT-S1283 it is derived from, Xigmatek’s Red Scorpion S1283 offers some additional glamour to the already market-proven cooling solution. With Nickel-plated copper heat-pipe rods and a transparent orange fan with four white LED lights, the Red Scorpion not only performs well but also looks very attractive. Benchmark Reviews has long since been a believer of the excellent performance Heat-pipe Direct Touch coolers have offered, and since the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 has been a fan favorite for almost a year it will be interesting to see how the nickel plating will impact performance.

Coolermaster Centurion 590 review
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
We have had positive experiences with Cooler Master cases here at Driver Heaven, generally they are well made, easy to use and they also always have decent styling, even the cheaper models. Of course there have also been some spectacular cases such as the Cosmos and Cosmos S which are winners of Driver Heaven awards.

With plenty of good Cooler Master experiences behind us we were given the opportunity to review their latest budget case, the Centurion 590. We actually bought one of the original Centurions a few years back and it is a solid model which has proven to be hard wearing over years of heavy use.

Gigabyte STA Thin Client
Phoronix :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“At Phoronix we have looked at a number of Gigabyte products from their motherboards to graphics cards and even wireless adapters. However, today is our first time looking at one of Gigabyte’s barebone solutions. The Gigabyte STA Thin Client, specifically the GB-STA-C7V7, is a mini-ITX solution that ships with a VIA C7 1.0GHz processor, UniChrome PRO graphics, is completely fan-free, and it’s all packed in a slim yet stylized chassis. However, does the Gigabyte STA Thin Client work with Linux? We’ll let you know today.”

Hard Drive Performance Comparison Guide
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“WinBench 99 2.0 has proven that it can still serve as a consistent and reliable hard drive benchmark even in Windows Vista. It has given us a lot of interesting data. If the Business and High-End simulations were not good enough, the raw transfer rate results were certainly most useful. From the transfer rate results, you can see which hard drive has a higher transfer rate, and how areal density affects that performance metric. It also shot down the perception that a newer model is always faster.”

AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple Core Processor
Viper Lair :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“Even though the AMD Unified Video Decoder can offload CPU usage in HD playback by putting the work on the graphics processing unit, if you’re running multiple tasks during HD playback, the system does struggle if it doesn’t have the horse power. We don’t do it often, but at times we’ll be converting files into DivX for sharing, and the CPU is completely maxed out, causing dropped frames during HD playback. For the test files we used, the X3 8750 had no problems with HD and file conversion.”

AMD Phenom X3 Processors reviewed
Icrontic :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“When AMD sent me the triple core Phenom 8750, I was expecting to throw it in a Phenom compatible motherboard and be off to the races. Unfortunately, my experience was not quite that simple.”

LapWorks Attaché Laptop Stand Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“After several weeks of using the Lapworks Attaché I found it to be a solid and stable piece of equipment. The adjustable foot was secure and didn’t have much slop in it whatsoever. The rubber pads kept the stand from sliding around on a smooth surface. With the aluminum and plastic construction, the Lapworks Attaché is extremely light to carry around; however, it’s not meant to be something you lug around in the laptop bag due to its shape. Instead, it’s meant to sit on your desk and act like a docking station, raising the elevation of the screen to keep the user from craning their neck and causing undo strain. The fans are 5 volts and get their power from the laptop. With the curve of the Attaché stand and fans blowing air on to the bottom of the laptop, proper ventilation is achieved.”

Ways to silence your PC 
XS Reviews :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“One of the holy grails of any PC enthusiast is to have a completely silent rig, or at least, quiet enough so that it doesn’t disturb the game we’re playing or the movie we’re watching. This article is a collection of helpful information that should help those who don’t want their conversation drowned out by rumbling hard disks or whirring fans.”

SilverStone TJ09 Case Review
Icrontic :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“SilverStone’s TJ09 is simply a great case. It is a very high quality, great looking unit that is a joy to work with. Its side ventilation system, mid-level GPU and oversized top exhaust are very unique features that really set it apart from the rest of the crowd. For those who have been stuck working in cramped cases, the TJ09 really opens your eyes to the benefits of extra case real estate.”

Phenom X3 8750 Review
Neoseeker :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“Regardless of how it became a tri-core part, I was interested to see how our 8750 would perform compared to not only the quad core Phenoms, but also a “Black Edition” dual core AMD 5000+ X2. I also threw in a comparison to a Core 2 Duo E6750, a 2.67GHz part – giving it a 267MHz speed advantage at stock speeds – to see how the tri-core would compare to an equivalently priced dual core Intel part. After all, AMD is trying to position the tri-core parts as a viable alternative to some dual core parts — so let’s see if they accomplished this goal with some testing.”

ASUS Nova Lite review
PC News :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
ASUS launch 3 version of NOVA LITE: PX20, PX22, PX24. The design is identical for all version but under the hood are some differences related to HDD, memory and OS. You can find a comparative table at the end of this review.

Our sample, ASUS NOVA LITE PX20, come with Windows XP (still alive, huh?), 80GB hard disk drive, 1GB DDR II.

Interview with Franck Delattre / CPU-Z 
techPowerUp :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Today we have an interview with one of the key figures in the hardware scene. Franck’s CPU-Z and ClockGen applications are legendary and part of every overclocker’s toolbox. He explains how he made first contact with computers and what made him write CPU-Z. Also he talks about current projects and his future.

Why Use a Mac?
PC Mech :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Last week, Jason authored an article on reasons why to use Linux. Jason is a real fan of Linux and I was part of the “heated discussion” he refers to at the beginning of his article. His article really did touch a nerve and has quickly become of those most popular articles on all of PCMech.

Seeing as I was, indeed, part of said “heated discussion”, I thought I would shed some light on my personal choice of computer: the Mac.”

ASUS M3N-HT 780a SLi Review
OCC :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“So what do we say about the ASUS M3N-HT? It performs as well as, or sometimes better than, AMD’s flagship chipset, the 790FX. The scores were marginally better for the newer 780a chipset. The option for AMD processor users to finally have a great choice of motherboard chipsets and designs is a plus. No longer are you stuck with certain options, like only being able to use Crossfire. Now you can run that NVIDIA SLi rig with your Phenom X4 and kick some serious butt. The ASUS M3N-HT has many upgradable options such as the ability to run triple SLi if you have the cards available, or Dual SLi if you do not want to spend that much on GPUs.”

Nesteq EECS 700 Watt Ultra Quiet Power Supply Review
Big Bruin :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The EECS (Enhanced Easy Connecting System) modular cables are definitely the unit’s most unique design feature. Modular cables are nothing new, but the ability to customize the length, as well as what connectors are found on each cable, is definitely interesting. Installation was quick and cable management was about as easy and neat as possible.

Tuniq Ensemble 1200W Power Supply Review
Think Computers :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Tuniq is a performance chassis and power supply purveyor subsidiary of cooling, lighting, and chassis maker Sunbeamtech. Tuniq is in the “fashion business” of the computer industry, making cases, power supplies, and other products with style and durability in mind in addition to performance. ThinkComputers received its Ensemble 1200W power supply, a sleek powerhouse which operates at a minimum efficiency of 82.3%, and an average efficiency of 86%. Read on for the review…”

Cooler Master Centurion 590 Case Review
Ninjalane :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“In terms of modding the Centurion 590 is a great starting point for any project. While we don’t have many cooling related enhancements the case material and construction will support just about anything you wish to do. Whether it be a custom watercooler or an insane amount of windows and lights, the Cooler Master Centurion 590 will likely hold up to the task.”

What to Do If Your Computer Doesn’t Turn On 
Hardware Secrets :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“In this step-by-step tutorial we will teach you what you should do if your computer doesn’t turn on in order to identify and solve the problem.”

Gigabyte EP45 Extreme Exclusive Shots!
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“TweakTown was given the opportunity to be the first publication in the world to see and photograph Gigabyte’s upcoming motherboard targeting extreme overclockers, the EP45 Extreme. This board will be quite different to the rest of Gigabyte’s P45 based motherboard and the board we were shown was the first board off the production line and as such, is a very early sample. The most obvious feature of this motherboard is the humongous heatsink sitting above the first PCI slot. This is based on a similar construction idea to Gigabyte’s passive Silent-Pipe 3 and works the natural convection method and draws hot air out of the case without any noise.

In saying that, Gigabyte isn’t really intending for this motherboard to go into a case, as there will be a fairly limited run of these boards. The EP45 Extreme is Gigabyte’s answer to the Foxconn Black Ops board, although with a different chipset and as such is intended for bench use. This is why Gigabyte is planning to supply a LN2 duct for the CPU and a watercooling module for the chipset. The large heatsink can be removed, as it is secured with four screws on the top of the chipset cooler. This is partly done to make it easier to ship and transport the board, but also to allow for the watercooling module to be attached in an easy way.”

Tagan Black Pearl Case Review 
Hardware Logic :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Tagan’s latest foray into the computer enclosure market comes in the form of the Black Pearl. No, this isn’t a rerun of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”. Rather, this is a computer enclosure that Tagan is dubbing as the most qualified water cooling ready chassis that an enthusiast can buy. With features galore, the Black Pearl seems ready to take to the high seas in its quest for ultimate chassis domination. Will the Black Pearl succeed, or will it walk the plank? HardwareLogic sets sail to find out! Yaargh!”

Silverstone MS05 External 2.5inch SATA HDD Enclosure Review
Madshrimps :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Today we focus on the SST-MS05 from Silverstone which is the latest in their external drive enclosure line which includes an internal docking bay (requires a free 3.5inch external bay or a 5.25inch bay adapter).”

CoolIT Eliminator
Technic 3d :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“The CoolIT Eliminator CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The Eliminator CPU Cooler includes: a Chiller/Pump Module, a Thermal Control Module (TCM), and a CPU Fluid Heat Exchanger (FHE). This universal sealed closed-loop maintenance free system is pre-plumbed and charged for simple bolt-in installation. See you in the following Review the Eleminator on a Intel XE6800 CPU compared with Standard Boxed Cooling, Watercooling and the Titan Amanda.”

Tagan Black Pearl Case Review 
Hardware Logic :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Tagan’s latest foray into the computer enclosure market comes in the form of the Black Pearl. No, this isn’t a rerun of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”. Rather, this is a computer enclosure that Tagan is dubbing as the most qualified water cooling ready chassis that an enthusiast can buy. With features galore, the Black Pearl seems ready to take to the high seas in its quest for ultimate chassis domination. Will the Black Pearl succeed, or will it walk the plank? HardwareLogic sets sail to find out! Yaargh!”

AMD Phenom X4 9850
t-break :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008

SimpleTech 250GB Signature Mini Portable Drive 
Techware Labs :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
While we have reservations about any drive named after a fruit, Jason Dumbaugh takes a look at the SimpleTech 2.5 inch Signature Mini Portable drive weighing in at 250GB. Nicknamed the “Kiwi” this little storage monster comes loaded with some very useful software that covers backup of your PC to the drive as well as to an online source. We test this drive to show you if its a speed demon, a snail, or somewhere in between.

AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple-Core Processor
Hot Hardware :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
When AMD first announced plans to introduce triple-core processors back in September of last year, reaction to the news was mixed. Some felt that AMD was simply planning to pass off partially functional Phenom X4 processors as triple-core products, making lemonade from lemons if you will. Others thought it was a good way for AMD to increase bottom line profits, getting more usable die from a single silicon wafer and mitigating yield loss. We were somewhat perplexed by the first reaction. This is an age-old strategy in the semiconductor space and after all, the graphics guys have been selling GPUs with non-functional units for years. AMD was simply borrowing a play from ATI’s playbook.

Without actual product, it’s tough to argue either way, of course. But thankfully, AMD has delivered their first batch of triple-core processors and we can finally put the whole debate to rest.

AMD Phenom X3 8750 Review
OCC :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Overclocking the AMD Phenom X3 8750 was a task. I tried everything I could to push this processor, but it just would not budge. I dropped the HT multiplier to 7x and increased the voltage to 1.4v and still could not get the HT bus to go beyond 215MHz, no matter what. Anything beyond 215MHz would cause the board to lock up and blue screen seconds after booting into Windows. As everyone knows, AMD processors are not good overclockers and since the Phenom X3 has a locked maximum multiplier of 12x, there is was hope to push it much further.”

Noctua NH-U12P CPU cooler Review 
Xtreme Computing :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Noctua have a justified reputation of silent, yet powerful cooling. Partnering with the Austrian Institute of Heat Transmission and Fan Technology(!) allows some serious science behind their products, and as seen in the performance of their NT-H1 thermal paste we reviewed recently it seems to work. So it is with piqued interest that I will be looking at their 120mm-fan based cooler; the NH-U12P.”

Linux Part 1: Getting Familiar
PC Stats :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Getting started with Linux can seem complex, but PCstats walks you through the first steps. Installation not required. Conquering Linux has been the right of passage for a generation of computer enthusiasts. Under the skin of this icon lies a mere operating system, but it’s an operating system with a single staggering advantage. It’s free.”

Thermalright IFX-10 Motherboard Backside Cooler Review 
Hardware Canucks :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Today we will be looking at another of their innovative ideas, namely the InfernoFx-10 motherboard backside cooler. The IFX-10 (as it is commonly known) is designed to suck heat away from the bottom of your hot running CPU. Since it fits on the back of the motherboard it should easily fit the majority (if not all) 775 Intel motherboards on the market today and with its custom mounting system should also work with the majority of CPU cooling solutions available

Beginners Guides: Linux Part 2: Installing a PC
PC Stats :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“In the first part of PCstats Beginner’s Guide to using Linux, we explored the basic features of this open-source operating system by using the Knoppix ‘live’ CD Linux distribution. For the second installment of this guide, we’re looking at something a little more permanent. We’re going to take one of the most popular and easy to use free Linux distributions, SUSE Personal 9.1 and explore the process of installing Linux onto your hard drive as a full operating system.”

CoolerMaster Hyper212 Dual-Fan CPU Cooler Review
Tech ARP :: Monday, April 21, 2008
The CoolerMaster Hyper212 is a new heatpipe-based CPU cooler that’s compatible with virtually all current Intel and AMD motherboards. It’s designed around four heatpipes radiating from a copper base up to a large block of aluminium fins.

What’s unique about the Hyper212 is the fact that it’s designed to accept two fans for improved performance. The second fan is optional, of course, but is recommended for optimal performance.

For more information and to find out just how cool the CoolerMaster Hyper212 is, read our Comprehensive Review!

MTRON PRO 32GB 2.5 SATA SSD
Tweak Town :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“I recently took the MTRON MOBI 3.5 inch desktop SSD for a test drive and found the performance of the latest SSDs to be breathtaking, but costly. At this time, SSD for the desktop feels like a long way away due to high costs, but there is one market that is adopting the technology at a rapid rate.

The notebook market has been begging for low cost SSD technology for many years, and for the last three they have started to implement the drives into their flagship products. Mid-priced models are starting to see SSD technology in the upgradable options list and the price is coming down.”

A Preview Of Kernel-Based Mode-Setting
Phoronix :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“There are many new and innovative features brewing within the X.Org development community right now — among the many are Gallium3D, the TTM memory manager, and MPX (Multi-Pointer X) — but one of the features that has risen towards the top of the list and delivers visible benefits to the end-user is kernel-based mode-setting. As implied by its name, kernel mode-setting involves moving the mode-setting code for video adapters from the user-space X server drivers into the Linux kernel. This may seem like an uninteresting topic for end-users, but having the mode-setting done in the kernel allows for a cleaner and richer boot process, improved suspend and resume support, and more reliable VT switching (along with other advantages). Kernel mode-setting isn’t yet in the mainline Linux kernel nor is the API for it frozen, but Fedora 9 shipping next month will be the first major distribution carrying this initial support. In this article we’re looking more closely at kernel mode-setting with the Intel X.Org driver as well as showing videos of kernel-based mode-setting in action.”

Icy Box IB290StUS-B USB and eSata External Enclosure
PCFRAGS :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Todays storage solutions are much more flexible, smaller and more suited to todays needs. External units of days gone by typically weighed in at several pounds including a bulky AC to DC brick that had to go every where the external did. If your looking for true portability, with massive storage potential with out all the baggage associated with it there are many options in todays market. The Icy Box 290 might fit the bill and not break the bank!

Lamptron LaserLED reviewed
Burnout PC :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“The Lamptron Laser Led’s are pretty much the same as your used to by hearing the name Laser Led’s. They are simply a row of led’s in a black housing. Lamptron has these in a couple of different variations, in different colors and different sizes. They are not pointed dead at you, but they are placed so that it lights up a surface of 180 degrees.”

Sans Digital MobileSTOR MS2UTN+ Review
OCIA :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“Today I have one of Sans Digital’s newer enclosures for review, the MobileSTOR MS2UTN+. Utilizing the SIL 5744 chipset, the MobileSTOR offers the typical dual drive configurations such as JBOD, Spanning (BIG), RAID0 and RAID1, but also something I haven’t seen before, SAFE33 and SAFE50.”

Silverstonetek TS01B – RFID Protected HDD Enclosure review
Metku Mods :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“As 2,5″ laptop drives already range up to 320 GB in storage space, in worst case scenario they can contain virtually endless amounts of classified material that in wrong hands can lead to huge problems. Silverstonetek has come up with a nice product aimed at the markets of secure external hard disks – RFID protected TS01B 2,5″ hard disk enclosure.”

Rosewill RX81-CW Enclosure 
Gideon Tech :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“Rosewill decided to send over one of their 3.5″ USB & eSATA external enclosures for a review. I received the RX81-CW-US-BLK, which you can probably guess from the model name, is black. This unit also comes in a silver version if that’s your fancy. Let’s see how the hot plugging features of the USB and eSATA work out.”

Intel Core2Duo E8400 review an overclocking
Hardware Overclock :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Hardwareoverclock Austria has posted a new processor review. Last week they has tested Intel’s Core2Duo E8400 cpu. The most interesting theme was the overclocking possibility.

Best Thermal Paste Application Methods
Benchmark Reviews :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Over the past several months, I have read an unreasonable number of discussion forum posts which offer inaccurate and often times incorrect information. It’s not really all that surprising to read poorly conceived information on the Internet, which seems to be a anonymous means of passing off opinion for fact. As a general rule we don’t let too many things go untested, and the advice of wanna-be experts is not doing the hardware enthusiast and overclocker community any good. In this article, Benchmark Reviews dispels myth and establishes fact on the topic of proper application of Thermal Interface Material.

