Tech News February 2006

NewsFeb 28, 2006June 29, 20140

Thermaltake Purepower Power Station 520W PSU
Legit Reviews :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
“Power supplies have really advanced in the last 2 years. Some of the advancement is from innovation, the other is from the necessity for more strict power guidelines. With power hungry processors and video cards on the market, older PSUs are becoming obsolete because they can not handle the load todays PC parts require. With this in mind, we are going to retire a Thermaltake 360W Purepower PSU and replace it with a new Thermaltake 520W Purepower Power Station that is ATX 12V 2.0 compliant. This upgrade should show most of the reasons one would want to upgrade their PSU.”

Arctic Cooling Accelero GPU Coolers (X1/X2)
Pure Overclock :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote: “The X1 and X2 are drastically different from the NV silencer range that ruled the earth before it. They have introduced heat pipe technology into the equation – a first for GPU cooling. Arctic Cooling claims this improves the cooling efficiency over the NV silencer range.”

Hell’s Illusion: Project Lament II at CaseModGod.com
Case Mod God :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Summary: The winner of last years QuakeCon’s modding contest has been working on yet another amazing mod.

This time ARTbyTROY is creating a 8 inch cube that houses the Hell Raiser Puzzle Box inside. A quote from ARTbyTROY “I am currently working to create a new Hell Raiser themed PC far different than my first… there are those that have put their computers into puzzle boxes, I am going to put a puzzle box into the PC and hopefully entirely conceal the computer in the process.”

Ultra Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower Case Review #653:
3dgameman :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

The Ultra Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower Case is a familiar design and is used by many companies. This case though is made from lightweight aluminum and has a high gloss black paint finish. It’s an excellent choice for modding or LAN parties. Air circulation is great, but two optional 120mm fans are required. There are plenty of drive bays and it even has a removable motherboard tray. This product has looks and functionality to boot. Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

How To Speed Up Your Computer Without Upgrading
The Tech Zone :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
It seems that the longer you own your computer, the slower it gets! It isn’t getting slower just because it is older. Read the following article to learn how to speed up your computer without upgrading the hardware.

Google Desktop 3: Convenience vs. Privacy
Big Bruin :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote: Google recently released an update to its desktop search product, Google Desktop 3. It offers several different features which add both a convenience factor and privacy issues. I am going to be looking into these, seeing how they relate, and if the convenience is out weighted by the privacy issues. If you are using (or are considering using) Google Desktop’s newest version I would highly suggest you take some time and read this article before you make the decision for yourself.

Intel 955XE and D975XBX Review
Technic3d :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote: “Technic3D took itself the time and examined as far the Intel 955 Extreme Edition with that Gigabyte G1-Turbo Mainboard and Air,- Water,- Compressorcooling overcklocking leaves.”

Gentoo v2006.0 @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Summary: “Gentoo is one of the more popular Linux distributions with die-hard enthusiasts, while also being dubbed one of the hardest distributions to grasp. The team of Gentoo developers have announced the availability of Gentoo v2006.0 as we approach the end of February. Some of the improvements in Gentoo 2006.0 include KDE v3.4.3, GNOME v2.12.2, GCC v3.4.4, and the Linux 2.6.15 kernel. In addition, this premiere 2006 release includes many optimizations for various processing architectures. Today at Phoronix Gentoo v2006.0 is the focus of our spotlight.”

How Safe Is Safe
Digital Grabber :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Information held on your computer is a very vulnerable entity and can be very easily and completely lost, either by component failure, malicious acts or theft. If loss of the information you keep on your computer would cause you distress, then you need to take steps to ensure it is kept safe and that you would be able to continue even if your computer was stolen. But how safe is safe?

ECS PF5 Extreme
Phoronix :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Summary: “ECS Elitegroup has been in the motherboard business since 1987, and their design quality certainly shows with their PF5 Extreme. The ECS PF5 Extreme packs in dual PCI Express slots, dual LAN interfaces, ECSonic II, and a wealth of other exclusives with this Socket LGA-775 solution, which is powered by Intel’s 945 Chipset. However, just how well will it fair against alternative Glenwood and Lakeport products? Today we have the ECS PF5 Extreme today to look at how well this multi-colored solution performs.”

Oh, Barcelona; how we hate those carriers
Hexus :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Regardless of what game genre you like it’s up to the carriers if you can get it, and get it on the particular phone you have. The carriers don’t seem to have a clue about how to deliver games, what games to offer or to make it easy to get and then play, pay, or try a game.

ECS KN1 SLI Extreme Review
Hi-Techreviews :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

What is the most popular chipset when it comes to overclocking AMD processor today? Without a doubt, it has to be the NVIDIA nForce4, which brings us to the motherboard we are reviewing today. The board we are reviewing is the ECS KN1 SLI Extreme; this board is quickly becoming one of the hottest SLI boards on the market. Come on along as we check it out.

VOQ V11 Professional Smartphone
Think Computers :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote: “Like it or not cell phones have become a major part of our lives, and they have also become more and more specialized. Today cell phones have become more than just a way to call and talk to our friends, family or associates, some of the phones available today are essentially a portable office for those of us that need to keep in touch with everything. These phones are basically a mini computer and are called SmartPhones because they can do so much more than just talk to people. Today I have a relatively little known SmartPhone called the Voq Professional SmartPhone. The Voq features an Intel 200Mhz CPU and full QWERTY keyboard and so much more. Let’s take a closer look at it.”

The Task Killer In Windows XP!
Tech ARP :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote – “Unknown to most users, there is a task killer lurking in Windows XP. Join us on this mini-guide as Dashken tells you all about this hidden killer and why it can be a very powerful tool for those who know its secrets! ”

Lapinator vs. Lapinator Plus Laptop Desk Comparison
Virtual-Hideout :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Quote: “If you’ve got a tiny laptop, the original Lapinator will do wonders for you. However if you’ve got a larger laptop, you’re definitely going to want to go with the larger Lapinator Plus. I’ve got one of the larger laptops on the market and the Plus is just perfect. Add the mousitizer and it’s smooth and cool computing”

Gemini iKey USB Audio Recorder Review
Futurelooks :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
So what exactly is an iKey? The iKey is an Audio Recording Product from Gemini Sound Products Corporation. The iKey can take any Line Level audio signal and convert it to an MP3 or WAV audio file. It stores the files in real time to USB storage devices like USB memory cards, USB Hard Drives or even an iPod!

Planning an Apple iPod Rival?
CoolTechZone :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
“Although details are currently sketchy, we know for a fact that Bose is scheduled to make a major announcement on 2nd March in Taipei, Taiwan. Bose officials are planning an event in Taipei where the presentation is expected to take place.”

Thermaltake Blue Orb II
Techgage :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote: There are so many CPU coolers on the market, it’s very hard to choose. Some may cool well but look horrible, but not so for the Blue Orb II from Thermaltake! Let’s jump into the review and see how this cooler compares to previous ones we’ve looked at.

News: Noctua & Coolink Heatpipe Coolers reviewed
MetkuMods :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
“”Bigger is better” kind of thinking seems to be the key here. It is good to see that the manufacturers didn’t build the heatsink around a huge lump of copper but decided to make the unit relatively light by utilizing aluminum fins and multiple heatpipes. This makes the cooling power to weight ratio excellent.”

Scythe KAMA-BAY Bay Cooler
Pro-Clockers :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Quote: Air circulation is a must have in any computer. No matter if have a simple work station or a high end gaming systems, the importance of air moving across your components is very important. And the only way to achieve this is the proper placement of cooling fans. If you have a case that is need of some air movement then Scythe has what you need, a Kama-Bay.

Sunbeamtech Solar Illuminated Keyboard
GideonTech :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
“Judging from the name of the keyboard, one would think it was somehow solar powered or was so brightly lit, it felt like the sun. Sadly, that isn’t the case.”

Thermaltake Tide Water (VGA Liquid Cooling Module) Video Review #652:
3dgameman :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

“The Thermaltake Tide Water (VGA Liquid Cooling Module) is the first of its kind. Currently there is nothing like it on the market. With modern Video Cards getting faster and faster, they can get really hot. At default speeds this is fine, but if you are overclocking, something else is required. This is a perfect option for anyone needing to get their Video Card’s core to its peek performance. Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

XKROMA ATX Chrome Case
Think Computers :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote: “Geeks.com is always a good place to find things that you would not normally see on other online computer stores. They always have cool products from little known companies. Today we will be looking at a case that I have never seen, or even heard of. It’s called the XKROMA; it looks great, but can it stand up to all the other brand names out there? Let’s find out.”

Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
Bytesector :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
“An effervescent world encompasses you. The thrill of life as you adventure through a seemingly endless expanse of terrain baffles even the most brilliant of minds. You find yourself caught in the midst of a key role in possibly the most important event of your life. You raise your keen dagger as slowly you approach your only victim, knowing a successful execution could perhaps change the tides of war in your favour. You move slowly, quietly, and in a blink of an eye it’s over.”

AplusCase GL2 HTPC Case
Technic3d :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote: “How the GL2 in the Technic3D editorship introduces itself, see you in the following Review”

Exclusive sneak-peek: Akasa’s latest gems
Hexus :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Akasa have opened their treasure chest of new products to us and we’ve found a few potential gems inside. Join us in our sneak-peek look at what’s coming from Akasa.

Arctic-Cooling Accelero X1 VGA Cooler
Techniz.co.uk :: Monday, February 27, 2006

“The Accelero X1 is the latest technology of VGA Cooler from Arctic-Cooling. The Accelero X1 is not only powerful on the stylish look, but also the performance that able to deliver by it. The heatsink is made of aluminum thin fins together with the copper base to provide the best heat dissipations for the graphic card. A part of it, it also bundles with the passive memory cooler for cooling the memory on the graphic card. The operation noise level is extremely silent as well. Due to the design of it, the Accelero X1 is only support the Nvidia 6800 and 7800 series of graphic card…”

The Resurrection of LCoS
Hardware Secrets :: Monday, February 27, 2006
“A year ago, the projection TV choices available to consumers were almost exclusively limited to three primary types of display technology: CRT, LCD and DLP. Videophiles were mourning the apparent demise of a particularly promising TV technology: Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS). The primary proponents of LCoS at that time – Intel and Philips – had just thrown in the proverbial towel after failing to establish a foothold in the market for their LCoS TV products.”

SuperTalent T800UX2GC4 PC2-6400 2GB kit review
Driver Heaven :: Monday, February 27, 2006

“AMD will present the AM2 socket this summer, which supports DDR2 PC6400 RAM. Intel based motherboards can already use such RAM and so we have most manufacturers entering a ‘memory war’, with every RAM manufacturer trying to design and release high speed DDR2 modules while offering good value as well. This ‘memory war’ seems to get interesting as Super Talent, a less known company among the enthusiast circles, released the (for the time being) fastest PC-6400 2GB kit currently available. The T800UX2GC4 kit consists of two 1GB modules, rated to run at 800MHz DDR and 4/3/4/8 timings.”

News: 7900 GTX specification confirmed
Pure Overclock :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Quote: “A source has let us know the specifications for the upcoming 7900 GTX. The part will allegedly have the following specification; a core clock of 650 MHz; a memory clock of 2.0 GHz; 24 pixel pipes, not 32 as predicted early last year”

Thermaltake Eclipse DV Case
Overclocker Café :: Monday, February 27, 2006

If you’re looking for a one liner then it would have to be “I like this case”. The inclusion of combo DVD drive is a great idea. Not only will it save you a few bucks, but it frees up drive bay as well. The drawback with this is the single connection on the IDE cable. This means that you lose one drive off your board, but if you’re running SATA hard drives then it’s not a biggie.

GoblinX Mini v1.2.2
Phoronix :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Summary: “GoblinX Mini, the distribution based off of GoblinX Premium, has reached version 1.2.2. Included in GoblinX Mini v1.2.2 is a new “liveupgrade” feature for remastering the entire Linux distribution, improvements to the “goinstall” script, corrected various small errors and corrections, and have shaped up into a fairly nice release and is the focus of the Phoronix spotlight today. GoblinX v1.2.2 also uses the Linux 2.6.15 kernel and X.Org v6.8.2, all of which is contained on the LiveCD with Xfce v4.2.2.”

Cooler Master Real Power 550W SLI Certified PSU Review
Madshrimps :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Quote: ” Coolermaster surprised us two years ago with their Real Power 450W PSU, offering solid performance for a competitive price. Today we have their latest in for testing – a 550W SLI certified unit equipped with 120mm for silent operation.”

Thermaltake RX K8 Silent Boost Socket 754/939/940 Copper CPU Cooler Review @ Tweaknews.net
Tweaknews :: Monday, February 27, 2006

“With the Silent Boost RX K8, Thermaltake has targeted the user who values compactness and silence over maximum effort cooling. For example, this would be an excellent choice for a home theater PC where space is always an issue and quiet cooling is a necessity.”

Corsair Nautilus 500 Water Cooler Review
Legit Reviews :: Monday, February 27, 2006
“Corsair wanted to launch a low cost water cooler at $159 and that is what Corsair did. I give Corsair a hand for bringing enthusiast technology to the mainstream consumer and I believe the mainstream market is ready to embrace water cooling. I have been saying for years that water cooling is the way to go if you don’t move around your computer a ton. With reduced noise levels and awesome temperatures water cooling is well worth the extra cost from my point of view. Decent water cooling was always over $200 and that the midnight oil burning over at Corsair and the end result is the Nautilus 500.”

TRENDnet TEW-429UF USB Flash Drive, Wireless Adapter & Wi-Fi Finder
The Tech Zone :: Monday, February 27, 2006

The TEW-429UF is the next evolution in its Award-Winning WiFi Detector product line. The new unit incorporates a Wi-Fi Detector with LCD Display, 802.11g USB 2.0 Adapter, and a 512MB Flash Memory Drive, creating the ultimate All-in-One mobile solution.

Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Monday, February 27, 2006
“The Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 heatsink suspends its 2000RPM fan on four dual axial rubber vibration absorbing posts. The general purpose of which is to prevent fan motor vibrations from transferring to other areas of the computer chassis which could cause noise. The 90-ish millimeter fan minimizes turbulence and noise by essentially floating the impeller alone above the aluminum component. The whole package weighs in at just 486 grams, and judging by recent information the Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 should even be compatible with AMD socket AM2 heatsink retention frames… though we aren’t 100% certain.”

Scythe Kamariki-2 550 Watt Power Supply @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Quote: There are many people out there that don’t really care about modular power supplies or just don’t believe that they provide the stability that they need. So that is a reason why companies like OCZ, PC Power and Cooling, Enermax and others non-modular power supplies dominate the market. Another company that is determined to make a name for themselves beside these other companies is Scythe. Known for arguably the best heatsink out right now, the Ninja, Scythe is introducing the Kamariki-2 to the US market. This is bound to stir up a little something.

Mushkin 2GB XP2-5300 Black Dual Pack Pictorial Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Quote – “If you are looking for the biggest and baddest low-latency DDR2 memory kit for your dual-channel system, this is it! Introducing the new Mushkin 2GB XP2-5300 Extreme Performance DDR2 Dual Pack!

Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro HSF Review
Bjorn3D :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Today, I am going to look at a fairly new CPU cooler from Arctic Cooling named the Freezer 64 Pro. This is a cooler designed to fit on AMD Athlon 64 CPUs (Socket 754/939/940). Arctic Cooling does also make a version that mounts on Intel systems called the Freezer 7 Pro for the Intel Socket 775.

Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro HSF Review
Bjorn3D :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Today, I am going to look at a fairly new CPU cooler from Arctic Cooling named the Freezer 64 Pro. This is a cooler designed to fit on AMD Athlon 64 CPUs (Socket 754/939/940). Arctic Cooling does also make a version that mounts on Intel systems called the Freezer 7 Pro for the Intel Socket 775.

Is AMD Doomed?
CoolTechZone :: Monday, February 27, 2006
“We recently published our review of Intel’s Core Duo platform and confirmed that Intel has in fact leapt ahead. Quite logically, the performance results of the Core Duo prove, yet again, Intel’s superiority in the mobile segment. Intel has managed to fit in a billion transistors on a single 65nm microprocessor. Moreover, 45nm is already in the works and 65nm is passé. To give you an idea of transistor comparison, Smithfield has 230M in contrast to Presler’s 370M.”

Epox GeForce 6100 (EP-9GF6100MJ) Motherboard Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Content: “Overall, the Epox EP-9GF6100MJ is value AMD64 socket939 motherboard that comes with decent performance which has quite similar performance with the GeForce6150/nForce430 motherboard. For AMD fans on a tight budget, they might consider this GPU motherboard which is powered by GeForce6100 and nForce430 since it is the first GPU motherboard series that supports AMD64. The Epox EP-9GF6100MJ costs around USD79, which is relatively inexpensive for entry level users.”

Swiftech MCW60 VGA Waterblock
OCIA :: Monday, February 27, 2006
“Here’s a closer look at the base plate. You can clearly see Swiftech’s Patent-Pending Diamond Pin Matrix design. One thing to note on the inner machine work… on some of the first production runs of the APOGEE CPU block, there was a problem with copper shavings being left on the inside of the block. Swiftech has now added a bead blasting process to ensure that the base plates are totally clean and free of shavings. This is why the inside of the block now has a somewhat textured finish instead of a shiny one.”

Outpost Kolaki X
Bytesector :: Monday, February 27, 2006
“Outpost Kaloki X is the Xbox 360 Live Arcade version of the earlier PC release, Outpost Kaloki. It provides a simple, yet captivating story with surprising depth in its strategy requirements. Offering two story modes, Adventure and War, and scenario modes, OKX is an addicting arcade game that is worth the 800 gamer points.”

ABIT AW8 Evaluation @ techFEAR
TechFEAR :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Summary: “Driven by Intel’s 955X north bridge and ICH7R south bridge, the ABIT AW8 is poised to be a terrific entry level contender of the AW8 line. The AW8 supports the LGA775 line of Intel processors and can power up to 8GB of memory when combined with a 64-bit operating system.”

SilverStone Storage MS02
Phoronix :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Summary: “The MS02 is a compact yet attractive 2.5″ hard disk drive enclosure from the engineers over at SilverStone Technology. While keeping the finely brushed exterior in tiptop shape the aluminum enclosure is designed to operate silently as well as meeting the cooling needs of the drives. To top that off, Windows and Macintosh users have a one touch backup system in place with the SilverStone MS02 to ensure the safekeeping of their beloved files.”

Xtrac Pads Mouse Mats
Pro-Clockers :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Quote: Most people that games have a mouse mat, whether it be a frosted glass beauty or a battered old Lara Croft thick foam edition. Some people even decide to go without a mouse mat. That was what I was doing until I was kindly sent a package containing Xtrac Pads finest…

DynapowerUSA Blackwidow Case Review
Mikhailtech :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Internally, the back is standard with a couple notable exceptions. First, there’s a custom PCI retention system. Second, the fan snaps into a pre-installed bracket. The front has provisions for 4x 5.25″ bays and 6x 3.5″ bays (2 external, 4 internal). There are also two blue retention clips for quick installation of a pair of drives. Lastly, there’s a spot for a 120mm intake fan. It draws air from the bottom of the case.

Corepad Deskpad XXL
Think Computers :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Quote: “Are you one of those people that love a big mouse pad? Then BOY have I got something for you to check out for review today. I used to like the smaller mouse pads, but I got a few larger ones for review and grew quite fond of them over time, but I have found one now that I just love. It is from Corepad, it is called the Deskpad XXL, and it truly is extra, extra large. C’mon check this big bad boy out…”

Cedega v5.1 + NVIDIA
Phoronix :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Summary: “One of the strongholds preventing computer enthusiasts from switching to Linux is due to the lack of retail games available under Linux. However, TransGaming’s Cedega software allows a majority of Microsoft Windows games to run seamlessly under Linux with very little to no end-user modifications required. TransGaming Cedega operates by emulating the Windows 32 APIs including Direct3D, DirectInput, and DirectSound. With the most recent version of Cedega (v5.1) hitting the web last week, we have conducted a series of tests to examine its performance impact on some of the popular titles.”

Thermaltake ToughPower 550W
Bjorn3D :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Today, I’m looking at Thermaltake’s yet to be available ToughPower 550W power supply. You might ask what’s the big deal? Let’s say you already have a PurePower / PowerStation ~500W model. While the amount of Watts may be enough, your new components may require more stable voltages and higher amperage (strength of an electrical current). As the name implies, ToughPower is all about stability.

Seagate Momentus 5400.3 160GB 2.5″ Hard Drive
ViperLair :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
“Performance was very good, and for a 5400RPM drive we would consider the performance excellent overall. Our 7200RPM Travelstar died during testing, but the Momentus 5400.3 was very comparable to the faster Travelstar in many of our throughput benchmarks. The Travelstar was faster in the Sysmark test and 480MB write tests, and the Momentus quicker with Windows boot and game level loading.”

A.C.Ryan Roundcable2-FX IDE Cable (Ver.2) Review
Virtual-Hideout :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Quote: “With the new improvements to the A.C.Ryan Roundcable2-FX Cables (version 2), I can certainly recommend them now for everyone out there looking for a great cable that’s not only unique, but used in the right situation, can clean up some bulky round cables of old.”

Ultra Products X-Connect 2 550W PSU
Big Bruin :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Quote: One of the latest Ultra Products brand power supplies is the X-Connect 2, also known as the X2. This power supply is only available in a titanium finish and with a total power rating of 550 Watts. The updates on this power supply from the previous generation include a modular FlexForce cable system and Dual Rail Technology. I will look at these items, among other things, to see how they enhance the power supply, and whether they are worthy updates.

2006 Home Video Preview
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
We take a look at some home video products set to be introduced later this year. HP has an LCD TV with an integrated Media Center PC and RCA has a plasma made out of wood!

