Saturday, October 3 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:58 PM (EDT) |
“Until now, most notebook and netbook users had problems when it comes to deciding what mouse to use and purchase, which will go nicely with their portable companion. Specialized mouse models (notebook mouse models) are in most cases small, hence not very ergonomic, and not adopted for prolonged usage. On the other hand, traditional mouse models are relatively big, so carrying it around is not a pleasant experience. Engineers from Microsoft noticed this problem and result of their labor arrived in our test lab in form of Microsoft Arc Mouse…” |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:57 PM (EDT) |
To purchase a quality gaming notebook just a few years ago would have set you back at least $2,000. But the situation is far better today, and it's proven with the help of ASUS' G51Vx, coming in at $999. It comes complete with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 260M graphics card, a great feature-set and plays most of today's games at their max detail settings with ease. |
Thermaltake Toughpower 800 W (W0296RU) Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:57 PM (EDT) |
"Toughpower power supply series is around for a while now and Thermaltake has just added two new models to this series: 700 W (W0295RU) and 800 W (W0296RU). These two models are 80Plus Silver certified, promising an efficiency of at least 88% at typical load (i.e. 50% load), using an internal project totally different from other power supplies from the same series. In fact, these two models are manufactured by a different company, FSP, while other Toughpower models are manufactured by CWT. This is the first 800 W power supply from Thermaltake, but you have to pay attention because they now have two 700 W models on the same series, with the "old" model (W0105RU) presenting lower efficiency than the new one (W0295RU)." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:57 PM (EDT) |
Asrock is one of our new sponsors! They are well known for their motherboards that have always been a bit cheaper than the rest, but does this mean they don't perform well? Personally I don't think so but today we are going to look at the M3a785gmx motherboard and compare it vs a well performing Asus board. I think we will be able to see what type of performance we can expect from this Asrock board. |
Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P AMD 790FX Socket AM3 Motherboard Review @ PCSTATS.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:56 PM (EDT) |
"Gigabyte's GA-MA790FXT-UD5P motherboard is based on the AMD 790FX and SB750 chipsets and offers up much in the way of dual videocard gaming and generally fast socket AM3 AMD processor support. At its heart is AMDs 790FX chipset which supports HyperTransport 3.0 at 5200 MT/S. The Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P supports DDR3 memory at speeds of up to 1066/1333MHz, and 1666 MHz when overclocked." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:56 PM (EDT) |
Cooler Master recently released their SNA (Slim Notebook Adapter) 95. The SNA 95 is a universal notebook adapter that comes with a total of nine different connectors that gives you the flexibility to charge a wide range of different devices. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:56 PM (EDT) |
Hardwareoverclock.com has posted another motherboard review. Last week we have take a look at the Asus Maximus III Formula board with P55 chipset. This board was made for gamers and overclockers. The Bios is very extensive, the layout nice and the performance great. Only the high price is very high again. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:55 PM (EDT) |
"The G.Skill RipJaws 4GB DDR3 1600 CL7 Memory-Kit arrived Technic3D. Technic3D will see as good they are with Overclocking against the CSX Diablo, OCZ and G.Skill Trident Memory Kits on Windows Vista Ultimate 64 Bit and the Foxconn Bloodrage Mainboard. You can see 1.760 MHz (1,65V) with 9-9-9-24 (2T) in the following Review." |
Friday, October 2 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:34 PM (EDT) |
Today's review product turned the tables on her, though. With an excess of mirth, I watched her reaction to the Verbatim TUFF-'N'-TINY™ 8gig portable flash drive. Giggly as a school girl, she immediately laid claim to the drive. As you can see from the pictures, the TUFF-'N'-TINY is a diminutive flash drive, even pixie-like. This set her to fawning over it and laying out plans to keep it on one of her cherished stuff animals. Having already hatched my own nefarious schemes for the drive, I suddenly felt a bit like a selfish schoolboy, hesitant to share. Rarely will a piece of computer hardware invoke this sort of reaction in our house. However, looks are not everything. To get a good review from me, this Lilliputian flash drive will have to put forth decent numbers and live up to its claim of being tough. |