Sunbeam Quarterback Review
OCC :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“When you take the protective plastic off of the Sunbeam Quarterback, you can see that the case is constructed to be very simple by not having too many things going on and just colored using two very simple colors, black and silver, which go very well together. When taking a look at the rear of the Quarterback, you are able to see that it has been constructed like many other cases out on the market. There are the expansion slots at the bottom, while at the top there is the designated place for the power supply and right under this by the rear IO panel is the 120mm fan blowing warm air out of the case. On the main side of the case there is a clear window, which has a single 120mm fan on it, that allows you to see the innards of the system you build in the Quarterback. The fourth side of the case is very simple and plain, which is very common between all cases.”

OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler Review
OCIA :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“OCZ has never been a major player in the CPU cooling industry, but lately they have moved in strong. CES 2007 was their big opening, where they showed off preliminary models of their Cryo-Z phase change cooler, as well as some of their soon-to-be-released air coolers. A little more than a year later now, they have released four air coolers: the Vanquisher, the Vindicator, the Vendetta, which we reviewed back in November, and the Vendetta 2, which we have for review today..”

Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 – The New Budget Superstar?
Techgage :: Monday, April 21, 2008
At 2.53GHz and $133 USD, the E7200 promises to become the new Dual-Core budget superstar. After taking a hard look at the upcoming offering, we would have to readily agree. Overclocking only sweetens the deal further, with 3.0GHz on stock voltages being more than possible. We have a winner!

In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Case Review 
Think Computers :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“The B2 Stealth Bomber case is really what you might think it is, a case that looks like the B2 Aircraft. The B2 case, like the aircraft is surely an advanced case. This newly released case comes equipped with two eSATA ports, auto-sensing mechanical front door, shock-free railing system, dual fan VGA turbo cooling system, water-cooling friendly, and with a design inspired by the B2, this case is surely not something your grandma will understand. Read on further and see a video of the mechanical front door in action.”

Gigabyte EP35-DS4: DES in Action
Bjorn 3d :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Now the current trend is focusing on energy more than ever, regardless whether to cut costs at the end of the month or the simple knowledge that over half of the United State’s energy is produced from coal, therefore lower energy consumption translates into less coal pollution. When many consumers are penny pinching wherever they can, companies like Gigabyte and ASUS have decided to begin marketing energy saving motherboards not to a niche market, but to the masses.

For this article we will put one of these new Gigabyte Dynamic Energy Saver (DES) motherboards to the test with a power hungry Q6600 QuadCore processor. We will see if you can really save power without compromising your computers performance or more importantly its stability. By the end of this review we will find out if DES shows any appreciable value or is just more marketing hype to take advantage of the greener marketplace.

Western Digital’s VelociRaptor VR150 hard drive
Tech Report :: Monday, April 21, 2008
If PC enthusiasts had a hall of fame for hardware, Western Digital’s Raptor hard drive would be a shoo-in. Storage-related products are usually a little short on sex appeal, but the Raptor has become an icon—a testament to what it means to be an enthusiast.

Like many enthusiast legends, the Raptor started with enterprise-class hardware designed for corporate server rooms. Western Digital, a plucky desktop drive maker with no background in SCSI hardware that dominated the enterprise scene at the time, came to bat with the world’s first 10K-RPM Serial ATA hard drive. The original Raptor didn’t usurp the enterprise crown from well-established SCSI players, but its performance blew away every other Serial ATA hard drive on the market. What’s more, the Raptor plugged into standard desktop motherboards, delivering near-SCSI performance without the need for expensive expansion cards.

Western Digital Velociraptor 10K RPM 300GB Hard Drive
Hot Hardware :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Western Digital is unveiling a brand new enthusiast-class hard drive today, the 10K RPM Velociraptor WD3000GLFS. Like the previous generation WD Raptors that came before it, the 300GB WD Velociraptor shares the aforementioned 10K RPM spindle speed, and they have the same 16MB buffer, reliability ratings, and acoustic and environmental characteristics as well. The WD Velociraptor sports a completely new design, however, that offers significantly increased performance, in terms of access times, IOPS, and data transfer rates. Come on by the site and check it out…

Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB SATA Hard Drive 
Legit Reviews :: Monday, April 21, 2008
The Western Digital VelociRaptor was a blast to test since it’s not every day something this new and innovative comes across the test bench. The Western Digital VelociRaptor is hands down the fastest single hard drive we have ever tested and it is hard to believe that the firmware is still being improved. It will be exciting to see how much more performance Western Digital will be able to get out of the VelociRaptor before it hits retail stores in May. As it stands right now having a burst speed of over 250 MB/s and a sustained read speed pushing over 100 MB/s is enough to put a smile on our face. Just imagine running RAID 0 with a pair of these!

Beyond Just Do It
Techware Labs :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Michelle walks us through project management in a world at light speed. She shows us how we can manage those IT implementations and projects that seems impossible. This guide will work for you for any project you need done which seems overwhealming.

SilverStone Kublai KL03
Phoronix :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“Last September we had our first encounter with the SilverStone Kublai series when reviewing the Kublai KL02. We found that the Kublai series, which is targeted at economically minded consumers, had inherited many traits from SilverStone’s flagship Temjin series while costing much less. The build quality of the KL02 chassis was excellent for being a $150 case and it ended up receiving our approval. Following the success of the Kublai KL01 and KL02 cases, SilverStone has released the KL03 as another steel and aluminum chassis, but this time it comes with support for Extended ATX motherboards. In this review, we are looking at the SilverStone Kublai KL03 as we fill it up with dual AMD quad-core Barcelona processors and other high-end hardware.”

Foxconn MARS Motherboard on Intel P35 Chipset
Digit Life :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“The MARS motherboard is currently the only product in the Quantum Force series, which Foxconn announced for gamers and overclockers. And we are nearly 100% sure that it is an overhauled Foxconn P35A-S.”

New Real-Life Photo Wallpaper Coming Very Soon
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
I’m currently working on a digital photography course for PCMU, so this week’s wallpapers are all real-life photos I’ve taken using a very inexpensive digital camera. In the course materials you will find out how to take photos like the ones shown below. In addition, all the photos below will be available as super-size wallpaper. One will […]

Links to Reviews for April 17-21
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
ASUS EN8800GT 1GB Graphics Card – “…ASUS has recently released an 8800GT that is packing 1GB of GDDR3 memory. However, it’s not uncommon for a bump in memory to do nothing more than make you feel a bit better about your system. Really, there’s only one way to find out if the extra memory does anything […]

By The Numbers, Cheapest Post-Paid Cell Phone Plans Right Now
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
I make it no secret that I’m very anti-cell phone. The main reason is because I do remember when the phone companies were literally screwing us blind in phone charges for land-line telecommunications back in the late 80s and early 90s. Today’s wireless plans are essentially just as bad cost-wise.. and unfortunately no one sees this, […]

Dates You *Should* See XP Service Pack 3 Appear (Windows XP)
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Yes I understand that XP SP3 has been available as a release candidate download for some time now, but.. I’ve been wondering when Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 will be appearing as an auto-download in Windows Update. After conducting some research, here are the dates everything should happen: April 21, 2008: OEM, Volume License, Connect, and […]

Remembering Saved Instant Messenger Passwords
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
If you use an instant messaging program, odds are you have it automatically log in using your remembered user name and password. This is a very handy feature, but allows you to easily forget your password since you never have to enter it. If this is the case and you want to “recover” your password, […]

Managing Instant Messaging, Social Networking, Microblogging With A Multi-Protocol Client
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
When you use the internet long enough you basically sign up for every instant messenger account on the planet. AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, MSN/Live, and so on. You also sign up for a bunch of social networking sites as well, such as MySpace and Facebook. Maybe you even use one of those micro-blogger type sites like […]

Speed Up TightVNC Performance
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
In order to remote connect to a Windows 2000 machine I have, I use TightVNC. While this works great, it is very inefficient in terms of CPU and bandwidth usage as it continually broadcasts the entire screen back to the connected client which in turns sucks up about 40% of my Celeron 1.3 (since each […]

Following The Psystar Story, Weekly Synopsis
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
By now, you have probably heard something about the OpenMac story (now termed Open Computer). This is a Mac clone being marketed by a company called Psystar, based down in Miami, FL. So, the story starts Monday with a story that Psystar is selling a Mac clone for $399. When selling the thing, they go […]

Sign Up For “eBilling” Where Available
PC Mechanic :: Monday, April 21, 2008
One thing we can all do to help cut down on paper waste is to sign up for “eBilling” from companies which offer this. Not only does this have the immediate impact of less paper waste, but it also saves the sending company both time, error and money (which the hopeless optimist in me believes […]

Collaborate Using Online Tools
PC World :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Several new services make it easier for small companies to keep projects on track and hold online meetings.

Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 – The New Budget Superstar?
Techgage :: Monday, April 21, 2008
At 2.53GHz and $133 USD, the E7200 promises to become the new Dual-Core budget superstar. After taking a hard look at the upcoming offering, we would have to readily agree. Overclocking only sweetens the deal further, with 3.0GHz on stock voltages being more than possible. We have a winner!

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 850W Review
OCC :: Friday, April 18, 2008
“The Cooler Master Real Power Pro 850W power supply is a great looking piece of hardware that your computer setup will love, as long as you do not mind the extra wires piled up in your case. The Real Power Pro did exactly what it was supposed to do – deliver power to my computer and keeping all of the rails very stable and close to their stated ratings. There was little fluctuation in the voltages between the idle and load testing. Watching the voltages while running through 3Dmark06, it seemed to handle the load, to no load and back to load changes with little change in the voltages measured. The only complaint that I have, is the way that Cooler Master designed this power supply – they should have made it with a modular design, to keep the amount of wires hanging around the inside of the computer to a minimum.”

NZXT Tempest Gaming Chassis Review
Club Overclocker :: Friday, April 18, 2008
Choosing the right case for your performance PC can be a difficult decision. Trying to balance performance, looks and price may seem like a loosing battle. Today we will be looking at the latest case from NZXT’s Crafted Series; the Tempest. With the Tempest, NZXT hopes to bring you good looks and unprecedented cooling with a target price under $100.

Intel’s Core 2 Quad Q9300 and Core 2 Duo E7200 processors
The Tech Report :: Friday, April 18, 2008
We first reviewed a 45nm Intel processor back in September, and since then, the CPU maker has been ramping up production and slowly transitioning to 45nm chips across its product lines. Two of the final steps along Intel’s path to 45nm ubiquity are of great interest to PC enthusiasts: budget dual- and quad-core processors. We like budget processors for obvious reasons–they’re cheap, like us–and not-so-obvious ones–they tend to have the most overclocking headroom. We especially like the idea of budget 45nm Core 2 processors for yet another reason: they promise to combine a potent punch with modest power draw.

We have two of these chips on the bench today, and they’re just now becoming widely available. The Core 2 Quad Q9300 is Intel’s most affordable quad-core processor, and it promises to supplant a long-time favorite of ours, the Core 2 Quad Q6600, by offering additional goodness at the exact same price. The Core 2 Duo E7200, meanwhile, is Intel’s cheapest 45nm dual-core CPU and a potential goldmine of overclocking potential. As is our dubious custom, we’ve tested these two processors against a whole slew of would-be competitors and wholly inappropriate alternative options.

ASUS P5E3 Premium WIFI Ap@n
Bjorn 3d :: Friday, April 18, 2008
Today we at Bjorn3D plan to help you procrastinators out there by providing some useful facts that will help with your decision making dilemma. We will be reviewing the ASUS’s top of the line X48 based P5E3 Premium WIFI-AP @n motherboard. We plan to take this review to a new limit by testing the board with both the Intel® Q6600, 65nm processor and the Intel’s new X3350 Xeon 45nm Quad core processor which is said to mimic the long awaited, forthcoming 9450 processor in all respects. We will also test the board using the 64 bit version of Vista using both 2GB of high-speed DDR3 as well as 4GB of lower latency DDR3. While this presentation is first and foremost a motherboard review we hope to assist as well in providing data to help you purchase the right accessories to make it shine.

INTEL Q9450 Core 2 Quad Processor Review
Hardware Logic :: Friday, April 18, 2008
“Ever since Intel released their Core 2 Duo line of computer chips, they’ve been winning the war for processor supremacy. And not only at the high end of the spectrum, their more affordable dual and quad core chips have shown better performance than their AMD competition at similar price points which leaves consumers hard pressed to take the AMD route. With their foot planted firmly on the neck of the competition, the boys in blue are unleashing a killer combo of budget quad cores that make AMD’s new Phenom already look dated.”

Huntkey Titan 650W PSU
Driver Heaven :: Friday, April 18, 2008
While many people might not have heard of HuntKey before, they are currently the largest Chinese switching PSU manufacturer. They design and produce almost every kind of switching power supply currently available, including PC power supplies. Although they are not well known in the US and EU markets yet, their units have slowly been finding their way to store shelves. Today we will take a look at the HK650, a unit HuntKey designed for enthusiasts who want a powerful, yet inexpensive PSU. We will soon see if it’s worthy of your time and, most importantly, money.

Intel Core 2 Quad 9300 Processor Review
Legit Reviews :: Friday, April 18, 2008
“Intel has a winner on their hands with the Core 2 Quad Q9300 processor. At $285.99 shipped to your door it is priced higher than any AMD Phenom quad-core processor, but rightly so as our benchmarking showed it out performing Phenom in every benchmark except memory bandwidth. Not too shabby for the entry level 45nm quad-core processor! Our top overclock was over 1GHz higher than the stock frequency and that pushed the final clock frequency to 3.5GHz!”

Corsair TX650W PSU
Technic 3d :: Friday, April 18, 2008
“The Corsair TX650W PSU arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next PSU Review with a high efficiency and a good price. Make the Ultra-quiet 120mm double ball-bearing fan, 8 Serial ATA connectors, 2x PCI-e 8-Pin and extra long cables support this PSU better than the 550W PSU?”

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 850W Review
Overclockers Club :: Friday, April 18, 2008

Access Desktop Items From Your Taskbar
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 18, 2008
One thing I have noticed is a lot of people like to treat their Desktop as a “dumping ground” for all their personal files, folders and shortcuts. Yes, it is very convenient, but quickly gets overwhelming and hard to navigate. If you are one of these people, a handy shortcut is to add a menu […]

Casual Friday: Gran Turismo Edition
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
Take a Gran Turismo 5 test drive, make some hard turns with new hardware, and check out the hardest (and easiest) games you’ll ever play.

Canon PowerShot A470
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
This bargain-priced, no-frills camera offers very good image quality.

First Look: Outlook Add-Ons Bring CRM to E-Mail
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
Avidian Prophet Premium and Microsoft Business Contact Manager each turn Outlook into a full-blown CRM application, but which one is right for your business?

Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Camera
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
Sleek design, superb image capability and intuitive controls make the SD1100 a solid buy.

Top 10 Point-and-Shoot Cameras
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
Easy to use, point-and-shoot cameras are a great choice for the casual photographer. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

Plustek SmartOffice PL806 Scanner
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
Plustek’s entry-level document scanner does both prints and multiple pages, but its pace is pedestrian.

QuickBooks Simple Start 2008 (Free Version) Accounting Software
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
This program offers a great escape from your homemade accounting system, but the software’s simplicity and limitations make it easy to outgrow.

Keep Business Teams Organized With JuggleMyStuff
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
JuggleMyStuff’s Web service helps small businesses share files and track to-dos and appointments.

5 Gadgets That Make You Seem Artistic
PC World :: Friday, April 18, 2008
You may have never been trained as a painter or musician, but today’s tech tools make faking it easy. Here’s our favorite gear for the creatively minded.

Mapower MAP-KC31 eSATA & USB 2.0 HDD 
techPowerUp :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Mapower KC31CSJ HDD enclosure has almost everything a user could ask for. The sturdy build quality is complimented by a sleek aluminum finish while remaining lightweight. The performance is pleasing especially compared to more expensive enclosures out there. The passively cooled heat dissipation system ensures silent operation while working hard to get that heat away from your important data.

Beginners Guides: Linux Part 3: Installing New Software
PC Stats :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“In the first two parts of our set of Beginner’s Guides to the Linux operating system, we familiarized you with the popular KDE desktop environment via a ‘live’ CD Linux distribution and explored installing Linux permanently onto your system. In this third PCSTATS Beginner’s Guide to the Linux operating system, we’re going to explore an essential Linux skill; how to track down and add new software packages to your Linux installation.”

Asus Striker II Extreme Review 
Club Overclocker :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Asus have generally been among the top boards in the enthusiast market. Not too long ago, Asus stepped up their game by introducing the Republic of Gamers (ROG) motherboard line. This line of motherboards promises the best gaming and the best overclocking that you can get on an Asus board. In other words, this is the best of the best that Asus has. Being labeled the best of the best has good points and bad. Since I know I’m getting the best that Asus has to offer, I’m expecting a lot from this board. Let’s dig into the Striker II Extreme and see if it can live up to the hype.

BeleniX 0.7 OpenSolaris Desktop
Phoronix :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“Long before Sun’s Project Indiana came about, BeleniX has been one of our favorite GNU/Solaris distributions. BeleniX has been a LiveCD based upon OpenSolaris, but with yesterday’s release of BeleniX 0.7 it is now a source-level derivative of the Project Indiana blend of OpenSolaris. Today we’re taking a quick look at this new release.”

Maingear Dash PC Review
Digital Trends :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“If you are a gamer on a budget, then the Maingear Dash is the perfect PC for you. It’s small quiet and affordable.”

Coolink Chipchilla Chipset Cooler Review 
Hardware Canucks :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
When it comes to cooling computers most people understand the need for CPU and graphics coolers but overlook the lowly motherboard chipset. The importance of the Northbridge and Southbridge chipsets is seemingly underestimated by most consumers and this carries over onto how most manufacturers cool them (i.e. as cheaply as possible). On most entry, mid and even some high-end boards, people think that it is more than acceptable to have a small chunk of aluminum as a Northbridge cooling solution.

Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-SH2 Review
OCC :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“I went into this review with a mindset that this board is geared to being used in a workstation or Home Theater PC and at that, it does very well. In the science benchmarks, the Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-SH2 pulls off some impressive numbers compared to competing boards using the same chipset. The Gigabyte board has an array of features and capabilities that would make any system like this drool for more. I liked how Gigabyte included all three video ports for this board because if you are like me and lose adapters easily, you will not be left out from using them down the road. Another feature of note i absolutely loved is the number of USB headers available. For a media PC or workstation, that is a great move.”

Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red DDR2-800 4GB Kit BL2KIT25664AR804 Memory Review
OC Inside :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Sure, for most of us DDR2-800 RAM is nothing special anymore, but the new Crucial Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red PC2-6400 memory modules are worth a second look. The current DDR2 4GB kit consists of 2x 2GB PC2-6400 CL4 memory modules and they are a visual treat. This Ballistix Tracer Red edition offers not just more memory for the PC, but thanks to several integrated SMD light emitting diodes it lights up the PC in a bright red. Let us test the result of this new 4GB CL4 kit from Crucial compared to previous tested DDR2 modules. And let us see, if there is anything special with Windows XP or Windows Vista and 4 GB PC memory.

