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News Search Results for: mb World-Exclusive:Sapphire HD 4730 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Jul-01-09] (0 Comments) Sapphire's new HD 4730 is based on the RV770 GPU which is used on the HD 48xx Series. Such a choice had to be made because the availability of the HD4770 GPU is extremely limited at this time - while customer demand is up. Sapphire offers their card with 640 shaders and 512 MB GDDR5 memory at an extremely competitive price point of only $79. But is that enough to take over that market segment? AMD Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition Processor @ legitreviews.com [Jun-30-09] (0 Comments) For our liquid nitrogen testing we insulated the motherboard with a combination of artist eraser and Vaseline and mounted our K|ngp|n F1EE liquid nitrogen pot on top of the CPU with a dab of Arctic Silver Ceramique for the thermal compound. After pulling the pot down to around -188 Celsius we began our runs starting with 3DMark 2006. We were using a Gigabyte MA790FXT-UD5P with two Corsair Dominator GT 1866C7 2GB modules, two AMD HD4870x2 video cards at 822MHz core 950MHz memory, and a single Corsair HX1000 PSU powering the entire system. We had to push the vcore up to 1.8v to achieve the following 6.6GHz screen shot on the AMD Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition processor... TechwareLabs s the NZXT Avatar Gaming Mouse @ techwarelabs.com [Jun-30-09] (0 Comments) Looking for a mouse that's made to fit you? Want to be able to frag across the map with the simple click of a thumb, leaving your enemy looking at the sky in a pool of his own blood? Join Ian as we take a look at NZXT's introduction to the Gaming Mouse line-up, the Avatar Gaming Mouse. Will this mouse make you the MVP, or force you to hold onto that 2D grenade? Join TechwareLabs as we take a look... [News] NZXT Cryo S Notebook Cooler @ virtual-hideout.net [Jun-29-09] (0 Comments) Many of you may remember last year when we reviewed the NZXT Cryo LXNotebook Cooler and I proclaimed it an Editors Choice. Well that notebookcooler was best suited for notebooks in the 17 TechwareLabs s the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme Si @ techwarelabs.com [Jun-26-09] (0 Comments) Want to pwn n00bz whenever you get the chance? It simply cannot be done without the use of the best technology on the market. If your looking for a great way to get that all wrapped up and shipped to you you might want to check out the new CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme Si. Come along with Jason Dumbaugh as he checks out this new pre-built beast. EVGA E761 X58 SLI Classified Motherboard @ legitreviews.com [Jun-25-09] (0 Comments) What is there to say? The EVGA X58 E761 Classified is like an over-the-top blockbuster movie; it wows you on all fronts all the while costing an arm and a leg to produce. Core i7 is a new processor and motherboard and BIOS engineers are still figuring it out, but the team at EVGA has clearly stumbled across something to be able to release a board that pushes these chips past the notorious 220MHz base clock wall. This board reminds me a lot of the Asus LGA775 Rampage Extreme, except the Rampage Extreme came so late in the game... Roccat Vire - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jun-20-09] (0 Comments) Traditionallya headset is basically a large pair of earmuffs which have speakers inthe ears and lots of padding for comfort. Roccat are clearly very goodin this field with their recently released Kave 5.1 which wasdefinitely given the thumbs up.However, a second ‘headset’ was launched by Roccat but it’s not whatyou might think; instead the Roccat Vire is a pair of in-ear headphonesthat you would expect to find accompanying an iPod or other mp3 device.So, I’m guessing you’re thinking well how do I communicate in gamethen? Well, there is a tiny in built microphone on the wires allowingyou to speak freely without a bulky microphone in front of you.But the Vire is not only for use with PCs; similarly it can be used foriPhones, mp3 players and pretty much any sound device that will take a3.5mm jack. Enough said, let’s take a look... Roccat Vire - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jun-18-09] (0 Comments) Traditionallya headset is basically a large pair of earmuffs which have speakers inthe ears and lots of padding for comfort. Roccat are clearly very goodin this field with their recently released Kave 5.1 which wasdefinitely given the thumbs up.However, a second ‘headset’ was launched by Roccat but it’s not whatyou might think; instead the Roccat Vire is a pair of in-ear headphonesthat you would expect to find accompanying an iPod or other mp3 device.So, I’m guessing you’re thinking well how do I communicate in gamethen? Well, there is a tiny in built microphone on the wires allowingyou to speak freely without a bulky microphone in front of you.But the Vire is not only for use with PCs; similarly it can be used foriPhones, mp3 players and pretty much any sound device that will take a3.5mm jack. Enough said, let’s take a look... NZXT Beta @ techpowerup.com [Jun-17-09] (0 Comments) The NZXT Beta is an extremely affordable enclosure with a sub 50 US Dollar price tag. We take a close look at the case to see if any corners were cut to keep the price down or if NZXT managed to combine usabilty, a solid feature set with that low, low price tag. In other words:will it come across as cheap or affordable? Coolermaster HAF 922 @ rbmods.com [Jun-17-09] (0 Comments) Coolermaster is one of the most notable manufacturer of coolers andcomputer cases. Today we will have a look at Coolermaster HAF 922 computercase which is a combination of high quality, cool looking and innovativecooling solutions. OCZ Vertex EX Series 120GB SLC SSD @ legitreviews.com [Jun-15-09] (0 Comments) Today, we have a special treat for our readers. Our very first SLC NAND Flash based Solid State Drive review! The recently released OCZ Vertex EX is designed to deliver unparalleled performance and reliability, featuring the latest-generation architecture and SATA interface utilizing single-level cell NAND flash memory for unmatched overall system responsiveness and stability for enterprise grade server solutions. With speeds up to a 260MB/s read and 210MB/s write, the Vertex EX series is clearly one of the fastest drives that money can buy today.... Sharkoon Rush FireGlider Laser Gaming Mouse @ tweaktown.com [Jun-15-09] (0 Comments) These days you really can’t release a mouse unless it has a laser in it somewhere, even if it’s just to blind annoying co-workers with. Today we take a look at Sharkoon’s FireGlider laser mouse.Sharkoon has gone all out it seems to ensure that this mouse has all the features you would need. The mouse even has a program memory to remember your macro and DPI settings so you can plug it into another system wherever and still maintain the same functionality. Imak Mouse Cushion - Stop Wrist Pain From PC Use! @ legitreviews.com [Jun-13-09] (0 Comments) After using the IMAK Mouse Cushion with massaging egroBeads for a couple of weeks I have nothing negative to say about the product and my wrist is slowly feeling better now that I have changed my habits and invested in a new wrist pad. If you find yourself experiencing similar problems or want to help prevent wrist problems from happening this is one of those products you really can't go wrong with. Remember, if you don't like it IMAK has the one year comfort guarantee, so you can always return it if it doesn't help or isn't your cup of tea. It should also be noted that IMAK offers a non-skid version of this wrist pad as well that retails for just a dollar more... Cooler Master V10 Hybrid T.E.C. Cooler @ modders-inc.com [Jun-13-09] (0 Comments) Today we are going to look at the Cooler Master Hybrid TEC coolerwhich combines two types of cooling, the standard air cooling andthermalelectic cooling. Will this combination prove to be a worthy optionfor users? Read on to find out. Galaxy GeForce GTX 275 OC 896MB @ pcper.com [Jun-10-09] (0 Comments) The Galaxy GTX 275 OC takes the very popular GPU offering and tweaksit slightly with overclocked core, shader and memory speeds and includes ahigher performing custom cooler design that will allow you to push the GPUeven higher if you want to. In fact, if you are paying the premium pricefor this model, I would actually SUGGEST you take advantage of the newcooler to get some additional performance out of the card. Sapphire Radeon HD 4550 512MB =40 TheTechLounge @ thetechlounge.com [Jun-09-09] (0 Comments) =22Sometimes a video card needs to be just that. A card for video. Many h igh-end workstation motherboards don't have integrated video, but what go od is a computer without a display? The Intel i7 is just the perfect exampl e. A lot of people have the need for quad cores of number-crunching power, but they're not gamers and, appropriately, have no desire to own a beaut iful set of GTX 50 millions. (But you'll get there, we'll see to that. )=22 contains G.a.p.p.y-T.e.x.t @ testfreaks.com [Jun-08-09] (0 Comments) When you hear the name Tom Clancy, you think of his books first and then avery close second, the games that bear his name. The majority of his games,like the Rainbow Six collection are all about teamwork, stealth and tactics .The game I have for review today veers a bit off from the norm of his games ,it's called H.A.W.X. and it's a flying game, not a flight simulator, mo re ofan arcade style combat flight game. H.A.W.X. is set in the near future wher ecorporations have basically replaced government run military in manycountries, they're mercenaries essentially. [News] Thermaltake V9 Black Edition Case @ virtual-hideout.net [Jun-08-09] (0 Comments) The Thermaltake V9 Black Edition was designed to be quite awindstorm, but also to be very quiet because no one wants the sound of a boxfan sitting next to them. You'll immediately notice the huge 230mm intakefan located on the left side panel. This is positioned to blow cool airdirectly onto the entire motherboard area, including CPU, memory, graphics,etc. This will be especially crucial when building a high performance dualgraphics rig, and/or overclocking your components. Add to this the same huge230mm exhaust fan located directly above the motherboard/CPU area, butinstead this time it's on top of the chassis. This is designed to suck thehot air being expelled from the red hot CPU/Chipset/Memory area of themotherboard. So cool air in the side, it gets hot and exhausts right out thetop. A potent combination of airflow it is and a must for today's ultra fastgaming rigs. Mid-range matchup:ASUS GTS 250 Dark Knight and Sapphire HD 4850 Vapor @ pcper.com [Jun-08-09] (0 Comments) The market for sub-$150 graphics cards is still just as crowded andconfusing as it was before this article, but if you are considering a GPUin the price range then we do have some final recommendations for you. Easily the best performing card in our testing today was the ASUS GeForceGTS 250 Dark Knight 512MB card though in a couple cases the 1GB model stoodout above it. MSI GeForce GTX 295 Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Jun-08-09] (0 Comments) Since the launch of the GTX 295 ATI has done little to combat the card and while the HD 4890 is a very good card, the price of it doesn't put it anywhere near the level that the GTX 295 is at, nor the GTX 285 for that matter. It's been a while since we've had a look at the GTX 295 and there's been a few driver updates since then. Today we'll be seeing how it performs against some of the top single GPU cards from both NVIDIA and ATI including the HD 4890 and GTX 285. Final Day's Coverage @ legitreviews.com [Jun-05-09] (0 Comments) At E3 2009 Valve confirmed Left 4 Dead 2 is coming exclusively to Xbox 360 and PC, when it's released on November 17, 2009. We got a chance to check out some real game-play video. Check it out...: CyberPower Black Mamba Venom Core i7 975EE Gaming System @ tweaktown.com [Jun-04-09] (0 Comments) CyberPower has been busy playing with Intel’s gaming development team over the last few weeks. The two have teamed up to design a new series of PC systems that CyberPower will be manufacturing and offering as the Fang Series. The flagship system in the Fang Series family is the Black Mamba which is the system we will be reviewing today. CyberPower will have other systems coming along in the coming weeks that will also follow the snake theme like the Cobra, Viper and Rattler. The true core of the Black Mamba is Intel’s new Core i7 975 Extreme Edition processor. Intel has launched the new 975 EE just yesterday and CyberPower has been working with Intel and GIGABYTE closely for this launch. The new i7 975 EE is the fastest processor currently available on the market with a rated out of the box speed of 3.33 GHz. Intel, GIGABYTE and CyberPower determined that the maximum overclock speed with our sample was 4.15 GHz, or as I referred to it during the testing phase, freaking fast! Intel shows "Clarkdale" system with on-chip GPU @ tweaktown.com [Jun-03-09] (0 Comments) Computex Taipei 2009:Even though the forthcoming “Clarkdale” based Socket 1136 Core i5 processors with on-chip GPU are not due to go on sale until sometime early next year, they had a little system running out at their Nangang booth which is of great interest to us. The motherboard used was a pre-production MSI P57 board with model number H57-ED65 and the system was running very smoothly and even the board looks fairly advanced for an early sample, so it probably means Intel will be able to stick to its launch date of an early Q1 2010 go time. i-Rocks Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard @ rbmods.com [May-31-09] (0 Comments) If you are a long-time computer user, you might remember the dayswhen IBM =?windows-1252?Q?Sapphire_Radeon_HD4770_512MB_Graphics_Card__ @ bigbruin.com [May-29-09] (0 Comments) In use the Sapphire Radeon HD4770 512MB graphics card performed admirably. It is not the ultimate gaming solution (and doesn't claim to be), but for about $100 it is definitely impressive. It can put up solid numbers in games with the settings turned up and it won't make your electric meter spin out of control in the process. to:content-type; @ testfreaks.com [May-29-09] (0 Comments) Today I've got the Thrustmaster T.1600M PC Joystick for review, I actual lygot the bundle of HAWX and the joystick, but I'm going to cover HAWX in i t'sown review. The joystick itself is nicely made, and truly does add a newdimension to any kind of flying game, making it easier and a lot more funthat the standard mouse/keyboard combination. 13 Intel Core i7 LGA 1366 CPU Coolers Compared @ legitreviews.com [May-29-09] (0 Comments) At first I had mixed feelings the new top air cooler, the Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ. With never having used or seen a review for a Titan cooler before I didn’t know what to expect. When I picked up the Fenrir it didn’t have the “feel” of a solid cooler like the NH-U12P or the Ultra 120. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the numbers come up, and I’m looking forward to see more offerings from Titan... Albatron HD 4830 Green 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [May-27-09] (0 Comments) Albatron is one of the first companies to come out with a HD 4830 design that does not require an external power connector. Another difference to the HD 4830 is the number of shaders. Instead of 640 like on the reference, Albatron has packed 800 shaders on their card for some extra performance. Sapphire HD 4770 512MB Video Card @ modders-inc.com [May-23-09] (0 Comments) Everyone wants to know how far their money can go these days andthat you want to make sure that you get the most that you can for it.Sapphire and ATI knows this and they have come up with their own Super Talent UltraDrive ME 64GB MLC SSD Benchmarks @ legitreviews.com [May-22-09] (0 Comments) The UltraDrive ME series of Solid State Drives are the fifth-generation of SSDs to be released by Super Talent. These drives are said to offer leading-edge performance for high-end notebook computers and desktops with read speeds up to 260MB/Sec and write speeds up to 200MB/Sec. With drive speeds like that you know the UltraDrive ME series has a great controller and indeed it does as the UltraDrive ME series uses the Indilinx 'Barefoot' internal controller that has been paired with an 64MB Elpida IC for internal cache. This setup is identical to the OCZ Vertex SSD Series... Thermaltake Element S Mid-Tower Chassis @ tweaktown.com [May-22-09] (0 Comments) Thermaltake has been in the case game for quite a while now and I remember when the company first launched the Xaser series of cases. While not to everyone's liking, they did push the boundary with looks while also offering a pretty nice feature set at the same time. Over the years we've seen more and more cases from Thermaltake and as someone who's a fan of cases that aren't all that loud, when it comes to the looks department the Element S from first glance looked like a nice case. TechwareLabs s the Silverstone Fortress FT-01 Computer Case @ techwarelabs.com [May-22-09] (0 Comments) Following on from the success of their Temjin line of full-tower cases, Today I'll be looking at the Fortress FT-01, Silverstone's attempt to bring the unibody construction of the Temjin TJ-07 to a more compact design. Let's see if this fortress holds up, or crumbles at the first assault. i-Rocks Ultra Slim Cordless 1.5 Area keyboard @ rbmods.com [May-16-09] (0 Comments) Looking for a keyboard with the feel and size of a laptop keyboardyet made for a desktop? i-Rocks, makers of a wide range of computerperipherals, has a number of keyboards on the market. Today we'll take alook at the i-Rocks Slim Cordless 1.5 Area keyboard. Let's see if thiskeyboard offers the size and performance expected of an everday device NXZT Panzerbox Aluminum Mid Tower PC Case @ legitreviews.com [May-15-09] (0 Comments) Over the years as PC components have gotten faster, they have also gotten hotter. These days, nearly every component generates some sort of heat and has gotten to the point where air may no longer alleviate some of it as airflow is sometimes restricted in some form. Enter the NZXT Panzerbox. With 190mm fans in a meshed front and on the meshed top with a 120mm at the rear boasting over 300 CFM of airflow, along with an option to install a dual 120mm Radiator inside, the Panzerbox is armed to combat the heat generated by your PC... Silverstone Raven - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [May-15-09] (0 Comments) Silverstonehas become a multi-faceted manufacturer of computercomponents in recent years, with its product line up now comprising ofpower supplies, coolers, and a variety of peripherals. However, as thecase we have in the XSR labs today proves, the firm has not abandonedthe enthusiast case market so fundamental to its success. With avariety of truly innovative features and aggressive StealthBomber-inspired styling, the Raven is about as far away as you can getfrom a boring ATX reference clone. [News] OCZ 8GB Throttle eSATA/USB Drive @ virtual-hideout.net [May-13-09] (0 Comments) You could say it's a simple evolutionary step for thumb drives, butI think it's a welcome one. There is of course the talk of USB 3.0, withspeeds up to 400MB/s, however it will be some time before the hardware touse that is available, let alone common. As it stands, every new computerhas sata ports, which are easy enough to convert into eSata. There is nodenying the speed you can have here and now. Not to mention for $30 (8GB),it's only about $8 more than a regular 8GB usb drive, that for 3X theperformance. If you don't mind carrying a USB cable (that is used forpractically all external 2.5 Lian Li XB-01 Case - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [May-12-09] (0 Comments) Theconsoles versus PC wars have been ongoing for longer than most fanboys can remember, but one of the arguments that has almost always beenin the PC camp's favour is that their gaming platform of choice can beupgraded however you want. Sure consoles can be modded or tweaked, butit normally takes someone who really knows what they're doing toaccomplish either of these feats. Now however, this argument has beenturned somewhat on it's head, with Lian Li releasing a custom case forthe Xbox 360; and it looks nothing like the original. Wireless Network Security and Setup Guide from TechwareLabs @ techwarelabs.com [May-10-09] (0 Comments) Just a few years ago I was clueless about why I should secure my wireless network. I didn’t care if other people used my wireless signal to surf the internet, and I thought it was too much hassle to figure out how to encrypt my network. It took me getting my credit card number stolen and my credit rating destroyed before I finally decided to take network security and the security of my data seriously. Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 CrossFireX Performance @ benchmarkreviews.com [May-08-09] (0 Comments) The Sapphire Radeon HD 4770 introduces the 40nm RV740 GPU paired to 512MB of DDR5 video frame buffer memory, and a double-height cooler ATI Radeon HD 4770 Video Card Overclocking Guide @ legitreviews.com [May-01-09] (0 Comments) The ATI Radeon HD 4770 512MB video card is no slouch when it comes to overclocking performance, but the trick is that you will need to use RivaTuner in order to get great overclocks as Catalyst Control Center really limits how high you can reach. The 931MHz overclock that we were able to reach was only stable for 3DMark Vantage overclocking, but the 915MHz clock frequency was 100% stable for all games and benchmarks. We are happy with the overclock as 915MHz/1000MHz sure sounds and performs better than the default clocks of 750MHz/800MHz. The only thing really holding back the ATI Radeon HD 4770 is the number of stream processors and texture units... TRENDnet TEG-240WS 24-Port Gigabit Web Smart Switch @ tweaktown.com [Apr-30-09] (0 Comments) On the home front, as we have mentioned before people are turning their homes into small infrastructure environments. Many families have a computer per person living in the house and in some you may have more than one. This leads to an issue where you may over load your home router with connections. Most routers today only provide four ports. This is great if you only have a couple of hardwired systems, but what happens when you have five, six, or even more.TRENDnet has graciously provided us with a potential answer to both of these issues. As the Pro-Sumer and the Enthusiast encroach on what was formerly a “members only” market, we have to look at more advanced equipment to meet the needs of these more demanding users. To find our answer we look at an enterprise class product and see if it can fit into the enthusiast space. So we present to you the TEG-240WS 24-Port Gigabit Web Smart Switch. GIGABYTE HD 4770 512MB GDDR5 Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Apr-28-09] (0 Comments) The frequency of graphics card releases now compared to two years ago is just jaw dropping. There used to be three models; a low, mid and high-end model. And while we still have that base structure today, there are so many models that fit into each category. These days we have high mid range cards and low high end cards amongst the main three categories; the reason for this is because of the amount of power these cards offer. The latest card to hit the market is the HD 4770 which expands upon the HD 4700 series from ATI. The weird thing is that it's a series that we haven't heard about a whole lot leading up to its release, especially in the new model market. What we've seen from ATI lately are models in the HD 4800 series, HD 4890, HD 4870, HD 4850 and more. ATI Radeon HD 4770 512MB Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Apr-28-09] (0 Comments) The ATI Radeon HD 4770 graphics card might cost just $109, but the card doesn't look and perform like what many would expect out of a card in that price range. The Radeon HD 4770 was able to keep up with the Radeon HD 4850 and GeForce 9800 GTX+ in numerous benchmarks as a testament to that. For those that game in the 1280x1024 to 1680x1050 resolution range the Radeon HD 4770 should be fine for most games with average settings as our testing had the image quality cranked all the way up in almost every test and the card did fine... AMD Radeon HD 4770 512MB - World's First 40nm GPU @ pcper.com [Apr-28-09] (0 Comments) The beauty of the Radeon HD 4770 512MB graphics card is that itbrings another low price, high performance part to the market that will alsopotentially make AMD more money as the ramp up to 40nm technology at TSMCincreases. If prices stay stable (the $99 HD 4850 withstanding) then the HD4770 is the best card you will find under $100. Razer Arctosa Keyboard @ pro-clockers.com [Apr-27-09] (0 Comments) Today, we will be taking a look at the Arctosa keyboard. The Arctosais the lower model of the three keyboards that Razer make. Cosmetically itresembles the Lycosa which is Razer middle model keyboard. The Arctosa is aslick black keyboard that is screaming to place on the desktop of everygamer. Programmable macros, media keyboards and customizable profiles areall possible with the Arctosa makes it easier for the gamer in you to adjustthe keyboard just the way they want to have the edge in their next deathmatch. Vigor Gaming Monsoon III LT CPU Cooling System @ pcper.com [Apr-24-09] (0 Comments) Vigor's Monsoon III LT definitely delivered during testing and Ithink it could have even handled a mild overclock on our Intel i7-920 CPU. Iwas also a bit surprised at how well it kept up with our Zalman CNPS9900 LEDheatsink. The dual 120mm fans and dual fin arrays seemed to be a winningcombination that should give other third-party heatsinks on the market a runfor their money. QPad CT Grin - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Apr-22-09] (0 Comments) Whenyou’re looking at peripherals and in particular mice, the mousepad often falls by the wayside – mouse pads are just freebies forcompanies to advertise on right? Wrong; the mouse surface is almost asimportant as the mouse itself and a good pad will be smooth,comfortable and allow the mouse to be very high precision – somethingthat is essential for all gamers. So, spare a thought for the humblemouse pad and read this review to see if the QPAD CT Grin can stake aclaim to being the perfect surface. The large areas, high precisioncoating and non-slip backing all make for great reading but can itexcel in real world testing too? Let’s take a look. WD Scorpio Black 320GB Hard Drive @ legitreviews.com [Apr-21-09] (0 Comments) With a 7200 RPM drive speed, 16 MB cache, and 3 GB/s SATA interface speed, the Western Digital Scorpio Black 320GB hard drive looks impressive on paper and had solid performance numbers in the benchmarks. The performance benchmarks also showed that the Scorpio Black 320GB (WD3200BJKT) was faster than the Scorpio Blue 500GB (WD5000BEVT), which is no slouch. The Scorpio black series is faster than the blue series without a doubt. When compared to competing drives like the Seagate Momentus 7200.3 320GB hard drive, the WD Scorpio Black 320GB hard drive falls a bit short as it was found to have lower read and write speeds. The WD Scorpio Black 320GB hard drive did do better than the 7200.3 when it comes to access times though... Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet @ hardwaresecrets.com [Apr-16-09] (0 Comments) Review of the Wacom Bamboo Fun Tablet, an inexpensive tablet for you to draw and write on your computer using a pen. Thermalright AXP-140 HTPC CPU Cooler @ legitreviews.com [Apr-15-09] (0 Comments) The Thermalright AXP-140 HTPC CPU cooler opens up a couple of different ways to keep your system cool. Combined with a dual core 45nm CPU you should have no problem running this heat sink without a fan, or with one below 20 decibels. As an HTPC enthusiast that leans more towards the multimedia aspect as opposed to gaming, the difference in sound is HUGE! Instead of hearing the CPU fan spinning its little heart out when it comes to a quiet scene in a movie, you have a silent computer that keeps you focused on being entertained. That is really the whole point here, giving you peace of mind that your hardware is running cool, as well as giving you peace and quiet... How To Setup a Home NAS Server - QNAP TS-439 Pro Turbo @ legitreviews.com [Apr-08-09] (0 Comments) I found the TS-439 very easy to setup and use. The NAS served up files at reasonable speeds, and the performances of NFS was excellent. I am happy with the media server functionality and it was very simple to get my media served up to my PS3. I would have liked a manual or other comprehensive documentation for Twonky, though. Also, I had some issues with the finer configuration points such as setting the UIDs so that I would have proper permissions on all my files. I should mention that I contacted technical support with a number of my questions, and they were quick to respond and very helpful... Novatech Zu PC @ driverheaven.net [Apr-08-09] (0 Comments) LCD display.Read the review here: http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=749-- Allan =93Zardon=94 CampbellDriverheaven/GamingHeaven Editor In ChiefBA/BSc (Honours) Digital Art and TechnologyBA (Honours), Graphic and Media Design (Typo/Graphic Design)www.driverheaven.net | www.gamingheaven.net |This message is intended only for the use of the person(s) (=93The intended recipients)=94 to whom it is addressed). It may contain information which is privileged and confidential within the meaning of applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender as soon as possible. The views or offers expressed in this communication may not necessarily be those held by the company and must be clarified if in doubt.Company Registration Number:4019815VAT Number:GB879288744--Apple-Mail-76-972505695Content-Type:text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252Content-Transfer-Encoding:quoted-printableNovatech are a well known and reputable supplier of computer hardware and accessories in the UK and they sell a range of gadgets and electronics. They have a large offering of prebuilt desktop and laptop machines in their online store and today we're going to look at the Novatech Zu, a desktop computer containing ATI's fastest single GPU available on the market today accompanied with a Hyundai W240D 24 Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 @ pcreview.co.uk [Apr-07-09] (0 Comments) The most important component of KIS 2009 is undoubtedly the anti-virus scanner, which is the backbone of protection for any computer. Some of the most comprehensive AV testing is done by a company called AV-Comparatives, which test a variety of scanners against a huge database of viral infections. This is one of the most effective ways of measuring the performance of AV scanners, and provides a much more representative result than personal testing. In the latest test of on-demand AV scanners (Feb 09), Kaspersky is tested alongside 16 other products in their default modes. A 97.1 overall detection rate was achieved, which is roughly a mid-table result – however the number of false positives was significantly lower than many other scanners. Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 1GB OC Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Apr-07-09] (0 Comments) =22Alright. Time for a refresh, it's almost spring, and that's the season for growing video cards. The HD 4890 is, for all intensive porpoises, a re tooled HD 4870, which, in my humble opinion, is overdue. Not that the 4870 was by any means a bad card, and it certainly got its deserved amount of p ress, but it had its failings and, when prices were even, I'd generally rec ommend a GTX 260. AMD doesn't like losing on the price front, that's for da mn sure. But it never hurts to have a great high-end card, either. Look, this card still isn't a match for the ridongulous GTX 285 or the limited 29 5, but it's an outstanding improvement over the HD 4870. Enough to upgrade ?=22 NZXT Avatar Gaming Mouse @ modders-inc.com [Apr-07-09] (0 Comments) NZXT's Avatar gaming mouse is designed to provide gamers with theultimate crafted gaming armor to emerge victorious in the gaming arena ofchoice. Featuring a ambidextrous and smaller form, the Avatar mouse isversatile and ideal for gamers. Plantronics Explorer 370 Ruggedized Bluetooth Headset @ legitreviews.com [Apr-05-09] (0 Comments) Working with the Explorer 370 is really easy and natural. The headset just seems to work right with no weird quirks or hiccups. When a phone call comes in or when the user initiates a call, the headset responds quickly and transfers calls as fast as any headset we have tested. Advertised range of the headset is 33 feet and when tested in an open area, we can confirm those numbers. Usable range for the headset is easily 15-20 feet before encountering static or dropouts. For the majority of users - even those who have a need for a ruggedized headset – the range of the Explorer 370 will be satisfactory. It certainly doesn’t match the 100-foot + range of the Callpod Dragon, but then again, who really needs that kind of range? ASUS RT-N15 SuperSpeed N Gigabit Wireless Router @ tweaktown.com [Apr-04-09] (0 Comments) ASUS has been hard at work making themselves a global brand name. In recent years they have moved forward with a large number of products. In keeping with their already high standard for their components ASUS has produced some great networking products as well. We have had their WL-500gP V2 in house recently and although it lacked in speed, it had features found in more expensive products. Now we have their RT-N15 SuperSpeed N Gigabit Wireless Router. This wireless device claims a 300Mbps speed and a host of other features. We dive in and see if the RT-N15 can keep up. Zotac GeForce GTX 275 Amp! Edition @ techpowerup.com [Apr-02-09] (0 Comments) Today NVIDIA released their GeForce GTX 275 Series. While there are no architectural improvements, the new cards offer substantially improved performance at competitive prices. Zotac's Amp! Edition offers higher clocks out of the box - is that enough to combat ATI's new offerings? Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 RV790 Video Card @ benchmarkreviews.com [Apr-02-09] (0 Comments) The Radeon HD 4800-series has been a real success for AMD, and combined with Phenom II Processors they create a synergistic effect called ASUS WL-500g Premium V2 Multi-Function Wireless Router @ tweaktown.com [Mar-31-09] (0 Comments) Wireless networking has been a standard in homes and home offices for years now. As more people move from the desktop to the laptop we will see an even bigger increase in the need for fast wireless to handle our data. The evolving of the netbook has also ignited this frenzy. But with more and more people working, un-tethered files and printer sharing becomes an increasing problem. Enter the ASUS WL-500g Premium V2; this b and g specification wireless router has speeds of up to 54Mbps while combining the features of a NAS and wireless print server. Added on top of these features is a profile based QoS system (Quality of Service) that lets you easily prioritize the traffic on your network for the best performance. Additional FTP and Samba support round out the package. Thermaltake Element S Case @ rbmods.com [Mar-31-09] (0 Comments) When I choose a computer case, I am often drawn towards a couple ofthings:good looks and cool features that will make building and using thecomputer enjoyable. Thermaltake, makers of a wide variety of computer products, sent us asample of one of their new cases, the Thermaltake Element S Computer case,which from the package seems to combine stylish looks with a sophisticateddesign. Does this case have all the elements needed to be considered a casefor pros? Let's find out in this case review. Lancool Metal Boned K6 @ techpowerup.com [Mar-30-09] (0 Comments) The Lancool Metal Boned K6 packs a lot of the exclusive new features found in the modern Lian Li cases in a sleek and clean designed case. The Lancool Metal Boned K6 is intended for LAN party gamers, wanting great construction quality and sturdiness in combination with the looks and engineering backbone one has come to expect from Lian Li. ZOTAC GeForce GTX 295 1792MB Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Mar-30-09] (0 Comments) =22The GTX 295 is, like ATI's HD 4870 X2, two cards in one. It has two GPU s, connected by an onboard PCI-Express bridge, in SLI fashion. The GPUs ar e modified GTX 260s, architecturally identical, clocked at the same frequen cies, although slightly-cut improved memory bandwidth (the GPUs of the 295 have 589-bit memory interfaces unlike the 260-216s with 448-bit interfaces) . So there are two questions I have about this card:is it worth the pric e hike over two GTX 260s, and who is this card tailored for?=22 SanDisk Extreme III 4GB SDHC Flash Card @ legitreviews.com [Mar-29-09] (0 Comments) The SanDisk Extreme III memory SDHC was designed from the ground up for DSLR camera users as the card features read/write speeds of up to 30MB/second. This means that when shooting in rapid succession (your camera’s continuous shooting mode) the memory card should be able to keep up! Once you are done with your photo shoot you can then offload the photo/video content you shot at record rates with a card reader like the SanDisk ImageMate Multi-Card USB 2.0 Reader/Writer that supports cards of this speed. To top it all off the Extreme III also has write protection security feature that will not allow anyone to erase your files unless authorized. SanDisk Extreme III Secure Digital cards are available in 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacities, but today we are taking a closer look at the 4GB version... NZXT ZERO 2 Crafted Series Full Tower Case @ jonnyguru.com [Mar-28-09] (0 Comments) On occasion, we here at JonnyGURU.com take a step out of ournormal routine of talking about power supplies, and dive into somethingdifferent. Well today is one of those endeavors. We are going to take a lookat a chassis from NZXT, the Zero 2. The overall look of the Zero 2 chassis,closely reassembles the older sibling, the Zero. So let's dig in and see howthe Zero 2 holds up to todays standards. Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 Processor @ legitreviews.com [Mar-28-09] (0 Comments) With four processing cores running at 2.66GHz, a total of 6MB of shared L2 cache, a 1333MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) and the fact that the processor is built on the 45nm process are all great reasons to think about getting a Q9400. Add to that a 1.2GHz overclock that was easy to reach and you have yet another winner from Intel. If you don't want to go with an Intel Core i7 series processor, the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9XX's series of processors are good choices as they cost less and can still compete... HIS HD 4650 iSilence 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Mar-27-09] (0 Comments) The HIS HD 4650 iSilence with its passive Zalman cooling solution offers a noise free experience, which is especially important when building a quiet media PC system. On top of that you will also receive a full version of the STALKER Clear Sky game. WD Scorpio Blue 500GB Notebook Hard Drive @ legitreviews.com [Mar-25-09] (0 Comments) The Seagate Momentus 7200.2 200GB hard drive was able to reach 48MBps on both the read and write tests, but the Western Digital Scorpio Blue 500GB hard drive was able to reach 84MBps on the same test. With a 75% faster transfer rate the Western Digital Scorpio Blue 500GB hard drive is very impressive.. Hawking HomeRemote Pro Wireless Video Camera @ rbmods.com [Mar-24-09] (0 Comments) Recently we had the change to check out Hawking's HomeRemote Pro HomeAutomation Starter Kit and were impressed by the easy installation andintuitive user interface. As mentioned, there are a number of add-onaccessories to this system, and today we'll take a look one such item, theHawking HomeRemote Pro HRPC1 Wireless Video Camera. Will this camera takehome automation and monitoring to the next level? Read on to find out. Antec TruePower New Series 750W Power Supply @ pcper.com [Mar-23-09] (0 Comments) Antec has combined quality features from their high-end SignatureSeries with the affordable pricing of the TruePower line with theintroduction of the TruePower New series. The TruePower New 750W PSUdelivered excellent efficiency with good voltage regulation and cleanoutputs. The TP-750 is quiet during normal operation and includes a goodcompliment of both fixed and modular cables/connectors. And let's notforget Antec backs the TruePower New series with their 5-year warranty. Thermaltake BigTyp 14 Pro CPU Cooler @ tweaktown.com [Mar-19-09] (0 Comments) Thermaltake has sent for this review, the BigTyp 14 Pro. As mentioned, the BT14 Pro is a large cooler using a 140mm fan mounted in a horizontal fashion to blow air down through the CPU cooler and towards the motherboard. While this concept has been tried before and tested averagely, Thermaltake took things to a much larger scale with how the BT14 Pro is assembled. I will elaborate a bit more on these PaLiT GeForce GTX 260 55nm Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Mar-17-09] (0 Comments) Making the jump from 65nm to 55nm has helped tame load power consumption and enabled even more overclocking headroom. Judging from the overclocking results, PaLiT could easily ramp up the clocks another 20 to 30MHz on the core and compete against the top tier 65nm GTX 260s. The only sour moment we had with the PaLiT GeForce GTX 260 Sonic 216SP 55nm was the idle power consumption, the lack of 2D and 3D clocks threw off power consumption and tarnished an otherwise satisfactory card. This is due to a vBIOS issue and PaLiT is using a reference NVIDIA board. This means that NVIDIA needs to release a new vBIOS for reference designed cards. Right now the PaLiT GeForce GTX 260 Sonic 216 SP video card seems like a rush job that fails to impress us. What is the point of releasing a new card that is basically nothing more than a die shrink only to have a rushed and incomplete vBIOS? If the vBIOS was 100% this 55nm card would have lower temperatures and power consumption numbers when compared to a 65nm card at both idle and load, but that is not the case... [News] In Win NA 3.5" External HDD Enclosure @ virtual-hideout.net [Mar-17-09] (0 Comments) When I first saw the In Win NA at CES, my first impression wassomewhere between intrigue and confusion. At a distance, you couldn't tellwhat it was exactly. But, it had to be something tech related being that itwas CES. Sitting there on the table was what appeared to be a whiteporcelain storage container of sorts. It was the small white button and wirecut outs that suggested it was more than just any container, but a harddrive enclosure. At first glance, even my wife wondered what motivation wasbehind such a concept. And, she wondered what makes it so different from thecountless other enclosures that have been on the test bench. Once it wasassembled and set in the perfect spot on the desk, it suddenly revealed itsvalue and purpose. Sandisk ImageMate Multi-Card USB 2.0 Reader @ legitreviews.com [Mar-16-09] (0 Comments) Using the Removable Storage Benchmark found in SiSoftware Sandra 2009 SP3 we were able to get a pretty good idea of the performance that the SanDisk ImageMate Multi-Card USB 2.0 Reader/Writer offers with various file sizes. As you can tell from the chart above, performance generally increases as the file size goes up. In the 64MB Files Test the Sandisk reader was 39% faster than the Kingston reader when it came to reading files of this size... ASUS VW266H 25.5-in Monitor - Going large on a budget @ pcper.com [Mar-13-09] (0 Comments) The ASUS VW266H and VK266H offer an outstanding combination offeatures, screen size and price to really put a stamp on the LCD monitormarket. If you are a gamer on a budget or just a PC user looking for adisplay that can also be used for your console gaming or DVR set top box,then definitely give this ASUS monitor a shot! Topower Powerbird 1100 SE Power Supply @ pro-clockers.com [Mar-12-09] (0 Comments) The Powerbird was initially released in a 900 and 1100 model but alesser wattage 800 watt unit soon followed. Each of the power suppliessports a maximum 87% efficient rating and six 12 volt rails. From all thenumbers and specifications I am throwing your way you can see these powersupplies mean business. So much business that HP selected the 1100watt,which we are reviewing today, to use in the Blackbird gaming system. We willnow take the Powerbird for a spin to see if it is right for your highperformance rig. to:content-type; @ testfreaks.com [Mar-11-09] (0 Comments) The Spyder II GX Green Laser from Wicked Lasers is quite possibly the mostpowerful hand held laser in the world, and that's saying quite a bit real ly.The Spyder resembles a small flashlight and it's much larger than a commo nlaser pointer, this is because it's a constant on type of laser, meaning youcan run this laser full time until the battery runs out, unlike other laser swhere they need time to cool down, the reason the Spyder can do this isbecause of the integrated cooling system, inside of it. When you purchasethe Spyder not only do you get the laser, but you get a charge, twobatteries and even safety goggles. Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550S Processor @ legitreviews.com [Mar-11-09] (0 Comments) The performance of the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 processor was impressive, and for those wanting to spend under $275 on an LGA775 processor it packs some horsepower under the hood that rivals nearly any other LGA775 processor. With four processing cores running at 2.83GHz, a total of 12MB of shared L2 cache, a 1333MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) and the fact that the processor is built on the 45nm process are the reasons that it does so well in the benchmarks. The Intel Q9550 is also an overclocking monster as we were able to reach an overclock of 1.2GHz with ease. With the Intel Q9550 processor running at a clock frequency of 4GHz it was easily able to compete against the Intel Core i7 series, which shows what a little clock frequency will do to the potential of the Q9550... ASRock AOD790GX/128M AM2+ Motherboard @ benchmarkreviews.com [Mar-11-09] (0 Comments) Everybody knows that if you're number 2, you try harder, What if you're number 3 or 4, what do you do then? You look for Golden ASRock AOD790GX/128M AM2+ Motherboard @ benchmarkreviews.com [Mar-11-09] (0 Comments) Everybody knows that if you're number 2, you try harder, What if you're number 3 or 4, what do you do then? You look for Golden Palit GeForce GTS 250 2GB Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Mar-10-09] (0 Comments) We recently saw Palit announce that they would be offering the GTS 250 in three forms, 512MB, 1GB and the model we have here today, 2GB. I have to say, this amount of memory sounds quite excessive for a graphics card that barely makes it into the higher end spectrum of the market. Today we'll be having a look at the Palit GTS 250 against a number of cards. The main card we want to compare it against is the Galaxy GTS 250, which while carrying a clock speed a few MHz lower than the Palit in both the shader and core department, the main difference is the fact that we see an extra 1GB of memory on the latter card. GMC R-4 Bulldozer Computer Case @ rbmods.com [Mar-07-09] (0 Comments) Most computer cases on the market nowadays come with a fairlystandard set of equipment and have similar layouts. It's rare that you finda case that offers a unique design. GMC, makers of a wide range of computercomponents, has developed a new case, the GMB R-4 Bulldozer Computer Case,which challenges the concepts of traditional case design. Will this casebulldoze the competition? Let's find out in this review. Galaxy GeForce GTX 285 Overclocked Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Mar-07-09] (0 Comments) Just the other day we looked at the GTS 250 from Galaxy. But today we're looking at something a bit more higher up in the market, NVIDIA’s number two card and the fastest single GPU graphics card on the market; the GTX 285. Galaxy has taken the time to get a bit down and dirty with the card and squeeze some extra MHz out of it. We're going to find out just how these extra MHz effect overall performance when compared to a card that follows the reference clock speeds. TechwareLabs s the Ford Fusion Side Marker Replacement @ techwarelabs.com [Mar-06-09] (0 Comments) Today, JasonD steps out of the office to show us his new car. But, with the black and white theme of the Ford Fusion, the amber turn signals must go. Join us as we explain the process of replacing them, and where to get the replacements. BFG Tech GeForce GTS 250 Graphics Card @ legitreviews.com [Mar-04-09] (0 Comments) The BFG Tech GeForce GTS 250 1GB performed roughly the same as the original GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB, which makes sense since both cards have the same 'engine' under the hood. The BFG Tech GeForce GTS 250 1GB's larger 1GB frame buffer came into play when the image quality was cranked up or when running at resolutions above 1920x1200. In games like Call of Duty:World at War and FarCry 2 we were able to see a 10-13% performance improvement from the extra frame buffer. The GeForce GTS 250 didn't put a world of hurt on the GeForce GTX 9800+, as many of you would have guessed without reading any of this... Palit GeForce GTS 250 2048 MB @ techpowerup.com [Mar-03-09] (0 Comments) Today NVIDIA released their GeForce GTS 250 Series which is based on the G92 graphics processor that has already been used on a number of GeForce 8 and GeForce 9 designs. While NVIDIA's reference design comes with 1 GB of memory, Palit has chosen to create a card that comes with 2 GB of VRAM. Palit GeForce GTS 250 1GB Graphics Card - More G92b @ pcper.com [Mar-03-09] (0 Comments) Regardless of the politics involved, the GeForce GTS 250 1GB carddoes do one thing:decrease the price of great gaming GPU solutions fromboth NVIDIA and AMD for the consumer. Fan boys on either side will surelycomplain about how the other group is doing it, but it's a win for all ofus. You can now essentially buy a graphics card that will play most oftoday's recent PC titles at resolutions of 1600x1200 and above with top IQsettings for under $150, regardless of which GPU vendor you choose. How'sthat for a way to help get out of the funk of winter? Techseed v2 Launch @ I'd like to welcome everyone to the new version of tech seed. [Mar-02-09] (0 Comments) I’dlike to welcome everyone to the new version of tech seed. It’sbeen in the making for well over 2 months now, and has been the biggestoverhaul of any XSR Group site to date. However, all is now well andit’s my pleasure to introduce you to a plethora of new features.For Publishers: Easier RSS integrationwith example feed Automatic imagegrabbing from RSS Simpler Admin Panelsetup Category sorting onhomepage Multi-lingual reviewsubmissionHowever, one of the biggest feature introductions was adding asecondary account system for you readers out there. We felt that it wastime you made your voices heard on what reviews you like, and don’tlike. So the commenter account system was born. Anyone can sign up forthese accounts just by hitting the “Sign up” button at the top of thesite and selecting the commenter account.Readers/Commenters will also be pleased to hear we have improvedsearching facilities, as well as easier to navigate categories andarchive systems, making it easier to locate the reviews you want toread. With more than 30 publishers now signed up, we hope to make techseed the number one place to come to find the reviews you’re interestedin. ASUS BC-06B1ST Blu-Ray Disc Optical Combo Drive @ benchmarkreviews.com [Mar-02-09] (0 Comments) It wasn't more than a few months ago that Benchmark Reviews tested the ASUS BC-1205PT Blu-ray Drive, which was proven to be a SanDisk 16GB Mobile Ultra microSDHC Card @ legitreviews.com [Feb-28-09] (0 Comments) The SanDisk 16GB Mobile Ultra microSD card (part number SDSDQY-016G-A11M) comes with a SanDisk MobileMate Micro card reader makes switching devices simple. By inserting the microSDHC card into the MobileMate it can then be used in a computer or any device with an open USB port. This feature is nice for those that want to take pictures straight from their phone and look at them on a TV or digital picture frame as it can be done in seconds and nothing else needs to be purchased... Will truly DIY laptops ever exist? @ hardwaresecrets.com [Feb-28-09] (0 Comments) Today we don't have much control over the laptop configuration. We have to choose a portable from one of the list of available models from the manufacturer (it is true that big manufacturers provide a myriad of models to try to accommodate all kinds of user). Even with manufacturers that allow personalized configurations, you have to order the laptop and they will assemble one with the exact specs you requested and have to wait the system to be delivered. Today there is no way to build your laptop like the way we build desktops. Coolermaster ATCS 840 @ pro-clockers.com [Feb-26-09] (0 Comments) The success of the HAF932 was not a surprise to many of us as itoffered a lot room, a rugged good looks and enough fans and cooling to keepeverything in the case in good cool and solid running fashion. Coolermasterbuilding on the success of the HAF932 decided to take the functions andfeatures of the HAF and employ them in a new ATCS unit. The ATCS 840 willissue in a new class of ATCS (Active Thermal Convention System, yeah I knowI should have mentioned it earlier) with its abundance of room, huge fans,easy assembly and clean looks. If you are a person that like refined casesthis new case may be your next one. Noctua NH-U9B CPU Cooler @ tweaktown.com [Feb-25-09] (0 Comments) Today Noctua has sent us the NH-U9B CPU cooler for testing along with a matching optional fan to allow for dual fan testing. The Noctua NH-U9B is a scaled down version of the NH-U12P that we reviewed some time ago. The major difference with these two coolers is that this is a 92mm fan cooled version for HTPC, or possibly even some SFF cases. This four heat-pipe cooler shows promise from what I have read in reviews of other products, as well as word of mouth from forum members and highly experienced people like Chris. I know, technically the NH-U9B shouldn’t compete with its larger brother in temperatures, but Noctua pride themselves on quiet solutions to CPU cooling. With this in mind, I would hope this cooler is in fact quiet and can still hold its own footing battling temperatures. It is time we get to opening up Noctua’s NH-U9B and see if everything I have been lead to believe is true. Marvell Introduces Plug Computing with SheevaPlug @ legitreviews.com [Feb-24-09] (0 Comments) With the economy in nearing 1997 lows we all need a distraction from the pains of the market and today that distraction is the Marvell SheevaPlug. Marvell’s SheevaPlug looks like night light, but it is a what they are calling a plug computer — an embedded computer that plugs into the wall socket and is capable of running network-based services that normally require a dedicated personal computer. The enclosure is designed to plug directly into a regular US wall socket and draws less than one tenth of the power of a typical PC being used as a home server, which should lower your monthly electric bill if you run a PC at home 24/7. Even better the SheevaPlug development kit is available right now for $99 through Marvell... Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Feb-19-09] (0 Comments) Thecombination of Creative chip and Auzentech PCB magic was been asuccess before with the likes of the X-Fi Prelude 7.1. That card fitteda normal PCI slot but today we have its successor which slots into thePCI-e instead. I give you the Auzentech X-Fi Forte 7.1; can this cardcarry on the success of its predecessor and even go further in terms ofsound quality and performance? Time to find out. M-ROCK's Extreme Zion Laptop & Camera Bag @ legitreviews.com [Feb-19-09] (0 Comments) M-ROCK is primarily a maker of a line of camera bags. The line extends from very small bags for things like phones and music devices to their new combination laptop and full DSLR kit backpacks, with many intermediate sized bags between. There are several styles and many sizes of bags to fit the needs of almost any photographer. All of the M-ROCK bags (beyond the very smallest sacks) are made of durable padded nylon materials with soft non-scratch interiors, have combinations of hook and loop, zippers, and buckle closures and feature multiple carrying options such as hand-held, belt attached, and shoulder straps... OCZ Vertex Series 120GB SSD Performance P - Indilinx makes an intro @ pcper.com [Feb-18-09] (0 Comments) The Indilinx Barefoot controller, based on a custom logic ARMprocessor, is doing nothing dramatically different than JMicron or Samsungor even Intel controllers; but it has proved itself to be a strongcompetitor for a first offering. In my initial preview testing the OCZVertex drive offers read speeds just slightly below that of the Intel X25-M80GB SSD but in most cases has a much faster write speed than the Inteldrive thanks in large part to the addition of 64MB of on-drive cache. Griffin Wave Case for the iPhone 3G ed @ thetechlounge.com [Feb-18-09] (0 Comments) =22As news from Apple's recent quarterly results showed, the demand for i Phones has never been higher. With almost 6.9 million phones sold worldwide from July through September, demand for the phone and its accessories are expected to skyrocket. Griffin is one of the biggest names in iPod and iPho ne cases, and with the release of the new iPhone 3G, Griffin is there to pr ovide several case options, including the Wave Case.=22 World-Exclusive:Palit GeForce GTX 260 Sonic 216 SP 896 MB @ techpowerup.com [Feb-17-09] (0 Comments) Palit's new GTX 260 Sonic 216 SP is based on NVIDIA's latest GT200b 55 nm graphics processor. Palit has chosen to go with a dual fan design for improved airflow and increased overclocking. Not only the thermal design has been changed but also the PCB design, which features several cost optimizations and comes in an appealing ATI-red. Kentech Labs Ps-Mi Portable Apple iPod Audio System @ legitreviews.com [Feb-17-09] (0 Comments) With more than 173 million Apple iPods sold as of September 2008, the iPod has become a staple in households and offices around the World. Since the Apple iPod has become so popular many find themselves unable to part form them and take them to and from work, which means you have to have a way to listen to your large collection of music at both locations. Using headphones to listen to your music in the privacy of your own home does not really make sense, and transporting a docking station between multiple locations isn't going to happen. That leaves you with the option to buy a docking station for wherever you plan on listening to your music. With tough economic times you have to get certain 'bang for the buck,' and the Apple iPod universal docking station by Odio called PS-Mi might just be a winner from both an audio and price perspective... EVGA GeForce GTX 295 @ nvnews.net [Feb-17-09] (0 Comments) Priced at $504.99, the EVGA GeForce GTX 295 delivered average frame rates that were close to the GeForce 280 running in SLI. At the time this article was published, the cheapest GeForce GTX 280 was selling for $319. Two of them cost $638, which is a much more expensive configuration right off the bat. With an SLI configuration, additional costs are possible as the purchaser may require an SLI-enabled motherboard and also needs to consider the strength of their power supply and the number of PCI-E connections available. TechwareLabs s the Gigabyte 512M 9800GT Video Card @ techwarelabs.com [Feb-16-09] (0 Comments) Following up on our budget friendly reviews of hardware worth your hard earned cash we take a look at the video card segment. Looking to upgrade your graphics prowess but you don't want to break the bank? Today, Jason D takes a look at the most economical performance upgrade, the 9800 GT. Will Gigabyte crush the competition with this 512MB powerhouse, or be left in the electrical dust? Read on to find out... Message-ID:MIME-Version:Thread-Index:Content-Language:X-Authenticated-Sender:X-BeenThere:X-Mailman-Version:Precedence:List-Id:List-Unsubscribe:List-Archive:List-Post:List-Help:List-Subscribe:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding:Sender:Errors-To:X-Mailer:X-Face; @ overclockersonline.net [Feb-16-09] (0 Comments) Often, when a product is marketed for a certain special feature, itsuffers in other aspects. The ATP EarthDrive is not one of those products.In addition to being the world's first recyclable USB drive, it alsoperforms well. With read speeds just shy of 30 MB/s and write speeds of 10MB/s, the EarthDrive is similar to other USB drives we've reviewed in thepast. Its small size also makes it easy to work with. Also, it's waterproof! SAPPHIRE HD 4670 GDDR4 @ modders-inc.com [Feb-13-09] (0 Comments) Sapphire has a track recorded of taking the reference designs fromAMD/ATI and pushing them up a notch or two. The SAPPHIRE HD 4670 512MB GDDR4is another fine example of their hard work. Long-term performance analysis of Intel Mainstream SSDs @ pcper.com [Feb-13-09] (0 Comments) Dozens of different scenarios were played out on our drives. XP /Vista installs, repeated application / game installs, batch copying offiles, and custom IOMeter access patterns were all liberally applied to theX25-M. Various combinations of the above all seemed to point to one commondenominator - all three of our SSDs suffered a drop in performanceregardless of the type of workload applied to them. The next sections willexplore the issues at hand while simultaneously addressing any steps thatcan be done to counter the effects at play. Zotac GeForce GTX 295 1792 MB @ techpowerup.com [Feb-13-09] (0 Comments) Zotac's GeForce GTX 295 comes with two NVIDIA GT200b GPUs sandwiched together in one graphics card. The card can successfully defeat ATI's HD 4870 X2 in our benchmarks and offers plenty of overclocking headroom beyond that. Thanks to the 55 nm GPU design and clever power saving methods the card even delivers in the performance per Watt segment. AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE Black Edition CPU @ benchmarkreviews.com [Feb-10-09] (0 Comments) Three is a number not normally associated with processors, although it's actually gaining momentum thanks to Intel's triple-channel Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200S Processor @ legitreviews.com [Feb-09-09] (0 Comments) Seeing the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor (4MB Cache, 2.33 GHz, 1333MHz FSB) trade blows with the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor (8M Cache, 2.40 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB) was very impressive. Why is that impressive? Back in 2007 when the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor was launched it cost $851 in 1,000 quantities. When the Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 was released it was available for just $245 in 1,000 quantities. The actual street price today on an Intel Q8200 is just $169.99, so you are getting a great performing chip at a fraction of what it cost just two years ago. Not to mention that the processor we looked at today was built on a newer 45nm processor, uses less power since it is a 65W TDP part and is even more environmentally friendly thanks to being halide and lead free... Badaboom Media Converter v1.1.1 @ legitreviews.com [Feb-06-09] (0 Comments) Just yesterday Elemental Technologies released a second update to Badaboom Media Converter with release v1.1.1. This version fixes 12 bugs and also adds new features like FRAPS support for gamers that record demos and a new 960x540 resolution for Apple TV users. Legit Reviews asked Elemental Technologies to think about including FRAPS support in December as I thought that gamers and enthusiasts would see a value in being able to easily record and format movies for social networking sites like YouTube. It is a great feeling to see your ideas come to life, so let's take a look at the latest version of Badaboom Media Converter... * XSs Anniversary Competition @ forums.xsreviews.co.uk [Feb-05-09] (0 Comments) HappyBirthday XSReviews! To celebrate our 3rd anniversary in thereview game, we've got a shed load of prizes to give away to our forummembers. The rules are simple, just signupfor an account if you haven't done so already, and post 5 timesanywhere on the forums. That's it. We got gaming mice, mats, PSU,router and plenty of other bits. You don't want to miss this one. XFX GeForce 9800 GT 512MB XXX Edition @ bit-tech.net [Feb-05-09] (0 Comments) */Despite packing performance that's a good few frames per second faster NZXT Zero 2 Case @ rbmods.com [Feb-05-09] (0 Comments) When I choose a computer case, I typically am drawn towards a coupleof things:good looks and cool features that will make building and usingthe computer enjoyable. NZXT, makers of a wide variety of computerproducts, sent us a sample of one of their new cases, the NZXT Zero 2mid-tower computer case, which claims to combine stylish looks with extremecooling capabilities Can their case live up to these lofty claims? Let'sfind out in this case review. ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Palm Motherboard @ legitreviews.com [Feb-03-09] (0 Comments) In the world of motherboard makers, they just don't get any bigger than ASUS. Over the past year the company has grown by leaps and bounds. They have always offered a value priced motherboard with a good selection of features and stability, and at the same time they build in overclocking must haves. The last couple of years we've seen a number of enthusiast motherboards, but none have offered more than ASUS. They keep building in more and more features to cater to overclockers. It's to this end that we have the ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Palm... Corsair Dominator 6GB DD3 Memory Kit TR3X6G1600C8D @ benchmarkreviews.com [Feb-03-09] (0 Comments) Today, we at Benchmark Reviews will be presenting our findings for the Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D memory kit which is a 6144 MB kit of 1600 Spire SP331CB USB CombiPod Card Reader @ rbmods.com [Feb-02-09] (0 Comments) Nowadays you can find memorycards almost everywhere. Digital cameras,mp3 players, PDA:s , mobile phones and even some laptops use them as theirstorage device. Having a card reader in your computer can boost datatransferring from the memory card significantly. Spire has provided us theirnewest USB2 card reader which we will have a look. SimpleTech [Re]Drive - 500GB External Hard Drive @ techwarelabs.com [Jan-30-09] (0 Comments) If you have a lot of important data that you need to back up, you need an external hard drive. I know exactly what youre thinking:why not help out your planet while you back up your information? Well now you can. Join Will as we take a look at the energy-efficient, resource-conscious external hard drive made with renewable, naturally grown bamboo and recyclable aluminum. And its got 500GB of storage priced less than the drive alone costs to boot. But will the energy efficiency affect the drives performance? Join us as we take a closer look. Thecus N4100PRO NAS @ legitreviews.com [Jan-30-09] (0 Comments) The Thecus N4100PRO uses an AMD Geode LX800 processor and 256MB of DDR memory for powerful data-processing capabilities. The N4100PRO has the capacity for four 3.5 XSs Competition - 1 week left @ forums.xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-30-09] (0 Comments) HappyBirthday XSReviews! To celebrate our 3rd anniversary in thereview game, we've got a shed load of prizes to give away to our forummembers. The rules are simple, just sign up for an account if youhaven't done so already, and post 5 times anywhere on the forums.That's it. We got gaming mice, mats, PSU, router and plenty of otherbits. You don't want to miss this one. XFX 9800GT 512MB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-28-09] (0 Comments) Consideringhow long it took XSR to get it's first high end graphicscard review, it's interesting that they are now one of our mostoft-reviewed pieces of hardware. Not to be the exception to the rule isour recently acquired 9800GT from XFX. The smaller brother of the morewell known GTX branding, the GT saw excellent sales during the 8 seriesfor it's high end performance, with lower end price tag. Let's see ifincreasing the initial number by 1 makes much of a difference. Dell Inspiron Mini 9 Netbook Computer ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jan-28-09] (0 Comments) =22The default Windows XP configuration comes in at =24399, and has 512MB o f RAM and an 8GB solid state drive (SSD, they're flash-based, like your i Pod nano or iPhone). For =2450 more you can upgrade to a 16GB SSD and 1GB o f RAM. Its more expensive than the comparable netbooks from Asus or Acer, t hough the lack of Windows XP configurations that closely match the Dell mak e a direct price comparison difficult since both Asus and Acer netbooks th at come with Windows XP come with 120GB or 160GB hard disk drives, compared to the SSD in the Dell Mini 9.=22 ASUS M4A79T Deluxe Motherboard Pictures - Socket AM3 @ legitreviews.com [Jan-27-09] (0 Comments) While we've had a number of engineering sample motherboards floating around our test bench in recent weeks the ASUS M4A79T Deluxe motherboard is the first retail motherboard to show up at our door step. The ASUS M4A79T Deluxe motherboard packaging states that it is designed for the new AMD AM3 processor series. It also says that the board uses 100% Japan-made solid capacitors that have a VRM of 57 years at 65C as well as other features like anti-surge protection, DDR3 Memory, Quad CrossFireX, Express Gate, and an 8+2 phase power design. It is clear that this AMD 790FX chipset powered board is loaded with a ton of interesting features, so let's open the box and see what it comes with... Should Notebooks Come With Higher Quality Built-In Cameras? @ hardwaresecrets.com [Jan-24-09] (0 Comments) Should Notebooks Come With Higher Quality Built-In Cameras? Definitely yes!The problem is that lots of people still think that the only parameter to measure camera quality is the resolution (number of megapixels), which is not the best way to compare cameras. Technic3D/NZXT Whisper @ technic3d.com [Jan-23-09] (0 Comments) The NZXT Whisper is the next PC Case in the Technic3D Editorsh ip. The chassis that is designed for the enthusiast that combines nois e dampening features with expandability and storage. Featured in a lar ge size E-ATX Full Tower, the Whisper can support up to Nine hard driv es and a total of six 5.25 ASUS EAH4870 Matrix 512MB Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Jan-22-09] (0 Comments) The Asus Matrix HD 4870 is a most unusual card to overclock. Unlike nearly every other video card I've overclocked, this particular card has been equipped with everything you would need to reach the limits of the components. With Asus' iTracker software, you can increase the GPU and GDDR5 voltages well past what would be useful on air-cooling... * XSs Competition - 2 Weeks Left @ forums.xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-21-09] (0 Comments) HappyBirthday XSReviews! To celebrate our 3rd anniversary in thereview game, we've got a shed load of prizes to give away to our forummembers. The rules are simple, just signupfor an account if you haven't done so already, and post 5 timesanywhere on the forums. That's it. We got gaming mice, mats, PSU,router and plenty of other bits. You don't want to miss this one. AXP 2.5/3.5 SATA HDD to eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo Dock Station @ rbmods.com [Jan-21-09] (0 Comments) With todays need of more drive space and easy access to USB ports andmemory readers forces us to have alot of extra devices on the table. AXP hasfound a solution to this by combining 2,5/3,5, USB and a card reader intothe same device. This devices can easily take care of all your media with aquick plugin function and E-SATA interface. Lets have a closer look to seehow this device will perform and how it actually looks like. Leadtek GeForce GTX 285 1024 MB @ techpowerup.com [Jan-20-09] (0 Comments) NVIDIA's latest addition to their graphics card lineup is based around the 55 nanometer GT200b. The new card offers more performance, consumes less power and is quieter than the previous model. Yet these improvements cost you a premium of about $70 over the GTX 280. Is that price justified? Intel X25-M SATA 80GB MLC SSD @ benchmarkreviews.com [Jan-20-09] (0 Comments) In early September, 2008 Intel released their mainstream series of solid state drives. In its initial offfering Intel brought two drives GeForce 185.20, ambient occlusion tested @ tcmagazine.com [Jan-14-09] (0 Comments) Everywhere you turn these days you see people saying that 2009 will be tough, with economic recession, more trouble in the Middle East and the filming of BloodRayne 3. Despite the grim outlook, this year has started on a high note for Nvidia graphics card owners as a new GeForce driver bearing a new feature and the potential of improved performance got trapped in the spider-less world wide web. Also coming with a rather high number jump - from 180.70/87/88 to 185.20, the driver features support for every GeForce desktop card from the 6 series up and adds a new tab in the Nvidia Control Panel that enables Ambient Occlusion, a lighting model that's supposed to bring more realism to 3D games. GELID Wing9-Wing12 UV Blue Case Fans @ modders-inc.com [Jan-12-09] (0 Comments) Today we are going to be taking a look at a set of case fans froma relatively new company called GELID Solutions. With the endless number offans on the market, you can just about get anything you want, if you lookhard enough. We are going to be looking at the GELID Wing9 and Wing12 UVBlue case fans. GELID has done what a few other manufactures have done;offer us something different than the normal case fan. EVGA GeForce GTX 295 SLI Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Jan-09-09] (0 Comments) The EVGA GeForce GTX 295 graphics card has solid performance numbers and was hands down the faster card after the benchmark numbers were averaged out and the wins added up. If that wasn't enough the GeForce GTX 295 is also more energy efficient! Since the GeForce GTX 295 takes up the same number of slots, performs better and uses less power doing it there isn't really anything negative to say about the card. It comes into the market as the flagship card from NVIDIA and successfully took away the performance crown from ATI without a big fuss... NVIDIA BFG GeForce GTX 295 @ pcper.com [Jan-08-09] (0 Comments) The single card performance (though dual GPU of course) of the BFGGeForce GTX 295 1796MB solution was impressive and the new card easily takesthe top spot as the best performing single slot graphics card available.The Radeon HD 4870 X2 has FINALLY been unseated after a full five and halfmonths as the king of the hill. NVIDIA would have liked to haveaccomplished this feat earlier than this but I imagine they were forced towait for their 55nm process move (from the 65nm that the GeForce GTX 280 andoriginal 260 use) to fit inside the power envelope. AMD Phenom II X4 940 Processor @ legitreviews.com [Jan-08-09] (0 Comments) For the average consumer, Phenom II is a surprisingly efficient powerhouse and its power consumption numbers will only get better once all the power saving features are enabled in BIOS. It is also a relatively cheap platform, compared to Core i7. An off-the-cuff estimate, I'd say you pay 60% of the price for a Core i7 system and get 80% of the performance.... First Online Photo's of Asus New Aluminum EeePC keyboard with Embedded Screen @ techwarelabs.com [Jan-07-09] (0 Comments) See the first online photo's of Asus new EeePC keyboard with Embedded Screen at TechwareLabs. This sleek aluminum machine includes an Atom Processor and everything you would find in a netbook in the standard form factor of your average keyboard. Get our shots at our site. XSs 3rd Year Anniversary @ forums.xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-06-09] (0 Comments) HappyBirthday XSReviews! To celebrate our 3rd anniversary in thereview game, we've got a shed load of prizes to give away to our forummembers. The rules are simple, just sign up for an account if youhaven't done so already, and post 5 times anywhere on the forums.That's it. We got gaming mice, mats, PSU, router and plenty of otherbits. You don't want to miss this one. [News] PromoLocker Custom VH USB Drive @ virtual-hideout.net [Jan-04-09] (0 Comments) What we will be looking at today is what PromoLocker calls their U29- Lanyard Drive. This product, like their many many others is fullycustomizable with colors, logos and even text on the lanyard itself and isavailable in sizes from a measly 64MB all the way up to a hefty 8GB. We'llbe looking at the 8GB size today with a custom Virtual-Hideout.net suit on.Let's take a look at what PromoLocker has to say about this particularitem. ASUS Eee PC 1002HA @ hardwaresecrets.com [Jan-04-09] (0 Comments) We took an in-depth look on the new member of ASUS Eee PC, 1002HA, which is a “Netbook” (small laptop) based on Intel Atom N270 CPU (1.6 GHz) with 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD, 1.3 MP webcam, 802.11b/g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth and more. [Affiliates News] Spire Torq Laptop Backpack @ aphnetworks.com [Jan-02-09] (0 Comments) After months of torture in Engineering class, I often find ithard to believe that I am finally done with this term. For the last few days,I 'slept in' until 7:00AM, and tried hard to lose the weird food addictions Ihad during final exams. I spent a lot of time with friends, watched numerousepisodes of The Simpsons, and I even started playing the occasionalCounter-Strike:Source (If you don't know me, I have to tell you that I amnot a gamer -- that's only because I am too leet for it ;) Just kidding haha)-- when the fun stuff is all over, I figured it was about time to get back toreality. That was when I realized that I had been excusing myself so much,that I delayed my review schedule quite a few times already. Here's the dealthough:I gained quite a bit of time for thorough testing in real life. Whenthe Spire Torq arrived at APH Networks, I was so glad that finally there'ssome physical relief from the stress and strains (No pun intended. Or isit!?) of higher education. The Spire Torq is a large laptop backpack that'sdesigned for practicality, combined with lots of room, infinite amounts ofpockets, and comfortable enough for extended periods of usage. I've beendropping my clipboard, occasional textbook, drawing notebook, a couple ofcalculators, pens and pencils, and of course, my Lenovo ThinkPad T400notebook computer around for almost a month already. This classroom to thatlecture hall, one building to another, library to train station, trainstation to car, you get the idea. Here's my impression of Spire's Torq laptopbackpack, and how it works out for me. CoolIT Systems Domino A.L.C. Water Cooler @ legitreviews.com [Jan-02-09] (0 Comments) The performance of the Domino A.L.C. simply blew me away like no other cooler has in years. When the performance numbers showed that the Domino A.L.C. was outperforming the Thermaltake BigWater 760is I was floored to say the least. The price tag on the Thermaltake BigWater 760is is $149, which is more than double that of the Domino A.L.C. and it performed worse. This just goes to show that a water cooling kit needs to be a well rounded and polished to get the best performance. CoolIT Systems seems to have the Domino A.L.C. setup with the optimal hardware and water flow to have a winner on their hands... The Most Disappointing Games of 2008 @ bit-tech.net [Dec-30-08] (0 Comments) */Ah, Grand Theft Auto IV, how the mighty have fallen. We remember when Belkin's Powerline AV Network Adapters @ bit-tech.net [Dec-29-08] (0 Comments) */While the actual speeds we experienced were a long way off the 200Mbps Thermalright AXP-140 heatsink unveiled and unboxed! - VR-Zone @ vr-zone.com [Dec-26-08] (0 Comments) Remember the legendary Thermalright XP-120? It gained recognition forbeing one of the first heatsinks to tame the heat from Intel's notoriousPresshot (sorry I meant Prescott) processors. Even though many heatsinkshave overtaken it in terms of cooling performance, it still remained as apopular option for HTPCs. Today, Thermalright has released the successorto the XP-120, dubbed the AXP-140. Join VR-Zone in the unboxing of theAXP-140! Solid State Drive (SSD) Benchmark Performance Testing @ benchmarkreviews.com [Dec-26-08] (0 Comments) In this article, Benchmark Reviews sets out to detail the performance differences between SSD products attached to the JMicron JMB322 NZXT Whisper Full-Tower Computer Case @ benchmarkreviews.com [Dec-24-08] (0 Comments) Finally, a chassis that is designed for the enthusiast that combines noise dampening features with expandability and storage. Introducing Asrock AOD790GX/128M @ pro-clockers.com [Dec-23-08] (0 Comments) The 790GX brings a lot to the table in form of features andperformance for the dollar. The main feature would definitely be theintegrated Radeon HD 3300 graphic chipset. Sharing up to 512MB of memory anyboard possessing this integrated GPU will be a simple source for moderategaming. And if gaming isn't your cup of tea but visual performance is, thenhow about support for multi-display setup without the use of an additionalvideo card? Yes, the 790GX packs a lot and we will begin our coverage of thechipset with the Asrock AOD790GX/128M. Staff Picks @ thetechlounge.com [Dec-23-08] (0 Comments) =22So it's December 22nd, and you probably just got off work... Suddenly it hits you. It's December 22nd. Crap. Christmas is so close it could touch y ou inappropriately, were it so inclined. Fear not, forgetful, procrastinati ng mortal. TheTechLounge is here to save the day. Four of us sat in dark lo nely corners scribbling on shabby old notepads until we each came up with a list of 10 goodies we'd like to get for Christmas. Or for no reason at all , just because you love us.=22 Jeantech Unicorn - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-22-08] (0 Comments) Whenit comes to building a pc, many enthusiasts leave the case to thelast thing on their list. However, does this crucial part in anycomputer deserve its ‘bottom-of-the-pile’ rank? Today at XSReviews, wehave Jeantech’s latest case – the Unicorn. Boasting a huge coolingpotential and easy installation, will this case prove its worth and beable to climb off the bottom rung? Let’s find out… ASUS EAH4870 DK TOP 512MB Video Card @ benchmarkreviews.com [Dec-22-08] (0 Comments) Benchmark Reviews is no stranger to the Radeon HD 4870 and today we add one more to the ranks:the ASUS EAH4870 Dark Knight Top. This 'DK [Affiliates News] OCZ Special Ops PC3-10666 2x2GB @ aphnetworks.com [Dec-21-08] (0 Comments) Oh, what a difference two years make. When we reviewed the OCZSpecial Ops Urban Elite PC2-6400 2x1GB in December 2006, DDR2 was justgaining momentum, costs as much as performance DDR3 costs now, and therevolutionary first wave of Core 2 Duos 6-series for desktops and 7-seriesfor mobile were still fresh in the hands of die-hard enthusiasts. I was luckyenough to be an owner of a then-amazing Core 2 Duo T7400 based laptop, and asignificantly overclocked E6300, in which I still have to this day. In thosedays, I was enjoying a relatively care-free life in high school, compared tomy current uber intense engineering schedule. It's kind of funny how I'mstill the Editor-in-Chief at APH Network despite all this -- I guess thisprovides me with some sort of relief and entertainment. Heck, I lived inanother city towards the end of 2006. Do I miss the days? To be honest, Isort of do. As I run the last stretch and my university first term pulls toan end with less than two weeks before finals, and daily prayers of, Technic3D/Thermaltake Spedo @ technic3d.com [Dec-19-08] (0 Comments) The Thermaltake Spedo Advance is the next PC Case in the Techn ic3D Editorship. See you in the following Review which qualities and F eatures the Gaming Tower from Thermaltake presents. Better with Cable Routing Management, Advance Thermal Chamber, Support up to 8 fans and side 23cm fan? First Look:Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295 graphics card @ bit-tech.net [Dec-18-08] (0 Comments) */We've only had a short time with Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295, but it looks set to take the performance crown from the Radeon HD 4870 X2. However, that performance crown won't be held in a dominant manner like we witnessed back in August when AMD launched its dual-GPU monster. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 P - Performance King Returns @ pcper.com [Dec-18-08] (0 Comments) The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 has definitely taken back the topperformance spot from AMD and the HD 4870 X2 card - a new king has beencrowned. We still have some questions to answer before giving ourunequivocal thumbs up on it including noise and power consumption, but atfirst glance both of those look like they are in check and within reasonablelimits. By combining two 55nm GT200 GPUs into a single graphics card designNVIDIA was able to reassert leadership in the market - a move the companywas in desperate need of. AeroCool AeroRacer Pro PC Case @ techwarelabs.com [Dec-17-08] (0 Comments) Buying an awesome tricked out computer case is the nerdy equivalent to buying a suped up hot rod of a car. The case is the outward manifestation of awesomeness inside. AeroCool does its best to combine car and computer with its AeroRacer Pro case. Unfortunately AeroRacer won't get you as much attention with the ladies as a real car, but it terms of nerd street cred, it works rather nicely. Also unlike a car, this case won't break the bank with its cost. So does the AeroCool AeroRacer Pro have what it takes to leave others behind in the dust? Lets take a look and find out. Cryostasis PC Game TechDemo - Physics Benchmarking @ legitreviews.com [Dec-17-08] (0 Comments) It was obvious from the second we started benchmarking that the ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB graphics card that the CATALYST 8.12 drivers have not been optimized for Cryostasis. Cryostasis is part of NVIDIA's 'The Way It’s Meant to be Played' program and the game isn't due out for a couple months, so the ATI results don't mean much right now. The NVIDIA performance numbers, on the other hand, should be pretty close to what you'll see when the game hits store shelves and the numbers are solid. Adding a dedicated PhysX card to the system did improve the average frame rate, which is interesting to see considering we were using a GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 graphics card... ASUS Eee PC 1000HA Netbook @ techgage.com [Dec-16-08] (0 Comments) With a countlessnumber of netbooks available, we're looking to see ifthe originator of them all still has what it takes to deliver a modelthat's both affordable, and complete with the features we're after. The1000HA lacks the Bluetooth and Draft n of the 1000H, but still retainsthe same great looks, along with killer battery-life. G.Skill FM-25S2S-64GB SATA-II MLC SSD @ benchmarkreviews.com [Dec-16-08] (0 Comments) Back in November 2007, after experiencing the SuperComputing Conference SC07, finding Solid State Drives on sale anywhere was a real Tagan Diablo Advance PC Case @ techwarelabs.com [Dec-15-08] (0 Comments) Tagan is perhaps best known for their line of power supplies, which combine high-performance specs with a flashy, LED-laden presentation that certainly catches the eye. Expanding on this theme, Tagan has come out with a number of cases that combine various levels of flash with generally solid design. Today, we will be taking a look at Tagan's most recent addition to their enthusiast case line, the El Diablo Advance. After we put this case through its paces, you can decide for yourself if the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. [News] ECS G45T-M2 Motherboard @ virtual-hideout.net [Dec-15-08] (0 Comments) Perhaps as a byproduct of their strong OEM division, ECS has beenproducing a number of reasonably priced, fully featured, general-purposeMicro ATX motherboards. Though these boards lack advanced cooling, fantasticoverclocking, or award winning aesthetic, they have always offered oneconsolation - a great value. Though the chipset that today's motherboard isbased on - the G45 - isn't known for fantastic performance, it's featuresheet is fairly comprehensive, and considering the availability of severalSATA ports, as well as HDMI, ECS may have just whipped up a nice little HTPCcontender. With that in mind, let's take a look at what this board can do. Left 4 Dead and A Vampyre Story ed @ gameconnect.eu [Dec-11-08] (0 Comments) Zombies. Left4Dead has a lot of zombies. There's weapons, and ammo, and enough shell casings to build a life-size replica of the Taj Mahal, but mostly, Valve's lastest shooter is filled with zombies. Do you enjoy teamwork? Are you into atmospheric locales that would give Dario Argento and George Romero the creeps? Are you enthrealled by cooperative gameplay? Do you often find yourself cursing your cowardly team mates for leaving you behind in dire straits to save their own skin? Left4Dead delivers all of the above, and then some, provided you don't object to zombies. MSI Radeon HD 4830 512MB OC Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Dec-10-08] (0 Comments) Tucked away under the cooler on the MSI Radeon HD 4830 are the eight Samsung memory ICs that make up the 512MB for the 256-bit frame buffer. Notice that the 4 + 1 phase power design uses solid capacitors and solid state chokes. This helps reduce loading and provides more stable and power and a longer lifespan. Not all the capacitors are solid state though, as the video card has five electrolytic capacitors... XFX GeForce 260 GTX AT NVNews.Net @ nvnews.net [Dec-09-08] (0 Comments) The XFX GeForce 260 GTX is outperforming and outclassing the XFX 8800 GT 512MB XXX that a few months ago was the reigning champion of the $200-$300 price range. It'll be hard to find a card with a better value to performance ratio than the XFX GeForce 260 GTX for the holiday season. =?windows-1252?Q?Folding_at_Home_Contest_-_Win_One_of_Two_2GB_Kingston_Memory_Kits_ @ bigbruin.com [Dec-08-08] (0 Comments) In order to promote the Bigbruin.com Folding at Home (F@H) team, we're giving away a set of Kingston HyperX system memory. The winner will have their choice of either a 2GB 1150MHz DDR2 dual channel kit or a 2GB 1600MHz DDR3 dual channel kit. The contest is simple... In order to win you must first be a registered member of the Bigbruin.com forum. Entrants must then contribute at least 5000 points to the Bigbruin.com F@H team (#13848) between December 07, 2008 and December 30, 2008. ATI HD 4870 1GB vs. NVIDIA GTX 260/216 896MB:Follow-Up @ techgage.com [Dec-08-08] (0 Comments) Two weeks ago, we published a performance comparisonbetween NVIDIA's GTX 260/216 and ATI's HD 4870 1GB. What we found wasthat NVIDIA had the upper-hand, both in performance, and efficiency.Today, we're re-testing ATI's card with their new 8.12 driver, to seeif it can increase performance enough to sway our decision as to whichis the better card. Vidabox Premium Wireless Keyboard with Laser Mouse @ techwarelabs.com [Dec-07-08] (0 Comments) As media center PCs are becoming more and more popular, the need for a nice universal wireless keyboard and mouse is becoming more necessary. Being able to sit at your couch and able to control your PC without a cluster of wires allows you to use your computer in comfort. But the biggest problem is to find a nice keyboard for Media Center use, as most wireless keyboard / mice are aimed towards desktop users. Join Michael as he takes a look at the Vidabox Wireless keyboard and laser mouse combo. Could this be your solution? Read our review to find out. Kingston DataTraveler 150 32GB USB Drive @ techwarelabs.com [Dec-06-08] (0 Comments) Join Chris as he takes a look at the massive storage offered in a small pocketable space by the Kingston DataTravler 150 32GB thumb drive. Chris takes you from unpacking to testing and shows you if this drive is up to our standards. Read our review to find out if the Kingston DataTraveler 150 should be in your toolkit. Mod of the Month - November 2008 @ bit-tech.net [Dec-05-08] (0 Comments) */I have to admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for small form factor case mods and jhanlon303's latest project is another that has grabbed our attention this month. jhanlon303 has been making some good progress and, unlike his fellow modder on the previous page, he prefers a more hands on approach to planning. Holiday Gaming Performance Guide - How to waste your time @ pcper.com [Dec-02-08] (0 Comments) For our initial performance testing, to judge which of these fivegames meet all the criteria for our benchmarking suite, I threw a pair ofgraphics cards at the games. From NVIDIA we went the new 216 shader GeForceGTX 260 896MB graphics card since it is the most price-conscious high-endGPU and because the previous 192 SP version of the card is EOL. For AMD,the Radeon HD 4870 1GB card was picked as it is the top single-GPU card onthe market from the company and matches up reasonably well with the GTX 260in terms of pricing. Sitecom's WL-308 Wireless 300N XR Gigabit Gaming Router @ bit-tech.net [Dec-01-08] (0 Comments) */It's all a bit frustrating really, as when we started testing we really thought Sitecom was onto a winner here by combining all the high end networking features we crave with a unique advantage of an inbuilt traffic management system. Unfortunately, while the StreamEngine technology does indeed work in managing the downsteam bandwidth and is clearly a fantastic new technology with a lot of potential (and one we'll be keeping close eyes on), it doesn't do enough to ensure playable pings in online games when a connection's upload traffic gets busy, which is a real shortcoming considering it is the router's unique selling point.. [News] Antec Skeleton Open Air Case @ virtual-hideout.net [Dec-01-08] (0 Comments) The Antec Skeleton is an original, innovative concept finally put towork. It's a fresh break from square edges, windows, and standard features.Besides being unconventional, it combines excellent features of both aaccessibility and efficient use of space. The quality and design behind theSkeleton are top notch Antec. If you're a real enthusiast, you just have toask yourself one question. Are you afraid of change? Tomb Raider:Underworld @ bit-tech.net [Nov-28-08] (0 Comments) */Crystal Dynamics has always seemed to have had issues with the camera Gigabyte's Radeon HD 4850 1GB (GV-R485MC-1GH) @ bit-tech.net [Nov-28-08] (0 Comments) */There are some clear benefits to the additional 512MB of graphics memory present on Gigabyte's Radeon HD 4850 1GB graphics card in some titles, but they're not there in others. Over time, the industry trend is definitely moving towards more graphics memory - that trend has existed for years now and it's not going to change any time soon - but the improvements on the Radeon HD 4850 1GB aren't quite as profound as they are on the Radeon HD 4870 1GB. Lian Li Maxima Force 750w PSU @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Nov-27-08] (0 Comments) Lian Li’s Maxima Force 750W PSU is a very capable powersupply, it was hardly phased by all the load our test rig could generate and kept its voltage output strong and steady. The matt black industrial look is a great finish and didn’t have any imperfections that I could see. Lian Li have thrown on some embossed aluminium badges that compliment this look and I think it works well. The AXP 2.5/3.5 Docking Station - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Nov-25-08] (0 Comments) Overthe past few years, external hard drive docks are becoming moreand more popular as they allow the user to easily back up their datawithout having to install another HDD inside the case. AXP has kindlyprovided their latest Combo Station Block, let’s see how it performs. Nexus Beamair @ techwarelabs.com [Nov-25-08] (0 Comments) From the Funky Files comes the Beamair, a product we were left scratching our heads over. Join Jason as we take a look at both the history of the honeycomb as well as the Beamair from Nexus. Will this stylish and sleek adapter direct air where you want it to go? Read on and find out. QNAP TS-409U Turbo NAS @ techwarelabs.com [Nov-24-08] (0 Comments) Businesses are always in need of more storage, and those with experience know that its the data that is important and therefore redundancy is critical. We take a look today at the QNAP TS-409U Turbo NAS which combines several features to bring you a device that is not only easy to use and fast, but also provides redundancy. The TS-409U has a laundry list of features and aims to please everyone from the advanced home user to the most needy of businesses. Is the TS-409U just what the doctor ordered? Read our review to find out. ATI HD 4870 1GB vs. NVIDIA GTX 260/216 896MB @ techgage.com [Nov-24-08] (0 Comments) In the $250 - $300 price-range, there exists two graphicscards that want to see your dollar, but which one deserves it the most?To find out, we're taking a thorough look at each. In addition togeneral performance comparison, we're also taking a look to see whichexcels where power consumption and temperatures are concerned, inaddition to overall pricing. MSI Radeon HD R4670 512MB @ viperlair.com [Nov-24-08] (0 Comments) It's performance is astonishing when you consider the $80 price tag, $65 after rebate . I wish I had an 8800GT to hand, because I wouldn't be surprised to see the MSI R4670 match or beat it right across the board, and consider that the 8800GT's are still twice the price or more, and it's a no brainer. Pretty much everyone is feeling the pinch and counting the pennies, so it's nice to know that if you do have to compromise and get a low priced card for your gaming, your not going to be missing out on much this time around. If you're the casual gamer and used to buying budget priced cards, then the MSI R4670 might just give you an inkling on what you are missing out on with higher end cards. Cooler Master V8 CPU Cooler @ legitreviews.com [Nov-19-08] (0 Comments) The V8 from Cooler Master is a very unique looking cooler that performs quite well. In the cooler world today it is getting harder to tell one tower cooler from another. This is not the case with the V8. With its crazy heatpipe bends and the fan shroud it makes the cooler stand out. Combined with the fact it really can perform, to me this makes the V8 a very attractive cooler... ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB AMP Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Nov-19-08] (0 Comments) One of the greatest things about fabrication processes is that they can be shrunk. Assuming that your architecture is forward-thinking enough, and it navigates issues with power plane-mapping and transistor leakage and all that, you can take your design, make it smaller, run it faster, and use less power. ATI has reaped great successes going from 65nm to 55nm, and NVIDIA is going the same way with their G92 parts. This process will take their 8800 GT, an excellent performer at the time of its release, rename it 9800 GT, and reap away. I mean, that would be the way to do it if you wanted to make any sense whatsoever. Because this is a regular ol' 65nm part. ASUS EN9800GT Matrix 512MB @ pcper.com [Nov-19-08] (0 Comments) The 9800 GT does not OFFICIALLY support 3-Way SLI even though thecard sports the necessary SLI connection for it. The answer from ASUS isthat because the 9800 GT Matrix shares some manufacturing options with othercards, the connectors were left on for easy transition. If someone were soinclined, they could likely modify the firmware in such a way to activatethat second SLI connector and perhaps get a set of 9800 GTs workingtogether. Left 4 Dead @ gameconnect.eu [Nov-18-08] (0 Comments) General impressions on the demo were overwhelmingly positive, and players the world over have been blowing the heads, arms, legs, projectile intestines, teeth, claws and other assorted bodyparts off the most intelligent zombies this side of nothing you've ever seen before. Now the game's out, and it's time to get to that cursed hospital. Velocity Micro Edge Z55 - Intel Core i7 Gaming System at @ hothardware.com [Nov-18-08] (0 Comments) Like many enthusiast system manufacturers, Velocity Micro makeshand-built, high-end gaming rigs using the latest components, such asIntel's Core i7 processors. Velocity Micro claims that they pride themselveson their extensive customization options, meticulous assembly procedures, atechnically trained staff, and in-house US-based support. Each system ishand-assembled by expert engineers and run through extensive testing toensure complete functionality. As you'll see, Velocity Micro's engineers arealso appear to be very careful about how they route and tie cables to ensureoptimal airflow within the chassis. Sapphire HD 4830 512MB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Nov-18-08] (0 Comments) WithATI continuing to dominate the top end graphics card market,they're releasing cards left right and centre, to get even a firmergrasp on the top end of the industry. Today I'm looking at their 4830card, which promises some top performance with a reasonable price tag.Let's see how it does. Sapphire Radeon HD4650 OC Edition 512mb GDDR3 @ modders-inc.com [Nov-18-08] (0 Comments) Are you looking for a budget graphic card for your HTPC withenough kick to really game with? A graphic card that is energy efficient butalso has enough power to play the latest and greatest games. If that's notenough for you how about you throw in 320 stream processing units, up to 1GBof memory and support for Microsoft DirectXR10.1 games, the ability to watchBlu-Ray movies and play HD content. Well Sapphire Tech has done just thatwith the HD 4650 OC edition graphics card. Not possible you say? Oakley O ROKR Pro Bluetooth Sunglasses @ legitreviews.com [Nov-17-08] (0 Comments) When a phone call did come in, it registered quickly by pausing any music that was being played and playing a distinct ring tone. Incredibly, very few people could tell that I was on a Bluetooth headset – let alone one that was embedded in some Oakley sunglasses. Even when on the bike, the Motorola electronics did a great job of filtering out wind noise and enhancing my voice when on a call. The Oakley O ROKR Pro has to be one of the best performing Bluetooth headsets we have had the pleasure of testing... [Affiliates News] VidaBox Premium Wireless HTPC Media Center Keyboard @ aphnetworks.com [Nov-16-08] (0 Comments) It has been over half a year since we last reviewed akeyboard, the last time being the APH Recommended Logitech MX5500 Revolutionby Jonathan. During the past six months, things in the technology world havechanged quite a bit -- for example, the introduction of the dual core IntelAtom 330, increasingly common usage of Mini ITX boards, and in general,low(er) cost computing products. Such products have lead to the creation ofNettop computers; a range of computers that are not only value oriented, butalso features a low running cost. Products built around Atom processors arealso propagating the market quickly -- from the Asus Eee Box to the ShuttleX27. Such computers are great for home theater PC setups if you're not aftersomething like 1080p Blu-ray decoding. Speaking of HTPCs, it's interestinghow computers are becoming more and more popular in the living room. Combinedwith such features built right into various editions of common operatingsystems, affordable computing hardware (Even if it's not a Nettop unit,excellent performing parts are readily available at very reasonable prices),and a large collection of peripherals to go with it in the market today,making it your weekend DIY project shouldn't be much of a luxury or challengeanymore. Okay, let's get to the point. Today, we'll be reviewing the VidaBoxPremium Wireless HTPC Media Center Keyboard. To be honest, I have never heardof VidaBox prior to this review. A quick visit to their website indicatesthat they have a ton of interesting home theater product, this keyboard isonly one of many. Let's see how this keyboard that's made primarily for hometheater computers works out. And not to mention that it has the uber hardcoregood ol' trackball. [Affiliates News] VidaBox Premium Wireless HTPC Media Center Keyboard @ aphnetworks.com [Nov-16-08] (0 Comments) It has been over half a year since we last reviewed akeyboard, the last time being the APH Recommended Logitech MX5500 Revolutionby Jonathan. During the past six months, things in the technology world havechanged quite a bit -- for example, the introduction of the dual core IntelAtom 330, increasingly common usage of Mini ITX boards, and in general,low(er) cost computing products. Such products have lead to the creation ofNettop computers; a range of computers that are not only value oriented, butalso features a low running cost. Products built around Atom processors arealso propagating the market quickly -- from the Asus Eee Box to the ShuttleX27. Such computers are great for home theater PC setups if you're not aftersomething like 1080p Blu-ray decoding. Speaking of HTPCs, it's interestinghow computers are becoming more and more popular in the living room. Combinedwith such features built right into various editions of common operatingsystems, affordable computing hardware (Even if it's not a Nettop unit,excellent performing parts are readily available at very reasonable prices),and a large collection of peripherals to go with it in the market today,making it your weekend DIY project shouldn't be much of a luxury or challengeanymore. Okay, let's get to the point. Today, we'll be reviewing the VidaBoxPremium Wireless HTPC Media Center Keyboard. To be honest, I have never heardof VidaBox prior to this review. A quick visit to their website indicatesthat they have a ton of interesting home theater product, this keyboard isonly one of many. Let's see how this keyboard that's made primarily for hometheater computers works out. And not to mention that it has the uber hardcoregood ol' trackball. ATI Stream Computing:From the desktop to the datacenter @ pcper.com [Nov-14-08] (0 Comments) AMD claims to have 2 million HD 4000 series GPUs in the marketcreating a pretty large user base for ATI stream compatible applications.As of today, stream applications are NOT enabled with publicly availabledrivers but that will be addressed in the next revision of Catalyst comingin December. Once that update is ready, all 2 million of the Radeon HD4000-series cards should be stream compute ready and will be able todownload the new Avivo Transcoder for free as well. Sapphire HD 4550 512MB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Nov-12-08] (0 Comments) Whenit comes to GPUs, everyone always looks to the top end cards tojudge the current performance available on the market. Really though,the majority of money is made in the mid and budget range cards asthat's what everyone can afford. The main problem with these though, isoften the performance doesn't allow the prospective gamer much headroom for what games will be playable. Today we have the 4550 card fromSapphire which with 512MB, we're hoping will give reasonable gamingability. Let's find out. Cooler Master HAF 932 @ techpowerup.com [Nov-12-08] (0 Comments) The Cooler Master HAF 932 is a great looking case with its industrial and rugged design. It sports two 230 mm fans to cool those parts to the max. Removable hard drive trays and plenty of space for large components, all packed up inside this steel case makes for a perfect combination. Palit Revolution 700 Deluxe - HD 4870 X2 2048 MB @ techpowerup.com [Nov-12-08] (0 Comments) Palit's new Revolution 700 Deluxe is the first graphics card that occupies three slots in your PC. The massive cooling assembly successfully increases overclocking performance, lowers temperature and reduces fan noise. But is that good enough to beat the AMD reference design? Sapphire HD4850 512MB Video Card @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Nov-12-08] (0 Comments) ATI have done very well with the 4850 and Sapphire has done just as well with the implementation of the card and bundle. Sapphire’s 4850 can be found for around £110 online which while not the cheapest 4850 is one of the lower priced 4850’s out there. When combined with the decent bundle of parts and software it makes this good value for money in terms of the 4850’s out there. Vidabox Wireless Media Keyboard @ pro-clockers.com [Nov-11-08] (0 Comments) The Vidabox Wireless Media Keyboard is a welcome addition to my newentertainment center. The Vidabox eliminates having to get up off the couchmaneuver around a table and whatever else I have on the floor to get a holdof the wired keyboard I was using. And not only is it a keyboard but thereis a laser mouse embedded right in the unit. The Vidabox keyboard is gearingup to be the ultimate input device for anybody running a HTPC. Palit 9800GTX+ @ pro-clockers.com [Nov-08-08] (0 Comments) This leads us to today's review sample which is the Palit 9800GTX+.The overall specifications of the 9800GTX+ are very similar to the 9800GTXwith a few differences. The main difference is the reducing of die size.After months of playing second fiddle to AMD when it came down to die sizeNvidia finally got with the program and reduced theirs to 55nm. This meant afew things to the consumer one being less power consumption. And for thosethat really like numbers higher clocks came along for the ride. How does745/1100 sound? I figured you would like that. Palit has a couple morefeatures that will win you over if these first couple don't. Fanatec Porsche 911 Racing Wheel @ techwarelabs.com [Nov-07-08] (0 Comments) Today TechwareLabs takes an in-depth look at the Porsche® 911 Turbo Racing Wheel from Fanatec and distributed by Pacific Media Partners. Licensed by Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH, the Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo Racing Wheel offers gamers latency free wireless USB technology (wheel and pedals), three force feedback motors and smooth belt drive, both of which help to deliver sensational realism, 6+1 speed H-pattern gear stick with realistic shifting feel, and authentic wireless pedals with realistic clutch pedal (with declining resistance) and brake with soft-stop. The wheel itself is covered with fine, automotive grade leather. Its time to shift your game into high gear and read the review. =?windows-1252?Q?Sapphire_Radeon_HD4850_X2_2048MB_Graphics_Card__ @ bigbruin.com [Nov-07-08] (0 Comments) Sapphire is back again with another specialty graphics card based on a high end ATI Radeon GPU. The newly released Sapphire Radeon HD4850 X2 2048MB graphics card incorporates a pair of Radeon HD4850 graphics processors and 2048MB of GDDR3 memory on a custom PCB to create one serious looking piece of equipment. Leadtek GeForce GTX 260 Extreme+ 216 Shaders @ techpowerup.com [Nov-06-08] (0 Comments) The new Leadtek GeForce GTX 260 Extreme+ comes with an increased shader count of 216 compared to 196 on the regular GTX 260. Leadtek has also overclocked the card for some free extra performance. In our testing the GTX 260 Extreme+ delivers excellent performance per Watt claiming a number one spot in the test group. Zotac 9400GT 512MB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Nov-05-08] (0 Comments) Overthe past few years, nVidia have become used to holding theperformance crown firmly on their brow. With the recent introduction ofATI as the Queen Bee of the GPU world with their 4 series of cards,especially with the 4870 x2 taking the top performance award, nVidiahave been playing catchup. With that said, the green camp have releaseda wide range of mid-range cards with very low price points, in anattempt to draw in the mid to budget range crowd. Today we have the9400GT from Zotac, a company that's reputation has grown steadily overthe last few years. Will this card stand up to our scrutiny? Lets findout. First Look:Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 2GB @ bit-tech.net [Nov-05-08] (0 Comments) */There are some good things about the design too though -- the most important one may not sound very important, but it really is. Despite it being a physically bigger card than the 4870 X2, it's lighter and so you're unlikely to encounter problems if you're transporting your system (to LAN parties, for example) with everything assembled. We've seen a couple of Radeon HD 4870 X2-based systems that have ripped the PCI-Express x16 slot almost clean off the motherboard during shipping, so this concern isn't unfounded -- for those of you with Radeon HD 4870 X2s installed, we'd recommend removing the card before transporting your system if you're using the stock cooler. Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 2048 MB @ techpowerup.com [Nov-04-08] (0 Comments) Being priced at reasonable $419, the Sapphire HD 4850 X2 is designed to take some market share from NVIDIA's GTX 280. The card features 2 GB of GDDR3 memory and comes with a custom designed cooling solution. Even though you would expect very little overclocking from a dual-GPU card, we saw an amazing 15% performance increase from overclocking without touching any fan settings. bit-tech's Hardware Buyers' Guide for November 2008 @ bit-tech.net [Nov-04-08] (0 Comments) */Phew! it's been a busy month here in the bit-tech offices, with October full of fantastic new hardware launches, and November set to be just the same. With the launch of Intel's Core i7 we'll doubtless be seeing a major shake up of the high end and ultra high end recommended hardware as the range of processors and accompanying motherboards and memory start to make thier way into the market. Sapphire HD 4650 OC Edition 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Nov-03-08] (0 Comments) Sapphire's HD 4650 Overclocked comes with a solid overclock out of the box. But during our own overclocking tests we saw an amazing untapped overclocking potential resulting in more than 20% real world performance increase. Even without overclocking this card, that's in the $70 price range, is an excellent deal considering price/performance. Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Processor @ legitreviews.com [Nov-03-08] (0 Comments) The performance numbers speak for themselves as the Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition proved itself to be more than 35% faster than the equally clocked Core 2 Extreme QX9770 processor in a number of benchmarks. This is an impressive number and one that may be higher than many expected. When overclocked the Core i7 965 was wickedly fast and ripped through performance tests faster than anything we have ever seen... If you were building your dream luxury notebook, what are the top five features you’d include? @ hardwaresecrets.com [Nov-01-08] (0 Comments) This is a very good question, and every hardware expert will give you a different opinion. The fact of the matter is it would depend on the usage you’d give to your laptop. While some features are common to all kinds of user – 54 Mbps wireless network is a minimum requirement nowadays – some other features depend on the kind of [Affiliates News] World's Most Powerful:Wicked Lasers The Torch @ aphnetworks.com [Nov-01-08] (0 Comments) In today's world, the term [electric] torch is often usedsimultaneously with flashlight. But remember why torches were called'torches' in the first place? Because these portable open fires have somereal burning power (After all, it does carry real fire and fuel) in additionto, well, some lighting ability. On the other hand, a conventional flashlighthas practically zero designed fire power, as its purpose is to provide light;and depending on what you have, most consumer units have a very poor range.When I think of 'torch', Wicked Laser's The Torch comes into my mind. Why?It's called The Torch for a really good reason -- simply put, it can burnthings, and no, I'm not kidding. But unlike conventional fire torches, it hasnothing short of incredible brightness and range. Carrying a 100W bulbpowered by a massive nickel-metal hydride battery, anything within severalinches of The Torch will definitely begin to burn in seconds. Meanwhile,other than its insane ability to transfer heat over short distances, TheTorch is also insanely bright with an amazing range. We'll show you somephotos in just a moment. With a brightness rating of 4,100 ANSI lumens, it'sroughly twice as bright as an average home theater LCD projector. They callit The Torch world's most powerful flashlight (As currently reviewed byGuinness World Records) with a very good reason. Excited? We won't keep youwaiting. Not excited yet? That's also a very good reason for you to read on. Cooler Master's ACTS 840 chassis @ bit-tech.net [Oct-31-08] (0 Comments) */While its performance isn't world beating, the ATCS 840 is still undoubtedly one of the best cases we've seen for a long time - it has thoroughly impressed us during our time with it. Combining gorgeous looks, fantastic build quality and unmatched attention to detail throughout the entire design, Cooler Master has produced a case of the highest quality that thoroughly deserves your hard earned cash. It might be expensive, but it's most definitely worth it!/* Galaxy GeForce GTX 260+ 896MB Graphics Card @ pcper.com [Oct-30-08] (0 Comments) The new KFA2 Galaxy GTX 260+ is showing itself to be formidablecontender in the mainstream performance graphics market. By using the new,upgraded GTX 260+ (aka GTX 270, etc) GPU the KFA2 brand is able to take thata bit further by pushing up the clock rates of the core, shaders and memoryby about 13% producing a much faster than stock graphics card. In mytesting the Galaxy card was able to beat out the highly overclocked EVGAGeForce GTX 260 FTW card and was ALMOST on par with the BFG GTX 280 1GB cardin many cases. Vidabox Premium Wireless Keyboard @ techpowerup.com [Oct-30-08] (0 Comments) With HTPC's gaining more and more in popularity, various input devices and peripherals for them are becoming a more integral part of the market. With many options to choose from for keyboards, mice and the combination of both, it's hard to come to a conclusion on what suits the HTPC best. Vidabox may have an answer with their Vidabox Premium Wireless Keybaord w/ laser trackball as an all in one solution. HIS ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB graphics card @ bit-tech.net [Oct-30-08] (0 Comments) */When you look at the Radeon HD 4830 in isolation, only comparing it to Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3 1333MHz @ pro-clockers.com [Oct-29-08] (0 Comments) Just a few weeks ago Crucial released some new DDR3 modules under theTracer line. The modules came rated at a mere 1333MHz but at a industry low6-6-6-20 timings. One may look upon this as great when it comes to such lowtimings but not so great when it comes to the low speed rating. Well this isa kit from Crucial and you can beat it has plenty in the tank to give somevery respectable numbers in the overclocking department. Read along to seejust how high we got with this new kit. Aquacomputer AquagrATIx HD4870X2 vga watercooler @ hardwareoc.at [Oct-29-08] (0 Comments) Aquacomputer is a German water cooler manufacturer. The Aquagratix is a combinedGPU/RAM/VRM-cooler for graphics cards of the type ATi HD 4870 X2 according toreference design. This cooler combines the features of a graphics chip coolerand RAM-coolers in an elegant and very flat water cooler. Thereby the slot nextto the PCI-Express-slot remains useable. Additionally the voltage regulatorsare also cooled effectively. The possible temperatures are also impressive. MSI N9800GT GeForce 9800 GT 512MB Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Oct-28-08] (0 Comments) In the time I’ve had to spend with this card, I haven’t really found much to dislike about it. The card has performed well in Folding@Home and in Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare. Of course, I didn’t try to push the card to ridiculous resolutions, as gamers that own 24” or 30” monitors probably aren’t looking at sub-$120 video card to run them. Even with Crysis Warhead, where I thought the card could stumble and fall, as many higher priced cards did with the original Crysis, the 9800GT from MSI was able to play the game fairly smoothly at 1280x1024. Asus 9800GT Matrix Videocard @ rbmods.com [Oct-28-08] (0 Comments) Another day another review and today we got Asus latest 9800GT Matrixcard on the bench with DirectX 10 support and 512 mb DDR3 video memory sothis should be a interesting review as we are going to compare it vs someother high performing cards on the market right now. Sapphire HD 4550 Video Card @ pro-clockers.com [Oct-27-08] (0 Comments) And if you are one of these people that don't need the biggestbaddest video adapter on the market just something that will get you by andplay your videos at a clean crisp rate then the Sapphire HD 4550 may be upyour alley. The HD 4550 is no bottom of the line GPU but a card that boasts512MB of DDR3 memory at 900MHz and a 600MHz core. At $60 you will not haveto settle with just what will get you by as the card supports Crossfire andHDMI with 7.1 audio support. But with all this being said how will the HD4550 stack up on the ladder of other cards offered by Sapphire and ATI. Butterkneter's Far Cry 2-themed Playstation 3 mod @ bit-tech.net [Oct-24-08] (0 Comments) */A while back, I received an email from Ubisoft asking me for some concept art for a potential Far Cry 2 mod based on Sony's Playstation 3. Ubisoft had been pleased with my past work when I worked with it on a number of similar projects for Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six:Vegas 2, so with such a big game I needed to create something special. AMD Radeon HD 4830 512MB Graphics Card @ legitreviews.com [Oct-23-08] (0 Comments) AMD has done a great job bringing the Radeon HD 4000 series to market and they now offer a product at every price point available and the offerings are impressive. The AMD Radeon HD 4830 was found to be a solid performing graphics card that was able to play current game titles at decent resolutions with many image quality settings cranked up. How can you complain with the performance numbers on the Radeon HD 4830 when the price point is only $129? Sunbeamtech Core Contact Freezer @ pureoverclock.com [Oct-23-08] (0 Comments) On the test bench today is Sunbeamtech's Core Contact Freezer, which offersHeatpipe Direct Touch (HDT) technology, a newer trend in tower-styleheatsinks, and promises some efficient cooling numbers. AMD Radeon HD 4830 512MB - Do we need another sub-$150 GPU? @ pcper.com [Oct-23-08] (0 Comments) The HD 4830 512MB is obviously a strong contender in this area andputs the GeForce 9800 GT on notice becoming the best card you can get forless than $130. In our gaming tests I saw the HD 4830 clearly outpace theGeForce 9800 GT in both Call of Duty 4 and Crysis, two games that areusually quite favorable to NVIDIA's GPUs and drivers. Bioshock alsoperformed well on the HD 4830 but the tests at 2048x1536 indicate to me thatthe cards are about equal in this title. PowerColor Radeon HD 4830 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Oct-23-08] (0 Comments) PowerColor's new HD 4830 features the same 640 shader pipes as the AMD reference design, but comes with a big dual-slot cooler. Also new is a native HDMI output which supports HDCP and 7.1 channel audio. Thanks to a PowerColor designed PCB the card will retail about $10 cheaper than the reference design from AMD. Raidmax Aura Case at Modders-Inc @ modders-inc.com [Oct-22-08] (0 Comments) Raidmax has introduced a new member to its Performance SeriesGaming Cases, the Raidmax AURA. A mid-tower computer case. ASUS EN9800GTX+ 512MB Dark Knight @ techgage.com [Oct-21-08] (0 Comments) Need a new mid-range GPU for under $200? NVIDIA's 9800GTX+ is a good model to keep in mind, and ASUS' Dark Knight card inparticular proves to be one well-worth considering. The card offersgreat gaming performance for the cash, even handling certain games at2560x1600 with ease, has a sweet-looking cooler, and best of all, ispriced-right. HSPC TopDeck Tech Station @ pureoverclock.com [Oct-20-08] (0 Comments) Today we're examining the HSPC Top Deck Tech Station, an open-air case thatfeatures an improved design from the original, in an easy-to-assemblepackage that should prove very enticing to anyone who regularly swapshardware or is searching for a test bench setup. XSR Link Correction @ xsreviews.co.uk [Oct-16-08] (0 Comments) Computercooling is becoming a much more widespread topic with extraemphasis on silence in comparison to the past where this aspect ofcooling was more or less disregarded in an attempt to produce maximumperformance. The challenge that faces most manufacturers nowadays isthe perfect combination between the two. Today at XSReviews, we have awhole series of Arctic Fans up for review. However, the question iswill this latest series of fans be able to meet both the demands ofperformance and silence? NZXT Guardian 921 Case @ rbmods.com [Oct-16-08] (0 Comments) With the large number of case manufacturers on the market, we here atRbmods.com don't get a chance to review every case on the market. But it'sstill exciting when we get to evaluate a new company's case, especially whenthey offer features that stand out amongst the crowd. Today we get to lookat a case from NZXT, a provider of a wide range of computer and gamingaccessories, called the NZXT Guardian 921 Case. Will this case turn a buildinto a computer rig everyone will want? We will find out in this review. Das Keyboard Professional ed @ thetechlounge.com [Oct-16-08] (0 Comments) Any keyboard will type, but the Das Keyboard Professional (and Ultimate) take the decades-proven IBM standard and make it perfect. Each key is crafted, every keystroke is perfect. The sound coming off it is musical. Gaming being just as important as typing, this machine turns would-be broken little fingers into nimble sprinting, crouching, or whatever you bind to left shift. Zotac's GeForce 9300 (MCP7a) Motherboard @ bit-tech.net [Oct-15-08] (0 Comments) */Zotac's board isn't the fastest or most capable out there, but for just being stable and for HTPC playback it's the best Intel solution currently available. The Nvidia GeForce 9300 gives it an underlying boost to be something great with dual digital displays, perfect HD HQV numbers (that we've not seen before) and Blu-ray playback that the Intel G45 can't match. Arctic Cooling Fans - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Oct-15-08] (0 Comments) Computercooling is becoming a much more widespread topic with extraemphasis on silence in comparison to the past where this aspect ofcooling was more or less disregarded in an attempt to produce maximumperformance. The challenge that faces most manufacturers nowadays isthe perfect combination between the two. Today at XSReviews, we have awhole series of Arctic Fans up for review. However, the question iswill this latest series of fans be able to meet both the demands ofperformance and silence? Microsoft SideWinder X5 Gaming Mouse @ tweaktown.com [Oct-15-08] (0 Comments) Microsoft has sent me a whole box of goodies to review recently and in amongst the pile of goodness is something sinister looking; something very black and very evil...The SideWinder X5 Gaming Mouse. This is a modified version of the classic SideWinder gaming mouse that sported a lovely burgundy coloured detailing. However, they have done away with the colouring in favour of a look that reminds us of stealth bombers. Gone are the silver side buttons, replaced with some black ones to complete the look of pure malevolence. It's like Darth Vader in mouse form. Sapphire HD 4870 TOXIC Edition @ modders-inc.com [Oct-13-08] (0 Comments) What we have come to expect from Sapphire is that when a top tiergraphics card has been released a newer and more powerful one will be on theway and branded with the Toxic name. They have done it again with thepowerful HD 4870 by cranking up the numbers and by adding a heat pipecooling system. Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse with BlueTrack @ tweaktown.com [Oct-13-08] (0 Comments) The latest slick offering from the big MS mob comes in the form of a rather miniature rodent, the Explorer Mini Mouse! The little gem is touting the latest all-surface tracking technology as well as power saving features and a sporty little bag, too! The most important feature of this mouse is its ability to track on almost any surface; this thanks to a new blue LED based technology called “BlueTrack” which works by giving a better image of more varied and non uniform surfaces. This is most appreciated by the mobile users who need their mice to work on a number of surfaces as they move about, sometimes even their leg or a park bench. Pioneer Blu Ray / DVDRW (BDC-202BK) @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Oct-13-08] (0 Comments) Today I am going to be looking at another product from a company that doesn’t immediately spring to mind when talking about the computer hardware industry. The company in question is Pioneer and the product is one of their new Blu Ray / DVDRW combi drive the BDC-202BK. Coming from a household name like Pioneer I expect nothing less than the best, even though Pioneer isn’t generally known for computer hardware. Boddaker's Battlestar Galactica case mod @ bit-tech.net [Oct-13-08] (0 Comments) */First order of business was to disassemble the case down to its bare Technic3D/Brothers in Arms - Hell's Highway @ technic3d.com [Oct-12-08] (0 Comments) Brothers in Arms - Hell's Highway PC Game from UbiSoft arrived Technic3D. Operation Market Garden was a real-life Allied offensive d esigned to destroy Nazi Germany before Christmas, 1944. The plan was a mbitious - it was largest airborne invasion in the history of the worl d. The plan was to capture a corridor through Holland to punch through the German lines. Paratroopers of the 101st Airborne and other divisi ons dropped from the sky in mid-September to seize and hold the corrid or by surprise. The surprise attack was a bust. Follow Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division in Anatomy of the Playstation 3 @ hardwaresecrets.com [Oct-10-08] (0 Comments) We completely disassembled the Sony Playstation 3 video game console (80 GB version) to show you how it looks like inside and the components used. Genius Luxemate 525 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Oct-09-08] (0 Comments) Whilstin a game, aside from the ability to accurately shoot youropponent in the face, the ability to move is fairly high on your listof things to do. Most people will have a keyboard to do this with theusual WASD configuration of walking about. However many companies arenow bringing out little innovations to make this easier:Circularkeyboards with all the buttons you need for gaming on, highlighting thecommonly used buttons on your keyboard with back lighting or arecombining the two and adding a little gaming keyboard to the side ofour normal one. The last of these options is what Genius have done withthere latest professional keyboard, the Luxemate 525 Star Cruiser. Butwith a compromise between a normal keyboard and a gaming one can it beany good? GeForce 177 vs 178 quickie @ tcmagazine.com [Oct-09-08] (0 Comments) Just like an old married couple, after a rather long (four weeks) dry run we're ready for a new quickie to rekindle the love for new graphics drivers. This time, the combatants are Nvidia's last official 177 release, the GeForce 177.92 beta and the first two 178 drives made available - the official and WHQL-certified GeForce 178.13 and the dev-friendly GeForce 178.15. Will Current Performance Memory Kill New Intel Core i7 CPUs? @ legitreviews.com [Oct-09-08] (0 Comments) All of the memory companies we talked to informed me that they will have triple channel memory kits ready when the platform would launch, but none would give a specific date when this would happen. I also didn't find one company that hurt or ruined a processor by running higher than 1.65V on the memory kits, and a good number of the above memory companies said they are testing at voltages above 1.65V. What does this mean to enthusiasts and gamers around the world? It means that everything is fine and that these new triple channel memory kits are going to be the right choice for an Intel X58 Express platform... SilverStone OP1000-E 1,000W Power Supply @ pcper.com [Oct-09-08] (0 Comments) The OP1000-E PSU incorporates a single, powerful +12V output thatcan deliver up to 80A (960W) of combined load. Using a single +12V rail isa trend we are seeing in many newer power supplies. Traditionally,manufacturers have created multiple +12V outputs by implementing currentlimiting circuits into their design to conform to the old 240 VA maximumguidelines - no single output should exceed 240 VA (12V x 20A = 240 VA).Having multiple current limited +12V outputs can lead to power distributionproblems, particularly with some power-hungry video cards. Delivering asingle, powerful +12V output is a better approach IMHO. Samsung S3 MP3 Player ed @ tweaktown.com [Oct-09-08] (0 Comments) Arriving on my doorstep recently was a sleek and sultry little number from the big S, their new S3 series MP3 player. The version sent to me by post as pictured is the “pretty in pink” model, because as a modern 20something guy, I’m secure in my manliness... The menu system of the player is fairly intuitive and you will rarely find yourself flummoxed or lost in menus, so it’s easy to switch into DSNe 2.0 environments while playing a track. There is a bunch of standard pre-sets offering you EQ boosts and then there are spacial simulators to give the effect of a concert hall or a stadium gig. Asus Eee PC S101 @ bit-tech.net [Oct-08-08] (0 Comments) */Opening the flap reveals the Eee PC S101's striking metallic burnt orange lid -- a massive change from the black and white casing used on the older Eee PCs. It's already clear that Asus has changed direction with the S101 and we think that it's for the better. However, we're sure that some won't like the burnt orange -- we've heard that Asus will be offering a number of lid options, including graphite and champagne, along with the metallic burnt orange on the model we looked at. InWin Commander 750w - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Oct-07-08] (0 Comments) Inthe past, overclockers had a core set of components they needed tofocus on to guarantee stability and performance:CPU, motherboard,memory and GPU. One often overlooked aspect of the intrepid systembuilder was the PSU. However, as products have become more highpowered, with GPUs especially needing hundreds of watts just on theirown, PSUs have become far more important. With that in mind, InWin havesent over their Commander 750w PSU. Let's see how it holds up. NZXT Khaos Full Tower Enclosure @ tweaktown.com [Oct-07-08] (0 Comments) NZXT began life in 2004 and had a goal of producing a product line that was geared toward enthusiasts and gamers. From the beginning, they have shown a love for those who are looking to eke out that little bit of extra performance from there machine. Even in the beginning when they used pretty basic design builds for some of their initial products, these folks have always added something to the build to make it different from everybody else. Since those humble beginnings, NZXT has worked hard to enhance that enthusiast outlook and are now in the market of creating truly unique enclosures and have even added power supplies to the mix. All this brings us to today's piece, the NZXT Khaos. This enclosure features a full tower design that offers some innovations not found in your everyday case, which suits the company very well. =?windows-1252?Q?Sapphire_Toxic_Radeon_HD4870_512MB_Graphics_Card__ @ bigbruin.com [Oct-06-08] (0 Comments) In terms of single GPU performance, the Radeon HD4870 set the bar pretty high, and the Sapphire Toxic Radeon HD4870 512MB graphics card had its work cut out for it to do much better. With a factory overclock of 30MHz on the GPU and 100MHz on the memory, the Toxic version generally did perform better, but not always by much. Keelog USB Keylogger @ rbmods.com [Oct-06-08] (0 Comments) Every now and then, the idea of knowing what your friend might typeon his computerpops in mind. Keelog has provided us their newest product Keelogger FlashUSB keylogger, which saves everything you type on your computer to tiny USBflash memory and allows you to read it whenever you want. The currentproduct line includes PS/2 and USB keyloggers with 2MB, 512MB or 2GB ofmemory. AMD Radeon HD 4670 512MB - Good gets cheaper @ pcper.com [Oct-04-08] (0 Comments) The Radeon HD 4670 looks even better when we take that long-debatedquestion of multi-GPU tactics into account. We saw scaling that reachedinto the 80% and above range with our pair of HD 4670s - something that ispossible only because the GPU is most definitely the bottleneck in ourgaming tests. The upgrade potential 3-6 months down the road for a userbuying one of these GPUs today is compelling - $90 (and probably lower thanthat in the future) is a much easier cost to swallow for a sweet increase ingaming performance. Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Keyboard and Mouse Combo @ rbmods.com [Sep-21-08] (0 Comments) If you have ever bought a Logitech product you know that they makelarge variety of diverse products for your computer. I have for a long timebeen impressed with their keyboards and mice and today we got a combo kit toreview from Logitech. We got their latest Cordless Desktop Wave Keyboard andMouse combo that really seems to have all the necessary features to make ityour number one choice. Lets have a closer look a the features this kit has. EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Sep-20-08] (0 Comments) The GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 does, without a doubt, improve performance over the original GeForce GTX 260 thanks to the additional 24 shaders that have been added to the graphics card. By increasing the number of shaders from 192 to 216 (a 12.5% increase) performance improvements were seen, but no where near the 12.5% that one might expect and this is on an overclocked version of the card! Lexar FireWire 800 Compact Flash Reader @ techpowerup.com [Sep-20-08] (0 Comments) Lexar's new FireWire 800 CF Card Reader uses the powerful interface to offer unprecedented bandwidth with allows you to optimally use the latest CF card technology. While the traditional USB interface is limited to a maximum of about 30 MB/s, the FireWire interface goes up to 100 MB/s. Clearly a difference if you move a lot of files to and from your CF card. Technic3D/Cooler Master Silent Pro 500W @ technic3d.com [Sep-19-08] (0 Comments) The Cooler Master Silent Pro 500W PSU (RS-500-AMBA D3) arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next PS U Review with a high efficiency and a good price. Make the quiet 135mm fan, 6xSerial ATA connectors, 2x PCI-e (6+2)Pin this PSU better than other PSUs? Zaward Gyre ZCJ010 CPU Cooler @ tweaktown.com [Sep-19-08] (0 Comments) Being new is much different than doing new. Zaward’s Gyre CPU cooler is new in action. The cooler features HDT, but that is hardly anything fresh at this point. But what is innovative is the design of the cooler, how it operates and the extent of engineering that went into the fan. By the time we finish this article the extent of engineering that went into the Gyre will be revealed, but it is important to remember that going against the mainstream doesn’t always net better results in performance. We will have to dig deeper to see if that is the case here. Turning your WHS into a Free Proxy Server @ computingondemand.com [Sep-18-08] (0 Comments) There are more uses for your WHS then you can shake a stick at;whatever that may mean. The latest endeavor is using your Windows HomeServer as an Internet Proxy. I personally use my Windows Home Server as aproxy to be able to view sites that my company blocks access to. Setting upa proxy can also allow you to control web content served in your home. Ifyou have a child, you can block sites or even keywords to keep pages frombeing served. Corsair 4GB and 8GB Voyager Mini USB Flash Drive @ legitreviews.com [Sep-18-08] (0 Comments) Corsair has done a great job on the Flash Voyager Mini and for such a small device the performance was actually better than I expected. The Corsair Flash Voyager Mini was not designed to be a speed demon, but the benchmarks showed that it wasn't all that slow. The write performance on the drives could use some work as writing 8GB of data at just over 2MB/sec does take a fair amount of time, but once you get the data written to the drive the read throughput on both the 4GB and 8GB Voyager Mini drives was great! Sapphire HD 4850 512 MB 100245L Own PCB Design @ techpowerup.com [Sep-18-08] (0 Comments) Sapphire has engineered their own version of the Radeon HD 4850 with cost and cooling in mind. The card's new unconventional heatsink looks good and keeps the card cool - far below reference design temperatures. The best of all is that the card costs only $169.99 online which makes it the cheapest HD 4850 available today. Cooler Master UCP 1100W PSU @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Sep-16-08] (0 Comments) The wattage rating label for the PSU, as you can see on the specifications page, up to 1000W of the 1100W that this PSU can supply can be drawn from the 12v rails. That is a seriously beefy amount of 12v power. The UL number indicates that this PSU has been made by Cooler Master, which means it hasn’t been outsourced to another company and just had Cooler Master stickers thrown on it. Sapphire 4870x2 Video Card @ pro-clockers.com [Sep-16-08] (0 Comments) People across the globe purchasing and building systems based on thehigher-end Intel chipset to utilize dual GPU setups now have a reason tojustify their purchases. For quite some time, people that were dreaming of abetter-than-average gaming rig were forced to go with SLI simply because ofthe pure graphics power the nVidia 8xxx and 9xxx graphic cards offered overATI cards. Things have changed. We'll be looking at our first dual GPU cardat Pro-Clockers courtesy of Sapphire. The Sapphire 4870x2 is based on theATI reference design and its numbers reflect this. Let's take it for a testdrive. [News] BFG LS-Series 680w Power Supply @ virtual-hideout.net [Sep-15-08] (0 Comments) Things continue to advance in the video card area and we find themrequiring less and less wattage realistically. So, smaller, more efficientwattage power supplies are all the rage and everyone wants more power fortheir money. One PSU that could very well be your next investment is the BFGLS-680 Power Supply. As the model number denotes, it offers at least a solid680 Watts with four 12V rails. Let's open this PSU and see what it can do. Dell XPS M1730 Notebook - Intel Core 2 Duo X9000 Powered @ pcper.com [Sep-14-08] (0 Comments) Armed with the fastest mobile hardware money can buy; it is nosurprise to find that the Dell XPS M1730 offers blistering performance innearly any game or application. Here, the combination of Intel’s latestPenryn processor, NVIDIA SLI graphics, RAID-0 drive configuration, andother flagship components have provided us with the highest mobile scoreswe have ever seen in our benchmarks. Simply put, the Dell XPS M1730 is thefastest notebook we have ever had in our labs. [Affiliates News] Gigabyte GeForce 9800GT 512MB Graphics Card @ aphnetworks.com [Sep-14-08] (0 Comments) What do you call a company that manufacturers the same carunder 50 different nameplates? Answer:General Motors. So, in that sense,what do you call a company that markets the same graphics card under twomodel numbers that indicate (supposed) separate generation of cards? Answer:NVIDIA. Jokes aside, no one can deny that there are truths to these claims --with the General Motors one having a bit of exaggeration, of course. Theever-so-popular NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT was ever so popular amongst enthusiastsand general consumers alike for its excellent performance; and even more soconsidering the retail prices. That was approximately one year ago. Now,tides have changed and ATI/AMD is returning to the game in the graphics frontwith the performance-to-price leaders such as the 4850 and 4870. How abouttaking the G92 based 8800GT and calling it a new product? Well, here we are,with a 8800GT called a 9800GT. As most would know how the NVIDIA 9-series arebasically are mostly derived off the 8-series and not a completely newgeneration (They are mostly G92's and G94's) -- the 9800GT made it into the9-series with a few minor updates. But trust us, it's practically the samething -- more info on the second page of this review. Therefore, in honor ofNVIDIA's excellent branding job, we based this review off the Gigabyte 8800GTTurboForce review with a few minor changes (We made it as similar aspossible, haha). Good thing Gigabyte made it a little more unique with acustom built unit and an aftermarket Zalman HS/F. Let's see how the 8800GT,er, 9800GT, performs. NVISION 08 Video @ modders-inc.com [Sep-12-08] (0 Comments) With NVISION 08 just a few weeks ago Modders-Inc brings you avideo review of the event. Modders-Inc site member Stealth was able tocreate an awesome video that highlights the NVISION event. Four differentvideo sizes are available to view. [News] Evercool Transformer 6 CPU Cooler @ virtual-hideout.net [Sep-12-08] (0 Comments) So here it is. A well marketed, acceptably manufactured, and verydifficult to install cooler, marred only by it's substandard performance...it really seems like everything went downhill since I opened the box. Whilethere are a number of good ideas here, they all falter on the same lines.Let's start with the simplest one. By layering the two sets of fins overeach other, a lot of the heat dissipated just goes to return, and heat upthe fins below. This isn't the first time, or the first company to have thisproblem, nor are they to try and alleviate it in a simple manner - put thecooler fins on top. Powercolor PCS HD 4670 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Sep-10-08] (0 Comments) Today AMD launches their new cards based on the RV730 graphics processor. The Powercolor PCS HD 4670 we have on our testbench today comes with a dual slot heatsink which offers excellent cooling and low noise. Together with the serious gaming performance of this card, AMD has managed to successfully position their product in the sub-$100 segment. HIS HD 4850 IceQ4 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Sep-10-08] (0 Comments) HIS has just released the IceQ4 version of the AMD Radeon HD 4850. The IceQ4 cooler is a dual-slot solution which ensures low temperatures under both idle and load. Also HIS has overclocked the card which results in a nice performance boost compared to the reference design card. SilverStone Nightjar ST45NF 450W Fan-less PSU @ pcper.com [Sep-09-08] (0 Comments) The SilverStone Nightjar ST45NF fan-less power supply is a uniqueproduct designed for a niche market. Under the right conditions it candeliver up to 450W of clean, well-regulated DC power with support for ahigh end video card. However, for this unit to operate successfully(especially at higher loads) you must pay close attention to the type ofcase you use, the amount of case airflow, and meeting the 25°C ambient airrequirements. Point of View GeForce 9400 GT 1024 MB Wall-E Edition @ techpowerup.com [Sep-08-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA's new GeForce 9400 GT Series is based on the same G96 GPU that is also used on the 9500 GT. The 9400 GT has half the shaders however, which seriously limits the uses of the card in a gaming PC. On the other hand this greatly reduces the heat output which allows a completely passive solution. Point of View differentiates their card by using 1 GB of video memory and bundling a full version of the Wall-E game. Thecus N5200BR NAS Server @ legitreviews.com [Sep-06-08] (0 Comments) The use and features of the Thecus N5200 were impressive and this is partly due to the fact that it has been on the market now for well over a year. The firmware and setup wizard have been updated a number of times over the months and my testing went without any problems. I was a little nervous when I started building the server as the Western Digital WD1500 hard drives I used were not on the HDD compatibility list provided by Thecus, but the N5200 was compatible with them! Leadtek GeForce 9600 GSO 384MB Extreme Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Sep-06-08] (0 Comments) It shouldn't take too long to guess that this is the same card as an 8800 GS, right? I mean, same clock speeds, same memory bus, same wonky 384MB of RAM. Yep, it's just a re-badged GS. There aren't any updates or added features, either, not a hint of HybridSLI; it's an attempt by NVIDIA to consolidate their three different video card series. Can you hear my head shaking? It totally is. Given that this is an old, cut down card, can it be worth it? First, yeah, 'course someone's going to like it, and it's one of the cheaper GSOs, too. And Leadtek's is special, with its factory overclock and stylin' custom cooler. But it's results are the real interesting bit:for a budget card, it's future-proof. World-Exclusive:S3 Graphics Chrome 440 GTX 256 MB @ techpowerup.com [Sep-05-08] (0 Comments) The Chrome 440 GTX is the latest card from S3 Graphics. It features all the main bullet points like DirectX 10.1, PCI-Express 2.0, native HDMI with integrated audio, small form factor and low heat output. But is this enough to compete with the offerings from ATI and NVIDIA? WolfKing Timber Wolf Gaming Keyboard @ benchmarkreviews.com [Sep-05-08] (0 Comments) Today's PC gaming enthusiast is always on the lookout for the edge that will put him or her above other players. A performance gaming Is Your Linksys SD2008 Switch Overheating or Losing Connectivity? @ legitreviews.com [Sep-04-08] (0 Comments) If you already own the Linksys SD2008 and are having issues with it remember the switch has a limited lifetime warranty, so you shouldn't be stuck with a faulty product. The newer Linksys SD2008 v3.0 switches are more power efficient and put out far less heat than the older v2.x series that so many people are having issues with... Zalman GS1000 Full Tower @ pro-clockers.com [Sep-04-08] (0 Comments) Zalman is back at it again with a new gaming case called the GS1000.The difference between the GS1000 and the GT1000 are as obvious as day andnight. The GS1000 is a made of a combination of aluminum, steel and a littleplastic. Before we determine what category it falls in we will tell you alittle bit more about the case. The case is full size and boasts incrediblecable management possibilities and impeccable cooling options. Trust methere are several other features that are unique to the GS1000 but you willhave to read on to find out what they are. TRENDnet TEW-624UB 300Mbps Wireless N USB 2.0 Adapter @ tweaktown.com [Sep-03-08] (0 Comments) Over the past few weeks we have looked at a couple of products from TRENDnet, including the 200Mbps Powerline AV Fast Ethernet Adapter Kit as well as the 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router.Both are pretty good products and overall we were left thinking quite good things about TRENDnet and what they had sent us to review. Today we have another review of a TRENDnet product and this time it is the TEW-624UB (version B1.0R to be exact) 300Mbps Wireless N USB 2.0 adapter. It is designed to add wireless capability to your Windows 2000, XP or Vista desktop PC or notebook or as an upgrade over a slower wireless connection such as 802.11b. PNY GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB XLR8 Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Sep-03-08] (0 Comments) It's an unfortunate thing that the 9800 GTX doesn't quite live up to a souped-up, though no longer available, 8800 GTX. I mean, it's definitely a better card in most respects. It consumes less power, is much better at video playback, and though it's relatively louder, the 9800 GTX costs one third today what the 8800 GTX cost yesterday. So for the same kind of dough, you can go SLI (with its inherent drawbacks of power and motherboard costs). Which isn't clearly an advantage with Intel CrossFire boards being as ubiquitous as they are. Nobody's saying it's a bad card, it just hasn't lived up to its expectations. As a card by itself, it's not bad, and if you're limited to one card, it's really the way to go. And while it does beat an HD 4850, it does cost more--I'd say they're equal on that front. If not for the massive difference in power consumption, choosing a 9800 GTX over an HD 4850 would just be a matter of preference. Adding the GTX+ to the equation further weighs against this card, as it'll improve on the performance quite a bit--although the plus is reported to use just as much power and it will definitely cost more. If you're looking for the next amazing card that will last two years and still look its successor in the eye, you'll have to turn to the GTX 200-series. Palit HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Sep-02-08] (0 Comments) Palit is one of the first AMD board partners to release a custom Radeon HD 4870 version. Their new HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition comes with a completely revamped cooling assembly that features two fans to keep the card cool. Also included is a DisplayPort connector and a Turbo switch which lets you select the operating frequencies of the card. The mandatory Technic3D/be quiet! Straight Power E6 450W @ technic3d.com [Sep-01-08] (0 Comments) The new be quiet! Straight Power 450W PSU E6-Series arrived Te chnic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next PSU R eview with a high efficiency and a good price. The September 2008 PSU Series better than the E5 Generation from August 2006? Air Live HP-3000E 200Mbps Ethernet over Powerline Adapters @ techpowerup.com [Aug-29-08] (0 Comments) Power Line adapters utilize the existing cables in your home to establish a network where Wifi is not an option. The Airlive HP-3000E is the company's newest offering of such a system, it promises up to 200 Mbps of bandwidth. Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB Toxic Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Aug-29-08] (0 Comments) This is the ATI counter-point to the 9800 GTX+:Sapphire's Toxic HD 4850. It may be alone, and it may not be more power-friendly, but it's, ahem, wickedly fast. The icing is that it doesn't really cost more than other HD 4850s--sure, it's on the high side, but it's still cheaper than a 4850 and a Zalman heatsink. The astounding thing is how closely the Toxic keeps up with an HD 4870, cards that cost close to a hundred dollars more. Zalman CNPS9300AT CPU Cooler @ pro-clockers.com [Aug-29-08] (0 Comments) Over the years we have seen the 7000, 8000 and the now current 9000series. What we are going to review today is not the beginning of the 1xxxxseries but a miniature 9xxx called the CNPS9300AT. The little brother boastssome numbers that are more impressive than the bigger brother. Smaller butfaster fan. And on load a little louder. Now that we got the numbers out ofthe way time to see how this little booger does on the test bench. Nikon Announces D90 Digital SLR - First Ever With Movie Mode @ thetechlounge.com [Aug-28-08] (0 Comments) Nikon today announced the D90 Digital SLR - successor to the D80. It's slated for availability some time (late?) September, at an ESP (estimated street price) of $999.95. At this point, I should mention that I'm a Canon user. I love my 5D and my treasure chest full of expensive L lenses. Point being, I'm so happy with Canon that it's rare for me to get excited about anything from the Nikon camp. In fact, this is the first time my eyes have wandered. [Forgive me, Canon, 'tis but a fling.] Oh, and we got some exclusive footage of the D90's movie mode in action, courtesy of professional photographer, Chase Jarvis. Bombshell of NVISION08:SLI goes native on Intel X58 @ pcper.com [Aug-28-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA is going to allow the Intel X58 chipset to natively supportSLI graphics configurations.Let me let that sink in. No need for an nForce 200, no need for any special logic of any kind, noneed for an NVIDIA product but the graphics cards themselves. Obviouslythis is GREAT news for the gamer - now we can finally get high qualitymotherboards that are reasonably priced and will run both NVIDIA SLI and AMDCrossFire GPU configurations. We are very excited about the idea ofunifying our platform selections for the hardware leaderboard, for using asingle motherboard for all our graphics card testing and just excited aboutwhat it means for high-end PC gaming in the big picture. Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB Toxic Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Aug-28-08] (0 Comments) This is the ATI counter-point to the 9800 GTX+:Sapphire's Toxic HD 4850. It may be alone, and it may not be more power-friendly, but it's, ahem, wickedly fast. The icing is that it doesn't really cost more than other HD 4850s--sure, it's on the high side, but it's still cheaper than a 4850 and a Zalman heatsink. The astounding thing is how closely the Toxic keeps up with an HD 4870, cards that cost close to a hundred dollars more. EVGA GeForce GTX 260 896MB FTW Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Aug-27-08] (0 Comments) The GTX 260 is exceptionally powerful, quiet, even power-miserly. It too has dropped in price--you can find them for around $200 (!) with a rebate, anyway--although EVGA's FTW is... more. However, I believe that the price premium is totally fair with the Step-Up Program, warranty, and ridiculous overclocking potential. If the 280 is a heavyweight, then the 260 is a ninja. And everyone knows that ninjas are cooler. Vantec Aeroflow FX 120 CPU Cooler @ pro-clockers.com [Aug-26-08] (0 Comments) Vantec's new coolers are named after their best selling cooler todate the Aeroflow 2. The new Aeroflow FX 92 and Aeroflow FX 120 are based onthe ever popular tower design which all the top coolers share. Even with thesimilarities of these coolers they also had their differences. Whether it issize, number of heat pipes, number of fins or the number of fans it supportsthey all have characteristics that make them stand out from one another. TheAeroflow models boast the vastly becoming popular Heat-pipe Direct TouchTechnology and a sweet white cooling fan. But is this enough for Vantec tobecome a real player in the air cooling market? We will put it up againstthe several other coolers to see where it ranks. ASUS GeForce GTX 280 TOP Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Aug-25-08] (0 Comments) It was only going to be a matter of time ‘till ASUS strapped some mean clocks onto the GTX 280 and put it under its TOP naming scheme. Well, that day has come and it’s time to see what happens when the GTX 280 gets, for the most part, an unnecessary but much loved speed bump.The tumbling GTX 280 prices over the past few weeks make the card more and more affordable for people wanting to get a top gaming experience. While we all know that for the most part the new AMD HD 4870 X2 is the faster single card on the market, NVIDIA still hold the crown of the fastest single cored card. [Affiliates News] Super Talent Pico-C Gold 8GB USB Flash Drive @ aphnetworks.com [Aug-23-08] (0 Comments) From the initial introduction of USB flash drives to presentday, this is one innovation that changed the way people carry data around.Back in the days of floppy drives and floppy disks with a formatted capacityof roughly 1.38MB, to the age of CD-RWs that was never able to takeprecedence as the prominent portable storage medium, and ending up to presentday's popularity of USB flash drives -- how did it all come to be? Computerenthusiasts first embraced this new type of products years ago as a symbol ofgeekiness and a sort of unashamed pride. Bringing on 16MB, 32MB, and 64MBdrives, I still vaguely remember how 'advanced' I was with a stunningly large512MB SanDisk Cruzer Micro. Supreme Commander Xbox 360 Competition - XSs @ forums.xsreviews.co.uk [Aug-22-08] (0 Comments) Dearreaders, today marks the launch of our newest competition. To markthe release of Supreme Commander for the Xbox 360, we've beengiven 2 copies of the game to give away. To win all you need to do isbecome a member, and make a few forum posts. What could be simpler? ATI Catalyst 8.8 Analysis - XP & Vista @ tweaktown.com [Aug-21-08] (0 Comments) With the drivers coming in nice and early this month, I’ve been able to get stuck into the testing to see what the latest driver incarnation from AMD offer us. As usual, before we get stuck into the actual results let’s see what kind of promises AMD have made for us this time around.With new cards out and the year coming to an end extremely fast, it’s time to ramp up the performance numbers so we can all sit back and enjoy a high FPS Christmas with all those new games coming out. Diamond HD 4870 512MB GDDR5 Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Aug-20-08] (0 Comments) The Diamond HD 4870 features some of the most current technology available on the market and sits at an easily affordable price point. The power requirements aren't anything to snuff at but for those users looking for a single-GPU card to game at 1920x1200 with high settings, the Diamond HD 4870 is an excellent option. A single HD 4870 wouldn't be able to game at 2560x1600 but the beauty of CrossFire would let you couple two or three of these cards together till you have enough graphical power... TRENDnet 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router @ tweaktown.com [Aug-19-08] (0 Comments) How do you decide which router to buy in this day and age? Is there one product that has it all? You’ll be hard pressed to find a product with all the bells and whistles, but we may have one here today that comes close to the mark.Today we get up close and personal with TRENDnet’s very latest router, the 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router sporting model number TEW-672GR. Specifically, we are looking at version 1.0R, which is the shipping version you’ll find in the stores when buying. [Affiliates News] Thermal Paste Roundup August 2008 @ aphnetworks.com [Aug-18-08] (0 Comments) It has been over a year since we've reviewed thermal paste.With the previous presented to us being Arctic Cooling's excellent MX-2thermal compound in July 2007 and reviewed August 2007 -- it was, no doubt,excellent thermal paste; and were able to achieve a score of 8.1/10 on ourNumber Ratings. Thermal paste may seem so insignificant -- it can be easilyoverlooked to an extent that many people simply buy what they've heard of themost, and not necessarily what is the best. Thermal paste may 'seem' to beall the same with each other; but each is actually quite unique withdifferent companies making different formulas for synthetic compounds ormetal compounds. But all serves the same purpose to allowing better transferbetween the cooled device and the cooler; filling microscopic valleys insurfaces that has microscopic imperfections to maximize heat transferefficiency at its source. Today, we will be looking into several differentbrands of claimed 'high performance' thermal paste and see which one performsthe best. Our four-way competition today includes the 'classic' Arctic Silver5, our previous winner Arctic Cooling MX-2, the price competitive Tuniq TX-2,and the NT-H1 paste from silent PC enthusiasts' favorite company Noctua.* Link:http://aphnetworks.com/reports/thermal_paste_roundup_august_2008 [1]* Image:http://aphnetworks.com/report/thermal_paste_roundup_august_2008/005.JPG [2]Thanks for your support. Don't forget to send your site news tonews@aphnetworks.com [3] as well!Best Regards,JonathanAPH Networkshttp://aphnetworks.com [4] ECS P45T-A Intel P45 Chipset Motherboard @ pcper.com [Aug-15-08] (0 Comments) The stock performance of the board was right were it should be. Eventhough it utilized memory bandwidth that was about 33MHz slower (DDR2-800vs. DDR2-1066), it was not enough to cause more than slight variances inbenchmark numbers. I would have liked to see ECS include support for thefaster FSB and Memory speeds, as the chipset clearly seems to support it onalmost all the other P45 based products. Why ECS choose not to follow suiteremains a mystery to me. Powercolor PCS HD 4850 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Aug-15-08] (0 Comments) Powercolor's latest HD 4850 PCS graphics card is based on the AMD HD 4850 reference design but comes with an improved cooler and slightly increased core clocks. While the overclock makes only a small performance difference, the cooler substantially improves the product. Even under load the PCS 4850 is barely audible which makes it the quietest graphics card ever tested - of all performance classes. Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB - AMD's Triumph @ pcper.com [Aug-13-08] (0 Comments) There is little room to debate that the new AMD Radeon HD 4870 X22GB is the best performing graphics card on the market. By combining thepower of a pair of RV770 GPUs along with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the R700design is able to run away from NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 280 1GB card handily.Our various game tests proved this - Crysis, Call of Duty 4 and GRID showedbig gains for AMD's new card at resolutions 2048x1536 and 2560x1600 thoughthey were minimal at 1600x1200. Antec Twelve Hundred Case @ hardwaresecrets.com [Aug-12-08] (0 Comments) Antec Twelve Hundred is a full-tower case targeted to gamers, with an impressive number of cooling options (six fans with speed control for all of them) and coming with twelve 5 ¼” bays, with nine of them available for hard disk drives. Sapphire HD 4870 X2 2048 MB @ techpowerup.com [Aug-12-08] (0 Comments) Today AMD released their new HD 4870 X2 graphics cards. They are based on two RV770 GPUs on one PCB. With a total of 1600 shaders and 2 GB GDDR5 memory the card has excellent chances to achieve the goal Braid @ bit-tech.net [Aug-12-08] (0 Comments) Braid does have a few problems despite our love for it. Theoblique logic and lateral thinking that you need to learn how to applytoo rapidly scales up from Easy to Murderous, for instance, and thegame doesn’t always do a great job of introducing the new ideas. Worse, the game doesn’t even have a proper help page and there’sliterally no introduction to the rewinding mechanic until you die forthe first time – something you naturally spend your first go throughthe game trying to avoid. The combined ingenuity of the gameplay and the gentle, nostalgicbrilliance of the art and writing do manage to overcome this though andit’s a testament to the pacing of the game that you manage to learn allthese elements without any decent manual or instruction. Cerebral and startlingly playable, Braid is a throwback to the forgotten world of commercialplatformers and proper adventure gameswhere the puzzles were hard, but rewarding. At times it can be toodifficult for its own good, but the bulk of the game isn’t weighed downby this and Braid instead manages to float upwards, toexcellence. Sapphire HD4870 512MB @ modders-inc.com [Aug-08-08] (0 Comments) The use of the GDDR5 memory, increased bandwidth, DirectX 10.1 anda 55nm GPU it sounds like it should place this card in the higher end of the Supermicro X7DWA-N Motherboard @ pcreview.co.uk [Aug-06-08] (0 Comments) I had the opportunity to spend some time testing and evaluating this motherboard with two sets of CPUs and two types of memory. First using two X5482 Harpertowns (3200/12mb/1600) and 4x2 gig of Transcend DDR2-800 FB-Dimms, and later on using two E5450 Harpertowns(3000/12mb/1333).This EATX board is built using the newest 5400 Seaburg chipset with 1600FSB support built in. The layout is a typical EATX 12x13â€� design and like previous versions uses 24, 8 and 4 pin connections to the motherboard. With this new series, a 4 pin Molex connector is added to the board for users with higher power needs. There are 8 Dimm slots for quad channel memory support (up to and including DDR2-800 FB-Dimms) for a maximum of 64 gigs. The board comes boxed with 6 SATA cables, I/O shield, IDE cable, and an excellent manual and Cd with all needed software and drivers. Sapphire HD 4850 Toxic 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Aug-05-08] (0 Comments) Sapphire's new HD 4850 Toxic graphics card comes with a preinstalled Zalman VF-900 GPU cooler that greatly reduces the operating temperature of the card. Also the operating frequencies have been bumped quite a bit, with some additional overclocking potential left in the card. News@Technic3D/Cooler Master Silent ProM 600W @ technic3d.com [Aug-05-08] (0 Comments) The Cooler Master Silent ProM 600W PSU (RS-600-AMBA-D3) arrive d Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next P SU Review with a very high efficiency and a good price. Make the quiet 135mm fan, 9xSerial ATA connectors, 2x PCI-e (6+2)Pin this PSU better than other PSUs? Noctua NF-P12+NF-B9 Quiet Fans @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Aug-04-08] (0 Comments) A lot of the time I use my computer in the late evenings when the ambient noise is very quiet in my house, so trying to keep PC noise to a minimum is important so as not to annoy me/disturb others. With testing the Noctua NF-P12+NF-B9 fans today I have been treated to a taste of really quiet computing. Technic3D/SteelSeries Gaming-Keyboard 7G @ technic3d.com [Aug-03-08] (0 Comments) The SteelSeries 7G Gamer Keyboard arrived Technic3D. A Gamer K eyboard with advanced key combinations, PS/2 buffer-system, switch lif etime of 50 million operations, audio ports for headphone-out and micr ophone-in and two port USB hub. One of the best Gamer Keyboards in the moment? See this in the following Review. Intel Atom 230 versus VIA Nano L2100 @ legitreviews.com [Aug-02-08] (0 Comments) I'm sure a fair number of you expected the VIA Nano L2100 to come out ahead because it operates at 1.8GHz, while the Intel Atom 230 runs at just 1.6Ghz, but there is more to it than the 12.5% difference in clock frequency. The VIA Nano processor is based on superior superscalar out of order architecture, which is why it performs better than the Intel Atom processor. The VIA Nano processor beat the Intel Atom processor in every single performance benchmark we ran and that says a ton for the engineers (Centaur Technologies) who designed the Nano processor... [News] Thermaltake TMG2 Radiator and W2 Waterblock @ virtual-hideout.net [Aug-02-08] (0 Comments) Well, I'm back yet again. A scant few weeks ago, I took a look atThermaltake's fairly good ProWater 850i kit, making just one observation -performance could probably see a great improvement if another, largerradiator had been added. While this concept had in fact been done before ontheir BigWater 745i, it was stunted by mediocre radiators, a weaker pump,and an older waterblock. Considering that two of these three factors werecorrected in the 850, logic would dictate that throwing the thirdimprovement in would make this kit really shine. Though it's a shame that Idon't have the older kits on hand to give a performance review against, Ifeel that this pair of reviews should give users a good idea of theperformance they stand to gain, provided they have the desire, and the spaceto plumb a second radiator, as well as a videocard waterblock into the loop.That being said, let's crack open the box and see just what a $70 upgradeentails. Sapphire HD 4870 512MB GDDR5 GPU @ pro-clockers.com [Aug-01-08] (0 Comments) Today we will be covering the ATI top card in the form of the 4870.The 4870 is based on the long awaited RV770 from AMD. The RV770 core wasmanufacturer from the 55 nanometer technology. This whole technology is whatgave us DirectX 10.1, Shader 4.1 and PCIe 2.0 support. The most impressivefeature that we see in the new 4870 GPU is the GDDR5 which is clocked at900MHz in this new AMD card. Renegade Gaming Chair - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Aug-01-08] (0 Comments) Whenvisiting the Channel Expo trade show in Birmingham a few monthsago, I stumbled upon one booth with a product that really caught byeye. The booth was owned by Galaxy GeForce 9500 GT Overclocked 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Aug-01-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA recently launched the GeForce 9500 GT. This low-end card in the GeForce 9 Series is designed to offer acceptable gaming performance for the small wallet. Galaxy has created an overclocked edition which runs at higher clocks and comes with a quiet heatpipe cooling solution. In our testing we saw amazing overclocking potential of over 35% compared to the reference design clocks. Thermaltake DuOrb CPU Cooler @ thinkcomputers.org [Jul-31-08] (0 Comments) The Thermaltake DuOrb CPU Cooler provides more than just CPUcooling. The dual fan design cools the entirety of the upper portion of themotherboard in addition to the CPU. The DuOrb includes double-sided radiantheatpipes disperse the heat through the extensive number of fins surroundeach fan. The mirror coated copper base provides even better heatdissipation between the contact surface and the CPU over other CPU coolers.Read on further for the full review. [News] Quakecon 2008:Day 0 @ virtual-hideout.net [Jul-31-08] (0 Comments) It's a full on production, dealing with this many people, but thisis the 13th time for Quakecon, hopefully it's their lucky number. Even withthe regular staff, there is no way they could run the show without thepublic who volunteer for everything from security to NVIDIA's GeForce 9500 GT Debuts, Solid Graphics For Under $100 @ hothardware.com [Jul-29-08] (0 Comments) In comparison to the recently released GeForce GTX series, the GeForce 9500GT has only a fraction of the number of stream processors, ROPs, and textureunits available, but the GPU's configuration does put it on par with orahead of the GeForce 8500 / 8600 series of graphics cards, that the 9500 GTwill eventually replace (along with the already released GeForce 9600 GT). VIA Nano and Intel Atom - Battle of the Tiny CPUs @ pcper.com [Jul-29-08] (0 Comments) For an incredibly inexpensive and low power part, the VIA Nano L2100CPU was very impressive from a performance perspective. Using just 20 wattsor so of power at load the Isaiah architecture running at 1.8 GHz couldhandle our media encoding, our PCMark05 general purpose tests and even alittle gaming. The numbers aren't going to impress you enough to make thisyour next gaming system of choice but for budget notebooks and PCs I caneasily see VIA's part providing enough power. Cool IT Systems NV Reference SLI Cooler @ techpowerup.com [Jul-29-08] (0 Comments) The CoolIT Systems coolers are certainly a unique way to get into liquid cooling. They come pre-assembled and are maintenance free. We are taking a look at their dual card cooler for two GeForce 8800 GTXs, but CoolIT offers a very similar variant for the GTX 260/280 and for AMD cards as well. Tuniq Ensemble 1200W Power Supply @ bigbruin.com [Jul-29-08] (0 Comments) I expected the Tuniq Ensemble 1200W power supply to perform well after seeing what the 950W Tuniq Miniplant had to offer a few months ago, and my expectations wound up being exceeded. The unit ran cool and quiet, managing to provide stable power to the beefiest system I could put together while producing a trivial ripple of a fraction of one percent. [News] Raidmax Iceberg Case @ virtual-hideout.net [Jul-28-08] (0 Comments) The Raidmax Iceberg impressed us with its sturdy and qualityconstruction. We were definitely not expecting an aluminum case to be sostrong, but the thick aluminum of the Iceberg makes it one of the strongestcases we've seen. The design of the case also makes it one of the easiest todisassemble, from the nice side panels to the easy-to-remove front panel.Cooling options provided were also very decent, with four fans out of thecase. Thermaltake M9D Computer Case @ rbmods.com [Jul-27-08] (0 Comments) When I choose a computer case, I am often drawn towards a couple ofthings:good looks and cool features that will make building and using thecomputer enjoyable. Thermaltake, makers of a wide variety of computerproducts, sent us a sample of one of their new cases, the Thermaltake M9Dmid-tower computer case, which from the package seems to combine stylishlooks with a sophisticated design. Can their case live up to these loftygoals? Let's find out in this case review. Thermaltake M9D Computer Case @ rbmods.com [Jul-27-08] (0 Comments) When I choose a computer case, I am often drawn towards a couple ofthings:good looks and cool features that will make building and using thecomputer enjoyable. Thermaltake, makers of a wide variety of computerproducts, sent us a sample of one of their new cases, the Thermaltake M9Dmid-tower computer case, which from the package seems to combine stylishlooks with a sophisticated design. Can their case live up to these loftygoals? Let's find out in this case review. Sumo Lounge SumoSac Sultan - Khaki @ aphnetworks.com [Jul-26-08] (0 Comments) You might think that, here at APH Networks, we're a bunch of geeks who own a dozen computers at home. Maybe a TV and a microwave, and that's about it. I don't know about other members of the APH Networks team (Sorry guys hehe), but here's the deal though:While I do have almost a dozen computers around here, and I do own a microwave and an HDTV, I have something more than that. After all, despite popular belief, we do have a life. Okay, jokes aside, my point is that we aren't all over tech and tech related stuff all the time. Once in a while, we do have non-computer related products here in our labs. It's already been two years since we looked at the Sumo Lounge Omni Beanbag Chair. Just a few months ago, we 'reviewed' the TWM Performance Complete Short Shifter Kit just for fun. Automotive accessories? Heck, yes. Last month, Andrew from Sumo Lounge got in touch with me again and asked if I wanted to take a look at their latest product, the Sumo Lounge SumoSac. Obviously, I said Leadtek WinFast PX9600 GSO Extreme 384MB @ tweaktown.com [Jul-26-08] (0 Comments) We’re not quite sure what makes this 9600 GSO so Extreme, but we intend to find out today. Not unlike its 8800 GS twin brother, the 9600 GSO hasn’t really had much attention due to AMD offering two new cards, the 9600GT already being excellent value and of course NVIDIA offering two new high-end models as well.There are a lot of people on a tight budget though, and the 9600 GSO might come in at a price point that’s most attractive to them. We'll have a look at the Extreme version from Leadtek today and see if it’s worth buying or if should you save a few more dollars and just buy the better known 9600GT. Auzentech, Asus, and C-Media:As the CMI-8788 Turns @ pcper.com [Jul-26-08] (0 Comments) The truth finally came out in June of this year, but very few peopleseemed to notice it. Stephane Bae, President of Auzentech, wrote a littleopen letter concerning this situation, a full year after Auzentech stoppedproducing the X-Meridian. The long and short of it is that Asus hadnegotiated with C-Media for exclusive rights to the CMI-8788 chip after acertain date. This meant that Auzentech would have to purchase asignificant number of chips within a week of the original introduction ofthe X-Meridian to keep that part running for the next few years of itspotential lifespan. Hardware Leaderboard Update @ pcper.com [Jul-24-08] (0 Comments) What changes did we implement this time around? First, we bumpedthe Q9300 processor up to a Q9550 and changed from a 780i SLI motherboard toan ASUS Rampage Formula motherboard based on the Intel X48 chipset. Why didwe move away from the NVIDIA chipset? The answer is in our GPU - we wentwith the Radeon HD 4870 512MB cards (a pair in CrossFire to be exact)bringing AMD back into the High End System Leaderboard for the first time inquite some time. We also updated to the VelociRaptor hard drive and XonarD2X PCIe sound card. Palit HD 4870 512MB Video Card ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jul-24-08] (0 Comments) The real win is having a $300 card:NVIDIA made a lot of money with the 9800 GTX before the 4850 forced them to sell it for $200. Now that bracket belongs to ATI, who, for the first time in years, is dictating hardware costs, not following prices set by NVIDIA. We'll have to wait for board partners to add innovation. So yes, the card isn't perfect, but like they say, it's lonely at the top. Hackers on Planet Earth 2008:'The Last HOPE' @ techgage.com [Jul-23-08] (0 Comments) The seventh HOPEconference was held this past weekend in NYC and I wasthere to take in the numerous talks. Such subjects covered were lockpicking, Wikipedia's evils, YouTube, FOIA, hardware hacking and a lotmore. Special talks were also given by Steven Rambam, Steven Levy, AdamSavage and Jello Biafra. Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000 @ bit-tech.net [Jul-23-08] (0 Comments) The Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000 is certainly an impressive piece ofhardware,combining a gorgeous and unique design, an innovative layout, simplysuperlative noise levels and impressive cooling performance. However,there are a few minor blemishes on the face of this otherwise fantasticcase, and sadly most of them are directed towards the case’s frontfascia panel.The problems causing the front aluminium panel to bow in the middlereally should have been caught before the case went into fullproduction, and it’s certainly disappointing to see such a premium casesuffering from case panels not fitting together properly. The fact thatthe fascia is so easily removed is also a concern, as is the placementof the fan controller, inexplicably placed behind both the front fasciaandthe dust filter. While we appreciate that the fans might be a VisionTek HD 4870 512MB Video Card @ thetechlounge.com [Jul-22-08] (0 Comments) Picking out a video card should be a little more exciting than finding [News] GIGABYTE GA-X48-DQ6 Motherboard @ virtual-hideout.net [Jul-20-08] (0 Comments) Gigabyte has truly stepped up to become a serious contender for thetop manufacturer of quality motherboards. Gigabyte has aggressively pursuedways to produce the best choice in quality and enthusiast motherboards.They've brought us features like Dynamic Energy Saver, complete solid statecomputing, and some of the most consistent extreme overclocking to date.These kinds of features have culminated in to two recent Best Choice Awardsat Computex 2008 for the GA-EP45-DQ6 and GA-EP45-DS5 Motherboards. All ofthat and more have been combined once again to bring us the GigabyteGA-X48-DQ6 Motherboard. There's plenty of features and bonuses to be had. Gigabyte EP45-DQ6 Motherboard @ pro-clockers.com [Jul-18-08] (0 Comments) From the very beginning many of us could have figured the P45 chipsetwas going to be the chipset of chance as it is price considerably cheaperthan the older X38 and the X48. And from the early reviews the P45overclockers pretty well. We have seen able forum post and web reviews withfront side buses reaching the 600MHz range on Core2Duo processors. But forthe non-overclockers out there another advantage over the older P35 is thetwo 8x PCIe slots when attempting to using ATI video cards in Crossfiremode. Today, we will take the EP45-DQ6 through a ring of benchmarks and seewhat type of FSB numbers we can achieve. [News] ECS P45T-A Black Motherboard @ virtual-hideout.net [Jul-17-08] (0 Comments) In short, this inexpensive motherboard is fast, stable, and featuresa ton of opportunities for expansion. While the lack of firewire is indeed adisappointment, I believe that this can be taken as a non-issue for gamers.Considering the features present, the speeds attained, and the stability ofthe system overall during the testing procedures, I feel that thismotherboard is a good buy if a user is looking to assemble a low cost,reliable gaming machine. It's just a shame that this product doesn't havewhat it takes to break free of just what it was meant to do, but given thefact that it costs just shy of $110 - or rather, is shockingly cheap, Iwould say this is a good candidate for the great value award! GelaSkins for DS and PSP @ gideontech.com [Jul-17-08] (0 Comments) There's always a balance between protection and style when it comes to your electronic peripherals. There are numerous cases on the market now to shield just about anything. From iPods to your camera, there's something for everyone. The only downside to it is that it's bulky and down right ugly sometimes. To combat this, there are now rubber or hard cases you can buy, but they still create unnecessary bulk when we're all trying to emphasize portability. ASUS EN9600GT SILENT Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Jul-16-08] (0 Comments) You’d think we would have looked at all 9600GT cards on the market, but I can guarantee there are more out there. The particular one we’re looking at today comes from ASUS and carries with it a silent cooler. We’ve seen GIGABYTE offer the 9600GT in silent form, sporting both 512MB and 1GB of GDDR3. MSI also has a card where the fan only spins when the card needs it. During our testing, however, the fan never actually spun.Silent cards are becoming quite the rage and everyone wants good performance without any noise. In the past, the design used to be reserved for low-end cards, but these days we seem to be able to get a good performing card that outputs not a single dB. In the highly competitive market that is the 9600GT, we will today see if ASUS are able to do anything that helps them stand out from the pack and if it’s a card worth looking at. Tuniq Miniplant 950w - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jul-16-08] (0 Comments) Withthe need for a steady and stable supply of power to fuel the most powerhungry of PCs nowadays, we are starting to see an increasing number ofpower supplies with high wattages that claim stability and silence aswell. One such product is the Tuniq Miniplant, which boasts animpressive 950W of power and was for a time the highest wattage PSU inthe 80+ category of standard PS2 sized units. Today I will be takingthis one for a spin to see just how efficient and quiet it really is. [News] Patriot Viper 4GB PC3-12800 (1600MHz) Memory @ virtual-hideout.net [Jul-16-08] (0 Comments) If you're spending your hard earned cash on the new DDR3 standard,then you expect nothing short of stable, dependable performance whetheryou're using a 32-bit or 64-bit system. The memory must be reliable if youjust play games or if your system is a serious number crunching SETI beast.The Patriot Viper 4GB PC3-12800 Dual Channel Memory Kit thoroughly testedhere offered nothing short of those expectations. The memory is fullybackward compatible with your 1066 MHz and 1333 MHz Core 2 series Intelprocessors. The extra performance gained from the memory's timings at lower6-6-6-18 setting should be a pleasant bonus which also equates to plenty ofbandwidth. Intel Announces The Centrino 2 Platform @ legitreviews.com [Jul-15-08] (0 Comments) Centrino 2 is made of of three major components, the processor, the wireless card and the chipset. Intel Centrino 2 processors are 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad processors with up to 6MB L2 cache and a 1066MHz FSB. Intel is introducing the Intel Core 2 Extreme Mobile Processor X9100 is now the highest performing flagship processor for the Centrino 2 platform and operates at 3.06GHz. Just like other Extreme mobile processors the X9100 has 'Overspeed Protection' removed, so consumers will be able to overclock the processor if the notebook allows it. When it comes to TDP ratings the X9100 is mobile friendly at just 44W... AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2 1GB P - R700 a bit early @ pcper.com [Jul-14-08] (0 Comments) While it is hard to get a complete outlook of AMD's new Radeon HD4870 X2 1GB card with three games and some 3DMark Vantage numbers, ourinitial outlook for it is very, very good. If those idle power numbers canbe improved upon with the updated PowerPlay BIOS as AMD claims, it will bevery difficult to find weaknesses in AMD's new flagship product. The onlyexception might be the scalability concerns we mentioned above - that's upto AMD's software team to keep up with the PC titles as they arrive. PowerColor HD 4850 512MB Video Card ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jul-12-08] (0 Comments) Interestingly, there seem to be few, if any drastic, architecture changes for HD 4000. It's all scale down, add more. PowerColor, a long-time board partner, shows just how well this strategy pays out for the HD 4850.Even side-by-side, this card looks just like a 3850. That's really superb, because not only was its predecessor small, clean, and fast, it was also quiet. The sticker's adornment is a busty, armored model in Viking chic. But it's a stock card, with the same design that you'd get with any 4850 currently available. Aeneon XTune DDR3 1600 4GB Kit @ pro-clockers.com [Jul-11-08] (0 Comments) Qimonda was nice enough a few months ago to let us play around with aset of XTune DDR3 PC-1333MHz. They were not too bad of a kit and did prettywell in our round of tests. As things progress and the need for more isthere we asked to review a bigger and faster kit. We were granted permissionto do so and received a set of 4GB of AXH860UD20-16H which is rated at CL9at 1600MHz. We all know there is faster out there but this kit operates atonly 1.5 volts. Not too bad for some one that doesn't want to put anunnecessary load on their system. We will now stop rambling and get on withthe testing. Honda MP3 Player @ hardwaresecrets.com [Jul-08-08] (0 Comments) Our review of the MP3 player embedded on the navigation system from Honda cars. Eagle Consus D-Series @ gideontech.com [Jul-08-08] (0 Comments) On the review block for today is the Consus D-Series dual SATA hard drive external storage system from Eagle Tech. The D-Series has the ablity to use JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) spanning to combine your odd sized disk drives into one larger drive, or you can run it plain old RAID 0. Diamond HD 4870 512MB ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jul-05-08] (0 Comments) The 4870 is an excellent card, but for now, all the models are functionally identical, and there are yet to be factory-overclocked cards, let alone custom-cooled models. Variation ranges from changing the sticker to adding spiffy adapters. If you buy Diamond, you're not buying a different card, you're buying better service, only they're not charging extra. Sapphire HD3870 Ultimate Video Card @ pro-clockers.com [Jul-04-08] (0 Comments) Based off of the RV670 chipset is the Sapphire Ultimate 3870 videocard. This card many not be overclocked like the Toxic we reviewed a fewweeks back. This means it won't perform at the same level of the Toxic did,but the major thing the Ultimate has over the Toxic is silence. Combinedwith 512MB of GDDR4 and Shader 4.1, silence isn't the only feature the cardhas that it can boast about. Just how well does it match up against theToxic mode? Read on to find out. [News] Dynapower USA TP-LINK (TL-WR543G) 54Mbps and (TL-WR642G) @ virtual-hideout.net [Jul-03-08] (0 Comments) Dynapower USA sent over the TP-LINK 54M Wireless AP Client Routerand the 108M Wireless Router. Each of the routers have XR, or ExtendedRange, technology which can increase the range 2 to 3 times the normal802.11b range. They both are designed for Small Office/Home Office wirelessnetworks, and integrate Firewall, NAT-router and Wireless AP. The 54M Routeradditionally sports a 4-port switch. Not only designed for the SmallOffice/Home application but for those of use on a small budget. Technic3D/Easy Touch ET-656 Wireless @ technic3d.com [Jul-02-08] (0 Comments) The Easy Touch ET-656 Wireless Keyboard/Mouse arrived Technic3 D. Ultra-low profile, Programmable keys, Multimedia keys, Wireless 27 MHz (up to 1,5m) and Volume adjustment (scroll) for a good Price?. Te chnic3D will see the functions in the following Review. Apple Wireless Keyboard ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jul-02-08] (0 Comments) Mmm, Mac hardware. Sharp. Purposeful. Tasty. Downright industrial designelicious. Half of the people who make the vaunted switch do so because of this keyboard. I mean, not literally this keyboard, but because of the engineering and style that this wireless device is the apex embodiment of. The keyboard is small because it's cut down; the keys are standard but a lot is sacrificed to make the whole package as miniscule as possible without cramping digits. I see a lot of potential in this input device, and not because it's portable. But I also can't help but wonder, can design be taken too far? Diamond HD 4870 512 MB GDDR5 @ techpowerup.com [Jul-01-08] (0 Comments) AMD's new Radeon HD 4870 is the first graphics card to feature GDDR5 memory. GDDR5 offers twice the memory bandwidth over previous GDDR generations which helps the HD 4870 gain a nice performance advantage over the HD 4850. Roccat Sense - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jun-27-08] (0 Comments) Gamingperipherals are something that not many hardware enthusiastsspend much time on; as the title suggests, it's more of a gamer thing.However, many underestimate what effect a simple mouse or keyboardupgrade can have on their PC usage in terms of comfort and features.The peripheral overlooked most of al however, is the mouse mat. Fromit's humble beginnings as a poorly held-in-place piece of foam, gamingmouse mats were born and today, I'm testing one that's been causing astir with it's flashy looks; bring on, the Roccat Sense:AdrenalinBlue. NEC's MultiSync LCD3090WQXi 30-inch widescreen monitor @ bit-tech.net [Jun-26-08] (0 Comments) The NEC MultiSync LCD3090WQXi is an amazing screen that notonly fitsthe bill for professionals, but will also appeal to those of us thatwant stunning image quality, a whole host of features and acres ofdesktop real estate. Of course, the price will undoubtedly put a lot ofpeople off this screen, but I tell you, if I had £1,500 burning a holein my pocket I know where I'd be spending it. Yes, it's expensive, butthen so is a Ferrari F430 Scuderia – it's all about getting what youpay for.And what you get for your money here is one of the best LCDs I've everhad on my desk. Going back to my Samsung SyncMaster 215TW—even thoughit's incredible—will be very hard indeed. There's nothing that willreplace the sheer size of this display combined with the simplystunning image quality. I'm going to be a very sad man indeed. ASUS EAH4850 512MB @ techgage.com [Jun-26-08] (0 Comments) Proper competition from AMD in the mid-range scheme ofthings might have taken a while to happen, but it does happen with theHD 4000 series. We are taking a look at the smaller of the two newmodels, which offers exceptional performance for the price of $200. Crucial Ballistix DDR3-2000 2GB Dual Channel Memory Kit @ thinkcomputers.org [Jun-26-08] (0 Comments) Yes, you read the title correctly, DDR3-2000. Isn't that incredible,that memory operating speed has climbed that high in such a short time?Think about it, one year ago, we were beginning to see the first DDR2-1066modules being released. Today, all memory manufacturers offer a DDR3-1600module, many offer a DDR3-1800, and over the past month the more prominentof them have released a DDR3-2000 module. Considering PC3 system memory hasonly been out for about a year, I don't think that we've come close toseeing the limits of DDR3. HIS Radeon HD 4870 CrossFire Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Jun-25-08] (0 Comments) The Radeon HD 4870 is the first retail graphics card to use GDDR5 memory and the 512MB of memory uses Qimonda branded ICs. GDDR5 introduces features and functions that go beyond previous GDDR standards and enables GDDR5 to operate at data rates up to 6 Gbps, three times the performance of todays high speed GDDR3. The memory ICs feature adaptive power management, error compensation, adaptive interface timings and date eye optimization. The ICs being used are part number IDGV1G-05A1F1C-40X, which are entry level GDDR5 chips and are rated for just 4 Gbps. ATI has them clocked at just 3.6 Gbps, so these should have some overclocking head room left in them... Roogoo (PC) @ bit-tech.net [Jun-23-08] (0 Comments) Just because the game is tough though, isn’t to say that RooGooisn’t fun. It is fun to play, kind of. Fun in the same kind of way as Peggleor Drug Warsor any other casual game. You don’t actually massively enjoy playingthe game, you just crave the sense of accomplishment and completion andyou get sucked into this trap early on thanks to the pick-up-and-playdesign. There are only two real things that prevent RooGoo frombeing a good game and neither of these are really going to be a hugeproblem to any initiated puzzle fans. The first is that there reallyisn’t much to be had beyond the single game mode and once you’ve playedone level you’ve played them all. The other problem is the way the game presents itself. We’ve jokedabout the bright colours, MeeMoos, King Goos, and Roos of RooGoo, but the reality is that they really are a problem. RooGoois too fast and frantic to be a kids game, so we have to judge it asmore than that and while the game would still have problems if it waspresented as a less immature puzzler, it would be a bit better off. CradlePoint MBR1000 Mobile Broadband Router @ thinkcomputers.org [Jun-23-08] (0 Comments) EVDO is basically wireless internet access that can be accessed overa cellular network. Almost every cell phone provider offers EVDO service.What's great about it is that anywhere you get a cell signal you getinternet access. No depending on a hotel's internet or a hotspot at a coffeeshop for internet access anymore. I currently use an Express card fromSprint that allows me to connect to the service, but what if I'm on a tripwith friends? Why should they have to pay $9.99 per day or more for internetwhen I already have access? That is where the CradlePoint MBR1000 comes in. Silenx Ixtrema ICX-HA2 CPU Cooler @ rbmods.com [Jun-22-08] (0 Comments) We've seen a number of fan manufacturers branch out into the CPUcooler business, with mixed success. CPU coolers are a lot different thanfans, but if a company pays attention to quality, they typically do well.Acousticpc.com, well-known retailers of silent performance computercomponents, sent us a new cooler from Silenx, the Silenx Ixtrema ICX-HA2 CPUCooler. We've had a chance to review Silenx fans in the past and weregenerally impressed by their silent operations and good airflow. Will thisCPU cooler leave the same impression? That is what we're here to find out. NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB P - G92b @ pcper.com [Jun-21-08] (0 Comments) My guess is that the marketing team at Big Green didn't want toone-up the recently released GT200 parts - some people might assume thatsinge it was built on the 65nm process while the new 9800 GTX+ is on the55nm, that the GT200 would be inferior in some way. As we saw in ourperformance review of the GeForce GTX 280/260 cards, that's obviously notthe case but I can see how some readers might make that conclusion. OCZ EliteXStream 800W Power Supply report @ aphnetworks.com [Jun-20-08] (0 Comments) Well guys, here we go again -- another close-look-at-power-supply-hardware report. Last week, we took apart the Seasonic M12II 500W power supply. As usual, because we don't have the necessary professional equipment to do the simulated load testing, measuring the quality of power delivery (Voltage, ripple, etc) in accordance to load, and that we don't want to use some fake hardware test reports, we are up for another power supply hardware examination report. This time, we are going to crack open the relatively recently released OCZ EliteXStream 800W power supply (A 1000W model is also available for those who really need it). This power supply has gained excellent reputation in regards to performance and efficiency from other excellent online publications that tested it with professional load testing equipment. When OCZ asked me a couple months back to see if I wanted to take a look at the EliteXStream, I was nothing but excited to see what OCZ has in store lately. The OCZ EliteXStream series power supplies combine a 120mm fan with an open rear exhaust design like the Seasonic M12II for a somewhat good reputation of 'quietness' in this regard, and high power output ratings. So today, let's see how extremely elite is the OCZ 1337-Extreme 800W -- I mean, OCZ EliteXStream 800W. MSI R4850 Radeon HD 4850 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Jun-20-08] (0 Comments) After some confusion, AMD has lifted the NDA for their brand-new Radeon HD 4850 Series today. The RV770 on these boards comes with 800 shaders and boasts 956 million transistors. Together with a new AA architecture the card takes the $200 segment in a storm offering leading performance/dollar and performance/watt. PowerColor Radeon HD 4850 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Jun-20-08] (0 Comments) AMD has moved the launch date of the HD 4850 forward, launching it today. The cards are positioned in the $200 range and offer several new features and performance improvements. According to our benchmark results AMD has found a winner with this card that offers excellent price/performance and energy efficiency. ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB Video Card P @ legitreviews.com [Jun-19-08] (0 Comments) The retail card that we have is the Sapphire Radeon HD 4850, which features an MSRP of $199 and will be the jewel in the price versus performance charts for months to come. It is also the first card that has a TeraFLOP of compute power. Not bad at all for a price tag of just $199! Motorola Bluetooth Headset H680 @ bluetomorrow.com [Jun-19-08] (0 Comments) The Motorola Bluetooth Headset H680 combines contemporary style and modern technology to provide users with attractive communication device that performs as good as it looks. The H680 features a sleek, elegant design, premium finish and easy to use functionality. Straight out of the box, this unit looks great and offers a lightweight design that is comfortable to wear, even after extended use. AMD Radeon HD 4850 512MB P - RV770 Discovered @ pcper.com [Jun-19-08] (0 Comments) The AMD Radeon HD 4850 512MB card is a good performing card that isable to match both the GeForce 8800 GT and the 9800 GTX card in our initialpreview of just a couple of major gaming titles. NVIDIA has some moretricks up their sleeve though with a little part called the GeForce 9800GTX+ meant solely to rain on AMD's launch day parade. Whether or not thatwill pan out has yet to be seen. NVIDIA GeForce 280 GTX in Tri SLI Tested @ tweaktown.com [Jun-17-08] (0 Comments) It was always going to happen; the testing of two and three GTX 280 cards. We had hoped to have had it ready by launch date, and we’ve fortunately done it with an absolutely massive weekend that has involved over 250 benchmark runs across four different motherboards. Before we get into it though, we have to laugh at our power supply situation. When we started testing our Tri SLI setup with a 1000 Watt Zalman PSU, we ran into some problems. During the Canyon test on 3DMark06, the system would just shut down! - Since this would seem to resemble a power problem, it was time to pull out a HX 620 Watt and do a bit of ghetto modding to get the two power supplies working together. What we ended up doing is running one GTX 280 off the Corsair HX 620 PSU while the 1000 Watt took care of the other two cards and the rest of the system. Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W PSU @ jonnyguru.com [Jun-17-08] (0 Comments) Today's review is brought to you by the letters W, T, Q, and thenumber 3. W is for Wolf, that's me; T is for Thermaltake, who sent me thereview sample for today; and Q is for QFan, a specially designed fan thatThermaltake believes will decrease fan noise in your standard power supplywhile maintaining efficient cooling. While the Q in QFan could stand formany things, like Quality or Quigley:Down Under, the Q actually stands forQuiet. We'll have to see if this fabled QFan of yore can be heard over theyowling, screaming exhaust fan in the old load tester, won't we? Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC6400 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jun-17-08] (0 Comments) Memoryexperts ‘Crucial’ have sent us a number of RAM kits in the past – allof which have proved to overclock very well. A new member of Crucial’svast family is the red Ballistix Tracer. This kit is of the performancerange of Crucial's line up and includes LED’s which NVIDIA GeForce 280 GTX in Tri SLI Tested @ tweaktown.com [Jun-17-08] (0 Comments) It was always going to happen; the testing of two and three GTX 280 cards. We had hoped to have had it ready by launch date, and we’ve fortunately done it with an absolutely massive weekend that has involved over 250 benchmark runs across four different motherboards. Before we get into it though, we have to laugh at our power supply situation. When we started testing our Tri SLI setup with a 1000 Watt Zalman PSU, we ran into some problems. During the Canyon test on 3DMark06, the system would just shut down! - Since this would seem to resemble a power problem, it was time to pull out a HX 620 Watt and do a bit of ghetto modding to get the two power supplies working together. What we ended up doing is running one GTX 280 off the Corsair HX 620 PSU while the 1000 Watt took care of the other two cards and the rest of the system. GeForce GTX 280 with QX9650 @ tweaktown.com [Jun-16-08] (0 Comments) Feeling a little underwhelmed with the initial GTX 280 results, I took the time to make my way over to the IBuyPower Australia bunker to let the card have a bit more breathing room. While our 3GHz test bed is quite modest and a good indication of performance for the everyman or woman, there is of course people out there who are a bit more hardcore and do have a few more dollars to splash about. Since the card has just been released, we thought it was the perfect time to really see what the card was capable of in a very nicely overclocked QX9650 rig carrying with it a 10 x 400MHz FSB combination. At this speed we had a Swiftech water cooling setup attached which caused the CPU to stay below 47c on all four cores. We had found our rig, and now it was time to see what kind of performance increase we get when we move to something that carries with it faster RAM, a faster HDD and of course a faster CPU. NVIDIA GT200 tackles gaming, Folding, Transcoding @ pcper.com [Jun-16-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA’s GT200 is a big, powerful processor that is capable ofhanding out the best gaming performances we have seen, ever. The GeForceGTX 280 1GB card is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to pushing thetop gaming titles to super HD resolutions like 2560x1600 and is able tobest both NVIDIA’s and AMD’s previous flagship dual-GPU cards. Just beprepared to pay top dollar for those bragging rights and performancegains. The GeForce GTX 260 896MB is a much more price conscious card thatis still a fantastic performer when compared to its direct competition inthe market. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 and GTX 260 Unleashed @ hothardware.com [Jun-16-08] (0 Comments) =93The high-end 280 card is powered by NVIDIA's 1.4 billion transistor GT200GPU, produced on TSMC's 65nm process node and is the largest, most complexchip TSMC has ever manufactured. Beyond just a larger number of streamprocessing units, the GT200 also supports three times the number of threadsin flight, as NVIDIA's previous G80, at any given time. It also has a newscheduler design that is up to 20% more efficient, along with a wider512-bit memory interface with improved z-cull and compression technology.Perhaps what's most interesting about this GPU however, are its twooperational states, one as a 3D Graphics processor and another standardcompute mode configuration. NVIDIA's new behemoth chip not only lights upthe gaming benchmarks but also can be specifically reprogrammed for moreefficient general purpose GPU (GPGPU) computing usage models like Foldingand supports atomic read-modify-write operations in memory.=94 The Incredible Hulk (Xbox 360) @ bit-tech.net [Jun-16-08] (0 Comments) We expected The Incredible Hulk to be bad from theoffset, notout of some inherent bias but more to do with a realistic reflection ofthe past and the facts of the matter. On this front, TheIncredible Hulk didn’t disappoint us. It’s predictable, samey, bland and as by-the-numbers as any game ofthis type could be. The developers have got a checklist of all theusualerrors made on movie tie-ins and they’ve zipped down and ticked themall expertly. As a game it’s more shallow than a Paris Hilton-wannabeand uglier than the real-deal. But, at the same time, it is kind of fun to mess around with. And no,the Paris Hilton jokes stopped last paragraph thankyouverymuch.Elements of The Hulk’s character are captured very well and it’s quitebizarre to see that Sega has done a better job of capturing the wallclimbing experience than Activision did with Spiderman 3.Also, just because a game is shallow doesn’t mean that it’s bad – everyid Software game ever proves that, just about. Despite all the chinksin the armour and the fuzziness on the lens there is still a sense ofprogression that makes the game involving to play and aspects of theanimation do feel suitably kinetic and powerful. In the end, though Hulk can’t claim to be as good as themajority of the games out on shelves nowadays, he can certainly wipethe floor with Iron Man and the othercomic-movie-adaptation-tie-ins at the moment. [News] QNAP TS-409 Pro Turbo NAS @ virtual-hideout.net [Jun-15-08] (0 Comments) For my own introduction to Qnap, they have sent the TS-409 pro. Itis a 4 bay NAS, with all those basics I've just mentioned. The guts of itare powered by a 500MHZ CPU, with 256MB of ram, and 8MB of flash memory forthe operating system. 500 Mhz might not seem like a lot these days, but thelow power usage, optimized design is more than enough when you pair it upwith a custom light Linux installation. QNAP TS-409 Pro Turbostation @ techpowerup.com [Jun-14-08] (0 Comments) QNAP already added nearly every thinkable feature to their NAS firmwares. To make a new series innovation had to be found elsewhere. QNAP decided to double the capacity in their TS-409 Pro and add features to utilize this space. The four disks that the TS-409 Pro houses can therefore be put in any RAID level including 6. Besides adding RAID 5 and 6 support QNAP shows they take their RAID arrays seriously by adding support for online expansion and RAID migration. Combined with the already proven ease of use and list of software features the TS-409 Pro Turbostation promises to be a solid product. CradlePoint CTR500 3G Cellular Travel Router @ pcper.com [Jun-14-08] (0 Comments) The CradlePoint CTR500 is really an interesting all-in-one productthat can act as a normal broadband router, accepting a WAN connection fromcable or DSL internet lines and then creating a wireless network for yourhome or office. What really makes the CTR500 unique is its ability to use aUSB or Express Card based 3G wireless modem as the WAN connection, givingmobile users and teams the ability to maintain productivity and freedom frombe tethered to cables and switches. OCZ EliteXStream 800W @ pro-clockers.com [Jun-13-08] (0 Comments) The EliteXStream is the example of what two companies can think upwhen they get together. The EliteXStream is a single 12 volt rail behemoththat is sure to raise some eyebrows. The EliteXStream belongs to the crowdof people that believe all the power should be in one main 12 volt rail.This is a philosophy that we have seen for many years from PC Power andCooling. But if you are a member of the multi-rail power supply club, OCZhas the ProXStream for you. The EliteXStream is available in to varieties,an 800 and 1k models. Each is enough to power the biggest of gaming systems.And today we will be reviewing the 800 watter for you. Chaintech GeForce 9600 GT 512MB OC ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jun-13-08] (0 Comments) Everyone recommends the GeForce 9600 GT first, and they should. It's got a price-to-performance ratio unlike any card before. I'm not exaggerating. This card could very well be the best deal NVIDIA has ever put to market. I spent a day with Chaintech's factory- overclocked card... And I found a couple things I didn't like. Deal breakers? Hardly. Gigabyte Nan-Ping Factory Tour @ bit-tech.net [Jun-12-08] (0 Comments) Are you planning to pick up a Gigabyte GA-P45-DQ6? Over thecourse ofthis article, we'll show you where it was made as Gigabyte invited bit-techto one of its Taiwanese factories, allowing us to roam around itsfacilities.The Nan-Ping factory is about an hour out from Taipei City whereComputex was happening in full swing; it's one of four manufacturingplants that Gigabyte owns. The second is located in Ping-Jen in Taiwanand the remaining two factories are in China:Ning-Bo (just south ofShanghai) and Dong-Guan further south still. Nan-Ping isn't yourtypical expansive factory – it's almost as tall as it is wide, witheight huge floors offering 45,000 square metres of space for 1,200employees.The factory features eleven SMT lines (seventh Floor) providing 400,000motherboards, 300,000 graphics cards and 5,000 server products a month.There are also six lines of DIP and Testing (fourth and fifth floors)and four lines of packing all those motherboard, VGA and serverproducts up on the second floor.There are also two lines of whole system assembly for its OEM andretail business on the third floor and two lines for its mobileassembly unit (20,000 units per month) for Asia on the sixth floor. GIGABYTE GeForce 9600GT TurboForce 1GB @ tweaktown.com [Jun-12-08] (0 Comments) Only just the other day we looked at the GIGABYTE 9600GT TurboForce 512MB; today we look at the 1GB version of this card. While we’ve never been a huge fan of 1GB mid-range cards, the GIGABYTE TurboForce version carrying with it a hefty core and memory increase seemed to help the card out a little bit more. It made sense that we include the 512MB version of the card in our testing today. We’ve also included the Sapphire HD 3870 Ultimate which is a passively cooled card as well. Powerdrive Computers Discount - XSs @ forums.xsreviews.co.uk [Jun-12-08] (0 Comments) Powerdrive Computers and XSReviews haveworked together for some timenow, and to help continue this great relationship, the guysover there have been kind enough to offer all forum members a 10%discount. E-Power Thunder EP-650-TD1 3-in-1 PSU @ tweaktown.com [Jun-12-08] (0 Comments) Enter E-Power, a company that has been around since 1990 but is not one of the big contenders. This company has a goal of creating high quality at an affordable price, and today we will take a peek at one of their moderate level power supplies to see if they have managed to pull this off. While the power port and toggle switch appear pretty normal, there is an added port on this unit that resembles a PCI-E plug. Though that is not what it really is, it does add to the feature list and is where they get the “3-in-1” label. Let’s take a quick look at what plugs into this port and then we will see what we have. Palit GeForce 9800 GTX 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Jun-11-08] (0 Comments) Palit's GeForce 9800 GTX follows the specifications of the NVIDIA reference design to the letter. Even then it is one of the fastest cards out there that you can buy, constantly delivering excellent FPS in games. Our sample allowed up to 16% additional overclocking on the GPU for a final clock speed of 784 MHz. Sins of a Solar Empire Interview @ bit-tech.net [Jun-09-08] (0 Comments) BT:Piracy is pretty big topic right now and, with games like MassEffect and Sporethreatening increasingly draconian DRM ‘protections’, some gamers areworried about the state of PC gaming. Sins though came with no copyprotection at all if I remember correctly, so what’s your take on allthis? Is there a way to stop the pirates without punishing thecustomers?CF:We’re all stuck in an unfortunate vicious cycle. As piratingincreases, DRM increases, which in turn forces people to pirate.>From what I understand, Mass Effect has since backed down a tadafter listening carefully to their fans. SecuROM seemed a bitridiculous in my opinion. At the same time you can’t blame developersfor retreating to the console if they can’t receive the fruit of theirlabour.Until a real solution presents itself, Stardock and Ironclad willcontinue to reward legit gamers and make the purchasing process aresmooth as possible. The last thing we want to do is treat our customerslike criminals. Zalman Reserator XT External Water Cooling System @ thinkcomputers.org [Jun-09-08] (0 Comments) The Zalman Reserator XT offers more than your typical external watercooling system. It includes detailed gauges and sensors for the avid watercooler wanting to know what's going on. It also allows, with ease, thesupport for additional water blocks. Don't worry about remembering to refillthis system because it will tell you when it's thirsty. Read on further tosee what other features the Reserator XT has to offer. Diamond Viper HD 3650 PE 512MB ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jun-06-08] (0 Comments) ATI's HD 3650 replaces the HD 2600 Pro, a frustrating underachiever. Generally, I dislike video cards in the $50-100 range, mainly because they're not going to play new games well and, if you're after features, then you're better off buying a lesser model from the same series. The features here are the real selling points--two of which stand out ahead of price, connectivity (HDMI), and low power- consumption. First is video playback. ATI swings when it comes to playing movies, and even their entry-level cards are going to do well, if not flawlessly. Second is Hybrid CrossFire. All 3000-series cards can be run in CrossFire with motherboards that have the 780G (and upcoming 790GX) chipsets, in either a performance mode (like regular CrossFire) or power-saving mode, which completely powers down the video card when integrated video is good enough. Combined, these features might give cause to move up a price bracket, favoring a 36 over a 34. Airlive AirView-2000 WiFi Projector Server @ techpowerup.com [Jun-06-08] (0 Comments) The AirView-2000 can stream your Windows desktop or favorite video to the device through any normal 54 MBit wireless network. So there are no cables to tie you down and you may walk around freely with your tablet PC or notebook during a presentation or at school & university. Core 2 Duo E7200 CPU @ hardwaresecrets.com [Jun-06-08] (0 Comments) Our review of Core 2 Duo E7200, a dual-core CPU manufactured under 45 nm process running at 2.53 GHz, 1,066 MHz FSB and 3 MB L2 memory cache that will be released on the second half of 2008. Razer Mako 2.1 Speaker System ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jun-05-08] (0 Comments) Razer's entrance into the gaming sound arena was impressive and simple, following the path they'd cut for input devices. Their audio lineup includes a superb sound card, a headset, and a 2.1 speaker system. Their sleek style stands out first, and, priced as they are-- $400--quality is expected. Re-thinking the very shape of a speaker seems appropriate. Not only for Razer, but also for THX, their partner in this matte-finish affair. The center of the re-design is simple: point the drivers down, bounce the sound out in every direction. And now every spot is the sweet spot. But their combined forces multiply marketing, add to the technical BS, and I say there are faults to find. Diamond Viper HD 3870 1GB Video Card ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jun-04-08] (0 Comments) Under the heatsink is a whole lot of GDDR3, which in itself doesn't mean much--you can find a pile of budget cards with a gig of RAM, the extra memory incapable of boosting their meager performance--but the 3870 is plainly able to fill its frame buffer. If it were truly a budget card, it would come off as sheer marketing; with a high-end card like this, it really does make a difference. The last great ATI card was the HD 2900 XT, a spectacular misfire. But despite it's ridiculous power consumption, sub-par video processing, and tremendous heat with the blower to match, it still beat out the 512MB HD 3870. I hoped that this redesigned 3870 would have what it takes to finally put out the year-old performance despot. And it does, in almost every way. Foxconn GeForce 9800 GTX OC 512MB Video Card @ benchmarkreviews.com [Jun-04-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA usually pleases the enthusiast community with their product launches, and no launch has been more memorable lately than the ASUS Eee PC Updates - 901 and 1000 Series @ pcper.com [Jun-03-08] (0 Comments) The 1000 is still a bit of mystery when it comes to specifications,but we DO know that it will at least offer some WiMAX connectivity and 3Gcellular network connections. As the model number suggests, the Eee PC 1000has a 10 [News] ECS 8800GT 256MB Graphics Card @ virtual-hideout.net [Jun-02-08] (0 Comments) So, what we have here at the end is a AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850 pictured @ bit-tech.net [May-31-08] (0 Comments) Visiting one of themany manufacturers here in stormy Taipei, we justhappened to stumble across this little number sitting on the side. Afew shots later (why is it the most important ones always have the mostblur?) and we decided to ask around as to its story. Apparently, it's a dummy sample direct from the double-A team, whichthe companies use to get the basic gist of what they need for artworkand branding, and so that they can start working on their own coolingsolutions. Said company remained exceptionally tight lipped (like a well trainedterrier) about the details of the card, and we didn't have time to whipout the screwdriver to see underneath. Check the (overly zoomed)picture right to see that it's the RV770 all right! Thermaltake MaxOrb EX CPU Cooler @ tweaktown.com [May-31-08] (0 Comments) Thermaltake is back with one of our favorite CPU cooling designs, the Orb. The latest offering is a revamp of the MaxOrb we tested back in December, but with a twist of copper added in for good measure. The original MaxOrb fared well in our performance tests and I found the mounting mechanism for Intel motherboards innovative. Let’s dive in and take a look at the new Thermaltake MaxOrb EX; we’ll then test it the same way we did the MaxOrb and all of our other CPU coolers to see if Thermaltake were able to get even more performance out of the Orb design. Akasa Mirage-62 chassis @ bit-tech.net [May-30-08] (0 Comments) Due to the similarities between this and the Eclipse-62, theMirage wasalways going to be compared to its sibling, the Eclipse. However, whenyou look at the case on its own, you realise just what a good piece ofkit it really is. Probably the best removable motherboard tray I'veever used, combined with rock solid build quality from the light anddurable aluminium frame make a great base for a system build, and whilethe look of the case could be seen as a little boring, there's plentyof room for customisation.Although the component temperatures were admittedly a littledisappointing, we feel the Mirage more than makes up for this slightstumble with simple brilliant noise levels, and its customisable,spacious and straightforward internal layout. However, I can't help butfeel that this update to the Eclipse could, and perhaps should havebeen so much more than a face lift, especially when you consider the£20 price difference between the two models. Just because something works well, doesn't mean there isn't room forimprovement, and despite a few nice additions, and the excellent noiseperformance, I came away wanting more. In the end, both are very wellbuilt and very high quality cases – it'll be down to personalpreference whether you pay the extra money for the Mirage and its door. ASUS EAH3850 X2 1GB Dual GPU Video Card @ thinkcomputers.org [May-30-08] (0 Comments) Recently, ASUS was among the first companies to put a pair of ATI HD3850s on a single graphics card, for a more affordable dual-GPU experience.I reviewed a Radeon HD 3850 (single GPU) earlier this year, and was veryimpressed with it.performance just shy of an 8800GT at $100 less. A pair onone card should be an awesome experience. Today I will be looking at theASUS EAH3850 X2 1GB, twin 3850s with 512MB each, one of the few on themarket. Will it meet my dual-3850 expectations? How will it compare to the9800GTX, nVidia's top of the line single-GPU card? Read on and see! Boom Blox (Wii) @ bit-tech.net [May-29-08] (0 Comments) With all that said though, there are a few weak points in BoomBloxwhich perhaps limit how much fun you can have with it. The first andmost damaging flaw is the length of the game because after only a fewhours of gaming we¡¦d already finished nearly the entire Explore modeand were making a decent dent in the Adventure side of things. The other thing to bear in mind is that, like all puzzle games, BoomBloxwill frustrate you as much as it¡¦ll keep you entertained. Playingthrough the Chemical Blox campaign in Explore mode was something we didwith ease until about the eighth level, at which point we got stumpedfor more than an hour. Lots of swear words were uttered before weeventually got a gold medal. Still, it¡¦s all very much a minor chink in the armour of BoomBloxand this is definitely one of the must-have family games in ouropinion. As a party game it may play second fiddle to the likes of Warioware,but if you¡¦re after something to play on a week night when you don¡¦tneed a bottle of tequila to have fun then this is definitely the gamefor you. The combination of fluid controls, screaming chickens and hugeexplosions is a sure winner. Dumbing Up Gaming @ bit-tech.net [May-29-08] (0 Comments) Recently someone tried to make a game out of proteinfolding. The idea was that if you could make an accessible fun game outof it, you could effectively get lots of people to process real datafor free, and contribute towards a worthwhile goal. Great idea, but dowe have to assume the game needs to be massively simple in order tocatch on? I'm sure a lot of biochemists play computer games, why mustwe