Tech News January 2006

NewsJan 31, 2006June 29, 20140

Sytrin KuFormula VF1 Plus
Phoronix :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Summary: “The Sytrin KuFormula VF1 Plus is one of the finest air solutions we have EVER laid our eyes on, and it is certainly a prime example of how a relative newcomer can shake the PC cooling industry with fresh thinking. During our testing, when this video cooling solution was maxed out on a GeForce 7800GTX, we had seen an incredible 12-21 Celsius drop in the core temperature! This product is definitely worth looking into with its near universal support for both ATI and NVIDIA products.”

Toshiba 512MB TransMemory Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Monday, January 30, 2006

Quote – “Unbeknownst to many, Toshiba actually makes flash memory drives! Renown worldwide for their high quality laptops and appliances, will their TransMemory drives reflect the same high standards? Read on and find out! ”

BFR Article: Oakley THUMP2 1GB MP3 Sunglasses
Bona Fide Reviews :: Monday, January 30, 2006
“It has been almost 10 months since our review of the original Oakley THUMP MP3 playing eyewear. I personally loved the original THUMP for being innovative as well as its sporty design. Today we move on from the beloved THUMP to their new brother; THUMP 2. The THUMP 2 are the latest from Oakley in their THUMP eyewear line and look to improve upon the original THUMP in many ways. The THUMP 2 come in 5 different versions that range in 256MB – 1GB of flash memory built-in. The model we have here to review is the top of the line Polished Black/Black Iridium 1GB eyewear.”

Thermaltake CircleFire Panel Review
Mikhailtech :: Monday, January 30, 2006

The unit itself weights in at 310g, hardly light. It measures 149 x 42 x 123mm and has a built-in 2 watt speaker in the center. Yes, 2 watts. Don’t expect serious audio (or any bass for that matter) with this panel. Below the speaker are two buttons: one for controlling volume and one for switching colors. Pressing the volume button cycles through high, medium, and low presets. Pressing the other button cycles through each of the 7 colors (which backlight the dB gauges). Pressing it once more enables the auto cycling, which basically flashes each of the colors in succession at a rate of approximately one color every 2-3 seconds.

Antec Phantom 500W PSU
Techgage :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Quote: Power supplies are an important part of our PC and should never be overlooked. Antec is one of the top makers in the market, due to their stability and build quality. We are taking a look at their 500W Phantom and see how it stands up to a Dual Core system.

New E3 Booth Babe Rules – Part 2
The Tech Zone :: Monday, January 30, 2006

Since the ESA dropped the anti-provocative booth babe bomb, message forums have been flooded by people from all camps. Some think the show should be cancelled completely. Others will miss the display of skin, but are glad that the focus will be more on the games. And then there are those that don’t really care either way because they are immune to the magnetism of hot women promoting videogames. This isn’t another article debating the ESA’s decision or pondering the need for booth babes. We here at TTZ have decided to approach the issue from a very different perspective. What perspective am I referring to? Has anyone considered the huge impact that this will have on the economy??

Corsair 2048 MB XMS 3500 LL Pro Series Memory Review at 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Corsair is one of the premier memory producers in the world. Their products are easily accepted as some of the highest quality memory on the market and the Pro Series modules brought LED activity indicators to Random Access Memory. With the overclockability of the AMD64 line of processors this product would be the perfect fit for the gamer looking to squeeze a little bit more performance from their machine by pushing the front side bus from 200 to around 218 Mhz. This moderate overclock, while not exactly in line with the hardcore overclockers pushing 800 – 1000 Mhz on the AMD64 platform, would fit the needs of the tweaker / gamer perfectly.

Computer Power User (CPU) magazine giveaway at CaseModGod.com
Case Mod God :: Monday, January 30, 2006

Summary: CaseModGod and Computer Power User (CPU) magazine are giving away three 1 yr subscriptions plus 5 issues of the PC Modder reference series magazine. The three 1-year subscriptions will be given away one a week for 3 weeks. The five issues of the PC Modder reference series magazine will be given out at random to our forum members only.

Mad Catz iPod Nano Case @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Monday, January 30, 2006
“If I invented a time machine, I am sure I could do any number of great things. Firstly, I think I would find some way for the Pistons to beat the Spurs in last season’s NBA Finals. I would go back in time and persuade my parents to re-mortgage the house and buy lots of stock in Google at the IPO. I would sue for world peace. I would end starvation in the third world. I would give gifts to all the good little boys and girls. And yes, I wouldn’t forget to return to the eventful afternoon I bought ….”

Asus’s A8R-MVP motherboard
The Tech Report :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Fortunately, the CrossFire Edition chipset has an ace up its sleeve. Its north bridge is capable of interfacing with alternative south bridge chips, including those built by ULi. Asus has taken advantage of that capability with the A8R-MVP, a CrossFire-capable motherboard built with ULi’s M1575 south bridge. The M1575 fills in many of the features missing from the SB450, and it shouldn’t suffer from the I/O performance problems that afflict the SB450.

Of course, the A8R-MVP is more than just a showcase for a unique chipsets combo. At under $100 online, it’s also one of the most affordable CrossFire boards around. Oh, and it overclocks like a mofo, too. Keep reading for more on what may be the most attractive CrossFire board on the market.

160GB Seagate Momentus 5400.3 2.5″ Hard Drive
Big Bruin :: Monday, January 30, 2006

Quote: The launch of the Seagate Momentus 5400.3 series of 2.5″ hard drives promised great things, and initial testing of the 160GB model confirm many of these items. The increased capacity, reduced heat, low noise, and strong performance were all easy to document. If you want to investigate the increased shock tolerance, you’re on your own!

PCApex Editorial
PimpRig :: Monday, January 30, 2006
“I had known that our name needed to be changed for some time. Over the past few years I have had ad agencies and manufacturing companies alike who told me outright that they could not work with us because of our name alone. You can imagine how frustrating it is to hear that after spending over 70 hours in a week working on the site. Even though the name PimpRig attracted visitors due to its uniqueness it has also repelled or negatively influenced others opinions of us.”

Targus ChillHub Laptop USB 2.0 Cooling Pad Review
Laptop Lifestyle :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Is your laptop overused? Does it overheat, slowdown or freeze? Are you running out of USB ports? If so the Targus ChillHub Laptop cooling pad may be the answer you have been looking for.

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro review @ DH
Driver Heaven :: Monday, January 30, 2006

“Today we have another Arctic Cooling cooler for evaluation, the Freezer 7 Pro. The Freezer 7 Pro is nearly identical to the Freezer 64 Pro which our fellow Steve “Chaos” Ruxton reviewed a short while ago, with the exception that the Freezer 7 Pro is meant to be mounted on a LGA775 socket motherboard. Mounting differences aside, the two coolers appear to be identical. That is not entirely true however as the Freezer 7 Pro is using a different, slightly faster and 4-pin powered fan, which can be controlled via PWM as well.”

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
Driver Heaven :: Monday, January 30, 2006
Today we have another Arctic Cooling cooler for evaluation, the Freezer 7 Pro. The Freezer 7 Pro is nearly identical to the Freezer 64 Pro which our fellow Steve ?Chaos? Ruxton reviewed a short while ago, with the exception that the Freezer 7 Pro is meant to be mounted on a LGA775 socket motherboard. Mounting differences aside, the two coolers appear to be identical. That is not entirely true however as the Freezer 7 Pro is using a different, slightly faster and 4-pin powered fan, which can be controlled via PWM as well

Guide: merliniplexi 2.0 Guide: Part II
GideonTech :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“This is the second part of a multipart guide dealing with the construction of the merliniplexi 2.0 Plexiglas case. In this guide, we will be discussing detail finishing of the case.”

ASRock 775XFire-eSATA2
Phoronix :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Summary: “Prepped for Microsoft Windows Vista, Untied Overclocking Technology, ATI’s CrossFire, and four SATA 2 ports, has ASRock finally managed to hit primetime with its creative product offerings? Up on the review block today we have the world’s first complete look at ASRock’s latest-and-greatest, which comes in form of the 775XFire-eSATA2.”

DH Article: Overclocking the Radeon X1800XL
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
So, with a new taking the world by storm, why focus on a soon-to-be-previous generation model? The reason is simple, and it?s the reason that drives a great volume of cards in the market: the price ? performance ratio. The Radeon X1800 XL is an often underappreciated but still great card, with a great feature set, and even greater performance. Its price will probably drop in coming weeks as the new cards arrive in stores, making it an even greater value ? and here we are, to explore its overclocking potential, so as to see whether we can get even more value from this card.

Noctua NH-U9 Heatsink @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Quote: A relative new-comer to the heatsink market, Noctua have started on the right foot by embracing the latest technology; heatpipes. Their two latest heatsinks, the NH-U9 and the NH-U12 are the first products we see from this company. With a surface area of 5000cm² (NH-U12) and 3800cm² (NH-U9) and the ability to have either a 120mm (NH-U12) or 92mm (NH-U9) fan coupled with it makes for promising stats, but do the figures relate to high performance?

How To: Get Windows Live! Mail Beta
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“Curious about Windows new Live! Program thats been running for sometime now? Well, here’s an interesting hack that will get you a Windows Live! Mail account.”

AC Ryan Backy
Think Computers :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Quote: “If you are a modder you already know about AC Ryan, or you certainly should. AC Ryan is one of the leaders in modding supplies, with everything from Cold Cathode lights, fans, modding mesh, plastics and tons of great doohickeys that help make any mod just that much cooler. So it’s no surprise that they have just the right gadgets to make modding easier. Such is the case with the Backy. The concept is fairly simple and straight-forward, it’s been done before but not with so many flavors and combinations as AC Ryan provides. The item I am reviewing here is a back plate device that brings your molex power connector, 2 pin power connector and SATA power connector to the outside of your case so you can plug in your devices without having to crack the case to do so.”

Corsair 2GB XMS 4000PT DDR Memory Kit Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Quote: “Compared to the Value ram, Corsairs XMS 4000PT is definitely a lot faster. The ability to reliably go to 250mhz speeds (when paired with a motherboard capable of it) means that you don’t need to sacrifice speed for capacity”

Antec P180 Advanced Super Mid-Tower Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

“The P180 includes two separate compartments for cooling the internal drive bays which Antec calls the Upper and Lower Air Filter Doors. Each compartment includes a 120mm fan mount and swing away door that shields an air filter which is attached to the internal chassis via 4 plastic clips. The air filter aids in keeping dust from entering inside the case and is completely removable when maintenance is required.”

Sytrin KuFormula VF1 Plus @ pyroCPU
Phoronix :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Summary: “We have attained a document from Sytrin in regards to the KuFormula VF1 Plus, which has been in development for nearly a year now. No, it is not a CPU cooler but rather focuses upon cooling the most demanding of ATI and NVIDIA graphics cards. Contained inside of this document is a graph demonstrating an impressive 9.3 Celsius advantage over the Arctic Cooling NV Silencer Revision 2! Will the Sytrin KuFormula VF1 series be the next killer cooler? We have shared some comments in regards to this product, as we had taken part in the project since its conception back in May of 2005, as well as this document. The new VF1 coolers should be available soon.”

Zalman ZM-460APS Noiseless Power Supply Review
MVK Tech :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“Zalman introduced the ZM460-APS power supply around 2 months ago as an ultra quiet 460W power supply supporting Intel and AMD based systems. We have gotten the opportunity to shed some light on this new powerful but noiseless power supply which meets the latest ATX power standards. Zalman has on top of their older already very silent power supplies improved their noise prevention system by using an auto controlled cooling fan. So without holding you all up let’s dig into the new Zalman ZM460-APS PSU.”

X-Micro Video MP3 400 1GB @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Quote: “With the advent of the video iPod, Mp3 player makers need to find ways to compete. There are numerous video Mp3 players on the market today. X-Micro is one of them, and for review today I have their 1Gigabyte Video Mp3 400 Player. I have to say I was a bit excited about getting this for review as it really seems like a cool and interesting product. The X-Micro Video Mp3 400 is feature packed and could be considered a multimedia entertainment center for your pocket. Unlike the iPod, this player has lots more useful features that I believe will make it stand out from the crowd.”

Spire RockeTeerV 500W EZ-Cable Gaming Power Supply Review
3dXtreme :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Today 3DXtreme is taking a look at the new Spire SP-500W – RockeTeer V™, 500W EZ-Cable Gaming Power Supply. Some of features that it boasts are Modular EZ-Cable Power Connectors, Two Blue LED Dual Ball Bearing fans, 3 Speed Variable Fan Speed Auto-Control, Two SATA Power Connectors, Thermo-Reactive Cooling System and a few others that we will be covering with the review.

eBuyer set to withdraw from the US market
Hexus :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Speaking exclusively to HEXUS, eBuyer one of the UK’s homegrown etailers, has confirmed its intention to close the doors on its US business activities.

Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000
The Tech Lounge :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

“Microsoft has jumped straight into the laser mouse fray with the likes of Logitech and Razer. However, Microsoft is hardly new to the game and usually put together decent input devices. Previous laser mice I have reviewed have been primarily gaming specific, and while Microsoft doesn’t blatantly tout this particular mouse as being a gamer’s best friend, I certainly won’t shy away from giving it a good first person shooter thrashing.”

Project Gotham Racing 3
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“The next generation of gaming is finally upon us with the launch of Microsoft?s Xbox 360 which is sure to bring with it some innovative titles. However today we?re looking at the return of an old favorite. The Project Gotham Racing series, originally started on Xbox, is famous for its innovative blend of simulation and arcade physics and creating a memorable drifting experience. PGR3 was a launch title for the new 360 and is essentially a revamped version of PGR2 with a few extra features including Gotham TV. So as well as being one of your first chances to experience all the 360 has to offer, chances are that PGR3 will most likely be your only way to get behind the wheel of the world?s fastest super cars?let?s see what it’s like..”

Steganos LockNote 1.0
Techgage :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Quote: Do you like the simplicity of Notepad, but want the security of Steganos? That’s where LockNote comes in to play, which protects your text with 256-Bit encryption. This is also the very first Steganos product to be labeled as freeware, and it’s even open source!

Webmail Service Face-Off
PC Mechanic :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Is one better than the others?Like mentioned above, there are many free Webmail providers which let you choose a personal email address and store your messages on a dedicated server. Generally, the application process is very straight forward. You enter a little information, create your desired email address and password, and within seconds you have a free, fully functional email account. But, what is it that separates one provider from another? Don’t they all accomplish the same thing?

Thermalright HR-01-775 (High Riser) Passive CPU Heatsink Review #644:
3dgameman :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

“When looking for a heatsink or cooler there are a few things you want to look for. Normally look for one which is copper or copper/aluminum combination, but this will increase the cost. This heatsink is all aluminum but it utilizes 8 towering heatpipes and countless fins. This more than makes up for it not being copper, although if it were copper the performance would probably be even better. That being said, the performance of this heatsink is excellent and that’s what counts…” ~3dGameMan.com

CoolerMaster Musketeer 3 Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Modding Malaysia :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Content: “Cooler Master Musketeer 3 is a very interesting function panel with back yellow light analog dial UV meter. Musketeer 3 is not only has the look but also has decent audio performance using vacuum tube technology. The front audio output jack is convenient for headphone users. If you are looking for an attractive function panel, you should really have a look on this Cooler Master Musketeer 3. Its price is around 45USD/ RM185 although it is a bit expensive, you won’t regret spending your money on it, that’s for sure.”

Vantec Vortex 2 HDD Cooler @ Techgage
Techgage :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Quote: Keeping your hard drive at a healthy temperature is essential in prolonging it’s life, and in keeping your data safe. We are taking a look at another Vantec HDD cooler called the Vortex 2, and we have high hopes for this one.

PC Power & Cooling 1KW PSU Review @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Have two video cards, two optical drives, three hard drives and a plethora of other components in your PC? If so, you might wonder if your PSU is struggling. Well, there’s certainly no struggling for PC Power & Cooling’s Turbo-Cooling 1KW. Check out our review of this powerful beast!

Gigabyte 8N-SLI Quad Royal
TweakTown :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
QUOTE: “With new agreements with Intel, nVidia has acquired the licence to produce Netburst supporting chipsets, which has now led to the release of the nForce 4 Intel Edition based chipsets. The first chip based for this technology was simply not fully up to specs and plagued with compatibility problems with the Pentium-D and Pentium Extreme Edition CPU’s, nVidia has moved to producing a second generation of chipset supporting Dual PCI Express x16 graphics slots.”

Zalman ZM460-APS
Overclockers Online :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Quote: The Zalman ZM460-APS power supply is quite the unit. It can be a difficult hunt finding the right power supply that offers quality power output that won’t cost your system its stability. The Zalman provides this and is able to do it quietly.

Corsair Secure Digital 133x
Phoronix :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Summary: “From the Flash Voyager to COOL Water Cooling, Corsair has proven time and time again that they are able to offer exceptionally designed products just not when it comes to their system memory origins but whatever they focus their attention upon. Under our microscope today, we have the Secure Digital 133x series to see if the product lives up to Corsair name we have all become to know and appreciate.”

Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro Heatsink Fan
SystemCooling :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

snip: “In addition to the very popular VGA Silencer line of video card coolers, Arctic Cooling provides thermal cooling solutions for modern CPU’s and PC enclosures. The new Freezer 7 Pro (Intel) and Freezer 64 Pro (AMD) are their latest, high-performance heatsink fans. These new CPU coolers utilize heat pipes and a special integrated Arctic Cooling fan, which promises powerful cooling with minimal noise. The Freezer Pro’s are compatible with all modern Pentium socket 775 and Athlon 64 socket 754/939/940 processors including the latest dual-core models.”

Nexus 350W Silent NX-9003 SFB Power Supply w/ Security Fan Backup Review #643:
3dgameman :: Thursday, January 26, 2006

“One of the first things you will probably notice is the low wattage of this Power Supply. Well, don’t let that fool you. While it’s not going to give the kind of power an efficient 500W or larger PSU would, it does provide 350 watts of very high quality power. Being only 350 watts does have it’s advantages though. It means that with a low amount of efficient power you can provide a silent PSU which is still Active PFC. You would be much better off with this product than a generic 600W power supply…” ~3dGameMan.com

Thermaltake Max 4 Hard drive Enclosure Case Review
3dXtreme :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
“I would recommend the A2295 Max 4 to any one who is looking for a functional easy to use way to backup their important files on a regular basis. The ThermalTake Max 4 is a must have for all households that want to back up those irreplaceable family picture’s, IRS tax forms, Mp3 music, or all around raw data.”

Abit merges with USI
t-break :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
Taipei, Taiwan, January 25, 2005 – ABIT Computer Corporation, maker of high-performance motherboards and PC peripherals, today announced a definitive agreement to enter a long-term strategic partnership with Universal Scientific Industrial Co., Ltd. (USI), leading global company in the DMS industry. USI is recognized as the strategic DMS partner for global brands in the 4C (Computing, Communications, Consumer Electronics and Car Electronics) industries. Integrating its core technologies of Computing, Wireless Communication and Video/Audio Processing, USI offers high quality, value-added and cost-competitive products covering 4C application fields. This merger enables USI to effectively penetrate the retail motherboard channel with the world’s 4th largest branded motherboard maker, and allows ABIT to leverage a world-class manufacturing and service network.

Gigabyte’s i-RAM storage device
The Tech Report :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
Those dissatisfied with the performance of mechanical storage solutions can tap solid-state storage devices that substitute silicon for spinning platters. Such devices shed the mechanical shackles that limit hard drive performance, but they’ve hardly been affordable options for most users. Then Gigabyte unveiled the i-RAM, a $150 solid state-storage device that plugs directly into a motherboard’s Serial ATA port, accommodates up to four run-of-the-mill DDR SDRAM modules, and behaves like a normal hard drive without the need for additional drivers or software.

Gigabyte first demoed the i-RAM at Computex last summer, and cards have finally made their way to the North American market. One has also made its way to our labs, where it’s been packed with high-density DIMMs and run through our usual suite of storage tests. Read on for more on how the i-RAM works, what its limitations are, and how its performance compares with a collection of single hard drives and multi-disk arrays.

Microsoft Still Working on BC Games
IGN :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
January 23, 2006 – Microsoft still plans on making Xbox 360 backward compatible (BC) games prior to March 2006, the company told IGN today, contradicting a report posted earlier alleging it has halted work on said titles.

In an official but canned statement, Microsoft said this: “The backward compatibility updates are not on hold, and we’re working to deliver them as soon as possible. We don’t yet have a delivery date for these and will update you as soon as we can.”

Microsoft said the information originally generated from a podcast that was misinterpreted.

Several sites had allegedly received information claiming that they had been “informed that there are going to be no more Backward Compatibility updates released for the Xbox 360 until March at the earliest. Microsoft’s David Reid has stated that the team who do the BC work are on holiday throughout January and will start work on priority titles when they return. But from what it sounds like, there will be only a few more updates released through 2006.”

Microsoft has not updated the backward compatible list since December 2005.

Club-3D 7800GT 256MB video card
ViperLair :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
“The Club-3D 7800GT 256MB has come through our tests as one of the best performing cards around. The overall package is nice, although you can probably find a better package from other manufacturers, they will likely cost more. You get everything you need and a few extras to boot but the package is really all about the card; which is as it should be.”

Xion II ATX PC Case Review
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Today, we look at the Xion II PC case. It’s a cool and simple case with a theme that looks eerily familiar. Can someone say, Microsoft Xbox? Let’s find out if it is just more than looks.

GAIM v2.0.0 BETA
Phoronix :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Summary: “After last month’s release of GAIM v2.0.0 BETA 1, just hours ago we were greeted by the launch of the official BETA 2 release. They hope no major changes will occur between this latest BETA and the release candidate and there is no expected date yet announced, other than saying that the final release will be out before proving the theory of special relativity. GAIM v2.0.0 does not and will not include support for voice or video support on Google Talk, as well as any other protocol with the BETA candidate, but today we have yet re-examined GAIM 2 BETA 2 and have posted some images from a freshly compiled copy. For the uninitiated, GAIM is a multi-protocol instant messaging client available on Linux while a Microsoft Windows port is also available.”

R580: ATI Radeon X1900 XTX and Crossfire Review
Beyond3D :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Had we gone by the history of ATI’s product refreshes we’d be forgiven for thinking that this would be little more than a slightly warmed over R520 chip, tweaked to yield at higher clock speeds. However, roadmaps leaked sometime ago, with curious configuration indicators would suggest that this wasn’t the case for R580. The roadmaps indicated a configuration of 16-1-1-1 for R530 and 16-1-3-1 for R580. It wasn’t until RV530 (Radeon X1600) was fully understood did these descriptions become clearer as to their intent; with a configuration signalled on the roadmap as 4-1-3-2 for RV530 it become clear that the numbers represented the number of “pipelines” (even though ATI’s engineering didn’t like this terminology), the number of texture units per pipeline, parallel shader ALUs per pipeline and the number of Z samples per pipeline. When this is extrapolated back to R580 it would appear to mean that the pixel shader pipelines would be increased threefold over R520, sounding a little absurd to some…

PICO-PSU (smallest psu worldwide) review
Epiacenter.com :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
“It’s just a little bit larger then a normal size ATX connector but it’s more powerful then an ordinary ATX connector and best of all, it’s yellow. After some time of reasearching, the guys from Ituner managed to create what is now the smallest PSU on the world.”

Dude, that’s lame! New E3 Booth Babe Rules
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

If you have a keen eye, you will notice that the girls have an extra piece of black fabric surrounding their posterior in the second picture. Why is this you ask? Were they getting cold in the exhibition hall? No, they weren’t. The picture on the right is taken on the second day of the show, after the models were warned that they were being too provocative. As a male, I didn’t know that was possible.

ECS PF5 Extreme
techPowerUp! :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
From a feature perspective ECS offers a very well rounded board with the PF5 Extreme. Having one Gigabit and one Fast Ethernet port is exactly the combination which I think is a good compromise between speed and price. Getting six SATA ports and two PCI-E x16 ports for around $120 is also very nice. However, if you are looking into overclocking more than just a little bit this board might not for you. It has quite a few issues when it comes to overclocking.

Crucial Ballistix GB (2*512) Kit @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Quote: When you think of memory, there are several brand names that any self respecting overclockers will spew forth. Corsair, OCZ, Kingston . However one name that is never missed off that list of greats is Crucial. Their memory modules are known the world over for their high Overclockability and their blisteringly tight timings. Recently Crucial were kind enough to send me their GB PC4000 DDR500 kit, this is how it performed.

First Looks from Taiwan – ATI Radeon X1900XTX 512MB
TweakTown :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
QUOTE: “Moving forward, our friends at Gigabyte were kind enough to kick off the trend by letting us into their offices down south of Taipei for a full day last week to test ATI’s new R580 graphics card. The R580 is a refresh version of the R520 GPU (X1800 series) and comes under the name of the X1900 series; specifically we are testing the most high-end X1900XTX 512MB today.”

The Radeon X1900 @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The high-end video card war continues with ATI’s latest GPU X1900 (R580). Sporting 3 times the pixel shader processors over the X1800XT and twice as many as the GeForce 7800GTX ATI has release a real power-horse. Even more important is the fact that the cards already are in stock in some online-stores which means it isn’t a paper-launch.

Windows Vista Build 5270 Review
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
“A while back, when Microsoft announced its decision to no longer release a monthly CTP for Vista, we were a bit worried, since we wanted to follow-up on the latest developments of Microsoft’s next-gen. operating system (though Microsoft promised to update current versions via critical updates). To Microsoft’s credit, it has kept its word and has released an update sooner than we had anticipated, and needless to say, the changes in this release are substantial.”

OrigenAE S210 case: 12 hard drive bays and 12 inch LCD Screen front
HTPCnews :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

“The inside of this case is something different than anything we’ve seen before here at HTPCnews. If you look at the mounting system and structure of the case, it doesn’t look like a metal in this picture. However, it is Aluminum that has been melted and mixed with a noise absorption material that bonds directly with the aluminum… …This was OrigenAE’s solution to quieting 12 hard drives in one case.”

Targus Urban Series Messenger Laptop Bag Review
Laptop Gamers :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Targus is well known as a leader for all things related to laptops. From their series of laptop bags, to all sorts of accessories from mice, power supplies, and cooling devices, every product gets a reasonable level of design and thought to make a mobile techie’s life easy. This latest series of laptop bags known as “Urban”. Using durable materials and built-in concessions for your Digital Lifestyle Devices (i.e.: Cell Phones and MP3 Players), the Urban Series is built for the young mobile professional. Let’s find out how this case survives out in the real world.

X-Micro Mini DisGO 20GB Portable Hard Drive @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Quote: “Today I have the first in a series of reviews of X-Micro products. It is called the Mini DisGo; it is a portable storage device, specifically a very small hard drive. It is self-powered by USB, has a nice aluminum casing and all around just looks cool. In today’s world it just seems that there is never enough space especially for transporting data from place to place. Sure flash drives are becoming larger in capacity, but until they reach the multiple gigabyte mark we will need alternative ways to efficiently and quickly transfer data from place to place. X-Micro and several other companies have provided a solution to this in the form of mini hard drives. Today I have for review the 20 gigabyte version of the X-Micro Mini DisGo.”

AMD Athlon 64 New Stock Heatsink with 4 Heat Pipes Reviewed
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Quote: “When it comes free of charge, it may not be bad or an underperformer. The new and improved heatsink from AMD retail pack 165 Opteron comes with 4 heat pipes, topped with 80 x 20mm delta fan with built in temp sensor that will reach 5,200 rpm when it is called for the tough job(s), yet runs quietly during light duty even at 800Mhz overclocked speed.”

Nero 7 Ultra Edition @ Techgage
Techgage :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Quote: Nero has released a new version of their Ultimate Edition and we are here to take a look at what’s new and upgraded. There’s so much packed into this bundle, but is it worth your hard earned cash?

AzenX Evo-Jet 2in1 Heatsink @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Quote: If I was to mention the name Dynatron, chances are that a few of you would not know who I am speaking of. But if you are a network technician or work in the technical aspects of computing, you know that Dynatron is one of the largest manufacturers of server cooling. And to aid in their transition into the PC enthusiast market, they with the aid of Azenx for marketing has released the Evo-Jet heatsink.

The Battle For The Digital Home @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Forget about the DVD Format of the future skirmish. We’re looking at the collision course of death stars. Jobs has the Mac Mini. Otellini has the ViiV. Gates has Vista. Ruiz and Dell say we’ll have what they are having. Different platforms. Different approaches. Different views of the future. Tellywood and the RIAA aren’t happy with any of them. They are marshalling their Congressional storm troopers and saying not with our content you won’t!

