Hardware News

AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB Launched!

January 31, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


As expected, AMD have just launched a slightly cut-down version of their next-generation high-end GPU, the Radeon HD 7970 GPU. This new Radeon HD 7950 is manufactured on the same cutting-edge 28nm processs and also features the unbelievable 4.3 billion transistor Tahiti XT core, albeit with four Compute Units disabled, and thus relabeled Tahiti Pro. This GPU variant features 1792 Stream Processors, 112 TMUs, and an identical number of ROPs, tessellators, cache and memory controllers as the Radeon HD 7970. With a 800MHz engine clock, and 3GB of 5000MHz GDDR5 connected to a 384-bit memory interface, this card is almost as much of a beast is its bigger brother.


This new GPU is definitely a fantastic counter to the increasingly cheaper GeForce GTX 580, and at $449 it has the price and performance to beat it in every respect.

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MSI Raptor Mid-Tower ATX Case Review

January 31, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


LanOC have reviewed the MSI Raptor mid-tower case, which is a mainstream-level case with USB 3.0 ports and card reader.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The MSI Raptor is a little different than most other cases in its price range. Rather than build a mid-priced case with no features they have taken a low budget case and packed it full of features. The Raptor has good quality fans, built in USB 3.0, and a card reader that are perfect for someone who is looking for a full featured case. You have to put up with thinner gauge metal and a little less wire management because of its price though. This case isn’t for everyone, but if you are looking for USB 3.0 at this price point you don’t have many cases to consider. This is obviously only a starting point for MSI’s case lineup; I can’t wait to see what they come out with as they try their hand at higher budget cases."


This seems like a decent case, but there are a whole lot of options in the $50-60-70 range.

Click here to read the full review.

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ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Tablet Reviews

January 31, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D and PC Perspective have reviewed the new ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet, which features a 10.1" screen, quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 SoC, and has just received an update to Android 4.03 Ice Cream Sandwich.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Guru3D:

    "Overall the Prime is just a very impressive product really. Fast, great screen, nice functionality and with a dock you can extend battery lifetime. Currently the Eee Pad Transformer Prime 32GB with docking keyboard sells at EUR 599 and the Eee Pad Transformer 64Gb without docking keyboard also retails for EUR 599.

    Whether or not a tablet is worth that kind of money I'll gladly leave to you to decide. Hardware wise though, Tegra 3 in combo with ICS for the Eee Pad Transformer Prime is by all means impressive and forms a match made in heaven, definitely the leading tablet anno Q1 2012."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PC Perspective:

    "As such, the Prime finds itself in a similar place as the original Transformer. Yes, this is a very good tablet - and the best Android tablet for the money. However, the iPad 2 still appears to be the better choice. The OS is better, battery life is better, app selection is better, and performance is generally on par. The Prime is the closest any Android tablet has come to leaping the high bar set by the iPad 2, but it still can't top it - and it won't really have a chance of doing so unless battery life is improved and Android 4.0 is a major improvement over Honeycomb."


    Click here to read the full review.

If the iPad 2 just isn't for you, this is definitely the best tablet on the market right now. Having said that, the 1920x1200 resolution Transformer Prime HD has already been announced, the 2048x1536 resolution iPad 3 is right around the corner, and Samsung will be unveiling their next generation of tablets at MWC in late February, so patience might be a virtue right now when it comes to the tablet market.

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Enermax Briskie Wireless Keyboard & Mouse Combo Reviews

January 31, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven and TechREACTION have reviewed the Enermax Briskie wireless keyboard and mouse combo.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • HardwareHeaven:

    "The Briskie devices connect to our PC via a 2.4GHz nano adapter (USB) and they are paired at the factory which makes setup very easy. Just install the batteries, plug in the USB and start up the PC to begin using the peripherals.

    In terms of build quality we don't expect much for £20/€20 but the Briskie is more than adequate for the price. It offers a decent typing experience and some features which don't often make it into budget items such as the DPI switch on the mouse or the spill resistant design on the keyboard.

    The devices also go into a low power state when not in use which conserves battery and we were more than happy with the range each offered, though on desktop systems placement of the receiver is important so as to get the best signal."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TechREACTION:

    "Overall, the Briskie combo worked well for its intended use. The Briskie, set at an MSRP of $24.99, does what all keyboards/mice on the cheaper side need to do. It took our keystrokes without any problem and the mouse accepted our clicks and scrolls without complication. The wireless ability of the Briskie will make this an option for HTPC users as well, with the slim design of everything. The Briskie would also make a nice replacement for laptop users needing a break from the touch-pad and cramped keyboard. With the membrane keystroke technology, this combo will be with you for a long time to come."


    Click here to read the full review.

This seems like a good wireless keyboard and mouse combo for a small price, definitely worth it for an HTPC.

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240GB Solid State Drive Review Roundup - ADATA, Kingston, Patriot & More

January 31, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks, Funky Kit, Guru3D, techPowerUp, The SSD Review, and X-bit Labs have reviewed a few 240GB solid state drives from ADATA, Kingston, Patriot, Silicon Power, and Super Talent.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • APH Networks: Patriot Pyro SE 240GB Solid State Drive Review:

    "The Patriot Pyro SE 240GB is a drive that delivers wonderful performance. Trading punches with OCZ's flagship Vertex 3 Max IOPS, and actually beating it out in a number of tests while remaining surprisingly competitive in both full synthetic and semi-synthetic benchmarks, all I have to say is -- wow, nice. The only set of tests the Pyro SE 240GB did not perform exceptionally well in is PCMark Vantage. I am guessing this is more of a firmware issue than a hardware disadvantage, so if Patriot could continue to work on optimizing their code, we can certainly expect to see better results down the road. The bottom line is, where else can you find such a sleek looking drive that's assembled in the USA?"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit: Patriot Pyro SE 240Gb SSDþ:

    "The Patriot Pyro SE SSD is easily the fastest drive we have had the opportunity to test at Funky Kit. Throughout testing it just blew me away with how fast it is. The write speeds are just unreal. If you are looking for a top of the line drive, this is it. Just be prepared to spend the money to get the best."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Guru3D: Patriot Pyro SE 240GB SSD Review‏:

    "Choice is good. With the Pyro SE Patriot brings an incredible sexy and high performing product to the market. I have no hesitation whatsoever to use it in one of my systems. At a price of roughly 180 EUR for a 120GB model it will be slightly more expensive then a asynchronous version, whether or not you feel the extra tenner is worth that little extra bite in performance we'll leave up to you. But personally we'd be happy to chip in the extra dough. What a nice product!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: Kingston HyperX 240 GB:

    "Kingston's HyperX SSD really deserves the prominent name, originating from their high-end system RAM. In our testing the SSD is the fastest we've ever seen, beating the competition by quite big margins in some benchmarks. It seems the combination between 240 GB fast Intel flash chips and Sandforce's award winning SF-2281 flash controller makes a great team. I also suspect that Kingston tweaked some parameters in their SSD firmware for an extra speed boost."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • The SSD Review: Silicon Power Velox V30 SATA 3 240GB SSD Review :

    "The Silicon Power Velox V30 SATA 3 240 GB SSD flew through each and everyone of our tests and nothing less than this was expected. It is a premium SSD and, as we stated earlier in the report, has virtually the same physical structure as the Kingston HyperX. The test results we saw when testing in ATTO, Crystal DiskMark, AS SSD, Anvil and PCMark Vantage were very similar to that of which we might see in any upper tier ‘SandForce Driven’ solid state drive."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • The SSD Review: Super Talent TeraDrive Nova 240GB SATA 3 SSD Review‏:

    "In taking a close look at the evaluation results of the Super Talent TeraDrive Nova 240GB SSD as a whole, this SSD almost appears to be a bit of an odd duck. On one end of the coin, we have some very strong qualities to include very fast disk access speeds, amazing 4k IOPS results as well as great high sequential read transfer speeds, yet all of the tests resulted in high sequential write performance that was below the norm when testing with highly compressible data samples."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs: ADATA S511 240 GB Solid State Drive Review:

    "We can’t give you definite recommendations about the 240-gigabyte ADATA S511 because, like every other SSD with a second-generation SandForce controller, it’s an ambiguous product. On one hand, this controller can deliver very high performance, being in fact one of the fastest SSD controllers available. But on the other hand, its reputation has been undermined by certain stability and reliability issues. Although SandForce claims that the new firmware has solved every old bug, there is yet not enough statistical data to confirm or refute that claim."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Enermax ETS-T40 CPU Cooler Reviews

January 30, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven, ocaholic, TechREACTION, and X-bit Labs have posted a review of the Enermax ETS-T40-TA CPU cooler, which features the proven H.D.T. (Heat Pipe Direct Touch) base design.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • HardwareHeaven: Enermax ETS-T40-TA CPU Cooler Review:

    "Performance of the cooler is also good, keeping high specification CPUs cool but it is the fan which most impresses on this product. By including one of their tried and trusted fans Enermax guarantee low noise and attractive styling and this is one of the key selling points on the ETS-T40.

    In terms of Value, £29.99 puts the ETS-T40 at a competitive level with the likes of Corsairs A70 so is priced appropriately. A little more thermal paste would be appreciated but nice touches such as extra vibration dampeners and fan holders are great to see."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic: Enermax ETS-T40-VD Tower Cooler:

    "With the ETS-T40-VD, Enermax has a CPU cooler in its portfolio that offers some potential for improvement. For the performance you get the price should for example be lower. Furhtermore we didn't like the mounting kit. It is tedious and the pressure with which it puts the cooler onto the CPU is too low. A higher pressure might even increase cooling capacity because of better heat exchange. But fortunately there are also things we liked about this cooler. For example there is a fan that offers PWM functionality and the cooler can also be equipped with two fans."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TechREACTION: Enermax ETS T40 HSFþ:

    "The Enermax ETS-T40 is an excellent cooler for for someone looking to push their maximum overclock on a budget and without the dangers of water and more exotic cooling methods. The cooler’s stock fan noise level was reasonable compared to high-end aftermarket coolers in its performance range.

    We would recommend this CPU cooler for medium to heavy overclockers who are looking for good cooling performance at a good price."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs: Enermax ETS-T40-VD Review:

    "Since we didn’t uncover any serious issues with the Enermax ETS-T40-VD heatsink design and structure, the reasons for its unimpressive performance must lie with the direct touch technology, namely, the particular implementation of this technology in the ETS-T40-VD. The gaps between the heatpipes in the base are way too wide, which doesn’t allow the cooler to quickly and evenly remove the heat from the heat-spreader of a powerful CPU. As a result, this is what we got and Enermax ETS-T40-VD is simply unable to deliver more. We also suspect that the heatpipes might be not the most efficient ones, but we can’t confirm or deny this assumption for obvious reasons."


    Click here to read the full review.

If you're looking for a quiet CPU Cooler that doesn't sacrifice on performance, this new Enermax heatsink is definitely worth a look.

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Samsung PM830 512GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD Review

January 30, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


­KitGuru have reviewed the Samsung PM830 512GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which features 520MB/s read and 400 MB/s write speeds.

Here's what they had to say:

"The performance of the 830 Series 512GB drive is satisfying, scoring almost 520 Mb/s in some of the sequential read tests. In fact, read performance generally was right up at the same level of the leading Sandforce 2281 powered drives. In real world terms you would be hard pressed to acknowledge any performance variables between this drive and the leading Sandforce units. Write performance isn’t quite at the same level, although 400 Mb/s should be more than enough for the majority of everyday demands."


Samsung's PM830 series a terrific new arrival to the SSD market, and a worthwhile alternative to the many SandForce-based models.

Click here to read the full review.

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Thermaltake eSPORTS MEKA G-Unit Gaming Keyboard Review

January 30, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


LanOC have posted a review of the Thermaltake eSPORTS MEKA G-Unit gaming keyboard.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Though I had a few grumbles about the Meka G Unit, they can't stand to cast a shadow over an otherwise great mechanical keyboard. Despite a small plastic malfunction, Thermaltake has invested in several quality-assuring features. The software compliments the board well, and it features several LAN-friendly upgrades, such as a detachable USB power cord and a built-in USB hub. All this luxury comes at a price, however, with a price tag well over the three-digit mark. If you're in the market for a mechanical keyboard, the Meka G Unit should be on your list to consider."


This is solid keyboard, as are most of Thermaltake's numerous other eSports Meka series keyboards.

Click here to read the full review.

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Antec Kuhler H2O 620 Liquid CPU Cooler Reviews

January 30, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Funky Kit and Metku have posted reviews of the new Antec Kühler H2O 620 liquid cooling system.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Funky Kit:

    "The Antec Kuhler H2O 620 cooler did a good job.

    It held even the extreme overclock to perfectly reasonable temps, and did it at reasonable noise levels.

    The mounting system looks confusing, but is actually pretty simple and easy to use when you get down to it. It holds the pump securely, though a bit more mounting pressure seems like it might help a bit.

    The base of the pump is well designed, I have no complaints there. It's smooth, too. The tubing is quite flexible, it is able to go through fairly tight corners without kinking, which is quite nice.

    The Kuhler H2O 620 doesn't have quite the cooling power of the TRUE, which is unfortunate."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Metku:

    "The Kühler H20 620 and 920 are a solid entrance to the closed loop water cooling market. Both units are very well put together, easy to install and also offer good performance. The top of the range 920 also offers some neat tricks in the form of the ChillControl V. The 620, on the other hand, comes at a very reasonable price tag, which should make it a tempting choice for anyone looking for a new cooler. As stock it can’t really compete with the top of the range models we have on the chart, but equipped with two fans it offers excellent performance.

    At the time of writing this article, one can go out and buy the 620 at around 60-70 dollars. The 920 model costs around 100-120 dollars."


    Click here to read the full review.


The Kühler H2O performs identically to the highly rated Corsair Hydro H70, so clearly it's an excellent product.

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750W-1000W Power Supply Review Roundup - Corsair, Gigabyte, NZXT & More

January 30, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix, PC Perspective, Rbmods, techPowerUp, and ThinkComputers have reviewed a few 750W to 1000W power supplies from Corsair, Gigabyte, NZXT, Super Flower, and Thortech.

Here's what they had to say:

  • eTeknix: Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 800W Power Supply Unit Review:

    "The unit is hard to find in the UK, but costs around £160. At that price, the unit would be punching well above it’s weight, but as stock becomes more readily available in the UK, the prices should drop to the price they are being sold in the US which is a far more realistic £140. All in all, I think Thortech has done a great job at improving their standard Thunderbolt series, bringing many new features to the table and providing a solid performance. I only hope that Thortech’s target market will appreciate the improved quality of the product and can see how the price is justified!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PC Perspective: Corsair TX550M and TX750M Power Supply Reviewþ:

    "Series. Both the TX550M and TX750M PSUs delivered clean DC outputs, with good efficiency and good voltage regulation. Both power supplies come with a good assortment of fixed and modular cables that can support the latest CPUs and multiple, high-end video cards. And let’s not forget active PFC, universal AC input and Corsair’s 5-year warranty. However, if you want better voltage regulation, even cleaner outputs, higher efficiency and don't mind spending a little more, look to Corsair's Professional Series or Professional Series Gold PSUs."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Rbmods: NZXT Hale82 750W Powersupply:

    "I can’t really say that I found any faults with the unit, performance was excellent with stable rails and close to silent fan. The modular feature allows you to keep the case cleaner and have better airflow, and since they are black you can easily hide the cables behind the motherboard tray. Overall a superb product from NZXT once again!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: Gigabyte Sumo Power Silver 900W:

    "After completing this review, I am a bit disappointed that the Sumo Power 900W simply could not impress me.

    Its strong points are certainly the large number of connectors and the good efficiency with higher loads. I also saw nice results when it came to ripple suppression on the minor rails. Last but not least, the craftmanship is of high quality, comparable to Delta and Seasonic.

    Unfortunately I was disappointed when it came to efficiency at loads below 60W, and ripple/voltage regulation on the +12V line. The cooling fan also tends to be quite noisy, Gigabyte should have used a 140 mm fan here, instead of a 120 mm one."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ThinkComputers: Super Flower Golden King 1000W:

    "To conclude, at this price the Super Flower Golden King 1000W easily earns an Editor's Choice from me and a top spot among the best high capacity Platinum units, since it performs great and emits minimal noise levels even at worst case scenario (full load with high ambient). If you want a top performance PSU that delivers excellent efficiency all the time, with the lowest possible noise and the best available price then the Golden King 1000W is the PSU want."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ThinkComputers: NZXT HALE82 Series 750W Power Supply Review:

    "The NZXT HALE82 750W Power Supply is a great power supply. While it’s not 80PLUS Gold certified like the HALE90 series, it is 80PLUS Bronze certified, which is still good enough for some people. You have an efficient power supply at an affordable price. It can be found at my favorite online retailer for $119.99, which is about average for power supplies of its efficiency/wattage."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Lian Li PC-90 HPTX Case Review

January 27, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


MissingRemote have posted a review of the brand new Lian Li PC-90, which features a phenomenal layout and supports the huge HPTX form factor.

