Gigabyte STA Thin Client
Phoronix :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“At Phoronix we have looked at a number of Gigabyte products from their motherboards to graphics cards and even wireless adapters. However, today is our first time looking at one of Gigabyte’s barebone solutions. The Gigabyte STA Thin Client, specifically the GB-STA-C7V7, is a mini-ITX solution that ships with a VIA C7 1.0GHz processor, UniChrome PRO graphics, is completely fan-free, and it’s all packed in a slim yet stylized chassis. However, does the Gigabyte STA Thin Client work with Linux? We’ll let you know today.”
Hard Drive Performance Comparison Guide
Tech ARP :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“WinBench 99 2.0 has proven that it can still serve as a consistent and reliable hard drive benchmark even in Windows Vista. It has given us a lot of interesting data. If the Business and High-End simulations were not good enough, the raw transfer rate results were certainly most useful. From the transfer rate results, you can see which hard drive has a higher transfer rate, and how areal density affects that performance metric. It also shot down the perception that a newer model is always faster.”
AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple Core Processor
Viper Lair :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“Even though the AMD Unified Video Decoder can offload CPU usage in HD playback by putting the work on the graphics processing unit, if you’re running multiple tasks during HD playback, the system does struggle if it doesn’t have the horse power. We don’t do it often, but at times we’ll be converting files into DivX for sharing, and the CPU is completely maxed out, causing dropped frames during HD playback. For the test files we used, the X3 8750 had no problems with HD and file conversion.”
AMD Phenom X3 Processors reviewed
Icrontic :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“When AMD sent me the triple core Phenom 8750, I was expecting to throw it in a Phenom compatible motherboard and be off to the races. Unfortunately, my experience was not quite that simple.”
LapWorks Attaché Laptop Stand Review
Virtual Hideout :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“After several weeks of using the Lapworks Attaché I found it to be a solid and stable piece of equipment. The adjustable foot was secure and didn’t have much slop in it whatsoever. The rubber pads kept the stand from sliding around on a smooth surface. With the aluminum and plastic construction, the Lapworks Attaché is extremely light to carry around; however, it’s not meant to be something you lug around in the laptop bag due to its shape. Instead, it’s meant to sit on your desk and act like a docking station, raising the elevation of the screen to keep the user from craning their neck and causing undo strain. The fans are 5 volts and get their power from the laptop. With the curve of the Attaché stand and fans blowing air on to the bottom of the laptop, proper ventilation is achieved.”
Ways to silence your PC
XS Reviews :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“One of the holy grails of any PC enthusiast is to have a completely silent rig, or at least, quiet enough so that it doesn’t disturb the game we’re playing or the movie we’re watching. This article is a collection of helpful information that should help those who don’t want their conversation drowned out by rumbling hard disks or whirring fans.”
SilverStone TJ09 Case Review
Icrontic :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“SilverStone’s TJ09 is simply a great case. It is a very high quality, great looking unit that is a joy to work with. Its side ventilation system, mid-level GPU and oversized top exhaust are very unique features that really set it apart from the rest of the crowd. For those who have been stuck working in cramped cases, the TJ09 really opens your eyes to the benefits of extra case real estate.”
Phenom X3 8750 Review
Neoseeker :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“Regardless of how it became a tri-core part, I was interested to see how our 8750 would perform compared to not only the quad core Phenoms, but also a “Black Edition” dual core AMD 5000+ X2. I also threw in a comparison to a Core 2 Duo E6750, a 2.67GHz part – giving it a 267MHz speed advantage at stock speeds – to see how the tri-core would compare to an equivalently priced dual core Intel part. After all, AMD is trying to position the tri-core parts as a viable alternative to some dual core parts — so let’s see if they accomplished this goal with some testing.”
ASUS Nova Lite review
PC News :: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
ASUS launch 3 version of NOVA LITE: PX20, PX22, PX24. The design is identical for all version but under the hood are some differences related to HDD, memory and OS. You can find a comparative table at the end of this review.
