Tech News October 2004

A.C.Ryan Accessories Review
Mikhailtech :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“Next up we have what A.C.Ryan calls Conductx. These are cable splitters available in 4-pin, 3-pin, and PCI Express varieties with up to 4 additional connectors. Color choices are UV green and UV blue. Similar to the Backy, the connectors, mesh, and heatshrink are all UV reactive. What’s unique about these cables are the soldered UV LEDs near the tips. They’re permanently attached to the positive and ground wires leads and encased in clear heatshrink.”

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Mushkin PC2-4200 (DDR2) Reviewed
Hi-Techreviews :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“Last week we reviewed Mushkin’s high performance L2V2 DDR and this week we have a go at their PC2-4200 DDR2 memory. This memory has a JEDEC Spec CAS rating of 4-4-4-12 and in our testing we were able to run this memory rock stable at frequency of 334.1 MHz (668.2 MHz DDR) for two solid hours of prime95/Seti@home combo testing.”

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Xtreme Gamer Vigor 500W Power-Supply
TechFreaks :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“The MGE Xtreme Gamer Vigor 500W is a solid performer. It pairs looks with performance to produce a very affordable, quality power-supply. Priced just a bit under $70, the Vigor 500W is a steal compared to the Antec TruePower 380W ($71) or OCZ PowerStream 420W ($100). The rails were very stable, even under a very pressuring load. The lights and sleeved cables are welcomed features; and if blue isn’t your thing, the Vigor 500W also comes in red and green colors.”

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X-Micro Combo Bluetooth Printer Adapter (XBT-PACX) Review
Hardware-Pacers :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“The X-Micro Combo Bluetooth Printer Adapter is one of X-Micro’s most recent additions to the wireless technology product line. The adapter can allow users to connect wirelessly to printers from multiple Bluetooth enabled devices. While using the new Combo Printer Adapter, users can seamlessly print from laptop computers, handhelds, and other Bluetooth devices.”

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RAID Optimization Guide
Tech ARP :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“IDE RAID seems to be the rage these days. Practically every motherboard manufacturer has several motherboards with IDE RAID features built-in. With RAID support built into most motherboards and hard disk prices dropping, more and more people are opting for RAID solutions as a cheap way to improve performance or reliability.

Today, we are going to take a look at how you can optimize your IDE RAID solution. Let’s see what’s the best RAID solution for your needs!”

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Cooler Master Cavalier 2 CAV-T02 Case Review
MODTHEBOX! :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“One of the highlights of the Cooler Master Cavalier 2 CAV-T02 Case is the inclusion of a 60’s style analog meter. The analog meter by default can be connected to the audio output of any sound card which will measure the overall sound level. Below the analog meter is an oversize chrome power button and LED indicators for Power and HD activity.”

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HEXUS.net Breaking News: Alienware SLI
Hexus :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“I’ve got some great news for you here. Alienware are releasing a system based upon SLI graphics from NVIDIA.”

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Radeon X700 XT and PRO Review
Beyond3D :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“The reduction in die size, in order to get a chip of such a configuration down to the mainstream price points, is also probably the primary reason that a 256-bit memory bus is not utilised. Whilst transistor sizes scale down with new processes, the pads (chip to packaging interconnects) do not similarly scale down, hence 256-bit buses actually require a large die size in order to facilitate all the connections and the die size of RV410 may not be large enough to facilitate such a bus.”

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Akasa Amber Fans
Phoronix :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“Remember the days of amber black and white monitors? Well amber’s back! No, not in monitors, but the color has made its way into Akasa’s new line of ultra quiet fans. Check out the review, as we take a look at the 80 and 120mm Amber fans.”

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PQI Memory Giveaway – Only at SystemCooling.com
SystemCooling :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“This PQI Memory giveaway will run from Oct. 25th to Nov. 21st, it is open to those living in the United States and Canada. To enter simply send an email to contest@systemcooling.com with the subject line “PQI Memory Giveaway” include your name and email address in the entry. On Nov. 22nd we’ll randomly draw the winners, after which will draw which prize goes to which winner. If you have any questions just drop by the PQI Memory Giveaway thread in the forum and good luck!!!”

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ModdersHQ 1 year anniversary contest…Complete H2O kit
ModdersHQ.net :: Monday, October 25, 2004

“It’s a tough pill to swallow but ModdersHQ turns 1 year old this Month. To help show our appreciation to you, the Modders, we are giving away (with the support of our sponsors CrazyPC and DangerDen) a complete custom DIY water-cooling kit.”