High Power 560Watt Power Supply HPC-560-A12C @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Quote: “A couple of months ago I reviewed a power supply from a company called High Power, it was supplied by our friends at AOC. Today I have another power supply from High Power, this one also supplied to me by AOC for review. The one I reviewed earlier featured something a bit different, it had a wattage meter for your 5.25″ bay. This power supply I have for review today does not have that, it has a wattage meter right on the back of the power supply, so you can easily monitor your power consumption without having to use a drive bay or run more wires through your computer. To be exact, for review today I have the High Power Plus Power Series power supply which is rated for 560Watts of power, model HPC-560-A12C.”

Arctic Cooling Alpine 64 Heatsink
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Quote: Arctic Cooling is no stranger to the pages of Pro-Clockers. We choose to review their products because they do as advertised, that is to maintain a low level of noise and also cool the product which they are to cool. Today, we have one of the latest CPU coolers from A.C. It is the new Alpine 64. It is aimed at being a direct replacement for the stock OEM piece. We will how see well it ready performs and if it is worth the $15.50 asking price.

FW: OCZ PC3200 Gold GX XTC Memory Review
Overclocker Café :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
The Overclocker Cafe has posted their review of OCZ’s Gold Edition PC3200 GX XTC memory kit in its 2GB trim. Having just average 2-3-3-8 1T timings OCZ’s kit looks outside the box for something to set the GX XTC units apart from the rest of the field. It looks like they found it with a gold plated aluminum perforated heat spreader. Here’s a snip from the Overclocker Cafe’s review.

From the use of a gold/aluminum hybrid, it looks as if OCZ is looking to improve on the efficiency of how fast the heatspreader does its job. This in theory is by making the contact area of the heatspreader with the memory chips themselves a honey comb design. The thinking is that this honey comb pattern allows a greater air exchange around this vented heatspreader and the areas between the chips.

Crucial Ballistix 1GB Kit PC4000 LED (BL2KIT6464L505) Memory Review
OCInside.de :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Memory is an important component of the PC system and with current operating systems e.g. Microsoft Windows XP in combination with current games or DTP applications nowadays 512 MB are by far not enough and should be upgraded to at least 1GB memory. However memory is not like memory and naturally there’re dozens of DDR (double data rate) module types on the market, that the choice isn’t really easy. In order to make the choice somewhat easier, there’s a new test report of the high-end 1 GB memory kit with LED lighting and heatspreaders by Crucial.

Operating Systems, Hardware Compatibility and You
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
“Apple has languished for years and has been consistent (gaining .2 or .3 percent in overall market share doesn’t make a significant difference) in market share in relation to Microsoft. In the early days, Mac hardware was far superior, but few years ago, Intel and AMD based systems trounced the Mac platform. Apple has committed to a change to Intel based hardware for its future Macs, but will not allow OS X operating system to run on a standard PC.”

DFI LANParty UT NF4 SLI-DR nForce 4 SLI Motherboard Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Quote – “If you are a PC enthusiast or overclocker and looking for the ultimate Socket 939 motherboard, this might be IT! Introducing the DFI LANParty UT NF4 SLI-DR motherboard!

Vongo Subscription Movie Service
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
We talked with Vongo at CES to get the scoop on their hot product. It’s a subscription movie service that allows you to watch Starz and other premium content on your PC, and transfer it to your portable media player.

Keyboard Cleaning Guide
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Computer keyboards can get dirty very easily when they are not properly taken care of. Stores sell compressed air and cleaning products to help you clean your keyboard. Many people have their own way of cleaning their keyboards, but most people usually just flip it upside down and shake it. Those who do spend money on compressed air or cleaning products, you are wasting money and time. Compressed air won’t always give you a thorough clean because most of the dirt is trapped underneath the keys. The air does blow out some dirt; however it creates more of a mess for you to clean up.

In this guide I will show you how to thoroughly clean you keyboard with some simple household items. When you reach the end of this guide, your keyboard should look as clean as it was the day you bought it.

Coolermaster RealPower SLI RS-550ACLY (550W) PSU Review
Technic3d :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
“To the test we received the larger of the two Real Power models, the das RS-550ACLY with SLI”

Wi-Fi Hotspot Security Tips
Laptop Gamers :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
You’ve set up your Boingo account, you’re hanging out at the Home Turf sports bar in LAX and you figure you’ll do a little business or check your e-mail while sipping a Chardonnay. Well, that’s the point of Wi-Fi hotspots; being able to take care of a few things while in a relaxing atmosphere. However, don’t get so relaxed that you ignore security and give all your confidential information to some unscrupulous hacker. The next time you’re at a Hotspot, use these security tips to keep yourself safe.

Zalman HD160 HTPC Case
DV Hardware :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

I recently had a chance to review Zalman Home Theatre PC Enclosure HD160. It motivated me to go ahead and turn my own personal PC into a “Media Center” PC. The entire chassis is 100% brushed aluminum and it sits horizontally which allows it to blend right into the rest of your home theatre equipment, and gives the system a very luxurious look. It comes complete with a volume control knob and a card reader panel right on the front of the case..

Computer Myths and Misconceptions
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
The internet is a great medium for getting information and help on all sorts of subjects. Many people have a lot of specialized knowledge in one field, so they can give out lots of good advice in that area of expertise. Of course, once in a while you get someone who doesn’t know their stuff chiming in with incorrect advice.

Shuttle’s XPC SN21G5 barebones system
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
SHUTTLE GOT THE small form factor barebones party started way back in 2001 with the SV24. In the years that followed, the company rode the bleeding edge, integrating the latest sockets and chipsets into its evolving breadbox-sized chassis. Shuttle has slowed the pace recently, though, becoming more of system integrator than a barebones chassis provider. The breadbox remains, but Shuttle would seemingly prefer to sell complete systems to mainstream consumers than barebones units to PC enthusiasts. That’s left a gaping void in the small form factor world, and we’ve yet to see the competition really step up to fill it.

Fortunately, Shuttle hasn’t completely forgotten about do-it-yourself PC builders. In fact, the company has just launched a new addition to its small form factor barebones lineup. The XPC SN21G5 packs NVIDIA’s GeForce 6100 integrated graphics chipset, a carefully massaged ICE cooler, and room for a GeForce 7800 GTX into Shuttle’s proven G5 chassis.

Can the diminutive SN21G5 keep up with the latest full-sized ATX motherboards? Perhaps more importantly, how does it compare with Shuttle’s last cube with integrated graphics for the Athlon 64? Keep reading to find out.

Thermaltake Tide Water
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Quote: I demonstrated that the TT Tide Water is a perfect solution for completely silent cooling of even the hottest video cards on the market today with the option of turning it into an all out performing cooling monster with the sacrifice of a few decibels. The ease of installation makes it perfect for any and all users and if you are comfortable changing your CPU heatsink and fan then the TT Tide Water install will be like eating a piece of cake at a 12 year olds birthday party.

Aerocool Zerodba 620 Watt Power Supply
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Quote: This one is for all those that like a PC quiet. Whether you are an owner of a HTPC or a high end gaming powerhouse, our next product up for review may be what you need. Aerocool has been around long enough to know what people need and want in building of their computers. Heatsinks, cases and cooling fans are just a few of the thing that they are known for. And if you don’t know them for power supplies, you will now. Aerocool claims the Zerodba will remain absolutely quiet and provide you with all the power you need. Let’s check it out!

Toilet Seats Have Less Germs Than Your Desk?!
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
When I heard that my desk was a sesspool of germs, more gruesome than my toilet seat, I immediately retracted… Doh! I can’t type without my hands! This information came as a shock to me as well, and I’m sure the statement shocked you too. Read on to find

FrozenCPU ThermalRock Dragon Alphacool Review
Virtual-Hideout :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Quote: “QUIET QUIET QUIET! What else can I say? The pump is so quiet I can’t even hear it from a few inches away. Same goes for the dual 120mm fans. Just a few feet away and they’re quiet even on 12volts. Imagine what the results

Sansun Bat Computer Case
Hi-Techreviews :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

To the Bat Cave Robin! If this case could take this is one of the first words it would probably speak. The Sansun Bat case is every Batman lovers dream come true, this full-sized ATX case features a outer wrapper that gives the case a very unique Batman theme. (Very tastefully done I might add) From horned hood right down to the super hero’s cape, it is all sculpted into the outer shell of the case giving it a truly one of a kind look.

How to Buy a Cheap Laptop Computer
Laptop Lifestyle :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Are you a cheap ass looking to buy a cheap laptop computer? Do you always go around telling sales people that you want something good but cheap? Well, this article might help you make your expectations a bit more realistic. Good = Cheap? Maybe!

S-10000S S-Store Series Case Review
Techniz.co.uk :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
I-Star popular S-Tower Series. Stylish aluminum front panel design with custom capability. Data storage of up to 5×5.25” plus 5×3.5” drive bay space. Optional SATA and SCSI backplane support high performance and high density storage. Its standard 120mm system cooling fan keeps both the temperature and noise down and optional I-Star redundant power supply can ensure optimal operation and maximum uptime.

Alphacool USB-Display Review
Technic3d :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Quote: “The 240×128 blue/white Display shows same-made pictures, Mails and other Stuff from the User”

Sennheiser HD415 Headphones
Bona Fide Reviews :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Quote: At the 2006 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Sennheiser debuted a trio of mid-level headphones. The new series is meant to filter down some of the design improvements from its high priced models to more moderate consumers. Two of these, the HD 415 and HD 435 are technically very similar, differing only cosmetically in design and accessories. Both feature 40mm drivers, an open air design, and clean contemporary styling.

Seagate 8GB Photo Hard Drive Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Quote – “Want a fast, large and cheap CompactFlash card? Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too! Introducing the new Seagate 8GB Photo Hard Drive!

I-Star D-Storm Series D-300 3U Rackmount Server Chassis Review
Techniz.co.uk :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
“Established in 1989, I-Star Computer Inc. has over fifteen years of experience in designing and manufacturing Industrial Switching Power Supply, Sheet Metal, and Rackmount Chassis. From the standard switching power supply to high-end redundant power supply, I-Star has grown to be one of major provider in IPC power supply industry. In recent years, we have also expanded our products to include DVR/IPC and Storage RAID industries. Our goal is always to provide our customer with the best products and superior customer services. In the beginning I-Star focused on providing our customers the combinations of cutting-edge technologies, high quality manufacturing, and excellent customer services. It has been a proving record that these priorities earned a strong partnership for I-Star in today’s competitive market.”

read the Techniz article

read OCmodshop’s own review of the D-300

OCZ Gold series EL PC3200 GX XTC 2GB Kit
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
“The GX XTC modules certainly appear different than any other RAM currently available and are easily identifiable by their heatspreaders. The new XTC heatspreaders from OCZ are supposed to enhance the cooling of the modules, but they certainly enhance the appearance as well. The heatspreaders glint like gold, which makes them look extremely glamorous. The heatspreaders are totally covered by holes forming a honeycomb design. This design allows for superior cooling performance and OCZ dubs it XTC (xtreme thermal convection).”

XSPC X20 universal Liquid Cooling Kit review
Techniz.co.uk :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Love it or hate is water cooling is here to stay, I’m undecided about whether or not I like water cooling. Sure it is an effective means of cooling your cpu, but I have always found setting a system up to be a pain. Rob form componentsuk asked to review his latest offering – the XSPC X02 water cooling kit. Lets see if this can persuade me further to turn to the water cooling side.

Dapper Drake + Xgl Compiz @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Summary: “Ubuntu, Mark Shuttleworth’s brainchild, has overcome another feat this morning with the advent of Ubuntu v6.04 (Dapper Drake) Flight 4. Dapper Drake Flight 4 is the fourth milestone release in a series of development builds with the release candidate coming out April of 2006. In addition to a host of new extras, the focus of our attention today is on its Xgl and Compiz capabilities. Xgl is the X server architecture layered on top of OpenGL while Compiz is the composting manager to the X.Org project. Both of these projects were largely contributed by Novell. With a few modifications, as well as configuration for the NVIDIA device, we had Xgl and Compiz running on the Ubuntu Dapper Drake Flight 4 LiveCD! The plug-ins utilized were cube, decoration, fade, minimize, move, place, resize, rotate, scale, switcher, wobbly, and zoom. Unfortunately, the Gconf Compiz abilities were not accessible from the Dapper Drake repositories during our testing time. At hand today are a wealth of images demonstrating the various graphical abilities, as well as a few looks at the newly introduced Ubuntu Espresso LiveCD installer. Keep in mind, the Compiz Wobbly shots are quite aliased, thus we are working on an animated preview by the time Xgl + Compiz is largely introduced to Linux.”

Zalman Fatal1ty FS-V7 Graphic Card cooler
Case Mod God :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Summary: The Fatal1ty FS-V7 is a two slot copper cooler marketed toward gamers and PC enthusiast alike: with Red Copper fins, Anodized RAM sinks, and a Red LED fan it definitely has the bling appeal. It also comes with the ability to run on 12v in “Performance Mode” as well as a 5v “Quiet Mode” for those of you audiophiles who are gamers as well.

Philips E-Reader Hands-On
Designtechnica :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
We get a chance to talk with Philips at CES and check out their new Ambient Plasma displays and their new e-Reader product slated for launch later this year

Mad Moxx X800 GTO2 Burstfire
techPowerUp! :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
German video card specialist Mad Moxx has released a special edition of the Sapphire X800 GTO2. The Mad Moxx X800 GTO2 Burstfire comes premodded with 16 pipelines out of the box. To improve cooling an Arctic Cooling ATI Silencer has been installed on the card. For paying a small premium over the regular Sapphire card you can stay away from BIOS modding, aftermarket cooler installation and voiding your warranty.

Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 review
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

“Arctic Cooling have been making enthusiast coolers for gpu’s and cpu for quite a while now. In fact one of the Driverheaven review systems has been using the freezer range of CPU coolers for a while now and we have been completely satisfied with the performance and even more impressed by the low noise they create. When building our media centre system noise was a consideration and with the AIW X800 cooler not being the best we replaced it with an Arctic Cooling Silencer 5 and this was a complete success though when we recently moved to the more advanced AIW X1800 series card we hit a brick wall as far as noise levels are concerned. You see the mounting holes on the X1k series of cards are completely different to those on the X8 series and you therefore can’t just use any cooler on your nice new shiny X1k product.

ECS’s KA1 MVP Extreme motherboard
The Tech Report :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
WHILE NOT THE MOST popular motherboard manufacturer among enthusiasts, ECS has quietly been building mobos for nearly two decades. Most of those boards have been budget and OEM offerings that put affordability before features and performance, so it’s no surprise that they haven’t caught on among enthusiasts. That may be about to change, though. ECS isn’t content to just be known for its budget fare, and the company has launched a new line of “Extreme” motherboards targeting gamers, overclockers, and enthusiasts.

The latest of ECS’s Extreme offerings is the KA1 MVP, a Socket 939 motherboard that combines ATI’s Radeon Xpress 200 CrossFire Edition chipset with PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet and Serial ATA RAID. That looks like a decent spec on paper; however, we enthusiasts are a picky lot, and we demand more than just an “Extreme” moniker and checkbox features. Read on to see if the KA1 MVP delivers the performance, BIOS, layout, and extras needed to back up ECS’s intentions.

OCZ EL DDR PC3200 Gold GX XTC 2GB Kit Review
hardCOREware :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The name is certainly a mouthful – today we’re looking at OCZ’s latest PC3200 product. The GX (which stands for Gamer eXtreme) features lowest latency timings we’ve seen on a 2GB kit – 2-3-3-8. It also sports a nice new XTC heatspreader which we’ll put to the test.

The scope of this review is to find out how much benefit can be had by going with 2GB of memory on a PC, and whether it’s worth the increase in latency timings to do so.

Razer Mantis Speed/Control
Phoronix :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Summary: “The Razer Mantis Speed and Control mats are composed of Fibertek by Everglide, oversized to ensure the mouse real estate is not lacking, and a rubber base ensures a reliable grip on the smoothest surfaces. Will the Razer Mantis continue in the company’s legendary success with the eXactMat, Diamondback, and Boomslang products? Today on our desks, we have both the speed and control versions of the Razer Mantis, which claims to be a precision mousing surface. Today, however, we will find out for ourselves precisely as we pair it up with their infamous Coperhead.”

G.SKILL F1-3200PHU2-2GBNS PC3200
techPowerUp! :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
G.SKILL is well known in the community for making high-quality memory products which perform good and are not too expensive. The F1-32000PHU2-2GBNS 2GB DDR-400 kit is going for around $160 – one of the best prices for a 2 GB kit right now. For such a bargain price you would usually expect slow CL3 timings. However, G.SKILL specifies this memory as 2.5-3-3-6 at only 2.6V.

OCZ Gold series EL PC3200 GX XTC 2GB Kit review
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

“The GX XTC modules certainly appear different than any other RAM currently available and are easily identifiable by their heatspreaders. The new XTC heatspreaders from OCZ are supposed to enhance the cooling of the modules, but they certainly enhance the appearance as well. The heatspreaders glint like gold, which makes them look extremely glamorous. The heatspreaders are totally covered by holes forming a honeycomb design. This design allows for superior cooling performance and OCZ dubs it XTC (xtreme thermal convection).”

News Flash – Saitek A-200 Portable 2.1 Speaker System Review
Futurelooks :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Portable music is getting so much attention these days. Look at the iPod revolution or the MP3 invasion! Though most people are content to listen to their headphones, some of us don’t have the luxury of plugging in and losing it to the music. That’s why the A-200 is so special. It’s small, ultra portable, and from preliminary action, it sound pretty good.

Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro Review
Techgage :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Quote: Heat is your computers worst enemy, but luckily enough there are many cooling products to make use of. We are taking a look at a new CPU cooler which uses three heat pipes that can handle heat up to 200w! Let’s jump in and see how it compares to a few other S939 coolers on the market.

Double Damage – 2-in-1 Case Mod
Madshrimps :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Quote: “What’s better than one PC? Two of course! When Bernd decided to build a dual CPU system he took a rather unique approach. Rather than strapping 2 CPU’s to one motherboard or using one the latest Dual Core offerings from AMD/Intel he has been working on a case which can house 2 systems nicely, with good cooling and easy functionality through one keyboard/mouse and monitor.”

Budget System Building Guide
OCIA :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

“This XFX 6600GT card made the list for our video needs as it will suit a wide variety of end users. With a core clocked at 500 MHz and GDDR3 memory running at 1,000 MHz, gamers will find the card to be quite capable of running many of today’s latest games at medium quality settings or higher. Multitaskers will appreciate the dual DVI-out ports, allowing you to run dual monitors should you choose to do so. This card also comes SLI-ready. In the event that you upgrade your motherboard to an SLI-model down the road, you can add a second 6600GT and have a nice and powerful SLI system that won’t break the bank.”

Scythe KATANA Cu (SCKTN-CU1000) Heatsink @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Quote: Today, we are taking a look at a new release from Scythe, the Katana CU. The Katana CU is an upgraded version of the older Katana unit that was all aluminum. The new is all copper as the CU applies. We will see how much better, it any, it performs over the older model. And also see if it is easier to install.

Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
Overclockers Online :: Sunday, February 19, 2006
Quote: All in all, I am very pleased with the Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro. Unlike a few products out there, the Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro is a cooler that truly deserves its name. After all, how can a product have the words “Arctic” and “Freezer” in its name without living up to them?

AplusCase Xclio 2 Gamer Case Review
Technic3d :: Sunday, February 19, 2006

Quote: “With the Xclio2 presents AplusCase the newest Gamer Case with 250mm FAN!”

Mounting Socket 462 Coolers Onto Socket 939 Motherboards Guide Posted!
Tech ARP :: Sunday, February 19, 2006
Migrating from a Socket 462 system to a Socket 939 system does not necessarily mean that you need to throw away your Socket 462 cooler, especially if it’s a Thermalright SI-97 heatsink.

Let Max_87 show you how you can easily mount a Socket 462 cooler onto your Socket 939 motherboard. That will save you money and allow you to reuse your favourite Socket 462 cooler! ”

Black Motorola Razr V3 Review
Digital Grabber :: Sunday, February 19, 2006

At first glance, the phone appears like a small PDA. It is rather wide but not high (comparable with current clamshells by this feature). When you hold the phone you will immediately see and feel that it is very thin (less than 14 mm). When opened, the phone is even thinner, especially the top. The top edge of the phone is very sharp.

A.C.Ryan – Blackfire Fans / Fan Grills
GideonTech :: Sunday, February 19, 2006
“All of the fans are made from UV reactive Acrylic and have 4 UV LED to light up the fans. One of the features of these fans are that they can be used without having to power the UV LEDs. This configuration means that there are two power rails coming off the fans; one to power the fans and a small pig tail which connects to the LED rail to save you from having to use an additional molex.”

Berry Linux v0.67
Phoronix :: Sunday, February 19, 2006
Summary: “Berry Linux, the distribution based off of Fedora Core, has released version 0.67. Inside of this LiveCD is the Linux kernel 2.6.15.4, KDE v3.5.1, Kudzu v1.2.25, hwdata v0.174, and Firefox v1.5.0.1. The previous Fluxbox desktop environment has been replaced by a custom in-house window manager called Rasp-UI v0.01. In addition to providing all of the Linux and Fedora essentials, Berry v0.67 now includes WINE v0.9.2, GIMP, Inkspace, and Sylpheed.”

Cooler Master Centurion BTX-B541 Case Review #651:
3dgameman :: Sunday, February 19, 2006

“The Cooler Master Centurion BTX-B541 Case is one a few BTX cases that are currently on the market. While most of us do not have a BTX motherboard, this form factor is slowly catching on. It still is not common place though, and the future of the form factor is uncertain. If you are in the market for a sleek affordable BTX case, be sure to have a look at this one. The overall styling is excellent and it has a tool-less design…” ~3dGameMan.com

Western Digital Raptor X
t-break :: Sunday, February 19, 2006
Western Digital officially won the heart of the enthusiast with their Raptor drives- they were the first non-SCSI hard drives that could spin at 10,000RPM and thus, produce some speedy results. It started with their 36GB version which was followed by the 74GB version and today, WD doubles that storage again to 150GB. However, doubling the storage capacity isn’t the only thing new on the latest Raptor. WD has also doubled the cache buffer which is now up from 8MB to 16MB and adds NCQ (Native Command Queuing) support.

