NZXT Announce Guardian 921 Gaming Chassis

Category: Cases
Posted: July 23, 2008 12:57PM
Author: Ben Grantham

We have reviewed a number of NZXT cases over the years here at OCC, the last being the Tempest, which achieved a Silver award. The company's latest creation is the Guardian 921 gaming chassis, which takes its place in the 'Crafted' series of cases. Unlike the recent ultra-premium Khaos, the Guardian is aimed at the gamer with one eye on their wallet, and therfore comes in at a reasonably modest $89.99. For that you'll get solid steel construction, 3 120mm fans installed as standard as well as provision for temperature monitoring. Expect to see the Guardian 921 at retailers this month.

NZXT Launch Khaos 'Ultra-Premium' Gaming Chassis

Category: Cases
Posted: June 10, 2008 02:39PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Computer cases. We've all got to find something to give our precious components a home, with personal taste playing a big role in the decision along with what a case can offer us in terms of functionality. NZXT has thrown everything at its new Khaos gaming chassis, one that they are marketing as an ultra-premium solution. The Khaos packs in a lot, with two 120mm intake fans plus space for another three on an internal bracket to provide the motherboard are with plenty of airflow. You get another 120mm mount at the back, as well as a 140mm fan up top to complete the air cooling set up. Other features include mounts for dual PSUs, space for a multitude of hard drives and a motherboard tray that flips out to give easy access to your components. The whole thing is put together with thicker aluminium than you find in most cases (2-3mm), and fortunately wheels are included so that when you fill it with kit it won't be too hard to move. The Khaos should be available from mid-June with an ultra-premium price tag of $399.

Thermaltake Armor+ MX Chassis Launched

Category: Cases
Posted: May 1, 2008 08:10PM
Author: Dale Shuck

First there was the Armor chassis. Then Thermaltake announced the Armor+ at CES 2007. A year later they demoed the Armor+ MX at CES 2008, a mid-tower version of it's highly successful big brother. Today Thermaltake is officially announcing the availability of the Armor+ MX that sports many of the advanced features of the full-tower version. The smaller version retains the water-cooling capabilities with top door access to a reservoir along with tool-less installation of optical and hard drives. Even at its reduced size, the MX still offers four removable 3.5" HDD carriers along with five 5.25" external bays. The hard drives benefit from a front 120mm intake fan and the huge 230mm side fan works to keep your other electronics cool. Exhaust air is handled by a second 120mm fan in the rear. An optional liquid cooling module can be installed in two of the the 5.25" bays. Throw in the integrated cable management system and you have the makings of one cool case. You can expect the Armor+ MX to become available the first week of May 2008 at a suggested retail price of $139US.

Antec's new gamer case, the Twelve Hundred, now available

Category: Cases
Posted: April 29, 2008 05:05PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

Antec has finally updated its gaming line of cases with the Twelve Hundred. Antec's previous offerings from its gaming line include the Three Hundred as a lower level but still great quality case and the Nine Hundred as its top of the line gamer case. The Twelve Hundred one ups the Nine Hundred with a more spacious interior, better cooling, built in in-line filtration for the intake fans and built in fan controllers (features that many consumers have asked for on the Nine Hundred). Speaking of better cooling, this thing is full to the brim with much needed fans to keep our high end PC components nice and cool. The Twelve Hundred has a 200MM top mounted "Tricool" exhaust fan, two rear mounted 120MM "Tricool" exhaust fans and three normal 120MM fans mounted on the front for intake. All six fans have blue internal lights that may be turned off with their built in switches. The Twelve Hundred will supposedly retail for $209.95

10 new Lian Li cases to be launched

Category: Cases
Posted: April 12, 2008 05:28PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

Lian Li will launch at least 10 new case designs before the Computex show in June of this year. The new cases will range from home theater cases all the way to high-end server cases. Some of these cases include the PC-C36/PC-C37 home theater cases. The PC-C36 comes with a TFX power supply and the PC-C37 supports normal ATX power supplies. As for their other desktop based cases you wont find anything extreme this time around just the ingenuity and quality you expect from Lian Li.

Cooler Master Presents Enthusiast Grade Cosmos S

Category: Cases
Posted: April 8, 2008 09:01PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

PC enthusiasts know that a computer case is much more than just something that holds components - a great case needs to be attractive and well ventilated, with an interior design that is well thought out and spacious enough to in work comfortably.  Cooler Master's Cosmos S is the epitome of those combined requirements.  The Cosmos S is the "sport" revision of CM's original Cosmos 1000 design - and with enthusiast-grade features like significantly improved in-case airflow, tool-less 5.25" drive installation, and an included 200mm x 230mm side mounted fan pushing 150 CFM, it's easy to see that this case is purpose-built to house the most punishing hardware on the planet.  Intelligent design details like a bottom mounted PSU bay that allows for better cable management and a cleaner look, and pre-configured tubing holes for a water cooling system really put the Cosmos S in the "chassis" category - this is no ordinary case.  For more on the Cooler Master Cosmos S, please check out the OCC review, which you can find here.

 

In Win Launches B2 Stealth Bomber Case

Category: Cases
Posted: April 2, 2008 09:48PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

Respected PC case and power supply manufacturer In Win has announced the addition of a Stealth Bomber to its lineup - the B2 Stealth Bomber case!  This exciting case brings innovate design and extreme functionality to the typically drab computer case market.  The B2 features a motorized front panel that opens with just a touch of the red button on the front of the case - when actuated, the motor flips up the drive shield and exposes every externally accessible drive.  Another quick touch and the drive shield descends to cover the bays.  What happens if the power goes out?  Well, the In Win B2 Stealth Bomber is prepared for that - there's a "Rescue" switch that can be set to "manual" to allow motor-less drive shield function.  On the inside, the B2 gets some great airflow from the four vibration-damped fans and a couple of side vents.  Also, In Win coated the floppy and hard drive rails (tool-free install, of course) in rubber, to help reduce vibration and shock.  There are even two holes on the back of the case that are perfectly sized for tubing if you run a liquid cooling setup.  You can check out the OCC review of the In Win B2 Stealth Bomber PC case here.