Thermaltake ToughPower QFan 500W Review 
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
It was many months ago that ThermalTake released their first PSUs, these were good enough for them to start gaining a strong reputation in this highly competitive market. Today we will take a look at their affordable, mid-range PSU, the ToughPower 500W. The ToughPower 500W is a modular and silent PSU, but is it good enough to compete in the wide spanning but budget minded mid-range market?

Rock Pegasus 210
BIOS Magazine :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“The Pegasus 210 (from £799) is a 12-inch ultra-portable laptop designed to meet the everyday demands of business professionals. The machine pretty much sucks at running games and high-end multimedia, but for number crunchers who can’t afford a ThinkPad it might be just the ticket. In fact, if it wasn’t for the jaw-dropping ThinkPad X300 (from £1790), the Pegasus 210 might actually be a contender for your cash.”

Lamptron Aluminum Case Handles
techPowerUp :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
In a world where case modding is becoming increasingly more popular, Lamptron focuses on giving modders and enthusiasts alike what they are asking for in accessories. The Aluminum Case Handles that we are taking a look at today have style with their custom CNC milled design and smooth elegant finish. The aluminum construction is solid yet very light weight and will certainly please anyone who wants to add portability to their case as well as looks provided that you are willing to spend a little extra money for the quality.

Corsair XMS2 DHX PC2-6400 4GB Kit 
Overclock 3d :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“A further addition to the DDR2 market, the XMS2 DHX kit steps up to try push the tech that little bit further.”

Welcome to Macintosh: Mactards Go Official
PC Mech :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“Tony Walla, a reader of TUAW, probably didn’t realize some big tech sites were going to link to his blog the day he decided to cover this film. Tony, welcome to the world of Mac versus PC, where the nerds are a little too excited and the sheep are scared.[…]”

Wireless Security Guide
Techware Labs :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Almost anyone can purchase and use a wireless gateway or router in their home or office. The setup of these devices often come with a wizard to step you through and get the device working. The problem is that most of these wizards disregard common security holes and leave you open to hackers and even your neighbors accessing your data. How do you plug these holes and how does wireless work? We answer these questions in our simple guide to wireless security.

Thermaltake Xaser VI VG4000BWS Super Tower Chassis Review 
Big Bruin :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
In October 2007 Thermaltake announced that they were working on the sixth edition of the Xaser series. The latest release builds on the success of past models, and includes items such as a removable motherboard tray, 10 expansion slots, a tool-free design, Aluminum construction, e-SATA connectors, and many other features.

5 game concepts that should be revisited 
XS Reviews :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
“The games industry – especially large studios – is often accused of “playing it safe” and sticking to tried and true concepts, leaving independent studios to try out new ideas and new ways of playing. With so many RTS and FPS clones being pumped out every year alongside yet another expansion for the Sims, many are clamouring for something new and fresh. What the studios don’t realize, is that they don’t need to make something new. There are already plenty of novel game concepts that just need an update, or a bit more developement. With that in mind, here’s our top 5 novel game concepts that should be revisited.”

IBM semiconductor alliance targets 32nm for metal gate fabrication
Beyond3d Processor News :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
IBM announced Monday that the semiconductor research alliance led by the firm had successfully demonstrated significant process advancement through the incorporation of high-k/metal gate (HKMG) in test silicon at its…

Updated and Comments added
Dragonsteel Mods :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
We've updated the site a bit, the core anyway, and I've added comments.. comments can be viewed and added at the end of articles/reviews. Comments are going to be set so that you have to be a registered user to add comments, if you were a member here at an earlier time then your login id/pw does still exist and you can still use it. For the next couple days though I will be leaving the comments open to anyone, BUT they will be moderated closely, and a Captcha system will be implemented soon.

Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-SH2 Review
Overclockers Club :: Thursday, April 17, 2008

Welcome to Macintosh: Mactards Go Official
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
First off, what is Welcome to Macintosh? “Welcome to Macintosh” is a documentary that explores the many ways Apple Computer (now Apple, Inc.) has changed the world. Whether a long time Mac fanatic or new to computers, Welcome to Macintosh takes you from the early days of the Apple-I to the latest and greatest Apple has […]

June 30: The Deadline For Preloaded Windows XP
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
If you are looking to get a new machine and are still wanting to use Windows XP instead of Vista, make a note on your calendar that June 30th is the last day major manufacturers will be able to sell machines loaded with Windows XP. Whether or not you like Windows Vista, it is the […]

Online Streaming Cam Wars: Webcam vs. Camcorder
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
On the live stream I periodically get asked what webcam I use and how I get the image to look at good as it does. I inform that yes I use a Microsoft Lifecam VX-3000. It does the job and does it well for live streaming. However I will be the first to admit it’s not perfect. […]

A Personal Tale Of Verizon Woes
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Verizon (for those unaware) is a humongous telecommunications company with a very large presence in the United States. It’s more or less guaranteed that anyone you talk to in the US knows what Verizon is and what they do. Verizon’s infrastructure is also humongous (obviously). This means they can offer anything to do with telecommunications. So, […]

The “Zombies” Are Coming!
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
It sounds like something straight out of Hollywood. A horde of merciless souls invading our world and wreaking havoc where ever they go. They are everywhere, and they are seemingly unstoppable. As far-fetched as this may sound, in a way, it is true. Zombie BotNets are real, are everywhere and pose a real […]

SeaTools For Windows
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
As you probably know, your hard drive is the most important and fragile component of your computer. Since it houses all your data, your system basically “lives and dies” by the health of your hard drive. Perhaps the most important indicator in a hard drive is the S.M.A.R.T. check which is built in to virtually all […]

Links to Reviews for April 13-15
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter HS20 – “Today we are looking at a very nice little gadget that will help you get connected to hot spots when you are on the road. The scanning process took about 10 seconds in my testing to turn up 6 local wireless networks. It is important to note that my notebook […]

Video: Super Mario With RC Car And Bottles?
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
It’s stuff like this on YouTube that makes it cool: Yes, that’s the NES Super Mario Bros. video game in-game song being played with a radio-controlled car with a mounted hammer hitting bottles for the notes. When tech translates into real life like this in a (really) creative way, that’s just plain awesome. I can guarantee you […]

Google Earth Cheat Sheet
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
I do use Google Earth from time to time (which by the way they’re supposed to release v4.3 today with more Mac support and Street Views included), and find that memorizing the keystrokes in the software does make it faster to use. I mention this because said honestly, the interface is a bit clunky at […]

Gear Up at Techgage Lineage II Style!
Techgage :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
NCsoft gave us a whack of stuff to give away to you, our loyal readers, and that’s what we are doing throughout the month. This week, we are offering up some sweet Lineage II swag, so fill out the form and enter!

Creative EAX vs. ASUS DS3D GX 2.0
Techgage :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Not long ago, we received word from ASUS that they had managed to incorporate EAX effects into the drivers of their Xonar cards. Soon afterward, Creative told everyone that was false, and that ASUS “EAX” was not true EAX. Who’s telling the straight story, and will you even notice a difference?

D-Link DGL-4500 Xtreme N Gaming Router
Techgage :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
D-Link’s DGL-4500 wireless router brings a lot to the table, including dual-band operation, 802.11n support, a killer built-in OLED screen, on top of features perfectly suited for online gamers. Of course, such a feature-packed router doesn’t come cheap, so is it worth your hard-earned $180?

Thermaltake BlacX Hard Drive Docking Station
Techgage :: Thursday, April 17, 2008
Happen to have a few 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA hard drives lying about that you’ve been avoiding because you don’t feel like installing them in your rig? Want a quick and easy way to hot-swap between multiple drives for a very reasonable price and have a unit that actually looks cool? The BlacX is for you.

Patriot Viper PC3-14400 DDR3 Memory Review 
RB Mods :: Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Coolink SWiF 1202 Cooling Fan
Modders Inc :: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
With our comparison between the Coolink and Noctua fans, we can see that the Coolink does have a slight lead in the cooling area, but comes at the slightly louder noise level.

Overclocking Intel’s Xeon X3320 processor
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
We PC enthusiasts have been co-opting enterprise-class hardware for our own personal systems for years now. We got our first taste of the creamy smoothness of SMP on dual-socket workstation boards long before you could get two cores conveniently packaged on the same chip. Tempted by lightning-fast access times and 10K-RPM spindle speeds, we adopted Western Digital’s Raptor hard drive. And who can forget AMD’s Toledo-based dual-core Opterons—overclocking marvels compatible with the same 939-pin socket as Athlon 64 X2 desktop chips. I’ve had what was a relatively inexpensive Opteron 165 designed to run at 1.8GHz happily chugging away at 2.4GHz on a standard desktop motherboard for a couple of years now.

Although they share the same architecture and performance characteristics as their desktop counterparts, server and workstation processors like the Opteron typically undergo additional validation testing and run at lower operating voltages. In a sense, chips that make the grade for the enterprise world are the best of the breed. That doesn’t guarantee overclocking success, but it at least hints at untapped potential. When that potential plugs into a standard desktop motherboard loaded with overclocking options, we just can’t resist.

It’s no wonder, then, that Intel’s Xeon X3320 caught my eye recently. This LGA775 chip features a 45nm Yorkfield core running at 2.5GHz with 6MB of L2 cache, making it the Xeon equivalent of the Core 2 Quad Q9300. What’s more, while the Q9300 has been in short supply of late, the X3320 has been more consistently available at roughly the same price.

Antec Mini P180
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
design and construction, and today’s examples are a nice departure from the vanilla rattle boxes of days gone by. Increased cooling capabilities, quieter operation, and style are just a few of the advances – and with these often come increased size and weight. Recognizing that many PC enthusiasts actually like to be able to move their systems, Antec has come up with a smaller, more portable case with this in mind. Enter the Mini P180 Advanced Super Mini Tower – the newest member of the Antec Performance One series of cases.

In-Win B-2 Stealth Bomber Case Review
Hardware Logic :: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
“While not a name often heard in the enthusiast market, In-Win has been in business for 22 years, focusing primarily on PC enclosures. In-Win mainly caters torward OEMs, but does have experience in the retail market. Previously we’ve examined three of their small form factor offerings, the Mt. Jade, the Alpha 360, and the F430.”

In-Win B-2 Stealth Bomber Case Review
Hardware Logic :: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Today HardwareLogic takes a look at the In-Win B2 Stealth Bomber chassis. Themed after it’s namesake, the B2 offers unique “Stealth” styling, with aircraft style detailing in a mid-tower form factor. In-Win’s newest case boasts features including a motorized touch-sensitive faceplate, a Turbo Cooling System, and the ability to evade radar detection. Ok, maybe we made up that last bit, but until someone proves us wrong, we’ll assume it’s true. Let’s dive in and see what she can actually do!”

AMD Phenom 9850 Quad Core CPU Review
Techware Labs :: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
AMD’s release of the Phenom 9850 means an end to the TLB errata problem it also ushers in a new level of affordable quad core computing and gaming. Ruffy tests out the Phenom 9850 and manges to get it running at 3.1Ghz on air! We show you the performance of this affordable computing beast and give you our analysis on this new CPU.

Vizo Sleet RAM Coolers Review
Techware Labs :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
From time to time, we’ll notice our system getting hot. This is usually due to the processor overheating, but sometimes the RAM comes into play. Today, Justin examines hot RAM can overheat, and how Vizo’s Sleet Ram Coolers can help to drop those temperatures.

Thermaltake DuOrb CPU / Memory Cooler Review
OCIA :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
“Thermaltake has now carried that same patented design over into the processor realm with its DuOrb CPU Cooler. Utilizing twin 80mm fans just as the VGA Cooler did, this time surrounded by six copper heatpipes rather than two and both an inner aluminum fin and outer copper fin configuration, the DuOrb CPU Cooler takes advantage of the wide wingspan of the DuOrb design to cool not only the processor but also the memory and surrounding socket area.”

Kingwin RVT-12025 HDT CPU Cooler
Benchmark Reviews :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
There are times when Benchmark Reviews will test a product that seems very similar to another that we’ve already reviewed, with only subtle differences separating them. A much less common occurrence is when we see the exact same product, only wearing a different name. Kingwin is fortunate then to have built their RVT-12025 HDT CPU cooler from an award-winning mold. Designed from the Heat-pipe Direct Touch technology created by Zaward, and later incorporated into the award-winning Xigmatek HDT-S1283 CPU cooler, the new RVT-12025 is a chip off the old block… a very well established block.

Hitachi Deskstar 500GB SATA/300 7200RPM 16MB HDD
Viper Lair :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
“The Hitachi came about the DeskStar lineup with their and IBM’s merger, with the history behind the DeskStar (I know, I had to bring up the old stuff) I am sure IBM was not to sad to let Hitachi run with it. Obviously those issues are long gone as Hitachi has gained a stellar reputation with their iteration of the DeskStar.”

Apevia X-QBOII Black Case Review
OCC :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
“You may be wondering, what happened to the layout? The motherboard has been flipped upside down to the opposite side of the case. Many pre-built manufacturers use this type of layout, and I like it. It allows for the CPU to be rotated to the bottom of the case where the cold air sinks, thus allowing for better cooling. And in this windowed case, the PCI and PCI-E cards also get rotated, so the exciting top part of the card is shown off, instead of the boring bottom.”

Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L Motherboard Reviewed
The Tech Lounge :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
“Gigabyte is a solid company. They’re at the top of my list, it would seem, so picking a current-generation entry-level motherboard without integrated graphics narrows things down to about half a dozen options, with the GA-P31-DS3L at the front. But is that really enough to base a decision on? Well, if you’re reading this, then Jesus, of course not. Here’s what to expect: OK performance, dull layout, and Ultra Durability! After a trip to the bench, this board indeed gets a nod for being better than the other P31 motherboards. Here’s what that means.”

AMD Opteron 2356 Dual Quad-Core
Phoronix :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
“When looking at the AMD Phenom 9500 under Linux, we had found this processor had posed a number of issues from kernel panics to other troubles when running Ubuntu 7.10 with the Linux 2.6.22 kernel. Once, however, upgrading to Ubuntu 8.04 with the Linux 2.6.24 kernel these problems had vanished and we were pleased by this native quad-core desktop processor from AMD. Released a month prior to the first Phenom desktop CPUs were the quad-core Opteron 2300 “Barcelona” processors. We hadn’t looked at any AMD Barcelona processors at that time, but today we finally have our hands on two of the new AMD Opteron 2356 server/workstation processors. The Opteron 2356 CPUs come clocked at 2.30GHz, and is a revision B3 Opteron meaning that it has a proper fix for the TLB erratum — this model was introduced only earlier this month. We have benchmarked the new Opteron 2356 in both single and dual CPU configurations and have compared the results — under Linux — to two of Intel’s quad-core Xeon processors.”

OpenMac – And Why It’s Going to Fail
PC Mech :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
“A Miami-based vendor called Psystar is attempting to rain on Apple’s parade. They have created, essentially, a Mac based on PC hardware. They then ported Apple’s OS X Leopard operating system over to it, all for a package price of $399.[…]”

Windows XP SP3 RTM Confirmed! 
Tech ARP :: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
“Microsoft clarified that there will not be any integrated SP3 release for Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows XP Tablet Edition. That means you won’t be able to buy or obtain a complete Windows XP Media Center Edition / Tablet Edition SP3 CD. In addition, users of Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows XP Tablet Edition will only be able to update to Service Pack 3 through Windows Update.”

Seagate Momentus 5400.4 250GB 2.5 HDD
Tweak Town :: Monday, April 14, 2008
Today we have been sent Seagate’s new notebook drive, the Momentus 5400.4. This is the fourth generation of Momentus drives; the last one we managed to have a look at out-pioneered the use of Perpendicular recording methods when it first arrived, proving it could easily handle extra data as well as increase speeds.

Its construction matches that of all other 2.5” drives; it’s light weight so you’re not lugging an extra brick inside your notebook. It runs extremely cool, so not to add to heat which is especially important in the HTPC and notebook market where most of these run with only one fan.”

ASUS Striker II NSE 790i SLI Motherboard Review 
Think Computers :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“A couple of months ago, I read a post in a forum that stated: “with an Intel processor you should use an Intel chipset”, and have seen something similar nearly every day since, including today. I guess that I agreed with it, subconsciously if nothing else. Such was the distance that I had strayed from my roots in such a short time. Which is why when I was informed that I would be reviewing an LGA775 board with an nVidia chipset, I was a little apprehensive, and still am. Today I will be looking at the brand new Asus Striker II NSE motherboard. It is a full-featured DDR3 board for LGA775, utilizing the nVidia nForce 790i SLI chipset, belonging to Asus’ ROG (Republic of Gamers) motherboard line. Will the Striker II NSE interrupt my current love affair with Intel chipsets? Read on to see…”

Lian-Li Armorsuit PC-P60
techPowerUp :: Monday, April 14, 2008
The new Lian-Li Armorsuit PC-P60 is a very elaborate case, which is quite different from the understatement shape of their usual enclosures. Three LED fans are built into the very detailed front door and a top airduct guides air out of the case toward the back. Even though the case retails at $269 it offers a lot of premium features justifying the cost.

Western Digital 500 GB Caviar GP Hard Drive Review
Tech ARP :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“The use of perpendicular recording technology allowed Western Digital to deliver a storage capacity of 500 GB using only two platters. Fewer platters mean lower costs and lower power consumption. The high areal density achieved using perpendicular recording also greatly increased its platter-to-buffer transfer rate. Little wonder how it did so well in our benchmarks.”

MITRON Duplus HDD Selector Review 
Madshrimps :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“This small device from Mitron allows you to switch between two different hard drives. Can be useful in some situations where you don’t want one OS to see the other system. Also for family PC with one disk for the business and one for pleasure with no risk of virus infection from one to another. Lets take a closer look at this nifty product which fits in 3.5inch bay.”

Asus Rampage Formula
t-break :: Monday, April 14, 2008
Asus did not wait long to introduce its first motherboard based on the Intel X48 chipset. Asus Formula Rampage board is part of the Republic of Gamers series and it is obviously aimed at gamers and enthusiasts alike, but is this truly the best motherboard for the Intel s processors on the market?

Asus Striker II Formula Motherboard Review
RB Mods :: Monday, April 14, 2008
DDR2 ram doesn’t cost anything these days so if you are going for a upgrade maybe you should look at this Striker 2 formula that we are going to review today and get a good setup of DDR2. Yes todays review will consist of a review on the Striker 2 board that has gotten quite good results in earlier tests. This board is aiming for the overclockers and most fetures revolve around that theme today. We are going to compare it vs a couple of well performing DDR2 board though to see how it performs at stock. Of course we will finish this review with some overclocking results to actually see if this board lives up to its name.