Ministry of Sound StikAx @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Quote: “The StikAx from Ministry of Sound is a device to help budding mixmasters and DJ’s create new and creative music mixes, put together elaborate audio and video presentations and in general have a lot of fun. The device comes with the software and sound samples you need to get started right away. Ease of use and intuitive design make the StikAx fun and enjoyable.”

Memorex iPod Wraps @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
“Everyone else is cashing on iPod’s success, so why not Memorex? At this year’s CES, Memorex was showcasing its iPod Wraps, which, as the name suggests, are designed to wrap around the iPod. The wraps are filled with colorful patterns to give your iPod that vibrant feel.”

VoIP and the Leap of Faith
Designtechnica :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
“I knew Verizon was no longer interested in having me as a customer when I returned from vacation to find zero messages on my desk phone’s answering machine. And so began a long series of events that culminated in the termination of my land-line account. My two phone lines are now served by different technologies, one of which is Verizon’s number-one source of fear and loathing: VOIP!

The decision to cut my land line was not taken lightly. I am a Bell Babymy father worked for the Bell System back when that was virtually the only phone company in America. I had been a Verizon customer for 25 years. The first time I wrote a check to the company it was called the New York Telephone Company. Then it became NYNEX, Bell Atlantic, and finally Verizon. I’d always assumed I’d be a Verizon customer for life. But life has a way of overturning assumptions.!”

Cell Phones Go Small, Medium and Large @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
“At this year’s show, a plethora of companies were showcasing their sleek and sexy cell phones, but there were also rather healthy looking phones on displays as well. Since the market is demanding sleek and sexy designs, why are companies continuing with bulky counterparts?”

Raidmax RX-9 ATX Gaming Case
Big Bruin :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Quote: The RX-9 is a tool-less case, which means that in theory you shouldn’t need any tools to get it up and running. I did find that you need a screwdriver for the usual suspects, such as mounting your motherboard, and securing your power supply. As a tool-less case, the drive bays use a pin and latch method for securing your drives. These have been used on other cases, and I have found them to be reliable.

Zalman ZM460-APS 460W Quiet Power Supply Review #642:
3dgameman :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

“Need an ultra quiet Power Supply and require lots of quality power? If so, keep this product at the very top of your list. With 460 watts of very efficient power it will easily satisfy most power hungry computer systems. Since it is so efficient, it requires much less cooling power and the 120mm fan is almost silent, especially when PSU is inside the computer case. Let’s not forget, it comes with dual +12V rails…” ~3dGameMan.com

GeIL DAViD 100 Series Dual Channel USB Pen Drive @ Techniz
Techniz.co.uk :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

“The GeIL DAViD 100 Series Dual Channel USB Pen Drive is a newer technology of flash drive with the rated speed of 198X (30Mb/sec Read & 20Mb/sec Write speed). The size that available for the DAViD Pen Drive is 512MB, 1GB and 2GB. As for the color selection, it also available in two color for the user to choose, which is the gold and titanium color. With the dual channel transfer rate technology, the pen drive was perform extremely fast during our testing….”

XGI Volari 8300 Graphics Card Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Quote – ” Not everyone is crazy about the latest high-end graphics card, or their insane prices. There are many people who just want something simple, functional and.. cheap.

SilverStone Strider ST56F 560W @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Summary: “When it comes to SilverStone Technology, although they have only been in existence for a few years now, their popularity continues to increase with gamers and enthusiasts alike. Their popularity is not simply rising due to an increase in publicity, or making a couple attractive products, but since their conception they have proved to be an excellent manufacturer and put incredible artisanship in all of their products from Temjin cases to Zeus power supplies. The product we have up on our bench today is the latest from the SilverStone Strider series and it is the ST56F 560W unit. The SilverStone ST56F claims Active Power Factor Correction, dual +12V rails, dual PCI-E connectors, and a silent operation.”

Coolermaster Susurro Athlon 64 Heatsink Review
Madshrimps :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Quote: “Today we take a closer look at a new Coolermaster heatsink which is aimed at the family/office PC market. A compact design with a custom 92mm auto sensing fan, copper design and easy installation, let’s find out if it can pass our stress tests”

St. Louis Gaming: LL9 @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
“Several hours and countless frags later, the door prize time had come. Every prize had to go, and almost every LANner walked home with something cool to play with. Finally, after the tourneys had ended, the food was exhausted, and the caffeine effect had begun to wane, everyone packed up and headed home, yawning widely and sorting through their new gear.”

Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe review
OcPrices :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Quote: “It wasn’t so long ago that we took a look at the superb Asus A8N SLI Premium edition board, and found it to be both a very capable performer and also packed with as many features as you are ever likely to need. Never one to rest on their laurels however, Asus has updated the specification of their flagship model to the A8N32 SLI Deluxe, which sports an even better specification thanks to the inclusion of two 16x PCI express lanes rather than a single 16x that split into 8x when using the board in SLI.”

NiBiTor v2.6a Released
MVK Tech :: Monday, January 23, 2006
“MVKTech has just released a new version of NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) software. NiBiTor is the original and defenitive BIOS tweaker that supports the latest NVIDIA graphics cards. NiBiTor allows graphics card enthusiasts to have full control over advanced features and functionality found on firmware on supporting cards. This to gain some extra performance, enable hidden features and extra stability on the NVIDIA graphics cards.”

Tyan Tomcat i7230A S5160
Phoronix :: Monday, January 23, 2006

Summary: “The latest Tyan motherboard to have entered the Phoronix facilities was the K8E-SLI S2866, which was a Socket 939 solution with an nForce Professional 2200 Chipset. Up for review today, we have Tyan’s latest-and-greatest on the Intel server side of things, and making its appearance, is the Tomcat i7230A S5160. The i7230A features dual PCI Express connectors, two Broadcom LAN controllers, XGI Volari graphics, and the Mukilteo Chipset.”

Enermax Noisetaker AX 600W Power Supply @ SystemCooling
SystemCooling :: Monday, January 23, 2006

snip: “Coolergiant Computers, Inc. is the USA subsidiary of Enermax Technology. In addition to a full line of PC power supplies, their products also include numerous cases and peripheral devices for the PC enthusiast. Enermax currently offers seven different models in the Noisetaker AX line of switching power supplies, ranging in capacity from 260W to 600W. Coolergiant kindly sent us the flagship Noisetaker AX 600W model for this review.”

Elite Pretenders
PC Mechanic :: Monday, January 23, 2006
My hard drive is bigger than yours! It has to be the lamest thing I’ve ever heard; but sadly enough, I heard it. Of the dumbest things someone can say, this one quote has to rank up towards the top.

FW: Foxconn 6150K8MA Mainboard Review
Overclocker Café :: Monday, January 23, 2006

The Overclocker Cafe has posted a review of the micro ATX Foxconn 6150K8MA mainboard. The 6150K8MA sports onboard video for the Athlon 64 folks who may be searching for a AMD HTPC base or simply a small and inexpensive board that doesn’t skimp on features. Here’s a snip of what the OCC gang have to say about it.

The only thing you can say negatively about the 6150K8MA is a point that is mitigated almost into neutrality; that of video output. Yes, the Foxconn 6150K8MA lacks the current high definition outputs to feed a HDTV however, how many HTPC systems don’t sport at least a moderate range VGA card and TV card such as the Hauppauge TVR? Not many.

Coolink Swif 80mm, 92mm and 120mm Silent Fans Reviewed
HardExtreme.org :: Monday, January 23, 2006

Quote: “Kolink’s retail brand Coolink holds a strong presence in the Asian market and has achieved considerable success during the past years. With its product range and information preparation specifically tailored to the requirements of the European market, Coolink-Europe will open up the European retail market. Although Coolink is not yet really known in Europe but with these products they are on the right path to achieve more…..”

An Introduction to Thermaltake’s BTX Form Factor Cases
BTX FormFactor :: Monday, January 23, 2006
Article Quote: Founded in 1999, Thermaltake has grown into one of the world leaders in computer cooling devices, power supplies, and cases for home and industrial applications. Their case designs are continuously being improved to meet the demands of the users, as well as the high powered components inside. This evolution now includes a few models designed to accommodate systems based on the BTX form factor, which will be covered in this introduction. Here is the Thermaltake family of BTX (or BTX upgradable) cases: Tai Chi, Kandalf, Armor, and Tuba.

Tsunami Ice-1 Media Manager
Overclockers Online :: Monday, January 23, 2006
Quote: Making their Overclockers Online debut is Tsunami with the feature filled Ice-1 Media Manager. Watching DVDs or Cable TV on your computer has never been easier… and you don’t even need to turn it on.

Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT Evaluation @ techFEAR
TechFEAR :: Monday, January 23, 2006
Summary: “Corsair has provided users with a matching set of high capacity, high speed memory modules. With further promises of even higher clock rates, techFEAR pushes the TwinX2048-4000PT to the edge of stability. Corsair met us head-on and we end up with a solid kit everyone should have.”

OCZ EL DDR2 PC2-4200 Gold GX XTC
techPowerUp! :: Monday, January 23, 2006
OCZ is one of the most well known manufacturer of enthusiast memory. Recently they have introduced their XTC line of heatspreaders which are engineered to keep temperatures of the memory down, even when overclocking. The PC2-4200 Gold XTC offer superb overclocking, even at stock voltage. We found that the default timings of 4-4-4-12 can be tightened a good deal without losing much overclocking headroom.

Olive Symphony Media Receiver
Designtechnica :: Monday, January 23, 2006
“At times, it helps to have curious friends with deep pockets. After reading about the Olive Symphony, I was salivating to try it. But at $899 ($1099 for the Musica with a 160GB hard drive), it was well beyond my limited budget. However, a friend of mine with adventurous spirit and money invested in one, and while staying with him, I persuaded him to let me test drive the machine.

As the name implies, it’s aimed at classical music fans who want to fully embrace the digital age. However, it works for everyone, whether your tastes are for Wagner or Weezer,. Standing as a piece of hi-fi equipment, it’s the kind of thing music aficionados put together in their minds during long, sleepless nights. From playing CDs to ripping and burning them, to hooking up with your portable player, the Symphony can do it alland more. Granted, it’s not the first piece of stereo equipment with a hard drive (80 GB on the Symphony), it’s undoubtedly the best and easiest to use, packed into a single component that will look right at home with the rest of your stereo equipment.”

Logisys LED Lazer Lights
Techgage :: Monday, January 23, 2006
Quote: Are you looking to add some pizzazz to your computer but don’t want to hand over a huge chunk of change? Logisys has release a simple product that can really add some style to your box.

CES & Vegas 2006: The City, Cars and Booth Babes
The Tech Lounge :: Monday, January 23, 2006
NOOOOOO!!!! STOP THE MADNESS!!!! MORE CES NEWS!

“From computers and home entertainment to automotive audio and video, we saw it all. However, unlike our previous trips to Las Vegas, this year wasn’t just about nifty gadgets and emerging technologies. Playing with new toys is fun and all, but this is Vegas baby! Rather than fly to Vegas and work our butts off covering CES for four days straight, we figured it would be a better idea to fly to Vegas, start partying on New Years, don’t stop until the show floor opens and then attempt to work our butts off covering CES for four days straight! Unfortunately, some our crazy shenanigans may seem slightly distasteful to our more sensitive readers. So instead of publishing those pictures here, we figured it would be best to publish pictures of the city, the exotic autos at the Penske-Wynn Ferrari Maserati dealership and the obligatory booth babe photos.”

UFO Aftershock PC Game
Think Computers :: Sunday, January 22, 2006

Quote: “Science Fiction, probably one of the most popular themes of video games, in the past and most likely in the future as well, combine that with strategy role playing games and you have the makings of something great. UFO Aftershock is the sequel to UFO Aftermath from Cenega. I have to be honest I never played Aftermath, but you don’t have to in order to play Aftershock. I do enjoy strategy games and the C&C series is one of my all time favorites, I also enjoy RPG games as well. Aftershock combines both of those into one great game.”

Lian Li PC-V2000B Plus Full Tower ATX Case Review at 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Sunday, January 22, 2006
Lian Li has been making some of the most gorgeous aluminum Cases for years now. Previously I have used the Lian Li PC-65 and PC-75 and have always been fond of them. Things have gotten flashy lately with Cases, custom window panels, lights, gigantic fans – some of the new Cases I’ve found to just be downright tacky. When I first saw the Lian Li PC-V1000 and PC-V2000 line it was a breath of fresh air. Finally, here comes a Case that is just so perfect out of the box even the most hardcore modder will want to leave their dremel alone and just enjoy the natural beauty of the the PC-V2000.

SilverStone Zeus ST56ZF Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Sunday, January 22, 2006

Content: “Pumping out a full 38A on the single +12V rail is no joke and keeping it up to specifications at high loads during extreme temperatures is even harder. With efficiency near towards 80%, its no doubt why SilverStone claims that Zeus ST56ZF the most efficient single +12V rail PSU in the world. Read more as to why we found that the ST56ZF was showing numbers similar to the highly priced PCP&C Turbo Cool 510SLI unit.”

How To Make Windows XP Shut Down Faster
The Tech Zone :: Sunday, January 22, 2006
We all know that pulling the power to your computer has to be the absolute fastest but not the best way to shutdown your computer. In this 5 step tutorial we will show you how to make your shutdown as fast as possible.

TITAN Robela @ InsaneTek
InsaneTek :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

“Watercooling is always a great benefit to our steamy hot overclocked systems. However, fitting watercooling gear into your case is always a pain. TITAN has made an all-in-one watercooling case that’ll suit all your needs.”

The Outsiders The Complete Novel DVD Review
Home Theater Magazine :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
When Francis Ford Coppola made the film adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, it was at the request of students who specifically wanted him to direct the film. His portrayal of rebellious youths living in 1960s Oklahoma is moving, surrounded by layers of brotherhood, rivalry, hope, and class struggle.

When I first heard about this release, I was eager to see the digital transfer, done in anamorphic 2.40:1. From first glance, I was impressed with the excellent restoration. The video shows wonderful detail, and the colors come through beautifully, as demonstrated by the sunset scene. The picture still goes soft occasionally but is void of any distracting artifacts. The movie also contains 22 minutes of additional footage. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound brings the surrounds to life with some of the best songs from the 1960s, such as Van Morrison’s “Gloria.” This is an excellent restoration, with superior presentation.

CES 2006 Time Out: Cars, Car Audio and Booth Babes!
Futurelooks :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

It’s time to take a time out and enjoy the other part of CES. On one side we have Cars and Car Audio. On the other side we have the Booth Babes. Check out our worldwide famous photos LIVE from CES 2006!

Dual-Layer Standard Continues to Gain Momentum @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“Now that the industry is focused on Blu-Ray and HD DVD, we thought it would be interesting to see what media manufacturers had to say about the dual-layer standard that was all over the news in 2004 and 2005. Back in 2005, we reported that many media and drive manufacturers believed dual-layer to be a fairly stagnant standard, which wasn’t going to take off. This year, however, we heard some encouraging news, but there is still some uncertainty.”

Dream’eo Enza 20GB Portable Media Center Review
Designtechnica :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“The much heralded Microsoft Portable Media Center has seen little action since its debut at the 2004 Consumer Electronics Show. As portable video player manufacturers go several large names, including Creative, iriver and Samsung, put their PMCs out to the market where they have languished despite ok reviews. Into the now quiet PMC world comes the American debut of overseas multimedia devices company Dream’eo. Can their Enza PMC product gain traction, especially in light of the recent iPod with video release? Read on to find out.”

A Look At New Laptop Technology
Laptop Gamers :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
But laptop technology is changing so fast new innovations are coming on stream as you read this article. There is a whole new generation of notebook technology every two years or less. Therefore, unless you buy or upgrade your laptop each year you’re falling behind what these sleek little powerhouses can now deliver.

HEXUS.review :: EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX BlackPearl 512MB
Hexus :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
XFX lose the fastest-clocked GTX 512 competition, though. EVGA submitted a final engineering sample of their e-GeForce 7800 GTX BlackPearl 512MB a few days ago. Clocked out-of-the-box at 600/900, the watercooled graphics board also challenges for the title of world’s most expensive consumer VGA board, tipping the money scales at a scary $1000. We shudder to think of the converted UK price, fully expecting it to be in the high £600 range, closing in rapidly on £700.

XG Dragon Special Edition Case @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

Quote: “Hello again my faithful review readers! I have something special today for review, in fact it is so special it is labeled ‘Special Edition’. If you have read any of my previous reviews you will know that I love Dragons, and anything that has anything to do with them. Today I have something from one of our good sponsors; MGE/Xgbox, it is what is considered a high-end gaming chassis. It is the Special Edition Dragon Pc Case, available only at NewEgg in the US and Jet Computer in Europe in limited quantities.”

How Many Cores Do You Need To Be “Hardcore”?
Twitch Guru :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
There have been many reviews looking at single core and dual core computational power, but what does the development of dual core processors mean for the high end gamer? We take a look at a couple of decked-out systems from premier system builders, and learn that single core still pushes out the most frames.

Thermalright V-1 VGA Cooler @ Techniz
Techniz.co.uk :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

“The Thermalright V-1 is a very good VGA cooler in terms of the performance and the stylish look. The Thermalright V-1 VGA Cooler performs very well during our testing. Moreover, it is made of fully aluminum with nickel plated which is a very good material for cooling. The design of this VGA Cooler is very stylish, nice, and light weight. It also support dual 80mm cooling fan to mount in the top and bottom of the heatsink..”

Antec TX1088AMG Antec Metallic Gray SOHO Tower Case @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Quote: Today, we take a look at a true tried and tested design from a case, but with a new look. The Antec TX1088AMG is from the same family that makes up the older Antec Performance of SOHO cases, but the cosmetically changed facial makeover and a new power supply, the TX may re-enter the market in a whole new light.

Cowon iAudio X5 (20GB) Review @ WindowsAtoZ.com
Windows A to Z :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

“At first glance, the Cowon iAudio X5 looks very cool. It’s textured black outer shell, small profile, and minimal controls make it look even better. Actually, the iAudio X5 is very similar to the Apple iPod in terms of sound quality, usability and features. It would also make an excellent stocking stuffer for all you holiday shoppers out there.”

Pioneer PDP-5060HD Plasma HDTV
Home Theater Magazine :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

Despite my lauding of projectors, it seems like the only question people ask me about TVs is, “What’s the best plasma?” I usually respond, as you would imagine, with a detailed description of the strengths and weaknesses of several brands, what that means to the viewer, and a cost/performance analysis. All the while, I’m trying to ignore the bored and distracted look on my questioner’s face. “Yeah, but who’s the best?” he’ll ask. “The Patriots,” I reply. At this point, the average questioner’s face scrunches up to resemble the average raisin. In an effort to finish the conversation so that I can be left alone to eat my burrito in peace (mmm, Chipotle), I tell them: “Panasonic for black level; Pioneer for processing.” There, I said it. There are plenty of companies that make great-looking plasmas, but these guys are the leaders. They shine with regard to their respective specialties but don’t screw up the rest of the display. What I love about this business, though, is that nothing is stagnant—everything advances. Just last month, I reviewed a Panasonic plasma that went a long way in improving the company’s major processing shortcomings. While its black level was still good, its scaling improved for a much better-looking image overall. So, it’s Pioneer’s turn. Their processing, on all levels, has been good in the past. Their black levels, on the other hand, have left much to be desired. I was told that Pioneer’s past few models have improved black levels. We’ll see.

Building your own computer
ABXZone :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Quite a bit of time and effort goes into the design, planning and execution of a computer. At the very first we need to point out that there are pluses and minuses to building your own computer. Let’s explore the negatives: DIY, do it yourself, means that there is no toll free number to call for support if things go wrong. There is no guarantee, no warranty, and no technician to come out and fix your problem. Further, if you make errors you can be out several hundred dollars by having to buy replacement parts for your goofs.”

All Sempron Models
Hardware Secrets :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“Sempron is an AMD CPU targeted to the entry-level market, i.e. to users that don’t need a high processing power and are more worried with price than performance. Sempron main competitor is Celeron D from Intel and you can read our tutorial Sempron vs. Celeron D for a technical comparison between these two CPUs.”

Polk Audio SurroundBar Speaker System
Home Theater Magazine :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

Home Theater in a (Very Narrow) Box.

Thanks to plasma TVs, everyone is convinced that skinny and flat are where it’s at when it comes to home theater—and those now-out-of-work robotic assembly lines that used to crank out CRTs by the boatload haven’t been the only ones affected by the slender-is-better trend. You can’t throw a crumbled-up extended-warranty brochure in an electronics store nowadays without hitting some sort of sleek, on-wall, “plasma-friendly” home theater speaker. Some manufacturers, fully embracing the slim trend, have created three-in-one (left front, center, and right front) single-cabinet on-wall speakers designed to be mounted above or below your flat-panel TV—or set on top of a rear-projection TV. Boston Acoustics, Definitive Technology, Atlantic Technology, and Mirage, for example, have all come up with their own variations of three channels coexisting in one narrow box.

Vantec NexStar GX USB2.0 Hub & HDD Enclosure Review
PCStats :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“The Vantec NexStar GX (NST-370GX) is the ideal solution for anyone looking for more flexible external HDD space. The small grey unit comes with a three port USB hub embedded into the back of it. The Vantec NexStar GX supports a single 3.5″ IDE hard drive (not included), and connects to the computer via a 480Mbps USB 2.0 cable. At 16.5 x 16.5 x 4cm in size, the Vantec NexStar GX is larger than a traditional external HDD enclosure, but not by too much. The Vantec NexStar GX is basically built to look like the Apple Mac Mini, and it can rest under or above that mini-computer quite comfortably.”

PimpRig Review // Gigabyte G-Power Lite CPU Cooler
PimpRig :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“The fan on the G-Power is pretty close to Baby Blue in color, but that is a hell of a lot better than the obnoxious Orange that Thermaltake insists on using on their fans. The G-Power fan is an unusual 110 x 110 x 25mm and is of the sleeve type instead of bearing. The fan pushes 48.5 CFM at 2450 RPM while staying at a peaceful 27.5 dBA, pretty nice statistics. ”

Sansun Arctic 450W PSU
techPowerUp! :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
The chinese manufacturer Sansun isn’t too well known yet, because they are a rather new company. If they continue delivering such solid products, I’m sure that this will change in no time. For a price for which you often get only a plain and unsleeved power supply, Sansun is giving you dual 12V rails and a modularity feature which is usually found only on much more expensive PSUs. All cables are sleeved as well which helps keep your case look clean. Also the important qualities of a PSU like voltage stability and fan noise look good.

[Phoronix] OCZ EB DDR PC-4000 2GB Platinum
Phoronix :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

Summary: “Up on the review block today is OCZ Technology’s EB DDR PC-4000 2 x 1024MB Platinum Edition. Although we have seen countless reports under Windows XP on how an extra 1024MB of system memory can be beneficial, in particular games and applications, we have done this comparison with the Linux 2.6.14 kernel and have discovered some intriguing results.”

NeuNeo HVD2085 1080p Upconverting DVD Player
Home Theater Magazine :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

Well that sure is 1080p.

I must admit I, and I assume you, had never heard of this company before this review. The boss (Maureen Jenson) had been talking with them and had a review sample sent to our studio. I didn’t find that part out until later. As far as I knew, this product quietly and unceremoniously just showed up. Its plain, unlabeled brown box was so nondescript that it lay unnoticed for several days. Had we not been clearing space to make room for the six RPTVs from the Face Off we had just finished (see our February 2005 issue), who knows how long it may have sat there. I opened the box to check out what it was, and my eye caught what your eye surely caught when you read the headline above: 1080p. As I investigated further, this DVD player only got cooler.

Cooler Master Real Power 550W @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Summary: “Up on our bench tonight is the Cooler Master Real Power RS-550-ACLY, which packs in 550W of power. One of the features for the power supply includes an innovative power meter that fits in an available drive bay.”

Asetek WaterChill KT03AT-12VX @ InsaneTek
InsaneTek :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“Asetek’s latest WaterChill watercooling kit features their Antarctica waterblock, a large dual 120mm fan radiator, and a new quiet pump. The fan and pump can be controlled via software!”

Vantec NexStar 3 External 3.5″ HDD Enclosure (eSATA/USB2) Review #641
3dgameman :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

“This enclosure offers looks and performance all in one package. If you are in the market for an external enclosure that has the fastest performance then this would be it. While USB2 is fast, a direct SATA connection is much faster. Since most large capacity 3.5″ SATA Hard Drives are affordable, it’s a fantastic backup solution…” ~3dGameMan.com

Linux is Doomed, Thanks to Microsoft @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“First, the study says that Windows based Servers accounted for 37 percent in revenue. Now traditionally, Windows based systems are more expensive than Linux based systems, so even if vendors sold lesser number of Windows systems, the price difference could ensure that Windows sales revenue was higher. This implies that, in terms of pure numbers, Linux could very well have outsold Windows.”

Thermalright SI-120 @ InsaneTek
InsaneTek :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“Thermalright’s latest flagship heatsink is a touch-up from the prevoius XP-120 monster. It is now compatible with ALL motherboards and comes with two extra small heatpipes. The end result? Fantastic.”

Corsair TWINX 2048-4000
Overclockers Online :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Quote: The Corsair TwinX 2048-4000 did not disappoint when it came to overclocking or performance. Rated to run at DDR500 3-4-4-8 and actually running at DDR560 with those timings was a nice surprise. The benchmark results were right were they should be with the frequencies the system was running at. Having 2GB of memory is no longer the rarity it was a few short months ago and with the price tag that the TwinX 2048-4000 is sporting, a lot more people will be making the jump. Corsair will be putting smiles on a lot of overclockers faces with this kit and rightfully so. Amazing performance backed up with great overclocking should put this kit at the top of the budget build list for someone looking to go with 2GB.

E-Power Tiger EP-550P5-T1 550w Modular PSU Review @ MODTHEBOX.COM
MODTHEBOX! :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

“An added feature with the E-Power Tiger is a dedicated fan cable which is presumably hooked up to a thermistor type of fan speed control, similar to the main 120mm fan. It might have been nice to sleeve this cable as well, but at least the connectors are both 4-pin and 3-pin. My only gripe with the cables is the lack of quick-disconnect Molex plugs. Many power supplies in equal or lesser price brackets are incorporating quick disconnects, and I find them invaluable time savers.”

Sonus faber Domus Series Speaker System
Home Theater Magazine :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

Body and soul.

I don’t think I’ve ever before referred to a speaker as “sexy,” but Sonus faber’s new Domus line is definitely hot stuff. Yeah baby, the Domus Series’ enticing curves—sheathed in supple black leatherette, poised on spiked feet—will get audiophiles all hot and bothered. That’s because they make for pretty sexy sound, too.

News: Medieval 2: Total War Details and Screens
Primo Tech :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Word from SEGA today that the company, which acquired Total War developer The Creative Assembly in 2005, is set to publish the fourth installment in the popular strategy series this winter. Screens and details included.

Vantec Stingray – STG100 at CaseModGod.com
Case Mod God :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

Summary: Water Cooling kits are becoming very popular on the market. There are several types of kits available in many different configurations. Today we are going to take a look at the Vantec Stingray Water Cooling Kit.

Upcoming HD DVD and Blu-Ray Drives Expensive @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Friday, January 20, 2006
“While media companies reap in benefits from the format war, consumers are ultimately the losers, as they not only have to purchase expensive media, but also expensive hardware. Then again, that’s to be expected with such a massive overhaul to the storage industry.”

Vantec NexStar3 with eSATA Interface
Think Computers :: Friday, January 20, 2006

Quote: “External hard drive enclosures have been out for some time now. Vantec has been at the forefront with their NexStar series of drive enclosures. The NexStar series includes 2.5”, 3.5”, and 5.25” enclosures, totaling 18 models. Today we will be taking a look at the newest version of the NexStar, the NexStar 3 3.5” drive enclosure. This version of the enclosure features an eSATA interface instead of the firewire. Now let’s see what this enclosure is all about…”

OCZ EL DDR3500 Gold GX XTC @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Friday, January 20, 2006
“OCZ’s EL DDR PC-3500 GX XTC Dual Channel memory is the latest addition to the extreme-speed Gold GX series family. Some of the key features of this new product are its speed and timings (it runs at 433MHz with the extremely low timings of 2-2-2-5), and the XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders.”