Perixx Periboard-708 Wireless Touchpad Keyboard Review @ ThinkComputers.org |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:33 PM (EDT) |
“If you have a home theater PC or similar setup you know how important it is to have a wireless keyboard and mouse. No one wants to walk over to the PC use the attached keyboard then have to walk back to the couch. This does seem lazy but it is more convenient just to have a wireless keyboard and mouse. Today we will be taking a look at the Periboard-708 from Perixx, which solves both problems as it is a wireless keyboard and touchpad in one. Let's take a look and see if it is the perfect device for your HTPC setup." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:33 PM (EDT) |
Overclockershq review of Mionix 1800 Saiph gaming mouse. Macro functions, dpi adjustablility and colour coordination with each dpi setting. This is what our simple computer mouse has advanced too. There are whole worlds out there in gaming, with so many activities in each, you need an advanced mouse. I played some of these 1st person games and role playing games without the aid of an advanced mouse. I could not believe the joy it brought me the first time I tried this new breed of gaming mouse. There is more... Check out my enjoyable review of this piece of hardware. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:33 PM (EDT) |
"While the Thermalright HR-03 series are certainly great VGA coolers, they are also quite large and take up a good bit of space. Depending on the size of your CPU cooler, other motherboard components and how much space there is in your PC case, you may run into interference issues using the HR-03, especially in SLI or Crossfire. So in response to this Thermalright developed the T-Rad² specifically aimed at supporting multi-card configurations. With its slim 25mm height the T-Rad² offers the same nickel-plated copper heatpipe and aluminum fin cooling as the HR-03 series, but in a much thinner package. The T-Rad² GTX continues support for nVidia 8800/9800 and ATI 3800/4800 cards while adding the nVidia GT200 55nm core cards to the compatibility list." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:32 PM (EDT) |
Thecus has been on a roll in 2009 launching one product after another. Some of the new products are just updates of previously released ones like the N7700 SAS and N8800 SAS, while others are redesigned from the ground up. The Thecus N5200 Pro was an amazing product but its time has now come to pass. The successor to the N5200 Pro is the N5500, another 5 SATA bay NAS server. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:32 PM (EDT) |
“Earlier this year LG presented its first Blu-ray player (LG BD370) which was revolutionary at that moment, and now, we present you its successor: LG BD390. Our expectations for this model were high, but we must admit that despite our high expectations we were still pleasantly surprised with features that this player offers. For now, LG BD390 is the only Blu-ray player that will allow you to get rid of your “old” DVD/DivX players, and send them to desired retirement. What’s more, this player will allow you to watch HD movies in compressed (among others MKV) format…” |
ASUS P7P55D Deluxe LGA1156 Motherboard Review @ Hardware Canucks |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:31 PM (EDT) |
As Lynnfield processors muscle their way into the market, the number of motherboards available for the platform has grown in leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, many manufacturers are struggling to find ways to differentiate their products from those of the competition. ASUS hopes their P7P55D Deluxe will have enough unique features to make it stand out in a cluttered market. |
GPU Technology: NVIDIA Talks Fermi, Unveils Nexus @ HotHardware.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:31 PM (EDT) |
If you've followed the early announcements concerning Fermi, NVDIA's next-generation GPU architecture, you should already be aware that the new GPU core is both an evolution of the existing GT200 architecture and a significant new design in its own right. NVIDIA made it clear early on that they weren't going to be talking about GeForce products at the conference this year, but instead have discussed Fermi as a Tesla successor and future high-end engine primed to drive the GPGPU industry. |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:31 PM (EDT) |