assume they are incapable of learning a complex game?You can take a lot of great game ideas, and then dumb then down to thelowest common denominator and make them boring and dull, that's agiven. There are some great game ideas though that you just can't dumbdown before they fall apart. Right now that means the game doesn't evenget out of the starting gate.I've heard of games flopping because the marketing sucked, budgetproblems, piracy and poor design but I haven't heard about any biggames failing because they were too highbrow. Yet nobody is even tryingto make those games.In some ways it's all the fault of our old nemesis, the rocketing gamebudget. Rack up a four million dollar wage bill, and you need to sell aLOT of copies to break even. Selling just to biochemists won't cut itany more, you need to aim at the wider audience. But if you avoid thetechnology arms race and do a lower budget game, what kind of gamescould we make? MemoRight GT Series 32GB SSDs in RAID 0 @ tweaktown.com [May-27-08] (0 Comments) Today we are going to take the new speed champion for a spin; MemoRight’s GT. We will run our standard speed tests then take a pair of identical drives and run them in RAID 0. To keep things simple we are going to test the drives on a commonly used Intel motherboard that features Intel’s built in RAID controller which many of you would most likely have in your system already. The MemoRight GT is a 2.5-inch drive that is capable of either being used in a desktop or notebook. Adapters are available to convert the drive to suit a standard desktop 3.5-inch bay. As shown above, the GT is capable of pushing a full 120MB/s in both read and write speed; this makes it even faster than the MTRON PRO I tested last month! Travagans Colors Portable Headphone Amp @ techpowerup.com [May-27-08] (0 Comments) Travagan's Colors is the name of a brand new portable headphone amplifier. It is much smaller than most normal portable amps and only costs $59. The design is quite outlandish since it resembles a dog bone. The question is of course how does this little thing stack up against some of the bigger portable headphone amps. Lenovo ThinkPad X300 Series Notebook @ tweaktown.com [May-26-08] (0 Comments) The X300 notebook has an Intel Core Duo SL7100 (1.2GHz, 4MB L2, 800MHz FSB) CPU. The monitor is a 13.3” WXGA+ TFT (LED backlight). There is a 3x3 UltraConnect II which is a connectivity suite offering wireless LAN, UWB (UltraWide Band), Bluetooth and numerous wireless WAN choices including a system that utilizes native GPS functionality that is built into the X300. The hard drive is unique in that it is a solid state drive (SSD) 64GB in size. What this means is that the hard drive is not a rotating disk in the traditional sense, but rather comprises of several chips with addressable memory arrayed in a specific format to prolong the usability of the SSD drive. Asus Striker II NSE 790i SLI Motherboard @ aphnetworks.com [May-24-08] (0 Comments) Imagine this:You are an engineer working at Asus. As a member of the team to design and engineer boards for the company's Republic of Gamer line, you and your team are given a task to create what the world will soon define as the ultimate enthusiast motherboard on the Intel platform. The goal of this project is to make a board that totally dominates the competition in the market as a flagship enthusiast motherboard, which naturally has to be completely-really-uber-1337 in all areas. Did you say performance? Check. Did you say features? Check. How about the looks? We got that covered. Anything else a hardcore computer enthusiast will appreciate? That's quite a challenge -- you got to be creative and imaginative. Fortunately, none of us here at APH Networks works in quite a department that requires such superior engineering skills and imagination at hand. The great thing of being a reviewer is that instead of thinking about what to implement in the design, we were instead given a product as a result of such marvelous work -- the Asus Striker II NSE motherboard, based upon NVIDIA's 790i chipset -- and we can have all the fun in criticizing (And praising, what were you thinking?) the hard work of these people. So we present to you our review of the Asus Striker II NSE motherboard, a product that's based off the Striker II Extreme that the Asus bosses probably told their engineers, APACK ZEROtherm ZEN FZ 120 CPU Cooler @ tweaktown.com [May-24-08] (0 Comments) Today we will be looking at the APACK ZEROtherm ZEN FZ 120; the latest CPU heatsink and fan combination from the company. Once again, from the outside the cooler looks like many others’ designs that have taken over the enthusiast market for the last few years. Let’s have a look and see if the ZEN FZ 120 can surprise us like the Hurricane HC92 Cu8800 VGA cooler did in our MEGA 9-Way VGA Roundup back in April. The ZEROtherm ZEN FZ 120 features a copper base and heatpipe that extends to aluminum heat dissipation fins that stand just a tad over 6 inches tall. The specifications claim that the cooler is capable of cooling up to 150 watts, making the FZ 120 an enthusiast class cooler built for overclocking or cooling Intel and AMD’s flagship processors. Sony HDR-SR12 @ reviews.digitaltrends.com [May-23-08] (0 Comments) The popularity of hard disk drive standarddefinition and high-def camcorders continuesto climb. Nothing beats the storagecapability of a HDD video maker-just think,you can record hour after hour of babygiggles, if that's your thing (and newparents, you can admit it). Hard drive camsare great for everyone else too since you canrecord anything to your heart's content formuch longer than any tape or disk-basedsystem. And nothing beats the instantlygenerated thumbnails that let you hop fromscene to scene during playback. Sonydominates the HDD market for SD and HD videomakers-just as they do every other camcorderformat. That said we were happy to get ourhands on the new HDR-SR12, the company'stop-of-the-line HDD model that records FullHD 1920 x 1080I video along with 10-megapixeldigital stills to a hefty 120GB hard drive.The camcorder even has Face Detection, thedigicam feature du jour that works for videoand stills. Even though there were notoddlers in the house, we definitely wantedto start recording ASAP. ASUS EN9800GTX Top 512MB Video Card @ thinkcomputers.org [May-23-08] (0 Comments) If you are like me, and have been happy with mid-range cards, spenda few hours at your favorite game played at the highest settings, using AA,and higher resolutions while using an upper end card, and you'll probablyrealize that you've been in denial for all of this time. Today I will belooking at the Asus EN9800GTX Top, a factory overclocked version of nVidia'slatest top-of-the-line single-GPU video card, with 512mb of DDR3 memory.Will this video card finally make me realize that rather than beingpractical when buying mid-range cards, I've just been cheap? Read on andsee! Haze (PS3) @ bit-tech.net [May-23-08] (0 Comments) For a game that's had so much hype surrounding it, Haze shouldhave been the perfect game. The problem is that few games rarely liveup to the hype, and Haze falls firmly into that category.Nectar should have been an important part of the game, but instead itcomes across as just another gimmicky power-up. It makes the openingsections of the game far too easy and appears to disappear in the rebelsections of the game, only to be used as an artefact to drive theplotline forward.The storyline itself is hackneyed and feels lazy in its execution. Thetale of the corporate stooge who joins the rebels to bring down thecorporation has been done before and, more importantly, it's been donefar better. There are a few clever twists and turns to the tale laterin the game, but not enough to drag the story out of mediocrity.Taken as a run-of-the-mill FPS, Haze certainly isn't dire, but on theother hand it never really reaches the heights to which it aspires. Ataround six or seven hours to complete, there's not really enough in thesingle player game to keep you coming back after the first playthrough. You might play it again in co-op mode, but even themultiplayer games aren't enough to get you hooked.Haze could have been so much more, but it falls short on so manylevels. The game feels unfinished, as though it has been pushed out ofthe door six months early. Depressingly, it might be that another fewmonths of spit and polish could have produced the game that the hypepromised.Then again, perhaps not. Maybe every game studio is destined to producea game that they're embarrassed about. If that's true, then Haze willbe hiding at the back of Free Radical's closet for a long time to come. Palit GeForce 9600GSO Sonic 768MB @ techgage.com [May-23-08] (0 Comments) On a budget andneed the best bang for the buck? NVIDIA's new 9600 GSOmight be the answer, despite not being that different from a 9600 GT.We are taking a look at Palit's Sonic version of the card, which comespre-overclocked, doubles the memory and includes adapters for both HDMIand VGA. Chaintech GeForce 9600GT OC 512MB @ tweaktown.com [May-21-08] (0 Comments) Chaintech have really expanded from the line of graphics cards, now doing products like memory and flash products as well. What they no longer do however are motherboards. It wasn’t all that long ago we were impressed with fancy cooling solutions and the general performance of Chaintech products. We’ll have to see if the 9600GT is able to do anything for us. >From first glance the Chaintech offering didn’t do a lot for us, but upon throwing it in our system we where pleasantly surprised with what happened. Before we get into that though, let’s find out what they’ve done with the package and have a closer look at the actual card. OCZ Technology 64GB SATA-II Solid State Disk - SSD Update! @ pcper.com [May-21-08] (0 Comments) The new OCZ 64GB SATA-II SSD drive improves on the previous OCZmodel's performance quite dramatically in burst speeds, average transferspeeds and especially write speeds that suffered horribly before. While theold drive really only was shining in the random performance tests the newrevision is competing or beating the WD VelociRaptor (the fastest standarddrive available for consumers) across the entire testing array. Even thoughthe burst speed of the OCZ 64GB SATA-II SSD is less than half that of the WDVelociRaptor it is able to average a transfer speed just 18% behind at 95.1MB/s sustained. 32GB OCZ ATV USB Flash Drive @ legitreviews.com [May-20-08] (0 Comments) When it comes to using the OCZ ATV Flash drive, it was found to be a solid performer over the months. We've used it on the test bench, for Ready Boost on Windows Vista, and for travel with no problems at all. As for the durability of the drive, it has survived being put through the laundry wash and a number of trips in the mouth of a dog and cat when they like to run off with important things. The OCZ ATV is one tough drive no doubt about that... Seventeam Hurricane 1200W Power Supply @ jonnyguru.com [May-20-08] (0 Comments) In December, we took a look at the flagship of the SeventeamElectronics fleet, the Thundering 1200W. Recently, the folks at Seventeamasked us to take a look at the modular version of this mammoth beast, theHurricane 1200W. Join me on a tour through our torture park as I find outjust what this massive unit is made of and if it performs any differentlyfrom its brother. Will the platform earn a recommendation this time around? Left4Dead hands-on p @ bit-tech.net [May-19-08] (0 Comments) Left4Dead was always going to be great, that much we knew. Itwas coming from Valve and it was about zombies, so even before it wasunveiled as a four player co-op we all knew we were going to be in fora good time.Yet still, Left4Dead managed to surprise us in a number ofways,for reasons both good and bad. On the one hand we were utterly shockedto see how effective the AI director is at making the game unique andconstantly replayable. On the other hand though, we have to admit thatthe levels we played through did seem a bit on the small side and it’sgetting to that point where the Source engine might be starting to showits age. The thing is four years old by now and thoughcontinued development and expansion has helped, the cause is startingto flag a little. Not that that matters hugely when you get right down to it – as far as Left4Deadgoes gameplay is God and the multiplayer backbone of Steam means thatthe game will run smoothly from the off. As I mentioned to Chet when I interviewed him, Valve has a reputationamong games developers for testing games absolutely to death. What formany designers would be a case a few weeks at the hands of some tiredhalf-asleep geeks is an on-going process of refinement for Valve andit’s something that really shows in Left4Dead. The game is immediately playable and easy to pick up, but underneaththe hood are some incredibly complex and effective tools to make theexperience unpredictable and constantly replayable. This is Left4Dead’skey strength and it makes the game easily one of our most awaited gamesof this year. [News] EXCLUSIVE:VH Visits the Intel Hawthorn Farm Campus @ virtual-hideout.net [May-17-08] (0 Comments) Over the last couple years, I've been attending various LANs andtech events looking for that other side we rarely get to see. InfernaLAN isjust one of the many events sponsored by INTEL and wide variety of vendorsand integrators including Patriot Memory, Corsair, BFG, S3 Graphics,IBuyPower, PowerPC, and Alienware. It was here that I met many of Intel's finest incognito. These guys taketheir personal systems as seriously as any enthusiast, cooled with thelatest DangerDen water cooled blocks and assembled in some of the sweetestcases created by man. I thought that if they are this much fun and caredenough about what they do to show off all these demo systems, then I reallyneed to see what it is they do.Well, a couple weeks after, I received a call with an invitation to visitIntel's mysterious Hawthorn Farm Campus where much of the desktopmotherboard and processor magic happens. The dates were picked, testhardware assembled, and the tour schedule set. BFG Tech GeForce 9800 GTX OCX 512MB graphics card @ bit-tech.net [May-15-08] (0 Comments) To be fair, I’m still in two minds about the GeForce 9800 GTX.And eventhough BFG Tech has gone above and beyond the call of duty here, Istill don’t think it’s enough for me to change my mind about thisparticular card in Nvidia’s line-up. You see, the standard cards are still on the expensive side compared tothe GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS 512, while BFG Tech’s GeForce9800 GTX OCX is priced at such a point that it’s no longer competingagainst only products in Nvidia’s line-up, but also against the RadeonHD 3870 X2. And over time, it seems like the 3870 X2’s drivers haveimproved a bit and it’s now becoming a more rounded purchase when youcompare it to something like the card we’ve looked at here today.When the 3870 X2 drags its feet in games that don’t scale so well, theBFG Tech GeForce 9800 GTX OCX is a faster card, but when you get intoscenarios where scaling is there, the Radeon HD 3870 X2 is generally asignificantly faster proposition. And because of that, I think it’s thebetter purchase right now in the £250 price bracket.That’s not to say that BFG Tech’s card is one that you shouldn’tconsider at all – the company has worked to correct the omissions fromits earlier bundles and you can now use the audio over HDMIfunctionality thanks to the included S/PDIF cable. It’s also one of thehighest-clocked GeForce 9800 GTX cards out there—and it’s backed by animpressive warranty term—which makes it one of the best G92-based cardson the market today. It’s also the first G92-based card we’ve seen thatbests the GeForce 8800 GTX in a convincing enough manner for it to beconsidered a replacement. CoolIT Freezone Elite watercooling kit @ bit-tech.net [May-15-08] (0 Comments) The Freezone Elite will definitely beat anything you can likelybuild to fit in anywhere nearthe same space by a mile - let alone any pre-built kits. But its priceclass puts it in a whole different realm, which is why I built such abig system to compare it to. An enthusiast is going to look at what heor she can build for a similar cost, not just what fits in the samespace.The watercooling system I compared to costs around £200 in the UK (and$320 in the US) – that's about £50 less, and it's quieter and cooler.However, every time I need to make a change, I invest twenty minutes inundoing everything, draining the loop, etc. And that's in a case that'sdesigned for it.It took me all of two minutes to disconnect the Freezone Elite. Ofcourse, then it took another five to get all the pre-applied thermalpaste off, then a hunt for the manual to hook it back up again when Icouldn't remember which unmarked cable goes where. They may seem likeminor niggles, and they are – but for almost £250 of yours or my money,you can damn well bet that I don't want to be talking about littleniggles.With the Freezone Elite, I think CoolIT has a good product...but it hasa better foundation for a great product. There's a lot of potentialhere, but I think it's not yet realised in this particular model. Withthe brilliant MTEC software and controller, the great TEC performanceand the incredible ease of use, it's off to a great start – but it willonly ever get rid of as much heat as that CPU block can absorb. ATI Radeon HD 3850 256MB Crossfire ed @ thetechlounge.com [May-15-08] (0 Comments) We know it'd make more sense to just spend more money on a really fast card, but--two video cards! Given that you can definitely get two 3850s for $300, it seems like a reasonable upgrade option, even though I normally rail pretty hard against mid-range multi-GPU configurations. The main weakness of the 3850 is its clean performance drop when anti-aliasing is enabled. Without that, it really does scream. Will an extra $150 give it that 4xAA shine? ATI Radeon HD 3850 256MB Video Card ed @ thetechlounge.com [May-14-08] (0 Comments) With it's release during the massive hardware holliday last year, the HD 3850, the least of four major cards, is easily overlooked. That's really a shame, since it's really a top-notch gaming card. Obviously, it's not the first choice for enthusiasts, but from a value perspective, it's without a doubt the best choice. Hiper Osiris Mid Tower @ pro-clockers.com [May-14-08] (0 Comments) But as of late, Hiper's claim to fame is the Anubis. A 6063 T5 Alloycase that boasts plenty of features that make air ventilation and watercooling an ease to setup. This case saw itself on the front page of a lot ofwell known websites. The Anubis received all kinds of awards for it superbconstruction, its ease to assemble, its roominess and its stealth features.We, here at Pro-Clockers, were not lucky enough to review the Anubis but wewill make up for it today by reviewing the Osiris. Bad Company interview with Jamie Keen @ bit-tech.net [May-11-08] (0 Comments) BT:You’resick of talking about premium content, I bet. But it was kind of agutsy thing to do, you have to admit.JK:<sigh> Yeah. BT:So, I guess – why did you try to do it? And why with thisgame especially?JK:Yeah, so…I think the thing that people need to remember isthat development costs on games these days are huge. So we always needto look at new revenue streams. It’s not just a question of trying torip people off and it’s not just us trying to put one over on people –we genuinely need to y’know…well, at the end of the day it’s abusiness, right? We have to recoup costs and we have to make money. So, there are those kinds of things happening. You’ll probably see moreof that in the years to come. We’ve got nothing more planned at themoment, we’ve listened to the customers and the community is reallyimportant to us. We really want to maintain that two-way dialogue withour fans. So, we’re not going to be doing anything – I mean, we’re givingConquest away as free downloadable content later on. The weapons arenow going to be free – we just hope that the fans see that we’relistening to them. Warhammer Online Interview:Josh Drescher @ bit-tech.net [May-10-08] (0 Comments) BT:So, speaking of other Warhammer games, did you know aboutIron Lore shutting down? Their last game was the Warhammer 40K Dawn ofWar:Soulstorm expansion and the company said that piracy played a bigpart in their closure.JD:Yeah, well if I’m honest then piracy is the number one concern fora PC gaming developer.BT:You think it’s putting off a lot of PC developers and driving themto consoles?JD:I think that in other genres, yes. Luckily, as an MMO we’re largelyinsulated from all that because of our model. It’s impossible for aplayer to pirate our game and, even if they did, then it’d be themalone in their basement. For our game to make sense you need thousandsof players all playing together on a massive architecture.As a result, we’re very attracted to Asian markets along with Russiaand China – places where piracy is everywhere. Piracy is just apandemic there. So, while we’re very worried about it, it doesn’treally affect us as much.Obviously, I can’t speak for other developers like Iron Lore. But,y’know I had friends who worked there and we tried to bring a load ofthem over to us when they closed. If they say piracy was a problem forthem then I absolutely believe them. Piracy is why we see so many sameyshooters. Iron Man (Xbox 360) @ bit-tech.net [May-09-08] (0 Comments) There’s nothing wrong with bad graphics in a game. There havebeen plenty of games in the past that have proved you don’t needbillions of polygons to make a best-seller – look at Pac-man or Tetrisfor crying out loud. Likewise, glitches and bugs didn’t completelyspoil games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and might not have proved to be the endof Iron Man.Hell, you don’t even need to have a great new mechanic or fantastic newidea to make a great game. Beat ‘em ups have been spinning the sametricks ever since International Karate +.There is something wrong with a game that combines all of these with atotal lack of shame. This isn’t a game that is even remotely good, thisis a game that someone hoped would make a lot of money and it’s aperfect example of why movies and games just don’t mix for the mostpart – Iron Man:The Game is little more than a bucket of brokenpromises and rust. Noiseblocker Coolscraper 3.0 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [May-07-08] (0 Comments) Noiseblockerhave created some pretty immense coolers in the past,notably among them is the Coolscraper series which combines highperformance cooling with ultra silence. Now they've sent me the muchanticipated Coolscraper 3. Lets see if it lives up to the high standardthat we have come to expect from Coolscraper over the past few years. S3 Chrome 430 GT Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [May-07-08] (0 Comments) S3 hasn't stopped releasing graphics cards, but we just don't seem to hear much about them anymore. Hopefully that's going to change with the release of the Chrome 430 GT. It's a low-end card that seems to be capable of taking on the big boys at NVIDIA and AMD. Trying to fire up GPU-Z just resulted in an error due to none of it being able to be recognized, though the core comes in at 625MHz and there is 2 56MB of GDDR2 memory running at a speed of 500MHz DDR. We have a 64-bit i nterface, 64nm core, PCI Express 2.0 support, Direct X 10.1 and Open GL 2 .1 support. In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Case @ rbmods.com [May-07-08] (0 Comments) Today we take a look at the InWin stealh bomber case and as the namereveals is inspired from an airplane. Inwin has been in the case market fora long time and they have now started to focus on designed cases which youmight see if you take a quick look at their website. We are going to belooking through this case in tonights review and we will also show you themain feature this case has which is a motorized front door. Vantec NexStar 3i Power Management Enclosure @ pro-clockers.com [May-06-08] (0 Comments) Vantec has added another member to the NexStar 360 lineup. The 3iboasts some things that we have not seen from Vantec in their many ages inthe industry. In the past year or so we have seen motherboards featureenergy efficiency, now we have it in hard drive enclosures. The 3i has anintegrated controller that can regulate power to the drive resulting in lesspower consumption, less noise and longer drive life. Adding the real reasonwhy we buy hard drive enclosures, which is for data storage, the new Vantechousing may be worth taking a look at. Cooler Master Real Power M850 850W @ techpowerup.com [May-06-08] (0 Comments) Cooler Master's Real Power M850 power supply is one of the first power supplies that has six 12V rails. This should be enough power for all your SLI or CrossFire needs. Like many other PSUs today, the M850 comes with a high gloss reflective case and a large number of connectors. Gigabyte GeForce 8800GT TurboForce 512MB @ aphnetworks.com [May-06-08] (0 Comments) While NVIDIA's 65nm G92 core is an optimized derivative of NVIDIA's original 90nm G80 core to a certain extent, cards based on the G92 like the 8800GT and 8800GTS 512MB is nothing but a success amongst performance enthusiasts -- and there's a good reason why. Our previous review of the Asus 8800GT TOP back in January showed that, in general, the 8800GT is not only a very capable card in terms of 3D performance and comes at a great price depending on the board manufacturer and retailer you are purchasing from, but are also very power efficient for what it offers. Last month, we got another variation of the 8800GT for our review -- this time, from Gigabyte. The Gigabyte GeForce 8800GT TurboForce 512MB is not just about great performance, however. Utilizing a shorter, unique signature Gigabyte-blue non-reference PCB, along with a Zalman copper cooler, combined with Gigabyte's custom overclocking and overvolting software to squeeze the heck out of this card, how does it step up against the rest? Let's check this card out and run it through our set of benchmarks. And of course -- overclocking. ECS GeForce 8800 GT 256MB Video Card - N8800GT-256MX @ legitreviews.com [May-05-08] (0 Comments) The ECS N8800GT 256MB packs in double the memory with an availabl e BIOS update giving you the performance of a true 8800 GT 512MB. The ext ra memory along with a nearly silent heat sink/fan combo and a $169 price tag assures it to be a great success! ASUS EN9600GT Silent 512MB @ techgage.com [May-05-08] (0 Comments) Looking for excellent gaming performance but also want tokeep PC noise to a minimum? The EN9600GT Silent from ASUS is the cardto buy. It couples the power of the 9600 GT with pure silence, andcosts little more than the stock model, making it a great choice foreither the HTPC or desktop. Assassin's Creed:Director's Cut @ bit-tech.net [May-05-08] (0 Comments) Viewed from one angle Assassin’s Creed:Director’s Cut ishonestly a little disappointing. The PC version doesn’t really addanything all that new, doesn’t make the most of the platform andcarries over many of the flaws of the original game. The Director’sCut doesn’t offer any new content except for the new investigations,and these aren’t really all that great. But the game is still quite good.The thing we really like about Assassin’s Creedis how good it is for creating player stories. The open sandbox stylemeans that players can make their own tales in a way that makes thegame great to talk about. There was the time I killed the Mad Doctor of Acre by climbing somescaffolding, assassinating an archer, and climbing down in to thecourtyard of the hospital. I leapt from a nearby chandelier and plungeda knife into his throat, escaping through alleyways with the aid ofsome vigilantes and scholars. It’s wonderful and deliciously emergent,going a long way to address complaints of repetitiveness.In a nutshell, the verdict lies in a balance of these two opposingviewpoints. Is Assassin’s Creed good? Undoubtedly – but the Director’s Cutisn’t a massive improvement over the original. You may well love thenew version more than the original, like we do, but the route of thatpreference won’t be because the game is markedly better on PC. It’ll bebecause your PC is markedly better than a console. A-DATA S701 & SDHC Eee PC Editions @ techpowerup.com [May-03-08] (0 Comments) A-DATA's S701 & SDHC card Eee PC Edition are themed flash storage parts which go especially nice with the ASUS Eee PC subnotebook. The SDHC card is a Class 6 Device which means it can offer write speeds up to 6 MB/s. Both come at no price premium over the non-EeePC branded variants. Aeneon XTune DDR3-1333 @ pro-clockers.com [May-02-08] (0 Comments) If you are not familiar with Aeneon's DDR3 modules here is a quickrundown. Aeneon makes two different lines of DDR3, the first is their'value' line which has no heat spreaders and a better price point. But thesecond series is the one that many of us would choose as it is meant for theoverclocker and gamer that wants the most out of their rig. XTune is whatthis line is called and sports a very clean set of heat spreaders and prettygood timings. For those that are into numbers, how does 8-8-8-15 at just 1.5volts sound? Diamond Radeon HD 3870 1GB Graphics Card @ pcper.com [May-01-08] (0 Comments) In a couple of cases, mainly in Bioshock and World in Conflict, theextra frame buffer made a noticeable impact on our gaming experience andallowed us to play much more comfortably at the 1920x1200 settings than onany other single-GPU AMD graphics card. In the rest of the titles we playedthrough the 1GB card offered no benefits over the 512MB versions - and thiswas surprising in cases like Call of Juarez that are heavily dependent onmemory subsystem performance. Motorola MotoPure H12 Bluetooth Headset @ bluetomorrow.com [May-01-08] (0 Comments) The Motorola MotoPure H12 Bluetooth Headset is a sleek and lightweight headset that combines modern style with simple functionality. The MotoPure H12 boasts what Motorola calls its CrystalTalk 2-microphone technology, which is designed to cancel out excess outside noise. Its design addresses several comfort issues many people have with less expensive units and offers a look that doesn't scream for attention. GlacialTech Igloo 5750 Silent CPU Cooler @ legitreviews.com [Apr-30-08] (0 Comments) The GlacialTech Igloo 5750 is a different design from the typical heat-pipe coolers on the market today for a number of reasons. Most obvi ous is that it is not a tower cooler. One of its other features worth men tioning is that it is quiet for an active cooler; at 15 dBA you would hav e a hard time hearing this fan inside any case. If you are looking for si lence from your PC this should be on your list of CPU coolers to purchase ... ASUS LS201 20" LCD Monitor @ hothardware.com [Apr-30-08] (0 Comments) LCD Monitor @ HotHardware.comThis is a multipart message in MIME format.--Boundary_(ID_pYR3rATQJXzTQ7Rt/LRA4Q)Content-type:text/plain; charset=us-asciiContent-transfer-encoding:7BITHello Everyone, Earlier this year we stumbled upon a widely circulated You Tube video (atleast in tech circles), in which a man is seen ruthlessly abusing a poor LCDmonitor. The protagonist starts by letting a child draw on the screen with ablack permanent marker. Taking matters into his own hands, the man thenproceeds to take a pen-knife to the surface of the screen, followed bymultiple strikes with a hammer. The abuse of a perfectly good LCD monitorisn't what struck us about this particular video, however. The uniqueelement that caught our eye and set it apart from similar videos is that theLCD monitor survived the episode completely unscathed. The monitor wasASUS' LS201. After seeing the video, we had to test this screen for ourselves. Ourevaluation of the ASUS LS201 20 Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz @ techgage.com [Apr-29-08] (0 Comments) The wait for an affordable 45nm Quad-Core is now over,and the Q9450 promises to become the ultimate choice of the newofferings. It's not much slower than the QX9650, offers 12MB of cacheand as expected, has some fantastic overclocking ability. How does3.44GHz stable sound? Ultra m998 ATX Mid-Tower Enclosure @ tweaktown.com [Apr-29-08] (0 Comments) Anyone who has tinkered with computers for any amount of time will immediately know the name Ultra. With a number of products that cover case fans and lights, designer cases, DVD products, hard drive coolers, media drives, complete memory solutions, memory coolers and power supplies, these folks can provide you with a large selection of upgrade items. Today we will be taking a look at one of their system enclosures, the m998. It is a mid-tower design based around the ATX standard and has some features that may be a little different than what you have seen in the past. Crisis Core:Interviewing Yoshinori Kitase @ bit-tech.net [Apr-28-08] (0 Comments) BT:We’re ten years on now and there’s been multipleFinalFantasy games since VII and yet between Dirge of Cerebus, AdventChildren and Crisis Core, you’ve always returned to Final Fantasy VII.What is it about VII that you think makes it so popular and special?YK:Well, Final Fantasy VII came out a time in a time oftransition when the PlayStation 1 allowed for a whole new realm ofgames with improved audio and graphics. Also, at the time I was a muchyounger man. Ten years younger in fact – though don’t count me out justyet! It was a time when I had all this enthusiasm and as a young creator Iwanted to try and challenge the idea of what an RPG could be. Combinewith that the hardware and these new realms of possibility forcreators. That combination seems to have worked because although it washard to say how successful we were at the time, ten years later thegame is still being talked about and I think we really did set a newstandard.We really have a soft spot in our hearts for Final Fantasy VIIbecause that was when we tried to change things. It was just the righttime for it. Motorola MotoPure H12 Bluetooth Headset @ bluetomorrow.com [Apr-28-08] (0 Comments) The Motorola MotoPure H12 Bluetooth Headset is a sleek and lightweight headset that combines modern style with simple functionality. The MotoPure H12 boasts what Motorola calls its CrystalTalk 2-microphone technology, which is designed to cancel out excess outside noise. Its design addresses several comfort issues many people have with less expensive units and offers a look that doesn't scream for attention. Larrabee team member speaks on rasterization @ pcper.com [Apr-25-08] (0 Comments) There's no doubt Larrabee is going to be the world's most awesomeraytracer. It's going to be the world's most awesome chip at a lot of heavycomputing tasks - that's the joy of total programmability combined withserious number-crunching power. But that is cool stuff for those that wantto play with wacky tech. We're not assuming everybody in the world will dothis, we're not forcing anyone to do so, and we certainly can't just do itbehind their backs and expect things to work - that would be absurd.Raytracing on Larrabee is a fascinating research project, it's an excitingnew way of thinking about rendering scenes, just like splatting or voxels orany number of neat ideas, but it is absolutely not the focus of Larrabee'sprimary rendering capabilities, and never has been - not even for a moment. The World Ends With You @ bit-tech.net [Apr-24-08] (0 Comments) The World Ends With You is both a fantastically imaginative andhugely derivative game as far as DS RPGs go and the whole thing feelslike a teenage version of Contact what with the intriguing artstyle and obsession with stickers and badges as weapons. There’s two ways to look at The World Ends With You, if you askus. You can look at it in terms of Square Enix and say that, as far astheir history goes, The World Ends With You is a good game, buthardly as remarkable as past titles. Final Fantasy VII this isnot. On the other hand though, if you look at this as far as the DS goes,then this is definitely one of the best RPGs the platform has seen.Yeah, it may not be the next Final Fantasy,but it’s still a great game and the art style that runs through thegame is both striking and adorable. The characters are visuallyarresting and some of the more powerful combos and fusion powers arereally quite cool. The best thing about The World Ends With You though isthat the game manages to be both involving and accessible. There’s anawful lot of information to absorb in the first few hours of play, notleast of which is the combat system, which is hugely fun and franticbut also tough to get to grips with. The game never once feelsoverpowering or dull though and instead pulls players in deeper, thanksto characters that players can relate to and excellent dialogue. The World Ends With You may not quite live up the expectationsof those wanting the next Final Fantasy or KingdomHearts – but those people would probably never be satisfied anyway and,as it is, The World Ends With You is still a fantastic gamethat all DS gamers can easily enjoy. OCZ ReaperX HPC PC3-10666 Enhanced Bandwidth 2x1GB DDR3 RAM @ aphnetworks.com [Apr-24-08] (0 Comments) How much would you pay for roughly 2% performance increase on your latest gaming rig? $100? $200? How about $600? Even the most hardcore computer enthusiasts for the past year have been struggling with this question -- and if you've been following the technology trend, yes, I am talking about DDR3 memory. According to our tests last year, DDR3 memory provided little advantage with original, first generation Core 2 CPUs in combination with Intel's first consumer chipset that supports DDR3, the P35. As DDR2 became mainstream last generation, it is inevitable to all extents that DDR3 will be in the position of DDR2. The question is only whether it'd be sooner or later. Currently, DDR3-1333 RAM is available in the market at press time that it retails for as low as $120. Combined with newer processors and chipsets that takes better advantage of faster memory (Meaning that, it's much more than 2% performance over DDR2 now), more users are becoming more willing to jump the boat. On the other hand, there's also the overclocking crowd that's more interested in DDR3 RAM because the price of most DDR3 sets is now within affordable margins. While the OCZ ReaperX is not $120 right now, what it offers is Micron's latest D9GTS ICs that has gained excellent reputation from enthusiast crowds for excellent overclocking. How does this set of RAM step up against the rest? Let's put it through our tests and we'll see how it goes. Ways to silence your PC - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Apr-23-08] (0 Comments) Oneof the holy grails of any PC enthusiast is to have a completelysilent rig, or at least, quiet enough so that it doesn't disturb thegame we're playing or the movie we're watching. This article is acollection of helpful information that should help those who don't wanttheir conversation drowned out by rumbling hard disks or whirring fans. AMD Phenom X3 8750 Triple-Core Processor @ legitreviews.com [Apr-23-08] (0 Comments) When it comes to performance the AMD Phenom X3 8750 performed muc h faster than the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ and actually beat out the AMD Ph enom X4 9600 (Running the TLB Patch) in a number of benchmarks. It was al so able to perform better than the Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 and Core 2 Duo E6750 as seen in the benchmarks. Intel still has the lead when overclocki ng, but AMD hasn't been marketing the Phenom X3 series as enthusiasts par ts. With that said, we still managed to get another 500MHz out of the Phe nom X3 8750 by overclocking just the bus frequency... Diamond Radeon HD 3870 1GB Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Apr-22-08] (0 Comments) First and foremost, if you're playing at extreme resolutions of 2560x1600 a single ATI Radeon HD 3870 is clearly not going to cut it. It is able to provide playable frame rates in some situations but is bes ted by the Nvidia 8800 GTS in most of those same situations. When it come s to performance compared to a standard 3870 with 512MB, our 1GB version really didn't show much improvement in our short battery of test, but I believe that the performance is being held back more by the actual GPU t han an increase in memory bandwidth and size can help. Our testing at suc h a high resolution should have given the Diamond 3870 1GB a chance to sh ine... Tuniq Ensemble 1200W Power Supply @ thinkcomputers.org [Apr-22-08] (0 Comments) Tuniq is a performance chassis and power supply purveyor subsidiaryof cooling, lighting, and chassis maker Sunbeamtech. Tuniq is in the NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 @ modders-inc.com [Apr-22-08] (0 Comments) The GeForce 9800 GX2 combines the two GeForce 9800 GPUs in asingle graphics solution, which offers 256 processor cores and a framebuffer of 1 GB (512 MB per GPU). It also allows a user to take advantage ofthe second-generation Quad SLI technology. Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard @ rbmods.com [Apr-22-08] (0 Comments) If you got a HTPC setup at home you know that you need a smallkeyboard/mouse combo to match the rest of your home theather system.Logitech has lately relesed their Dinovo Mini keyboard/mouse combo that weare going to take a look at today. This small keyboard is filled withfeatures that might come in handy when using your HTPC. Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB SATA Hard Drive @ legitreviews.com [Apr-21-08] (0 Comments) The Western Digital VelociRaptor was a blast to test since it's n ot every day something this new and innovative comes across the test benc h. The Western Digital VelociRaptor is hands down the fastest single hard drive we have ever tested and it is hard to believe that the firmware is still being improved. It will be exciting to see how much more performa nce Western Digital will be able to get out of the VelociRaptor before it hits retail stores in May. As it stands right now having a burst speed o f over 250 MB/s and a sustained read speed pushing over 100 MB/s is enoug h to put a smile on our face. Just imagine running RAID 0 with a pair of these! ViewSonic VX1940w 19" widescreen monitor @ bit-tech.net [Apr-21-08] (0 Comments) Clearly the ViewSonic VX1940w is not a mass market monitor thatwillconvince the mainstream hordes to ditch their 22-inch panels. But itcould be extremely attractive for a few niche markets and for thoseable to divert their attention away from simple screen acreage.Obviously, it's a great solution when space is in short supply. Nodoubt LAN gamers will appreciate the combination of high detail, speedypixel response and compact, travel-friendly dimensions. It also makesfor a very nice low-profile secondary display with decent resolution,perhaps to compliment a large 30-inch primary panel.Of course, the VX1940w will be fighting a largely losing battle againstsimilarly-priced 20- and 22-inchers for the attention of buyers lookingto maximise screen size within their budget. And frankly, for mostusers we wouldn't give it a blanket recommendation over such models.But we are glad ViewSonic has decided to add it to the mix and offersomething a little different. In Win B2 Stealth Bomber Case @ thinkcomputers.org [Apr-21-08] (0 Comments) The B2 Stealth Bomber case is really what you might think it is, acase that looks like the B2 Aircraft. The B2 case, like the aircraft issurely an advanced case. This newly released case comes equipped with twoeSATA ports, auto-sensing mechanical front door, shock-free railing system,dual fan VGA turbo cooling system, water-cooling friendly, and with a designinspired by the B2, this case is surely not something your grandma willunderstand. Read on further and see a video of the mechanical front door inaction. Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB WD3000GLFS - Evolution @ pcper.com [Apr-21-08] (0 Comments) What can you really say after seeing all of those benchmarks andtests? Without a doubt the new Western Digital VelociRaptor 300GB drive isthe fastest hard drive we have ever tested. The upgrade of the Raptor lineto the SATA 3.0 GB/s specification was well overdue and you can clearly seethat at least part of the performance boost was due to that change. Withburst speeds of 247 MB/s and sustained transfers over 110 MB/s theVelociRaptor is the best enthusiast hard drive you'll find for anyapplication we can think of - games, boot times, video encoding, etc. Best Thermal Paste Application Methods @ benchmarkreviews.com [Apr-21-08] (0 Comments) Over the past several months, I have read an unreasonable number of discussion forum posts which offer inaccurate and often times Vantec Hard Drive Dock @ pro-clockers.com [Apr-18-08] (0 Comments) Vantec, a company known for different forms of external storage, isthe next in line to release a pod. The NexStar Hard Drive Dock is anincredible looking device that will take any 2.5 or 3.5 internal drive andmake it external. And all this is done without having to disassembleanything. All you have to do is drop the drive in the top of the dock, givethe drive a second to be recognized by Windows and you are ready to read andwrite all your data. But how is this unit different from the one wepreviously reviewed a few weeks ago? Well, read the next few pages and findout. War for Visual Computing:Why AMD Could Have the Best Chance @ pcper.com [Apr-17-08] (0 Comments) Of the three companies in this debate today, Intel, AMD and NVIDIA,only one is balanced in the vision that both NVIDIA and Intel supposedly seefor the industry. AMD has both a CPU and GPU that are competitive intoday's market; not leaders in any definitive way but right up there nonethe less. Thanks to the acquisition of ATI by AMD nearly two years ago thecombined organization seems poised to capitalize on the shifting dynamics inthe designs of both processing dynamics. And much of what Intel and NVIDIAare doing today is actually validating what AMD has done over the past 24months. Cyber Snipa Stinger - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Apr-17-08] (0 Comments) Whilemost of the gaming peripheral world is dominated by the big nameslike Razer and Logitech, there is a growing number of smaller companiesthat are bringing their own range of gaming products to the table.Cyber Snipa is one such name, and today I'll be testing their Stingermouse. With adjustable DPI and weights, how will it fair against it'scompetitors? Let's see. [News] ASUS 9800 GTX 512MB Graphics Card @ virtual-hideout.net [Apr-16-08] (0 Comments) The bottom line here is that the ASUS EN9800GTX is a much coolergraphics card that's capable of replacing the 8800 GTX in ASUS' line up.Should you run out and replace that 8800 GTX you already have? Not really.Performance between these two GTXs is a pretty even battle with the newer9800 winning out a little. Those looking for the newest performance cardthat offers the best bang for buck are going to find the ASUS EN9800GTX tobe a good option. The only thing that would make it an even better choicewould be a lower price tag and a decently bundled video game. It's ASUS, soanything is possible. ASUS EN9800 GTX 512MB Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Apr-16-08] (0 Comments) While the 9800 GTX might not be the revolutionary jump that we ha d hoped for, it's still a very good card for someone looking at buying a new graphics card with this kind of budget. The first retail 9800 GTX w e're going to look at comes from ASUS and doesn't carry with it any e xtra acronyms such as TOP. With the 9800 GTX in hand we took the time to see how it goes up against other high-end retail cards like the HD 3870 X2 from ASUS and the 9800 GX 2 from Zotac. While Dual GPU cards are good in theory, if the application isn't able to make full use of the power then high-end single core car ds can outperform them. Let's find out how the 9800 GTX goes against th ese Dual GPU wielding cards. Early Look:Gigabyte P45-DS5 motherboard @ bit-tech.net [Apr-14-08] (0 Comments) Gigabyte has done a lot to improve the P45's layoutover itsprevious P35 board – while we loved the DS3R, other products like theEP35-DS4 (pictured right, on the left of the two) had compatibilityproblems with the SATA ports. The P45-DS5 fixes this by making all the SATA ports at 90 degree anglesto the edge of the board so they don't conflict with longer graphicscards. In addition to this there are now tenSATA ports – four of which are from a Silicon Image chipset. While theRAID can't be combined with the new ICH10R southbridge, they all offerNCQ, ACHI and eSATA support.The Gigabyte branded JMicron chipset provides the IDE port which isstill missing from ICH10, like it was from ICH9, and even though theIDE port is awkwardly placed right down the bottom of the board itshouldn't matter too much since there's oodles of SATA for opticaldrives.The DS5 shown here is DDR2 only and supports Zalman CNPS9700 NT vs Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme @ bleedinedge.com [Apr-14-08] (0 Comments) A quick poll of BleedinEdge.com members, on the subject of air coolers, Nvidia Analyst's Day:Biting Back @ bit-tech.net [Apr-14-08] (0 Comments) Gelsinger believes that the industry needs a programmable,ubiquitousand unified architecture... like Larrabee. This is of courseconvenient, but he seems to forget that we've had very programmable andunified architectures ever since the launch of the GeForce 8800 GTX inNovember 2006. DirectX 10 was an inflection point for graphics cards, because it isthe first time that shader units have become fully generalisedprocessing 'cores'. Although it's worth remembering that they're notquite as flexible as a CPU core in their current design. Phil Hester of AMD Resigns from CTO Position @ pcper.com [Apr-12-08] (0 Comments) AMD is truly at a historic lowpoint, and it seems that it is due toa bad combination of technology, competition, and perhaps some internalcomplacency. Phil was brought in as CTO at AMD's pinnacle, and he haspresided over that position from that point to the low valley we now see thecompany. Is he a fall guy? Was it his decisions that led them on the roadto here? Or were there thoughts of cutting salaries of these uppermanagement individuals, and he simply felt that it was not in his bestinterest to stay and take the cut? Hard to say. Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 GDDR3 512MB @ pcper.com [Apr-12-08] (0 Comments) When the Radeon HD 3650 card was first released we were a littleunderwhelmed by the specifications as it seemed that nothing had beenimproved upon when compared to the previous, RV600-based HD 2600-series ofcards. And in fact that is the case:performance remains mostly the samewhile power consumption has dropped and thus heat output too. That doesn'tmake the HD 3650 a home run though as NVIDIA's answers to the card continueto stack up and perform better - the 8600 GTS with half the frame buffer waseasily outpacing the Sapphire HD 3650 card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory evenwhen overclocked. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue @ bit-tech.net [Apr-12-08] (0 Comments) The game is undeniably beautiful to look are but the car modelsare probably on a par with Forza 2 and PGR4, not reallysurpassingthem as you might hope. There are also a few occasions where thejaggies creep in which, given the alleged complexity of the models,you'd expect not to see.So, is GT5 Prologue worth your money? That depends. Yes,it's half the price of other games, and yes it's the only serious raceravailable on the PS3 for the foreseeable future. But on the downside itdoesn’t ever feel really complete. The lack of progressive difficultyand the limited number of tracks means races can get a littlemonotonous.If you only have a PS3, then I'd recommend you get this game to tideyou over until the full release comes along sometime next year. On theother hand, if you've got an Xbox 360 as well, I'd recommend that youstick with Forza and PGR as they'll give you moresatisfaction in the meantime.As a demo, it's a great way to show us what's to come. The only problemis, it leaves you feeling unsatisfied with what you've got andimpatient to wait for the final release. Should we really be paying fora demo in the first place? [News] GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD 3870 512MB Crossfire @ virtual-hideout.net [Apr-10-08] (0 Comments) Two of those latest cards has come to us in the form of Gigabyte'sATI Radeon HD 3870 512MB graphics cards, or GV-RX387512H for those currentlyshopping. NVidia's 8800 series are a very common top end budget gamer cardand typically does well in most cases. How does the Gigabyte HD 3870 stackup against the card? And is it a viable solution? Read on for the surprisingresults. Xigmatek HDT- S1283 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Apr-10-08] (0 Comments) CPUcooling has always been important for the overclocker, but due todual and quad cores it's becoming increasingly important for the casualuser too. Water cooling and phase change are both great ways of coolinga CPU; however the extremes of these methods are both very expensiveand can be rather risky. This is the reason why Air Cooling is stillused today, though don’t label it as boring, air cooling has changeddramatically over the past 3 years.Today I will be looking at the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 which featuresanti-vibration rubber and a 120mm ‘quiet’ fan. So lets take this coolerout for a spin and see how well it performs…. Leadtek WinFast GeForce PX8800GT 256MB @ reviewlab.net [Apr-09-08] (0 Comments) The race on the marketing of high-end video cards has lately been well-led by NVIDIA. One of great achievements was the launch of GeForce 8800 series, the world's first DirectX 10 compliant graphics cards, the GeForce 8800 GTX / GTS based on a new G80 GPU architecture. Today we're going to review the Leadtek PX8800GT 256MB Video card and check out everything this great GPU can offer. Palit 9800 GTX and SLI testing @ neoseeker.com [Apr-09-08] (0 Comments) With a high-end card such as this, many are no doubt wondering what a 9800GTX SLI system would be capable of. So this is something we are going tolook at today, comparing the a pair of 9800 GTX cards against a 9600 GT,8800 GT, and 8800 GTS 512MB SLI configuration. How nice would be to comehome from work one day and see a pair of these powerful cards sitting inyour motherboard? ASUS EN9800GTX 512MB @ techgage.com [Apr-09-08] (0 Comments) It's not too often that the fastest single-GPU availableis also affordable, but the 9800 GTX is just that. At just over $300,it delivers incredible performance at all resolutions and also turnsout to be amazingly overclockable. It's just too bad that the 8800 GTS512 is not much slower... Diamond HD 3650 1024 MB DDR2 @ techpowerup.com [Apr-09-08] (0 Comments) Diamond's latest HD 3650 card features a huge video memory of 1 GB, but uses only slow DDR2. For media PC systems an extra HDMI output has been added which natively supports HDCP and audio. We run this card through our benchmarks and check whether the extra memory can make a performance difference. Sony DualShock 3 Controller @ cooltechzone.com [Apr-08-08] (0 Comments) After years of wait, the ever popular DualShock controller is back for the PS3 as DualShock 3. The controller is very much like its predecessor, DualShock 2, with the same aesthetics and the true Sony-style look. But naturally, the key factor to note is the force feedback option that was missing from the original controller. As many of you remember, Sony was involved in a lawsuit with Immersion, the company that patented the force feedback technology, and as such, Sony had to skip this feature to avoid further legal ramifications. [News] Zalman FPSGun FG1000 Gaming Mouse @ virtual-hideout.net [Apr-08-08] (0 Comments) Looking at the FPSGun might give you the initial impression that itis some sort of Light Gun that you point at the screen. It is not. Instead,it regular mouse that somewhat resembles an inverted handgun. Thus, you holdit somewhat like you are gripping something, dare I say the handgrip of a Gigabyte 9600 GT 512MB @ techgage.com [Apr-07-08] (0 Comments) If on thelookout for a good GPU at a great price, it's easier thanever. NVIDIA's 9600 GT packs a punch and retails for well under $200.We are taking Gigabyte's stock-clocked solution for a spin to see howit stacks up against our other models. And yes, it overclocks like abeast. Xigmatek Red Scorpion, S1283 CPU Cooler @ rbmods.com [Apr-05-08] (0 Comments) Today we take a look at a cooler from the fairly new company namedXigmatek. This new cooler focuses on peformance and silence which actuallycan be quite hard to combine together so it is going to be very interestingto see what this S1283 cooler can do vs a well performing cooler fromCoolermaster. It seems to have the size and the quality but does it perform? OCZ StealthXStream 600 W Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Apr-05-08] (0 Comments) We completely disassembled OCZ StealthXStream 600 W (OCZ600SXS) and tested to see if it can really deliver its rated power. Check it out! Logitech Cordless MediaBoard Pro Keyboard for PS3 & PC @ legitreviews.com [Apr-04-08] (0 Comments) Not all of us are lucky enough to have a Sony Playstation 3, but most of us have a PC at home or at work. For those looking for an great all-in-on keyboard/mouse combo, the Logitech MediaBoard Pro should attrac t your attention. Even though the keyboard was designed for use with the Playstation, the MediaBoard has a number of features that Home Theater P C users or those wanting a cordless keyboard would love... Logitech diNovo Mini Bluetooth Thumb Keyboard @ aphnetworks.com [Apr-04-08] (0 Comments) You are sitting in your living room, on that beautiful, comfortable, black leather sofa you picked up just a few years ago. The designer lights on the walls are dimmed as the clock ticks past ten. The 50 Nesteq EECS 700w - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Apr-04-08] (0 Comments) Overthe last few years, a lot more attention has been paid to powersupplies, and their ever important role of giving our prizedpossessions the juice they need to run as pain free as possible.However, not only have companies been tempting our wallets withexcellent rail stability and high efficiencies, they’ve also touted thelow noise levels of their units. The PSU I have with me today sports alarge, slow spinning fan and with near silence being one of it’s mainfeatures. I’ll be interested to see how much it can actually reduce myrig’s noise levels by. Hitachi Travelstar 5K250 2.5 Hard Drive @ tweaktown.com [Apr-04-08] (0 Comments) Hitachi has really come through in the hard disk market since tak ing over the department from IBM. So far the Hitachi drives have been top notch with no real reason to discredit them. Hitachi's current range o f drives are extremely impressive. On the design side there is nothing spectacular about the drive, it's l ight in weight and looks well constructed. On the top of the drive there is a identification label with info on the drive including model numbers, spindle speed and capacity which is 250GB for this model we were sent. ASUS GeForce 8800GS TOP 384MB @ tweaktown.com [Apr-03-08] (0 Comments) While there were whispers of the 8800GS in the background, it was never really one of those cards that got much attention. Everyone was to o busy concentrating on the 8800GT and new 8800GTS 512MB card to really p ay much attention to it. ASUS are only one of two companies in Australia who have an 8800GS on the market here. The only other company who chose to take up the card and re lease it locally was XFX. The card seems to be a bit of a weird model and we're not too sure where it will sit. The card should sit behind a 880 0GT, but the 9600GT also sits just behind it. It's possible that both c ards perform quite similar and companies chose to uptake the 9 series mod el over the ageing 8800 series. OrigenAE C10 Low Profile CPU Cooler @ techpowerup.com [Apr-03-08] (0 Comments) Most HTPC users will find that there are only a limited number of CPU coolers available to use in most HTPC cases because of their smaller size. OrigenAE created the C10 to help fill that void. The C10 has three U-shaped copper heatpipes that come in direct contact with the CPU, and 35 aluminum fins behind a standard size 70mm fan. ATI HD 2400 XT 256MB Video Card ed @ thetechlounge.com [Apr-02-08] (0 Comments) It's hard to believe, but there are actually many people who don't want the trappings, and cost, of gaming hardware. Integrated graphics aren't always an option and, when they are, they use precious system resources that, for only a little extra cash, can be un-tethered. Which is exactly what an entry-level video card is supposed to do. They're not intended to play video games, and their 3D processing capacity is misleading. Good enough doesn't mean gaming; it's about low power consumption and decent features. So, for those of you looking for ASUS EN8800GTS TOP 512MB @ techgage.com [Apr-02-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA's 9-series might be brand-new, but the 8-seriesshould not be overlooked. Most 8800 GTS 512 cards cost less than the9800 GTX, and can be easily overclocked to overpower it. In the case ofthis pre-overclocked ASUS card, the 9800 GTX doesn't have a fightingchance. bit-tech :Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB @ bit-tech.net [Apr-02-08] (0 Comments) At around £210-£230 including VAT, depending on where your allegiance lies, the GeForce 9800 GTX is on the expensive side... especially when you can pick up a GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB card for as little as £165 (inc. VAT) . What's more, you can pick up a factory-overclocked GeForce 8800 GTX for under £200 . Why would you opt for the 9800 GTX /right now/? EVGA e-GeForce 9800 GTX @ nvnews.net [Apr-01-08] (0 Comments) And the GeForce 9800 GTX? In summary, after having tested the GeForce 9800 GTX under Windows XP, I will state that it performs on par with the previous generation GeForce 8800 GTX. That is until its 512MB of video memory (VRAM) becomes exhausted. Although not necessarily a drawback, it is a consideration that the informed consumer needs to realize before making a purchase - especially when two (SLI) or three (3-way SLI) graphics cards are being considered. Bigbruin.com 5th Birthday Party Give Away @ bigbruin.com [Apr-01-08] (0 Comments) Bigbruin.com turns five years old on April 1st. While it might seem funny, this is not an April fools joke. There are three ways in which to win, and a total of five winners will grab a prize from the following list of items: Patriot Viper Series 2GB PC3-12800 DDR3 Memory Kit, ASUS EAH3870 TOP 512MB Overclocked Radeon HD3870 Graphics Card, ASUS EAH3850 TOP 256MB Overclocked Radeon HD3850 Graphics Card, CoolIT Prize Pack - USB Beverage Cooler, PCI Cooling Booster, and RAM Fan, and two $25 Best Buy Gift Cards. Asus EN9600GT (NVIDIA 9600GT) TOP 512MB @ aphnetworks.com [Apr-01-08] (0 Comments) It's mostly been like this:This generation's performance graphics cards are next generation's midrange series. For NVIDIA, it has been like that for the NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT, 7600GT, well, and less so for the 8600GT and 8600GTS; and so to say today we'll be looking at the successor to the less than appreciated 8600 series -- the 9600GT. NVIDIA's 9600GT has been launched for more than a couple weeks now, and we've finally gotten our hands on Asus' newly modified version of the 9600GT -- the Asus EN9600GT TOP 512MB with a special cooler. As usual, the 'TOP' suffix from Asus signifies that it's overclocked (Usually pretty aggressively too) out of the box. How well will the 9600GT step up against the ATI Radeon 3870 and NVIDIA's own 8800GT? Better yet, we've even got all the fastest factory overclocked cards to test against each other in our review today. Let's get right to it and see if the 9600GT takes the midrange performance crown and how much bang you get for your buck. TWM Performance Complete Short Shifter Kit @ aphnetworks.com [Apr-01-08] (0 Comments) It's been quite a while since APH Networks, obviously the most well known highly dedicated car enthusiast website, took a look at what we've originated from -- car reviewing. Lately we've gotten a little off track and got into all those computer products for some odd reason. But in all seriousness, take a look out on the streets. Here in North America, cars are so common, it's not even funny. From 20 year old Buick sedans to the latest Acura CUVs, and then *gasp* there's a high school kid driving their ricer that's so low they can barely make it over a speed bump, wing so big and heavy that turned their car's weight distribution into 40/60, decals on the side of their car from dozens of companies that they don't even own parts from, and tinted windows that resemble those of an opaque black wall. Well here's one for you:Performance modifications are more practical than visual modifications. Driving a standard transmission (Or manual transmission, stick shift, or whatever you want to call it) myself, there's all to one point that makes it so unique and fun to drive:The combination of the third pedal and the gearstick. Sitting in a few real performance vehicles lately, I wasn't all in for their fuel economy, but their short throw manual really intrigued me. Moving back to my own car, here's a cheap, easy do-it-yourself modification that makes your shifting all that much fun -- the complete short shifter kit from TWM Performance. Adding onto that, we also had an aftermarket weighted shift knob to go along with it. Let's see how it improves your driving experience. ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB Video Card @ benchmarkreviews.com [Apr-01-08] (0 Comments) On April 1st, 2008 NVIDIA will officially launch the GeForce 9800 GTX. It's been over sixteen months since the GTX series was last ASUS EN9600GT TOP 512MB @ Rob Williams [Mar-31-08] (0 Comments) http://techgage.com/article/asus_en9600gt_top_512mb/ Logitech MX5500 Revolution Cordless Desktop @ rbmods.com [Mar-31-08] (0 Comments) When it comes to computer upgrades, nothing provides a more visceralimpact than a new keyboard and mouse. These essential input devices havecome along way since the early days, yet still companies are findinginnovative features to add. Logitech, well-known makers of peripheraldevices, has developed a new keyboard/mouse combo, the Logitech MX550Revolution Cordless Desktop. Will this combo live up to its name as arevolutionary product? That is what we're here to find out in this review. Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB External Hard Drive @ thinkcomputers.org [Mar-29-08] (0 Comments) The Seagate FreeAgent Pro is among many other current external harddrives. Its sleek design will help keep your desktop clutter free. Availablein 320GB, 500GB, 750GB, and 1000GB capacities and supporting USB, eSATA, anddual FireWire 400 there is quite a number of drives to choose from for yourliking. The touch sensitive power points and included AutoBackup softwarehelp the FreeAgent Pro stick out from the crowd of other devices. Let's takea further look at this external hard drive. Gigabyte iSolo 210 chassis @ bit-tech.net [Mar-27-08] (0 Comments) There’s basically two ways to look at the iSolo 210 and itdepends ifyou’re a glass half full, glass half empty or an “I ordered acheeseburger with my drink” kind of person. On one hand, you could say that the Gigabyte iSolo 210 is a little dulland uninspiring – certainly not as cool as my word association gamesmay have convinced me it was. The inside of the case is very muchby-the-numbers, the performance is solid but not truly outstanding andthe same is true with the noise performance. Then you can look at it the other way. You can say that this is abudget end chassis, that the case follows the standard designconventions for a reason and that the performance for the case ispretty damn good. You can say that the exterior of the case is prettysnazzy looking and that there’s plenty of room for modding. This is theview we’re leaning towards here, though we don’t really like the windowall that much and we’d do away with the tool-less system if we could. Now you’ll have to excuse us – our glass may be half full, but we stillhaven’t got our cheeseburger yet... Vizo Uranus - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Mar-27-08] (0 Comments) Vizohave sent plenty of bits and bobs my way over the last couple ofyears and one area of products they keep making and keep improving onis their HDD enclosures. Today I have one such product, the Uranus(that's yur-uh-nus, not...) which has a sleek blue finish. Will it liveup to Vizo's reputation? Let's find out. ASUS WL-520GU Wireless Router @ thinkcomputers.org [Mar-27-08] (0 Comments) ASUS wowed ThinkComputers in January 2007 within its WL-500W, anpre-802.11n router with USB ports for mass storage devices or a printer.ASUS recently released a 125 Mbps 802.11g router with a USB port for aprinter, called the WL-520GU. This router is Vista-ready and features aneasily configurable Bandwidth-On-Demand feature for Quality of Serviceadjustments. ThinkComputers investigates... Ultra m998 Computer Case @ rbmods.com [Mar-26-08] (0 Comments) Most ATX cases on the market nowadays come with a fairly standard setof equipment and have similar layouts. It's rare that you find a case thatoffers a variety of unique features. Ultra, makers of a wide range ofcomputer components, has developed a new case, the Ultra m998 Computer Case,which offers a number of unique features. Will the case prove to be awinner? Read on to find out. Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 4GB USB Drive @ thinkcomputers.org [Mar-26-08] (0 Comments) Earlier this year Kingston released the DataTraveler HyperX seriesUSB drives which are available in three different capacities:2GB, 4GB, and8GB. This is by far the fastest USB drive Kingston has produced withtransfer rates of 30mb/s read and 20mb/s write. It not only has fasttransfer rates, but fast access times as well. The HyperX is enhanced forWindows ReadyBoost and comes with a 5 year warranty. Read on further to seehow well this USB drive puts out. Sapphire Toxic HD 3870 ATi Video Card @ pro-clockers.com [Mar-26-08] (0 Comments) Yes you can go out and purchase one of the cards from any of theseveral manufacturers that endorse the ATI brand. The Toxic HD 3870 is anoverclocked version of the ATI 3870 chipset. The Toxic HD 3870 uses a singleslot cooler that would be a godsend for those that are tight on space orhave motherboards with the PCIe slots too close together. This non-referencecooler helps to cool a RV670 clocked to 825MHz from the default 775MHz. Timeto put the Toxic 3870 on the bench and see what performance numbers we canget. XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 Quad SLI Video Card Testing @ legitreviews.com [Mar-25-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA has done a great job with Quad-SLI and with some driver im provements it should only get better. The XFX GeForce 9800 GX2 graphics c ards running in a quad-SLI showed increased performance in every applicat ion we tested versus a single GeForce 9800 GX2, which is something that c an not be said about the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 as they had some driver is sues on Tomb Raider:Anniversary. We almost didn't include Tomb Raider:A nniversary in our testing, but our two store-bought DVD versions of Biosh ock say they have been installed too many times, so this game was a last minute addition... VVIKOO GeForce 9600GT Turbo 512MB @ tweaktown.com [Mar-25-08] (0 Comments) This is the first card we've seen from VVIKOO, and what a card it is. Expecting nothing more than a reference design I was pleasantly su rprised when I opened the box to discover just how cool this 9600GT is. With the VVIKOO 9600GT in hand and its mammoth clocks, it's time to see how it fairs against the competition in this price bracket. The 8800GT s its slightly more expensive while the HD 3870 sits at around the same pri ce. OCZ Rally2 Turbo 4GB USB Flash Drive @ aphnetworks.com [Mar-25-08] (0 Comments) OCZ really knows how to take advantage of the performance market. OCZ is well known for producing legendary overclocking memory, popular power supplies, performance flash memory products, and even more so for improving such products. Many years ago, the original OCZ Rally USB flash drive gained immense popularity amongst enthusiasts and consumers alike. When the OCZ Rally2 came out a couple years ago, it was even faster than its predecessor -- we've already reviewed the original first revision and were quite impressed by the speed (Although a bit less with its access latency due to UT161 controller problems). From what we can see, we are quite glad that OCZ fixed the latency issues with their flash drives in the past year or so. Recently, OCZ released another dual channel flash drive to the Rally performance flash drive family -- the OCZ Rally2 Turbo. The manufacturer claims that it can hit up to 35MB/s in read performance. How is the turbocharged dual channel Rally2 going to perform? That's something we are really interested to find out. No More Heroes @ bit-tech.net [Mar-23-08] (0 Comments) No More Heroes is a game that really does thrive on surprisingplayers and it’s great to see a completely accessible game like thisthat manages to shock players without ever relying on shock tactics. It’s also one of the funniest and most entertaining games that we’veplayed on the Wii – it goes a long way to addressing the huge gapbetween decent Wii releases. Super Mario Galaxy was a long timeago now, so if you’ve been itching for something worthy to flail yourWiimote at then No More Heroes will certainly fit the bill.No More Heroes isn’t a perfect game at all and it has some veryidentifiable problems which occasionally put players off. Given thatthe appeal of the game lies in blind-siding the player with off-beathumour and wit, it also may not be suitable to everyone. And onceyou’ve got to grips with it then you may find it a tad tiresome ifyou’ve not got the same sense of humour as the writers. No More Heroes is an excellent example of how an eccentriccharacter design and storyline can compensate for some technicalfailings though and the combination of bizarre characters and strikingpresentation really do make the mini-games and such a minor concern atbest. If you’ve been looking for a more adult game to play on your Wiithen No More Heroes should come highly recommended. Asus EAH3870 (ATI 3870) TOP 512MB Graphics Card @ aphnetworks.com [Mar-21-08] (0 Comments) After going through several of the latest and hottest NVIDIA G92 based graphics card in the past few months, it seems that we've been ignoring the other important player in the market -- AMD/ATI graphics cards. While they don't necessarily hold the performance crown in the single GPU market in attaining the highest FPS in games and benchmarks, they are extremely popular for the performance they give at the price you can get them for. After all, it's not always about buying the fastest video card, we all have limited budgets too, right? Nowadays, high-midrange video cards are amazingly powerful and offered at incredible price points. Of which one is the AMD Radeon HD 3870. Today, we'll take a look at the Asus factory-overclocked version of the Radeon HD 3870, and see how it stacks up in value and performance against NVIDIA GPU based boards we've tested. Plus, we can also find out how it stacks up against its previous generation cards, the X1950 series. Evo-G MP1 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Mar-21-08] (0 Comments) Withso many different types of PC related products available, it's notsurprising that many manufacturers go a little unnoticed in certaincircles. That's why being a reviewer is interesting, as we get thelatest and greatest from the big boys, and we also get to check outproducts from companies we've never heard of before. EvoG fall intothis category for me, and they've been kind enough to send over theirnew MP1 mouse mat. It's a cloth based pad with a plastic surface thatshould provide speedy gameplay; hopefully without a cost to accuracy.Let's find out. EVGA GeForce 9600 GT SSC 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Mar-20-08] (0 Comments) EVGA's e-GeForce 9600 GT SSC comes at increased clocks compared to the NVIDIA reference design. Also the cooler has been adjusted slightly to match the company's color theme and design. With a price premium of just $10 over the reference card it can can deliver in both performance per Dollar and performance per Watt. NZXT Giveaway! @ thinkcomputers.org [Mar-20-08] (0 Comments) ThinkComputers has teamed up with NZXT to bring you anothergiveaway. NZXT was nice enough to give us one of their newest cases, theTempest. Just released yesterday the Tempest is said to be the airflow kinghaving 2x 120mm intake fans, 2 huge 140mm top exhaust fans, 120mm rearexhaust fan, and a side 120mm exhaust fan! Some other features include abottom mounted PSU, room for up to 8 hard drives, and cable routingfeatures. You can see all of the specs and info about the Tempest on NZXT'swebsite. So how can you win this awesome case? Well just like our lastcontest we are going to be running this contest on our forums. If you arenot a forum member, you can easily register for free. The first thing thatyou are going to want to do is reply to this post (you can do so at thebottom of this page). Not only do you have to reply to this post you have tohave a minimum of 40 posts on the forums. HIS HD 3870 IceQ3 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Mar-20-08] (0 Comments) The HIS Radeon HD 3870 IceQ3 uses the proven HIS IceQ3 cooling solution. It also comes with higher clocks out of the box which are among the highest we have seen so far from all manufacturers. The recent price drops from AMD make this card a solid choice for the sub-$200 segment. Razer Mako 2.1 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Mar-19-08] (0 Comments) Forall the things Razer are known for, one thing that's always present intheir products is style. While they've had some big hits, and someunfortunate misses over the past couple of years, it's always there.Unsurprisingly then, their latest release, developed with THX, is notdevoid of flare either. The Razer Mako is it's name, and though itmight be an impressive looking setup, how does it sound? Well, I'mabout to find out. Intel IDF P:Tukwilla, Dunnington, Nehalem and Larrabee @ pcper.com [Mar-18-08] (0 Comments) Larrabee didn't change much in this presentation either from what weknew before:no detail on number of cores, speeds, implementations, etc.We did finally seeing the fruits of Intel's software labor with thediscussion on AVX, a new extension for SSE that will start to bring moregraphics functionality to x86 IA architecture for Larrabee's cores. Newinformation on the cache system on Larrabee was interesting but againnothing to get overly excited about since these are problems that we knewIntel was going to have to address in order to even stay competitive withmodern GPUs in current applications. [News] ASUS 8800 GT 512MB TOP Edition @ virtual-hideout.net [Mar-18-08] (0 Comments) So, where does the 8800 GT fit in terms of market niche? I'd sayit's still well tuned for users looking for the best bang for buck. I mean,it's still a really, really good buy. The regular 8800 GTS, GTX, and Ultrasare still quite a bit more with the GTX and Ultra still costing the most.The ASUS 8800 GT TOP Edition may cost a little more than the stock frequencyversions, but the card packs a bigger punch thanks to its factoryoverclocked settings and the card is very quiet. And the card is fullywarranted. Thermaltake Xaser-VI VG400BWS (LCS) Case @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Mar-16-08] (0 Comments) The model that I shall be looking at today is the VG400LBWS, or more specifically the ‘Xaser VI Super Tower Black with Transparent Side Window With Embedded Liquid Cooling’. Yeah, that’s quite a mouthful; but Thermaltake have made 8 variations of this same model case, so they have to distinguish between them properly somehow! Arctic Cooling Silentium T2 Eco 80 @ bit-tech.net [Mar-16-08] (0 Comments) In the words of Sam Beckett:“Oh, boy.â€�Really, it’s hard to know where to begin with a case like the SilentiumT2 ECO 80. On paper, Arctic Cooling’s intentions are cleary for thegood and aiming in all the right directions. The idea of using rubberaround the fans to prevent vibration and using heatsinks instead offans to cool the HDD is fine and we of course love anything that canhelp make computing a more environmentally friendly hobby.The real problem though is that the execution is terrible and thefinished product is really just a mish-mash of ruined ideas. On somelevel it’s actually quite depressing and there’s a distinct feelingthat if the Silentium T2 was a person then it’d be a bright andpromising young student who got tragically mauled by asledgehammer-wielding Rottweiler.The whole case just stinks of good ideas gone wrong and bad ideas leftto run rampant. In the end, with a number of structural problems, poorthermal performance and a generally unappealing look it’s hard torecommend the T2 to anyone. Frankly, this is the type of thing wereally do wish Arnold Schwarzenegger would come back from the future todestroy. A shame. Lost Empire:Immortals @ bit-tech.net [Mar-15-08] (0 Comments) Lost Empire:Immortals can't claim innovation and the game isutterly predictable in almost everything it does. Combine this withincredibly long games and huge playing fields and you’re left with agame which is going to leave a sour, tired taste in the mouths ofnearly all gamers. Hardcore strategy fans though may find somethingappealing though, provided they can look past the admittedly roughedges. [News] Kingston 8GB Hyper-X Data Traveler USB Drive @ virtual-hideout.net [Mar-15-08] (0 Comments) The Hyper-X 8GB Data Traveler is one good option among the droves oflesser on the market. It's nice to see the Kingston Hyper-X 8GB DataTraveler with its larger capacity and its 33MB/s transfer rate. This isbasically just as fast as many of the pricier USB 2.0 external drives.Granted it's the not as large a storage capacity, but then no one reallywants to haul around their external enclosures. Lancool Metal Boned K7 @ techpowerup.com [Mar-13-08] (0 Comments) The Lancool brand is created by Lian-Li and combines the flawless, understatement exterior with the sturdy bones of steel. This makes for the name Kingston HyperX DDR3-1625 2GB Memory Kit @ thinkcomputers.org [Mar-12-08] (0 Comments) Kingston is one of the oldest names in the PC world, and they arethe largest manufacturer of system memory purchased by third party buyers. Iremember hearing of Kingston in the late 1980s, a time when most PCs onlyhad a megabyte or two of system memory, and I used their memory in my firstRAM upgrade about a decade later. Recently I reviewed the Kingston HyperXPC3-11000 2 gig kit. Kingston considers it an entry-level enthusiast DDR3HyperX kit. Today I will be looking at the PC3-13000 HyperX 2 gig kit, whichat present, is considered the Diamond Viper ATI Radeon HD 3870 512MB Video Card @ benchmarkreviews.com [Mar-12-08] (0 Comments) Benchmark Reviews recently reviewed the ZOTAC 8800GT ZT-88TES2P-FSP, NVIDIA's very impressive answer to the HD3800 series. Though the BFGTech GeForce 9600 GT OC 512MB @ bit-tech.net [Mar-12-08] (0 Comments) After some careful analysis of the changes, it doesn’t appearto makemuch sense spending any more than about £120 on a GeForce 9600 GT now,because at that point the stretch to £140 isn’t too far away. BFGTech’sGeForce 9600 GT OC is currently sitting at around £115 includingdelivery (if you take advantage of Scan’s free delivery offer forregular contributors to the bit-tech community) – at that price, it’snot a bad deal but I do have some concerns.For out-and-out gamers, I have no problem recommending BFGTech’sGeForce 9600 GT OC 512MB graphics card – it delivers strong performanceat a good price point for those that cannot afford to stretch to £140for a GeForce 8800 GT. The ten year warranty is also a good peace ofmind if you’re planning to use the card as a family (or even apersonal) hand-me-down, where it makes its way into older systems asand when you upgrade your main machine. However, if you are looking to use the card in a home theatre PC, thebundle is missing both the DVI-to-HDMI converter and S/PDIF cable,which means that you won’t be able to connect the card to your HDTV andcarry audio over the HDMI cable at the same time. Of course, you canacquire the required parts elsewhere, but that’s at an extra cost thatyou can avoid by purchasing another GeForce 9600 GT that doesThat ultimately prevents us from giving the card an outrightrecommendation, but that’s not to say there aren’t users that shouldlap up this card at its current asking price. Just be aware of itslimitations if you were hoping to use it in an HTPC. VVIKOO GeForce 8800 GT Max 1024 MB @ techpowerup.com [Mar-12-08] (0 Comments) Even though the GeForce 8800 GT has already been out for a while, it still has the punch to play all the latest games. The VVIKOO 8800 GT Max 1 GB comes with the Zalman VF1000 pre-installed and also features double the video memory. But is there any performance to be gained by going from 512 MB to 1024 MB of memory? Logitech MX5500 Revolution Bluetooth Keyboard and @ bluetomorrow.com [Mar-12-08] (0 Comments) The Logitech MX5500 Revolution takes the standard functions of desktop combos and kicks them up a notch with a sleek design, LCD display and an ergonomic rechargeable mouse ? all with Bluetooth technology. Jeantech Absolute 1000w - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Mar-11-08] (0 Comments) Thelast time we got out mitts on Jeantech property, the power supplyended up being used in our test rig for months afterward thanks to itsfully modular design. Today I have a slightly more powerful model – the Absolute 1000W whichpromises a semi-modular design, low noise output and stable rails.Let’s see if it’s ready to give our twin Ultra’s the required oomph. BFG 8800 GTS OC 512MB @ modders-inc.com [Mar-11-08] (0 Comments) It performed the best overall through the testing process and comesin at the same price range of the HD3870. Hard to be a God @ bit-tech.net [Mar-11-08] (0 Comments) Still, the combinations of poor graphics and an unwieldytargetingsystem that requires all targeting to be pixel-perfect andcamera-relative do seriously detract from the game. The fact that thevast majority of the dialogue is completely ancillary and the narrativeis poorly introduced doesn’t really help much either. The game’s also more than a little repetitive and having to wade intoone fight after another does make things feel a little samey and drearyafter the first hour or two – the game is most assuredly combat focusedfor the most part and there’s only so much sword-swinging anyone can dobefore they want to sit down and solve things peaceably. Basically, it comes down to this; if you’re a big fan of the Strugatskynovels or you just want something a little bit predictable to play thenHard to be a GodIf hacking and slashing isn’t your bag though then you’ll probably wantto look elsewhere for your whinging deities – it’s not that the game isespecially may just be the ticket for you. With presentation this awful it’s alsohighly likely that the game will be dropping in price fairly quicklytoo, so you may be able to snag it cheaply if you wait a little bit. bad,just that it’s like a meal of mediocrity – with a side-salad ofugliness and poor spelling. The basics of the game all work, but neverwow and if the Earth took God seven days to make then this probablytook him less than seven minutes. Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 X2 Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Mar-10-08] (0 Comments) The latest HD 3870 X2 to make its way into the labs comes in the form of a stock clocked Sapphire. We actually haven't checked out the X 2 on our new test bed in any real detail, so we'll have to see how it g oes here today. If you're looking for a HD 3870 X2 that doesn't do anything but produ ce some good numbers, this could be the card for you. Fortunately, there is only one way to find out so let's get stuck into the card and see wh at we have on our hands today before we get into the benchmarks. HIS Radeon HD 3850 IceQ 3 TurboX 512MB graphics card @ bit-tech.net [Mar-08-08] (0 Comments) *The HIS Radeon HD 3850 IceQ 3 TurboX 512MB is an interesting card that ECS GeForce 9600GT Accelero 512MB @ tweaktown.com [Mar-07-08] (0 Comments) As the 9600GT cards continue to roll on in, we see lots of varian ts trying to stand out from the pack. The latest card to rock up in the l abs is an offering from ECS that carries with it an Accelero S2 made by A rtic Cooling. We've compared the ECS 9600GT against the Galaxy 9600GT which is slight ly lower on the core and a fair bit lower on the shader clock. The Galaxy memory clock does come in a little higher though. GMC Noblesse AVC S-7 Home Theatre PC/ Media Center PC @ techwarelabs.com [Mar-07-08] (0 Comments) With all of the recent events surround the HTPC and Media Center PC's we felt it time to take a look at another Media PC enclosure. The No blesse S-7 from GMC is a good looking slim enclosure that integrates a VF D and slim DVD combo drive as well as a remote. We fill out this system a nd test it under Vista and XP and bring you our experience and results. Powercolor HD 3650 Xtreme 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Mar-07-08] (0 Comments) AMD's new HD 3650 is basically an improved version of the 2600 XT without any major technological advances other than a smaller die size resulting in cheaper cards. PowerColor's HD 3650 Extreme comes equipped with 512 MB of fast GDDR3 memory and runs at higher clocks than the AMD reference design. Seventeam ST-420BKV 420 W Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Mar-07-08] (0 Comments) We completely disassembled Seventeam ST-420BKV, a low-end 420 W power supply, to take a look on its design. Updated to include load tests. PC Perspective Hardware Leaderboard Update @ pcper.com [Mar-06-08] (0 Comments) The graphics card selection in the High-End system also stayed withBFG 8800 GTS 512MB card since the price on these continues to fall - at $270or so at this writing. The new NVIDIA 9600 GT did take the coveted spot inthe Mid-Ranger Leaderboard away from AMD's HD 3850 card thanks to itssuperior performance and decent price. Not to mention they are in stockeverywhere! The AMD HD 3870 does make a compelling alternative if you wantto lean towards the underdog. Asus EAH3870X2 Videocard @ rbmods.com [Mar-06-08] (0 Comments) With the new 9600 GT cards we have a very close competition betweenNvidia and ATI. Today we got one of these contenders on our test bench, tobe more precis we have the 3870 X2 card from Asus to test. We have decidedto run the card vs a 8800GTS 640mb and vs the well performing 8800GTX card.We will push the card through games and various benchmarks before we end upthe review with the mandatory overclocking tests so stay tuned. SimpleTech 160GB SimpleDrive Portable 2.5 Inch Hard Drive @ techwarelabs.com [Mar-05-08] (0 Comments) Jason Dumbaugh takes the SimpleTech 160Gb portable drive for a te st spin and shows you if this drive is worth your hard earned cash. With the growing usefulness of these small, large drives there is no reason no t to own one. SimpleTech has a good selection of drives at varying sizes to meet your needs. How do these drives perform? Read our review to find out. AMD 780G Chipset and Athlon X2 4850e P @ David Altavilla [Mar-04-08] (0 Comments) =93The 780G platform launching today combines the core logic expertise and [News] OnAir USB HDTV-GT Receiver & DVR for PC @ virtual-hideout.net [Mar-04-08] (0 Comments) And what about right now in the present - how many times have yougone either to work or out for the evening, only to remember later on thatyou forgot to set your DVR to record your fave TV program? Or maybe you'reone of those people who refuses to miss their show, so you arrange yourschedule so you don't have leave the house when it's on. Wouldn't it be niceto be able to go out and still see your program... when it's actually on,AND in HDTV, with no worries about the impending Logitech MX5500 Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse Set @ aphnetworks.com [Mar-04-08] (0 Comments) We have been following pretty much every new cordless laser set releases from Logitech since 2005. As Logitech releases a new set every year, we are generally very impressed with pretty much all of them -- what makes it truly interesting is that, despite the fact that they are 'just' keyboards and mice, Logitech still manages to innovate in every successive release that makes their products convincing enough for a lot of people to upgrade from their existing set, yet retaining the originality and usability factor of the keyboard and mouse itself. What we are trying to say is making changes and improvements are one thing, but some companies ruin their products in the progress of modification. Logitech is certainly not within this category. As a new year arrives, so does Logitech with their latest Logitech MX5500 Revolution cordless laser set. Combined with the legendary Logitech MX Revolution cordless laser mouse, as well as a brand new Bluetooth keyboard, how does this keyboard and mouse set stack up against their previous releases? Let's check it out. Patriot Memory PC2-6400 4GB LL DDR2 Kit @ tweaktown.com [Mar-04-08] (0 Comments) DDR2 is still kicking, and today we have a new kit from Patriot m emory who have come through with a bang in the last six months with new m odules hitting the shelves. We have been given their latest PC2-6400 4GB kit with low latency timings on offer. Each module has a sticker on one side that includes the model number, spe ed rating and timings. These modules are designed for a 4-4-4-12 rating a nd support up to a maximum of 2.2 volts under the manufacturer's warran ty. AblePlanet Clear Harmony Headphones @ techgage.com [Mar-03-08] (0 Comments) When we met AblePlanet at CES, their Clear Harmony noisecanceling headphones really caught our attention. Their built-in noisecanceling circuitry is intended to reduce the infiltration of ambientnoise, but can they stack up sonically against some serious competitionwithin their price bracket? 3-Way NVIDIA SLI - GeForce 8800 GTX x 3 @ legitreviews.com [Feb-29-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA's 3-way SLI indeed works but at the price of entry, it h ad better. The problem however is that in this instance it is based on te chnology that is approaching the end of its life. The 8800 GTX and Ultra have all but been replaced by the 8800 GTS 512MB and the 9000 series card s have already started to launch. The Quad SLI launch of the 9800GX2 is i mminent and should undercut the cost of either Triple GTX's or Ultra' s and perform on par or better. So really the only way this is going to b e of benefit to anyone is if you've already got a 680i or 780i and a pa ir of GTX's or Ultra's... The Sea of Grey @ bit-tech.net [Feb-29-08] (0 Comments) It's clear that Nvidia had really struggled to compete with theRadeonHD 3850 ever since its launch and, in fact, it was the first time ithas struggled to compete with AMD for some time. Nvidia didn't knowwhat to do with the Radeon HD 3850 256MB when it launched, because theGeForce 8800 GT 256MB was taking longer than expected to get to market.I was even offered a BIOS that would disable 256MB of memory on one ofour GeForce 8800 GT 512MB reference cards, just so that Nvidia didn'tlook as bad. This was something I turned down – [News] Thermaltake BigWater 760i Liquid Cooling System @ virtual-hideout.net [Feb-28-08] (0 Comments) Overall, the Thermaltake 760i BigWater Liquid Cooling System is oneefficient compact liquid cooling system. Not only does it integrate nicelyin to your chassis, it'll also compliment most any system you want toassemble. Thermaltake took the time to preassemble some things and make theinstallation process much simpler. All these factors have made it a veryeasy system to use and should be simple enough for any and every userwanting to make a change in the way the CPU is cooled. ATI TV Wonder HD 600 PCI & HD 650 Combo USB @ techgage.com [Feb-28-08] (0 Comments) AMD recently released two new ATI TV Wonder HD tuners,both of which have been in our lab for the past few months. In thattime, we've put them through numerous tests to see what each one wasmade of. While the 600 PCI left a bit to be desired, the 650 Combo USBproves to do a lot of things right. Imperium Romanum @ bit-tech.net [Feb-27-08] (0 Comments) For all this criticism though, Imperium Romanum remainsa decently enjoyable game that is pretty standard and by-the-numbers,but fun in spite of that. Is Imperium Romanum the type of game which you absolutelymust go out and buy? No, far from it. It's not even the type of gamethat you'll end up replaying or getting massively involved in.Yet, if you do fancy a go at a fun and solid strategy game with a focuson micromanagement and not exploration then you could certainly do alot worse. It's a verdict that is strongly grounded in my pastexperience of Roman-themed strategy games too because, while ImperiumRomanum hasn't turned me back onto this most classic of genres, it hascertainly entertained me enough while I played it. Asus EN8800GTS (NVIDIA 8800GTS) TOP 512MB @ aphnetworks.com [Feb-27-08] (0 Comments) First came the 8800GTS, along comes the 8800GT, and then... the 8800GTS? Welcome to NVIDIA's latest naming scheme. With the original 8800GTS 320MB and 640MB is the 90nm G80 core; the latest wave of 8800 series cards include the 65nm G92 8800GT and 8800GTS -- typically distinguished by its nominal memory configuration of 512MB on board. The NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT was quite a margin faster than the original G80 based 8800GTS -- the Asus factory overclocked 8800GT TOP at 700/1000 is even faster. How about the G92 based 8800GTS, commonly known as the 8800GTS 512MB perform? Or, better yet, how will the Asus 8800GTS TOP, aggressively clocked and pretty much the fastest graphics card in its family at 740/1035, pull out on our benchmark graphs today? Besides that, we'll examine the noise factor as well as power consumption today. Let's jump right into the Asus EN8800GTS TOP 512MB review right now. Tuniq TX-2 Thermal Compound @ rbmods.com [Feb-27-08] (0 Comments) When we think about achieving better cooling performance, we oftenfocus on hardware solutions. However, the quality of the thermalcompound/paste that interfaces between the chips and the cooler is anothercritical factor in getting better cooling performance from your cooler.Today we'll take a look at a new thermal compound from Tuniq, well-knownmakers of a variety of cooling solutions, known TX-2. Will this productstand up against the incumbents in the market? We will attempt to answerthat question in today's review. Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GT ZL 512MB @ tweaktown.com [Feb-27-08] (0 Comments) The 9600GT is taking much of the spot light at the moment, but th e 8800GT continues to be faster than the 9600GT and only slightly more ex pensive. It's one of the best valued cards on the market at the moment, and you can see why stock was constantly sold out during the launch peri od. Leadtek have mixed it up a bit with the release of their 8800GT 512MB, an d today we're getting around to checking it out. The particular model u ses an aftermarket cooler by Zalman, but before we get into that let's check out what Leadtek have done with the package. Palit GeForce 8800GT Super+1GB @ techgage.com [Feb-27-08] (0 Comments) We've been fans of NVIDIA's 8800 GT since launch, andPalit helps us remember why. Though utilizing reference clocks, theSuper+1GB doubles the competitions memory, but as we found out, it'sdifficult to see a difference. Overclocking yields far better results,and luckily, this card delivers there as well. Biostar GeForce 9600 GT 512 MB V9603GT52 @ techpowerup.com [Feb-26-08] (0 Comments) Biostar's new GeForce 9600 GT follows the specifications of the NVIDIA reference design to the letter. Even the cooler is unchanged. This does not have to be a bad thing. The card should be available earlier than any Gigabyte VPower - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Feb-25-08] (0 Comments) Havingproved themselves as commendable GPU cooler manufacturers withtheir Cyclops, Gigabyte were keen for us to test their slightly higherend model, the V-Power. With a wider compatibility and 4 heatpipes morethan the Cyclops' 0, let's see how it adds up. ZOTAC GeForce 8800 GT 512MB AMP! HDMI Video Card @ benchmarkreviews.com [Feb-25-08] (0 Comments) When you think of discrete graphics, your probably don't think low-end. It's very common, as with most things we can buy, for people to immediatelyshoot for the stars. In the video card world, this usually means discussing only the best money can buy, and this is the start of a bigger mistake.Very recently NVIDIA released their newest addition to the GeForce family:the 9600 GT. While it offers solid performance for the lower mid-range ofdiscrete graphics, NVIDIA's 9th generation of video cards has only one offering thus far. Essentially, the latest is by far not the greatest. Installing Linux onto your Sony PS3 @ tweaktown.com [Feb-25-08] (0 Comments) Linux on Sony hardware has been done before, but not to any great success. Some of you may remember that the PS2 could run a strange version of the open source OS with a bought package that gave you a 40GB HDD, a keyboard and a mouse. However, it did not allow for any functionality of the DVD-ROM because Sony thought you might start using your PS2 to rip off all their games. There was a lot of noise in the beginning of the PS3's marketing-hype-launch that the console would have Linux pre-loaded, but Sony came to their senses when they realized how much more work that was going to be for them. So we are left to figure this one out for ourselves. ASUS EN8800GT TOP 512MB @ techgage.com [Feb-25-08] (0 Comments) If building a new computer or simply upgrading, you likelywant to make sure your GPU decision is a good one, all while makingsure not to break the bank. We are taking a look at the EN8800GT TOPwhich fits the bill. Even better, it's pre-overclocked, to improveperformance even further. Noctua NH-U12P CPU Cooler @ aphnetworks.com [Feb-22-08] (0 Comments) The market for CPU heatsink and fans has grown quite saturated -- but with this saturation also comes a diversity that allows for a different heatsink to suit every preference. From performance heatsinks, noise conscious designs, to value/budget products, there's at least a dozen from various brands to fill in the specific market niche -- or maybe even a combination of two or more. Noctua has made quite a prominent name for itself in the industry for making quiet PC cooling solutions. Being that, a quiet cooler does not mean it cannot be a performance cooler at the same time. Combined with a design that challenges the best air cooler, it proves one thing -- bigger does not mean better. It's all about cooling efficiency; and combined with arguably the best fan for this application -- the Noctua NF-P12 -- how will the Noctua NH-U12P perform installed in our real life testing scenario? I've always wondered how it stacks up against the Scythe Infinity -- one of the biggest, and one of the best performing coolers over a year and a half ago -- but with a little twist. We want to see how the heatsink itself performs. And we'll even compare the two with the same fan. Now that would be an interesting showdown. Backup-Pal Cell Phone Contacts Backup Device @ techwarelabs.com [Feb-21-08] (0 Comments) If your cell phone has ever been stolen, lost, or died then you u nderstand how frustrating the process of obtaining a replacement is and e ven more than that comes the restoration of data. Most cell phone users a re primarily concerned with their contacts, the process for restoring the se usually involves hours of keyboard and button entry and that is for th ose contacts you remember all of the information for. Inevitably loss of contacts and full information occurs during a cell phone move or during a loss. The folks at Advanced Wireless Solutions have created a device whi ch involves no software, drivers, or special cables to backup or restore the contacs of your phone. We test this device on one of the most commonl y used phones today to see how it works and if it's worth your money. NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT - G94 Launched @ hothardware.com [Feb-21-08] (0 Comments) The new NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT is based on the NVIDIA G94 GPU and ismanufactured on a 65nm process with a 64 stream processor architecture. Toput that in perspective, NVIDIA's previous generation mid-range component(the 8600 GT) had half the number of SPs at 32, though due its 65nm processshrink, the 9600 GPU is still quite small thus still cost andpower-efficient. As you'll see in the benchmarks here, the board alsooffers a fair bang for the buck, given its sub $200 price point. EVGA, Palit and XFX GeForce 9600 GT Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Feb-21-08] (0 Comments) The NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT series has proven itself to be a very solid mainstream graphics card with a suggested MSRP between $169-$189. Obviously, many of the board partners will have overclocked versions at h igher price points and the EVGA and Palit cards that we reviewed today ar e examples of this as both are priced over $200. After using these three GeForce 9600 GT video cards it's clear that 512MB is the sweet spot as it is ideal for higher resolutions that require larger frame buffers. All o f the cards did great and it was interesting to see the GeForce 9600 GT 5 12MB cards beat up on the overclocked GeForce 8800 GT 256MB at higher res olutions... G94:Nvidia's GeForce 9600 GT 512MB graphics card @ bit-tech.net [Feb-21-08] (0 Comments) Nvidia'sGeForce 9600 GT 512MB is a great performer, as long as it hits theright price point.  If it doesn't, there's even more of a reason to buythe GeForce 8800 GT than there ever was before – it just goes to showhow great that product really was for gamers.  