NZXT Release Tempest Gaming Chassis

Category: Cases, Manufacturers
Posted: March 19, 2008 02:40PM
Author: Ben Grantham

A press release just dropped into our inbox here at OCC to let us know about NZXT's latest creation, the Tempest gaming case. Squarely aimed at the enthusiast crowd, the case goes for air cooling with gusto by including a multitude a fans. NZXT crams in two 120mm intake fans down front, plus another on the side. This follwed up with a single 120mm exhuast on the back and most importantly two 140mm exhaust fans up top. I suppose that covers the 'bigger' and 'more' bases reasonably well. The PSU gets pushed to the bottom in this arrangement, which may be handy if you make use of the spaces for 8 HDDs at the front of the case. NZXT also seem to have included some touches seen on other recent cases, such as pre-drilled holes for cable routing and a top mounted connections / buttons panel. All this sounds good for $99, but as always the proof will be in the pudding. You should be able to pick up the Tempest as of now should the fancy take you.

Cooler Master Release Cosmos S Chassis

Category: Cases, Manufacturers
Posted: February 25, 2008 07:23AM
Author: Ben Grantham

Cooler Master -

Deciding on a case in which to put all of those carefully thought out hardware choices can be tough, and you certainly aren't lacking on options. Cooler Master has been in this game for a long time, and its original Cosmos case has acheived popularity amongst enthusiasts. Now it has released a new version in the shape of the Cosmos S, with some improvements that I think it is fair to say are aimed at the slightly more extreme end of the cooling spectrum. Rather than the sound damping material on the side panel of the original Cosmos, you now get a 200mm (150CFM) fan for blasting air at your video card/s. The front of the case takes on the mesh approach, and you can now also squeeze three 120mm fans into the top of the case (handy for large radiator setups).

Most other features are very similar to the first case in the Cosmos series, though it naturally gets a bit of a facelift, as well as being put on a diet (Aluminium construction drops the weight about 3kg). Cooler Master also put some emphasis on the touch sensitive power button, something that might seem a bit gimmicky to some, but super cool to others. These changes mean that the Cosmos S will likely appeal to a slighty different type of user than the first revision, with the extra provision for cooling with the large side panel fan and built in compatibility for 120mm x 3 radiators meaning those more interested in keeping things quiet would probably prefer the Cosmos 1000. Hardcore gamers and those with water cooling setups will probably welcome the changes. The Cosmos S should be available at retailers soon. Expect to lay out about $249 for the privilege.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Memory, Power Supplies, Mobile, Monitors, Prebuilts, Storage / Hard Drives
Posted: February 18, 2008 06:29AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Monday rolls around again and we have quite a few reviews in tour roundup this morning.  For the video card section Fudzilla dissects the PowerColor HD 3850 1GB complete with a factory overclock and a ZEROTherm after market cooler.  Also from the ATI camp Techgage reviews the ASUS EAH3870 X2 1GB.   Moving over to the NVIDIA side, there is the Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GT ZL 512Mb Video Card from Madshrimps.  This card also features a factory overclock and an after market cooler, but this one is from Zalman.  If you're curious to find out how the upcoming 9600 series of cards from NVIDIA will perform you need to check out the NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT 512MB G94 review from TweakTown.  We'll have to wait to see about NVIDIA's pricing and ability to deliver sufficient stock levels on this new card.  PC Perspective returns with its latest news with the release of Podcast #22 - Skulltrail, NVIDIA buying AGEIA, AMD merger talk and more!.  You've been treated to several articles in our roundup regarding Intel's new Skulltrail platform.  Some of Intel's partners are also scheduled to release boards based on the the dual socket LGA771 configuration and HotHardware has the Asus Z7S WS Skulltrail Motherboard Exclusive Sneak Peek for your perusal.  So where does that leave you if you want a single processor setup based on the LGA775 socket?  Check out the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Quad Core Processor at Tech ARP.  They also updated their Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide to include the QX9650 numbers.  For the latest in DDR3 memory, Overclockers Online evaluates the Patriot Viper Extreme 2x1024MB PC3-15000.  Acrylic and home theater PCs are both segments of the specialty  case market.  Combine the two and you get the Sunbeam Acrylic HTPC Case and Overclocker Cafe checks it out.  RBMods has a look at the Ultra X2 Extreme Edition 750W Power Supply.  HotHardware also treats us to a look at a prebuilt performance system in their Maingear Ephex 3-Way SLI Gaming System review.  ThinkComputers offers up a look at a pair of notebooks today with its Lenovo ThinkPad T61p 14.1-inch & 15.4-inch Laptops.  With terabyte hard drives seeming to rule the roost in terms of size the sweet spot in terms of cost per gigabyte is in the 500GB-750GB models and ExtremeMHz has the Seagate 750GB SATA II Hard Drive up for review.  With drive prices falling and storage requirements increasing perhaps its time to invest in a nice RAID array.  The HighPoint RocketRAID 3120 at Bjorn3D is one way to achieve that goal without breaking the bank.  PCSTATS has a look at the Samsung Syncmaster 275T 27-inch LCD Display, a sweet-looking display offering good ergonomic features and HDCP support.