"Even in this era of rapidly plunging HDTV, Blu-ray disc player and game console prices, some devices remain very expensive. Case in point: full-frame DSLRs. These cameras use sensors that are the same size as a frame of 35mm film, so photo quality is outstanding, but you'll pay for this performance. Until the introduction of the new A850, the most "affordable" full-frame models were the 21.1-megapixel Canon 5D Mark II and 24.6MP Sony alpha DSLR-A900, each $2,699 for the body alone. Yeow! This fall, Sony introduced the slightly modified 24.6MP A850 for $1,999, a hefty $700 savings. This is a good drop, but still it's a rarified atmosphere. That said we couldn't wait to find out if the new Sony was worth the new "low" price." |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:30 PM (EDT) |
"The price point on the P55-GD65 puts it squarely in the mid range for a socket 1156 motherboard. This board comes in a full 50 bucks cheaper than the Intel Kingsberg board, while there is a 90 dollar saving over the ASUS Maximus III Formula, so you have to wonder if the features and performance are worth the extra cash. The included utilities work and provide a good mix of functionality. For my dollar though, if I wanted a simple no frills approach to overclocking, the OC Genie is the one feature that makes the MSI board stand out from the crowd. Excellent components, excellent overclocking, good cooling and you end up with a board that fits the bill!" |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:30 PM (EDT) |
Unlike motherboards, where manufacturers have options to add features and components to differentiate one board from another, graphics cards often are manufactured with the same design specifications. In order to stand out in the sea of vendors, manufacturers often resort to after-market coolers to provide better cooling. In addition, they will sell cards with higher clock-speeds than the reference speeds, or bundle it with different accessories and games. They may also provide different warranty options, such as lifetime warranty or a double lifetime warranty. |
Samsung SyncMaster 2443BWX 24 Inch LCD Monitor Review @ Bigbruin.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 3:30 PM (EDT) |
The Samsung SyncMaster 2443BWX is just about what I am looking for in a monitor. It combines a large, high resolution screen with respectable specifications, sleek and simple aesthetics, and a good range of motion to make getting comfortable with it rather easy. I also like that it doesn't include items that really just add cost and clutter to a monitor, like USB ports or speakers. |
Thursday, October 1 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 5:02 PM (EDT) |
"The Lancool K62 Dragonlord is the next PC-Case in the Technic3D Editorship. LanCool redesigned the internal layout for a better thermal solution, Dragon Lord k62 uses large size cooling fans to remove the system heat faster and quieter as well as keeps the system more stable. The hardware installation with Dragon Lord k62 is very easy and simple. The front panel and top panel are detachable and they can be removed without tools. Technic3D will check this in the following Review." |
Posted by Nathan @ 5:01 PM (EDT) |
Roccat a well known gaming accessory manufacturer sent us their latest keyboard named Valo. This keyboard really aims mainly at the game with 41 macro keys, profiles, and macro recordings that all come in handy for a gamer, lets take a closer look at what we got here. |
Gigabyte GV-N285OC-2GI Geforce GTX 285 2GB Videocard Review @ PCSTATS.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 5:01 PM (EDT) |
"Well, that was before Gigabyte got its hands on a couple GTX 285's and decided to push them even further, creating the Gigabyte GV-N285OC-2GI videocard. While the stock nVidia Geforce GTX 285 has a core clock speed of 648MHz, Gigabyte has pushed the GV-N285OC-2GI to 660MHz. Shaders have been ramped up from 1476MHz up to 1504MHz, and the memory capacity has doubled. The Gigabyte GV-N285OC-2GI has a staggering 2GB of GDDR3 memory running at 2400MHz! The Gigabyte GV-N285OC-2GI is a beast of a videocard, designed to not only compete with the Radeon HD 4890, but crush it outright. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, indeed." |
Posted by Nathan @ 5:00 PM (EDT) |
We love the HD 5870s and that's a problem for ATI because we expect to feel that same kind of passion for the HD 5850. If we don't there will be heck to pay, heck I tell you. Today marks the day of our first HD 5850 landing in our labs. The first company to make it out of the gates? Well, it was the same one that made it out of the HD 5870 gates, Sapphire. |
Posted by Nathan @ 5:00 PM (EDT) |
Today's review is Synology's Disk Station (DS209). Here is a device that appears to be a two disk NAS, If you assumed that this is all the device does you would really be sorry when found out what all it actually does. How about a file station, photo station, iTunes station, surveillance camera station to name just a few. Come on along as we check this very slick device out. |
Gameskulls GS-1 Tactical Gaming Helmet Headphones @ Legit Reviews |
Posted by Nathan @ 5:00 PM (EDT) |