Planon RC800 Portable Color Scanner @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Sunday, February 19, 2006

Quote: “Technology, I love it, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be doing reviews now would I? Anyway, I’ve always found it very interesting to watch as technology changes, I’ve noticed one major constant about most technology, as it changes it gets smaller. Take scanners for instance, I have a few of them, an older one that is pretty big, you could use it for a computer case if need be, if I lined them up in order of age you would find that they get smaller as they get newer. Today for review I have the smallest scanner yet, it’s from Planon, and they actually made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Interested? Read on to check it out.”

HP Color LaserJet 2550L Laser Printer
Laptop Gamers :: Saturday, February 18, 2006

The HP Color LaserJet 2550L did offer superb print quality however. Even the smallest fonts in our test prints were quite readable and clear. The printer also did a fantastic job printing line-art. There was no visible banding what-so-ever and all the lines stayed distinct. Color prints were a bit dark when using plain paper, but the image was sharp. The image brightens right up when we switched to higher quality laser paper and sharpness increased another notch.

Evercool Silver Knight @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Saturday, February 18, 2006

Quote: “Liquid cooling is becoming more and more mainstream, but most liquid cooling solutions involve lots of parts and lots of time to assemble. Evercool may have the solution to this problem with an interesting looking product they call the Silver Knight. It is a CPU cooler heatpipe cooling solution with built in water cooling. The Silver Knight is something that might interest a lot of people, I’ve had it installed for a week now and I am VERY impressed with the results I am getting from it. I believe Evercool

Kingston HyperX KHX3200AK2/2G
Think Computers :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
check it out

Intel EIST SpeedStep
Phoronix :: Saturday, February 18, 2006

Summary: “Intel’s SpeedStep Technology has origins tracing back to the days of the Mobile Pentium 3 and Pentium 2 processors with Geyserville Technology. However, at that time, the 1GHz Pentium 3 model was the fastest and required 1.7V for operation, and its maximum power consumption was 34W! Since that time, many of the processor technologies have been phased out and have brought new features in the Pentium 4, Celeron M, Pentium M, and most recently the Core Duo series. However, over six years later SpeedStep Technology remains in their mobile platform as well as some Pentium 4 and Pentium D processors. At hand today are the results from our most recent (EIST) Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology investigation.”

OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Saturday, February 18, 2006

“New to the OCZ’s Gold Series GX series is the inclusion of XTC or Xtreme Thermal Convection heatspreaders. These gold layered heatspreaders include a honeycomb style pattern that is replicated from the left to right of each memory module. OCZ claims that this new style design optimizes thermal management by promoting greater airflow by means of micro-convection and at the same time provides optimal mechanical stability.”

Thermaltake Mozart HTPC Case
Big Bruin :: Saturday, February 18, 2006

Quote: The Thermaltake Mozart case offers a simple and sophisticated styling that will help your HTPC blend in nicely with your other audio/video components. The aluminum face includes the items you require for convenient operation, but the design does fairly well to disguise that this is a computer. Impressive styling, along with the low noise output, adequate cooling performance, and high quality construction are all things you should expect from a Thermaltake case… And the Mozart delivers.

Silverstone ST30NF 300W Silent PSU
ViperLair :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
“Initially I had some reservations of how a 300W PSU would handle our test system in real-world testing. Needless to say the Silverstone ST30NF 300W PSU got the job done efficiently and quietly, or should I say silently. It doesn’t come cheap, ringing in at close to $150, but that’s the price you pay for a high quality PSU that does not make any noise at all.”

A Guide to Coolbits
PC Mechanic :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
More and more, gamers, performance addicts, and adventurous computer enthusiasts are getting deeper and deeper into tweaking and overclocking their computers. To facilitate this process, and unlock a plethora of additional features related to the performance of your nVidia GeForce Video Card(s), Coolbits answers the call.

AMD AM2.. What We Know So Far
Techgage :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
Quote: There has not been that much info released about the AM2 yet, but there is enough to cover. Will this be a CPU that we should wait for before building another system? Let’s take a look at what we know so far and see.

Asus A8N32-SLI review
Neoseeker :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
“Features-wise, the board is packed with expansion and storage capabilities. To further distance it from run-of-the-mill nForce4 motherboards, ASUS even implemented a very creative single-heatpipe passive cooling solution — a most welcome addition for any silent-PC freaks.”

Mushkin 1GB HP3200
Techgage :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Quote: Just because the memory package says ‘value’ doesn’t mean it has bad performance! We are taking a look at the HP3200 1GB kit, which delivers DDR400 speeds and 2-3-3 timings.

How To Maximize Hard Drive Life
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
If I asked you the question: which part of your computer is the most fragile, what would you say? What if I asked: which part is most important to you? Often, the answer to both of these questions is your Hard Drive. We’ll show you how to maximize its life.

DFI NF4 Ultra Infinity Review
Hi-Techreviews :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

DFI alone has helped make the NF4 series motherboards one of the most popular motherboards currently on the market for overclocking enthusiasts. Today we have the chance to see just how fast their NF4 Ultra Infinity can clock out at. If I were asked to describe the NF4 Ultra Infinity in just a few words, I would have to say “it’s the NF4 LANParty board without all the nice toys.” So come on along as we put it through its paces and see just how it stacks up.

Microsoft Laser Mouse 6000
The Tech Lounge :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

“And we’re down to the last one. The final laser mouse I have for review is Microsoft’s Laser Mouse 6000. This is the little brother to their Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, yet the two look nothing alike. And, also unlike its big brother, the non-wireless model is directly targeted at the gaming market.

This lighter and svelter model takes on the look of a gaming device with a smooth graphite-like color scheme and no frills button layout. Come to think of it, perhaps this is more like a first cousin to the wireless version. The sculpted contours and ergo-friendly designs are less dramatic in the wireless model yielding a simple, and ambidextrous, mouse. The big question today is, how will Microsoft’s new “gaming” mouse compete with the likes of Logitech and Razer?”

ASUS W5F Intel Core Duo Notebook Review
CoolTechZone :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
“With the launch of Intel’s Core Duo at CES, we were intrigued by the promises it made. Initially, at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), the company changed focus from pure performance to performance-per-watt. We were not exactly sure if it was a serious strategy on Intel’s part or whether it was merely a face saving measure, though something told us that Intel was serious.”

Western Digital’s Raptor X hard drive
The Tech Report :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
ALTHOUGH WESTERN DIGITAL’S 10K-RPM Raptor Serial ATA hard drives were originally intended for enterprise-class workstations and servers, enthusiasts were quick to employ them in personal desktop systems and gaming rigs. Marketing types tend to freak out when enthusiasts show such blatant disregard for artificial product segmentation, but Western Digital took it in stride. In fact, the company has even cooked up something special for the enthusiast community with the latest Raptor refresh.

We’ve been waiting for that refresh for a couple of years now, and Western Digital finally tipped its hand in January when it announced the Raptor WD1500. The drive retains the Raptor’s 10K-RPM spindle speed and Serial ATA interface, but adds a beefier cache, larger total capacity, and support for Native Command Queuing. Just days later, Western Digital pulled back the curtains on the Raptor X, a version of the WD1500 with a window on the drive’s internals. That’s right: a hard drive window.

Windows OneCare Live Beta 2 Review
Windows A to Z :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
“Microsoft has released the beta 2 public release of its new security suite aimed at Windows XP SP2 users. The new Windows OneCare Live security program has been in beta for the past year or so and we’ve been beta testing the software for quite awhile now. Our full review below talks about the strengths and weaknesses of this highly-anticipated program and how it stacks up against competing security suites.”

Diskeeper 10 Professional Premier Review
Bjorn3D :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Fragmentation is a term used to describe data storage areas on the hard drive(s) where files are broken into bits and randomly placed on the drive as opposed to the more optimal contiguous data file. To simplify what happens to a hard drive, imagine this scenario: You remove a program from a previously non-fragmented drive leaving a vacant area. You then install a larger program. The nature of your computer is to first fill the smaller vacant spaces and then move to the larger areas when installing the program. Voila, fragmentation has just occurred!

Alpha PAL-8150 Athlon64 Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
“The dense forrest of black anodized aluminum cooling pins and swanky copper-embedded base are what makes the Alpha PAL-8150 a pretty attractive heatsink from the get-go. The Alpha PAL-8150 heatsink is built to cool recent single and dual core AMD Athlon64/FX/X2 & AMD Opteron processors, and so it’s compatible with all socket 939/940/754 CPUs. It should be noted given the imminent arrival of AMD’s Socket AM2 Athlon64 CPU, that this heatsink won’t necessarily be compatible with the four screw hole arrangement that socket is expected to introduce.”

Ensemble Studios Age of Empires III for the PC Review
Futurelooks :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
The third installment of Age of Empires by Ensemble Studios adds more dimension to the glut of strategy games on the market. The question is, is it worth it? We’ll tell you here!

Swiftech MCX159-CU
techPowerUp! :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Swiftech has always been known for their innovative cooling solutions. Today we will take a look at their 100% copper chipset cooler: the MCX159-CU. Its creative design allows for greater heat dissipation in even the tightest spaces, and on almost all motherboards. Not only does it cool well but the included 40mm fan is also remarkably quiet.

Sun Sells 1,000 Niagara Servers to Date
CoolTechZone :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
“We recently talked to Sun Microsystems in a bid to understand the general response to their Niagara based servers. We were told that the response was extremely positive. After requesting Sun to elaborate on the reaction, the company said it has shipped approximately 1,000 boxes fitted with the processor.”

ThermoHawk 200 Infrared Thermometer @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Quote: “Today I have for review something that every reviewer should have in their ‘kit’, but not just us reviewers, a lot of people can benefit from this tool. I saw these being debuted at CES and I just had to stop by and check them out, well we got to talking and they agreed to a review of one. It is the ThermoHawk infrared thermometer from Q3I. One of the things that intrigued me was the use of new patent-pending technology that is the base of the ThermoHawk. Is it any good? Let’s find out…”

Tagan EasyCon 580W Modular PSU Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Content: “Overall, the Tagan TG580-U15 is a decent power supply and it comes packed with feature. The power cables were completely sleeved and Tagan also took the extra initiative to shield the two PCI-E and HDD cables. The package was also decent and I really like the high quality power cord, Velcro and molex protection caps. Nevertheless, it all boils down to the performance which matters the most. We expected to see more from Tagan and their TG580-U15 isn’t delivering. Although the +12V rail was struggling to keep up with our overclocked system, we could run our system throughout the test without any hick ups or crashes. In fact, Tagan should deserve the credits as we experience zero system stabilities issues.”

AMD might introduce their 65nm CPU’s in 2007
Madshrimps :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Quote: “On the forum of Chinese website HKEPC you can find a series of slides with the Athlon 64 roadmap, on the map you can see that AMD plans to release their 65nm parts early next year. These processors have the codename “Brisbane” and are probably nothing more than a die-shrink of the Windsor. The Windsor will most likely be introduced in June 2006, this puppy will support DDR2 and needs it a new socket: AM2.”

“Seasonic Power Angel – Power Monitor Review”
Madshrimps :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Quote: “I am puzzled by the ever increasing processor power consumption in recent years. Both AMD and Intel are working quite hard lately to reduce power used by their products while new graphic cards are demanding for more. How much power does a home PC draw? Seasonic Power Angel may answer some of the questions”

GeIL Ultra Platinum PC4000 Dual Channel Memory Review #650:
3dgameman :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

“The GeIL Ultra Platinum PC4000 Dual Channel Memory’s performance at its default speed is blistering fast. This is possible because of the excellent 2.5-4-4-7 memory timing. While that’s commendable, I was able to use a timing of 2-4-4-6 at 500MHz DDR. This results in better performance, which is always good thing.” ~3dGameman.com

Globalsat BC-337 SiRF Star III GPS Receiver
Think Computers :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Quote: “Did you know that there are hundreds of satellites up there right now that are able to track your exact position? A lot of them are publicly accessible if you have the correct hardware to do it. Today I will be taking a look at a product that does just that, it can be used for determining you latitude and longitude and also speed. This can be useful for lots of things, the most obvious is not getting lost, the next would be for navigation, whether it be in your car or in the wilderness. For review today I have the BC-337 SiRF III GPS Receiver from GlobalSat, it is a tiny GPS receiver that utilizes any free compact flash slot on you PDA, laptop or even home computer.”

Diskeeper 10 Professional Premier
Techgage :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Quote: Diskeeper is back with their top notch Defragmentation software. The new version takes a lot of features that have helped make the software so great, and made them even better. You now will even have the capability of defragging computers on your network. Let’s take a look at the latest version and see if it’s worth your hard earned money.

ECS KA1 MVP
Overclockers Online :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Quote: With all of that said I think the ECS KA1 MVP is a very solid motherboard for a wide range of people. If you are in possession of a pair of ATI CrossFire ready video cards then you will surely want to have a peek at the KA1 MVP because it certainly performs and has rock solid stability with plenty of “umph” to give your system that extra little boost.

SilverStone Zeus ST56ZF and Strider ST56F Power Supplies
SystemCooling :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

snip: “Silverstone Technology currently manufactures 15 different switching mode power supplies in five different series (Element, Strider, Zeus, Nightjar, and Gemini) for personal computers. For this review we will take an in depth look at the Zeus ST56ZF and Strider ST56F power supplies, which are designed to deliver up to 560 watts of continuous power. The Zeus series contains industrial class components to meet the demands of workstation applications while the Strider series targets the larger enthusiast market and features high efficiency with minimal noise.”

Nexuiz v1.5
Phoronix :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Summary: “Nexuiz, one of the popular open-source first person shooter games available for Microsoft Windows as well as Linux on both x86 and x86_64 platforms, has released v1.5 today. Unlike some of the past releases, many of the features in this release are prominent from a new instant action mode to improved artificial intelligence and completely new menus! In addition, there is now smoother net-code, engine optimizations, redone sound effects, all new character skins, new game-modes, new maps, and new characters. For the open-source enthusiast, Nexuiz v1.5 is definitely worth checking out!”

Interview With Phil Hester, AMD’s Corporate VP and CTO
Hardware Secrets :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
“Phil Hester joined AMD in last September as AMD’s new CTO, replacing Fred Weber at this position. Hester worked 23 years at IBM at several positions (including CTO of the PC division and VP of the RS/6000 hardware development), leaving IBM to launch Newisys in 2000, a company dedicated to build servers based on the Opteron CPUs, later acquired by Sanmina-SCI in 2003. In this exclusive interview to Hardware Secrets, Hester talks about AMD’s plans, strategies, new CPUs and a little bit of his professional life and experience.”

Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU Cooler Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
“Installation of the Thermaltake Blue Orb II CPU Cooler is very straightforward, consisting of either replacing the AMD bracket with a back plate and 2 standoffs, or attaching a pair of brackets and standoffs to the Intel system. AMD motherboards must be removed from the case for installation, while Intel users get off easy. Be aware that if you have a socket A or 478 (P4) system, this heatsink has no method of securing itself to your system.”

Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 Preloading Now
Valve Software :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 is now available for pre-load and pre-purchase via Steam. Red Orchestra is a realistic WWII online action game that features one dozen scenarios, a wide arsenal, and drivable vehicles. Pre-loading is available with no obligation to purchase. Those who pre-purchase will save 10% off of the regular price of $24.95. For more details, please visit www.steampowered.com.

Avivo Winter Update article
Beyond3D :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Although ATI, over recent years, have adopted a monthly official driver release schedule, at the end of 2005 ATI released an extra set of drivers, Catalyst 5.13, specifically with updates for Avivo on the X1000 series of graphics boards. These drivers were specifically design to enable some more of the Avivo functionality, demonstrating ATI’s video transcoding capabilities, enabling hardware assisted H.264 decoding and, possibly the most important element, the promise of higher quality video playback.

PossibleSpam:Dell DJ Ditty 512MB MP3 Player
The Tech Lounge :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

“The Ditty is a budget-minded MP3 player that sports a monochrome screen, an FM receiver and also doubles as a USB flash memory device. It is roughly the same size as Dell’s USB flash drives and sports 512MB of storage, enough room for around 200 songs. It’s also comparable in size to Apple’s iPod Shuffle, measuring 3.6 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches, and it weighs just over an ounce. The Ditty comes in at around $99, and we aim to find out whether Dell has released a mighty giant in a little package or if it will drown in the crowd of wannabe iPod-killers.”

Seasonic Super Versatile 250W PSU Review
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Quote: “I sometimes repair computers for relatives. Most of them have pre build computers, such as Compaq, Packard Bell … When the PSU fails it’s very difficult to find one that fits those special designed cases. Seasonic has a solution for that. The Seasonic Super Versatile 250W PSU should fit in most of the cases. Let’s find out if it is a worthy replacement – we test performance and noise level.”

Inside Radeon X1900 Architecture
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“ATI has launched recently its new chip family, Radeon X1900, formerly known as R580. It is based on Radeon X1800 core, but brings a few new features that are worth mentioning. In this article we will explore the main differences between Radeon X1900 and Radeon X1800 families.”

Cooler Master Aquagate Mini R120 Liquid Cooler
ViperLair :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“The Cooler Master Aquagate Mini R120 is by far the easiest liquid cooling setup we’ve ever worked with. It’s not a click and run type of deal, but it’s no harder than most performance air coolers and much easier than even the Koolance EXOS to setup. Everything is done; fill and bleed, clamping tubes, kit assembly. All the user has to do is put it into their setup and that’s it.”

2.5″ Serial ATA hard drive round-up
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Serial ATA and NCQ are relatively new to the laptop world, and 7,200-RPM spindle speeds and high-capacity platters are still pretty cutting-edge for the 2.5″ mobile form factor. The question, of course, is how well the latest Serial ATA notebook drives have integrated these new features and capabilities. It’s also worth asking whether there’s really a big performance gap between 5,400- and 7,200-RPM notebook drives. To find the answers, we’ve assembled the latest 5,400- and 7,200-RPM Serial ATA notebook drives from Hitachi and Seagate and run them through the wringer. Read on for the surprising results.

The New HDMI Video Connector
Hardware Secrets :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a new kind of digital audio and video connector that promises to replace all connectors currently used by DVD players, TV sets and video monitors. The idea is to use a single cable instead of several cables when connecting your DVD player to your TV set, for example. This new connection standard was developed by Hitachi, Matsushita (Panasonic/National/Technics), Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, Thomson (RCA) and Toshiba.”

News: Intel’s Pentium M 760 versus AMD’s Turion 64 ML-44
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
ALTHOUGH INTEL HAS BEEN STRUGGLING on the desktop front of late, things on the mobile side have been going just fine, thank you. In fact, the Pentium M has been doing so well that Intel’s desktop line will eventually be migrating to a processor based on a similar architecture. Heck, even Apple joined in on the fun. Near the top of the heap is the Pentium M 760, which features a 533MHz front-side bus, an operating frequency of 2.0GHz and a whopping 2MB of L2 cache.

AMD’s answer to the Pentium M is the Turion 64, an Athlon 64-based design which rides in a 754-pin socket. The Turion 64’s attributes include an on-die memory controller, a 1GHz HyperTransport link, and of course the ability to run 64-bit code. The model we’ll be looking at today is the ML-44, a new chip with a 2.4GHz operating frequency and 1MB of L2 cache.

Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 Review
Neoseeker :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“The Crucial PC2-6400 got the second highest score here — it was only 4.2% slower than the Corsair PC2-8000, even though the PC2-8000 was running at a 25% faster memory clock rate. Please note how much faster the PC2-6400 is with the tweaked settings than running at SPD speeds – 167.4 FPS vs. 118.8 FPS, or a 41% increase in frame rates due to the better timings!”

A4Tech X-710 Gaming mouse @ HardwareZoom
Hardware Zoom :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Quote – This is a very good mouse for the price. We have no idea how they came out with such a mouse at such low price. Software-wise, it’s just so-so but its hardware is impressive. Not only the mouse movement is smooth, but we particularly like the fact that they had included nice touches like provided it with high quality OMRON buttons as well as flexible thin cables. Even the scroll wheel is nice. Very good feel to the fingers and when you scroll, you certainly feel solidness on that wheel. Contrary to our earlier thoughts, this is not a mouse with cheap plastic parts put together.

Cooler Master Hyper L3 Review on Technic3D
Technic3d :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Quote: “In the following Review we would like to present the newest Cooling from the house Cooler master. The Socket 775 Cooler with the name hyper L3”

An Approach to Safer Browsing
TechFEAR :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Summary: “The Internet is filled with security potholes in the guise of adware, spyware and viruses. What if we found an extreme way to bypass those potholes and make your Internet experience safe once again?”

Thermaltake Tide Water All-In-One Liquid VGA Cooler
OCIA :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

“On the opposite end is the radiator exhaust and PCI mount plate bracket. By having the exhaust on the end, the Tide Water exhausts all of the warm air from the radiator outside the case, helping to lower overall internal case temperatures. The Tide Water consumes 2 PCI slots, so don’t expect to save any space.”