Let's see what they had to say:

"With an average street price of $225 (going for $199 at Amazon at the time of review), the Lian Li PC-90 is a deal and a half. With the clean looks, high build quality, and the Lian Li name behind it, there should be nothing holding back most enthusiasts from considering this as their next case.

While this may not exactly be a HTPC case for all enthusiasts, it is still very well-suited for a Home Server with the large hard drive count. It may be too good looking, to throw in a closet where most will never see it, but at least you will know you have a good-looking case serving up all that content to your entertainment system."


I find this to be an exceedingly well designed case. It is not too large yet it can fit the largest motherboards (ie: EVGA Classified SR-2) on the market without issue and supports up to 5 dual-slot graphics cards.

Click here to read the full review.

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Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

January 27, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have posted a video review of the new Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case, which is the successor to the original Cosmos.

Let's see what they had to say:



From what I have gathered from all these reviews, this might just be the finest case ever produced. Even if you have no plans to buy a high-end case, definitely give this case a look.

Click here to read the full review.

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Gaming Keyboard Review Roundup - ROCCAT & SteelSeries

January 27, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Benchmark Reviews, Funky Kit, HardwareHeaven, HardwareLOOK, and Legit Reviews have reviewed a few gaming keyboards from ROCCAT and SteelSeries.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Benchmark Reviews: Roccat Kova[+] Optical USB Gaming Mouse:

    "At $59.99 (Amazon), the Roccat Kova[+] really does stand out. It delivers a great set of features under a well-designed exterior. Competing products typically will have similar hardware specs, so it all boils down to usability, comfort, design, and customization, and the Roccat Kova[+] does superb in all of those areas.

    The Roccat Kova[+] may not be the best travel mouse, but for gamers with a mouse pad the Kova[+] offers great return on your money. There are quite a good number of competing products at this price level from popular companies like Razer and SteelSeries, but in terms of functionality I would find it hard for Roccat to lose."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit: Funky Kit Review: Steelseries Sensei Pro Gaming Mouseþ:

    "When I first saw the price on the mouse I thought that it better be one hell of a mouse for them to charge that much. After testing it, I have to say the Steelseries Sensei is indeed, one hell of a mouse. If you want features, this thing is loaded with them. It is easily the best mouse I have ever used in both comfort and performance. If you want the best, this thing is the best for a real gamer."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • HardwareHeaven: SteelSeries Kinzu V2 Pro Edition Gaming Mouse Review :

    "The overall quality of the mouse is also impressive with braided cable, Omron based buttons and a gaming grade sensor which offers 3200CPI; tracking well on hard and fabric based surfaces. This decent hardware specification is also backed by good software from SteelSeries which is simple to use and allows us to configure the speed of the mouse and buttons to our needs.

    The fact is though that SteelSeries have designed this to be a no-frills mouse with a low cost but minimal compromise on the quality, something backed by the slogan "No Frills, just kills". Overall we would say that SteelSeries have found the right balance as the Kinzu V2 Pro Edition performs well, feels great to use and should last due to the components used. At €45 RRP a very worthwhile purchase for gamers on a budget."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • HardwareLOOK: Steelseries Cataclysm Gaming Mouse Review:

    "The World of Warcraft Cataclysm mouse is one of the more popular Warcraft gaming mice’s on the market, this is most likely due to the armour plated styled design to look like the characters from the game, and it featuring 14 buttons that can bind directly from the World of Warcraft interface, without ever leaving the game, 16 million colours to choose to illuminate your device, and many more features. The Cataclysm is supported by PC and Mac. If you’re a World of Warcraft fan, or just a gaming enthusiast, take a look at what you are missing out on."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Legit Reviews: SteelSeries Diablo III Gaming Mouse and Headset Reviews:

    "The mouse is comfortable to use and is highly configurable for use with Diablo III or any other application for that matter. The LED slow pulse illumination, along with the graphic designs, makes this mouse look absolutely awesome. The mouse is also made of quality parts from the gold platted USB connector, to the double-braided cord all the way through to the switches that are guaranteed to work for 10 million clicks. According to SteelSeries, 10 million clicks is 3x more than the average mouse, saving gamers both time and money."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Cooler Master CM Storm Sentinel Z3RO-G Gaming Mouse Review

January 27, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the Cooler Master CM Storm Sentinel Z3RO-G gaming mouse, which features a 5600DPI laser sensor, 128KB of onboard memory, and lightning effects.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Z3RO G really does feel like nothing more than a Sentinel Advance with a fancy new skin and slightly improved features. Even the software has not been changed in any significant way. This is not to say that the Storm Sentinel Z3RO G is not a bad mouse per say; rather it simply represents a missed opportunity. With the exception of the different color scheme it literally looks, feels and acts just like its predecessor did. This is the risk companies run when they are too conservative with their design refresh and updating. While the designers certainly kept all of the features which made the original a hit, they just did’t add any features to make this new model a success in its own right."


The Z3RO-G is a significant improvement over the original, and it seems like an excellent gaming mouse.

Click here to read the full review.

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650W Power Supply Review Roundup - Antec, Corsair, FSP & More

January 27, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven, Hardware Secrets, KitGuru, OCIA, and techPowerUp have reviewed a few 650W power supplies from Antec, Corsair, FSP, and NZXT.

Here's what they had to say:

  • HardwareHeaven: FSP Aurum CM Series Gold 650M Power Supply Review:

    "In terms of performance this model in the Aurum CM Series offered some stand out aspects and others which were not as impressive. The efficiency for example was good, easily exceeding 90% during our testing and noise levels as well as temperatures were good. The voltage regulation was disappointing though, past 75% load and the ripple results were average for a PSU in this class.

    That brings us to value which is probably the Aurum CM's biggest issue. Currently it retails very close to the Seasonic 650w fully modular, Gold certified, X-Series PSU (e.g. $10 difference in the US) and given the results those units can achieve it makes the FSP a very hard sell. If FSP can find a way to retail at £15/$20 less then this unit, which had no issue powering our enthusiast system in real world use, becomes far more attractive."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets: Antec EarthWatts Platinum 650 W Power Supply Review:

    "The Antec EarthWatts Platinum 650 W proved to be an excellent power supply for the user who wants high efficiency at a mainstream wattage. During our tests, efficiency was between 88.9% and 92.6%, noise and ripple levels were extremely low, and positive voltages were within three percent of their nominal values all the time (except for the +3.3 V output when we pulled 650 W from the unit, but it was still inside the allowed range).

    The suggested price of USD 130 is not absurd for an 80 Plus Platinum unit, but we hope retailers sell it for less, making it more affordable for the mainstream user."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru: FSP Aurum CM Series Gold 650W PSU reviewþ:

    "The modular cables are beautifully designed, and we like the ‘flat’ design which makes them easy to route, especially behind a motherboard tray. On an purely aesthetic level, the FSP Aurum certainly does not disappoint.

    Unfortunately when we get around to the technical data, the unit raises a few concerns, especially in regards to load regulation. The +5v output fails the 100% load test, dropping below the recommended 4.75V rating. The other rails fare a little better, but are far from what we would expect from a flagship, high cost unit in this particular sector. The cross load results didn’t satisfy me either and by this stage I already knew that the product wasn’t going to be an award winner.

    Overall efficiency is good, although we had expected it would be, considering the 80 Plus Gold Certification rating. That said, it is far from being a class leader, outperformed by many other similar units available on the market today."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • OCIA: NZXT HALE82 650W Power Supply Review:

    "I liked the fact that the HALE82 650W offers dual +12V 4+4 pin / 8-pin connectors as well as the quad 6+2 pin PCI-E with one set of these being hard-wired and one as modular. Built by Seasonic, and offering a full continuous 650W load, the HALE82 650W can easily handle a system even at 85-90% of its rated capacity, while still holding within +/- .01V variance at full load.

    What I did not care for is the noisy fan that NZXT opted to put in this unit. It has been some time since I remember last hearing a power supply fan outside the case, but the HALE82 650W with its ADDA 120mm fan sure is a screamer. Producing almost 25dBA even under idle conditions and over 40dBA under a high load, you will notice the difference between this and something that is truly quiet like the HALE90."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: Antec EarthWatts Platinum 650W:

    "The new Antec EarthWatts 650 Platinum left me with mixed feelings. Surely it is not a bad unit but on the other hand it cannot compete, in terms of performance, with the rest of similar sized Platinum PSUs and even some Gold units. Definitely this platform needs some tuning in order to meet Platinum requirements in real life scenarios (meaning higher than 23°C ambient, where 80 Plus organization makes their efficiency certification tests) and tighter voltage regulation especially at +12V."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: Corsair Professional Series Gold AX 650W:

    "The Corsair AX650 enjoys a high availability, is backed by a seven year warranty and Corsair is widely known for their excellent RMA. In addition the performance of the AX650 definitely puts it in the high-end category since it features excellent ripple suppression, good voltage regulation and very high efficiency over the whole load range. Also the fanless operation at low loads/ambient, the fully modular design and the quiet fan at normal operation add more points."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Antec P280 Case Reviews

January 26, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru and LanOC have reviewed the newest addition to the Performance One series, the P280 mid-tower case.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • KitGuru:

    "If you are looking for a quiet case then the P280 will make an excellent choice as the three fans registered under 30 dBA in our acoustic testing. The Dual-layer design: 0.8 mm steel / polycarbonate side panels are exceptionally well engineered and help reduce annoying fan noise, even from a close distance. Antec have also made improvements to the triple-layer (aluminum, plastic, foam) front bezel. The door is double-hinged and opens up to 270° resting flush against the side panel."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • LanOC:

    "Our time with the P280 leaves me with mixed emotions. I’m excited to see Antec stepping up again with new designs. They improved on the original P series design with lots of features that bring it in line with what all manufactures are including in their cases now. The design isn’t innovative in any way like the original P180 was, but with it being in line with the competition it’s something to consider for quiet builds. I hope that our vibration issues are corrected in the future as that was the only real problem we had. As the end of the day, if you loved the P180, you’re going to love the P280 for your next build. With it being priced at less than $140 I bet they sell like hotcakes too!"


    Click here to read the full review.

I'm glad to see Antec continue the successful and widely popular design theme of previous Performance One cases, check it out!

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Fractal Design Define XL Case Review

January 26, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a video review of the new Fractal Design Define XL full tower case, which supports large E-ATX motherboards.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Upon first glance, the Define XL has all of the hallmarks of a well designed, spacious case with a great price of just $149. What you won’t get here are flashy looks or glowing lights since Fractal’s design mantra has taken hold in full force. The XL has a plain, unassuming exterior and no nonsense interior but there are still some noteworthy highlights like acoustical dampening and a number of high quality pre installed fans but very few water cooling options. Unfortunately, the inexpensive price point means this case just can’t stack up to more expensive competition in some areas but that doesn’t detract from the fact that Fractal’s Define series offers excellent value in a crowded market."


Overall, this is a pretty darn good case, and the fact that it only costs $150 makes it even better.

Click here to read the full review.

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Anno 2070 VGA Performance Analysis

January 26, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D have tested and compared nineteen graphics cards with the new Anno 2070 city-building and real-time strategy PC game.

Here's an excerpt:

"If you have a graphics card that runs out of juice, simple select High Quality mode and leave AA for what it is. The difference is noticeable, but you'll quickly gain another 20% to 30% in performance. At medium quality settings the graphics start to really deteriorate though. So unless you are on a gaming laptop, we really wouldn't recommend anything lower then High Quality mode though.

We hope you enjoyed this selection of measurements, and the game itself... the deep gameplay mechanics and fascinating factions make the game very interesting for any RTS aficionado. It is a fascinating and addictive strategy game."


If you're planning on buying this game definitely give this article a quick look to see how well your graphics card will run it.

Click here to read the full review.

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ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA2011 Motherboard Review

January 26, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have thoroughly reviewed the high-end ASUS Sabertooth X79 LGA2011 motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 Express chipset and supports the new Intel 'Sandy Bridge-E' LGA2011 processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Similar to the Rampage IV Extreme, we found it difficult to find much to complain about with the Sabertooth X79. ASUS has done an excellent job with their X79 boards and competitors will have to up their game to even stay close. The only points of contention for us was the degree to which LLC overvolts and relatively long POST times. At 1.5v and the Extreme setting we saw nearly 1.7v, a death sentence for a CPU with prolonged use. At around $350, this board is certainly not cheap but with the extra warranty included, the ASUS BIOS and a great feature set we would find it difficult to say the Sabertooth is not worth the money. Taking all this into consideration we are happy to award the Sabertooth X79 a well-deserved DAM Good award. "


Like all Sabertooth series motherboards, this new model is a top-notch product and it should be near the top of your list if you're considering building a new LGA2011 system.

Click here to read the full review.

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Seagate Momentus XT 750GB Hybrid Hard Drive Review

January 26, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Real World Labs have reviewed the new Seagate Momentus XT 750GB, a 2.5" hybrid hard drive with a 8GB SLC NAND chip on the drive's PCB.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Overall the 2nd Generation Momentus XT 750GB SATA III 2.5" drive is undeniably the ideal solution for notebook owners who don't really require the lighting fast data transfer speeds of SSDs for every single thing they do and they'd rather invest their money on a hybrid drive capable of delivering fast boot-up and program loading times while at the same time offering many times over the data capacity of regular SSDs. For all of the above and of course for innovation on behalf of Seagate we are awarding the Momentus XT 750GB hybrid drive with our Editors Real Choice Award and we can only hope that in the future they will introduce drives with far more onboard SLC NAND Flash."


This is a very interesting product, Seagate have clearly done a great job with this second-generation hybrid hard drive. It might be pricey, but it's the only choice for those who need a huge capacity high-performance storage solution.

Click here to read the full review.

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Arctic Cooling Accelero XTREME Plus II VGA Cooler Reviews

January 26, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks, ocaholic, and XtremeComputing have reviewed the new Arctic Cooling Accelero XTREME Plus II VGA cooler, which features a huge heatsink and three 92mm fans.

Here's what they had to say:

  • APH Networks:

    "In terms of performance, the Arctic Cooling Accelero XTREME Plus II is an absolute all-star champion. There is no doubt in my mind that this VGA cooler can handle almost anything I throw at it without even breaking a sweat. This is very reassuring, and to top that off, it will do it without sounding like a jet fighter in the background. However, is it worth the retail value of $100 at press time? I'm not full convinced on the price tag, but if you have the money, I would highly recommend this cooler."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic:

    "Arctic released his new revision of his flagship cooler for graphics card that proved to be very good in our test. Featuring a very complete bundle, where you will be able to find even more than you need and very good performance on every levels as well at 7v as at 12v. The Accelro Xtreme Plus II cooler has also been very well manufactured although the mounting kit that is not the best we've seen. Arctic made his monster available for CHF 80.- (65 Euros), indeed for good quality and top performance you have to pay the price."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • XtremeComputing:

    "At the start of this review I questioned if Arctic can keep its focus on cooling whilst also manufacturing other components including gaming headsets etc. I am pleased to say that actually, Yes, Arctic has been able to keep focus – the AC Accelero XTREME Plus II is everything I had hoped for in a cooler; quiet, cool and effective, outperforming the stock cooler quite considerably (nearly halving the delta temperature on “auto” setting). At £50 it is also much cheaper than a watercooling setup, which I can’t imagine would provide that much of a benefit over this solution (until I get a waterblock for my GTX580 for review, I guess we’ll have to wait in wonder!)."


    Click here to read the full review.

If your graphics card is running too hot or is simply too loud, this is definitely a solution that you should be looking at.

