Solidata K5-64 SLC Indilinx Solid State Drive @ TweakTown
"It is a little known fact that the Indilinx Barefoot controllers that we have been raving about for the last two months are capable of using Single Level Cell (SLC) flash memory. In the past we tested several SLC drives and were amazed at how fast the drives were compared to their MLC counterparts. Just as amazing were the prices associated with the SLC drives.
you follow along with solid state drives then you know that the big call to fame for the Indilinx Barefoot has been its low cost, at least lower than the Intel controller. So what happens when we take the Barefoot and pair it with fast SLC memory ? Well, that is what we are here to find out."
More information can be found
here
NZXT Panzerbox ATX Gaming Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org
“If you are a gamer you probably tend to go to a lot of LAN parties. I have been going to LAN parties for quite a while now and something I've done over the years is keep on trying to make my gaming rig lighter and smaller so when it comes down to lugging it to a LAN party the task is pretty simple. It's no fun carrying a steel full tower around with you! NZXT knows this and has come up with the Panzerbox, which will fit an ATX motherboard, large graphics cards, and 4 hard drives. All of this inside a light and compact package, let's take a look..."
More information can be found
here
NZXT Cryo S @ OCC
"The NZXT Cryo S notebook cooler is a very well made laptop cooler that does its primary function well, while also providing several secondary benefits - such as the USB hub on the back, and the added benefit of having a keyboard that is tilted as to improve ergonomics. While the cooler didn't pack as large of a punch as its bigger brother, the Cryo LX, it is also quite a bit smaller, and perfectly fits my 15" MacBook Pro. This isn't really a cooler that you would take on a trip with you as it is rather large and bulky, but this is a problem that most people won't be affected by. As seen below, I have given the Cryo S our gold medal, which is one away from our highest award. This is due to the fact that on some laptops, especially Macs, the power provided by the USB ports cannot match the power drawn by the fans, meaning that the only option is to plug the cooler directly into the wall. Other than that one issue, this is an excellent cooler that will have a place on my desk for a while."
More information can be found
here
Netgear XAVB101 Powerline Ethernet Adapter @ TechwareLabs
Running Ethernet cable can be a hassle. Join Chris as he checks out an electrifying new product from Netgear that can help with your networking needs. The all new Netgear XAVB101. This handy little device lets you easily run ethernet all over your house using the already in place power lines. Will this Ethernet adapter be the biggest thing since Wi-Fi, or will it not even make it to the history books. Join us as we take a look...
More information can be found
here
Rosewill RKM-800RF Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo @ Bigbruin.com
As a whole, the Rosewill RKM-800RF Wireless Keyboard and mouse combo is a decent, solid performer. In a very crowded field of contenders, it doesn’t really stand out, and doesn’t draw attention to itself, but it performs admirably. If you are a hard-core gamer, or if you have large hands like me, you might want to try it before committing to the RKM-800RF.
More information can be found
here
Vizo Orbiter Hard Drive Cooler Review @ Tech-Reviews.co.uk
“Vizo is a manufacturer of a vast amount of drive enclosures and it seems that this is their specialist area. However, they also have a large collection of coolers. One are of cooling which is often overlooked is the hard drive. Vizo’s own solution for HD cooling is the Orbiter, today we’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on one.”
More information can be found
here
Coolermaster 212 Plus CPU Cooler @ Pro-Clockers
The 212 Plus is the larger brother of the TX3, though there are several differences between the two. The 212 Plus is aimed at the individual who is looking for a little bit more performance, but doesn't want to give up the bank to do it. Coolermaster accomplished this by giving the 212 Plus more surface area and four heat pipes to conquer the dreaded enemy named heat. We know this is enough to outperform the smaller brother, but is it enough to compete against the other big dawgs on the market?
More information can be found
here
Spire (SP9007B) SwordFin PC Case Review @ XtremeComputing
"After finishing this review, I found the average online retailer price for this case to be around £50. This puts it up against the Antec 300 – a personal favourite of mine. Other than the SwordFin’s louder cooling, I think I’d choose SwordFin over the 300 any day. It is definitely better put together, and its steel construction helps with rigid stability."
