Hardware News

Thermalright HR-02 CPU Cooler Review

January 31, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechwareLabs have reviewed the huge Thermalright HR-02 CPU cooler, which is designed for low airflow and/or fanless operation.

Here's what they had to say:

"The thermal performance of this cooler speaks for itself; even with sub-optimal alignment, it produced very good temperatures for such a power-hungry CPU. The quality of the included accessories is for the most part quite good, but the lack of included mounting kit for AMD boards is disappointing. That said, the people in most need of really good cooling are likely to be Intel users, and this cooler is well suited to taming those heat monsters. With an average list price of $67 online at time of publication, the HR-02 is definitely on the upper end of the scale for air coolers. The performance you get, however, is well worth the cost."


This is still the best passive heatsink on the market. Having said that, it's huge size arguably prevents it from being used in most systems where you would want absolute silence, an HTPC for example.

Click here to read the full review.

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Corsair Force 90GB SSD Single & RAID Review

January 31, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the new Corsair Force 90GB solid state drive, in both single and RAID-0 configuration.

Here's what they had to say:

"Corsair’s Force 90GB is a good SSD from a number of different aspects. Performance, storage capacity, broad availability and Corsair’s excellence in customer support combine together to make what should be a highly enticing product for people looking to get their feet wet in the SSD pool. However, its current retail price makes the F90 a hard sell in a highly competitive market. Corsair could choose to roll out an unlocked firmware when a new revision is released but until that time, there are better alternatives out there for nearly the same price as the F90."


While the Force 90GB is pretty good solid state drive, it gets outclassed in every respect by OCZ’s Vertex 2 100GB model, which sports SandForce's fully-fledged high performance firmware.

Click here to read the full review.

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Radeon HD 6950 & HD 6970 Review Roundup - ASUS, HIS, MSI & More

January 31, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven, PureOverclock, Techgage, techPowerUp, and Tweaknews have reviewed a few Radeon HD 6950 and HD 6970 graphics cards from ASUS, HIS, MSI, PowerColor, and Sapphire.

Let's see what they had to say:


The Radeon HD 6950 and HD 6970 both have tremendous competition in the form of the GeForce GTX 560 Ti and GeForce GTX 570, and which you should choose really depends on personal preference.

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Intel P67 Motherboard Review Roundup - ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI & More

January 31, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Funky Kit, iXBT Labs, Madshrimps, OCIA, ocaholic, and ThinkComputers have reviewed several Intel P67-based LGA1155 motherboards from ASRock, ASUS, Foxconn, Gigabyte, and MSI.

Here are the reviews:


Enjoy!

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NZXT Bunker USB Locking Device Review

January 31, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Techgage have posted a review of the recently introduced NZXT Bunker, a 5.25" drive bay with 4 USB ports that has a key locking feature.

Let's see what they had to say:

"While I'm not a LAN party kind of guy, I cannot stand thieves, so solutions like this get my full support. It's bad enough to lose but losing your hardware is another story. The Bunker is a solid, well made and good looking deterrent for would be thieves and those who regularly attend LAN parties should have a look. It may just save a few headaches and empty wallets."


This is a worthwhile method of protecting your USB devices if you go to LAN parties often.

Click here to read the full review.

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Lian Li PC-V2120 Full Tower Case Reviews

January 31, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective and TechSpot have reviewed the Lian Li PC-V2120, a high-end all-aluminium full tower case.

Here's what they had to say:

  • PC Perspective: Lian Li PC-V2120A Full Tower Case Review:

    "Lian Li has also set the bar high and the PC-V2120 truly takes that standard even higher as they taken on one of the enthusiast communities biggest requests -- to have a case that supports HPTX motherboards (and specifically the EVGA Classified SR-2). I also commend Lian Li for not budging on their stance for putting form and function before flashy and cheap design techniques. While fancy blue LEDs and large windows may appeal to the masses, true enthusiasts understand how optimal airflow management techniques should be configured as well as the importance of a silent case. Overall, the Lian Li PC-V2120A earns PC Perspective's Editor's Choice Award for its sturdy design, high-quality craftsmanship, and outstanding performance during testing."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TechSpot: Lian Li PC-V2120 Full Tower Case Review:

    "If it hadn't been for the Corsair Obsidian D800 that I tested several months ago, the Lian Li PC-V2120 would likely be my all-time favorite case in terms of features, ease of use and expandability. The minimalistic external aesthetics might not be for everyone, especially if you are fond of radical designs, LED fans and cathode lighting, but it certainly is beautiful in its own right. The brushed aluminum looks great and eliminates the concern of chipping paint.

    The internals can look a bit intimidating at first but everything is positioned with reason. This is one of the easiest cases I've ever worked with. Tool-less everything virtually eliminates the need for a screwdriver with most installations. Cable management isn't stellar but with so much room and no side panel window, there's not much need to try and impress with perfect cable routing."


    Click here to read the full review.

I really like this large full tower case. It supports the huge new HPTX standard, it's super user-friendly, it has subdued but attractive looks, and it caters perfectly to the water-cooling crowd.

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ASUS Maximus IV Extreme vs. Gigabyte P67A-UD7 Showdown

January 28, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechREACTION have tested and compared two of the most high-end Intel P67 LGA1155 motherboards on the market, the ASUS Maximus IV Extreme and Gigabyte P67A-UD7.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Maximus IV Extreme already earned the TechREACTION Gold Silicon Award, and after this thorough comparison with one if its most important rivals, it’s obvious that the award was well deserved. Congratulations Asus, you’ve got a winner on your hands.

The Gigabyte P67A-UD7 performed very well, and we certainly would not talk anybody out of the decision to buy one. There are many desirable features on the UD7, and there were quite a few aspects which we preferred over the MIVE. For this we say well done Gigabyte, you are on a role with this beautiful new line-up. The P67A-UD7 earns the TechREACTION.net Silver Silicon Award!"


If you interested in building a high-end Sandy Bridge system, either of these motherboards would serve you very well.

Click here to read the full review.

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Arctic Cooling Freezer CPU Cooler Review Roundup

January 28, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix and Hardware Secrets have reviewed a few of Arctic Cooling's Freezer CPU coolers.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • eTeknix: Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 CPU Cooler Review:

    "The Freezer13 will eventually replace the Freezer7 Rev2 as Arctic’s flagship cooler and on the evidence of these tests consumers won’t be left disappointed. The performance is on a par with the already excellent Freezer7 series and does so with a lower noise profile. In fact, with Cool ‘n’ Quiet enabled the fan is eerily silent and easily able to handle the Phenom II overclocked to 3.8GHz @1.5 Vcore on all four cores. Combine that with the excellent new design, proven reliability from Arctic’s previous products and a retail price below £25 - the Freezer13 truly is the “bang for buck” king!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2 CPU Cooler Review:

    "The Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2 didn't reach the same performance level of the top-notch CPU coolers we tested so far. The good news is that it has far better performance than the Intel stock cooler, and its fan is very quiet. The installation is very simple, too.

    The real problem with this cooler is that it doesn't have a good cost/benefit ratio. There are cheaper coolers with similar performance, and there are coolers that cost a little more but present far better performance."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: Arctic Cooling Freezer 11 LP CPU Cooler Review:

    "The Arctic Cooling Freezer 11 LP has a cheap aspect from the start, beginning with its package. This situation isn't helped by the preapplied thermal compound or by the installation procedure without using a backplate.

    The main problem, however, is that the Freezer 11 LP doesn't provide a good performance. It kept our CPU about 10º C cooler than the Intel stock cooler, which is not too much considering this stock cooler is very "weak". On the other hand, the good news is that the Freezer 11 LP is a very quiet CPU cooler."


    Click here to read the full review.

Arctic Cooling makes pretty decent affordable CPU coolers, but obviously you will want to look elsewhere if you need high-performance cooling performance.

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti Roundup - Galaxy, MSI, Palit

January 28, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have tested and compared three GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics cards from Galaxy, MSI, and Palit.

Here's what they had to say:

"With three retail NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti offerings behind us, we know that picking one is going to be a difficult choice for some. Some users will really want the highest out-of-the-box overclocked settings and that would be where the Palit Sonic offering falls. Others will want the coolest running card and the MSI Twin Frozr II design definitely takes the win there. Galaxy's card offers some great temperatures as well as a unique "spin" on the fan design with a fold-out feature that allows for easy cleaning. All three cards are overclocking competitively with each other in our testing so if you are able to use some tweaking software you'll likely be able to put all three of these cards on an equal playing field. MSI and Galaxy also take the edge in pricing - a $20 gap can be pretty tempting when it comes to graphics cards in the price range."


While all three of cards are quite good, I really think that Gigabyte's GTX 560 Ti SuperOverclock model is by far the most impressive of this new bunch of graphics cards.

Click here to read the full review.

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NZXT Sentry LXE External Touchscreen Fan Controller Review

January 28, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Secrets have reviewed the impressive NZXT Sentry LXE, a fancy external touchscreen fan controller.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The NZXT Sentry LXE fan controller is a great gadget. It draws attention at the side of your monitor, and works fine as a fan controller.

The best feature of the Sentry LXE is the five independent thermometers. If you are an overclocker or simply like to know the temperature of each "hot spot" of your computer, you will really like this product."


This product is a pretty good value at $60, but only if you have space for the external display on or around your desk.

Click here to read the full review.

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Fractal Design Define XL Case Reviews

January 28, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru and techPowerUp have posted a review of the brand new Fractal Design Define XL full tower case.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • KitGuru:

    "The Fractal Design Define XL certainly brings a lot to the table. Even though the case is constructed mainly of steel, the aluminium front panel makes the Define XL a very attractive case. It’s also free of the vibrations we’ve experienced in the past with Lian Li cases that can increase the noise level quite considerably.

    The thermal performance of the case is also impressive, cooling our test system very effectively and with an inaudible noise level. The latter of these is the most impressive quality for us as it really differentiates the Define XL from the competition which are far noisier on the whole."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp:

    "The Define XL may just look like a simple size increase of the Define R3 and from an outside perspective it actually is. It is a bit wider, a bit taller and comes with more external drive bays and a larger number of USB 2.0 connectors, but retains the exact look and feel of the Define R3. Once you look at the interior there are a few noteworthy differences which are mainly enabled due to the overall size of the chassis. All of these internal changes are for the better and should present a great argument for those looking to go for a full size chassis and are eyeing the competition."


    Click here to read the full review.

I like this case, it's fairly affordable for a full tower case and it's very user-friendly as well.

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Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU Cooler Review

January 27, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechREACTION have posted a review of the Noctua NH-U12P SE2 CPU cooler, which features two 120MM fans.

Here's what they had to say:

"The overall cooling performance of the Noctua NH-U12P SE2 is quite good. The performance is not record breaking by today’s measures, but very good at the time of release, and as our testing has shown, still solid today. The Noctua NH-U12P SE2 is still a solid performer and can keep even an overclocked i7 930 @ 4.0GHz from shutting down or entering thermal throttling. The Noctua NH-U12P SE2 keeps the CPU nice and stable in just about any circumstance. At normal speeds the Noctua NH-U12P SE2 is nice to work with and at stock CPU speeds holds a heavily loaded CPU at bay with ease."


This is a very good CPU cooler, but if you want the best Noctua model on the market, check out the NH-D14.

Click here to read the full review.

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Cooler Master Lab Test Bench V1.0 Review

January 27, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix have posted a review of the functional open-air Cooler Master Lab Test Bench V1.0.

Here's what they had to say:

"If you are a reviewer like ourselves or a hardcore overclocker, you will want to get something like this, as it enables you to keep your test system tidy, give fantastic cooling in a open plan design and also gives the ability to change components with ease.

Testing cases and similar products is something that has so many variables and is hard to compare them, therefore the results would be inconclusive but we did find that the CPU temperature dropped by a massive 10 degrees from our previous worktop solution.

Price wise this will set you back just over £50 but you will get a reliable product for your money, something we have come to expect from CoolerMaster."


If you swap out components often, or just like poking & prodding your system, this affordable test bench might be what you've been waiting for.

Click here to read the full review.

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ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 Motherboard Review

January 27, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


ThinkComputers have posted a review of the ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3, an AMD 880G-based Socket AM3 motherboard that is one of the cheapest to have the newer SB850 southbridge.

Here's what they had to say:

"There really is not much bad I can say about this board. The one thing that puzzled me was that even on the website and the retail box it says that this board supports CrossFireX, but there is no official CrossFire support for this chipset. This means the second PCI-E slot is only capable of supporting a x4 connection. Maybe this is why no CrossFire bridge was included with the board.

Right now this board sells for $119.99 at my favorite online retailer, which is a great price considering all of the features. Overall ThinkComputers gives the ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AMD 880G motherboard a 9 out of 10 score."


This is an excellent IGP-enabled motherboard, it has pretty much every feature that you could want or need in an affordable AMD AM3 system.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel Core i5-2500K LGA1155 Processor Review

January 27, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


ThinkComputers have posted a review of the quad-core/four-thread Intel Core i5-2500K LGA1155 processor, which operates at 3.3Ghz but can Turbo Boost up to 3.7Ghz.

Let's see what they had to say:

"All in all Intel has really improved on their 1st generation Core processors in all aspects, pure performance, overclocking ability, thermal characteristics and power consumption. Right now the Core i5-2500K which we reviewed sells at my favorite online retailer for about $225. The older Core i5-661 (3.3Ghz) sells for $209 so the pricing on the new Core i5 is very reasonable. The only downside is that on top of the processor you have to buy a new motherboard as well. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Intel Core i5-2500K LGA 1155 “Sandy Bridge” Processor a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!"


If you don't need the superior multi-threading capabilities of the i7-2600K, the i7-2500K is a phenomenal value.

Click here to read the full review.

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MSI Radeon HD 6850 Cyclone Power Edition Review

January 27, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


techPowerUp have posted a review of the new MSI Radeon R6850 Cyclone Power Edition graphics card, which features a custom cooler and overclocked specifications.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The bottom line is, if you are looking for the quietest possible HD 6850 experience, then the price premium is worth $20. It is also reasonable if you are too lazy to do any overclocking yourself and just want a fast card out of the box. For willing overclockers, who can live with some fan noise, the $20 price increase seems a bit much, especially since MSI does save considerable money by using a cheaper VRM solution than on the reference design."


