Week of April 6, 2008

“All its splendor aside, it's a fantastic performer. It's easily the best, most capable cooler to cross this test bench. While it carries over the commonly seen tower design, the performance will easily be the deciding factor for the user who literally wants nothing but the coolest CPU possible. The Noctua NH-U12P is a great performer, it's cool, it's recommended, and it's my current top choice of CPU coolers.”

"Thermaltake is one company that is hard to stay on top of. In the M9 case review last month, I mentioned how it seems like there is always something new coming from those folks. Well here to prove me right is the latest offering in the Xaser class full tower, the VI VG4000 series. Thermaltake calls the Xaser VI a Super Tower, and if the box is any indication of its size, I'd say they're right."

CLICK HERE FOR Thermaltake Xaser VI Full Tower Case SHOPPING & PRICING

Today we take a look at a plethora of mid range graphics cards available to you, the consumer. The cards in the lineup today are: Zotac 9600 GT Amp! Edition, Gainward Bliss 9600 GT, Asus EN9600GT, XFX 9600 GT XXX, Palit 9600GT Sonic, Gainward 8800 GTS Golden Sample (Goes Like Hell), Zotac 8800 GT 1GB, Asus 3850 OC Gear.

Nitro brings you a look at the new Asus M3A78-EMH HDMI motherboard packed with lots of features. We test this new motherboard as a gaming platform as well as demonstrate the features common to the 780G platform. Does the Asus M3A78-EMH HDMI provide you with a good gaming experience in a small package?

"When it comes to general performance the ECS A780GM-A motherboard does great, the layout of the board is very clean and the integrated graphics was able to overclock by more than 25%, which was enough to boost gaming performance. If one is looking for an integrated board to use in an entry level system then this board is a good choice..."

CLICK HERE FOR ECS A780GM-A Motherboard SHOPPING & PRICING

Aeneon is entering the DDR3 market with their X-Tune brand. This series is aimed at the gamers and their first offering is set at 1333 MHz with CL8. It comes with very nice looking black heatspreaders and a unique, blue PCB.

CLICK HERE FOR Aeneon X-Tune Memory SHOPPING & PRICING

As the big brother to the HD3850 TOP card I expected it to perform about 10-20% better, and in general that is about what it did. It offers solid performance in today's demanding games without draining you of the extreme amount of money that the high end cards will set you back. And while the card may be overkill for the typical home theater setup, it does offer all the features you would want there as well.

CLICK HERE FOR ASUS EAH3870 SHOPPING & PRICING

When NVIDIA released the G80 core in late 2006 the enthusiast world rejoiced. New levels of image quality were in reach with a single card that used to require two or more. The mainstream market anxiously awaited its share of the G80 love only to be disappointed by the lackluster 8600GT/GTS. Fastforward to last year when the world was given the G92 core. Even more peformance was to be had by enthusiasts willing to shell out the $250 or more it would take to enjoy the pleasure of gaming on a 8800GT/GTS 512. And the mainstream market waited. Only this time things would be a little different. This time the mainsteam market would not take a step back but a huge leap forward, in performance that is, not price. Finally, we were given the card that all of us could afford and not be ashamed to put in our forum sig. The 9600GT from NVIDIA was just that card. Offering levels of performance usually enjoyed by the bigger boys at a price we all can swallow placed this card into unknown territory. As if that wasn't enough XFX got their hands on a few and cranked the heck out of the clocks even further. So I present to you the Alpha Dog 9600GT XXX from XFX. What could be better then having one of these cards in your rig? How about having two!?

CLICK HERE FOR XFX 9600GT SHOPPING & PRICING

"BFG has brought a new 800 watt PSU on the market with a lifetime (and we do mean lifetime) warranty, a number of performance claims, and an opening MSRP of a commanding $230 USD. This sounds serious. Time to crank our FAST-AUTO load system to 11."

"Today we will be taking a look at a "dedicated" desktop stand from LapWorks, the Attache Laptop Stand. The Attache picks up where the Futura left off in terms of desktop stands, adding several features that should greatly improve usage in this configuration."

"If you're in the market for a desktop replacement notebook, but don't want a glitzy gaming machine, you could do a lot worse than Toshiba's loaded Qosmio G45-AV690. Designed to be the central hub of a digital home, it sports a lot of media-centric features including an HD DVD burner, HDMI output and it even comes with a digital cable adapter too. Sadly, it has bloatware issues and one of its primary features is its HD DVD playback capabilities, which is essentially outdated tech at this point, making it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend."

