Saturday, May 23 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:35 PM (EDT) |
For cooling, the HAF-922 has 2 x 200mm fan ... one located at the front of the chassis and the other at the top. There's also an additional 120mm fan at the rear. All these fans help with providing excellent air-flow throughout the chassis. Front panel I/O includes USB 2.0 x 2, MIC x 1, Audio x 1 (support HD / AC97 Audio) and eSATA x 1. There's also a featured button for enabling/disabling the red LEDs on the 200mm fans. |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:35 PM (EDT) |
"NZXT Corp is relatively new to the computer hardware industry. Five short years since the company's founding in 2004, NZXT has not only released more than 15 cases, but also gaming mice, power supplies, and other accessories. Their inventory ranges to all ends of the price spectrum: from their $450 all aluminum Khaos, to their budget case, Alpha, which sells for about an eighth of that price. Today, we're going to have a look at the just released NZXT Beta, a case for those with slim wallets." |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:35 PM (EDT) |
Everyone wants to know how far their money can go these days and that 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 "stimulus" plan by bringing out the new HD 4770 PCI-e video card. Targeted toward the mid-level of video cards does this new and surprising card make it worth your hard earned money? |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:34 PM (EDT) |
There is no question that harddrive docks are becoming increasingly more popular in the digital age. They offer faster installation time as well as competitive performance to the more common standard enclosure. Today will we see just how well Vantec's offering stacks up to the competition with a simple style, reliable performance, and ease of use. |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:34 PM (EDT) |
" Today for review I’ve got the NZXT PP-800, an 800watt power supply that offers stable power and a lot of connections for most any system out there today. The PP-800 power supply features two fans for cooling, one 80mm and one 120mm to make sure things stay cool, and is certified by Nvidia for SLI gaming." |
Super Talent UltraDrive ME 64GB MLC SSD Benchmarks @ Legit Reviews |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:33 PM (EDT) |
"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..." |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:33 PM (EDT) |
"This product fits between GeForce GTX 260 and GeForce GTX 285 in terms of performance and price. As we have already mentioned, the new card has been designed to oppose RADEON HD 4890, the most powerful single-GPU card from AMD. This corresponds to the $260 price tag -- more expensive than GTX 260, but cheaper than GTX 285." |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:33 PM (EDT) |
Today we have two very impressive looking X58 boards on our test bench which are micro-ATX based...and still manage to fit in features like support for 6 memory sticks and SLI/CrossFire. In addition to that we have a third product which proves that Socket 775 Core2 users are not being left behind and that it is possible to create a high performing yet cost effective micro-ATX system on the last generation processors. |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:32 PM (EDT) |
Luckily, we can still find a few companies willing to take time and invest some resources into designing slightly different graphic cards. Asus is just one of those companies. Asus, being the leading manufacturer in the computer industry, has products ranging from full systems such as laptops and desktops, to every single components imaginable inside and outside of your computer. |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:32 PM (EDT) |
Have the urge to jump on the SSD bandwagon, but don't want to go through the hassle of yet another format and OS re-installation? Don't fret, because Kingston has got you covered. With their new SSDNow M Series bundle, you'll have all you need to upgrade from your current drive, while keeping your OS configuration and applications intact. |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:32 PM (EDT) |
“Coolers from Cooler Master Hyper product lineup have never disappointed us. Bottom line is: any cooler from this lineup always is best buy. One more characteristics of these models is simple and functional design without too much fiddling with bells and whistles. On the contrary, only “battle hardened” and well known solutions were used that always provide good results…” |
Posted by Nathan @ 9:31 PM (EDT) |
"On top of the case is where the most appreciation might lie. Located on the top of the Cooler Master Scout is handle bar to help ease transportation of the case and its components. Unlike most low quality LAN cases with a handle bar, the Scout excels in this area, using a reinforced plastic material that makes it a strong and sturdy handle. The bottom of the case has a large vent area where the power supply would be installed. There is a surplus in connectivity to the front of the case, including three USB 2.0 ports, standard eSATA connectivity, a microphone and headphone jack, power and reset buttons, HDD LED and power LED, as well as an on/off LED switch for the front 140mm fan. Located at the end of the case is a 120mm fan." |