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Memory, Operating Systems, Digital Photography/Video, Storage / Hard Drives, Mouse Pad
Posted: February 15, 2008 06:10AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Looking around the web today revealed several video card card articles.  We begin with a look at the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 from motherboards.org (also reviewed by OCC HERE).  ATI is certainly back in the game with their new 3800 series of cards, but how does it stack up against the green team?  Bjorn3D  has a look at the factory-overclocked Gigabyte 8800GT TurboForce which features a Zalman after-market cooler.  If you're in the hunt for a new video card, how do you decide which one to get amongst all the ones out there.  Take a moment to read the Sweet 16 Mid-range Graphics Cards Compared article at The Tech Report for more insight.  The 790FX is AMD's latest chipset designed to support their Phenom line of processors.  By now you're most likely aware of the issues the current processors are having with the TLB and the microcode fix available.  Viper Lair evaluates the MSI K9A2 Platinum AMD 790FX Motherboard and has a look at performance and the impact the fix has by toggling the fix on and off.  While AMD is still using DDR2 memory, Intel-based boards are moving towards the faster, yet still pricier, DDR3 format.  The Aeneon Xtune DDR3-1333 2GB Memory Kit from ThinkComputers is one such offering (see the OCC review HERE).  PC Perspective takes the Ultra m998 Mid-Tower ATX Case out for a spin and comes away liking what they saw (OCC review).  For something on the fun side, you can read about the Cyberlink YouCam at OCModShop.  Vitual-Hideout likes the Razer Destructor Gaming Surface (also reviewed by OCC HERE).  Tech ARP has just published its Hard Drive Performance Comparison Guide.  Finally, OCModShop shows us how to Solve File Copy Problems: Tweak Vista's Auto-tuning Network.

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Power Supplies, Gaming, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling
Posted: February 14, 2008 06:53AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our Valentine's Day roundup kicks off with a look at the Thermaltake Armor + Case from RBMods.  The Foxconn G33M-S Micro-ATX Motherboard  would easily get swallowed up by a case that huge, but Virtual-Hideout finds it a great mATX board in the $100 price range.  FrostyTech evaluates Scythe Zipang SCZP-1000 Ultra Low Noise Heatsink which is as near as you can get to a true silent active cooling option thanks to its 138mm fan.  Next up are a pair of articles on AMD/ATI video cards.  3dGameMan has a review of the HIS HD 3450 & 3650 Video Cards.  Combining different cards in SLI/Crossfire can be a dicey proposition.  Today Legit Reviews tries just that in their article on ATI Radeon HD 3870 + 3850 CrossFire - Mixing Video Cards.  For power supplies, we have two top end units both offering single +12V rails.  Leading off is the SilverStone Decathlon DA800 800W Modular Power Supply at ThinkComputers.  Next, TweakTown looks at the Corsair TX750W 750watt Power Supply.  For truly portable storage, legit Reviews has a look at the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 8GB USB Flash Drive.  ASUS is truly a recognized name in the computer world, but it might not be the first name you associate with notebook computers.  That may well change after you check out the ASUS U6S Ultraportable Notebook at HotHardware.  Techgage has the TRENDnet TEW-631BRP Wireless N Router up for review and tells us what you can get in this reasonably priced Draft N router.  We close out today with the Bjorn3D review of the PS3 game title Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, CPU's, Cases, Input Devices, CPU Cooling
Posted: February 13, 2008 06:07AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our middle of the week wanderings turned up some goodies from our affiliate sites so let's get started by visiting a couple of videocard reviews.  First in line is Neoseeker and their look at the VisionTek HD 3870 which differs from the reference design with the inclusion of an oversized heatsink and a more powerful fan.  For double the GPU fun on a single card, TechSpot has the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2.  For a comprehensive look at over 336 graphics cards you can check out the Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide from Tech ARP which has updated to include several Intel integrated graphic processors.  Speaking of TechSpot, did you know they have a sister site written in Spanish?  They've just published  Prueba de desempeño AMD Phenom.  Next up we have a couple of CPU cooling products.  The Asus Triton 77 Heatsink that comes equipped with a "Sunon MagLev 92mm vapo-bearing PWM fan".  Sounds impressive, but how well does it perform?  Head on over to FrostyTech to find out.  Bjorn3D evaluates the Thermaltake Bigwater 760i and finds it somewhat lacking.  Can the SteelSeries Ikari Laser Mouse make you a better gamer?  Head on over to ThinkComputers to find out.  If you're looking to tame the noise from your rig, Virtual-Hideout has a look at the Nexus Caterpillar ATX Quiet Case to see if it can do the job.