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120GB Solid State Drive Review Roundup - Corsair, Kingston, OCZ & More

January 26, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks, Funky Kit, KitGuru, PureOverclock, Rbmods, t-break, The SSD Review, and X-bit Labs have reviewed several 120GB solid state drives from Corsair, Kingmax, Kingston, Mach Xtreme, OCZ, Patriot, Super Talent, and Zalman.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • APH Networks: Kingston HyperX 120GB Upgrade Kit SSD Review:

    "Either way, if we look at the big picture, I think it is unquestionable that the SSD we have today is, for a lack of a fancy term, fast. Combined with the convenience offered in such a comprehensive upgrade kit, and slick looks to boot, is this the drive to buy? For around $240 at press time (About $5-10 premium over the bare drive), the HyperX Upgrade Kit makes a lot of sense if you compare it to the bare drive. The thing is, with the OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 120GB at $210 after rebate and the non-MI version at $170 also after rebate, Kingston is asking for quite a bit, even if it is pretty darn awesome."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit: OCZ Agility 3 - 120Gb SSD:

    "This is the second SSD I've tested, it's aimed at a much lower price point market than the first one (and is half the size), but it not only traded blows in the three major benchmarks, this OCZ Agility 3 120GB drive flat out obliterated the PCMark05 XP Startup results from the other drive. My jaw dropped when I saw the numbers this drive put up!

    In ATTO the numbers are very close to the specs, the read numbers are substantially higher than the rated 525MB/s, while the write numbers are a hair under the rated 500MB/s when empty.

    The other benchmark results are quite good as well. Being a solid state device it is totally silent."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit: Patriot Pyro 120GB SSD‏:

    "Overall, I would say that if you do not currently have an SSD the Pyro 120GB is an excellent choice to get your feet wet. It is a huge boost in performance compared to a mechanical hard drive, yet does not break the bank unless you want to get the largest capacity available."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru: Mach Xtreme MX-DS Turbo 120GB SSD Review‏:

    "The Mach Xtreme MX-DS Turbo 120 GB is yet another high performance drive based on the Sandforce 2281 controller. As expected, compressible data performance is first class, delivering over 550 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write with some synthetic sequential benchmarks.

    This particular drive however is weak when it comes to writing incompressible data, producing a lackluster score with AS SSD and the standard data mode in CrystalDiskMark. Thankfully, in the real world this doesn’t dramatically affect overall performance, although we noticed it was sometimes slightly slower than other Sandforce 2281 powered drives which we have tested in recent months."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock: Corsair Performance Pro 128GB:

    "The Marvell controller in this drive is truly a force to be reckoned with. It is known to be extremely reliable as well as blazingly fast. Corsair has made a very smart move here by using 512MB of DDR3 cache along with premium Toshiba Toggle NAND to give us a top notch SSD. And at a price of $220 for the 128MB drive, this is very competitive and certainly a wise investment to significantly boost your system's speed."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Rbmods: Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD:

    "I think the numbers speak for themselves; the drive performs excellent! It beats out older Patriot SSD with over 200MB/s on uncompressed data and 50MB/s on compressed write speed.

    I have not used our older Patriot SSD to compare vs since it was so far behind performance wise and due to the excellent performance this drive got I thought it would be an idea to share the stats with you.

    This drive can be compared against drives like the Samsung 830 SSD which is a tad more expensive."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • t-break: Kingmax 120GB SATA III SSD Review:

    "The thing is, the Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD represents the norm when it comes to price and performance of SATA III SSDs of this capacity. However, with similar performance, in the same capacity, the Kingmax 120GB SATA III SSD comes in at almost half the price of the Kingston (AED 1,289).

    With the release of their new SSDs, with extremely competitive pricing and similar performance to the competition, Kingmax is set to make some waves in the SSD world. All their SSDs carry a 3 year warranty, and at a rated MTBF of 1.2 million hours, the Kingmax SMP35 120GB SATA III looks like the SSD of choice for many enthusiast PC builders."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • The SSD Review: Super Talent Tera Nova 120GB SSD Review:

    "The Super Talent Tera Nova 120GB SSD is yet another example of the quality of new generation SATA 3 SSDs being unleashed in the consumer arena today. Their initial claim that it will reach into the Pro/enthusiast crowd might be a bit ambitious but one never knows as this Tera Nova hits its listed performance specifications of 540MB/s read and 510MB/s write disk transfer speeds dead on. The price point will be crucial as it alone can guarantee the success of the drive or, in contrast, can be a key factor in seeing the Tera Nova simply getting lost in the crowd."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs: Zalman F1 120 GB Solid State Drive Review:

    "The Zalman F1 is just another mainstream SandForce-based SSD. Its speed is similar to that of many popular products. It comes with the latest firmware, which is expected to be stable and problem-free, and has a standard 3-year warranty. If Zalman puts an attractive price tag on this SSD, provides good tech support and ensures broad availability, the F1 can become quite a bestseller."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Fractal Design Arc Midi Case Review

January 24, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru have posted a video review of the Fractal Design Arc Midi case, a relatively compact yet spacious mid-tower case.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Working with the Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower has been a pleasure. There are no new major design features introduced, but the features that are included have been very well thought out. The additional width of the chassis provides room for any type of system build, even accommodating the largest of heatsinks, up to 180mm tall.

The cable management options in the Arc Midi are as good as any case we have worked with. We really appreciate the two cutouts at the very top of the motherboard tray, which made routing the 8pin power cable as easy as we could hope for.

The Arc Midi ships with a fan controller and 3 x 140mm fans that spin at 1000 RPM, the noise emissions are impressive too, registering only 34 dBa at full speed. If we reduce the fan speeds by as little as 10% they offer a near silent experience."


The Arc Midi case is a very worthwhile entry into the busy ~$100 case market, it's definitely worth a look.

Click here to read the full review.

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Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler Reviews

January 24, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks, Hardware Secrets, ocaholic, PureOverclock, and X-bit Labs have reviewed the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • APH Networks:

    "If it's been one thing that we've all learned here today, is that that no matter what "level" we have reached, there are always improvements that can be made. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO has definitely shown us that a product as simple as a heatsink can make several comebacks, so to speak; each time with a few new tweaks to better improve performance. Priced at around $35 USD at press time, we can't expect an epic heatsink that will blow us out of the water. But what Cooler Master and I can definitely guarantee you is, simply put, a CPU cooler with excellent price to performance ratio."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets:

    "The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is a real evolutionary cooler. The direct-touch heatpipes with no gaps between them seems to be an excellent feature, managing to seriously improve the cooling performance seen on the Hyper 212 Plus.

    Actually, the Hyper 212 EVO has shown the same performance level as the Hyper 612 PWM, which uses the same fan but has a far bigger heatsink.

    The Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is relatively small and light, but with its good price, low noise level and high cooling performance, it receives the Hardware Secrets Golden Award."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic:

    "With the Hyper 212 Evo, Cooler Master has a CPU cooler in its portfolio that offers some potential for improvement. For the performance you get the price should for example be lower. Furhtermore we didn't like the mounting kit. It is tedious and the pressure with which it puts the cooler onto the CPU is too low. A higher pressure might even increase cooling capacity because of better heat exchange. But fortunately there are also things we liked about this cooler. For example there is a fan that offers PWM functionality and the cooler can also be equipped with two fans."


    Click here to read the full review.


    iPureOverclock:

    "With a price tag of $35 USD, the performance doesn't cost very much at all, providing an excellent balance of performance and price. The temperature improvements are nearly negligible, so there’s nothing ground shaking here, but it’s encouraging to see Cooler Master to continue to tweak things and make every effort to improve the Hyper 212 lineup. We continue to remain impressed with the Hyper 212 lineup, as they continue to offer outstanding value to consumers on a modest budget, and we'll continue to recommend them, including the Hyper 212 EVO."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs:

    "The new Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO doesn’t set any performance records, but it is not actually supposed to. Considering its price, it is only meant for moderately overclocked CPUs. And the Hyper 212 EVO meets this purpose well enough, coping with our six-core CPU overclocked to 4.3 GHz, even though turning out to be inferior to the cheaper Thermalright True Spirit. Anyway, if you don't find the latter product in shops, the Hyper 212 EVO can make a worthy alternative."


    Click here to read the full review.

For the money this is a great little cooler and it can definitely handle just about any reasonably overclocked CPU.

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GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 580 Super Overclock Review

January 24, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have posted a review of the high-end GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 580 Super Overclock graphics card, which features a custom cooler and overclocked specifications.

Here's an excerpt:

"Gigabyte should be proud of its GTX 580 Super Overclock card as it is one of the last and best NVIDIA GF110 graphics cards on the market. Even though there are some other models like the ASUS MATRIX and EVGA Classified that are more impressive visually, the Gigabyte card gets almost the same things done but with a much more conservative looking design and specs. We know that the GeForce GTX 580 isn't going to be the top option from NVIDIA for long but in today's market, it is one of the best NVIDIA-based graphics cards options you can buy."


This is indeed a very good card, but I don't see it as being any better than the MSI GeForce GTX 580 Lightning.

Click here to read the full review.

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Seagate Barracuda 3TB in RAID 0: Performance Unleashed

January 24, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have tested the huge and very fast Seagate Barracuda 3TB (ST3000DM001) hard drive in RAID 0 configuration.

Here's what they had to say:

"What you get with this RAID solution is basic, no compromise space for all of your storage needs and performance that bridges the gap between SSDs and standard hard drives. Unfortunately, the current inflated pricing structure in the storage market means two Barracuda 3TB drives demand nearly $500 from your piggybank and that’s not an insignificant amount. That’s not to say that SSDs are well priced either since that same $500 will get you a 240GB drive and not much else. Buying two of these Seagate drives is a no brainer if you want an epic amount of storage capacity and a vast improvement in real world applications. However, for anyone on a budget, pairing a single Barracuda 3TB with a boot drive SSD is an excellent alternative."


Personally, I wouldn't recommend using 3TB HDDs in RAID 0, since there's too much risk of losing such a huge amount of data.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel X79 LGA2011 Motherboard Review Roundup - ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI & More

January 24, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D, KitGuru, ocaholic, PureOverclock, techPowerUp, and X-bit Labs have reviewed a few Intel X79 LGA2011 motherboards from ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, and Sapphire.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Guru3D: Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2 Review:

    "Our overall experience with the Gigabyte G1. Assassin 2 gaming edition motherboard was very pleasant. It is a rock solid and stable product. The baseline performance is exactly that, baseline compared to reference. Overclocked you'll notice the numbers op up fast. With the option to pursue 3-way SLI and Crossfire this motherboard is going to interest a very intricate demographics. The gamers that sit in-between mainstream and enthusiast level PC usage.

    Features wise the board is equipped with some very nice goodies, the included Creative labs audio solution, the KillerNIC, the USB 3.0 ports it's all done well. Another good thing is that won't be priced to steep (within its segment) as well, expect to pay 250~275 EUR for this product. And that's a price we agree on, as such the product definitely comes recommended."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru: Sapphire Pure Black X79N Motherboard Reviewþ:

    "We have no hesitation recommending Sapphire’s Pure Black X79N due to the class leading build quality, fantastic overall performance and efficient board layout. That said, the bios isn’t as impressive as the leading ASUS or ASRock solutions, but Sapphire are working hard to continually improve the code and the latest beta bios has noticeably enhanced the product.

    The Sapphire Pure Black X79N is definitely worth buying, but it doesn’t quite reach the staggering level set by the leading ASUS solutions around the same price point."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic: ASUS Rampage IV Gene:

    "At a first glance the Rampage IV Gene definitely leaves a very good impression. The mix of overclocking features and a high quality audio hardware makes this a state-of-the-art motherboard for mATX-gaming. And next to a very nice looking design you find useful features like for example GameFirst. This software allows you to configure your network device the way gaming traffic gets prioritized (keyword traffic shaping). And then there is the "Do Not Disturb" door hanger. When we found this one we really had to smile. It really is these small thing that make manufacturers win gamers hearts!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock: MSI X79A-GD65 (8D) :

    "In terms of aesthetics and visuals, we think the X79A-GD65 8D looks great with its black PCB and contrasting blues and silver all decked out in the Military tTheme; nothing too bold or outlandish here. The motherboard is tidy, neatly organized and looks of high quality and the MSI X79A-GD65 8D is going to make a lot of gamers and enthusiasts’ very happy. The board has a multitude of attractive features, and it's a breeze to use with the OC Genie and overclocking for the novice."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: Gigabyte GA-X79-UD5 Intel LGA 2011:

    "Although many users may be turned off by the BIOS fiasco, testing has shown that there is nothing to worry about, and in the end, the Gigabyte GA-X79-UD5 is the best Intel X79 express product we have tested to date. With that, it's very easy for us to recommend this product to users looking to delve into the Intel X79 Express platform, even just if running stock, as the performance is high enough to warrant the extra power consumption in our books. Don't forget to hit us up in the forums with your own GA-X79-UD5 results!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs: Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7: Mainboard for LGA 2011 CPUs Overclocking:

    "At this point it is still too early to rate the new features and functionality of Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7, because they are still work in progress. However, we are very pleased to see them introduced, and on the technical side we have every reason to state that Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 mainboard is a very high-quality product, which will serve you long and well."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Anidees AI-06B Mid-Tower Case Reviews

January 23, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix and Real World Labs have reviewed the brand new Anidees AI-06B mid-tower case.

Here's what they had to say:

  • eTeknix:

    "There is a real sense of quality to this chassis much like you would find in a Lian-Li chassis, the solid build and simple design is a refreshment from the gamer orientated cases that we normally see through the doors. Its not always the point that to make an impression on the market you have to be a loud and flamboyant product, sometimes back to basics design is what is needed along with a good feel of quality – even if the case does weigh a bit more than its competitors. If Anidées can continue to build solid and reliable chassis in the future then they will earn the right to be up amongst the big names in the future."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Real World Labs:

    "Now leaving aside the availability issues which are understandable although the AI-06B line may not be as cheap as some of you would had hoped you need to take into consideration not only the very good build quality and the many features but also the fact that people behind anidees tried to gather most useful features inside a midi tower and they have partially succeeded. True the Ai-06B is not perfect and so aside the rubber coating on the thumbscrews i would also like to see an easier way to remove the drive cages (rather than having to remove 6 thumbscrews to do that) but in the end it's a very good midi tower and because that's what really counts we are happy to give it our Editors Real Choice Award. All that's left is for anidees to continue on the right path and we're certain they will do great."


    Click here to read the full review.

Given the quality of this product, Anidees seems like a company worth keeping an eye on.

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Corsair Hydro H100 Liquid CPU Cooler Review

January 23, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have posted a review of the Corsair Hydro H100, which is a high-performance self-contained liquid CPU cooler with dual 120mm fans.

Here's an excerpt:

"I've been using consumer-level, self-contained liquid CPU coolers for about four years now, and it seems Corsair has found a good balance between price, performance, and quality when they developed the H100. Dual radiators used to be reserved for custom watercooling systems, but Corsair busted the barn doors off their hinges when they released the H100 to the masses. The $120 price point seems a bit expensive when compared to other air-cooled heatsinks or self-contained CPU coolers in its class, but the extreme performance results should help enthusiasts get on board in purchasing the H100 for their next upgrade. PC Perspective gives the Corsair H100 our gold award for exceptional performance, quality construction, and five-year warranty."


Given its excellent performance, easy installation, worry-free operation, and decent price given its cooling power, the H100 might just be the best CPU cooler on the market right now.

Click here to read the full review.

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Thermaltake Smart 730W Power Supply Reviews

January 23, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks and Funky Kit have reviewed the brand new Thermaltake Smart 730W power supply, which features a non-modular design, 80Plus certification, and 5-year warranty.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • APH Networks:

    "The Thermaltake SMART 730W is budget power supply built by HEC/Compucase. We don't have any performance data from our affiliates with professional load testing equipment at press time, but we will keep you posted. Retailing for approximately $85 after mail in rebate when writing this article, I think the price is a little bit too high for a budget oriented product -- slash $15 to $20 off the price tag, and it will be a deal."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit:

    "The ThermalTake SMART 730w unit did very well in the voltage regulation tests, and happily put out it's full rated power. Better yet it was happy even with zero load, and the ripple results on the 12v rail were flat out excellent. The 5v and 3.3v rails weren't as spectacular, but were still only 50% of the way to the maximum allowed ripple. That makes their results better than a lot of power supplies out there!

    The fan is fairly quiet at low speeds, there is a slight mechanical noise that I could hear on my dead-silent test bench, though I doubt it would be noticeable installed in a case. After a few minutes of full load the fan began to spin up, which lowered the mechanical noise and made some air movement noise. Nothing offensive at all, it seems to be a good fan."


    Click here to read the full review.

There's really nothing special about this power supply, the Corsair TX750M is superior in every way.

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Seagate GoFlex Desk 4TB USB 3.0 Hard Drive Review

January 23, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Bigbruin have reviewed the humongous new Seagate GoFlex Desk 4TB USB 3.0 hard drive.

