Tech News April 2006

 

Lian Li PC-S80B Aluminum Server Case Review
Virtual-Hideout :: Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Quote: “The muffler on the back and foam padding throughout the case help reduce the sound transmissions. There is even foam around the door on the case. That is mostly aftermarket stuff, but it’s all included in the Lian Li PC-S80B!”

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Patriot Memory PDC2G4000ELK DDR Memory Review
PCStats :: Wednesday, April 26, 2006

“The Patriot Memory PDC2G4000ELK DDR kit is made up of two 1GB DDR-500 DIMMs which are rated to run at up to 250 MHz in a dual channel configuration, with CAS Latency timings of 2.5-4-4-7. With aggressive CAS Latency timings of 2.5-3-3-6, the Patriot PDC2G4000ELK memory achieved a maximum overclocked speed of 247 MHz. All in all that’s pretty good for 2GB memory kit. Next we loosened the timings to 2.5-4-4-7, and that permitted the Patriot PDC2G4000ELK modules to overclock much higher. With the memory being fed 2.8V, the clock speed was overclocked in small 5 MHz intervals.”

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DigiDock AC-2220 FM Transmitter Pictorial Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Quote – “Almost everyone you know has a portable media player. Even you do too. But doesn’t it suck when you can’t listen to the same music in your car? Well, today, we will show you just how that might be possible with the DigiDock AC-2220 FM Transmitter! ”

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Altec Lansing AHP 612 Wireless Headphones
Bona Fide Reviews :: Wednesday, April 26, 2006

It seems everything is going wireless these days…so why not your headphones? Granted, wireless headphones have been around for quite some time, but range and sound quality have always been something to desire. Can Altec Lansing’s AHP612 successfully overstep these shortcomings and marry quality sound production with wireless portability?

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Spire DiamondCool II SP741B3 AMD Athlon64 Heatsink Review
Frosty Tech :: Wednesday, April 26, 2006

“If there’s one truth about heatsinks, it’s that you can never tell a good one just by looking at it. The Spire DiamondCool II SP741B3 is one of those heatsinks that’s just hard to peg at first glance. It’s a hefty AMD Athlon64 K8 heatsink made of copper for sure, and copper means it has to be good right? The 90x90x25mm fan is UV-light reactive with a seven-bladed impeller that rotates at 2400RPM, producing in the region of 41CFM. It has four copper heatpipes are equally spaced and slightly inset into the thick copper base. That’s a lot of copper, let’s see what Spire make of all that… ”

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Mushkin, Inc. to Launch Power Supply Line
Legit Reviews :: Wednesday, April 26, 2006
“The XP-650 is labeled as a 650W power supply, but has a peak output of 700W. The power supply has a combined 12V rail of 44A, which is more than enough to support SLI and CrossFire platforms. The XP-650 has four separate 12V rails all of which can be combined to form a single power rail thanks to what Mushkin is calling RailFusion Technology. When RailFusion occurs the green LED light on the back of the power supply will turn on letting you and anyone else look at the back of your case that you are pulling some serious power. ”

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Tomb Raider: Legend
Techgage :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Quote: Guess who’s back? Lara’s back. This time around, the adventure is much larger than before. Once again, we get to travel through many exotic locales and kick back to the Tomb Raider roots. So, do we have a winner this time, or will it suffer the same fate as Angel of Darkness?

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How Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) Works
Hardware Secrets :: Thursday, April 20, 2006
“Signals in the real world are analog: light, sound, you name it. So, real-world signals must be converted into digital, using a circuit called ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter), before they can be manipulated by digital equipment. In this tutorial we will give an in-depth explanation about analog-to-digital conversion yet keeping a very easy to follow language.”

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Gainward to refresh their 7800 GS AGP to 7900 GT specs?
Pure Overclock :: Thursday, April 20, 2006
Quote: We’ve heard solid rumours that Gainward have a fantastic new card on the way, and it’s a refresh of there most ambitious GPU to date, the AGP 7800GS. The new refresh will be known as the BLISS 7800 GS SILENT 512MB GS ”+” and guess what? It has 24 pipes which essentially means it is based on the 7900 GT core.

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Kingwin SK-523 ATX Case
PC Apex :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

“Although the door is aluminum, the front bezel itself is made of plastic. The finish on this case is a very stylish satin black with a few minor chrome highlights.”

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Thermaltake Tai-Chi
techPowerUp! :: Thursday, April 20, 2006
Thermaltake provides the Tai-Chi in two versions, one with pre-installed water cooling and one without. Obviously the water-cooling equipped Tai-Chi comes with a hefty price tag and is one of the most expensive cases. Gazing at this behemoth one would expect it to do laundry too, however everything I wash turns pink even the poka dots. So after having to explain to the kids we didn’t get a new TV I lugged the box indoors. Time to see what’s inside the crate and makes this the top of the line Thermaltake offers.