Aerocool GateWatch 2 Review
Techware Labs :: Monday, April 14, 2008
Aerocool creates some unique products for your PC. We recently tested the GateWatch 2, a fan controller that combines several other functions in an eye catching way. Read our review to see why we had some issues with this product and our suggestions for those inetersted in a similar product.

Fake DFI Motherboards
Tech ARP :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“The detail to the packaging, documentation and the motherboard printing really makes you wonder if the people responsible for this have only limited their activities to DFI motherboards. It’s quite possible that there are fake ASUS or Gigabyte motherboards in the market as well.”

Tuniq TX-2 Thermal Compound
PC FRAGS :: Monday, April 14, 2008
Today I have some Tuniq TX-2 Thermal Grease from our friends over at Tuniq for testing. In todays Over Clocking world of Mega Hot CPUs running at the edge of the thermal envelope no matter what cooling solution you use your Thermal Grease is the conduit between your cooling solution and your Expensive CPU.

4IPNET MSG100 Gateway Review
Techware Labs :: Monday, April 14, 2008
Jason Knappenberger our resident networking and enterprise hardware guru recently took a look at the 4IPNET MSG100 gateway which packs a huge list of features into a $500 device. Does it all work properly and can Jason recommend this hardware? Read our review to find out.

Enermax Liberty DXX 500W Power Supply Review
Hardware Secrets :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“Liberty DXX 500 W, a.k.a. ELT500AWT, is one of the most popular power supplies from Enermax, featuring active PFC, high efficiency, modular cabling system, 120-mm fan and two video card auxiliary power cables for you feed your SLI or CrossFire system. We completely disassembled this unit and also tested to see if it can really deliver its labeled 500 W. Check it out.”

Thermaltake BlacX Hard Drive Docking Station Review
Techgage :: Monday, April 14, 2008
Happen to have a few 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA hard drives lying about that you’ve been avoiding because you don’t feel like installing them in your rig? Want a quick and easy way to hot-swap between multiple drives for a very reasonable price and have a unit that actually looks cool? The BlacX is for you.

Coolink ChipChilla Chipset Cooler
Tweak Town :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“When Coolink first notified me about the ChipChilla, the first thing I thought of was the reference NVIDIA 680i motherboard and how loud the stock chipset cooler is. Coolink advertises the ChipChilla as a solution for overheating Northbridge chipsets, and while it is true that a few of the current chipsets get very hot, they rarely overheat to the point of failure. It is not a coincidence that the chipsets that run hot are also the ones with very loud fans, opening the door for an aftermarket solution.

Recently I tested the Coolink GFXChilla in our Mega 9-way VGA Cooler Roundup and found that the cooler performed very well for its size and that the unit was well made. The ChipChilla at first glance appears to follow the same lines as the GFXChilla, and the two when used in combination would add visual appeal to a system.”

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Review
OCC :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“Am I disappointed in the overclocking headroom available from this processor. Not in the least! With the insane speeds being offered up by the dual core variants, I was still searching for a bit more than the 3.7GHz I was able to pull from this quad core processor. But even though I was expecting more, a greater than 1 GHz overclock is nothing to laugh at. The clockspeed increase was also done with a relatively low 1.36 volts to the processor. Much less than I have needed with both my Q6600 and QX9770s to gain the maximum core speed. Temperatures were, for the most part, kept in check throughout the testing. 64 degrees Celsius under load was the highest temperature I saw on air cooling during my stability testing with Prime 95. With better cooling, could the max overclock be increased? Probably, but the vast majority of users will be on air, so that’s where I spent my time testing.”

ASUS DRW-2014 L1T DVD-RW Review
Virtual Hideout :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“As far as DVD optical drives go, the Asus DRW-2014L1T is right on par with a lot of the other drives in its class. The LightScribe is a bonus for those who like to label their discs. Most drive noise is created when the optical disc starts to wobble and vibrate. This vibration is transferred to the drive motor and tray, thus making the noise. The QuieTrack feature and Auto Vibration Reducing System seem to work really well, as the noise level from a spun up disc was low. FlextraLink™ prevents buffer under run problems caused by an empty data buffer, thereby eliminating the creation of CD-coasters. This technology is similar to, and seems to work as well as, other companies’ buffer under run technologies.”

Rosewill RX82-U HDD Enclosure
techPowerUp :: Monday, April 14, 2008
The Rosewill RX82-U is a USB enclosure for SATA hard disk drives featuring two easy-to-swap trays. Running in JBOD mode, each drive gets seen as its own self, so the user will see two drives if two drives are installed. More trays can be purchased and drives can be hot-swapped as needed.

AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition review
Tech Spot :: Monday, April 14, 2008
In terms of performance, AMD has stated that the new B3 processors will be no faster than the original Phenom X4 CPUs without the TLB erratum fix enabled on a clock-for-clock basis. Therefore the Phenom X4 9600 and the new Phenom X4 9650, for example, should be no different in terms of performance. Just as well that should mean that today’s flagship Phenom, the X4 9850, should sit somewhere between the Phenom 9700 and 9900 processors that we reviewed earlier this year.

Cooler Master Cosmos S Case Review
Hardware Logic :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“Inspired by race cars (per Coolermaster’s press release) this newest incarnation of the Cosmos is designated by it’s S moniker, or Sport edition. Perhaps they mean sport racing with Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s, as the sleek and defined look of the Cosmos S sure enough wouldn’t mix well with the drunken crowds and painted up racing billboads of Nascar. Regardless, the polished and aggressive new face is exciting in itself, and we out to see how this new thoroughbred competes with it’s more modest and silent sibling, the Cosmos 1000 which we reviewed back in December.”

Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W Power Supply Review 
Think Computers :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“ThinkComputers loves ThermalTake’s lines of cooling supplies and cases. The company is known for its “think of everything” packaging and subtle stylishness of its products. ThermalTake provided ThinkComputers with a 650W version of its new ToughPower QFan line of power supply units. We expected this power supply to sputter when connected to our enthusiast-level gaming rig-the results of our testing are in the review.”

Sapphire Radeon HD3870 X2 1GB Graphics Card Review
Big Bruin :: Monday, April 14, 2008
The 1GB Sapphire Radeon HD3870 X2 graphics card couples the power of two HD3870 GPUs on one card to provide the muscle necessary to smoothly drive today’s games with ease. And if you are a player that insists on the absolute cutting edge and top notch performance at any cost you can take advantage of CrossFireX and use two of these cards in tandem.

Entering the Notebook World in 2008
Tweak Town :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“It’s not the first time I’ve entered the wonderful world of notebooks, but recently I’ve found myself getting a bit tired of sitting in front of the same desk in the same room so many hours a day. I thought that it was finally time to take the plunge and get back into the wonderful world that is notebooks.

There are three kinds of notebook users; those that get their notebook through work for business purposes, those that buy it themselves and say that they’re going to use it all the time, but actually don’t, and then of course the group of people who buy it and actually do use it. I hope to find myself in the latter; previously I was in the second group and found my notebook being used as a door stop more than anything else.”

ECS A780GM-A v1.0
Phoronix :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“Last month we had looked at the Radeon HD 3200, which is part of the AMD 780G Chipset. In that Linux-based review we had found the performance to be admirable for being an integrated graphics processor (IGP) and it was quickly supported by the proprietary fglrx driver, aside from AMD not yet introducing the CrossFire/Hybrid Graphics Linux support. To deliver those Radeon HD 3200 benchmarks we had used the ECS A780GM-A Black and today we’re publishing our full run-down on this AMD 780G motherboard that’s paired with the AMD SB700 Southbridge. The A780GM-A boasts support for AMD Phenom processors, DDR2-1066 memory, PCI Express 2.0, and an HDMI port in addition to one VGA output.”

In Win B2 Stealth Bomber ATX Computer Case
Legit Reviews :: Monday, April 14, 2008
In Win has been developing some pretty interesting cases lately and the B2 Stealth Bomber is the latest ATX tower from the Xtreme Series. With an auto-sensing front door and a touch sensitive mechanism to activate the front cover this case is far from what one would expect in a case. Join us as we see if this tool-free case can be as stealthy as the plane its named after!

Selling a Twitter Account Should Be Wrong But It Evidently Isn’t
PC Mech :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“On the vast majority of web services that offer free screen names it is expressly forbidden to sell your name to someone else. Why? It’s mainly to offset screen names turning into property that the providers can’t control, i.e. it would turn into a huge big frickin’ mess. Trust me, there are very good reasons […]”

Linux Is A Big Ball Of Epic Fail
PC Mech :: Monday, April 14, 2008
“Jane: Hey, I heard about this thing called “Linux”, do you know anything about it? Jack: Sure! I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Ask away. Jane: It’s free, right? Jack: Yes, absolutely! Jane: Cool! So they give it away for free at the computer store? Jack: Well, no.. Jane: How do you get it then? Jack: You have to download […]”

LITEON DH-401D 4X BD-ROM
CDR Info :: Monday, April 14, 2008
The DH401S is LiteON’s latest internal Blu-ray drive with BD-ROM reading and support for all the CD/DVD/BD media currently available, except from the DVD-RAM. The SATA interface is a good addition but the error correction needs improvements. The BD-ROM playback part was very good without any problems. The price of the DH-401D BD-ROM drive is around $150 making a safe buy for all users.

Biostar TA770 A2+ Motherboard
CDR Info :: Monday, April 14, 2008
A low budget solution for AM2+ platform users. The overall performance was good and we didn’t had any serious complain apart the overclocking area, where it lucks high FSB speeds, compared with more expensive boards.

Intel Q9300 Quad Core processor
CDR Info :: Monday, April 14, 2008
Intel enters the 45nm manufacturing process with a “low” budget quad core processor. We test the new processor under many different tests and benchmarks. Our overall impression is that if you need a low priced quad core, this product is right for you…

In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Case Review
Tweaknews :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“Regardless of whether or not you’re a fighter jet enthusiast, In Win’s latest offering is worthy of your next system build or simply to replace an old, boring case. It has just about every feature that one would need while maintaining a sleek, non-cluttered look just like the jet it was inspired by. Quite honestly, I can’t find any real reason not to highly recommend it.”

ThermalTake Armor Case Review
ASE Labs :: Friday, April 11, 2008
” What happens when you need a full size case for a new build? Maybe you want the extra space for additional cooling or hardware support. Look no futher than the Thermaltake Armor VA8003BWS. We already know that Thermaltake is a big player in the cases and modding market. This case certainly fits its name. It is big, heavy, and tough. ”

Thermaltake BlacX Hard Drive Docking Station Review 
Hardware Canucks :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Today we will be looking at Thermaltake’s unique take on external USB hard drive devices; namely the BlacX. This product is a 2.5 inch and 3.5 inch SATA hard drive USB docking station that retails for about $35.00 here in Canada. To be precise this is not an enclosure, this is a USB hard drive docking station and as such will have different strengths and weaknesses than the normal run of the mill hard drive enclosures.

Asus M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi-AP Motherboard Review
Futurelooks :: Friday, April 11, 2008
That’s right, we’re checking out the M3A32-MVP Deluxe/WiFi-AP motherboard from Asus. This flagship motherboard from the well known manufacturer was upon release the first to use AMD’s newest chipset. This means full Phenom support, in addition to the slew of features and functions Asus adds to its top shelf motherboards. Here’s a quick run down of this motherboard’s features.

CyberLink Interview for the HTPC HD Fans
Tweak Town :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“We recently caught up with our friends at the happy and fun CyberLink HQ here in Taipei, Taiwan and asked them a range of questions addressing our concerns and also those of which we have seen posted in many audio visual forums around the world.

We say “happy and fun” as it’s quite literally the most vibrant office we have visited, ever. Alice H. Chang, CEO of CyberLink, actually encourages staff members to decorate the office with movie posters, drawings and painting on walls. Heck, even bring along your toys, figurines and comics from home – that’s cool, too!”

Gigabyte X38-DQ6 Review
OCC :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“The Gigabyte X38-DQ6 performed pretty well overall. While the performance it put out in the benchmarks were very comparable to the P965 board it was tested against, it still had a lot more room ahead if it had been paired with a better CPU and GPU. It also allows the user to have a second video card in Crossfire, which would boost performance up a lot. Some of the the best features on this board don’t come from its performance, but from its other features, like the power saver. If you are in a pinch with high electricity bills coming in every month, just enable the power saver and, day after day, you can save a pretty decent amount.”

SilverStone KLO2 Kublai Series Case Review
GamePyre :: Friday, April 11, 2008
There’s a lot to like about the SilverStone KL-02 case. First it is very light, meaning that carrying it around is a breeze. The construction of the case with SECC Steel and aluminum is very solid meaning that the case is not likely to break easily. The KL-02 has plenty of expansion capability with the case having up to 9 5.25″ drive bays and a single 3.5″ FDD bay. Negatives of the case include the lack of a motherboard tray, the installation of a long video card interfering with the drives and the fact that SilverStone cases are a mildly pricy at $100 USD for this case at most retail or e-tailors. Overall though, it is a good, solid case that is highly available on the market.

Sunbeamtech Silent Storm Case Review
Hardware Secrets :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“Silent Storm is an inexpensive mid-tower case from Sunbeamtech – it costs only USD 50 at Newegg.com – coming with three 120-mm fans, a transparent side window and screwless installation mechanisms for daughter boards and disk drives. Let’s take an in-depth look on this product.”

Making Old Software Compatible with Windows Vista
PC Stats :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“One of the most common gripes about Windows Vista even now, almost a year and a half after its release, is that it doesn’t play nicely with a LOT of older software. It has some pretty big software compatibility issues, and nothing is more frustrating than finding out that the games and applications you’re accustomed to no longer run. Buying all new software isn’t the answer, instead PCSTATS will guide you down the path to getting your old programs working once more in Vista.”

Cooler Master Centurion 590 Mid-Tower Case Review
OCIA :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“It was a little over a month ago that I had a chance to review another Cooler Master case, the Cosmos S. While the Cosmos is certainly a supurb case, a veritable heavyweight contender, not everyone may have the space (or the pocketbook) for an enclosure like that. This month Cooler Master has sent us something scaled down a bit, but equally as impressive looking, the Centurion 590.”

Silverstone Decathlon 1200W PSU Review
Driver Heaven :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Today we will take a look at a very powerful PSU from Silverstone, the Decathlon 1200W. Silverstone have taken the core of a slightly older server-oriented Olympia 1200W PSU, and have re-designed it to suit the requirements of hardcore enthusiasts, thus the 1200W Decathlon was born. Silverstone are renowned among for building products to the highest standards, so with that in mind let us see if the 1200W Decathlon can deliver the goods.

Mushkin XP-800AP 800W Review
OCC :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“There is also a great feature worth mentioning here. The Mushkin XP-800AP has a special feature that allows you to operate the power supply on four rails or on a single rail, depending on your setup and power requirements. This change is initiated by a simple switch on the back of the power supply by the main power switch; slide one way and you have the single-rail setup and the other way for a quad-rail setup.”

Xigmatek HDT- S1283 Review
XS Reviews :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“CPU cooling has always been important for the overclocker, but due to dual and quad cores it’s becoming increasingly important for the casual user too. Water cooling and phase change are both great ways of cooling a CPU; however the extremes of these methods are both very expensive and can be rather risky. This is the reason why Air Cooling is still used today, though don’t label it as boring, air cooling has changed dramatically over the past 3 years.

Today I will be looking at the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 which features anti-vibration rubber and a 120mm ‘quiet’ fan. So lets take this cooler out for a spin and see how well it performs….”

Thermaltake DuOrb CPU Cooler 
Legit Reviews :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“The Thermaltake DuOrb is a sharp looking, well performing cooler that should fit in just about any mid tower and up, and some mini towers. At the $65 price point this could be considered a high-end air cooler. It’s quiet, light weight, good looking, and a breeze to install. It kept up with the NV-120 really well, which says lot for the cooler…”

Ultra Stackables
Modders Inc :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The Ultra Stackables are a new creation from Ultra offering the ability to stack several external devices together with a single power supply.

LF Collaboration Summit, Austin: Day 1
Phoronix :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“The second annual Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit kicked off yesterday with a variety of free software and Linux talks. The topics ranged from VIA announcing a new open-source driver strategy to pictures of MySQL executives burning their IPO prospectus information following their acquisition by Sun Microsystems. Ending off the first day of talks was a party at the QUA Bottle Lounge in downtown Austin, Texas. Here are a few pictures from the day.”

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
Bjorn 3d :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Does that processor of yours that you just bought not too long ago seem like it is lacking in power trying to run the latest games and applications? Many people will answer yes to this question, and many PC enthusiasts will turn to overclocking in order to extend the performance life of their computer. With the added performance that is gained by overclocking, another gain is seen as well; heat. In order to keep your freshly overclocked CPU cool under its new settings, looking into aftermarket coolers should be your next step. OEM cooling solutions typically work great for stock speeds and maybe even a slight overclock, but for those users looking to gain the most from their CPU, an aftermarket cooler is definitely in order. Luckily, Arctic Cooling has provided us with their Freezer 7 Pro for Socket 775 processors to see how it holds up to the extra heat gained from overclocking.

Tuniq Sanctum Hard Drive Cooler
Techware Labs :: Friday, April 11, 2008
One of the most unappreciated items in your computer is your hard drive. You buy fancy coolers for your CPU, fans for your case, and use rubber insulators for your power supplies, but what about your hard drive? Today, Tuniq brings to us their Sanctum cooler. Artiom shows us how you can get your hard drive to run up to 10 degrees cooler!

Thermaltake BlacX SATA USB Hard Drive Docking Station Review
Futurelooks :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The Thermaltake BlacX SATA USB Hard Drive Docking Station (say that ten times fast) is the breath of fresh air that the market needs. The unit supports both 2.5 and 3.5 inch SATA hard drives and attaches to your computer via the ever pervasive USB connection. With a tool free setup, just dock your chosen hard drive in and you’re ready to roll.

ASUS EN9800GTX 512MB Review
Techgage :: Friday, April 11, 2008
It’s not too often that the fastest single-GPU available is also affordable, but the 9800 GTX is just that. At just over $300, it delivers incredible performance at all resolutions and also turns out to be amazingly overclockable. It’s just too bad that the 8800 GTS 512 is not much slower…

Kingston Hyper X PC3-13000 2GB Memory Kit Review
Hardware Logic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“Kingston has been in business for longer then most of us have probably been building systems. Well known for its ValueRAM and HyperX memory lines, as well as some pretty damned impressive flash memory, Kingston knows how to dish up a delectable entrée of performance and price. Kingston’s RAM is renowned for being compatible with just about everything out there, including finicky Asus and Mac boards, as well as serving up some memory loving in the flash drive and PDA departments.”