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Wintec AMP-X PC2-5400 DDR2 review @ OcPrices
OcPrices :: Saturday, October 23, 2004
“Ultra low latencies on DDR2 were pretty much unthinkable, let alone possible a few months back. However, with the recent yields of Micron’s DDR2 chips, 3-2-2-x timings (tightest timings possible on most i925x motherboards) have been reported achievable by some enthusiasts. Of course, we were immediately interested, and obtained a Micron-based DDR2-675 Dual Channel Kit from a relatively unknown (at least to many enthusiasts) company – Wintec Industries”

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LG GSA-4160B Double Layer 16X DVD Recorder @ CDRInfo
CDRInfo :: Saturday, October 23, 2004
“The LG GSA-4160B can burn a full Single Layer disc in less than 6 mins. It can write +R media at 16X, -R media at 8X and can re-write at 4X. Of course, Double Layer media is also supported, at 2.4X writing speed”

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Logisys Streamline Illuminated Keyboard @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Saturday, October 23, 2004

“A while back, we examined the Logisys Xenix keyboard, which was a very visually appealing keyboard, especially with its illuminated keys. However, the keyboard possessed a few flaws. Logisys has redesigned the keyboard and released the Silver Streamline Illuminated Keyboard.”

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October 2004 Giveaway @ Mikhailtech
Mikhailtech :: Saturday, October 23, 2004

“There’s still 1 week left to enter our giveaway for a chance to win some Kingston memory (total of 3.5GB up for grabs!).”

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RaidMax Virgo Case review @ Overclocker Cafe’
Overclocker Café :: Saturday, October 23, 2004

“For a price of only $60 you get a mid-tower case complete with 420W PSU and a nice large thermal readout display on the front of the case. The looks of a case are always going to be subjective to an individuals taste, but the Virgo does have clean exterior lines, a smooth finish on the paint job with a large side panel window. With the stock cooling options, the case is quiet enough to be a contender for your money.”

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X-raypad Thunder8 Mousepad Review @ PC Modding Malaysia
PC Modding Malaysia :: Saturday, October 23, 2004

“The Thunder8 was in fact a good mouse pad to work with. With its dual surface and easy lift corner, changing sides can be done in seconds. The ABS surface was very sturdy and sits well on the desk. However, the cord clip often pushes the mouse backwards if placed too near to it. The deluxe tin box was definitely an upper hand for the Thunder8 as it easily catches anyone’s attention.”

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Enermax Noisetaker v2.0 470W Power Supply Review @ 3DXtreme
3dXtreme :: Saturday, October 23, 2004
“This is what we as enthusiasts and gamers want from our hardware and Enermax is there to deliver again. We would most definitely recommend this power supply for any application. ”

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Ultra X-Connect 500 Watt Modular Power Supply @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Saturday, October 23, 2004
“Ever since I first saw modular power supplies at several modding supply stores on the WWW, I was hooked and had to have one. After several failed attempts to get one for review, I just decided it was a luxury I didn’t need. Then, several months ago I noticed that several companies, namely Ultra and Antec, were going to release a mass produced modular PSU. This obviously wouldn’t be the first time that a company ‘borrowed’ an idea started by modders, but it’s one that I strongly welcome. I love the clean looks and flexibility offered by modular PSUs. As a matter of fact, I hope that most PSUs go this route in the near future. It just makes too much sense not to. ”

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Aspire 500 Watt PSU Review @ OCIA
OCIA :: Saturday, October 23, 2004

“Check out the heatsink on the fanbus. Aspire thought of everything. I know, I know, some of you are thinking that they should have put it in a bay instead of PCI slot. Well, what size should they have included? What color should it have been? What if the case has a stealth cover that a knob wouldn’t fit under? No, they did the best thing by putting it in an empty PCI slot.”

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SilenX iXtrema Pro 400W Power Supply Review @ Hard-h20
Hard-h2o :: Friday, October 22, 2004

“Today we’re analyzing a power supply with a remarkably low noise level (14db), good power (400W), nice looks and very stable power output. A real performer with minimum noise.”

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HEXUS.net Review: A trio of budget CPU’s
Hexus :: Friday, October 22, 2004

“Which value processor should you choose?. If your budget resembles a shoestring then a bottom-end Sempron (Socket A, obviously) or Celeron D 320 are the natural choices. Both CPUs have a number of cheap-ish supporting motherboards that often feature integrated video as standard. If your budget is set a little higher, say, at £80 for a processor (or ~£150 for a processor/motherboard bundle), AMD’s K8-class Sempron 3100+ is comfortably the best choice. It’s just a shame that it’s been stripped of 64-bit goodness, though.”

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AMD Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) Photos @ AMDboard
AMDboard :: Friday, October 22, 2004
“We all heard about the latest AMD “50×15″ initiative intended to bring Internet in the emerging countries with a very low cost device; The AMD Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) – code-named Emma – is the one and it is relying on a vely low-power AMD Geode processor with 128MB of memory, 10GB hard disk, a 56KB Modem and a special version of Microsoft® Windows® CE with MS Internet Explorer and MS Messenger, to connect 50% of the world population to the World Wide Web by 2015. Thanks to a very low market price of 185$ without monitor and 249$ with, the AMD Personal Internet Communicator (PIC) is a unique opportunity to empower people around the world and this is a great initiative from AMD that definitely deserves a Nobel price! AMDboard, the AMD specialist, has the first picture ever released and it’s right here…”

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Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2005 Review
Hardware-Pacers :: Friday, October 22, 2004

“The Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe 2005 is a phenomenal program that can give users access to a wealth of information. With more than 63,000 articles, 20,000 images, 200 videos and animations, 2000 sound and audio clips, and 36,000 map locations, Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe can provide information for virtually any subject. With many features and functions such as the Encarta Search Bar, dynamic timeline, 2D virtual tours, games and much much more, the Microsoft Encyclopedia Deluxe 2005 program will give users access to as much information as they need for almost any topic they can think of.”