More information can be found
here
LeapFrog Text & Learn Reviewed @ TestFreaks
" LeapFrog is well known for their educational toys
, they’re well made and they’re lots of fun. Today for review I’ve got one that I found to be very nice, it’s called the Text & Learn. the idea behind the Text & Learn is that it resembles a PDA, it kind of looks like a large BlackBerry, so you can give it to your child to play with instead of your actual PDA. "
More information can be found
here
WD My Book World Edition II External 2TB NAS Drive @ Legit Revies
"The Western Digital My Book World Edition II 2 TB network storage system uses RAID 1 (Mirrored) technology to automatically and continuously maintain a second copy of user's data using supplied software that you need to install on each computer that you want to keep backed up. When running in RAID 1, if one drive in the two-drive system ever fails, the system continues to run and the data is safe. The My Book World Edition II storage device can be run in RAID 0 (Striped) mode as well if speed over redundancy is required. All My Book World Edition II's ship in mirrored mode, though, as the main purpose of this drive is for data security. As a result, that means you can only use half the rated capacity for file storage since one drive is used for a mirror..."
More information can be found
here
Asus Eee PC 1005HA Seashell Review @ HotHardware.com
It's hard to believe that the machine we'll be inspecting in the pages ahead is actually real and shipping. It's not so much a feat of engineering as it is a feat in product development. You see, we just wrapped up our evaluation of Asus' 1008HA Seashell three weeks ago, and already we're being treated to the second "Seashell" model to ship stateside, the Eee PC 1005HA.
The 1005HA is undoubtedly a member of the expanding Eee PC lineup, and while it's numbered lower than the aforesaid 1008HA, there are actually a few aspects that we prefer on this model versus its predecessor. Actually, maybe predecessor isn't the proper term; it's not like the 1005HA is taking the place of the 1008HA. In fact, we envision them both hanging around on store shelves for some time to come. Click the link below and take a look..
More information can be found
here
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Review @ [OC]ModShop
Following up the success of “Transformers” was not easy task, and thankfully Director Michael Bay and the amazing wizards at Industrial Light and Magic are up to the challenge as “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is the rare sequel that outdoes the original in almost every way.
The film once again stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky who is still dating the lovely Mikaela (Megan Fox), as he prepares to head east for college.
More information can be found
here
Speedlink Tube Stereo PC Headset Review @ Verdis Reviews
Speakers and headsets are very important things to consider when gaming as they can transport you to a whole new dimension if they perform well. Unfortunately, for a real top notch headset you are normally talking around the £80 mark which is a lot in today’s somewhat troubled economic climate. Speedlink has always been regarded as producing great products for very fair prices and today we have one of their headsets to take for a spin. With a vast amount of headsets produced by Speedlink, will the Tube be able to stand out from the crowd? Let’s find out…
More information can be found
here
Samson C01U Recording/Podcasting Pak @ OCIA.net
"Samson markets the C01U as the first affordable studio-quality condenser microphone with a USB interface. The first thing you notice is the weight of the microphone. It has a heavy gauge mesh grill protecting the diaphragm and has a real meaty, solid feel. Taking a look under the hood, we find a 19mm internal shock-mounted diaphragm with a cartoid pickup pattern. What sets this apart from similar condenser microphones is it's directional pickup. It allows you to face the mic in the direction of the sound you want to hear without grabbing the noise from the rear and sides of the mic itself."
More information can be found
here
Asus Crosshair III Formula @ TrustedReviews
In essence the new Crosshair III is an M4A79T Deluxe with some useful extra features that are essentially free of charge. Brilliant!
More information can be found
here
Titan Fenrir CPU cooler @ Neoseeker
"This heatsink was able to beat Noctua's flagship cooler by a fair margin, which is impressive considering it is, or rather was, among the best air cooled heatsink's available today."