Friday, May 22 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:50 PM (EDT) |
Besides looks features is another tough and rough area to conquer and keep the price decent. The integrated fan LED controller, one/two hand carrying handle and the solid black interior are just a couple of options that users will like for the $100 asking price of the Scout. The Scout does offer some cable management features as well but due to the shorter narrower design there isn't a lot of outlets for cables to exit to the rear of the case. This may not be a large deal breaker due to the fact this is more of a LAN case and I don't see many having to buckling down too many cables because of the lack of components they may use in the case. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:48 PM (EDT) |
Today we’re going to be looking at the Asus ENGTX260 Matrix graphics card. The card is complete with a custom cooler and a comprehensive software application which allows for overvolting and overclocking of the card. The card is available for about £160 and these features could easily give it a strong advantage over competing products. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:48 PM (EDT) |
I found the OCZ Technology Behemoth laser gaming mouse to not only respond well, but it also performed great on many different surface types thanks to its double laser engine. Most importantly, while conducting the testing my hand was very comfortable and relaxed. Toss in the facts that the Behemoth looks great, is sturdy and well constructed, and you have a winning combination. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:48 PM (EDT) |
SuperTalent has successfully fielded it's new UltraDrive ME and LE series SSD's with their new Indilinx Barefoot controller. Some previous generations of SSD's used a mostly functional J.Micron controller that caused the drives to stutter during smaller 4k and 6k reads and writes. The new Indilinx Barefoot controller seems to have fixed a lot of those problems and all that's left is blazing speed. We've known of a few new controllers coming down the pre-production pipes for a while and have been hoping for a new controller that takes advantage of the raw speed of the SSD's without some of the inherent problems we've seen in past drives. The Indilinx Barefoot controller is a step in the right direction for SSD's, Indilinx releases regular firmware updates for their controllers and the updates for the Supertalent drives containing those controllers can be found on the SuperTalent webby listed with the UltraDrive series drives. Upgradable firmware on the UltraDrive series means that you can buy with confidence that any minor bug that's found can be corrected ensuring your SSD investment will remain state of the art for some time to come. Just how fast is the SuperTalent 128 GB UltraDrive ME we have to look at. It's so fast it blew past us before we could even get a good look at the benchmark results. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:47 PM (EDT) |
Thermaltake has been making CPU coolers for years and they know what it takes to produce a high quality cooler that is capable of cooling today's CPU. The SpinQ is somewhat different in design than most other coolers on the market today. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:47 PM (EDT) |
"EVGA's GTX 275 looks awfully similar to the other 200-series cards, but this one is a bit different under the hood, promising a bunch of horsepower for today's hottest games in what looks to be a rather unassuming exterior. We'll be testing driving it today on a slew of games to see if can live up to the claims when the rubber hits the road." |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:46 PM (EDT) |
“the MSI 790GX-GD70 is one of the simplest and most feature rich motherboards I have ever used. Although simple, it had many features for advanced configurations. From numerous ports/connectors, to the ease of overclocking, and the innovative motherboard/case connector.” |
Cooler Master Storm Scout Mid-Tower Case Review @ Hardware Canucks |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:45 PM (EDT) |
As you have no doubt already guessed, the Scout is a more compact case in the “CM Storm” line-up. Definitely not a micro model by any means, it is over two inches shorter in height and depth, and about an inch and a half narrower than the Storm Sniper. Its weight is also reduced by about four pounds, making it even more appealing to on the go LAN gamers. Although Cooler Master kept the case at a reasonable “mid-tower” size, the Storm Scout is still packed with a healthy array of features including oversize 140mm fans and steel reinforced carrying handles. |
Thursday, May 21 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:25 AM (EDT) |