X-Micro Bluetooth Stereo Media Phone Kit
Think Computers :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Quote: “Today I have another fine product from X-Micro, this one involves Bluetooth. Bluetooth is becoming more and more popular as a replacement for wireless connections. Seems like you can get most anything to work with a Bluetooth connection, cell phones, headsets, mice, I’ve even seen printers with Bluetooth. The one thing I found cool about this product is that it is more than a headset, it is a Bluetooth adapter as well, so if you don’t already have a Bluetooth adapter (like me) you can use the dongle supplied for your Bluetooth connections. X-Micro products are usually pretty cool and well made. Let’s check this one out…”

Data Recovery Guide – How Hard Drives Fail
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Hard drives are extremely fragile and can suffer failures in many different ways, leading to a loss of data. The five most common types of drive failures are: logical errors, mechanical failure, electronic failure, firmware corruption, and bad sectors, or any combination these. Least severe of these is usually data loss due to logical errors.

nForce4 SLI vs SLI X16 @ t-break
t-break :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
We initially started out by conducting tests at only 0X and 4X AA however we really didnt see any difference at all. We contacted nVidia about this and they suggested doing tests using 8X and 16X AA and thus we went back and benched all four games using that setting as well. Besides Quake4, we really do not see the X16 posting higher results in anything else. In fact, Serious Sam 2 and Call of Duty 2 consistently showed the older nForce4 SLI performaing better in most of the benchmarks.

Corsair TwinX 2048-4000PT Evaluation
Hi-Techreviews :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

The memory we are evaluating today is Corsair’s new TwinX 2048-4000PT, 2 GB of memory specially designed for those wanting the absolute fastest possible memory for use in their Intel based motherboard. The reason Corsair has gone to two-gigabyte modules is quite simple, with today’s games, graphics and CAD programs all demanding more memory, one gigabyte of memory was just not enough to do the job properly anymore Remember when Bill Gates said, “512 megabytes of memory would be the most memory anyone would ever need?” Even he was wrong on the subject of how much memory today’s system need.

Sansun Bat Case
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Quote: Looking at the offering from Sansun, the first thing that comes to mind is the Caped Crusader himself. Yes, this case is heavily themed using the Marvel comic book hero. Thus how it gets its name The Bat Case. So, as you can see this is not dull beige case.

Vizo Master Panel
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Quote: There are many times in a PC builder’s career when he or she needs to quickly connect a drive to a machine to retrieve some important data. There are a few different options to accomplish this. First, install the drive into an enclosure and connection it externally or to open up the PC and install it internally. Both can be a little time consuming, so that is where the Vizo Master Panel comes into action.

Plantronics Discovery 640 Bluetooth Headset
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“The Plantronics Discovery 640 is a great headset to use if you are looking for something very light and very small. Weighing a scant 9 grams – or about the weight of two nickels, this Bluetooth headset is very discreet. If you are comfortable using the Ear Gels then you will be happy with the audio and volume produced…”

Sansun Bat Mid Tower ATX Case Review @ Madshrimps
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Quote: “Sansun is a newcomer to the retail enclosure market; with years of experience in the distributor sector they put their experience to good use. Straight from the darkest pits of a dark cave comes their first offering, the Bat case. We draw the Joker from our pack of twisted product tests and find out if this case is up to the challenge.”

Vantec NexStar NST-370GX External USB HDD Enclosure
TweakTown :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
QUOTE: “Regardless of which category you may fall into, there has begun a demand for external storage that makes use of standard 3.5” hard disk drives. Vantec has answered the call for this market segment for quite a while and their enclosures have gone through several revisions. All of them have had a high level of quality and usefulness, so it isn’t much of a surprise that they have come up with some more improvements and brought out their next level of external device, the NexStar GX.”

FreeGeek.com Interview
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“Free Geek, a nonprofit company in Portland, Oregon takes unwanted computers and gizmos, rebuilds them and gives them away or breaks them down for proper recyclying.”

Grand Theft Auto Saga: Missing the Bigger Picture
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“Here’s another case that leaves me bewildered. Some bloke, who probably had nothing much to do besides play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and sit in an Olympian judgment over what a game can or cannot contain, thinks that kids playing this game would be grossly affected by the questionable material hidden inside. You know what, that makes about as much sense as Schwarzenegger in a skirt. Absolutely ridiculous.”

Sytrin Nextherm PSU460
Phoronix :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Summary: “When we reviewed the Sytrin Nextherm ICS-8200 air-conditioned ATX enclosure early last year, we were not only impressed by the superb chassis itself and cooling capabilities, but also the bundled power supply. In fact, the power supply unit included with the Nextherm ICS-8200 was likely one of the best we have ever seen bundled after years of seeing flakey PSUs bundled with all sorts of ATX cases. Today we have our eyes set on yet another Sytrin product, and today it is the Nextherm PSU460 460W.”

Interview with Johnny H. from NZXT
hardCOREware :: Monday, February 13, 2006
We recently got to sit down with Johnny H, who is the product manager and lead designer at NZXT. They were the ones who burst onto the scene with a wildly designed PC case that thousands of Chinese companies duplicated.

Now they are getting into less radical designs, but ones that can still turn heads. Find out what’s going on with NZXT, where they came from, where they are going, and what the heck NZXT means anyway.

MSI’s K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI motherboard
The Tech Report :: Monday, February 13, 2006
DESPITE THE FACT THAT NVIDIA launched its nForce4 SLI X16 chipset several months ago, motherboard manufacturers have been slow to adopt the new core logic. That’s understandable, since the X16 chipset really doesn’t offer much in the way of new features and performance. In fact, there are still only a few nForce4 SLI X16-based motherboards available on the market.

With much of the high-end motherboard market riding the original nForce4 SLI, MSI’s K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI looks right at home. MSI’s spin on the nForce4 SLI is unique, though. Rather than settling for the nForce4 SLI chipset’s pedestrian AC’97 audio implementation, MSI has endowed the K8N Neo4 with a high-definition audio chip from Creative. Can high-def audio help the K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI rise above the slew of nForce4 SLI boards out there? Read on to find out.

AeroCool Video Magic (VM-102) Fanless VGA Cooler
Hi-Techreviews :: Monday, February 13, 2006

Today more and more people are demanding that their computers operate with as little noise as possible. Those that have attempted to conduct business while the whine of a heatsink or video card fan fills the room with noise in the background have soon demanded something better. Today we are looking at one step you can take towards making your system silent as we examine the AeroCool Video Magic (VM-102) Fanless VGA Cooler. Come on along as we test it against another well known fan bases cooler to see just how well to stacks up against the competition.

Global Win YCC-S27 Mini desktop case
Madshrimps :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Quote: “With the introduction and growing popularity of Windows XP Media center edition, more and more people are putting computer in their living room. The HTPC (Home Theater PC) opened a new market for slick designed cases. Today we are testing the Global Win YCC-S27 Mini desktop case. Is it possible to bring fast desktop performance silently to your living room? Let’s take a look. ”

AC Ryan BlackFire Fans @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Monday, February 13, 2006

Quote: “If you know modding, chances are you know AC Ryan. They make a lot of cool modder related supplies, but it’s not all just for modders. Need a new fan for your system? You don’t want the plain old black fans, or maybe you just want something different, well AC Ryan has the answer in their BlackFire line of fans and modding equipment. AC Ryan kindly sent me samples of their 120MM, 80MM and 92MM fans for review. So today we get the chance to take a better look at them, and maybe show you a cool alternative to the existing fans available today.”

AOpen i945Ga-PHS
techPowerUp! :: Monday, February 13, 2006
AOpen is offering a wide range of products, many of them geared toward living room multimedia. The dual-core capable AOpen i945Ga-PHS is a motherboard designed to be used for building a Media PC. Its outstanding feature is integrated VGA with analog, TV and HDTV output without the need of any addon card. This gives you everything to build a very low profile Media PC.

Kingwin SK-523SW ATX Chassis Review
Virtual-Hideout :: Monday, February 13, 2006

Quote: “Overall, this case is one of the nicer cases I’ve had the opportunity to review to date. The aluminum door ties in with the silver paint on the main body of the case. The CCL is really bright and can light up the room when the door is opened.”

DFI Infinity NF4 Ultra
Phoronix :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Summary: “It has been quite a while since we last featured a DFI, or rather Design For Innovation, motherboard at Phoronix but today we are back again with them as we feature one of their products from the Infinity series — the DFI NF4 Ultra. As the model name implies, the Chipset used is NVIDIA’s nForce4 Ultra and it also features a Vitesse Gigabit interface, four DDR-400 slots, and the usual innovations we have become to appreciate from DFI thanks to their LAN Party series.”

How To Take Great Nighttime Digital Photos
Digital Grabber :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Night photographs express a special something that cannot be seen in normal daytime photography. Whether it is a photograph of a moon and starlit sky over a windy deserted beach, the excitement of a downtown cityscape when the lights go on, or just a picture of you and some friends in front of a favorite hangout, nighttime photos, when done right, are sure to attract attention. This guide will teach you how to take great night photos with your digital camera.

Sunbeam Solar Illuminated Keyboard Review
OCIA :: Monday, February 13, 2006

“As mentioned earlier, the outer area of the keyboard is constructed of aluminum (or so it seems). If you look at the area around the keypad, you’ll notice that above and below it is plastic, surrounded by a thin layer of aluminum. It seems that the entire keyboard is made out of plastic with a thin overlay aluminum skin on the surface. This overlay is very well done and I had to look several times to see that it wasn’t completely made out of aluminum.”

Athlon FX-60 review
Driver Heaven :: Monday, February 13, 2006
“Rather than rushing a “launch” review we have been using this CPU for a month now under a vast array of heavy duty tasks ranging from online fragging to video encoding, so we will be giving you the verdict on whether this rather expensive CPU is worth the money…

The FX-60 is a 90nm part based on AMD’s Toledo core. AMD pack over 233million transistors into the FX60 at 90nm and end up with a die size just over 199mm2. The chip comes clocked at 2.6ghz and features 2 cores (like the X2 range of CPU’s). Cache levels are set to 64kb of both L1 data and L1 code and L2 cache is 1mb (per core). The chip supports all the usual technologies such as SSE3 and x86-64 and has a reasonably low operating voltage of 1.3-1.35v. We say low because the same Toledo core was used on the X2 4800+ and on that chip the voltage requirement is 1.35-1.4v for a slower 2.4ghz clock.”

Ultra Products 2nd Generation X-Finity 600W PSU
Big Bruin :: Monday, February 13, 2006

Quote: Compared to the previous generation 600W X-Finity PSU, the second is a nice improvement. I have been taxing the first generation unit with all of the daily tasks I perform on my main PC since that review was published. The voltage rails are still rock solid, and I expect the same (or better) from the second generation unit with its improved specifications and addition of a second 12V rail.

Be-Quiet P6-470 Darkpower review
Driver Heaven :: Monday, February 13, 2006
“Many people want or need a completely silent PC for their home or work. Unfortunately, as computers become faster, their power requirements and heat dissipation also grows higher. Both of these problems affect the power supply units, which have to provide more power while remaining quiet and cool. Cheap power supply units have to use powerful fans for cooling, which makes them rather loud for using in HTPC systems or other systems which need to be quiet. Thus many companies strive to design more powerful and efficient power supply units, which not only are able to provide great amounts of power but also to dissipate less heat and require less cooling. Be-Quiet is a rather new German company, subsidiary of Listan, which focuses on creating computer related products, like coolers and power supply units, made to reduce the noise output of your PC without compromising quality and/or performance. Today we have the latest version of their power supply unit line, the P6 DarkPower PSU.”

Act-On MicMouse & Optical Mouse Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Monday, February 13, 2006

Content: “It is of my opinion that the ADM 0520 MicMouse is a pretty comfortable mouse for one with big hands to use. It’s perfect for those who want to have a decent mic (just don’t click while using it!) for social chatting. However, for those who are gaming and using voice chat, I’ll say stay away unless of course, they have a way to completely isolate the clicking sound. Those who own a notebook and already have a touchpad may find this a worthwhile buy because if you need to do some work while chatting you can still resort to your touchpad. Perhaps Act-On Inc can work on the idea a bit more and make some refinements (isolate the clicks!!) to make this a totally practical product to buy.”

Laptop Gamers & LAN Parties Go Hand In Hand
Laptop Gamers :: Monday, February 13, 2006

With today’s high power mobile processors and video cards, laptops are every bit as powerful as their bigger desktop brothers. The appeal of a gaming laptop, especially as it pertains to LAN parties, is overwhelming. With a gaming laptop, you can arrive at the LAN while everyone is half done setting up and be all set up before they’re done. When the party is over, just put everything back into the laptop bag and you’ll be the first out the door, while everyone else is making trips to the car.

With LAN partying in mind, I’ve decided to show you what I pack inside my laptop bag when heading to a LAN party. One thing for sure, this definitely beats lunging around a desktop!

G.Skill F1-4000USU2 2GB kit
Technic3d :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Quote: “G.Skill offers a clock-joyful memory, which is to place also Overclocker contently”

Thinking About Discount Laptop Computers
Laptop Lifestyle :: Friday, February 10, 2006
While laptop computer prices have come down quite a lot, laptops still range from inexpensive laptop models to high end luxury jobs. Naturally, the laptop you eventually choose to buy will depend on your resources and requirements, but if you are on a budget like so many of us are, you should give some thought to picking up a discount laptop computer.

SmarThumb 256MB USB Drive @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Quote: “There are many companies out there making USB drives, while I was at the CES show, I came across the booth for SmarThumb. Curious as to what it was exactly, I started asking questions and ended up spending about 30 minutes talking with the reps from the company. The parent company is called Intranet Research, based in Malaysia, and they believe they have come up with a ‘better’, more useful, USB drive. After chatting for a while with them and exchanging info they gave me one of their SmarThumb USB drives to take home and review. The package states: “The World’s 1st Productivity Suite on a Portable Flash Drive”. So let’s check it out and compare to some others on the market.”

ThermalTake ToughPower 550W PSU
DV Hardware :: Friday, February 10, 2006

“DV Hardware today took a look at the ToughPower 550 Watt power supply from ThermalTake. This NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFire ready PSU features independent voltage circuits and promises a voltage regulation of less than 3 percent. The PSU has a black cover and features a large 120mm fan to provide quiet cooling. Read on to see how this PSU performs on an overclocked AMD Opteron 148 based rig running at 3GHz.”

NZXT Lexa @ Techgage
Techgage :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Quote: If you have never heard of NZXT, you don’t know what great cases you are missing! We are taking a look at their Lexa case, which combines “Perfect Symmetry” with class and functionality. Let’s check it out and see if we have a winner on our hands.

Foxconn WinFast 6100K8MB-RS Motherboard Review
Hardware Secrets :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“Foxconn, a traditional OEM manufacturer, is now in the retail market with its own motherboard line, using its own brand. For AMD platform, it is using WinFast brand, which was licensed from Leadtek. Foxconn WinFast 6100K8MB-RS is a socket 754 motherboard based on the latest nVidia chipset with integrated graphics (a.k.a. on-board video): GeForce 6100. We were very curious to measure GeForce 6100 performance and compare it to commercial entry-level video cards, like GeForce 6200. That’s what we’ve done in this review, and also compared its performance to other chipsets with on-board graphics: VIA K8M800 and SiS 760 GX.”

Scythe Samurai Z
techPowerUp! :: Friday, February 10, 2006
Japanese heatsink manufacturer Scythe has engineered a nice heatsink with the Samurai Z. It includes mounting accessories for Socket 478, 775, 754, 939 and 940. On all these platforms installation is very easy and can be performed without any tools. While the cooler can not offer the cooling performance of behemoth coolers, it can keep up well with the heat load of our test setup. In addition to that it is remarkably quiet.

Danger Den Maze 4 Acetal Top GPU block
Geek Extreme :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“With my recent purchase of a X800XT AIW from the trusty Newegg, I decided to take advantage of my newly constructed watercooling setup by investing in a Danger Den Maze 4 GPU waterblock and ramsinks. I ordered the waterblock from Danger Den’s website and some generic copper ramsinks. This review will be more of an observations and experiences of the utility and use of watercooling your GPU than that of a waterblock comparison.”

World-exclusive: Thermaltake Eureka
techPowerUp! :: Friday, February 10, 2006
Thermaltake is making a variety of products for computer enthusiasts: cases, coolers, power supplies, water cooling and other accessories. The Thermaltake Eureka is their latest full-tower case. It has a solid front door and is made from all aluminum with a brushed metal look. Sliding drive rails and tool free drive cages make installation easy. A removable motherboard tray completes the feature set of this high-end case.

RaidSonic ICY BOX IB-281U USB 2.0 Series Review @ MVKTech
MVK Tech :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“External hard drives are becoming more and more popular, the need to transfer large amounts of data between locations and PC’s is more common than ever, and all of us know that we should backup important data, but so few of us do. RaidSonic has been very active on this market and has solutions in every shape and format. On of these exciting products is the ICY BOX IB-281U USB 2.0 external 2.5″ drive enclosure, which is part of a growing family of external storage solutions.”

EPoX 8NPA SLI Motherboard – Boosting the forgotten Socket
TweakTown :: Friday, February 10, 2006
QUOTE: “Socket 754 has now made a comeback for AMD in the form of the budget line of Sempron processors. Sempron on the K8 architecture features the on-chip single channel memory controller supporting DDR-400 and beyond in the latest revision cores, SSE2 and now x86-64 and SSE3 in the latest Sempron CPU’s nicknamed the Sempron64. Until now, motherboards for the Socket 754 have been very budget orientated with little features or ability to boost the overall system performance – that is until EPoX got its claws into the high-speed budget market.”

Modware Radiance Illuminated Pro Gaming Keyboard Review
Virtual-Hideout :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Quote: “The illumination is the real selling point here and in that the Radiance really excels. Once this thing is lit up, it no longer resembles an under $20 keyboard and the look on your buddies faces during a nighttime gaming session will be priceless (especially if they can’t see their own keyboard…muwahahah)”

IPEVO Free-1 USB Phone Review
Everything USB :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“At 6″ x 1.5″ x 1.5″, the Free-1 is narrower than a cell phone and as tall as the majority of opened flip-phones, giving a tall and slender profile that has a very modern look to it. The front of the phone is rather simplistic, lacking an LCD or any flashy lights other than a small status LED under the earpiece. The color coded buttons and jog switch are well placed with adequate spacing, and the different groups have unique feels for dialing in the dark. Pressing one results in a tactile click, and optionally a small tone for additional feedback. Volume and mute buttons are placed on the side of the phone.”

Cooler Master Praetorian 730 Case
ViperLair :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“If your PC enclosure says something about you, then with the Cooler Master Praetorian 730 you are bursting with confidence, have class while not overly flaunting it and you will not settle for anything not made properly for its task. The design is crisp and entertaining, but that doesn’t stop at the surface, dig deeper and you find a case that is not only built well, but exudes style and functionality at nearly every corner.”

Pentoo Mini LiveCD v2006.0
Phoronix :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Summary: “Pentoo, a Network Security Consortium distribution based off of Gentoo, has released their Mini-Pentoo v2006.0 build. This distribution does include such packages as GAIM and Firefox, however, its key purpose is to provide elite applications and tools to perform penetration testing. Not only is this a great LiveCD security distribution, but it comes without many of the hassles beginning Linux users have faced when attempting to run Gentoo, and of course Emerge is included. Pentoo utilizes the Linux 2.6.14 kernel and Enlightenment environment. Some of the tools include changing a Windows NT password from a hard drive, changing or resetting CMOS passwords, John The Ripper, and Ethereal Network Sniffer.”

Seasonic S-12 430w Silent PSU
HTPCnews :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“We here at HTPCnews.com have never had a problem recommending Seasonic due their great performance in reviews done by our peers and case histories from our forum members. My goal in this review is to confirm what we have been saying all along with hard numbers. Passing the geek muster

AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 Review
The Tech Zone :: Friday, February 10, 2006
It is our opinion that the FX-60 is the fastest consumer processor on the planet. With processing power this high it’ll be fun to see how Intel will compete. The AMD 4800+ already comes out ahead in most benchmarks against the Intel Pentium D 840 EE, so the FX-60 is the last nail in the coffin for those users still wondering which processor to get for ultra performance. The boys in space suits should stop dancing and start putting out a better product or soon it won’t really be seen as a competition.

CoolerMaster NotePal Laptop Cooler Review
Laptop Lifestyle :: Friday, February 10, 2006
It is ironic that laptops these days are not recommended for use on a lap; those who try may certainly get a burn or an “unpleasant feeling”. CoolerMaster promises to solve that problem with the NotePal and also help with another thing or two. Come and see what we found!

Building your HTPC- Part 1
t-break :: Friday, February 10, 2006
In fact, for non-gamers we would recommend an Intel CPU + chipset combo. While we havent had a chance to look at any VIIV platform from Intel yet, we’re guessing that it would be an ideal choice for an HTPC. CPU-wise, the 820D which is a dual core CPU, seems like a good buy, however, Intel is also planning on releasing an 805D CPU which is a 533MHz FSB/2.66GHz dual core CPU priced around US$160. These CPUs should handle the multimedia capabilities of your system just fine

Porn: The Savior of Blu-Ray Standard @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“The media format wars are getting into full swing. This much is clear with all vendors flaunting their products at CES. The fight is far from over. In fact, it has just begun. The movie studios are playing it safe and are backing both formats. Obviously, they dont want to risk angering one standard over another due to obvious reasons, but does the porn industry care about standards?”

Intel Yonah hidden features exposed
Hexus :: Friday, February 10, 2006
Word reaches the Deeplung ear that Intel’s Yonah processor, which ships under the Intel Core Duo moniker, has features that aren’t being exposed to the consumer. Intel’s Sossaman is the key, and Sossaman is the codename for an ultra low voltage Yonah to be shipped under the Xeon brand, into the server and workstation space.

Building A Custom Gaming Laptop
Laptop Gamers :: Friday, February 10, 2006
Gone are the days when you would have been laughed at if you walked into an all-night LAN party carrying your trusty laptop and expecting to hang with the giant computer towers standing at everyone’s feet. The gaming laptop computers of today sport huge, crisp LCD screens, cutting-edge video cards and full-size keyboards. Not only can these gaming laptop computers hang with the standard clunky computer tower, but they can also be ordered fully custom to meet the exact specifications of any gamer.