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cases, Cooling, Power Supplies, Monitors, Small Form Factor, General News, CPU Cooling
Posted: February 5, 2008 05:56AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our Tuesday wanderings turned up several sightings of the breaking news about NVIDIA and AGEIA.  NVIDIA Is Really Buying AGEIA! from Tech ARP and NVIDIA Moves In On PhysX IP. Ageia Acqusition Announced from HotHardware are just of few of the sites with the news item this morning.  The Vizo Ninja 2 Laptop Cooler from RBMods provides a way to keep your notebook (and other vital body parts) cool and has been updated to fit larger laptops than its predecessor.   Also in the cooling department is the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme Heatsink over at FrostyTech.  Thermalright's Ultra line of coolers has long been at the top of the cooling  performance charts so check out how well the next in the lineup performs.  For that growing collection of high-def media Viper Lair shows us nothing beats having something like the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB Hard Drive  (you can also find OCC's review HERE).  As drive capacities increase, storage systems have also evolved and TweakTown evaluates the Promise SuperTrak EX STEX8650 8-port SAS.  Now that's a way to build a serious storage array.  If LAN parties are your thing then you know the value of having a well-designed small form factor case and the NZXT Rogue at MetkuMods could be just what you've been looking for.  The name Zalman means cooling and the Zalman ZM500-HP 500W Modular Power Supply reviewed at ThinkComputers shows how they apply that expertise to PSUs.  Neoseeker has a look at the Asus EAH3870X2 TOP today.  It seems as if the trend is towrd bigger monitors these days with 22" inch widescreen model becoming more and more common.  So where does that leave models like the Samsung 743B 17-inch Monitor?  Head on over to Techgage to see if there is still a place for smaller displays.  Tech ARP is back with  an article on Upcoming Intel Processor & Memory Technologies along with an update to their earlier Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Out Next Week! item.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Power Supplies, Digital Photography/Video, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: February 4, 2008 06:16AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our Monday roundup kicks off with a chance to ponder the question How much is enough?  Or conversely, How much is too much?  When you're dealing  with computer enthusiasts, trying to get too philosophical this early in the week may be a futile exercise.  However, we're going to give you that opportunity as we bring you several reviews and articles about Intel's new Skulltrail platform.  Skulltrail is Intel's new enthusiast platform destined to redefine 'high-end'.  First off is the Intel D5400XS motherboard supporting two quad-core processors by way of dual LGA771 sockets.  Designed initially for the QX9775 processors it will also be the first Intel-based board to also support Nvidia SLI.  The platform will also support AMD Crossfire.  All of this via four PCI-e graphics slots.  But there are some caveats involved.  For the rest of the story you can check out one of the following: Intel Skulltrail Unleashed: Core 2 Extreme QX9775 x 2 at HotHardware and Intel Skulltrail Enthusiast Platform at Techgage.  PC Perspective also offers up two articles with Intel Skulltrail and Multi-GPU Graphics: Mixed Results and Intel Skulltrail Platform Review - Eight Cores, SLI and CrossFire.  If that wasn't enough to get your blood pumping then Madshrimps has a compendium of water cooling products in their 6 High End CPU Water Blocks Tested and Compared.  For more AMD/ATI graphics card news HotHardware has the Asus EAH3870 X2 1GB TOP Sneak Peek while TweakTown reviews the factory-overclocked HIS Radeon HD 3850 IceQ 3 TurboX.  In the case department 3dGameMan has a video review of the Silverstone CW03 HTPC Case.  This sweet looking case sports a 7-inch LCD touch screen monitor as well an an all-aluminum body.  For a look at a mid-tower case, check out the Cooler Master 690 at Overclockers Online.  Another Intel X38 motherboard makes the rounds today with a preview of the Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6 at motheboards.org.  Madshrimps makes a second appearance in today's roundup with a look at 3 MSI Webcam Models Compared.  When you hear the name Zalman the first thing you think of is cooling.  PC Apex reviews the Zalman ZM850-HP Power Supply and shows us just how they incorporated that cooling experience into a PSU (think dual heatpipes).  If you need more storage but don't have enough available SATA ports, you owe it to yourself to check out TweakTown and their review of the HighPoint RocketRAID 2300 PCI-E SATA (you can also read OCC's review HERE).  Next we have another look at the AutumnWave OnAir GT (USB HDTV Tuner) from Bjorn3D (also reviewed by OCC HERE).  RBMods has the Corsair Flash Voyager 32GB USB Flash Drive recently announced at CES.  That gives us a perfect segue for Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2008 - Part 2 from Virtual-Hideout.  Finally, Tech ARP has a couple of updates with Intel Core 2 Processor Performance Comparison Guide and Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide.

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Operating Systems, Mobile, Input Devices, Storage / Hard Drives, General News, CPU Cooling, VGA Cooling
Posted: February 1, 2008 07:20AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our Friday roundup seems to have picked up a bit after yesterday's lull with a good mix of items.  Tech ARP starts off with a bit of news telling us Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Out Next Week, at least for OEMs.  PC Perspective has some additional news in their podcast as they look at AMD Q4 results, NVIDIA ESA, VIA Isaiah x86 CPU, AMD 3870 X2 and more.  The AMD Spider platform is designed for its line of Phenom processors.  Today we get a chance to examine the MSI K9A2 Platinum AMD 790FX Motherboard from HotHardware.  For Intel fans we have two more boards from MSI based on the P35 chipset.  First in the queue is a TweakTown review of the MSI P35 Diamond Motherboard.  This board supports DDR3 memory and offers onboard X-Fi sound.  Buying a new board based on the P35 chipset means choosing between DDR2 and DDR3 memory formats.  The are trade offs involved with going with either format.  Viper Lair reviews the MSI P35 Platinum Combo board that offers you the option of using either memory type.  What could be easier?  Then there's the choice of which processor to buy.  TechSpot has a look at Intel Core 2 Duo 45nm Wolfdale vs. 65nm Conroe to see what the new 45nm technology has to offer.  Back over at TweakTown we get a look at the ASUS Triton 75 CPU Cooler that uses a passive design but also allows you to attach a 120mm fan.  Also in the cooling arena, Techgage pits two aftermarket VGA coolers against each other in their GeForce 8800 GTS/GTX Cooler Comparison.  Next off you get to compare two other products with the Razer Pro|Click Mac Gaming Mouse at Virtual-Hideout and the Steelseries Ikari Optical Gaming Mouse at Tweaknews.  Computer builders are always looking for the perfect place to house their rigs.  With so many choices it's always a tough decision and motherboards.org has a look at the Ultra Products M998 Case.  Your iPhone deserves a case of its own as well. The Otterbox for iPhone Defender Series at ThinkComputers is a good way to protect your investment.  Bjorn3D has a review of the Thermaltake Muse X-Duo Raid external storage unit.  Finally PCSTATS has another installment in their ongoing series with the Beginners Guides: Setting up an FTP Server in WindowsXP.

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Mobile, Gadgets, CPU Cooling
Posted: January 31, 2008 05:57AM
Author: Dale Shuck

It appears as if things are slowing down a little as we near the end of the week.  With all of the devices requiring a USB connection these days you may find yourself looking for another port to plug into. OCModshop features the Rosewill RHUB-310 7-port USB 2.0 Hub that offers up a solution in a small package.  Tech ARP has posted overviews of two entrants in the mobile category.  The first is the HTC Touch Cruise Mobile Phone along with a quick look at the HTC Shift Mobile Computer.  Asus is certainly well known for its enthusiast boards.  Today PCSTATS reviews the Asus BLITZ Extreme Intel P35 Express DDR3 Motherboard (you can check out OCC's own review here).  For a look at an Intel X38 based motherboard, head on over to motherboards.org and check out the ASUS P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP@n.  All processors need a good cooling solution and 3dGamMan has a video review of the Scythe NINJA Copper CPU Cooler.  Your CPU is not the only thing that requires cooling.  Today's high-end video cards need it in spades.  The problem is many stock cooling solution for video cards end up being very loud and may not be the best option.  TweakTown examines the ECS GeForce 8800GT Accelero S1 512MB that features Arctic Cooling's passive VGA cooler.  If you've been looking to build that killer home theater setup, you owe it to yourself to check out the Origen S21T Motorized 12.1 inch Touch Screen HTPC Enclosure at Madshrimps.  ThinkComputers has the Booq Mamba Sling Laptop Bag for you to look at.

