Thermaltake Launches Advanced ProWater Liquid Cooling System

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 15, 2008 04:41PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

Custom liquid cooling systems have long been the preferred heat removal choice of gamers and enthusiasts, as they exhibit superb cooling characteristics and often require little maintenance after installation. Thermaltake's liquid cooling setups have been the perennial favorite of many hardcore PC users, and it's easy to understand why - Thermaltake-equipped systems can help enthusiasts reach higher overclocks and increased system stability because of the quality and craftsmanship that goes into every liquid cooling setup. Thermaltake's new ProWater 850i liquid cooling system promises better performance and decreased downtime due to maintenance, and that stems directly from the heart of the system - the P500 pump. This pump takes advantage of a 500 liter per hour flow rate and a hard-wearing ceramic bearing to send the cooling liquid coursing through the brazed copper waterblock and onto the automotive-style radiator. This unique radiator sports "Dimple Dimpled Technology" rather than traditional rounded-copper tubing, actually swirling the coolant through the radiator and increasing thermal transfer. The coolant is supplied by the easy-to-read transparent reservoir that also serves as a fill-port, and the liquid is carried by heavy-duty 3/8" clear tubing. The ProWater 850i is available now through most major retail and e-tail outlets.

Arctic Cooling Introduce Freezer 7 LP

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 7, 2008 02:06PM
Author: Ben Grantham

We have reviewed a couple of smaller CPU coolers designed to fit into tight spaces here at OCC recently, and if those interested you then so will Arctic Cooling's latest release. The Freezer 7 LP (LP = low profile) is much like many other coolers from Arctic Cooling, aiming to provide better than stock cooling at low noise levels. Coming in at only 53mm in height (with fan installed) the Freezer 7 LP is clearly meant for cases where space it at a premium, such as your average HTPC. It makes use of 40 aluminium fins mated with two heatpipes, topped off with a quiet 80mm fan to cool your CPU (up to 90 Watts). Arctic Cooling are claiming a 15% performance increase over generic low profile coolers, while remaining 66% quieter than Intel's low profile solution. You should see the Freezer 7 LP at retailers around mid-May with an MSRP of $27.95.

Noctua Unleashes Quiet, Powerful CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 5, 2008 06:35PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

Noctua - a world-class manufacturer of quiet, high performance cooling solutions - has launched a powerful, near silent CPU cooler that's specifically designed to fit comfortably in many of today's smaller PC cases.  Whether you're building a new Home Theater PC, or a frag-tastic LAN box, Noctua's NH-C12P has you covered.  Sporting a six heatpipe design, this C-shaped cooler features a down-facing 120mm fan that'll easily blow the heat away from your CPU, but that's not all - taking advantage of Noctua's dual Airflow-Gap fin design, this small wonder will help cool down your hot motherboard components too!  The NH-C12P uses Noctua's SecuFirm mounting system, guaranteeing superior reliability and an evenly-pressured installation on all of today's most popular platforms - including Intel's Socket 775, and AMD's AM2 and AM2+. 

CoolIT Launches PURE All-In-One CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: May 2, 2008 09:57PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

As computer enthusiasts and overclockers, we're always trying to push our gear to the next level - and because of that, we also find ourselves in a constant battle with our arch-nemesis, heat.  While there are many among our community who already employ a liquid loop - or something more extreme - to cool their most important components, there are others - me included - who aren't quite sure whether the hassles of alternative cooling are worth the extra performance.  CoolIT Systems, a well known and respected alternative cooling manufacturer, feel that they have the perfect answer in their all-in-one, maintenance free PURE CPU cooler that allows liquid n00bs to test the waters (Punny!) without the headaches common in building and maintaining a custom liquid cooling setup.  Right out of the box, the PURE is ready to roll; combining the best elements of air and liquid cooling,  the PURE system comes pre-assembled - tubes, waterblock, and radiator - and is filled with coolant and primed, making installation as easy as possible.  You should check out the OCC Review of the CoolIT PURE, it may make a believer out of you, too.

