Tech News September 2004

 

Thermalright XP-120 Review
InsaneTek :: Thursday, September 30, 2004

“Heatpipes have been the recent trend among heatsinks and Thermalright is no exception. The popular SP-94 and SP-97 both use heatpipe technology and have been top performers in their respective classes for a while now. Thermalright seems to have hit a size/weight limit with their copper heatsinks and have introduced a few aluminum products. They started with the ALX-800, which is like an aluminum version of the SLK-800. Then they released their first northbridge heatsink fan, the NB-1, which was also aluminum. Their latest releases, the XP-120 and XP-90, use heatpipe technology and the advantages of aluminum to differentiate themselves from the rest of the crowd.”

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AcoustiProducts Fan Gaskets & Case Feet @ Phoronix
Phoronix :: Thursday, September 30, 2004

“Is an excessive amount of computer cooling noise causing restless nights? If so, we may have a possible solution for you from AcoustiProducts. These products include the AcoustiFan Anti-Vibration Silicone Fan Gaskets and AcoustiCase Anti-Vibration Case Feet.”

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3DMark05 Preview – DX9 Performance Benchmark
TweakTown :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
“Today FutureMark Corporation is releasing the latest version in the 3DMark series called 3DMark05. It is said to push the technology bar by exclusively using shader models 2 and 3 for all pixel and vertex processing which are complied using DX9c libraries, making 3DMark05 a true DX9 benchmark. We take you on a pictorial look at the tests inside 3DMark05, the performance differences between 3DMark03 and 05 along with an indication of whether or not the CPU and memory subsystems play much of a role in the performance numbers of 3DMark05.”

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Eumax 9-in-1 USB 2.0 Flash Genie @ Viper Lair
ViperLair :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
“Having a memory card reader can be quite useful. Being able to not only have the reader installed in your computer to cut down on desk clutter as well as take it on the road can be very useful. The Flash Genie is such a product; it is an awesome 9-in-1 card reader as well as a portable device.”

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The RD3XP Gladiator Super Shielded Round IDE Cable Review Posted!
Tech ARP :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
“Rounded IDE cables improve air flow and are more flexible compared to the standard flat IDE cables. They also look a lot better and are much easier to install. That’s why rounded cables have always been the choice for those serious about cooling and case modding.

Today, we will take a look at the RD3XP Gladiator Super Shielded Round IDE Cable. Of course, you can tell that this is no ordinary round IDE cable. But what’s so special about it? That’s what we intend to find out in this review!”

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Gigabyte GA-8ANXP-D Motherboard Review
PCStats :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
“With the Socket 775 Intel processor introducing so many legacy free technologies at once, it’s going to be simpler and less costly for consumers to just implement everything at once. Or…. not at all and side with AMDs solutions. In this review, PCstats.com is testing out Gigabyte’s new Intel Pentium 4 flagship motherboard, the GA-8ANXP-D. Based on the 925X chipset, the Gigabyte GA-8ANXP-D supports the new Socket 775 Intel Pentium 4 processor formfactor, and can be run with up to 4GB of DDR-2 memory.”

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The Radeon 9800 Pro to Radeon 9800XT Mod Guide Rev. 5.1 Posted!
Tech ARP :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
Even with the introduction of a new class of GPUs from ATI and NVIDIA, your Radeon 9800 Pro card is still something to be reckoned with! In fact, many Radeon 9800 Pro cards can be given a further boost in performance by modding them into full Radeon 9800XT cards!

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OCZ Announces Platinum PC-3700 with 2-3-3 timings
OCZ Technology :: Thursday, September 30, 2004

“OCZ PC-3700 EL DDR memory will be available in 512MB modules along with 1GB Dual Channel kits. In addition, PC-3700 EL DDR modules will include platinum mirrored heatspreaders and are rated for CL 2-3-3-8 operations at 2.8 volts.”

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Swissbit SWISSMEMORY TwistPro 2 Gigabyte USB 2.0 Portable Memory Drive
Futurelooks :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
“Go big or go home! That’s what the folks at Swissbit decided to do when they sent us one of their new USB Mini Drives wtih a whopping two gigabytes of storage space. Could this be the mini memory drive of your dreams?”

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EPoX 8KDA3+ nForce3 250GB motherboard review @ OcPrices.com
OcPrices :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
“Though not nearly as popular as VIA’s K8T800 Pro with tier one board makers, the nForce3 250gb offers major improvements over the rather spartan nForce3 150, including native gigabit Ethernet, RAID, and unlike the K8T800 Pro, AGPPCI bus locks that actually worked from day one. The nF3 250 was Epox’s choice for their second generation Socket 754 board, the 8KDA3+, which I’ve got on the bench today.”