MSI K8N Diamond Plus @ t-break
t-break :: Friday, January 20, 2006
The original Diamond board was one of the first, if not the first motherboard to utilize the Creative Sound Blaster Live audio controller onboard. Continuing with that tradition, MSI equips the Diamond Plus with an Audigy controller- again a first for a board to hit our labs. Sound quality is further enhanced with the usage of the Cooler Master Musketeer III that uses the vacuum tube technology to filter the sound. Unfortunately, the vacuum tube only provides filtering for two channels- a bummer if you’re planning on using a four, six or eight speaker system.

Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Friday, January 20, 2006

“The modules take on a different approach from XMS Pro Series where Corsair concentrated on the XMS aluminum heatsinks and integration of activity LED’s. The package consists of two 1024MB memory modules which have been implemented using 64M x 8 DDR SDRAM chips. The TwinX2048-4000PT designation of this particular package is suited to run on dual channel supported motherboards at DDR500 with a latency setting of 3-4-4-8 and voltage rating of 2.75V.”

Scythe Ninja CPU Cooler @ Viper lair
ViperLair :: Friday, January 20, 2006
“The Scythe Ninja is a solid and good performing cooler that will do the job for all CPUs. You will need to pick up a fan for anything faster than an Athlon 3200+ or P4 3.0 GHz. Those building lower powered HTPC type rigs will want to give this a look so long as your case has a clearance of at least 6 inches.”

High Watt Power Supplies Ready for 2006 @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Friday, January 20, 2006
“Ever since NVIDIA’s SLI debuted, we’ve been hearing about high powered power supplies, which were supposed to have surpass the 700W+ limit in order to support the power hungry SLI setup, but as we found out, all of such news had no merit.”

Evercool STC-01
Overclockers Online :: Friday, January 20, 2006
Quote: After an interesting battle among the thermal interface gladiators, we have a verdict. Evercool has earned its place in the thermal interface market. Though not the best performer, the Sidewinder STC-01 is hardly a loser. It sports decent performance and could be a good alternative for thermal compounds bundled with coolers such as the Titan Nano Silver. In all, if there is one thing that the Evercool Sidewinder STC-01 represents, it’s value. Altogether, it is a solid product with great potential.

Compro Videomate X50 TV Tuner Card Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Modding Malaysia :: Friday, January 20, 2006

Content: “Overall, the Compro VideoMate X50 is a good value card with many great features which cannot be found at other value TV tuner/capture cards. The price for Compro VideoMate X50 is around USD48 / RM180 so you might consider it if you are planning to get a Tv tuner/capture card soon.”

Beginners Guides: Converting Videotape Into Video Files
PCStats :: Friday, January 20, 2006
“As you may have noticed, the VCR is a dying technology. DVD players are now equivalent in price, and their disks have practically crowded VHS tapes right off the shelves of your neighborhood video store. Give it another three years and you may be hard pressed to find a new release on tape. So what happens when your VCR finally breaks? In this PCstats Guide, we’ll provide some simple guidelines to converting your old videotapes into video clips that you can store on your computer, or send around to friends and family. Once you have converted your old videotapes into the new digital format, you have several options open to choose from. You can store your flicks on the hard drive indefinitely, or place them on a recordable CD-R/RW for storage.”

5 Tips for Buying a Laptop
Laptop Gamers :: Friday, January 20, 2006
Considering how much the laptop has improved over the past couple years, it’s no wonder that so many people are considering buying a laptop, or have already done so. There are several things to consider when buying a laptop as there is more variety available when it comes to laptops than there is with desktop computers. This article provides 5 simple tips you should ask yourself before making your laptop investment.

picoPSU-120 12V DC-DC ATX Power Supply
Big Bruin :: Friday, January 20, 2006

Quote: The picoPSU has received a good deal of attention since it was shown off at CES just a few weeks ago. Pictures of the tiny 120W unit have been featured on numerous websites, but what about the performance? Testing revealed that the “world’s tiniest 12V DC-DC ATX power supply unit” is no weakling, and that it can provide ample power to keep a Mini-ITX system running reliably.

Reading Sales Droids
Futurelooks :: Friday, January 20, 2006
As many advantages as online computer-buying has, there are equal advantages to buying in a bricks-and-mortar store. But how to navigate the sharky waters of sleazy salespeople? Gareth Branwyn has some advice for buying your computer in “meat-space.”

CES 2006 Main Show Floor – Part II
The Tech Lounge :: Friday, January 20, 2006

“In Part II of our main CES show floor coverage we meet with Several companies and got to check out quite a few cool new products. In our meeting with Antec, we played with their entire line-up of cases for 2006. We also saw the latest from Cooler Master and SilverStone, the most recent build of Microsoft Windows Vista, some awesome new media players from COWON and SanDisk, Dell’s new 30″ Display and QUAD-SLI PC and much more.”

LGP X2 The Threat v1.4 (BETA 3)
Phoronix :: Friday, January 20, 2006
Summary: “Reaching the closed testing environment just hours ago has been the third BETA candidate for X2 – The Threat, which is presently being ported to Linux by the developers at Linux Game Publishing. This third candidate delivers many performance improvements and is the focus of our benchmarking today to see how the second and third BETA updates fair, after we had tampered with the initial build late last year.”

Arctic Cooling Accelero X1 VGA Cooler Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Friday, January 20, 2006

Quote: “With an expected availability of around the end of February 2006 and a proposed MSRP of around $33 USD, I think it’s a pretty good value. I found them to be high quality units with a solid feel and very good cooling while remaining at a very respectable noise level.”

Microsoft’s CES Keynote – A High-Definition Future @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Friday, January 20, 2006

Quote: “Microsoft has been on the leading forefront of advancing technology, and the Consumer Electronics Show is one place they have consistently showed an intriguing outlook on what the future could hold. The Microsoft pre-show keynote at CES 2006 covered lots of ground ranging from breaking new technologies to giving us a glimpse of what the Bill Gates future with Microsoft could look like. Although we were given a fairly exquisite look at all the latest offerings from Microsoft, the keynote was not as an exciting adventure in never-before-heard announcements as one might expect.”

HEXUS.reviews :: Thecus YES Box N2100
Hexus :: Friday, January 20, 2006

Thecus’ YES Box N2100 does a lot of things right. It’s robust, despite its plastic exterior; it looks good, but keep your grubby hands off; it’s easy to setup, both hardware and software; it’s easy to use, with multiple ways of getting at your data; and it’s fast enough to serve multiple users simultaneously, but a little more performance wouldn’t go amiss.

CES2006 Home Video Wrap-Up
Designtechnica :: Friday, January 20, 2006
“The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was a tough show this year, with two large convention centers to cover, plus all of the manufacturers’ suites in hotels. As always, it was a tiring but exciting show. As I noted in my most recent blog (“Post Partum CES”), the two major themes of the show were 1080p displays in all screen technologies and the looming next-generation optical disk format war. Will this format war play out like Red versus Blue states, or will it be a different scenario? (In case you didn’t know, HD DVD’s packaging is red, and Blu-ray’s is blue. How quaint.)

News: 3DMark06 arrives, as does the GeForce 7300 GS
The Tech Report :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
TR has a couple of quick but noteworthy stories online today. First, FutureMark has just introduced 3DMark06, and there has been unusual related activity in Damage Labs:

Next, NVIDIA has announced a budget GeForce 7-series GPU, the GeForce 7300 GS:

Thermaltake ToughPower 550W
techPowerUp! :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
The Thermaltake ToughPower offers 550 watts to satisfy all your power needs. Two 6-pin PCI-Express connectors are available for SLI or Crossfire. On top of that you have four SATA and eight 5.25″ connector. Two independent 12V rails can supply a total of 38A. During our testing we saw impressive voltage stability and very small ripple.

Maxtill Mouse Pad Roundup @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
Quote: Maxtill have been producing quality mouse mats for years now. They have mats for general PC users, PC enthusiasts, gamers and any other type of PC user you can think of. They have so many different types, that as a “small” taster I was sent 8 mats. Yes that’s right EIGHT mats. So I decided to do a nice little roundup for the merry bunch. Here’s how it went.

Thermalright V-1 Ultra VGA Cooler @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Quote: “Thermalright is well known in overclocking and enthusiast circles. The name Thermalright or the name of one of its products always comes up when someone asks for a CPU cooler recommendation. Thermalright recently came out with the V-1 VGA cooler, and it got rave reviews in the hardware community. Now Thermalright has tried to improve on that success with the introduction of the V-1 Ultra VGA cooler. Today I have it for review.”

[Phoronix] ATI v8.21.7 Display Drivers
Phoronix :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Summary: “Making a late appearance for the month is ATI’s first display drivers out in 2006, on the Windows side is the CATALYST v6.1 while GNU/Linux users are greeted by the v8.21.7. Is there anything noteworthy in this latest batch of drivers? We have executed yet another performance examination with the latest drivers, and have our findings here today.”

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 @ TechwareLabs
Techwarelabs :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“Today, once again we take a look at one of the biggest hard drives currently out there, the Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB. The model is the ST3500641AS, it is a Serial ATA II drive with 16MB of cache, 7200 RPM, four 125GB platters, 8.5ms seek time, and of course, Native Command Queuing. If you are still unaware of what NCQ is exactly we will go over it briefly on the next page. Otherwise, you can skip to page three and let’s get going and take a look at this mammoth of a drive.”

Titan Robela WaterCase (TWC-A88/AS) Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Quote: ” The Radiator is the largest I’ve seen on a stock water cooling case, in fact there are very few modders who have bigger. They had to put on this nice little sticker that says “Warranty void if removed”. Right, how mean can they get, now I HAVE to remove it.”

CoolIT USB Beverage Chiller Review @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

We all know that USB is very versatile and can be used for anything from transferring data to powering a laptop light. However, this is the first time we’ve seen USB used for keeping your drink cold. The CoolIT USB Beverage Chiller is, as far as we know, the world’s first USB powered drink cooler. CoolIT Systems, the makers of the Chiller, claims this is the next must-have computer accessory. With the USB Beverage Chiller at your side, you can keep your beverage chilled and stay at your computer longer.

News Flash – Corsair 4000PT 2GB DDR500 Dual Channel Memory Kit Review
Futurelooks :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
Twins Basil! Twins! Come check out what we thought of Corsair’s XMS 4000PT matched memory pair! Is it the Cat’s Meow or is it the other end of the Cat? Let’s find out!

Ultra X-Finity 600W Power Supply w/ FlexForce Cables Review #640
3dgameman :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Ultra X-Finity 600W Power Supply w/ FlexForce Cables Review #640: “A power supply is a vital part of any computer system and that’s truer today then it ever was. With computer system’s requiring more power, a quality power supply is something you should have. The alternative is a cheap-o unit that might get the job done but will probably fail in a few months or worse, and may end up frying some/all your valuable hardware… To X-Finity and beyond!” ~3dGameMan.com

BFR Review: Samsung ML 2010 Laser Printer
Bona Fide Reviews :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Quote: “Not so long ago laser printers used to cost mega bucks to own and were aimed to be used by businesses only. They used to be massive unmovable machienes that took up a lot of space and weighed a ton. Laser printers have come a long way since then and are now smaller, lighter, and more affordable then ever. On the block today is Samsung’s ML-2010, a compact monochrome laser printer that can be found online for under $70USD.”

Screencasting: Make Your Own Tutorials!
PC Mechanic :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
Dealing with end-users or simply beginners is not always a pleasant and easy experience for some techs. I personally sometimes get irritated when I have to explain for a thousandth time a simple concept I have already clarified in layman’s terms a day or two ago. While I was working in Technical Support where dealt with users all the time, one of the intricacies of helping people over the phone or via e-mail was the lack of picture–if only I could show them what I wanted, or see what was on their screen, then it would have been much easier to find the problem and solve it.

Grisoft Introduces AVG Linux
Phoronix :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
Summary: “Grisoft, the company who has been offering FREE anti-virus support to Microsoft Windows support for quite some time has extended their collection of virus protection to support GNU/Linux. Grisoft AVG Free is slated to be the first commercial=grade anti-virus product for Linux home users. The intent of their free version is strictly for private and non-commercial use. More information is available at pyroCPU.”

HEXUS.reviews :: World Exclusive – ARMARI Pantheon-FX
Hexus :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

The Armari Pantheon FX system is a decidedly niche product. It’s designed to appeal to those of you with a large wedge of cash to spend on a PC, yet don’t want to splash it on some run-of-the-mill affair. Armari has taken the step of engineering a gaming machine with some of the tastiest components available at the start of 2006 and amalgamated them into a sexy-looking small form-factor unit sourced from the folks at SilverStone. It’s clear from the choice of components that performance is of foremost concern.

Swissbit Cirrus WHITE USB 512mb USB Drive @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Quote: “Swissbit is no stranger to memory products with a complete line of various memory related devices and components. Not long ago I reviewed a couple of Swissbit’s other products the miniTwist and the retroALOX USB drives. They were very cool and performed well. Swissbit has introduced another addition to their USB drive line called the cirrusWHITE. I really found no problems with the other Swissbits devices I reviewed, they were pretty much perfect; can Swissbit improve on perfection? Let’s find out…”

Article: Keeping Windows Clean @ BTXFormFactor.com
BTX FormFactor :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
Article Quote: Windows is a living entity. Protecting Windows and keeping it clean from malware (malicious programs) is a full time job these days. Windows users are often frustrated by Microsoft’s continued efforts to make its operating system secure against hackers because patching Windows seems like a full-time job. The real question here is what do all these patches mean to you?

John Beekley of Corsair Memory @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“LR: Let’s talk about the future of computer memory in 2006. It looks like we are going to see DDR3 and FB-DIMM’s enter into the market space this year. Which should enthusiasts be more interested in?

John: I think that 2006 will be all about DDR2, actually. FBDIMM is a server technology, and will have no impact on the enthusiast in the one-to-two year future. And DDR3 in volume is a long way off, except in graphic applications. The most interesting memory-related events in 2006 for the enthusiast will be [1] the launch of DDR2 Athlons, and the impact on AMD’s current reign as performance champion, and [2] the launch of more games and operating system revisions that require 2 GBytes of memory for optimal performance…”

XClio 3060 Plus Mid-Tower Case & 250mm Fan Side Panel @ SystemCooling
SystemCooling :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

snip: “With today’s fast and hot running systems, case cooling is becoming more important every day. Access heat can cause instability in a computer system and can decrease the life span of various important components. Today we will be looking at the XClio 3060 Plus, which looks to end the problem of overheating computers.”

[Designtechnica News] 180s Tek Fleece by JVC Ear Buds Review
Designtechnica :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“On a cold day, there’s nothing worse than going for a walk and having to decide: Cold ears and tunes, or warm ears and no tunes? Well, now you can have them both! The Tek Fleece ear warmers feature integrated JVC headphones, and while the sound quality is not amazing, the concept and execution are first class.”

Corsair TWINX-2048 3500LL PRO Memory @ Viperlair
ViperLair :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“Depending on your setup, this kit may or may not be for you. Certainly, the TWINX-2048 3500LL PRO is a quality part that ran rock solid throughout testing, and for those of you stuck at the 230FSB hump, we think this is one of the best choices you can make simply because of the large capacity and speed.”

CES 2006 Day 3: Company Spotlight – OCZ Technology’s Cryo-Z
Futurelooks :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
We were invited to OCZ’s party, and boy did they have a wicked cool surprise for us! Long known for Kick Ass RAM, they have decided to come charging into the alternative cooling product market. Most companies choose water-cooling, but OCZ decided to do something more extreme. How about a little bit of Phase-Change? Come and check it out!

Polywell MiniBox 939NP Media Center PC @ Viper Lair
ViperLair :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“Pre-built systems can ease your pain in several ways. To begin with, they all come with warranties, so if something fails, you can just get it fixed. Everything has been pre-tested, so there’s no guess work into trying to make things work. Finally, due to the sheer volume of purchasing, it is actually possible to save money to buy pre-built rather than doing it yourself.”

Zalman VF700-Cu LED @ PureOverclock.com
Pure Overclock :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Quote: The build quality is simply first rate. The base is lapped to a fine finish and there simply isn’t a rough edge in site. If you like aesthetics, this is the cooler for you. If you think of Arctic Cooling’s approach, this is the opposite. Finesse is the name of the game here.

Red Hat Fedora Core 5 Test 2 @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Summary: “The talented developers at Red Hat have unleashed Fedora Core 5 Test 2, after a one month delay due to development reasons. Making its way into FC5T2 is GNOME v2.13.4, KDE v3.5.0, Linux v2.6.15, and X.Org v7.0. Unlike some past Fedora builds, there is a great deal of changes in this development release on the road to Fedora 5, which is presently scheduled to make its debut this March. With the time we have spent thus far with Fedora Core 5, we can say it is very much worth trying out and is shaping up into becoming one of the best releases thus far.”

PimpRig Review // Cooler Master Stacker 830 Case
PimpRig :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“Right away there were a few things about this case that I liked. The thing has a solid aluminum exterior, including the front door. The mesh that covers the front of the case is very similar to car speaker covers and seem to provide adequate protection while still allowing good airflow. There are a pair of front panels, both accessible without having to open the door. The first is on the top front of the case and consists of a pair of USB ports, a mic in, a speaker out, and a IEEE-1394 port.”

SDI iHome iH5 iPod Alarm Clock Review
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“Just when you thought there wasn’t room for another iPod accessory, SDI drops the iHome iH5r. The first, and most closely matching, iPod-compatible alarm clock has a number of drawbacks, but makes a decent stab at conquering the bedroom with all that glossy, white, plastic glory. Before you point out that the iPod already has an alarm clock program built in, read on. ”

Title: Crucial Ballistix Tracer Memory Quick Review @ amdgamer
AMDGamer.com :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Quote: “We were very pleased to receive this memory kit from Crucial Technology for review. We’ll put it through some quick tests and measurements and see how well it performs under various situations. Crucial entered the enthusiast and gamer arena with their Ballistix line of DDR memory, with flashing LED’s and the promise of excellent performance, these chips should please both case modders and serious gamers.”

MSI RD480 Neo2
t-break :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
We like the arrangement of the PCI slots- MSI puts plenty of gap between the two x16 slots to easily accommodate dual slot cards, while two x1 and two 32-bit PCI slots are also present to handle your expansion cards.

ermax Liberty 400W High Efficiency Power Supply @ SystemCooling
SystemCooling :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

snip: “The Enermax Liberty power supply is a high efficiency unit rated for 400 watts combined load and features a single 120mm cooling fan with automatic speed control, dual +12V outputs, active power factor correction, and modular peripheral device cables.”

Press Release: Aerocool introduces case with 250mm side panel fan!
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Quote: “A 250mm side panel is the eye catcher on this new case from Aerocool, it also features a 140mm intake fan and room for an additional 120mm outtake.”

Opteron 165 – Upgrade to X2
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Quote: “Last year I had the pleasure in getting my first taste of Upgrade to A64-Venice 3000+ . The high overclock headroom and ease of thermal output plus the low price made the Venice 3000+ a terrific buy. So much buzz on the Opteron Dual Core S939 since November last year; I was hoping I would get the same result my Venice delivers”

2006 CES Hype List @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Quote: “I decided to go a different route than normal and instead of doing a “best of” or a “my favorites” CES feature, I’m doing a similar selection that I’m dubbing my “hype list.” Essentially it is everything that is really hyped in my own opinion from the CES and I am looking forward to seeing where it heads or checking it out in depth in the future. Who knows, some of this may bomb and never be see again, or some of it may hit big…”

Gigabyte GA-8I955X Royal Motherboard @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Rare jewels (diamond), precious metals (platinum), positions of distinction (royal)… all of these are common themes used by manufacturers to distinguish its flagship products from the rest of the pack. For Gigabyte, the theme is royalty, and the board to most recently grace our labs is the GA-8I955X Royal.

CES 2006 Camcorder Round-Up
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Here are the broad strokes:

*DVD camcorders are more prevalent than ever as almost all manufacturers have jumped onto the disk-based bandwagon.

*Companies have cut back on the number of MiniDV tape models and cut prices.

*A gradual shift is occurring as non-tape formats (DVD, hard disk drive, solid state) become more common and less expensive.

*And since America has gone widescreen TV crazy, more camcorders than ever take true widescreen video rather than stretching it like the old days (three years ago).

Ideazon ZBoard Customizable Gaming Keyboard Review @ Tweaknews.net
Tweaknews :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

“Ideazon has a great idea here, and one that has held up well since its introduction. The Gaming Keyset supports a surprisingly large number of games, and keymaps are easily accessible from the menu. Well over 50 games are supported, including not only oldies-but-goodies such as Leisure Suit Larry, but also new titles such as F.E.A.R.”

Force4 XE und nForce4 Ultra Preview on Technic3D
Techniz.co.uk :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Quote: “nVIDIA extended on the today’s day their nForce4 Intel Edition around two pieces: Midrange nForce4 SLI XE and nForce4 Ultra.” check it out

Corsair 2GB XMS-3500LLPRO Memory Kit Pictorial Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, January 18, 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.

CES 2006 – HD DVD & Blu-ray
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Despite the long, generally boring Toshiba, Panasonic, Pioneer, Canon, LG and other press events; everyone waited for baited breath for the HD DVD and BD press conferences. The HD DVD army led the attack with bad jokes and a fumbled video playback attempt…but they tried. They touted their studio partners, specific release dates and HP their most recent convert. BD was more cautious with more talk than play.

Antec Neo HE 550W review @ DH
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

“The Neo HE we have here for testing for example is rated for 550W peak output at 50C ambient temperature. If the air surrounding it is cooler, it is able to provide more power than 550W. Or if you like, it will always be able to provide 550W while mounted in most computer cases, unlike most cheap power supply units.

The Neo HE is somewhat different to most other power supply units and we do not mean that because it is a modular type power supply unit as there are many of these around these days. The Neo HE is relying on its own high efficiency factor to solve all of the problems that a power supply unit may face and it is this that makes the Neo HE so different.”

MSI RD480 motherboard @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Quote: MSI is one of those companies that has and will always have a place in the gaming and enthusiast’s community. Time and time again they have released a great product, whether it is a motherboard or a video card. Today, we take a look at their newest motherboard, which is based in the ATI XFire chipset, the RD480-FI.

Review: Sunbeam LED Case Feet @ GideonTech.com
GideonTech :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“My old Antec aluminum case has been with same old case lighting mods for a while now. I decided to get a few things from Xoxide and in the process I picked up the case chassis feet from Sunbeam. I’ve always had good experience with the affordable Sunbeam products. Let’s see how these things light up.”

News – 3Dmark ’06
TekBunker :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
HDR rendering. Complex HDR post processing. Dynamic soft shadows for all objects. Water shader with HDR refraction, HDR reflection, depth fog Gerstner wave functions. Heterogeneous fog. Atmospheric light scattering. Realistic sky model with cloud blending. Strauss lighting model for most materials. Subsurface scattering shader for some objects. Texture & normal map sizes: 1024 x 1024 to 2048 x 2048. Approximately 5.4 million triangles and 8.8 million vertices.

John Beekley of Corsair Memory @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“LR: Let’s talk about the future of computer memory in 2006. It looks like we are going to see DDR3 and FB-DIMM’s enter into the market space this year. Which should enthusiasts be more interested in?

John: I think that 2006 will be all about DDR2, actually. FBDIMM is a server technology, and will have no impact on the enthusiast in the one-to-two year future. And DDR3 in volume is a long way off, except in graphic applications. The most interesting memory-related events in 2006 for the enthusiast will be [1] the launch of DDR2 Athlons, and the impact on AMD’s current reign as performance champion, and [2] the launch of more games and operating system revisions that require 2 GBytes of memory for optimal performance…”

Ultra X-Connect X2 550W Power Supply w/ FlexForce Modular Cables Review #639
3dgameman :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Ultra X-Connect X2 550W Power Supply w/ FlexForce Modular Cables Review #639: “There are many power supplies on the market and for the most part they are all following the same mold and design, except for a few cosmetic differences. This is not the case with this product. The looks will first grab you, and then the very cool FlexForce thin modular cables will hook you! I can’t say enough good things about these cables, I think they are fantastic…” ~3dGameMan.com

PCMech: MailWasher Free
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
This program attempts to combat the increasing problem of spam email. One of my new business e-mail accounts has been bringing in literally hundreds of spam e-mails each day and it is tedious to search through the muck to find the important messages. So today I will be putting MailWasher to the test.

HEXUS.reviews :: MESH Titan X1800 FIRE system
Hexus :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

MESH, purveyors of PCs for nearly 20 years now, has opted to showcase the talents of CrossFire with its Titan X1800 FIRE system. Utilising two high-end ATI Radeon X1800 XT 512MB cards in tandem, the system promises to spectacularly fast in 3D applications. The question is, does it also stack-up in other important areas. Let’s find out.

DH Review: Antec Neo HE 550w
Driver Heaven :: Monday, January 16, 2006
“The Neo HE is somewhat different to most other power supply units and we do not mean that because it is a modular type power supply unit as there are many of these around these days. The Neo HE is relying on its own high efficiency factor to solve all of the problems that a power supply unit may face and it is this that makes the Neo HE so different.”

Mozilla Thunderbird v1.5
Phoronix :: Monday, January 16, 2006

Summary: “While Mozilla Firefox 1.5 had made its debut back on November 29 of 2005, Thunderbird wasn’t released until January 12 of this year. However, packed into Thunderbird, Mozilla’s flagship mail client, is an array of improvements in a multitude of areas. Now implemented in v1.5 is streamlined and automated updates. improved spam control and security, enhanced RSS and Podcasting abilities, phising detector, Kerberos Authentication, and spell check as you type. Mozilla Thunderbird v1.5 is very much worth the download.”

ASRock 775XFIRE-ESATA2 @ pyroCPU
Phoronix :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Summary: “This upcoming CrossFire motherboard is going to be dubbed the 775XFIRE-ESATA2. While we have yet to see an official specifications sheet for this Intel LGA-775 motherboard, it will feature SATA2 support and will perhaps be powered by one of ATI’s recent Intel RADEON Xpress 200 CrossFire solutions.”

CES 2006 Picks and Pans @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Most impressive device – Sony’s ebook Reader. With an estimated street price of $299-$399, this technical marvel may be the device to kickstart the digital book world. It’s about the size of a piece of paper folded in half, and it’s half an inch thick with a cover that opens like a book. This device had stunning clarity – as good as a real piece of paper. It uses revolutionary e-ink, which requires no power to display. This means the only power it uses is to refresh the page, so one charge lasts 7,500 page turns! You connect the ebook Reader to the PC to load digital books; each book is about 1MB, so it can hold 80 books with its built-in memory. Let’s hope this is an open device so people can add any digital publications they wish onto it. Amazingly, Sony botched the page turning buttons by putting them in the wrong spot and making them tiny metal nubs, but hopefully they’ll get that right with when the production versions ship in Q2. They should also ditch the built-in mono only MP3 player, which kills the battery life, and stick to making it a spectacular digital book reader.

OCZ EL DDR2 PC2-4200 Gold Gamer eXtreme XTC Edition Memory Review #638
3dgameman :: Monday, January 16, 2006

“DDR2 Memory has been on the market now for some time now and manufacturers like OCZ are tightening the memory timings. With a memory timing of 4-4-4-12 at 533MHz DDR2 it does perform very well. It even has some headroom in the overclocking department if you lower the memory timings and increase memory voltage. Remember though, there is much faster but pricy memory on the market…” ~3dGameMan.com

ASYS Freedom Case @ Techgage
Techgage :: Monday, January 16, 2006

Quote: ASYS is a newcomer in the computer tower market, but their Freedom case is a great way to make a name for themselves. It’s packed with functionality and very well built. Let’s take a look and see if it has what it takes to battle with the big boys.

Zalman FS-V7 “Fatal1ty” Video Card Cooler
hardCOREware :: Monday, January 16, 2006
The Fatal1ty brand is going strong with Creative, with their awesome X-Fi soundcards. However things aren’t so peachy over at Abit, whose sales have dropped 96% in the last year since introducing “Fatal1ty” brand motherboards and video cards.

Zalman bought into the brand last year as well, but products didn’t start showing up until recently. Today we’re reviewing one of those – a video card cooler by the name of “FS-V7 Fatal1ty”. It looks to be nothing more than their regular VF700 cooler with a red paint job and higher fan speed… Is there more to it?

Tt Bigwater 745 H2O Kit Review
Overclocker Café :: Monday, January 16, 2006

The Thermaltake BigWater 745’s best point is also its weakest. Effectively having triple the capacity of a standard 120mm radiator, the BigWater 745 offers fantastic performance and I applaud Thermaltake for releasing a kit that represents ‘the extreme!’ The downside to this is mounting space.