But Silverstone is not all about extreme power but moderate power and extreme efficiency while being affordable. The Element series offers exceptionally amounts of efficiency over two 12 volt rails. And if you think that the Element is all about efficiency think again the 850 watt model we have for review this week is capable of supporting today's GPU in SLI or Crossfire configurations. And all this can be done for about $140. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:24 AM (EDT) |
We have reviewed quite a few 790 based motherboards from DFI and while each one has featured a different processor the overall features we have come to expect from the LanParty series are all there. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:24 AM (EDT) |
The old adage, "looks can be deceiving," applies very well to the Western Digital My Book World Edition network-attached storage (NAS) device. With its small and simplistic physical design, housed in white plastic, and featuring only a set of white LED status light on its front, this NAS device belies the power, features, and depth of configuration options just hiding beneath its shiny veneer. |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:24 AM (EDT) |
"Up on the review block today I’ve got a massive CPU cooler from Cooler Master, this isn’t just any cooler though it features a TEC that kicks in when the temps get high. The V10 is large, it features three different heatpipes coolers inside the stylish shroud, and it extends or your ram slots to help keep them cool as well. The V10 is a cooler that will make sure your CPU and ram stay nice and cool during the hot summer months. " |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:23 AM (EDT) |
"Time for your head to start spinning: In September 2008, Nikon introduced the $999 12.3MP D90, the first DSLR with HD video recording. Canon quickly followed with the $2,699 21.1MP EOS 5D Mark II, which captured 1080p video instead of the 720p of arch rival Nikon. But close to $3,000 is pretty steep for a camera in the midst of a recession, so the 5D didn't dampen the appeal of the D90. With the new EOS Rebel T1i, Canon is aiming straight for cash-strapped photographers and Nikon's jugular with a 15.1-megapixel DSLR that records 1080p movies for hundreds less than a D90 kit with lens - all in the space of six months. Who says Moore's Law doesn't affect everything with a chip inside? Now, is the new T1i the killer DSLR it appears to be? We put it through its paces to find out." |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:23 AM (EDT) |
“It’s a simple case on one respect, but it has a few features that make it stand out. The looks definitely will not be for everyone, but there will be a lot of people who will love it. My only real wish, is that those fake hydraulic shocks were actually functional, though I know that isn’t the least bit feasible.” |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:22 AM (EDT) |
" With bluetooth headsets becoming nearly as common as the cell phones they are designed to complement, it can be easy for a good product to be lost among all others. With that in mind, Honeywell CE has recently released the Airlite 740; a stylish product that also manages to combine good performance with an acceptable price. " |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:22 AM (EDT) |
Recently we reviewed the dual CPU Nehalem EP platform and when we heard that Coolit had a system planned we gave them a call. Today we have a review of the 'WS 240' which is based on the Domino A.L.C. - abeit with some important changes. |
Wednesday, May 20 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:57 AM (EDT) |
As you’re probably aware, Evercool are a very popular manufacturer in the computing cooling industry. They have a vast range of coolers and heatsinks designed for all types of computing components. One such component that actively needs extensive cooling is the processor. Today, Evercool have kindly sent us their Buffalo LGA775 CPU Cooler. Let’s find out how well it cools… |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:57 AM (EDT) |
You know what you do when you don't have a place to get some juice for your gear? You get portable power. Black and Decker created this nifty little contraption called the PowerToGo. You can get it in 3 flavors, 10w, 20w, and 100w. I opted for the 20w because I didn't figure I would need much more than that to power my PSP and cell phone, and because the 2Ah battery that comes with it is half the weight of the 4Ah battery inside the 100w version. Weight is an issue when traveling. |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:56 AM (EDT) |
"Cooler Master introduces a smaller version of the HAF design, the 922 mid-tower. The HAF 922 shares its bigger sibling's rugged, industrial looks and overall style, bundled in a slightly smaller package. The HAF 922 measures only about two inches shorter than the full tower 932. Possibly better classified as an oversize mid-tower, this works out to just one 5¼" bay difference between the two. Weight is down by a good bit, only 21 pounds compared to the 932's almost 30. Join me as I take a closer look at the Cooler Master HAF 922 mid-tower." |