ThermalRight goes black

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: April 18, 2008 04:54PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

ThermalRight's Ultra-120 eXtreme has been updated with a special edition. They gave the Ultra-120 eXtreme a new exciting all black finish and renamed the black variant the "TRUE Black 120". The True Black 120's finish is a nickel based coating and ThermalRight have used the marketing phrase "meaner than ever" to describe the new product. Other than the previously mentioned changes this heatpipe cooler does not differ from the original Ultra-120 eXtreme. How the black nickel coating affects the performance is yet to be known.

OCZ Unleashes Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: April 10, 2008 10:20PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

OCZ Technology has a vendetta against your computer's processor heat - the Vendetta 2 CPU cooler, that is.  Based on three pure copper heat pipes surrounded by a tower of aluminum fins, the OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU cooler is designed to take the heat from your computer's processor and blow it away like sand in a hurricane.  OCZ's trend-setting heat pipe direct touch design puts the heat pipes in direct contact with the CPU's surface to maximize heat transfer, and the included 120mm fan is capable of 1500 RPM blowing up to 81 CFM, at only a 32 dBA noise level.  In an effort to minimize noise, the 120mm fan comes with anti-vibration rubber connectors, and the micro-dimpled stacked aluminum fins help to better circulate air throughout the case - together producing an efficient and whisper-quiet cooler.  Best of all, the OCZ Vendetta 2 cooled our test system's Intel E6600 at load better than a Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, at both stock and overclocked speeds.  Check out the OCC review of the OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU cooler for more details and test results.

IBM's Big Plumbing Job

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: April 9, 2008 07:12AM
Author: Dale Shuck

And you thought your water cooling setup was a challenge. How do you keep 448 processing cores cool without incurring a massive air conditioning bill? That's the problem IBM faced with its new Power 575 Supercomputer. With all those Power6 processors running at 4.7GHz, IBM had to find a better way than air to cool this massive machine. Instead, IBM engineers created a grid overlay system that places copper plates above each processor and using chilled water to remove the heat from the processor and from the rack where it is cooled again and reused. This setup results in a 40% reduction in power demand due to reduced cooling requirements for the data center. IBM has said it expects this type of cooling setup to eventually evolve into one where the water cooling is integrated right into the chip itself.

Scythe Unleashes A Real Heavyweight

Category: Cooling, Manufacturers, CPU Cooling
Posted: March 26, 2008 11:05AM
Author: Chris Benjamin

As overclockers, it is necessary that we have aftermarket CPU coolers to dispel the monstrous amount of heat generated by today's multi-core processors. Scythe has launched what may be the most monstrous CPU cooler - ever. Meet the 1,155 gram (that's 2 1/2 pounds!) Scythe Orochi. This beast utilizes no less than 10 heatpipes, and measures 120 x 194 x 155mm. The Scythe Orochi is compatible with Intel sockets 478 and 775, and AMD sockets 754, 939, 940, AM2, and AM2+. If you'd like to see this behemoth in action, check out these official pics of the Orochi mounted on a motherboard - here, and here.

Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler from OCZ Announced

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: March 11, 2008 08:27PM
Author: Dale Shuck

OCZ Technology -

A few months ago OCC reviewed the OCZ Vendetta CPU Cooler and were impressed with the price/performance ratio. Our reviewer must have had unusual foresight as he commented "It would be nice to see if there would be any performance increase with a 120mm version of the Vendetta." Now we get a chance to find out as today OCZ announced the release of the Vendetta 2 cooler with a larger fan. Designed along the same lines as the original, the Vendetta 2 incorporates 3 solid copper heatpipes in a direct-touch design and stacked aluminum fins for superior heat dissipation. The Vendetta 2 is built slightly larger to accommodate the low-noise 120mm fan. This upgrade allows the new cooler to push more air at lower RPMs that the original while keeping the noise signature almost identical at 20-32dBA. Pricing wasn't disclosed but you can click on the link above to check out the product page.