Project Gotham Racing 3 @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Monday, January 16, 2006
“Ever since Microsoft started bombarding us with images and videos of what the Xbox 360 was really capable of, we’ve been seeing glimpses of Project Gotham Racing 3. It was clear from the very beginning that Microsoft would really be pushing hard for this game to succeed. Maybe it was just a matter of the channels I watch or the times I watch TV, but I can honestly say that the only Microsoft-published game I have seen being advertised is PGR3. But after playing the game, it all makes sense. The game\’s near perfect visuals as well as impressive gameplay both online and offline make for quite the gaming experience and one that is a definite way to impress people with your new console.”

Vantec NexStar3 Enclosure
Techgage :: Monday, January 16, 2006

Quote: We all know that keeping our components cool is the best way to prolong their life, and our Hard Drives are certainly no different. Vantec is offering us a great looking solution for our external drives that grants us great speed and enough class to satisfy anyone.

Logisys Black Remote Multifunction Panel @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Quote: Logisys is notorious for making things that one make life with your pc easier and two to make your case look damn cool. The product we are about to review is a little of both. First, it enlightens the visual of the front facial of the case. And second, it makes turning the pc off and on a little bit fun. It’s the Logisys Remote Multifunction Panel.

How To Correctly Apply Thermal Grease
Hardware Secrets :: Monday, January 16, 2006
“With processors working at higher and higher clock speeds, a certain concern with thermal dissipation is necessary, because the higher the clock used, the higher the heat produced. To give you an idea, a 486DX2-66 dissipated something between 3 and 6 W, while a modern Pentium 4 processor with 3.8 GHz dissipates 115 W! In case you don’t adopt a thermal solution compatible with the specific model of processor you use in your system, several problems can appear, such as random resets, freezes, reduction of processor lifespan, and it can even make the CPU burn, in extreme cases.”

HEXUS.reviews :: World Exclusive: ASUSTeK A6JA ‘Napa’ Notebook
Hexus :: Monday, January 16, 2006

When judged in relation to benchmarks that are single-threaded, the supplied A6JA’s Intel Centrino Duo T2500, humming along at 2GHz, and thanks to a dual-core architecture that’s been enhanced in the transition over from single-core Dothan’s, together with the use of a faster FSB, performs in the general vicinity of, say, a Pentium M 780 (2.26GHz). Swap on over to multi-threaded apps. and the ‘T2500 has no mobile peer. All-in-all, we would probably recommend the ASUS A6JA if it shipped with a single-core Dothan CPU; it’s got all the right ingredients and a reasonable asking price. Throw in the obvious goodness of dual-core Yonah CPUs, upgraded WiFi, decent battery life, and cooling so quiet and efficient that you can hear your own breathing, and you have a tasty proposition on your hands that is available right now.

XSPC LCD Display @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Quote: Dual screens are now almost common place in the gaming world due to graphics cards having two outputs; each screen having millions of pixels always doing exactly what you tell them. It’s strange to think that a display capable of displaying a mere 20×4 characters is so appealing.

Antec NeoHE 430 Watt
Overclockers Online :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Quote: Antec has once again lived up to its reputation by delivering an excellent product that performs as expected. The voltages are bang on and the noise is non-existent. While modular power supplies aren’t the most popular scheme around if you intend on using all of your cables, it’s great for those looking to get into the HTPC and small form factor cases where space is a premium. It is also an easy way to buy a power supply with all the cables sleeved for a nice and tidy appearance.

I-Star Nitro AX Full Tower Case Review @ MODTHEBOX.COM
MODTHEBOX! :: Monday, January 16, 2006

“The first thing I noticed was the weight, and styling of this case. I like its simple clean lines, with refined touches such as the perforated aluminum front bezel, optical drive drop down door, aluminum trimmed release handle and side fan bezel. Another point worth mentioning is the construction quality and the interior layout design. Its clear to see that some thought went into these areas by the designers, intent on building a functional, quality case, while so many other cases fall short in this area.”

PC Partner RC410MS7-A82C
Phoronix :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Summary: “PC Partner is a relative new comer to Phoronix but they have over 20 years experience in the industry with ISO9001 certification. PC Partner’s focus is on providing graphics and motherboard solutions to the PC industry as well as offering OEM/ODM products. Hitting the bench today is PC Partner’s RC410MS7-A82C, which is based upon the ATI RC410 + SB450 Chipset. However, do not put this item on your shopping list, as we share in the article, the retail motherboard will NOT be available for purchase by the general public due to recent corporate changes.”

WiMax vs WiFi Article @ Techware Labs
Techwarelabs :: Monday, January 16, 2006
“WiMax is new wireless networking standard that will provide non-line of sight wireless coverage up to 30 miles. This article explains how this new technology affects other wireless technologies like cellular phones and WiFI. ”

TTIC NPH WB K8-1 CPU Water Block Review
Madshrimps :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Quote: “nPowertek/TTIC is a company known for its massive, big air-cooling products. Right now, they hit the water-cooling market with a heat column powered water block. Can this combination offer good cooling capabilities? Let’s find out”

Sapphire Pure Innovation Mainboard Review on Technic3D
Techniz.co.uk :: Monday, January 16, 2006

Quote: “The pretty PI-A9RX480 Mainboard look convinced in, hether also in technical regard a presenting product came out thereby, see you in the following Review.”

Sunbeamtech Silent Storm ATX Case Review @ Bigbruin.com
Big Bruin :: Monday, January 16, 2006

Quote: If you are looking for a case that is not meant to be seen or heard, the Sunbeamtech Silent Storm is a great option! It has a very plain look to it, but has the added benefit of being silent, while keeping your gear cool. The extra fan bracket will give you an extra 120mm fan inside your case to help improve airflow and your case temperatures, without increasing the noise level.

Realm Systems BlackDog 512MB
Phoronix :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Summary: “The world’s smallest Linux server has entered our labs, and consisting of the package are a mini biometric reader, MMC slot, and USB interface. Powering the system is a 400MHz PowerPC processor, 64MB of RAM, and 512MB of flash memory while running up the software side of things is Debian Linux with the 2.6.10 kernel. The server chewing its way into our labs is the BlackDog, which was developed by Realm Systems.”

CES 2006: Company Spotlight – Philips
Futurelooks :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Philips never ceases to amaze us. Every year they seem to come out with something funky. Though they aren’t a SONY or a Panasonic, they certainly have the technology where they lack in the marketing. Check out what they have in store for 2006 and beyond!

Corepad Magna Glass Mouse Pad Review @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Monday, January 16, 2006

The Corepad Magna can be purchased for as low as $23.99 over at Newegg. Upon opening the box, you will find the Corepad Magna (Grey), a rubber base, and Corepad Skatez (a strip of teflon tape). In addition to these items, the Corepad manufacturers were kind enough to send over 4 sets of the pro version of the Skatez (not included in retail product). These are custom cut feet that will replace the existing mouse feet. Each set is specifically cut for a particular mouse. The mice supported are: Logitech MX500, MX510, MX518, MX700, MX900, Logitech G5 & G7, Logitech MX1000, and the Razer Diamondback.

Crucial Value PC3200 1GB Memory Kit Review at 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Monday, January 16, 2006
Today 3DXtreme has the great pleasure of reviewing a memory product from Crucial in their value lineup, a 1GB kit of PC3200. Crucial has always been among the leaders in the memory business and it’s always nice to have a full range of products from the enthusiast to the budget minded individual. Our review kit takes a little bit of a turn from the typical memory module design than most people are used to. Let’s see how well they do against some other value modules out there…

M-Audio Studiophile LX4 2.1 Professional Studio Monitor Speaker System Review @ Tweaknews.net
Tweaknews :: Monday, January 16, 2006

“M-Audio set out to make an affordable, all-in-one sound solution for the home studio user, who also likes to watch movies. With the LX-4, I think they reached their goal. While not cheap ($350 MSRP for the 2.1 set, and an additional $200 for the surround expander kit), the sound they produce well makes up for the price. And, while they’re lacking in some amenities, such as a control pod, what you get in return is pristine sound reproduction.”

CES 2006 Photo Essay and Wrap Up…REALLY!
Futurelooks :: Monday, January 16, 2006
That’s it! No more CES till next year! We visited so many companies, that we had to pick and choose who to write about. Some companies totally deserve some mention, which is why we compiled this last look at some very cool products as well as a full scale picture essay of the Show Floor and Booths. Enjoy!

PimpRig Review // Enermax Laureate USB 2.0 Series 5.25″ Optical Drive Enclosure
PimpRig :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“The Laureate has to have both the power cord, and the USB plugged in for it to function. The power cord measures close to 10.5′, and USB cable is 6.5′, which is ample length. The look is very streamlined and clean once all setup. Simply plugging in the USB to my PC and turning on the enclosures power button, WinXP detected the new device and I was ready to move along.”

AMD Athlon 64 FX 60 (Dual Core)
Hexus :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Quote: There’s not much suspense to hold with this new CPU. The mystique of whether or not the next Athlon 64 FX would be single or dual core was dashed a while ago, and really it was obvious if you think about it. Once you understood that it was dual-core, then going on to figure out the target clock frequency was a piece of cake, given Athlon 64 X2 4800+.

Create a Stormy Orb in Photoshop
Photoshop Support :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

1. New document (500×500)

2. Filter > Render > Clouds

3. Filter > Render > Difference Clouds

4. Press “Ctrl+F” to repeat the Difference Clouds Effect. Press this about 20 times, until you get a rigid look similar to this.

Newance Triplecone review @ DH
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“For most home users, when it comes on deciding which high end computer case to buy, the greatest factor is most probably not the efficiency of the case but the innovation of its design. Today I have a pretty strange looking case for review from Newance, a new found company which is a subsidiary of the large German company Listan, the Triplecone. The Triplecone is not only a large and very well built case, but its design can even confuse many unwary eyes, as many people will confuse it for a large speaker. Let us have a look of it up close..”

Thermaltake Blue ORB II Review”
Madshrimps :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Quote: “Thermaltake revolutionized the PC-market with their original ORB back in early 2000, today we test a reincarnated Blue ORB version barring little resemblance to its former self.”

Western Digital: The Attractive Raptor X @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“If you’ve read our recently published report from CES in regards to the storage industry, you will realize that 2006 appears to be a dull year for hard drives. But what has me intrigued is Western Digital’s attempt to favor the enthusiast community with its newly announced Raptor X drive that features a window, so you can see live platters, read and write heads and the actuator arm moving crazily.”

BTX Standard Gradually Sees Market Adoption
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“Is BTX standard dead? From all the silence, you would think so, but that’s not the case. Intel is still pushing the BTX standard as much as it can, but unfortunately, the market isn’t responding as well as Intel thought it would. At CES 2006, case makers pointed out that the world’s largest chipmaker is working with case manufacturers and the industry to encourage BTX, but since ATX is still the preferred standard, BTX is having a troubling time keeping up. On the positive side of things, however, Intel supported standard is gradually picking up.”

Sennheiser PC 160 Gaming Headset
Designtechnica :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“There are a number of gaming headphone options with integrated microphones. So, what happens when a high end, audiophile headphone manufacturer throws their best into the ring? The Sennheiser PC160, while exhibiting the same build quality we’ve come to love from Sennheiser, was slightly lacking in sound quality, but a good overall performer.”

All Opteron Models
Hardware Secrets :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“Opteron is the AMD processor targeted to the server market. It is also based on the Athlon 64 architecture (a.k.a. x86-64 or “hammer”) like almost all other CPUs from AMD available on the market today, like Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Athlon 64 X2, Turion 64 and Sempron (socket 462 Sempron models aren’t based on this architecture, however). In this tutorial we will present Opteron’s main features and also several tables listing all models released to date.”

Newance Triplecone (Speaker style case)
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
For most home users, when it comes on deciding which high end computer case to buy, the greatest factor is most probably not the efficiency of the case but the innovation of its design. Today I have a pretty strange looking case for review from Newance, a new found company which is a subsidiary of the large German company Listan, the Triplecone. The Triplecone is not only a large and very well built case, but its design can even confuse many unwary eyes, as many people will confuse it for a large speaker. Let us have a look at it up close.

AMD Athlon X2 Stock CPU Cooler @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

Quote: “Stock coolers that come with CPU’s, most people that want to push their systems don’t even install them. When they bought their setups they also made sure they got an after market CPU cooler as well. I was moving some stuff around in my attic trying to find something and came across the box for my AMD Athlon X2 4200+ CPU, I had forgotten that the original CPU cooler was in there. I opened up the box and was looking closer at the stock CPU cooler, it is a big boy. I never installed it, when I bought my system I also purchased a Zalman CPU cooler to use, because I knew I was going to be pushing my system. Anyway, I decided to see just what the stock cooler could do.”

Intel Plans to Update Core Duo in Few Months
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“As many of us know, Intel launched its Core Duo mobile platform at the Consumer Electronics Show 2006 earlier this year. While Intel’s partners were excited about launching their notebook products equipped with the new platform, Intel was busy making plans to revise the platform in the upcoming months to increase its overall performance.”

All Athlon 64 Models
Hardware Secrets :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“All new processors from AMD found on the stores nowadays are based on AMD’s Athlon 64 architecture, also known as x86-64 or “hammer”. In this tutorial we will list all Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX and Athlon 64 X2 models released so far and the main differences between them.”

Tt Bach HTPC Case Review
Overclocker Café :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

With everything connected and powered up, the Bach walks that thin line between being conservative and being gaudy very well. The blue LED effects are visible but not overpowering. The VFD with the software installed allows the VFD to cycle through world news, weather, system usage, e-mail alerts and quite a bit more.

CES 2006 – The Parties @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Most people think the Consumer Electronics Show is just a big trade convention but that’s only a small part of it. The companies that exhibits at CES throws some of the biggest and baddest parties around and yours truly is the master at getting invited to them. The first trick is finding out where the parties are.

News: Condemned Coming to PC this Spring
Primo Tech :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
One of the most discussed games of the last weeks and months will appear at the end of March for PC: Sega publicizes the uncensored original verson of Condemned, with which PC gamers will experiences the same unfiltered pleasure of the nightmarish atmosphere of the most recent game from something famous developer Monolith.

Exclusive VIA C7 based mini-itx mainboard pictures @ Epiacenter.com
Epiacenter.com :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

“Thanks to an anonymous source however we were able to obtain some photos of upcoming (don’t ask when!) EPIA Mini-ITX motherboards, more specifically the EPIA CN, EK and EN .”

DFI NF4 SLI Infinity motherboard
Pro-Clockers :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Quote: Everyone knows that DFi is the king of the hill when it comes to AMD 64 overclocking. There is no other motherboard out there that offers you the controls over the voltages and timings. When DFi brought the LanParty line of boards to the market, it offered all the goodies that would make the inside of your case look as good as it would run. But some of us enthusiasts don’t need all that added flare, so DFI gave us the Infinity line.

2006 CES Follow Up @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

Quote: “Hello, Hello. With all the reviews, follow ups etc. from CES being posted by all the other sites, I decided to wait and do mine a bit later. I wanted to give the show a few days to sink in and allow me to digest what I saw there. I saw quite a few things there that did make an impression on me, in this article I am going to go over these things and give you a few sneak peeks at some products that I actually brought home for review from some of the more generous companies out there…”

News – Picasa update from Google
TekBunker :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Want a free Photo editor that only 3.18Mb? A Tekbunker member of staff has put together a little review of a surprising “free” product, read on. We also have updated this with new information. Read More..

KickButtComputers.com – Skull and Crossbones Theme
InsaneTek :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“Tired of messing up your cases while attempting to do some mods? Want a crazy looking system without doing any of the work? KickButtComputers has the solution. Their latest Skull and Crossbones them is pimp!”

Thermaltake Blue Orb II
Overclockers Online :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Quote: The Blue Orb II is a spectacular heatsink…. It managed to give the Thermalright XP-120 some tough competition and, in some cases, even performed better! Though the heatsink is not exactly quiet, it is bearable and most of the noise is the swooshing of air. Not only does this heatsink perform well, it also looks great! It is the Blue fins, and not obtrusive LED fan that makes the heatsink stand out! Overall, this heatsink is truly remarkable and is priced much lower than its competitors.

OCZ PC4000EB 2GB dual channel kit review
OcPrices :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Quote: “Until recently, those looking for the best memory performance out of their Athlon64 systems were best served with 2 or 4 sticks of 512mb of memory, rather than 2 sticks of 1GB memory because of slow timings and poor overclocking performance of large DIMMs. Today I have on the bench OCZ’s PC4000EB 2x1GB dual channel kit, which promises much improved performance. Does it deliver? Read on.”

CES 2006 Day 4: Company Spotlight – SanDisk
Futurelooks :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
SanDisk made several new product announcements at their press conference at CES 2006. Out of those new products announced, there will be two new series of flash memory based MP3/WMA players as well as new Cruzer U3-smart USB flash drives. Let’s check them out!

CES 2006 – Booth Babes & Demo Cars
The Tech Zone :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

Out of all the halls at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show, the most popular is always the North Hall. This is the hall where the hot cars and hotter women hang out. Manufacturers of mobile audio and video equipment are always trying to out do each other with wild demo cars and many booths will have booth babes to man them (or woman them in this case). We’ve posted some of the best ones here.

Roomba the Robot
PC Mechanic :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
A robotic vacuum cleaner. It may seem like something out of a science fiction book. Some may be skeptical of its practicality and/or usefulness. I’m here to say that, believe it or not, the robotic vacuum cleaner is real, and it is the coolest piece of technology I’ve ever seen.

Nonux v2.2 @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
Summary: “The Dutch developers of Nonux have embarked upon yet another release. Enhanced in this v2.2 release is the Linux kernel 2.6.14.5, GNOME 2.12.2, OpenOffice 2.0.1, and vast improvements to the hard disk installer. This weekend we took Nonux v2.2 for a spin, but if you are interested in giving it a shot, remember to bring a translator.”

600,000 Xbox 360 game units sold in U.S. – group
Reuters :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp. has sold 600,000 of its new Xbox 360 video game consoles in the United States since its November launch, an analyst for market researcher NPD Group said on Friday.

The Xbox 360 debuted to much fanfare on November 22 in North America, where the unit has been in short supply. Analysts, video game publishers and retailers have said shipments during the key holiday season fell short of expectations.

CES Day 4 Coverage @ TW Labs
Techwarelabs :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“Another year has passed, and another CES is complete. Don’t be too sad, though; the final day did include visits to some exciting booths and events. Check out coverage of some Fatal1ty gaming, new Ridata, Creative Labs, Altec Lansing, Zalman, and other products, complete with photos (of course). And although CES is over, it’s just the beginning of a series of great product reviews coming up, so check back soon.”

Custom PC Makers Not Fearful of Dell
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“When Dell recently updated its XPS line of gaming systems, it resulted in numerous concerns in the community speculating that Dell might cause problems for custom PC makers by using its brand equity and OEM leverage to get discounts on high-end components///”

CES 2006 Coverage: AMD Expects Strong Year Ahead
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
“People are worried that AMD might lose its ground against Intel, since it won’t be making any significant upgrades to its architecture in 2006. While that’s somewhat of a logical statement, AMD doesn’t have much to worry about regardless of what Intel does and launches.”

Thermaltake ToughPower 550w PSU review
Overclocker Café :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Keeping it simple is always a good plan. Thermaltake has done this with the ToughPower 550w PSU. Bringing features to the table that would please anyone while keeping the extras to a minimum (ergo price) Thermaltake appears to have a product on their hands that makes everyone happy from a perspective of raw power, usable features and near silent operation.

Zalman Fatal1ty FS-V7 Graphics Card Cooler Review @ Tweaknews.net
Tweaknews :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

“With great looks and excellent performance, this cooler would be an asset to most any compatible graphics board out there. Installation was a snap thanks to Zalman’s online installation guides and compatibility charts, and the Fatal1ty’s noise-to-cooling ratio is very good.”

Arctic Cooling fans review @ DH
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

“Both fans are virtually identical, except for the size of course. But they are different to the “average” cooling fan you will have seen. First of all, the fans have no actual frame. The only part of the frame that exists is the front section, where the fan comes in contact with the mounting surface. The cables of the fans are entirely sleeved and the connectors are black. The fan motor is held in place by four plastic legs, which are reinforced by two plastic rings.”

120mm Fan Roundup
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Quote: “We test 6 different fans from Titan, Acousti, Arctic Cooling, Coolink, Antec and Papst. Using a Scythe Ninja in a closed case we’re set to find out which fan will act as the best heat exhaust.”

Arctic Cooling Accelero X2
techPowerUp! :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
The “Silencer” series from Arctic Cooling has been famous for delivering top notch performance while still being quiet. The Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 is the first aftermarket cooler engineered for the ATI Radeon X1800 and X1900 series. It features a completely revamped design and continues the tradition of powerful and silent.

Cooling Overview – Lower Noise, Better Thermals
Frosty Tech :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
“This article is a follow-up to the 2004 issue which looked at all the latest heatsinks and cooling systems from that period. Since this 2005 synopsis is mostly an examination of heatsinks shot at recent trade shows, we’ll jump right into the mix. In the following pages we’ll look at innovative heatsinks by Thermalright, Thermal Integration, Aerocool, Coolermaster, Aopen, Asus, Evercool, Foxconn, Gigabyte, Global Cooler, Glacialtech, Jetart, Kingcooler, Lexsys, Thermaltake, Vantec, Zalman and a few others. The first company on that list, recently showcased a variety of prototypes at a recent trade show FrostyTech attended. ”

COOL by Corsair
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Quote: While watercooling is not a common way of cooling your PC, with today’s Socket 939 Opteron processors and dual core processors that tend to be smoking hot, you can expect more people will be buying watercooling kits like this. This entry kit will serve many people well, especially since it costs much less than some of the equipment offered by Asetek or Swiftech. By selecting Corsair, you not only get a chance to match the blinging LED memory modules, but you get a name enthusiasts trust.

AMD Dual-Core FX 60 Overclocking @ TW Labs
Techwarelabs :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
“Continuing its trend of offering products with features that consumers demand, AMD has released the FX-60. The AMD FX 60 is a dual-core, completely unlocked processor built for performance and overclocking. See just how well it performs and overclocks in our review.”

AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 Processor Review @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
“The time has finally come for AMD to bring the dual-core Athlon 64 processor to their beloved FX processor family. Can you believe that dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors have been out for more than seven months? During these seven months the King Of The Hill (KOTH) processor for AMD has always been a single core processor…”

CES 2006 Coverage: Memory Industry Dull in 2006
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
“There hasn’t been a lot of things happening in the memory industry for a while now. The transition from DDR to DDR2 is moving along gradually, but until AMD adopts DDR2, memory makers don’t expect to see DDR2 take off fully. While at CES, we asked memory manufacturers what they expected 2006 to be and if we, as enthusiasts, can expect anything earth shattering this year.”

HEXUS.reviews :: AMD Athlon 64 FX 60 Microprocessor
Hexus :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 is the best consumer processor AMD have ever produced. With effectively a pair of FX-55s sat in the same socket, sharing an efficient memory controller, it’s close enough to FX-57 in single-threaded apps that the multi-threaded advantage makes that slender gap moot. Targetted at the well-heeled enthusiast, the new dual-core processor should be a shoo-in for those with FX-57s already, and those with the required readies to drop on the latest and greatest.

AMD Athlon 64 FX-60: Dual-Core FX Has Arrived @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Today, AMD is releasing its latest FX based CPU, the FX-60. First off, you may say, ‘What happened to the odd number scheme FX-51, FX-53, FX-55 and FX-57?’ Well, this new CPU starts off 2006 in the AMD world of Dual-Core Performance CPU. At this time, we see that these dual-core CPUs will end with an even number scheme.

AMD Athlon64 FX-60 Dual Core Processor Review
PCStats :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
In house testing between an AMD Athlon64 FX-60 and Intel Pentium D 840 based system illustrate the decreased power consumption of a FX-60, about 40W less power at idle and about 45W at full load. Looking at total system power draw, with both cores stressed, the AMD Athlon64 FX-60 system draws comparably less power than the equivalent Intel PC under the same conditions.

CES 2006 – How To Get Free Stuff @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Yes it’s true. Everything shown in the above photo was given to me for free! Some of the more noteworthy free stuff includes 1GB of OCZ RAM, an Ultra computer tool kit, CES laptop roller bags and two Sony PSP game consoles. And these are just the stuff that I haul back home with me. Bigger free stuff is being mailed. There is a good chance that if you attended the CES you won’t make off with as much free stuff as I did. This could be because you don’t know the art of getting free stuff. Well, you’re in luck because I’m going to give you the step by step to getting tons of free stuff at CES, or any other trade show for that matter.

AMD Athlon64 FX-60 @ t-break
t-break :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
We didn’t have much luck overclocking the sample we received and the max we could get it up to was 2.8GHz. While the system reached Windows at 2.85GHz, we could not get it to complete any benchmark- even with additional voltage which sort-of gives us an indication on why AMD didn’t release this CPU at a higher speed.

Thermaltake Bach Media LAB HTPC Case Review #636:
3dgameman :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Do you have a HTPC? If you are reading this review you probably do and are considering upgrading, or maybe you are thinking about building a HTPC. Either way, this case will satisfy most who are interested in using standard ATX hardware. This is important for many people because the cost of standard ATX hardware is much more affordable than micro or mini ATX hardware… ~3dGameMan.com

OCZ PC2-4200 1GB Gold GX XTC
Phoronix :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Summary: “Back on the first of this year, we had OCZ Technology’s EL PC-4000 2GB Gold GX XTC in our penguin testing labs, and overall it fared quite well along with being accompanied by the new Xtreme Thermal Convection heatspreader. Now a week later, we are back with more GX XTC testing but now we have their recently released DDR2 modules. How do these new PC2-4200 modules perform? Well we had no troubles pushing them past DDR2-736MHz with the default being 533MHz.”

hardCOREware visits International CES 2006
hardCOREware :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
This year it was just one of the HCW crew visiting CES in Las Vegas. In the end, it looks like we should have had a couple more down there, because this year’s CES was the biggest in history.

We did get to look at some interesting products that may have been left in the shadow of the Dell product announcement, etc.

DH Review: Arctic Cooling Fans 9cm and 12cm
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Both fans are virtually identical, except for the size of course. But they are different to the “average” cooling fan you will have seen. First of all, the fans have no actual frame. The only part of the frame that exists is the front section, where the fan comes in contact with the mounting surface. The cables of the fans are entirely sleeved and the connectors are black. The fan motor is held in place by four plastic legs, which are reinforced by two plastic rings.

HighSpeed PC Tech Station Large
techPowerUp! :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
If you are an enthusiast who is always playing with hardware, constantly swapping components, the HighSpeedPC Tech Station might be for you. We test the large version which offers plenty of space to add serious watercooling or even more exotic stuff. During our review we check if it’s easy enough to put together and we also put a system inside the Tech Station to see if it can live up to the expectations.

Func sUrface1030 Archetype @ Techgage
Techgage :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Quote: Gamers don’t want to put up with subpar equipment… they want the best. Seeing that high-end hardware can be extremely expensive, it’s good to start with the modest mousepad! Today, we are taking a look at the Func sUrface 1030 mousepad, which looks to offer much more to the gamer than other pads on the market.

News: Pentium Extreme Edition 955 vs. Athlon 64 FX-60 at TR
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
The Extreme Edition’s stellar resume isn’t likely to intimidate AMD, because Athlon 64 processors have been outperforming Intel’s CPUs for a good while now. Just to be sure, though, AMD has cooked up its own new flagship CPU for release today, the Athlon 64 FX-60. The FX-60 isn’t as flashy as Intel’s new number, but it does represent a major change for AMD’s high-end gaming-oriented processors, because it is the first dual-core member of the FX product line.

Now, these two new thousand-dollar processors face one another in our broad suite of performance tests, ranging from highly multithreaded 64-bit rendering applications to the latest games. Thanks to new multithreaded graphics drivers, these new dual-core CPUs may even challenge their single-core counterparts for supremacy in 3D gaming. Let’s see whether the boffo specs on Intel’s new 65nm Extreme Edition processor translate into a credible challenge for the dual-core FX-60.

CES 2006 Coverage: No More Speed for Flash Drives
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
“The issue with flash drives is that anyone with decent cashflow can start making them in a surplus, which has added a plethora of unnecessary new players to the market. The key players, such as SanDisk and Lexar, in our meeting, pointed out that they aren’t necessairly worried about no-brand drives, since the majority of them exist in the Asian market.”