HP HDX 18t Premium Series 18" Notebook Video Review @ HotHardware.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:56 AM (EDT) |
HP's HDX 18t Premium Series Notebook is a mammoth 18" desktop replacement machine with a wealth of multimedia-targeted features and capabilities on board. With a stylish, glossy exterior, large keyboard area with touch-sensitive illuminated buttons, a TV tuner and remote control, this machine screams Media Center PC. It has a fair bit of gaming under the hood as well, with NVIDIA's GeForce 9600M GT powering its graphics subsystem. It's a well-rounded machine at a fair price ($1599 as tested), that will serve a multitude of usage scenarios for the family or power user with perhaps the exception of hardcore gaming solely focused on frame rate. |
Kingston SSDNow M Series 80GB SATA 2.5 Bundle Kit @ Legit Reviews |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:55 AM (EDT) |
"Kingston took their popular SSDNow Series and added all the hardware and software necessary to replace your notebook or desktop computer's internal SATA hard drive with a new product series called the Kingston SSDNow Solid State Drive (SSD) Bundle Kit. The heart of the bundle is Acronis True Image HD software, an imaging program that copies the contents of one computer hard disk and loads those contents to another system drive; that will take you through the cloning process. This software allows you to move your Operating System and your personal data (including all settings, emails, etc.) from your current system hard drive to your new SSD. Once the Acronis True Image HD cloning process is complete and the data is successfully transferred to your SSD, your hard drive can then be used as a secondary drive for data storage with the included external SATA drive housing..." |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:55 AM (EDT) |
"Cooler Master has been launching several new cases lately, and the Scout is the second in their new CM: Storm series lineup. A "gamer case" can be a mixed bag but Cooler Master seems to have nailed it so far. While the Scout is smaller than its big brother, the Sniper, there are several robust features offered here that are typically in demand by the gamer crowd, and it does look pretty sharp, so it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up." |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:55 AM (EDT) |
“ASUS is, obviously, trying very hard to make monitors that are nicely designed but, since there is no disputing about tastes, we will let you to decide if you like the design of ASUS. Bottom line is that you should first take a look at this monitor with its "unusual" design and only then decide if you like it or not. Dimensions, resolution and a lot of connectors determine this model as multimedia one. Besides HDMI there is also S/PDIF audio output, in case you don’t want to use integrated speakers but you need to use digital output…” |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:54 AM (EDT) |
"The specifications call for a vDIMM of 1.65v and QPI volts of 1.475v for operation at 1866MHZ with latencies of 8-9-8-24. With these voltage settings, the modules were rock stable, even when tightening the timings to 7-8-7-24; just a slight increase in the memory voltage to 1.75v was required for stability. This is above the specification of 1.65v set by Intel, but the memory speed is above what most people run as well. By dropping the memory speed to just over 1600MHz, the timings were tightened up to 6-7-6-18. At this level I was able to drop the voltage to the modules to 1.70v, with a reduction in the voltage to the memory controller as well. Ultimately, the highest stable point I could reach was 2021MHz at 8-9-8-24 with 1.84 volts to the modules, and 1.665v to the memory controller; both of these voltages are well above what some would call "unsafe" for the life of your hardware. But hey, this isn't computing for the safe, now is it? Nope! Overclocking takes additional volts to most parts of the system, it's just what level of safe are you willing to live with?" |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:54 AM (EDT) |
" The introduction of the Core i7 platform has ushered in a new wave of triple channel memory kits. ASE Labs has been waiting and asking for the new Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red DDR3 kits for some time and it seems that Crucial has waited for this pivotal time to release them. The new Tracer Red 6GB PC3-12800 kit brings new LED patterns and easy to use XMP profiles for simple setting of the 8-8-8-21-2T timings. " |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:53 AM (EDT) |
Today we will have a look at a SSD drive from their latest series which aims to compete directly against Intel's MLC drives, the Vertex. The Vertex not only utilizes a different controller than its predecessors, it also has a 64MB on-board cache which helps it achieve even higher performance levels. We will thoroughly test it in this review and compare it against its cheaper Apex sibling, as well as wide range of mechanical drives. |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:53 AM (EDT) |