If you're planning to pick up a Radeon HD 6850 graphics card, you might as well pick up one with a superior cooler and fastest clock speeds.

Click here to read the full review.

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Patriot G2 Series DDR3-1600 4GB Memory Kit Review

January 26, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechREACTION have posted a review of Patriot's new G2 Series DDR3-1600 4GB memory kit, which features 9-9-9-24 timings @ 1.65V and a low ~$70 price tag.

Here's what they had to say:

"What else can we conclude except that this memory has “win” written all over it? Don’t let the mid-range price, or the diminutive heat-spreader fool you, this memory is serious about its mission: maximizing performance per dollar. That’s not to say it’s perfect, with 4GB DIMMs coming down in price, these 2GB DIMMs are going to be losing their appeal fairly quickly. And I would rather see a black PCB, but without an increase in price either.

But what is most curious is why Patriot doesn’t stick a label on this package rating them for DDR3-1866, and a price tag with an additional 10% tagged on? They certainly could. But as long as they don’t, we’re happy and you should be too."


This looks like a great overclocking-friendly memory kit for those on a budget.

Click here to read the full review.

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Zotac GeForce GTX 570 AMP! Edition Review

January 26, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


t-break have posted a review of the Zotac GeForce GTX 570 AMP! Edition graphics card, which features a reference cooler and overclocked specifications.

Here's what they had to say:

"The barely 2% overclock results in an equal result compared to the stock GTX 570 AMP! Edition speeds, however, the card is creeping up really close to its elder brother here. Not that surprising to be honest, I did expect this much muscle from the GTX 570.

So what does that leave us with? We have a nicely clocked mid-range high-end card that’s trying to touch the skies but isn’t showing enough of an effort. The card by itself is very good, especially for those who don’t want to dabble in the world of overclocking, but it’s the price point of the Zotac GTX 570 AMP! Edition where it all...


This AMP! Edition is the third fastest GeForce GTX 570 on the market, but regrettably those faster models are priced exactly the same as this Zotac model, so...why not buy the faster cards?

Click here to read the full review.

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OCZ RevoDrive X2 240GB SSD PCI-E Card Review

January 26, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock have reviewed the brand new OCZ RevoDrive X2 240GB, an updated higher performance version of the original RevoDrive.

Here's what they had to say:

"The only real downside here is lack of TRIM and AHCI support, but any SSD RAID setup will encounter the same problem so the Revo X2 is no better or worse in that regard. However, the Revo X2 has idle garbage collection and the SandForce controller has shown great resiliency in minimizing performance degradation to begin with, so the massive speeds offered by RAID clearly offset the maintenance optimizations not supported here by TRIM. The bottom line here is the speeds on the Revo X2 will utterly crush any single SSD, even when some performance degradation is taken into account.

The OCZ Revo X2 is unlike any other SSD on the market, and while the eye-watering speed doesn't come cheap, the performance is truly remarkable."


If you don't want to manually setup a four-drive RAID-0 SSD configuration, the RevoDrive X2 is definitely a worthwhile alternative.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel Core i7-2600K LGA1155 Processor Review

January 26, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Secrets have posted a review of the quad-core/eight-thread Intel Core i7-2600K LGA1155 processor, which operates at 3.4Ghz but can Turbo Boost up to 3.8Ghz.

Here's what they had to say:

"The Core i7-2600K (3.4 GHz) proved to be an impressive product for the user looking for a high-end CPU. Available for the same price as the Core i7-875K (2.93 GHz), the new Core i7-2600K (3.4 GHz) was faster in all programs we ran (except on 3DMark 11, where the performance being measured was actually the video card’s, not the CPU’s), making it a no-brainer if you were contemplating buying the Core i7-875K.

The reviewed CPU doesn’t have a direct competitor, since the most expensive CPU from AMD – the Phenom II X6 1100T (3.3 GHz) – costs USD 60 less. In any case, the Core i7-2600K was faster than the Phenom II X6 1100T in all programs we ran (again, except on 3DMark 11)."


If you're building a new system from scratch you should absolutely invest in the Sandy Bridge platform. The i7-2600K is particularly impressive since it can challenge and even surpass the likes of the six-core Core i7-980X is some applications, and it's one-third the price.

Click here to read the full review.

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Sapphire Pure Black X58 LGA1366 Motherboard Review

January 26, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


LanOC have posted a review of Sapphire's brand new, soon to be available Pure Black X58, which is based on the Intel X58 Express chipset and supports Core i7 LGA1366 processors.

Here's what they had to say:

"It’s clear just by looking at the PURE Black X58 that they aren’t messing around. This board has the style and feature set to run with the big dogs and I expect to see much more from Sapphire over the next few years. My complaints about the PURE Black X58 were limited to mostly small details like the orientation of the logos on the board and the features of the software. There is only one major thing missing from the PURE Black X58, SLI support. I would assume this has to do with Sapphires longtime support of AMD/ATI in the past, but this could be a limiting factor when selecting a board. At CES was did see the X67 variation had a Lucid HydraLogic chipset; I would love to see this on the X58 version."


Sapphire is on the verge of re-entering the motherboard market in a big way (thanks to their acquisition of EVGA's motherboard team), but they clearly need to work on lowering this model's price first if they expect to have an impact.

Click here to read the full review.

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Launched!

January 25, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


NVIDIA have just launched their brand new mainstream graphics card, the GeForce GTX 560 Ti. This new GPU is effectively a refresh to the highly popular GeForce GTX 460, featuring a GPU core clock of 823MHz (up from 675Mhz), 384 shader cores (up from 336) clocked at 1640Mhz (up from 1375Mhz), and a 256-bit GDDR5 memory interface running at 1000Mhz (up from 900Mhz).

Let's see what they had to say:


This new GPU is a fantastic replacement to the GeForce GTX 460, but its success will absolutely be determined by its retail price since AMD have announced some substantial price cuts to their very competitive Radeon HD 6870 and HD 6950 models.

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Zalman Z9 Plus Mid-Tower Case Reviews

January 25, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


BCCHardware and Benchmark Reviews have posted a review of the new Zalman Z9 Plus mid-tower case.

Here's what they had to say:

  • BCCHardware:

    "The Zalman Z9 Plus is a very affordable mid-tower case for anyone looking to build a budget pc. It is not just a plane Jane case or square box. It has some style.

    I found the Z9 Plus very easy to work in and install all of my hardware. The cable management system is very convenient and easy to use. The built in fan controller is very easy use and adjustment does not require any software. The temperature display is conveniently located at the top front of the case and very easy to read. The USB ports are easily accessed along with microphone and headphone jacks. The provided fans keep everything nice and cool and also add some “bling” with their blue color."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Benchmark Reviews:

    "The Appearance of this case is very good in my opinion. I like the sleek black look. There are blue LED fans inside that give it a nice interior glow. The front temperature and HDD LED are red, and the power button is blue. I really like the "Z" designed into the front fascia. I enjoy having a window on the side, but I also like that it is functional by allowing two 120mm fans to be installed on it.

    The Functionality of the case is superb. The front I/O panel performs like it should. The buttons, lights, ports, and dials all work well. The fan controller is a nice touch, and it controls the fans well. The included temperature gauge shows the temperature in Celsius of any area you want, and the screen is very easy to read. Installation of the components is very easy and straightforward."


    Click here to read the full review.

While a nice improvement over the Zalman Z7 Plus, I still believe that the ever-popular Cooler Master 690 II Advanced remains the best case in the $60-80 range.

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ASRock P67 Fatal1ty Profess1onal Series Motherboard Review

January 25, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru have posted a review of the ASRock P67 Fatal1ty Profess1onal Series motherboard, which is designed for the new Intel 'Sandy Bridge' LGA1155 processors.

Here's what they had to say:

"On a performance level we encountered no issues during testing, with results matching other P67 boards we have tested to date. Board installation is straightforward and the layout is fantastic with no glaring placement issues apparent. Overclocking is equally straightforward and while we could push the 2600k no further than the Intel board in our labs (5.1ghz), getting there was much easier.

Overall, this board impressed the KitGuru team, ASRock have cut no corners with the bundle, build quality or performance characteristics of the board. Obviously with such a luxury product, the pricing is fairly high at around £190 inc vat but if you are looking for ultimate performance and want every luxury possible, then this should be right at the top of your shortlist."


ASRock have definitely kicked things up a notch in a big way with this motherboard. It looks to be as good as anything from heavyweights ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI.

Click here to read the full review.

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Cooler Master V6 GT CPU Cooler Reviews

January 25, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


BCCHardware and Tweaknews have posted a review of the high performance Cooler Master V6 GT CPU cooler.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • BCCHardware:

    "The build quality of the V6 GT is very good and exactly what I expected from Cooler Master. Cooler Master is known for producing high quality products and the V6 GT is no different.

    Overall we were happy with the performance of the V6 GT in our testing. At full fan speeds the V6 GT puts up some pretty decent performance numbers, but running the fans at full speed does produce a fair amount of noise and chances are good you probably won't want to leave the fans running at full speed. Even at low speeds the V6 GT was easily able to keep up with our 140 Watt CPU and still offer a decent improvement in cooling over a stock cooling solution."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Tweaknews:

    "Mounting solutions are very robust and easily installed and the overall fit and finish of the V6 GT is excellent. Retailing for around $70 US online, the V6 GT is reasonably priced given the fact that the top-performing cooler in the comparison is more expensive than the GT and comes without fans or lighting effects. Cooler Master's V6 GT can make a big impact in both cooling performance and style, and the savvy user will use their motherboard's PWM BIOS settings to tweak the GT's fans for optimal cooling and acceptable acoustics. You should give Cooler Master's V6 GT due consideration when making your next CPU cooler purchase, just make sure you've got the room and are prepared to tweak it to suit your needs."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is a very well designed and very good performing CPU cooler. It is a bit pricey at $70, but you do get two quality 120mm fans in the package.

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AMD Radeon HD 6950 1GB Launched!

January 25, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the new Radeon HD 6950 1GB graphics card that AMD have just launched today.

Here's what they had to say:

"Even though the choice between the HD 6950 1GB and GTX 560 Ti will likely come down to personal preference, AMD’s new card displays both strengths and weaknesses. At 1920 and 1680 even a slight price premium over its NVIDIA counterpart is simply too much since performance stays neck and neck through every test. Overall power consumption and noise levels are also two areas where the HD 6950 1GB loses out as it seems like removing 1GB of memory had very little impact upon overall efficiency. Also, don’t expect it to reach the absolutely stratospheric overclocks most will be able to attain with the GTX 560.

On the positive side of things, regardless of the similarities in framebuffer size, the HD 6950 1GB has more top-end power than the GTX 560 Ti which allows it to take a commanding lead at extremely high resolutions and image quality settings. Some will correctly argue that sub-$300 graphics cards won’t be used for these types of scenarios but the benefits of AMD’s huge memory bandwidth are undeniable."


In order to compete with the new GeForce GTX 560 Ti that NVIDIA have just launched today, AMD have released this new slightly cut-down version of their well-reviewed HD 6950 2GB, but with an attractive new price tag.

Click here to read the full review.

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Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 BFBC2 Vietnam Edition Review

January 24, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Techgage have posted a review of the Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 BFBC2 Vietnam Edition graphics card, which as its name suggests, comes with a copy of Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam.

Here's what they had to say:

"For even more opinions on this versus debate, I recommend looking back to our Radeon HD 6900 series launch article, because I tackle things to a far greater degree there. Is this card for you? It depends on whether you are interested in paying up to $380 for it, but at least it scales in price like it does performance, so that's not a concern.

This particular model card, including the Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam game, carries a ~$10 price premium, which for all intents and purposes, is well worth it if you like the genre or series. There's even a version of this card at Newegg priced at $390 that also includes an 8GB flash drive - another nice perk if you can take advantage of it."


If you're in the market for a Radeon HD 6970 and also want Bad Company 2: Vietnam, this is obviously the card to get since it carries such a small premium over reference models.

Click here to read the full review.

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MSI E350AI-E45 AMD Fusion Motherboard Review

January 24, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven have posted a review of the brand new MSI E350AI-E45, a Mini-ITX motherboard that is based on the AMD Fusion "Brazos" platform, which features a Fusion APU that combines a CPU and GPU on the same chip.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The AMD E350 and MSI's E350IA-E45 are an impressive debut for the Fusion platform. They combine to provide a system which offers plenty of performance, features, flexibility and connectivity for consumers on a budget. Essentially they allow consumers to do more in less time with a high quality user experience. Should MSI be able to hit the market at an attractive price it will be hard not to recommend a system based on this product."


This seems like a decent product, but I would really want to see it compared against an Intel Clarkdale solution.

Click here to read the full review.

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Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 64GB SSD Reviews

January 24, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix and TechSpot have reviewed two different Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 64GB solid state drives.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • eTeknix: Kingston SSDNow V+ SNVP325-S2 64GB 2.5" SSD Review:

    "The second reason would involve buying a drive manufactured by Kingston, due to their fantastic support and position in the market. As we all know, Kingston are the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products and their values are reflected in their products, just like this SSD that we looked at today.

    The bottom line is, if you are in the market for an SSD to give your system that kick up the backside it deserves, you will find that any of the Kingston SSDs on the market will be suitable for your need. But to get the best performance for your money, you really want to be looking at the V+ Series 64GB!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TechSpot: Kingston SSDNow V+180 SVP180-S2 64GB 1.8" SSD Review:

    "While the SSDNow V+180 64GB shocked us with blistering fast transfer speeds in all three of our file copy tests, application performance varied greatly. The Windows 7 boot time was impressive, beating all budget SSD drives we've tested to date. However, the SSDNow V+180 64GB showed disappointing results when measuring the StarCraft II level load time. Instead of being the fastest budget SSD, the SSDNow V+180 performed the worst in our StarCraft II test, matching the speed of a traditional desktop hard drive."


    Click here to read the full review.

While Kingston's drives aren't the fastest SSDs on the market, they generally offer the best dollar-per-GB value, plus you get Kingston's excellent warranty and customer service.

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Cooler Master HAF 912 Case Reviews

January 24, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


ocaholic and Tweaknews have posted a review of the Cooler Master HAF 912 and HAF 912 Plus mid-tower cases, the latter of which features a black interior and red LED fans.