Terratec Mystify Claw Review
3dXtreme :: Friday, February 10, 2006
Today 3DXtreme has the pleasure of reviewing a gaming device for the hardcore in the Mystify Claw. Everyone is trying to make the gaming experience easier and more ergonomic and that’s where the Mystify Claw comes in. But do these devices really make the gaming experience better or is the learning curve of getting used to something new not worth the hassle? Let’s have a look…

Silverstone’s Lascala 17, LC17B HTPC Case
Case Mod God :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Summary: This is a mid level HTPC case from Silverstone Technology who have been building cases since 1998. All of their HTPC (Home Theater Personal Computer) cases come in a choice of Black or Silver. Silverstone gladly sent a Black Lascala 17 for CaseModGod to review.

Thermaltake Silent PurePower 600W Power Supply Review #647:
3dgameman :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“The Thermaltake Silent PurePower 600W Power Supply has lots of good things going for it. First and foremost, it has efficient power and lots of it. 600 watts is more than enough for most systems on the market. It’s even enough for server and robust gaming applications. It also has dual PCI Express Video Cards leads for SLI/Cross-Fire setups. This is something hardcore gamers will definitely appreciate. It’s even dual-core CPU ready. All this and it’s quiet too.” ~3dGameMan.com

ADS Tech Mini Drive Kit Review
The Tech Zone :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Designed with the same sleek look and feel of the Mac mini, the stackable ADS Tech’s Mini Drive Kit also offers the same small form factor as the Mac mini – it is just 6.5 inches square and 2 inches high. When plugged into the USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 port of a computer, the Mini Drive Kit is instantly recognized, there’s no need to configure the drive or reboot the system.

StarTech.com SV221MICROUA KVM
Overclockers Online :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Quote: In short, the StarTech.com SV211MICROUA is pretty impressive with the features it offers over the 4 port big brother, the SV411KA, but the lag in mouse and keyboard switching really detracts from the overall appeal. The most important aspect of the SV211MICROUA is the software that it comes with. When I first saw that there was a CD I almost cringed. I initially figured that if the unit allows for switching without the software that I would probably not use it for anything other than testing. Boy was I wrong.

Gigabyte GA-K8N51PVMT-9 nForce 430 Motherboard Review @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Integrated graphics have had a bad reputation for years, offering performance bad enough to be called “graphics decelerators” by many. Choked by relatively slow system memory and comparatively simple circuitry, integrated graphics have historically been a poor substitute for add-in cards. NVIDIA hopes to reverse this trend with its new GeForce 6150 integrated graphics processor.

ECS KN1 SLI Extreme Motherboard
The Tech Lounge :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

“ECS’ newest mainstream venture is their ‘Extreme’ line of motherboards that sport all the features you would expect from a top-of-the-line gaming system. The board I will be covering today is the KN1 SLI Extreme and, as the name would suggest, it is a SLI capable board with the nForce 4 Ultra SLI chipset and a few unique features not found on other boards. But is it EXTREME?”

Western Digital Caviar SE16 SATA HDD – WD4000KD
Computing On Demand :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
snip: It seems as though Hard Drive manufacturers will never rest until they absolutely drive me insane. A few weeks ago, I was able to review a hard drive by a company named Western Digital that sported 250 gigs of space and a speedy interface. Recently, they decided to tease my with a new drive that slams 400 gigs of space in your face and a tad bit slower interface. Rhyming unintentional. Enter the WD4000KD, a SATA drive with a whopping 400 gigs of space and a 16 MB cache at a not so whopping price of $234.99 (WD’s website price – Bare Drive); that’s only .59 cents per gig.

New Review at Laptop Gamers – Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 Review
Laptop Gamers :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

The best feature of the Premium USB Headset 350 is the simplicity of the system. No software is required for installation. Just plug the unit into any USB port and Windows will do the rest. In a world where Plug & Play often means Plug & Pray, the Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 truly is a plug & play product.

The Future Of Storage @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Like many, we fondly remember our first 5.25-inch 5MB metal oxide hard drive that seemed lightning fast despite the noisy motor. You could never imagine filling all of the space…in years. Boy, how things has changed!

OCZ Rally 512MB USB Drive
Think Computers :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

Quote: “When you are choosing components for your PC speed is always a factor, whether it’s a hard drive or video card. When choosing a flash drive it’s no different. You want something that is fast, especially if you are using it to transport large files. Today we have a flash drive that is very fast and leaves competitors in the dust thanks to the implementation of Dual Channel technology. What drive am I talking about? The OCZ Rally drive of course! Today we will be looking at the 512 MB version.”

AMD Cool n Quiet @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Summary: “Introduced way back with the launch of Advanced Micro Devices Athlon 64 processors was Cool ‘n’ Quiet Technology, as the successor to PowerNow! Today at Phoronix we are looking at the performance of AMD’s Cool ‘n’ Quiet under Linux when it comes to the CPU temperature, power consumption, and overall desktop performance and usage.”

Thermaltake Toughpower 550W PSU
Techniz.co.uk :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

“The Thermaltake Toughpower 550W PSU is a totally silent and powerful PSU. With the dual 12V rails of power at 38A of output, it will support many peripheral devices without any problems. Furthermore, this PSU is equip with silent 120mm cooling fan, it will be even better if the 120mm fan is a LED fan. The operation noise level was very silent as well. This PSU is ready with the SLI, Cross-Fire, and Dual Core CPU support….”

Retail 955XE fixes thermal issues at a price
The Tech Report :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
You may recall that we had some problems with our Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 setup that caused us to delay our review a bit. The motherboard, CPU, and cooler combo we received from Intel for review didn’t always cool the CPU sufficiently under load, leading to thermal throttling. We’ve now tested a production Intel CPU/motherboard/cooler combo, and we have some good news and some bad news…

XSR Interview
Pro-Clockers :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“Hi Peter, thank you for agreeing to do this interview with us. Since my last interview with you back in November there has been some quite big changes, mainly Abit’s Merger with USI. This move was quite a surprise for many of us, what was the main reason for the merger?”

Alienware MJ-12 Series Workstation review @ DH
Driver Heaven :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“Whilst Alienware are great at producing high performance systems for the gaming and home markets as well as mobile parts these don’t meet the needs of everyone and that’s where today’s product comes in. The Alienware MJ-12 is a workstation system designed for tasks such as 3D modelling, Photoshop and even video editing. Think of the most demanding tasks you would throw at any designer or developer and you pretty much have the work Alienware have build this system to handle.”

PCChips M861G v1.6a Motherboard Review
Hardware Secrets :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“M861G from PCChips is an entry-level socket 754 motherboard with on-board video based on VIA K8M800 chipset, clearly targeted to entry-level PCs based on the socket 754 Sempron and Athlon 64 CPUs. In this review we will compare its performance with other socket 754 motherboards with on-board video based on competing chipsets, namely SIS 760GX and GeForce 6100.”

Gigabyte GV-NX73G128D GeForce 7300 GS Graphics Card Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

Quote – “While the focus is always on the sexy, high-end cards, the reality is that most cards being sold today are lower-end cards. Today, we will take a look at the latest entry-level card from Gigabyte – the Gigabyte GV-NX73G128D.

Based on the new NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS GPU, this card will be simple and affordable. But just how fast is it? Will you be able to play 3D games even using this entry-level card? Read on and find out! ”

Aerocool ExtremEngine 3T
Pro-Clockers :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Quote: Aerocool is one of those companies that are taking the enthusiast market by storm. Their coolers have being a big hit over the last three years or so. I remember using their HT-101 in many system buildups I have done. But now their cases are making a big splash just like their heatsinks. Boasting a 25mm side panel fan and also a 14cm front facial fan, the Aerocool ExtremEngine 3T is extreme.

Sansun BAT Case Review
AMDGamer.com :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Quote: “I enjoyed looking at Sansun’s most popular case and was very pleased with the build quality and layout. The exterior is very well designed and feels sturdy. The front door is solid unlike many other cases I’ve seen in this category. Personaly, I think this case is eye catching and will definately be noticed by your friends. In my opinion, its “BAT” design geares it more towards the entry level to average gamers and not the hard core enthusiast. It comes completely pre-modded as a “BAT” case in a very modern fashion.”

TransTFT Mod
MetkuMods :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“I bought an old 15″ TFT display from my friend because the display of my laptop didn’t offer me enough workspace. This monitor just happened to be too ugly to be tolerated for long. I never had the guts to modify my laptop, so this new screen of mine offered a great opportunity to refresh my building skills.”

NZXT Lexa Full ATX Case
hardCOREware :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
NZXT releases only a couple products each year, so when they do announce a product, it’s usually worthy of attention. This time it’s the “Lexa”, a full ATX tower case that looks unlike any other case we’ve reviewed.

NZXT is somewhat known for caring more about form than function, and the Lexa is no different. In fact, this case has more extraneous plastic parts than we’ve seen in quite some time! But there are some interesting aspects of this case that makes it worth checking out… So does it perform well?

T-Mobile SDA Mobile Phone
Designtechnica :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“T-Mobile will soon be releasing their SDA Smartphone to the public in February. Priced at $299.99 with activation, it’s aimed to be a decent entry-level phone for those looking to try the Windows Mobile platform out. Unfortunately, the phone has a few flaws that make it more trouble than it’s worth. A limited camera, horribly placed memory card slot and a bad UI make the SDA suffer. Join us as we take a ride through what the SDA has to offer and whether it’s good enough to meet your standards of phonology. ”

Patriot Memory Extreme Performance (EP Plus) 2GB 133X SD card
Techniz.co.uk :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

“Overall, Patriot Extreme Performance (EP Plus) 2GB SD card is the fastest and huge capacity SD card that I ever owned. The EP Plus SD card can be used with mobile phones, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras and other devices. With the high speed transfer rate up to 133X, you can save a lot of time for it during the read and write activity……”

Aperture Vs. Shutter Speed @ Digital Grabber
Digital Grabber :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Shutter speed and aperture values are at a constant tug-of-war concerning light. Suppose someone was a handed a camera and was told that its aperture and shutter settings were set to ensure proper exposure using a shutter speed of 1/60th and an aperture of F/8. However, suppose that they wanted a faster shutter speed to capture a moving object, so they set the shutter speed to 1/250 and took a picture, they would get an underexposed photo because they didn’t allow the film to be exposed for the 1/60th of a second it needed. Therefore, they would need to change the aperture to allow more light in, perhaps by changing it to F/1.8, or whatever the maximum aperture of the lens is. It is always good once you have changed your settings to check them with a light meter and see if you are giving enough light for proper exposures.

Spire SP-600W Rocketeer VI SLI Series Power Supply Review #648:
3dgameman :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

“The Spire SP-600W Rocketeer VI SLI Series Power Supply has many of the features most people like to see. First of all, there lots of juice to power most current computer systems. Second, the modular design is great and it comes with plenty of the shielded leads. Third, it also has dual PCI-E Video Cards leads which is excellent for an SLI gaming setup…” ~3dGameMan.com

Targus Liz Tote Deluxe Laptop Bag for the Modern Woman Review
Laptop Lifestyle :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Are you tired of lugging around bulky ugly laptop bags that lack the style that you deserve? With the new line of Targus ladies laptop cases you can actually get your laptop bag to work for you as a fashion accessory.

Titan Eagle VGA Cooler
Techgage :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

Quote: Looking for a better way to keep your GPU cool via air cooling? Titan may have the answer with their new Eagle cooler. We have seen this design before, but do they do it better?

FujiFilm FinePix S9000
Bytesector :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“Today, we’ll be looking at Fuji’s top-of-the-line pro-sumer digital camera, the Finepix S9000. This camera is placed above the standards of typical point-and-shoot cameras and just a touch below SLR cameras. Its SLR-like design is supposed to make it a great choice for photographers just starting off, thanks to the price, features list and ease of use. With a price tag of $900 CAD, it makes one wonder whether or not it is even worth it to get one of these when digital SLR cameras are rapidly dropping in price and can be had for little more than the cost of the S9000. Read on to find out about Fuji’s offering and whether or not this is the camera for you.”

Do Memory Module Heat Spreaders Make A Difference
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“As expected, all heat spreader types provided an improvement of a few MHz over the same module with no heat spreader applied. Within the heat spreader results, the XMS PRO provided a small performance gain over the XMS and Mesh heat spreaders. This is the result that we expected to see; the additional surface area provided by the larger heat spreader would naturally be expected to dissipate a nominal amount of additional heat….”

Walton Chaintech Announced the Newest GeForce 7 Series Graphics Cards –CHAINTECH
Techniz.co.uk :: Monday, February 06, 2006

“Taipei, Taiwan (January 19, 2005) – Walton Chaintech Corporation, a world famous, professional Graphics Cards manufacturer today announced its newest GeForce 7 Series Graphics Cards, SE73GS-G2, which utilize the nVIDIA GeForce 7300GS graphics processing unit. Designed to adopt the main frame of G70, the 7300GS is worthy to be called as G70 of mainstream graphics cards and deserves the name of hot property in today’s market….”

OCZ Gold 1GB PC2-5400
Techgage :: Monday, February 06, 2006

Quote: If you are in the market for a 1GB DDR2 kit, then this kit proves to be a great choice. Despite being value memory, it overclocks quite well with the ability to keep stock timings.

Zalman VF700-Cu LED VGA Cooler @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Monday, February 06, 2006

Quote: “Zalman, the name is synonymous with high quality, cool looking cooling products, not to mention the other products like power supplies. Zalman is most known for its ‘Flower’ style of CPU coolers; they look cool and perform very well. Today I have for review a VGA cooler from Zalman, the VF700-Cu LED model. We know that Zalman products perform well, but will the VF700-Cu be able to cool the latest NVidia card, the 7800GTX? Let’s find out…”

Vizo Mirror Box
Pro-Clockers :: Monday, February 06, 2006
Quote: Digital cameras, cell phones, voice recorder, mp3 players and PDAs, chances are you own one of the items just listed. And chances are they take some form of digital media, rather it is secure digital, Sony memory stick or whatever. Even if your device has the ability to hook up to your computer, it would save the lifespan of your device by plugging in that memory into some type of reader. And when you have a reader like this, not only does it have to work well, but look good also. And the Vizo Mirror Box does just that.

Titan Serina notebook coolers
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
“The Serina series consists of 2 notebook cooling pads. Both may look virtually identical, but they are not, although their cooling properties are. The G2TB/D is a simple cooling pad, meant only to keep your notebook cool, where the G2TB/A is more like a complete docking station, with an integrated All-In-1 card reader and USB hub. Let us have a look on their specifications and features.”

News: Whisky PC mod @ MetkuMods
MetkuMods :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

“I already had a powerful computer setup so I wanted something more quiet, small and low power consumptioning to function as a basic home server. I love to tinker with hardware etc. so I wanted to make something quite unique for a case.”

X-Micro WLAN 11g Combo Finder Adapter
Think Computers :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

Quote: “Hey, another cool product from X-Micro, and I really mean it, this is a cool little device. When I first heard I was getting it for review, I didn’t pay attention and I thought it was just a WiFi finder, but it is actually a WiFi 802.11g USB adapter as well. My router died recently, and I had to get a new one, so I opted to get one with 802.11g built in so I could use my laptop without hooking an Ethernet cable to it. My other computers I use for reviews etc all need to have Ethernet cables run to them to be on my network, but now I can just plug the X-Micro into any computer and instant wireless access is mine!”

CES Freebies: USB Drive Round Up @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

Quote: “Hey look more stuff about CES! Yeah, by now you might be sick of hearing about CES, but I thought this would make a cool little article for everyone to check out. At CES the bigger companies give out their press kits on USB drives, and even on memory cards (got two of those!), and they also just give away USB drives to people who stop by to see them. In total I received 8 USB drives at CES, along with the 2 memory cards, one of the memory cards was a microSD from Sandisk with the adapter, it had their press kit and an album from The Rolling Stones on it, the other was a standard SD memory card from Simpletech. Simpletech also provided a mini USB card reader along with the SD Card. I know I could have gotten more USB drives if I would have visited every single booth there. I guess it is something to strive for next year, to see just how many USB drives I can get! With all these USB drives I got from CES and the ones I got over time for review I have a total of 11 now…

Act-On ADM 0520 MicMouse Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

“The Act-On ADM 0520 MicMouse is your standard 800dpi optical USB mouse. It is extremely lightweight and comfortable to use. Pointing is precise and this mouse can easily take over as your primary pointing device. What makes the MicMouse unique is its onboard omni directional microphone. The microphone is positioned on the top of the mouse just back of the scroll wheel.”

How To Troubleshoot Wireless Networking Problems @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
If you’re like me, you’ve come to take wireless pretty much for granted. Everywhere I go, I expect to be able to connect to the internet to check my email, chat with my friends or get some work done. It seem no matter where I am, I can open my notebook and find a wireless network to plug into. However, there are times when I’m logged into a wireless network and suddenly lose the connection or the speed suddenly drops to an unbearable level. I’m sure you have experience this as well.

Upcoming nVidia chipsets
t-break :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
We have some info on the upcoming nVidia chipsets for the AMD’s DDR2 based CPUs:

ABIT AT8 Review
techPowerUp! :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
ABIT is one of the most popular motherboard manufacturers for enthusiasts and gamers. Their products are full of innovations like UGuru or SilentOTES. The AT8 is the latest Crossfire capable board from ABIT and uses ATI’s RD480 chipset. As southbridge the ULI M1575 is used. What makes this board even more interesting is its competitive price which will lie in the USD 120 range.

Zalman Fatal1ty FS-V7 VGA Cooler @ Techniz
Techniz.co.uk :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

“The Zalman Fatal1ty is a very good VGA cooler in terms of the performance and the stylish look especially the Red color heatsink with the Red color RAM sink and also the Red color LED fan. This was a perfect match. The Fatal1ty VGA Cooler performs very well during our testing. Moreover, it is made of fully copper which is a very good material for cooling….”

Foxconn WinFast 6150K8MA-8EKRS motherboard
ViperLair :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
“Armed with a discreet video solution, the WinFast 6150K8MA-8EKRS proved to be quite a performer, near the levels of the nForce 4 Ultra and SLI (minus a second PEG NVIDIA card). If the FlexATX SFF PCs aren’t for you, but you still want something compact, this Foxconn board is worth a look.”

Xinerama v. TwinView
Phoronix :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
Summary: “When it comes to a multi-headed environment under Linux, there are two popular options for consumers — Xinerama and TwinView. Although TwinView was developed by NVIDIA for allowing multiple monitors to be powered by a single GPU with their array of GeForce graphics cards, Xinerama was originally developed by Digital Equipment Corporation under the name of PanoramiX, and was later incorporated into the X Window System. Today at Phoronix, we have studied the frame-rate gaming performance under multi-headed NVIDIA TwinView and Xinerama configurations as well as a traditional single-head design.”

Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
Quote: Corsair has been around for quite sometime and during that time they have come to meet all the enthusiast’s need with it comes to high performance memory. The ram that we have today is no exception. The TwinX2048-4000PT sports a default high FSB, that surpasses a lot of user’s needs. And some very decent timings that will keep that AMD64 ticking right alone.

Nostromo Speedpad n52
TekBunker :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
Quote – Do you ever dream about using your keyboard for typing only? No. well now you can, the dream has come true, your keyboard from this point on will be used for typing, not gaming. That cause Belkin, whom most of us have heard of quite extensively has added another speedpad to their inventory. The Nostromo Speedpad n52, and might I add, WOW!

Gigabyte’s push towards the gamer – G1975X on trial
TweakTown :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
QUOTE: “The folks have Gigabyte are really concentrating on the gamers and enthusiasts in 2006 and if this motherboard is anything to go by, you all should pay some serious attention. It’s a motherboard which is a total contrast from the Gigabyte motherboards we saw many years ago.”

Novell SuSE v10.1 BETA 3
Phoronix :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

Summary: “Sticking with Novell’s weekly BETA releases of SuSE/OpenSuSE v10.1 up to its February 16 release candidate, this week we experienced the launch of SuSE v10.1 OSS BETA 3 that is code-named Agama Lizard. In the release announcement no changes are directly mentioned, however, this latest BETA includes the Linux 2.6.16-rc1 kernel, X.Org v6.9.0, GNOME v2.12.0.1, and KDE v3.5.1. Looking over this release, there are a great deal of modifications in store from the present OpenSuSE v10.0 release.”

Dealing With Blue Screens of Death
PC Mechanic :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
If blue is your favorite color, maybe there is a guaranteed way to start hating it — by seeing it five times a day, accompanied by really charming messages that gently inform you that any unsaved information might be lossed or that there was a hardware failure and so on.

SilverStone ST60F Modular 600W PSU @ Techniz
Techniz.co.uk :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

“The SilverStone ST60F Modular 600W PSU is a totally silent and powerful PSU. With the Quad +12V rails of power, it will support many peripheral devices without any problems. Furthermore, this PSU is equip with silent 120mm cooling fan, it will be even better if the 120mm fan is a LED fan. The operation noise level was very silent as well. Beside that, this PSU is SLI/CrossFire ready that comes with 2x PCI-E connector to support dual highend VGA cards…..”

OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB
Overclockers Online :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
Quote: The 2GB PC4000 Gold Edition that was developed with gamer’s distinctive needs in mind. The kit performs very well as the temperatures of the DIMMs are very low and you’ll be happy to know the low voltage requirement makes this kit useable on most any motherboard.

SilverStone Temjin TJ07 Case Review #646:
3dgameman :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

The SilverStone Temjin TJ07 Case has a uni-body aluminum outer frame, & has an all aluminum compartmentalized design. There are 7 x 5.25″ and 6 x 3.5″ drive bays. Two 90mm and four 120mm fans come standard, and are uniquely designed, 11-bladed Ultra-Maglev, with oil protection bearings. This product has full tower server case written all over it. This has been a long anticipated product and there’s no wonder, it’s sick! Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

Thermalright HR-01 Passive CPU Cooler
Big Bruin :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

Quote: The Thermalright HR-01 would be perfect for a HTPC, or any situation where you need your computer to be at its absolute quietest. With no fan on the HR-01, the processor cooler makes absolutely no noise. I was initially concerned that it would not be able to cool my Opteron 148 sufficiently, but in my tests I received a 10 degrees Celsius drop from the stock AMD CPU cooler.

