Wednesday News posted on 05-14-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
Competitions & Giveaways.
Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus 1TB External Hard Drive ThinkComputers.org.
| "Terabyte hard drives are becoming more popular with the need for more hard drive space. If you're looking to expand your hard drive capacity I think the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus 1TB External Hard Drive would be great for you. This drive includes USB and Dual FireWire interfaces with available capacities of 250GB, 500GB, 750GB, and 1TB. The drive is jam packed with plenty of software to suffice the most avid external storage fanatics, while being easy to use for the everyday individual. Read on further to see what all this OneTouch drive has to offer" | |  |
Sapphire Toxic 512MB Radeon HD3870 Graphics Card Bigbruin.com.
 | | "The Sapphire Toxic 512MB Radeon HD3870 graphics card offers strong performance right out of the box, but if you have any interest in overclocking you can turn it into a real powerhouse. There are really no negatives to discuss in terms of performance, quality, and overall appeal. The card performs well, it stays cool and quiet, and the bundle of accessories is generous." |
Solio H1000 Hybrid Solar Charger TechwareLabs.
| "You are stranded in the desert, forest, or on the road and need to make a call and find that your cell phone is dead. Just after you finish cursing your god of choice you remember you have the Solio H1000, plug it in and a short while later your phone is usable once again. This is the concept behind the Solio H1000, a hybrid charger that is billed as a flexible solar charger that will restore life to lifeless cell phones and other USB charged devices. We test the Solio and bring you the fact and the fiction." | |  |
OCZ SATA-II 32GB 2.5-Inch SSD OCZSSD2-1S32G Benchmark Reviews.
 | | "OCZ allowed us to test their first Solid State Drive product, the OCZSSD64GB, and while the pricing very affordable the performance wasn't so impressive. Now just a short three months later, OCZ has returned with one of the industries very first SATA-II SSD products, the OCZSSD2. It would be a shame to give away the details, but it appears that the extra time at the design table was very well spent. OCZ's new Solid State Drive offers industry leading performance matched by ultra-affordable pricing, and sets a new record." |
| "When you drop down the black air duct, you are able to reveal the hard drive cage that is completely covered by the large air duct. This is so that the hard drives that you may have installed are able to receive fresh air to be cooled with. When you take a closer look at the hard drive cage, you can see that directly in front of it a fan measuring in at 120mm size and colored bright yellow like the other fans. There is a tab that you are able to lift up that will allow you to rotate the cage a little so that you are able to remove the 120mm front air intake fan, as well as allow for a more convenient way to run any wires you need to hide" | |  |
Monday News posted on 05-12-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
Noctua NH-U9B CPU Cooler Rbmods.
| "Noctua, makers of some of the best case fans on the market, has branched out into the CPU cooler market, which is a move that makes sense since they already dominate the high-end fan market. They sent us one of their new CPU coolers, the Noctua NH-U9B, to test out. Will this be a natural expansion of their product line or will we find growing pains? Read on to find out." | |  |
NZXT Tempest Mid-tower case metku.net.
 | | "NZXT, the US-based manufacturer has come up with a new case model - Tempest - which they advertise to be the new airflow king. Cooling seems to work but the build quality leaves a lot to be desired" |
Palit GeForce 9600GT 1GB Sonic Video Card ThinkComputers.org.
"Today I will be looking at the Palit 9600GT 1GB Sonic. The 9600GT is nVidia's latest mid-range GeForce card, and rather than the reference 512 gigs of DDR3 memory, Palit has opted to add a full gig of memory, along with a heatpipe cooler, to this card. How will it stand up against the last generation of GeForce mid-range cards? Continue reading to see...
" | |  |
DDR3 RAM: System Memory Technology Explained Benchmark Reviews.
 | | "These are uncertain financial times we live in today, and the rise and fall of our economy has had direct affect on consumer spending. It has already been one full year now that DDR3 has been patiently waiting for the enthusiast community to give it proper consideration, yet it's success is still undermined by misconceptions and high price. Benchmark Reviews has been testing DDR3 more actively than anyone, which is why over fifteen different kits fill our System Memory section of reviews. Sadly, it might take an article like this to open the eyes of my fellow hardware enthusiast and overclocker, because it seems like DDR3 is the technology nobody wants bad enough to learn about. Pity, because overclocking is what it's all about." |
Mushkin Ascent XP3 16000 2 x 1 GB Overclockers Club.