Here's what they had to say:

  • ocaholic: Cooler Master HAF 912 Plus Case Review:

    "We'd recomment the Cooler Master HAF 921 to gamer who do not have a lot of money for a state of the art gaming case."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Tweaknews: Cooler Master HAF 912 Case Review:

    "Cooler Master's HAF 912 has proven to be a worthy addition to the HAF legacy, providing a budget, mid-tower chassis entry into the series with design elements and features seldom found in its price niche. While users will need to add a fan or two to make it live up to its “High Air Flow” moniker, the 912 is a very able chassis in other respects. Combining a very good interior design, excellent cable management features and a myriad of configuration options for both cooling and storage, the HAF 912 is an excellent choice for a budget conscious enthusiast that prefers the incremental upgrade path to obtaining a top-tier machine."


    Click here to read the full review.

You can find these cases for as low as $50, and they are definitely a good value at that price.

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ASUS Radeon HD 6970 2GB Voltage Tweak Review

January 24, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechREACTION have posted a review of the ASUS Radeon HD 6970 2GB graphics card, which features a slight 10Mhz GPU overclock and Voltage Tweak overclocking capabilities.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The ASUS Radeon HD 6970 had a solid performance in all of the tests that we put it through. It really shines in the stock temperature tests and power consumption tests. Being one of the coolest cards and lowest power consuming cards we have tested so far says a lot for the direction AMD is headed. In the game tests, the 6970 kept the minimum and average FPS at a playable level without any signs of stuttering or trouble."


This card costs about $10 more than reference models, and it's arguably worth it if you plan on overclocking since ASUS' Voltage Tweak capabilities are quite excellent.

Click here to read the full review.

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Samsung FX2490HD 24-inch LED Monitor Review

January 22, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the Samsung FX2490HD, a 24-inch 1080P LED monitor that features an HDTV tuner.

Here's what they had to say:

"Honestly, the FX2490HD feels like it is first and foremost a good HDTV and the PC monitor aspect is a secondary feature. Nonetheless, Samsung has designed this product in such a way that it somehow feels at home in nearly every conceivable environment. It can dub as an excellent gaming platform while putting the PiP feature to good use and really does show off movies to good effect. As long as you are willing and able to spend the time needed to slowly correct all the individual issues (everything from Gamma to R/G/B levels to Lumens) or have access to a colour calibration device you will be more than pleased with it."


This is a good hybrid display, but it's not the best pure computer monitor that you can buy.

Click here to read the full review.

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Thermaltake BlacX 5G USB 3.0 HDD Dock Review

January 22, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Overclockers Online have posted reviews of the new Thermaltake BlacX 5G USB 3.0 hard drive docking station.

Here's what they had to say:

"Really about the only minor knock on the BlacX 5G is the slightly reduced read performance when compared to a direct SATA connection. This minor setback is easily forgotten when you consider the speed increase you get in comparison to USB 2.0.

At first glance a lot of people may not appreciate the usefulness of a hard drive dock, but when you have to access a friend or relatives drive to recover data they are a welcome piece of equipment. Thanks to the latest update to Thermaltake’s BlacX line, the BlacX 5G now utilizes USB 3.0 making it not only handy but fast as well."


If you're in the market for a USB 3.0 hard drive dock, the BlacX 5G seems like a solid option. Having said that, in all the reviews that I have read, I have never seen this unit achieve transfer rates above ~185MB/s.

Click here to read the full review.

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Gaming Mouse Review Roundup - Logitech, Razer, Zowie & More

January 22, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Benchmark Reviews, eTeknix, Hardware Heaven, Hardware Secrets, Rbmods, Techgage, techPowerUp, TechREACTION, and TechwareLabs have reviewed several gaming mice from Cooler Master, Logitech, Mionix, Qpad, Razer, Speedlink, SteelSeries, and Zowie.


Enjoy!

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Kingston HyperX PC3-17066 4GB Memory Kit Review

January 22, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


t-break have posted a review of the high-end Kingston HyperX PC3-17066 4GB memory kit, which features 9-11-9 timings at 1.65V.

Here's what they had to say:

"Ultimately I would say that the Kingston gives amazing overclocked performance and stability with supreme heat management thanks to the T1 heatsinks. With the new Sandy Bridge processors and P67 motherboards out, Kingmax HyperX is no doubt going to be one of the star rams out there."


This product is as good as all the other DDR3-2133 9-11-9 memory kits out there, they are all based on PowerChips ICs.

Click here to read the full review.

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Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 1GB WHDI Edition Review - Wireless HDMI Streaming

January 22, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have posted a review of the one-of-a-kind Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 1GB WHDI Edition graphics card, which features wireless HDMI streaming.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 WHDI graphics card is a truly unique offering that brings uncompressed wireless video your current configuration with an impressive set of features. Using this Galaxy card and the included receiver you can wirelessly connect your PC to an HDTV or even just a standard monitor in another room of your house and still get the same image quality (and sound quality) you would get with the two being directly connected via HDMI or DVI. While 3D gaming and 3D Blu-ray aren't supported yet, the quality of the WHDI technology impressed me while playing games at 1920x1080 and watching Blu-ray at the full 1080p resolution. The obvious limiting factor is the price though and at $500 only the truly hardcore HTPC geeks need apply."


This is some very interesting technology, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing it on more devices.

Click here to read the full review.

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HIS Radeon HD 6850 IceQ X Graphics Card Review

January 21, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru have posted a review of the HIS Radeon HD 6850 IceQ X graphics card, which features an eye-catching cooler and overclocked specifications.

Here's what they had to say:

"The HIS HD6850 ICE Q X is quite possibly the best HD6850 on the market. The appearance is sure to divide opinion, after all you can’t release a semi transparent aqua coloured graphics card and expect everyone to accept it without question. We actually think it looks rather striking and while our first impression was negative, we grew to like the appearance.

The cooler is without question, stellar. It isn’t as quiet as the Sapphire Toxic Edition but HIS have opted for a slightly higher fan speed balance to reduce load temperatures. With a maximum spin of around 47% in the bios, its a good tradeoff to maintain respectable dBa while ensuring the core is adequately cooled, even when overclocked."


Although very highly overclocked, this card actually has identical clock speeds as the MSI OC version, PowerColor PCS+ model, and Sapphire Toxic Edition. All these cards feature custom coolers, so just pick the one that is the most affordable in your area.

Click here to read the full review.

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Corsair Hydro H70 CPU Cooler Review

January 21, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Secrets have posted reviews of the Corsair Hydro H70, a self-contained liquid cooling system with very good cooling performance.

Here's what they had to say:

"The Corsair H70 watercooler did what we expected from it: it overperformed all the air coolers we tested to date.

However, cooling performance is not the only feature one looks when thinking about spending money buying a liquid cooling system. Good watercoolers must offer both performance and silence, and the H70 was not even close to be silent; actually it reached the same noise level as top-performance air coolers."


This is arguably the best all-in-one liquid CPU cooler on the market, but you maybe want to replace the stock fans if you put a premium on silence.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel P67 Motherboard Review Roundup - ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI & More

January 21, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Heaven, Hardware Secrets, iXBT Labs, ocaholic, and t-break have reviewed several Intel P67-based LGA1155 motherboards from ASUS, ASRock, Gigabyte, and MSI.


Enjoy!

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GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 460 Super OverClock Graphics Card Review

January 21, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Funky Kit have posted a review of the GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 460 Super OverClock graphics card, which features a custom cooler and highly overclocked specifications.

Here's what they had to say:

"Armed with an overclocked GPU @ 815Mhz, the Gigabyte Geforce GTX 460 SOC is no doubt one of the fastest GTX 460's out there. What's more, it comes with all of Gigabyte's innovative Ultra Durable VGA features, along with the WindForce x2 cooling solution. If it's performance and features you're after at a price that's fairly attractive, then it's definitely worth considering."


As far as I know, this is the highest clocked GeForce GTX 460 on the market, and it's a terrific overall product.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel D525MW Mini-ITX Motherboard Review

January 21, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


MissingRemote have posted a review of the Intel D525MW, a Mini-ITX motherboard that features an onboard Atom D525 1.80Ghz dual-core processor.

Here's what they had to say:

"The dual core Intel Atom 1.8Ghz processor is more than capable to handle networking and browser based tasks, and the Mini-ITX platform allows for a very small system design. One of the limitations of the board’s layout however is only two SATA ports, so unless you want to add a PCI SATA card, you will be limited by that. This is a bit disappointing but given that 2 terabyte hard drives have dropped under $100 that should provide sufficient storage for an entry level file server."


If you want to build a small, low power file server, this is definitely the motherboard for you.

Click here to read the full review.

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AMD Phenom II X4 840 Quad-Core CPU Review

January 20, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


techPowerUp have reviewed the recently revealed AMD Phenom II X4 840, a $102 quad-core 3.2Ghz processor with no L3 cache.

Here's what they had to say:

"Its price of just $102 is what makes this model such a desirable buy for mainstream and budget computers. Aggressive pricing and Intel who doesn't want to play along with AMD's plans leaves the Phenom II X4 840 together with the rest of Athlon II X4/X3 series the only logical choice for a ~$100 buy. Intel at the moment has nothing on the market that comes close to these processors in terms of price/performance ratio, and until entry-level Sandy Bridge models are shipped in much larger volume it's likely to stay that way. AMD's dominance in the budget market has lasted almost from the introduction of the first Athlon II series and by the looks of it, it's going to continue in the future."


The Phenom II X4 840 is a terrific value at only $102. It's a no-brainer upgrade for anyone who currently has a single-core or dual-core processor in their AM2+/AM3 system.

Click here to read the full review.

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Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000 Full Tower Case Reviews

January 20, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven and ocaholic have reviewed the high-end all-aluminium Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000 'super' full tower case.

Here's what they had to say:

  • HardwareHeaven: Lian Li PC-X2000F Case Review:

    "With its fully aluminium construction the PC-X2000F has a very high level of quality and this is enhanced further by the use of curved edges and precise cutting where appropriate. Lian Li also go to the trouble of adding foam padding to the inside of both sides to reduce noise and there are little touches of quality throughout. These include the use of internal grills and robust cables. We were also pleased to see that each section of the case fits together flawlessly and that the case has a very sturdy feel to it, with a lovely brushed finish."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic: Lian Li PC-X2000FB Case Review:

    "The X2000FB really is one of the most luxurious cases money can by at the moment. What you'll also get is the case with probably the highest build qualitiy out there in the market. The side panel for example are made of two millimeter thick, hairline brushed aluminium panels. Also the hot swap cages and the ergonomics in general aren't matched by now. Furthermore we haven't been able to find something that we would wish Lian Li to change it as soon as possible."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is a 2 year old product now, but wth it is still a unique, great-looking case with a fantastic internal configuration. It remains exquisitely expensive though at $450-500.

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Three-Way ASRock P67 Motherboard Roundup

January 20, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock have tested and compared three Intel P67-based motherboards from ASRock.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Each of these ASRock P67 boards have proven to be feature-rich, innovative, and perhaps most importantly, affordable. The ASRock mantra is to provide creative, cost effective solutions to consumers, and they've done exactly that here with the Transformer, Pro3, and Extreme6. Not simply budget boards, each of these products show ASRock is really moving ahead in the right direction and serving notice to other manufacturers they're in for a fight."


ASRock has made some sizeable improvements in the last 18 months, and there's really no reason not to consider their latest LGA1155 series.

Click here to read the full review.

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SilverStone Air Penetrator 120mm Fan Review

January 20, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks have posted a review of the quiet new Silverstone Air Penetrator SST-AP121, a transparent 120mm fan with a blue LED that spins at 1500RPM and pushes 35 CFM.

Here's what they had to say:

"Overall, the SilverStone Air Penetrator SST-AP121-L is a very good fan. It does exactly what it should, and is pretty feature packed for an LED case fan. Retailing at around $18 at press time, the Silverstone SST-AP121 is a great choice for those a LED fan that performs as well as it looks."


While this is a very quiet fan with great airflow channeling abilities, it just doesn't push enough air to warrant the $20 price tag.

Click here to read the full review.

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Event Report: MSI Master Overclocking Arena 2011 Operation: Las Vegas

January 20, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted an in-depth look at the MSI Master Overclocking Arena (MOA) 2011 Operation: Las Vegas event that was recently held during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Featuring 10 of the best overclocking teams from North and South America, this is MSI's first live overclocking competition in the Americas.

Here's an excerpt:

"After coming second to Team Over the Edge in the Super PI portion, Slave & RomDominance of Team OCAlliance absolutely crushed the competition in the 3DMark 11 competition. With their GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards overclocked to an impressive 1286Mhz GPU Clock/2572Mhz Shader clock/1240Mhz Memory clock, they achieved new single card world records on multiple occasions throughout the evening. As a result, they were able to walk away as the winners of the MSI Master Overclocking Arena 2011 Operation: Las Vegas event. Besides the cash prize (+ free hardware), this duo have won a spot at MSI’s MOA final event in Taiwan later this year."


If you're interested in overclocking competitions, or just overclocking in general, you definitely owe it to yourself to check out this piece.

Click here to read the full article.

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Zalman CNPS9900 MAX CPU Cooler Review

January 19, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


techPowerUp have posted of review of the CNPS9900 MAX, Zalman's highest-end CPU cooler.

Here's what they had to say:

"Zalman's CNPS9900 MAX performs well in keeping idle and load temperatures in check, with performance in league with today's tower-type heatsinks. It scores very high in aesthetics, with its original design, soft-glow fan, and zero-interference with memory, VRM, and northbridge areas of the motherboard.

There are two areas in which the CNPS9900 MAX fumbled, and how. First, while the fan does look good and nested within the cooler, it sure is loud at max speed. While it's not a high-pitched noise, which is more irritating, any noise is bad for some. Second, at $79.99, it's overpriced. While I can understand that since copper is a more expensive material, and since this is a 100% copper heatsink, it's priced that way, the performance does not warrant it. Perhaps a price-range between $59.99 to $69.99 would cut it."


This cooler looks great, but frankly it is way too pricey for its own good, especially considering its merely decent cooling performance.

Click here to read the full review.

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SilverStone Sugo SG07 Mini ITX Case Review

January 19, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix have reviewed the impressive SilverStone Sugo SG07, a high-end Mini ITX case that comes with a 600W power supply.

Here's what they had to say:

"The extreme ventilation means that airflow isn’t hindered in any shape or form and the stock cooling does the job perfectly with a nice transfer of cool air coming in as warm air is exhausted out of the sides.