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Operating Systems, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Storage / Hard Drives, VGA Cooling
Posted: January 29, 2008 05:51AM
Author: Dale Shuck

The flurry of reviews of the ATI HD 3870 X2 from yesterday has subsided somewhat but we have a couple more installments.  First up is an entry that arrived after our last roundup was posted from Legit Reviews and their look at the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Video Card.  So what is the best setup - two HD 3870s in Crossfire mode or a single HD 3870 X2?  TweakTown takes a look at HD 3870 in Crossfire vs. HD 3870 X2 to help you decide.  Next up we have two cases from the same manufacturer.  LAN Addict opens up the Sunbeamtech Freezing Storm ATX Case for us to examine.  The other offering is the Sunbeam Tuniq 3 Case from 3dGameMan.  High-end graphics cards require extreme cooling, especially for those of us who overclock their cards.  That often means turning to an after-market cooler.  NVNews reviews the Inno3D GeForce 8800 GT i-ChiLL that comes from the factory equipped with an Artic Cooling Accelero X1 cooler.  Neoseeker has a look at the MSI K9A2 Platinum 790FX Motherboard, an AM2+ board based on the AMD 790FX Northbridge/SB600 Southbridge chipset.  For Intel fans, Techgage brings us the Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L, offering us a chance to examine a budget board based on the P31 chipset.  The Galaxy Tvisto Pro Digital Media Enclosure is a big name for a little product.  ThinkComputers finds this device comes up short where it counts.  PCSTATS has Beginners Guide: 99 Windows Vista Performance Tips and Tweaks.  We also have another guide, this time for gamers with Oblivion: Shivering Isles Walkthrough at OCModShop.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Memory, Cooling, Power Supplies, Mobile, Monitors
Posted: January 28, 2008 07:04AM
Author: Dale Shuck

With the start of the new week our tour around the web leaves us with a lot of ground to cover.  From time to time we find ourselves in a position where a new product launch generates a lot of interest from various sites simultaneously and that's the situation we have today with AMD's recent launch of the HD 3870 X2 dual GPU video card.  If you read OCC's own ATI HD 3870 X2 Review then you already have a good idea what this card is all about - dual RV670 graphics processing units on a single-card in a dual-slot configuration offering Crossfire capability.  This configuration has obvious benefits in that it takes less space with reduced heat output and eliminates the need for the Crossfire bridge that a dual-card setup requires.  You can find additional coverage of the new card from: PC Perspective - Asus AMD Radeon HD 3870 X2 - AMD R680 Dual GPU Arrives, HotHardware - R680 Has Landed: ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Tested , TweakTown - GECUBE Radeon HD 3870 X2 Graphics Card, Overclocker Cafe - HIS Radeon HD3870 X2, Bjorn3D - AMD HD3870X2 and [H]ardocp - ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Dual GPU Video Card.  Our video card coverage next jumps over to the NVIDIA camp with the Sparkle 8800GTS 512MB Review: G92 Madness Continues from Madshrimps.  Viper Lair has a look at the factory-overclocked  MSI NX8600GT Twin Turbo.  If that wasn't enough for your daily dose of hardware, we have a double feature lined up for you with two Intel X38 chipset boards starting with PCSTATS' Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 Intel X38 Express Motherboard and the GIGABYTE X38T-DQ6 Motherboard from TweakTown.  FrostyTech has another chipset cooler review with their Zalman ZM-NBF47 Northbridge Chipset Heatsink.  Every cooling solution starts with a good thermal interface material so check out the Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound at RBMods.  Those new video cards are going to require a decent power supply and Bjorn3D gives us an opportunity to check out the Ultra X2 750W Extreme Titanium.  DDR2 memory is still a viable option for many.  Virual-Hideout reviews the OCZ 4GB Reaper X HPC PC2-6400 Memory which utilizes OCZ's HPC cooling.  For a complete home theater setup we have the Samsung HT-X250 home theatre system in a box from AcceleNation.  For those wanting to be one of only 10,000 lucky souls to own a unique case, check out the Thermaltake SwordM Full Tower Case brought to us by ThinkComputers.  While you're there, don't forget to check out their review of the Samsung SyncMaster 2232GW 22-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor.  In the mobile department we find the Samsung SGH-D880 Dual SIM Mobile Phone at Tech ARP and a review of the Palm Treo 750 from Techgage.  Tech ARP has provided an update to their Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide.  Wrapping up, OCModShop examines the question Are Women Ignored as Technology Consumers?

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Video Cards, CPU's, Cases, Mobile, Manufacturers, Gaming, Input Devices, Storage / Hard Drives, Gadgets, Modding
Posted: January 25, 2008 08:45AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Time for another spin around the web.  Yesterday we were treated to a look at VIA's new Centaur technology and today we're back with more.  First we have VIA Isaiah Processor Architecture Preview - Low Power CPU from PC Perspective.  [H]ardocp returns with Centaur Technology Tour in Pictures with a look at the Centaur offices in Texas.  The Styx Gaming Mouse may not do for you what the river by that name did for Achilles but RBMods gives us a chance to check it out.  If you love your current mouse but it's looking a little worn, then head on over to Tech ARP for some advice from their Logitech MX510 Paint Mod Guide.  Gaming seems to be the focus of a lot of hardware these days and Sapphire's Ultimate HD 3850 and Atomic HD 3870 from HotHardware affords us another look at the recent AMD/ATI cards.  Neoseeker publishes a look at Core 2 Duo Scaling in Gaming.  Aeneon is a new line of memory products being offered by Qimonda.  While that name that might not be familiar to a lot of folks, you'll find their chips in a lot of applications including some of the best performing video cards.  Today Bjorn3d reviews the Aeneon Xtune DDR3-1333.  Also in the memory/storage department we have the Super Talent Pico A 2GB Flash Drive at ExtremeMHz.  Raidmax is well-known for their cases.  Find out why ThinkComputers says the Sagitta 2 PC Case isn't your typical gaming case.  In the gadgets arena we found the CoolIT Beverage Chiller at Overclockers Online and the iSkin Revo & Revo Clip for Apple iPhone at Legit Reviews.