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Dual Connect DH-720G Dolby Headphone and the NC-760 Noise Canceling Headphones!
OCZ :: Friday, October 22, 2004
HC Technology Inc., an audio and wireless technology manufacturer with offices around the globe, has finally stepped from behind the curtain. Formerly an OEM-only (Original Equipment Manfacturer) company, HCT has just released two new smokin’ products direct to retail. The following products are now available for purchase from the HCTStore.com website, which was recently launched to handle their direct to retail sales.

The dual connect DH-720G Dolby Headphone set is rich in features and loaded with connectivity options. Using sophisticated room modeling techniques, HCT Dolby Headphones combine the 5.1 surround signals to create an amazingly vivid surround sound environment. It is a perfect solution for travelers and late-night movie viewers. The Dual Connect features allows two music, movie and video game lovers to enjoy rockin’ Dolby/DTS sound without disturbing anyone around them.

For the low to mid-range user, HCT offers their NC-760 Noise Canceling Headphones. These stylish “earbud” headphones come complete with noise cancelling module — with the flip of switch, all background noise is hushed and quieted for unhampered listening. By picking up ambient sound with a microphone and reproducing it out of phase through the feedback circuit, we can actively cancel out background noise by adding the two out of phase sounds. Along with noise-features, the Noise Canceling Headphone let you mix in an audio signal. That allows you to minimize background noise while quietly listening to music.

For more information or to buy these products please follow this link: http://www.hctstore.com

AC Ryan launches a new power supply in the Ryanpower2 series
AC Ryan :: Friday, October 22, 2004
“AC Ryan’s Ryanpower2 series gets fast and furious! Already the second power supply release within a month!! AC Ryan launches the Ryanpower2 CableFREE + FanFREE. The Ryanpower2 CableFREE + FanFREE is built on the already successful Ryanpower2 CableFREE concept. This new power supply adds on the new technology of FanFREE™ perfectly suited for the HomeTheater PCs, LivingRoom PCs and esp. new Media Centers!. FanFREE makes this power supply unique from the other Ryanpower2! Free of fans, free of noise!

Ryanpower2 CableFREE + FanFREE gives 350 Watts with PFC to your system without breaking a sweat, more than enough juice for all the media PCs, home theaters and silent-focused systems. The massive copper-electroplated heatsink absorbs and distributes heat with the same technique also applied in our XTOR Xilencer HDD Silencer and Cooler. No odd shape with a huge extruded back heatsink on it – au contraire! The power supply is the same shape and size as any other power supply; if you don’t look clearly, you might not even notice the FanFREE’ness at all! This means no-fuss installation, easy placement on the desktop, no un-needed space taken up!! Quality low heat generating power components makes the FanFREE zero-noise and rock-stable performing piece of technological art.

More information on this power supply can be found here: http://www.acryan.com/_powersupply/ACR-PS2131.shtml

Mushkin LIIV2 Dual Channel 1GB CL2 PC3200 @ GideonTech
GideonTech :: Friday, October 22, 2004
“When talking about memory, Mushkin ranks right up there with the best of them. Producing some of the highest performance modules in the past, their new LII V2 CL2 DDR line should not be any different.”

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AMD Athlon64 – 64-bit vs. 32-bit, A Head On Comparison
PCStats :: Friday, October 22, 2004

“A new era of 64-bit computing is coming though, and it got us to thinking… what does 64-bit, specifically the 64-bit support built into AMD’s Athlon 64 and AthlonFX processors, have to offer the gamer and enthusiast markets? In this article PCstats will examine the performance of the AMD Athlon 64 processor using conventional Windows XP and 32-bit benchmarking software, and compare those results to the same tests using the 64-bit ‘x64 edition’ beta version of Windows XP.”

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XTrac Ripper XL Optical Mousepad
GideonTech :: Friday, October 22, 2004

“Today we are taking a look at the Ripper XL mousepad from XTrac. With a cloth top, anti-skid rubber backing, and the biggest surface area I have ever seen, this mousepad might be what you have been searching for.”

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Asus Star Ice Cooler
Driver Heaven :: Friday, October 22, 2004

“With today’s extremely powerful processors the enthusiast market who don’t want to delve into more exotic areas like watercooling or phase change still demand high quality air cooling, with this in mind we are going to take a look at one of the largest coolers I’ve ever seen, the Asus Star Ice. I’ve had good experiences with some quality Asus components lately, the AX800XT PCIe graphics card and the Slot 775 P5AD2 Premium Motherboard, so I had high hopes for this new product.

The Asus Star Ice is very versatile with compatibility for Socket 478/754/939 and 775.”

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