Another nice feature is that this case can house some of the longest graphics cards on the market, such as the extreme dual graphics beast from AMD; the 5970 which shows that this case really is bigger on the inside. Doctor Who will be pleased!

The only thing that we would have liked to have seen was a modular power supply, but all of the cables that you’d need are there and ready to use and obviously extenders can be bought if any other connectors are needed, but it seems that Silverstone have anticipated the types of components a typical user will have installed."


This is the best Mini ITX case on the market, by far. It is the perfect case to house the excellent Gigabyte H55N-USB3 motherboard, or any of the new Intel H67-based Mini ITX models.

Click here to read the full review.

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Gaming Keyboard Review Roundup - Razer, Thermaltake, Zowie

January 19, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Benchmark Reviews, Hardware Secrets, Rbmods, and t-break have reviewed a few gaming keyboards from Razer, Thermaltake, and Zowie.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Benchmark Reviews: Thermaltake Challenger Pro Gaming Keyboard Review:

    "Performance is good and there is no cause for complaint, the keyboard does not make you a better gamer but the red keys will help those who may be new to PC gaming to find their way around a keyboard.

    The appearance of the Challenger Pro is going to get mixed ratings, due to the graphical nature of this review you can easily make up your own mind. The Challenger Pro is following the tried and tested red and black gaming theme that is always popular with the masses, Thermaltake have managed to pull it off and have designed a very aesthetically pleasing keyboard. You can control the lighting which is handy for when the novelty wears off."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Benchmark Reviews: Thermaltake eSports MEKA G1 Keyboard Review:

    "The MEKA G1 will set you back $139.99 (MSRP). This is a lot for a gaming keyboard, but let's not forget that the MEKA G1 is a mechanical keyboard at heart and will likely outlast most if not all of your current system. The gaming related features of the MEKA G1 are anti-ghosting, quick response keys and the omission of the windows key on the left of the space bar. It hasn't made a great deal of difference to my game but I only play FPS, and it is also a damn good keyboard to type on. The MEKA G1 is competing for your cash with the SteelSeries 7G, it has all the same features and is slightly more compact, it takes up less real estate and undercuts it by $10. The real difference will be your personal preference on looks."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: Thermaltake Challenger Pro Keyboard Review:

    "While gaming, we only had a major complain concerning key proximity. We missed the ESC a couple of times, hitting the T1 instead, and Caps Lock always seemed to get in the way of typing A in a chat box. At least the programmable buttons keep a healthy distance among themselves and there was no confusion hitting them. The overall sturdiness of the keys made for some nice gaming.

    While trying to create a not-so-big gaming keyboard, Thermaltake made a mistake concerning the dimensions of the keys. Perhaps if they were not so concerned creating a superfluous gimmick like the hand cooling fan and instead focused on other aspects, it would result in a better product. We keep our praises only to the deluxe presentation and the simple and effective configuration software."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Rbmods: Zowie Celeritas Gaming Keyboard Review:

    "I have been using this keyboard for a few days now and I normally type on a "natural" design keyboard so I'm not used to typing on a straight "normal" keyboard. I have to admit though it did not take me long to learn to type on this keyboard and I can confidently say that I feel very comfortable with it.

    If this keyboard was available in a ergonomic natural design I would swap my old Microsoft out in a second. I have also played a bit with this keyboard and found it to be a very sensitive device which reacts instantly when you push down the key.

    The only flaw that I have found is that keys are a tad to loud, although I have got used to it now so it doesn't bother me to much but for a new owner the noise might annoy you at first."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • t-break: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard Review:

    "In closing, all I’ll say about the BlackWidow Ultimate is that it is one of the best gaming keyboards out in the market. It may not have as many features as say the Logitech G19 does, but the way it feels is literally better than any other gaming keyboard out there. If you can live with some of its irritations which you will need some time to get used, you will absolutely fall in love with the BlackWidow Ultimate as both a gaming keyboard and something to type on."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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ASUS Maximus IV Extreme LGA1155 Motherboard Review

January 19, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechREACTION have posted part 2 of their review of the ASUS Maximus IV Extreme LGA1155 motherboard. In this article, they test the clock-for-clock performance of this new platform as well as how it performs with multiple graphics card.

Here's what they had to say:

"If you are considering this platform, you are reading this article because you’re interested in the best. We have run the gamut with this platform now, and throughout all testing the Maximus IV Extreme has held up flawlessly. It’s very stable, the new UEFI BIOS interface is easy to navigate, easy to use and very polished for such a new product. This is a complete about-face from my personal experience with my last ROG product (the Rampage II Extreme), which was very immature and problematic upon initial release. Bravo to Asus for getting this one right on day 1! In the first review, we pointed out a few negative points about the board, but after having used it for a few weeks, we can hardly remember what they were. That’s the way a top end board should be, and that’s what the Maximus IV Extreme is."


This is article is definitely worth a read even if you aren't considering the high-end ASUS Maximus IV Extreme motherboard.

Click here to read the full review.

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NZXT Bunker USB Locking Device Reviews

January 19, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


OCIA and Overclockers Online have posted a review of the recently introduced NZXT Bunker, a 5.25" drive bay with 4 USB ports that has a key locking feature.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • OCIA:

    "The NZXT Bunker is a handy USB security device for any user who takes their computer to LAN events, conventions, school or any other public area where peripheral theft is a concern. Requiring only a 5¼" external drive bay and internal USB 2.0 header, the Bunker offers practically universal compatibility with just about any system in use today. Its simple design is easy to use and the inclusion of 20 different lock combinations reduces the risk that someone elses Bunker key will happen to match yours. The unit can accommodate cable connectors or other USB devices up to 1.6" in length."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Overclockers Online:

    "NZXT’s Bunker is one of those devices that is a simple and great idea and makes you wonder why you haven’t seen it before. It makes it quick and simple to secure your USB peripherals without having to open up your case for access. The included 20 Key lock system prevents someone else with a Bunker from unlocking yours.

    Unfortunately there is not enough clearance behind the locked door to secure most USB flash drives making the Bunker more suited to mice, keyboards and headsets."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is a worthwhile method of protecting your USB devices if you go to LAN parties often.

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EVGA Geforce GTX 570 Superclocked Review

January 18, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the EVGA Geforce GTX 570 Superclocked graphics card, which features a stock cooler but a 10% overclock over the reference design.

Here's what they had to say:

"What EVGA has done is once again taken a winning formula and has made it better in literally every way possible. The increase in clock speeds is higher than we have come to expect from previous Superclocked editions which is definitely a step in the right direction. The associated performance bump won’t turn any heads, nor will it noticeably change in-game experiences but when paired up with a lifetime warranty, the $20 difference between this card and plain Jane reference versions is money well spent.

One thing we will recommend however is you take a close look at the product number attached to any EVGA card you buy. At this point, it seems retailers are selling both the TR and AR branded GTX 570 Superclocked for similar prices even though warranty lengths vary for both. If you look around though, finding the lifetime warranty packing AR product for less than the TR with its 3-year warranty shouldn’t pose any problem at all."


After the Palit Sonic Platinum Edition, this EVGA Superclocked is the second fastest GeForce GTX 570 on the market.

Click here to read the full review.

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Corsair Vengeance 12GB DDR3-1600 Memory Kit Review

January 18, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock have posted a review of the new Corsair Vengeance 12GB DDR3-1600 memory kit, which features 9-9-9-24 timings at 1.5V.

Here's what they had to say:

"Based on our experience we can say that overclocking 12GB with only three modules of memory installed is much easier than using six modules. So this 12GB Vengeance kit definitely offers more flexibility of adding more memory in the future, but also brings better overclock results as well. The Vengeance line doesn't run quite as fast as Corsair's Dominator series, but the price isn't as high either. This Vengeance kit costs only $200 at the time of this review, which is about the least expensive kit we could find in this configuration and speed."


This is an excellent 12GB DDR3 memory kit, and although you are paying a small 'Corsair premium' it's worth it in my opinion since they overclock very well.

Click here to read the full review.

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Logitech K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard Review

January 18, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


X-bit Labs have posted a review of the popular Logitech K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard.

Here's what they had to say:

"Thus, the most serious downside of the Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is actually its price. All that scissor-switch mechanics, superb backlight and splendid ergonomics cost about $100. This is the official price tag from Logitech. And it may be considered quite steep for a keyboard. On the other hand, the K800 is not a mass product and has virtually no competitors.

Being in fact unique, this product will suit every user who often works with text and needs a reliable keyboard with scissor-switch mechanics, wireless interface and high-quality backlight."


If you are in the market for a wireless keyboard, the K800 should absolutely be at the very top of your list.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel H67 LGA1155 Motherboard Reviews - ECS, Gigabyte, Zotac

January 18, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Funky Kit and HardwareHeaven have reviewed a few Intel H67-based LGA1155 motherboards from ECS, Gigabyte, and Zotac.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Funky Kit: Gigabyte H67MA-UD2H Motherboard:

    " I have now problems whatsoever in recommending the Gigabyte H67MA-UD2H. It's absolutely feature packed and offers a wealth of extra features that make this micro-ATX motherboard utterly irresistable. Whether you're a HTPC or media PC users, or even a LAN party goer, the Gigabyte H67MA-UD2H has everything you need to build a system that offers decent performance with a wide range of video outputs."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit: Zotac H67-ITX WiFi Motherboard:

    "This has got to be one of the most interesting motherboards we've tested in our labs. I can't imagine how someone (or company) can cram so much into such as small motherboard. The Zotac H67-ITX WiFi is absolutely feature-packed, it supports all of Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors and comes with built-in WiFi. If you're after a mini-ITX motherboard for your projects, custom builds, HTPC and media PC users ... then look now further, the Zotac H67-ITX WiFi is your answer."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • HardwareHeaven: ECS H67H2-M Black Deluxe and H67H2-I Mini-ITX Motherboards Review:

    "The ECS H67H2-M and H67H2-I offer consumers an attractively priced entry into the new H67/2nd Generation Core platform. Up to date technologies such as SATA 3 and USB 3 are fully supported and performance is in line with Intel's own motherboards. The H67H2-I is particularly impressive as it gives us full desktop performance in a mini ITX form factor."


    Click here to read the full review.

If you want to use the IGP in 'Sandy Bridge' LGA1155 processors you need an H67 motherboard since P67 boards don't have video outputs, or you can wait until the Z68 chipset, which will combine the overclocking capabilities of P67 with the display capabilities of H67.

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NZXT Sentry LXE External Touchscreen Fan Controller Reviews

January 18, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Overclockers Online and PureOverclock have reviewed the impressive NZXT Sentry LXE, a fancy external touchscreen fan controller.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Overclockers Online:

    "Advertised as a “high performance touch screen fan controller”, the NZXT Sentry LXE does not disappoint. Supporting up to five fans and the ability to monitor the temperature at five locations, it is a powerful device that literally puts control at your fingertips. The external touchscreen looks good and exudes a very high-tech feel. It is intuitive to use and does what it is supposed to do and does it very well. Its stylish looks are also a plus."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock:

    "The NZXT Sentry LXE sells for $60 USD which is a fair price considering all of the features and build quality in this unit. NZXT is offering a fan controller that is versatile and informative, and if you are in the market for an external fan controller that does a very good job for a fair price the NZXT Sentry LXE deserves your attention."


    Click here to read the full review.

This product is a pretty good value at $60, but only if you have space for the external display on or around your desk.

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Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler Reviews

January 18, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


BCCHardware and Overclockers Online have reviewed the new high-end downdraft-style Noctua NH-C14 CPU cooler, which features two 140mm fans.

Here's what they had to say:

  • BCCHardware:

    "At the end of the day the Noctua NH-C14 scored very well in our testing thanks to its good performance and low noise. The NH-C14 is a nice choice if you don't have much room inside your case and when compared to other "lower profile" coolers the NH-C14 is easily one of the best. Thanks to the performance and low noise the Noctua NH-C14 has earned our "Editor's Choice - Gold" award. If you are in the market for a low profile cooler make sure to give the Noctua NH-C14 some serious consideration."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Overclockers Online:

    "Noctua continues to broaden their range of coolers to meet differing needs. The NH-C14Œs dual fan design allows you to adapt it to your needs should you have restrictions for height in either your case or on your motherboard. It utilizes the secuFirm2 mounting system which makes installation a breeze on even such a large cooler. As we have come to expect the NH-C14 contains top notch quality and cooling as we have come to expect from Noctua."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is the best downdraft-style heatsink on the market, but it is quite expensive at $90.

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Zotac GeForce GTX 580 AMP! Edition Review

January 18, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


t-break and techPowerUp have posted a review of the Zotac GeForce GTX 580 AMP! Edition graphics card, which features a reference cooler and a slight overclock.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • t-break:

    "That’s a roughly 6% performance increase over the stock GTX 580 while the AMP! Edition is overclocked. So at stock speeds, we see a 4% performance increase over a 5.6% price hike, while the overclocked speeds just about match the price/performance ratio of the GTX 580 AMP! Edition compared to the vanilla card. Not a compelling sell to be honest, perhaps a better cooler would’ve been better had it allowed for further overclocking, but at these speeds, you be the judge."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp:

    "ZOTAC's GeForce GTX 580 AMP! Edition does not bring many improvements to the table. The card is a complete implementation of NVIDIA's reference design with higher clocks. Its increased clock speed of 815 MHz, vs. 772 MHz on the reference design, can deliver a small performance improvement in our benchmarks - up around 3%. If you are willing to do some additional overclocking then you can expect a higher clock headroom on the AMP! Edition than on other reference design cards. According to ZOTAC, some special binning is performed at the factory where GPUs are picked that can handle the highest clocks. Compared to other reference designs, which max out at around 830 MHz, the 895 MHz on the AMP! Edition are a good improvement."


    Click here to read the full review.

This AMP! Edition is the second fastest GeForce GTX 580 on the market, but it is slightly more expensive than the faster MSI OC Edition, which has much higher memory clocks.

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Zalman CNPS8000A CPU Cooler Review

January 17, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechREACTION have posted a review of the budget-friendly Zalman CNPS8000A, which is a downdraft-style heatsink with a 92mm fan.