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Cooling, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Input Devices, Monitors, Gadgets, VGA Cooling
Posted: January 24, 2008 06:16AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Many hardware manufacturers are beginning to tout their products as supporting the ESA standard and are even prominently display the ESA logo.  Just what is ESA?  PC Perspective explains it all in their NVIDIA ESA: Enthusiast System Architecture article.  AMD/ATI has been getting some of the limelight with their HD 3850/3870 video cards.  TweakTown shares the MSI Radeon HD 3870 X2 OC Graphics Card with us and you need to pay attention to the "X2" in the name because this is the new dual GPU version!  Sharing the spotlight is the fact that AMD also just released two other cards as well and Legit Reviews looks at the ATI Radeon HD 3450 and Radeon HD 3650 Video Cards.  For NVIDIA fans there is always the Inno3D 8800 GT iChill at Overclocker Cafe which sports a factory overclock and an Arctic Cooling Accelero X1 cooler.  There's another new video technology making its way onto the market these days and you can head over to Techgage to read about DisplayLink - Multi-Display Setups with USB.  Crysis is a game known for bringing many a system to  its knees.  What does it take to play this game at the highest resolutions?  HotHarware has the Crysis v1.1 NVIDIA 3-Way SLI Performance Update.  What good is a new video card without a large monitor to show off all that eye candy?  That's where the Samsung SyncMaster 275T TFT LCD comes in and LAN Addict gives us a chance to check it out.  Madshrimps just posted their Foxconn P35AP-S Motherboard Revisited: New BIOS.  FrostyTech looks at the Xigmatek MAC-S3501 DDR/DDR2 Memory Heatspreaders and questions just how necessary is an active memory cooling solution.  The Lian Li PC-P80 Case garners some pretty strong superlatives in the video review from 3dGameMan.  Low power CPUs are more often found in mobile devices, not in enthusiasts' machines so find out what [H]ardocp has to say about VIA's New Centaur Designed Isaiah CPU Architecture.  TechReport has a quick look at SanDisk's Sansa Clip MP3 player for those of you looking for a small music player whose name doesn't begin with an 'i'.  When gaming, if your hands sweat like a kid on his first date then the Logitech ChillStream Actively Cooled Gamepad at Tweak News might be the answer for you.  Don't forget to check out the Geeks 7" Digital Picture Frame over at Monster-Hardware before you go.

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Cooling, Operating Systems, Gaming, Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor, CPU Cooling
Posted: January 18, 2008 06:06AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our roundup kicks off with a look at the Noctua NF-P12 120mm Fan at Overclockers Online.  Noctua is known for its low-noise fans and the NF-P12 is designed for high-impedance applications such as CPU coolers.  Foxconn has been introducing more boards aimed at the enthusiasts market over the past year and today Legit Reviews has a look at the Foxconn X38A Motherboard.  With support for both DDR2 and DDR3 memory and tweaker friendly options such as onboard CMOS clear, power and reset switches can it make the grade for overclockers?  Next up are a pair of external hard drives and who doesn't need more storage these days?  The Tagan ICY BOX IB-3220 at GideonTech supports two 3.5" drives via a USB cable.  Just as Tagan is best known for its power supplies, the name Plextor probably makes you think of CD and DVD burners.  However, the Plextor PX-PH160US is an external 2.5" drive and Bjorn3D gives us the low down.  3dGameMan has a video review of the factory-overclocked HIS HD 3870 IceQ 3 Turbo 512MB GDDR4 Video Card.  If you're looking for a Vista performance tweak then Just Say No to SuperFetch and OCModShop shows us how.  Techgage has a double offering today looking at two cases on opposite ends of the size spectrum with the SilverStone TJ10 Full Tower and the NZXT Rogue SFF Gaming Chassis.  Finally, try saying Wii Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 three times real fast then head on over to RBmods to read the review. While we're in the gaming mode Tech ARP has updated their Crysis Benchmarking Guide.

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Gaming, Storage / Hard Drives, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 17, 2008 05:47AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our roundup starts off with a welcome to another new affiliate - Legit Reviews. Today they bring us a look at several NVIDIA cards in their GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB Roundup - Albatron, eVGA and XFX review.  While we're on the subject of video cards you can check out the XFX 8800 GT Alpha Dog XXX Edition 256MB from Neoseeker.  Next up is the Kingwin Z1 Series External Enclosure from 3dGameman.  These enclosures fit a 3.5" hard drive and sport both USB and eSata connectivity.  Many home theater PC cases resemble audio components such as receivers and amplifiers.  The GMC Noblesse AVC-S7 Slimline HTPC Case at OCModShop takes a different approach with a minimalist appearance that looks more like a DVD player.  Tech ARP has a double feature for us today starting with Performance Improvements In Crysis 1.1 followed by their updated Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide.  TweakTown has a Closer Look at GIGABYTE's DES System and clues us in on how well it works and what it has to offer.   What would our roundup be without more coverage from CES 2008?  Today, HotHardware gives us their CES 2008 Photo Report and Recap and ThinkComputers returns with coverage of Sony and InWin.

Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Optical Drives, Cooling, Sound Cards, Power Supplies, Mobile, Input Devices, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 16, 2008 06:00AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Looking around the web today we turned up an interesting article titled Limited Release Of NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS? at Tech ARP speculating on NVIDIA's move to position new products to stop some of AMD/ATI's success they're seeing with its HD 3850/3870 cards.  You can read about more fallout in the HD format wars in the Next-Generation Content War Continues to Ravage HD DVD from Madshrimps.  Many CPU cooling solutions make use of heatpipes these days.  One innovative twist on this approach can be seen in the Xigmatek HDT-S983 Exposed Heatpipe-Base Heatsink reviewed by FrostyTech where the design puts the heatpipes directly in contact with the CPU.  Keeping your investment future-proof is tough in the ever-changing world of computers.  The Foxconn DigitaLife X38A Intel X38 Express Motherboard at PCSTATS tries to address this by offering support for both DDR2 and DDR3 memory formats.  As sometimes happens, we ended up with a two-fer on this product as TweakTown also has a look at this motherboard today. 3dGameMan has a review of the all aluminum Thermaltake Xaser VI Case.  As home theater systems gain in popularity, people are finding out how difficult to operate them from the comfort of the couch.  One solution is a wireless keyboard and motherboards.org looks at the XGene Trackball Keyboard.  Corsair may be best known for its memory products, but they also offer some solid performing power supplies as RBMods reveals in their Corsair TX750W Power Supply review.  DarkVision Hardware brings us a look at the Vizo Ninja II Notebook Cooler.  PC Perspective gives us a chance to see what the ASUS Xonar D2 Sound Card and U1 USB Audio Station have to offer as an alternative to Creative's X-Fi products.  We end the roundup with continuing CES 2008 coverage from Thinkcomputers as the look at Targus, Dell and ASUS.

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Cases, Memory, Power Supplies, Speakers/Headphones, Storage / Hard Drives, Modding, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 15, 2008 06:38AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our web wanderings turned up a lot of reviews to go through today.  Let's begin by welcoming a new affiliate to the fold, HotHardware, who brings us a review of the Asus EAH3850 TOP Graphics Card.  While we're looking at video cards, [H]ardocp gives us a chance to look at the other side of the ATI/NVIDIA competition with an evaluation of the Palit GeForce 8800 GT Super+1GB.  Also in the NVIDIA camp is the XFX GeForce 8800 GT XXX 512MB Alpha Dog Edition at NVNews.  Now we move on to memory with two reviews of DDR3 kits.  First up is the Supertalent ProjectX 2GB DDR3-1800 Memory Kit at RBMods followed by Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600 from Bjorn3D.  For an amazing original case mod, check out Project: Eutanasia at MetkuMods and watch as the builder takes us from design to completion.  It's always fun to take a look at what the previous year had in store and LostCircuits treats us to their 2007: A Retrospective.  Looking forward, we find the Intel Skulltrail Out In Feb '08! at Tech ARP.  Skulltrail/V8 is Intel's dual quad-core processor board that gives you a chance to have octo-core processing and four PCI-E x16 slots.  Given that kind of setup, you'll have a real need for some serious power like the Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1250W PSU at TweakTown.  Keeping your Intel processor cool and quiet is a job for the Auras LPT-700 Heatsink and FrostyTech reports on how well it succeeds at that job.  OCModshop gives us a look at the Razer Piranha Gaming Headset (also reviewed by OCC).  We all have a need for the ability to store our data and multimedia files.  A network storage device is one solution to this problem and Virtual-Hideout reviews the Thecus N5200 Pro NAS today.  For a little video envy you can check out the Samsung SyncMaster 245T 24-Inch LCD Monitor at Tweaknews.  And in the "It's Not Over Until It's Over" department we have more CES 2008 coverage from ThinkComputers (Intel) and Techgage (Cars).

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Cases, Gaming, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 11, 2008 06:31AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Now that CES 2008 is over, things have slowed down a bit.  Our web wanderings today struck it rich in the gaming department as we have three different games to look at.  OCModShop brings us Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Overview followed by Supreme Commander Benchmarking Guide at Tech ARP.  Bjorn3d has a look at Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.  If you're looking for ways to silence your computer, the case may be one item most of us overlook, so check out the Nexus Caterpillar Silent System PC Case at RBMods to see if this case can help you tame the noise monster.  FrostyTech brings us another heatsink with the Glacialtech Igloo 5750 PWM. And what would CES be without the obligatory young ladies to explain the finer technical details of the new products?  ThinkComputers has CES 2008: The Booth Babes to wrap up today's offerings.

Nexus Caterpillar Silent System PC Case @ RBMods
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Overview @ OCModShop
Supreme Commander Benchmarking Guide @ Tech ARP
Glacialtech Igloo 5750 PWM Heatsink @ FrostyTech
CES 2008: The Booth Babes @ ThinkComputers
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars @ Bjorn3D

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Motherboards, Cases, Power Supplies, Operating Systems, Storage / Hard Drives, Small Form Factor, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 10, 2008 06:29AM
Author: Dale Shuck

As CES 2008 enters its final day, OCC has ongoing coverage available of some of the more interesting products on display this year.  Let's begin our tour of the web today by visiting the cooling department and looking at two heatsink reviews.  First up is the Scythe Andy Samurai Master Heatsink at FrostyTech which proved to be an effective, yet quiet, product.  Thermalright are known for their cooling products.  Today Overclockers Online evaluates the Thermalright Ultima-90 to see how it performs.  Many users, especially companies, have been putting off upgrading to Vista until after the first service pack is released. Tech ARP has a look under the hood in their What's New In Windows Vista Service Pack 1?  If size and portability matter when deciding what to use when assembling your rig or LAN party box, then you should have a look at the Antec NSK1380 SFF Case from 3dGameMan.  TweakTown has the GIGABYTE’s Dynamic Energy Saver Detailed if you've been wondering what all the fuss is about.  The Corsair TX750W Power Supply is reviewed by Bjorn3D.  Additional CES coverage is available starting with Pinnacle Shows Off Home Video Solutions at CES 08 at OCModShop and ThinkComputers' look at CES 2008: Buffalo Technology.