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Thermaltake Matrix VX Case
Bjorn3D :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Which case is better, Aluminum or Steel? To answer this question properly one must first quantify what advantage(s) each material brings to the table. Steel (SECC) is stronger and generally more rigid than aluminum leading to less resonance which in most instances decreases the noise from vibration of any components inside the case. Aluminum is much lighter weight making it much easier to move from one point to another. Aluminum is also considerably easier and probably cheaper to fabricate and manufacture.

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Asus Atlas 55GA 550W PSU @ Viperlair
ViperLair :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

“The Asus Atlas 55GA has a sexy stylish design overall which I think many will like. Couple this with almost inaudible and efficient cooling and that is a good basis off the bat. Support for ATX2.01 (and BTX Compatibility), 24 Pin power and P8 power are Modular in design to maintain backwards compliance with ATX. Of course Dual 12v rails help spread the load and you also get a 6 pin PCIe power connector.”

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Everglide Titan Gaming Mouse Mat Review
XS Reviews :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

“When it comes to choosing computer components, it is usually relatively simple to determine which is the best. Review sites and magazines produce benchmarks on everything from Graphics Cards to Hard drives, which lets you, the End-User, know which components are the best money can buy. However, this is not usually the case for mouse mats; especially the gaming variety. There are so many mouse mats ranging in size, texture and colour, and with no definitive tests to decide which is the best, it is often quite hard to write a review on them. However, having several mouse mat reviews under our belt here at XSR, we felt we could do a relatively good job. So here is our take on the Everglide Titan, a mouse mat that is larger than most, smoother than most, and certainly games in the top few mouse mats I have tried too.”

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Vizo Gemini Wireless Mouse
TechTastic :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Quote: Today we take a look at a new mouse from Vizo. The Vizo Gemini Mouse features an 800 dpi high precision optical sensor and is cordless to boot.

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News: A pair of water coolers compared
The Tech Report :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

FOR YEARS, WATER COOLING has been reserved for the most committed overclocking and silent computing enthusiasts. Piping water around a PC’s internals definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, and generally only those with supreme confidence in their plumbing skills have been courageous enough to tempt fate. Fortunately, water cooling is slowly becoming more accessible as all-in-one kits that minimize the need for extensive amateur plumbing become more common. These kits are perfect for those looking to get their feet wet without diving into the deep end, so to speak.

Two of the more interesting water cooling kits on the market are Corsair’s new Nautilus500 and Zalman’s Reserator 1 Plus. Both are second generation kits, and while Zalman’s design is a refinement of the original Reserator, the Nautilus500 is all-new for Corsair. Each offers a different take on water cooling, as well. The Reserator targets low noise levels, while the Nautilus aims for ease of installation. But which kit is best for you? And perhaps more importantly, is either significantly superior to traditional air cooling? Let’s take a look.

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ZVUE 200A Handheld Media Player
Think Computers :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Quote: “Are you in the market for a relatively inexpensive Ipod alternative? With the success of the Ipod, and all its incarnations, it seems like many companies are trying to cash in on its popularity by coming out with similar devices. Today for review I have one such device from Handheld Entertainment, the Zvue Media Player. It is a full function player that can play movies, music and much more.”

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Toshiba Qosmio F20 Notebook Review
CoolTechZone :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

“There are times when an ultra slim notebook just doesn’t cut it. Times when you wish it had more power and could do more, much more than what a regular Sony VAIO would let you do. The Qosmio F20 is an answer to just such a need, provided you are willing to turn a blind eye to its “slightly” bulky size and weight.”

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Seagate 500GB and Western Digital 400GB drives reviewed
Tech Spot :: Thursday, April 20, 2006
Processors are incredibly fast, RAM is rocketing its way through our games, and videocards pack more punch than ever. With all these screamingly fast system components available, often the hard drive is neglected. It’s a commonly known fact that despite of several improvements in the past years, hard drives are still the biggest performance bottleneck in desktop systems today. That is why having a fast, large hard drive should be a priority for all computer users.

Today we take a look at two of the largest desktop drives on the market from two of the most popular hard drive vendors. From Western Digital, we received the Caviar SE 4000KD which is a 400GB 4-platter SATA-II behemoth, and from Seagate, the Barracuda 7200.9 500GB 4-platter SATA-II drive.

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Linux File System Demystified
OS Weekly :: Thursday, April 20, 2006
“Roughly speaking, Linux is a versatile operating system that supports a wide range of file systems. This is made possible by the unified interface of the Linux kernel. This unified interface is known as “virtual file interface.” Note that it’s not a file system on its own but an interface that provides a clearly defined link between the operating system kernel and different file systems.”