MSI to Debut Unique Chipset Cooling Device

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: February 29, 2008 12:24PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Register Hardware -

Who would have thought you could use technology originally developed in the early 1800's to cool 21st century technology?  That's exactly what motherboard maker MSI is planning to do with their innovative Air Power Cooler to be unveiled at CeBit next week.  The mechanism is actually a Stirling engine that harnesses the heat generated by the chip to drive a fan to blow air across a heatpipe based heatsink.  While using heatpipes on a cooler is certainly not new, the use of a Stirling engine is as it requires no electricity to drive the fan other than that used by the motherboard and chipset.  The heat from the chip causes hot air to expand and drive a piston connected to the fan.  As the heatsink cools the air inside the piston, it becomes denser and causes the piston to retract.  One has to question the practicality of the application for overclockers, but the idea is certainly novel and worth a look at the site in the link for more pictures showing the device installed on a motherboard.

Noctua NH-U9B Heatsink - New and Improved

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: February 25, 2008 07:26PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Noctua -

Noctua is an Austrian company that's relatively new to the cooling scene but is already making a name for itself with its high-performance, low-noise cooling products. A couple of months ago OCC reviewed the Noctua H-U12P heatsink which was an upgrade to their previous NH-U12 model. Noctua is not a company to rest on its laurels, so just barely three months after releasing the NH-U12P, they continue the trend with the new NH-U9B, a more compact CPU cooler featuring the new NF-B9 92mm fan. Just like its larger sibling, the upgrade improves performance without sacrificing its impressive noise (or lack of) levels. The NF-B9 fan can pump out 64.3 m³/h at  only 17.6dBA.  The NH-U9B comes with NT-H1 thermal paste and is ideally suited for HTPCs and smaller cases. Backed by a six-year warranty the new model is available immediately with a suggested price of EUR 46.90 / USD 54.90.

Scythe Shuriken; Scythe's lowest profile heatsink to date

Category: CPU Cooling
Posted: February 19, 2008 06:03PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

Scythe - With so many large coolers coming out with huge surface areas and large heatpipes it makes anyone with a small form factor case wonder where all of the low profile heatsinks are. Scythe has recently announced it Shuriken low profile heatsink which at a measly 355g (close to stock AMD/INTEL heatsinks weight) is only 105x116x64mm. The engineers designed the included 100x100x12mm fan to be as low height as possible but still provide adequate airflow, the fan delivers 31.91CFM with a max speed of 2200RPM at only 31.67dBA. The fan mounts with Sythe's VTMS system which allows tool free mounting to allow easy access to clean the supplied fan or to change the fan to any number of available aftermarket 92/100MM fans. The heatsink is compatible with the most recent CPU sockets, which includes socket 939, 940, AM2 and 754 from AMD and socket 478 and 775 from Intel. The fan will retail for ~32 USD and ~27.95 euro.