"No so long ago we saw the introduction of the Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics card which is actually a high-end dual-GPU monster deducted from the Radeon HD 3870 graphics card. The Radeon HD 3800 series have brought a smile on many ATI enthusiasts who gotten a bit disappointed by the Radeon HD 2900 fiasco, if we can express in that way. So ATI went back to the design table and came up with a better and cheaper RV670 chip which brought back some competition with NVIDIA and also lowered the price extensively for some excellent performing video cards. Next, was to also come up with a better mid-range products and that is where the Radeon HD 3650 comes into the picture."

CLICK HERE FOR PowerColor Radeon HD 3650 SHOPPING & PRICING

There certainly isn’t a shortage of CPU coolers on the market today and they come in all shapes, sizes and prices. Nearly two years ago NorthQ released the 3310BL UFO which we reviewed and it was a good cooler at the time, a design which they continuously evolved (and enlarged) for two years in order to keep up with the growing demand for better CPU coolers.

Hardcore gamer? Have a need to create insane macros to get the job done? Saitek's "Cyborg" Command Unit delivers! Although the hardware itself leaves a bit to be desired, the included software offers the ability to create numerous long macros to help you get the job done.

CLICK HERE FOR Saitek Cyborg SHOPPING & PRICING

Today we take a look at EK Water Block's EK Supreme. This CPU waterblock features a universal mounting plate, as well as a clear acrylic top that can be lit up with two 3mm LEDs. Performance is excellent on the EK Supreme, making it truly worthy of the name "Supreme".

"The Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6 is an excellent motherboard, both in terms of performance and features. It produced excellent results in our benchmarks, and it overclocks extremely well with rock solid stabilty. "

CLICK HERE FOR Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6 Motherboard SHOPPING & PRICING

The LCLC may resemble other water cooling setups but it provides many features that set it apart from the pack. Asetek has attempted to address nearly all of the traditional disadvantages of water cooling compared to air cooling. First off, the LCLC is a completely sealed system, which means it comes completely pre-assembled.

“Two of those latest cards has come to us in the form of Gigabyte's ATI Radeon HD 3870 512MB graphics cards, or GV-RX387512H for those currently shopping. NVidia's 8800 series are a very common top end budget gamer card and typically does well in most cases. How does the Gigabyte HD 3870 stack up against the card? And is it a viable solution? Read on for the surprising results.”

CLICK HERE FOR GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD 3870 512MB SHOPPING & PRICING

"What happens when you need a full size case for a new build? Maybe you want the extra space for additional cooling or hardware support. Look no futher than the Thermaltake Armor VA8003BWS. We already know that Thermaltake is a big player in the cases and modding market. This case certainly fits its name. It is big, heavy, and tough."

CLICK HERE FOR ThermalTake Armor Case SHOPPING & PRICING

"All in all, a real gem of a board. Not the fastest kid on the block but ready to step up and give the other contenders a run for their money. I'd keep an eye on this one if you're looking for a budget board and would rather sink money in to a better graphics card or CPU."

CLICK HERE FOR MSI P7N SLI Platinum SHOPPING & PRICING

Army of Two is an innovative shooter that requires the use of a partner to complete the missions. If you dont have a friend, Xbox Live, or Sony Home, you can play by yourself and the computer assumes the other player. Utilizing two-man strategies is essential to completing the missions and earning some cash. Not only are these tactics awesome, but they can save your skin if your timing is good.

CLICK HERE FOR Army of Two SHOPPING & PRICING

"There are quite a few products available nowadays that allow you to display and capture over-the-air High Definition television content to your home computer or laptop. While the number of choices are plentiful, most of them are designed for those outside the confines of the United States. The reason for this is simple; the US tends to lag far behind other parts of the world when it comes to transmitting high-def signals over the air.

With the inevitable transition toward digital broadcasting due to federal laws getting ready to take place early next year, this trend is finally changing. With this thought in mind, AutumnWave has come forward to address this new market need. They are a US based company founded in 2005 and at the time of this writing, their entire consumer product line is designed for mobile television devices."