Athlon 64 FX-60 Processor Review
Sharky Extreme :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Today on Sharky Extreme, we’ve posted our review of the new Athlon 64 FX-60 dual core processor, complete with in-depth benchmarks and power consumption tests:

Titan Eagle
Overclockers Online :: Monday, January 09, 2006
Quote: Whether you choose the copper or the aluminum version, the Eagle is a welcome replacement for the ineffective stock coolers that modern furnaces, I mean, video cards possess. Now that we know Titan has yet another amazing product in its lineup, I am ready to see what they have in store for us next.

PimpRig Review // Super Flower Digi-Master Fanbus
PimpRig :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“Now Super-Flower looks to follow the Fan Master with…..Drumroll please…. The Digi Master. The Digi Master is a separate system monitoring device that allows monitoring of up to 3 fans and 3 temp probes, but they didn’t stop there. The display shows the activity of more items than Zennzzo can fry CPUs in a week. Let’s take a look at what Super-Flower has to show off this time around.”

Enermax Liberty 500 Review at CaseModGod.com
Case Mod God :: Monday, January 09, 2006

Summary: Globally renowned Enermax has a new line of power supplies out called the “Liberty” Series. Within this series is 400W, 500w, and 620W PSU’s. We will be looking at the Liberty 500W which supports the latest Intel Pentium D and AMD Anthlon 64 X2 systems.

Sweex External 4 Port USB 2.0 Mini HUB Review
MVK Tech :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“Sweex is a manufacturer of a wide range of affordable computer related products and its vision is, that it is the possibilities this technology has to offer that must be focal point rather than the technology itself. Sweex communicates about this in a clear language. It sees everyday uses that can be recognized by young and old alike. It simplifies a seemingly complicated, confusing technology. Sweex therefore offers a wide range of affordable and smart products, like the Sweex USB 2.0 Mini HUB.”

The NextGen home – straight from CES
Bona Fide Reviews :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“We at BFR have been very busy the past couple of days as we journey through our first CES (Consumer Electronic Show) event. The experience has been amazing, something that I hope every tech-head has a chance to participate in. Needless to say we have a ton of stuff to write about and very little time to do so. We first want to write about the NextGen “Digital Lifestyles” home featured in the central plaza parking lot. This year’s home focused on a great level of home automation made possible through software built on top Windows Media Center, a lot of tv’s and panels, a content server, and a lot of other high-tech goodies.”

ECS KN2 SLI Motherboard @ t-break
t-break :: Monday, January 09, 2006
The idea behind ECS’ S.D.G.E. was to allow the Northbridge to sit on a separate card and thus possibly allow either a CrossFire or an SLI solution on the same board. This might’ve worked with the original nF4 SLI that was a single chip solution, however with the X16, the Southbridge provides additional PCI-E lanes and we doubt it would be possible for ECS to stick an ATI chipset on the S.D.G.E card and expect this board to work in a CrossFire solution.

Sapphire PURE Innovation PI-A9RD480 Crossfire
techPowerUp! :: Monday, January 09, 2006
ATI video card specialist Sapphire has built this Crossfire-ready motherboard with enthusiasts and gamers in mind. Special care has been given to providing the whole range of needed BIOS options to properly tweak the settings. Its unique white design will make the board stand out of the crowd.

CES 2006 Car Audio Show Floor
The Tech Lounge :: Monday, January 09, 2006

“We spent Friday morning at the CES car audio show floor, but first we met with speaker design company Tymphany in their Las Vegas Hilton suite. Tymphany’s new Linear Array Transducer (LAT) subwoofer utilizes a dual opposed woofer design with stacked passive cones to create monster bass in a much smaller space. Their LAT woofers are featured in a new line of Alpine aftermarket powered subwoofer boxes.”

DFI nF4 SLI-DR Expert @ t-break
t-break :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“DFI has also added some space between the two PCI-E x16 slots which is also good in two ways. Firstly, it allows more room between the VGA cards and secondly there is enough space between the slots to not allow either of the Video cards to be over the chipset fan. This was a problem with the original board where the graphics cards game right above the chipset fan and if you weren’t careful, the card could actually touch the fan and block it from spinning.”

News – Titan Eagle Aluminum & Copper VGA Cooler
Techniz.co.uk :: Monday, January 09, 2006

“Titan have come out with their new Eagle series of VGA cooler which is the Aluminum and the Copper base. The Eagle is a very good VGA cooler in terms of the performance and the stylish look. The Aluminum and Copper base Eagle VGA cooler performs very well during the testing. The design of this VGA Cooler is very stylish and nice, and the cooling fan use for it is an 80mm fan. But, there is some downside of the Eagle VGA Cooler which is it will takes up another extra PCI slot spaces after installing it. It will also be a problem to the user that running SLI where the PCI-E slots is just 1 slot away…”

Asus A8N-VM CSM GeForce 6150 Motherboard Review
PCStats :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“The Asus A8N-VM CSM motherboard looks like the perfect workstation/HTPC motherboard at first glance; onboard graphics with analog and DVI-D monitor outputs, and nVidia PureVideo High Definition MPEG-2/WMV9 Playback acceleration. The A8N-VM CSM supports all Socket 939 AMD Athlon64/FX/X2 processors on the market, and is built around two recent nVidia chipsets, the NVIDIA GeForce 6150 & nForce 430. Onboard features include IEEE 1394a, a 5.1 channel HDA (Azalia)/AC97 audio controller, Gigabit LAN and of course analog and DVI-D Geforce 6-series onboard video. Expansion is possible through PCI Express x16 and PCI Express x1 slots for high bandwidth devices and two 32 bit PCI slots for legacy devices.”

Crucial Hi-Speed USB 12-in-1 Card Reader @ techniz.co.uk
Techniz.co.uk :: Monday, January 09, 2006

“You have the camera, you have your memory, what do you need now – a card reader that’s what.

“Provides fast, portable data exchange between your computer and the flash memory cards used in your portable electronic devices. Works in both Macs and PCs, as well as notebooks and desktops — any computer with a USB port/operating system support.”

Corsair XMS TWINX2048-4000PT 2GB Dual Channel Kit
InsaneTek :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“Corsair’s PC4000PT is not the first, nor second, but third enthusiast 2GB solution thus far. The memory uses Samsung UCCC ICs and comes with a very affordable price. Moving to 2GB just became more tempting.”

ATP ToughDrive 1GB @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Monday, January 09, 2006

Summary: “Two of the main contenders we have come across when it comes to flash/thumb drives has been the blazing fast OCZ Rally, which has continually taken first in our speed and write tests, and Corsair’s Flash Voyager series that takes a close second in all of our benchmarks except its durability is utterly impressive. What we have our hands on today is ATP’s USB ToughDrive that offers a 1GB capacity while coming cased in a durable rubber housing but will it be able to compete with Corsair’s and OCZ’s finest?”

SuperTalent PC4000 C2.5 1GB kit Review at 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Monday, January 09, 2006
We have reviewed product from SuperTalent in the recent past and it has proven to be a quality product that won’t break the bank. Today we are looking at a kit of DDR500 ram with nice timings of Cas 2.5. It’s hard to compete for the enthusiast dollar these days and making overclockable ram with tight timings is a great place to start. Let’s find out if SuperTalent’s latest enthusiast offering can keep up with some high quality well established memory…

CES Coverage part 3
Driver Heaven :: Monday, January 09, 2006
I just wanted to share a few pictures from my appointment for DriverHeaven with AMD. I’d like to personally thank Brent Barry, Brand Manager for A64 FX Processors, Bubba Wolford, PR Section Manager for Gaming and Digital Home Entertainment, and Mike Field, Manager of Product and Brand Management for their fine briefing and for fielding all my questions. I’d also like to thank Trisha and Jessica for once again arranging my appointments with AMD.

Anand’s New Website
Hardware Secrets :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“I’ve just learned that Anand Shimpi, from AnandTech, has released a new website this week, called DailyTech (http://www.dailytech.com), which is dedicated to daily technology-related news. The editor-in-chip is Kristopher Kubicki, who is also a buddy of mine and was working at AnandTech for a very long time. It seems that the idea was to split the News section of AnandTech to a new website, as from now on all news posted on AnandTech will be pulled from DailyTech. Since AnandTech is the biggest website about PC hardware in the world (some folks claim that Tom’s Hardware has greater traffic, but I think that’s not true) it may be very possible that DailyTech will be one of the largest technology news website in the very near future. C”

Nexus NX5000 500W Power Supply @ Pro-Clockers
Pro-Clockers :: Monday, January 09, 2006
Quote: If you were to take time to browse around the Nexus website, you will see one common theme. Quietness. Nexus proud themselves on producing products to make your computer as quiet as possible. Today, we take a look at the Nexus NX5000 power supply. Going alone with Nexus quiet theme, this power supply also provides alot of power.

Kingston’s microSD Flash Memory Card
Legit Reviews :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“It took nearly a full year for the technology to take off, but now microSD cards are said to be the ‘hot’ item in 2006 for the mobile phone market. The microSD card is currently the world’s smallest mass produced memory card measuring just 11mm x 15mm x 1mm, and will be completely compatible with SanDisk Corporation’s TransFlash format…”

Coolmax Fanless 400W PSU @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“Power supplies have seemingly become the most important piece to building a new computer system as Intel and AMD have listed strict minimum wattages for power supplies to be used with their latest dual-core based systems. On one hand, we have those users who will go the extra distance to ensure they have tons of wattage headroom by purchasing that 700W+ power supply unit with three fans. And on the other hand, we have those users who want a new system, but want absolute silence. Directron was more than happy to supply me with a fanless power supply unit to review and so today, I will take a look at the Coolmax Fanless power supply that sports 400W of power and possibly more than meets the eye.”

OCZ Gold PC4000 GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit @ InsaneTek
InsaneTek :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“Armed with new heatspreaders and an affordable price, the OCZ Gold PC4000 GX XTC becomes a great choice for enthusiast gamers on the budget. It even comes with slightly lower latencies than the previous Gold PC4000.”

Corsair Flash Voyager 1GB @ techPowerUp!
techPowerUp! :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
The Corsair FlashVoyager USB Sticks are well known for their ruggedness. During our testing we boil and freeze the USB stick, put it into the dish washer and run over it with a car, more testing happens in the toaster and in the washing machine, and we finally managed to break it. Not only can the stick take a lot of beating but the transfer speeds are also among the fastest.

Just because its says presented in HDTV
Home Theater Blog :: Sunday, January 08, 2006

Ok 99.9% of you already know this, but we don’t want that guy in Hoboken missing out. To view HDTV your display has to be able to render at least 720p line of resolution (The CEA defines HDTV as an image with 720 progressive or 1080 interlaced scan lines) and your source Cable/Off-Air/Satellite has to be capable of delivering that same minimum of 720 progressive lines of resolution.

Dell’s Quad nVidia SLI XPS System @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Dell’s upcoming XPS 600 Renegade gaming PC features the World’s first Quad-SLI video card solution with 2GB of memory on board. If you think seeing high end games run smooth on a dual card SLI or CrossFire system is impressive you haven’t seen anything now that Quad-SLI is being used!

Adesso Gives PC Users Creative License With New Line Of Pen-based PC Drawing Tablets
Photoshop Support :: Sunday, January 08, 2006

The Adesso CyberTablets for PCs feature a high performance, pressure-sensitive wireless pen, large format, ergonomic tablet, wireless mouse, and robust software package that enables users to naturally draw and write freehand graphics and text as comfortably as they would on real paper. CyberTablets were designed for computer artists, graphic designers, photo editors and office and CAD/CAM applications. Other emerging applications include Internet whiteboard graphics, signature verification for e-commerce as well as handwriting/text conversion.

Tech In-Depth: Ethernet
PC Mechanic :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Category 5 UTP, token ring, twisted pair, hub, switch, gigabit……….What do all these items have in common? In case you didn’t figure it out right away, all the above listed items are related to Ethernet in some way or another. During the mid to late 1990’s as prices of commodity PC Hardware began to decline, households began to acquire more than one PC, and networking them together became increasingly popular.

XG Dragon ATX Case @ Viperlair
ViperLair :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
“MGE has delivered an inspiring design in the XG Dragon offering. As much as I am not an enthusiast when it comes to heavily modified cases, this one struck me when I first opened the package, and has continued to grow on me since. Its simple building blocks that offer almost an entirely tool less solution with looks that will make you proud to bring your system to a party with 300 of your closest friends because as we all know, it’s not just your gaming skillz on display.”

CES 2006 Day 3 Spotlight: AVerMedia
Futurelooks :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
AVerMedia had some really interesting TV Tuner and Media Center products displayed at the show. We dragged ourselves out of bed early in the Las Vegas morning to see what they had in store for 2006.

Professional Magazine Design Tutorial
Good Tutorials :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to make a great looking professional magizine.

Home Theater Obsolescence
Home Theater Blog :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
No I’m not talking about Home Theater itself but the gear that comprises the systems, or rather what to look for in that new piece of equipment; that will ensure it’s viable for years to come. In the interest of brevity, I won’t go into all the combinations of formats and configurations that are currently used, but rather a few simple rules of thumb for the home theater novice.

Displays: Again rather than writing a what, when, where and why of what I recommend here, I’ll just mention one thing any potential FPD/Projector buyer should keep an eye out for. Digital inputs, be it HDMI and or DVI. I highly recommend buying a display with a digital input vs. one without. It’s rare to run across a display without a digital input these days, but they are out there and more often than not these sets are the ones you want to avoid.

Not So Firm Firmware: PSP Updating and Homebrew
Twitch Guru :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Sony’s Playstation Portable promised to revolutionize the way people think about handheld gaming devices – and it has. Along with unprecedented gaming power, personal music player capabilities and UMD movies have come frequent firmware updates and some complaints of failed updates resulting in unusable PSPs. The original firmware in first generation Japanese hardware was v1.0, which was perfectly operational – it merely lacked an Internet browser, as well as some small extras available in newer versions. Updates have been consistently released to add what amount to optional extras to the portable system.

CES Coverage Part 2
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Corsair invited DriverHeaven over to their suite in the Bellagio to discuss their product line and upcoming products as well. The focus of their CES 2006 show was the launch of the Nautilus 500 self enclosed water cooling system – which features extreme ease of use for users with an estimated 10 to 15 minute installation time. This unit has a 120MM fan to exhaust heat from the top of the enclosure, and quick connect fittings at the rear.

I had an interesting discussion with Richard Hashim and Vivian Lien, who invited me to their penthouse suite at the Bellagion Resort and Casion. If you’re visiting the show floor at CES 2006, their product line is also being showcased in the booths of their key partners: NVIDIA, ATi, Logitech, Zalman, and BenQ. Corsair had a few very intriguing partner systems on display which will be shown and discussed below.

DH Review: Artic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
Driver Heaven :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Well it is time to have a look at a new CPU cooler from Arctic Cooling – the new Freezer 64 Pro. This cooler is built specifically for the AMD Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 X2 Dual core line of processors. Most of you assuredly have heard of Arctic Cooling and some may be using their famous line of VGA Silencer coolers. They also make high quality PC Cases and cooling fans.

Aerocool High Tower Series HT-102 CPU Cooler Review at 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Today 3DXtreme is taking a look the latest incarnation of the High Tower series from Aerocool, the HT-102. Aerocool has been kind enough to send along a sample of this latest product, a CPU cooler compatible with all recent CPU socket types. The HT-102 uses a quiet 92 MM fan, to quickly whisk heat from this large copper unit. The HT-102 will allow for a second 92 MM fan to be attached to maximize cooling power by using a push / pull method of airflow through it.

CES 2006 Spotlight: Antec Fusion/NSK2400 In-Depth
Futurelooks :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
So you thought it was over with Antec did ya? Or did you just forget? If you recall from our first article, we mentioned the Fusion and its little brother, the NSK 2400. Well now that the NDA has been lifted, we’re going to show you the technology behind the Fusion and the NSK 2400 with some previously unreleased inside pictures of the two cousins. Read on!

CES 2006 Day 3: Company Spotlight – ECS Elitegroup
Futurelooks :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
The NEW ECS has made some great strides in establishing market share in 2005. Their “Editor’s Choice” designs represented great value and performance. This year, they not only continue with their staple motherboard product, but they are going after some new markets with some innovative product. Let’s check it out!

Sounds About Right
Twitch Guru :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
The role that audio has played in videogames is one that has evolved dramatically since the early days of simplistic beeps and bleeps, becoming one of the most important and yet overlooked facets of a modern videogames’ design.

We are all very quick to exclaim “Ohh’s” and “Ahh’s” at the latest graphical wizardry and parlour tricks from graphic chipset makers ATI and nVIDIA and to count the extra frames our overclocked processors afford us, but rarely does one stop to think just how effectively a computer can render the Doppler effect.

3 Photoshop Tutorials from Colin Smith
Photoshop Support :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
We are very proud to be hosting 3 great Photoshop tutorials from best-selling author, trainer, and award-winning new-media designer Colin Smith. Colin is a regular columnist for Photoshop User magazine and PlanetPhotoshop.com, and has just released a new book titled Complete Photoshop CS2 for Digital Photographers. Colin is also the owner of the very popular PhotoshopCAFE, where tutorials

Samsung’s Universal Media Station
Home Theater Blog :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
The little box to your left (or something very much like it) might just revolutionize home theater. The Samsung Universal Media Station with its 300GB hard drive, Ethernet, USB, digital and analog A/V outputs, could theoretically deliver first run, high-definition Hollywood movies to your home on release night, not four months later.

Unveiled at CEDIA Expo 2005, the UMS’s primary purpose was described as “downloading media content from a networked computer or the Internet with playback through its built-in hardware decoder”. The big if (and granted it’s a BIG one) in all this is, will the studios get on board? A Samsung representative stated that the UMS would incorporate strong DRM protection so the piracy concerns should be minimal, but the really big quantum leap here is are the studios willing to loosen their iron grip on first run movies?

Techware Labs @ CES 2006 (Day 1)
Techwarelabs :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
“CES kicked off on January 5th this morning with a keynote speech by Bill Gates. It seems the concept of the digital home and home entertainment is being driven hard here around every corner. Gates took on Steve Ballmer in a demonstration of his new XBOX 360 for a round of boxing. Gates took the win and then continued with his presentation.”

All Pentium M Models
Hardware Secrets :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
“Pentium M is an Intel processor targeted to the mobile market and used on Centrino platform. Intel’s Centrino platform is a set of three technologies developed for notebooks:”

Power Color X800XL 256MB
Phoronix :: Sunday, January 08, 2006

Summary: “Although ATI’s X1000 series graphics processors have stolen a great deal of the attention off its predecessors, there remains no Linux 3D support at this time for these latest red solutions. However, for Linux users with the present status of ATI’s proprietary drivers the X800 remains a respectable solution for those not looking to fall to the green team with their overwhelming Linux presence. Up on our review block today we have the X800XL 256MB from the folks over at Power Color.”

News – Spire Rocketeer III 500W PSU
Techniz.co.uk :: Sunday, January 08, 2006

“The Spire Rocketeer 500W PSU is a powerful PSU with the silver and stylish housing and the 120mm blue LED cooling fan. With the dual 12V rails of power, it will support many peripheral devices without any problems. Furthermore, this PSU is equip with the auto fan speed control for the 120mm Blue LED cooling fan. The operation noise level was very silent as well. The bad thing for this PSU is, it was not Active PFC and does not have dual PCI-E connector ready to support dual VGA card at the same time. However, you can use the extra 6-Pin PCI-E connector to run the SLI/CrossFire without any problem..”

Techwarelabs @ CES 2006 Day 2
Techwarelabs :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
“Day two at CES 2006 and our stops included some awesome technology by several manufacturers. External storage, flash storage devices, and wireless technologies were only a few of the things Techwarelabs was able to see.

The largest day two announcement has to be from website giant Google. In a move to broaden its already massive services, Google is going Hollywood style. Google intends to roll out content on its site, including movies, music, and other media. At a subscription or pay as you go basis it could become a big competitor to Apple. Yahoo is catching the trend of the “where you want it when you want it” attitude and will be offering services similar to Goggle. It might be a good time to invest in the website worth more than both Ford and GM.”

Theater owners exercise rights, hilarity ensues
Home Theater Blog :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
When I first read this UPI article about the National Association of Theater Owners wanting to block cellular signals inside movie theaters, I thought to myself great idea, why didn’t they do this earlier? Then reading on I was snapped back into the reality that is today’s United Litigious States of America.

Apparently the consortium of theater owners is being challenged by the “Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association”. Does every single industry in the country have their own political lobby? Only in America could a lobbyist insinuate that theater owners wanting to install cell phone jammers, might somehow pose a safety risk. What’s next, free cell phones for all?

Corsair 4GB Flash Voyager Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Quote – ” The latest incarnation of Corsair’s famous Flash Voyager range of water-resistant USB flash memory drives comes with a super-large capacity of 4GB. That puts it in almost the same league as the Seagate 5GB Pocket Hard Drive we reviewed not so long ago. Let’s see how this small flash drive with a big appetite holds up against the competition! ”

Thermaltake BigWater SE Liquid Cooling Kit Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Quote: ” I LIKE IT! It’s as simple as that. I’m sure not everyone out there will, but I certainly do. I find it to be an urbane, attractive setup that performs efficiently and quietly. I like quiet; ask anyone who knows me. ”

The Western Digital Raptor X HDD @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
While at CES 2006 we got a chance to see the the revolutionary WD Raptor X SATA hard drive, the first ever drive with a view. Offspring of the immensely popular WD Raptor, fastest SATA drive on the planet, WD Raptor X focuses a large, crystal-clear lens on the drive to let you see into the inner workings and witness the drive in action.

Photoshop TV Episode 11
Photoshop Support :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
In this second abridged “all-tips” holiday edition of Photoshop TV (15 minutes) Dave is away and the show is hosted by just Matt and Scott.

Matt has a tip on using masks inside of Photoshop, specifically layer masks, and also has some tips that deal with scripting in Photoshop.

Scott has a quick tip for a visual effect that creates a pixelated area in a photo, with the result being a portrait that fades from a regular version to a digital, pixelated version.

Confessions of an Honest Cracker
Twitch Guru :: Sunday, January 08, 2006

The year is 1988. Interplay Productions released The Bard’s Tale III this week, and someone from our team has borrowed a copy from where he works at a local software store. His company allows employees to “check out” software so they can understand what they sell. That is how we got most of our games without buying them.

Thermaltake CL-P0200 Silent 939 K8 Cooler
Pro-Clockers :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Quote: None of us are strangers to the Thermaltake name. They have being around for a decent amount of time now. They have their name on everything from cases to water-cooling kits. But today we will be looking at one of their products from their heatsink lineup. In my quest to build a quiet for yet powerful SFF machine, the one thing that I knew I would need was a good heatsink that cooled well and did not make much noise. Enter the Thermaltake Silent 939 K8 cooler. Will it do the job let’s see.

HEXUS.article :: Intel Napa Platform – a brief look
Hexus :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
Intel is officially releasing its newest iteration of the Centrino brand today, and Napa, the platform’s identifier, takes in Intel’s first dual-core mobile CPU, its i945 Express chipset, and Intel 3945ABG WiFi adapter. There’s more to Yonah/Napa than just a couple of Dothan cores bolted on to a single piece of silicon and placed on an upgraded core logic, however, so let’s take a more detailed look.

A CES Preview: CES Unveiled @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Friday, January 06, 2006

Quote: “Well CES is only a day away now, but there is a special press only event called CES Unveiled. This event gives manufacturers a chance to showcase new products before the big event. There are only a handful of companies that chose to exhibit at this event, and there is free complementary food and drinks, which makes it even better. So today we will be showing you some of the cool new products that were showed at this event.”

[GeekExtreme] Logitech G5 and G7 gaming mice @ Geekextreme.com
Geek Extreme :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“Logitech’s newest line of gaming mice have been dubbed the “G Series,” G for gaming, no doubt. Ah, how quickly we forget the MX line; I suppose the MX1000 laser was the last we’ll see of that one. The G5 & the G7 are very much the same mouse except for a few minor differences & one major one: the G5 is corded & uses a weight system, & the G7 is cordless & uses a battery for weight.”

CES Unveiled 2006
The Tech Lounge :: Friday, January 06, 2006

“Last evening Brian, Kurtis and I attended the CES Unveiled press-only event. An almost miniature version of the CES show floor, it gives industry representatives a slightly more intimate meeting space with members of the press. While Unveiled may have only had just over 70 exhibitors, the floor was packed with media analysts and reporters. Fortunately our credentials spoke for themselves and we were able to penetrate our way into the CES Unveiled inner circle… until we were distracted by the free buffet and vast expanse of dessert trays. After securing our press passes we were off to mingle with our industry counter parts.”

Coolink U8-120-1600 CPU Cooler Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Mechanic :: Friday, January 06, 2006

Content: “Overall, the Coolink U8-120-1600 is a superb CPU cooler. It comes with four, 8-way copper heatpipes and a larger copper base which are the basic aspects of a powerful CPU cooler. The package was complete and everything was in the package, including a fan controller. Being one of the largest CPU coolers we have tested up to date, the Coolink U8-120-1600 may not be for everyone, especially if you have a smaller casing. Being a relatively new player in the CPU cooling market, Coolink has earned our respect and we believe more reviews will be popping out with great recommendations.”

HEXUS.eXclusive :: New easy watercooling from Corsair
Hexus :: Friday, January 06, 2006

The Nautilus 500 consists of an external unit which sits on top of the computer’s case, along with a CPU waterblock and retention brackets. Installation of the waterblock doesn’t require the removal of the motherboard, which will appeal to both watercooling newbies and those who just can’t be bothered faffing about taking their board out.

Intel Pentium XE 955 @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“In the past few months, the race to release the hottest new processor has slowed down in the consumer market, but this past week, we saw the introduction of Intel’s latest processor which sports some very nifty features. The Extreme Edition 955 double core processor is one amazing chip which sports the usual EM64T, Hyper-Threading Technology and Execute Disable Bit features, but it also brings Intel’s 65nm manufacturing process to the market along with a 1066MHz FSB, 2 x 2MB L2 cache and two cores, each on its own silicon chip. This chip runs at a quick 3.46GHz and I am sure it can be set loose with the proper cooling. Let’s take a look at what Intel’s changes mean for consumers looking to get the most out of their double core computing experience!”

Neoseeker Cooler Master Stacker 830 Review
Neoseeker :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“Recently, it seems that cases here have been growing larger. After the initial wave of SFFs, the trend has been going towards larger ATX cases. It seems that every company now has one or two models that are much larger than before, able to hold many more (and larger) fans and drives than before, and are as a result, much heavier than before. Yes, I am still thinking about the gigantic slab of metal that is Thermaltake’s unwieldy Tai Chi.”

Review: Enermax Laureate 3.5″ HDD Enclosure @ GideonTech.com
GideonTech :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“Comparing this enclosure to ones I have used in the past, I would say this is one of the best built and easiest to use. The casing is strong and it doesn’t feel like your going to break it when installing the drive or pushing it into the stand. The clips which hold the front end on are able to keep it on and the hard drive doesn’t push them off off at all. The only thing that I would like to see changed is that the side with the Laureate logo has 4 brass housings for the screws to hold the drive cage down showing through. I wish Enermax would either cover them up or not drill all of the way through the casing. Apart from this small flaw, I would recommend this housing to anyone who wants a good, strong external hard drive case.”

Inside Pentium M Architecture
Hardware Secrets :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“In this tutorial we will explain you how Pentium M CPU works in an easy to follow language. Since all new CPUs from Intel will use Pentium M’s architecture, studying this architecture is very important to understand the architecture of forthcoming CPUs like Yonah, Conroe and Woodcrest. You will learn exactly how its architecture works so you will be able to compare it more precisely to other processors from Intel and competitors from AMD.”