| "Having to test modules rated for 1000 MHz (2000 MHz effective) presents some unique challenges. First of all, you need a board that can push 1000 MHz+ on the northbridge. Second, you need a chip that can run speeds of 500+ MHz to run 1:1 when testing. Well, we have the next best thing. Since my poor Q9450 just won't let me play in the 500 MHZ range, I had to look at the alternatives. The modules are designed to run on an nVidia 790i SLI chipset based motherboard, so thats what I did. Because of FSB holes, or a poor divider, I was not able to gain any speed over 2000 MHz at the rated latencies of 9-9-9-24. So instead of going higher, I decided to try and see how tight I could run the latencies. 2000 MHz at the stock volts of 1.9 to 2.0 volts and 9-9-9-24 was a cake walk. Heck, it should be. Now it got a little interesting. First up was 9-9-8-24, good so far. Then down to 9-8-8, then 8-8-8 - I thought this looked promising. After a few hours of test and repeat, latencies of 8-8-8 were a reality at 2000 MHz. Hmmm, let me push my luck at 8-7-7-24. Surprisingly, this fell after another session of test and repeat benchmarking. "Can there be more?" I asked. Well, yes there was. CAS 7 was a no go at 2000 MHz, but 8-7-6-24 was good. However, it would lock up randomly in a few tests. With the voltage adjustments I had been successful with, they still would not allow it to happen. So, I figured I'd start low-balling the voltage to the DIMMs, and ended up at 1.82 volts for my game and benchmark stability" | |  |
Sunday News posted on 05-11-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
» DFI LanParty DK X38-T2RB Motherboard CPU3D.com
» LapLogic G800 & W800 Aerogel Extreme LapDesks DragonSteelMods
» Western Digital 1 TB Caviar GP Serial ATA Hard Drive Tech ARP
| » Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P80R Spider Edition techPowerUp! | | | |
| "Laptops are really becoming popular, especially when it comes to desktop replacements. Many laptops now are just as powerful as desktop computers if not more powerful. A lot of people now prefer laptops over desktop because they can easily take the laptop with them and they take up less space on their desk. One thing about laptops is they easily overheat, especially gaming laptops. That is where notebook coolers come in. Today we will be looking at the Cryo LX notebook cooler from NZXT, which looks like a pretty extreme notebook cooler" | |  |
Thursday News posted on 05-08-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
» NVIDIA nForce 7 AMD Series Arrives - ASUS M3N-HT Deluxe Motherboard Legit Reviews
» Coolermaster Hyper Z600 CPU Cooler CPU3D.com
» Hades Gaming Ares H1 Optical Gaming Mouse DragonSteelMods
| » Asus EAH3850 X2 Video Card I4U NEWS | | | |
Competitions & Giveaways.
In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Case Rbmods.
| "Today we take a look at the InWin stealh bomber case and as the name reveals is inspired from an airplane. Inwin has been in the case market for a long time and they have now started to focus on designed cases which you might see if you take a quick look at their website. We are going to be looking through this case in tonights review and we will also show you the main feature this case has which is a motorized front door" | |  |
OCZ ReaperX HPC DDR3-1333 2GB Memory Kit ThinkComputers.org.
 | | "In a few short years, OCZ has really made its mark in the PC enthusiast world. They have branched out into power supplies, CPU coolers, thermal compound, peripherals, flash media, they even have a new phase-change cooler for those extreme overclockers that need sub-zero temps. But, OCZ's forte is still high-performance system memory. Today I will be looking at OCZ's latest offering in the ReaperX series, the ReaperX PC3-1066 (DDR3-1333) 2 gig kit. Will the DDR3 ReaperX prove to be the awesome overclocker that its DDR2 little brother is? Read on and see..." |
Xigmatek Achilles S1284 HDT CPU Cooler Benchmark Reviews.
| "Xigmatek has really made a name for themselves over the past year thanks to the Heat-pipe Direct Touch technology that they have embraced. When Benchmark Reviews originally reviewed the HDT-S1283 cooler we were absolutely astonished by the incredible results. Once again, we are the very first to test the newest hardware, and you'll be impressed to know that this product delivers the performance needed by overclockers while fulfilling the enthusiasts wish list for attractive features. Benchmark Reviews introduces the Xigmatek Achilles S1284 HDT CPU Cooler CAC-SXHH4-U02 and tests the performance against the top competitors." | |  |
Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 motherboard bit-tech.net.
 | | "On price, we feel the Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 holds its own and but at the same time it's not exceptional that said, it is worth the asking price for a premium board that's fully featured and works really very well. The performance is very good, it's easy to work with and while we still don't get on too well with the DES software, the hardware looks good and it works efficiently with finesse in the background.