CLICK HERE FOR AutumnWave OnAir USB HDTV-GT Tuner SHOPPING & PRICING

"Memory support is the one and only difference between the nForce 790i SLI and Ultra SLI chipset - While the standard nForce 790i SLI officially supports memory speeds of up to 1333MHz, the 790i Ultra SLI can make use of speeds up to 2000MHz. In short then, while both boards support EPP 2.0, the nForce 790i SLI chipset is identical to its bigger brother aside from officially supporting memory clocks above 1333MHz, so if running insane memory clock speeds doesn't interest you, then this chipset will suit your needs without burning quite such a large hole in your wallet."

CLICK HERE FOR ASUS Striker II NSE Motherboard SHOPPING & PRICING

"The Gigabyte X38-DQ6 performed pretty well overall. While the performance it put out in the benchmarks were very comparable to the P965 board it was tested against, it still had a lot more room ahead if it had been paired with a better CPU and GPU. It also allows the user to have a second video card in Crossfire, which would boost performance up a lot. Some of the the best features on this board don't come from its performance, but from its other features, like the power saver. If you are in a pinch with high electricity bills coming in every month, just enable the power saver and, day after day, you can save a pretty decent amount."

CLICK HERE FOR Gigabyte X38-DQ6 SHOPPING & PRICING

"If you've got a Home Theater PC (HTPC), you know how awkward it can be keeping a full-sized keyboard lying around your living room. Logitech feels your pain, and has come up with a miniature wireless keyboard that doesn't take up much space but offers full control over any PC from up to 30 feet away. Its touchpad is a bit sensitive and you won't be typing a term paper on it, but for 99% of HTPC control tasks the diNovo Mini works wonderfully and is one of the most well-designed controllers we've ever tested. If you have a Playstation 3, the diNovo Mini works well with that system too."

CLICK HERE FOR Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard SHOPPING & PRICING

"Silent Storm is an inexpensive mid-tower case from Sunbeamtech - it costs only USD 50 at Newegg.com - coming with three 120-mm fans, a transparent side window and screwless installation mechanisms for daughter boards and disk drives. Let's take an in-depth look on this product."

CLICK HERE FOR Sunbeamtech Silent Storm Case SHOPPING & PRICING

There's a lot to like about the SilverStone KL-02 case. First it is very light, meaning that carrying it around is a breeze. The construction of the case with SECC Steel and aluminum is very solid meaning that the case is not likely to break easily. The KL-02 has plenty of expansion capability with the case having up to 9 5.25" drive bays and a single 3.5" FDD bay. Negatives of the case include the lack of a motherboard tray, the installation of a long video card interfering with the drives and the fact that SilverStone cases are a mildly pricy at $100 USD for this case at most retail or e-tailors. Overall though, it is a good, solid case that is highly available on the market.

VSONIC R02-PRO is the name of a reasonably priced set of earphones. They retail for around $69 which is to be considered cheap by earphone market standards. What is interesting to see is their rather different design and how they stack up against competitors from more established brands.

Recently we were sent an addition to the Synology DS207+ which increases the functionality of the device by adding an IP/Network Camera. We tested out this add on and bring you the results. Is it a simple plug and play device adding security to the already long list of features or is it more difficult?

CLICK HERE FOR Panasonic BL-C1A Network Camera SHOPPING & PRICING

"It was a little over a month ago that I had a chance to review another Cooler Master case, the Cosmos S. While the Cosmos is certainly a supurb case, a veritable heavyweight contender, not everyone may have the space (or the pocketbook) for an enclosure like that. This month Cooler Master has sent us something scaled down a bit, but equally as impressive looking, the Centurion 590."

CLICK HERE FOR Cooler Master Centurion 590 Mid-Tower Case SHOPPING & PRICING

“There are many ways of cooling your processor. First, there is air-cooling, which is the most common approach. Second, there is Peltier-cooling, which is not commonly used yet because it requires massive power. Third, we have water cooling used extensively by the overclocking and computer enthusiast crowd. Water-cooling has gained popularity and looks to become mainstream soon, for even non-computer geeks have been talking about it lately. PC World mentioned it and if PC World writes about it, you know it’s catching on.”

Today we will take a look at a very powerful PSU from Silverstone, the Decathlon 1200W. Silverstone have taken the core of a slightly older server-oriented Olympia 1200W PSU, and have re-designed it to suit the requirements of hardcore enthusiasts, thus the 1200W Decathlon was born. Silverstone are renowned among for building products to the highest standards, so with that in mind let us see if the 1200W Decathlon can deliver the goods.