OCZ Vendetta 2 HPT CPU Cooler OCZVEND2
Benchmark Reviews :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Computer hardware is an ever-evolving industry, and since Moores law only applies to an exponentially growing transistor count then there should probably be another law for cooling. In the very recent past there have been two major trends which have accelerated the performance potential of CPU cooler. That first development was the use of heat-pipes to directly contact with the CPU surface; which resulted in the Heat-pipe Direct Touch technology. The second development is by no mean a new concept, just new to our industry in specific. For many years now heatsinks have been full of right angles, but very recently companies have begun to recognize the need to disrupt smooth airflow and reduce the laminar skin effect which allows air to travel just above the solid surface. Manufacturers like OCZ have used both of these trends in their new Vendetta 2 CPU cooler. Benchmark Reviews will see how much this effects the overall performance as we test OCZVEND2 against a large segment of competitor products.

Cooler Master Cosmos S Review
OCC :: Friday, April 11, 2008
“Once I pulled the side panels of the Cooler Master Cosmos S computer case, you are able to see exactly how much room is inside of this case, as well as how it is setup. The 5.25″ Drive bays all have tool-free features of just pressing a button. The motherboard tray in the Cosmos S is very open and does not have anything blocking it or anything to direct the air. On the reverse side, you are able to see that the bottom of the motherboard tray is very much closed off except for a few holes that will allow the air to flow more freely through out the case and cool the motherboard from under it. These holes will also allow for better wire management.”

Toshiba begins shipment of SpursEngine reference design
Beyond3d Processor News :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Introduced by Toshiba last September, the Cell-based SpursEngine co-processor has begun shipment in the form of a single lane PCI Express add-in board.

OCZ Vendetta 2 Review
Overclockers Club :: Friday, April 11, 2008

Gigabyte GA-EX38-DQ6 Review
Overclockers Club :: Friday, April 11, 2008

Links to Reviews for April 10-11
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
NVIDIA QuadroFX 3700 512MB Workstation Graphics Card – “This card has an MSRP of about $1,700, which puts it smack-dab in between the price tags of NVIDIA’s mid-range and ultra-high-end products, although street prices for the QuadroFX 3700 are much lower than its MSRP. This card is based on NVIDIA’s popular G92 graphics processor, which has […]

Gartner: Windows is “Collapsing”
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Damn. Whoah. And at the same time, yeah. This is how I reacted when I saw a story which cites a pair of Gartner analysts saying that Windows is “collapsing”. They go on to say that the situation is “untenable” and that Microsoft must make radical changes to the OS or risk becoming old news. According to […]

Why Use Linux?
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The other day I got into a somewhat heated discussion about why Linux is a viable alternative desktop OS. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to move the other side past the rhetoric and myths that seem to surround Linux. It is because of this discussion that I am writing this…as a way to […]

PCMech Free Wallpaper #35: Waves
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This is an exclusive RSS-feed-only wallpaper download. Click the image below to view, right-click (or command-click on Mac) and set as your wallpaper. Standard Widescreen

Empty Power Strip Plugs
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Odds are you probably plug your computer, monitor, speakers, etc. into a power strip. This makes perfect sense as it is convenient and works great. One thing to be aware of, though, are the empty/available plugs and where they are located with respect to your desk. For example, last week I noticed my power strip was […]

Opinion Wanted: PCMechCon Tech Conference
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Disclaimer: This is entirely in the idea phase at this point. Nothing has yet been done to organize this. OK, we had an idea. And the more we think about it, it seems like a really good idea. That idea is to have PCMech be behind the organization of a cool tech conference that will take […]

Should You Purchase An Extended Warranty?
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
No matter where you purchase any computer product, from an entire system to a USB flash drive, inevitably you will be asked if you want to purchase an extended warranty on the item. While you might have an involuntary reflex of answering “no”, experience has proven to me this is not always the best answer. Where […]

PCMech Free Wallpaper #34: Royal Gold
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This is an exclusive RSS-feed-only wallpaper download. Click the image below to view, right-click (or command-click on Mac) and set as your wallpaper. Standard Widescreen

Open Command Prompt Here Shortcut
PC Mechanic :: Friday, April 11, 2008
If you ever have to run a something from the command prompt which isn’t a standard Windows command or its location is not listed in your PATH environment variable, it can be a real pain. You have to open a command prompt and do a  “cd \location\of\the\command\to\run” path change before you can run the command. […]

Saitek Cyborg Command Unit
Techgage :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Hardcore gamer? Have a need to create insane macros to get the job done? Saitek’s “Cyborg” Command Unit delivers! Although the hardware itself leaves a bit to be desired, the included software offers the ability to create numerous long macros to help you get the job done.

PayCycle Payroll Plus 2008
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Premium price is worth it if you seek integration of your payroll preparation service with your accounting apps.

Intuit Online Payroll
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Stand-alone online payroll preparation service is a good value.

The 5 Best SLR Cameras
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Single-lens reflex cameras offer powerful features and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, so you can shoot like a pro.

Web Services Make Quick Work of Payroll
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Intuit Online Payroll and PayCycle Payroll Plus do a solid job of handling payroll preparation for small businesses.

EditGrid Brings Web 2.0 Tricks to Spreadsheets
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Like Google and Zoho, EditGrid excels at Web-based collaboration, but it also brings online charts and other features to spreadsheets.

HP’s 2133: A Tiny Laptop an Adult Can Really Use
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
HP’s new mini-laptop comes hot on the heels of the Asus Eee, offering smart industrial design–and a Windows OS–at a reasonable price.

Are Extra Laptop Features Worth It?
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Laptop manufacturers load their online configurators with add-on options–but which extras are worthwhile?

5 Ways to Cure Cable Clutter
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Do your pets get hopelessly trapped in the tangle of cords and cables behind your desk? You may need help. And we’ve got it.

How to Buy a GPS Device
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
They are among the hottest products in technology, but it’s easy to spend a lot on a GPS device and be disappointed. We explain the benefits and pitfalls.

Casual Friday: Freaky Free Games (and Music)
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This week we find more free games, turn you on to some new music, and get a major art attack in some sweet online art galleries.

The Really Big Show on My Wall Every Night
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Front-projector TVs can be the least expensive way to get the big picture in high definition–but read this before investing your hard-earned cash in one.

HP Media Vault mv2120 Network-Attached Storage Drive
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Well-designed graphical interface makes network-attached storage accessible to anyone.

Save on Ink, Make a Podcast, Be a Chocolatier
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Economize with an earth-friendly printer utility, broadcast around the world, and go globe-trotting in a delectable game.

Venturi Mini Car Audio System
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This Bluetooth accessory lets you stream tunes from your phone and talk hands-free–if you have a compatible phone.

Top 5 MP3 Players (Flash-Based )
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Capacities are growing fast for Flash memory-based digital audio players. We evaluate models with as much as 32GB on board.

Casual Friday: Putting the ‘Video’ in Video Games
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This week we tune out with more free TV, watch some classic full-motion video games, and celebrate 13-plus years of commanding and conquering the world.

The Best Ultralight Laptops
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
We lab-tested 3-pound laptops to find which one gives you the most machine in an ultralight package. Our top pick? Let’s just say there’s no Air apparent.

First Look: Dash Express GPS Device Harnesses the Web
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
New GPS unit from Dash Navigation thrives on its integrated Internet-connected smarts.

The Trade Show and Demo Hall of Shame
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Bloopers, flubs, and screw-ups–they always seem to pop up at big trade shows and demos. Join us in reliving some of the more famous–and infamous–of these embarrassing moments.

The Trade Show and Demo Hall of Shame
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Bloopers, flubs, and screw-ups–they always seem to pop up at big trade shows and demos. Join us in reliving some of the more famous–and infamous–of these embarrassing moments.

The Secret Feature on Your HDTV: HDMI CEC
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
CEC allows for the control of electronic peripherals by way of the TV’s remote.

Apple MacBook Air Ultraportable Laptop
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The Air’s looks can’t be denied, but its performance and expandability are whole other matters.

Panasonic ToughBook W7 Ultraportable Laptop
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
It’s tough enough to tackle the real world, but lacks enough power for some computing tasks.

Fujitsu LifeBook P8010 Ultraportable Laptop
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The tiny touchpad on this business model is tolerable only for those with tiny fingers; it’ll aggravate everyone else.

Sony VAIO VGN-TZ295N Ultraportable Laptop
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The TZ295N’s screen is awesome, but the notebook as a whole is evidence that beauty does, in fact, have a (steep) price.

Toshiba Port?g? R500 Ultraportable Laptop
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The R500 is one of the lightest notebooks with its screen size that we’ve tested, but its overly flexible screen worries us.

Asus U2E Ultraportable Laptop
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Lightweight and leather-lined, with very long battery life, the U2E has plenty to like inside.

Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Ultraportable Laptop
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This ultralight doesn’t look as svelte as the MacBook Air, but it does many things better than Apple’s notebook.

First Location-Based Cell Phone Ads Get Privacy Thumbs-Up
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
You won’t see them unless you opt in, and advertisers won’t obtain your personal data.

Sites’ Personal Questions May Pose Security Risk
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Asking about your mother’s home town is supposed to help legitimate sites protect your online accounts–but experts say hackers know more about you than you might think.

The Top 10 Smart Phones
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
If you’re in the market for a cell phone that has QWERTY input and a whole lot more, consider one of these 10 smart phones.

PC Postage Saves Time, Money, and Headaches
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Online-based postage services reduce mailing hassles for small businesses.

Magellan Maestro 4250 and V7 Nav740 GPS Devices Deliver More Than Just Maps
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Both the $400 Magellan Maestro 4250 and the $300 V7 Nav740 come with big, bright 4.3-inch touch screens, detailed road maps, and plenty of features that go beyond basic navigation.

Creative Aurvana X-Fi Headphones
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Noise-canceling headphones improve audio quality.

Tannoy i30 Speaker System for iPod
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Like a Miss Teen USA contestant, the i30 looks good–but things go downhill once it starts making sounds.

ZyXel NBG318S Router
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
HomePlugAV-compatible router offers a useful alternative to ethernet and Wi-Fi.

Ask Our Experts: The Perfect Printer Server for MFPs
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Most USB print servers don’t support MFPs, so be sure to double-check with the manufacturer.

‘Office Live’ Services Aim to Boost Your Online Sales
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Web-site design, e-mail marketing, and an online shopping cart head a list of ? la carte Office Live services from Microsoft.

101 Fantastic Freebies
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Whether you’re partial to online services or to downloadable software, we have the Web’s best free stuff and it’ll keep you productive, secure, and entertained.

AOL Xdrive Desktop Lite Online Storage Software
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This online storage software is too light on features and can be confusing.

5 Videos You Won’t See on YouTube
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Featuring power-mad Finnish space commanders and lots of flesh-eating zombies, here’s a selection of Internet videos too cool (and too long) to show up on YouTube.

Bluetooth Headsets for Cell Phones
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The best Bluetooth headsets, such as Aliph’s Jawbone and Samsung’s WEP500, offer a good balance of sound quality. Plantronics’ Voyager 855 doubles as stereo music headphones, and Jabra’s solid BT8040 can connect to two cell phones at the same time.

Logitech Squeezebox Duet
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
New, smooth digital music streamer boasts logical navigation.

Callpod Dragon Bluetooth Headset
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Long-range Bluetooth headset can connect to a laptop but has poor audio quality.

Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Slightly bulky Bluetooth headset looks nice, feels comfortable, and sounds great even in crowds.

Jabra BT8040 Bluetooth Headset
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This reasonably priced Bluetooth headset has solid audio and can connect to two phones simultaneously.

Plantronics Voyager 855 Bluetooth Headset
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Stereo Bluetooth headset design includes comfortable earbuds; sound quality for calls is good, for music only so-so.

Samsung WEP500 Bluetooth Headset
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This very small Bluetooth headset offers very good audio quality but has a poorly placed call button.

Motorola Motopure H12 Bluetooth Headset
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This stylish Bluetooth headset has a clear earhook and comes with desktop and travel chargers, but doesn’t pick up the user’s voice well.

LiquidPlanner Web-Based Project Management App
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This Web-based application offers a fluidity that mirrors the way you work in the real world.

Iolo System Mechanic Pro 7.5 Tune-Up Software
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This easy-to-use and effective tune-up software offers security features as well.

Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This PDF conversion tool is easy to use and offers outstanding accuracy.

Top 10 MP3 Players (Flash-Based)
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
These are the top flash-based MP3 players today, but ratings and rankings can change quickly due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

iRiver E100 Flash-Based MP3 Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The E100 handles lots of media types, but falls short in playback quality and usability.

Archos 105 Flash-Based MP3 Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Compact video-enabled player is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none.

Samsung YP-P2 Flash-Based MP3 Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Equipped with Bluetooth and a 3-inch touch screen, the YP-P2 shines at video and delivers top-notch, tweakable sound.

SanDisk Sansa View Flash-Based MP3 Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This player’s vibrant screen and superior sound are offset by a somewhat high price and quirky menus.

Sony NWZ-A818 Walkman Flash-Based MP3 Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This intelligently designed flash-based MP3 player performs well enough to give users a great alternative to Apple?s iPod Nano.

Best Streaming Media Players
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The stylish and compact Apple TV now lets you enjoy high-definition and standard-definition movie downloads from the iTunes Store.

Apple iPod Touch Flash-Based MP3 Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The iPod Touch?s beautiful design, useful apps, touch screen, and built-in Wi-Fi outweigh minor audio-quality issues.

Creative Zen Flash-Based MP3 Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Gadget lover’s player may lack Wi-Fi, but it has lots of other features, supports a wide array of formats, and accepts SD Cards.

Linksys DMA2200 Media Center Extender
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Well-built media center extender has draft-n Wi-Fi, but its interface can be lethargic and its remote is awful.

Casual Friday: A Freebie a Day
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This week, we find great freebies all weekend long, join an online baseball league, and battle terrorists by land, sea, and cell phone.

A Miniature Phone With iPhone Swagger
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The Neonode N2 offers some of the iPhone’s capabilities–swipable screen, media player, and more–but in its own unconventional ways.

Apple TV
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Apple’s video receiver is stylish and easy to set up, but you’re confined mostly to iTunes-supported content. On the other hand, that content now includes downloadable movies.

Canary Wireless Digital Hotspotter HS-20 Wi-Fi Network Detector
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Away from the office? Use this device to help you find a wireless hotspot without your having to open your laptop.

D-Link DSM-330 DivX Connected HD Media Player
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This streaming-media player is long on potential but short on execution.

Top 10 Cell Phone-PDAs
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
These are the top cell phone-PDAs today, but ratings and rankings can change quickly due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

Top 5 SLR Cameras
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Single-lens reflex cameras offer powerful features and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, so you can shoot like the pros. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

Nikon D300 Digital SLR Camera
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This digital SLR camera has high resolution, a very fast burst-shooting capability, and exceptional flexibility, but it’s quite complex.

Olympus E3 Digital SLR Camera
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This big, heavy, rugged SLR camera has extensive advanced controls and fast burst-shooting speed, and can autofocus very quickly.

Samsung 2263DX LCD Monitor
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This 22-inch LCD monitor with an accompanying 7-inch display is innovative, but pricey.

Test Results: Does SP1 Fix Vista?
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Not really, according to our Test Center results. Though Service Pack 1 makes Windows Vista faster on some tasks, you?re better off sticking with XP. If you?re already running Vista, we have some tips that will truly improve its performance.

HTC’s Shift–A Small, Smart Ultraportable PC
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
With an EVDO cellular radio and Microsoft’s second-generation Origami interface, the pricey Shift UMPC delivers for business users.

Keep Tabs on Your Legal Documents
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
A new Web-based service called Mumboe helps you track tasks, deadlines, and legal agreements.

Garmin’s High-End GPS
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The Nuvi 760 offers a great set of features, but its directions are sometimes questionable.

Virtual PBX Puts a Professional Spin on VoIP
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
A hosted virtual PBX VoIP service may be the solution to your business needs.

Casual Friday: Playing Games With Your Music
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
This week, music draws you into the game, Hulu beams up everything in sight, and the Brothers Karamazov of the Nintendo universe form a fight club.

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 Cell Phone
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 is the first in RIM’s line of petite handsets to support Wi-Fi for speedy Web surfing and e-mail management.

Free and Cheap Software That Outdoes the Big Guys
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
Here are 15 (mostly free) applications that can credibly replace big-bucks software.

Business Planning for Startups and Old Hands
PC World :: Friday, April 11, 2008
We test Business Plan Pro and PlanHQ, two applications designed to help you perfect your business plan. Which one is right for you?

Tuniq Ensemble ENS-1200W-BK 1200w PSU
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“Being a relatively new company, many may not have heard of Tuniq. A subsidiary of Sunbeam, these folks are in the business of creating cooling solutions, enclosures and power supplies. We have looked at some of their offerings in this last category before and have been impressed with what is offered, but this time around they have dipped into the realm of the power user.

With so many choices in the high-end power supply arena, we will delve deeper to see if the folks at Tuniq have a winning solution on their hands. We’ll look at what is offered in the area of available power, look at feature sets and of course thrash it around for about a week to look for any instances of instability.”

AMD Phenom 9600 Black Edition CPU Review
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The Phenom launch was not without its bright spots. First and foremost was the fact that the Phenom would be the first true quad core processor, with all four cores being on the same die. The other plus side came in the form of one heck of an olive branch from AMD, in the form of a multiplier unlocked “Black Edition” of the Phenom 9600. We have just such a creature for a review.

Silverstone GD02 HTPC Case Review 
OCIA :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“Today I have for review one of Silverstone’s newer HTPC series of cases, the Grandia GD02. If you liked the style of the full-size GD01 but were just looking for something a bit smaller, the GD02 might be right up your alley. It’s a micro-ATX size case, and like most HTPC enclosures it is designed to blend right into the other devices in your entertainment center, with a brushed aluminum finish on the front, available in either black or silver.”

Unified ForceWare 201.77 Exclusive Test
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“In typical fashion, we love to bring you news of what’s happening before other sites. While everyone seems to be concentrating on the release of the 9800GTX today, the other day we saw a new driver pop up on the NVIDIA press FTP using a new 200 naming scheme.

Since the driver supports both current 3000 series Radeon offerings and the 9 series cards from NVIDIA, it seemed fair that they are what we should be comparing. We’ve got with us the HD 3870, HD 3870 X2, 9600GT, 9800GTX and 9800GX2.”

Nexus NHP-2200 Northbridge Cooler reviewed
Burnout PC :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“The Nexus NHP-2200 is fully constructed out of copper to get the best possible performance. By using almost pure copper material Nexus managed to squeeze out the best possible performance. The North bridge cooler has tons of fins and it’s design makes it compatible with any motherboard on the market.”