Western Digital Caviar SE 200GB HDD
TechTastic :: Friday, February 03, 2006

Quote: As computer programs and music/video collections get bigger, the need for more available drive space becomes an issue. Today we’re going to take a look at Western Digital Caviar SE 200GB Hard Drive that not only provides that much needed extra space, but it is also designed to run silently.

Thermalright HR-01 “High-Riser” Heatsink Review
OCIA :: Friday, February 03, 2006

“Today I will be taking a look at the new HR-01, an aluminum heatsink incorporating 8, count them, 8 heatpipes in an all-new (for Thermalright) tower design. Thermalright claims the HR-01 is so efficient, it can be used solely as a passive radiator, meaning it requires no fan attached directly to the heatsink. Many companies before have tried the passive tower design… tried and failed to produce a heatsink that even comes close to equaling the performance of a traditional fan-cooled heatsink. However the HR-01 marks Thermalright’s first foray into the passive tower market, and if anyone can make this thing work, and work well, it almost has to be Thermalright, right?”

Alienware Vs Rockdirect Vs Dell : Finding The Best Gaming Laptop
Laptop Lifestyle :: Friday, February 03, 2006
But not just any old gaming laptop, you want to buy the best gaming machine on the planet, the best gaming machine money can buy – the fastest, the most powerful, the ultimate kick-ass, take no prisoners, meanest motherboard of all gaming laptops. Well, we’ve got some great suggestions!

Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3200 (KHX3200K2/2G) Dual Channel DDR Kit
Big Bruin :: Friday, February 03, 2006

Quote: The Kingston HyperX KHX3200K2/2G dual channel kit offered surprisingly good performance in the face of another 2GB kit of performance DDR that seemed to have the advantage (at least on paper). For gamers and PC enthusiasts looking for an edge without the risks and time investment of overclocking, this kit is definitely worth considering.

Gigabyte GA-G1975X G1-Turbo (Intel 975X chipset)
Hardware Zoom :: Friday, February 03, 2006

Quote – Designed specifically for extreme overclockers and hardcore gamers, the Gigabyte G1-Turbo combine the best from Intel & Gigabyte. Featuring the latest Intel(r) 975X Express chipset, it support the latest Intel Pentium Dualcore & Extreme Edition with up to 1066Mhz FSB. To boost the system performance further, Gigabyte has put in lots of effort to improve overclockability and experience. The proprietary Turbojet technology helps to remove heat generated by the CPU, north bridge and memory with four 40mm fans. Also featuring other well-known overclocking technologies from GIGABYTE, such as: C.I.A. 2, M.I.B. 2, EasyTune5, and the latest C.R.S. (CMOS Reload Switch).

Audio performance is another main concern for gamers, the G1-Turbo has an integrated Creative Sound Blaster Live 24-bit hardware audio controller, to provide 7.1 channel surround effects with DTS support. Other on-board features include : Dual Channel DDR2 888, Dual PCI-E x4 slots, Gigabit LAN, Firewire, four 3Gb/s SATA ports with RAID, six USB 2.0 ports, DualBIOS, Debug LED & power-on switch.

HEXUS.reviews :: NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GS AGP Launch Preview
Hexus :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Three weeks ago at the time of writing, we spiced up the AGP owner’s life with exclusive news of a 7800 GS AGP. Bringing the goodness inherent to NVIDIA’s GeForce 7-series PCI Express products to an AGP board, we told you that it’d be 350MHz and bridged to AGP from a PCI Express native GPU.

Vizo Luxon Hard Enclosure
Pro-Clockers :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Quote: How important are those family photos, videos and downloaded music? Chances are they are very important to you. So, that why most of us invest in some type of backup devices to secure our digital files. If you have an extra hard drive lying around Vizo has a product to turn that drive in an external solution for your storage needs. The Luxon. The Luxon is a sleek little enclosure that will hold either a PATA or SATA drive.

How to Buy a PC Without Being Fooled
Hardware Secrets :: Friday, February 03, 2006
“If you are thinking on buying a new PC it is good to follow our tips in order to be not deceived. In this tutorial we will talk about the most common problems you can face when buying a new PC and also we will teach you how to check, without opening the computer case, if the PC you bought is really the one you ordered.”

How To Select A LCD For Gaming
The Tech Zone :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Specs are a great tool for narrowing down your choices, but they are no replacement for hands-on experience. Plenty of large resellers stock a wide range of monitors and some are on display. Go down to every shop you can and see if you can find the monitor you are thinking of buying. You never know, that slightly low spec one you shunned in favour of that extra inch of screen may beat everything else hands down in ‘real world’ performance. This is a check list of things to consider when shopping for a new LCD for gaming.

Cooler Master Susurro
Overclockers Online :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Quote: The final verdict for the Susurro is difficult, while its cooling abilities were not exactly impressive, it was extremely quiet. This low profile cooler is an ideal choice for SFF’s and rackmounts. In the end, the Cooler Master Susurro makes an excellent quiet stock replacement and a great choice for those looking for a low profile heatsink.

Dell 2405FPW 24-inch Monitor Review
Designtechnica :: Friday, February 03, 2006
“If you have been waiting for a large LCD at a great price, the Dell 2405FPW is the display for you. Unless you are dead set on an HDMI with a 24-in. display, there is no reason to pass up on the Dell 2405FPW. The bright, crisp images the screen delivers are matched only by the flexibility and features built into this behemoth of a desktop.”

Battle for the AGP Throne: GeForce 7800 GS VS. Radeon X850 XT
Madshrimps :: Friday, February 03, 2006
I’ve stumbled upon an enthusiast forum posts, he got his hands on a 7800GS for AGP and he compared it to his X850XT AGP card in a series of benchmarks, including 3dMark, Doom, FarCry, Fear, Half Life 2 and others

His findings: “From these benchmarks, the GeForce 7800 GS at stock speeds performs close to a Radeon X850 XT, usually being slightly faster in some tests, and slightly slower in others. It is only when the 7800 GS is overclocked where the performance is a bit better than the X850 XT”

Jetart NP6600 Notebook Cooler Review
Mikhailtech :: Friday, February 03, 2006

The NP6600 is part of the 6000 series, the latest release from Jetart. Of the previous series (NP3000, 4000, and 5000), we reviewed the NP5000 and were impressed with its cooling ability. The concept behind the 6000 line is portability: every cooler folds in half. The 6600 falls somewhere in the middle of the series. The lower end 6000 is the base model. Our sample has adjustable fan speeds. The 6800 also has a USB2.0 hub. Lastly, the 6900 adds a card reader. It’s worthwhile to note that the last two models are rated at 10watts (pretty high by notebook standards) while the 6000 and 6600 consume only 1watt. This is probably due to the USB hub.

VIA EPIA M10000 Mini-Itx Motherboard Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Friday, February 03, 2006

Quote: “VIA was looking for a way to build a smaller and lower powered motherboard. Cyrix was trying to cash in on lower powered CPU’s. This was the jelly to VIA’s peanut butter. Now the two have come together and the combination has produced a line of mini masterpieces.”

Cooler Master AMMO 533 ATX Case Review
Madshrimps :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Quote: “Cooler Master jumps into the themed pre-modded chassis segment; does the AMMO have the ammunition to take out its opponents? We take a close look at its plug and play features, check out the thermal and noise performance and show you the ins and outs”

Ultra Aluminus Review
Techgage :: Friday, February 03, 2006

Quote: Ultra has recently released a new case called the Aluminus. It’s quite similar in design to their Wizard case, but it’s been amped up in every single way. This is not just a normal case anymore, they have pulled out all the stops. Let’s see how great Ultra can impress us this time!

Video Compression Basics
Hardware Secrets :: Friday, February 03, 2006
“A video (file types like AVI and MPEG) is a collection of several images being shown. Each image is called frames and the amount of images shown per second is called frames per second or simply FPS. The more frames per second your video has, the better, since more realistic the image will be. Videos are usually saved using at least TV quality settings, i.e. 30 frames per second. ”

Super Bowl XL HDTV Buyers Guide
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“Ahhhh, Super Bowl Sunday. What better time (and excuse) to get yourself hooked up with your very own HDTV system than when you’ve got all of your buddies coming over to watch the big game? Whether or not you’re rooting for the Seahawks or the Steelers, or just love the game itself, check out our HDTV Buyer’s Guide to find out exactly what you need to do to get your hands on the coolest (and possibly most expensive) TV you may ever purchase. The good news is that they’re now more affordable than ever. ”

Cooler Master CM Media 250 HTPC Case
Big Bruin :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Quote: If you’re one of those folks who wouldn’t dream of passing up the opportunity to create a fully customizable HTPC on their own, this case is for you. It can blend in perfectly with either silver or black components, and provides small details that make it fit in well… It’s this kind of detail and the simplicity that make the Cooler Master CM Media 250 a great start to an excellent HTPC.

SonoWave Digital Media Player Review #645:
3dgameman :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006

“This is not your standard boombox. Being able to play Internet Radio, MP3 and other audio formats wirelessly sets it apart from many other devices. The overall appearance is very stylish and will look great in the kitchen, garage, or bedroom. With a range of 300 feet, taking this product out of the house is also possible. The boombox is small and that’s great for moving it around. Being small means that it doesn’t have the most powerful speakers and it’s certainly not going to rock the house down, but that’s not what it’s intended to be for, anyway. It’s purpose is to bring your favorite audio wirelessly to just about anywhere in and around your home.” ~3dGameMan.com

Polk Audio I-Sonic
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“It does AM/FM. It does XM. It does HD Radio. It does DVDs and CDs. What is it? A new, potentially big hit product from Matthew Polk and his team at Polk Audio called the I-Sonic.

Available in the spring for a price of around $599, the I-Sonic is a desktop style radio entertainment system which brings together a number of digital entertainment technologies and combines them with Polk Audio’s sound expertise. It is one of Polk’s latest achievements and he took time with us at CES 2006 to walk us through its design and features.”

Cooler Master Centurion 540 mATX Case @ Viper Lair
ViperLair :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“For a cool $44 USD, the Centurion 540 is a very good case for the money. You won’t find a PSU with the case at that price, let alone the fans we just mentioned, but we think this is one of the easiest MicroATX cases to work with. It offers excellent cooling potential, it’s very easy to work with and looks pretty damn slick to boot.”

Microsoft AntiSpyware
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
While this program is still in beta form, it is freely available for anyone looking for another solution to the growing spyware problem. Microsoft claims to have higher detection rates then the other third party apps on the market, and I wanted to see if Bill and the gang are really up to the challenge.

Corsair 2GB XMS-3500LLPRO Memory Kit Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Quote – “If you looking for a large capacity DDR memory kit with serious bling! bling!, the Corsair 2GB PC-3500LL XMS Pro TwinX Memory Kit should be on your shortlist.

Microsoft releases IE7 to the public!
Microsoft :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
I’ve been testing the IE7 browser, and I have to say it blows the doors off of Firefox! The tab functionality is better implemented than Firefox, and renders the pages faster and more accurately than its open-source competitor.

Microsoft took the wraps off Internet Explorer 7 Tuesday, releasing the new “preview” version of its Web browser to the general public for testing.

download from here

Foxconn WinFast 6150K8MA-8EKRS Motherboard Review
PCStats :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“With nVIDIA’s GeForce 6100-series chipsets, enthusiasts now have a high powered integrated option that does not well… suck. Current chipsets featuring integrated video are loaded with features but lack performance especially when it comes to 3D games. On the flip side, consumers looking to build a budget workstation machine can save a bit of money with a good integrated video motherboard, which precludes the need to buy a standalone videocard right off the bat. Integrated video; it’s an area where AMD has not had a presence since the dawn of the Athlon 64 processor, and unfortunately it is also one of the largest markets. The new nVIDIA GeForce 6100 and 6150-series ‘C51’ chipsets will give AMD and its supporters an excellent entry into this budget realm.”

Multimedia Viewer With WiFi & Hi-Speed USB OTG
Everything USB :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Hi, Unicon sent us words that they are working on a new kind of USB bridge, called MBridge. Their new Linux-powered tablet with a 3.5″ touch-screen may technically resemble a PDA, but it is much more multimedia-focused and is accompanied by a host of USB features. In a nutshell, the MBridge has a built-in WiFi, browser, email program, MP3, IM clients, photo editing tools as well as utilities to exchange files between a variety of USB devices, at Hi-Speed USB OTG connection.

Review: Condemned: Criminal Origins
Primo Tech :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
While it’s one hell of a deliciously horrifying ride, Condemned’s biggest shortcomings aren’t what it does wrong per se, but what it fails to do at all

Jackson Armor Card
Think Computers :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Quote: “There seems to be a new virus popping up all the time, sometimes I think that my Anti-Virus software won’t be able to keep up. AV software is also sometimes bypassed by viruses, making your system vulnerable to attack. There is a way to protect your self that does not involve software; it is through hardware such as what I have today from Jackson Armor. It is called the Armor Card; it is impervious to attack by viruses as it runs outside of your operating system. It easily plugs into a free PCI slot on your motherboard and is setup before your OS boots. It also protects CMOS and BIOS settings as well from attack.”

Optimus Keyboard Update
Primo Tech :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Despite massive speculation that Russian design firm Art Lebedev was set to release the Optimus keyboard today, that does not appear to be the case. Instead, the company has announced the Optimus Mini-Three, a smaller Optimus-like input device. We spoke with designer Artemy Lebedev who revealed all the pertinent details.

Sauerbraten v2006-01-31
Phoronix :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Summary: “Sauerbraten, the experimental gaming engine based upon the popular Cube engine, has sneaked onto the Internet this morning with a new release. The stock game includes support for both single-player and multi-player variants, and as with previous Sauerbraten releases, it offers many of the same abilities and controls as the original Cube. Certainly the game is no Quake 4 but is an exciting action-packed title available for compilation on any major operating system and is completed powered by open-source software.”

Sansun SN-C001 “Bat” ATX Chassis Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Quote: “It was also shipped in the retail box, not packaged in a brown box. So everyone from Taiwan to the mailman that dropped it off knew what I was getting. The smirk on his face told it all. “Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah. . . Batman!”

Corsair Voyager 4GB USB Flash Drive @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Quote: “Most people use flash drives to transport files to and from work or school. To some, these files are not that important, but to many they are. So many flash drives out there are cheap and feeble. They can easily break by getting dropped or sat on. It can be a real pain to keep on buying new flash drives. Corsair has come out with the Voyager. The Voyager is virtually indestructible so it will last you a long time. Since the 4GB flash drives just came out, Corsair was nice enough to send us the 4GB version of the Voyager.”

E-Power Silent Engine 550W Power Supply Review
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Are you looking for a power supply that supports two PCIe SLI power cables, SATA hard drives, and the EPS power connector for your next system? If the answer is yes, read on and take a look at the E-Power Silent Engine Tiger 550W power supply review we have today. We take the 550W power supply for a test spin on an Extreme Edition rig and give you our thoughts.

Disrespecting Technology Workers @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
From my experience working for corporate aliens, from what others have told me, and from numerous articles on the internet, I have come to the conclusion that managers of many corporations show considerable disrespect to their technology workers. Throughout my career, I’ve had a several bad experiences. This was one of my worst.

Mushkin 2GB XP2-5300 3-3-3 Memory Review
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“The performance of the Mushkin XP2-5300 3-3-3-10 modules was found to be on par with other brands that used Micron Rev A (Fat Body) IC’s at the same timings. This is great news for enthusiasts and gamers because we now have a replacement for the no longer available Micron Rev A IC’s…”

“With the rated 3-3-3-10 timings we were able to get up to 740MHz at the suggested 2.1Volts on the Intel 975X chipset. Since the Intel D975XBX motherboard only goes up to 2.2Volts we moved over to the trusty ASUS P5WD2 Premium. We then reached 806MHz with 3-3-3 timings at 2.3Volts!”

Titan Vanessa Coolers
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
The Vanessa series are supposed to be some of the most efficient and feature packed coolers available currently. Truly, the coolers are offering almost everything that you can expect from a CPU cooler. First of all, you can mount them on any socket currently available, so you do not have to worry if the cooler will mount on your motherboard or what will happen if you want to upgrade at a future date. They both feature speed adjustable fans for you to choose between performance and silence. And also they are carefully designed to enhance your system?s looks.

Linksys WRT54GC Wireless Router Review
Designtechnica :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
“The Bose Triport headphones offer a healthy mix between lightweight portability and superb comfort. Designed to be more affordable than the Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones, the Triport delivers high-quality sound without active noise reduction technology. Headphone users often find themselves compromising comfort for sound; however, the Bose Triport provides an adequate amount of both. Read on to find out how the Bose Triport performs when put to the test.”

Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Quote: “The G7 doesn’t disappoint and Logitech has delivered another top-notch mouse product. With its impressive suite of features, from on-the-fly sensitivity adjustments to quick-charging batteries, and its high level of precision and accuracy, the G7 is a solid product for any consumer, especially the gamer”

Kingston 256MB microSD Card Review!
Tech ARP :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Quote – “The new Kingston microSD card offers a capacity of 256MB in a piece of plastic only as big as a fingernail and just 1mm thick!

How does this midget compared to behemoths like the recently reviewed Seagate 8GB Photo Hard Drive and Kingston’s own Elite Pro CompactFlash card? Read on and find out! ”

Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard Review
Laptop Gamers :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Logitech has come up with a really solid product for gaming enthusiasts. Although there is nothing revolutionary about the keyboard, it has more than enough features to warrant a purchase. You can easily tell that Logitech did their homework before designing this keyboard. While reviewing the G15, I was most impressed by the wide spectrum of features. Minor features like the ‘Game Mode’ switch are a nice bonus. Who would’ve thought that a feature to disable your Windows keys would help enhance your gaming experience? Well, Logitech obviously did. More significant features like the G-keys and their vast amount of programmability options will help gamers of all levels gain a competitive edge. The Logitech G15 has a deep level of customization that is second to none.

Samsung YP-T8Z Digital Audio Player
Overclockers Online :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Quote: In today’s highly competitive digital media player market dominated by Apple’s iPod Samsung’s YP-T8Z does an excellent job holding its ground. Though not the ‘iPod slayer’, this feature- filled digital audio player lives up to it’s title as the all-in-one digital audio player with text, pictures, videos, games, FM radio, and USB host support. Although Samsung’s YP-T8Z is priced relatively high in comparison to other flash storage based media players the large 1.8″ vibrant TFT screen and long battery life justify it’s price, after all features, usability and convenience add up separating good products from superb products.

Linksys WRT54GC Wireless Router Review
Digital Grabber :: Monday, February 27, 2006

When connected directly to the router using the Ethernet ports, both LAN to WAN and WAN to LAN speed were measured at about 47Mbits per second. Not quite the 100Mbit/sec but a good performance neither the less. Wireless performance without the optional high gain antenna was superb for such a small router. I measured wireless speed at 24.5Mbits/sec with my notebook right next to the router, dropping to 23.5Mbit/sec when I moved 15 feet away. Speed dropped to 20.5Mbit/sec when I went into the next room and there was a wall for the signal to go though. Basically this means you’ll be able to enjoy very fast wireless speed in your hotel room and your friends in the next room will enjoy very good performance as well.

The Kingston TravelLite SD/MMC Reader Review
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
“The Kingston TravelLite SD/MMC Reader is ideal for those on the go that use SD/MMC flash memory cards and never want to be caught in a situation where they can’t access their cards. The Kingston TravelLite is cheap insurance for those who live in the digital age…”

Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse
Laptop Gamers :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse is without a doubt, the sleekest mobile mice I have ever laid eyes on. The stylist, ultra-thin mouse blends uncompromising performance with the ultimate in mobility. Like a high-end sport car, the V500 is loaded with innovations – an expandable chassis, a touch-sensitive solid-state scrolling panel, and 2.4GHz wireless technology – all wrapped up in a sleek design that will turn heads.

Lapworks Laptop Desk UltraLite Review
Laptop Lifestyle :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
You ever read about that guy who burned his lap, among other things, because he had his laptop on his lap for far too long? I don’t know how he did it, but why take any chances? This product should give you piece of mind when working for long periods of time while protecting..uhh…things…

Linksys WRT54GP2A-AT Wireless Router & VoIP Adapter Review
Digital Grabber :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Linksys WRT54GP2A-AT Wireless-G Broadband Router is really four devices in one. First, there’s the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect both Wireless-G and Wireless-B devices to the network. Second, there’s a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Third, there is a Router function to lets your whole network share a high-speed Internet connection. The fourth and most unique function is the VoIP phone adapter which enables high-quality feature-rich VoIP Service through your high-speed connection even while you’re surfing the Internet. The router features two standard telephone jacks, each operating independently – like having two phone lines.

Corepad Mouse Skatez Pro
Think Computers :: Sunday, February 19, 2006

Quote: “Mice are becoming more and more expensive, and with lots more features packed into them. One thing I noticed is that the standard feet of these so-called professional gaming mice or high-end mice are a bit lacking. Even though some companies do make some effort in upgrading the feet of their higher end mice, they are still not as good as some replacements that are available today. Today for review I have a bunch of replacement mice feet, or skatez as they are called, from Corepad.”

How to Build a WiMAX Network
The Tech Zone :: Sunday, February 19, 2006
The latest technology buzz is WiMAX wireless networks. We have heard many things about this wonderful new long haul wireless technology that it almost seems as though you are just a phone call away from having yours’ designed and installed. Well before you start assuming things like we all do, we thought as engineers and network architects we would share personal experiences and the experiences of colleagues from around the world, in a manner that is direct, helpful, educational, and certainly reality based. This is a backpocket Primer for anyone now dealing with the implementation of a WiMAX network.

How To Avoid Common Digital Photo Mistakes
Digital Grabber :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
Whether you are a seasoned pro or a new shooter, these ten problems can creep up on you. So review this list often and make a mental checklist to use every time you photograph. You will notice an immediate increase in the quality of your images.