CLICK HERE FOR Silverstone Decathlon PSU SHOPPING & PRICING

"CPU cooling has always been important for the overclocker, but due to dual and quad cores it's becoming increasingly important for the casual user too. Water cooling and phase change are both great ways of cooling a CPU; however the extremes of these methods are both very expensive and can be rather risky. This is the reason why Air Cooling is still used today, though don’t label it as boring, air cooling has changed dramatically over the past 3 years.

Today I will be looking at the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 which features anti-vibration rubber and a 120mm ‘quiet’ fan. So lets take this cooler out for a spin and see how well it performs…."

CLICK HERE FOR Xigmatek HDT- S1283 SHOPPING & PRICING

About a week ago we had a chance to review a pair of 1GB Sapphire HD3850 Graphics cards running in Crossfire configuration. Today, instead of using two cards to get two GPU's we are going to review the HD3870X2 which has a pair of GPU's mounted on one card.

CLICK HERE FOR Sapphire HD3870 SHOPPING & PRICING

"The release of the video enabled iPod has been wonderful for travelers. However, sometimes one may want to watch the video on their iPod on a full screen. Luckily, the USBFever people have the solution for this situation. The iPod AV Cable allows one to use the iPod Video to play videos on any RCA composite enable monitor. With this cable, you can hold a video stores worth of movies in your palm and enjoy them on a TV or monitor. Unfortunately, Apple has modified the video out on the newer iPod Classic and third gen iPod Nano, so this cable is unable to output video with these iPods."

This card has an MSRP of about $1,700, which puts it smack-dab in between the price tags of NVIDIA's mid-range and ultra-high-end products, although street prices for the QuadroFX 3700 are much lower than its MSRP. This card is based on NVIDIA’s popular G92 graphics processor, which has been prominently featured in their GeForce 8800 GT / GTS lineup at a very competitive price point. Likewise, with NVIDIA's G92 GL GPU underneath the hood, this professional-grade QuadroFX should also deliver substantially better performance in high-end OpenGL applications, while tackling DirectX 10 applications similarly to the 8800 series GPU as well.

The Ultra Stackables are a new creation from Ultra offering the ability to stack several external devices together with a single power supply.

CLICK HERE FOR Ultra Stackables SHOPPING & PRICING

"The Thermaltake DuOrb is a sharp looking, well performing cooler that should fit in just about any mid tower and up, and some mini towers. At the $65 price point this could be considered a high-end air cooler. It's quiet, light weight, good looking, and a breeze to install. It kept up with the NV-120 really well, which says lot for the cooler..."

CLICK HERE FOR Thermaltake DuOrb CPU Cooler SHOPPING & PRICING

"Several years ago in a thread posted within a storage section of a popular forum, I learned of the fabled RAM Drive. This was several years before the GIGABYTE product of the same name, back when using memory as a storage device was more of a fable, or story of myth. At the time, no one had ever actually seen a RAM Drive, or at least not anyone tooling around in forums. This wasn’t because they didn’t exist, it is just that they cost more than a Honda Civic.

Today we will be looking at the future of hard drives. Mechanical is on its way out, and with it rotational latency. Moving at the speed of electrons is in, near instant access times and faster loading screens are on the way."

Does that processor of yours that you just bought not too long ago seem like it is lacking in power trying to run the latest games and applications? Many people will answer yes to this question, and many PC enthusiasts will turn to overclocking in order to extend the performance life of their computer. With the added performance that is gained by overclocking, another gain is seen as well; heat. In order to keep your freshly overclocked CPU cool under its new settings, looking into aftermarket coolers should be your next step. OEM cooling solutions typically work great for stock speeds and maybe even a slight overclock, but for those users looking to gain the most from their CPU, an aftermarket cooler is definitely in order. Luckily, Arctic Cooling has provided us with their Freezer 7 Pro for Socket 775 processors to see how it holds up to the extra heat gained from overclocking.

CLICK HERE FOR Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro SHOPPING & PRICING

It's not too often that the fastest single-GPU available is also affordable, but the 9800 GTX is just that. At just over $300, it delivers incredible performance at all resolutions and also turns out to be amazingly overclockable. It's just too bad that the 8800 GTS 512 is not much slower...

