Tech News May 2003

by NewsMay 31, 2003June 29, 2014016

Thermaltake ATX 420W power supply review
Frosty Tech :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003

“We need more POWER! I have reviewed a few power supplies and this is my first one from Thermaltake. They make great heatsinks and cases. I have one of their power supplies on the chopping block. One of the great attributes of this unit was the stability of the power it delivered. I think you would want to check out this offering! Don’t be short changed by a power supply, come in and see for yourself what this unit achieves, I was shocked to say the least.”

Leadtek A300TD 128MB GeForce FX5800 Review
Overclockers New Zealand :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003
“The aluminium enclosure does more harm than good, as it keeps hot air inside. The heatsink attachment mechanism is less than desirable. Lastly, the A300TD might be incompatible with motherboards that have ram slots close to AGP slot, e.g. Epox 8RDA+, as the back aluminium panel gets in the way.”

TwinMOS Dual Channel PC3200 Review
ViperLair :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003
“Overclocking was something of a mixed bag. Clock speed-wise, the ram did well. I had expected a little better since these are 5ns chips, but the disappointment was with the SPD settings. We weren’t able to finely tune the timings to Corsair’s levels, especially when jacking up the clock speed.”

Sunbeam Acrylic Case Review
Voided Warranty :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003
“Trying to keep a neat uncluttered appearance while adding lights, fans, fan controllers, multifunction panels or other electrical items to an acrylic case can be a problem. We’ve got a few pointers on cutting down the number of visible wires running around from one end of the case to the other. Check out what we’ve stuffed inside this case.”

Pyramat 300 Interactive Gaming Mat review
TweakTown :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“It is not very often we get to review products which fall into the “outside of the square” category. The Pyramat 300 Interactive definitely falls into this category. What is it you ask? Imagine a force feedback gaming mat which works with just about any electrical entertainment device on the market and you’d be just about there. Interested yet? If so read on as Cameron “Mr.Tweak” Wilmot tells us all about it!”

Cooler Master ATC-201B SXT Aluminum Case Review
PCStats :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Today we’re going to be looking at the Cooler Master ATC-201B SXT mid tower aluminum case. The first thing I thought when I saw and touched the ATC-201B SXT was that this is a pretty solid case. This is apparent with the black metalic auto paint finish which cover the side panels. The side panels are 3mm thick and the frame is 3mm thick and the entire appearance looked high quality. Of course I would expected that from a case that retails for $255 CDN ($170 US)! Cooler Master equips the ATC-201B SXT with three sleeve bearing 80mm YS Tech fans (FD1281253S-1N ) that are rated for 1750 RPM and can push 26.2 CFM while producing 18.5 dB of noise each. All the case fans have wire grills protecting them so you’re not going to hurt yourself when playing around inside. There’s also an air filter in the front of the case which is useful in blocking out the larger dust particles however it’s near impossible to remove the filter for cleaning.”

Thermaltake Smart Case Fan II review
XtReMoDs :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Some nifty functions that come with this fan are the fan speed modifiers. You can either control the fan speed by an analog dial, which attaches to the fan by a two pin connector, or by a thermal sensor which you can place anywhere within cable reach.”

Watts up? Pro – Watt Meter and Power Analyzer
SystemCooling :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Here’s something a little different. Have you ever wondered how much power your computer uses or how many watts your old monitor used compared to your new LCD flat panel? Have you ever wondered how much electricity your PC power supply consumes or what the true RMS voltage, current or power factor is? Well this nifty little gadget can answer those questions and many more. It’s called the Watts up? and comes in two versions, a standard and Pro model.”

Chaintech 9CJS Canterwood Motherboard review
TweakTown :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Intel’s new flagship Dual Channel, 800MHz FSB desktop chipset, the 875P aka Canterwood, has been met with rave evaluations by the review community as a whole. Chaintech are offering one of the first retail Canterwood motherboards which we have taken a look to date. Read on as Cameron “Sov” Johnson gives us all the dirt on the feature-packed Chaintech 9CJS motherboard.”

PCToys VGA Maxx VGA Card Heatpipe Cooler Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Cooling performance is provided using the included heatpipe. Ultimately, it is a copper pipe with a porous inner lining and a small amount of coolant. The principle is that coolant sealed in the pipe is vaporized at the heat source (taking the heat with it) and rises to the top of the pipe where it cools back into a liquid form releasing the thermal energy to the large air cooled heatsinks. This technology has been previously applied to computing solutions that required passive cooling for space limitations (like a notebook or small form factor PCs), but has since branched out as a supplemental aid to conventional CPU and GPU cooling.”