Thankfully, there are afew partners and retailers out there willing to charge what the cardshould ship at instead of what they'd like it to be in order to cash inon the sales rush at launch.Simply put, don't pay any more than £130 for a GeForce 9600 GT –regardless of whether it's a standard card or one with a factoryoverclock. Sigma Shark 635W Power Supply @ thinkcomputers.org [Feb-21-08] (0 Comments) Sigma's new Shark line of power supply units combines a functional,stable supplier of required electricity with a stylish, finned, dual-fancooling design, resulting in a silent but powerful device. It's also one ofthe most stable devices we've seen in a while. Combine that with a sub$100-price and it looks like we've got quite a nice unit on our hands. Readon for the review. AMD Quad-CrossFire - CrossFireX Performance P @ pcper.com [Feb-21-08] (0 Comments) Our initial preview of AMD's CrossFireX technology is very positive.Even though the performance benefits of four GPUs is questionable based onthe performance numbers we saw today, the flexibility that allows users toconfigure three GPUs in CrossFireX mode is much more appealing. In titleslike Call of Duty 4, the benefits of four GPUs can really be seen but inother cases, three seems to do the job just as well. Either way though, AMDhas opened up a whole new world of gaming options for enthusiasts byallowing such a diverse combination of hardware. Advergaming and Other Horror Stories @ bit-tech.net [Feb-21-08] (0 Comments) Virtual worlds are also a popular target for advertisers. In SecondLifea number of companies have purchased land within the game to establisha permanent presence. You can buy products from retailers like Nike andAmazon. Apparently Starwoods Hotels and Resorts built a digital replicaof a hotel they were planning to build in real life to see the reactionfrom people. You have to wonder about this logic though – if companiesthink they can garner useful information from people's online choicesthey may be in for a nasty shock, after all, gaming is about escapismand most people frequently do things in games that they would never doin real life.There are all sorts of fantastical predictions about the amount of adspending there will be in future games, but so far despite claims itwill reach $2 billion by 2011 it remains far short of this target.There's a suggestion that this revenue could be worth $1 per game topublishers – which is certainly enough to catch their attention. StillI think I'd be willing to spend an extra $1 on the game to get itwithout advertising. Personally I don't mind advertising when it'sbundled into something free as they have to pay for it somehow but whenyou are already paying a premium price for something it’s cheeky tojust bombard your customers with adverts regardless. NVIDIA GeForce 8200 P - Palit N78S @ tweaktown.com [Feb-20-08] (0 Comments) Since AMD acquired ATI to do its chipset bidding, we haven't se en much from NVIDIA for the Athlon 64 and Phenom platforms. The first new generation chipset designed by NVIDIA to support the Phenom and Athlon 6 4 processors has arrived; codenamed the MCP78, it has officially been giv en the name =93GeForce 8200=94.NVIDIA's main focus here with the GeForce 8200 is Hybrid SLI. This is a new design that has been thought up to combine the power of a discrete g raphics card with the extra unused power of the onboard GPU. Gigabyte Cyclops - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Feb-20-08] (0 Comments) Mostcooler reviews are of products designed for the latest, greatest andusually hottest GPUs. But what if you have an older system, with a oncepowerful 6600GT or x800? The fan dies or you want to squeeze a few moreMHZ in your OC, where do you turn? Well, Gigabyte of all companies havemade the Cyclops, which comes with changeable front covers, RAM sinksand a solid aluminium core. Let's see how our 6600GT feels with itattached. Penumbra:Black Plague @ bit-tech.net [Feb-20-08] (0 Comments) Black Plague is a radically different game to Overturein terms of pacing and style, but at the same time in manages toincorporate many of the same themes and plot elements. In truth, Black Plague feels more like a professionally produced game, forboth better and worse. While Overture was a decidedly indieeffort that seemed to thrive on its rough edges and unusual delivery, BlackPlague is a game that has a more shiny, refined and polished feel to itall the way through.It’s clear that Frictional has taken on board some of the majorcomplaints about the games too – Penumbra:Black Plagueintroduces collectable items to extend replayability, more solutions topuzzles along with characters and narrative that are more fully fleshedout and realised.On the down side, like many professional games, the ending feels a bitrushed and those parts that still reek of indie stand out now as beingall the rougher against the polish of the majority. Still, we reckon there’s a good five or six hours of chilling, puzzlinggaming in here and the price isn’t likely to break the bank. With anintriguing mix of ideas and a stunning presentation and design thatdoesn’t at all hint at the diminutive two-man team behind the series, Penumbra:Black Plagueis easily the most impressive break-out game of recent years andbelongs in the catalogue of every hardcore gamer who prides himself onhis cult-games collection. It's not for everyone - hence my hours ofwrestling over whether it's an eight or a nine – but it is superbly puttogether despite the flaws and deserves mentions as another laudableeffort from the diminutive team at Frictional Games. Noctua NF-B9 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Feb-20-08] (0 Comments) We’veseen a collection of various Noctua fans conforming to thestandards of 80mm and 120mm, but nothing in the lesser-used 92mm size.Fortunately, 92mm fan mounts can now use bevelled blade tips andvortex control notches, but more importantly, have a MULNAZ PC. Lets have a look whether it livesup to our previous experiences with Noctua blowers. HIS Radeon HD 3850 IceQ3 TurboX 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Feb-20-08] (0 Comments) The HIS Radeon HD 3850 IceQ3 comes with a high end dual slot cooler, 512 MB of fast GDDR3 memory and increased clocks at a price tag of $199. This winning combination gets very close in performance to the much more expensive HD 3870 and can even surpass it when overclocked. MSI Radeon HD 3870 512MB OC @ tweaktown.com [Feb-19-08] (0 Comments) After looking at the new 9600GT just the other day, it became cle ar to us that the HD 3870 really does still have some life in it. It's not dying off anytime soon thanks to the aggressive pricing that has been implemented recently.It did get us thinking though; with an MSI HD 3870 OC sitting around doin g nothing, it was time to see what would happen when we put overclocked p art up against overclocked part. It's really going to come down to how well the HD 3870 is able to make use of the increased clock speeds that M SI have offered. [News] Thermaltake SwordM VD5000 Chassis @ virtual-hideout.net [Feb-18-08] (0 Comments) The case isn't just a gimmick, because it actually does have plentyof useable features. There is the potential for excellent cooling all aroundgiven the number of fans included and the fans that can be added. The openrear chassis almost appeared a bit odd since I'm so use to a closed chassis.However, this means there is more than enough room for warm air to escapeand it's completely concealed by the really cool looking rear door. Lenovo ThinkPad T61p 14.1-inch & 15.4-inch Laptops @ thinkcomputers.org [Feb-18-08] (0 Comments) Back in September we took a look at the new R-Series ThinkPad theR61, now it is time for the T-Series. As we explained in the R61 review theT-Series is the pricier of the 2 ThinkPad series', as it has a more powerfulprocessor and graphics. With ultraportables being all the rage now it ishard to pack all the power into a notebook that can be easily carriedaround. Lenovo is able to do that with the T61p at only 1.1-inches thick andweighing in at 5lbs, it is smaller than most mobile workstations. It is alsothe first widescreen ThinkPad mobile workstation, no more boring 4:3screens! Lenovo was nice enough to send us both the 14.1 and 15.4-inchversions so let's take a look. EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GS 384 MB @ techpowerup.com [Feb-18-08] (0 Comments) Even though the EVGA e-GeForce 8800 GS comes with just 96 shaders and 12 ROPs it can easily compete with AMD HD3850 and HD3870. The card offers great price/performance and is very very quiet. With up to 30% overclocking this card is every overclocker's dream being able to surpass the much more expensive 8800 GT when overclocked. PowerColor Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme PCS 512MB @ bit-tech.net [Feb-18-08] (0 Comments) AMD's partnershaven't been afraid to play around with the Radeon HD 3850 to createcards that mix things up a bit – that's exactly what PowerColor hasdone here with its Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme PCS 512MB card. First andforemost, there's the clock speed increase, which takes this card tosomewhere right in between the standard Radeon HD 3850 and Radeon HD3870 cards at a price that's competitive. Not only that, but the cardhave twice as much video memory on-board—something that this class ofcard can definitely benefit from in many scenarios.And then there are the display output options. While they're not to mypersonal tastes as an avid multi-monitor user, they are different andit gives the user a choice on the market. That said, I can't help butfeel PowerColor should have at least indicated that the card featuresnative HDMI (instead of dual DVI) on the box, because from looking atthe packaging alone, one would assume the card comes with dual DVI anda DVI-to-HDMI adapter. Clearly, that isn't the case though.In terms of competition for the PowerColor Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme PCS512MB, there is currently Nvidia's GeForce 8800 GS 384MB, which hitsroughly the same price point. This provides adequate competition forthe Radeon HD 3850—it's faster in some cases, but quite a bit slower inothers—but for the time being I'd probably opt for the Radeon HD 3850with 512MB of vRAM. Those of you that follow the industry closely willsurely know what's coming soon though, and we'll be answering thatquestion when the time comes.PowerColor's factory-overclocked Radeon HD 3850 is a good buy at under£120 (inc. VAT) if you can live with the different display outputconfiguration but, in saying that, I can't help but feel like I'mrepeating myself over and over at the moment. I guess that's becausethe mid-range has never been as strong as it is today – there are justso many good purchases out there and that means it's a good time to bea PC gamer building a new system. Universe @ bit-tech.net [Feb-17-08] (0 Comments) Universe at War:Earth Assault isn’t going to be to the likingof all RTS buffs and those who prefer historically themed or moreserious flavours of strategy games will most likely have already foundthe way out. However, Universe at War does have some excellentlybalanced gameplay going for it and the interface is beautifully setout, proving always helpful and never a hindrance. Does the game have problems? Certainly. The graphics in cutscenes are abit lacklustre, the game did prove to be very CPU intensive when wegathered a lot of units together on screen and at times even our newmighty gaming rig had to suffer a bit of slow down and the field ofview is quite limited too. In fact, the FOV is probably the biggestproblem – not being able to zoom out very far really limits thetactical options available to players when the larger robots or HabitatWalkers lumber on-screen.That said though, Universe at War has a lot going for it,so if you can look past the campy B-movie plot and stomach somesemi-awful voice acting then you may be pleasantly surprised at whatyou find beneath the rubble. BFG 800 W Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Feb-17-08] (0 Comments) BFG, the traditional video card manufacturer, has recently entered into the Power Supply business. We completely disassembled their 800 W model and tested to see if it could really deliver 800 W. Check it out! Exclusive! NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT 512MB G94 Tested @ tweaktown.com [Feb-17-08] (0 Comments) The latest graphics card to make its way to the labs at TweakTown (and the public very soon) is the 9600GT. Generally speaking, any x600 f orm of card has never been that exciting really; sure the 8600GT and 8600 GTS weren't bad, but far from what you'd call exciting.What makes this one any more interesting you say? Well, word floating aro und the interweb is that the card is supposed to be quite the performer. How much of a performer is it? It doesn't really matter at this second because we're only a few pages away from finding out exactly that! Watercooling Fluid Shootout @ bit-tech.net [Feb-17-08] (0 Comments) But all of this was for one worthy goal – is there a fluid thatreignssupreme? Does anything do water's job better than water? The numbersdon't lie – nothing is better than pure, straight up water so far, atleast where temperatures are concerned. But there are a couple fluids that perform just as well, and their sidebenefits of colouring, anti-corrosion and (most of all)non-conductivity make them well worth your time. Though temperaturesare our primary concern, I've also made sure to note other aspects ofeach fluid that can have an effect on overall usability – colouring,bubble dispersion, and clean-up.So which ones are truly better than water, when you take all of thisinto account? XFX 8800GTS 512MB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Feb-16-08] (0 Comments) Formany enthusiasts looking for a new GPU, it would seem best to waitfor the 9 series which will be coming from nVidia over the next fewmonths. However, what do you do if you happen to want something now,now, now? Well, the latest card from the green camp is the 8800GTS NZXT Rogue mATX Gaming Case @ techpowerup.com [Feb-15-08] (0 Comments) The NZXT Rogue is a very unique case. It combines the portability of a cube with the possiblity to install large graphic cards and high performance power supplies. A carrying strap is also included, to make carrying the black or silver cube - featuring either blue or red LEDs - to and from a LAN party as easy as possible. Condemned 2:Bloodshot - Hands-on @ bit-tech.net [Feb-14-08] (0 Comments) Condemned 2 is looking like a fantastic looking game which, asyou can see from the screenshots, doesn’t pull any punches when itcomes to trying to creep out players. This is definitely a game foradult audiences only and the game is stuffed to the brim with filthyinsults, blood and brutal, unrestrained fisticuffs. However, it’s also got a cleverly delivered story in there too, both ona character-based and plot-based level. In terms of the seriesstoryline Condemned 2will see a whole lot of the mystery cleared up and Ethan will start topiece together the fragments and figure out what is happening to theworld around him. Meanwhile, players will get deeply involved inEthan’s personal struggles and see him battle against the loss of hissanity and come to terms with his alcoholism. Certain additions to the gamestyle don’t sit too well with us – such ashow the HUD will exclaim your combos, ruining the sense of immersionand horror, but there’s still a lot to like about the game. Justlooking at some of those screenshots is scary enough and the game isdefinitely one of the gutsiest thrillers we’ve ever played – justsitting through the opening cutscene is like having scorpions crawlingup your legs! Clearly horror and thriller fans are going to have atleast one game to look forward to this year. Sapphire HD 3850 1024 MB @ techpowerup.com [Feb-14-08] (0 Comments) AMD's Radeon HD 3850 Series has been on the market for a while now. Add-in-Board Partners are constantly looking for ways to seperate themselves from the competition and that's why Sapphire has engineered a Radeon HD 3850 with 1024 MB of GDDR3 memory and faster core clock out of the box. But can a card like this really benefit from 1 GB of video memory? Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 8GB USB Flash Drive @ legitreviews.com [Feb-13-08] (0 Comments) The Kingston DataTraveler HyperX USB Flash Drives have a read spe ed of 30MB/s and write speed of 20MB/sec so they certainly deserve the Hy perX name as it is hands-down the fastest USB Flash drive that Kingston o ffers. The Kingston DataTravler HyperX USB Flash drive that we are lookin g at today is the 8GB version, but Kingston offers the drive with differe nt capacities at various price points, so if you want a HyperX USB Flash drive you can pick from a 2GB ($54.99), 4GB ($99.99) or 8GB (189.99) capa city... Scythe Ninja and Ninja Mini CPU Coolers @ techwarelabs.com [Feb-12-08] (0 Comments) Recently we tested the Scythe Ninja and Ninja Mini heatsinks for performance, design, and installation. We present to you our results may surprise you. Scythe has taken an unusual approach to heatsink design and combined outside the cube thinking with traditional design to come up wi th a heatsink that performs well but has issues. Read our review to find out more. Corsair TX750W Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Feb-12-08] (0 Comments) We completely disassembled the latest power supply from Corsair, TX750W (CMPSU-750TX) – which features a single +12V rail, 140-mm fan and four 6/8-pin power connectors for video cards –, and also tested to see if it can truly deliver 750 W. Updated to include load tests. Zotac GeForce 8800 GT 512MB AMP! Edition @ bit-tech.net [Feb-12-08] (0 Comments) There is a lot to like about Zotac's GeForce 8800 GT AMP!Edition – theheatsink has some subtle improvements that help to keep the temperaturecomparable with a standard-clocked GeForce 8800 GT at noise levels thatare going to be inaudible in a chassis. It's also the fastest GeForce8800 GT we have tested to date and, from looking around, there doesn'tseem to be any 8800 GTs clocked faster than this – at best, there areequals out on the market. That maybe explains the overclocking problemswe encountered.At these elevated clock speeds, the Zotac GeForce 8800 GT AMP! Editionoften rivals the more fully featured GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB in theperformance stakes—something it manages to do with just a single slotcooling solution. That's an impressive feat in and of itself.CCL Online appears to be the only place selling this card at £182.64(inc. VAT)– a price point that makes it a worthwhile purchase. Other places havebeen asking for between £195 and £200 – at this price, the card is tooexpensive. The problem is that now you can pick up BFGTech's GeForce8800 GTS 512MB OC for under £200 (inc. VAT), it's hard to recommendZotac's GeForce 8800 GT 512MB AMP! Edition if the two are comparablypriced. The reason for this is that the 8800 GTS's superior shader horsepoweris likely to outlast the Zotac 8800 GT AMP! Edition's higher fillratesand slightly higher memory bandwidth. That said, the fact that oneUK-based retailer is selling this card at a competitive price is a goodenough reason to recommend it but on the provision that you don’t paymuch more than CCL's £182.64 asking price for it.Of course, the GeForce 8800 GTS's dual slot cooling solution is no goodif you've got a case—like a Shuttle XPC—that demands a single slotcard. In that scenario, Zotac's GeForce 8800 GT AMP! Edition is a goodchoice at a higher price, but you'll need to make sure your chassis hasenough airflow to keep this card's temperature under control overextended gaming sessions. Noctua NH-U12P CPU Cooler - The Sound of Silence @ legitreviews.com [Feb-12-08] (0 Comments) Noctua derived its name from the Greek mythology. The little owl, Athene Noctua, is the symbol of the Greek goddess Athene, who repres ents wisdom, science and strategy. She has a marked preference for the mo st clever among the Greek heroes, like Odysseus, who endure their adventu res by the use of savvy consideration instead of mere force. It is the ow l's silent flight that Noctua keeps in mind with their fan design... The Secrets of PC Memory:Part 4 @ bit-tech.net [Feb-10-08] (0 Comments) For better signal quality at higher speed grades, DDR3 adopts asocalled “Fly-by” architecture for the commands, addresses and clocksignals. This effectively reduced the number of stubs and signallinglength from the DDR2 T-Branch architecture to a more elegant andstraightforward design. The Fly-by topology generally connects the DRAM chips on the memorymodule in a series, and at the end of the linear connection is agrounded termination point that absorbs residual signals, to preventthem from being reflected back along the bus.We recently asked Aaron Boehm, an Application Engineer at Micron abouthow important the Fly-by topology is to DDR3. He said that the Fly-bydesign was “veryimportant in DDR3. Probably one of the biggest advantages of moving tothe Fly-by topology is that we are able to achieve a much faster slewrate for the signal. This gives us a bigger data-eye, which is veryimportant in DRAM.” HeadRoom Total BitHead Portable Amp&DAC @ techpowerup.com [Feb-09-08] (0 Comments) The HeadRoom Total BitHead portable amplifier and DAC is a great combination of both a USB audio codec and a headphone amplifier that will drive most high end cans on the market today. The HeadRoom Total BitHead sells for only $149.99 which can be considered a steal for such a product. Antec NeoPower 550 Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Feb-09-08] (0 Comments) Our review of NeoPower 550 (a.k.a. Neo HE550), a 550 W power supply with modular cabling system from Antec, where we completely disassembled it and tested it to see if it can really deliver its labeled power. Updated to include load tests. Gigabyte G-Power 2 PRO - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Feb-08-08] (0 Comments) CPUcooling starts with the stock HSF you get with your new processor, butthese are loud and poor at removing heat from the overclocked siliconbeneath. As a result, the consumer demands more, and the manufacturesprovide; mostly in the form of tower coolers.Today I have the hip-hop Gigabyte G-Power 2 Pro which features‘atmospheric blue LED lighting’ and a 120mm fan. Lets see how itperforms… VisionTek Radeon HD 3850 @ pcper.com [Feb-08-08] (0 Comments) The 3850 simply redefines the midrange at this time. Unlike theprevious X1950 boards, the 3850 is actually released well before thecompeting product from NVIDIA. This gives AMD a very significant lead whenit comes to addressing this very important market, and they have gained alot of traction by releasing it in good numbers before the end of last year.Currently the 3850 series is well represented with product, and VisionTekhas provided a very minimalist yet quality part for its price. Throw in thewarranty and support that VisionTek provides, and it certainly is one of themore attractive offerings out there. Auzentech X-Fi Prelude Sound Card @ aphnetworks.com [Feb-08-08] (0 Comments) Sound cards. From the world of Creative dominating nearly the entire sound card market, to today's relatively adequate integrated audio, all the way to competition to who can make the best discrete audiophile sound card, the choice consumer has for computer audio is better than ever before. I've always been a big fan of Creative hardware for excellent performance and flexibility to push the potential of low end to high end computer audio. However, there always seem to be some limitations in place -- whether it's software issues, or other onboard hardware used in conjunction with the audio processor -- it really limited their popularity to a few certain users only. Lately, two high end sound cards gained a lot of press. One is the Asus Xonar D2 which we've already reviewed back in October 2007. It's excellent with the DACs and OPAmps used, but I personally felt a bit of limitations with its scalability and processing power. The second is the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude. Now this is one interesting product. Being the first third-party manufacturer to license Creative's excellent X-Fi audio processor, the X-Fi Prelude is a combination of a favorite audio processor amongst many, with pretty much all the benefits of a high end board such as the Xonar D2 as aforementioned. Is this really the ultimate consumer sound card money can buy? Let's take a close look and see how it goes. PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 EPS12V Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Feb-08-08] (0 Comments) We completely disassembled Silencer 610 EPS12V, a 610 W power supply without any fancy feature from PC Power & Cooling and also tested it to see if it can truly deliver 610 W. Check it out! Updated to include load tests. Auzentech X-Fi Prelude Sound Card @ aphnetworks.com [Feb-08-08] (0 Comments) Sound cards. From the world of Creative dominating nearly the entire sound card market, to today's relatively adequate integrated audio, all the way to competition to who can make the best discrete audiophile sound card, the choice consumer has for computer audio is better than ever before. I've always been a big fan of Creative hardware for excellent performance and flexibility to push the potential of low end to high end computer audio. However, there always seem to be some limitations in place -- whether it's software issues, or other onboard hardware used in conjunction with the audio processor -- it really limited their popularity to a few certain users only. Lately, two high end sound cards gained a lot of press. One is the Asus Xonar D2 which we've already reviewed back in October 2007. It's excellent with the DACs and OPAmps used, but I personally felt a bit of limitations with its scalability and processing power. The second is the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude. Now this is one interesting product. Being the first third-party manufacturer to license Creative's excellent X-Fi audio processor, the X-Fi Prelude is a combination of a favorite audio processor amongst many, with pretty much all the benefits of a high end board such as the Xonar D2 as aforementioned. Is this really the ultimate consumer sound card money can buy? Let's take a close look and see how it goes. Actiontec MegaPlug AV200 Mbps Ethernet Adapter @ techgage.com [Feb-07-08] (0 Comments) Looking for an alternative solution to a wireless LAN ordrilling holes in the walls for a clean wired connection? The ActiontecAV200 might be of interest, with the ability to create a network usingthe power sockets already in your house. As it turns out, it'seffective, and incredibly easy to set up. Devil May Cry 4 @ bit-tech.net [Feb-07-08] (0 Comments) All of this makes itpretty damn hard to score.On the one hand there’s a good game. On the other hand there’s anenjoyable movie. Both are passable on their own if you’re into thosetypes of things, but fusing them together has ruined both.Is Devil May Cry 4 fun to play? Yes, it is. I enjoyplaying it. I like cutting my way through baddies and collecting demonblood, expanding my character and waging a one-man war. I’ve even cometo appreciate the anime-styled presentation, floppy hair and big swords– it’s not something I’m proud of, but Castlevania will do thatto a man. Because the cutscenes get in the way of the game and vice versa though,the whole unfortunate mess is bought tumbling down. Boiled down to its core; the stark reality is that no matter what thefanboys say, Devil May Cry 4is just a game of two decent, but unremarkable halves being addedtogether. Sure, there’s a decent romp in there if you want it and thegame has plentiful cleavage and blood – but if you’re after a game inwhich you can invest your time then there’s other titles in this genrethat can deliver more. Zalman ZM-RS6F USB Surround Sound Headphones @ thinkcomputers.org [Feb-06-08] (0 Comments) Getting yelled at by neighbors or family members while gaming lateat night? Still want that surround sound experience? Zalman has the solutionfor you. The Zalman ZM-RS6F USB Surround Sound Headphones will solve yourproblem. With its easy install USB connection, rather than multiple audiocables, and a compact design for storage and transport, this headset willsure be a good addition to anybody's audio arsenal. Let's take a look to seewhat else these six channels of sound have to offer. Halo 3 and The Art of Repetition @ bit-tech.net [Feb-06-08] (0 Comments) Let’s take Halo 3, and, before I actually say anythingabout Halo 3,I should make a disclaimer digression. I had put up some articles aboutrepetition in games on my blog, and how I felt that repetition issometimes a good thing (more on that later), and may have implied thataspects of the Halo 3 campaign could have benefited from somemore repetition, and I ended up with some comments that went somethinglike this:“Variety is the spice of life. Games with repetition suck. Your gamewill suck and no one will play it.”Now, I think I’ve played through the Halo 3 campaign about halfa dozen times. I love the game—I even pre-ordered it. I enjoy fanboyspeculation about Halo’s association to Marathon.While this does not make me an expert in all things Halo, I think it atleast gives me license to critique and comment. So I say:fanboys,stand down!hat out of the way, the critique goes like this:imagine you areplaying through Halo 3for the first time. You play as the legendary saviour of humanity, whoplays it cool while expertly wielding a massive arsenal to mow downwave after wave of baddies. However you have a somewhat foggy idea ofwhere to go next, what a missile pod does, how all of those crazy newitems work, the feel of a Spartan laser, and so on. So here’s themismatch:in cut scenes, the Master Chief is extremely cool andconfident, but under the control of the first time gamer, the MasterChief is suddenly acting like some bewildered idiot, fumbling withbubble shields and flamethrowers.Games like Marathon and BioShock succeed instorytelling because the main character can be a bewildered idiot. In Marathon,you’re a space marine who lands on a colony ship with very little ideaof what’s going on, when suddenly aliens start attacking and AIs startfighting over you. BioShock is roughly the same story—you landon an underwater city, things start attacking you, and greater powersstart fighting over you via the radio. You’re a dummy with a big gun,and everyone knows and is willing to exploit this fact. The Club @ bit-tech.net [Feb-06-08] (0 Comments) Don’t be fooled by the guns and the explosion – it’s been madeclear to us over the course of this review that The Club isn’t actuallya third person shooter at all. Really, it’s a very cleverly disguisedbeat-em-up; Tekken with all the regular moves left out and justthe special combos remaining. The whole game feels like Soul Calibur in the twenty-firstcentury and the proof is in the short character biographies, thecombo-centric gameplay and the booming voice that yells “Finn!Fight!” at the start of every round.Unfortunately, like most beat-em-ups, The Club is also alove-it-or-hate-it affair and it doesn’t surprise me to hear that thedevelopers refer to it as ‘The Marmite Game’. The experience playershave with The Club depends more on the gamers themselves thanthe game and, just as some people love Virtua Fighter but hate Deador Alive, so too will players of The Club become divided. Personally, I can see the game isn’t for me – the forced practice andrepetition of levels in order to get high scores and an unequalledlevel of perfection just doesn’t interest me. I can still see theappeal and craftsmanship in the game though and the level of polish onsome of the levels is truly extraordinary.If practice makes perfect is your motto and you love honing your skillsto a razor edge then The Club could be the best investment you make all year. If you’rethe type of gamer to learn all the cool combos in Soul Caliburor you can manual forever in the latest Tony Hawk’sthen this is the game for you – it’s complex, but approachable and agreat proving ground for your skills and memory. On the other hand, ifyou prefer games that you only need play once or with stories thatoccupy more than the head of a matchstick, then you may want to give TheClub a miss. It’s not a bad game by any measure – but it isn’t foreveryone. Computer User Beginners Guide @ techwarelabs.com [Feb-05-08] (0 Comments) Recently Jason Dumbaugh and Michael Lynch sat down and created a common computer users guide to the basic programs and utilities that begi nners use. We will be adding more content to this guide as we go along an d are happy to anounce the Computer Users Guide Ver. 1.0. Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 512MB Atomic @ bit-tech.net [Feb-04-08] (0 Comments) Sapphire’s Radeon HD 3870 512MB Atomic is a ground breakingproduct inmany respects, but sadly where it falls short at the moment is on theperformance side of things. From what we understand, since the launchof the Radeon HD 3870 X2, the RV670 chips are suffering from evenhigher demand than they were before. This has resulted in the prices ofthe standard cards increasing slightly, and bringing them more intoline with Nvidia’s GeForce 8800 GT.This is a problem for AMD/ATI, because the chip just isn’t fastenough—even when it’s overclocked like Sapphire’s excellent example wehave here today. Hopefully, we’ll see the price come down again verysoon because that’s ultimately having an effect on the price of thecard we’re reviewing here today. Sapphire says that the card should behitting a £165-170 price point, but retailers are currently askingcustomers to pay up to £200 (inc. VAT), which puts it almost on priceparity with the appreciably faster GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB!The cheapest we’ve found the card for is £188 (inc. VAT) on Dabs,which is on the expensive side, but it sounds easier to stomach thanthe £200 other retailers are expecting customers to pay for thisgraphics card. Sapphire was quick to point out that the card is alimited edition—more of a technology showcase if you will—than a cardit expects everyone to rush out and buy.What we can take away from this though is the fact that there has beensome true innovation here—something that we don’t see all that oftenfrom add-in board partners. The technology that Sapphire has showcasedhere is nothing short of awesome – it not only looks good on paper, butalso works incredibly well in practice as it managed to knock tendegrees off the load temperatures of a reference Radeon HD 3870! What’smore impressive though is the fact that Sapphire’s card is running atmuch higher clock speeds than the reference card. NiGHTS:Journey of Dreams @ bit-tech.net [Feb-04-08] (0 Comments) Once you get past the frankly unusable Wii remote controlmethod, NiGHTS:Journey of Dreams is an enjoyable enough game, althoughit doesn't really bring anything new to the table.It will take between five and six hours to complete the game with bothcharacters, and while there's some replay value in trying to unlock thesecret levels, there really isn't enough to keep you coming back. Toomany of the levels follow the same format, and those that deviate areoften boring and tedious, serving mainly to make the game worse, notbetter.Innovations and tweaks that could have made the game that little bitbetter, such as NiGHTS' additional abilities, the Wii control method oronline play, are fumbled and at best seem tacked on. At worst they makethe game unplayable. In reality, the game could probably have done withanother six months development time, to spend some extra time with thelevel design, control and online play.Younger players may enjoy the sometime frenetic pace and brightcolours. Fans of the original may want to indulge in a nostalgia fest.As for everyone else, I'd suggest you rent or borrow the game firstbefore you commit your hard-earned cash – otherwise NiGHTS might just put you to sleep. Kingston HyperX PC2-9600 DDR2 2GB @ gideontech.com [Feb-04-08] (0 Comments) Kingston Technology released the first 1.2Ghz RAM kits to the public last December. I was able to get a set of the KHX9600D2K2/2G for some fast action 2GB of ram for my Core 2 Duo system. Knowing that the 975 chipset in my DFI Infinity 975X/G was going to limit the modules in the basic BIOS setup, I needed to overclock the system to take advantage of the speed. Intel Skulltrail Platform - Eight Cores, SLI and CrossFire @ pcper.com [Feb-04-08] (0 Comments) Skulltrail is an incredibly interesting product from a technologicalpoint of view and any enthusiast would surely salivate at the idea ofpairing up two of Intel's powerful quad-core processors with SLI orCrossFire graphics. The problem is that same enthusiast is probably asdisappointed as I am in the raw gaming performance numbers that we showcasedtoday and thus a lot of the appeal is tainted. Yes, the Skulltrail platformis an amazingly fast media and rendering powerhouse, and users that do a lotof those tasks, with some gaming on the side, will find the appeal ofSkulltrail strong. How On-Board Audio Works @ hardwaresecrets.com [Feb-03-08] (0 Comments) Learn how the sound card that comes embedded on your motherboard works. ThinkComputers & Thermaltake Giveaway! @ thinkcomputers.org [Feb-02-08] (0 Comments) ThinkComputers and Thermaltake have teamed up together to give yousome great grear! Up for grabs is a Thermaltake Armor Case a $159.99 value,a Thermaltake Toughpower 850W Power Supply a $259.99 value, and aThermaltake V1 CPU Cooler (review) a $59.99 value. So we are giving outover $450 worth of free gear! So how can you win? Since we have not had acontest in a while we are going to make this simple. The contest will beforum based so all you have to do is be an active member of our forums with10 posts or more to qualify for the V1 CPU Cooler, 20 posts or more toqualify for the Armor Case, and 25 posts or more to qualify for theToughpower 850W power supply. We are really trying to grow our forums andwe feel like giving away free gear is the perfect way to do it! Tomb Raider:Underworld p @ bit-tech.net [Feb-01-08] (0 Comments) One of the biggest changes to the game however has been at amuch morefundamental level – the structure of the levels themselves. In the past, Tomb Raider has been like most games of thegenre – run, gun, puzzle, solution, run, gun. Wash, rinse, and thenrepeat. Levels are structured to be extremely linear and Lara mustovercome puzzles in a specific order. Underworld changes that, harnessing what the developers arecalling a new multi-level approach to the puzzles. The new structure is simple; there are fewer levels—only about eightapparently when we saw the game in action—but those levels are much,much larger and complex. It isn’t like Legend where Lara isalways moving forwards, it’s much more like the St. Francis’ Follylevel in Anniversary.The solutions to puzzles are often more than just a room away andaren’t just limited to grabbing the right coloured key. Puzzles requirethought, understanding and a close attention to the story. Booq Mamba Sling Laptop Bag @ thinkcomputers.org [Jan-31-08] (0 Comments) It seems so many laptop bags are the same. Booq is out to changethat. Booq is a new company to us so here is some information about them.Booq strives to create high-end laptop bags while providing excellentcustomer service to the next generation of ambitious creative professionals.The Mamba sling is a very attractive sling-type bag that not only looks goodit is comfortable and protects your laptop too. Let's take a look... Mod of the Month - January 2008 @ bit-tech.net [Jan-31-08] (0 Comments) Remember when you were a little kid, and playing house was fun?Everyone here who is living on his or her own is probably now saying Technic3D/Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 @ technic3d.com [Jan-31-08] (0 Comments) The Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. Ho neycomb structure for optimized air flow and Manual fan speed Controll er Adapted. See you in the following Review the Apack Cooler with 120m m fan against others CPU Cooling. ECS GeForce 8800GT Accelero S1 512MB @ tweaktown.com [Jan-31-08] (0 Comments) While we see a fair few ECS motherboards here at TweakTown, graph ics cards tend to be few and far between from the company. It seems thoug h that the wait may have been worth it with the release of a passively co oled 8800GT.Passive cards have always been popular but it was something that was alwa ys limited to lower end cards. With the smaller design on cores these day s we find that we're able to get passive cooled solutions on higher end offerings. Seasonic M12II 500watt Power Supply @ tweaktown.com [Jan-30-08] (0 Comments) The M12II features the ability to sustain a steady 500 watts of p ower flow. Both the 3.3v and 5v rails are rated at 24A power draw. This m odel has a dual 12v rail system with one rated at 17A and the other rated at 18A draw.All cable assemblies included with the M12II are mesh wrapped to keep tha t beast called =93Cable Management=94 at bay. There is also a decent sele ction of cable harnesses that come with this power supply. AutumnWave OnAir HDTV-GT USB ATSC/NTSC Tuner/Receiver @ thinkcomputers.org [Jan-30-08] (0 Comments) AutumnWave Solution's OnAir HDTV-GT USB tuner can receive ATSC,NTSC, an unencrypted QAM (commonly known as digital cable) signals and, whencombined with the included software, can turn a Windows-based computer intoa TV and DVR. It's powered via USB and includes a neat remote and antenna totake advantage of digital and analog over-the-air broadcasts. Read on forthe review. Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz - Wolfdale Arrives @ techgage.com [Jan-30-08] (0 Comments) Intel's 45nm Dual-Cores have finally arrived, so it'sonly fitting that we take one for a spin. Our test subject is the3.0GHz E8400, offering 6MB cache, SSE4 and more. Overclocking isimpressive, with 3.8GHz stable being possible without even raising thevoltage! This chip definitely proves itself a winner. Pirates of the Burning Sea @ bit-tech.net [Jan-30-08] (0 Comments) Pirates of theBurning Sea is an odd kettle of fish. It’s prettyugly and mediocre to look at for the most part, but it does have acertain rugged appeal to the presentation. The control system and styleof combat is difficult to get to grips with and poorly explained, butrewarding nonetheless and worth a look. The quests too are flawed,proving dull for the most part but thrillingly epic if you want to getinto the spirit of it all. So, with how many contradictions, how are we supposed to judge a gameas massive and open as that of The Burning Sea. Reviewing anMMO is a challenge at the best of times and we’ve barelyscratched the surface of what’s on offer on these high seas.The final and ultimate test of any virtual world is the how populatedit is and that’s something that is hard to judge too, confined as weare to the early days of this particular game. However, it has to besaid that even to us the game looked like it had a good number ofplayers onboard. Better, since everybody always wants an excuse todress like a pirate, there were hardly any bright pink trolls runningaround calling each other n00bs. If that’s not a sign of quality, I don’t know what is. Pirates of the Burning Sea may be a little damaged by some flawsand contradictions in the game design, but the truth of the matter isthat there’s a little piece of eight buried somewhere inside and if youtake the time to uncover it then you may well find yourself an MMOworthy of your attention for at least a few months. Thermaltake NBcool T2000 Notebook Cooler @ techwarelabs.com [Jan-30-08] (0 Comments) If you own a notebook then you are probably aware of how hot they get. Heat is well known as the number 1 killer of computer components so it is important to keep your investment cool and among the living. Justi n has a look at the T2000 notebook cooler by Thermaltake and approaches i t with from the unique perspective of not only its cooling properties but also how it affects your battery life and the battery savings due to the cooling effect on your CPU and components. OnAir USB HDTV-GT Mobile ATSC/QAM TV Tuner @ viperlair.com [Jan-30-08] (0 Comments) Unlike satellite or cable HD, OTA HD is fully uncompressed. What this means is the picture quality should be better than subscription based HD. The downside of uncompressed HD is that if you have plans of recording this type of video, be prepared to have a lot of disk space used. the included OnAir software, a mere 10 second capture used up 25MB of disk space, 30 seconds eating up 57.3MB. For a 60 minute show, you'll probably use up about 9GB of space. However, the picture quality is simply amazing. Let's just say with LOST premiering tomorrow night, it's going to be quite an experience. Logisys UltraSlim Keyboard @ techpowerup.com [Jan-29-08] (0 Comments) The Logisys Ultra Slim Soft Touch Multimedia Keyboard has much more to offer than just your average keyboard. It has a two-tone matte/glossy black finish to compliment the very slim and compact design. The keystroke is soft and very quiet, while the palm rest ensures maximum comfort. Combine this with a range of internet and multimedia hot keys, and you have a recipe for a great product with a great price. Galaxy Tvisto Pro Digital Media Enclosure @ thinkcomputers.org [Jan-29-08] (0 Comments) Digital media adapters are all the rage these days. More and moreconsumers are realizing the benefits of storing movies, music, and pictureson a computer and then displaying those media on a large monitor ortelevision. The Galaxy Tvisto Pro DMA takes a SATA hard drive and embeddedLinux and can play back a variety of formats from the hard drive or a wiredor wireless network. It outputs in HD via component or VGA cables, but canalso output to composite, as well. ThinkComputers has the review. Ghost Squad @ bit-tech.net [Jan-29-08] (0 Comments) The gameplay is simple – each player, of which there can be upto four(though the ideal number is two), grabs a controller and goes for it.Your trigger finger shoots, the A button performs scripted actions suchas defusing bombs and shaking the controller reloads your gun. You can also use the D-Pad to change your firing mode but, to behonest, once you’ve found which mode you prefer then you’ll probablynot have to change it. Personally, I found the default three-roundburst was the most efficient, especially on the lower levels.There are only three levels in Ghost Squad – a tropicalvilla, Air Force One and a jungle encampment. In each level somebaddies have taken some hostages and it’s up to you as members of theGhost Squad to try and rescue them. The game tries to layer some plotand exposition over the top of this basic premise through cutscenes andnarration from the squad commander, but it’s all pretty superfluous.There are bad guys. You have a gun. That is all you need to know. Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound @ rbmods.com [Jan-28-08] (0 Comments) When I think of quality cooling fans, typically one name jumps tomind first:Noctua. However, Nocuta isn't just about fans, as they'vestarted to branch out into other peripheral products. Today we get thechance to take a look at one such product, the Noctua NT-H1 ThermalCompound. Will the Noctua product be able to stand up against theestablished incumbents in the thermal compound market? Let's find out. GeForce 8800 GT Roundup @ insidehw.com [Jan-28-08] (0 Comments) It's been more than a year since the first DirectX 10 graphicsaccelerator, containing the revolutionary G80, was presented to the public.Everyone should remember the delight it brought and the incredibleperformance which left all high-end competition in the dust. This time, wehave a graphics card with the G92 chip on it, but the card is not from the9xxx series as you might assume. The G92 is a carefully designed, polishedversion of the G80. Models based on this chip are named 8800GT and, shouldthey appear in appropriate quantities, are bound to become very popular. HIS Radeon HD 3870 X2 1 GB @ techpowerup.com [Jan-28-08] (0 Comments) The HIS Radeon 3870 X2 combines the power of two ATI RV670 GPUs into one to reach for the performance throne in single card processing power. Even tough the implementation has some minor limitations the overall product is certainly interesting and can maybe bring AMD back in the game. Raidmax Sagitta 2 PC Case @ thinkcomputers.org [Jan-25-08] (0 Comments) The Raidmax Sagitta 2, the new second edition of the originalSagitta, offers a number of aesthetical as well as design improvements. Thisstylish case will certainly stick out at the LAN party scene. Gamers alikewill be asking you where you got this pimpin' case. This isn't one of thosecases that are great on the outside, but not so great on the inside. TheSagitta 2 has a number of features that help separate it from the pack. Thisreally isn't your every day gaming case. Let's take a look to see why itisn't your typical gaming case. Vvikoo 8800GT Max 1GB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-24-08] (0 Comments) Whileit's always exciting to receive review samples from the big boysin the hardware world, it's also nice to take a look at something alittle different and this almost always comes from the little guys.Now, Vvikoo are manufacturers of some top end nVidia and ATI based GPUsolutions, so using the word ATI Radeon HD 3450, 3470 and 3650 p @ bit-tech.net [Jan-23-08] (0 Comments) Starting with RV635, AMD has decided that instead of havingseparatePro and XT cards like it did in the Radeon HD 2600 series, it wouldstick with just one model name in the Radeon HD 3650 series. AMD’s IainMcNaughton explained that the company looked at the mainstream segmentand asked itself “what can we do that is different and disruptive toour competitors, while offering more value to our customers?”Despite only offering one model name, there are stilltwo products that fit under this name – both share the same engineclock, which is set at 725MHz (slower than the Radeon HD 2600 XT’sengine clock), and the same number of stream processors as the RadeonHD 2600 series cards (120 stream processors or 24 five-way superscalarshader units) – both also feature a 128-bit memory interface.The number of texture units and raster operators hasn’t changed either,meaning there are still just eight texture units and four rasteroperators (or ROPs). What has changed architecturally now though isthat there is support for DirectX 10.1, PCI-Express 2.0 and ATIPowerPlay at a high level... at a much lower level, I've heard (butstill waiting for confirmation) that AMD has added double precisionsupport at one quarter speed, but it’s not exposed in current 3Dgraphics APIs.RV635 also uses fewer transistors—a total of 378 million—than the RV630chip, which itself featured a pretty massive 390 million of the littleblighters. AMD says that it has made some optimisations during the dieshrink, which should help to improve performance per clock andefficiency a little bit when it’s compared to the ASIC it’s replacingat the same clock speed. The Rules of Game Design @ bit-tech.net [Jan-23-08] (0 Comments) One of the new features we’ve launched lately on bit-tech hasbeen guest columns. That is, columns written by developers and industryinsiders on a rotating monthly schedule. We’ve had stories and thoughtsfrom every corner of the industry, including budding indie developerslike James Silva and writers for established studios, like Simon Halland Rob Yescombe. After reading Simon Hill’s latest column,which talked about difficulty balancing in computer games and why hethinks computer games have got progressively easier, I got thinking.The more I thought about the topic, the more I decided I wanted to dosomething about it – partly because I’m a pretty heavy gamer and I likemy games to be worth the effort, but mainly because I'm just a noseybusy-body.As I looked into the issue though, the more my mind raged with examplesof how games had changed for the worse over the years – how simpleconcepts that had once been core to the design of every game were nowbeing forgotten or dismissed. The rules that had governed and createdthe Golden Axe Age of Gaming were now no longer beingobeyed.Naturally, being a bit of presumptuous so-and-so, I decided to shove mynose in and take Simon’s complaint to the next level. Thus, I presentwhat I think are the cardinal rules of game design. Diamond Radeon HD 3850 512MB Ruby Edition Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Jan-22-08] (0 Comments) Diamond Multimedia doubled the on-board GDDR3 memory from 256MB t o 512MB on the Diamond Radeon HD 3850 512MB Ruby Edition Video Card, whic h should significantly help frame buffer performance in gaming, but that isn't all they did. They also tossed the old single slot cooler and went with a larger and improved cooling system that lowered temperatures acro ss the board. To top it all off they designed their own PCB! As you can see, Diamond went back to the drawing board and came up with a video car d that should impress most of the ATI fans out there... Speedlink Styx - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-21-08] (0 Comments) Thereare two key gaming mice manufactures that have been doing justthat for years, Razer and Logitech. However, these high-spec mice comeat a cost, and are often over the top for the average gamer, who wantsaccuracy and comfort, but still some money left in the bank.So today I have Speedlink’s Styx which features a laser diode to pickup your movements, and spitting out 2200 DPI accuracy. Let’s see how itperforms. Asus EN8800GT (NVIDIA GeFoce 8800GT) TOP 512MB @ aphnetworks.com [Jan-18-08] (0 Comments) NVIDIA's release of their G92 based graphics card has so far been nothing but a total success amongst enthusiasts. The die shrink not only permitted cards to run cooler and thus use less electricity, but also improvements have been made for higher efficiency reflected by its incredible performance. The first card rolled out is the NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT -- the card that outperformed the previous generation G80 based 8800GTS. Next came the G92 based 8800GTS that outperformed once a flagship graphics card from the company. A lot of times, I find myself looking for an excellent cooler in the market before digging for a video card; not for overclocking but for the silence. When I heard that Arctic Cooling's Accelero S1 that I have sitting on my Radeon X1950 Pro is actually compatible with the 8800GT, it did not take me long enough to realize that I had a truly winning combination for performance enthusiasts and quiet PC enthusiasts alike. Today, we'll take a look at the Asus version of the 8800GT -- the Asus EN8800GT TOP 512MB -- which is not just any 8800GT as it's pre-overclocked, under warranty, straight from the factory. Although factory overclocked cards aren't uncommon nowadays, this one is one of the fastest and most readily available 8800GT on the market today, comes with Company of Heroes:Opposing Fronts game, a plethora of cables, and a really, really big retail box. Let's see how the Asus EN8800GT TOP 512MB (Or what we will refer to as the Asus 8800GT TOP) runs through our tests today. PCPer Podcast #20 and Hardware Leaderboard @ pcper.com [Jan-18-08] (0 Comments) The biggest update is the move from the 640MB 8800 GTS to the newer,G92-based 8800 GTS 512MB card from BFG. These are cheaper, perform better,and are just overall better products. Lower prices never hurt either. Ialso decided to move to 4GB of memory on this system as well, if onlybecause we could get it for under $100! Diamond Multimedia HD 3850 Ruby Edition 512MB @ techpowerup.com [Jan-18-08] (0 Comments) Diamond has designed their HD 3850 Ruby Edition with additional cooling performance in mind. Their cooler is a custom dual-slot solution which does quite a good job at keeping the card cool. In addition to that the memory has been doubled to 512 MB of GDDR3. NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT:G94 Arrives Early @ pcper.com [Jan-18-08] (0 Comments) What do we know about the 9600 GT? Not a whole lot yet, but enoughto be dangerous. Based on the as-yet-unseen G94 chip that is built on theG92 design but has fewer stream processors but the same 256-bit memory bus.These cards also feature 512MB of on-board memory though I have heard rumorsof a 256MB version that probably won't see the light of day. Wii Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 @ rbmods.com [Jan-18-08] (0 Comments) If you've read some of our past video game reviews, you'll rememberthat we enjoyed one odd game in particular, Rayman Raving Rabbids, for itsunique game play and quirky story. As with most popular games, the gang isback for a sequel. Will Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Wii continue thestreak of solid games for this series? That's what we're here to find outin this video game review. MSI 8800GT 512MB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-18-08] (0 Comments) The8 series of nVIDIA cards have been around for over a year and havealmost completely dominated the market in terms of high end support.Now with the 9 series just around the corner, partners are finishing upwith their last set of performance cards before focusing on the nextgeneration. One of these last cards is the 8800GT; near performance ofa GTX with a sub GTS price tag. MSI might be a bit late in the game to release an 8800GT model, butthey've done it none the less and it's here with me today. Let's see ifit lives up to the 8800GT's sterling reputation. GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB Roundup - Albatron, eVGA and XFX @ legitreviews.com [Jan-16-08] (0 Comments) The Albatron, EVGA and XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB video cards are all gr eat cards that can play all the current games and overclock like no other . As you saw from the testing the different core clock, memory clock and shader clock frequencies vary from card to card and did impact performanc e. Higher clock frequencies did improve performance as the XFX card took the lead in nearly every single benchmark... Aerocool M-40 Small Form Factor Case @ pro-clockers.com [Jan-16-08] (0 Comments) For those that say no, the question may want to take a look at theAerocool's newest cube case titled the M-40. Aerocool is fast becoming knownas a company that is very innovative. That is the ExtremeEngine case. Thiscompany was one of the first to implement a larger than normal fan to acase. A fan that measures a whooping 25cm. The M-40 is just as cutting edgeas it utilizes two halves to assemble the rig. Mixed with a black and redtheme, the M-40 has a sort of dark look to it. Patriot X-Porter XT Boost 32GB USB Pen Drive @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Jan-16-08] (0 Comments) Well 32gb on a small pen drive is a lot, it really also shows how far things have come since we first saw the USB 64mb that we marvelled at, and now we have 32gig ones, with 64gig just around the corner. I have to admit I am very impressed with what I have in my hands, as it has many uses from presentations with full size high res photos, to storing a whole season of your favourite series to take away with you, or if you’re a driver and you have a head unit with USB, well you could fit enough music to listen to on a drive around the world. Thermalright HR-05/IFX - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-16-08] (0 Comments) Recentlywe managed to get our reviewing mitts on the Thermalright HR-05 chipsetcooler, that managed to combine a low price with better-than-stockcooling, but had an awkward fan size (70mm) and fiddly mounting system.Today I have another HR-05, but this time it’s the IFX version, similarto the IFX-14 heatsink that we also reviewed recently. The IFX range isthe extreme cooling bracket, where size and weight are far fromlimited. Hopefully this cooler will build on the headway made by thestandard HR-05. Getting the most out of your Eee PC @ bit-tech.net [Jan-15-08] (0 Comments) I've been using the device fairly heavily for a few of weeksnow andoverall I've been really impressed with it. It's light, small andsturdy and has a great feature set for its price. It seems perfect fortrain journeys, with its quick boot up time and almost precisely theright size for sitting on chair-back tables seen on planes and trains.Not even my old X-series ThinkPad could manage that.One man's meat is another man's poison, and certainly many people willbe put off by the 800 x 480 display resolution and lack of Bluetooth.Word on the street is that the new Eee PC will sport a higherresolution screen, and as much as I'm now used to the smaller screen –most websites are designed for 1024x768 screens, so this will be awelcome addition. The keyboard is a little tricky to get used to, andeven now I constantly find myself pressing “up” instead of “shift”, and“2” instead of “1”. But for around £220, it still offers amazing valuein my eyes.The operating system is based on Xandros Desktop 4, which is in turnbased on Debian Etch. Asus has changed a few things in the install, soit's not 100 percent compatible with Xandros, but it's very close. Ifyou're a bit of a Linux fan, you might feel like just wiping the driveand installing EeeXubuntu, or Eeedora. However, I like to think of theEee PC as a single function device, rather than a fully-fledged PC.It's got an OS that is designed specifically for that hardware, and itworks well. Changing to a different OS is a recipe for lots offiddling, slower performance and a much greater chance of things goingwrong.As new updates come out, they are rolled out using “Add/RemoveSoftware”. As Asus knows the OS is identical on all their machines, itmakes rolling out such updates a lot easier – this has already pushedout an update for Skype 2.0 during my time using the Eee PC.The OS built into the Eee PC feels a lot like using a Psion device –simple and speedy. You can get a virtual tour of the OS here.With FireFox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice installed as standard, I feelright at home as this combination of software is what I would be usingon any Windows or Linux platform. The OS isn't perfect though, so in this article I'll be showing you afew of the things I've changed to make the Eee PC feel more like a MePC. Climbing The Difficulty Curve @ bit-tech.net [Jan-15-08] (0 Comments) There has been a growing trend over the last few years to makegamesthat are easy enough for every player to finish them. In many ways thisis a positive development which reflects the maturity of the industryand the mainstream nature of the audience who regularly play games. Italso reflects publisher desires to create mass market, accessibleproducts which can generate maximum profit for them. However today I’m posing the question “Have singleplayer games becometoo easy?”Early games were far more challenging than they are now and initiallythis was largely due to the lack of a save option. You had to play thething all the way through in one sitting, when you ran out of lives youhad to start again from the start. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t missreplaying the first three levels of a scrolling shooter twenty timesjust to progress past that tricky missile but the sense of achievementand immersion is reduced when you complete a game in half hour chunksover a month. Upon completing modern games I rarely feel the same rushof pride that I did from reaching the end of Double Dragon or IkariWarriors. G.Skill 4GB PC6400 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-15-08] (0 Comments) There are several performance memory companies outthere, some more well known than others. Perhaps one of the lesserknown brands when compared to the likes of Corsair or OCZ, is G.Skill.In the past they have put together some of the best overclocking kitsaround and hopefully the one I have with me today will be no exception. ATI HD 2600 Pro 256MB Video Card ed @ thetechlounge.com [Jan-15-08] (0 Comments) ATI's HD 2600 XT is a pretty nice card. It plays games acceptably well,consumes a negligible amount of power, and has flawless video acceleration.It's my first choice for the mainstream. So where does that leave the HD2600 Pro? Being a cut-down, budget version of a cool card, what, then, ismissing? The HD 2600 Pro is targeted to anyone who wants a discreet videocard, the casual gaming ilk, but doesn't really want either the lowest-endmodel or to spend over a hundred dollars. All that seems reasonable, butit's just not true. I think the GDDR3, 256MB HD 2600 Pro should be skippedaltogether. It does a couple things right, but misses the mark too often. XFX GeForce 8800 GT XXX 512MB Alpha Dog Edition @ nvnews.net [Jan-15-08] (0 Comments) It's been over two months since NVIDIA has launched the GeForce 8800 GT. The new Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) has ushered in a new era of performance within the midrange market. An era, where a video card with an MSRP of $259 can be neck and neck with the GeForce 8800 GTX, a card with an MSRP nearly double that of the 8800 GT. It's easy to understand why these cards have been flying off the shelves. ViewSonic @ thinkcomputers.org [Jan-14-08] (0 Comments) ViewSonic had a lot to show us this year at CES. They had an entireballroom to themselves at the Bellagio. After being shown their products Iwas very impressed, they seem to be one of the only companies taking displaytechnology to the next level. They showed us some of their new HDTV's, LCDmonitors, projectors, and their new HDTV/PC display combos. Read on to seewhat new products to expect from ViewSonic in 2008. Zune 2 80GB MP3 Player @ bonafidereviews.com [Jan-14-08] (0 Comments) Zune 80 is one of Microsoft’s second generation portable video and audio players; also referred to as “Zune 2.” I have been really excited about Zune 2 because of the numerous articles online that praised it, pointing out the new and improved features, and saying that it was a big improvement over the first generation Zune. So, when Microsoft finally announced that they were going to release Zune 2 on November 13, I made up my mind to go and get one. Sam and Max:Moai Better Blues @ bit-tech.net [Jan-12-08] (0 Comments) The main problem with Sam & Max Season Two:Moai BetterBlues is one of length. No matter what others may tell you, length is everything and with thegame only lasting two or three hours, the fun is over just as you'restarting to get into the game. This was a problem with Season One and it's still a problem with Season Two.I suppose it's not really a criticism as such, more testament to thequality of the game that you don't really want it to end when it does.There's a trade-off to be made between the episodic nature of the gameand length of the game though, and this time the episodic argument won.DespiteTelltale Games having made some changes to the games based on userfeedback, the main niggle still exists:Sam still walks like he shouldbe using a walking stick. While it is possible to make him run, thisdoesn't work on every screen and more often than not, you're lefttwiddling your thumbs while Sam ambles from one side of the screen tothe next.Sam & Max:Moai Better Blues is still an adventure game atheart, and as such doesn't really bring anything new to the genre, butit still shines on so many levels that you're willing to overlook thefew flaws. If you're really bothered about the length then youcould always grab the seasonpack in a few months time. Telltale Games are to be applauded for both showing us at the adventuregame isn't dead and that episodic gaming can be successful. Ultimately,its biggest flaw is also its biggest advantage:the game is shortenough to be enjoyable but not so long that it drags on. DeviceVM's Splashtop @ techgage.com [Jan-12-08] (0 Comments) We caught up withDeviceVM at CES to see what's new with theirSplashtop embedded Linux environment, which we first saw on the ASUSP5E3 Deluxe motherboard. As we found out, development has been steadywith many new features implemented and ready for deployment withnotebooks. [News] ASUS Silent Knight II CPU Cooler @ virtual-hideout.net [Jan-12-08] (0 Comments) The most promising physical technological improvements have been,and still are, the implementation of heat pipes. Manufacturers have designedheat pipe specific CPU coolers using various numbers of pipes. Some makersdesign theirs with only a couple heat pipes while others seem to add as manyas they can fit on a CPU cooler. Some look like CPU coolers and others looklike engines with copper headers. While all these variations have their ownappeal, ASUS has chosen to design coolers with a more isometric feel intheir lineup.We've seen a few of their coolers here at VH before and they were alwaysworthy of recommendations. We have a new one on hand that is actually anupdated version of the original Silent Knight CPU Cooler. Today, the SilentKnight II CPU Cooler is on the work bench and looks quite promising. SteelSeries SP - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-11-08] (0 Comments) Gamingmice are all the rage, with the ability to crank up the accuracy to4000DPI and beyond, it’s no surprise that hardened PCusers are looking to grab one. However, the surface they glide over isas important as the mouse itself, not just in the realm of accuratetracking but friction and movement.Today I have aSteelSeries mouse pad that follows in there hybrid range, this timewith a fully hard top with soft rubber backing to grip your desk. Namedthe SP Pro Gaming mouse pad, lets see whether it lives up to its name… Vizo Milano 3.5" Media Hard Drive Enclosure @ aphnetworks.com [Jan-11-08] (0 Comments) In the digital home, there are many ways to play media that's physically located on your computer on your home stereo system. From the classic method of using a high end sound card such as the Asus Xonar D2 (Or an Asus Xonar U1 if USB is your only choice), to using a Slim Devices Squeezebox to stream media using a network, the possibilities are endless. One to add to this combination is the Vizo Milano. This unique hard drive enclosure allows you to simply pop in a hard disk drive, and the enclosure does the rest. It supports digital out to your receiver for audio, and hooks up to your TV using major analog formats to play video and display pictures. It even comes with a remote control! Will this media enclosure change the way we play digital files on home theater setups? Let's have a detailed look at the Vizo Milano media player and hard drive enclosure today. XFX nForce 780i SLI @ bit-tech.net [Jan-11-08] (0 Comments) It may look better, but it also costs £20 more than an XFXnForce 680iSLI and we'd certainly be tempted to sit back and wait to see if thenForce 780i SLI suffers from the same significantly high number ofboard deaths that the nForce 680i SLI had - personally I'd choose acompany with a good RMA service and warranty period, just to be safe.In that respect, XFX's two year warranty is clearly outshone by itsAmerican alternative, EVGA, which offers a fantastic and industryleading ten year warranty.The nForce 780i SLI suffers from stuff that just hasn't been updated;no solid aluminium capacitors, no re-FABed chipsets on a coolerprocess, no updated BIOS flashing utilities, no overclocking safeguards and not even a CMOS button.Even though the XFX nForce 780i SLI performs well, is stable and looksgood, it just simply lacks in features I'd expect an enthusiast boardto have. I can't help but want to look elsewhere to the Tier Onemanufacturers for a quiet solution that is better kitted out. How to write... a strategy game @ bit-tech.net [Jan-09-08] (0 Comments) So, in this third instalment in my now re-focused and lessselfishseries I'm going to be looking at Real-Time Strategy games and try tosee how they are written, what stories they can tell well and how theymay change in the future. Helping me out along the way is MagnusJensen, lead designer on the fantastic World in Conflict. World in Conflict is an especially interesting game to use for acase-study since it basically re-wrote a lot of the rules for howstories are told and what stories are told in RTS games. In a time whenmost titles in the genre are still using talking heads or, at best,acted-out FMVs between missions, World in Conflict used amixture of scales to engage players. During gameplay players will befighting in battles which determine the course of a war, but in betweenyou'll be embroiled in the much more claustrophobic side of the war =96up close with the troops, exposed to their personal battles. What goes into an RTS game? Do well-known authors like Tom Clancy bringanything worthwhile to a developing title and can any RTS game win ourhearts without Joe Kucan? Enough with the questions! It's time foranswers! Spire Cool Force 3 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-09-08] (0 Comments) Graphicscard cooling is a continually expanding market as more and more peopleare turned on to the fact that better cooling on your GPU not onlymeans improved temperatures and therefore maybe a better overclock, butthey are usually a lot quieter too. With that in mind, Spire sent overtheir Cool Force 3; let's see how it does. Digital Experience @ thinkcomputers.org [Jan-09-08] (0 Comments) Digital Experience is like an ultra-slimmed down version of CESwhich focuses primarily on computer-oriented technology. ThinkComputersvisited a number of vendors, some which are well-known, and a few which maybe up-and-coming in the technology world. Here follows ThinkComputers'experience at Digital Experience. Gaming Books Round-up @ bit-tech.net [Jan-08-08] (0 Comments) Thus, this little round-up comes to a close and while it is by nomeanscomplete, we do hope that it has at least proven useful – if it hasn'tthen you can always read our own attempt to look at how games aredesigned and made. The sheer number of books out there on the topic of computer and videogames is, to me at least, very encouraging for the future of themedium. It represents a growing acceptance for computer games as aworthwhile and artistic medium – one contested by Roger Ebert and manyparents who still see computer games as nothing more than uber-violentgorefests which corrupt their children. The end of that path towards mass acceptance is still a long way off,but the fact that intelligent authors are now trying to express thatidea sensibly (for a fee, of course) is a large step in the rightdirection and one that we should all be grateful for. After all, we allneed something to read when there's a power cut or we can't get intothe forums, right? HIS HD 3850 IceQ 3 Turbo 512MB @ insidehw.com [Jan-08-08] (0 Comments) As usually, after the basic models all made in the same fashion asthe referent one, the first cards with more exotic cooling systems begin toarrive. Not that it is an imperative with such cold weather at the moment,but an overclocker values each degree Celsius. This time, we got a graphicscard from HIS, made in cooperation with ArcticCooling, the (in)famousmanufacturer of different advanced cooling systems for PC components. Thefull name of the graphics card we present you with today is HIS HD 3850 512MB DDR3 IceQ 3 Turbo. XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog Edition @ nvnews.net [Jan-08-08] (0 Comments) The hot new graphics cards right now are based on the affordable 8800GT chipset from nVidia. I recently received an XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog Edition graphics card for review. This card came in at standard 8800GT clocking with 256MB of DDR3 memory. Gigabyte HD 2600 Pro 512MB @ thetechlounge.com [Jan-08-08] (0 Comments) I've said before that the HD 2600 Pro should be passed over in favor of theXT for anyone who wants to play video games, or the HD 2400 XT for peoplejust interested in having a discrete graphics card without all that gamingmalarkey. But then, Gigabyte has put together a compelling package with theHD 2600 Pro. A memory bump to 512MB, a clockspeed bump of 5%, passivecooling, component and S-Video out, and Neverwinter Nights 2-a popularsequel by a big developer. Thermalright HR-05 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Jan-07-08] (0 Comments) Whileyour CPU is underneath what looks like a chuck of metal scavenged froma battleship hull, your chipset is often left with either a simpleextruded aluminium number or hidden with a spider chain of heatsinksand heatpipes.If your motherboard has the former, and you’re looking for a bit moreoverclocking headroom, you’ll need to search for an upgrade. There areseveral solutions, but today I have Thermalright’s HR-05. Let see howit performs. OCZ Technology ATV Turbo USB 2 flash drive @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Jan-07-08] (0 Comments) Today OCZ have given us the chance of taking a look at one of there latest Flash drives on the market and that is the ATV Turbo. Available in a number of sizes, ranging from 2GB to 8GB, right though to an amazing 16GB version an probably a 32gb version on the way. Thus giving the consumer more space then ever to store files. And that’s all, the ATV Turbo flash drives main feature is there durable and rubber case housing which OCZ claim to be 100% waterproof and shock proof, so this should be interesting to see how it performs. Today I got my hands on the ATV Turbo 4GB version. [News] Razer Lachesis Gaming Mouse @ virtual-hideout.net [Jan-06-08] (0 Comments) Razer is one company that's been in this business for quite sometime. They've been making gaming mice for several years; in fact, theirentire product line is geared towards gaming, making them far from thetypical bandwagon-hopping company. Many gamers are using, or have used oneof their products, giving Razer a solid following. However, with theincreasing competition from other manufacturers, Razer has responded withtheir latest weapon - the Lachesis Gaming Mouse. Sporting an astounding 4000DPI laser sensor and an atypical symmetric/ambidextrous design, the Lachesisseems poised to take the leadership in the gaming mouse arena. Let's see ifit lives up to the Razer brand name. SteelSeries Ikari mouse and SP mousemat @ bit-tech.net [Jan-06-08] (0 Comments) The Ikari is one of the best mice I've ever had a chance tolook at =96and because drinking tea at your desk is a constant hazard for me, I'velooked at more than my fair share of mice. It ranks up there with theLogitech G5 and the Razer DeathAdder.It has two problems though =96 specifically and only two. First, theenforced ergonomics on it mean that it won't be suitable for all handsand grip types, so you'll definitely want to go hands-on with a demomodel before you buy it. Secondly, the two thumb buttons are a tad toosmall for my taste. Occasionally your thumb will have to search for theright place to push. Despite that though, the Ikari is still easy to wield and will suitmost gamers down to a tee without forcing you to pay through the nosefor features you'll never use. If you're reallybothered by how heavy your mouse is then you may want to lookelsewhere, but if you're man enough to admit that you don't really mindthen the Ikari is the mouse for you. CES Unveiled & Logitech Announcements @ techgage.com [Jan-06-08] (0 Comments) CES Unveiled is one of the smaller events at CES, butthere were a handful of products being showcased worthy of yourattention. Of these is Edifier's wireless Rainbow audio transmitter,Yoggie's security thumb drive, SentrySafe's hard-drive protectors,Beko's thin HDTVs and more. Tuniq Ensemble 1200 Watt Power Supply @ pro-clockers.com [Dec-28-07] (0 Comments) And for those that are fortunate enough to be able to afford such asystem, Tuniq has a new PSU that may be right up your alley. Tuniq is nostranger to constructing highend air-coolers but are also in the business ofproviding high-end power supplies. A couple of weeks ago we bought theMiniplant from them but today we will be showcasing their lastest offering.A 1200 watt mammoth entitled:Ensemble. The number 1200 is not the reallything that makes the Ensemble special but also the fact that is boast anefficient rating of 87%. All these numbers are enough to make you wander, sosince you are wandering lets take a closer look at the Ensemble. Western Digital MyBook External Hard Drive @ nvnews.net [Dec-27-07] (0 Comments) Western Digital's My Book External Hard Drive is a great implementation of existing hardware. Combined with a USB 2.0 connection, the drive achieves an average read of 36MB/sec. under HD Tach. The unit is easy to install, quiet, and doubles as an attractive furniture piece. Zalman VF1000 LED & RHS88 Coolers for the GeForce 8800 @ pcper.com [Dec-25-07] (0 Comments) The Zalman VF1000 LED VGA cooler and RHS88 heatsink combination isan excellent cooling solution for NVIDIA 8800 series graphic cards. Itsignificantly lowers the key component temperatures, even when running theintegrated 80mm fan at a relatively low speed for quiet operation. TheVF1000 LED/RHS88 is a compact, single slot cooling solution and iscompatible with SLI configurations. Both coolers come with everythingneeded for installation and the bundled Fan Mate 2 speed controller offersgreat flexibility for finding just the right balance between performance andnoise. Toshiba Satellite P205D-S7479 Notebook @ techgage.com [Dec-24-07] (0 Comments) Toshiba's latest AMD notebook offering proves that eventhose on a relative budget deserve a feature-packed model. Besides its17-inch display, the P205D-S7479 offers nice harman/kardon speakers, athumbprint reader, a large 250GB hard-drive, an ATI HD 2600 - all for alight price. Thermaltake DH102 Media/HTPC case with 7" Touch Screen @ xtremecomputing.co.uk [Dec-24-07] (0 Comments) Well in the end it all comes down to choice really, there are quite a few Media/HTPC style cases on the market with built in touch screens so as a consumer we are spoilt for choice. I would like to have seen a better airflow in this case, although it’s only a few Celsius difference, with a high end GFX card this could change. I could go on about the over spray inside the chassis as well but that would be nit picking as you can’t see it once assembled.. Sigma Luna WB Case @ techpowerup.com [Dec-23-07] (0 Comments) The Sigma Luna has a clean look with a brushed aluminum finish. It is light-weight, yet I still found it surprisingly sturdy. The large side panel window, sleek door design, silver accents, and chrome trim highly compliment the black satin finish. Top this off with an all aluminum chassis and tool-free installation, and you get a combination that is a pleasure to work with and look at. GECUBE Radeon HD 3850 X-Turbo III @ tweaktown.com [Dec-23-07] (0 Comments) We had a look at the GECUBE HD 3850 the other week in Crossfire form to see how it went up against the new G92 based 8800GTS 512MB. We promised we would have a closer look at the card in its single form along with checking out the package. With the single 3850 OC Edition from GECUBE in hand we thought we would throw in the stock clocked 8800GT from ASUS, but more importantly the Crossfire configuration using two 3850 OC Editions from GECUBE to see what going to a second card does for us. Vizo Orbiter - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-22-07] (0 Comments) Vizofirst came to our attention with their eye catching HDD enclosures inearly 2006. Since then they have increased their product range to fans,mice, headsets and more. Today I have an interesting product, the VizoOrbital, a circular HDD cooler. Let's see how it holds up. Soundgraph iMon Ultra Bay @ rbmods.com [Dec-22-07] (0 Comments) Nowadays, computers are replacing home theater components as the mainsource of media content such as music, videos, and movies. However,controlling the computer without a keyboard and a mouse can be cumbersome.Thankfully, companies are now starting to develop products that allow you tocontrol your computer remotely in a much easier fashion. Quiet PC USA,suppliers of a wide variety of quiet computer hardware, sent us one of theirofferings, the Soundgraph iMon Ultra Bay, that offers to provide easycontrol of the media content on the PC. Will it prove to be as easy as itsounds? That's what we're going to find out in today's review. Noctua NH-U12P - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-20-07] (0 Comments) Thereare so many heatsinks out there that choosing your preferred CPUanti-perspirant is a mine-field. While it be component conflict, caseissues or price, there are factors that immediately make some offeringsimpossible to use.Today I have the newest heatsink to fly from the R&D departmentdoors at Noctua; the NH-U12P which is an amalgamation of several provenNoctua products onto a new heatsink design. Hopefully it’ll all cometogether; read on to find out… PCPer Podcast #18 - G92 GTS, 3-Way SLI, Hybrid CrossFire, Possible delays on Yorkfield, X48 and R700 @ pcper.com [Dec-20-07] (0 Comments) This week we talk about the G92 8800 GTS card, 3-Way SLI, AMD HybridCrossFire, the AMD 770 and NVIDIA 780i chipset releases, possible delays ofIntel's 45nm CPUs and X48 chipset as well as AMD's R700 GPU technology. Wefinish up with talk about low sales of Crysis and UT3 and unlocked PhenomBlack Edition processors. Keysonic ACK-126 RF - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-19-07] (0 Comments) Keysonicproduce a myriad of different keyboard based peripherals; someconventional, others not so. The product I have from them today fallsinto this latter category. The ACK-126 RF is a water-proof, siliconbased, wireless board designed for the cramped media user. Thermaltake DuOrb Graphics Card Cooler @ aphnetworks.com [Dec-19-07] (0 Comments) Searching high and low for a new cooler for an NVIDIA 8800GTS, most people realize quickly that there aren't a lot out there even over a year of its release. What I am specifically looking for is something that's readily available, priced reasonably, performs decently, looks great, preferably doesn't occupy the next two slots below it, and above all, quiet. Thermaltake designed a product that on paper fits into all the categories I am looking for -- the Thermaltake DuOrb. Utilizing a pure copper design with heatpipes to distribute the heat around and two fans to blow the heat away, the Thermaltake DuOrb does not occupy any more space than the stock 8800GTS cooler. How well does the Thermaltake DuOrb fit our bill as a graphics card cooler in real life? Let's have a look at this unique heatsink/fan combination today. Zalman ZM1000-HP 1000W Power Supply @ techpowerup.com [Dec-19-07] (0 Comments) Zalman's new ZM1000-HP power supply has been designed with fan noise in mind. The heatpipe experts from Zalman have stuck two of these inside their PSU and added a slow running 140 mm fan on top of that. This winning combination results in one of the quietest PSUs we ever tested, especially considering it delivers up to 1000W of power via six independant 12V rails. The Secrets of Memory:Part 2 @ bit-tech.net [Dec-17-07] (0 Comments) Major changes are expected in 2010 and 2011 as the industrymoves into45nm fabrication, 450mm wafer, 45 micro metre wafer thickness and 3Dchip packaging technology. There are many concerns made by companieswhen technology goes through a paradigm shifts, mostly related to thecosts of equipment replacement or retooling, and the degradation ofelectrical properties in some materials at 45nm or smaller. As the industry moves into 45nm and beyond, there will be moreelectrical resistances and electronic scattering effects. As circuitrydimension is reduced, electricity has more trouble flowing because ofgreater resistance in the smaller copper wiring, raising the risk ofdefects or compromising signal integrity.In addition to improving the ‘interconnect’ wiring conductivity,another interesting way to improve current flow is to reduce thetransistor resistive nature. Manufacturers use advanced materialscience to improve the fundamental die circuitries and in 2007, Toshibawas able to get 35 percent higher current flow from a transistor byusing a different material configuration and dispersing doping agentsin the boundary surface between the transistor electrodes and siliconsubstrate. There has also been some basic research into using Carbon Nanotubes(CNT) as the fundamental circuitries and interconnects. It is regardedas one of the promising elements in sustaining Moore’s Law well into2020. According to, Philip G. Collins, and, Phaedon Avouris, inScientific American (December 2000 issue), metallic nanotubes can havean electrical current density more than 1,000 times greater than metalssuch as silver and copper. Using Carbon Nanotubes is challenging on a few fronts for starters, thefabrication and circuitry layout processes are extremely complicated.Various manufacturing techniques have considered including print-on andgrowth approaches, but both are still extremely young and don't yetdirectly relate to the application in mass production ofsemiconductors. Sapphire ATI Radeon HD3870 @ modders-inc.com [Dec-17-07] (0 Comments) The Sapphire HD3870 offers several great features such as 512MBof GDDR4 memory, HDMI support, DirectX 10 support, HD support, and CrossfireX support to name a few. ASUS GeForce EN8800GT TOP 512MB @ tweaktown.com [Dec-16-07] (0 Comments) The latest addition to the TOP line-up is the 8800GT and it's a n interesting one because the 8800GT packs some serious punch as it is; i t will be interesting to see how the card fairs against the stock model A SUS 8800GTS. What we have stuck the 8800GT TOP from ASUS against today is a stock cloc ked 8800GT, an overclocked 8800GT which comes with the more common 650MHz /1900MHz DDR setup and the stock clocked 8800GTS 512MB based on the G92 c ore. Sapphire 2600 Pro AGP 512MB - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-15-07] (0 Comments) Sapphiredon't mess with the green camp; they're ATI through and through. Thismeans that they don't just deal with the high end cards though, it alsomeans they cover mid-range and budget cards, even old technologies likeAGP. Today we have the 2600 Pro 512mb from Sapphire on an AGP platform.How does it compare to our P4's old favourite, the x1950 Pro? Let'ssee. AMD Hybrid CrossFire Technology P @ pcper.com [Dec-14-07] (0 Comments) For hybrid CrossFire to work reliably there are definitely goingto be only certain combinations of GPUs and IGPs that will work together. Since the RS780 chipset will come in a few flavors with different amountsof GPU performance and the RV610-620 will be offered in variousconfigurations as well. Hybrid CrossFire performance is limited to LOWESTperforming card times two, if we could get 100% efficient scaling. Sobuying a discrete card that is more than 1.8x faster than your integratedgraphics card would be overkill and a waste of money. Asus Xonar U1 USB Audio Station @ aphnetworks.com [Dec-14-07] (0 Comments) As far as laptops go, lately it's gotten as close as it would get to desktop performance in all but one area:Sound. For a while now, I've been looking around for a decent USB audio solution for my mobile computer -- and most of them are either impractical, provides virtually no improvement over my Dell Inspiron's integrated audio, or the features offered are simply not enough to make a difference. Last year, my friend lent me his Creative X-Mod USB sound device for my enjoyment -- while it has great looks and builds upon the X-Fi brand, the performance was more or less disappointing for me. After Asus' successful release of the Asus Xonar D2 sound card, Asus made quite a smart move and decided to expand on this brand to the USB sound device market. How will this sweet looking Asus Xonar U1, combined with a complete set of home theater audio technologies and features such as optical digital out, perform altogether? Is it the sound solution for notebook PC owners? We'll put it through our tests today to see how it goes. ASUS Silent Knight II CPU Cooler @ tweaktown.com [Dec-14-07] (0 Comments) Today we will be looking at the ASUS Silent Knight II, a revised version of the original Silent Knight. The cooler features an all copper design for the main components yet weighs only 610 grams. ASUS claims the Silent Knight II performs very well and is designed to di ssipate heat loads that are associated with today's high performance qu ad-core processors. Today we will be testing the cooler in our Thermal En vironment Control Chamber to see how it performs against other coolers in the same price range. NZXT Alpha - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-14-07] (0 Comments) We’vebeen privileged enough to review a fair portion of the NZXT case range,with the Lexa Blackline, Rouge, Hush and Duet all receiving solidresults and accolades. Now I have another case from the gamer enclosureconstructors; the NZXT Alpha.Sold under the tag-line of ‘Simple yet powerful’ it slots into thebudget class case segment. Featuring tool-less drive mounting, steelchassis and GTX support, it should make for a good enclosure for yourbuild. Corsair TX750W Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Dec-13-07] (0 Comments) We completely disassembled TX750W (CMPSU-750TX) the latest power supply from Corsair featuring a single +12V rail, 140-mm fan and four 6/8-pin power connectors for video cards. Check it out! XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB Alpha Dog Edition @ nvnews.net [Dec-12-07] (0 Comments) The XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB is a solid implementation of NVIDIA's reference design and competes with the much higher priced GeForce 8800 GTX. However, the GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB faces stiff competition from the GeForce 8800 GT, which can pose a difficult decision in choosing one model over the other. ZOTAC GeForce 8800GTS 512MB G92 @ tweaktown.com [Dec-12-07] (0 Comments) ZOTAC are still a relatively new company and we saw their first g raphics card a few months ago in the shape of an 8800GTX AMP! Edition. Th is time around, while we're still looking at an 8800 series card it's a GTS 512MB based on the new G92 core. What we'll do today is put the stock clocked HD 3870 against the stock clocked 8800 GTS 512MB from ZOTAC and check out exactly what's going on with these two top-end cards from NVIDIA and AMD. Zotac 8800 GTS 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Dec-11-07] (0 Comments) Today NVIDIA announced their new GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB which is based on the G92 GPU that has already been used on the GeForce 8800 GT. To our excitement our testing revealed that this $299 card can almost beat the much more expensive GeForce 8800 GTX while generally being quieter and less power hungry. BFG GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB @ pcper.com [Dec-11-07] (0 Comments) Let's see...take an already impressive chip with the 8800 GT, addsome more stream processors and up the clocks a bit...and it's no wonderthat the new 8800 GTS 512MB card is a great performer. The 8800 GT cardsdefinitely hit a sweet spot in the balance of price and performance (if youcan find them that is) and the 8800 GTS based on that same G92 architectureis also a winner, just a slightly higher price point. XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB XXX Edition Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Dec-11-07] (0 Comments) The XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB XXX Edition video card was consistently 1 2-15% faster than the GeForce 8800 GT 512MB in the nine benchmarking game s and applications that we tested it on. If you have a 24-30 OCZ ATV 2GB & ATV Turbo 4GB @ techgage.com [Dec-11-07] (0 Comments) Rugged thumb drives are nothing new, but they are fromthe folks atOCZ. They recently released their ATV and ATV Turbo drives, rangingfrom 2GB - 16GB, and have huge promises strapped to them. We put one ofeach through a battery of Inno3D GeForce 8800GT OC 512MB @ tweaktown.com [Dec-10-07] (0 Comments) While this time around we're looking at another 8800GT with a s tock cooler, this particular model from Inno3D is an OC model and comes w ith some decent clocks so it was considered worthwhile. Inno3D have gone for a bit of gold writing on the cooler to mention the m odel, brand and the fact that it's overclocked. The card looks great on a whole; there really is only so much you can do with a stock cooler tho ugh. ThinkComputers Holiday 2007 Wish List @ thinkcomputers.org [Dec-10-07] (0 Comments) Here at ThinkComputers we get to check out a lot of cool gear, butthere are always things that we would like to have. With Christmas rightaround the corner I asked a few of my staff members to make a wish list ofsome of the tech items that they would like to see Santa bring them thisyear. Hopefully these lists will give you an idea of what you might want forChristmas or what to give someone this year. I will start with my list, itranges from practical items to things that would just be badass to have! HD 3850 Crossfire vs. 8800GTS 512MB G92 @ tweaktown.com [Dec-09-07] (0 Comments) We've been given an indication of the pricing which is going to accompany the new 8800GTS; when it came to figuring out what exactly it would compete against in the red corner, we soon after came to the follow ing conclusion. The HD 3850! Oh, but not just one of them, rather two working together in Crossfire. So it was clear what we had to do; grab a pair of HD 3850 car ds, stick them into our beloved P35 motherboard and let them go at it. Tw o setups enter with one setup to come out on top. DFI Infinity Blood Iron P35-T2RL @ tweaktown.com [Dec-08-07] (0 Comments) We have been blessed to review a number of amazing boards from DF I's top shot line up; today we slow it down a bit as we look at one of their more mainstream oriented designs. As part of the Infinity series, the Blood Iron Infinity P35-T2RL motherbo ard is based on the popular Intel P35 chipset supporting DDR2 memory. How does it stack up as a more cost-effective mainstream board? Resident Evil:Umbrella Chronicles @ bit-tech.net [Dec-08-07] (0 Comments) Umbrella Chronicles isn’t a bad game in the light-gun genre,but it is a bad game by the standards of Resident Evil.As with any light-gun game it also ends up suffering from having verylimited replayability, making up for it by providing an intense andinteresting co-op experience. A perfect game to rent for a week or so if you’ve got a friend you wantto slaughter some zombies with, Umbrella Chronicles offers further glimpses into the ResidentEviluniverse for series fans and presents a challenge for those with a loveof the genre. It’s certainly not one for casual gamers though and mostgamers will have more fun if they head down to the arcade with afistful of fifty pence pieces instead. Novint Falcon Limited Edition @ bit-tech.net [Dec-08-07] (0 Comments) The Falcon is a fantastic game controller, although I still think a few kinks need to be ironed out. With the circular grip we used the Falcon quickly became painful to use unless you had a lot of desk space to spread out on, for example. Several of us ended up almost up-ending the Falcon completely with some over-enthusiastic swings, for example.However, just because it is good, it doesn’t mean that it’ll sell or that it’s good for the market. I’ve been round the block enough to know that selling something like the Falcon, even to seasoned gamers, will be an uphill struggle.This is the major fault of the Novint when you get right down to it – it’s an awesome gadget, but it’s a pretty sure thing that it’ll never really sell well enough to take off. Is it the coolest peripheral we’ve ever had our hands on? Undoubtedly and, although the comparison has probably been used before and is a bit unfair to start with, the Novint puts the Wiimote to shame in many regards.Unfortunately though, we can probably only recommend it to readers on the “Oh my god, that’s so coolâ€� factor at the moment. The reality is that there just aren’t enough games out there which are new to the Falcon and, although the Quake 4, Penumbra and Half-Life 2 mods are fantastically cool, without the promise of support from future developers, they just don’t amount to $239 worth of cool. Sapphire HD 3870 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Dec-08-07] (0 Comments) Sapphire's new HD 3870 card is based on AMD's RV670 GPU which is made in a 55 nm process with 666 million transitors and support for DirectX 10.1 and PCI-Express 2.0. This card that is sold for around $249 is intended to be AMD's new offering for an upper midrange card - but can it beat the GeForce 8800 GT? XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog XXX 512MB Update - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-07-07] (0 Comments) Dueto some requests from our forum members, we have updated our XFX8800GT Alpha Dog review with Crysis benchmarks and comparison resultswith an 8800GTS 320mb. XFX GeForce 8800GT 256MB XXX Edition Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Dec-07-07] (0 Comments) XFX has done a wonderful job with their XXX Edition video card fo r the GeForce 8800 GT 256MB series. Their improved cooler is a nice touch that makes their GeForce 8800 GT video cards stand out from the rest. It 's tough to make a video card stand our from the crowd, but XFX has been finding ways to make it happen. The bundle with the XFX GeForce 8800 GT 2 56MB Alpha Dog XXX Edition was solid and it was nice to see the game Lost Planet included with the bundle. The 650MHz core clock and 1.6GHz memor y clocks on the XXX edition are nice as it's a card you can plug in and j ust run. Users don't have to download third party applications and/or fl ash the BIOS to overclock... Powercolor HD 3850 Xtreme 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Dec-07-07] (0 Comments) PowerColor's new HD3850 Xtreme is full of customization compared to the reference design. Instead of two DVI ports it has one DVI and one HDMI port which supports HD video playback with HDCP and digital audio straight off the GPU. In addition to that a custom cooler by Zerotherm ensures that the card stays cool no matter what you throw at it. Another bonus is that the memory size has been doubled to 512 MB of 1.0 ns GDDR3 memory. Noctua NT-H1 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Dec-07-07] (0 Comments) Heatpaste is probably the least interesting part of anyPC build, but a very much necessary part. Heatpaste sits between yourCPU IHS (Integrated Heat Spreader) and the base of your heatsink,ensuring that the conductivity remains high enough to keep your CPU ata working temperature.For as long as I can remember, Artic Silver has remained the marketleader, selling their tubes of silver by the thousands. However, todayI have a pair of challengers ready to take AC’s throne. In this reviewI cover the Noctua attempt; NT-H1 which features instant performance(no curing time) and zero electrical conductivity. Let’s see how itshapes up against the old dog. Super Talent Project X DDR3-1800 2x1GB RAM @ aphnetworks.com [Dec-07-07] (0 Comments) When Super Talent announced their Project X series of DDR3 RAM a few months back, it sounded pretty astonishing -- but at this presentation I expected it to arrive at an astonishing price relative to other sets of DDR3 RAM in the market right now. Surprisingly, Super Talent's Project X paired with Micron's excellent D9GTR ICs with sharp aluminum heatsinks is also a sharp combination with a relatively aggressive price -- at least for memory in this market segment. I've seen other DDR2-1600 RAM costing more than the Project X DDR3-1800 -- something that we don't see every day. Super Talent has been highly regarded amongst enthusiast in the past, and combined with overclocking preferred Micron D9GTR ICs, as well as a relatively lower price compared to other DDR3 RAM, I'm sure that it will live up to its reputation. But will this be a winning combination if you are in the market for performance DDR3 RAM? We'll find out today. PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 EPS12V Power Supply @ hardwaresecrets.com [Dec-07-07] (0 Comments) We completely disassembled Silencer 610 EPS12V, a 610 W power supply without any fancy feature from PC Power & Cooling. Check it out! ASUS G92 EN8800GTS and EN8800GTS TOP @ tweaktown.com [Dec-07-07] (0 Comments) The two cards are slightly different from each other; we have a s tandard 512MB 8800GTS which isn't something too out of the ordinary. Th e other card is part of the TOP series from ASUS which comes pre-overcloc ked out of the box. Let's not delay any longer and move on to the package of the cards befo re we check the cards out themselves and roll on into the benchmarks. GeCube Radeon HD 3850 X-Turbo III 512 MB @ techpowerup.com [Dec-06-07] (0 Comments) AMD's new Radeon HD 3850 has been a major upgrade in both performance and efficiency. GeCube has taken the reference design and increased the clock speeds. They also doubled the available memory to 512 MB GDDR3 and use a two slot cooler on the card. But can this yield enough performance to warranty a $30 price premium? We compare it to 17 other video cards. How I Became A Game Designer @ bit-tech.net [Dec-05-07] (0 Comments) As part of a new series of columns by prominent indie and professional developers, James Silva talks about how he moved from being a dishwasher in an Italian resturant to being a game designer. Beware, the story contains ninjas, zombies and dishwashery! Adata PD-18 Flash Drive @ pro-clockers.com [Dec-05-07] (0 Comments) If you haven't paid a visit to Adata's website lately, you may wantto after you finish reading this review. But when you get there you will seethat there are plenty of flash drives to decide from. All ranging in sizesfrom 512mb up to a whooping 16 gigs. Some are themed and some professional,but the one that will almost instantly draw your attention would be thePD-18. The PD-18 is one of the smallest drives that you will see from anycompany offering flash drives. Adata packs up to 4 gigs of storage in thistiny little plastic piece. Is it the one for you? Silenx Ixtrema 120mm Case Fans @ rbmods.com [Dec-05-07] (0 Comments) Your typical computer case fan is a cheaply built fan that oftendoesn't last long and can be the loudest source of noise in your computer.However, certain manufacturers do offer high-end case fans that offer highair flow and nearly silent operations, creating the desired combination ofquiet performance. AcousticPC.com, a large retailer of quiet PC computercooling hardware, sent us one such case fan that they highly recommend: theSilenx Quiet Case Fans. Will these fans bring an end to loud fanoperations? That is what we're here to find out in this review.. Corsair 2GB Padlock flash drive @ tcmagazine.com [Dec-04-07] (0 Comments) For this first try with the keypad/hardware locking system combin ation Corsair has made a lot of compromises which resulted in the drive b eing bigger, slower and more fragile than its older =E2=80=98brothers=E2=80 =99. In the end, all these seem to be the necessary evil that enabled the Padlock to be so easy to use and unique. Still, there=E2=80=99s not much doubt that those looking for intuitive and hassle-free data protection c an simply go for either the 1 or 2GB versions (now found at sub-$40 level s) of the Padlock while those wanting something more tough and fast will have to choose other drives, like the Voyagers. NVIDIA G92 Overclocked - GT vs. GTS 512 @ tweaktown.com [Dec-03-07] (0 Comments) The overclocking ability on products is sometimes one of the most important features. More often than not in the computer world you're g iven the ability to buy a model or two down, and with a BIOS or easy to u se application you can take that said product up to and often above the l evel of the top model.The 8800GTS 512MB is only a little bit ahead of the 8800GT 512MB, but wit h its dual slot cooler and extra shaders on tap we thought that where the card may really shine is in the overclocking department. Ultra X3 1000 Power Supply @ pro-clockers.com [Dec-03-07] (0 Comments) Anyone familiar with the old fighting game Primal Instinct knows thesignificance of hearing that word. Much like Mortal KombatR, primal instinctused a combo system and the Ultra Combo was the best one. By the time youfinished off the combo, your opponent was so beaten and bruised, yourvictory was all, but assured. I remember jubilantly celebrating when I wouldpull one of those combos off as I finished local rivals. Now, I'm older, butwhen I heard I was given the chance to review the X3 1000 watt power supplyby Ultra, I celebrated like I did of old with a fist pump in the air forgood measure. For the last few months, I've been considering a SLI setupwith dual 8800 GTX's, but I knew my 650 would probably have problems withproviding the needed power. I already have one GTX, but I also have 3 SATAII hard drives, a DVD-RW, CD-RW, 3 USB hard drives, and about 4 other USBdevices plugged into my computer. Another GTX might take it over the edge.Just from reputation, I knew the Ultra X3 1000 has what it takes to handleSLI without breaking a sweat. Not to mention, Ultra is very well known forthe quality of its hardware. I wasn't going to miss out on the opportunityto put this thing through its paces. [News] Kingston 2x1GB DDR2-533 Notebook Memory @ virtual-hideout.net [Dec-01-07] (0 Comments) Sometimes in the pursuit of a new laptop one of the limiting factorsis the price, and sometimes to save on price we will sacrifice the extra,but often needed memory. We all know that some manufacturers will charge upto $200 additional dollars for an extra 1GB of memory. But why spend thatadditional money when you can simply head on over to the Kingston websiteand get that larger memory kit at a cheaper price and a good chance atspeeds being faster. For my application this was true:my laptop wassupplied with 2x 512mb of DDR2 400; Kingston supplied me with 2x 1GB of PC2533, or model number KTH-ZD8000A/1G. Laptop memory can be verymodel-specific, and the Kingston website has a very user-friendly system toget the correct memory for your needs. XFX GeForce 8800GT 512MB Alpha Dog Video Card @ legitreviews.com [Nov-30-07] (0 Comments) When we first sat the XFX GeForce 8800 GT 512MB next to the refer ence NVIDIA card something just didn't look right. XFX implimented a larg er fan and also increased the opening in the cover to let more cool air i n. The slits on the sides of the cover have also been increased to improv e airflow around the capacitors and other heat producing components. The changes to the cooling really paid off as the XFX GeForce 8800 GT was 15C cooler at idle and 8C cooler at load thanks to the increased airflow. No t bad considering the XFX GeForce 8800 GT Alpha Dog is running overclocke d! Our review sample have a core clock frequency of 625MHz and the refere nce cards from NVIDIA run at 600MHz... Apacer Handy Steno AH421 4GB Flash Drive @ tweaktown.com [Nov-30-07] (0 Comments) With the world of storage continually getting bigger and bigger, it's not uncommon to find flash drives growing in capacity and speed. M edia files now make up quite a huge portion of the need for increasing sp ace. When flash drives first started to hit the shelves, 128MB was the la rgest you could get, and would cost you a fortune too.Apacer's new USB 2.0 flash drive not only combines 4GB of flash storage , but manages to incorporate a compression and security program in one. A ccording to Apacer this allows you to store more than 5x the actual 4GB l imit as well as being able to encrypt it all. NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS article *Updated with Crysis results* @ tweaktown.com [Nov-29-07] (0 Comments) We've just updated our latest NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 512MB G92 Tested @ tweaktown.com [Nov-29-07] (0 Comments) Getting down to the nitty gritty there are some key details we should make mention of. Based on the new G92 core, we have the standard features to come with it such as PCI Express 2.0, a 65nm die and 1:1 texture addressing units:texture filtering units.These are the features we know to be standard across all of the upcoming 8800GTS G92 based graphics cards, but as far as model specifics go we have in this case 512MB of GDDR3 memory. That 512MB comes clocked in at 1940MHz DDR while the core and shader clocks come in at 650MHz and 1625MHz respectively. Mod of the Month - November 2007 @ bit-tech.net [Nov-28-07] (0 Comments) Here we are at the end of November, and what a month it's been.It'salmost hard to believe that anybody has had any time to do moddingprojects as of late, being as the pile of great games just keepsgetting higher and higher. On top of that, those of us who areStateside have had the Thanksgiving holiday to contend with - and thoseTryptophan-laden turkeys don't just eat themselves!Despite all of that, it seems that you talented modding types havemanaged to find time for the art. Maybe it's the chill, dreary weather,maybe it's the impending holiday season - but whatever the reason, itseems you guys have been modding like fiends. Which is great, becausegood mods never take a holiday.This month, one of you will be walking away with another prize packfrom the folks over at AC Ryan, as well as a bit of love frommotherboard manufacturer MSI. Rosewill RCX-Z5 CPU Cooler @ tweaktown.com [Nov-28-07] (0 Comments) Last month we started using the Thermal Environment Control Chamber for our CPU Cooler Testing and have been very satisfied with the results. To follow up from the initial article we tested the Rosewill RCX-Z4 CPU cooler and found it to be a good cooler for running stock speeds on mainstream processors. Today we take a look further up the Rosewill product family tree and put the RCX-Z5 in the T.E.C.C. Synology Cube Station CS407 4-Bay SATA Gigabit NAS @ benchmarkreviews.com [Nov-28-07] (0 Comments) Time is money in the SMB and Corporate Enterprise sector, and anything that can cost less while saving time is sure to be a popular Noctua NF-P12 - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Nov-27-07] (0 Comments) The last time I was privileged enough to get my mitts onsome Noctua branded fans, I had to make up a new word to describe howquiet they were.Continuing this fashion of ultra quiet fans, Noctua have released theawkwardly named NF-P12 fan which builds on the success of the previousblade spinners we’ve seen, and adds some more fins and interestingnotches.Hopefully I’ll have to rack my brains for a new word for this brown andpeach number… A-DATA Turbo Series 16GB SDHC Card @ techpowerup.com [Nov-27-07] (0 Comments) A-DATA has recently released a 16 GB SDHC storage card, which is the biggest capacity available on the market. Their card offers not only plenty of storage, it is also extremely fast. Even though it is specified as Class 6 with 6 MB/s, we saw amazing 18 MB/s read and 10 MB/s write speeds. Logitech G15 Keyboard V2 @ modders-inc.com [Nov-26-07] (0 Comments) A few years back Logitech introduced the G15 Keyboard to themasses. No one had seen a keyboard that resembled the likes of it before. Ittook some of the features that people had been hacking into their ownkeyboards and made it mainstream. But that was a few years ago and nowLogitech has updated the looks of the G15 and has re-released it. Was itworth the trouble for Logitech to redesign one of its most popularkeyboards? ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 Premium - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Nov-26-07] (0 Comments) Coolingfor your CPU has slowly moved away from the bizarre shapes and sizeshoping to remove an extra degree or two, and shifted to tower coolerswhich naturally sit above motherboard surface components and providemuch more surface area for heat to be lost.The ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 is no different, and it’s built by acompany that have shown their silent coolers to be more than adequatein the past. The quiet 120mm fan and glossy metal finish make this anattractive choice. ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 Premium - XSs @ xsreviews.co.uk [Nov-26-07] (0 Comments) Coolingfor your CPU has slowly moved away from the bizarre shapes and sizeshoping to remove an extra degree or two, and shifted to tower coolerswhich naturally sit above motherboard surface components and providemuch more surface area for heat to be lost.The ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 is no different, and it’s built by acompany that have shown their silent coolers to be more than adequatein the past. The quiet 120mm fan and glossy metal finish make this anattractive choice. Kingston 8GB DataTraveler II+ Migo Edition @ techgage.com [Nov-26-07] (0 Comments) Thumb drives are a dime a dozen, so to help sell their8GB DataTraveler II+, Kingston added a little software tool from thefolks at Migo. Their software enables the user to carry their desktopto another computer and then back again. But, is this specialfunctionality worth the premium? ASUS GeForce 8800GT 512MB Graphics Card @ tweaktown.com [Nov-26-07] (0 Comments) We've got three 8800GTs on hand at the labs of TweakTown which would probably give us more 8800GTs than any retail shop has seen. To say supply on the 8800GT is pretty poor would be an understatement. Maybe the 8800GT got off to a bit of an unfair start; we did compare an o verclocked card to stock HD 2900 offerings initially. However, it's saf e to say that with the numbers being pulled here today from the stock clo cked ASUS card, our initial judgment of the card being a great performer is well justified. Lowepro Slim Factor S Laptop Bag @ thinkcomputers.org [Nov-25-07] (0 Comments) We have taken a look at a few Lowepro bags in the past. They havebeen combination bags being able to carry a D-SLR camera and a laptop. Weall know Lowepro makes some of the best bags for cameras, but what about forlaptops. The combination bags we checked out really worked well, but canLowepro make a standout laptop bag? The Slim Factor is one of Lowepro'snewest laptop bags, let's see if it can set itself apart from other laptopbags. Sunbeam Tuniq Ensemble 1200W @ techpowerup.com [Nov-24-07] (0 Comments) The Tuniq Ensemble is Sunbeam's latest high-end PSU offering. It comes in at a whooping 1200 Watts with a large number of connectors included. For all your SLI/CrossFire needs you have two PCI-E 6-pin and two PCI-E 8-pin connectors available. Sunbeam has focused on making this a stable and efficient power supply and did a great job, the efficiency rating during our testing is well above 83%. Core 2 Extreme QX9650 @ hardwaresecrets.com [Nov-24-07] (0 Comments) Core 2 Extreme QX9650 is the most high-end desktop CPU available today, being a quad-core CPU manufactured in 45 nm process, running at 3 GHz internally and 1,333 MHz externally, featuring 12 MB L2 memory cache and the new SSE4 instruction set. Is it really faster than “older” quad-core CPUs? Check it out. [News] Zalman ZM850-HP Power Supply @ virtual-hideout.net [Nov-24-07] (0 Comments) Zalman which is famous for its high quality copper heatpipes andvery quiet PC cooling hardware started releasing high quality, quiet andefficient power supplies not long ago with 500w and 600w models withintegrated heatpipes to cool its innards. Zalman is upping their ante intothis crowded market with a new 850w and 1000w model for those extreme users.I reviewed the 600w version back in December 2006 and it was quite nice so Iexpect the 850w version I'm reviewing today to be more of the good stuff.Read on to find out if it lives up to the Zalman name. bit-tech :Unreal Tournament 3 and Ageia PhysX @ bit-tech.net [Nov-23-07] (0 Comments) */Unreal Tournament 3/ is an excellent game and there's no doubt in my mind that it'll be the backbone of PC multiplayer gaming for a fair old while -- alongside /Team Fortress 2 /, of course. Frankly, it knocks /Enemy Territory:Quake Wars/ out of the water like the limp fish it is. Then it beats it to death with something embarrassing and probably slightly rude. Fill in the blank for yourself, you filthy perverts.* DeviceVM releases source code for Asus P5E3 Deluxe WiFi-AP @ bit-tech.net [Nov-22-07] (0 Comments) There are a couple new motherboards with Splashtop targeted forrelease at the end of the year, but we cannot announce the specificsuntil the OEM gives us the green light, Gigabyte adds Xmas lights to motherboard (video) @ tweaktown.com [Nov-22-07] (0 Comments) Ok, ok, we tricked you, it's not actually Christmas lights, but we can't exactly tell you what the lights in the video below are for a s yet, but this is an exclusive preview of a new technology that will be featured on just about every new motherboard from Gigabyte starting with their X48 boards which will arrive in Q1 2008.It might not look like much in the video and we're sorry about the lens glare, but the conditions where we shot this video were far from ideal, as the room was some 40-odd degrees warm as the boards were being stress tested. The first board is revision 1.1 of