CLICK HERE FOR ASUS EN9800GTX 512MB SHOPPING & PRICING

The M9 is a mid-size tower that is filled with cooling inspirations. There are four different versions of the M9 which means there may well be one to suit you. There are models with and without the side panel window. And if you are not looking to use some high powered power supply each of the fore mentioned models can be had with 400 watt power supplies. Thermaltake is one company that is known to try and provide products that suit all individuals no matter your budget, taste or needs.

CLICK HERE FOR Thermaltake M9 Mid Tower SHOPPING & PRICING

Computer hardware is an ever-evolving industry, and since Moores law only applies to an exponentially growing transistor count then there should probably be another law for cooling. In the very recent past there have been two major trends which have accelerated the performance potential of CPU cooler. That first development was the use of heat-pipes to directly contact with the CPU surface; which resulted in the Heat-pipe Direct Touch technology. The second development is by no mean a new concept, just new to our industry in specific. For many years now heatsinks have been full of right angles, but very recently companies have begun to recognize the need to disrupt smooth airflow and reduce the laminar skin effect which allows air to travel just above the solid surface. Manufacturers like OCZ have used both of these trends in their new Vendetta 2 CPU cooler. Benchmark Reviews will see how much this effects the overall performance as we tst OCZVEND2 against a large segment of competitor products.

CLICK HERE FOR OCZ Vendetta 2 HPT CPU Cooler SHOPPING & PRICING

"Kingston has been in business for longer then most of us have probably been building systems. Well known for its ValueRAM and HyperX memory lines, as well as some pretty damned impressive flash memory, Kingston knows how to dish up a delectable entrée of performance and price. Kingston's RAM is renowned for being compatible with just about everything out there, including finicky Asus and Mac boards, as well as serving up some memory loving in the flash drive and PDA departments."

CLICK HERE FOR Kingston Hyper X PC3-13000 2GB Memory Kit SHOPPING & PRICING

So after all this testing and benchmarking, what are my thoughts? Right now is a great time for anyone looking for performance on a budget. The mid-range market is crowded with plenty of great performing video cards, and Biostar's 9600GT is no exception. While it may not be all out faster stock to stock than the 8800GT, its only slightly behind it and with a little overclocking it can nearly match the 8800GT. The fact of the matter is you get a lot of performance for not a whole lot of price.

"Once I pulled the side panels of the Cooler Master Cosmos S computer case, you are able to see exactly how much room is inside of this case, as well as how it is setup. The 5.25" Drive bays all have tool-free features of just pressing a button. The motherboard tray in the Cosmos S is very open and does not have anything blocking it or anything to direct the air. On the reverse side, you are able to see that the bottom of the motherboard tray is very much closed off except for a few holes that will allow the air to flow more freely through out the case and cool the motherboard from under it. These holes will also allow for better wire management."

CLICK HERE FOR Cooler Master Cosmos S SHOPPING & PRICING

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.

CLICK HERE FOR Diamond HD 3650 SHOPPING & PRICING

"The Rosewill Notebook Cooler did what it said it would do and that is to lower the temperatures of a laptop. While the temperature drop wasn't as high at idle, the Rosewill really shined through in the load temperatures. The ergonomic tilt feature provided a comfortable base for me, but might not be something you would like if you enjoy flat keyboards instead. Another nice thing about the Rosewill is that a non powered USB port can power the fans as they only pull 250mA."

Today we take a look at a unique keyboard/controller combo that is designed to be ergonomic as well as functional in games. The Saitek Cyborg Command Unit literally puts all of your critical controls at your fingers tips. Read our review and find out if this little device will take you to the next level.

"NVIDIA GPU based video cards have no real-world gameplay differences between DX9 and DX10, so there is no reason not to run in DX10. AMD ATI GPU based video cards do suffer a performance penalty for using DX10. If you are running an NVIIDA GPU based video card, continue to run in DX10, but if you are running an AMD ATI GPU based video card you might want to consider running in DX9 for the best Crysis experience."

CLICK HERE FOR Crysis SHOPPING & PRICING

Everyone seemed to think that Bawls latest flavor: dubbed G33K B33R, was a joke. It was scheduled for release on April 1st, 2008 (April Fool's Day), and also had an interesting name. It turns out that this new root-beer flavored beverage is not only real, but is actually very good.

"The upcoming Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 looks to be a price versus performance winner from what we can tell from the time spent with our early sample. If the rumored price of $133 is correct and the retail versions overclock like ours did then this will be hands down one of the hottest dual-core processors this summer. Intel has perfected the 45nm process and every new processor series they release based on it exceeds our expectations. The Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 is one of those processors..."