Our sample, ASUS NOVA LITE PX20, come with Windows XP (still alive, huh?), 80GB hard disk drive, 1GB DDR II.
Interview with Franck Delattre / CPU-Z
techPowerUp :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Today we have an interview with one of the key figures in the hardware scene. Franck’s CPU-Z and ClockGen applications are legendary and part of every overclocker’s toolbox. He explains how he made first contact with computers and what made him write CPU-Z. Also he talks about current projects and his future.
Why Use a Mac?
PC Mech :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Last week, Jason authored an article on reasons why to use Linux. Jason is a real fan of Linux and I was part of the “heated discussion” he refers to at the beginning of his article. His article really did touch a nerve and has quickly become of those most popular articles on all of PCMech.
Seeing as I was, indeed, part of said “heated discussion”, I thought I would shed some light on my personal choice of computer: the Mac.”
ASUS M3N-HT 780a SLi Review
OCC :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“So what do we say about the ASUS M3N-HT? It performs as well as, or sometimes better than, AMD’s flagship chipset, the 790FX. The scores were marginally better for the newer 780a chipset. The option for AMD processor users to finally have a great choice of motherboard chipsets and designs is a plus. No longer are you stuck with certain options, like only being able to use Crossfire. Now you can run that NVIDIA SLi rig with your Phenom X4 and kick some serious butt. The ASUS M3N-HT has many upgradable options such as the ability to run triple SLi if you have the cards available, or Dual SLi if you do not want to spend that much on GPUs.”
Nesteq EECS 700 Watt Ultra Quiet Power Supply Review
Big Bruin :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The EECS (Enhanced Easy Connecting System) modular cables are definitely the unit’s most unique design feature. Modular cables are nothing new, but the ability to customize the length, as well as what connectors are found on each cable, is definitely interesting. Installation was quick and cable management was about as easy and neat as possible.
Tuniq Ensemble 1200W Power Supply Review
Think Computers :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Tuniq is a performance chassis and power supply purveyor subsidiary of cooling, lighting, and chassis maker Sunbeamtech. Tuniq is in the “fashion business” of the computer industry, making cases, power supplies, and other products with style and durability in mind in addition to performance. ThinkComputers received its Ensemble 1200W power supply, a sleek powerhouse which operates at a minimum efficiency of 82.3%, and an average efficiency of 86%. Read on for the review…”
Cooler Master Centurion 590 Case Review
Ninjalane :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“In terms of modding the Centurion 590 is a great starting point for any project. While we don’t have many cooling related enhancements the case material and construction will support just about anything you wish to do. Whether it be a custom watercooler or an insane amount of windows and lights, the Cooler Master Centurion 590 will likely hold up to the task.”
What to Do If Your Computer Doesn’t Turn On
Hardware Secrets :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“In this step-by-step tutorial we will teach you what you should do if your computer doesn’t turn on in order to identify and solve the problem.”
Gigabyte EP45 Extreme Exclusive Shots!
Tweak Town :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“TweakTown was given the opportunity to be the first publication in the world to see and photograph Gigabyte’s upcoming motherboard targeting extreme overclockers, the EP45 Extreme. This board will be quite different to the rest of Gigabyte’s P45 based motherboard and the board we were shown was the first board off the production line and as such, is a very early sample. The most obvious feature of this motherboard is the humongous heatsink sitting above the first PCI slot. This is based on a similar construction idea to Gigabyte’s passive Silent-Pipe 3 and works the natural convection method and draws hot air out of the case without any noise.
In saying that, Gigabyte isn’t really intending for this motherboard to go into a case, as there will be a fairly limited run of these boards. The EP45 Extreme is Gigabyte’s answer to the Foxconn Black Ops board, although with a different chipset and as such is intended for bench use. This is why Gigabyte is planning to supply a LN2 duct for the CPU and a watercooling module for the chipset. The large heatsink can be removed, as it is secured with four screws on the top of the chipset cooler. This is partly done to make it easier to ship and transport the board, but also to allow for the watercooling module to be attached in an easy way.”