Here's what they had to say:

"The Seagate GoFlex Desk 4TB USB 3.0 hard drive delivers exactly what we've come to expect from Seagate. The massive capacity could probably store your entire music, movie, and picture collections with room to spare - and with the USB 3.0 interface it can transfer it with lightening speed. The included software is more of a basic solution, similar to Microsoft Backup. If you want something a bit more robust you'll have to pony up $50 or find another third-party solution."


If you have serious data storage needs this is a product that deserves your attention.

Click here to read the full review.

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1000W-1500W Power Supply Review Roundup - Enermax, Seasonic, SilverStone & More

January 23, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks, Funky Kit, and techPowerUp have reviewed a few 1000W to 1500W power supplies from Enermax, Seasonic, SilverStone, and Thermaltake.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • APH Networks: Seasonic Platinum 1000W Power Supply Review:

    "The Seasonic Platinum 1000W is an exceptionally well built, fully modular PSU that delivers outstanding performance according to our affiliates with professional load testing equipment. With its incredible 80 Plus Platinum certified efficiency, and an unmatched silent design, the Seasonic Platinum 1000W is, without doubt, a power supply from Heaven -- pure and unadulterated. Okay, it has a little weirdness in its cable configuration, but those are very small issues."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Funky Kit: ThermalTake Toughpower XT Platinum 1275W Power Supply Review:

    "The Thermaltake ToughPower XT Platinum 1275W PSU is more than happy to cough up it's full rated power, I expect that it would put out a substantial amount more power than the rated maximum. I do not recommend it, as doing such a thing is almost never a good idea, regardless of how overbuilt the PSU is.

    Price wise there's only one other 1200w or larger 80+ platinum unit, it's a bit cheaper but also 75w lower capacity.

    This PSU really is quite overbuilt, which is something I like. The fan is very quiet when it runs, though it spends most of it's time not running at all!

    Very little heat is produced even at full load, this unit really is staggeringly efficient, I'm impressed."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: Enermax Platimax 1500W Power Supply Review:

    "With the Platimax 1500, Enermax apparently wanted to show its capabilities not only to the customers but also to the competition. Although voltage regulation, especially at +12V, is loose, we cannot overlook the high efficiency levels this unit achieves and the tremendous power levels it can deliver even at high operating temperatures. On top of that the Enermax EPM1500EGT is fairly quiet for a 1500W unit and you will have to stress it heavily at high ambient temperatures to make the fan produce audible noise. Personally I was pretty amazed, too by the fact that the unit was able to achieve high efficiency even at very low loads."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution 1000W Power Supply Review:

    "To conclude, the ST1000-G Evolution boasts good performance overall, although not ground breaking. It is one of the quietest 1000W units, features a fully modular design and has good efficiency even at low loads. Also the fact that it currently is the most affordable fully modular, Gold efficiency, 1 kW unit makes it even more attractive."


    Click here to read the full review.

Frankly, these are all very impressive high-end power supplies.

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Samsung PM830 256GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD Reviews

January 21, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Legit Reviews have reviewed the Samsung PM830 256GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which features 510MB/s read and 400MB/s write speeds.

Here's what they had to say:

"The specifications of 520MB/s reads and 400MB/s writes were exceeded in some of our tests and while it trails the fastest SandForce drives in the sequential writes on highly compressed data, it's a usage scenario that rarely presents itself in the real world - especially on a consistent basis. So, it can't be held too strongly against them. Conversely, on incompressible data, it does just as well where the SandForce drives tend to nosedive. The Samsung controller is similar to the Marvell and new Indilinx controllers with the use of a cache and consistent performance across data types. The 830 Series has a 256MB cache which is plenty big for anything you throw at it. Overall, we were impressed again by the work Samsung has done."


This is a terrific new arrival to the SSD market, and a worthwhile alternative to the many SandForce-based models.

Click here to read the full review.

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60-Way Thermal Compound Roundup

January 20, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Secrets have added five new thermal compounds to their previous roundup, for a total of 60 different thermal compounds from every major brands.

Here's what they had to say:

"This month, three thermal compounds proved to be great products: the Xigmatek Freezing Point (which achieved the same performance as the Xigmatek PTI-G3606), the Antec Formula 5 (which performed just as the Formula 7 from the same manufacturer), and the Tuniq TX-2.

On the other hand, mustard didn’t disappoint. It performed as well as some commercial thermal compounds (at least for the first minutes) and better than lipstick, oil, butter, and toothpaste, although mayonnaise is, as of now, unbeatable among the alternative compounds we tried."


If you need new thermal paste this roundup is absolutely a must-read.

Click here to read the full review.

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Toshiba Portege Z830 Ultrabook Reviews

January 20, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


t-break and The SSD Review have reviewed the brand new Toshiba Portege Z830 ultrabook, which features a 13.3" 1366x768 display, 128GB solid state drive, 4GB of RAM, and a Intel Core i5-2467M dual-core/four-thread processor.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • t-break:

    "Overall the Toshiba Portégé Z830 impressed me in every aspect of its design and performance. No matter where I went or who I showed it to, everybody wanted one. The price was the only factor that put down a lot of people. At nearly 4.5k the Toshiba Portégé Z830 is a good AED 850 more expensive than the Acer Aspire S3. That said, it’s still AED 1,150 cheaper than its nearest rival, the unibody and equally slim MacBook Pro 13 which has the same specs inside. So for those who want a true ultrabook experience, the Toshiba Portégé Z830 is a definite buy, despite the slightly high price tag."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • The SSD Review:

    "As much as the Toshiba Z830 is truly eye candy, it had to be capable of keeping up with our activities to be a part of our family. It arrived last Friday. We immediately configured it for our needs and headed out several hours down the road for a weekend meeting. We arrived back at home base on Sunday, only to see me head out once again on Monday to which I now sit here on Wednesday in a hotel room typing away on the Z830. I have given 3 presentations since Friday and can state first hand that the Z830 is truly ‘plugged in’."


    Click here to read the full review.

All Ultrabooks at the moment are basically identical specs wise, but there are a few models like this Toshiba that do stick out above the rest.

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AMD Radeon HD 7970 CrossFire Performance

January 20, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D, HardwareHeaven, KitGuru, PC Perspective, techPowerUp, and VR-Zone have tested the multi-GPU performance of the new AMD Radeon HD 7970 in various CrossFire configurations.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Guru3D: ASUS Radeon HD 7970 Crossfire Review:

    "With the Crossfire overview we also have been able to get glimpse into the future, The pending Radeon HD 7990 won't be far away from the performance levels you have seen today.

    As impressed as we where with the reference product we are similar impressed with the ASUS R7970. Impressive as well is obviously Crossfire scaling. We do hope that AMD puts their money where their mouth is and get their game driver support at higher levels.

    With the Crossfire overview we also have been able to get glimpse into the future, The pending Radeon HD 7990 won't be far away from the performance levels you have seen today."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • HardwareHeaven: PowerColor Radeon HD 7970 CrossFire Graphics Card Review:

    "In today's games the PowerColor 7970 beats the GTX 580 convincingly in the majority of titles but really excels in CrossFire mode where AMD often have scaling working very well. Particular highlights were Shogun 2 and the recently released Star Wars: The Old Republic.

    In terms of value, the prices listed for 7970 cards today are fluctuating by the minute very much to extremes. Cards can be found for as little as £420 on pre-order though which beats the £560 we have seen elsewhere by some way. Keep your eyes peeled for good deals now and in the coming days."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • HardwareHeaven: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 Tri-CrossFire Graphics Card Review:

    "Where the Sapphire 7970 really impresses however are the framerates possible on the product when we combine three. There are occasions, such as Skyrim, where multi-GPU performance of any sort isn't working but equally there are others, for example Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic as well as Shogun 2 where the framerates are phenomenal. This is also backed up by the excellent power down feature AMD have implemented which means the idle power use, and temperatures produced are industry leading for a multi-GPU solution.

    In terms of value, the prices listed for 7970 cards today are fluctuating by the minute very much to extremes. Cards can be found for as little as £420 on pre-order though which beats the £560 we have seen elsewhere by some way. Keep your eyes peeled for good deals now and in the coming days."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • HardwareHeaven: Sapphire Radeon 7970 Quad-CrossFire First Look Performance:

    "Quad 7970 CrossFire is clearly something for the real enthusiast and still a work in progress however for those who are willing to be patient, and have a huge budget there is nothing faster than this."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru: HIS HD7970 Crossfire Review:

    "With regards to performance we have no concerns and everything we said on launch day still holds true. The new reference cooling solution is much improved on the old AMD design, although it is still audible when loaded. Building a system with two HD7970′s in a Crossfire configuration increases the ambient temperature, causing the fans to work harder and emit more noise. While Crossfire performance is exceptionally impressive we feel that many people would find the noise irritating. This is why I find the XFX R7970 DD version of this card so appealing … because with dual fans, and an improved cooler, the card is very quiet and runs at a much lower thermal overhead."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PC Perspective: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Black Edition and CrossFire Results‏:

    "We have to comment on our CrossFire issues in this article and of course point out that these are NOT XFX's fault. Instead, we seem to have found a fault with the AMD drivers and its QA program. The problem of not seeing any scaling at 2560x1600 in Battlefield 3 (and ONLY 2560x1600) while seeing no scaling in Batman: Arkham City, crashes at 2560x1600 in Skyrim and the large dips in frame rate in Deus Ex: Human Revolution are pretty dramatic and damning for the brand new architecture."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp: ASUS Radeon HD 7970 CrossFire:

    "We see plenty of performance for the latest and greatest titles at maximum resolution and maximum settings. Unfortunately AMD's reviewer driver did not ship with working CrossFire profiles for Batman Arkham City and Elder Scrolls Skyrim. Battlefield 3 at 2560x1600 also fell back to single GPU performance, even though lower resolutions scale just fine. While I am confident AMD that will provide working CrossFire profiles for these major titles soon, they really need to work on getting their driver support to work right at launch day, when loads of people want to play these games."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • VR-Zone: AMD Radeon HD 7970 Quad CrossfireX: The Stock Air Cooling Championþ:

    "At VR-Zone, we like to think that our team and our readers are brand agnostic and worship only the best stuff available. We salute the AMD Radeon HD 7970 for its all rounded abilities, but for the sake of competition and the evolution of the human race, we hope that NVIDIA have an answer for this in the soon to be announced Kepler GK104.

    The numbers shown today are in the territory of subzero LN2 overclocked 4-way GTX580s of yesteryear, achieved with stock air cooling and no voltage bump at all. This excellence does come at a hefty price though - US$2196 (based on retail SRP of $549) for the cards and then some more for a beefy power supply and decent case/cooling."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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Corsair Vengeance 1100 & 1500 Gaming Headsets Review

January 20, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D have reviewed two new gaming headsets from Corsair, the Vengeance 1100 and Vengeance 1500.

Here's an excerpt:

"Being Corsair's second refresh of their headsets, the Vengeance 1500 had the big shoes of the HS1 to fill. The HS1 was (and still is) a great pair of headphones. The Vengeance 1500 lives up to the HS1, there was never any doubt, and still offers a great experience for gamer and music lover alike. It is safe to say that the Vengeance 1500 is a modest improvement over the HS1.

The Vengeance 1100 could not be more different in both sound and style. This headset is aimed at a different price point and style, so it is understandable and expected. The Vengeance 1100 have the behind-the-ear style that will appeal to those who don't want to wear a regular pair of headphones. There is a little tradeoff with lower sound quality, the Vengeance 1100 have strong bass, stronger than the Vengeance 1500 at default, but the treble is not as clear and smooth."


If you are in the market for a new gaming headset, these two models are definitely worth a serious look.

Click here to read the full review.

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Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 Low Profile Graphics Card Review

January 20, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Bigbruin have reviewed the Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 Low Profile single-slot graphics card, which has 480 Stream Processors and 1GB of the DDR5 memory.

Let's see what they had to say:

"If you are looking for a card like this that has to fit a low profile case, this is pretty much your only choice! With an 800 MHz core clock and 1000 MHz memory, you will have no problems at all pushing your media without issue. And with 480 stream processors you won't have many problems playing your favorite video games at around medium settings. We saw that the Sapphire Radeon HD 6670 LP does not pack the same amount of power as some of the other cards in our testing, but it still hung in there and showed us that you don't have to be expensive, nor do you have to eat up a lot of power, to have a nice quiet, energy efficient HTPC setup."


This is a worthwhile little card for those who want to do some light gaming or need media transcoding capabilities.

Click here to read the full review.

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SoundGraph iMON SmartBay Reviews

January 19, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Madshrimps and techPowerUp have posted a review of the SoundGraph iMON SmartBay, a unique iPhone/iPad speaker dock that installs into your desktop PC.

Here's what they had to say:

  • Madshrimps:

    "When the installation of the iMON SmartBay is completed, we can now turn on the PC without the need to use the case Power On button anymore, it’s like turning on a TV.

    After opening the dock, we can simply insert our iPhone/iPad and it will start charging right away (even with the PC turned off). During this time, we can launch the Remote+ Lite/Pro application for using the current PC (or another one on our network that has the Server application installed) as a Media Center, or can run other different applications:

    Of course, if we want to enter “Data sync mode”, for accessing the multimedia content from inside our iOS device, we can simply switch to that mode by using the Remote+ application:


    Click here to read the full review.


  • techPowerUp:

    "Soundgraph is known for revolutionizing the HTPC field, so it makes perfect sense for them to jump on the smartphone & tablet bandwagon to bridge the gap between HTPC and to utilize the new found ability to control your media from the comfort of the the couch. That said, clocking in at 80 US Dollars, the Smartbay is quite expensive, especially as Apple sells its own dock for 30 US Dollars. The possibility to download the 10 USD Remote+ app does not work in the Smartbays favor either, as it means that you could invest half the price of the iMONSmartbay to gain most of the functionality of the device by combining their own application with the Apple dock. In such a constellation you could still control all your media on the PC and still listen to your audio on the iPad without the use of the PC, which may remain off."


    Click here to read the full review.

If you're a big fan of iDevices this might be a product worth looking at, but I find it a little clunky looking.

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SteelSeries Kana Gaming Mouse Review

January 19, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven have posted a review of the new and fairly affordable SteelSeries Kana gaming mouse.

Let's see what they had to say:

"We tested the Kana on hard and fabric surfaces and the performance of the sensor was good for a midrange mouse. Lower DPI levels offered accuracy and towards the top of the range we found that the Kana offered decent speed for those who need to move fast, or far. In addition to this we noted no pixel jumping on the latest firmware, something which was specifically tested for. This decent hardware specification is also backed by good software from SteelSeries which is simple to use and allows us to configure the speed of the mouse, LED and buttons to our needs.

Summary: At around €49/$49 the Kana mouse from Steelseries offers a good mix of price, features and performance. Good hardware is backed by a decent software suite which will allow gamers to get the most from their new purchase."


SteelSeries makes quality products and this one is no different, especially when you consider the attractive pricetag.

Click here to read the full review.

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SilverStone Precision PS07 Micro-ATX Case Review

January 19, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Benchmark Reviews have reviewed the sleek-looking and relatively affordable SilverStone Precision PS07, a compact micro-ATX case with a removable motherboard tray.

Let's see what they had to say:

"With a small footprint and lots of internal space, there isn't much wrong with the SilverStone PS07. It's a well thought out case, with the arguable exception of so many screws needed for assembly.

Appearance is always subjective, but this case is marketed squarely for more mature tastes, with no fancy LEDs or other outside flair, while retaining a sleek and solid look. For that reason, the PS07 retains an all business appearance without being overly boring.

Construction of the PS07 is above average with the only aspect a little thin being the top PSU mount, which becomes substantially sturdy after the removable top is screwed down. There were somewhat sharp edges on the top outside edge of the frame, where the side panels mount on both sides, but they are outside of the working area. Aside from that, everything is smooth with attention to quality."


This seems like a fantastic little case, check it out!

Click here to read the full review.

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MSI Big Bang XPower II LGA2011 Motherboard Reviews

January 19, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D, HardwareHeaven, and t-break have reviewed the MSI Big Bang XPower II LGA2011 motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 Express chipset and supports the new Intel 'Sandy Bridge-E' LGA2011 processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Guru3D:

    "Luckily the "military" theme with the Gatling gun and bullet coolers didn't go over the top, it's all done subtle... and that is the word that defines the X79 Big Bang XPower II the best, subtle. Fact remains that with a much cheaper motherboard you'll achieve the very same overclocks with liquid cooling, it's however the design and sheer features that pushes the XPower II into a higher level. We like the motherboard very much and definitely can recommend it towards any enthusiast, as we assume, nobody will run a Sandy Bridge-E processor at default clock frequencies ;)"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • HardwareHeaven:

    "In terms of performance the MSI Big Bang XPower 2 doesn't disappoint. In the motherboard specific tests we saw it compete with the best that ASUS has to offer and this continued on in the other tests where the MSI was able to squeeze that little bit extra performance out of our components on a regular basis. It also overclocked far higher than any other X79 board we have tested so far.