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, CPU's, Mobile, Gaming, Gadgets, CPU Cooling
Posted: February 12, 2008 06:35AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Cruising the web today turned up an interesting mix of item from our affiliates.  The words 'notebook' and 'overclocking' are rarely used in the same sentence to describe a product, but today Fudzilla has a look at the MSI GX600, the world's first overclocking notebook.  We have a couple of CPU cooling options today.  Noctua from Austria has been in the news a lot with their low-noise cooling products and Legit Reviews looks at the Noctua NH-U12P CPU Cooler - The Sound of Silence.  CPU coolers have been growing in size and that often means having a monster size case to accommodate them.  FrostyTech evaluates a low-profile cooler in its review of the Scythe Shuriken SCSK-1000 Heatsink.  Tech ARP gives us a chance to see where Intel is going with the higher FSB processors in their Intel 1600 MHz Platform Update.  We also get an opportunity to look at another new Intel chip courtesy of Madshrimps in their review of the Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 45nm Wolfdale CPU.  HotHardware brings us a look at the factory-overclocked XFX 8800 GT 256MB XXX Alpha Dog Edition.  For you Xbox 360 gamers Bonafide Reviews takes us on a tour of Eternal Sonata, the latest RPG from Tri-Crescendo.  Couch potatoes will want to sit up and take notice of this next one as Techgage reviews the Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote.  Finishing up the roundup we found the E-TEN Glofiish X650 GPS Smartphone at TweakTown.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Software, Digital Photography/Video, CPU Cooling, VGA Cooling
Posted: February 11, 2008 06:41AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our week gets started with a lot of ground to cover.  Intel-based systems are dominating the roundup today so if that's your platform of choice we have a lot to offer.  LostCircuits leads off with an in-depth look at Intel's SkullTrail Extreme Platform.  By now you are most likely aware that Skulltrail is a dual-processor platform with Crossfire and SLI support.  You may have also noticed it will require a serious wallet to implement.  However, there are alternatives based on other Intel chipsets such as the P35 and X38 as well as the upcoming X48.  Today we have a chance to examine motherboards based on two of those platforms.  ThinkComputers reviews the ASUS Maximus Formula Intel X38 Motherboard.  If you've been wondering about the X48 and what it offers over the previous generation you can check out the MSI X48 Platinum Motherboard at RBMods.  To round out the news, Tech ARP has an article on Intel G45 & G43 Chipset Details.  Not all the news is around Intel's chipsets though.  NVIDIA has a new chipset supporting PCI-E 2.0 and the Intel 45nm CPUs, so if you're currently looking for SLI support you need to check out the EVGA 780i SLI Motherboard at motherboards.org.  A quiet, but effective, way to cool your processor is the goal of the CoolIT PURE Silent Liquid CPU Cooler reviewed at Techgage.  Thermalright is well-known among enthusiasts for it extreme air-cooling products.  When you combine that name with a name like Inferno Fire eXtinguisher you end up with the Thermalright IFX-14 CPU Cooler and this one is truly a monster with room for up to three 140mm fans.   Madshrimps gives us the chance to see what this behemoth can do.  For those looking for a more traditional air cooling solution you can check out the TweakTown review of the Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Cooler.  Your CPU is not the only item in your machine needing cooling.  Virtual-Hideout takes a look at the Thermaltake DuOrb VGA Cooler to see how well it performs.  Today's roundup also features more opportunities to check out the latest video cards from AMD/ATI as Fudzilla has their article HD3870 and HD3850 mix tested in Crossfire and Bjorn3D evaluates the PowerColor HD 3650 512M GDDR3 Xtreme PCS.  Just how well do those cards perform?  Every review has some sort of reference to a set of results from one or more benchmarks.  [H]ardocp challenges that approach in its Benchmarking the Benchmarks article.  We've had the opportunity to look at several software packages from Uniblue here at OCC and today Tweak News has another in that lineup with the UniBlue Process Scanner Software.  Last, but not least, there is the OnAir Solution GT Mobile HDTV Tuner at Overclockers Online.

Hardware Roundup: Saturday Edition

Category: Video Cards, CPU's, CPU Cooling
Posted: February 9, 2008 12:15PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Why wait until Monday when you can get the news today?  That's our thinking in posting our Saturday roundup.  We start off with a couple of looks at ATI Radeon video cards.  First we have a video review of the HIS HD 3870 X2 1GB GDDR3 Video Card at 3dGameMan.  Next up is the VisionTek Radeon HD 3850 reviewed by PC Perspective.  Then we hop the fence, metaphorically at least, to have a look at the PNY XLR8 GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB from HotHarware.  FrostyTech brings us an evaluation of the Auras SMF-660 TwinW Intel Heatsink, a compact CPU cooler tipping the scales at just over 400 grams.  3dGameMan returns to the roundup with Intel Q6600 CPU Overclocking and an invitation to readers to share their overclocking results on this processor.  Tech ARP has updated two guides by adding the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 and QX6800 quad-core processors to its Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide.  Their Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide has also been updated to include the NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX and the NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT graphics cards.