Here's what they had to say:

"The Zalman CNPS8000A did not particularly impress me with it’s cooling capability, nor did it sorely disappoint. At the time of writing, this cooler is currently on sale at newegg for $37.99, and for that price I would expect slightly better cooling capacity. However, it is an all-in-one design, so no additional expenses are required, and the TIM provided (while not quite as good as the MX-4 used for my testing) is decent enough to negate the need for an upgrade. The cooler may look small, but as I found in my installation process, it’s bigger than it looks, so please verify that you have clearance before committing to this unit."


If you need a low profile CPU cooler, the CNPS8000A is about as good as you're going to find for $38.

Click here to read the full review.
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 SLI Performance Review

January 17, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


X-bit Labs have tested two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1280MB graphics cards in SLI configuration.

Here's what they had to say:

"The performance scalability relative to the single GTX 570 card is 69% on average, but the overall number if spoiled by Fallout: New Vegas and 3DMark11. In some games the SLI scalability is actually as high as 90 to 100%. The notorious Crysis Warhead is the only game the GeForce GTX 570 SLI tandem could not make playable at 2560x1600. So, this SLI configuration is indeed extremely fast but we don't know if the hypothetic dual-chip GeForce GTX 590 is going to have the same specs and if it will be competitive to a Radeon HD 6970 CrossFire tandem or to the upcoming Radeon HD 6990."


If you have $700 to blow on a very high-end graphics card setup, dual GeForce GTX 570's is definitely where it's at.

Click here to read the full review.

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650W-900W Power Supply Review Roundup

January 17, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix, Hardware Secrets, KitGuru, and PC Perspective have reviewed a few 650W to 900W power supplies from Antec, NZXT, Seasonic, SilverStone, Thermaltake, XFX, and Zalman.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • eTeknix: Thermaltake ToughPower XT 775W Power Supply Review:

    "Couple the unique styling with some unique features, including the S.P.T LED indicators and fan delay cool down system; it leaves the unit packing quite a hefty punch on paper. Testing in the real world gave us clarification that the paper didn’t lie and we also found that the PSU performed superbly in our testing giving clear stable results across all rails."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • eTeknix: XFX 850W Black Edition Modular Power Supply Review:

    "The next thing that I have to comment on is the performance, as this power supply really gave us some fantastic results across all rails with even some of the most extreme and latest components on the marketing being tested with it.

    In our opinion, you’d be hard pushed to find a better power supply with as good styling and performance as this for cheaper. Bundle all of that with XFX’s fantastic customer service and Black edition benefits you’d be silly to not look at buying one of these units."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: Seasonic X-Series 850W Power Supply Review:

    "Like all other X-Series units from Seasonic we’ve reviewed so far, the X-Series 850 W power supply is an impressive product, with extremely high efficiency (above 90%), 3% voltage regulation (i.e., voltages closer to their nominal value than necessary), and extremely low noise and ripple levels. On top of that, due to its highly overspec’ed components, we could easily pull 1,000 W from it."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: XFX PRO 650W Power Supply Review:

    "The highlights of the PRO 650 W include efficiency between 82% and 85% at high temperatures (several 80 Plus Bronze power supplies we review fail to deliver 82% minimum efficiency at high temperatures, which fortunately isn’t the case with the reviewed product), very tight 3% voltage regulation (i.e., voltages closer to their nominal values than necessary), ultra low noise and ripple levels, five-year warranty, and a terrific number of cables and connectors for a 650 W power supply (four video card power connectors and eight SATA power connectors)."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: Zalman ZM850-HP Plus Power Supply Review:

    "The new Zalman ZM850-HP Plus disappointed us. It failed our tests by presenting a voltage below the minimum allowed on its +3.3 V output. On the other hand, noise and ripple levels were always low.

    Efficiency was between 82.6% and 86.9%, which is the second problem with this power supply: at full load it can’t deliver its promised efficiency (85%) at real-world temperatures (it achieved 82.6% at 46.1º C during our 850 W test). This shouldn’t be taken so seriously we’ve seen this happening all the time."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru: Antec High Current Gamer 900W Power Supply Review:

    "When we reviewed the Gold certified £160 Antec Pro Gamer 850W last month, we received many emails asking us to review the lower range 80 Plus Bronze High Current Gamer model. For £60 less the 900W High Current Gamer offers a tempting solution, because while efficiency and cabling are compromised a little, in all other areas it is an excellent performer.

    AC ripple suppression for instance is almost class leading and unless you really drive it hard, you will be hard pressed to notice any fan ambient noise distractions."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru: NZXT HALE90 750W Power Supply Review:

    "Efficiency is stellar, achieving a maximum rating just shy of 92 percent at around 50 percent load. Ripple suppression is well within the rated guidelines. Our results indicate a maximum load +12v figure of around 40mV with both +3.3V and +5V peaking around 20mV. Not quite as good as current class leading products, but certainly better than the majority of designs flooding the market."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PC Perspective: SilverStone Strider Plus 850W Power Supply Review:

    "The SilverStone Strider Plus 850W power supply delivers clean DC outputs with good efficiency and excellent voltage regulation. Under normal operating conditions the Strider Plus 850W PSU is very quiet. The Strider comes with a good assortment of all-modular cables that can support the latest CPUs and multiple, high-end video cards along with active PFC and universal AC input. My only minor complaint is the 3-year warranty period."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Intel 'Sandy Bridge' LGA1155 CPU Reviews

January 17, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Futurelooks and X-bit Labs have posted their slightly late reviews of Intel's new 'Sandy Bridge' LGA1155 Core i3/i5/i7-2000 series processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Futurelooks: Intel Next Generation Core i5-2500K and i7-2600K “Sandy Bridge” Processors Reviewed:

    "The bottom line here is that Sandy Bridge is worth the upgrade if you’re sitting there on a Core 2 based system. Performance is great, power consumption continues to drop especially if you’re on a laptop, and fully featured chipsets support it. The quad core 8-thread Sandy Bridge laptop I beheld near Intel HQ provided four hours of battery life while encoding some video. Try that on Core i7-700QM.

    Pricing is very aggressive for desktops especially for the K SKUs which carry the more aggressive IGP and full unlocked features. At prices starting under $300 USD, that extra performance is worth the cost. If you’re still on Core 2 and have been saving your money for something new, this is the new you’ve been waiting for. Current Core i5 and i7 users could hang tight for just a little while longer."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs: Intel Core i5-2500, Core i5-2400 and Core i5-2300 CPU Review:

    "So, if we are talking about absolute performance, today’s Sandy Bridge processors cannot claim to be the fastest CPUs with x86 microarchitecture. Six-core Gulftown processors are still undefeated performance leaders and will remain in this position at least until the end of this year when Intel refreshes their LGA1366 platform and finishes Sandy Bridge processors with more than four cores inside.

    As for the mainstream price segment, Sandy Bridge processors have no competitors here. They knock out all hit CPUs that were considered a great buy in 2010. For example, Core i5-2500 is about 30% faster on average than Core i5-760, and in some applications this advantages increases to 50%. Moreover, this significant performance increase is accompanied by a noticeable lowering of the power consumption, which dropped by 10-12%. No wonder that the new Core i5 can easily compete not only against the previous generation products, but also against the quad-core Core i7 of 2010."


    Click here to read the full review.

If you are building a brand new system from scratch, the Sandy Bridge platform is absolutely the way to go. However, make sure you choose a K-series chip if you plan on doing any overclocking.

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Cyborg R.A.T 3 Gaming Mouse Reviews

January 17, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Kitguru and t-break have reviewed the new Cyborg R.A.T 3 gaming mouse.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Kitguru:

    "The R.A.T.3 is the lesser of the two mice, specifically in the area of manual adjustment. While you can adjust the DPI settings to suit your sensitivity requirements there are no physical chassis changes possible, so you are stuck with the weight and shape. For me, the mouse feels a little small and light, but passing it around a gaming clan for a week proved that I was in the minority. I was told by the clan that I had rather large hands, so I would just offer a little caution to the prospective audience in the same size category as myself.

    At £35 inc vat in the UK ($49.99 US), this is a high value for money product, with a fantastic laser engine offering fine levels of adjustment and tracking excellence."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • t-break:

    "In conclusion, while the Cyborg R.A.T 3 is a great looking mouse, with beautiful cuts and striking visual presence, I found its gaming performance average at best, with the sensor running a little faster than usual. For $49.99, the R.A.T 3 is great mouse if you want bragging rights, and do not expect extreme precision for your gaming needs. For those high-end users, it would be interesting to see how the Cyborg R.A.T 7 and Cyborg R.A.T 9 stack up in our reviews."


    Click here to read the full review.

While the R.A.T 3 doesn't necessarily distinguish itself from the pack, check out the vastly superior Cyborg R.A.T 7.

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ASUS RoG Maximus IV Extreme LGA1155 Motherboard Review

January 13, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven have posted a review of the enthusiast-oriented ASUS RoG Maximus IV Extreme, an Intel P67 Express based LGA1155 motherboard designed for the new Intel 'Sandy Bridge' processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

"As noted in the review ASUS have also ensured that we get all of the features we would expect from their RoG family, such as more PCIe lanes, support for DDR3-2000+, enhanced power design and then of course there are eight on-board USB 3.0 ports with two more available on the front panel... and four SATA 6GB/s connectors. All of these combine to give a board which doesn't disappoint on any level and frequently manages to squeeze a little extra performance out of every component installed on it. A particular highlight was the CrossFire test where the enhanced PCIe configuration of the Maximus board allowed it to perform noticeably higher than a standard P67 board.

We were also hugely impressed by ASUS implementation of the EFI based BIOS which looks great, is simple to use and really does enhance the user experience."


This is obviously the highest-end P67 motherboard on the market right now, and frankly I don't expect it to get overshadowed anytime soon.

Click here to read the full review.

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Seagate Momentus XT 500GB Hard Drive Review

January 13, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have reviewed the innovative Seagate Momentus XT, a 2.5" hybrid 500GB hard drive with a 4GB SLC NAND chip on the drive's PCB.

Here's what they had to say:

"The performance numbers we saw in testing were interesting to say the least since synthetic tests really don’t do this drive any justice. Where it really takes a step away from the pack is in the all-important real world tests. In every application we tested, Seagate’s hybrid drive simply demolished the competition.

With that being said, there are a few caveats worth pointing out here. Under certain circumstances Seagate’s technology can boost the read speeds into the stratosphere but it simply can’t do it for every single file on the drive. To be blunt, 4GB of NAND – even high quality SLC NAND – is simply not enough. Today’s systems have huge storage requirements it would have been great to see at least 16GB for caching often-used files. In addition, the Adaptive Memory Technology doesn’t boost write speeds since the onboard NAND is purposely removed from the equation. It also needs time to learn usage habits so the differences between the XT and a standard hard drive may not be readily apparent from the get-go."


This is a very interesting product, and the on-board 4GB SSD does reveal itself useful in a few workloads, but it's over 50% more expensive than the Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB, which is quite fast in its own right.

Click here to read the full review.

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Sennheiser PC 333D G4ME Gaming Headset Review

January 13, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven have posted a review of the Sennheiser PC 333D G4ME gaming headset.

Here's what they had to say:

"Sennheiser have also been able to balance the performance aspects of the headset very well and one of the highlights was the microphone. Even in a less than ideal environment it still provided us with low background noise levels and clear communications. For movies, music and gaming the PC 333D may be a little over half the price of the PC 360 but it is by no means half the quality. The sound quality experienced throughout our testing was great for a headset in this price range, very much class leading. The PC 360 benefits from additional clarity in the high end and more powerful bass but every other aspect of the PC 333D thoroughly impresses and in 7.1 mode it really does change the way we play games as sounds come naturally from different angles. This is especially useful in first person shooters or survival horror games as it is much harder for characters or opponents to sneak up on us."


This seems like a very good gaming headset, but you definitely want to compare it against the Corsair HS1.

Click here to read the full review.

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3R System L-600 V.REX Jr. Case Review

January 13, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Secrets have posted a review of the unusually-named 3R System L-600 V.REX Jr. mid-tower case.

Here's what they had to say:

"The 3R System L-600 V.REX Jr. is clearly targeted to users on budget that want a nice-looking case with lots of options usually only seen on more expensive models. The L-600 is a no-brainer if you fall in this category – and can find it for sale in your country."


This certainly isn't the most attractive case in the world, but for $60 it does come with some fairly high-end features like USB 3.0 ports, air filters, and fan controllers.

Click here to read the full review.

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OCZ RevoDrive X2 480GB SSD PCI-E Card Review

January 13, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


ocaholic have reviewed the enthusiast-oriented OCZ RevoDrive X2 480GB, a larger higher performance version of the original RevoDrive.

Here's what they had to say:

"When reading 128 KByte blocks there was a peak in throughput performance of an astonishing 933 MByte/s. On average sequential write and read performance are 671 MByte/s and 812 MByte/s. Therefore you can more or less believe the specs OCZ provides. Regarding random write and read processes the picture looks a bit different. At this point you can clearly see the influence of the RAID0 configuration. With a junk size of 128K we expectedly saw a peak in performance when testing 128 Kbyte block size. But as soon as one starts looking at 4K or 16K results you see the negative effect the quite relatively large junk size has. In these two tests the Revo Drive X2 should show significantly higher numbers because 40'000 IOPS are only a third of what OCZ writes in their specifications. The same applies to the 10'800 IOPS when performing random read actions."


While this is obviously a very high performance storage solution, there are brand new SATA 6Gb/s SSDs on the horizon that will blow away the RevoDrive X2 in RAID 0.

Click here to read the full review.

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G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-2000 8GB Memory Kit Review

January 12, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of a G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-2000 8GB memory kit, model F3-16000CL9D-8GBRM, which features 9-10-9 timings at 1.55V.

Here's what they had to say:

"The combination of appropriate cooling, solid overclocking ability that spreads out over a range of timing sets, DDR3-2000 spec with only 1.55v, and a price tag that is actually quite reasonable makes the G.Skill F3-16000CL9D-8GBRM Ripjaws a very attractive 2x4GB kit of memory for Intel P55 users in our opinion. The stated reasons above also allow us to give this kit our Hardware Canucks Dam Good award."


This is the cheapest enthusiast-oriented 8GB DDR3 memory kit on the market right now, and it's a great choice for those who want a lot of RAM but don't want to give up anything on the clock speed front.

Click here to read the full review.