"Up on the review block today I've got another entry into the CPU cooling arena, this is from our friends at Noctua, it's the NH-U9B CPU cooler. It's essentially a revision of the NH-U9F CPU cooler that I reviewed almost two years ago here on DSM. Yes, I've still got it on hand as well and I've found that the U9B is actually a bit smaller than the U9F, but yet gets better results, so they've done something right..."

While graphics card chipset architecture and efficiency continues to advance, the continual increase of core frequencies and power consumption makes the development of third party GPU coolers a good investment for the discerning enthusiast. Until a couple of years ago these coolers where only sought after by overclockers who required lower temperatures in order to push their hardware to the limits, but today even the educated public are aware of the benefits. The mid range graphics card sector tends to have some relatively poor cooler design as well as small, noisy fan configurations so with this in mind today we will take a look at a very large VGA cooler by Titan, the Twin Turbo CSC88TZ. Despite its massive size and twin fan design, the Twin Turbo is designed for installation only on low to mid range VGA cards.

The first-ever NAS we took a look at was a dual-bay Thecus N2100. We are returning to those roots today by now taking a look at the single-bay N1200. We were pleased to see that Thecus once again delivered a well-built NAS that's not only sturdy, but packs in numerous useful features as well.

Aircooling is the easiest and most economical way to cool your CPU and while any stock or OEM heatsink will do a fairly good job at keeping the processor cool you have to wonder how cool should it be?

CLICK HERE FOR Cooler Master Hyper 212 Heatsink SHOPPING & PRICING

“Looking at the FPSGun might give you the initial impression that it is 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 hold it somewhat like you are gripping something, dare I say the handgrip of a "gun". The bottom of the mouse still has to rest on a surface; you aren't expected to hold this in the air. Instead, you move the FPSGun around approximately the same way you'd move a mouse around, sliding it on a surface. (The bottom has mouse feet just like any other mouse)”

CLICK HERE FOR Zalman FPSGun FG1000 Gaming Mouse SHOPPING & PRICING

CLICK HERE FOR TWEAKNEWS.NET'S REVIEW ON THIS PRODUCT

“Rosewill is one of those companies that is often overlooked by enthusiasts. I have also been guilty of name-dropping, and thinking Rosewill as "too cheap" or "too generic" before I tried any of their products. Today I will be reviewing the Rosewill RCX-Z775 CPU Cooler. It is a tower styled cooler, designed to fit LGA775 coolers, and sporting a 92mm fan. I am very familiar with 92mm tower coolers, having used them nearly exclusively for the past three years. How will the Rosewill cooler stack up against other 92mm towers? Read on and see...”

"I must say I am amazed on how well the ADATA C702 performed. It offers blazing fast speeds and high capacities for not a lot of money. At about $70 for 16GB of portable storage that's a deal. The C702 outperformed other drives in it's class in all of the read speed tests, including the OCZ Rally2, which is a dual channel drive built for fast transfer rates. If you are in the market for a portable flash drive and don't need the frills, like encryption and U3 Smart software, I would definitely recommend the ADATA C702."

Whether it was in benchmarks, gaming, or every day use, the Kingston PC2-9600 DDR2 kit performed well. Getting up and running at 1200MHz was easier than I expected, and the only effort required was to bump the speed up in the BIOS. Even overclocking was easy, and the test system was able to push these modules to 1280MHz by simply relaxing the tRAS value from 15 to 16.

"Now before we do the update, let's consider what the Apple TV is all about. When it first appeared, it was all about integrating with iTunes on your computer so that you could transfer content either wired or wirelessly from it through the Apple TV to your HDTV. By definition this required a Component output on the APPLE TV at the mini-mum for video up to 1080i resolution, with audio transferred through the RCA analog plugs or the optical out (in stereo only), or the HDMI output could be used to transmit both video and audio. The other connectors consisted of an Ethernet plug to connect to the home network (using 10/100 base) and the Internet or you could use the built-in wireless (being the faster 802.11n if you had it, or the slower 802.11b/g). There was also a security slot and a USB port which didn't do anything (and still doesn't). The Apple TV has a price tag of $229 USD for the 40GB version or $329 for the 160GB."

The first notable difference between the two is the optical drive. While the PS2 had a tray-loading CD and DVD drive, the PS3 uses a slot-loading drive that supports CD, DVD, and the new Blu-ray optical format.