More information can be found
here
Kingwin HTC XT-1264 i7 Ready CPU Cooler Review @ ThinkComputers.org
“Though the RVT-12025D is still being manufactured, Kingwin has replaced both tower coolers with a new series, the HTC (Heatpipe Touch Chip) Series. Today I will be looking at the 120mm version of the HTC series, the XT-1264. Still utilizing the concept of the heatpipes making direct contact with the CPU surface, the HTC Series has a new twist that should improve the cooling capabilities of these already capable coolers. Read on to check out the Kingwin XT-1264!"
More information can be found
here
Enermax Aurora Micro Aluminum Keyboard Review @ [OC]ModShop
Some users just like really tiny keybaords. Personally I am an ergonominc fan, so the wider my hands can be apart, the better. For those who like tiny keyboards (programmers love them for some odd reason), then you'll be glad to know that there's finally one that's built like a tank: the Enermax Aurora Micro. This review was actually written using this keyboard entirely, in addition to some all-day testing.
At first look, the keyboard is very attractive. While the bottom of the keyboard is a sturdy plastic, the top frame is brushed aluminum, which has been anodized pitch black.
More information can be found
here
Kingston SSDnow V-Series 128GB Solid State Hard Drive Review @ Futurelooks
One good example of the benefits of economies of scale, increased
reliability and performance is Kingston Technology's new SSDnow
V-Series drives. This 128GB drive that we have on the bench retails for
right about $229. If you remember same time last year, a similar sized
drive was easily double that price. Clearly the V in V-Series also
stands for value, but how much of that is taken away in performance?
Kingston says they worked hard with controller manufacturers to get the
price point and performance just right. We're definitely anxious to see
if it's ready for the mainstream user. On with the review!
More information can be found
here
Home Theatre PC and Ripping Station Guide @ TweakTown
"So, you have the big 1080p Hi-Def TV, the awesome surround system and a DVD and music collection that puts HMV to shame. You could throw together some parts in a fancy case and make yourself a home theatre PC, but that’s so 2008. Instead, let’s spruce it up by getting your HTPC to copy your precious polycarbonates to a whopping big disk!
With the introduction of 1TB+ HDDs over the last couple of years, the prices have undergone the usual jostling and competitive dropping and are now in the region of extremely affordable; so there’s no excuse not to own one."
More information can be found
here
Corsair HX850W (850w) ATX PSU @ Overclock3D
Both the Corsair HX620W and HX1000W PSU's were massive hits among enthusiasts, but how does the recently released HX850W perform? Today we find out.
More information can be found
here
Adaptec Zero-Maintenance Cache Protection Explained @ TweakTown
"Last month the Catalyst 9.5 drivers didn't do a whole lot for us, especially when it came to the HD 4850. June brings a new month and a new set of drivers; fingers crossed some of the performance lost last month has been repaired for this month.
Below we can see that some performance gains are promised. As to whether or not these particular ones translate to any gains in our cards or games, there's only one way to find out. Let's have a quick look at exactly what the promises being made are before we get stuck into the performance side of things."
More information can be found
here
Kingston HyperX PC2-6400 SODIMM Memory Kit @ Bigbruin.com
While the memory performed well, the results in any test couldn't really make a strong case for 4GB over 3GB or 2GB, and for that matter 800MHz over 667Mhz. Benchmark results are not the only thing to consider when looking at a memory upgrade, as most people are well aware that adding more memory improves overall system performance, especially when multi-tasking.
More information can be found
here
EVGA E761 X58 SLI Classified Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
"What is there to say? The EVGA X58 E761 Classified is like an over-the-top blockbuster movie; it wows you on all fronts all the while costing an arm and a leg to produce. Core i7 is a new processor and motherboard and BIOS engineers are still figuring it out, but the team at EVGA has clearly stumbled across something to be able to release a board that pushes these chips past the notorious 220MHz base clock wall. This board reminds me a lot of the Asus LGA775 Rampage Extreme, except the Rampage Extreme came so late in the game..."