While it hits all the right notes for us (oodles of features, a great layout, a decent bundle and very good performance and ease of use), the Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 isn't a definitive choice, but it is certainly a good one if you're wanting to invest in DDR3 with some upgrade potential" |
Razer Destructor Professional Gaming Mat ThinkComputers.org.
| "The Razer Destructor Professional Gaming Mat is certainly something gamers should look into buying. Razer's test showed an increase in tracking of 37% with laser mice and 25% compared to other gaming-grade surfaces. This surface is of the highest quality. Razer claims it as the Razer Fractal surface for high-precision gameplay. Something that you probably haven't seen with any other gaming-grade mousepad is a protective carrying case, which comes included with the Destructor. Perfect for on-the-go gamers" | |  |
Tuesday News posted on 05-06-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
Competitions & Giveaways.
Kingston HyperX DDR2 PC-9200 TechwareLabs.
| "Artiom takes a look at the fastest DDR2 memory currently available from Kingston in their HyperX line. This memory is meant to blur the lines and crank out pure speed and performance. How well does it do? Check out our review to find out." | |  |
Noctua NH-U12P CPU Heatsink TechwareLabs.
 | | "For those seeking powerful cooling that is also quiet Noctua may be the answer. We take a look at the large NH-U12P heatsink from Noctua and test this beast against the stock Intel cooler to show you its installation, cooling performance, and our observations. Read our review to see what we think." |
Tuniq Tower 120-LFB CPU Cooler BCCHardware.
| "The biggest drawback for me was the noise of this cooler when running at full speed, it wasn't ear-piercing noisy, but it was very noticeable. However with that being said, the performance this cooler offers at low speeds is good enough that you don't need to be running this cooler full out, and it's nice to have the option to crank the fan up if for some reason you need extra cooling power" | |  |
Zalman ZM850-HP 850W Modular Power Supply ThinkComputers.org.
 | | "A little while ago, ThinkComputers reviewed the Zalman ZM500-HP 500W power supply unit. This time around, Zalman, maker of fine cooling products and power supplies, submitted for review a more powerful, but louder version of its line of power supply units, the ZM850-HP 850W. This 80PLUS-certified unit has lots of connectivity with its modular design, and two heatpipes and an ultra-quiet fan keep the unit virtually silent. The review is here" |
Western Digital 320 GB Scorpio Notebook Hard Drive Tech ARP.
| "Although Western Digital did not reveal it, the Scorpio is certainly making use of perpendicular recording technology to achieve its performance levels. Of course, there's only so much they can do with perpendicular recording technology. It is likely that the Scorpio also uses four platters to attain its remarkable storage capacity of 320 GB" | |  |
Monday News posted on 05-05-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
Competitions & Giveaways.
| » April '08 Motherboard Giveaway Contest Extended Tech ARP |
Noctua NH-U12P Heatpipe CPU Cooler Benchmark Reviews.
| "Noctua has always fascinated me with their cooling solutions. They take the concept of product refinement to a new level, and often times simply tweak key areas of an existing design rather than reinventing the wheel. A perfect example of their research and development is found in the NH-U12P CPU cooler. This new product replaces their older NH-U12F model, and now features a NF-P12 cooling fan. Through the use of four heat-pipe rods configured in a "U" design, the NH-U12P borrows from the well-established performance record of many top-level coolers. Additionally, Noctua emphasises the complete experience beyond simply cooling the processor, and optimizes their products to operate with very low noise levels." | |  |
 | | "When you take the Cooler Master Hyper Z600 out and get it alone, you are able to see how extremely large this piece of hardware actually is. Not only is it tall, it is also very wide. You can also see that the entire cooler is made out of aluminum, which is a very common choice between all manufactures to use for a cooler nowadays. All four sides of the Hyper Z600 look very similar; actually looking at only the fins, they are aligned the exact same on every side. This heatsink is setup very differently than any of the others that I have used before. There are two heatpipes that attach to the base and soar all the way up to the top of the heatsink and are positioned in each of the four corners of the unit" |
ASRock Penryn 1600SLIX3-WiFi 680i Motherboard ThinkComputers.org.