"Three things are very important when you enter the virtual battlefield; the ability to hear your enemy's foot steps, the ability to communicate with your fellow combatants, and protection from a flying energy drink can when you frag the guy two rows away from you. I know you are all thinking... does such a thing exist? It does now my friends. Allow me to introduce the Gameskulls G-1 Tactical Gaming Helmet. And at $69.95 this kind of protection comes cheap, much cheaper than the lunch money pilfered off you in school all those years... nerd. Bet you wish you had this helmet back then, I know I do..." |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:59 PM (EDT) |
" It is one of the thinner, sleeker drives on the market and is probably one of the most stylish. These drives are available in ten different colors and can be personalized with MusicSkins specifically designed for the Seagate FreeAgent Go." |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:59 PM (EDT) |
“The V320 is a GFX card cooler designed to fit on almost every video card currently available. As well as being a choice for high end boards - mid range graphics cards tend to have some relatively poor cooler designs with small and noisy fan configurations.” |
Western Digital Caviar Black and RE4 2 TB Hard Disk Drive Review @ Hardware Secrets |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:59 PM (EDT) |
"Until very recently the only 2 TB hard disk drives available on the market were "green" models, rotating at lower speeds in order to save energy, like Seagate Barracuda LP and Western Digital Caviar Green. Western Digital has finally released two 7,200 rpm models, Caviar Black (targeted to desktops) and RE4 (targeted to servers). Let's take a look on the performance from these new drives." |
Posted by Nathan @ 4:58 PM (EDT) |
The power supply is the most important peice of computer hardware we will ever purchase. Having too little of a power supply in our computers, can give us lower performance levels, overheating, lock ups, crashes, to all out torching of our most valued computer components. |
Wednesday, September 30 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:20 PM (EDT) |
We recently took a look at a new product that has become really popular in the YouTube community called the Flip UltraHD. After my review I was looking into similar products and found out a few other companies make similar products. One of those is the Zx1 from Kodak that was announced at CES this past January. Today I have a chance to take a look at the Zx1 to see how it compares against the Flip UltraHD. The Zx1 doesn’t have ultra or HD in its name but it does record in 720p and its name sounds like a sport bike so it should be an interesting comparison. |
LaCie 1TB Hard Disk by Neil Poulton Review @ ThinkComputers.org |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:19 PM (EDT) |
“If you've heard of LaCie you know they are known for their external hard drives. One thing I've always liked about LaCie has been their unique and stylish design for their hard drives. Today we will be looking at another external hard drive from them designed by famous product designer Neil Poulton. This 1TB drive is simple, yet stylish. You probably won't find another drive out there like it! Let's take a look..." |
ASRock M3A790GXH/128M AMD Socket AM3 DDR3 Motherboard Review @ OCInside |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:19 PM (EDT) |
The ASRock M3A790GXH/128M motherboard is like the recently tested ASRock A790GXH/128M equipped with the AMD 790GX chipset and the SB750 southbridge. However the new motherboard supports no DDR2 RAM, but DDR3 modules and this board offers three PCI Express 2.0 slots. Thanks to 3-Way CrossFireX support they can be equipped at the same time with three video cards. Both motherboards have approximately the same price and thanks to the fast onBoard HD3300 graphics unit with integrated 128 MB sideport memory the board offers also without additional video card a high performance. The review will show if the speed will benefit from DDR3 memory and if this AMD 790GX DDR3 motherboard can be overclocked as high as the previous tested 790GX DDR2 motherboard. |
AMD Athlon II X4 620 2.6 GHz Socket AM3 Quad-Core Processor Review @ PCSTATS.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:18 PM (EDT) |
"AMD's most recent 45nm Athlon II processor just graduated from dual, to quad core. The AMD Athlon II X4 620 is a 2.6 GHz socket AM3 chip destined for mainstream PCs; could it be the darling CPU option for those on a budget? One thing's for certain, there couldn't be a better chip to land in the midst of global belt-tightening, especially as the quad-core Athlon II X4 620 retails for just $99 bucks." |
GIGABYTE Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card in CrossFire X @ Tweaktown |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:18 PM (EDT) |