More information can be found
here
Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 All-in-One Desktop PC Review @ HotHardware.com
The Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 is an all-in-one desktop with plenty of features and bells-and-whistles to keep all but the most jaded of users happy. Perhaps taking a page out of Apple's book, Lenovo put a lot of effort into the look and feel of the A600, with its black-colored chassis, borderless 21.5-inch 1920x1080 TFT display, curved back, and svelte form factor--measuring only 1-inch thick at its thinnest point. The A600 Series comes in a variety of configurations, which range in price from $679 to $1,399. We've got a video review posted of the system at the link below...
More information can be found
here
Xtand Reviewed @ TestFreaks
"For today’s review I will be looking at a simple yet functional iPhone stand that looks sleek and stylish on ones desktop; especially if you own an aluminum iMac or an Apple Cinema Display. Just Mobile has designed an iPhone stand dubbed the Xtand (thank God they did not name it the iStand) that mimics the base of an aluminum iMac. It is an elegant looking device that allows any model iPhone to rest in a horizontal or vertical orientation. "
More information can be found
here
Kingston HyperX T1 PC3-16000 3GB Memory Kit @ hardwarelogic.com
As the largest memory company in the world, Kingston Technology knows a thing or two about making fast, high quality products that fits users' needs. Want proof? Check out their HyperX T1 Series PC3-16000 memory kit which runs at 2000MHz with 8-8-8-24 timings. Besides being one of the fastest rated kits on the market, this memory comes with two XMP profiles for easy overclocking and the tallest heatsinks you can get. Let's find out if this RAM has what it takes to be your next upgrade.
More information can be found
here
Introduction to 4D Systems OLED Products @ Metku.net
"Getting a nice and easy to use screen to a project can be a bit tricky as it usually involves complex fiddling with libraries etc. But don't worry, here's a nice
solution to this problem: OLED displays from 4D Systems!"
More information can be found
here
Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 512MB @ TheTechLounge
"I was a little noncommittal in recommending the 4670 and I suspect that I’m pretty much in the same boat with regards to the 4650. On the one hand, these are inexpensive cards with impressive performance for the price, but on the other hand, for very little extra, much more capable cards can be had. But let’s say, for example, you had sixty bucks and only wanted to play WoW or the Orange Box. Will this card do it?"
More information can be found
here
Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 @ Maximum CPU
"While the quality of Microsoft software offerings is debatable, Microsoft’s hardware offerings are usually top notch. Today we are going to look at Microsoft’s newest wireless desktop set, the Wireless Desktop 3000. Upon first glance, the Wireless Desktop 3000 appears to be like most other Microsoft desktop sets. However, it is one of the first to include a BlueTrack mouse."
More information can be found
here
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Review @ GeekInvaders.com
“The robots looked incredible and the sound editing was superb, making the action sequences some of the best to date. But with all of this films high points there are of course the low ones, most of my complaints coming from the plot. The story was not great, but I believe after the original films emotional and engrossing story no one was willing to settle for a plot that left little to the imagination."
More information can be found
here
Spire TherMax II @ techPowerUp
Spire's TherMax II is a new DHT CPU cooler for AMD and Intel CPUs. Its four heatpipes make direct contact with the processor for optimum cooling. Also included in the package is a fan controller which allows you to control the UV reactive fan in any way you want.
More information can be found
here
2 TB Hard Disk Drive Battle: Seagate Barracuda LP vs. Western Digital Caviar Green @ Hardware Secrets
"So far only two 2 TB hard disk drives have reached the market and both are "green" models, meaning they rotate at lower speeds in order to save energy. Models spinning at 7,200 rpm will reach the market only by the end of the year (it is more complicated to build a 7,200 rpm 2 TB drive than a 5,400 rpm one) and they will be faster than these two models we are reviewing today. Let's compare the performance of Seagate Barracuda LP with Western Digital Caviar Green."