    Added to this great performance is a decent number of SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 connectors (along with USB charge ports and ESD protection) but one of the more important features is the ability to install four high end GeForce or Radeon cards in quad SLI/Crossfire X for extreme high end GPU performance... with PCIe Gen3 support."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • t-break:

    "So what makes the MSI Big Bang XPower II such an exceptional motherboard are all the extra bells & whistles that are reserved for very high-end boards, yet it provides performance as good as any of the others. The best part is that it’s not priced to destroy your wallet. So for anybody building high-end X79 based rig who wants all the features and performance of a flagship X79 board at the price point of something more acceptable, look no further than the MSI Big Bang XPower II."


    Click here to read the full review.

This seems like an excellent motherboard, easily competitive with the best that ASUS and GIGABYTE currently have to offer.

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Seagate Momentus XT 750GB Hybrid Hard Drive Review

January 19, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


t-break have reviewed the new Seagate Momentus XT 750GB, a 2.5" hybrid hard drive with a 8GB SLC NAND chip on the drive's PCB.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Seagate Momentus XT’s performance is undeniably higher than regular 2.5” or 3.5” 7200rpm hard drives. While not as fast as traditional SSDs, the SATA III interface, bigger NAND Flash and a better self-learning algorithm certainly bridges the gap between the first generation hybrid drive and SSDs.

With the promise of a firmware upgrade in the near future that allows real-time writing on the NAND, the performance can only get better. Of course, that’s not to say that the Momentus XT drives don’t have room for improvement. Larger cache, preferably 64MB instead of 32MB and 20GB of NAND Flash would be very welcomed in the 3rd generation drives."


This is a very interesting product, Seagate have clearly done a great job with this second-generation hybrid hard drive. It might be pricey, but it's the only choice for those who need a huge capacity high-performance storage solution.

Click here to read the full review.

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NZXT Switch 810 Case Reviews

January 18, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven, Hardware Secrets, Metku, and ThinkComputers have reviewed the just launched NZXT Switch 810 case.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • HardwareHeaven:

    "We started this review looking at the Switch 810 so let's begin the conclusion in the same way and look at its build quality. Overall the Switch case is very impressive on that front with solid steel construction, a good paint job and some very nice plastic with soft touch coating that fits the overall chassis very well. Internally the high level of build quality continues with rubber covers on the wiring holes, more construction which feels solid and good, NZXT branded fans."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets:

    "The NZXT Switch 810 is a decent full-tower case, allowing you to build a very high-end system. The LEDs on the rear panel is a great idea, making it easier for you to find the right connector after the computer is built and installed on its final place. However, we didn’t like the venting system available on the top panel. We can’t see when you would like to cover a fan. With the vents open, the whole top panel will be opened for collecting dust, especially when no additional fans are installed."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Metku:

    "NZXT Switch NZXT Switch 810 is a real dark horse. It would definitely have earned Editor's Choice -award if NZXT used less plastic and instead made the parts of aluminum. Other than that the case is a great choice for users that require great cooling performance and good extensibility from a system enclosure."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ThinkComputers:

    "This case is one of the most impressive cases I’ve seen from NZXT and one of the most impressive cases that I saw at CES this year. The case launches today worldwide and you can pick it up for $169.99! Some of the features include hybrid fins on the top of the case that can be opened and closed, support for 280mm radiators and up to 10 fans, 2 removable hard drive cages for up to 7 hard drives, 9 expansion slots, USB 3.0 and much more. Read on to check out our video overview of this amazing case!"


    Click here to read the full review.

This is a very attractive looking case, it is worth a look even if you have no intentions of buying a new case.

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Fractal Design Arc Midi Case Review

January 18, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a video review of the Fractal Design Arc Midi case, a relatively compact yet spacious mid-tower case.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Arc series follows two distinct lines: a mini tower and what they call a “midi” design which is something between a mid tower case and a slightly smaller form factor. For anyone that wants a mid tower but has limited space, the Arc midi may be the perfect enclosure since it combines a subtle design with a ton of cooling options and a great price of under $110. Fractal has also kicked things up a notch by increasing the depth, giving this case a unique profile and plenty of room to work in."


The Arc Midi case is a very worthwhile entry into the busy ~$100 case market, it's definitely worth a look.

Click here to read the full review.

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Five-Way 550W-850W Power Supply Roundup

January 18, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


X-bit Labs have tested and compared five 550W to 850W power supplies from Chieftec, Cooler Master, Enermax, Thermaltake, and Vantec.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The products from Chieftec and Enermax stand out among the half-dozen power supplies we have tested in this review. Both feature handy modular design and meet the 80+Bronze requirements. Their other electrical parameters are good, too, and they are quiet enough, especially the Enermax. However, the Enermax NAXN ENM850EWT is considerably more expensive, so the Chieftec BPS-650C may look like a better buy in terms of price/performance ratio."


Looking for an affordable, mid-level power supply? Give this article a look.

Click here to read the full review.

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OCZ Octane 512GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive Review

January 18, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock have reviewed the brand new OCZ Octane 512GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which is the first model utilizing the new Indilinx Everest controller.

Let's see what they had to say:

"This is a fantastic drive, and overall I would consider it one of the best we've seen to date. SandForce Drives set the performance bar first, and because of this we always compare performance to the SandForce drives. Although the Octane is not the overall fastest drive it does do some things much better than a SandForce drive, not the least of which is the unmatched compressible data writes and the overall excellent user experience. And for that, we think the Octane and its Everest Controller are pure SSD bliss."


Clearly, OCZ made a great decision when it purchased Indilinx since the new controller used in this model is fantastic.

Click here to read the full review.

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Corsair Performance Pro 256GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD Reviews

January 18, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


techPowerUp have reviewed the brand new Corsair Performance Pro 256GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which features to 515MB/s read and 440MB/s write speeds.

Let's see what they had to say:

"It looks like Corsair did some magic tweaks to the Marvell controller's firmware, as their Performance Pro 256 GB is the fastest SSD we tested so far. It even beats big-name Sandforce SF-228x drives like the Kingston HyperX 240 GB and OCZ Vertex 3 240 GB. We suspect that Corsair did something unique to their drive, because Crucial's M4, which uses the same controller, and should thus deliver very similar performance, ended up being 10% slower than the Corsair Performance Pro.

In terms of price/performance the drive easily claims a leading spot, despite its $400 price mark. When it comes to GB per Dollar, things are not looking so great. You can find some high-performance Sandforce SF-2281 240 GB drives at well below $350, so it wouldn't hurt if Corsair adjusted their price to something like $375 or below."


Well the list of excellent SSDs just keeps growing! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Performance Pro, it seems like a very worthwhile alternative to the sometime problematic SandForce-based models.

Click here to read the full review.

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Crucial M4 256GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD Review

January 17, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D have posted reviews of the Crucial M4 256GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which features 415MB/s read and 175MB/s write speeds.

Let's see what they had to say:

"So yeah, this review can only compliment what a lot of you guys have been experiencing for a while now, top-notch competitive performance at similar competitive prices. The write performance on the 64 and 128GB models are a notch lower than I had hoped for, but then again ... we doubt that you'd even notice it as the overall experience is just extremely good. Combine that fact with the negativity that has surrounded the SandForce 2281 controller SSD based product and the M4 choice could be on your Christmas 2011 shortlist, storage is about price, performance and reliability. If anything the M4 series ticks all these boxes. We give the M4 our Top Pick award."


Thanks to a recent firmware update, the M4 has been given a significant performance boost and it is definitely an SSD worth considering.

Click here to read the full review.

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Thermaltake Frio Advanced CPU Cooler Review

January 17, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Real World Labs have reviewed the new Thermaltake Frio Advanced CPU cooler, which features dual 130mm PWM fans,and universal CPU compatibility.

Here's what they had to say:

"With a current suggested retail price tag set at around USD70 inside the USA and 60Euros inside the EU the latest Frio Advanced by Thermaltake really comes cheap compared to other similar performance units. Of course as mentioned this is not a unit ment for people who cherish silence and thus it's not recommended for them. You could of course run the fans at lower speeds (there are quite a few ways to do that) but you would get less performance so it really makes little sense to go the extra length for something like that. However for enthusiasts and overclockers the Frio Advanced is certainly one appealing solution at that price range largely thanks to its performance, size and compatibility and that's why we recommend it to everyone who is not annoyed by noise (mGPU owners for example)."


Although a little ugly, when not combined with an ASUS R.o.G motherboard, this cooler's main drawback is its high noise output at high load levels.

Click here to read the full review.

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MSI Interceptor Series Nighthawk Mid-Tower Case

January 17, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TestFreaks have just posted a review of the brand new MSI Interceptor Series Nighthawk mid-tower case.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The MSI Nighthawk case is a decent looking one, there’s no doubt about that, it’s stylish and just really looks good. The case does have some good qualities like the built-card reader and the fact that it’s mostly tool-less making installation a tad bit easier. The cooling system seems to work well at keeping everything cool inside of the case. You can use the included fans and leave it at that or replace them or the case does have spaces so you can add more fans for even more efficient cooling. There is plenty of room for several hard drives for lots of storage and there’s still room for even the largest of video cards. I really like the addition of the card reader, it is very helpful as I use it often."


This seems like a pretty good case, but it does have to compete with similarly-priced models like the Corsair Carbide Series 400R and Fractal Design Define R3.

Click here to read the full review.

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SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 Steering Wheel Review

January 17, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Benchmark Reviews have reviewed the brand new SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 steering wheel.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Functionality is very good in Simraceway but in other games it is somewhat limited, the assist dials and shift LED's will not work in any unsupported games (which is everything but Simraceway). This just means that these options can't be adjusted on the fly in other racing sims but that doesn't stop you adjusting these settings in the in-game menus. For a motion sensitive controller I was initially sceptical, but after a period of use I was really quite impressed by the accuracy that the SRW-S1 has. The gear shift paddles have a nice audible and tactile click to let you know you have actuated the controls. The brake and accelerator paddles are spring loaded and pressure sensitive and allow for very precise control in trained hands. The close proximity of the rear paddles means you won't find yourself contorting your hands or searching for the various controls."


This seems like a terrific feature-rich steering wheel for those who do not want the additional hassle of pedals.

Click here to read the full review.

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Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti Super OC White Edition Review

January 17, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have reviewed the Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti Super OC White Edition graphics card, which features a white PCB, custom cooler, and overclocked specifications.

Here's what they had to say:

"In many ways Galaxy has a winner on their hands. The Super OC White Edition outperforms nearly every other GTX 560 Ti out there, looks great and should appeal to anyone looking for a unique graphics card. On the other hand, the competition has products that perform nearly as well but feature heatsink designs that have much smaller acoustical footprints. The decision between the two is tough to make but Galaxy has made a convincing case for this card in a crowded market."


Although it is undeniably fast, what makes this graphics card special is that it would look good combined with NZXT's wide variety of white components.

Click here to read the full review.

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Post-CES 2012 Coverage

January 16, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 officially ended on the 13th, 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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NZXT Tempest 410 Elite Mid-Tower Case Reviews

January 16, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PureOverclock and techPowerUp have reviewed the NZXT Tempest 410 Elite mid-tower case.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • PureOverclock:

    "At a price of $90, the Tempest 410 Elite is a solid case and a great value. The versatility here is also a solid consideration. While it can't really match some of the elite on the market, it's nowhere near the price either, particularly for a mid-tower. If you want a full-featured and versatile case that's avaialble at a great price, seriously consider the NZXT Tempest 410 Elite."


    Click here to read the full review.

  • techPowerUp:

    "The NZXT Phantom is an excellent and great looking chassis, the NZXT H2 offers a unique set of features while clocking in below that magical 100 Euro barrier and being available in black or white, the NZXT Source 210 goes for the best value with a good set of features. With all these cases out there, the NZXT Tempest 410 seems bit lackluster. Sure you have some of the elements of the H2 embedded into the Tempest 410, because it uses the same frame, but NZXT has left a lot of small little features out. These cost cutting measures tend to show when looking at the chassis as a whole. The lack of proper, removable dust filters in the floor, the missing rubber grommets and the superficial design choices - especially noticeable in the top storage compartment are oversights, which put a damper on the joy of the chassis in general."


    Click here to read the full review.

This seems like a pretty good case, but it does have to compete with similarly-priced models like the Corsair Carbide Series 400R and Fractal Design Define R3.


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Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

January 16, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Bigbruin have posted a review of the brand new Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case, which is the successor to the original Cosmos.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Cooler Master Cosmos II is definitely a case for those who won't settle for the run-of-the-mill. It is an extremely well thought out case that combines great convenience features with appealing aesthetics, and low noise/high performance cooling. Assembling a system in this case is a breeze, and in the end I have to agree with Cooler Master's assessment that it was "inspired by luxurious supercars"."


From what I have gathered from all these reviews, this might just be the finest case ever produced. Even if you have no plans to buy a high-end case, definitely give this case a look.

Click here to read the full review.

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GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD7 LGA2011 Motherboard Review

January 16, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


t-break have posted a review of the high-end GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD7 LGA2011 motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 Express chipset and supports the new Intel 'Sandy Bridge-E' LGA2011 processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

"In the end, the Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 provides a solid platform for overclockers. The board itself is a great example of properly designed layout, from the spacious layout around the CPU area to the precise placement of the SATA ports to the PCIe slots. It has the capability to provide enough juice to however many high-end components you plug into it, and at the end of the day you’ll have a stable platform with a lot of potential for the future when see PCIe Gen 3.0 graphics cards."


This is obviously a very impressive motherboard, and I love the fact that it features the same colour scheme as the X58A-OC.

Click here to read the full review.

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Keyboard Review Roundup - Enermax, Logitech, Razer & More

January 16, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


eTeknix, Metku, ocaholic, PureOverclock, Rbmods, Real World Labs, Techgage, and XtremeComputing have reviewed several keyboards from the likes of Apple, Arctic Cooling, Enermax, Logitech, Mad Catz, Razer, Roccat, Rosewill, and Xebec.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • eTeknix: Xebec Tech X-Line Multimedia Keyboard Review:

    "At a fantastic price of around £13.00, the X-Line is the best value keyboard that I have seen for a long while and for that reason it ticks all the boxes for me and has added itself to the short-list of keyboards that I would be able to pick up, plug in and work on for any period of time with a sense of comfort that is generally found on higher priced boards."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Metku: Roccat Isku Gaming Keyboard Review:

    "Roccat Isku is a good choice for gamers. There are a lot of macros available so for example for role players Isku would be ideal.

    Roccat Isku’s price is around 90 € so it’s not a cheap keyboard. For 100 Euros there are several mechanical keyboards available in the market so Isku’s price can be too high for many gamers. If Isku had mechanical switches it would absolutely get Editors Choice award."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic: Apple Wireless Keyboard Review:

    "If you type a lot you'll love this keyboard. The very short travel distance and a perfectly defined travel distance can make you type quite a bit faster than with a standard keyboard. Furthermore we also like the design of this little thing. It is perfectly crafted and very good looking.

    Before you buy an Apple Wireless Keyboard to use it with a windows PC, you should really be aware of the drawbacks. First of all there is no number pad. Secondly the to access the windows key you have to use the "cmd" key. And additionally there isn't a print screen key nor page-up, page-down, home, end or insert. What you get really is basic functionality."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock: Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard Review:

    "With a price tag around $100 USD, this is one of the most affordable mechanical gaming keyboards out there. And once you've worked with a mechanical keyboard, you won't want to touch anything else. Some may bemoan the lack of advanced features, backlit keys, macros, or any other sort of bells and whistles, but for anyone who instead prefers a basic and solid mechanical keyboard, this one is a good choice."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Rbmods: Arctic Cooling K481 Keyboard Review:

    "Asus K481 is undoubtedly one of the smallest, thumb keyboards not included, keyboards I’ve encountered in a while. For everyday use it its keys are way too small for any kind of comfortable use, but in HTPC use or in other environments where you need to type only a limited amount, the K481 might be your choice. An integrated touchpad mouse with multitouch support makes browsing the internet easy and low profile keys make typing very comfortable. The K481 is perfect choice as HTPC keyboard. If you can live with the small keys, a missing keypad, and some oddities in keyplacement doesn’t bother you, go ahead and head to your nearest computer shop and buy K481 – you won’t be disappointed!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Rbmods: Razer Blackwidow Ultimate Gaming keyboard Review:

    "I have used the keyboard for both gaming and normal daily usage and found the Cherry MX red switches to be quite comfortable to use. The keys don’t click as much as the blue and brown and the red really feels like they are meant for typing. I found a good guide that might help you decide which MX switch is for you, Overclock.net has a guide in their forum which goes through all of the colors quite extensively.

