Tech News October 2004

by NewsOctober 31, 2004June 29, 2014022

October 2004 Giveaway @ Mikhailtech – 3 Weeks Left!
Mikhailtech :: Thursday, October 14, 2004

Just a heads up; there’s still almost 3 weeks left in our giveaway this month. Kingston is donating 5x 512MB HyperX memory kits and a 1GB CF card.

How To Turn A Computer Into A Book Case @ The Tech Zone
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, October 14, 2004
Strip the old work horse down to the bones… and sell what you can on eBay (don’t tell work though, they though this heap o junk was for the scrap heap!)

News Flash – AudioBUG AB-250 FM Wireless Transmitter Review
Futurelooks :: Thursday, October 14, 2004
“This ingenious little device will enable you to play your music wirelessly to any FM radio receiver. Read on for more details…”

Saitek Cyborg Evo review @ ModdersHQ.net
ModdersHQ.net :: Thursday, October 14, 2004

“In the past, people only used joysticks for Flight Simulator games but now there is a vast selection of PC games incorporating the use of joysticks. Now imagine a joystick that is completely customizable to fit your hand. This is definitely the stick of choice on paper…let’s see how it handles in real life.”

Building The Ultimate LAN Party Computer @ The Tech Zone
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, October 14, 2004

So I was reading the latest issue of Mobile PC magazine where they tested 14 “desktop replacement” notebooks and proclaimed in big bold letters “Ding Dong The Desktop’s Dead!” It seems they were so impressed by some of these new breed of desktop replacement laptops that they feel no one needs a desktop anymore. They even went so far as to say these are the new LAN party machine kings.

The desktop’s dead, huh? I’ll show you how dead it is! The above photo shows my version of the ultimate LAN party machine. When Mobile PC reads this they’ll be shaking in their pink slippers. The above system carries so much fire power it will eat the Aviator GX7 for lunch and spit out the bones.

Memory PCB Selection Matters
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, October 14, 2004

“We found that at tight timings (2-2-2-5) the difference in PCB’s is minimal and insignificant. So, if you are not an enthusiast/overclocker then this article will not impact your buying decisions. If you are an overclocker looking to get the highest possible FSB/Memory performance at loose timings, then we just showed you a secret that can help you gain up to 42MHz on your memory overclock….”

HEXUS.net Feature: 3DMark05 – A closer look
Hexus :: Thursday, October 14, 2004
“Given that 3DMark05 is a benchmark where, ideally, repeatable, equivalent workloads should be performed providing cards are of equal capability, it’s a shame to see DST acceleration make it into 3DMark05 as a default choice until such time as it’s the case that the feature ships with a majority of hardware. PCF even more so, for visual output reasons too. Their inclusion in the default benchmark of the free download version of 05 means that non-equivalent work is being done when you’re comparing cards where one or more of them don’t have accelerated DST capability.”

Soltek K8AN2E-GR nForce 3 250GB Motherboard Review
Overclockers New Zealand :: Thursday, October 14, 2004
“Given its price, Soltek K8AN2E-GR would be a good choice for system builder, provided future BIOS releases increase the board’s stability. ”

Fortron Blue Storm 400W FSP400-60THN-R
InsaneTek :: Thursday, October 14, 2004

“It’s a relatively unknown fact, but Fortron is a leading competitor when it comes to making quality power supplies. It was only last year that enthusiasts realized the quality and capabilities of Fortron power supplies. The 530W version stood out among the others. It has enough wattage to power everything you throw at it, and is backed up by quality stable rails. The most praised feature of the power supply is the adjustable potentiometers. It allowed enthusiasts to adjust the voltage rails to do some serious overclocking. Fortron continues to innovate in search of better power supplies and this time they’ve added some looks. The new Fortron Blue Storm is an all blue power supply and supplies a decent 400W of power. With such good looks, let’s hope they continue the quality they’re known for.”

Jetart Multi-Function Xpanel Review @ pcmoddingmy.com
PC Modding Malaysia :: Thursday, October 14, 2004

“You’re building your dream machine and you happen to find some cool looking fans to go along with it. You installed the fan and found that it’s making unwanted noise even when your system is idling. So you look for a perfect controller that suits your budget and you plan to get a hard drive cooler at the same time. If you need a fan controller cum hard drive cooler, look no further. Jetart has the right product for you, the Xpanel. Therefore we took a look at the Multi-Function Xpanel (DT5000) in this review.”

XGI Volari V3XT @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Thursday, October 14, 2004

check it outSummary: “With the emergence of the latest graphics processors from both ATI and NVIDIA, enthusiasts are mainly focused on the RADEON and GeForce cards. However, there are other manufacturers other than these two giants. At Phoronix we will take a look at one of XGI Technology’s latest offering, the Volari V3XT.”