Scythe Andy Samurai Master Heatsink @ FrostyTech
What's New In Windows Vista Service Pack 1? @ Tech ARP
Antec NSK1380 SFF Case @ 3dGameMan
Pinnacle Shows Off Home Video Solutions at CES 08 @ OCModShop
Thermalright Ultima-90 @ Overclockers Online
GIGABYTE’s Dynamic Energy Saver Detailed @ TweakTown
Corsair TX750W Power Supply @ Bjorn3D
CES 2008: Buffalo Technology @ ThinkComputers

Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition

Category: Motherboards, Cases, Power Supplies, Music / Video Players, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 9, 2008 06:25AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Wednesday marks day 3 of CES 2008 so be sure to check out OCC's continuing coverage.   We kick off today's roundup with a three power supply reviews.  StarTech.com is not a well known manufacturer even though they've been around for over 10 years and [H]ardocp looks at the StarTech.com WattSmart EPSPOW850PRO 850w PSU to see how it stacks up.  On the other end of the spectrum DarkVision Hardware gives us an opportunity to check out the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 PSU.  If you already have a capable power supply but are looking to give your system a bit of a boost, check out the Ultra Power Partner PSU at RBMods.  FrostyTech looks at the Auras LPT-709 Wave Heatsink.  Looking to expand your storage capacity?  Neoseeker has the QNAP TS-109 Turbo Station NAS which is a single drive device.  Just remember to bring your own hard drive.  TweakTown gives us a first look at an Intel X48 chipset motherboard in their GIGABYTE X48-DQ6 Mobo - DES Arrives!.  If you're looking for a full tower, bigger is better type of chassis, Tweaknews has the Thermaltake SwordM Full Tower Case.  Bjorn3D takes a look at the iPod Touch 16 GB.  Wrapping up is more coverage from CES 2008: Nyko's Product Lineup at CES 2008 at OCModShop, CES 2008: Digital Experience at ThinkComputers.org and NVIDIA at CES 2008 from PC Perspective.

Nyko's Product Lineup at CES 2008 @ OCModShop
StarTech.com WattSmart EPSPOW850PRO 850w PSU @ [H]
Auras LPT-709 Wave Heatsink @ FrostyTech
QNAP TS-109 Turbo Station NAS @ Neoseeker
GIGABYTE X48-DQ6 Mobo - DES Arrives! @ TweakTown
CES 2008: Digital Experience @ ThinkComputers
Thermaltake SwordM Full Tower Case @ Tweaknews
iPod Touch 16 GB @ Bjorn3D
Ultra Power Partner PSU @ RBMods
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 PSU @ DarkVision Hardware
NVIDIA at CES 2008 @ PC Perspective

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cases, Memory, Cooling, Mobile, Gaming, Input Devices, Speakers/Headphones, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 8, 2008 05:54AM
Author: Dale Shuck

CES 2008 starts its second day today so be sure to check back during the day as our team provides continuing coverage of this huge event.  Our roundup takes us first to The Witcher Gameplay and Performance at [H]ardocp where they analyze the game and evaluate its performance using four different video cards.  Water cooling enthusiasts will want to check out the Danger Den Water Box Plus and Kit at 3dGameMan.  If water cooling isn't your thing, FrostyTech  looks at the Apack Zerotherm Nirvana 120 Heatsink.  nVidia's 8800 series cards have generated a lot of interest and NVNews reviews the XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog Edition.  We also have a pair of DDR3 memory kit reviews with the OCZ 2x1GB DDR3-1333 Gold Edition Memory Kit at Virtual-Hideout and the Corsair Dominator DDR3 1800MHz Intel XMP Memory at PC Perspective.  TweakNews has a look at the SteelSeries Siberia Neckband Gaming Headset and comes away pleased with what they heard.  Refresh products often fail to impress, but Bjorn3D finds the Thermaltake Armor+ a worthy upgrade to the original product.  Check out MetkuMods to see if the same holds true for the Logitech G15 Rev2.  The Tech Report has a look at Asus' Eee PC 4G sub-notebook.  Other CES coverage comes from [H]ardocp as they fill us in on announcements from Intel and nVidia.

The Witcher Gameplay and Performance @ [H]
Intel Unveils 16 New Processors @ [H]
Danger Den Water Box Plus and Kit @ 3dGameMan
Apack Zerotherm Nirvana 120 Heatsink @ FrostyTech
NVIDIA Hybrid SLI Technology @ [H]
XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog Edition @ NVNews
OCZ 2x1GB DDR3-1333 Gold Edition Memory Kit @ Virtual-Hideout
SteelSeries Siberia Neckband Gaming Headset @ Tweaknews
Thermaltake Armor+ @ Bjorn3D
Logitech G15 Rev2 @ MetkuMods
Corsair Dominator DDR3 1800MHz Intel XMP Memory @ PC Perspective
Asus' Eee PC 4G sub-notebook @ The Tech Report

Hardware Roundup: Saturday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cases, Memory, Operating Systems, CPU Cooling
Posted: January 5, 2008 09:07AM
Author: Dale Shuck

A quick tour around the web this morning turned up a few items for your perusal.  Tech ARP has been looking at the new XP service pack release candidate and finds Microsoft Windows XP SP3 RC Does NOT Support HDA.  High performance memory is a must for enthusiasts.  For those of you looking to make an upgrade or possibly trying to decide between DDR2 and DDR3 try taking a look at the Patriot Memory DDR3 PC-10666 7-7-7-20 review at Overclockers Online.  Your next stop should be to read the OCZ PC2-6400 ReaperX HPC Enhanced Bandwidth 4GB Memory review at PCSTATS.  FrostyTech reviews the Zalman CNPS9700NT Heatsink and sees how it stacks up to other high-end air coolers.  Lian Li aficionados will want to check out the Lancool Metal Boned K7 Case at 3dGameMan.  Wrapping up, TweakTown has the ATI Catalyst 7.12 Analysis - XP & Vista review.

Microsoft Windows XP SP3 RC Does NOT Support HDA @ Tech ARP
Patriot Memory DDR3 PC-10666 7-7-7-20 @ Overclockers Online
OCZ PC2-6400 ReaperX HPC Enhanced Bandwidth 4GB Memory @ PCSTATS
Zalman CNPS9700NT Heatsink @ FrostyTech
Lancool Metal Boned K7 Case @ 3dGameMan
ATI Catalyst 7.12 Analysis - XP & Vista @ TweakTown