CPUs are an important part of gaming, it is impossible currently to play a computer game without one no matter how much you are told these processors are becoming a diminishing portion of your gaming experience. We have recently seen the Infernal Engine scale gameplay physics, not effects physics, across 8 threads of an Intel Core i7 processor. We've been seeing CPUs trending towards improving multi-core designs, adding more cores, and deepening pipelines instead of simply being focused on clock speed. Does all this matter to the gamer? |
Tuesday, May 19 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:12 PM (EDT) |
Thermaltake says the new Element S case is designed for Pros: is that true? With a stylish black finish, no annoying lighting, anti-vibration side panels and room for up to seven hard drives and two SSDs that may just be the case. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:12 PM (EDT) |
Last week, I took on a name in power supplies I had never reviewed before. This week, it's more of the same as I take on yet another newcomer to my lab: Tagan. They sent me one of their new PipeRock II units at 680W, and are anxious to see how I made out with it. This is an Impervio built unit that looks very promising. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:12 PM (EDT) |
Arctic Cooling most known for their superb cpu coolers have released a power supply on to the market. If we look at the stats they promise alot, 82-86% efficiency, intelligent fan control and ultra quiet 80 mm fan. Knowing Arctic Cooling I know I should expect a superb product so lets have a look if they can live up to their name also on the PSU market. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:11 PM (EDT) |
A couple of weeks ago we put the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo through its paces. We were a little disappointed in its performance, and now the ReadyNAS NV+ has shown up to try to defend the honour of the ReadyNAS family. Will it succeed or will it fall to the incessant pounding of our network stress tests? |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:11 PM (EDT) |
What is the Matrix? I could tell you a couple of things here, either a hard to follow story about robots harvesting humans for thermal power, or I could tell you about the In-Win Matrix. I think I am going to tell you about the In-Win Matrix for two reasons, 1) it’s going to actually make sense, hopefully. 2) It is by far one of the sleekest and stylish home theater PC Chassis that I have ever seen. While combining stylish good looks, and great functions such as cable organization, and a multitude of front mounted USB ports, this looks to be a great media box. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:10 PM (EDT) |
We know what you're thinking. You're thinking that this is just another netbook by yet another manufacturer trying to ride the wave of popularity -- and at a glance, we'd say you're right. Upon further investigation, however, you'll find that OCZ Technology's Neutrino is actually a horse of a different color, so to speak. Design-wise, it's a perfectly average netbook, and if you check out the basic specifications, you'll see more of what you're used to. But if you read a little further, you'll notice a few key omissions. And unlike most machines, it's what the Neutrino lacks that differentiates it from the pack. |
20.1" Soyo MT-NI-DYLM2086 DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor w/Speakers @ TestFreaks |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:10 PM (EDT) |
"The product arrived in excellent condition, but I was sent the wrong manual and was missing the audio cable this time. Missing the manual isn’t that big of a deal though, I think everyone can figure out how to hook up a monitor, but the missing audio cable is far worse in that if you want to use the audio you’ll most likely have to go and buy the cable adding an additional expense to the overall cost of the monitor." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:09 PM (EDT) |
"Cooler Master has been launching several new cases lately, and the Scout is the second in their new CM: Storm series lineup. A "gamer case" can be a mixed bag but Cooler Master seems to have nailed it so far. While the Scout is smaller than its big brother, the Sniper, there are several robust features offered here that are typically in demand by the gamer crowd, and it does look pretty sharp, so it'll be interesting to see how it stacks up." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:09 PM (EDT) |
Even though the high-end air cooling market is cluttered with pretenders, every now and then a heatsink comes along which causes up to stand up and take notice. A few short months ago, a new company named Prolimatech released their Megahalems CPU cooler and suddenly the best of the best had a new competitor on their hands. But can this upstart become the new king of the hill? |