More information can be found
here
How to Perform a Dell System Restore @ Computing on Demand
There are times when simply doing a Windows restore isn't enough; you also may
not have been provided with any operating system / restore CD's or DVD's for
your Dell computer. Luckily for you, Dell places restore materials on a
separate partition of your hard drive. If all else fails and your last resort
is [...]
More information can be found
here
Asus motherboard review @ Neoseeker
"I am highly pleased with that ASUS motherboard sporting the disguised 780a chipset, despite a few downsides. I think it is stupid to use SATA ports which allow only the supplied cables to be used. Also, it is a bit deceiving that the small fan bundled with the motherboard won't fit along a large processor heatsink. Furthermore, if the case in which the computer is housed is not well ventilated, this fan will be a must. Without it, on my tech station, the northbridge was uncomfortably hot. I had to put a 120 mm fan over the setup so that it would be fine."
More information can be found
here
A Testing Hypothesis @ Techgage
Should content posted on a website be decided by its readers, or companies? Rather than have typical advertising sustain a site and support its growth, are there other avenues worth exploring? These are the questions on the table, and Senior Editor Brett Thomas has taken a hard look at both, analyzing the pros, and the far more important cons.
More information can be found
here
Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Smartphone @ TweakTown
"The iPhone has become an icon in popular culture. The iPhone, along with its sibling, the iPod, are woven into our view of the world. As a device it is sleek and sexy. It has a great sense of style and shows that while Apple may do many things wrong, they at least do them with style and flare.
We will take a look at the new iPhone 3GS as a first time purchase and see how it compares to its older brother, the iPhone 3G with the same software. So let’s dive in to the new iPhone 3GS and see if it is worthy of your money and time."
More information can be found
here
Monster Turbine Headphones @ TechwareLabs
If you like music but the standard headphones with your mp3 player or iPod just don't cut it for you then you must take a look at our review of the Monster Turbine headphones. Donning amazing headset is like strapping a high end stereo setup to your head. We compare the Turbines to headphones from Shure and Bose and bring you our take on the latest entry from Monster Cable.
More information can be found
here
Kingston SSDNow V-Series @ PureOverclock
"Kingston has released their SSDNow V-Series Solid State Drive, specifically targeting the entry-level consumer that may be looking to jump on the SSD bandwagon. But this drive comes with the infamous JMicron controller, notorious for stuttering problems. However, Kingston is confident they've eliminated the problem. Have they? If so, how? We take a closer look at the Kingston SSDNow V-Series as we absolutely hammer this drive to find out. Fair warning before continuing: you may be surprised at the results."
More information can be found
here
Thrustmaster T.16000M Joystick Review @ ThinkComputers.org
“Joysticks aren't a common item around the reviewers circle, but there are those ones from time and time again, like the Thrustmaster T.16000M Joystick we got a chance to review. It offers a total of 16 buttons on four different axes. A high precision of 256 million dots resolution blows other pro joysticks out of the water at their 1 million dots resolution. This ambidextrous joystick is very comfortable and easy to use. It includes a free copy of Tom Clancy's HAWK PC, a combat style flight simulator. Read on further to see how well I did after eight years of not playing a flight simulator."
More information can be found
here
ECS X58B-A @ OCC
"The ECS X58B-A delivers a little of the good, the bad and not so much on the ugly. The board is a full featured board that at stock speeds delivers performance on par with some hardware that costs as much as $180 more than the X58B-A. The onboard debug LED is useful for diagnosing no boot conditions and just in case you go too far the CMOS reset button is within easy reach on the I/O panel. The onboard power and reset buttons are easy to use and come in handy on a tech bench when you don't want to spend the time to hook up the front panel connections. Overclocking the ECS X58B-A was a challenge. All of the boards I have looked at were able to hit at least a 200+ MHz bclock without any drama. The ECS was just not going to play nice at this level. No amount of tweaking would get me there, voltages, timings, nada! That's not to say that the ECS X58B-A can't overclock, indeed it can taking my little CO stepping i7 920 up to 3.7GHz running at 185x20. This means that the overclock is just over 1GHz from the ECS X58 solution. The one thing I feel holding it back is that there is a serious drop in voltage to the CPU when loading it heavily. When the CPU core voltage is set to 1.425 in the BIOS, under load I saw as little as 1.35 volts during some serious Prime 95 load testing. The CPU I used in this review runs Prime stable at 4.1GHz with 1.4125 volts."