| "ASRock came on board in 2002, not long after I started building my own rigs. In those six short years, they have come up with some remarkably innovative designs for economy motherboards. Today I will be looking at the ASRock Penryn 1600SLIX3-WiFi motherboard. ASRock has taken the nVidia 680i SLI chipset, given it the capability of running the new Core 2 Extreme 1600mHz FSB processors, added WiFi, and placed that in an economy-minded board" | |  |
Sunday News posted on 05-04-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
Competitions & Giveaways.
| "As you can see, this cooler was outperformed by the other heatsinks, except for the Nano Silencer, in each test. When you take a look at the size difference between the Micro Silencer and the other heatsinks it was compared to, it should not have been able to beat them or even come close. However, again taking a look at its size, it is able to remove the heat off of the processor better than the stock cooler provided by Intel" | |  |
Scythe KamaBay Amp Au-Ja.de.
 | | "Scythe is known for its coolers but this time we'll have a look at something differnt: A hifi stereo ampifier! This amplifier looks good on your desk. But if you're desk is as full as mine, you might like to mount it inside your PC's case. No problem: This amplifier is 5,25 inch wide, just like your optical drives." |
Reducing The Power Consumption Of Overclocked PCs Tech ARP.
| "Just by using these two tips, you can radically reduce the power consumption of your PC. The first step tackles the processor's power consumption when it idles while the second step attacks its power consumption under load. Together, they will really bring down your overclocked PC's power consumption. Do your bit for the planet - start using these two tips today!" | |  |
Asus EN9600GT Silent Video Card I4U NEWS.
 | | "The worst thing about the exclusive V-cool heatsink (really the only bad thing) is that to get enough surface area for the passive cooling to be effective the normally single slot 9600GT becomes a dual slot design.
I also found that the back edge of the passive heatsink blocked the retention clip for the six-pin power connector the card requires. I had to lift gently on the fins of the heatsink to get the clearance needed for seating the power plug" |
| "The Hiper Anubis Case This mid tower case is made from 100% high grade 6063-T5 aluminum using patented welding technology which means it's fairly heavy but extremely strong. As a matter of fact it can withstand weight up to 100KG or 220 LBS. So this could be the toughest case ever made, but I won't recommend using it as a stool! Watch the video to find out more and check out the bloopers at the end" | |  |
Spire Powerfuse S162 XSReviews.
 | | "As Spire say, they are a name synonymous with quality and innovation and most innovative companies respond aptly to market trends. One of these trends is that many people now have expensive high end graphics cards and prolonging their life has become paramount for many. With that in mind, Spire have sent the "Powerfuse" over-voltage surge protector for us to review" |
| "When you are traveling you bring a ton of gadgets with you, I know I do. I have my laptop, cell phone, MP3 player, and digital camera with me at the very least. All of these gadgets need recharged, but it is sort of hard with the 1-2 extra outlets that most hotel rooms have. Usually I have to bring a large surge protector, that is a pain since they are huge and take up a lot of room in my carry-on. Targus has come up with the perfect solution, the Travel Power Outlets. It is a portable power strip that provides 4 outlets in a very small package" | |  |
Wednesday News posted on 04-30-2008
Dessert Menu of the Day.
Cooler Master Z600 and Sphere CPU Coolers Bigbruin.com.
| "Everything is big with the Z600.... The height, width, weight, heatpipes, and even the thickness of the fins. It is capable of providing incredible cooling results when used with either one or two low speed 120mm fans. Adding higher speed fans might create some extra noise to live with, but I can imagine that the temperatures could be ridiculously low." | |  |
Cyber Snipa Stinger Mouse Technic3D.
 | | "The Cyber Snipa Stinger Gaming-Mouse arrived Technic3D with 3.200dpi Sensor.
The next Newcomer ready to go? Six Programmable Buttons and counterweights see you in the following Review on Technic3D" |
Razer Piranha Gaming Communicator ThinkComputers.org.
| "The Razer Piranha Gaming Communicator headset is perfect for gamers of all types. This headset is geared towards gamers, but in my mind, is perfect for anyone looking for a quality headset with a quality microphone, especially those who use voice chat on the PC. Most of the headsets that I have had have been rather uncomfortable for extended periods of time, but the Razer Piranha is different; it provides comfort for extended periods of use. If you're in the market for a new headset the Piranha is definitely something you should consider" | |  |