Cooler Master COSMOS S Chassis
Hot Hardware :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
We’re writing to let you all know that we have just posted a new article at HotHardware in which we evaluate Cooler Master’s innovative COSMOS S chassis. Like the original COSMOS, the new S variant has what appear to be bar-like handles along both sides of its top and bottom edges. And its general shape is reminiscent of the original COSMOS as well. The COSMOS S, however, has a new titanium and glossy black finish that really stands out and its inputs and ventilation scheme are all somewhat different. Head on over to the site and check it out…

ECS GF7100PVT-M GeForce 7100 mATX Motherboard Review 
Big Bruin :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The ECS GF7100PVT-M GeForce 7100 mATX motherboard provides the necessary features to handle the basic demands of an HTPC in a package that won’t break the bank. While it does lack in some areas, it does include integrated video capable of VGA, DVI, or HDMI output, HD audio, and four SATA headers capable of a variety of RAID configurations.

Corsair XMS2 DHX 4GB PC2-6400 Review
ASE Labs :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
” It has been almost five years since I reviewed a Corsair product. In that time, ASE Labs and the industry have evolved. Five years ago it was DDR that was the memory of choice and DDR2 wasn’t even on enthusiast’s tongues. Fast forward to 2008 and we’ve got DDR3 just coming on the market. DDR2 is still alive and is the king of value right now. Corsair’s 4GB XMS2 PC2-6400 kit is the subject for review. ”

AMD Phenom 9850 X4 Black Edition CPU Review
Motherboards.org :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
One thing AMD is stressing is the upgradeability of their older motherboards to support their new Quad Core CPUs. AMD sent a list of compatible motherboards that are on AMD’s Recommended List and it includes older motherboards including the nForce 570 chipset M2N-32-SLI and the AMD 690 boards that were prevalent a couple of years ago. Newer boards like the AMD 790FX and NVIDIA GeForce 7050 and presumably the upcoming 780a are being tested and qualified but few if any are on the list at the moment. The other consideration is for the home builder wanting to build an inexpensive motherboard+CPU combo. The 9850 is retailing for $235, add a 780G motherboard from AMD or an equivalent NVIDIA integrated board like the 8300 and you’d have a system that’d be hard to match on the Intel side dollar for dollar, especially with the state of Intel’s graphics drivers not even supporting DX10 as of yet. As an upgrade to existing AMD systems is where this CPU will be the sweet spot. This is due to the fact that if you have a slower CPU, but still want a faster system, this is an easy buying decision to make and will most certainly speed your system up from an older AMD CPU.

ASRock ALiveNF5SLI-1394 AMD Socket AM2 Motherboard Review
OC Inside :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The ASRock ALiveNF5SLI-1394 Socket AM2 motherboard is based on the nForce 560 SLI chipset, which is better known as nVidia NF4SLI or NF500SLI. This ASRock motherboard with SLI technology and AMD Phenom CPU support is available for a little bit more than 50 Euro. The following overclocking review will show, if ASRock succeeded once again in creating an attractive board for AMD processors and if this board offers nice overclocking features.

Mushkin Redline XP2-8000 4GB Memory Kit Review
Hardware Logic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“Redline. A term coined from pushing a car to it’s breaking point, where the tachometer strains all the way over to the red in an effort to warn it’s careless driver: TOO FAST! But speed is something we covet with our rigs, and Mushkin has aptly named it’s new high performance RAM for that breaking point we so desperately try to exceed. But the big question is how well does this kit push it to the limit? Will the Redline series be fit for the Autobahn of the overclocking arena, or is back to puttering down Main Street for Mushkin? Read on as we try to break barriers and avoid speeding tickets with the Redline 4GB kit!”

Thermaltake’s BlacX hard drive docking station
Tech Report :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Normally we couldn’t be less interested in external hard drive products. Thermaltake’s BlacX is different, though. Rather than conforming to the cookie-cutter external hard drive mold, it serves as a hot-swap docking station for standard desktop and mobile hard drives. And it’s brilliant.

HP Pavilion Elite m9200t PC Review
Digital Trends :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“HP’s m-series computers are designed for mainstream home users with rigorous multimedia demands, such as watching HD movies, recording TV, and maybe even some light gaming. HP calls the m9200t an “entertainment powerhouse,” and though we probably wouldn’t go that far, it’s safe to say it’s a well-built machine with more than enough power to satisfy the majority of home users. Its biggest flaw is that it includes typical big-box bloatware and toolbars, and is a bit generic in terms of its design and software build. ”

Asus Eee PC 4G-X, Windows XP Unboxing Preview
Hot Hardware :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
We’re always on the lookout for Asus Eee PC updates and today we’ve come up with some breaking news for you relative to the Windows XP variant that is due to hit the market in April. Actually, it’s more than just some breaking news; we’ve got one.

Though the machine isn’t due out until sometime mid-next week, we were able to get our hands on a full retail bundle well before they hit store shelves in the US.

LITEON DH-20A4P EZ-Dub DVDRW
CDR Info :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Lite-On new DVD burners featuring the EZ-DUB function, a patented new feature that makes copying easier and more hassle-free for users than ever before. The EZ-DUB function is very handy for quick disc copy tasks and makes this drive unique in the market. It is also very useful for simple data compilations, when all you need is to drop some files on a DVD disc and go. However, the drive needs further firmware tunning to meet the “20X” specification speeds.

Asus Maximus Extreme Motherboard
CDR Info :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Asus has introduced a X38 based motherboard with on-board water cooling features for extreme users. The overall performance was very good, even we felt that BIOS needs little more tuning…

Crucial Ballistix 2x1GB PC3-12800 Memory Kit Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“Crucial has been all over the market as of late with new capacity Flash Cards, USB drives, Solid State Drives, and especially Performance DRAM. I’ve been thoroughly testing and experimenting with their latest Ballistix DDR3 PC3-12800 2GB Dual Channel Kit, or DDR3 1600MHz memory. And yes, this kit does scream at 1600MHz. Read on and see.”

gate FreeAgent Pro 750GB External Hard Drive Review 
Think Computers :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
“The Seagate FreeAgent Pro is among many other current external hard drives. Its sleek design will help keep your desktop clutter free. Available in 320GB, 500GB, 750GB, and 1000GB capacities and supporting USB, eSATA, and dual FireWire 400 there is quite a number of drives to choose from for your liking. The touch sensitive power points and included AutoBackup software help the FreeAgent Pro stick out from the crowd of other devices. Let’s take a further look at this external hard drive.”

Nehalem Article @ RWT + 3.2GHz samples(?)
Beyond3d Processor News :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
David Kanter at Real World Technologies just published his usual brand of excellent architecture analysis for Intel’s upcoming Nehalem processor – there aren’t many changes, but it’s still well worth…

VIA releases new chipset for Ultra Mobile market
Beyond3d Processor News :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
VIA released a new single-chip chipset for the Ultra Mobile market on April 1st – it sports a DX9 IGP, a 64-bit DDR2 memory controller and the usual I/O capabilities.…

Ten minute modding
Bit-Tech Modding :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Not everyone has days upon days of time to pour into a case mod. However, that doesn’t mean that the quick builds need to look like a wire explosion on the inside and boring black on the outside! Years of modding have made companies develop some great products that make formerly huge projects into ten minute mods.

iPod AV Cable Review
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
USBFever (http://www.usbfever.com)people have the solution for this situation. The iPod AV Cable allows one to use the iPod Video to play videos on any RCA composite enable monitor. With this cable, you can hold a video stores worth of movies in your palm and enjoy them on a TV or monitor. Unfortunately, Apple has modified the video out on the newer iPod Classic and third gen iPod Nano, so this cable is unable to output video with these iPods. Let’s take a closer look….

Noctua NH-U9B CPU Cooler Review
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Noctua (http://www.noctua.at), it’s the NH-U9B CPU cooler. It’s essentially a revision of the NH-U9F CPU cooler that I reviewed almost two years ago here on DSM. Yes, I’ve still got it on hand as well and I’ve found that the U9B is actually a bit smaller than the U9F, but yet gets better results, so they’ve done something right… The NH-U9B comes packaged with Noctua’s own NT-H1 Thermal Compound and their new NF-B9 92mm fan as well. It includes mounts for popular CPU platforms, and even an extra set of fan clips to add another fan for increased cooling performance. As usual Noctua goes the distance when it comes to including nice quality extras with their products, but those extras don’t mean much when the main product doesn’t perform… So read on to see how the new Noctua NH-U9B CPU cooler performs and to see comparison shots side-by-side with the original NH-U9F…

Vizo Propeller 2 System Cooler Review
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Vizo (http://www.vizo.com.tw/)Propeller 2 system cooler, this product aims to help keep your case cool by exhausting the air via a PCI slot. Does it work? Read on to find out…

OCZ Freeze Thermal Compound Review
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
OCZ (http://www.ocztechnology.com/)seems to have their hand in quite a bit and when they put their name on a product you expect something that performs well and is of good quality, and I’ve yet to see where that is not the case. Today for review I’ve got the OCZ Freeze Thermal Compound, when you think of OCZ you normally think of quality ram, but they are into cooling as most people know. The OCZ Freeze is another entry into the every growing lineup of instantly ready compounds, meaning they have no burn-in time required, something that I think most people appreciate greatly. Not only is the OCZ Freeze instantly ready but also non-toxic and very easy to apply. How does it stand up to others out there? Read on to find out..

3-in-1 E-SATA, SATA and USB 5-port Hub Combo Review
Dragonsteel Mods :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
USB Hubs are a very common product now, everyone has so much stuff that they seem to always need to plug something else in but there never seems to be enough ports to do it. Since there are so many brands and styles of hubs, what does a company do to make theirs stand out from the crowd and make you buy it over any others out there? Today for review I’ve got a product that not only adds five more USB connections to your computer but also adds an SATA port and an eSATA port. It seems to be a well made product with good intentions on creating something that could be very useful to many people out there. So continue on to learn more and see the tests that I ran…

Mushkin XP-800AP 800W Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Rosewill Notebook Cooler RNA-7000W Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Cooler Master Cosmos S Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

ADATA C702 Classic 16GB Flash Drive Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Apevia Warlock 900W PSU Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Asus EN9800 GTX Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

ECS A780GM-A Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

XFX 9800GTX Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

ZOGIS 9800GTX Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

PowerColor HD 3450 Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Cooler Master Hyper TX2 Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

XFX 9600GT Alpha Dog Edition Review
Overclockers Club :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Links to Reviews for April 7-9
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Samsung CLP-610ND Printer – “The Samsung CLP-610ND is an affordable option to the high end CLP-650 and a great replacement to the lifeless CLP-300. Priced at $150.00 more than the CLP-300, you won’t be disappointed in what you pay for. First off, you get built in network capability. This is a must have for any business! The […]

Itty Bitty Laptop Wars Continue With HP Mini-Note PC
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The current trend in laptop technologies is the sub-12-inch screen territory with super-light super-portable chassis. After the launch of the EeePC other companies started jumping on this. HP’s entry into the fray is the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC (see HP press release). Like its competitors, this unit is designed for the education market and is […]

Bright House Contractor Exemplifies How NOT To Treat People
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Rather than posting a news item from the tech industry, I simply HAD to share this story with PCMech this morning. As I sit here, I am at Panera Bread working on the MacBook Pro. Why? It isn’t for the coffee. No, it is because some Bright House contractor managed to completely kill all communications […]

PCMech Free Wallpaper #33: Fire Storm
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
This is an exclusive RSS-feed-only wallpaper download. Click the image below to view, right-click (or command-click on Mac) and set as your wallpaper. Standard  Widescreen

Students: Download Free Microsoft Enterprise Software
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
This tip is for students who might be interested in download a free full copy of any of the following pieces of Microsoft software: Visual Studio 2008 Professional Windows Server 2003 Expression Studio XNA Game Studio 2.0 Simply go to this web site for the details and to get started. Basically, the only requirement is that you have a Windows […]

PCMech Free Wallpaper #32: Fire Calm
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
This is an exclusive RSS-feed-only wallpaper download. Click the image below to view, right-click (or command-click on Mac) and set as your wallpaper. Standard Widescreen

PCMech Free Wallpaper #31: Electric Cash
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
This is an exclusive RSS-feed-only wallpaper download. Click the image below to view, right-click (or command-click on Mac) and set as your wallpaper. Standard Widescreen

PCMech Live, Here’s What You Missed
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
I recently started an afternoon version of PCMech Live for our UK visitors so it wouldn’t be so late for them. It worked out well. The video below shows the first 20 minutes of the show and how things normally fare out. Things to note: We also have a standard Wednesday night @ 8PM show […]

What Linux Is Being Used Most?
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
There are times in the live chat were I’m asked what Linux distribution is used most. While that particular question can’t be readily answered, the site www.DistroWatch.com will to a degree indicate what distributions are being downloaded most. On that site, scroll down and look to the right. You will see a “Page Hit Ranking” which […]

Fear Not The Command Prompt, File Listings (Windows XP)
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Here are a few quick tips you can do from the command prompt in Windows XP (this will actually work in all versions of Windows since 3.1): Getting a listing of every single frickin’ thing on your hard drive in a single text file Command: DIR /S C:\*.* > C:\all.txt This will write a text file of every […]

Gear Up at Techgage City of Heroes Style!
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
NCsoft gave us a whack of stuff to give away to you, our loyal readers, and that’s what we are doing throughout the month. This week, we are offering up some sweet City of Heroes and Villains swag, so fill out the form and enter! Did we mention we have Capes?!

ASUS EN9800GTX 512MB
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
It’s not too often that the fastest single-GPU available is also affordable, but the 9800 GTX is just that. At just over $300, it delivers incredible performance at all resolutions and also turns out to be amazingly overclockable. It’s just too bad that the 8800 GTS 512 is not much slower…

Thecus N1200 Single-Drive NAS
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The first-ever NAS we took a look at was a dual-bay Thecus N2100. We are returning to those roots today by now taking a look at the single-bay N1200. We were pleased to see that Thecus once again delivered a well-built NAS that’s not only strudy, but packs in numerous useful features as well.

Gigabyte 9600 GT 512MB
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
If on the lookout for a good GPU at a great price, it’s easier than ever. NVIDIA’s 9600 GT packs a punch and retails for well under $200. We are taking Gigabyte’s stock-clocked solution for a spin to see how it stacks up against our other models. And yes, it overclocks like a beast.

Logitech diNovo Mini
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Logitech surprised us at CES with the launch of their diNovo Mini media keyboard, which is not much larger than a cell phone. But despite its size, it packs in the functionality, and is even supported by the Playstation 3. Are we impressed? Let’s just say that once again, Logitech has pulled it off.

Maxtor Shared Storage II 1TB
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
We were so impressed with the Central Axis upgrade for the Shared Storage II at CES that we thought we’d check out the NAS itself prior to the official launch of that software. With 1TB of storage, will the SSII warrant a purchase, with it’s higher price point?

ASUS WL-520gU Wireless Router
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Need a new router but not ready to take the 802.11n plunge? We’re taking a look at a brand-new ASUS model that boasts tried and true 802.11g and offers it at a great price. It lacks in certain ways, but makes up for it in others, such as with the inclusion of a real print server.

ASUS EN8800GTS TOP 512MB
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
NVIDIA’s 9-series might be brand-new, but the 8-series should not be overlooked. Most 8800 GTS 512 cards cost less than the 9800 GTX, and can be easily overclocked to overpower it. In the case of this pre-overclocked ASUS card, the 9800 GTX doesn’t have a fighting chance.

SteelSeries Ikari Laser Mouse
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
SteelSeries feels their competition is doing things wrong, but does that mean they are doing things right? After taking a look at their Ikari laser mouse, we can wholeheartedly say “yes”! The Ikari is catered for gamers, and it shows. Simply put? The Ikari is the best mouse we’ve ever laid our hands on.

Creative: Doing Little to Please Consumers
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Despite Creative being a leader in PC audio, their stature as such is being compromised with newcomers releasing superb offerings. To make matters worse, they’ve just added to the pile by banning modded X-Fi/Audigy drivers, a move that received an outstanding response from the community.

ASUS Eee PC Review
Digital Trends :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“The tiny Asus Eee PC uses a 4 or 8GB solid state hard drive and fits in the palm of your hand. ”

AMD’s Phenom X4 9750 and 9850 Black Edition processors reviewed
Tech Report :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
At last, AMD is shipping two new Phenoms worthy of your attention. The TLB erratum is toast, clock speeds are up, and prices are down. Come see how the Phenom X4 9750 and 9850 Black Edition match up against Intel’s strongest offerings.

Solio H1000 Universal Hybrid Charger Review 
OCIA :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“When it comes to saving money, I am all ears. Throw in some environmental benefits and you are well on your way to a great product. Today I will be taking a look at a product that incorporates both of these features into a single device, the Solio H1000 Universal Hybrid Charger. This portable battery charger draws it energy directly from the sun, thanks to an integrated solar panel and stores this power for up to a full year using an internal 1000mAh lithium ion battery.”

ASUS WL-520GU Wireless Router Review
Think Computers :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“ASUS wowed ThinkComputers in January 2007 within its WL-500W, an pre-802.11n router with USB ports for mass storage devices or a printer. ASUS recently released a 125 Mbps 802.11g router with a USB port for a printer, called the WL-520GU. This router is Vista-ready and features an easily configurable Bandwidth-On-Demand feature for Quality of Service adjustments. ThinkComputers investigates…”

AMD B3 Phenom X4 9850 
Hot Hardware :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
AMD has finally gone into full production with a new mask spin of their Phenom processor now dubbed the Phenom X4. The new flagship 2.5GHz Phenom X4 9850 is representative of a new revision of the native quad-core Phenom silicon that resolves the well known TLB errata. Quad-core Phenom X4 processors based on the new B3 revision silicon should be hitting store shelves in the not too distant future. In addition to resolving the TLB bug, AMD is also unveiling some higher clocked Phenoms and tri-core and low-power models too.

We’ve got AMD’s latest and greatest Phenom processor, the Phenom X4 9850, on the test bench and have our findings posted for you all right here.

Corsair VX450W Power Supply Review
Hardware Secrets :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“Corsair is a traditional memory manufacturer they gained a lot of respect in the industry with their power supplies – we reviewed HX620W and TX750W and they are terrific products. But how the entry-level series from Corsair, dubbed VX, performs? Today we will take the most inexpensive power supply from Corsair, VX450W, and completely disassemble it and see if it can really deliver its labeled power.”

Vizo Uranus Review
XS Reviews :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“Vizo have sent plenty of bits and bobs my way over the last couple of years and one area of products they keep making and keep improving on is their HDD enclosures. Today I have one such product, the Uranus (that’s yur-uh-nus, not…) which has a sleek blue finish. Will it live up to Vizo’s reputation? Let’s find out.”