MSI N260GTX Lightning Black Edition Video Card Review @ Hardware Secrets |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:09 PM (EDT) |
"It's been hard to evaluate video cards these days as there is no difference between a model from one manufacturer and a model from another one based on the same graphics chip, since they are all identical and provided by the chip manufacturer (nVidia or AMD) and the only thing the video card "manufacturer" does is to add their sticker to the video card and put the card in a box with the "manufacturer" logo. This is why we were so excited to review a model where the manufacturer actually added something really unique to the video card: MSI N260GTX Lighting Black Edition comes with an overclocking panel (called AirForce) that can be installed on your case or desk, allowing you to overclock the video card by touching some buttons, making overcloking easy especially for the newbie. Other features were added to the video card as well: double the memory compared to the standard model (1,792 MB vs. 896 MB), 10-phase voltage regulator circuit, solid aluminum caps, ferrite chokes, low RDS(on) transistors, test points on the board for you to check the GPU and memory voltages using a voltmeter and a better cooler." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:08 PM (EDT) |
I hope you all had a good weekend. Over recent months we've examined a few different CPU coolers with Socket LGA 1366 mounting kits, each with a different claim to fame when it comes to cooling a Core i7 system. Today, we take a look at another high-end cooler for Intel's latest architecture, in the form of ASUS' Triton 88 part. Can it impress us in terms of its design and performance? |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:04 PM (EDT) |
"Most modern video cards can deliver enough pixels to drive a mid-sized monitor (think widescreen 19- to 22-inch displays with a native resolution of 1680x1050) - at least until you sit down to play a high-end game. At that point, a PC equipped with a low-end video card turns into an expensive slideshow projector. Upgrading your system's video card is easy enough, but a high-end card that's capable of delivering just about any game at 60 frames per second at a given resolution-our minimum performance requirement-can cost $400 or more. And while it wasn't long ago that we'd never recommend a video card in the sub-$100 price range for serious gaming, PowerColor's Radeon HD 4670, which is street-priced at just $90, surprised us by coming close. This card has all the features you'd want for other applications too, including the capability to offload Blu-ray video-decoding chores from the host CPU." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:04 PM (EDT) |
When it comes to keyboards, everyone has different needs and preferences. We tend to like Multimedia keyboards that free us from searching for commonly used programs, like Windows Media Player, or launching our favorite browser. We also like an easy to use volume setting and a smattering of assorted keys to do the everyday mundane tasks easily. Combining form with functionality, the Gigabyte GK-K6800 Luxury Multimedia Keyboard is practically a piece of art. Well designed, with a solid feel to it, the GK-K6800 provides plenty of Multimedia functions and manages to throw a little flair into the design. It replaces our much loved but well abused $10 (USD) generic keyboard at the test bench. Since often the test bench is also the gaming rig, entertainment center, and all duty rig, the GK-K6800 is in for a good workout. |
Western Digital RE2 750GB Enterprise SATA Hard Drive Review @ Bigbruin.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:04 PM (EDT) |
The Western Digital RE2 750GB SATA hard drive is now two generations removed from being the latest and greatest in their family of enterprise class hard drives, but it didn't show its age when tested for use at home. While it performed well in typical desktop benchmarks, I can also see it being well suited to NAS duty, as a stand alone drive or in a RAID array. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:03 PM (EDT) |
" There are a few trends in computing technology that are happening now. One of them seems to be the moving away from optical media in favor of some type of flash memory. While the death of optical media may be premature, the majority of boxed hardware comes specifically on this type of media. Optical drives are here to stay for a bit longer and LITEON's latest 22x iHAS422 is a good drive to own. " |
Monday, May 18 2009 |
ASUS W90 18.4" Notebook - A True Desktop Replacement @ Techgage.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:38 PM (EDT) |
Looking for a modest notebook? Turn around and walk away! ASUS has sent us their W90 "Republic of Gamers" notebook, which although they don't call it as such, is a perfect desktop replacement. It offers incredible gaming ability (with an X2 ATI card), a Quad-Core processor, a massive display (18.4") and a whole lot more. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:38 PM (EDT) |