    You can pick this keyboard up for around 139,99$ at Newegg and im sure Amazon, Zipzoomfly, etc, sell it also. The price is quite steep, I don’t think most users will be able to afford this keyboard, and for them to be able to do so they would have to drop the price 20-30$."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Real World Labs: Enermax Aurora Lite Wireless Keyboard Reviewþ:

    "Personally although i find the price to be quite low for such a product there's no doubt that some of you may wonder as to why chose the Aurora Lite Wireless Keyboard and not just get a normal wireless keyboard and mouse bundle for half the price. Well the answer is quality, wireless range and of course looks since you will have a really hard time finding something better than the Aurora Lite Wireless. Certainly there's always the Aurora Micro Wireless keyboard around which should be a better choice for HTPC users but that's something that really comes down to personal preference. For us the Aurora Lite Wireless keyboard by Enermax is a fine choice featuring high build quality, great looks and a very good wireless range and that's why it walks away with our Editors Real Deal Award."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Real World Labs: Mad Catz Eclipse Wireless LiteTouch Keyboard Review‏:

    "Of course as mentioned many times over although the build quality of this keyboard is very good it still can't compare to that of the most expensive and far heavier (not to mention wired) mechanical keyboards so it's not suitable for people who type all the time. However if you want a wireless keyboard with very good build quality, illuminated keys, LCD touch panel, good battery life (rechargeable), very good wireless range and a killer price tag (currently) then you just can't go wrong with the Wireless LiteTouch Keyboard by Eclipse and that's why it gets our Editors Real Deal Award."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Techgage: Logitech Wireless Keyboard K360 Review:

    "All-in-all, the K360 is an amazing value for the dollar. It's proven very reliable, has what looks to be a true 3-year battery life (after two months of a lot of use, my battery still shows full), has a smart design and does well to remove one more wire from your PC. Best of all - if you use another current Logitech wireless device, you'll be able to share the USB adapter between them, also freeing up another USB port. It goes without saying that this is worthy of an Editor's Choice award. The K360 is the very definition of "great value"."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • XtremeComputing: Xebec Tech iTouchPad Diamond Keyboard Review:

    "Xebec Tech really have done wonders with the itouchpad diamond, by designing this keyboard so you can connect it to a number of different devices and ways only adds more to the already desirable product. No longer do you have to sit/stand next to your computer when you present a conference or lecture as the itouchpad diamond suits all these needs. The only issue that some users might find with the itouchpad diamond is the lack of media hotkeys for HTPC use but as the layout is so compact Xebec Tech ran out of room to fit every key in. But as my partner suggests it makes a good ideal keyboard for sim fans due to its lightness and addition of touchpad."


    Click here to read the full review.

Enjoy!

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CES 2012: Day 3 Coverage

January 13, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Day 3 of CES 2012 is now over, and although there really weren't any substantial reveals today, there is still a lot of cool discoveries happening on the show floor and various hotel suites:


Enjoy!

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XFX R7970 Black Edition Double Dissipation Reviews

January 13, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Anandtech and Benchmark Reviews have reviewed the XFX R7970 Black Edition Double Dissipation, which is the first semi-custom Radeon HD 7970 on the market.

Here's what they had to say:

  • Anandtech:

    "Being the first mover in any market has its advantages, and this is especially true for XFX’s Radeon HD 7970 Black Edition Double Dissipation. While there’s nothing here we haven’t seen in the past on other video cards – a custom cooler and a moderate factory overclock – for the time being XFX is the only vendor offering either of those. Not surprisingly the Black Edition Double Dissipation appears to have sold out over at Newegg before our NDA even expired.

    At this point in time XFX’s biggest advantage is that they’re the only vendor offering an open air cooler. There are obvious tradeoffs in these designs and it’s definitely not suited for everyone, but for cases that can handle the heat load of an open air cooler, XFX’s Double Dissipation cooler makes the resulting card significantly quieter than the reference design under load, offering the performance of a 7970 with less noise than any current high-end card. "


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Benchmark Reviews:

    "The appearance of the card was striking and original. XFX even made the effort of using a red, lettered top plate so everyone will know what card you have should you display it in a windowed case. I do think the card would look a little "cleaner" with a back plate to cover the exposed circuitry on the rear of the card.

    The construction of the card seems very solid. I didn't remove the cooler as I often do in these tests due to time constraints (and, frankly, I was a little intimidated by the sheer number of screws holding the cooler on), so I can't speak to the quality of the PCB, but the fact that the card was cool and stable under the maximum overclock I could achieve with existing tools indicates that it's built pretty well."


    Click here to read the full review.

Right now this is definitely the best Radeon HD 7970 on the market, but good luck finding it in stock anywhere.

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ASRock X79 Extreme9 LGA2011 Motherboard Reviews

January 13, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru and The SSD Review have reviewed the high-end and very fancy-looking ASRock X79 Extreme9 motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 chipset and supports the new Intel Sandy Bridge-E LGA2011 processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • KitGuru:

    "Connectivity is class leading, with a staggering array of 12 SATA ports via multiple controller chips, offering a plethora of potential drive storage for a high end enthusiast system. The included Creative sound solution is a welcome addition, offering higher quality audio reproduction than a simple onboard solution. Networking was also impressive via the addon PCIe X1 card and it allowed ASrock to neaten up the main system I/O panel by removing audio connectors.

    [...]

    Is it as good as the ASUS flagship product? It is a tough call – the ASRock motherboard has more SATA ports, but I prefer the ASUS bios implementation. Both are certainly feature full and well worth the money, forming the basis of an ultra high end futureproof system for the coming years."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • The SSD Review:

    "Here again ASRock delivers. 12 SATA ports is just astounding, and the functionality that comes with that is very important. Being a storage centric site, we love nothing more than SATA ports, and lots of them! This board goes above and beyond the call with 8 x 6Gb/s ports, and four additional SATA 2 ports.

    Enthusiasts are also worried about price. Price is a huge concern, and with the price of admission to the upper end X79 processors being very expensive, any help is good. Coming in at 344 USD this board is a great value that simply cannot be beat!

    Once taken into context with the ridiculous pricing of other upper echelon boards, and the great performance from this board, it is easy to see that this motherboard is a winner!"


    Click here to read the full review.

This is by far the most impressive motherboard that ASRock have ever made, it truly cements them as a top-tier motherboard manufacturer.

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Seagate Momentus XT 750GB Hybrid Hard Drive Review

January 13, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


The SSD Review have reviewed the new Seagate Momentus XT 750GB, a 2.5" hybrid hard drive with a 8GB SLC NAND chip on the drive's PCB.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Personally speaking, the Momentus XT would be perfect at $150 for the 750Gb version. With recent events however, one will have to make a conscious decision on which type of drive to buy. Speaking strictly of Momentus XT’s results though, I am honestly blown away. The concept of a hybrid drive was very intriguing to me, and to see it come into fruition as it has makes me confident for the future of hybrid drives. Anything that can lower the GB/$ value and acquiesce SSD-like speeds is a win-win in my book. If you’re on the fence on whether or not to get a hybrid drive, strike while the iron is hot and go for it. You will not be disappointed."


This is a very interesting product, Seagate have clearly done a great job with this second-generation hybrid hard drive. It might be pricey, but it's the only choice for those who need a huge capacity high-performance storage solution.

Click here to read the full review.

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Corsair Performance Pro 256GB SATA 6Gb/s SSD Reviews

January 13, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks and KitGuru have reviewed the brand new Corsair Performance Pro 256GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which features 515MB/s read and 440MB/s write speeds.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Hardware Canucks:

    "Corsair really has something here, particularly when it comes to price. This isn’t the least expensive SSD on the market (far from it actually) but it can easily be found for under $400 and doesn’t come with all of the latent issues SandForce-based drives have been experiencing as of late. If Corsair ever manages to bring the cost down to the M4’s level, Crucial will have a lot to worry about. By combining high performance, a TRIM-agnostic garbage collection feature and the adaptability for numerous environments, the Performance Pro is one of the best all-round drives we’ve seen in a while. The only real issue for some will be the current lack of higher capacity models."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • KitGuru:

    "The Corsair Performance Pro 256GB SSD is an exceptionally fast drive which excels with incompressible data. The customised Marvell 9174 is a very impressive controller, able to deliver high levels of bandwidth with both incompressible and compressible data. It is reassuring to know that it doesn’t matter the files you need moved … this controller simply won’t compromise.

    If you regularly need to transfer movies, photographs and music files, then incompressible data performance can make a difference. This is why the Samsung 830 Series 512GB drive, which we recently reviewed, makes such a great purchase. Some of the enthusiast audience are also concerned with overall Sandforce reliability too, which means that a variety of high performance alternatives are still very much in demand."


    Click here to read the full review.

Well the list of excellent SSDs just keeps growing! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Performance Pro, it seems like a very worthwhile alternative to the sometime problematic SandForce-based models.

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Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB USB Flash Drive Review

January 13, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks have reviewed the brand new Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB, a high performance USB 3.0 flash drive with 225 MB/s read and 135 MB/s write speeds.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Now that you have met the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB USB 3.0 flash drive, is it a product that appropriately corresponds to its name? I can't really tell you about the reliability part; only time will tell. Personally, I think Kingston has a pretty decent history of reliability in my books, but of course, just about everything can be said about every brand. But what I can tell you with authority, without pulling up arbitrary information, is its performance. In quite a few cases, we found the HyperX 64GB flash drive to actually outperform the Patriot Supersonic Magnum 64GB -- and that by itself is an impressive feat. Delivering excellent results in sequential read and write benchmarks, the only problem I had with the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB is, once again, somewhat disappointing small file performance. In fact, it is actually tested to be a good amount slower than its Patriot counterpart."


This is quite literally an SSD in a USB flash drive form factor, very impressive performance!

Click here to read the full review.

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ASRock X79 Extreme4-M Micro ATX LGA2011 Motherboard Reviews

January 13, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


ocaholic and PureOverclock have reviewed the compact ASRock X79 Extreme4-M Micro ATX motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 chipset and supports the new Intel Sandy Bridge-E LGA2011 processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • ocaholic:

    "At a first glance ASRock leaves a good impression with its Extreme4m. There even is plenty of space around the CPU socket to install large coolers comfortably. For a mATX board the Extreme4m comes with quite a lot features. In fact the Extreme4m is about the same board as the Extreme4 with the only difference that the Extreme4 comes with an ATX formfactor. Unfortunately we cannot understand why this board needs an active chipset cooler. An appropriately dimensioned passive cooling element would have done the job too."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock:

    "The Extreme4-M is currently offered at $220, and we think this is a respectable price since the majority of the available X79 motherboards are priced much higher. If you're looking to jump on the X79/LGA2011 bandwagon and want a solid, no-nonsense board that has doesn't sacrifice features or performance for the smaller m-ATX form factor, then the ASRock X79 Extreme4-M is a great option."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is one of only two Micro ATX LGA2011 motherboards on the market right now, the second being the MSI X79MA-GD45, and it's definitely worth a look if you want to build a compact but extremely powerful system.

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CES 2012: Day 2 Coverage

January 12, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Today was Day 2 of CES 2012, and although most of the really cool announcements have already happened, there some treasures to be found on the show floor, so definitely give these articles a look:

Enjoy!

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CES 2012: Day 1 Coverage

January 11, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


CES 2012 officially began today, although it's been going on for the last 3 days, and here are some of the cool announcements that have appeared thus far:


Enjoy! ...and come back tomorrow for even more coverage.

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BitFenix Raider Mid-Tower Case Review

January 11, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a video review of the fairly affordable BitFenix Raider mid-tower case.

Here's an excerpt:

"We know what you're thinking right about now: "Oh no, another product in the $75 to $99 case market." and believe it or not, we'd have to agree with you. This segment is already cluttered beyond believe and has some downright amazing cases that offer some great value. But does the Raider have a chance against competition like the Corsair 400R and the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer? That's what we're about to find out."


This is a pretty sleek looking case from BitFenix, check it out!

Click here to read the full review.

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ASUS G74SX 17-inch Gaming Notebook Review

January 11, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru have posted a review of the new and high-end ASUS G74SX-A1 gaming notebook, which features a 17.3-inch 1920x1080 display, quad-core/eight-thread 2.0-2.9Ghz processor, 8GB of RAM, 1.5TB 7200RPM HDD, Blu-ray drive, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 3GB GPU.

Here's what they had to say:

"There is no doubt the Asus G74SX is an impressive gaming laptop and it is one of the better mobile systems I have tested in recent months. Asus have created a very balanced unit, combining the stunning performance of the Intel Core i7 2630QM processor with the excellent graphics capabilities of the Nvidia 560m discrete solution.

The appearance of the machine is very distinctive, a chunky design with angular panels exuding the styling of a stealth war machine. Hard core gamers who want to impress their friends will find the design of the G74SX very appealing.

The 17.3 inch screen is fantastic, producing sharp, clean, well saturated images with decent off angle viewing. Black Definition is also noteworthy, and would be rated in the top 10% of panels we test. The onboard sound system is fairly good, although as expected it does lacks bass response."


At 9.4 pounds the G74 is obviously not really that portable, but it is a phenomenal desktop replacement (DTR) gaming notebook.

Click here to read the full review.

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ASUS P9X79 Deluxe LGA2011 Motherboard Reviews

January 11, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


techPowerUp and X-bit Labs have reviewed the high-end ASUS P9X79 Deluxe motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 chipset and supports the new Intel Sandy Bridge-E LGA2011 processors.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • techPowerUp:

    "The ASUS P9X79 Deluxe really did impress us every step of the way during our testing period. It clocked exceptionally well, both for the CPU and the memory, offered many options not seen elsewhere, and ultimately, those options are what helped us push things further than on the other products we have tested. There were a few issues that we noticed, but nothing that stood out as critical to the board's overall functionality, except one. The PCIe slot arrangement is such that Crossfire users may end up disappointed with the PCIe x16 slots, since they are too far apart for the shorter bridges that ship with most cards. At the same time, however, for users that have the ASUS Direct CU II cards using have triple-slot coolers, the slot configuration is ideal, and those cards come with a longer bridge that will work well with the slot arrangement."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs:

    "There are no ideal mainboards out there, but Asus P9X79 Deluxe was easy and pleasant to work with and our experience with it was highly positive. The manufacturer provided this mainboard with sufficient accessories, came up with a pretty good layout, equipped it with all necessary controllers. The BIOS has everything necessary for successful overclocking and system fine-tuning for optimal performance and power consumption. There is a variety of proprietary technologies, programs and utilities that will make your everyday life much easier. The comparison against the competitors’ solution is yet to come, but even at this time we can tell that Asus P9X79 Deluxe will be among the best boards out there and most likely even becomes an absolute winner."


    Click here to read the full review.

This does seem like a good motherboard, but a quick look at user reviews over at Newegg.com shows that many people are having issues with this model.

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EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win 2GB Dual-GPU Graphics Card Review

January 11, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


X-bit Labs have reviewed the new EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win 2GB Dual-GPU graphics card, which is an updated version of the GTX 460 2Win.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win is a superb top-end graphics card which is about 30% faster than the GeForce GTX 580 and twice as fast as the GeForce GTX 560 Ti. And it comes at the same price as most versions of GeForce GTX 580! Even if you take a previously overclocked GTX 580 or overclock a regular modification to something like 900/1800/4600 MHz, it will still be slower than EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win. So, if you are ready to spend $520 on your graphics card and are not afraid of the occasional slips of SLI technology in certain games, you can hardly find a better offer (the upcoming Radeon HD 7970 is unlikely to be available for $550 in the first two or three months after its release)."


This niche product provides great high-end performance for the money, no doubt about it. However, what should really excite users is its multi-monitor and 3D gaming capabilities. Thanks to its twin GPU’s, the 2Win can not only power triple monitor gaming setups, but it also supports NVIDIA 3D Surround. These are two features that otherwise require two single-GPU cards in an SLI configuration to function. Those who are more productivity minded will be glad to know that this card can actually power four displays, thanks to its the three DVI-I and single mini-HDMI outputs.