Antec Mini P180 mATX Case review
Metku Mods :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“The original P180 case was launched already three years ago and has since been replaced by a new and improved P182 model. The P1-series also includes the P190, which is a larger case including same design features as the P180, but it also offers room for EATX-motherboards and dual power supplies. Now the performance 1 series also includes a long awaited mATX-case – say hello to the P180 Mini!”

Rosewill RX81-MP External USB/eSATA 3.5 Review
OCC :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“One thing I would like to point out, is that if you use the eSATA connection, you may have to alter the drive a bit. During testing I could not get the computer to recognize the drive in the BIOS. I tried for hours until something told me to remove the back port shield from the enclosure because it didn’t look like the eSATA cable was going all the way in. As soon as I did this it worked fine. On the RX81-MP enclosure sent to me for testing, the back plate was too thick to allow the cable to go all the way in, and the hole was not big enough to allow it to pass. I tried several eSATA cables and neither worked with the back plate on.”

Cooler Master Aquagate Max Review
i4u :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“Today we are checking out one of the first NVIDIA ESA certified liquid cooling systems on the market. The system is called the Cooler Master Aquagate Max.

The only really bad part about this system is that Cooler Master uses simple screw on compression fittings. That means if you ever need to remove the system to change cases you will have to drain the fluid. A few bucks worth of quick connect fittings like Corsair uses in its Nautilus system would have made the Cooler Master Aquagate Max much more user friendly in that respect.”

bgears b-Envi Gaming/HTPC Enclosure Review 
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“When I first looked at the b-Envi enclosure, I thought the front panel controls were either hidden or on the side of the bezel. Boy, was I surprised when I flipped through the manual and found out they were touch sensitive; I couldn’t wait to try them out. The buttons work great, and there is even a little beep every time you push them.”

RAID Explained
Techware Labs :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
RAID can be one of the most difficult to understand concepts in computers while at the same time offering the greatest boost in performance for your system. For those seeking an explanation of what raid is, how it works, and which one is right for you, we have created a guide to step you through it in a single page.

Thermaltake Bigwater 760i Water Cooler Review 
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“For my first venture into water I learned a lot, and the main thing is that it’s not nearly as hard or complicated as I thought. That may be due to the Thermaltake Bigwater 760i kit, but either way the whole process was very easy. It took all of 30 minutes to do the pre-install and fill the system, the long part was the bleeding the air from the system and leak test. I chose to do this out of the case for the fact it was easier to fill the tank and work the bubbles out of the lines. That and the nagging thought of a leak…”

Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red DDR2 4GB PC2-6400 Review 
ASE Labs :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
” Remember that the Tracer series from Crucial is very mature. I even reviewed the original set of black modules last year. These new red modules mark a trend in computing that Crucial is good to follow. The fact of the matter is that people like personalization. I’m guilty of that myself. I know that these modules are hardly better than the normal Ballistix breed, but the fact that it is red and has lights adds something of value to people. Red is my favorite color and I would naturally gravitate to these in a computer I would build. ”

Zalman ZM1000-HP 1000w PSU Review
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
Zalman have released several high end units lately and today we will examine the most expensive unit they currently produce, the ZM1000-HP. There are a few things about the ZM1000-HP which make it unique but the most important of them is the cooling system. Zalman have used their expertise with cooling to create a heatpipe system able to keep the powerful 1000w power supply cool and silent at the same time.

Accelero Xtreme 2900 VGA Cooler
Bjorn 3d :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
One positive result with the release of new graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA is that older models usually drop in price. AMD’s first DirectX 10 card, the HD2900XT might no longer be the fastest card out there but it still packs a lot of punch. While it works well it has two “faults”: the card runs quite hot and the fan is pretty loud. Arctic Cooling has the solution for this problem. The Accelero Xtreme 2900 promises not only to cool the GPU more than 20C lower than the stock cooler but also make the card run much more silent.

OCZ CPU Cooler Roundup
Techgage :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
OCZ is well known for their memory and power supplies, but we thought we’d see just how well their current fleet of CPU coolers held up. We pit the Vendetta, Vendetta 2, Vanquisher and even the old-school Vindicator against our QX6850 to see what each one is made of.

The Problem with the Software Industry
Technibble :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“Did you know that Norton Internet Security was once a good piece of software? I even had it myself. There was once a point in time when it was fast and stable and was the internet protection package to have.

So what happened to it? Well, that can be answered with another question. How do you keep on selling the perfect product? How do you get the person who brought Norton Internet Security last year to want to buy the same thing again this year? With new features of course. However, this is also the problem with the software industry.”

OCZ Platinum PC3-12800 2GB Memory Kit Review
Hardware Logic :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“Just as DDR2 went through a maturation process, DDR3 is finally beginning to realize its promise. And with kits from the top contenders already pushing the 2GHz barrier, those looking (and who can afford) to make the jump from DDR2 to DDR3 are taking notice. Up to this point, many scoffed at the idea of spending several hundred dollars “upgrading” to a DDR3 based system, and for good reason. DDR2 compatible motherboards based on INTEL’s P35 or NVIDIA’s 680i have, for the most part, served their masters well. Coupled with the retail pricing landslide that’s grabbed hold of DDR2 chips in recent months, yesterday’s builds have clung to life longer than many in the industry could have predicted, or hoped.”

Antec Truepower Quattro TPQ-1000 Review
OCC :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“The Antec Truepower Quattro 1000 watt power supply has earned its stripes, literally. With the racing inspired looks, the ability to start up and run a power hungry system with nary a hiccup speaks volumes about the power supply. If a power supply is struggling with a load, many times you can hear the fans or the water pump changing pitch during operation. I heard none of that with this power supply. In fact I never heard it at all. The ADDA fan used in the Quattro is 80 mm in size and rated at 40dba , 3400RPM and roughly 44CFM. The testing showed the airflow output under load right at 39 to 40CFM, meaning the fan was close to full song at this load level. Not once did I hear the fan spool up and become noisy.”

Zalman ZM360B-APS Power Supply Review
Hardware Secrets :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“Zalman has a complete line of power supplies from 360 W to 1,000 W. We decided to take a look on the simplest model, ZM360B-APS, which costs only around USD 60. Even though it is an entry-level power supply, it features active PFC, a 120-mm fan and two video card power connectors, so things looked pretty spec-wise. But can it really deliver its rated 360 W? Is this a really good product for Average Joe? Let’s see.”

Thermaltake Muse R-Duo RAID Enclosure Review 
OCIA :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“There are a number of devices Thermaltake offers that you might not be aware of. For example, last month we reviewed a unique data retrieval product from them, the BlacX hard drive dock, which allows users to easily hot-swap SATA drives from a convenient desktop base unit. Today I have another of Thermaltake’s newer storage solutions for review, the Muse R-Duo RAID.”

Ultra m998 Computer Case Review
RB Mods :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
Most ATX cases on the market nowadays come with a fairly standard set of equipment and have similar layouts. It’s rare that you find a case that offers a variety of unique features. Ultra, makers of a wide range of computer components, has developed a new case, the Ultra m998 Computer Case, which offers a number of unique features. Will the case prove to be a winner? Read on to find out.

Core 2 Quad or Core 2 Extreme?: Which processor is right for me?
Techware Labs :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
With all the releases of processors its nearly impossible to keep track of them and even harder to select the one thats right for you. We take a look at the Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme and explain the differences to help you make a decision between two different examples.

XFX MG-630i-7159 Motherboard
Bjorn 3d :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
In late September 2007, XFX announced the introduction of three new small-form factor motherboards with integrated GeForce® 7 series Graphics. Billed as the “most affordable—and graphically intense—triplets ever delivered”, the boards include the XFX nForce® 630i with GeForce® 7150, nForce® 630i with GeForce® 7100, and nForce® 610i with GeForce® 7050.

All three are microATX form factors with support for a full range of Intel socket 775 CPUs from Celeron to Core 2 Quad. They can each handle up to 4 GB (2 x 2GB) of DDR2 memory. Some of the major differences other than the obvious chipsets include a 1066 MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) and support for 667 MHz DDR2 on the nForce 610i/7050, whereas its more robust siblings (630i/7100 and 630i/7150) both sport a 1333 MHz FSB and native support for 800 MHz DDR2. Additionally, both flavors of the 630i include onboard DVI and HDMI ports for high definition output while the 610i has only a VGA port.

For the purpose of this review, our focus is the “big brother” of these triplets – the XFX nForce® 630i with GeForce® 7150 integrated chipset (MG-0630I-7159). Let’s get started:

Thermaltake BlacX HDD Docking Station
techPowerUp :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
For those users out there that are constantly swapping around parts, Thermaltake introduces the BlacX HDD Docking Station. This USB 2.0 device is a variation of a hard drive enclosure that lets the user plug a bare drive into an opening on top, and then eject the drive with a push of a button. The BlacX is so simple and easy to use, anyone with extra drives laying around should think about picking one of these up.

Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Interface Material
Tweak Town :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“When you think of Noctua, you generally think of cooling. After all, these folks have been in the business of making cooling solutions for quite some time. Taking this into consideration, it should come as no surprise to see this Austrian company getting involved in the TIM race. After all, what good is a high-end cooler without a quality material to work as an intermediary?

Of course, getting into the middle of a heated market of thermal interface material could prove a challenge. There have been many newcomers hitting the streets with their own special goop and most have sent the vaunted Arctic Silver compound to the curb, so we will need to see if the cooling specialists at Noctua can keep up, or even surpass, the other guys.”

Western Digital’s Caviar SE16 640GB hard drive
Tech Report :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
When Western Digital introduced its GreenPower line with the terabyte Caviar GP last year, we wished aloud that the drive’s new 250GB platters would make their way into a performance-oriented model. The GP wasn’t even particularly slow—in fact, it was the fastest terabyte drive at the time. But by dialing back the GreenPower’s spindle speed to close to 5,400RPM in a bid to improve energy efficiency, WD effectively left some performance on the table. We’ve been waiting to get that performance back ever since.

Unfortunately, it seems Western Digital had no plans to sate our desire for a terabyte Caviar with 250GB platters spinning at a full 7,200RPM. Instead, the company has almost done one better by launching a new batch of 7,200-RPM Caviars that pack an impressive 320GB per platter. These new drives are only available in capacities up to 640GB, so they won’t challenge for the terabyte crown. With prices hovering around $130 for the 640GB model, however, this latest crop of Caviar nails the cost-per-gigabyte sweet spot that most enthusiasts covet.

The question, of course, is how this new Caviar SE16 640GB measures up. Can Western Digital’s new Caviar models match up with Samsung’s best-in-class SpinPoint F1? And with only two platters, does this new SE16’s noise levels and power consumption compete with energy-efficient drives like the Caviar GP? Keep reading to find out.

Asus P5E3 Premium X48 motherboard reviewed
Neoseeker :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“I just recently finished the E8500 review on the X38 version of the board – and I was amazed there at the 4.27GHz I obtained. The X38 was usable up to 500MHz FSB, but I found that the X48 could be stabilized as high as 525MHz – albeit with a lower multiplier for the CPU, resulting in lower performance than the 9.5×460 speed I found to be the best performer. Therefore for the “best performance overclock” I backed down to a “mere” 460×9.5 setting.”

Gigabyte EP35-DS4 Review
OCC :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“In my mind, the Gigabyte EP35-DS4 is an average motherboard. Overall, it kept up with most of the motherboards, but rarely beat out all the competition. This motherboard did about the same as the Foxconn Mars, which also has a P35 chipset. This EP35-DS4 did nothing to distinguish itself from the competition, so I can’t recommend it over any of them. With this motherboard, I was able to achieve a 455 x 7 (3.18GHz) overclock, which is decent, but nothing extraordinary. I almost expected the EP35-DS4 to go above 470 since the Gigabyte EX38-DS4 that I tested did 466 without a problem.”

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1250 Watt Power Supply Review
OCIA :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“The Real Power Pro 1250 is one of 10 power supplies receiving nVidia’s highest SLI rating, for three 8800 Ultras or 8800 GTXs. It also has an 80Plus certification, certified to maintain more than 80% efficiency. Actually, this power supply is rated up to 87% efficiency. What does that mean? A more efficient power supply uses less wall current than a less efficient one, which means less dollars out of your pocket.”

Thecus N299 NAS Server Review 
Virtual Hideout :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“If I was looking at the N299 with a clean slate, and there was no issue with the speed, I would give it very high marks. The only place it would really lose marks is the quality of the start page. The features list is on par, if not above most other network access servers. I could overlook the lack of decent speeds if it wasn’t for the fact that, not only was I lead to believe the speeds would be better (why else would they say it has gigabit Ethernet?), but that there are other units with not only similar features, but also similar prices.”

CoolJag Mini LED Flash Fan reviewed
Burnout PC :: Thursday, April 03, 2008
“A few weeks ago I got this email with the request if I’d wanted to check out a programmable led fan. Sure I said, and a couple of days later it was in the mail ready to be checked out. As it’s been a while since we’ve looked at anything really mod related, it was refreshing to see something like this. It’s probably the most expensive fan you’ve ever seen, but is it worth the dough?. What we are looking at today is the CoolJag “Coolest” Mini LED Flash Fan.”

Intel’s Multi-Core Assault – Nehalem, Dunnington,Larabee 
Hot Hardware :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
In an impromptu pre-IDF press briefing today, Intel disclosed a wealth of new information regarding its roadmap product efforts, upcoming multi-core processors and their associated platforms. The discussion, chaired by the Senior VP of Intel’s Digital Enterprise Group, Pat Gelsinger, even covered additional detail of the company’s future play in the discrete GPU space, code-named Larrabee.

Antec Sonata 550 Plus reviewed
Burnout PC :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Antec is back again with their Sonata casing, this time coupled with their fabulous NeoPower 550watts power supply. They packed it altogether in one box and called it the Sonata Plus 550. Another Sonata case, that at first sight looks a bit dull but if you look closer you’ll be amazed by what this case has to offer.”

Scythe Ninja Copper CPU Cooler Review
Hardware Canucks :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
While it may be the Year Of The Rat to the Chinese but to computer enthusiasts, its going to be the year of the Ninja Copper. Its performance is really quite impressive and while passive mode is a bit of a dog’s breakfast, the included fan is so quiet that it really is foolish not to use this cooler without active cooling. With its slick good looks, its ability to allow you to achieve extreme air cooling overclocks and above all its silence really make this a great choice for just about anyone.

Details on the Forthcoming Intel Nehalem Processor
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Intel released today more details on their forthcoming Nehalem processor, which should arrive on the market by the end of this year. Main features will include a triple-channel integrated memory controller, three cache levels, the return of HyperThreading technology, a new external bus called QuickPath and more. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this future CPU.”

Eagle Tech ET-CSIU2J-BK JBOD External Storage System Review 
Big Bruin :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
All of the enclosures reviewed at Bigbruin.com have begun to blur in my mind, but every once in a while one of them is different enough to stand out. Eagle Tech Computers has a new product that offers a unique design, as well as a configuration that isn’t what you see in the typical hard drive enclosure. The ET-CSIU2J-BK JBOD External Storage System is a compact enclosure that supports two 3.5 inch SATA drives connected via USB 2.0.

OCZ ReaperX HPC 4GB PC2-6400
Phoronix :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Last July we had looked at the Reaper HPC DDR2 memory from OCZ Technology, which not only was clocked well for its time with a memory frequency of DDR2-1066MHz, supported NVIDIA’s EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles), and boasted OCZ’s admirable lifetime warranty with EVP (Extended Voltage Protection), but it was the first model to bring forth their next-generation patent-pending memory heatspreaders. The Reaper HPC (Heat Pipe Conduit) cooling solution is made up of normal heatspreaders attached to the ICs, but bonded to the top of that is a single copper heatpipe in a loop that passes through an aluminum fin array. We were pleased by both the cooling and memory performance with the Reaper HPC, but OCZ Technology didn’t stop there in their quest to deliver 110% customer satisfaction. OCZ has taken their Reaper HPC design to the next level by strapping on two copper heatpipes, ensuring that each memory IC is in direct contact with one of these thermo-conductive pipes, and greatly increasing the size of the aluminum fin array. This newest memory cooling solution is known as ReaperX HPC and can be found on the PC2-6400 ReaperX HPC EB 4GB dual channel kit, which we are reviewing today.”

Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta
PC Mech :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“The beta edition of IE 8 was released so I downloaded it and gave it a go. First I will state that this is a beta product and certain things don’t work correctly, so unless you’re a web designer/developer, stick with your current browser (be it IE 7, Firefox, Opera or whatever you currently use). The short […]”

Western Digital Scorpio 2.5″ 320GB HDD
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“While SSD or Solid State Disks are making their way in, we are still working with the current generation of storage and Western Digital has managed to do very well at increasing sizes and speeds.

The underside of the drive is extremely clean of high rise circuits and components, simply because they have been sandwiched between the top of the PCB and the lower casing of the drive. With this design you don’t have to worry about any short circuits or clearance issues.”

Zalman Reserator XT Hybrid Liquid Cooling System Review
Techgage :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Given their nature, external water-coolers have a lot of room to do things right. Zalman took full advantage of the space they had with the XT and delivered a superb external solution with excellent performance. Though slightly expensive, “you get what you pay for” rings true here.

Thermaltake M9 Mid-Tower Case Review
Think Computers :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Most enthusiasts that have been building for at least a few years most likely have used something with the Thermaltake logo on it. Thermaltake has a wide variety of products: cases; fans; CPU, GPU, hard drive, and chipset coolers; liquid cooling; power supplies; storage solutions; and various other stuff. Today I will be looking at the Thermaltake M9, a mid-tower that appears to take some of its inspiration from the Xaser VI. Will it meet my expectations of a Thermaltake case? Stay tuned to find out.”

MemoRight GT MR25.2-064S 2.5-Inch 64GB SATA SSD
Benchmark Reviews :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
For a little over a year now Benchmark Reviews has anxiously awaited the fabled Solid State Drive that could replace our current list of preferred Hard Disk Drives. Making this wait seem even longer was the fact that HDD manufacturers were constantly improving there product and adding new enhancements to the technology. First there was perpendicular storage, then came fluid bearings, and finally there was the increase in cache buffer DRAM. Performance has always been the hurdle that SSD’s have had a tough time clearing, with read and write bandwidth creating the largest obstacles. Response time and reduced power consumption has been the key arguement for owning an SSD, but without the bandwidth throughput to measure up against HDD’s they became an expensive niche item. That time has passed. After a long wait, Benchmark Reviews has discovered the MemoRight GT MR25.2-064S 2.5-Inch 64GB SATA SSD Solid State.