Tagan Black Pearl Case Review
Hardware Logic :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Tagan’s latest foray into the computer enclosure market comes in the form of the Black Pearl. No, this isn’t a rerun of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”. Rather, this is a computer enclosure that Tagan is dubbing as the most qualified water cooling ready chassis that an enthusiast can buy. With features galore, the Black Pearl seems ready to take to the high seas in its quest for ultimate chassis domination. Will the Black Pearl succeed, or will it walk the plank? HardwareLogic sets sail to find out! Yaargh!”
Silverstone MS05 External 2.5inch SATA HDD Enclosure Review
Madshrimps :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Today we focus on the SST-MS05 from Silverstone which is the latest in their external drive enclosure line which includes an internal docking bay (requires a free 3.5inch external bay or a 5.25inch bay adapter).”
CoolIT Eliminator
Technic 3d :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“The CoolIT Eliminator CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The Eliminator CPU Cooler includes: a Chiller/Pump Module, a Thermal Control Module (TCM), and a CPU Fluid Heat Exchanger (FHE). This universal sealed closed-loop maintenance free system is pre-plumbed and charged for simple bolt-in installation. See you in the following Review the Eleminator on a Intel XE6800 CPU compared with Standard Boxed Cooling, Watercooling and the Titan Amanda.”
Tagan Black Pearl Case Review
Hardware Logic :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Tagan’s latest foray into the computer enclosure market comes in the form of the Black Pearl. No, this isn’t a rerun of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”. Rather, this is a computer enclosure that Tagan is dubbing as the most qualified water cooling ready chassis that an enthusiast can buy. With features galore, the Black Pearl seems ready to take to the high seas in its quest for ultimate chassis domination. Will the Black Pearl succeed, or will it walk the plank? HardwareLogic sets sail to find out! Yaargh!”
AMD Phenom X4 9850
t-break :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
SimpleTech 250GB Signature Mini Portable Drive 
Techware Labs :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
While we have reservations about any drive named after a fruit, Jason Dumbaugh takes a look at the SimpleTech 2.5 inch Signature Mini Portable drive weighing in at 250GB. Nicknamed the “Kiwi” this little storage monster comes loaded with some very useful software that covers backup of your PC to the drive as well as to an online source. We test this drive to show you if its a speed demon, a snail, or somewhere in between.
AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple-Core Processor
Hot Hardware :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
When AMD first announced plans to introduce triple-core processors back in September of last year, reaction to the news was mixed. Some felt that AMD was simply planning to pass off partially functional Phenom X4 processors as triple-core products, making lemonade from lemons if you will. Others thought it was a good way for AMD to increase bottom line profits, getting more usable die from a single silicon wafer and mitigating yield loss. We were somewhat perplexed by the first reaction. This is an age-old strategy in the semiconductor space and after all, the graphics guys have been selling GPUs with non-functional units for years. AMD was simply borrowing a play from ATI’s playbook.
Without actual product, it’s tough to argue either way, of course. But thankfully, AMD has delivered their first batch of triple-core processors and we can finally put the whole debate to rest.
AMD Phenom X3 8750 Review
OCC :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Overclocking the AMD Phenom X3 8750 was a task. I tried everything I could to push this processor, but it just would not budge. I dropped the HT multiplier to 7x and increased the voltage to 1.4v and still could not get the HT bus to go beyond 215MHz, no matter what. Anything beyond 215MHz would cause the board to lock up and blue screen seconds after booting into Windows. As everyone knows, AMD processors are not good overclockers and since the Phenom X3 has a locked maximum multiplier of 12x, there is was hope to push it much further.”
Noctua NH-U12P CPU cooler Review
Xtreme Computing :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Noctua have a justified reputation of silent, yet powerful cooling. Partnering with the Austrian Institute of Heat Transmission and Fan Technology(!) allows some serious science behind their products, and as seen in the performance of their NT-H1 thermal paste we reviewed recently it seems to work. So it is with piqued interest that I will be looking at their 120mm-fan based cooler; the NH-U12P.”