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Memory, Power Supplies, Operating Systems, Mobile, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling
Posted: February 8, 2008 06:18AM
Author: Dale Shuck

The work week draws to a close and our meanderings managed to turn up several power supply reviews in today's edition.  PC Perspective kicks things off with the ABS/Tagan BZ800 800W Power Supply which is a modular unit sporting six +12V rails.   Next up is the Antec NeoPower Blue 650W, another modular unit at Overclockers Online.  Rounding out the power supply reviews today are two looks at a 750W unit from Ultra.  Having two reviews of the same unit is always interesting and these two provide some worthwhile reading.  The first look is the Ultra X2 750W Extreme Edition ATX Power Supply  courtesy of the folks at Virtual-Hideout.  They were careful to point out that their testing found good performance up to the roughly 350W load they were able to put on the unit.  However, their review also links to the Ultra X2 Extreme Edition 750w Power Supply at [H]ardocp.  I won't spoil your fun but [H] ramped up the load on the PSU and warns us to stay away from this unit and minces no words in saying so.  To top it off, the unit claims SLI certification when, in fact, that is not the case.  OK, moving on to video cards.  Representing the red team we have the Overclocked MSI R3870 X2 at Fudzilla.  Weighing in for the green team is the Leadtek 8800 GT 256MB aka G92 at Bjorn3D.  Cooling things off in the CPU department we find the Tuniq Tower 120 Ultra Silent CPU Cooler at RBMods and the Asus Triton 75 Heatsink from FrostyTech.  Both employ heatpipe technology and are designed for use with 120mm fans.  Which one comes out on top?  DDR3 memory prices continue to drop, even as speeds increase and  Techgage has a look at one of the latest offering with their review of the OCZ 2GB DDR3-1600 Titanium - Intel XMP Edition.  ThinkComputers checks out a different approach to equipping your computer with an external drive in their look at the Thermaltake BlacX USB Hard Drive Docking Station. PCSTATS returns with their Beginners Guides: Safe Mode in Windows Vista For Crash Recovery.  Finally, Tech ARP has an overview of the Samsung SGH-i450 Music Edition Mobile Phone.

Hardware Roundup: Wednesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Music / Video Players, Speakers/Headphones, CPU Cooling, VGA Cooling
Posted: February 6, 2008 06:25AM
Author: Dale Shuck

The mid-week edition of the roundup brings more information on Intel's Skulltrail platform.  As we saw in the reviews earlier, the Skulltrail platform has a lot to offer including the first support for SLI cards on an Intel platform.  Legit Reviews dives further into the details with their Intel SkullTrail Preview - Dual Core 2 Extreme QX9775 Processors.  More details can be found in the Intel SkullTrail Platform from motherboards.org where they state the QX9775 processor is simply a LGA771 version of the QX9770 processor (reviewed HERE by OCC).  Neoseeker posted the Phenom 9600 Black Edition Review & TLB Fix Investigation and reveals the microcode fix for the TLB erratum has some pretty astounding effects on performance.  While we're discussing CPUs take a look at the Zalman CNPS8700 LED Low Noise Heatsink from FrostyTech for a capable low-noise cooling solution.  HotHardware is back with more workstation-class GPUs with their FireGL V5600 vs. QuadroFX 1700 vs. FireGL V3600.  In the gaming GPU department, there is the ASUS EN8800GTS TOP at Bjorn3D.  We also have the  BFGTech 8800 GTS 512MB OC2 WC Edition at [H]ardocp.  Not only is the card factory overclocked, it also includes a pre-installed Danger Den water block.  If water cooling is not in your budget then check out the Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme 8800 Video Card Cooler reviewed by Madshrimps.  Enthusiasts looking for an Intel-based board with PCI-E 2.0 and support for the 1600 MHz FSB need to check out the Asus Maximus Extreme Intel X38 Express Motherboard at PCSTATS.  Touch screens seem to be the rage a la the iPod Touch and the iPhone and the Super Talent VIDEGO28 Touch Screen Digital Media Player at ExtremeMHz is another entry with that feature.  Rounding out our selection today, ThinkComputers looks at the Zalman ZM-RS6F USB Surround Sound Headphones.