Epox EP-5EGA+ 915G Motherboard Review
PCStats :: Thursday, October 14, 2004
“The Epox EP-5EGA+ is a next generation board which is based on the new Intel 915G and ICH6R chipsets. The standard flavour is the 915P, but as you guessed it, the 915G boasts its own Intel GMA900 integrated video package. It also comes with the high bandwidth PCI Express x16 slot for graphics cards, so there are couple options video-wise. If your computing requirements include high bandwidth peripherals like SCSI controllers or standalone Gigabit Ethernet NICs, there are two PCI Express x1 slots that have an amazing 250MB/s worth of bandwidth just waiting to be tapped! That is almost twice the regular PCI bus bandwidth! Of course, there are still four PCI v2.3 slots for your legacy devices, like sound cards, wireless LAN cards, or what have you.”

PolarFlo TT Chipset Block Review
GruntvillE :: Wednesday, October 13, 2004

“There are 3 pieces; the base, cover, and mounting ring. Simply put, the base and cover screw together and the mounting ring sits between them along with an O-ring for seal. With this design, you have the ability to purchase a new base from PolarFlo when the next generation blocks are released. If you upgrade in another year from the Intel 875P motherboard to a K8T800 or Intel 925X and need a new mounting ring, simply order it from PolarFlo. And if PolarFLO has a new and improved copper base, order that too and replace the old one.”

AGP-e Slot on 915 boards compared
t-break :: Wednesday, October 13, 2004

“Basically, an AGPe slot is formed by converting two PCI slots into an AGP slot. Theoretically, the bandwidth supported by the PCI slot is 66MB/s and thus two slots would yield 133MB/s. This is a far cry from an AGP 8X slot’s theoretical 2.1GB/s bandwidth which is almost 16 times more. However, things don’t necessarily work at their peak rates and thus today we take a look at Albatron’s PX915P-AGPe motherboard featuring both- an AGPe and a PCI-E slot and compare the difference using identical or similar graphics cards- the nVidia 6800GT and the 5750/5700Ultra”

Athlon 64 3200+ 90nm (S939) – The next P4 2.4 “C” ?
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, October 13, 2004

“Combining affordable pricings, good overclockability, top level performance and the ability to keep things cool is what we enthusiasts pursue in our quests to build high performance computers. Does the new S939 3200+ 0.09µ have these attributes? Find out as we compare to an expensive FX53, a cheaper S754 3400+ and a mid-range S939 3500+ CPU.”

FIC Condor SFF Reviewed
Techwarelabs :: Wednesday, October 13, 2004

“FIC has introduced a new machine to the market, targeting those in search of a powerful, upgradeable, and portable small form factor (SFF) machine. The Condor does all this, in a stylish, tool-free SFF case, which houses an Intel motherboard with onboard video, an AGP 8x slot, and two PCI slots, for huge potential power from a portable machine.”

OCZ PowerStream Featured in ABS High-Performance Gaming Systems
OCZ Technology :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004
OCZ Technology is happy to announce that ABS Computer Technologies will be featuring the OCZ 520 Watt PowerStream as the top upgrade option for power supplies on their Awesome 6500 and Ultimate X6 gaming systems. ABS is one of the nation’s largest System Integrators and have over fourteen years of experience in the industry and have won countless awards and accolades. “We are excited to be able to offer OCZ PowerStream power supplies in our line of high-performance power systems and gaming systems. With features like PowerFlex, we are ensuring that our customers are getting the absolute top performance possible out of their systems,” said Roger Wong, ABS Marketing Supervisor.

Link: http://www.ocztechnology.com/aboutocz/press/2004/111

Viper ATX Gaming Case @ AMD Review
AMD Review :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“When I first opened the packaging I was excited to see all the features packed into this nice mid-tower aluminum ATX case, which included an 500w power supply. I noticed the nice glossy red paint of this case. The chassis is painted flat red to match the glossy exterior. This model is also available in blue. The case was made with the idea of gaming in mind, noticing the handles and the lightweight aluminum construction.”

CoolerMaster AquaGate Watercooling System
AusPCWorld :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“WaterCooling has been around for a while, but has always been either too expensive, too complex or the thought of running a liquid throughout your PC has put many PC users off using a kit of this nature. However companies such as Coolermaster have invested time and money into developing a kit that is not only simple to install, but does the job it is supposed to do – Cooling your CPU with Liquid. Today we take a look at the Coolermaster Aquagate Liquid Cooling Kit.”

Mushkin PC3200 V2 Enhanced Latency DDR Review
Overclocker Café :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Being able to retain its factory tight 2-2-2-5 timings at 211MHz and then capable of hitting a whopping 254MHz with them loosened up speaks volumes. I believe the low latency DDR400 memory products is the place to be. You get phenomenal performance at DDR400 speed and by loosening up the timings, bl-ingo you have DDR500. Pricing is right in line with the other products in this category. While $320 is nothing to sneeze at you do get what you pay for and in this case, then some.”