Click here to read the full review.

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CES 2012: Day 0 Coverage

January 10, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Although CES 2012 only officially starts tomorrow, there has been a whole bunch of really interesting announcements/revelations so far, and here are the ones that should interest PC hardware enthusiasts:


This is just a tiny tidbit of the hundreds of articles that will be posted in the next few days.

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BitFenix Merc Alpha Case Reviews

January 10, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Computing on Demand and PureOverclock have reviewed the budget-oriented BitFenix Merc Alpha mid-tower case.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Computing on Demand:

    "If you put your hands on this case, it will be hard for you to remember that BitFenix is selling it for only $39.ooUSD on their website. The steel construction and jet black paint job makes this chassis sturdy and attractive. If you populate all the available fan options your motherboard may learn what hurricane force winds are like! The use of quality materials on a budget case sets a standard that other case makers should follow (read our Sentey Burton Review - it costs twice as much!). BitFenix has constructed a top notch budget case in the Merc Alpha that can't be touched in its class. If you can't afford a case that costs 100+, take a gander at this one. Congratulations BitFenix, you get the gold!"


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock:

    "The BitFenix Merc is a fantastic example of where form meets function on a very cheap budget. The case is simple and elegant to a point, and with a bit of tweaking it could be something very unique that would absolutely justify even another 15% to the purchase price. As for function, it might be missing some of the handy gadgets that we are used to, but the Merc is nowhere near the price of most "mid-range" tower prices. The bottom line here is BitFenix has not only produced a very affordable case, but more importantly has produced an inexpensive case that isn't cheap on features or quality. At only $40, the Merc is an utter steal for anyone on a very tight budget."


    Click here to read the full review.

The Merc Alpha is an exceptionally good value when you consider that it only costs $40, so if you're on a really tight budget it's definitely worth a look.

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SilverStone Grandia GD06 HTPC Case Review

January 10, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Missing Remote have reviewed the SilverStone Grandia GD06 HTPC case, which is designed for Micro ATX (and smaller) motherboards.

Here's what they had to say:

"The Grandia GD06 left me with mixed feelings. I was impressed enough with the engineering that I look forward to working with other Silverstone cases in the future. There is an argument to be made that the GD06 is the right case for a certain type of high-powered system, but the limited PSU space and CPU cooler headroom suggest otherwise. The Grandia GD06 is a solid case with a lot of caveats. There are no deal breakers here, but combined, the little issues begin to add up quickly."


This seems like a pretty great case for those who want a desktop-style HTPC that has more expansion capabilities than the extremely compact cases that have recently become increasingly popular.

Click here to read the full review.

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Thermaltake Dr. Power II Power Supply Tester Review

January 10, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


ThinkComputers have the tested the interesting Thermaltake Dr. Power II universal ATX power supply tester.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The Dr. Power II PSU tester is a pretty simple and easy to use device. The unit is well made and doesn’t feel cheap in any way. It’s certainly a huge improvement from the original Dr. Power PSU tester. The tester can be found online for around $40-$50, which is a pretty hefty price for a PSU tester, especially considering most others can be found under $30 without much effort.

If you’re looking for a PSU tester and like Thermaltake products, then this would be a great purchase for you. It has a 3 year warranty, but I would think it should last you longer than that, which may make it a worthy investment. ThinkComputers would like to award the Thermaltake Dr. Power II Power Supply Tester a 9 out of 10 score."


This is a great little tool for those who are serious about PC building.

Click here to read the full review.

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GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2 LGA2011 Motherboard Reviews

January 10, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Futurelooks and PureOverclock have posted reviews of the high-end gaming-oriented GIGABYTE G1.Assassin 2 LGA2011 motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 chipset and which features an integrated Creative Soundblaster X-Fi digital audio processor (a real one!) and Bigfoot Killer E2100 network processing unit (NPU).

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Futurelooks:

    "When comparing the Assassin and Assassin 2, I found myself missing the more obvious weaponized heat sinks on the original Assassin. The hand gun heat sink at least made it obvious this is a Killer series motherboard though. And, the X79 component design is quite a bit more low profile with less need for the larger heat sinks. That in itself is a testament to component quality and performance advancement. My green sleeved LED kit from NZXT goes very well underneath the board too.

    Quality and performance have improved when it comes to the Assassin 2. It’s good to see the Marvell controllers ramping up the small data block transfer rates which improves overall OS and program performance. The integrated Creative Labs X-Fi implementation really provides an all around great gaming experience. It’s clear that GIGABYTE engineered the placement a bit more, offering their flagship better quality audio than the original, despite the use of the same audio chipset."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock:

    "These features don't come cheap though, as the G1.Assassin 2 is currently offered at $400. There is truth to the adage, "You get what you pay for", as this motherboard is very capable and feature-rich. As a result, it will l likely only appeal the the well-heeled diehards out there that want a premium board and don't mind paying for it. That said, the Gigabyte G1.Assassin G2 is an excellent LGA2011 motherboard for those who want one of the best. "


    Click here to read the full review.

If you are planning on building the ultimate gaming system, and have the budget to back it up, this motherboard should absolutely at the top of your list.

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ADATA S510 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive Reviews

January 10, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru, PureOverclock, and The SSD Review have posted a review of the ADATA S510 120GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which features 550MB/s read and 510MB/s write speeds.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • KitGuru:

    "The ADATA S510 120GB is firmly planted in the budget, price conscious sector and it serves a heady dose of performance for the modest asking price. Overclockers have the drive stocked for £119.99 inc vat, which means it is one of the lowest priced Sandforce 2281 powered 120GB drives on the market today.

    In regards to overall bandwidth, the drive does suffers when dealing with incompressible data, with performance dropping significantly. In real world terms however, the majority of applications use compressible data, so performance is pretty much on a par with higher priced drives. We do advise caution however if incompressible data performance is a primary concern."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • PureOverclock:

    "The SandForce controller is indeed a force to be reckoned with, producing some outstanding performance results. At a price of $160, ADATA has really done a great job of providing the consumer with a very high quality and fast drive for the money. We also really like ADATA’s choice to provide the consumer with not only an adapter bracket but a top notch Disk Migration Utility to make life easier. We don’t usually see this in a value drive. For normal use this drive is going to be hard to beat considering the price."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • The SSD Review:

    "Our ‘retail packaged and sealed’ AData S510 arrived with the newly updated SandForce firmware update (320ABBFO) which has met with very positive response with the SSD crowd and I don’t know of a single complaint of SandForce SSD BSODs since its release. Similarly, the performance of the S510 puts it right up there with the rest of the ‘new gen’ SATA 3 SSD crowd.

    Last but not least comes the question of whether I would recommend the AData S510 for purchase. Overall, I find that the AData S510 SATA 3 SSD is a another of the many similar ‘SandForce Driven’ SSDs that we have seen recently but with a few extras that have to be considered. It’s price speaks of excellent value, it comes with a desktop adapter and, quite unexpectedly, we were surprised that the kit was bundled with Acronis Software. The AData S510 gets my full recommendation!"


    Click here to read the full review.

I believe this is one of the cheapest Sandforce SF-2281 based 120GB solid state drives on the market, so it's obviously a great value.
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Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 2GB Dual Fan Review

January 9, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 2GB Dual Fan graphics card.

Here's what they had to say:

"At this point quite a few board partners are making an attempt to clear out some remaining stock of Cayman cores before they get replaced by a more efficient 28nm part in the next few months. But seriously, who really cares about assumptions and possibilities? We care about in game framerates and the HD 6970 still offers a ton of performance in today’s hottest titles whole coming in at a highly affordable price. With a BIOS that promotes overclocking and a well designed cooling solution, Sapphire has allowed their Dual Fan edition to stand out from the competition and give the HD 6970 a bit more relevance in a quickly changing market. We really couldn’t have asked for more than that."


Although this might be a very good graphics card, at this point you might as well wait for the other Radeon HD 7000 models to be revealed before taking a step backwards.

Click here to read the full review.

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Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Review

January 9, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Techgage have posted a review of the brand new Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case, which is the successor to the original Cosmos.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The great thing about the Cosmos II is, well just about everything.

Subjectively, I think it's sleek, has a great overall look and is probably one of the more eye-catching cases I've had a chance to work with.

From a design and feature perspective it has tons of room for any gear available today including extra large power supplies thanks to the way the mounting bracket is pulled back from the rest of the frame, which makes me wonder why more companies aren't doing this. The built-in fan controller is also a great touch since it offers the ability to control multiple areas and has three speeds instead of simply high and low allowing users to balance noise versus performance. I could have done without the loud beep that accompanied each speed change, however."


From what I have gathered from all these reviews, this might just be the finest case ever produced. Even if you have no plans to buy a high-end case, definitely give this case a look.

Click here to read the full review.

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OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid PCI-E 100GB SSD/1TB HDD Review

January 9, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Real World Labs have reviewed the new OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid PCI-E 100GB SSD/1TB HDD, which as you might have guessed combines a solid state drive and hard drive on one PCB.

Let's see what they had to say:

"After the very successful RevoDrive series and the recent Synapse series of cache SSDs it was really a matter of time before OCZ used both technologies in a single drive but is the RevoDrive Hybrid really the next step? Well the answer is obviously yes right? I mean you have almost the read/write speeds of the RevoDrive3 which is amazingly fast for an entire 1TB at the price tag of the RevoDrive3 240GB SSD. Granted the blazing fast speeds of the RevoDrive Hybrid are only applicable for the 100GB which automatically means that the other 900GB will feature the rather low speeds of the Toshiba 5400RPM drive but i don't really think that anyone can use all 1TB at the same frequency so 100GB should be more than just enough, at least for the majority of users out there."


This is a very interesting device for those who want both performance and capacity in a single storage device. It is pricey (~$500) but you couldn't expect a product like this one to be cheap.

Click here to read the full review.

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ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA2011 Motherboard Reviews

January 9, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Legit Reviews, ocaholic, t-break have posted a review of the brand new high-end, enthusiast-oriented ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA2011 motherboard, which is based on the Intel X79 Express chipset, supports the new 'Sandy Bridge-E' LGA2011 processors, and is optimized for overclocking.

Here's what they had to say:

  • Legit Reviews:

    "The ASUS Rampage IV Extreme made our overclocking experience extremely easy and enjoyable. We first gave the ASUS Auto Tune a try to see how far it would push our Intel Core i7 3960X. After simply enabling the Auto Tune feature in the ASUS UEFI BIOS the system automatically rebooted itself. Once the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme was in our Windows 7 build we fired up CPUz 1.59 to see where we were at. The ASUS Rampage IV Extreme Auto Tune brought our 3960X to a rock solid 4250MHz! It's not a record breaking overclock by any means, but for simply enabling an simple option in the BIOS it'll give your system a boost."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ocaholic:

    "If you should be looking for the best overclocking motherboard which you can buy these days, then the Rampage IV Extreme from ASUS is a perfect match for you. The board has everything you need and with features like the OC-Key it offers even more. The only drawback might be the price of CHF 418.- (est. EUR 348.-) but a real overclockers knows that really good hardware also costs some real money."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • t-break:

    "For someone looking to build the ultimate Sandy Bridge-E based machine, I’ll highly recommend the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme. The stock performance is one of the best, with a lot of headroom for some serious overclocking endeavors. The Rampage IV Extreme caters t the hardcore overclocking crowd with all its onboard features, but with the new UEFI BIOS it’s simple enough for even newcomers to get the most out of their Sandy Bridge-E processors."


    Click here to read the full review.

It's pretty clear that this is the most impressive of the current crop of LGA2011 motherboards. It's definitely very expensive, but this is a high-end platform after all.

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Thermaltake eSPORTS Meka G1 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

January 9, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


TechwareLabs have reviewed a high quality keyboard from Thermaltake's eSports gaming-oriented peripherals series, the mechanical Meka G1.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Based on my impressions of the Challenger keyboard, I wasn’t expecting much. With the MEKA series, however, Thermaltake is clearly stepping up their game. While the cherry black switches are a bit stiff for everyday typing, the keyboard overall is very solid. If you’re the sort of person who tends to break their keyboards through ungentle use, this keyboard is worth a serious look. With an average online price of $120 at time of publication, this keyboard will take a beating without delivering one to your wallet in return."


What really prevents this from being one of the best gaming keyboards is the lack of backlighting and programmable keys, both of which are offered on the Razer BlackWidow...and for a lower price as well.

Click here to read the full review.

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XFX WarPad Mousepad Review

January 6, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the huge XFX WarPad mousepad, which is a giant edgeless gaming surface that clamps to your desk.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Alongside an absolutely massive surface area, XFX has designed the WarPad to be portable, durable and well balanced for gaming and professional use alike. It also includes a unique clamping mechanism that ensures stability while protecting your arm from sharp desk edges. All in all, the WarPad seems to have it all but with a price of about $55, is it really worth such a large investment? We find out in this video review."


This is a really interesting product, check it out!

Click here to read the full review.

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Phanteks PH-TC14PE CPU Cooler Reviews

January 6, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Legit Reviews and X-bit Labs have reviewed the impressive new PH-TC14PE CPU cooler from Phanteks, a manufacturer that is new to the retail market but which has been around for 20 years.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Legit Reviews:

    "In all of our testing the Phanteks PH-TC14PE did very well. Leaving all air coolers behind and giving the Corsair H100 a run for the best performing cooler in our charts. Currently the PH-TC14PE is only available in Europe and is priced within 10EUR of the Corsair H100. Both are high end coolers and perform as such, but the PH-TC14PE is quieter at full speed than the H100. The only time where the H100 really put some distance between it and the PH-TC14PE was at 4Ghz and even then the 70*C that the PH-TC14PE come in at is very nice, and below stock cooling at stock settings."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs:

    "Phanteks PH-TC14PE is a typical super-cooler with all features typical of a product of this class. It is very large in size, heavy, completely universal and expensive, but at the same time remarkably efficient and moderately noisy. If we do not take into account the last characteristic, PH-TC14PE will be undoubtedly the today’s most efficient processor cooler (with the exception of the LGA 2011 platform, which we haven’t yet tested in our cooling lab)."


    Click here to read the full review.

Wow, I am very impressed! Phanteks has created the best air cooler on the market right now, surpassing the venerable Noctua NH-D14.


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GIGABYTE 990FXA-UD5 AM3+ Motherboard Reviews

January 6, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Funky Kit and X-bit Labs have posted a review of the GIGABYTE 990FXA-UD5, an AMD AM3+ motherboard that is based on the 'new' 990FX northbridge and SB950 southbridge.

Here's what they had to say:

  • Funky Kit:

    "This Gigabyte 990FXA-UD5 motherboard is excellent physically, the layout leaves plenty of room for cable management, as well as for fingers to get in to plug/unplug the EPS12V CPU power connector.

    The board looks excellent and has effectively sized heatsinks as well.

    Beyond that, supporting three way Crossfire-X and SLI is excellent!

    Unfortunately the board has some issues it's BIOS, while there are some BIOS features I like quite a bit, like having the CPU settings and basic memory settings and voltage settings all on one page (and the advanced memory accessible directly from that page). That is excellent! Putting some CPU features in the Advanced BIOS Features section is an odd choice, but doesn't put a major dent in the rating."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs:

    "All the features of Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5 are currently available on the mainboards from other makers, and in some cases they are even better implemented. However, the board is not completely fault-free and also has a few drawbacks. It has only four fan connectors and only two of them allow adjusting the fan rotation speed and only in automatic mode. The BIOS doesn’t support mouse controls. The feature preventing the processor clock frequency from dropping under heavy operational load is still in the beta stage: it can be used during overclocking, but it not in the nominal mode, because in this case the Turbo technology will shut down. The increment for the processor core voltage is way too big. The board failed to overclock our test Bulldozer CPU to its maximum and it was for the first time that we didn’t increase the chipset North bridge frequency at all."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is a pretty good motherboard, but there's nothing that really makes it standout from the crowd...and the bios issues are a little disappointing.

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OCZ Octane 512GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive Review

January 6, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


KitGuru have reviewed the brand new OCZ Octane 512GB SATA 6Gb/s solid state drive, which is the first model utilizing the new Indilinx Everest controller.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The re-adoption of the Indilinx Everest controller has been seen as a positive move for OCZ Technologies. Sandforce have had their fair share of reliability issues in recent months, and the demand for high performance alternatives is as strong as ever. There is no doubt that the new Octane drives are reliable, and offer great all round performance, both with incompressible and compressible data.