Leadtek A340TDH 128MB GeForce FX5200 review
Overclockers New Zealand :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Leadtek has always offered a very comprehensive package and the A340 is no different. In my mind, this is the best compromise between price and package. You do not want to bundle excessive games or accessories which may results in increased price. ”

Chenbro PC6112222 Case Review
3dXtreme :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Overall the Chenbro PC61122 is another solid case with some unique features. This is the second case we’ve reviewed from Chenbro and are admittedly we have been rather impressed with the build quality and little extras that Chenbro puts into their cases…”

EVERCOOL Water Cooler WC-101 review
XtReMoDs :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Every geek (that I know of including myself) dreams of a computer that purrs like a kitten, yet has the power of a lion. Getting away from air cooling is the quickest way to help with noise; water cooling is a level above air cooling and is a good deal quieter. Water can absorb more heat, faster, then conventional fan cooling. The down side to water cooling is the risk of water leaking onto the electrical components of your computer. Water + Electronics = Bad News! In the past you had to worry about leaks and drips. Not anymore, Evercool has come up with a kit comes pre-built and contains everything in one container. The question is, will it do the job and cool the CPU better and quieter then a HSF (Heat Sink Fan)? ”

Antec’s TrueControl 550Watt review
DataFuse :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Nowadays enthusiastic computer users manage to push their CPU to a power consumption of 100Watt and above, they have dozens of accessories that consume lots of power. 300Watt PSU’s (Power Supply Unit) just don’t cut it anymore. It’s time to look for an upgrade, something that manages to find an equilibrium between performance, stability, price and silence. Let’s see if Antec has what it takes with their 550Watt TrueControl. ”

Bandwidth Capping Article
ViperLair :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“But bandwidth capping at ridiculously low limits isn’t a solution for the long run since the majority of those who have limits don’t seem to understand that with the speed of broadband it is entirely possible to use up your quota in few days with gaming, streaming media and entertainment. How many of you like surfing for wallpapers for your PC? Looking at a couple of hundred 1600*1200 bmps or jpegs can eat into your quota quite rapidly.”

Sunbeam Rheobus Kit #1 Review
8Balls Hardware :: Thursday, May 08, 2003

“Sunbeam provides a solution to the problem with their rheobus kit. For the uninitiated, a rheobus is essentially a device that allows the user to control the amount of power going to a set of connected fans, giving control over the speed of those fans. ”

EluminX Illuminated Keyboard Review
Furioustech :: Thursday, May 08, 2003

“Let there be light! Have you had a situation in which you wanted to see your keyboard and not have a light on? I have the answer for you. A keyboard that is backlit, not only that but it is great for gaming and word processing. This is one brilliant product, so do not miss this review. I think it will put some light right were you need it!”

Cremax Moble Hard Drive Racks Video Review
3DCenter :: Thursday, May 08, 2003

“The Cremax Mobile Hard Drive Racks are available in a few different models but all are excellent for transporting data. Thankfully even large ATA Hard Drives are getting much cheaper and therefore it makes a very affordable removable solution. Also, Cremax offers USB2 models which means it doesn’t tie up another IDE connection but still offers fast transfer speeds. Watch the Video to find out more…”

ABIT IC7-G Review
OCAddiction :: Thursday, May 08, 2003

“Here is where the IC7-G excels over all other current solutions. You can see that running in Single Channel mode the IC7-G is running only slightly faster than most solutions while the BH7 at a 4:5 CPU/Memory ratio is surpassing it in memory bandwidth performance. However once we kick into DC mode the IC7-G leaves everything else behind; by quite a bit I might add. Showing 5351/5353 in memory is nothing short of incredible. Clearly Intel has done their homework in implementing Dual Channel and it certainly shows here.”

Intel 3.0C 800MHz FSB Pentium 4 CPU Review
OCAddiction :: Thursday, May 08, 2003

“Obviously in order to utilize the benefits of this new 800MHz CPU Intel needed to introduce a new chipset, and thus the 875P Canterwood was born. The new chipset is fairly exciting and incorporates some of the latest industry standards you would expect with a top notch performer, such as AGP 8X, Native SATA support, Dual Channel DDR and a 200MHz FSB (800MHz Quad Pumped). Intel fans will no longer be left out whereas previously AMD users enjoyed the benefits of a higher FSB and AGP 8X. And while yes, Granite Bay did have DC and AGP 8X, it simply was not a chipset aimed at the desktop performance market.”

Xoxide Xenosys 1000 special offer!
Xoxide :: Thursday, May 08, 2003

“Every Xoxide Xenosys system is carefully tuned, tweaked, and tested. Our systems are overclocked from their birth, and built to stay that way. All systems are burned in for a 48 hour period, in which any slight imperfection is given immediate attention. We are confident our results speak for themselves. These systems were designed to overcome, overpower, and lift the bar on the performance industry. We have done exactly that.”