Antec NeoPower 480
Bjorn3D :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Another trend that is obvious to those of us who follow modding, even if just a little, is the increasing demand for so-called ‘modular’ PSUs. A modular PSU is one that allows you to connect only the cables that you need for your system, thus reducing clutter and hopefully increasing airflow inside your case. This type of unit allows for instant customization and a great amount of flexibility. At first, modular PSUs were only seen at online retailers that offer custom products and modding supplies. Now, there are several modular PSUs being mass produced, and one of those is the NeoPower 480 from Antec.”

Ultra XConnect 500 Watt Power Supply @ OCIA.net
OCIA :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Installation is basically the same as for any other power supply. I first mounted the power supply in my case, then figured out the minimal amount of cables that I could utilize for powering all of my hardware. After that, all that is left is the simple task of plugging them in. The cables are rather stiff near the ends (plugs), so if you have a case with a side-ways mounted hard drive rack, it may be a very tight fit, if they fit at all.”

SimpleTech PC3700 Nitro Series Memory Review
CoolTechZone :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“If you have been following our memory analysis for the past month or so, you will realize that DDR1 is clearly the choice over DDR2, at least for now. DDR1 is simply too mature when it comes to directly comparing it with DDR2. However, it is not anyone’s fault and we can’t blame anyone for the perfomance competition between the previous generation and next generation products. Intel was right in its own defense; it had to introduce newer and higher performing products in order to compete with AMD, but apparently their strategy didn’t work as well as they hoped it would.”

Swiftech MCX478-V Heatsink
Hard-h2o :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Today we review the well known Swiftech MCX478-V heatsink. It is nice heatsink designed with a huge cooper base and aluminium pins instead of fins. This version uses 478 socket and it is very easy to install.”

500 Watt Ultra X-Connect Power Supply Review
The Tech Zone :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“The X-Connect 500 is the next generation of power supplies. Ultra Products has taken power supply design to the next level and then some with this baby. I have never seen such an innovative design before, as the X-Connect is both practical and beautiful. The detachable power lines are sheer genius, allowing you to keep your case looking super clean by letting you detach unused power lines. Topping all this off is the low price, just $99.99! 500 watts for less than $100? Simply amazing! The X-Connect Ultra would be a bargain even at twice that price.”

Socket 939 Motherboards – MSI and nVidia vs. ABIT and VIA
TweakTown :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Mike has served us up some AMD related content today where he compares two Socket 939 Athlon 64 motherboards. The first is the MSI K8N Neo 2 Platinum which is based on nVidia’s nForce3 Ultra chipset and the second is the ABIT AV8 3rd Eye which is based on VIA’s K8T800 chipset. We tested with an Athlon 64 FX-53 along with a whole bunch of benchmarks over a whooping 24 pages.”

Abit SV-1A Socket 939 motherboard with PCI-X and integrated ATI Rage XL Graphics
AMDboard :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Just after its first dual-AMD Opteron SU-2S and PCI-Express Socket 939 AX8, Abit is shaking again the AMD universe with the SV-1A, an incredible socket 939 motherboard! Sporting a VIA K8T800 Pro northbridge and a VIA VT8237 southbridge, the mainboard offers, thanks to VIA VPX II, the PCI-X controller from the chipset king, a complete 3-slots PCI-X support that goes with 1 PCI slot, 6 to 10 S-ATA connectors (2 S-ATA I and 4 to 8 S-ATA II), Gigabit LAN, integrated ATI Rage XL Graphics and much more. Complete specification and photos of this new hardware marvel are all at AMDboard, the AMD specialist:”

MSI 865PE Neo2-P Platinum Edition Motherboard Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“With its overclocking potential and stability, the Neo2-P can take overclocking to another level. Being said so, the NB heatsink might require an active cooler as it tends to get quite hot there. Also, if you’re planning to transfer huge chunks of video files using Firewire, you can forget getting this motherboard as it does not come with a Firewire port. However, getting a PCI Firewire solution will solve your problem. Using the CoreCenter and LiveUpdate functions cetianly made overclocking and BIOS updating a relieve! The nicely designed packaging will definitely get into your attention and with a budget price tag on its box, you can’t go wrong with the Neo2-P. Moreover, the Neo2-P also received a TUV award for certified durability. We can’t recommend you more to go and get this motherboard if you’re on a tight budget.”

Asetek Vapochill Light Speed Review @ ocprices.com
OcPrices :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Asetek has been at the top of the PC phase change cooling industry for many years now, and whilst competitors have come and gone, they remain supreme as the only firm who have lasted the distance. The latest fallen competitor, nVENTIV, formerly known as Chip-Con had a very powerful base unit cooler called the Prometeia Mach II. Asetek’s Vapochill LS is quite a similar unit, but has a more powerful compressor, comes with an LCD display and aluminium cladding as standard, making it considerably better value than the Mach II.”

Antec TruePower 330W Power Supply Review
PCStats :: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

“Today we’re going to be checking out a budget-oriented Antec power supply called the TruePower 330W PSU. It’s doesn’t have flashy lights, LED fans or other gimmicky items. With a retail price of $73 CDN ($57 US) the Antec TruePower is not the cheapest 330W PSU around, but it should be among the best you can get in its class.”

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