Raidmax Pure Color 02 Case w/420W PSU Review #635:
3dgameman :: Friday, January 06, 2006
There’s a reason why this case is called Pure Color. That’s because it’s available in a number of different high-gloss colors. Most cases come in the standard silver and black colors. I personally like silver (aluminum) cases but others may prefer something radical. There are plenty of drives bays and it’s good to see the four internal 3.5″ drive bays in a mid-tower case… ~3dGameMan.com

CES 2006 Day 2: The Digital Experience
Futurelooks :: Friday, January 06, 2006
The Digital Experience is the second press only event prior to the opening of the show on January 5th. Some of the most innovative companies gather at this event to get the attention of the attending press members at CES. Here’s what we saw…

Raidmax Sagitta Gaming Case w/450W PSU Review #634
3dgameman :: Friday, January 06, 2006

While this is not the king of cases, it does have many redeeming factors. It has decent air circulation if an optional 120mm fan is installed at the front. Lets face it, case air circulation is very important. It baffles me why a fan wasn’t included at the front, I guess it’s to keep the consumer cost low. The tool-less design on both the drive bays and the expansion slots will definitely come in handy… ~3dGameMan.com

ASRock 939NF4G-SATA2 Motherboard
PCStats :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“The socket 939 ASRock 939NF4G-SATA2 motherboard supports all current 939-pin AMD Athlon64/FX/X2 processors, and is based upon the value oriented nVidia Geforce 6100 Northbridge and nForce 410MCP Southbridge. Most notably though, the Geforce 6100 incorporates Geforce 6-series integrated graphics which are accessible by a 15-pin Analog VGA jack at the rear I/O.”

Das Keyboard v. KeyTronic
Phoronix :: Friday, January 06, 2006
Summary: “The Das Keyboard has caught the sights of many computer gamers and enthusiasts thanks in part to its individually weighted keys and the keys being literally blank. However, what the interested folks haven’t been able to bear is the incredibly high price at which the Das Keyboard sells ($79.95 USD). Surprisingly, the OEM provider for the Das Keyboard sells a nearly identical component with weighted keys and durable design for a mere $20. In this article we have some comparative information between the Das Keyboard and KeyTronic as well as some other pertaining details.”

[News] Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro Heatsink Review @Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Friday, January 06, 2006
Quote: ” I think the Freezer 64 Pro is a great cooling heatsink and if you’re having cooling problems on your AMD socket 939 cpu, it’s worth the cash. However be aware of the issues I’ve raised in this review concerning the installation issue where I had to mod it to fit with my hardware ”

OCZ’s new phase-change cooler
Hexus :: Friday, January 06, 2006

OCZ, best known for their high performance RAM products, is entering the performance cooling market with its new phase-change cooler, the Cryo-Z. HEXUS can exclusively reveal details on the new product.

ASUS A8N32-SLI Overclocking with Corsair and OCZ
TweakTown :: Friday, January 06, 2006
QUOTE: “The chances are you own one of these motherboards if you’re into getting the absolute most out of your Athlon processor. Today we will be having a closer look at the A8N32-SLI Deluxe – the latest bad boy to hit the ASUS motherboard line up – and what it is capable of when it comes to overclocking. VGA performance was a bit all over the shop when we looked at the board last time but this time our emphasis will be more concentrated on low resolution benchmarking along with programs that concentrate more on the motherboard/chipset side of things. Last time we didn’t get a chance to look into overclocking because we only had the motherboard in our labs for 24 hours but now it’s a resident in the labs and we’ve had plenty of time to get down and dirty with it.”

New Flash – CES 2006 Day 1: CES Unveiled!
Futurelooks :: Friday, January 06, 2006
Futurelooks is back again in Las Vegas, Nevada to cover the International Consumer Electronics Show AKA CES! Our first day at the show took us to the CES Unveiled event at the Sands, giving press members only a glimpse into what was in store for the coming days.

How Manufacturers Test Heatsinks & Thermal Compound
Frosty Tech :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“Have you ever wondered how a heatsink manufacturer tests its new heatsinks to ensure what you buy will do the job? AMD and Intel each do it a little bit differently, and the methods of each respective microprocessor manufacturer change with each successive CPU class. It’s rare for any heatsink manufacturer to show off the test platform used for validating prototype heatsinks, but at a recent trade show in Taipei, FrostyTech was shown one such platform for Intel Pentium 4 LGA775 heatsinks.”

I-Star D-Storm Series Rackmount Server Case 3U Review
Madshrimps :: Friday, January 06, 2006
Quote: “It’s always a pleasure to review equipment that you never have tested before, certainly if you have just the right setup lying around. A heavy storage server in 3U rack housing? I-Star’s D-300 believes it can be done!”

Cooler Master Stacker 830
SystemCooling :: Friday, January 06, 2006
snip: When Cooler Master released the original Stacker STC-T01 about a year and a half ago, it created quite a stir. It was attractive, roomy (11 drive bays), sturdy, cooled well, and had unparalleled flexibility in that it was the first case on the market that offered support for both the ATX and BTX platforms. It was good enough to garner a Systemcooling Seal of Excellence, as well as runner-up honors for case of the year for 2004. Cooler Master has since released a couple revised versions, such as the Stacker 810, which is a more server-oriented case, and the Stacker 820, which is BTX-only, but everything else has more or less stayed the same. When it came time for a new Stacker model this around though, Cooler Master was not satisfied with just a minor revision. In fact, they built an entirely new case from the ground up with an eye toward eliminating the deficiencies of the original Stacker, plus adding even more of the massive amounts of case goodness offered by the original. The result of this redesign is the new Cooler Master Stacker 830. We’ll find out if all this time and effort by the folks at Cooler Master has resulted in something special.

Zalman ZM460-APS Noiseless Switching Power Supply Review
OCIA :: Friday, January 06, 2006

“According to the UL File number E198072 displayed on the power supply, it is registered as being manufactured by Zalman Tech Co Ltd. Some companies simply rebrand power supplies made by other manufacturers, so it is often a good idea to check the Certification List to verify who actually made the unit.”

Movie Advance GBA Movie Player
DPReview :: Friday, January 06, 2006
One of the major benefits of the PSP is that it can play mpeg 4 format movies (albeit with a tedious conversion and some format restrictions) and despite quotes coming from Nintendo that they were happy to focus solely on the gaming potential of their consoles there was a limited release in Japan some months ago of an official video add-on for the Nintendo DS. This official add-on is hard to acquire and is also quite expensive however with some searching on the net it became known to us that you could buy third party players that were compatible with Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS.

Sansun Thermal Monster Fan Controller Review @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Friday, January 06, 2006
I hate fan noise. Maybe it is because I am getting old, but I no longer can stand having several fans spinning loudly in my case. At the same time, I need those fans to keep all my components cool. The solution? A fan controller of course. Today, I am testing the Sansun Thermal Monster fan controller.

Bigbruin.com Review: Thermalright V1 Ultra VGA Cooler
Big Bruin :: Friday, January 06, 2006
Quote: Silence is golden, except when it is a nickel plated combination of copper and aluminum, as in the case of the Thermalright V1 Ultra VGA Cooler. It was unfortunate the fan intended to be used on the V1 Ultra interfered with the system’s CPU cooler, but the performance was still quite impressive. Head to head with a VGA cooler designed to be passive, the fanless V1 Ultra came out the winner in thermal testing.

Corsair COOL Water Cooling Kit Review @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Today, we take a look at the COOL by Corsair water cooling kit. This is Corsair’s second water cooler after the very successul Hydrocool, and we are going to see if the new COOL is going to be just as successful.

Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Modding Malaysia :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Content: “Having said that the previous generation Freezer was having tough time keeping dual core processors cool, Arctic Cooling went back into their labs and came up with a juiced up version of the Freezer. Dubbed as Freezer Pro, the CPU cooler now comes with triple 6-way copper heatpipes, larger aluminium fins and a very innovative cooling fan design with suspension. Supporting only Intel socket LGA775 (Freezer 7 Pro) and AMD socket 754/939/940 (Freezer 64 Pro), the Freezer Pro is targeted towards high-end dual core desktop processors and hardcore overclockers. Read the full review to know more about Arctic Cooling’s latest heatpipe CPU cooler.”

Asetek WaterChill Xtreme 12V Pump-Reservoir Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Modding Malaysia :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Content: “Overall the Asetek WaterChill Xtreme 12V Pump-Reservoir is a great pump for water cooling. It has good performance and high flow rate. Besides that it comes with great software to monitoring and controlling the pump, fan, temperature thus this feature is yet to be seen on other water cooling pumps. However its price is our main concern because it costs a whopping USD130 / RM500! Add another 50 bucks more and you can get a complete water cooling kit for that price. Anyway we still recommend it to you if you are on the look for the best water cooling pump, in terms of performance and design. It’s totally up to you to decide if it’s worth to spend that much on a pump alone.”

TalkBack: Intel’s Viiv Campaign: Here’s to Good Timing!
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“Yes, the PC stalwarts have been banking on this vision for sometime, only to be disappointed (as has the entire digital home industry). One of the primary inhibitors to this vision, however, was the lack of compelling Internet-based media content. If you are trying to encourage the masses to view their home PC as an entertainment device, then you must (at minimum) offer them content that they consider compelling. Without such content, PC-based entertainment has been relegated to an early adopter or niche market.”

Link:

http://news.designtechnica.com/talkback94.html

OCZ 1024MB EL Gold GX XTC PC3500 Dual Channel DDR
Big Bruin :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Quote: OCZ has come up with the best looking RAM ever. The XTC heatspreader should be able to provide better cooling just due to the fact that more air can get into and around the metal structure. The low latency will give incredible bandwidth to the folks who do not overclock, and will also aid the individuals looking to see just how far they can push 1 GB of RAM.

SmartPC Software Review @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Unlike humans, computers may have many lives. All you need to do is to format your hard drive and install the system from scratch. However, this is not a good solution. By formatting your disks, you lose all your installed programs, preferences and system integrity. Is there another solution? If you need a personal medic for your computer to provide required treatment without killing the patient first, you may want to give SmartPC from SmartPCTools a try. It’s an all-in-one medicine package for your system.

[Phoronix] Kanotix v2005-04
Phoronix :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Summary: “Just before the clock struck midnight on December 31, the German developers of Kanotix released their v2005-04 Linux build. Contained in this release is the Linux kernel 2.6.14.5, X.Org 6.8.2 (with support for X.Org 6.9), KDE 3.4.3, and a wealth of other updates, patches, and new implementations. However, what has everyone talking about Kanotix is its superb hardware detection and auto-configuration abilities on all sorts of i686 and x86_64 hardware for being a LiveCD with HDD installer support. Being Linux-based hardware connoisseurs we couldn’t help but to take Kanotix v2005-04 for a test drive.”

News – Spire DigiPanel II
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Quote: Aesthetically, the panel is very pleasing to the eye and will compliment the look of any case, regardless of color. The shiny aluminum and the large knob, paired with a large blue-backlit LCD panel, are very futuristic. Some features I would have enjoyed if Spire had included them with the DigiPanel II are the ability to store different configurations and the ability to turn fans off completely.

PQI Memory Intelligent Stick Pro 170 512MB
PCStats :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“The pictures do not do the PQI Intelligent Stick Pro 170 justice, it’s a really low profile solution. The adaptor basically acts as a docking station for the Intelligent Stick Pro 170, essentially converting the connector into the standard male USB jack we’re all familiar with. It’s not absolutely necessary to use the adaptor because the low profile connector works just fine with existing female USB jacks on its own. The adapter can be used as a handy storage bay, and keeps the PQI Intelligent Stick Pro 170 safe from physical damage. The PQI USB drive itself is also pretty rigid in spite of its mini-size.”

Picasa
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
For this week’s FreewareFrenzy, I’m going to take a look at Picasa 2. Picasa is free software offered by Google for organizing and editing photos. I do not have many photos, but what I do have is hardly organized, more accurately described as haphazardly strewn about my hard drive. Picasa makes it easy to find all of those images, categorize them, and then edit, share, upload, burn, etc. So let’s examine it.

Kingwin SK-523 Case Review
Overclocker Café :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Kingwin’s mounting of the case’s lighting in such a way with a standard CCFL allows the end user to customize their case’s lighting color with ease. All they need is another color light and 60 seconds in which to do the swap. The other thing that comes to mind is the external rheostat. That it is specifically designed to control a secondary three pin fan shows me that the Kingwin people aren’t simply stamping out cases to bring to market, they are truly putting a good amount of practical thought into their design and production.

DFI nF4 SLI-DR Expert @ t-break
t-break :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“DFI has also added some space between the two PCI-E x16 slots which is also good in two ways. Firstly, it allows more room between the VGA cards and secondly there is enough space between the slots to not allow either of the Video cards to be over the chipset fan. This was a problem with the original board where the graphics cards game right above the chipset fan and if you weren’t careful, the card could actually touch the fan and block it from spinning.”

Antec Neo HE 500W Power Supply @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Quote: “I’ve done quite a few reviews of Antec products, and they have never failed to disappoint. Their products are always excellent performing and made with high quality standards in mind. Today I have my first official review of an Antec power supply; I’ve reviewed quite a few products by them but never a power supply. I have gotten power supplies with the cases I have reviewed yes, but the review was about the case not the power supply. I’ve heard a lot of great things about Antec power supplies; they are always on a list of award winning and recommended power supplies, so I was looking forward to this review.”

Intel ‘Paxville’ Xeon DP 2.8GHz
Hexus :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Less than 4GiB/sec to share between the better-performing four cores is pretty measly, with each Opteron core enjoying roughly twice that with interleaved accesses to a shared MC on 2-way dual-core Opteron. Downstream from the MCH, if you want to do any I/O, there’s not much of a link to the ICH5R, itself really old, and only the PCI-X segment bridge gets any real bandwidth deserving of a high-end workstation system.

Coolmax CN-550 Network Attached Storage Device Evaluated
Hi-Techreviews :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

If you are a smart IT manager, you know the benefits of using a shared Network Attached Storage Device (NAS) in lieu of using several large hard drives in numerous computers just to hold the same material. For the home user this device can be used to stream movies or MP3s to their HTPC system without the need of tying up the hard drive in HTPC unit itself. The unit we are looking are today is the Coolmax CN-550, which can be configured with either a 10/100 mps port or a single USB 2.0 port. So come on along as we check this unit out.

BFR Article: The Benefits Of Using Ergonomically Correct Mice And Keyboards
Bona Fide Reviews :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Quote: “A large proportion of the American public goes to work every day in an office environment without considering the ergonomics of the equipment they use. There are large a proportion of people working at a desk without giving due consideration to proper ergonomics as they work with ergonomically incorrect keyboards and mice. Working at a computer on a regular basis can cause the same type of stress on your body as other physical labors and in an effort to prevent such injuries from occurring, companies need to consider the principles of ergonomics.”

New Year, New Design, New Article @ t-break
t-break :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Just a couple of years back, a system with 512MB RAM was almost considered high-end in the memory specifications department. We now have that much RAM available in graphics cards. Even 1GB barely seems to cut it with demanding games, multimedia encoding and running multiple applications at the same time. Keeping that in mind, we take a look at three 2GB memory kits- by Corsair, OCZ and TwinMOS and find out which one we like best.

VL’s Editor’s Choices of 2005 @ Viperlair
ViperLair :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“The year 2005 was one of the weaker ones overall in terms of consumer product innovations. We saw a lot of rehashes or items that simply got “faster”, but not too much in the ways of changing our lifestyles. Still, there were a number of attention grabbers this past year, so we put together a list of what we felt is truly deserving of recognition, and one botch from a name we expect better from.”

Protocase SL100 Case Review @ Epiacenter.com
Epiacenter.com :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“My immediate impressions of this case were stunning. The case looks amazing and the metallic red colouring gives it that extra je ne sai quoi. The lettering on the edging was perfect and it was coloured inside and out, missing no part of the case at all. Also on some cases the paint can easily be scratched. I don’t know what this painting method is; I just know that this case doesn’t use it. It has a good, solid coat of paint that will not be scratched. .”

News – ECS RS480-M Motherboard
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Quote: The RS480-M has turned out to be an impressive little work machine capable of doing more if you put in the money for a good video card. While the ATi Xpress 200 chipset is still relatively new, the abundance of people moving over to micro ATX makes it an ideal choice for SFF/HTPC machines. This is exactly where the RS480 fits in. Despite only having the power of an X300, you won’t notice any problems while watching your favorite movie. Where the RS480-M can improve on is being bundled with VIVO, or at least TV-Out.

Thermaltake Silent Water CPU Cooler Review at 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
We loved the Aquagate Mini R120 but had some issues with the design of the unit – location of the tubes on the CPU block, noisy fan and the removal of the motherboard for installation. Everything that Cooler Master dropped the ball on we feel Thermaltake took a second look at and released a product even better and easier to use.

Raidmax RX-9 Gaming Case Review #627:
3dgameman :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

“The Raidmax RX-9 gaming case has an aluminum inside but the rest is plastic and is available in Black and Red. The plastic is rather shiny with silver speckles and because of this it looks rather cheap. Also, the case has a rather gaudy appearance. You may have guessed this already, but its appearance is taken from vehicle designs. I suspect it’s a look that people will either love or hate…” ~3dGameMan.com

News: TR awards 2005
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Today we’ll be handing out our Best Hardware of 2005 awards to the most compelling enthusiast-oriented products of the year. We’ve also come up with a series of unique awards to highlight some of the year’s biggest events and trends, and we haven’t pulled any punches. Read on for the best and worst of the past year.

Where Computer Interfaces Are Going @ The TechZone
The Tech Zone :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
So why haven’t interfaces changed much in the last 20 years? One possibility is that the desktop is in some way an optimal representation. More likely, however, is that it is simply a functional representation; no need to change when change takes effort, right? We expect to be able to sit down in front of a new interface and immediately be as productive as we were before. We have all learned to use the desktop and menu-driven interfaces because we haven’t had a choice. It has taken time; just as learning to read and write took years when we were younger. Even the keyboard and the mouse, although perhaps easier than writing, have taken time and effort to master. New interfaces will face the same hurdles. Their designs will need tweaking to reduce the learning curve as much as possible. The users of these new interfaces will need the patience to develop efficient usage patterns; and the interfaces themselves will need to be entertaining enough to mitigate the patience required. All these efforts will yield interfaces that are not only more enjoyable, but faster and more useful.

World-Exclusive: Thermaltake Big Water 745 @ techPowerUp!
techPowerUp! :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Thermaltake introduces its new Big Water 745 kit with single and dual radiators. Adding an improved water block and a move to 3/8″ tubing Thermaltake takes the Big Water to a new level. Also included is a beefed up pump with larger reservoir. We’ll check the new parts inside and out while testing it against its predecessor.

Gigabyte GV-NX66T256DE Videocard Review
PCStats :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“The Gigabyte GV-NX66T256DE videocard is not just another run of the mill GeForce 6600GT with 256MB of DDR2 memory, this card is unique. The GV-NX66T256DE is cooled by fully passive means, and incorporates a couple of unique attributes to lower ambient case temperatures too. The ‘Silent-Pipe II’ cooler, as it is called, bridges the GPU to two separate heat exchangers. The videocard also supports both S-Video and component output via a break-out box, and comes with a DVI-to-analog converter for good measure.”

Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.9 @ Viperlair
ViperLair :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“The Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 is a solid, but not a revolutionary entry into the crowded desktop drive market. The 16MB of cache and 3.0Gbps transfer rate aren’t something users will immediately notice with all their applications, but this could easily change in the near future.”

Cooler Master NanoFusion
Overclockers Online :: Monday, January 02, 2006
Quote: Cooler Master has come up with a thermal compound revolution. NanoFusion truly deserves its title of “Supreme Thermal Compound” just for being able to compete with the legendary Arctic Silver 5. By creating this innovative newcomer, Cooler Master has done more than extend their product line; they have created some competition. In all, NanoFusion may represent the golden middle for those demanding a good thermal interface material without burning a hole in their wallet or settling for generic ‘goop’.

Gigabyte 3D1-68GT @ Hardware Asylum
Hardware Asylum :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“The 3D1-68GT is as good a dual-GPU card as we’ve ever seen, but that does not exempt it from its associated faults. The weight of the card is a strain on the motherboard, the heat it produces leaves the case only after warming your processor first, its length forced this author to remount his harddrives into the floppy-drive bay, and use sub-par SATA ports to boot. However, should you be able to live with these drawbacks, you will be rewarded with performance only a 7800 GTX 512 can hope to match, and rarity only equaled by the 3dFX Voodoo 5 6000”

Proporta SD MP3 Player Review: Simple is Good
Futurelooks :: Monday, January 02, 2006
Proporta has launched the PROPORTA SD MP3 Player rivaling other small flash-based mp3 players. It has amazingly simple drag and drop music transfer, and you don’t have to load up any software to use it. I didn’t even mention the best part….YOU CAN STORE AS MUCH MUSIC AS YOUR LITTLE HEART DESIRES because this player uses a removable SD Card. Is it the one for you? Let’s find out!

XGI Volari 8300 Reference Videocard Review
PCStats :: Monday, January 02, 2006
” The XGI Volari 8300 GPU is built on UMC’s 0.13 micron manufacturing and has a transistor count of 90 million. The core uses a PBGA (Pin Ball Grid Array) packaging. Architecturally, the Volari 8300 GPU is equipped with a 2 x 2 pixel pipeline, which means it has the same number of pixel rendering pipelines as an nVidia Geforce 6200TC / Radeon X300SE, but more Texel pipelines (600 million Pixel Fill rate/1200 million Texel fill rate). The total memory bus bandwidth is 64-bits, and that is broken up into two separate 32-bit memory controllers for a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 5.6GB/s.”

Asetek Waterchill KT12A-12VX/10mm Water Cooler Review
OcPrices :: Monday, January 02, 2006
Quote: “Asetek’s Waterchill range is now one of the most popular branded kits available in the UK, largely thanks to their excellent quality components and wide compatibility. The kit we are looking at today features a new kind of pump and reservoir unit to the models we have looked at previously, as well as a new software interface that can be used for controlling the interface in windows.”

Gigabyte GV-K8N51PVMT-9 Motherboard Review
PCStats :: Monday, January 02, 2006

“At first glance the Gigabyte GV-K8N51PVMT-9 appears like this board has the potential to be a pretty impressive MicroATX Athlon64 motherboard. The Gigabyte GV-K8N51PVMT-9 supports all Socket 939 model AMD Athlon64/FX/X2 processors, and its four DDR DIMM slots can accommodate up to 4GB of PC3200 memory in a dual channel configuration. Despite its mico-ATX size, the GV-K8N51PVMT-9 is fairly well equipped with Gigabit LAN, IEEE 1394a, four SATA II headers, 7.1 channel high definition audio and of course the integrated GeForce 6150 GPU.”

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) Explained
Hardware Secrets :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“Intel has launched two Pentium 4 CPUs – 672 and 662 – supporting the new Intel Virtualization Technology (VT). Formerly known as Vanderpool, this technology enables a CPU to act as if it were several CPUs working in parallel, in order to enable several operating systems to run at the same time in the same machine. In this tutorial we will explain everything you need to know about this new technology.”

MSI 512MB Geforce NX7800GTX Videocard Review
PCStats :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“A bleeding edge part like the MSI 512MB Geforce NX7800GTX has an equally shocking enthusiast-level price tag… equivalent to the cost of a pretty decent Dell PC in fact. At the moment there are only a handful of manufacturers offering retail 512MB version Geforce 7800GTX videocards for sale. MSI Computer is one vendor with a card out in time for X-mas, and it has put together a good package that includes a full copy of the game “Colin Mcrae Rally 2005.” Luckily for you, PCSTATS has managed to bring this monster 512MB card into the labs so you can see first hand what to expect!”

Microsoft Student 2006 Review @ WindowsAtoZ.com
Windows A to Z :: Monday, January 02, 2006

“Homework can be a pain and difficult and that’s why Microsoft came up with this new product, called Microsoft Student. By the time that teens are in high school and college, many parents can’t really help them because they don’t remember that material. Microsoft Student 2006 productivity software offers lots of useful features, homework help for many subjects, and multimedia add-ons, including music, artwork, and access to live radio and news, all at a very affordable price. We did the homework for you in this review to tell you all about Microsoft Student 2006.”

The DFI RDX200 CF-DR Cross-Fire Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“There is so much to love about the DFI RDX200 CF-DR. With a better developed BIOS over that of their NF4 boards and excellent overclocking potential, the RDX200 CF-DR is better than some companies flagship motherboards. While the board has its strong points it also has several flaws that are of concern. The RDX200 is simply a very good board, while the DFI NF4 LANParty SLI board is still the great board…”

Club 3D GeForce 7800GT 256MB Video Card Review @ Madshrimps
Madshrimps :: Monday, January 02, 2006
Quote: “Club 3D is offering a toned down version of nVidia’s 7800GTX in the form of the 7800GT, this slightly more budget friendly video card might well be the hidden ace in Club 3D’s deck of cards. Let´s find out!”

PCMech: The Future of Technology from Another Perspective
PC Mechanic :: Monday, January 02, 2006
This week’s Kudos & Calamities column certainly offers a new and unique perspective about technology. Well, not about technology, per say, but about the young people who use it. thefultonhow takes a look at the computer users of the future in this piece.

DH Review: Revoltec Alu Book External Drive Case
Driver Heaven :: Monday, January 02, 2006
It was not long ago that Listan launched its sister company, Revoltec, meant to offer modding products and trendy accessories to computer users. Revoltec is by now a very well known manufacturer of innovative hardware products in Europe and is continuously expanding. They have a vast products list, from cold cathodes and bubble lights to power supply units and notebook coolers. Today we will examine their approach on some very useful devices, the external drive casings. Revoltec offers external drive casings in all sizes available; 2.5?, 3.5? and 5.25? cases are offered by the name Alu Book. The casings are mostly made out of aluminum and resemble the design of a book, hence where they take the name from. Let us take a close look on these.

Shure E3g Gaming Ear Buds
Designtechnica :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“Shure’s new line of gaming canalphones fill in the gaps within the company’s consumer line, by retaining the crisp, accurate sound of the C series and boosting the bass. Some users may find this style of headphone uncomfortable, but for those who appreciate complete immersion into their music, there’s no better option. There are some issues with fitting that plague all headphones of this style, but with a slew of available ear canal sleeves, there’s one sure to satisfy you.”‘

Sunbeam Silent Storm ATX Chassis Review
Virtual-Hideout :: Monday, January 02, 2006
Quote: ” Sunbeam did a good job on their new chassis, from the clean looking front bezel to the Core-Fan mounting system. The overall look of the case is attractive and the performance and functionality are excellent.”

Liquid cooling for the Xbox 360
Hexus :: Monday, January 02, 2006

We’ve obtained what we believe to be the first shots on the net of a new retrofit liquid cooling system for the Xbox 360… which is claimed to run cooler and quieter than a standard Xbox 360.

LGP X2 v1.4 (BETA 1) Benchmarks
Phoronix :: Monday, January 02, 2006
Summary: “On December 31, LGP finally sent its first draft of the X2 game off to its closed BETA community. With the game still being under development, there is a fair amount of bugs to speak of but many of the testers have faced an unreliably low level of performance. To show gamers what they will need to expect from this upcoming game, we have ran a slew of benchmarks over X2 v1.4 BETA 1 with various NVIDIA graphics cards.”

Swiftech MC14 BGA Memory Ramsinks Review
OCIA :: Monday, January 02, 2006

“Taking a look at the sinks out of the package, you can see that they are 100% copper and use Swiftech’s tried and true cooling pin configuration instead of the standard fin type. Each sink has 16 copper pins that are equally spaced and each sink stands a total of 14.5mm high. With them being so tall, that may lead into problems installing them on some cards with different types of coolers.”

HEC WinPower 480W SLI Power Supply Review #628:
3dgameman :: Monday, January 02, 2006

“This power supply performs well for this category of product. While the 12V rail is a little low it has no problem powering an overclocked system. Stability is also important, especially when overclocking. This really reflects the quality of power it’s providing. I experienced no locks or system instability…” ~ 3dGameMan.com

Revoltec Alu Book external enclosures review @ DH
Driver Heaven :: Monday, January 02, 2006

“It was not long ago that Listan launched its sister company, Revoltec, meant to offer modding products and trendy accessories to computer users. Revoltec is by now a very well known manufacturer of innovative hardware products in Europe and is continuously expanding. They have a vast products list, from cold cathodes and bubble lights to power supply units and notebook coolers. Today we will examine their approach on some very useful devices, the external drive casings. Revoltec offers external drive casings in all sizes available; 2.5”, 3.5” and 5.25” cases are offered by the name Alu Book. The casings are mostly made out of aluminum and resemble the design of a book, hence where they take the name from. Let us take a close look on these.”