CLICK HERE FOR Playstation 3 SHOPPING & PRICING

"With the majority of PC shipments being laptops it is time to find out how you can effectively keep them running cool. In this comparison review we test seven different notebook coolers from Zalman, Vantec, Spire, Sunbeamtech, Revoltec and Antec."

CLICK HERE FOR Notebook Cooler SHOPPING & PRICING

Gigabyte have just released the GA-MA78GM motherboard. It utilises AMD's latest 780G chipset and features integrated graphics with performance equivalent to a Radeon HD3200. It supports all AMD AM2/AM2+ processors, DDR2 ram and AMD's new Hybrid technology, which like Crossfire can boost graphics performance just by adding a Hybrid compatibale card.

CLICK HERE FOR Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H SHOPPING & PRICING

"The OCZ EliteXStream 1000w was from all of our testing results an excellent power supply. The unit exhibited very good voltage regulation, excellent efficiency, was reasonably quiet for a power supply of its capacity, and featured immaculate construction."

" The HWLM2216 is a 22" LCD monitor that uses standard cathode type backlighting. I'm sure we will see an update sooner or later that will include LED lighting instead, but a regular cathode is tried and true technology. They last long enough that you will be buying a new monitor rather than replacing a backlight. Since it is a 22", the resolution is 1680x1050 which is the standard 16x10 resolution found on computer monitors. This resolution is big enough to contain a great deal of information and keep the readability. The top of the monitor also contains the discreet 1.3MP webcam. This is probably the reason that the monitor contains 3 USB ports instead of the more traditional four. The microphone is located on the bottom right. "

Unlike most reference 3870 cards, the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 512MB Toxic differs from ATI’s reference design and features higher GPU and memory speeds, a fancy single-slot cooling solution that leverages Microloops’ Vapor-X technology, and it has one of the better retail bundles we have seen in quite a while too.

Despite the fact that DDR3 has a slightly better performance and consumes less power compared to DDR2, it is still hard to recommend DDR3 unless you have a huge chunk of money to spend. For a far less price, one can purchase 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 instead of the more expensive 2GB (1X1GB) of DDR3. Not only is DDR3 so much more expensive compared to DDR2, in real-world, you would hardly see a major performance increase using DDR3. Of course, this could all change in the very near future as DDR3's price will drop with more motherboards on the pipeline supporting it and manufacturers ramping up the production. Until then, DDR2 is still a better choice to buy. That is why we are seeing many memory manufacturers still not giving up the DDR2 and releasing higher performance DDR2. A month or two ago, OCZ the released DDR2 PC2-8500 Reaper HPC 4GB Edition. This is one of the highest clock speed 4GB DDR2 that is available on the market. Today, join us as we put this memory to the test.

CLICK HERE FOR OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Reaper HPC 4GB Edition SHOPPING & PRICING

NZXT is a company focused on the needs and desires of PC enthusiasts and gamers alike. Today, we are taking a look at their newest mid-tower case: the NZXT Tempest. While aesthetics, quality and price are important considerations for those purchasing a computer case; with this addition to their lineup, NZXT have set their focus on one core feature: cooling. The question posed is: “Have NZXT created a quality case that can aptly be dubbed the “Airflow King”?”

Gigabyte was nice enough to send us two motherboards, one based on the P35 and the other the X38. We wanted to see how much better it really is over the P35 purely based on benchmarks and overclocking. Not to give the whole review away in the introduction, but I was really surprised with the GA-EX38-DS4 as it took our E8400 to a whole new level.

CLICK HERE FOR Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 Socket 775 Enthusiast Motherboard SHOPPING & PRICING

If on the lookout for a good GPU at a great price, it's easier than ever. 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 how it stacks up against our other models. And yes, it overclocks like a beast.

CLICK HERE FOR Gigabyte 9600 GT 512MB SHOPPING & PRICING

“Corsair is best known for its memory products-DIMMs and flash-but it has a solid line of power supply units, as well. The company sent ThinkComputers its TX750, a 750W unit with a single 60A 12V rail-powerful enough for a GeForce 8800 GTX. While non-modular, the cables are sleeved and have quick-release connectors. We tested this device with a five-year warranty-results within.”