CoolJag Falcon 92-Cu Heatsink Review 
OCC :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“I was very surprised to see the Falcon 92-Cu come out ahead of the Ultra 120 Extreme by a few degrees in both the stock and overclocked testing, despite the latter having a larger fan. The Falcon 92-Cu was not as efficient at cooling the processor during the Idle testing, however it came back and cooled the chip when it was needed the most; during full load. I really like how this heatsink is very versatile by having the ability to be used on different socket types and has all the included hardware needed to do this.”

Power Supply (PSU) Purchasing Guide 
Techware Labs :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
If you are in the market for a new Power Supply to keep your machine running or for a new machine then take a look at our power supply purchasing guide and find out what some manufacturers don’t want you to know about their ratings and advertising. What do you really need to know before buying your next PSU? Read our review to find out.

gwin ABT-450MM Power Supply Review 
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“ABT-450MM is one of the most low-end power supplies from Kingwin, targeted to users building a very basic PC. Kingwin promises that this power supply can really deliver its rated power at 50º C. Is that so? Let’s check it out.”

Ultra Microfly SX6
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Many of the first generation mATX cases were very restrictive and therefore not very popular, however cubic mATX cases have, like much in the world of technology, evolved considerably since then. Today we will take a look at one of the most interesting cubic mATX cases available, the Ultra MicroFly SX6. The MicroFly has an Ultra XVS 600W modular PSU installed from the factory and is able to house full length video cards and optical drives … therefore on paper the MicroFly SX6 should be one of the best mATX cases an enthusiast can buy.

ASUS Silent Knight II Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“In this review Frostytech is evaluating the ASUS Silent Knight II heatsink. The Silent Knight II is a copper heatsink vaguely reminiscent of the Zalman CNPS9700NT. Like most thermal solutions being introduced, it’s compatible with Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad/Extreme and AMD Athlon64 processors. A 92mm PWM fan is set within the body of the heatsink and spins at 800-2300RPM, generating no more than 46 dBA in Frostytech’s real world measurements. A pair of blue LEDs illuminate the translucent impeller blades, giving the Silent Knight II a nice visual effect. ”

ASUS U6S Ultra Portable
t-break :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Petite- check!, Stylish- check! Beautiful- check! No, Im not going through my list of specifications for what you might be thinking. Let me make it more obvious- full featured- check!, speedy- check! What I am looking at is the new ultra-mobile from ASUS modeled as the U6S. I received this little wonder from ASUS a couple of weeks back and it came packaged nicely in a box with CDs full or applications, drivers and user guides as well as the power adapter and two batteries.

ancool Metal Boned K7 
TechPowerUp :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
The Lancool brand is created by Lian-Li and combines the flawless, understatement exterior with the sturdy bones of steel. This makes for the name “Metal Boned K7”. The case is meant for LAN Parties and offers the same innovations found in the more expensive Lian-Li branded cases.

Thermaltake Toughpower 1000W Power Supply Review
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
When it comes to performance computing, power is everything. Not only do you want the most powerful components, you want to make sure those components are provided with enough power to meet performance expectations. This is where power supplies that produce 1000W or more come into play. We have one such beast on the test bench today: The Toughpower 1000W power supply from Thermaltake.

QNAP TS-409 Pro 4-Drive SATA Gigabit NAS
Benchmark Reviews :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Times are a little tough right now for many small business owners, so any product that offers to save them money while still performing every function they require is sure to interest many of them. The task of providing an affordable product, that cuts overhead yet still performs up to par is not any easy undertaking. Most small businesses today have at least some level of data storage needs. It may be as simple as storing bookkeeping records, emails and customer contact information, it may involve storing legal documents or patient records, it may involve storing work product such as digital artwork or CAD drawings, or it may even involve hosting the company’s retail sales website. The bottom line is that in today’s business world it is hard to find a small business that doesn’t have some need to store their digital data. This is where the Network Attached Storage servers come in and today Benchmark Reviews will be taking a close look at one of these NAS Servers, the QNAP TS-409 Pro.

Thermaltake Max 4 Active Cooling HDD Enclosure Review
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Hard disk drive enclosures are cases for you to install a hard disk drive outside the computer, being a terrific way to carry a huge amount of data around, for backing up data, for storing and carrying files from home to the office and vice-versa, for storing and carrying videos, etc. The main problem with external hard drives is speed, because most of them are based on the USB 2.0 port, which is limited to 60 MB/s (480 Mbps). Max 4 Active Cooling from Thermaltake, however, has also an eSATA port, which is the best way to connect an external hard drive, as this interface allows the hard disk drive to be accessed at the same speed as it were installed inside the PC. Let’s take a detailed look on this Thermaltake enclosure, including its performance.”

QNAP TS-409 Pro Turbo NAS Review
Hardware Canucks :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
There is certainly a lot to like about the QNAP 409 Pro Turbo and it has features that are usually only found on much more expensive devices. Everything about it from its swing open front door to its administration page speak volumes about how good those QNAP engineers are at their jobs. Some other companies could certainly use hint or two from QNAP’s user friendly interfaces and with them QNAP has once again proven to be a true leader in the NAS market.

OCZ Vendetta & “Freeze” Thermal Paste
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Long gone are the days when OCZ were merely a memory manufacturer, today they produce some decent power supplies (after their acquisition of Pc power) and have a range of cooling products available including CPU coolers and thermal compounds. Today we are taking a look at two of the most recent additions to the OCZ cooling family, the Vendetta CPU cooler and Freeze thermal compound. We will be comparing both against the excellent Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro and MX-2 paste.

Mil-Spec Aerospace Fan on Scythe Orochi Heatsink – Big just got bigger!
Frosty Tech :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“In this article Frostytech is going to have some fun with the Orochi and conduct a little experiment with the help of one very powerful mil-spec aerospace fan. The Orochi heatsink comes with a 140x140x25mm fan that spins at a leisurely 500RPM and is almost totally silent. Will it perform significantly better with significantly more airflow? To find out, Frostytech mounted a mil-spec IMC Magnetics vane-axial fan on top of the Orochi and dawned hearing protection….”

Measuring Fedora’s Boot Performance
Phoronix :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Last month we had measured Ubuntu’s boot performance via the open-source Bootchart utility and had done this on all Ubuntu releases between Ubuntu 6.06 LTS and the latest development build at the time for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. From this testing we had found the boot time to decrease with each official release and the maximum disk throughput increasing. With Fedora 9 Sulphur due out next month, we have done this same boot performance testing on the Fedora side with Core 4, Core 5, Core 6, 7, 8, and 9 Rawhide.”

Jeantech Absolute 1000w Review 
XS Reviews :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“The last time we got out mitts on Jeantech property, the power supply ended up being used in our test rig for months afterward thanks to its fully modular design.

Today I have a slightly more powerful model – the Absolute 1000W which promises a semi-modular design, low noise output and stable rails. Let’s see if it’s ready to give our twin Ultra’s the required oomph.”

AMD 780G Chipset – Gigabyte MA-78GM-S2H Motherboard 
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“The AMD 780G chipset is the first new chipset that was designed by AMD after the AMD/ATI merger and it performs like a winner. Usually when a company designs a chipset with integrated graphics they just take half of a desktop GPU and stick it inside the chipset, but the 780G is the first chipset generation to have the whole graphics engine inside. The Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H motherboard is a great example of what the 780G chipset can do when properly used. The board didn’t leave us with any bad to say as it was found to be stable with a BIOS that could easily worked with…”

ASUS M3N78-EMH HDMI Sneak Peek
Hot Hardware :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“What you see pictured here is the ASUS M3N78-EMH HDMI. The M3N78-EMH HDMI is a socket AM2+ motherboard, compatible with virtually all AMD single, dual- and quad-core desktop processors. The board is built around NVIDIA’s GeForce 8200 chipset, which offers Hybrid SLI support as well as HyperTransport 3.0 and PCI Express 2.0.”

BLAST FLOW Siberian Rev2 Modular VGA WaterBlock
Overclock 3d :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“The Blastflow Siberian Rev2 VGA block is an universal modular waterblock designed to be compatible with both – Nvidia and ATI (now AMD) cards.”

Scythe Orochi SCORC-1000 Low Noise Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“The Scythe Orochi is the largest heatsink ever to pass through the Frostytech Labs. It’s big: 155mm tall, 120mm wide and a staggering 194mm long. The Orochi contains 10 heatpipes, weighs over a kilo and from afar it looks like an industrial cooling unit. This Intel and AMD heatsink is so large, it should almost require slowly blinking red aircraft anti-collision lights… okay, that’s an exaggeration. Scythe made the Orochi heatsink large for a reason, so that it can be paired with a slowly rotating ultra quiet fan to gently move air through the massive heatsinks’ fins, or even used passively.”

Honeywell SecuraDrive 80GB USB 1.8-Inch Pocket Drive
Benchmark Reviews :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
The Honeywell SecuraDrive portable USB hard drive is perfect for storing MP3 music files, videos files and photos, or for protecting sensitive and private data while on the go. Featuring Password Protection Technology, the SecuraDrive allows the user to allocate part or all of the hard drive’s capacity to be public or private, with the private areas only accessible with the proper password, regardless if the SecuraDrive is lost or stolen. Benchmark Reviews tests the 80GB SecuraDrive FM-HWS80U2 for modern-day performance and reliability.

Patriot Memory PC3-15000 2GB Dual Channel Kit
Viper Lair :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Our latest sticks come to us via Patriot and sport a PC2-6400 sticker on them, they also have this nifty little stamp “RoHS Compliant”, while not a big deal (yet) in the US, in European countries, without it, it means you can’t even sell it. The most important aspect that I can see of RoHS Compliance, is that the gear must be built without any lead whatsoever.”

An Unbiased Look at Windows Vista
Techware Labs :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
We recently took an unbiased look at Windows Vista to bring you what we felt were the advantages and disadvantages of this still relatively new operating system. Is Vista for you? Or should you stick to windows XP? read our review to help make the decision.

Tyan Tempest i5400XT
Phoronix :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“When the Intel Quad-Core “Clovertown” Xeon processors were introduced in late 2006 we had reviewed (among other motherboards) the Tyan Tempest i5000XT (S2696) motherboard. We had found this i5000X-based motherboard to work incredibly well with Linux and it ended up being awarded with our Editor’s Choice Award for its impressive feature-set, Linux compatibility, and top-notch performance. It has been a while since last looking at a Tyan motherboard, but with the emergence of Intel’s Wolfdale and Harpertown processors requiring new motherboards, today we are looking at the Tempest i5400XT S5396 motherboard. The Tempest i5400XT is similar to the i5000XT, but it’s been upgraded to the new Intel 5400 MCH.”

Nexus Hush Kit Review
Techware Labs :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Do you have a need to silence your PC but you wish to retain the cooling power of those loud fans? Nexus has created a kit called the “Hush Kit” which is specifically engineered to give you good cooling while lowering the noise output to virtual silence. We test out this kit and let your know if its worth it or not.

OCZ Silencer 610 EPS 12V 610Watt Power Supply Review
3d xtreme :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“I’ve seen the OCZ 610 Silencer online for a little over $100. For this price the Silencer is an amazing value considering the reputation behind this Power Supply.”

Sigma Luna Type W Case Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“When it comes to cases, there is no shortage of options available to end users. While many consider a chassis to be an afterthought, for some the selection of case is as important as the choice of components that are housed within. With that in mind, it becomes difficult to decide which case to use for one’s next system. Often, the selection is immediately limited to the big names – Antec, CoolerMaster, Lian-Li, etc. just to make the task a bit more bearable.

Sigma is one of the lesser-known manufacturers, but they seem to have a decent lineup of cases, all geared towards the enthusiast/gamer crowd. Today, we’ll have the chance to look at the Sigma Luna Type W chassis, one of their newer entries and we’ll see if it has the style and substance to compete with the bigger names out there.“

Honeywell 80GB SecuraDrive Review
ASE Labs :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Honeywell makes products that fit nearly every market. Since they have a partnership with SOYO, they have also entered the computer peripheral consumer space. One of their first products to be released is the SecuraDrive. It is a 1.8″ USB hard drive built for the security conscious.

5 Thermal Compounds reviewed 
Burnout PC :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Recently ago we looked at some liquid pro, a couple of liquid metal pads. And now it’s time to see some more competitors and put them all in one round up. We’ve received a bunch of Tuniq TX2, Arctic Cooling MX2. Arctic Silver is also in the pool with their award winning AS5. And we include Coollaboratory’s Liquid pro and Liquid metal pads to make the circle complete.”

AMD Phenom 9600 Black Edition Quad Core CPU
Overclock 3d :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“Is Black the in colour for CPU’s nowadays? Or is Blue much more in vogue? Take a look at how Phenom gets on in the labs…”

Rosewill Xtreme RX950-S-B
Bjorn 3d :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
It seems to me that every manufacturer in the industry is getting into the power supply business. We have seen memory makers, such as OCZ and Corsair, graphic card makers, such as BFG, and cases manufacture, such as NZXT and Tuniq are making power supplY. Combine these newcomers to the old and established power supply makers, such as Antec, Enermax, and Seasonics, we are having a big battle among power supplies. Even so, it does not deter other manufacturers from entering the arena and tries to fight against all odds to hopefully come out as a winner.

There is a paradox in today’s computer system. On one hand, we have updated components that consume less power then before due to the refined manufacturing process and better designs. On the other hand, we have super computers that are able to support multiple hard drives, multiple processors, and multiple graphic cards. These components together are consuming a tremendous amount of power.

Akasa AK 965 Cooler
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
On a limited budget but wanting something better than the stock HSF? Check out this Akasa cooler.

FSP FX700 FX-Epsilon Power Supply Review
Hardware Logic :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“FSP group first opened its doors in 1996. A decade later they have built themselves into one of the top 10 suppliers of power conversion products in the world. The 700 watt FX700 FX-Epsilon we are testing today is touted as a high efficiency, quiet operation, SLI ready, ATX V2.2 compliant unit. Well, we’ll just see about that. Nurse, bring us our screwdrivers! (shaken, not stirred).”

Xigmatek Battle-Axe VGA Cooler
Technic 3d :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“The Xigmatek Battle-Axe VGA Heatsink arrived Technic3D. Battle-Axe supports VGA cards from AMD and NVIDIA including the Geforce 8800 series. The VGA coolers comes with Direct-Touch-Heatpipes and two 92mm Fans. See you in the following Review the Xigmatek Cooler on a XFX 8800 GTX XXX compared with Standard CPU Cooling and the Zerotherm Hurricane HC92 Cu.”

GIGABYTE GV-RX387512H HD3870 512MB Crossfire Review
Motherboards.org :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
GIGABYTE has done a wonderful job with their new HD3870 card in many respects. One especially nice addition to the bundle was that of NeverWinter Nights 2, a recent RPG game. Many card manufacturers are forgoing the games bundle meaning that there are fewer costs involved in bringing the new video card to the market in packaging. I prefer a game to increase the value of the bundle.

A-Data Vitesta DDR3-1600X CL7 PC3-12800 RAM
Benchmark Reviews :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Benchmark Reviews has amassed the largest collection of DDR3 memory modules anywhere, and we are now ready to showcase the thirteenth product of our High-Speed DDR3 Review Series. In this article, we test the performance from A-Data’s Vitesta X series DDR3, and discover if this overclocker-specific system memory is built for the task. Rated for 1600MHz, Benchmark Reviews successfully pushes the AD31600X002GU well beyond its PC3-12800 rating without disturbing the low 7-7-7-20 clock latency.

Lian Li PC-A77 Full Tower Case Review
Think Computers :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“If you are a computer enthusiast then you have heard of Lian Li. They make some of the best cases out there and have been doing it for years. One of my favorite cases of all time was the Lian Li PC-6089 case, to bad you can’t really find it anymore. Today we are looking at a brand new case from Lian Li, the PC-A77. It features an all aluminum design, removable motherboard tray, and so many features that you just won’t find on other cases. Let’s take a look and see if Lian Li can impress us again.”

Quad GPUs Clearly not the future!
Tweak Town :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“We’ve tested it, and now it’s time to voice our thoughts on it. The problem that I have with Dual-GPU graphics card solutions is that it seems to be the lazy mans advancement in graphics card technology.

There are so many problems linked to Dual-GPU cards being the flagship models for NVIDIA and AMD. The plain fact is that Dual-GPU technology, be it on one card or two just isn’t perfected. The 7900GX2 and 7950GX2 were both horrible cards. I remember at the time of testing I was giddy with excitement over it.”

Hard Drive Performance Comparison Guide
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
“WinBench 99 2.0 has proven that it can still serve as a consistent and reliable hard drive benchmark even in Windows Vista. It has given us a lot of interesting data. If the Business and High-End simulations were not good enough, the raw transfer rate results were certainly most useful. From the transfer rate results, you can see which hard drive has a higher transfer rate, and how areal density affects that performance metric. It also shot down the perception that a newer model is always faster.”

OCZ Reaper HPC PC2-9200 memory review
DV Hardware :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
A couple of years ago memory makers started selling memory modules with aluminum heatspreaders but these days you can already buy memory modules with relatively big cooling solutions like the OCZ FlexXLC series which features barbs for liquid cooling or the Reaper HPC modules which feature a heatpipe. These cooling solutions look pretty good and may improve overclocking performance. The subject of this review is the OCZ Reaper HPC PC-9200 memory kit, this product is clocked at 1150MHz and is OCZ’s fastest air-cooled DDR2 memory kit. It’s available in a 2GB kit, runs at 5-5-5-18 timings with a voltage of 2.1-2.3V and features the Reaper HPC cooling design.

Opinion: Silverthorne fails but PowerVR impresses (+Montalvo trouble)
Beyond3d Processor News :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
All the Silverthorne information you’ll ever want is now available in articles from The Tech Report and AnandTech – but while the coverage is decent in terms of architecture, they…

NVIDIA MCP79 for VIA CPUs; Intel P45/G45 delayed(?)
Beyond3d Processor News :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Rumours are swirling around the web that NVIDIA’s upcoming MCP79 chipset will be compatible with VIA’s Isaiah processor. The deal makes perfect sense, so the real question is: will MCP79…

AMD release new Phenom X4 processors with B3 silicon
Beyond3d Processor News :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
If Intel isn’t your bag, you should probably take a look at the new B3-based brains behind Spider, the AMD enthusiast platform. These new Phenoms, when paired with a nice…

bit-tech: Our New Offices
Bit-Tech Modding :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Things are changing for the better at bit-tech and today we’ve made the move to new offices located in the south of England. Want to see if Tim can finally organise his collection of graphics cards and how many things Joe dropped as we moved in? Of course you do!

Mod of the Month – March 2008
Bit-Tech Modding :: Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Shamrocks, leprechauns, and Easter bunnies…oh my! March may be a pretty holiday-filled month, but that doesn’t stop our crazy modders from taking time away from family life in order to do some dremel dentistry. This month, we’re giving five mods a chance to win March’s Mod of the Month.