VR-Fidelity USB Speakerphone
Think Computers :: Monday, January 02, 2006

Quote: “With the ever increasing popularity of voice over internet/broadband (VoIP), there will come of course, lots of cool products. Today I have one such product for review that actually surprised me in its quality and functionality. It comes from a company called Blue Gears; they primarily make high end sound cards. Blue Gears has come up with a small gadget that has multiple uses, not just for VoIP, it is called the VR-Fidelity USB Speakerphone. The name ‘speakerphone’ is somewhat misleading for this product because it is so much more than that. Curious? Read on to find out more about it…”

OCZ EL PC-4000 2GB Gold GX XTC
Phoronix :: Monday, January 02, 2006
Summary: “OCZ’s latest XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders have been receiving a fair amount of praise around the Internet, but barely any have actually bothered to dissect and explore the aluminum and mesh cooling device. With us today we have the EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB kit from the folks over at OCZ Technology.”

Hiper Type-R HPU-4B580 Power Supply Review @ MVKTech
MVK Tech :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“Hiper hasn’t been that long on the market but the name is already known around the globe for there powerful and professional products, especially their power supplies. We got the opportunity to get a closer look at their newest high performance power supply which delivers the latest ATX power standards and incorporates a new unique modular cable design to reduce excess cables. Lets dig into the Type-R series Power Supply Units, namely the Hiper Type-R HPU-4B580 (580W) power supply”

BIOS Optimization Guide Rev. 8.7 Posted!
Tech ARP :: Monday, January 02, 2006

There is also 4 updated BIOS feature :-

AGP Driving Value
Frame Buffer Size
OnChip VGA Mode Select

Share Memory Size ”

Asus’ Monstrous Looking 7800GT Dual Graphics Card @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“Asus’ latest entry into the world of dual graphics card is its 7800GT, which is based on the latest line of NVIDIA GeForce 7 series of GPUs. While the card appears to be nice, it in fact falls flat due to its price. I don’t know about you, but for $800.00, I can get two seperate 7800GT graphics adapters and run SLI rather comfortably.”

Razer Copperhead Gaming Mouse
The Tech Lounge :: Monday, January 02, 2006
“Razer has been developing gaming mice for about the last 6 or 7 years. By now most gamers are familiar with the ground breaking Razer Boomslang mouse, a 2,000 DPI mechanical (ball-type) gaming mouse that outshined its nearest competitors when it was released. But that was the 90s. Mechanical innards have given way to laser optics and the Razer Copperhead has been born of the Boomslang’s genes.”

Jetart 3D Slot Fan Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Monday, January 02, 2006

Quote – “If you are looking to improve air circulation in your PC, case fans and blowholes are what you would normally do. But maybe you should also consider a PCI slot fan, especially if it’s as flexible as the Jetart 3D Slot Fan! ”

Foxconn TP-544 ATX Chassis Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Virtual-Hideout :: Monday, January 02, 2006

Quote: “The case itself shines for ease-of-use, looks and function. The feature set has the system builder in mind, and if I had to build several machines for an office environment, I would pick this case.”

Apple iPod Nano @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Monday, January 30, 2006
“Where would the world be without the iPod? Students would be paying attention in class, commuters would be reading books, Steve Jobs wouldn’t be nearly as rich and no one, absolutely no one, would think white headphones are in any way symbolic of anything, like “I’ve got an iPod” or, “I’ve got an iPod. Rob me.” With the hugely successful iPod Mini riding the crest of the retail wave, and Jobs laughing all the way to the bank, the minds at Apple decided they couldn’t just sit back and bask in the…”

Logitech Bluetooth MX5000 Laser Desktop
Bytesector :: Monday, January 30, 2006
“Logitech has designed a great many keyboards and mice that have met and exceeded the expectations of their users on both functional and ergonomic levels. Today, I have the opportunity to take a look at their latest, very functional keyboard/mouse combo package dubbed the MX5000 Laser Desktop. This package includes Logitech’s greatly loved MX1000 Laser mouse, which offers precision mousing and their MX5000 media keyboard which offers extreme control over media playback. These two devices are brought together by Bluetooth 2.0 using Logitech’s mini receiver. My expectations are high for this wireless media desktop combination package from Logitech because my experience with their products has been consistently positive. Let’s see if this product lives up to their reputation and my expectations.”

Logitech MX518/MX1000
Phoronix :: Monday, January 30, 2006

Summary: “Logitech is certainly no newcomer to the mouse industry, as they have been making input devices to satisfy everyone from gamers to general-purpose users for years. The mice we have our hands on today for testing is their MX518 and MX1000 models. The MX518 is their battle-tested optical performer while the MX1000 is their premiere laser cordless mouse.”

Logitech MX 3100 Desktop
Designtechnica :: Monday, January 30, 2006
“Logitech never ceases to amaze us with their solid input device offerings, and the Cordless Desktop MX 3100 is no exception. The keyboard feels great to type on and has a plethora of shortcut buttons, and the MX 1000 mouse is one of our Editor’s Choice Award winners. Finally, you can get it bundled with a keyboard, so there’s no need for multiple receivers.”

Creative Zen Vision:M
t-break :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“The sound quality on the Vision:M really stands out. We thought that the MicroPhoto produced good quality output, however, the Vision:M certainly excels in this department and sounds really really good. You also have the option of setting the five band equalizer to get the output you like while Bass Boost provides a nice kick and smart volume takes card of those sudden increases in sound levels when switching between audio tracks or watching a commercial in the middle of your recorded TV show.”

Wicked Lasers Spyder Series™ Portable OEM Lasers
MVK Tech :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“Wicked Lasers is proud to introduce the most unique and innovative portable lasers available in the market. Wicked Lasers has designed and manufactured a brand of lasers for the avid laser enthusiast as well as the serious laser professional. The Spyder Series from Wicked Lasers is the next generation of portable laser technology. Available in two colors, green laser up to 300mW, and blue laser up to 40mW, the Spyder Series is the one and only definitive laser, made by laser specialists for laser specialists. On top of that the Spyder Series lasers provide extreme levels of performance and stability”

Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Deluxe Webcam Review
Laptop Gamers :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
It’s small and you can hide it in the palm of your hand. What is it? It’s the Logitech quickcam, for notebooks deluxe. It’s the smallest webcam I have seen. The specifications that I have read are very impressive, but will it stand up to the test?

Palm LifeDrive
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
“The Palm LifeDrive is the first of what we hope will be many “Mobile Managers” by the once king of PDAs. The heart of the LifeDrive concept is integrating a micro hard drive into the PDA. If you ever thought it would be nice to have your essential PIM information in the same device as your pictures and music, all rolled up in a clean interface, your answer may have arrived.”

Getting Started with Video Editing: Cheap Software
PC Mechanic :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Video editing is taking the world by storm. Everywhere you look, you see videos made by average people. If you just bought a DV camcorder and want to show the world or your family what it’s seeing, you need video editing software. It’s possible some software was included with the camcorder, but you might want to take a look at the options before jumping in.

Is allofmp3.com Legal?
ABXZone :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
allofmp3.com is a Russian service operating under the laws of Russia. The service differs from most in that it offers downloads based on how many Mb’s are downloaded rather than on the number of songs, albums, etc., common with other sites. Currently, the cost for U.S. customers is $0.02/Mb, which translates to roughly $0.10/song or $1.50/album. Users deposit money to their account and add to it as charges are made. Payments may be made by credit card or electronic services such as PayPal. User comments indicate that allofmp3 is a reliable service and the quality of downloads is excellent.”

“The United States and Russia are at opposite extremes in the area of copyright law. The United States takes a very strict approach to copyright infringement and is among the most strict in the world. Russian copyright law is among the least strict. This allows allofmp3 to operate successfully.

Note: This is an attorney’s opinion who is also a computer enthusiast, and a member of our site

Logitech diNovo Laptop Keyboard Mouse Review
Laptop Gamers :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Whether on the desk or on the road, the diNovo Cordless Desktop proved to be a very nice keyboard mouse combo. The keys have nice feedback but they’re also very springy and they lack that clicking sound found on other Logitech keyboards. Compared to the keyboard on the Dell notebook, it was no contest – the diNovo wins hands down.

Apple iPod 5G (Video, 30GB) Review @ WindowsAtoZ.com
Windows A to Z :: Sunday, January 22, 2006

“The 5th generation Apple iPod, or sometimes known as the iPod Video, just might be the best iPod that we’ve seen from Apple. They added lots of features and slimmed the device down in size compared to the already great 4th generation Apple iPod. Perhaps the most prized features of the 5th generation iPod is the video playback capability. Our full review will break down the iPod Video for you feature-by-feature to tell you if it’s right for you.”

Panasonic TH-42PX500U Plasma HDTV
Home Theater Magazine :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

A “budget” Panasonic plasma HDTV?

I must admit, I was a bit skeptical. Or perhaps wary is a better description. Thirteen months ago, in these very pages, I reviewed a stellar Panasonic plasma, the TH-42PX25. It had the best black level and contrast ratio to date for a plasma. We even gave it our Best Flat-Panel Display RAVE Award for 2005. It was $6,000. A mere year later, its replacement model—the TH-42PX500U—has almost identical specs and is $3,500. My penchant for sushi notwithstanding, I was expecting something fishy.

Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse Review
Hardware-Pacers :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

“Logitech began their rechargeable ‘cool’ line of products with the MX700 mouse. Logitech wanted to innovate something different by keeping people from replacing batteries. MX700 was an awesome mouse, however it lacked those gaming features that people needed and MX700 mouse was never really a gaming mouse from the start. Then Microsoft began releasing their Bluetooth line of products and then we suddenly saw MX900 which was even farther away from a gaming mouse. Of course that didn’t stop Logitech, in 2004 they released MX1000 laser mouse that revolutionized the way mice work. It offered 20x more tracking power than older optical mice with a resolution of 800dpi and 5.8 megapixels/sec. This new upgrade offered the product line to be finally used by gamers. Of course MX1000 was not the best gaming mouse from Logitech, they had to again come up with something better. It is something called G7 Laser Cordless Mouse that offers unprecedented features and precision. Logitech calls it ‘extreme cordless performance’ and it is certainly true with 2000dpi laser that churns images at 6.4 megapixels per second.”

Logitech G7 Gaming Mouse @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“As opposed to having a greenish exterior, the company has adopted a more black exterior to give it a more gaming-ready feel. Logitech representatives said the change was due to internal discussions and not necessarily what gamers demanded, but we must admit that the new color scheme does look better than Logitech’s initial offering.”

Samsung SGH-e635 Cell Phone @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“The times are changing again, it seems. A while back, as technology progressed, we moved from the traditional old cell phones with an unattractive look to sleek and sleeker models that we use today. Majority of the latest phones have a built-in camera, bright screen, sleek appearance, and they are more or less a fashion accessory in addition to being a productive communications tool.”

Lexar JumpDrive Secure II ‘File Shredder’ Drive Review
Everything USB :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“In today’s world of corporate espionage, identity theft and general paranoia, it’s vital that any portable documents are secured in case the flash drive they’re stored on is lost or stolen. There’s a bunch of products out there that do this, but many are limited in their functionality and even crippled by lack of cross-platform software. Today we’re reviewing Lexar’s JumpDrive Secure II, a drive that looks to solve all these problems.”

Panasonic PT-AE900U LCD Projector
Home Theater Magazine :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
The PT-AE900U is the follow-up to the PT-AE700U that Geoffrey Morrison reviewed back in our March 2005 issue. That model received generally good marks but exhibited some of the shortcomings common to LCD projection technology. The new 900 projector retains many of its predecessor’s positive attributes while improving, sometimes dramatically, on its few shortcomings.

As with the PT-AE700U, Panasonic has included ample adjustments to tailor the projector to your room and your viewing preferences. Physical adjustments include adjustable feet, a 2x optical zoom lens, and the same joystick-style manual lens shift that Morrison praised on the PT-AE700U. This joystick provides more precise movement of the image to center it on your screen. To further aid in the setup process, the menu system includes adjustments for keystone, horizontal/vertical lens position, overscan, and desk/ceiling and front/rear placement options.

IceMat 2nd Edition Black Mousepad Review
Techgage :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Quote: If you are on the lookout for a new mousepad, look no further! We are taking a look at the 2nd edition of the popular IceMat, which is made of pure glass for an ultra smooth glide. It may be pricey, but it a hard mousepad to compete with.

Logitech Finally Releases Firmware Upgrade for Laser Gaming Mice @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“There’s finally some good news from Logitech in regards to laser technology in its G5 and G7 laser mice, and the surface tracking issues they were prone to. On November 24th, Logitech issued a firmware upgrade for G5, the wired counterpart to the cordless G7. While we appreciate Logitech’s stance against the issue, and its decision to release a firmware upgrade to remedy the problem, what has us confused is a sudden change in Logitech’s strategy.”

Exclusive: Fujifilm’s Labelflash Technology on CDRinfo.com
CDRInfo :: Friday, January 20, 2006
CDRInfo presents a brief introduction to Fujifilm’s LabelFlash technology, which allows creation of labels on both sides of a DVD disc, using the laser on your PC DVD burner, the NEC ND-4551A in our case.

Logitech V200 Laptop Mouse Review
Laptop Gamers :: Friday, January 20, 2006

The V200 is an update to the Logitech Cordless Notebook mouse. List of improvements include a convenient battery-light indicator that notifies you when the batteries are running low. With an one year battery life, it maybe a while before you ever see that light go on. The V200 is also plug-and-play – it includes a miniature USB wireless receiver that is paired individually with the mouse during manufacturing. When the receiver is plugged in, the mouse works immediately. Unlike the notebook mouse the V200 replaced, the USB receiver conveniently snaps onto the base of the mouse, much like the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse. This action automatically switches the mouse power off, saving battery life, while also making the mouse and receiver easy to transport.

Saitek Eclipse Special Red Edition Illuminated Keyboard at 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
I loved the Eclipse the first time around – I love it even more now. The red backlighting made it easier to see the keys in the dark. The feel and action of the keyboard hasn’t changed just the color of the backlight. If you are gaming or just typing in low light situations this keyboard is perfect for that type of usage. I work until 2am so late night gaming and surfing is my primary usage. Once again we award Saitek with the Editor’s Choice Award on making the best better!

Sexy CE Products for Women @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“We’ve all seen products that are designed for “men”, despite the fact that more and more consumer electronics devices are becoming sleek and stylish enough that the stereotype that majority of the CE devices are designed and targeted at men doesn’t hold true, but apparently X2 believes otherwise.”

Samsung SPP-2040 Digital Photo Printer Review
Futurelooks :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
The Samsung Digital Photo Printer SPP-2040 is a compact direct printing solution compatible with digital cameras, PCs, Cell phones and seven different types of memory cards. They claim it is easy to use, but is it?

Future of MP3 Players is Video @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“MP3 players are another stagnant category of consumer electronics devices that have seen the end of innovation, or have they? After all, the audio quality is pretty much at its peak, the battery life is beyond acceptable (though it could always improve), the onboard features have crossed sane limits and the hybridization of a portable audio player with FM tuner, text viewer and image viewer has been pushed far too much as well.”

Samsung SPP-2040 Digital Photo Printer Review
Futurelooks :: Monday, January 16, 2006
The Samsung Digital Photo Printer SPP-2040 is a compact direct printing solution compatible with digital cameras, PCs, Cell phones and seven different types of memory cards. They claim it is easy to use, but is it?

Review: Logitech G7
Primo Tech :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
The G7 is Logitech’s newest addition to their line of wireless mice. While it can be used in virtually any application, it is geared toward gamers or professionals in need of the high precision.

The mouse is advertised as ‘designed by gamers, for gamers’ and after a few weeks of use, it is apparent this is really where the mouse shines. The mouse takes on the same shape of the MX 500, 700 and 900 series mice, but has been streamlined and refined to be more ideal for gaming environments.

Logitech mm50 Speaker System for Apple iPod
Bona Fide Reviews :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“The Apple iPod has become a cultural phenomenon, with an estimated 30 million units sold in 2005. Almost everybody has one or wants one, and this huge user base has spawned a growing peripherals business. Among the most popular add-ons are compact portable speaker systems which allow the user to un-tether from his/her headphones and share their music with others.” Image: check it out

Nikon Coolpix S3 @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“The successor to Nikon’s Coolpix S2, the 6 megapixel Coolpix S3, is a camera that looks very similar to its predecessors with a lot of the same features, such as the Zoom-Nikkor Lens, 17 scene modes, and Nikon’s BSS and D-Lighting features. Since I haven’t reviewed any of the previous offerings, I am simply going to write this review in the perspective of a first time buyer or amateur photographer, since the Coolpix S3 is made for such a purpose and not as a replacement for SLR cameras.”

Canon EOS 5D Digital Camera
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Let’s get it right on the table. The Canon EOS 5D is ridiculously expensive when compared to the 200-plus digital cameras currently available. At $3,299 for the body only, this D-SLR is for Porsche drivers who don’t mind being weighed down by a 2-pound plus camera. We’re reviewing it for a couple of reasons: first the camera offers major breakthroughs that eventually will trickle down to more mainstream models (read that as more affordable). But perhaps most important is the fact we simply could! What red-blooded American wouldn’t want to take a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S for a spinor to try out this over-the-top camera?”

Logitech MX3000 Cordless Desktop @ Techgage
Techgage :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Quote: There’s no shortage of keyboards and mice to choose from when you are looking for a purchase. Today we are taking a look at a combo that should prove perfect for media buffs; even better if you have an HTPC!

Logitech G7 Mouse
Designtechnica :: Monday, January 09, 2006
“The Logitech G7 is the current king of the hill in the wireless gaming mouse category. The quick resolution switching, software profiling, and overall responsiveness make the G7 an all-around high performer for gamers. While the G7 does not sport as many buttons as other offerings from Logitech et al., the smooth functionality and convenient cabling options make up for it. Battery life is poor overall, but the quick swappable pair of batteries included makes this oversight forgivable. ”

Palm Treo 700w Preview @ WindowsAtoZ.com
Windows A to Z :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
“Palm has unveiled its first Palm Treo PDA with the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 operating system. It has been a long awaited device and it’s finally here and available to Verizon customers plus some other providers. From what we’ve seen from this hot new device is quite promising. Check out this preview of the Palm Treo 700w to see what it’s all about.”

Canon PowerShot A620 Review @ WindowsAtoZ.com
Windows A to Z :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
“Canon has always been a very good digital camera manufacturer and no doubt they continued that reputation when they designed the Canon PowerShot A620. This camera packs ease-of-use with lots of professional features all inside a lightweight case making it a great choice for the moderate picture taker to enthusiast photographer.”

Samsung SPP-2040 Colour 4″x6″ Photo Printer
PCStats :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“The Samsung SPP-2040 Photo Printer being put through its paces in this PCSTATS review prints 4″x6″ glossy photo’s via the dye sublimation process directly from any of six common flash media formats, incorporates a folding 2″ colour LCD screen for previewing images, and can connect directly to PictBridge-enabled digital cameras. The Samsung SPP-2040 will print a colour 4″x6″ image in about 70 seconds or less at 300x300dpi, and it allows some simple image manipulation without the need for a computer.”

Gateway CX200X Tablet PC Review
Designtechnica :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“The Gateway CX200X is, as the company describes, targeted towards consumers who seek a full-featured notebook PC combined with pen input functionality. While the CX200X certainly delivers in this regard, it is extremely hampered by its bulky size and weight which make it less than desirable to cradle for too long when in tablet mode. Marks are good for performance and features however, helping to keep this convertible from the scrap heap. ”

Panasonic VDR-M55 @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Friday, January 06, 2006
“While everyone and their pet Chihuahua now have a digital camera, digital camcorders are somewhat of a rarity. One of the reasons for this might be the cost; recording your memories straight to DVD can be pricey. Luckily, Panasonic has the VDR-M55, a fairly basic digital camcorder for those looking for an entry level unit. It’s reliable, easy-to-use, and comes at a decent price.”

Samsung YP-T8Z 1 GB MP3 Player @ TechTastic.ca
TechTastic :: Friday, January 06, 2006

Quote: It seems the trend lately that Mp3 players, like cell phones are becoming more than a one function portable device. Many manufacturers are now bundling other capabilities such as video play back, voice recording and FM tuners. Today we take a look at multi function MP3 player called the YP-T8Z from Samsung. This Mp3 player not only plays music but can play back video, display pictures, text, and even has some built in games.

Microsoft Optical Mouse 3000 & 4000 Review
Hardware-Pacers :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

“Both mice delivered superb performances during the testing (with some deviations when glossy surfaces were used). Microsoft Comfort Optical Mouse 3000 falls into the average peripheral product category and it is recommended for an average user. Design and options have been seen before on mice (except magnifier option) and Microsoft should consider including more features with every new peripheral they design. Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 4000 on the other hand is sophisticated piece of hardware specifically designed for the mobile computing. Its price might be steep for some but you will know what you paid for when you test drive this beauty. Hardware Pacers wholeheartedly recommends this item for anyone who is looking into buying a portable mouse.”

Canon PowerShot S80 Review
Designtechnica :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“The 8MP Canon PowerShot S80 is the latest iteration of the company’s “Goldilocks” cameras. It’s not a simple point-and-shoot digicam neither is it as complicated as a D-SLR. It’s supposed to be just right, targeted to the photographer looking for a high-quality camera that’s easy to use but has enough tweaks to keep dial spinners happy. This compact camera is the replacement for the soon-to-be discontinued 7.1MP S70. Among the good features of the S80 are a wide focal length (28mm), higher movie clip quality, a real-time histogram and enough shooting modes to handle almost anything you can throw at it. It is a bit on the expensive side ($549 list, under $500 real world). Now how does it work in the real world? And are you a Momma, Papa or Baby Bear?”

HP DeskJet 6840 Review
DataFuse :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“Yea yea, I know. Printers aren’t very interesting or different, but it seems like HP has decided to step out of the normal. First, they completely trashed the common look of printers, and added a new semi-transparent design. Then, they decided to remove as many wires as possible by throwing in Wi-Fi. Sounds pretty good so far, but are they trying to hide something? ”

Samsung YP-U1 USB Drive Music Player Review @ MODTHEBOX.COM
MODTHEBOX! :: Monday, January 02, 2006

“The Samsung YP-U1 USB Drive Music Player has a capacity of 1GB of internal flash memory and is capable of playing MP3, WMA, Secure WMA, WAV and OGG formats. Additional features include a microphone for recording voice directly to the internal flash memory, 4-line LCD, EQ Pre-sets, Bass Booster and 13 hours of playback time on a single rechargeable Li-polymer battery.”

Bluetake Bluetooth Adapter (BT009Si) and Mouse (BT510) Review
Techniz.co.uk :: Monday, January 02, 2006

“With slim and stylish shape, Bluetake BT009Si Bluetooth® USB Adapter certainly satisfies those users who are fastidious about limited space to accommodate computer peripherals. The built-in Bluetooth® wireless technology makes a computer communicate with other Bluetooth® -enabled devices freely and effortlessly. Additionally, the BT009Si Bluetooth® USB Adapter also bundles a Bluetooth® software for performing wireless applications such as file transfer, network access, dial-up networking and so on. Moreover, an innovative Bluetooth® profile “Human Interface Device (HID)” , “Advance Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)”, and “Basic Image Profile (BIP)” are included to enable your computer to use Bluetooth® keyboard and mouse, stereo headphone, and received pictures from Bluetooth mobile phones directly”

Logitech MX610 Laser Mouse Review
Techgage :: Monday, January 02, 2006

Quote: If you are going to purchase a top end mouse, chances are that it will have a laser. These mice are no doubt growing fast in popularity, and we are going to take a look at one of Logitechs best, the MX 610. Not only does it have a laser, but it can even notify you of e-mail or IM’s!

Bose QuietComfort 2 Noise Canceling Headphone Review
Laptop Gamers :: Monday, January 30, 2006

Bose noise-reducing headphones may look like ordinary headphones on the outside, but that’s where the similarity ends. The technologies inside is what sets it apart of other headphones. This technology is also used by the U.S. military and private pilots. A microphone in each earcup “hears” sounds an instant before they can reach the ears. Advanced electronics recognize what the listener wants to hear—a message from the control tower, music, an in-flight movie or silence—and compares it to noise the listener doesn’t want to experience. Bose patented electronics then calculate and generate a signal opposite to the unwanted noise, dramatically reducing it while preserving the desired music, speech or silence.

NVIDIA Quadro FX3400 Graphics Card Review
CoolTechZone :: Monday, January 30, 2006
“We’ve have always wondered whether a professional card, such as the NVIDIA Quadro FX series, can let us play games with as much ease as its GeForce counterparts. The reason is that most of the games are designed for consumer-end cards, so it makes sense that if the very cards that design the games should be able to play those games as well.”

Altec Lansing XT1 Laptop Speaker Review
Laptop Gamers :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

If you’re a laptop user than you know built-in laptop speakers are pretty underwhelming. Sure, they’re good for a beep here and ping there, but if you’ve ever tried to play your favorite song, watch a movie, or make a multimedia presentation using your laptop speakers, you know they don’t really cut it. The Altec Lansing XT1 system is designed to change all that. In addition to its thin, innovative design with removable stands, the XT1 delivers superb sound and surprisingly deep bass thanks to four full-range neodymium micro drivers and bass enhancement technology.

ATI Imageon Graphics Technology Overview
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“ATI’s Imageon mobile graphics technology was on display at the company’s booth this year. Both ATI and NVIDIA are working on entering the mobile segment (read: cell phones) aggressively with 3D graphics technology to encourage advancements in graphics on cell phones and other such mobile devices. Imageon is ATI’s way of entering that mobile segment and competing against its archrival NVIDIA.”

NGO NVIDIA Optimized Driver v1.8310
NGOHQ :: Sunday, January 29, 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.”

News: Radeon X1900 hits image quality snag in 3DMark06
The Tech Report :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
During the preparation of my Radeon X1900 review, I discovered a problem with Radeon X1900 cards in 3DMark06. I meant to mention it in the review itself, but things came down to the wire and I just ran out of time. Here’s the deal…

ATI EverLAN Winter 2006 @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Quote: “When it comes to LANs, there are only a few in the United States that can push the limits in size, competitiveness, and most of all—fun. Along with QuakeCON, MillionManLAN, and PDX, EverLAN is the LAN from Colorado that has continually hosted increasingly better events since its establishment in 2002. After laying dormant for a year and a half, EverLAN has arisen again to throw its come-back party to start off 2006 with a bang. Featuring a $21,000 Counter-Strike: Source tournament and a never-before-seen-at-a-LAN series World of Warcraft challenges, this LAN in the snow-capped Colorado is determined to throw one hell-of-an event.”

XFX NVTV TV Tuner Review
AMD Review :: Sunday, January 29, 2006

Quote: “AMDReview has been reviewing a lot of TV tuners lately and today we have another. The XFX NVTV TV tuner. If you have ever wanted a TV tuner for your PC and didn’t want to spend a fortune, this card is for you. Check out this article to see what our reviewer had to say about this NVIDIA chipset based TV tuner.“

Powercolor X1300Pro Bravo Edition @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“Today we’re going to be taking a look at the Powercolor’s X1300 Pro Bravo, a card set out to rival NVIDIA’s popular 6600. While the preference of pure speed over quality has been the biggest knock on ATI-based cards in the past, the X1300 comes with full SM3.0 support, High Dynamic Range, adaptive anti-aliasing and Avivo—features which can bring an image to life. Now we’re going to find out if they’ve managed to find the right mix of image quality and raw speed to produce a top quality video card.”

Gateway FPD2185 21-inch Monitor
Designtechnica :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
“The line between the computer monitor and LCD TV has once again been blurred with the introduction of Gateway’s latest 21-inch monitor, the FPD2185. While the FPD2185 isn’t exactly a full-blown television, it fortunately carries some of the best qualities you will find in a high-end LCD TV like component video inputs, picture-in-picture and HDTV support.

ASUS EAX1300PRO Preview @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Summary: “Even with ATI’s X1900 series launch this week, there continues to remain no official support for the X1000 series under Linux. Although the support should be appended in the near future, today we have a preview of the ASUS EAX1300PRO as well as some exclusive Linux information pertaining to the most recent Radeon offerings.”

Sapphire Radeon X1800XT 512MB @ HardwareZoom
Hardware Zoom :: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Quote – Your graphic card will never be the bottleneck again with Sapphire’s top-of-the-line X1800XT. Using the same R520 GPU as the X1800XL, the Sapphire Radeon X1800XT has a core speed of 625Mhz, which is 25% faster than X1800XL. In addition, the ultra fast 1.2ns GDDR3 boost the memory speed to 1.5Ghz, which is 50% faster than X1800XL! We manage to achieve 15-25% improvement over the X1800XL in most of our benchmarks. This is the most significant in more demanding benchmarks at high resolution and FSAA.