CLICK HERE FOR Corsair TX750 750W Power Supply SHOPPING & PRICING

ASUS has created a huge wave in the sub-notebook & portable Internet device markets with their Eee PC. Sub-notebooks are normally wonderfully exotic looking hardware for delightfully high prices. Well, exotic until one looks at the specs. The MacBook air is a great example - it looks like a killer machine until one looks at the combination of the lackluster specs and a price that makes even the most enthusiastic Mac fan blush. As for portable Internet devices, the Nokia N series is the first that comes to mind. Granted, they are really fantastic machines with excellent screens and software, but I am a bit old school I suppose. I still want a real keyboard. The Nokia N810 is close, but like my HTC TyTN, the keyboard is good for casual data entry and not suitable for long sessions of messaging, IRC or typing out documents or spreadsheets. The Nokia and other portable devices tend to also be pretty light on specifications, unless one is willing to pay the obscene price that OQ wants for their sub-sub-notebook.

CLICK HERE FOR ASUS Eee 8G PC 8GB SSD Notebook SHOPPING & PRICING

"Noctua does not disappoint with the NH-U9B. Outperforming almost all of our 120mm heatsinks, it is a phenomenal performer."

"Well, I was pleasantly surprised with the Warlock. It not only has the looks but the performance to back it up - and quiet too! It appears as if Apevia has finally got its act together ... to a degree. Unfortunately, there were several small annoyances with the Warlock: unthreaded screw holes, an odd rainbow paint coat, and combining connectors onto a single cable - things I hate seeing on such a high-end product."

CLICK HERE FOR Apevia Warlock 900W PSU SHOPPING & PRICING

The Samsung CLP-610ND is an affordable option to the high end CLP-650 and a great replacement to the lifeless CLP-300. Priced at $150.00 more than the CLP-300, you won't be disappointed in what you pay for. First off, you get built in network capability. This is a must have for any business! The second and more important aspect of the CLP-610ND is the quality and speed of each print job. The self-calibration increases some print jobs but ensures you get top quality every time. At 21 pages per minute, you can have your report in your boss' hand in no time.

CLICK HERE FOR Samsung CLP-610ND Printer SHOPPING & PRICING

With so many options for operating systems in the world today, how do you choose? Today, we take a look at Linux and show you step by step how to try it out and see what the hype is about! We take you from selecting the distrobution to installation and configuration all in a step by step process that is easy to follow. if you ever wanted to try out Linux this guide is for you.

"These in-ear headphones cancel and block noise, and they fit in your pocket."

CLICK HERE FOR Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 SHOPPING & PRICING

"In this review we take a closer look at the latest product from Gainward, based on the recently released 9800 GTX we compare the BLISS' performance in several games, and find out how cool and quiet this new high end video card is. Read on to learn more."

" Up on the review block today is the Vizo Propeller 2 system cooler, this product aims to help keep your case cool by exhausting the air via a PCI slot. Does it work?"

"Recently Razer sent over two of their latest products for review, and the first one I'll be taking a look at today is the Piranha Gaming Communicator. Razer touts the Piranha as having true to life audio quality with superior clarity and bass, a noise-filtering microphone and ergonomic and adjustable earphones."

CLICK HERE FOR Razer Piranha Gaming Communicator SHOPPING & PRICING

Well for starters not a single game title tested here was able to slow down a pair of these cards and in fact every gamed played, played damn good too. Even Crysis, which is a system resource hog, ran just fine with the XFX 9600GT cards in SLI mode. Actually no game currently released challenges these cards when in SLI and I do not foresee any games coming out in the next six months doing so either. Technology on the software side is starting to fall behind the hardware side in a strange turn of the coin as this used to be in reverse in this industry. Budget cards are becoming more and more powerful each quarter and a pair of these is in the very affordable range of most gamers.

CLICK HERE FOR XFX GeForce 9600GT SHOPPING & PRICING

"If you’re looking for a 9600GT, the chances are we can give you a pretty good idea of which one to get. We get a lot of samples, but the 9600GT would have to be one product that we’ve received over and over again from different companies who are mixing it up with big clocks and bigger coolers.

The latest 9600GT to make its way into the labs is from ASUS and carries with it some stock clocks, but also has a mean looking cooler that we’ve seen before. We’ve been happy with the 9600GT ever since its interception, and it’s managed to receive a number of awards. Let’s see if ASUS can impress us with their incarnation of the card."

CLICK HERE FOR ASUS GeForce 9600GT 512MB Graphics Card SHOPPING & PRICING