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Razer Nostromo Gaming Keypad Reviews

January 12, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


BCCHardware and t-break have reviewed the Razer Nostromo gaming keypad.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • BCCHardware: Razer Nostromo n52te Gamers Keypad Review:

    "I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about the Razer Nostromo n52te. I've been a keyboard gamer for many years and to change something as natural and normal as a keyboard for something a little different is quite a change. The design of the Nostromo has always been ergonomic and they haven't changed that with the latest version - thankfully. The keyboard layout feels quite natural but my only complaint is that there is not a top row of keys above the WASD replacements. I'm used to switching weapons and items with the number keys, but there are none. Once you get used to the side D-Pad, you will find out that this greatly improves your gameplay if you map the directions to specific key-presses.

    In the end, I was very impressed with the Nostromo and found it to be a great purchase. I picked it up for $39.99 on sale so I didn't have much to lose and in fact, I believe I gained quite an edge in some of my favorite games."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • t-break: Razer Nostromo Gaming Keypad Review:

    "After using the Nostromo for a while, I found myself realizing how entirely pointless it is for a first person shooters. Considering for a fact that the 16 keys represent the WASD side of the keyboard, they are the absolute set of keys that cannot be rebind because they all have their set role to play in a FPS. The Nostromo provides me no additional benefit – I can always rebind keys in-game.

    However, the Nostromo is a god-bless for those who play MMOs and RTSes. The configurable keys and the 8 keymaps that can be switched on-the-fly will prove to be a massive boon in games like World of Warcraft were items and spells have to be equipped quickly and immediately."


    Click here to read the full review.

The Nostromo is a product that caters to hardcore gamers, and it can be great for those who are willing to take the time to integrated it into their gaming sessions.

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Arctic Cooling Arctic Sound P311/P321/P531 Headsets Reviews

January 12, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Rbmods, t-break, and Viperlair have reviewed three of Arctic Cooling's Arctic Sound headsets, namely the P311, P321, and P531.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Rbmods: Arctic Cooling P321 Headset Review:

    "Well where should I start... the headphone sound quality suprised me which is a good thing. When it comes to the quality of the headset though it feels like a plastic toy, although it's nice that it doesn't weigh anything on the head, you however can feel that they did not think quality when they put these together.

    They feel flimsy and like they could break any time when you play around with them. The headphones won't cover your ears which is a problem since they lean on your ears and with less than adequate padding they start hurting after awhile.

    Overall though you get a pretty decent sound quality from this 43$ headset."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • t-break: Arctic Sound P311 Bluetooth Stereo Headset Review:

    "For a headset as small and fragile-feeling as the P311, the sound quality was quite a surprise. I have used them for podcasts, music, games and to watch movies and have come to appreciate the full sound and excellent noise cancelling (though the latter may not be a good thing when on the drive). Of course, you will have to lower your standards as it cannot compete with proper specialized headphones, but in its class and it delivers superbly. The only complaint I have is that the sound crackles at max volume but unless you are trying to drown out cribbing wife or whiny kids, you shouldn’t max it anyway. It causes terrible headaches.

    Call quality was a different matter, however. There is sufficient background hiss and makes the voice quality sound botchy, especially in a noisy place."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Viperlair: Arctic Cooling P531 Headphones Review:

    "My first thought when I heard the Arctic Cooling P531 Headphones for the first time was that they sounded a little hollow, but I eventually managed to tweak the EQ in the software and found that the resultant sound was really good.

    As someone who wears glasses, I found the small cup size meant they pushed the arms into the side of my head uncomfortably, but any non glasses wearing user won't have an issue. Even after extended periods, the Arctic Cooling P531 Headphones remained comfortable, as long as I kept the arms of my glasses above my ear lobes.

    The controller is quickly learned, and with the overall volume being a rocker switch, it's easy enough to distinguish from the other controls. The blinking blue light, soft and gentle as it is, is very annoying though."


    Click here to read the full review.

Much to everyone's surprise, Arctic Cooling have actually managed to create a very competent line of headsets which not only sound good but are also quite affordable.

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Antec High Current Pro 1200W Power Supply Review

January 12, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have posted a review of the new Antec High Current Pro 1200W 80PLUS Gold certified power supply.

Here's what they had to say:

"Antec continues to raise the bar with the introduction of their new High Current Pro series power supplies. The HCP-1200 has excellent voltage regulation, very clean DC outputs, and operates very efficiently and quietly. Antec includes a good compliment of both fixed and modular cables/connectors and backs the HCP-1200 with a 5-year warranty. If you are looking for a high-quality, high-output PSU, this one will be hard to beat. Highly recommended!"


This absolutely seems like a top-notch 1200W power supply, but I'm not yet sure whether it is better than Corsair's awe-inspiring AX1200.

Click here to read the full review.

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Silverstone Raven 2 Evolution Case Reviews

January 12, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Benchmark Reviews and TechSpot have posted a review of the Silverstone Raven 2 Evolution mid-tower case, which is effectively a more compact version of the original Raven 2.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Benchmark Reviews:

    "At this price, the Silverstone Raven 2 Evolution case with all of its features is a hard case to pass up. Silverstone really pulled out all the stops providing a well-built case with unique design and superior cooling characteristics. At the same time, they also included three of their revolutionary 180mm Air Penetrator fans, and up to five hot swap drive bays. All of these add up to a case that brings together many great features for a decent price. This case is on my list of great cases I have worked with, and I will definitely be recommending it for years to come."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TechSpot:

    "Like the original, the Silverstone Raven 2 Evolution (RV02-E) looks astonishing, and although the design is over a year old now, it's still very modern. Its improved cooling setup moves an incredible amount of air while creating very little noise. However, the best part is its new price.

    While most would expect the RV02-E to cost a tad more than the original RV01, this is not the case. At $180 the Raven 2 Evolution is over 20% cheaper than the RV01 and that's admittedly a more typical price for such a high-end computer case.

    By comparison, the Cooler Master HAF X costs $200 and the Raven 2 Evolution stacks up very well in our opinion. That's saying a lot considering the HAF X is one of our favorite full tower chassis. Besides the Kublai, the Raven 2 Evolution is actually Silverstone's most affordable full tower."


    Click here to read the full review.

If you liked the original Raven 2, you will like the Raven 2 Evolution. This very interesting case has gotten a bit smaller, a bit lighter, and a bit cheaper. All good things, A+.

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Post-CES 2011 Coverage

January 11, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011 officially ended on the 9th, but a few interesting articles and video clips have continued to trickle in.

Here is the final coverage for this year's CES event:


That's it for this year's CES coverage, hope you have enjoyed it!

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Cooler Master CM Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse Reviews

January 11, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven and KitGuru have posted a review of the new Cooler Master CM Storm Spawn gaming mouse.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • HardwareHeaven:

    "The CM Storm Spawn gaming mouse is a very solid product. While perhaps not having all the bells and whistles of more expensive gaming mice the Spawn delivers on robustness and style. With the on-board memory allowing us to save our preferred settings we can certainly see that using this mouse at a LAN event would be an ideal option.

    The bold styling on the Spawn will certainly make us stand out in the crowd and its solid design and tough rubberised grip make it an ideal mouse to use out in the world away from the safety of our desk at home. With a minimum guarantee of 5 million clicks the Spawn is certainly going to provide even the most avid gamer with a long life-span."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru:

    "All told, the Cooler Master Storm Spawn is a solid contender in the market, boasting impressive performance in a well-built package. The only issues that some users may face are involving the macro software which we hope will be fixed by the time the product hits the market. Also, the red and black finish may not be to all gamers’ taste even though we love it!

    We are sure that no-one will be able to find fault with the build quality or soft-touch finish as they meet the high standards we have come to associate with a Cooler Master product. The unusual form of the mouse works very well and as it offers both claw and finger grips, gamers who prefer either of these styles should definitely consider the Spawn."


    Click here to read the full review.

This seems like a pretty good and fairly affordable mouse for those who prefer the 'claw grip' method of holding their mice. Those who prefer the 'palm grip' might want to look elsewhere though.

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Zalman Z9 Plus Mid-Tower Case Review

January 11, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Tweaknews have posted a review of the new Zalman Z9 Plus mid-tower case.

Here's what they had to say:

"Priced at around $75 US ($65 for the Z9,) the Z9 Plus is a very good value given the performance and feature set. Availability is a bit spotty at the time of this review, but I would expect that to improve very shortly.

All in all, the Z9 Plus is a very worthy successor to the original Z7 series cases from Zalman, building on a successful design with excellent cable management solutions and improved cooling performance and aesthetics. Mr. Bones and I both liked the Z9 Plus very much and would encourage anyone to put this case on their short list for a mid-tower case purchase."


While a nice improvement over the Zalman Z7 Plus, I still believe that the ever-popular Cooler Master 690 II Advanced remains the best case in the $60-80 range.

Click here to read the full review.

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Gigabyte Aivia K8100 Gaming Keyboard Reviews

January 11, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks and eTeknix have posted a review of the eye-catching new Gigabyte Aivia K8100 gaming keyboard.

Here's what they had to say:

  • APH Networks:

    "I understand many gamers are very picky when it comes down to gaming peripherals, especially in the world of computer gaming. In many cases, generally speaking, more expensive means loaded with more features and functions to use. But before you take out your wallet and give your money to companies like Logitech, Microsoft, or Razer, the Gigabyte Aivia K8100 is definitely worth a look for $80 MSRP at press time. First of all, before we get distracted by all the features, let's focus on what the Gigabyte Aivia K8100 is made for: Its typing quality is top notch. Stuff like good looks, cool Lamborghini inspired volume control LEDs, five programmable macro keys, and backlit keys are also a part of the package."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • eTeknix:

    "Overall, would i recommend this board to you? I certainly would, it may have a couple of things that I personally would change, but as i've said throughout these are purely a presonal thing and you may prefer it that way.

    For gaming use it is fantastic even though the macro keys are a little out of quick reach but this is compensated by the long term comfort that you get from the specially deisgned force of the keys.

    If you're looking for a board thats different, yet still stylish and practicle, then the Aivia K8100 is one to seriously consider."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is a very solid product from a company that is not really known for their gaming peripherals. It's definitely unlike any other keyboard that I've seen.

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Corsair SP2500 2.1 Speaker System Review

January 11, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven have posted a review of the Corsair's recently announced SP2500 2.1 speaker system.

Here's what they had to say:

"All of this great build quality and design was implemented with one aim in mind, maximising audio quality and in this regard Corsair have exceeded our expectations. When used in a scenario which is different from their intended purpose, such as gaming on a console in a large room or when used with a low spec system and on-board audio, the SP2500 performs well. They provide an excellent level of clarity and plenty of volume and power for the task at hand. Sit them on a desk in front of the consumer and connect to a decent soundcard and the quality of the system really shows though. From exceptional clarity in the high end to a smooth midrange ending in a thumping bass the SP2500 impresses, regardless of the task."


As we have come to expect, Corsair have created a top-notch product in the SP2500. However, at $250, it is somewhat expensive for a 2.1 speaker system.

Click here to read the full review.

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CES Coverage - Day 4

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Yesterday was the last day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011, and thankfully coverage improved by quite a bit.

Although CES 2011 is now finally over, come back tomorrow to check out some final POST-CES coverage.

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Sapphire Pure Black X58 LGA1366 Motherboard Review

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru have posted a review of Sapphire's brand new, soon to be available Pure Black X58, which is based on the Intel X58 Express chipset and supports Core i7 LGA1366 processors.

Here's what they had to say:

"There is no doubting that Sapphire are onto a winner with their Pure Black X58 motherboard. Performance throughout our testing was higher than the excellent MSI X58 motherboard that we have incorporated into one of our high end test systems.

While the bundle isn’t the most comprehensive we have seen, the build quality of the board itself is excellent and no corners have been cut in regards to PCB design and layout. We particularly appreciate the fact that every connectivity option is included, from older PS/2 connections to the latest USB 3.0 and Sata 6Gbps interfaces."


Sapphire is on the verge of re-entering the motherboard market in a big way (thanks to their acquisition of EVGA's motherboard team), and if this Pure Black X58 model is any indication they will definitely have an impact.

Click here to read the full review.

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ASUS Radeon HD 6870 DirectCU Graphics Card Review

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock have reviewed the ASUS Radeon HD 6870 DirectCU graphics card, which features a custom cooler and overclocked specifications.

Here's what they had to say:

"The ASUS 6870 DirectCU retails for $240 USD, which is priced similar to some other manufacturers' reference models. Considering lower temperatures and noise levels, that is an excellent deal. Also keep in mind the modest factory overclock that can be pushed heavily with the voltage tweaking option as well. Against the several other 6870 cards we've seen, and ASUS has a formidable product that is the best option."


Although it doesn't feature the highest clock speeds, this ASUS DirectCU model does feature the best features and cooler of any HD 6870 on the market.

Click here to read the full review.

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Zalman ZM-MH200 U3 USB 3.0 Dual Bay HDD Dock Reviews

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


techPowerUp and ThinkComputers have reviewed the Zalman ZM-MH200 U3, a USB 3.0 dual bay hard drive docking station.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • techPowerUp:

    "First off, the Zalman MH200 U3 is very interesting docking station with the possibility to configure a RAID array. This sets the unit apart from the mass market but also carries a noticeable price premium. While I think this is a cool feature its usability can be questioned. If you want the most performance in combination with USB 3.0, then you could get a traditional dual-bay enclosure with RAID instead of resorting to the hard drive dock format. The unit costs an additional 15-20 Euro compared to devices which lack the RAID functionality, it is hard to say that ones' mind is blown - especially as the limits of the enclosure are quickly reached, where other formats of external RAID storage may deliver better numbers."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ThinkComputers:

    "There are a few things that set the ZM-MH200 U3 apart from other USB 3.0 hard drive docking stations. The first is that it supports 2 drives not just 1. This makes it easy to swap out drives and transfer files between 2 separate drives. Since this is a 2 drive docking station it also supports RAID, which is a nice feature. Finally this docking station is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 so you can use it with pretty much any system, not just systems that have USB 3.0 support."


    Click here to read the full review.

For my money I would rather have the Vantec Nexstar NST-D400S3 since it is $20-25 cheaper.

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Swiftech H2O-320 Edge Liquid Cooling Kit Review

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock have reviewed the Swiftech H20-320 Edge liquid cooling kit, which features a copper CPU water block, 1050L/hr pump, and triple-fan 120mm radiator.