Microsoft XPOD: Apple and Sony’s Worst Nightmare?
CoolTechZone :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
“Here’s another ghost device that may or may not even be in the works. It could simply be PR speak to scramble the CE industry, but heres what made the headlines recently: Microsoft is expected to launch a portable media device that will compete against Apple and dethrone the world’s most popular MP3 player, the iPod. To add to the chaos, Microsoft will gun for Sony’s PSP as well. Talk about a bold move on Microsoft’s part.”

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S600 Review
Designtechnica :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
“Available since late last year, the Sony DSC-S600 is a great indicator of 2006 consumer price trends. For $199, you get a 6-megapixel compact point-and-shoot camera with a 3x optical zoom from a well-known brand. No, we’re not talking about Concord, DXG or Vivitar but a top-tier company. Depending on the survey du jour, Sony is considered among the top three worldwide. Another indication pricing is going your way is the recent announcement of the Olympus FE-140, a 6MP digicam with a 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD screen for $249 list (due March). Like some competitors, Sony used manufacturers in China to cut cost rather than making them in Japan like the recently reviewed DSC-T9. Now did Sony cut back the build quality of the S600? Of course but the key question is the camera worth the money? We’ll snap the shutter and let you know.”

Panasonic TH-42PX50U 42″ Plasma HDTV
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“The TH-42PX50U is a pleasure to watch, easy to operate and packed with the essential connectors and features. It could use another HDMI input and front or side inputs for external sources, but overall it’s a great TV at a great price. Panasonic doesn’t list a lifetime rating for this TV in the specs, but if it did, those hours would be at the normal picture mode versus the vivid setting most people will opt for. The brighter setting will impact the life of the phosphors so buyers should keep that in mind. ”

Guide To Upgrading Digital Cameras
Digital Grabber :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
For those of us who have been around the block in reference to camera ownership, you’re very familiar with the upgrading game. In fact, if you’re reading this article, you’re more than likely on a 3rd generation of a camera in only the last 3 years. Was it worth it? Are you getting as much out of your current upgrade as you thought you would? These are the questions we’ll be discussing. For the new camera owners, this will be something to think about as you look at newer and better cameras, and for the current camera owner who has upgraded several times already, I hope this article will enlighten you.

Laptop Travel Tips
Laptop Lifestyle :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Travel laptops require more consideration on top of the usual factors involved in buying a laptop, such as performance, price and warranty. Getting a system that is light is critical. With widescreen models becoming more popular, whilst great for viewing, it just adds weight to the system. If you are not into watching movies or complex graphics, a smaller screen should be fine.

Microsoft XPOD: Apple and Sony’s Worst Nightmare?
CoolTechZone :: Monday, February 13, 2006
“Here’s another ghost device that may or may not even be in the works. It could simply be PR speak to scramble the CE industry, but heres what made the headlines recently: Microsoft is expected to launch a portable media device that will compete against Apple and dethrone the world’s most popular MP3 player, the iPod. To add to the chaos, Microsoft will gun for Sony’s PSP as well. Talk about a bold move on Microsoft’s part.”

Palm Treo 650
Designtechnica :: Monday, February 13, 2006
“If you’re tired of lugging around your cell phone, PDA, and digital camera every time you leave home, the Treo 650 is worth a gander. While the operating system is aged, the phone is prone to crashing, and you will need to buy an additional SD memory card to get a respectable amount of storage, the undeniable convenience of this hybrid phone should not scare you away.”

Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard Review
CoolTechZone :: Monday, February 13, 2006
“A while back, we had some issues with surface tracking in Logitech’s G5 and G7 laser mice. Frankly, that left a bad taste in our mouth, but the world’s largest peripherals maker turned things around after acknowledging the issue and issuing a firmware upgrade for the G5. Besides, you can’t hold a grudge against a company that has a consistency of releasing successful products over and again.”

SteelPad 5L – Precision Mousepad Review
PC Mechanic :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Today we will be looking at often overlooked component that has also undergone some transformation to be marketed towards PC gamers, and that is the mousepad. For today’s review I will be taking a closer look at the SteelPad 5L Professional Gaming Mouse Pad; a mouse pad designed especially for computer gamers supplied to us by the nice folks of SteelSeries.com. Having looked at another gaming mousepad recently, the Icemat Mousepad, what makes this SteelPad 5L different, and is it really only beneficial for gamers to have such a mousepad?

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse Review
Laptop Gamers :: Friday, February 10, 2006

For the longest time I have relied on a normal sized corded mouse with my laptop. I only recently switched to wireless mice for mobile use but the mice were still full size desktop units. This is because I haven’t found a single laptop sized mouse that felt good in my hand. That all changed when I discovered the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse. If you’re a laptop user unable to warm up to a touchpad or pointing stick then you’ll want to check this mouse out – it’s an almost perfect for Laptop users.

Logitech MX 5000 Cordless Desktop Bluetooth 2.0 Keyboard and Mouse Duo
Bona Fide Reviews :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Back in November of 2005 we reviewed the then top-of-the-line wireless keyboard and mouse set available from Logitech. We found the MX 3100 Keyboard and Mouse Duo, which features RF wireless technology, to be an overall great product. Today we are going to look at a more modern keyboard and mouse set from Logitech, namely the MX5000 duo. The MX5000 is a wireless keyboard and mouse solution that runs on the latest Bluetooth 2.0 EDR technology. The unique MX 5000 keyboard also features a 102×42 pixel LCD display, certainly something not found on the everyday keyboard.

Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard Review
CoolTechZone :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“A while back, we had some issues with surface tracking in Logitech’s G5 and G7 laser mice. Frankly, that left a bad taste in our mouth, but the world’s largest peripherals maker turned things around after acknowledging the issue and issuing a firmware upgrade for the G5. Besides, you can’t hold a grudge against a company that has a consistency of releasing successful products over and again.”

Logitech Harmony 880 Remote Control Review
Digital Grabber :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Taking the 880 out of its packaging, I could immediately see improvements. I am excited to say, no more battery worries and running out of batteries is a nightmare of the past. The Harmony 880 now has its own rechargeable Li-Ion battery and charging station. The buttons have been rearranged, simplifying the remote process even more. The buttons themselves have been redesigned to “integrate” into the shell of the remote. The overall size and shape of the Harmony 880 has remained the same as previous models. Sometimes you just can’t change a proven successful style.

Why Your Next PC Should Be A Laptop
Laptop Gamers :: Monday, February 06, 2006
Laptop computers are becoming very popular. They seem to be popping up everywhere: on tv shows, on airplanes, in movies, or in your friend’s lap. These sleek little machines are invading our daily lives like never before… and the invasion has just started. Find out why they have become so popular with their users and why your next PC should probably be a laptop computer.

Motorola L7 SLVR Cell Phone Review
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
“There is the RAZR V3, there is the RAZR V3x and then there is the L6, which we reviewed a while back. With the L7, Motorola attempts to up the ante in the candy bar phone market once again, and just like the superb (in terms of price/performance) L6, the L7 is a work of art, looks sexier and definitely has the features to brag about. We take an in-depth look at Motorolas L7 SLVR and see if Motorola has another winner in its product line.”

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T9 Review
Designtechnica :: Friday, February 03, 2006
“Two years ago Sony shook up the digital camera world with the introduction of the DSC-T1, the first 5-megapixel model with a huge 2.5-inch LCD screen and an ultra thin form factor thanks to a non-extending 3x optical zoom lens. Even at $550, it was a smash hit and was followed by many competitors and various iterations by Sony itself. The recently introduced Sony DSC-T9 is the latest edition and it adds some significant improvements including a 6MP imager, higher sensitivity (ISO 640) and Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization, a very important feature for a camera that’s held by your fingertips. Even better the camera is cheaper than the original by a 100 clams. Now is this the pocketable camera of your dreams? Let’s fire it up and see, shall we?”

Wireless USB Takes On Bluetooth
OCModshop :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Wireless USB is a disruptive technology poised to jumpstart the stagnant connectivity market – what are the advantages of Wireless USB over Bluetooth and why should you consider making the switch? In this article, we compare the two standards and see how they stack up head to head.

Logitech MX518 Gaming Mouse Review
Laptop Gamers :: Friday, February 03, 2006

The Logitech MX518 is a Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse that features 1600 dpi resolution with ability to downshift on the fly to as Low as 400 dpi. Any PC gamers will tell you they look to their mouse for a winning edge in a combat game. In the past the choice of mouse setting was always a choice between maximum speed or optimum precision. With the new Logitech MX518, gamers no longer need to choose between the two.

Exclusive: PowerColor X1300 HyperMemory™ 2 @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Because not everyone can shell out $500+ green for a video card, I decided to review the PowerColor X1600 XT and X1300 not so long ago. On February 21st, Tul Corporation announeced another low-end model based around RV515, the PowerColor X1300 HyperMemory™ 2 (RV515LE). With the PowerColor X1900 XT review behind us, I thought it would be fun and interesting to check out these cheap boards as well.

NVIDIA Chipset Chat @ Bjorn3D.com
Bjorn3D :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Bjorn3D is having a chat online chat with NVIDIA on March 7th. The time has been set for 7:30Pm Eastern, 6:30 Central, 4:30 Pacific time. The chat will be on IRC and we will send out a follow up e-mail with all the server info in the next couple of days.

ATI AIW X1900
Driver Heaven :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
It’s not often as a reviewer that you receive a product which doesn?t have a major competiing part from another manufacturer. This is one such product and allows us to say quite easily that the AIW X1900 is the best product of its type that money can buy. This however doesn’t tell the whole story.

Choosing either a High Definition Plasma TV or DLP Projection set
Bona Fide Reviews :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Quote: If you’re thinking of acquiring a new TV for your den or living room, it probably goes without saying that you’d like to have a high-resolution television with a great picture. But which set to buy, and more, importantly, which type of television should you consider buying?

Asus DRW-1608P2 DVD Burner Review
PC Mechanic :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Optical storage has come a long way in the past few years. CD Burners were all the rage, and burn speeds went through the roof. But we soon realized that 700MB was not nearly enough room for all the data we had. Enter the DVD. DVD Burners, like their CD ancestors started out expensive and slow. But today we have faster burners for much lower prices.

Why 7.1 Surround Sound is Overkill For Most Homes
Designtechnica :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Home Theater expert Mark Fleischmann explains why you should not fall for the 7.1 hype and why 5.1 surround sound is adequate for most homes. From the article: With the marketing of 6.1 and 7.1 surround, the industry has decisively outwitted itself. It has convinced many consumers to buy new receivers and more speakers. But it has also undermined the 5.1-channel standard, which is more appropriate for the home, slowing the acceptance of surround sound in general.

SageTV Media Center Version Four
HTPCnews :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
HTPCnews has a new piece for your readers to check out during the boring Friday grind up at work. A fairly in-depth review dealing with SageTV’s latest version of their software. This software is meant to be a direct competitor to Microsoft’s MCE (well it’s more like the other way around since SageTV was before them ;) )… If you think your readers would be interested in seeing their options compared to MCE, we’d love to have them read it.

Gainward rumour a 7800GTX 512MB ‘GLH’ in the works
Pure Overclock :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Allegedly a 7800 GTX 512MB “Goes like hell” is in the works. This is not a suped up 256MB GTX, this is a suped up GTX 512MB, the card that is nowhere to be seen in the retail channel and is clocked at 550/1700MHz.

Quote: “Gainward’s GLH version is rumoured to be clocked somewhere around 600-650 MHz on the core and a mind blowing 2.2 GHz on the memory. If this turns out to be more than a rumour it will most likely be faster than a 7900 GTX.”

XFX Overclocked GeForce 6600 256 MB (PV-T43P-UDS7) Review
Hardware Secrets :: Tuesday, February 28, 2006
“Nowadays GeForce 6600 chip is located on the top of all entry-level nVidia GPUs (or at the bottom of all mid-range graphics chips, depending on how you look the market). We reviewed an overclocked model from XFX, called PV-T43P-UDS7, which comes with 256 MB GDDR2. Let’s see how it performs against “normal” GeForce 6600 models and also against other video cards available at the market.”

NVIDIA Solaris SLI
Phoronix :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Summary: “Towards the end of December, we had written two articles to examine the frame-rate performance of both ATI and NVIDIA drivers as they had progressed throughout the year under Linux. Although there were minimal average frame-rate differences between each of the drivers, in most instances, each company had appended critical features throughout the year that was sought after by the Linux community. While we have yet to see any ATI CrossFire support under Linux, nor is it evident if we will ever see this multi-GPU support, the developers at NVIDIA had appended Scalable Link Interface support in their 1.0-8174 display drivers released in early December of last year. However, the folks using Solaris from Sun Microsystems had not received SLI support until the most recent drivers released on December 22. Today at Phoronix, we are taking a quick preview and how-to guide for NVIDIA’s GeForce SLI under Solaris 10.”

Choosing either a High Definition Plasma TV or DLP Projection set
Bona Fide Reviews :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Quote: If you’re thinking of acquiring a new TV for your den or living room, it probably goes without saying that you’d like to have a high-resolution television with a great picture. But which set to buy, and more, importantly, which type of television should you consider buying?

Gainward BLISS 6800 GS ‘Goes like hell’ 512MB
Pure Overclock :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Quote: “Gainward’s BLISS 6800 GS GLH is no reference board. Sure, the core headroom is still up to the gods, but the memory headroom will destroy the competition. I managed to clock the memory to 1480 MHz at its peak. Just try and do that on any other 6800 GS with 2.0ns memory, it just won’t happen”

NMEDIAPC HTPC 300 Case
Think Computers :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Quote: “Since I’ve been reviewing products, I’ve come across a few Home Theater PC cases. It seems many companies now make them, but now a few specialize in them. Today for review I have an HTPC case from a company called NMedia, NMedia is one of those companies that specialize in making a better HTPC case. I have been looking for the perfect HTPC case for myself and I think I may have found it, or at least the perfect one at the moment, as technology is always evolving to just get better. For now, let’s check this one out…”

PowerColor X1300 HyperMemory 2 Review
Techniz.co.uk :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Quote: “A economical alternative for Office PC ? and like much Overclocking is present ?”

Turtle Beach Ear Force HPA
Techgage :: Monday, February 27, 2006

Quote: Can’t set up a 5.1 speaker setup, but want true surround sound? Maybe you want surround sound to have late at night when your families in bed?! We are taking a look at a new 5.1 headset from Turtle Beach, and throw many tests at it to see just how good it’s 5.1 capabilities are.

Bose TriPort Headphone Review
Designtechnica :: Monday, February 27, 2006
“The Bose Triport headphones offer a healthy mix between lightweight portability and superb comfort. Designed to be more affordable than the Bose QuietComfort 2 headphones, the Triport delivers high-quality sound without active noise reduction technology. Headphone users often find themselves compromising comfort for sound; however, the Bose Triport provides an adequate amount of both. Read on to find out how the Bose Triport performs when put to the test.”

SilverStone SG01s Case Review
Technic3d :: Monday, February 27, 2006

“Creating a small form factor (SFF) enclosure without a proprietary motherboard or power supply is a challenge that few companies want to face. For SilverStone, this intriguing challenge was welcomed with open arms and our engineers created yet another segment-defining design that will become the standard for years to come. The SG01¡¦s immaculate aluminum interior offers incredible amount of space for nearly all standard ATX components in a foot print that is only a few inches larger than typical SFF systems. With its carefully arranged cooling configuration and the ability to accommodate a wide array of Micro ATX motherboards, ATX power supplies, and even two double width graphics cards, the SG01 will ensure greater upgrade possibility than ever before.”

Albatron 6600-512
Overclockers Online :: Monday, February 27, 2006
Quote: The 6600-512 by Albatron was meant to outperform the cards like the GeForce 6800 and even rival the 6600GT. While it may come up a bit short if those cards are overclocked, Albatron has provided an alternative solution that will certainly cost less while maintaining an average level of performance.

ASUS Extreme N6600GT Silencer Video Card Review
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
“I was surprised at how well this card performed considering its silent nature. This would be a welcome addition to any nearly silent computer, as the video card fan is usually the loudest part in such a machine. Those of you looking to rid yourself of a little noise from your current video card while still maintaining gaming performance should take a look at the ASUS N6600GT silencer. ”

Saitek Audio A-200 2.1 Portable Speaker System
Think Computers :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Quote: “When most people think of Saitek they think of PC peripherals such as controllers and keyboards. Well Saitek has come out with a new Audio Line called Saitek Audio. The line only has 4 products right now but from what we have seen these products are really cool. Today we will be looking at the A-200

Sapphire X1900 XTX
OCModshop :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Sapphire’s repertoire of ATI-based graphics cards has recently been expanded to encompass the X1000 series, which includes the X1900 XT and the X1900 XTX, sporting slightly higher core and memory frequencies than the more plebeian “XT” version. The XTX version is what we are looking at today and to make a long story short, there is little out there that could match the performance of the new Sapphire flagship. So how did they do it? We have heard a few buzzwords here and there about the Ring Bus memory architecture and the quad shader blocks or Fast-Z-Clear but details were sketchy at best, so we started our own investigation with the goal of digesting the information down.

ATI X1900XTX Graphics Card Review
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006
“Ever since the GeForce 6 series debuted, NVIDIA has held the performance crown undoubtedly. Then it launched the GeForce 7 series and the king became the overlord and made NVIDIA the God of Graphics with hard launches and excellent performance. Despite the R520s best efforts, the 7800GTX 512 bettered it by far and put it in its place. Things, however, have changed.”

Altec Lansing inMotion iM716 Portable HD Audio System
Bona Fide Reviews :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Quote: Noise isolating earphones may seem like a simple idea; the combination of noise-blocking earplugs with earphones seems natural. However only recently has this idea been brought to the market by market leaders, Etymotic Research. Altec Lansing has collaborated with Etymotic to produce its own flavor of noise isolating earphones. Here’s how they stack up against Etymotic’s own offerings.

ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon X1900
Hexus :: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Niggles aside, for just under £300 when it finally makes its way to retail, you’ll get GeForce 7800 GTX performance for less money with the AIW feature set and software to boot. It’s that which makes the AIW great, and peerless, in the world of consumer graphics and multimedia technology. No other product offers the same mix for the same cash, and with R580 ATI get to move that game on even further. The best value graphics board currently in production? It’s hard to say no.

nVidia GeForce 6800 GS Review
Hardware Secrets :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
“GeForce 6800 GS is the latest mid-range graphics chip from nVidia, competing directly with Radeon X800 GTO from ATI. In this review we will compare not only GeForce 6800 GS against its main competitor, but we will also compare its performance against other GPUs available on the market.”

Samsung SyncMaster 970P White
Bytesector :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
“Samsung has been a top player in the LCD display market in Canada and the US in recent years. I have come to expect high quality, fully functional displays from them. With each additional one I review, the bar is raised just a little bit more, making it hard to find many LCD displays that measure up. Today, I have the privilege of taking a close look at their latest 19″ display, the SyncMaster 970P. This display sports some nifty features along with a full complement of specifications which make this display something worth looking at closely. The surface looks great, but delving deeper reveals some interesting things.”

Gigabyte GeForce 6150 (GA-K8N51PVMT-9) Motherboard Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Content: “The Gigabyte GA-K8N51PVMT-9 is the best combination among the NVIDIA latest onboard solution by using GeForce6150 and nForce430. We can see that from the testing, the GPU, memory and others performance weren’t affected much when using the onboard GPU solution. If you are not a serious gamer and run less 3D intensive games, then you should consider the Gigabyte GA-K8N51PVMT-9. At least it is one of the top performance among the other onboard GPU motherboard solution in the market. The price for the Gigabyte GA-K8N51PVMT-9 is just around 105USD/ RM400 so you are have tight budget to upgrade your PC on the moment, you might consider this great value board.”

Leadtek WinFast Walkie TV Review
Bjorn3D :: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Leadtek Research, Inc., well known for their quite successful line of video cards, also manufactures several internal cards as well as stand alone TV capture devices. It is indeed our fortune today to review one of their newest external capture systems, the WinFast Walkie TV.

Asus GeForce 7300GS Review
AusFX :: Sunday, February 19, 2006
“The results of our testing show that the Asus 7300GS performs well in most 3D applications in medium details, however we think that for games with heavy system requirements such as F.E.A.R and Far Cry, perhaps a more suitable card (and a little more cash) should be used. Unfortunately with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering turned on, the card struggles to perform in even 1024×768, and this is when it becomes clear that the 64-bit memory bus implemented by Nvidia lets the 7300 down.”

XFX Nvdia 6600GT PCI-e
OCModshop :: Sunday, February 19, 2006

Quote: “When all is said and done XFX has what it takes to be not only the cheapest but a quality product and organization..”

HSPC Tech Station PC Test Bench review
Driver Heaven :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
“The Tech Station is made of nonconductive, scratch-resistant plastic. No metal screws or brackets are exposed in any of the sensitive areas. The motherboard sits on protective rubber standoffs, the top shelf has a neoprene surface, and the test bench sits on 4 rubber feet. These features provide testing without the worries of frying your hardware like if you were working on a metal bench, your bedroom floor or wherever else you decide to do your testing.”

Disney’s MovieBeam First Look
Designtechnica :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
“MovieBeam, a venture formerly funded by just The Walt Disney Company, but now with backing as well from Intel, Cisco and several venture capital firms, is a new set top box ready to join the array of boxes already cluttering home entertainment systems across America. This latest unit though provides some of the most interesting promise: wirelessly downloaded movies from virtually every major Hollywood studio, including 20th Century Fox, NBC/Universal Studios, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Brothers Studios.