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Futuremark’s 3DMark05 – An Introduction @ HEXUS.net
Hexus :: Thursday, September 30, 2004
“If, like many of your enthusiast peers, you’ve been staring at the counter on Futuremark’s website for the past couple of days, wondering when 3DMark05 would make its debut, wonder no longer. If you’re reading this, it’s past 1pm on Wednesday, 29th of September 2004, and we’re allowed to talk about the biggest deal in PC hardware benchmarking.”

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Kingwin Mutant X Mid-Tower Case @ Systemcooling
SystemCooling :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

“When most people think of budget cases, plain vanilla with few frills is what usually comes to mind. And if you’re lucky enough to get a power supply included in the package, chances are it’s a 300 watt unit that is not up to the task that most of us will ask of it. Well, Kingwin has provided us with an example of a case that can be had for not a lot of dollars while looking far from bland and also provide adequate power for most users. So let’s get a look at the Mutant X and see exactly what it delivers”

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MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum A64 S939 Review @ Madshrimps
Madshrimps :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004
“Is the latest MSI motherboard for Socket 939 capable of delivering blistering fast performance when combined with your expensive CPU? We take a closer look at the Neo2 Platinum edition, and see how much performance increase we get from upping the HTT speed”

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SuperTalent PC3500 CL2 DDR433 Memory Review @ 3DX
3dXtreme :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

src=”http://www.3dxtreme.net/images/reviews/SuperTalent%20PC3500%20Memory/pic1.jpg”>“Today 3DXtreme has the great pleasure of reviewing SuperTalent’s newest Memory product being introduced at the budget level. It is common when shopping for PC Memory to see brand names like Corsair, Kingston, OCZ and while you are getting a high quality product the price for such offerings can be too much for many folks on a budget, especially for CAS 2 Memory in the PC3500 (DDR433) variety. SuperTalent slides in here with a solution for those who want the speed but won’t break the bank. Let’s have a look at this Memory and see how well it performs.”

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Logisys Liquid Neon Lighting Kit Review @ ModdersHQ
ModdersHQ.net :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

“The new Liquid Neons from Logisys are something new for computer modding. It gives something new and unique to modders who are used to plain Cold Cathodes. They come in 3 different patterns to match whatever look you want, and different colors as well.”

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8Com Wireless Digital BH220 Headset Review @ CoolTechZone
CoolTechZone :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

src=”http://www.cooltechzone.com/images/reviews/audio/8_com_005.PNG”>“8Com Wireless, a name not known to many, is a headset provider for mobile devices market. It would be unfair to call them “just another headset” maker because they take elegance and style in headsets to the next level. This could be that their main consumership consists of business and executive users who are looking for something that is professional and eye-catching. Of course, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies being the latest trend in portable mobile devices, it makes sense to introduce a product that will closely fit the demand for such matching accessories.”

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Alphacool NexXxoS XP Waterblock Review @ GruntvillE
GruntvillE :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004

“The Alphacool NexXxos XP block turned in a very impressive performance and really compares well against the top US designed blocks that I put it up against. The mounting mechanism is also impressive in the sheer simplicity of the design.”

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GeCube 9550 Extreme Review @ Beyond3D
Beyond3D :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004
“The heatsink base is a fairly thick piece of aluminium, shaped so that it lies flat on the processor core and the 4 memory chips that surround it. Glued or welded to the base are several pieces of what appear to be thin steel, whose purpose being to increase the total surface area of the heatsink. Unlike many heatsink designs, the fan is not located above the core – instead cool air is drawn in and directed across the pieces of steel and sink base via the plastic shield.”

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Futuremark’s 3DMark05 Review @ Bjorn3D
Bjorn3D :: Wednesday, September 29, 2004
“If there is one benchmark that has stood tall over the years, it is the 3DMark series from Futuremark. Ever since the release of 3DMark99 back in 1998, Futuremark has continued to provide us users (and reviewers) with a way to compare our video cards in a reproducible way. True, the benchmarks have been surrounded with some controversy the last few years, and many have questioned the use of synthetic benchmarks. The controversy hasn’t changed the fact that the 3DMark programs have always been the benchmark to use when you want to brag: “I got 11,000 in 3DMark03, what did you get? 8000? Hah, that’s … pretty good …. (I rule!)”.”

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Microsoft Picture It! Premium 10 Review
Hardware-Pacers :: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

“For years people wondered why Microsoft did not release any products worth mentioning for digital photography. This industry was reserved for companies such as Adobe, Macromedia and Corel, however in recent months Microsoft decided to increase its presence in this highly competitive field. Thus came Digital Image Suite 10 aimed at professionals, Microsoft Digital Image Pro for intermediate users and Microsoft Picture It! Premium 10 for home users with little experience or knowledge in digital photo editing. Picture It! Premium 10 offers many features with standard Microsoft look and feel to it. This tool allows to edit images, sort them by preference, assign ratings and keywords to photos, great ‘Autofix’ feature for quick color and exposure fixing and ultimately, it allows sharing of photos via e-mail or ordering prints online. Compared to some other products with similar features, it might be a bit pricey but it certainly delivers on a high level.”