Here's what they had to say:

"The H2O-320 Edge will save you the worry of selecting the correct combination of components, particularly for novices looking to broaden their horizons in the water cooling world. Even more impressive is that the H20-320 Edge provides the convenience of a do-it-yourself kit without sacrificing performance, which is a rarity among water cooling products from what we've seen in our extensive testing. The Swiftech H20-320 Edge is easily the best water cooling kit we’ve tested in 2010 and we have no hesitation in awarding it our top honour."


This kit is a great alternative for those who need a higher cooling performance than the self-contained Corsair Hydro H70.

Click here to read the full review.

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PowerColor Radeon HD 6870 PCS+ Graphics Card Review

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Benchmark Reviews have reviewed the PowerColor Radeon HD 6870 PCS+ graphics card, which features a custom cooler and overclocked specifications.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The build quality of the PowerColor PCS+ HD 6870 card was well above average, which is fine for this segment of the video card gaming market. The overall impression of the card was more high tech than solid, since the cooler isn't a dense block like some other cards. All the open space on the shroud takes away from the rigidity of the assembly. The packaging was good quality and reasonably informative and the box itself is smaller than some in this price segment, which is fine by me - less waste. I was very happy to see that the PC board was mostly clean and free from residue; PowerColor has definitely improved their manufacturing processes, or at least the vendor who builds cards for them has."


This PowerColor PCS+ model is clocked as highly as the Diamond Radeon HD 6870 XOC, making it among the fastest Radeon HD 6870's on the market right now, and is surpassed only by the XFX Black Edition model, which features 50Mhz higher memory clocks.

Click here to read the full review.

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Enermax LuxuRay Mid-Tower Case Reviews

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru and PureOverclock have posted a review of the Enermax LuxuRay mid-tower case, which features a fancy controller that can change the colour of the case fans LEDs.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • KitGuru:

    "Enermax have been releasing quality power supplies and fans for a very long time now and this venture into the budget chassis sector is shaping up to be a positive experience for their customer base. The LuxuRay build quality is high and the front panel offers a strong portfolio of connectivity.

    We really like that Enermax have spent a lot of time incorporating their Vegas fan into the front panel. The material they are using gives it an almost transparent feeling when viewed, as if there is actually no material in front of it at all. Both supplied fans are high quality and a welcome inclusion on a budget model. Not everyone is going to enjoy the rotating LED colours on a daily basis, but some of the static modes are pleasant and you can always turn the lighting off if it becomes annoying at night. This level of fine control is welcomed and the user base will certainly appreciate it."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock:

    "The aesthetics are nice, the features are well executed and the build quality is good for the price. A quick search reveals that the Enermax LuxuRay is available for about $60 USD. This is a reasonable price in a tough competitive market filled with literally hundreds of competitors available in this price range. If you want a good budget case with a bit of extra flash and expandibility, then check out the Enermax LuxuRay, it might be up your alley."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is definitely a unique and well-executed case, and it should appeal to those who like their system to have a little more 'flash'.

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Intel H67/P67 Motherboard Review Roundup - ASUS, Intel, MSI

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Funky Kit, Hardware Secrets, ocaholic, and OCIA have reviewed 'Sandy Bridge' CPU supporting Intel P67 Express based LGA1155 motherboards from ASUS, Intel, and MSI.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Funky Kit: Intel DH67BL Motherboard:

    "What makes the H67 based motherboards attractive is the available onboard video and audio outputs. The Intel DH67BL motherboard comes with DVI and HDMI supporting full HD, for DVD and Blu-ray movie playback. While the 7.1 digital, audio along wth SPDIF optical output is more than enough for most audiophiles.

    If I needed to build an all-in-one system, then the Intel DH67BL coupled with a Sandy Bridge processor, are a perfect combination. These two really complement each other. It offers decent all-round performance and has plenty of outputs for multimedia, both video and audio. These include 6 x USB2.0, 2 x USB3.0, gigabit ethernet, 7.1 channel audio, RAID support, eSATA and dual video outputs including DVI and HMDI. There's also SPDIF optical output and an array of audio connectors."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe Motherboard:

    "The ASUS P8P67 Deluxe is an excellent option for users looking for a high-quality, high-end socket 1155 motherboard. The high-quality of this motherboard can be clearly seen on its high-end voltage regulator circuit and the addition of fuses on the USB ports.

    The features the P8P67 Deluxe brings makes it clearly targeted to high-end users: three PCI Express x16 slots supporting SLI and CrossFireX, four USB 3.0 ports, four SATA-600 ports, FireWire ports, BlueTooth 2.1 + EDR interface, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, professional-grade integrated audio, a PLX switch chip to allow high-bandwidth devices to be used at the same time without a drop in performance, and more. Plus the digital voltage regulator promises a more refined voltage adjustment for your CPU, and should help serious overclockers."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe Motherboard:

    "The ASUS P8P67 Deluxe is very comfortable regarding Overclocking. If you try to get some more performance via the BIOS this is quite simple. One reason for this is the very nice EFI-BIOS. Another is that the BIOS has also been very well structured and it's also forgiving if you chose settings which do not work. Furthermore ASUS delivers the P8P67 Deluxe with their TurboV software. If you use TurboV it automatically finds the highest stable frequency. The software first switches frequencies by increasing the multiplyer. After the system crashed the same procedure starts with the busclock. After another crash TurboV has determined the highest multiplyer and the highest busclock and of course the highest stable CPU clock."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • OCIA: MSI P67A-GD65 Socket 1155 Motherboard:

    "MSI has included two PCIe x16 slots, three PCIe x1 slots and two legacy PCI slots. Three PCIe x1 slots seem a bit excessive, and I would rather have seen at least one x4 slot instead. Otherwise, everything else checks out here.

    Regarding general layout, MSI has done an admirable job with the GD65. The SATA connectors are color-coded and line the edge of the board for better cable management. The Voltage Check Point is also positioned along the edge of the board for easier access. The on-board power and reset buttons are a feature that I really enjoy seeing on motherboards, so props there as well. The CPU Phase LEDs add a bit of flare if you are into blue lighting. If not, you can disable this feature completely."


    Click here to read the full review.

Well many people dismiss Intel-branded motherboards, for LGA1155 you might want to check them since they currently have the best overclocking capabilities (attain the highest CPU multipliers) and also have the lowest power consumption.

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Danger Den Black Series Tower 21 Case Review

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have posted a review of the brand new Danger Den Black Series Tower 21 mid-tower case, which features an acrylic construction.

Let's see what they had to say:

"While we didn't install a high performance watercoolingsolution in this rig during the review, we found it to be more than capable to support any custom dual or triple radiator watercooling system that high-end users will consider using to cool their CPU, graphics cards, and hard drives. Assembling the chassis was easy to execute and the overall construction and design was the best I've seen from any acrylic case I've reviewed.

There are a few considerations users should account for like the single optical bay and lack of SSD support, but those obstacles should easily be overcome with a little ingenuity. If this case had better case management and airflow features I would have given it a perfect score."


This is a $280 case, it's definitely not cheap, but a high quality acrylic case never is. And as pointed out above, this might be the most well-executed acrylic case yet.

Click here to read the full review.

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Diamond Radeon HD 6870 XOC Graphics Card Review

January 10, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock have reviewed the Diamond Radeon HD 6870 XOC graphics card, which features the reference cooler and overclocked specifications.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Diamond 6870 XOC retails for about $270 USD, pretty much in line with other manufacturers' overclocked cards. A reference GTX 470 costs about $270, but it sucks considerably more power and run far hotter and noisier as well. As a result, the choice of card depends on your preferences and criteria: temperatures, noise, power consumption, PhysX, and triple screen gaming are potential factors that can influence your decision. If we had to make a call between the GTX 470 and 6870 XOC, we'd definitely take the latter.

While this Diamond 6870 XOC comes with a good factory overclock out of the box, we know it can be overclocked very far and with little effort, so at this price point, the gaming horsepower and value is impressive. There's no real knockout punch here for AMD, but there's some considerable gaming horsepower in this Diamond Radeon 6870 XOC card, and it is a great option."


This is among the fastest Radeon HD 6870's on the market right now, surpassed only by the XFX Black Edition model, which features 50Mhz higher memory clocks.

Click here to read the full review.

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CES Coverage - Day 3

January 9, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


The third day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011 has now come and gone, but so far the coverage is fairly light. Hopefully, there will be a rush of articles tomorrow.

In the mean time, here is some of today's coverage:

Enjoy, and come on back tomorrow to check out the Day 4's CES 2011 coverage.

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CES Coverage - Day 2

January 8, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Yesterday was the second day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011 and there were a few interesting storage products revealed, check them out:

Enjoy, and come on back tomorrow to check out some more CES 2011 coverage.

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CES Coverage - Day 1

January 7, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


After the first official day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011 there have been quite a few interesting announcements and unveilings, so without further ado here are all the articles and news post that have found their way to me since yesterday:


Enjoy, and come on back tomorrow to check out some more CES 2011 coverage.

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MSI Master Overclocking Arena 2011 Operation: Las Vegas Winners Revealed

January 7, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan



If you didn’t have the opportunity to watch one of the two livestreams of MSI’s Master Overclocking Arena 2011 Operation: Las Vegas event you missed out on quite a show.

After about 2 hours of setup and a little over 5 hours of competitive, yet friendly overclocking involving Super PI 32M and 3DMark 11, one team emerged victorious from the ten teams (from Brazil, Colombia, and the United States) who were competing in MSI’s first overclocking event in the Americans.

Team OCAlliance (USA) – Slave & RomDominance – Event Winners

After coming second to Team Over the Edge in the Super PI portion, Slave & RomDominance of Team OCAlliance absolutely crushed the competition in the 3DMark 11 competition. With their GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards overclocked to an impressive 1286Mhz GPU Clock/2572Mhz Shader clock/1240Mhz Memory clock, they achieved new single card world records on multiple occasions throughout the evening. As a result, they were able to walk away as the winners of the MSI Master Overclocking Arena 2011 Operation: Las Vegas event. Besides the cash prize (+ free hardware), this duo have won a spot a MSI’s MOA final event in Taiwan later this year.

Team Over the Edge (USA) – Patch & Dentlord - Second Place

In the Super PI 32M round, Dentlord and Patch of Team Over the Edge were the very first to post a result, led throughout, and obviously finished in first place thanks to their solid ‘Gulftown’ Core i7-980X that overclocked to 5988Mhz at 1.952V. In the subsequent 3DMark round, they achieved a score that was good enough for 4th place, which ultimately put them in second place overall.

Team Pure (USA) – G H Z & Gautam - Third Place

Although they had a few shaky moments during the competition, Gautam and G H Z managed to post the 4th fastest Super PI 32M time and 3rd best 3DMark 11 results, which was good enough to propel them into the 3rd place overall.

Speaking of which, here is the final scoreboard:
Click on Scoreboard to enlarge

As you can see, the top 5 teams were all pretty close to each other, but in the end Team OCAlliance reigned supreme.

As always, HardwareCanucks.com will have a thorough Event Report posted in about a week, so keep an eye out for that if you’re interested in getting the most comprehensive look possible at MSI’s first live overclocking competition for the Americas.

In the mean time, feel free to head over to Overclocking-TV, to check out some of the interviews that they have already posted online: http://www.overclocking-tv.com

For full details on the MOA AM 2011, including prizes, regulations, contestants and other information, visit: http://www.msi-moa.com/AM-2011/


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750W-1000W Power Supply Review Roundup - NZXT, Thermaltake, Zalman & More

January 7, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks, BCCHardware, Funky Kit, Hardware Secrets, Overclockers Online, and PureOverclock have reviewed 750W to 1000W power supplies from Adata, NZXT, PowerColor, Thermaltake, Ultra, and Zalman.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • APH Networks: NZXT HALE90 750W Power Supply Review:

    "The NZXT HALE90 750W has everything to satisfy computer enthusiasts of all sorts. Need lots of power? Check. Good looks? Check. Modular cables? Check. Acoustically silent? Check. From other reputable independent sources, it is clear the HALE90 also delivers high efficiency in conjunction with excellent load performance. For about $140 at press time, I would expect a little bit better internal build quality, but it gets the job done, and the results speak for themselves."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • BCCHardware: Zalman ZM850-HP Plus 850W Power Supply Review:

    "Our test system included a hefty Radeon 5870 (overclocked), an AMD 1050T 6-Core Phenom Processor (overclocked), several hard drives a Blu-Ray Writer and more. It handled it easily. We even hooked an adjoining graphics card to one PCIe line in order to push it a bit further. It pushes out a lot of watts through all four +12v lines and proves to be solid, stable and it runs quite cool. The hottest internal component reached 40°C when testing in our office with an ambient of 25°C. It handled everything we threw at it without stumbling, stuttering or any undue concern."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit: Adata HM 850W Power Supply Review:

    "I have to say, Adata have done a very good job with the HM 850W, considering that this is their first attempt in producing a power supply that's aimed at the mid-range to high-end market. It's got great build quality, offers rock solid performance and, it can handle all our load tests with very little voltage fluctuations."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: Ultra LSX 750 Power Supply Review:

    "The Ultra LSX 750 W comes with the right price for what it has to offer: very good efficiency between 82.4% and 86.1% at high temperatures, voltages closer than necessary to their nominal values, and low noise and ripple levels at the main outputs, and a satisfactory number of power connectors (four six/eight-pin connectors for video cards and eight SATA power connectors)."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Overclockers Online: Thermaltake Toughpower XT 875W and Toughpower 1200W Review :

    "Of the two, the Toughpower 1200W is the one to show its age the most. Priced at $350, without a doubt it is an expensive unit. There aren’t too many power supplies that can command such a price anymore, given the amount of excellent units out there, even in the 1000W+ range. That said, the Toughpower 1200W is a solid power supply. Line regulation is top notch; the unit looks great and comes with a nice array of accessories. The only thing we can really fault the unit on is that well, it can get a bit noisy when things warm up."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock: PowerColor Extreme PX 1000W Power Supply Review:

    "Solidly built with excellent quality components doesn't normally come cheap, but we found the PowerColor Extreme PX 1000W for a competitive price of $170 USD. It's not the lowest price, but it's certainly far better quality than the cheaper kilowatt units.