The MovieBeam set top box is priced at $199.99 after an introductory rebate. It comes preloaded with 100 mainstream movies across multiple genres and downloads 10 new movies a week – some new, some older popular favorites – via over-the-airwaves data casting technology which is carried on top of an existing PBS broadcasting infrastructure managed by National Datacast. As new movies are automatically downloaded, older movies are automatically deleted to keep the number at a constant 100. ”

ATI Radeon X1900 XTX Review
Hardware Secrets :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
“Radeon X1900 XTX, formerly known as R580, is the new high-end chip from ATI, replacing Radeon X1800 XT as the fastest GPU from ATI. We’ve got a reference sample for this new model from ATI, so we will compare its performance to other members of the Radeon X1000 series, to previous ATI chips and also with competing products from nVidia, namely GeForce 7800 GTX. ”

NGO NVIDIA Optimized Driver v1.8363 (x32/x64)
NGOHQ :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
Quote: “The NGO NVIDIA Optimized Driver is a tweaked version of the NVIDIA ForceWare driver. The main purpose is to satisfy the users with better performance and image quality. The Driver has support for all GeForce cards.”

Logitech Wireless Music System for PC Review
Everything USB :: Saturday, February 18, 2006
Hi folks, we just posted a review on the new Logitech Wireless Music System for PC. This kind of thing isn’t new; it basically streams media from your PC to a stereo wirelessly. Whereas most media receivers send tunes over WiFi or Ethernet, the Logitech avoids the traffic jam and configuration headaches using a widely-known wireless PAN technology – Bluetooth. And over this 2.4Ghz frequency, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (aka. A2DP) is the only option to transfer stereo audio from the USB transmitter to the receiver.

ATI v8.22.5 Display Drivers
Phoronix :: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Summary: “Yet again, the red has its monthly ritual of pumping out new display driver for its Microsoft Windows and Linux users. The drivers this month are version 6.2 for CATALYST and 8.22.5 for Linux fglrx. On the Linux side of things, support for the 2.6.15 kernel has finally been appended as well as fixing up a few IDs and preventing some crashes. Meanwhile, Windows CATALYST is prominent with its various amendments. Striking the scene this morning is our usual array of ATI Linux gaming benchmarks.”

Chaintech GeForce 6600 APOGEE VE 256MB DDR2
Techniz.co.uk :: Thursday, February 16, 2006

“The Chaintech GeForce 6600 APOGEE VE 256MB DDR2 PCI-Express graphic card is great mid range graphic card. The default performance for this card had been overclock 10% higher than the normal GeForce 6600. Thats why it is called the APOGEE which is means overclock version. The performance of this Chaintech GeForce 6600 APOGEE VE 256MB DDR2 PCI-Express graphic card is very good during our testing in various benchmark and games…..”

XFX GeForce 7800 GT 256MB DDR3 DUAL DVI VIVO PCI-E Video Card Review
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Hey, looking for an upgrade? Buying new system parts and don’t know what to get? Well, today we’re taking a look at XFX’s 7800GT. Come and see why it could be the card you’re looking to get!

HIS Radeon X1900 CrossFire Tested
TweakTown :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
QUOTE: “With the launch of the Radeon X1900XT and X1900XTX last month, CrossFire cards of this new Radeon series have already popped up at a few places but aren’t in full swing as most people would like. Today thanks to our friends over at HIS in Hong Kong we have got ourselves an X1900 master card along with an X1900XTX as a slave card.”

HIS X1600XT IceQ Turbo Edition
ViperLair :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
“Overall the HIS X1600XT IceQ Turbo is a good card and exudes the usual HIS quality we have come to expect but it is let down a little by the cards underlying architecture, as you are often left wondering what the card is waiting for. For the money you won’t be disappointed, but you might be happier stretching your wallet for a previous generation card that will perform as well or even better in some cases if AVIVO and ShaderModel 3.0 support isn’t big on your list of needs.”

Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide Rev. 10.0!
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Quote – “Covering over 260 desktop graphics cards, this comprehensive comparison allows you to easily compare 15 different specifications for each and every card! If you need to find out about the specification of any card, just come over and check out our Desktop Graphics Comparison Guide!

ATI All-In-Wonder X1900 256MB PCIE Video Card Video Review #649
3dgameman :: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

“The ATI All-In-Wonder X1900 256MB PCIE Video Card is everything you need in a Video Card and then some. There’s the gaming ending of things, with a high performance R580 chip offering 48 shader architecture. Then there’s the Video In/Video Out capabilities, not to mention the TV functionality. This is a fantastic product to hook up to a high definition display for gaming, movies, and much more. Have your cake and eat it to! Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

PowerColor Radeon X800 GTO 128MB PCI Express Video Card
Bona Fide Reviews :: Monday, February 13, 2006

Today we are reviewing their X800GTO 128MB video card, a scaled down version of their X800GTO 16 which features 4 more pixel pipes and 128MB more memory. This X800GTO is considerably cheaper however listed online at $115USD from Newegg, $70USD less than the 16 pixel pipe version.

Silverstone LC17 HTPC Case Review
Bjorn3D :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Emerging from another well-known case manufacturer a few years ago, SilverStone Technology has really taken off with much success in the aftermarket computer component industry. By specializing in high-quality enclosures, SilverStone has shown that they know what they are doing. One style of case that has been growing in popularity recently is the home theater PC case. Used to hold all of the needed hardware for an HTPC, it is often times very important for the case to be very stylish, yet subtle in order to blend in with the rest of one’s audio-visual setup. The SilverStone LC17 from the company’s Lascala series does a great job of offering enough space for all of the needed HTPC components, while also presenting a look that is sure to blend in with most home theaters.

Next Generation DVD Roadmap Editorial
The Tech Zone :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Next generation DVD was going to be a beautiful marriage that produced some beautiful, brilliant kids. It has also turned out to be a dysfunctional relationship. We won’t even discuss the outside influences that are ruining the relationship, like Tellywood’s DRM issues and high speed broadband that is “everywhere”, because there’s enough going on between the two and your options.

Samsung 244T
Overclockers Online :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Quote: Samsung has once again delivered an exceptional display product that’s far superior than any of the monitors I have worked with to date. The colors are exceptionally beautiful and there was no ghosting or blurring even during the most action packed scenes tested.

NEC MultiSync 1740CX 17″ LCD
Techgage :: Monday, February 13, 2006

Quote: Are you looking for a modestly sized LCD monitor, that rolls in at a good price and really delivers the picture quality you want? We are taking a look at a 17″ monitor from NEC that offers quite a bit in a relatively small package.

X1900 Launch Analysis by NVIDIA
techPowerUp! :: Monday, February 13, 2006
After ATI’s launch of the X1900 Series the people at NVIDIA sat down and took a close look at where the weak points are and where NVIDIA’s lineup is superior. This presentation compares X1900 performance against the 7800GTX and in the second part of the presentation tells us why SLI is better than Crossfire.

Sapphire Radeon X1600XT
Bytesector :: Monday, February 13, 2006
“The release of the X1000 series from ATI garnered a lot of attention for two main reasons. The first being the long awaited and long overdue support for image quality enhancing technologies such as SM3.0 and HDR, to name a few. The second is that the X1000 series is undoubtedly going to provide a card capable of competing with NVIDIA’s upper echelon of graphics cards-and we all know a little competition doesn’t hurt.”

Nvidia 7800GTX 256MB REBORN – Volt Mod Really Works completed.
TekBunker :: Monday, February 13, 2006
Quote. With Part 1 and part 2 now completed and posted, you can find a complete guide to Voltage modification and the 7800 GTX.

ATI Catalyst 6.2 Comparison on Technic3D
Technic3d :: Monday, February 13, 2006

ATI Catalyst 6.2 Comparison on Technic3D check it out

PowerColor ATI Radeon X1300 @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Friday, February 10, 2006

Quote: “I’ll admit it, I’m an NVidia Fanboy. My past experiences with ATI cards have been unsavory at best. Recently I upgraded my wife’s comp and had to get her a video card, I got an ATI for her only because it was on sale for $40. So I don’t have any major personal experience with ATI, recently I got for review a PowerColor ATI X1300, that’s what we will be taking a look at today. It is a PCIE card, so I stuck it in my main rig, replacing my NVIDIA 7800GTX, of course there is no comparison between the two cards, one costing $500 the other $100. I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the ATI card actually, I wasn’t expecting much for a ‘budget’ card, and it exceeded all my expectations. Let’s take a better look at it shall we?”

Silverstone SG01 Evolution Case
Phoronix :: Friday, February 10, 2006
Quote: There are a lot of us out there that would rather have a small form factor case than some gigantic tower taken up all the room on or underneath our desk. Here is when the SFF systems come into place. This is a place where Shuttle has reigned supreme for some time. But for those that have the time and the ability to customize a system to their own personal liking enter Silverstone. The reputation of Silverstone is that it is one of the best case manufacturers around. Sleek and classy lines have always dominated all of their towers and enclosures. Putting classy lines and SFF together we have the SG01 Evolution.

Gigabyte Radeon X1800 XL (GV-RX18L256V-B) Review
Bjorn3D :: Friday, February 10, 2006
The Gigabyte Radeon X1800 XL (GV-RX18L256V-B) that I have on the test bench today competes with NVIDIA’s GeForce 7800 GT. As such, I will be comparing it directly to a single XFX 7800 GT.

ATI All-In-Wonder X1900
Designtechnica :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“ATI’s latest All-in-Wonder card, the AIW X1900 uses the company’s latest and great GPU, borrowed from the X1900 series gaming cards, and includes video capturing and editing capabilities as well as an integrated television tuner complete with PVR and TV On-Demand functions. The X1900 GPU is a remarkable processor that performs extremely well in 3D environments; perfect for gamers. We have always been impressed with the premise behind the All-In-Wonder philosophy and we are still surprised to see ATI the only video card company to implement a product-line behind a video card that basically does everything. Previous All-In-Wonder cards that we have reviewed have pretty much been hit or miss, so we are excited to see what ATI has brought to the table this time around. ”

ATI Radeon X1900 All-in-Wonder
Bytesector :: Friday, February 10, 2006
“ATI has been a strong leader in the multimedia industry with their All-in-Wonder series and TV Wonder series solutions. Only a couple of weeks ago, I was writing about ATI’s X1800XL All-in-Wonder multimedia card and couldn’t find much to complain about. Today, I have the opportunity to take a look at their latest All-in-Wonder multimedia graphics card and see how it stands up in both gaming performance and multimedia performance. While everyone was busy raving about the X1900 graphics card launch, I was busy playing around with this newly acquired card and found out some surprising details about its technical specifications. This is no ordinary multimedia card and I can definitely say it is unlike any other X1900. Read on to find out why.”

Samsung DVD-HR720 DVD Recorder with built-in 120GB HDD Reviewed
Futurelooks :: Friday, February 10, 2006
HDD/DVD recorders are becoming more and more common in the marketplace. Samsung breaks the mould by introducig a unit that does MORE than just record and play back video! Check this out to see how the DVD-HR720 performs as a PVR and all-in-one media centre.

HIS X1600XT IceQ Turbo 256MB Dual DVI Video Card
Bona Fide Reviews :: Thursday, February 09, 2006

Quote: After reviewing the Sapphire X1300, we continue the X1K line of reviews with the HIS X1600XT Turbo. The X1600XT features the effective IceQ cooler which allows for it to be branded with the “Turbo” label. With the help of the IceQ cooler, HIS has created a X1600XT card that can be overclocked with a single click using their iTurbo utility. The recent announcements of the 7800GS and X1900XT have caused the X1600XT to be pushed even further down the food chain which is a very good thing for consumers due to competitive pricing of models. Image:

Nvidia in no rush to stamp out dangerous driver bug @ NGOHQ
NGOHQ :: Thursday, February 09, 2006
“Back on the 20th of October last year Nvidia Corporation introduced a new feature in their ForceWare 81.85 graphics card drivers. They called it “Direct Access”, and it was designed to enable users to control their monitors directly from the ForceWare control panel instead of the actual controls on their monitor. While it is nice to see Nvidia incorporating new features into their software, it turned out that there is an “evil side” to this Direct Access feature.”

ASUS Extreme N7300GS GeForce 7300 GS Graphics Card Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Sunday, February 05, 2006

While the focus is always on the sexy, high-end cards, the reality is that most cards being sold today are lower-end cards. Today, we will take a look at the latest entry-level card to come out of the ASUS factory – the ASUS Extreme N7300GS.

Based on the new NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS GPU, this card will be simple and affordable. But just how fast is it? Will you be able to play 3D games even using this entry-level card? Read on and find out! ”

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty review
Tech Spot :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
Enter the new Sound Blaster X-Fi series, a truly new soundcard release from Creative in several years. Based on a completely new audio processor that Creative Labs like to call the “Xtreme Fidelity Engine”, the chip was in development for five years at the Creative ATC (Advanced Technology Center) in California.

Having owned almost all of Creative’s soundcards since the SoundBlaster 16, I have had the chance to experience many of those incremental jumps in the technology used, be it on the hardware or software side (e.g. EAX), the X-Fi offers several significant architectural changes such as the Ring Architecture, S-SRC, Quartet DSP, as well as 24-bit Crystalizer, and CMMS-3D.

PowerColor X1900 XT — 48 Horsemen
Bjorn3D :: Sunday, February 05, 2006
The late introduction of R520 had caused ATI to speed up the introduction of its new products. Going by how the company handles kicker products, most of us assumed it would be just that; a refresh of the older SKUs. All in all, it was a hasty and wrongful assumption. ATI had been actually cooking something tasty for us – R580 which has been in production since November 30th 2005.

BFG 7800GS OC AGP Review
Neoseeker :: Friday, February 03, 2006
“We can see that when going from the 7800 GT PCI-Express to a reference 7800 GS AGP, NVIDIA has dropped the core clock speed by 25 MHz, bumped up the memory clock speed by 50 MHz (100 MHz effective), reduced the number of vertex and pixel shader pipes, and very surprisingly, cut the amount of ROP pipes to half. Doing some rough calculations, we can expect a reference GeForce 7800 GS to take about a 15-20% performance hit when compared to the 7800 GT. Please note that the sample sent to us by BFG Technologies belongs to their “OC” line-up, which enjoys slight bumps in core and memory clock speeds, as well as snazzier blue PCB and cooling systems — those are the numbers you see in brackets.”

ATI’s Radeon X1900 Video Card Series Part II @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Friday, February 03, 2006
“With a lower price than the competition, better availability, better performance in most every game, and the best feature set on the market, it is clear that ATI has stepped up to the plate and put one out of the yard with their X1900 series…”

Diamond Stealth X550
techPowerUp! :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Diamond Multimedia expands its offerings and adds the Stealth X550 to their lineup. This card is aimed at casual users surfing the web or building a HTPC system. The Stealth X550 is a cut above the onboard graphics solution and can overclock to X600 speeds. This entry-level card is good news for those on a low budget, so with card in hand let’s take a look at the Diamond Stealth X550.

nVIDIA 7800 GS Preview on Technic3D
OCModshop :: Friday, February 03, 2006

Quote: “With the 7800 gs presents nVidia again a AGP Card after newest technological standard.”

Albatron K8SLI @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Summary: “The Taiwan-based Albatron could be considered a heavy player in the motherboard industry, as well as graphics cards for that matter, but how does their most recent AMD SLI adventure perform? Albatron’s K8SLI packs in NVIDIA’s nForce4 SLI Chipset combined with the innovative features as a Zero Jumper Design, Dual BIOS, and Watch Dog Timer, will this Socket 939 SLI offering be the next item on your shopping list? We have this motherboard here today to answer some of these questions.”

XFX GeForce 7800 GS AGP Review @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Today, NVIDIA is releasing the GeForce 7800 GS AGP GPU. The reason for this launch is that end-users are not moving to the new PCI Express platform as fast as the company thought they would. So, with that happening, NVIDIA is bringing those users who do not have the funds or are not ready yet to take the plunge to get a new motherboard, CPU and GPU a GPU that will prolong the life of their systems.

BFG Tech’s GeForce 7800 GS OC AGP graphics card
The Tech Report :: Friday, February 03, 2006
OWNERS OF PC SYSTEMS with AGP slots have been getting the shaft lately when it comes to graphics cards. NVIDIA released its GeForce 7 series this past summer, and ATI has introduced not one, but two generations of high-end Radeon X1000-series GPUs. Yet neither company has seen fit to introduce a fast new AGP card, somehow figuring that the upgrade market would prefer PCI Express so overwhelmingly it didn’t matter. That seems to be a rather harsh assessment given the fact that one can slide an Athlon 64 X2 into a reasonably decent Socket 939 AGP mobo like the Asus A8V and get a dual-core CPU upgrade.

Fortunately, NVIDIA and BFG Tech are looking to right that wrong by introducing the GeForce 7800 GS OC, which brings the shader power of the GeForce 7 architecture to an AGP slot near you–or at least some of that shader power, anyhow. The GeForce 7800 GS is based on the same G70 GPU that powers other 7800-series graphics cards, but it’s cut down to a portion of the full functionality of a GeForce 7800 GTX. Does this G70 “lite” still have what it takes to dominate the AGP graphics upgrade market? Let’s find out.

XFX GeForce 6800GS Video Card Review @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Friday, February 03, 2006
“What do you do, or say to a company that does something as unfounded as discontinuing a perfectly acceptable card such as the 6800 Ultra? Well, when NVIDIA pulled off this stunt, we cried foul and sent several e-mails asking them on their ideology behind the move. We were told by a rather bemused character that 6800GS is the next step forward and that we should wait till we got our hands on one to make a final judgment. Fair enough.”

NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS Tech Report Posted!
Tech ARP :: Friday, February 03, 2006

Quote – “Budget cards are usually not sexy enough for hardware enthusiasts to warrant a second look. But the new NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS might just pack enough power to make advanced 3D gaming affordable, even for those with a very tight budget. Let’s take a look! ”

Klipsch iGroove Desktop Audio System for iPod
Bona Fide Reviews :: Friday, February 03, 2006

The iPod market just keeps on growing by leaps and bounds, and along with it, the market for accessory speaker systems. At last count I found over 50 auxiliary speaker systems for use with the iPod. Klipsch, one of America’s first high-end audio companies, has recently expanded their offerings in this market with the iGroove.

Nvidia ships their worst-kept secret: The GeForce 7800 GS
NGOHQ :: Friday, February 03, 2006
Quote: “It seems that NVIDIA and their OEMs are shipping GeForce 7800 GS cards to distribution centers around the globe. Some of the distributors are waiting for the official launch, but others can’t contain themselves and have started distributing cards already.”

News – nVidia 7800GTX 256MB REBORN
TekBunker :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Quote – The 7800GTx comes with 2 different voltages for the core, 2d mode and 3d mode of course. Adjusting the voltage in 2d mode affects the voltage in 3d mode. By default the Xfx7800GTx comes stock at 1.3V in 2D mode and goes up to 1.5V in 3D mode. The best place to check voltages and adjust is in Dos mode, or just boot your system and go to the bios setup screen.

Adjust voltages there, then load to windows run a game or any 3d application, and check to see what your volts are reading. With stock air cooling I would suggest to not go past 1.55V, otherwise up to 1.6V, with water cooling or liquid extreme do as your temps would allow. But too much voltage will still kill any card so be cautious. Always adjust Voltage in small increments.

PowerColor X800GTO16
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Quote: If you’re looking for a cheap upgrade and don’t have intention on using either CrossFire or SLI, the X800GTO16 is not a bad investment for anyone in the market not looking for bragging rights.

News: ATI’s All-In-Wonder X1900 graphics card
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
We’ve reviewed ATI’s All-In-Wonder video cards in the past, and we just recently examined the new Radeon X1900 family of graphics cards. Package together the standard suite of All-In-Wonder extras with a Radeon X1900 graphics processor, and you pretty much have the AIW X1900–a $499 graphics card with a laundry list of multimedia features that will record your favorite TV shows, let you edit family videos, play DVDs while you relax on the couch, slice through the latest 3D games with ease, feed the cat, and wash the dishes while you aren’t looking. It is, indeed, a wonder. However, each new All-In-Wonder packs so many features into one box, just understanding what all you’re getting with the product can be daunting.

ATI All-In-Wonder X1900 PCIe @ Viper Lair
ViperLair :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“Not everyone who buys a PC is a hardcore gamer, but there are a fair number of people who do kill time by blowing stuff up. At the same time, a lot of folks do more than just play games. Make no mistake, you probably are a “more than causal” gamer if you’re considering the AIW X1900 PCIe for a HTPC, and in our opinion, the All-In-Wonder X1900 PCIe is the All-In-Wonder card that HTPC and gaming enthusiasts have been waiting for.”

Altec Lansing AHP-712I Active Noise Reduction Headphones
Bona Fide Reviews :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“Noise canceling” headphones have been around for awhile, but only recently have the prices dropped to levels most of us can afford. While the BOSE Quiet Comfort 2 still reigns supreme in both price and performance, dozens of manufacturers, have introduced competing models at a fraction of the cost. A good example is Altec Lansing’s AHP 712i which sells at just a quarter of the price.

MSI RX1800XT-VT2D512E 512MB-Version RX1800XT Videocard
PCStats :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“For hardcore gamers, there is no other component in a computer more important than the videocard. Equip a state of the art AMD Athlon64 FX-60 or Intel Pentium Extreme Edition based system with a low end videocard and framerates will still crawl along… On the flip side, a high end videocard can breathe new life into an aging system even, and at the moment one of ATi’s best video processing units (VPU) is the Radeon X1800 XT. The MSI Radeon RX1800XT-VT2D512E videocard that is the focus of this review incorporates Radeon X1800 XT GPU and includes and extra 256MB memory above the standard amount, for a whopping 512MB GDDR3. The X1800 XT core hums along at 625 MHz, and the GDDR3 at a remarkable 1500MHz.”

Samsung SyncMaster 240T Review
Windows A to Z :: Wednesday, February 01, 2006
“At a very competitive price, the Samsung SyncMaster 240T is a very excellent choice for a LCD display. Its got a very big 20-inch display and looks stylish in any room. It is also excellent for a wide range of usability applications, such as graphic design and just casual computer usage. It should definitely be at the top of your LCD choices and our full review will tell you why.”

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