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: Wednesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, CPU's, Power Supplies, Gaming, Input Devices, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling
Posted: January 23, 2008 06:02AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our roundup netted some interesting items today.  In addition to the normal reviews, we turned up some launch information on new video cards from AMD/ATI.  These new cards are based on the 55nm RV635 and RV620 GPUs and HotHardware has the AMD ATI Radeon HD 3650 and 3450 Refresh Launch.  Bjorn3d brings us more details in their AMD HD34X0 and HD3650 Info.  For even more video card reviews check out Overclocked GeForce 8800 GTS 512 MB Roundup from [H]ardocp where they look at three different factory-overclocked products.  Tech ARP has also updated their Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide. What can you expect from a $50 power supply?   [H]ardocp has a look at the SilverStone Strider ST400 400w Power Supply and lets us know what you get in this entry-level product.  On the other end of the performance spectrum TweakTown checks out the Tuniq Miniplant 950watt Power Supply.  We often see reviews of single CPUs but today TechSpot is looking at the AMD Phenom processor family performance including the Phenom 9500, 9600, 9700 and the 9900.  Keeping those processors cool is a tough job. FrostyTech has the Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 Pro Intel Heatsink.  For a more exotic solution, check out the CoolIT Freezone Elite CPU Cooler at Techgage.  Gamers will want to read about the Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse at motherboards.org.  Coming to the Wii in October is the new fight game Bleach: Shattered Blade and Bona Fide Reviews fills us in on the details.  PCSTATS has posted their Beginners Guides: Formatting and Partitioning a Hard Drive.

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Memory, Cooling, Power Supplies, Manufacturers, Gaming, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling, Hard Drive Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 22, 2008 06:31AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Searching the web this morning turned up quite a few offerings for you to peruse.  We start off with two articles looking at the state of affairs at AMD.  The company announced their financial result for the latest quarter last week and PC Perspective provides a look in their AMD's 4th Quarter Analyzed .  Looking forward, Tech ARP wonders if there is More Trouble For AMD In 2008?.  While we're talking about AMD, Legit Reviews brings us the Diamond Radeon HD 3850 512MB Ruby Edition Video Card and reveals how this card differs from the original ATI reference design.  The large majority of motherboard reviews focus on the desktop and gaming crowd.  Today we get a chance to look at the Asus P5K64 WS motherboard.  The 'WS' denotes it's a workstation card and RBMods walks us through the feature set and compares it to the Asus P5K3 Deluxe board.  Speaking of workstations, HotHardware gives us a unique chance to look at two graphics cards geared toward the professional graphics design crowd in their ATI FireGL V8650 vs. NVIDIA QuadroFX 5600.  The use of heatpipes in heatsinks is old news by now but a new approach is to put the heatpipes in direct contact with the CPU instead of transferring the heat through a metal block.  That's the approach two different companies are taking and Overclocker Cafe looks at two such offerings in their Kingwin RVT 12025 & RVT 12025D Cooler review.  FrostyTech has the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 Exposed Heatpipe Base Heatsink.  You might be surprised at the results.  Some folks find the concept of water cooling their computer a bit intimidating and opt for a pre-built kit.  The Thermaltake BigWater 760i is one such option and Techgage reviews the installation process and compares the results from this kit to air-cooled options.  If you are thinking about making the switch from AMD to Intel, or perhaps you haven't built a system since the socket 478 days, you should check out How To Install An Intel Socket 775 Processor and Heatsink at PCSTATS.  The X48 chipset is the latest addition in the Intel lineup and the first to officially support FSB speeds of 1600MHz and TweakTown offers a look at the MSI X48 Platinum Motherboard.  If you move up to a board based on the X48 chipset, you're going to need DDR3 memory and the Super Talent Project X 2x1GB PC3-14400 at Overclockers Online may be just what you're looking for.   While you're at it, how about a new power supply?  Tweknews has the Thermaltake Toughpower Q-Fan W0163RU 650Watt Modular Power Supply up for review today.  Hard drives are often an overlooked comonent when it comes to cooling.  Most options require the use of a 5.25” bay for installation.  Is it worth it?  Check out 3DGameMan for a review of the Ultra Aluminum Hard Drive Cooler.   Portable drives a re a great way to add additional storage to your system as well as a convenient way to transport data to other locations.  But that exposes your data to theft or being misplaced.  Biometrics are one way to protect your data from prying eyes and EverythingUSB sees what the Apricorn Aegis Bio 120GB Portable Drive offers in this area.  Gamers should find the Supreme Commander Benchmarking Guide at Tech ARP an interesting read.  Finally, we have more from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2008 - Part 1 courtesy of  Virtual-Hideout.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Motherboards, CPU's, Gaming, Input Devices, Speakers/Headphones, Gadgets, CPU Cooling, Mouse Pad, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 21, 2008 06:27AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Today's roundup kicks off with the BlueAnt X5 Stereo Bluetooth Headset at Legit Reviews.  We have several items for you gamers today.  Performance and control are two features gamers look for in a mousing surface and the SteelSeries SP Pro Gaming Mousepad aims to offer a combination of both.  OCModShop lets us know if it delivers on those promises.  The X-Arcade Tankstick Dual Controller with Trackball from HotHardware might have you reminiscing about the all the quarters you spent at the arcade (see the OCC review here).  Not every game can be played with a mouse and keyboard and if you're a flight sim fan you need to check out the Saitek X52 Joystick at motherboards.org  (you can also read the OCC review here).  If you're still trying to decide which Intel processor to include in your next upgrade head over to Tech ARP for a look at their Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide.  Much has been written about the current state of AMD's processor lineup and the Phenom vs. Core2 Quad debate so why would AMD offer another entry in the AM2 family?  See what Virtual-Hideout has to say about the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition CPU  (don't forget to read the OCC review as well).  TweakTown has the ATI Catalyst 8.1 Analysis - XP & Vista.  Bjorn3D reviews the ASUS Maximus Formula (Non-SE) based on Intel's X38 chipset.  Few enthusiasts ever choose to use a stock CPU cooling solution.  However, choosing the best alternative is always a trade off in price, performance and noise levels.  RBmods looks at the GlacialTech Igloo 5750 Silent CPU Cooler and sees if this dual-fan model is worhty of your consideration.  CES 2008 converage continues with Best of CES 2008 at Techgage.  ThinkComputers also brings us more CES 2008 goodies with Lunch@Piero’s, Cooler Master and Sands Expo.