All of the following items are also included with each system:

Black Lian-Li Warrior aluminum case
Enermax A7 Front access panel
Seven total cooling fans, with speed control for the 120mm ceiling blowhole (for quiet or extreme uses)
Silver Rounded drive cables
Dual Blue cold cathode lighting
Wire management optimized for airflow
Enermax whisper series dual fan power supply
Abit NF7 Revision 2.0 /w LAN/Audio, running 200Mhz FSB overclocked (syncronized to Dual DDR)
AMD AthlonXP 1700+ JIUHB steppings 1.5V stock 1470Mhz, overclocked at 2300Mhz (Yes, that’s 56%, at about 90 Fahrenheit)
ThermalRight SLK900U with 92mm Quad Blue LED fan
ATI Radeon 9500 Pro, software overclocked
Zalman ZM80 Heatpipe

512MB Dual DDR 400Mhz Samsung PC3200 with copper heat spreaders

Zalman ZM-MFC 1 Multi-Fan Speed Controller review
SystemCooling :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

“I know you’ve seen plenty of fan controllers and you must have read your share of reviews about them. There are those that have knobs and those that have toggle switches. Maybe you thought that it would be really cool if you could combine those to different types of controllers to make one unique unit. Well if those were your hopes then Zalman is rises to the rescue.”

Via P4PB Ultra P4X400 Motherboard Review
Tweaknews :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

“The P4PB Ultra motherboard is Via’s flagship (as of this date) motherboard and is manufactured to target the performance enthusiast genre of computer users. Like most motherboard manufacturers, the board is only part of your purchase. As a bonus, the consumer will receive a whole buffet of extras to compliment their new computer and to get it looking and performing at its best.”

Turbocase X-Sonic Black Aluminum Case Review
Tweaknews :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

“You just can’t ask for more value for US$89.99. Let’s add it up. You have a black aluminum, windowed case that has a removable harddrive rack, an included 350watt power supply, easy optical drive installation, two included tri-LED fans and front USB ports for under $100. I think that is the dictionary definition for VALUE.”

Athlon XP 1800 overclock alert (2800)!
Overclockers New Zealand :: Thursday, May 01, 2003
“I don’t want to push the V/Core as I want to run the 92 Sunon fan @ 7V. Thus I settled on a V/Core of 1.65V. The end result? The CPU is stable @ 2264MHz which is a bit higher than AMD’s XP-2800+ (2250MHz). Please ignore the voltage detected by CPU-Z, as its measuring VDD. The CPU sit at 42 degrees with a room temperature of 23.4 degrees. (detected using Epox temp probe). You’ve got to admit that this is pretty good value for money. ”

Asetek WaterChill watercooling kit review
Hexus :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

“Performance-wise, the Asetek WaterChill didn’t disappoint. Even when the radiator’s fan was set to 7v via the control system, the performance exhibited toppled that of a premier air-cooling solution. Asetek have promised availability of graphics card and chipset blocks in the near future, thereby giving the user even greater appeal.”

AVC 3x P4 Heatsink Roundup
Mikhailtech :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

From what I could see, the fins are also melted on the part that comes in contact with the base, so maybe AVC forgot to mention the soldering or my eyes played tricks on me (after all, it’s a very small space between those fins and I could be seeing things that aren’t there). Because these fins aren’t very solid, the fan could not be attached using the traditional four screws, so AVC went for a more subtle approach and used a cover, or shroud, that protects the fins from bending and holds the fan in place.

Xitel PRO-HIFI-Link: the quest for crystal clear audio
Futurelooks :: Thursday, May 01, 2003
“There are many reasons for USB audio devices. Not only are they easy to setup and get going, but they also take the audio processing device away from the noisy environment of a PC’s case. Xitel kicks it up a notch again with their latest product.”

Samsung Msys-835P Digital Multifunction Printer review
Tweaknews :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“Overall, this is a great product which should get your office up and running at peak efficiency in no time. All you have to do now is get your employees as efficient and problem free as your office hardware. That is something I am not trained to review, well, maybe if she’s cute ;).”

The Home Entertainment PC Part 3
Short-Media :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“In Part 3 the goal for the HEPC is to utilize a PCI sound card that would deliver the highest quality sound to a home theatre amplifier for playback of digital music files by way of a digital interface. Secondary to that was DVD and game sound. Everyone should ask themselves a few questions before asking questions of others. Properly assessing needs, desires and present equipment can save a sound card buyer from a wasted and useless expenditure. Specs aren’t everything and what ISN’T listed is as important as what is.”

Gizmos, Gadges and Goodies Guide
TweakTown :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

“Each month here at TweakTown we receive many smaller, cheaper and interesting computer products which we cannot transform into a full blown review on its own. So none of you miss out on any of these funky items, we have initiated our very own monthly Gizmos, Gadgets and Goodies Guide, by Shawn “Toxic” Baker, filled with a range of different computer products from all edges of the globe for your viewing pleasure!”