As our third retail HD 5870 rolled into the labs it was time to check out CrossFire X. Some may wonder what CrossFire X is. Well, it's like CrossFire, but with an X. On a serious note, though, in a single GPU setup it means we're going to be dealing with three cards today. If you're packing a dual GPU setup it tends to mean you're dealing with four GPUs which is something we intend to attack when the HD 5870 X2 shows up on our door step. |
ATI Radeon HD 5850 CrossFire Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:17 PM (EDT) |
"When it comes to the performance of the ATI Radeon HD 5850 we found it to be 15-25% slower than the Radeon HD 5870 in the vast majority of the benchmarks. It was also faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 graphics card, which is currently NVIDIA's flagship single GPU video card! If we had to suggest a screen resolution size to go with the Radeon HD 5850 it would have to be 1680 x 1050 and under if you like to turn all the eye candy on. Sure, the majority of the benchmarks that we ran here today showed the Radeon HD 5850 was able to run above 60FPS at 1920 x 1200 with 8xAA enabled, but we would like to plan for the future. With DirectX 11 game titles coming out soon a Radeon HD 5870 would be the better choice for gamers with monitors greater than 24" and screen resolutions in the 1920 x 1200 and beyond range..." |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:17 PM (EDT) |
“Today’s insatiable notebook market can always make room for another new model, and ASUS is producing new models almost on weekly bases. This time we present you model from ASUS Versatile Performance series (or, for rest of us something in between gaming and multimedia): F50Sv. Interesting and modern design, quality build and very decent performances are main characteristic or this model…” |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:16 PM (EDT) |
Exactly one week ago today, AMD unleashed the ultra powerful, DirectX 11-ready ATI Radeon HD 5870 upon the PC gaming world and staked a claim as the undisputed 3D performance leader, well, per GPU anyway. Having evaluated the features, performance, and image quality of AMD's latest and greatest flagship we were left thoroughly impressed, not only with the new Radeon's killer performance, but its extensive feature set, excellent image quality, power consumption, and competitive price. |
Auzentech X-Fi Forte & Asus Xonar DS Sound Cards @ DriverHeaven.net |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:16 PM (EDT) |
“Today we have two cards from either end of the price spectrum on our test bench to find out what each has to offer. For those who feel their onboard sound is has issues, or anyone with high quality headphones/speakers this article should assist in finding the ideal purchase.” |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:15 PM (EDT) |
"Have you ever wondered why more audio companies aren't building PC speakers these days? Listen to Logitech's Z523 speaker system and you'll ask a second question that handily explains the first: How in the world can any company manufacture powered speakers that sound this good and sell them for a hundred bucks? Before the audiophiles in the crowd issue a fatwa on us though, let us be clear in that we are praising these speakers chiefly for their price/performance ratio. They suffer mightily in comparison to some of the pricier speakers we've auditioned-Audioengine USA's $350 A5, for example, but frankly, we haven't heard anything that comes close to the Z523 at this price range." |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:15 PM (EDT) |
“Computer case options are aplenty in the market nowadays. You can choose just about any color, finish or pattern your heart desires (or wallet can afford). I still remember the days of simply beige, meaning beige was simply the only color (if you can call it a color) available. There is also numerous sizes and shapes of cases on the market now, so case makers are trying their darnedest to separate themselves from the pack. Today I have for you one such newcomer to the case market by the name of Maxcube and their new Amoris 6010 case. It offers us a very unique front door but does it have the rest of the goods to make it to your house? Read on...” |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:15 PM (EDT) |
"Asus even went as far as to make sure the entire motherboard was symmetrical. Don't believe me? Take a look at how the memory modules align with the CPU socket. It's almost as if the designers just hit the "center" button, only it worked in the real world. Asus also included the nifty MemOK! button. The P7P55D Deluxe offers more than just cool features. Its performance was great, and it offered delicious overclockability. I can't think of a single con for this board. With that being said, I'd recommend this board to anyone wanting to utilize the new LGA 1156 socket." |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:14 PM (EDT) |