    PowerColor may be new to the power supply market, but the Extreme PX 1000W is an impressive outing for the new kid on the block. It's a great power supply for demanding users, and if you're in the market for a kilowatt unit then this one should definitely be on your shortlist."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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MSI Radeon R6950 Twin Frozr II Graphics Card Review

January 7, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


t-break have posted a review of the new MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II graphics card, which is based on the Radeon HD 6950 GPU, features a custom cooler, and comes slightly overclocked.

Here's what they had to say:

"From the bottom of the pack to the leader, the overclocked R6950 Twin Frozr II really bared its fangs when overclocked. That’s significantly improved performance considering the fan speed remained pretty much the same and the highest temperature reached was 61°C.

As with the previous MSI card I just reviewed, the small price hike on the R6980 Twin Frozr II over regular HD 6950 cards is justified simply because the new heatsinks keeps the card running in perfect conditions even as its being pushed beyond limits."


When you consider the top-notch cooling system that MSI has outfitted on this model, it really is one of the best Radeon HD 6950's on the market right now.

Click here to read the full review.

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Western Digital Caviar Green 3TB Hard Drive Review

January 7, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Heaven have posted a review of the Western Digital's brand new class-leading hard drive, the Caviar Green 3TB.

Here's an excerpt:

"As an overall package for a high capacity storage device there is no better product. The Caviar Green offers good performance, maximises compatibility through the inclusion of a PCIe controller card and of course gives us 3TB of storage on one drive. This is also a product which will improve over time, becoming a full 3TB boot device, as motherboards are released which support UEFI. "


If you have huge storage needs, this is absolutely the drive for you since it is 50% larger than the previous largest HDDs on the market.

Click here to read the full review.

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OCZ Reaper ULV Edition DDR3-1600 4GB Memory Kit Reviews

January 7, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Bigbruin and TestFreaks have posted a review of the OCZ Reaper ULV (Ultra Low Voltage) Edition DDR3-1600 4GB memory kit, which features 7-8-8-24 at 1.50V.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Bigbruin:

    "The good news is that even at stock speeds, the OCZ Technology 4GB PC3-12800 Reaper ULV dual channel kit (part number OCZ3RPR1600ULV4GK) is a pretty solid performer. If you have the right hardware to go with it, you can also get some fairly decent overclocks and boost the performance even further.

    While some may argue about the necessity of additional cooling on memory modules, the heat pipes used on this kit nice and cool. Even while overclocked and under the stress of all the testing, the modules stayed absolutely cool to the touch and the system remained rock solid without any crashes or glitches."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TestFreaks:

    "The OCZ Reaper Edition ram performs well overall, but I did expect it to perform a bit better as it is considered enthusiast ram. Still though, it’s a decent performer that I think anyone would be happy with really.

    It looks as though it should be able to overclock, but it really doesn’t, at least for me it didn’t work well. This happens though with some ram, some overclocks more than others.

    The heat pipes on the ram do make it large in size making it possibly not able to fit with some CPU coolers."


    Click here to read the full review.

Now that Intel's 'Sandy Bridge' processors have launched, you are going to be seeing a wide range of new 1.5V DDR3 memory kits released, even though SB fully supports 1.65V as well.

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Intel P67 Motherboard Review Roundup - ASRock, Intel, Gigabyte

January 7, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Funky Kit, LanOC, and PureOverclock have reviewed 'Sandy Bridge' CPU supporting Intel P67 Express based LGA1155 motherboards from ASRock, Intel, and Gigabyte.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Funky Kit: Intel DP67BG Extreme Series Edition Motherboard:

    "Through Intel's board partners, I think they've done a pretty good job with their DP67BG motherboard. Overall, it's a good all-rounder that offers decent performance with some very interesting features. It's definitely the kind of motherboard that can be used to showcase the true potential of Intel's new Sandy Bridge processors."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • LanOC: ASRock Fatal1ty P67 Profess1onal Series Motherboard:

    "Fatal1ty Co. aimed to create a niche in the gaming market with a board designed specifically for gamers. Just as before, they have achieved a great creation of attractiveness, functionality, and performance. The board has a consistent red-black color scheme that will look good in any windowed case (especially those with a painted interior), several features such as polling rate tweaking, clickable BIOS, and USB boost that appeal directly towards the gaming crowd, and numbers that show not only support for today's games but a good investment as the industry grows."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock: Gigabyte P67A-UD4 Motherboard:

    "In terms of performance features, the On/Off charge support is a welcome and unique addition for those of you with iPhone or iPad devices, for example. The dual BIOS is also extremely valuable if things go terribly wrong when flashing an upgrade. The 2X copper PCB adds to the quality here as well. The Ultra Durable 3 designation isn't just marketing hype; this board is build solidly. Easy Tune 6 is handy when fine tuning your overclock but it's not as robust as some other utilities we've seen. The BIOS doesn't bring anything new to the table really, it's not a UEFI BIOS like we've seen elsewhere, but it gets the job done. For those of you familiar with Gigabyte boards, the P67 BIOS will seem like a comfortable fit."


    Click here to read the full review.

So far I've been relatively impressed with just about every P67 motherboard, and these 3 are no exceptions.

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MSI's Operation: Las Vegas Overclocking Tournament Ramps Up for Deployment

January 6, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


MOA 2011 (Master Overclocking Arena) – Operation: Las Vegas is almost here and MSI is making sure this is an event to remember! Countdown to the operation and all mission critical objectives are now online at http://www.msi-moa.com/AM-2011. Taking place on January 6, 2011 at the Pole Position Raceway, next to the world-famous Palms Resort and Hotel Casino, MOA 2011 will provide tons of thrilling action for all spectators.



The top overclockers in the Americas all have competed online for pre-qualification and two winners from each stage were selected and flown out on an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas. These elite soldiers will now compete to head to the Grand Finals in Taipei, Taiwan and win the ultimate prize!

The elite task forces will engage in a series of competitions with the latest weaponry (OC gear) including:

  • MSI Big Bang-XPower Motherboard
  • Intel® Core™ i7-980X Processor Extreme Edition
  • MSI N580GTX Graphics Card
  • Patriot Viper II Sector 7 Series Memory Kit
  • Western Digital VelociRaptor HD
  • Antec CP-1000 Power Supply
  • Tt eSPORTS CHALLENGE Pro Gaming Keyboard
  • Tt eSPORTS BLACK Gaming Mouse

MOA 2011 will also be streaming LIVE for the thousands of enthusiasts at home with additional chances to win great prizes including MSI hardware, hardware from sponsoring partners, 3DMark11 codes, and much more. You are able to watch the Online Operation here: http://justin.tv/msiusa

Opening ceremony will begin at 12:00; the competition will begin at 14:00 and conclude at 20:00 where food and beverages will be served to all in attendance. Aside from the exciting overclocking tournament, all attendees will be given an opportunity to compete against each other on the Pole Position race track. Race and obtain the fastest lap time and take home cash prizes up to $1000!

CES Coverage - Day 0

January 6, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Although the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2011 only officially starts today, there have been announcements, events, and unveilings since the 4th. Here are some of the related articles and news post that have trickled into my inbox during the last 2 days:


Enjoy, and come on back tomorrow to check out some more CES 2011 coverage.

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Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 Razor 1GB Single Slot Graphics Card Review

January 5, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have posted a review of the new Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 Razor 1GB, which is now the fastest single slot graphics card ever.

Here's what they had to say:

"If you are looking for a single slot graphics card and want to get as much performance as possible in as small a space as possible, the Galaxy GeForce GTX 460 1GB Razor is the only place to look for an air cooled solution. The only two drawbacks are the extended length of the PCB that might affect smaller cases and the higher price. Galaxy though continues to push the boundaries of graphics card design and we welcome any and all competition."


This is the fastest single slot graphics card on the market, there's not much else to say. Thumbs up to Galaxy for the innovative design and audacious engineering feat.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel 'Sandy Bridge' 2-Way & 3-Way AMD CrossFire/NVIDIA SLI Performance Analysis

January 5, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


VR-Zone have tested 2-way and 3-way AMD CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI on the new Intel 'Sandy Bridge' LGA1155 platform.

Here's what they had to say:

"While Intel Sandy Bridge-MS does not pledge inherent multi-GPU support, it is a waste to ignore its performance potential - particularly for multi-GPU systems. What the Intel Sandy Bridge microarchitecture offers for multi-GPU configurations, is higher IPC that alleviates processor bottlenecks which have plagued multi-GPU systems for so long.

We're glad to report, that in either CrossFire or SLI situations, no noticeable issues were observed in games we tested. For maximal eye candy, there is no need to wait - gamers need not traverse to the future to enjoy state of the art gaming."


If you're planning a multi-GPU LGA1155 system, then you should definitely check out this article.

Click here to read the full article.

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Thermaltake eSPORTS Challenger Pro Gaming Keyboard Reviews

January 5, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


OCIA and Tweaknews have reviewed a new keyboard from Thermaltake's eSports gaming-oriented peripherals series, the Challenger Pro.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • OCIA:

    "The Thermaltake Challenger Pro is an attractive and functional keyboard for any casual to serious gamer. Thermaltake has put a lot of thought into this unit and most of the features are clever and useful. The negative aspects of the keyboard are minor and do not take much away from the overall positive impression of the unit. The style of the keys may take some getting used to for some, while others may prefer it. The fan is a bit gimmicky, but by no means necessary to enjoy the keyboard. In future revisions it would be nice to see more macro key profiles, a numeric based indicator for what macro profile is selected, and either the removal of the fan, or a redesign of its implementation."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Tweaknews:

    "Overall, Thermaltake has left me impressed with the Challenger Pro gaming keyboard. It's well designed with rugged construction and features that will appeal to gamers such as replacement W A S D and arrow keys, a hand cooling fan, and even “dummy” covers for those pesky Windows keys. Toss in ten programmable macro keys, four switchable profiles and some slick red backlighting and you have a well-rounded keyboard that holds it own against other top contenders in the market."


    Click here to read the full review.

I definitely think Thermaltake have succeeded at designing a keyboard that will appeal to the hardcore gaming crowd.

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Intel X25-M 'G2' 80GB Solid State Drive Reviews

January 5, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Bigbruin and TestFreaks have reviewed the venerable Intel X-25M 'G2' 80GB solid state drive, which features 250MB/s sequential read speeds and 70MB/s sequential write speeds.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Bigbruin:

    "While $180 is a competitive price for an 80GB solid state drive, you could get more bang for your buck by considering other brands. The 70MB/s write speed really hurts the X25-M, as some other brands offer an 80GB drive for about the same price, but they offer write speeds in excess of 250MB/s to go with read speeds that are also at or above 250MB/s.

    The bottom line is that this is still a solid choice in the expanding field of solid state drives, but the write speed performance is an issue. Considering the overall performance, 3-year warranty, and extensive history of strong support and reliability, the Intel X25-M 80GB solid state drive earns the Bigbruin.com "Recommended" award."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TestFreaks:

    "The Intel X25-M Mainstream 80GB is a competitively priced SSD that offers excellent performance. Aimed for mobile and desktop clients it can breathe new life into an older system or make a cutting edge machine even better. Currently Intel SSDs are optimized to work with Windows 7 machines that can take advantage of TRIM support. Hopefully in the future a firmware upgrade will allow garbage collection to occur at the firmware level or the next version of OS X will support TRIM.

    Even with the lack of firmware level garbage collection the Intel X25-M Mainstream is still a great way to turbo charge one’s Mac. Optimally one would like to run just OS X on the SSD and keep the data on a mechanical hard drive but that is not always so simple on a MacBook or iMac as those machines were not readily designed to accommodate two hard drives."


    Click here to read the full review.


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Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler Reviews

January 5, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru and PureOverclock have reviewed the new high-end downdraft-style Noctua NH-C14 CPU cooler, which features two 140mm fans.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • KitGuru:

    "The cooler isn’t quite the powerhouse that the NH D14 brings to market, but the D14 is such a gargantuan cooler that it blocks memory slots and demands a lot of space inside a system. The C14 is a complimentary design that tackles a different, yet equally demanding market space.

    We are very impressed with this cooler, the quailty is unquestionable and the cooling performance is stunning. Another masterpiece from the Austrian cooling company who are consistently redefining the term ‘high quality cooling’."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock:

    "After seeing the performance results, the best way to sum up the Noctua NH-C14 is that it is an outstanding cooler, second only to the Noctua D14. Perhaps more shocking is the fact that it is rare to have a cooler that not only performs well but is also quiet. It's been our experience that you can't really have low noise levels and top cooling performance; the two are inversely proportional, gain one and lose the other to an extent. However, this Noctua cooler is a rare exception, providing exceptional cooling performance at very low noise levels.

    Not only is the NH-C14 a beast in terms of performance, but also in design and sheer size. This cooler is by far one of the largest we've ever seen or tested. The heatpipes will likely interfere with memory modules that have tall heatspreaders and really that's the only drawback we can find."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is now the best downdraft-style heatsink on the market, by far. However, at $90 it is terrifyingly expensive.

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AMD Phenom II X4 840 & Phenom II X4 975 CPUs Launched!

January 5, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


To counter Intel's unveiling of their Sandy Bridge LGA1155 processors, AMD have just launched the $102 quad-core 3.2Ghz Phenom II X4 840 and multiplier-unlocked quad-core 3.6Ghz Phenom II X4 975 Black Edition.

Intrigued? Check out the reviews!

With the launch of Intel's Sandy Bridge processors, these two new Phenom II X4 processors aren't quite as appealing as they previously would have been. Having said that, the Phenom II X4 840 is still a terrific value at only $102. It's a no-brainer upgrade for anyone who currently has a single-core or dual-core processor in their AM2+/AM3 system.

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Intel 'Sandy Bridge' LGA1155 Motherboard Previews & Reviews!

January 3, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


In coordination with the launch of the new Intel 'Sandy Bridge' processors, a huge number of Intel P67 Express and H67 Express LGA1155 motherboard reviews have started popping up. So if you are interested in this brand new platform, read on.


Enjoy!

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Intel 'Sandy Bridge' Core i5-2500K & i7-2600K CPUs Launched!

January 3, 2011 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


That's right folks! Intel moved up the launch of their new Sandy Bridge processors by a couple of days, and have officially unveiled their new 3.3Ghz Core i5-2500K four-core and Core i7-2600K four-core/eight-thread LGA1155 processors.

So without further ado, here is the veritable avalanche of reviews and articles that have flooded into my inbox over the last few hours:


Enjoy!

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