ATI R580 Architecture Interview
Beyond3D :: Thursday, January 26, 2006
In our recent “R580: ATI Radeon X1900 XTX and Crossfire” article we took a look at the architecture of this new ATI chip and the performance it brings with its interesting configuration. With R580 scaling up the number of pixel shader processors fairly drastically, and yet not similarly scaling either the number of texture inputs or ROP outputs, some may still have the impression that R580 is a fairly imbalanced part.

In an effort to dig further into ATI’s thinking behind the design of R580 and gain a greater understanding of the decisions that have lead to this process we decided to put some questions to them. In reply we have answers from Eric Demers, from ATI’s Desktop Graphics Engineering group, as well as a few comments from Richard Huddy, who brings in the perspective from their ISV relations group, which has a front line role to play with developers and who plays an important part in shaping future hardware.

News – nVidia 7800GTX 256MB REBORN
TekBunker :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
I immediately raised GPU clocks to 525MHz/1350MHz , and ran 3dmark05 firefly forest to test, with a very minor increase in voltage I was able to bump the core up to 562MHz and not worry about artifacting, temps never passed 73C while at those speeds. Here is the big increase in performance I have gained since the Voltage modification.

Neoseeker ATI X1900XT Preview
Neoseeker :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
“There is no Radeon CrossFire X1900 XTX card but ATI asserts that the X1900 XTX will not clock down to match a CrossFire X1900XT Card. Note that this does not necessarily mean that the CrossFire card will automatically overclock. Both ATI and NVIDIA seem to have worked something out with regards to their dual card solutions that allow for asynchronous clockspeeds on the two different cards (NVIDIA enabled this a few driver revisions ago). The X1900 CrossFire will allow for resolutions up to 2560×1600 @ 72Hz.”

ATi Radeon X1900 Preview @ NGOHQ
NGOHQ :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Quote: “X1900 comes in three flavors – the XTX (MSRP $649), XT (MSRP $549), and Crossfire (MSRP $599) editions. Architecturally the X1900XTX and XT are the same; the only difference between these two cards is the speed of both core and memory. The flagship X1900XTX is clocked at 650 MHz for the core and 1.55 GHz for the memory, while the X1900XT is clocked just slightly slower at 625 MHz for the core and 1.45 GHz for the memory.”

DH Review: X1900 Crossfire and X1900XTX
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
“The front of the X1900 Crossfire Edition is very similar to the X1800XT Crossfire Edition, you have ATI’s now standard Dual Slot cooler featuring a Ruby graphic. The PCIe power connector is also featured as normal and the passive heatsink running down the right side of the card remains.

Specification wise the X1900 Crossfire Edition uses a R580 core (featuring 48 pixel shader units) clocked at 621mhz Core and 720mhz Memory ( 512mb GDDR3). To allow you to compare the X1800’s Crossfire Master used a R520 core clocked at 625mhz coupled with 512mb of GDDR3 running at 720mhz (16 pixel shader units).”

ATI’s Radeon X1900 Video Card Series @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
“Single card performance of the X1900XTX and X1900XT is for the most part on par with the 7800GTX. Performance of the X1900XT has to be the single solution card with best bang for the buck in our testing. It provides nearly all of the performance that the X1900XTX does for $100 less…”

SilverStone SG01
Overclockers Online :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Quote: In our latest review, we get a chance to sample the only chassis in SilverStone’s new SUGO series. This soon to be expanding family will carry the small form factor enclosures without being bundled with a motherboard. This allows you to purchase the motherboard you want to put inside. So, let’s see what the SUGO SG01 has in store for us!

News: ATI’s Radeon X1900 series graphics cards
The Tech Report :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
If you really wanted to make a splash, perhaps you’d hook two of them together into a CrossFire configuration for a total of 96 pixel shaders churning out eye candy by the bucketload. That oughta show ’em. And then you’d price ’em nice and high, but make sure that cards were widely available on their launch day, with thousands of those puppies lined up at online retailers, ready to sell.

Sounds like a plan to me. In fact, that is very much ATI’s plan for the Radeon X1900 series, and your favorite website has benchmarked the stuffing out of the high-end lineups from ATI and NVIDIA in order to see how these new entries fit into the picture. With 96 pixel shaders tearing through F.E.A.R. like Michael Moore through a loaf of cheese bread, does NVIDIA stand a chance?

ATI Radeon X1900 Series Preview
The Tech Lounge :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

“While we were in Vegas for CES we had the opportunity to meet privately with some of our friends at ATI. Unfortunately, our meeting was to be under NDA until Tuesday, January 24th at 8am CST. That would be why you didn’t see any mention of ATI in our CES coverage this year, all of the good stuff was under embargo.

Now that the embargo has lifted, I can finally tell you all about what’s new from ATI. The 4 cards that are being launched today are part of ATI’s new X1900 series. From top to bottom, there is the Radeon X1900 XTX, Radeon X1900 Crossfire, Radeon X1900 XT, and All-In-Wonder X1900. It would be nice if ATI and NVIDIA would pick a naming convention and stick with it, but I guess that’s just marketing for you – they want to keep it fresh. ATI is promising quantity shipping at launch, with emphasis on the X1900 XTX and X1900 XT. The Crossfire and All-In-Wonder cards will also be available, but perhaps less so since there isn’t expected to be as much demand for those products. That said, even if some retailers don’t have all of the new X1900 cards, they will be available on ATI.com.”

ATI X1900XTX
t-break :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Looking exactly like the X1800XT, the X1900XTX is based on 90nm process technology and packing a whopping 380 million transistors and is the first graphics card to feature 48 pixel shader processors- triple of what the X1800XT offered. Now this is a good thing considering almost all games released of late use Pixel Shaders

Altec Lansing iM616 Headphones @ ThinkComputers.org
Think Computers :: Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Quote: “Well when most of us think of high quality headphones we think of over-the-ear phones. You know the big bulky ones. If you own an iPod or MP3 player then you should know what ear buds are. They are small earphones that actually go into your ears. We all have heard of Altec Lansing, they make quality speakers and other audio products. Today for review I have their inMotion 616 (iM616) portable audio system. You will see that these are not your average ear buds; they are quality made and perform great.”

ATI X1800XT Crossfire @ t-break
t-break :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
The X1800 CrossFire card looks identical to the X1800XT card although ATI has changed the cable for connecting the two cards compared to the older X850 setup. This is probably because the X1800 cards support dual link DVI ports for higher resolutions and refresh rates- an annoyance hat seriously plagued the X850 CrossFire setup.

HIS X1600XT IceQ Turbo DL-DVI, DVI 256MB
Bjorn3D :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
While we have followed, and still are following, the battle for the high-end between NVIDIA and ATI sometimes it seems we forget the real important battle ‘below’, the fight about the mid-end. When the X1600XT was announced there were some concerns that it wasn’t priced correctly when you compared it to similar NVIDIA cards. ATI responded by lowering the price and today the X1600XT is a chipset that offers a lot of features and performance for its price.

SilverStone LC09B HTPC Mini-ITX Chassis Review
Virtual-Hideout :: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Quote: “So no more ugly boxes next to your TV — just sleek looking cases from Silverstone’s Lascala series. This little case will be the perfect addition to anyone wanting to build a true 21st century HTPC”

Logitech Z-5450 Wireless Speaker Review
Laptop Gamers :: Monday, January 23, 2006
Leave it to Logitech to once again raise the bar for computer speaker systems. The Logitech Z-5450 provides high performance sound with the innovation of wireless rear surround satellite speakers. The introduction of dual wireless rear speakers finally solves the common headache of having to run those long unsightly wires that run to your rear surround speakers. I’ve run into this problem myself and in the past it has caused me to either string cables all over the place or sacrifice a true surround experience by placing the rear surrounds closer to the front speakers.

ATI Radeon X1800XL All-in-Wonder @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Monday, January 23, 2006
“ATI has been working hard to put some well needed space between its X1000 series graphics cards and the NVIDIA’s competing GeForce 7 line. When everyone got to see the eagerly anticipated X1800XT, it felt like we had been let down as the expectations from ATI were much higher. Thankfully, they didn’t take as long to launch an All-in-Wonder version of the X1800, and the additional functionality of the All-in-Wonder side of the card makes it much more attractive-possibly making it the ultimate gaming and multimedia card of its day. Today, I will be taking a close look at the performance of the ATI Radeon X1800XL All-in-Wonder graphics and multimedia card to see if it is worthy of playing today’s hottest games and if its multimedia aspect is enough to further the attraction for this card.”

HEXUS.reviews :: ATI Radeon X1300 PRO and X1600 XT
Hexus :: Sunday, January 22, 2006
The best offerings in the X1300 and X1600 range are what we look at today, as the markers for their sub markets, so join us as we analyse RV515 and RV530 in a modicum of depth internally, before looking at the physical specifics and performance levels of X1300 PRO and X1600 XT.

HD-DVD players available for preorder
Home Theater Blog :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Its seems like I’ve been talking about the launch of high definition DVD for years not months, but now we can do more than talk as Best Buy is taking preorders for the Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player.

Without getting into a big long why I support either format type of post, I’ll just say with a list price of $499 this player is at a price point that with any further discounting and or software incentives, early adopters just might go ahead and take the plunge on the HD-A1, which is of course good news for Toshiba.

However I’m still uncertain enough as to either formats real supremacy (technical attributes not withstanding) to commit to either one. As I’ve said many times this isn’t so much about gigabytes as titles, even if I could own both formats players for under a grand I wouldn’t buy either, as software titles easily surpass hardware as your biggest expenditure.

Some point to Blu-rays (arguably) greater number of announced titles as reason to go with that format, but as long as there’s one movie I can’t enjoy on either format, that’s enough reason in my mind to stick it out. In closing, if anyone tells you “xyz format will win” ask them if that guarantee includes them purchasing your obsolete move titles.

MSI NX7800GTX-VT2D512E 512MB-version 7800GTX Videocard Review
PCStats :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
“The GeForce 7800GTX 512MB versions are here, and you’d better believe that 35 FPS from a single videocard in FEAR with 4x AA and 16x AF enabled, at 1600×1200, is a breeze with one of these bad boys! All this performance packed into a videocard that takes up an extra PCI slot, but is also quieter than the original GeForce 7800GTX’s. Shocking performance capabilities, and shockingly quiet at that. MSI Computer is once such vendor with a 512MB version Geforce 7800GTX videocard out in time for X-mas, and it has put together a good package that includes a full copy of the game “Colin Mcrae Rally 2005.” Luckily for you, PCSTATS has managed to bring this monster 512MB card into the labs so you can see first hand what to expect!”

EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB Video Card Review
The Tech Zone :: Saturday, January 21, 2006

The EVGA video card is equipped with the same 24 pipelines and 8 vertex shaders found on the standard 7800 GTX, but comes with a significantly faster core/memory clock speed of 550MHz/1700MHz respectively and 512MB of GDDR3 memory. Thus, the 7800 GTX 512MB is basically an insanely faster EVGA GeForce 7800 GTX 256MB with double the memory capacity. The EVGA card’s core is clocked 100 MHz higher than stock and the memory went up by whopping 500 MHz DDR. However specification wise, the N545 memory might have a +200 MHz edge over ATI’s X1800 XT, but the core is at a -75 MHz disadvantage.

SilverStone LC16M HTPC Case Review @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
With HTPC users in mind, SilverStone continually adds to and refines its Lascala series cases in an attempt to create perfect HTPC cases. SilverStone has had quite a bit of success so far, especially considering the company is not even three years old yet. When creating its latest cases, the LC16M, LC17 and LC18, SilverStone used feedback from actual users to come up with designs to meet the various and unique needs that HTPC users have. In this review, I’ll cover the LC16M, which is an attractively styled HTPC case that comes in both black and silver.

HD-DVD ups the ante
Home Theater Blog :: Saturday, January 21, 2006
Well 2006 is here and most home theater enthusiasts know what that means, high definition DVD is months, not years away. Ok we all know the basic story here, a format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray is inevitable. HD-DVD’s release has been pushed back to the spring, while Blu-ray is slated for a mid to late summer launch, but something surprising was announce this week at CES in Las Vegas…

Toshiba America Consumer Products announced it’s first two HD-DVD players will ship in March for $500 and $800 respectively, which is much lower than the previously announced $800-$1200. With a announced price as low as $500, it’s conceivable street prices could come in even lower making HD-DVD players a must have item to go along with new HDTV’s. Sony (Blu-ray) on the other hand still expects their players to retail in the neighborhood of $1000 USD.

I’d have to say this was a smart move on Toshibas part, after all in a format war price surely has to play into things even if it’s not the predominate deciding factor. Obviously with the players themselves yet to hit the streets it’s too early to call any winners, but in my opinion Toshiba has pulled out another ace in the hi-def DVD poker game.

Turtle Beach Ear Force AXT Xbox / Xbox 360 Live Headset Review @ Tweaknews.net
Tweaknews :: Friday, January 20, 2006

“Providing excellent sound quality and surprising comfort, the Turtle Beach Ear Force AXT headset is a great product for the Xbox enthusiast looking for better quality sound and a more immersive gaming experience. Couple this with a MSRP of just under $80 US and the AXT is an excellent value as well. Better yet, availability is good with some online retailers selling this headset for as little as $60.”

ATI Catalyst 6.1 Performance Analysis
TweakTown :: Friday, January 20, 2006
QUOTE: “As we enter 2006 we see the first Catalyst driver set for the New Year labeled as the 6.1s. These come out just in time for the release of the latest FutureMark benchmark application labeled 3DMark06 funnily enough.”

NVIDIA Jan’06 Updates Posted!
Tech ARP :: Friday, January 20, 2006

Quote – ” We had the opportunity to join a conference call with Ujesh Desai, NVIDIA’s General Manager for GPU where he updated us on NVIDIA’s future developments in 2006. Join us and see what NVIDIA has in store for us this year! ”

In-Depth Look: Futuremark 3D Mark 06
Techgage :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Quote: We take the latest version of the popular benchmark for a test-drive to see what’s new, what’s changed and what you need for a good score. To put it simply, 06 is like 05, but on steroids. Let’s take a look..

HEXUS.gaming :: Streaming DivX through the Xbox 360
Hexus :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

This is not a mod solution or an Xbox 360 hack. This works purely using the extensibility points of Media Center and freely available tools from MS. i.e. no warranties will be voided and, when Vista MCE comes out, we’ll be able to radically improve this. Aren’t APIs wonderful?

HD DVD and Blu-Ray Expected to Merge in the End @ CoolTechZone.com
CoolTechZone :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“With many Blu-Ray and HD DVD supporters agreeing to support both formats as opposed to one, this news shouldn’t come as a surprise. What’s interesting is that founders of the aforementioned standards believe that both formats will end up merging to create a unified format.”

ATI X1800 CrossFire Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“While ATI’s first generation Crossfire platform proved ATI could offer a dual video card solution to gaming enthusiasts it was based on a core that was dated and had a number of issuses when it came to resolutions. The second generation of Crossfire cards is based on the R520 core, which is still the flagship GPU for ATI and comes packed with the latest features…”

Samsung 40″ LNR408D LCD TV @ Bytesector
Bytesector :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“This 40″ Samsung LCD TV isn’t the largest nor the smallest of its kind, but it hits that sweet spot in terms of a moderate screen-size that makes viewing in any sized room convenient and affordable. The LNR408D model from Samsung is bundled with an intelligent brightness sensor, high contrast ratio, high luminance output, and an acceptable 12ms response time among its many features. It also has an eye-catching design that is slightly different from other manufacturers. ”

Logitech Z4 2.1 Speakers at CaseModGod.com
Case Mod God :: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Summary: The Logitech Z4 2.1 Speaker set is a stellar value for its affordable price ($99.99 American). It’s far more than adequate for heavy gaming or listening to music, and I won’t be going back to headphones any time soon.

HEXUS.features :: Futuremark 3DMark06 Launch
Hexus :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
Another year, another 3DMark Ever since I started taking hardware performance testing seriously, a version of 3DMark has been an oft-used part of my software arsenal. You need literally dozens of tools to just evaluate a graphics product these days, to get as comprehensive a picture of the hardware as possible in order to make an informed judgement for a discerning readership such as yourselves.

NVIDIA 7300 GS Preview @ Viper Lair
ViperLair :: Thursday, January 19, 2006
“As with all of the GeForce 7 Series GPUs, the GeForce 7300 GS features PureVideo which will provide very good image quality at the targeted price-point. Therefore, builders of HTPCs can look into this product since it will accelerate MPEG-2 in hardware, as well as Windows Media HD Video (WMV HD). The GPU offloads video decoding from the CPU and should provide smoother video playback and lower CPU usage.”

XFX GeForce 6800 GS XXX Edition Review at nV News
OCModshop :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Steve Angelly has posted a review of the XFX GeForce 6800 GS XXX Edition, which is overclocked out-of-the-box. Game performance is tested in F.E.A.R., Battlefield 2, Chronicles of Riddick, Far Cry, and Doom 3 with an Athlon 64 3700+ processor.

Steve also attempts to match the XFX card up with a reference GeForce 6800 GS to form an SLI configuration.

NVIDIA nForce4 SLI XE and nForce4 Ultra Technology Report Posted!
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

” NVIDIA has just launched two new chipsets for the Intel platform. Let’s take a look at the new nForce4 SLI XE and nForce4 Ultra chipsets and see what’s so special about them! ”

ATI Radeon X1600 XT and X1300 PRO review @ Beyond3D
Beyond3D :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Both X1300 and X1600, although around in various locations roughly when they were supposed to be, hardly appeared plentiful, which may partially have been to do with their pricing. ATI set fairly high MSRPs on both the X1300 and X1600 product lines, likely set for some high margins and to be competitive to where they were when they were introduced. However, when shipping is set to occur nearly two months after announcement, as was the case for X1600, a lot can happen in that time span, as indeed it did with NVIDIA’s release of the 6800 GS. Now, though, following a reduction in MSRPs by ATI both products are becoming plentiful, vendors are coming out with numerous SKUs of both product lines, and street prices are more inline with where we would expect for their die sizes.”

Inno3D GeForce 6800GS SLI Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Content: “The Inno3D GeForce 6800GS sample we reviewed here performed admirably and considering that it is priced below the GeForce 6800GT, it simply puts every graphics card in its category into shame. Although the 6800GS comes with only 12-pixel pipelines, the increased GPU speed made the 6800GS to perform as good as a 6800GT or X800XL, if not better. Given that Inno3D was a bit skimpy on the packaging side, we enthusiasts care less about the packaging as we truly dig for pure performance. Besides, it helps Inno3D to cut down the retail price which makes the deal a lot sweeter, but it wasn’t the sweetest…”

Superbowl Home Theater Guide @ WindowsAtoZ.com
Windows A to Z :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
“The Superbowl is almost here and you want to have the best high-definition television and home theater setup, right? We know you do and that’s why we are here to help you. Our editor’s have come up with the best HD televisions and powerful home theater systems to suit your needs. We’re your number one source for Superbowl home theater setup and information to make this Superbowl one to remember.”

ASUS EAX1800XT TOP
Hexus :: Wednesday, January 18, 2006
The EAX1800XT TOP is a fast, quiet graphics card with a great bundle, but ASUS are pricing it out of its own market with it costing £100 more than XTs from other AIBs. The bundle and performance aren’t worth it at the time of writing, versus the cost of a bare board with reference clocks from another AIB, with the user having a stab at overclocking themselves if they wish.

DIRECTV and Microsoft in Bed Together
Microsoft :: Monday, January 16, 2006
LAS VEGAS — Jan. 5, 2006 — DIRECTV Inc., the nation’s leading digital television service provider, and Microsoft Corp., the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions, have formed an alliance to develop new ways to expand the reach of digital music, television and movies throughout the home and to portable devices. Under the agreement, announced today at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, DIRECTV and Microsoft will work together to enable the flow of digital content among Windows®-based PCs, DIRECTV’s set-top boxes, PlaysForSure™-compatible devices and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, which will allow customers to experience DIRECTV programming and digital content stored on their Windows-based PCs in a variety of new ways.

HP LP2065 LCD Monitor
Designtechnica :: Monday, January 16, 2006
“Business class never had it so good thanks to HP’s new flagship 20.1-inch LCD the LP2065. Let’s face it, a wide-screen display is nice, but not every situation calls for one. And in the business space there are plenty of reasons why a 20.1-inch LCD fits the bill. The LP2065 is unarguably one of the better LCD’s out there when it comes to choosing a new monitor for your company; oh let us count thy ways. Gamers might want to take a look at the LP2065 too, especially if you have a thing for HP monitors.”

Gigabyte Radeon X1800 XL 256MB (GV-RX18L256V-B)
Hardware Zoom :: Monday, January 16, 2006

Overclockers will be delighted that the R520 is highly overclockable, thanks to the 1.4ns Samsung GDDR3 that is capable of 1400Mhz. We manage to overclock the core speed by 9%, from 500Mhz to 545Mhz. At the same time, the memory was overclocked by 33%, from 990Mhz to 1314Mhz with rock stability! However with a single slot design, heat may trap around the card if there isn’t proper ventilation.

Albatron K8SLi Motherboard @ Viperlair
ViperLair :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“The board offers some very interesting solutions. It has virtually everything onboard that any user could want. SLi, NIC, plenty of USB ports, sound, etc. It only has one onboard NIC but for most that will be more than sufficient. The SLi solution without a jumper block, or flip card worked flawlessly, and without touching the FSB/Multi etc everything worked great. Something else that immediately comes to mind about the board is although the total height of the board is ATx spec the width is significantly shorter.”

ATI Promises Hard Launch with R580
CoolTechZone :: Sunday, January 15, 2006
“ATI has received well deserved criticism with its current line of GPUs, and while ATI did its best to avoid paper launches, the company just couldn’t keep up due to known and unknown circumstances, however, ATI promises to change that with its R580 launch.”

HIS X1800XT OC DL-DVI VIVO 512MB PCIe Video Card Video Review #637
3dgameman :: Sunday, January 15, 2006

“This is one heck of a Video Card. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the fastest Video Cards on the market. Being based on the ATI R520 chip, with a core speed of 700MHz, and a memory speed of 1600MHz, it’s easy to see why. It’s a product that will most definitely appeal to the hardcore gamer. Get one and start kickin’ ass! Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

HEXUS.beans :: Next generation NVIDIA GPU details and 3DMarks
Hexus :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
It would seem that a few key NVIDIA partners have already been sampled with GeForce 7900, and they’re currently working towards a hard launch planned for CeBIT 2006 in Hannover, Germany (9th through to 15th March), and if so, our money’s would be on watching for announcements from NVIDIA, ASUSTeK, eVGA, XFX and possibly MSI, between the 9th and 11th March.

HEXUS.beans :: RADEON X1900 benchmarks
Hexus :: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Benchmark results of ATI’s X1900, comapred with reported results of the GeForce 7900 and alongside a number of other cards’ results? Why yes, we got those…

PowerColor X1600 XT & X1300 PRO @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Monday, January 09, 2006
Today I have less expensive parts to test for both middle and low-end sectors of the market. They are PowerColor X1600 XT and X1300 PRO. The first card is based around RV530 core. There should be a lot of different SKUs mainly because ATI allows for handful of configurations ie. memory size and type. As far as memory bus is concerned, it features two 128-bit rings which is essentially a 128-bit architecture (ATI calls it 256, but that’s obviously wrong). It comes with 4 pixel pipelines, 12 pixel shader units and 5 vertex pipelines — not a standard 1:1 configuration. The X1300 PRO sample came in a non PRO box though based on real specifications I can assure you it’s a real PRO model (just not final retail product). This baby is equipped with 4 pixel pipelines, 4 pixel shader units and 2 vertex pipelines (1 to 1 ratio, just like R520). As with X1600 XT it’s also a 128-bit offering and should be available in many different configurations.

ATI PowerPlay Benchmarked
Phoronix :: Monday, January 09, 2006
Summary: “Introduced in ATI’s v8.19.10 proprietary display drivers for their RADEON series was support for PowerPlay. For the uninitiated, ATI’s PowerPlay allows the user to specify various “power-states”, or rather various frequencies and voltages at which the card can operate. The purpose for these various performance levels is ultimately to allow mobile users to save on battery life through running at reduced speeds when not performing strenuous 3D tasks.”

Logitech Wireless Headphones for MP3 Review
OCIA :: Sunday, January 08, 2006

“From this angle, we have a much better look at the 3.5mm male headphone jack. If you notice, there is a gap to the right of the headphone jack. The entire headphone jack unit can actually slide from either the left or right, depending on what is convenient for the device you are connecting to. Logitech provides a small locking mechanism to keep the jack in place.”

Gigabyte GeForce 6600 DDR2 256MB SLI Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Sunday, January 08, 2006

Content: “Gigabyte GV-NX66256DP2 is NVIDIA’s latest GeForce 6600 series graphic card and we would like to conclude that it is another great value graphics card from NVIDIA. By changing the DDR to DDR2, the performance has been increased significantly. Futhermore, Gigabyte GV-NX66256DP2 is a totally silent graphics card using the Silent-Pipe cooling technology. Although it supports SLi, it is not really wise to run an SLi configuration as getting a single high end graphics card offers a better price versus performance ratio.”

MTV to launch HD channel
Home Theater Blog :: Sunday, January 08, 2006
The first thing that came to mind when I heard about MHD (MTV’s new high-definition network) was, I wonder how long it will take before their running ‘The Real Life’ in HD? But apparently the format is and will remain live music. According to an article in the Vail Daily News , the studio is located in Vail Colorado which should make for some nice backdrops.

MHD is set to launch Jan. 16, and will feature MTV, VH1 and CMT footage shot in hi-def. I haven’t really caught more than 20 minutes of MTV in the last year, but this might be just what the doctor ordered for those new HDTV owners eager for everything and anything shot in HD

HEXUS.CES :: Quad SLI showcased by Dell and NVIDIA
Hexus :: Friday, January 06, 2006
Dell have thought up a use for that massive 30 inch TFT of theirs. They’ve teamed up with NVIDIA at CES to showcase the biggest thing to hit PC graphics since SLI… Quad SLI.

Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide Rev. 9.8 Posted!
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

” Covering over 240 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!

X1800XT CROSSFIRE
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“It’s fair to say that neither ATI or Nvidia got their dual card solutions spot on first time around. While they had great performance and a high level of stability there were various niggles like limited resolutions or card compatibility restrictions which affected the two approaches to dual card rendering. With a recent driver update Nvidia went a long way to solving many of the limitations affecting SLI systems and on the hardware side of things also released a chipset capable of two 16xPCIe graphics slots. This meant that in specific areas ATI were really lacking in features when compared to the competition, especially with only the X8 series Crossfire available to buy.

Now with the launch of Crossfire for the X1800 series ATI effectively have a second generation of Crossfire coming to market which allows them to even the playing field again. So will things be more successful for ATI this time round?”

ATi Dual Core Optimizations + Phil Rogers interview @ DH
Driver Heaven :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006
“Today we are taking a short look at a feature included in ATI’s Catalyst 5.12 drivers – Dual Core optimisations. The article also includes a Q+A session with Phil Rogers. Phil is ATI’s senior software architect and as a whole it makes for very interesting reading…”

HIS X1600XT IceQ Turbo DL-DVI 256MB PCIe Video Card Video Review #633
3dgameman :: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

HIS X1600XT IceQ Turbo DL-DVI 256MB PCIe Video Card Video Review #633: “This product is loaded with the latest technologies & features. Two very noteworthy additions in this generation of video card is Shader Model 3 & AVIVO. SM3 will dramatically help on the gaming end and AVIVO is all about exceptional video playback. While this is not the fastest video card on the market, it offers unmistakable value. Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

NGO NVIDIA Optimized Driver v1.8195 @ NGOHQ
OCModshop :: Monday, January 02, 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.”

Sapphire Radeon X1300 256MB PCI Express Video Card
Bona Fide Reviews :: Monday, January 02, 2006
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“After last week’s review of the BFG 7800GTX OC we visit the opposite end of the video card spectrum with Sapphire’s X1300 Pro. Sapphire seems to have really focused on making their offering of the X1300 extremely affordable by being cheapest X1300 available. At the time of writing this card can be found online for $95. In other words, this video card costs less than 20% of what the 7800GTX is currently selling for. That’s quite a statement. However, a graphic card has to perform to provide any real value to someone. A cheap video card that doesn’t run the games they want play doesn’t do much good either. So is this card worth its $95 price tag or is it a very effective paper weight? That’s what we will determine in our review of Sapphire’s X1300 Pro video card.”

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