More information can be found
here
CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme Si @ TechwareLabs
Want to pwn n00bz whenever you get the chance? It simply cannot be done without the use of the best technology on the market. If your looking for a great way to get that all wrapped up and shipped to you you might want to check out the new CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme Si. Come along with Jason Dumbaugh as he checks out this new pre-built beast.
More information can be found
here
Verbatim BD-R and BD-RE BluRay Media @ [OC]ModShop
Let's face it: DVD is on the way out as a data storage medium. Don't believe me? Do you remember when writable CDs were all the rage? I do, and I have a receipt for the $1000 2x drive to prove it. Once writeable DVDs became affordable, they were the backup medium of choice, and only recently have dual-layer products become affordable.
Scientists keep making the optical data bits smaller and smaller, which is the basic fundamental difference between a CD and today's BluRay medium. Sure, the technology has matured, and more features added to the discs, but its sheer capacity makes BluRay the storage king.
More information can be found
here
Geforce 186.18 WHQL driver comparison @ Hardwareoverclock Austria
Hardwareoverclock Austria has posted a new driver comparison. This week we have take a look at the WHQL Geforce driver 186.18. The testing system was a Core i7 920 with a GTX260² SSC. More about the performance you can find in the article.
More information can be found
here
NYC Digital Experience: NVIDIA ION, Tegra Netbooks and More @ HotHardware.com
More well-known industry trade shows, like CES, Computex, and E3, are not necessarily the only venues where technology journalists can get a gander at the latest-and-greatest offerings from a bevy of tech companies. Pepcom is a Florida-based company that holds mini tech trade-shows for the media throughout the year, and its most-recent event was the Digital Experience Rock 'N' Bowl held in New York City on June 24. We spent some time at the event, speaking with a number of vendors about their latest wares. Some of the highlights to include NVIDIA demonstrating the capabilities of the upcoming Lenovo S12 netbook, which features a single-core Atom CPU and an NVIDIA ION graphics processor.
NVIDIA was also showing off its Tegra computer-on-a-chip, which will be powering the recently-announced Zune HD portable media player and it was streaming full quality 720p HD video over HDMI. On the networking front, Belkin was displaying its Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit--a speedy alternative to wireless networking that is also capable of streaming HD video.
More information can be found
here
NZXT Cryo S 15" Notebook Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews
"NZXT has a sound product offering with its CRYO S notebook cooler. Beautifully crafted, attractive features and a price tag you can live with, the CRYO S is a solid choice for those needing some cooling for their notebook or netbook device..."
More information can be found
here
Five Premium CPU Coolers In Tests @ iXBT Labs
"Today we are going to examine five premium coolers: ASUS Royal Knight, Noctua NH-C12P, Scythe Mugen 2, Thermalright IFX-14, and Thermaltake BigTyp14Pro. They are the best there is. Although only Scythe Mugen 2 is a new model here (taking the first steps on our market), all of them, including the true veterans Noctua NH-C12P and Thermalright IFX-14, are leading their series."
More information can be found
here
Pathians iPhone Game Review @ TestFreaks
" Laszlo Czigledszky put out a new mobile game called Pathians for the iPhone. This title is a card playing game using; you guessed it, a deck of playing cards. Pathians puts a spin on things with their objectivity and goal needed to win. Using Pathians you will effectively eliminate cards with equal or adjacent face value. Starting with the first card you pick, you find another based on the next card’s value. Example: You pick cards in numerical order either descending or ascending or equal value to create a chain. Once that chain is complete, the cards drop out of the way to make way for your next move. "
More information can be found
here