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Xtrac Eels & Mad Dotz Mouse Enhancers
Mikhailtech :: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

“Mad Dotz is a slightly more elaborate approach though at the very basic level no different from the Eels. Instead of having to cut the pieces to size, you get 12 precut portions that’ll fit any mouse with room to spare. Of course if you really wanted to size them down, there’d be nothing preventing you from doing so. They’re also a lot easier to peel off and the adhesive feels a bit stickier than that of the Eels’. Furthermore, you get a handy isopropyl alcohol pad to clean off your mouse feet before installation.”

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Poseidon WCL-03 120Cu Liquid Cooler Review
PC Modding Malaysia :: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

“The concept of water cooling had always been regarded as “hardcore” in the overclocking scene. The installation of a radiator, water block, reservoir and a pump was never an easy task to do. This leaves many overclocking enthusiasts having to be content with air cooling. The product that we took a look at in this review will definitely change the way you perceive water cooling. Introducing the Poseidon (model WCL-03 120Cu) Liquid Cooler series made by a new company named 3R Systems. Without further ado, let us take a look at the water cooling unit that might (who knows?) eventually up in your rig.”

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Enermax Deluxe Multifunction Panel Review
3dXtreme :: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

“This multifunction panel will fit all uses from the Tech enthusiast to the basic user. The LCD display serves as an outlet of information with alarm and warning sensors. I would highly recommend that anyone looking for a memory card reader or Multifunctional display panel check this product out – you will not be disappointed.”

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Triplett Fox 2 Hound 2
Phoronix :: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

“Earlier this week we had taken a look at several of Cable Organizer’s products for diagnosing electrical issues, and this article will continue the same electrical theme with taking a look at the Triplett Fox 2 Hound 2.”

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Tt Shark Case Review
Overclocker Café :: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

“If you look closely you will see multiple 3/8” indentations, ten to be exact in several places. These can be punched out so that 3/8” OD hosing can be run through there to reach an external radiator or reservoir if you choose. This beats the devil out of a slot bracket in my mind. Thermaltake also included some black plastic sleeves to keep the hoses from being worn or cut but the case metal. The downside of these hose points is that once you punch these out there is no putting them back. ”

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Vantec PCI & RAM Slot Protectors
AusPCWorld :: Tuesday, September 28, 2004

“Dust is always a major problem for hardware components, your machine running constantly day in and day out, you’re always going to get dust on components, and inside your machine. Ever thought about components you don’t use? In particularly memory slots and pci slots that are prone to dust. Vantec has released the SPK-08UV-BL – PCI & RAM Slot Protectors which ensure your PC slots are free and safe from dust.”

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PQI PC3200 1024DBU RAM Review
GruntvillE :: Monday, September 27, 2004

“The PQI3200-1024DPU is a matched pair dual channel 512MB DDR 400MHz PC3200 TURBO module. Capable of achieving ultra-low latency 2-2-2-5, PQI3200-1024DPU optimizes overall system performance with superior stability. Efficient heat dissipation via elegant high quality Platinum Copper heat spreader extends the life expectancy of the module. Applying the advanced ICs sorting cutting edge technology, PQI – TURBO series utilizes only excellent quality ICs that are capable of reaching highest possible frequency.”

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Innovatek XX Flow
Nexus Hardware :: Monday, September 27, 2004

“Today we have the first review in quite some time. Months ago High Speed PC sent out a waterblock for us to test, and today, we will finally do so. The Innovatek XX Flow waterblock is simplistic design with a lot to live up to. Many moons ago we were (and still are) impressed by the InnovaCOOL Rev. 3 waterblock. Lets see how the XX Flow fairs!”

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Power Color 9800 Platinum Edition – Manipulated Radeon 9800 Pro
TweakTown :: Monday, September 27, 2004

“After doing a little digging, we quickly discovered that the 9800 Platinum Edition is nothing more than a Radeon 9800 Pro GPU which is cut-down a little to help reduce the retail price for consumers. The 9800 Platinum Edition only uses a 128-bit memory bus compared to the 256-bit on the “true” 9800 Pro and the memory speed is a little slower on the Platinum Edition by around 40MHz (80MHz DDR) which gives the “true” 9800 Pro the ability to push about 2GB more bandwidth per second.”

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Spire CoolForce VGA Cooling Kit Review
OCIA :: Monday, September 27, 2004

“First, apply some of the grease to a surface that can be cleaned or disposed of. (NOTE: don’t squirt thermal compounds directly onto a chip surface, as you will usually get about 5 times more than you need on it.) Then, take a credit card or single-edged razor blade, and apply a small amount of compound to the surface of the chip, about the size of half of a grain of rice will be plenty. Wipe the credit card clean, and carefully smooth the grease out to a level, opaque layer completely covering the surface of the chip.”

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