Linux Part 1: Getting Familiar
PC Stats :: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
“Getting started with Linux can seem complex, but PCstats walks you through the first steps. Installation not required. Conquering Linux has been the right of passage for a generation of computer enthusiasts. Under the skin of this icon lies a mere operating system, but it’s an operating system with a single staggering advantage. It’s free.”
Thermalright IFX-10 Motherboard Backside Cooler Review
Hardware Canucks :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Today we will be looking at another of their innovative ideas, namely the InfernoFx-10 motherboard backside cooler. The IFX-10 (as it is commonly known) is designed to suck heat away from the bottom of your hot running CPU. Since it fits on the back of the motherboard it should easily fit the majority (if not all) 775 Intel motherboards on the market today and with its custom mounting system should also work with the majority of CPU cooling solutions available
Beginners Guides: Linux Part 2: Installing a PC
PC Stats :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“In the first part of PCstats Beginner’s Guide to using Linux, we explored the basic features of this open-source operating system by using the Knoppix ‘live’ CD Linux distribution. For the second installment of this guide, we’re looking at something a little more permanent. We’re going to take one of the most popular and easy to use free Linux distributions, SUSE Personal 9.1 and explore the process of installing Linux onto your hard drive as a full operating system.”
CoolerMaster Hyper212 Dual-Fan CPU Cooler Review
Tech ARP :: Monday, April 21, 2008
The CoolerMaster Hyper212 is a new heatpipe-based CPU cooler that’s compatible with virtually all current Intel and AMD motherboards. It’s designed around four heatpipes radiating from a copper base up to a large block of aluminium fins.
What’s unique about the Hyper212 is the fact that it’s designed to accept two fans for improved performance. The second fan is optional, of course, but is recommended for optimal performance.
For more information and to find out just how cool the CoolerMaster Hyper212 is, read our Comprehensive Review!
MTRON PRO 32GB 2.5 SATA SSD
Tweak Town :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“I recently took the MTRON MOBI 3.5 inch desktop SSD for a test drive and found the performance of the latest SSDs to be breathtaking, but costly. At this time, SSD for the desktop feels like a long way away due to high costs, but there is one market that is adopting the technology at a rapid rate.
The notebook market has been begging for low cost SSD technology for many years, and for the last three they have started to implement the drives into their flagship products. Mid-priced models are starting to see SSD technology in the upgradable options list and the price is coming down.”
A Preview Of Kernel-Based Mode-Setting
Phoronix :: Monday, April 21, 2008
“There are many new and innovative features brewing within the X.Org development community right now — among the many are Gallium3D, the TTM memory manager, and MPX (Multi-Pointer X) — but one of the features that has risen towards the top of the list and delivers visible benefits to the end-user is kernel-based mode-setting. As implied by its name, kernel mode-setting involves moving the mode-setting code for video adapters from the user-space X server drivers into the Linux kernel. This may seem like an uninteresting topic for end-users, but having the mode-setting done in the kernel allows for a cleaner and richer boot process, improved suspend and resume support, and more reliable VT switching (along with other advantages). Kernel mode-setting isn’t yet in the mainline Linux kernel nor is the API for it frozen, but Fedora 9 shipping next month will be the first major distribution carrying this initial support. In this article we’re looking more closely at kernel mode-setting with the Intel X.Org driver as well as showing videos of kernel-based mode-setting in action.”
Icy Box IB290StUS-B USB and eSata External Enclosure
PCFRAGS :: Monday, April 21, 2008
Todays storage solutions are much more flexible, smaller and more suited to todays needs. External units of days gone by typically weighed in at several pounds including a bulky AC to DC brick that had to go every where the external did. If your looking for true portability, with massive storage potential with out all the baggage associated with it there are many options in todays market. The Icy Box 290 might fit the bill and not break the bank!