Cooler Master has been making big strides to aid in this quest of superior cooling technology to apply to all this new tech available for us to get our upgrading hands on. We have seen quite a few coolers over the past year from Cooler Master; some did really well, while others were a bit below expectations. As a whole they have done a good job supplying the market with "alternatives" to the basic tower coolers. This time they take a step back and have used a simpler approach to cooling the Core i5 processors. |
Gigabyte GeForce GTX275 GV-N275UD-896H Video Card Review @ Motherboards.org |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:37 PM (EDT) |
The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 275 is an interesting beast of a card. It is designed to compete directly with the ATI Radeon HD 4890 and does a great job of doing just that. In the vast majority of cases the Gigabyte card beats the HD 4890 in performance with the exception of a DirectX 10.1 title like Tom Clancy's HAWX. NVIDIA made some good choices with the GTX 275, including having the GTX295 core but with the memory controller of the GTX 260. This hybrid combination offers higher performance across the board versus a GeForce GTX260 216 core card and nearly competes in a lot of cases with the GeForce GTX 285. The Gigabyte card overclocks to 620MHz totally stable, which is just a tad over 10% over the standard clocked reference board. To play games with PhysX effects turned on, NVIDIA cards are the only way to go. Cryostasis, the latest game to use PhysX, has its frame rate drop to single digits on a Radeon HD 4890 while it is playable on a GTX275. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:37 PM (EDT) |
"Today we're looking at a CPU cooler that has stunning looks to satisfy: the Thermaltake SpinQ. Sporting an utterly gorgeous chrome-like aesthetic that features an innovative helical design, it is also finally Socket 1366-compatible, so we'll be dropping it on a Core i7, cranking up the heat, and see if the SpinQ has the brawn underneath the hood to match its hotrod exterior." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:36 PM (EDT) |
"My only qualm with the ISGX-300 is that when installed, it interferes with tall memory sets, such as Corsair with the DHX heatspreaders. So, if you have that memory, you are out of luck because the cooler cannot be mounted in a front to rear facing way - only in a top to bottom facing way. If the cooler could have been mounted with the longest sides up and down, and the fan to the rear, then tall memory could fit and there would be no problem. It would have been nice to have a second set of fan retention wires included, in case the user wanted to purchase a second ISGC 12 fan and mount it on the other side of the cooler for maximum cooling. If you are looking for a great performing cooler that is nearly silent, then the ISGC-300 will make your day." |
Sunday, May 17 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 10:53 PM (EDT) |
I can build a computer with no problem. I've been doing it for years. But a Media Center is a whole nother animal. It is, as the name implies, all about the media. Games are entirely possible, but why waste the drive space? I planned on ripping my DVDs of Rob & Big and hitting up Fancast.com on the regular. So obviously I had to make this thing WiFi enabled to access the web. It had to have a DVD-R on it. Lightscribe would have been cool, but who really needs more than one of those in their house? So the Lightscribe is out. I searched around my office for anything that would give me a decent start at a media center without having to dump a ton of money into it. (We are in a recession, after all.) |
Posted by Nathan @ 10:53 PM (EDT) |
We've liked the GTS 250 from the word go. While we understand that it's nothing more than a 9800 GTX+, it's got all the features that we want out of a graphics card. For starters, we know that the performance is there; the 9800 GTX+ was no slouch which means the GTS 250 isn't going to be either. |
NZXT Zero 2 Crafted Series PC Case Reviewed @ DragonSteelMods |
Posted by Nathan @ 10:52 PM (EDT) |
"Today we will be looking at the first of three PC cases from NZXT. Their original Zero case was well received as it was designed for quiet cooling and performance. The follow up to this acclaimed case is the aptly named Zero 2 which is designed for the home enthusiast and gamer in mind. Unlike its predecessor which was made of relatively light aluminum, the Zero 2 is 10.2 KG of hardened steel. " |
Posted by Nathan @ 10:52 PM (EDT) |
“Netbook fever is at its peak and new models are presented, almost, on weekly basis. This time we present you Lenovo IdeaPad S10e netbook. Although IdeaPad should be more vanguard series than ThinkPad series, Lenovo design of S10e cannot be described as excitable. Lenovo S10e is black “squarish” shaped, with kind of “neutral” looks which some will appreciate. We could say that it looks like some ThinkPad models and maybe this was the main idea of Lenovo designers…” |