The competition in this sector is really heating up, Samsung have the new 830 series powered by the capable S4LJ204X01-Y040 controller. Performance between the OCZ Octane 512GB and the Samsung 830 Series 512GB is very close indeed. We also have the new Corsair Performance Pro Series of drives which are powered by the Marvell 88S-9174 BKK2 controller. This drive is the fastest of the three units, both with compressible and incompressible data."


Clearly, OCZ made a great decision when it purchased Indilinx since the new controller used in this model is fantastic.

Click here to read the full review.

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EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win 2GB Dual-GPU Graphics Card Review

January 6, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Legit Reviews have reviewed the new EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win 2GB Dual-GPU graphics card, which is an updated version of the GTX 460 2Win.

Let's see what they had to say:

"The EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win is a very interesting dual-GPU creation that performed really well in the benchmarks. We enjoy looking at custom cards like this and seeing what you can do when you think outside of the box. The card placed third in our performance benchmarks just behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590 and the AMD Radeon HD 6990 OC. Not bad as it also costs less than both of those solutions and uses less power to boot. The EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win dominated the both of the overclocked GeForce GTX 580 video cards that we compared it to. This is an enthusiast class graphics card that is designed for gaming performance!"


This niche product provides great high-end performance for the money, no doubt about it. However, what should really excite users is its multi-monitor and 3D gaming capabilities. Thanks to its twin GPU’s, the 2Win can not only power triple monitor gaming setups, but it also supports NVIDIA 3D Surround. These are two features that otherwise require two single-GPU cards in an SLI configuration to function. Those who are more productivity minded will be glad to know that this card can actually power four displays, thanks to its the three DVI-I and single mini-HDMI outputs.

Click here to read the full review.

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Lian Li PC-TU200 Mini-ITX Case Reviews

January 5, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


HardwareHeaven, TechwareLabs, and ThinkComputers have reviewed the cute, tiny and easily transportable Lian Li PC-TU200 Mini-ITX case.

Here's what they had to say:

  • HardwareHeaven:

    "As we have come to expect from Lian Li the build quality of the PC-TU200 is fantastic. The case feels very solid and thanks to the various protective areas, such as reinforced corners, it should be able to take a lot of punishment when on the move.

    The design of the case also impresses with the handle maximising portability and various features enhancing the ease of use. The drives are easy to install and options such as the removable drive caddy maximise flexibility which is already very good thanks to support of 30cm dual slot graphics cards.

    If we were to make one change to the design it would be to perforate the left edge, in line with the PSU fan so that cool external air could be drawn in by the power supply and exhausted out of the back of the case."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TechwareLabs:

    "Overall, I was pleased with the PC-TU200. It looks great, is well built, and is well designed. The only major flaw that really stood out was its lack of space after everything is installed which made making adjustments after the fact extremely difficult. Also, at $180, it is very pricey, especially for a small form factor case. But if you are looking for a well built, high quality small form factor case that will last and don’t mind paying the premium that comes with all of that, then this may be the case you are looking for."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • ThinkComputers:

    "Lian Li has been coming out with quite a few cases aimed at the small form factor crowd over the past couple of years and they all are feature packed and quality made. The PC-TU200 is no exception, it has a ton of features and of course is made to last. Like most all Lian Li cases the PC-TU200 is made completely of Aluminum and has that nice finish we are used to seeing on Lian Li cases. It comes in both black and silver flavors. I really like the side panels on this case. They are tool-less and work extremely well. It will be interesting to see if Lian Li will use this system on other cases."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is an awesome little case, and it's a no-brainer buy for those who are serious about LAN gaming.

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Zalman CNPS11X Performa CPU Cooler Reviews

January 4, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Secrets, Rbmods, and X-bit Labs have reviewed the V-shaped Zalman CNPS11X Performa CPU cooler.

Here's what they had to say:

  • Hardware Secrets:

    "The performance of the Zalman CNPS11X Performa is excellent for a cooler of this weight and size; it is also quiet and beautiful.

    In our system, it performed better than the CNPS11X Extreme, which may sound a little strange because the Extreme is probably priced higher, but perhaps the direct touch heatpipes improved the whole design, even with one fewer heatpipe. This may also be the case because the Performa doesn’t have the installation issues that we found with the Extreme."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Rbmods:

    "You can pick this cpu cooler up for around 50$ which is a decent price since the Noctua costs quite a bit more. The 7X on the other hand performs excellent and since you can pick it up for 30$ it might be worth a look. Overall though it performed well and it’s very quiet also. I heard no noise or vibrations from the fan and the only flaw I found was that the installation procedure it a bit clumsy, I might actually go as far as to saying that this was one of the hardest cpu cooler installations that I have done. I mean it’s not impossible but I have seen smarter designs from Zalman in the past."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs:

    "Unfortunately, Zalman CNPS11X Performa didn’t impress us with its superior efficiency and low level of noise. For the most part, it has only three advantages: small weight, low price and universal design combined with super-easy installation. However, these features are definitely not enough to guarantee marketing success for this product in the overwhelming versatility of quality choices available today. To win a contemporary cooler has to deliver good efficiency at a low level of noise, and to our regret Zalman CNPS11X Performa doesn’t have it. The cooler heatsink base is in desperate need of improvement and possibly implementation of advanced W-DTH (Whole-Direct Touch Heatpipe) technology without aluminum inserts between the heatpipes, just like by the flagship Zalman CNPS12X. It also needs a fifth heatpipe and could use a quieter fan. In this case Zalman CNPS11X Performa could become really nice."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is an okay, but it's nowhere as impressive as Zalman's own CNPS12X.

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Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Case Reviews

January 4, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


After years of waiting, Cooler Master has finally launched a veritable successor to the original Cosmos, the aptly named Cosmos II Ultra Tower.

Without further ado, here are the reviews:

From what I have gathered from all these reviews, this might just be the finest case ever produced. Even if you have no plans to buy a high-end case, definitely give this case a look.

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Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition Case Reviews

January 4, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


LanOC and TechwareLabs have reviewed the unique-looking Thermaltake Level 10 GT modular case, but in a new Snow Edition colour scheme.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • LanOC:

    "The Snow Editions colors will get your attention and I think anyone who looks into the details of the Level 10 GT will be impressed. Thermaltake went over the top when implementing details like the wire management, the wiring for the hard drives, and how the door fan doesn’t have to be unplugged when removing the door. The style of the case is going to be very polarizing, some people aren’t going to like it because it is different enough from a standard case, but for that same reason there are going to be people who love it. You don’t have to worry though; Thermaltake did everything short of bolting it to your desk to prevent anyone from taking it or your components."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • TechwareLabs:

    "Thermaltake describes this case as “Love at first sight” and with all of the bells, whistles, functionality, and abstract look I would agree. Thermaltake left nothing on the To-Do list with the design of the Level 10 GT. Period. And with a mere $20 difference between the Standard and Snow editions I can’t see a reason why you would pick either other than pure color preference. The Thermaltake Level 10 Gt Snow Edition is currently the holy grail of cases. It is owns the trifecta of looks, functionality, and practicality. I see no reason why this case doesn’t deserve our Editors Choice Award."


    Click here to read the full review.

I still find this case slightly unattractive when compared to the original Level 10, especially since it is quite plasticky for $270. Having said that, it is otherwise a terrific all-around case.

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Corsair Vengeance 1300 & 1500 Gaming Headsets Review

January 4, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have reviewed two new gaming headsets from Corsair, the Vengeance 1300 and Vengeance 1500.

Here's an excerpt:

"High quality sub-$100 headsets are hard to find these days but Corsair has done the impossible with their Vengeance 1300. Granted, calling it “audiophile grade” is a bit of an exaggeration we couldn’t help but we couldn’t help but be impressed with the clear, undistorted sound emanating from its 50mm drivers. Whether it was belting out explosions during high intensity gaming or playing relaxing music, this headset delivered one of the best experiences we’ve had from an inexpensive set of cans. There were some minor bass response issues and the earpieces’ finish caused sweat buildup but those can be easily overlooked in the face of the 1300’s long list of accomplishments."


If you are in the market for a new gaming headset, these two models are definitely worth a serious look.

Click here to read the full review.

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Intel Core i7-3820 'Sandy Bridge-E' LGA2011 Processor Review

January 4, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


PC Perspective have reviewed the high-end Intel Core i7-3820 'Sandy Bridge-E' quad-core/eight-thread processor. It has a 3.6Ghz default clock, can Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz, has 10MB of L3 cache, a quad-channel DDR3-1600 memory interface, 40 PCI-E lanes, and support for PCI-Express 3.0.

Here's what they had to say:

"There are still cases, mostly centered on content creation and transcoding, where more cores are really taken advantage of, and in those areas the Core i7-3820 falls behind as expected since it has 50% fewer cores than the 3960X and 3930K parts. Still, this $285 CPU is able to put up quite a fight and beats out the performance offered by Intel's other line of CPUs, the LGA1155 Sandy Bridge parts like the Core i7-2600K. What was previously the fastest current-generation CPU from Intel still sells for over $300 online making it more expensive individually but still potentially cheaper when paired with the appropriate motherboard."


This is clearly a very good processor, a worthy successor to the wildly popular Core i7-920, but unless you really need its superior multi-GPU capabilities it's hard to justify having to spend top dollar on an LGA2011 motherboard, quad-core memory kit, and compatible CPU cooler.

Click here to read the full review.

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Zalman CNPS12X CPU Cooler Reviews

January 2, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Guru3D, Hardware Secrets, and X-bit Labs have reviewed the Zalman CNPS12X, which is a large CPU cooler with two 120mm fans.

Let's see what they had to say:

  • Guru3D:

    "Performance overall is very comparable to the performance of Noctua's NH-D14 coolers. That cooler of course is completely silent though. The CNPS X12 also has a lot of additional capacity, we like that very much. The result as such is that the cooler becomes even more impressive when you start to overclock.

    Okay, it's time to end this article. Performance wise you'll achieve excellent heatpipe based cooling which is downright impressive. The noise levels are fine really but we do recommend you to use the RPM capped. The looks and aesthetics, well you either love or hate the design I guess, there is nothing in-between it. The mounting system is a little inpelasant to work with, especially mounting the last two bolts can be a bit of a drag."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Hardware Secrets:

    "ased on the characteristics found on the Zalman CNPS12X CPU cooler (large size, three fans, six direct-touch gapless heatpipes, etc.), we thought it would reach outstanding cooling performance. However, it seems like Zalman favored silence over performance. Even with three fans, it is quieter than most high-end coolers, yet it presented only good (not excellent) cooling performance.

    The Zalman CNPS12X offers an outstanding look, low noise level, and good cooling performance. Therefore, it is receiving the Hardware Secrets Silver Award."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • X-bit Labs:

    "The performance of the new Zalman CNPS12X cooler was absolutely mind-blowing. The effect was even more dramatic because we honestly didn’t expect this product to deliver such remarkable efficiency that is why we acted too self-confident when selecting a competitor for it. But I have to admit that it is extremely satisfying to be mistaken in such a pleasant way, because we don’t often get to test coolers that offer us a combination of unprecedented efficiency, quietness and eye-catching looks. Attractive nickel-plated heatsink with rounded arrays and three fans with blue LED glow are a perfect match making this cooler a stylish design piece rather than a bulky chunk or aluminum and copper."


    Click here to read the full review.

It looks like we might have a new air-cooling performance champion, this is a very impressive cooler!

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Synology DiskStation DS212 2-Bay NAS Reviews

January 2, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Madshrimps and Tech-Reviews have reviewed the Synology DiskStation DS212, a high-performance 2-bay network attached storage (NAS).

Here's what they had to say:

  • Madshrimps:

    "The new DS212 NAS from Synology has a nice look, is built from high quality materials and does not disappoint regarding overall file transfer performance. The DSM is a really easy to use interface and besides the Audio Station, Photo Station or Download Station apps, we can also use the device as a Media Server, Mail Server, Surveillance Station and more.

    For the mobile devices, we do also have available free applications like DS Finder, DS Cam, DS Audio, DS File or DS photo+, which enhance the usability of the device.

    The noise produced by the internal 90mm fan is very little so with a quick measurement in a room which had an ambient of 27.2dBA, we could measure a total of 28.3dBA (before the HDDs turned on). The extra noise produced by the internal drive/drives varies from model to model."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Tech-Reviews:

    "Overall, I’m very impressed with the performance and quality of the Synology DS212 NAS. Both installation and setup was very simple. As well as this, the included DiskStation Manager software is the best software I’ve used that’s included with a NAS device.

    My only problem with the DS212 is the price, which, unfortunately, is £235 without any storage solutions, making it a very expensive NAS enclosure. Considering the price of hard drives at the moment, you’d be looking at £400+ once you’ve purchase the DS212 and 2TB of storage."


    Click here to read the full review.

This seems like a very good NAS, but from what I can tell the similarly-priced QNAP TS-219P II Turbo is even faster and features better software.

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SilverStone Precision PS07 Micro-ATX Case Review

January 2, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


APH Networks have reviewed the sleek-looking and relatively affordable SilverStone Precision PS07, a compact micro-ATX case with a removable motherboard tray.

Let's see what they had to say:

"Retailing for approximately $80 at press time, the SilverStone Precision PS07 chassis features many notable features for such a small case -- all at an affordable price. First off, let's start with its exemplary clean looks in conjunction with a nice brushed aluminum-like front panel; all without looking like a mini refrigerator. Behind the front panel are two stealthy 120mm fans, complete with a removable dust filter to keep the nasty stuff out. At the top, we are treated with an additional dust filter, covering up the power supply area for some very well rounded protection. To add to the long list of goodness, the PS07 possesses what we consider a roomy interior for an mATX case, and a large opening for easy access to your aftermarket CPU cooler backplate. All these features in such a small tower make it pretty darn awesome, especially on a case where it is easy to take around to show off to your friends."


This seems like a fantastic little case, check it out!

Click here to read the full review.

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MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3) LGA1155 Motherboard Review

January 2, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Hardware Canucks have posted a review of the MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3) LGA1155 motherboard, which is based on the Intel Z68 chipsetand supports Sandy Bridge LGA1155 processors.

Here's what they had to say:

"The Z68A-GD80 G3’s price is up in the $250-260 price range which puts it on a level footing with some of today’s most respected boards like the ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe and Gigabyte’s Z68A-UD5. It is difficult to choose a winner between the three because each board has its own unique flavor but The GD80 does have an edge in the warranty department. Unfortunately, it is currently behind the competition in terms of BIOS support but once updates start (hopefully) flowing on a more regular basis, MSI could have a clear winner in the $250 price range.

While the GD80 may have some minor issues, it has the makings of an absolutely fabulous motherboard that packs enough features to satisfy just about anyone. We do want to give credit where credit is due for Gen 3 support, a great auto overclocking routine, an attractive yet intuitive UEFI BIOS and a very useful Control Center utility which includes memory timings. As such, MSI’s Z68A-GD80 G3 gets our Innovative award."


This motherboard is very impressive, I just hope that MSI that can continue to improve their bioses.

Click here to read the full review.

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Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB USB Flash Drive Reviews

January 2, 2012 - Patrick "MACMAC" MacMillan


Legit Reviews and Techgage have reviewed the brand new Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB, a high performance USB 3.0 flash drive with 225 MB/s read and 135 MB/s write speeds.

Here's what they had to say:

  • Legit Reviews:

    "We've literally benchmarked and used hundreds of USB Flash drives over the years and we can say without a doubt that the Kingston DataTraveler 3.0 Flash Drive is the fastest that we have ever used. This drive is blazing fast and is certainly worthy of being part of the HyperX brand. Our testing showed that the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 64GB Flash Drive was able to run at 246MB/s read and 161MB/s write in ATTO, which is once again well beyond the 225MB/s read and 135MB/s write speed ratings given by Kingston. It you want to have a portable USB drive that has insane sequential read/write speeds then this is it."


    Click here to read the full review.


  • Techgage:

    "At $150, the HyperX 3.0 64GB costs just about the same as an OCZ Enyo 64GB - a drive that features unparalleled IOPS performance. Though it's a drive that touts identical specs as the HyperX (225MB/s read, 135MB/s write), we were able to copy over a 4GB folder filled with 4,700 files to it in 48 seconds, whereas it took 188 seconds with the HyperX 3.0.

    See where this gets hard to sum up? The Enyo performs better almost always, and costs the same. One thing Kingston does have going in its favor is that the HyperX 3.0 is a small and light drive that can be tossed into a pocket no problem, whereas the Enyo is much larger and requires the carrying around of a cable."


    Click here to read the full review.

This is quite literally an SSD in a USB flash drive form factor, very impressive performance!
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