Intel just released the Core i5/i7 1156 socket CPU this month of September, it is only natural for us to see the motherboard manufacturers have a boat load of motherboards for us to choose from. Intel is also promising an affordable socket 1156 CPU for those who are looking to upgrade from the ever ancient socket 775 platform. Today at Bjorn3D we going to look at one of MSI's offerings of the new improved CPU socket 1156. |
OCZ Agility-EX SLC SSD OCZSSD2-1AGTEX60G @ Benchmark Reviews |
Posted by Nathan @ 2:14 PM (EDT) |
OCZ has earned the pole position in the race for Solid State Drive consumer supremacy. Most of the OCZ SSD product line is sold at retail to enthusiast end-users, but the EX-series offers SLC construction and delivers premier performance to the Enterprise sector and an affordable price. Corporate environments offer vast potential for SSD technology by offering drive performance faster than SAS-based storage, and dramatically reducing heat output. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the 60GB OCZ Agility EX SSD OCZSSD2-1AGTEX60G, and Indilinx-based SLC Solid State Drive. |
Tuesday, September 29 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:57 PM (EDT) |
"The Torqx performed very well and near or at the top in just about all benchmarks. That being said, benchmarks do not always equate to how the drives perform in the real world and over time. I spent some time playing around on Windows 7 installed on the drive for quite while. I did a lot of multi-tasking, simultaneous file copies and moves, and played a game or two as well. I didn't notice any problems with stuttering and the system felt very crisp and responsive with Windows booting in less than twenty seconds from completion of BIOS load..." |
OCZ Blade DDR3-1600 6-6-6 6GB Triple Channel Memory Kit Review @ OCIA.net |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:56 PM (EDT) |
"When Intel released the i7 last year, all of the memory manufacturers immediately answered with low-voltage triple channel DDR3 kits. If you didn't know, Intel's VDIMM requirement for memory used with the i7 CPU/X58 chipset is 1.65v to prevent damage to the i7's internal memory controller. Though the standard voltage for dual channel DDR3 memory modules is 1.5v, voltages for DDR3-2000 modules commonly run 1.9v and higher. This posed a definite challenge to the memory guys… regardless of speed, timing, or overclocking capability, 1.65v is it!; no extra voltage to add stability to that high speed or those tight timings." |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:56 PM (EDT) |
“Intel's Atom platform has been a huge success since it has launched, without the Atom chip you probably wouldn't know what a netbook is! With its huge success many companies are creating all types of different products based on the Atom. With this comes the nettop, a small form factor, inexpensive, low-wattage desktop computer. Today we will be looking at one of the most powerful nettop's out there the Shuttle X50. It features the Atom 330 dual-core processor, 1GB of memory and a 15.6-inch touch screen display." |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:56 PM (EDT) |
Are you looking to extend the life of your older 775 socket CPU? Perhaps you want to take advantage of the deals out right now? Whether you are waiting for the new Processors to come out or building a budget system you want a cooler that will give you the best performance at the lowest cost possible. |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:55 PM (EDT) |
Alongside Intel's Lynnfield launch, Gigabyte launched close to ten motherboards, one of which we're taking a look at here. The P55-UD5 is the company's second-highest offering, and it shows, with its huge feature-set, 12-phase power solution, overclocking-ability, robust BIOS, keen design and more. |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:55 PM (EDT) |
"The ThermoLab BADA heat sink was packed sturdily and was one of the top performers in testing, beating out similar-sized and even some of the larger heat sinks. The manual was very readable with no discernable typos or major grammar problems as can be found on other heat sinks and products that are produced overseas. The fins were straight as was the base. The base had some minor scuffing that could easily be fixed with some lapping. For only having three heat pipes this heat sink performed far better than others with even twice the amount – proving that the number of heat pipes does not always make the difference, but that design quality does." |
HDD vs SSD on a Netbook – Acer Aspire One D250 @ iGadget Life |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:54 PM (EDT) |