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DFI RS482 Infinity
Overclockers Online :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Quote: DFI has once again developed a motherboard that caters to the enthusiasts but also carries riches needed in a fully-fledged multimedia PC. Some of you will remember my review on the ECS RS-480M that utilized ATi’s RS480 Northbridge and SB400 South Bridge. This newer motherboard uses the newer RS482 for the North Bridge and SB450 for the South Bridge on the newer 90nm technology. Since our little package is coming from the fine folks at DFI, we expect nothing but the best. Given DFI’s previous track record on stellar performance and overclocking abilities, I’m expecting a lot out of this motherboard. Is it possible that I set the bar too high? Well, we’ll find out soon enough!

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WinFast NF4SK8AA-8EKRS Motherboard Review
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

“The WinFast NF4SK8AA-8EKRS motherboard was really easy to work with and posed no problems with anything that we threw at it. The NF4SK8AA-8EKRS also did very well for itself in the area of overclocking. Being able to run my Opteron 146 at 2.9ghz+ was pretty impressive on this sub-$100 board. ”

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Power Supply (PSU) Buying Guide
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, April 20, 2006
Before you begin any type of shopping for a PSU, find the amount of power required which your computer system is currently using. If you plan on upgrading your computer system and will be using the power supply, then it is wise to forecast the wattage for your future computer system. One particular way of determining this, is using an online PSU wattage calculator. The one I reference, eXtreme PSU Calculator, is in my opinion, the best one found online so far, and takes into account many of the latest systems such as dual- and quad-processors, overclocking, SCSI, SATA, and much more. In addition to the eXtreme PSU Calculator, eXtreme Outer Vision’s website is also a great place to go for other calculators relating to other aspects of your PC.

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Top Spin 2 Review (360)
Think Computers :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Quote: “Developed by Indie Built and PAM, and Published by 2K Sports; Top Spin 2 is the sequel to the hit Xbox game which released in 2003. In this iteration, players will be able to play against the top male and female tennis players in the world. This includes favorites Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, and Maria Sharapova. Or you can create your own unique tennis superstar. When the original Top Spin was released, it set the bar for tennis games. It featured accessible yet deep controls, and refined gameplay that was extremely addictive. So, how does Top Spin 2 follow up to the original? Let’s find out.”

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Corsair Nautilus500 External Water Cooling
Techgage :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Quote: It may come as a surprise to some, but memory moguls Corsair actually threw together quite a great water cooling kit called COOL. Well, now they are testing different waters.. an external kit! We will be testing it on a very, very hot Intel Dual Core, so let’s see how it does.

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News: Vizo Gemini Wireless Mouse Reviewed
MetkuMods :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

“Instantly after installing Gemini, it is clear that this is not the mouse for a serious gamer. Fast moves for example in Counter-Strike makes the mouse confused to which direction it should be moving the cursor. I tried different surfaces, but fast moves are not for Gemini.”

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Cooler Master Stacker 830 Full Tower Enclosure
TweakTown :: Thursday, April 20, 2006

QUOTE: “The overall aesthetics of the case are extremely pleasing. Apart from the drool-worthy aluminium finish, the detailing is picked out in black – black mesh for the side, top and front panels for airflow, and black plastic for the top power/USB console and the front USB/Firewire/audio panel. There’s not much patterning on the case which gives it a sleek and uncluttered look. The side panels actually extend back further than the rear of the case which makes the whole thing look like it was tested in a wind tunnel, but has the unexpected benefit that the rear cabling is mostly hidden from view.”

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Super Talent 2GB PC2-6400 T800UX2GC4
Techgage :: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Quote: Most people have not even heard of Super Talent, but they are not new to the memory market. They are however new to the enthusiast side of things. It looks like they know what they are doing, because these modules are FAST. Let’s take a deep look and see just how impressive they are.

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Brando SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 Conversion Cable
Bona Fide Reviews :: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Quote: Today we took a look at a unique product from Hong Kong based company Brando. The device is their SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 converter cable. The idea behind the unit is simple, you plug in your IDE or SATA based device and this cable converts the input into USB 2.0 turning the device into an external piece of hard ware. This is similar to how a external hard drive enclosure works but it works with three types of connections. Our cable was also shipped with a power supply to power the IDE/SATA device since it obviously would need to get power from some source other than the PC’s PSU if it was to be used outside of the computer case.

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Analysis: Blue Screen of Death (BSoD)
OS Weekly :: Tuesday, April 18, 2006
“Generally, there are two screens that users refer to as Blue Screen of Death. The first one is situated within Windows NT4/2000/XP environment, while the second one is embedded in Windows 9x surroundings. Although both screens are considered “deadly,” the one in Windows NT4/2000/XP environment takes the lead for a variety of reasons. Blue screens, as many of us know, have been in existence since the days of Windows 3.1 and were actually originated from IBM’s Black Screen of Death.”

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