Albatron PX865PE Pro II i865PE Springdale Motherboard Review
PCStats :: Thursday, May 22, 2003

“With the release of mainstream i865 chipsets today there will be soon an influx of new Pentium 4 motherboards on the market from which to choose. Albatron have never been one to sit ideally by and pass on a technology advancement; so grab a coffee and get ready to follow long as we test drive the all new Albatron PX865PE Pro II motherboard. The PX865PE Pro II is of course based on Intel’s freshly launched i865PE Springdale chipset, which coincidentally enough, actually launched in spring. Boasting support for 400MHz, 533MHz and 800MHz FSB based Pentium 4’s (Northwood or Prescott core) processors, the Springdale chipset forms the basis of Intel’s ‘mainstream’ dual channel DDR chipset strategy. The only downside to Springdale is that the i865 no longer carries on support for older ‘Williamette’ based Pentium 4 processors, or even socket 478 Celeron CPUs for that matter. After testing the AOpen i865 AX4SPE MAX motherboard we were generally impressed with what it brought to the table. Stock performance was good, and the board was loaded to the gills with features. We expect the Albatron PX865PE Pro II will have a lot of “goodies” as well, and hopefully offer a little more in terms of overclocking.”

MSI FX5200-TDR128 Review
ViperLair :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003
“The end result was a 296 core, and 285 memory (up from 250/250 stock). As you’ve probably noticed, this differed from our maximum OC of the core and memory accordingly. This is because one part ran stock, while we OC’d the other part. When putting the two together, we had various levels of success (or failure, depending how you view it), and the 296/285 OC was the fastest, and most stable video card overclock.”

GeForce4 Ti 4800 SE Review
Hexus :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003
” A reasonable offering on a card that’s a little past its prime. The bump up to 8x AGP specification does little or nothing for performance. We had have hoped for a speed increase to accompany the new name. Unfortunately, that never came to be. Priced at around £160, there’s better value to be had elsewhere.”

Samsung Syncmaster 191N 19″ LCD Review
GideonTech :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003
“A lot of people say first impressions are important. Samsung is often the leader on quality design and styling. Their previous LCD units are beautifully crafted, and this model definitely follows suit. I’ve always been a big fan of thin borders around LCDs. I believe it gives it a more elegant look and feel. The silver on black design of the 191N is smooth and blends in nicely on the desk…”

Nvidia GeForce FX5900 Ultra Review
Hexus :: Wednesday, May 14, 2003
NVIDIA have got it right this time. Key performance determinants such as pixel-pushing power, bandwidth, and driver support seem to be in place. These allow one to enjoy high resolution gaming with high levels of image enhancing algorithms working away in the background”

MSI FX5200-TDR128 Videocard Review
PCStats :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“When we opened up the FX5200-TDR128 package and took a look around at what is included we found lots of games and useful software in addition to several other neat items. Still, the FX5200-TDR128 manages to maintain its aggressive price point. I guess it’s not surprising that MSI are the number 1 videocard manufacturer in the world! Today we’re going to be checking out one of MSI’s latest budget videocards, the MSI FX5200-TDR128. Based on the GeForceFX 5200 GPU, the card sports 128MB of 4ns TSOP-II Samsung memory, has TV-Output capabilities and even a remote control. Other hardware goodies included in the bundle are a DVI to analog adapter, S-Video to S-Video cable and a media breakout box.”

ATI ALL-IN-WONDER 9000 PRO Video Card Video Review
3dgameman :: Sunday, May 11, 2003

“The ATI ALL-IN-WONDER 9000 PRO Video Card is packaged with a ridicules amount of goodies but still very affordable which makes it one serious bang-for-the-buck product. This product has great 3D performance, TV tuner, excellent Video playback, great 2D image quality and much more. Watch the Video to find out more…”

ATI Radeon 9800 Pro review
OCAddiction :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

“Another, more important, improvement of the R350 GPU is higher clock speeds. The clock speed of the RADEON 9700 PRO is 325 MHz and ATI has managed to improve the core clock speed of the RADEON 9800 PRO to 380MHz. Not bad. That is a 17% increase in core clock speed even with staying with the .15u manufacturing process that was used on the R300 GPU.”

Powercolor’s Xabre 600 Pro review
Techwarelabs :: Thursday, May 01, 2003

“As the spotlight focuses on the battle raging between Nvidia and ATI for the top slot in the high-end video card competition, the release of middle-of-the-road, affordable cards, that don’t occupy an AGP slot, and render the neighboring PCI slot useless, often slip by unnoticed. SiS would like to believe the Xabre 600 is on the line between the enthusiast, extreme performance market and the mainstream, quality performance markets, allegedly making it a worthy contender for press attention, especially as they lead the GPU market to the 0.13u process. Are the technical feats achieved in the Xabre 600 enough to warrant your money? Read on to find out…”

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