" My Acer Aspire One D250 came with a standard mechanical hard drive, and recently I acquired another SSD drive so I figured why not swap the HDD out for the SSD as that seems the popular way to go these days. Now I knew the read and write speeds of the SSD would be much faster than the lowly 5400RPM hard drive, but I was curious as to how much of an actual affect it had on the system as a whole though. I wanted to know just how much an SSD effects everything in the system and not just the transfer rates or read/writes. So of course I took the time to run a whole lot of tests, not only comparing the SSD to the HDD but I ran system wide tests as well to see where anything might be different, or if anything had improved elsewhere besides just the reads and writes. So read on t find out what I did…" |
OCZ Technology 64GB Agility Series SATA II Solid State Drive Review @ CCE Reviews |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:54 PM (EDT) |
When I first received the OCZ Agility I knew it was a more affordable version of the OCZ Vertex I reviewed earlier. Even with the specifications claiming otherwise, I was expecting to see a drop in performance as cost cutting measures were in full effect to make this drive more affordable to the public. How pleasantly pleased I was, to be wrong! |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:53 PM (EDT) |
“A few weeks ago Sapphire made another move into the PSU market. This time their move was much bolder, as the company released an entire new series consisting of four new products. Their new Pure series of units are designed to catch the attention of all kinds of technology enthusiasts.” |
Samsung LN55A950D1F 55" LED-backlight LCD A950 HDTV Review @ PCSTATS |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:53 PM (EDT) |
"Today PCSTATS will be reviewing the very top end of the Samsung LCD HDTV family, the 55" Samsung LN55A950D1F. Samsung's A950 series of LCD HDTVs has been designed to be the next step in image fidelity for liquid crystal display technology. These home theatre HD TVs use Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that can selectively illuminate sections of the screen at a time, which means that they have a wider color gamut and better colour reproduction. They also boast superb black levels, do away with back light bleeding, and offer unbelievable dynamic contrast ratios. The Samsung LN55A950D1F is a 55" 1080p LCD screen that supports both 60 and 120 Hertz refresh rates. Samsung rates the dynamic contrast ratio of its new localized LED back light at an astonishing 2,000,000 to 1, with an overall brightness rating of 500 cd/m2." |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:53 PM (EDT) |
It becomes hard to review the same card over and over again. We have companies who make the effort to send their product so of course we make the effort to review it. At a launch, however, we've got many companies who want the coverage, but 90% of the time the only difference between the cards is a sticker and sometimes a game in the bundle. |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:52 PM (EDT) |
Since 80 Plus began their certification program to help us consumers find the most efficient power supplies out there, power supplies have sought to make the most of the program by making their units more and more efficient. Before too long, 80 Plus added new classification ratings to their program (Bronze, Silver, and Gold) to help distinguish between high efficiency units. |
Patriot Viper 2 Sector 5 DDR3 2GHz (PVV34G2000LLKB for Core i5) @ Bjorn3D |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:51 PM (EDT) |
Now with the LGA 1156 platform, Dual Channel DDR3 is all the rage. While your older high voltage DDR3 kit will work, it will need to run in under 1.65v to ensure you don't end up killing your CPU. So if you have a 1600MHz kit that requires 1.9v, (which isn't uncommon) you'll likely be limited to the 1333 - 1400 MHz range on that kit. To take advantage of the full potential of LGA 1156 Core i5/i7 memory your going to need a good kit of low voltage DDR3 capable of giving you the performance you want and stay under that pesky 1.65v limitation imposed on LGA 1156 CPU's. We say ' imposed ' on CPU's because it's the memory controller on the CPU that needs the RAM to stay under 1.65v to prevent damage. |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:51 PM (EDT) |
I’m of two minds on the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX260 Core 216 Super Overclocked card. On the one hand the card clearly outperforms the other GeForce GTX 260s on the market and with the latest driver outperforms some GTX275s. The GIGABYTE card has some advantages over those cards with a default overclock of over 100MHz over the reference design and a memory overclock by default of 250MHz. Support for PhysX in games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Darkest of Days and other recently released games brings a whole new meaning to physics in the games. Leaves rustle in the wind, chunks of plaster are knocked out of a wall, realistic smoke and fog adds realism not seen in many games before. |
Samsung 55-inch Ultra-Slim UN55B7100 1080p LED LCD HDTV Review @ ModSynergy.com |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:50 PM (EDT) |
Well since reviewing the Samsung 650 Series HDTV’s just a year back, a lot has changed and further improvements have been made to LCD technology in just a short time. |
Professional Mechanical Keyboard Comparison @ Benchmark Reviews |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:50 PM (EDT) |
There are a lot of keyboards out there. Some keyboards are wireless; others offer lighting effects, programmable displays, and drivers that remap the keyboards to configurations optimized for specific applications and games. But if you're a serious typist - a professional who thinks that a keyboard's primary duty is to enable fast and accurate typing, and not to glow prettily or adjust your speaker volume or display the number of missiles left in your launcher, then you might be interested in a professional mechanical keyboard. Benchmark Reviews looks at a wide selection of available high quality keyboards to see which might be the best for you. |
Posted by Nathan @ 12:50 PM (EDT) |
“This time AMD decided to show us limits if its 45nm manufacturing process by presenting Phenom II X4 965 CPU. This model has highest ever (default) frequency of all CPUs that were manufactured in AMD factories. It is based on highly successful Deneb core with 6MB of L3 cache and support for DDR2 and DDR3 memory standard. Compared to previously tested AMD Phenom II X4 955 model there aren’t too many differences, so you could say that this new CPU is identical to the old one, except few differences in voltage specifications…” |
Monday, September 28 2009 |
Posted by Nathan @ 6:19 PM (EDT) |
The G92 core has been around for a while now with Nvidia utilising the GPU in a number of different cards making sure to keep renaming though so as give the illusion of a new product altogether. The core has evolved from the 8800GT to the 9800GTX+ right up to the GTS 250. |
Posted by Nathan @ 6:18 PM (EDT) |
"The Gigabyte Odin Plus 700W PSU arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next PSU with four +12V rails (19A), 120mm Fan (Thermal fan control), 6x SATA hard disk connectors and 2x PCI-e 6+2-Pin." |
Posted by Nathan @ 6:18 PM (EDT) |
Whether your system contains your entire stock portfolio or your Mom and Dad's credit card information, this information should be secured from prying eyes. The device we are reviewing today is just what you need to keep that data secure. The CRU DataPort SecureDock can encrypt your data on the fly and not just your files, but the master boot record and partition info making the included 500GB hard drive your own Fort Knox. |
Posted by Nathan @ 6:17 PM (EDT) |
Today we have a Lenovo workstation - the ThinkStation S20 - on our bench for some testing. Some of you may be wondering what a "workstation" really is. Well, it's a term more commonly used in a business environment, especially one in which CAD/CAM design, 3D rendering or high performance computing occurs, and it basically just refers to a higher-end desktop or laptop. In the environments we've worked in, we've heard workstations referred as high-end desktops or laptops, tech PCs, and technical workstations. In this context, workstations (at least the desktop variety) are frequently comprised of components you typically see in servers. In particular, the motherboards, memory and processors are often server-class. It is also not uncommon to find workstations sporting high-end storage controllers and hard drives as well. |
Sunday, September 27 2009 |
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Review & OC/Undervolting @ Hardware-Mag.de |
Posted by Nathan @ 11:19 AM (EDT) |
We have just released a Review of the AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Processor. We did a lot of Benchmarks and also tested the 955’s abilities in Overclocking and Undervolting. Besides Windows Vista we also benchmarked the CPU under Linux OS, using the Phoronix-Test-Suite. Power Consumption and Temperatures under Load and Idle were measured, too. |
Posted by Nathan @ 11:18 AM (EDT) |
" The product is known as Todo Backup, and today we’ll take a look at how it functions and how it compares to other data backup software. A few months back I reviewed EASEUS’s Partition Master software to relatively high success, so I expect high marks from this product as well. " |
Posted by Nathan @ 11:17 AM (EDT) |
The Behemoth mouse from OCZ is a beast of a mouse with plenty of features and no less than 2 tracking sensors. Is it any good as a gaming device? Does it give you the edge? We have spend a few weeks with this mastodon to find out. |