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: 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: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Memory, Mobile, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Digital Photography/Video, Storage / Hard Drives, CPU Cooling, VGA Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 14, 2008 05:12AM
Author: Dale Shuck

We have a lot of ground to cover in today's roundup so let's jump right in.  First up is the ASUS EN8800GTS 512MB Graphics Card at Tech ARP.  Several cooling products made their way into today's offerings.  OCModSHop has a look at the Danger Den MC-TDX 775 CPU Waterblock and evaluates its compares its performance to the previous TDX block.  Virtual-Hideout looks at the ASUS Triton 75 CPU Cooler which features a fan-less cooling design that also allows you to choose your own 120mm fan similar to some of Thermalright's products.  The Zerotherm Hurricane HC92 CU 8800 VGA Cooler is designed for cooling the latest generation of video cards and Tweaknews evaluates this beast to see if the bulky design of this cooler is worth it.  Our friends at Bonafide Reviews have a look at the second generation Zune 2 80GB MP3 Player.  The battle for DDR3 memory supremacy continues to heat up (literally) and Overclockers Online reviews the Corsair Dominator PC3-14400 (TWIN3X2048-1800C7DFIN) kit with its included Corsair Dominator AirFlow fan setup.  For the gamers we have Crysis 1.1 Patch Performance with Multi-GPU Testing from TechSpot.  Tired of all that cable clutter under your desk?  Take a look at the ULTRA Stackable at Bjorn3D (also check out the OCC review here).  Finally, ThinkComputers brings us more CES 2008 coverage with articles on Antec, Microsoft, Viewsonic and Thermaltake.

ASUS EN8800GTS 512MB Graphics Card @ Tech ARP
CES 2008: Antec @ ThinkComputers
Danger Den MC-TDX 775 CPU Waterblock @ OCModShop
CES 2008: Microsoft @ ThinkComputers
CES 2008: ViewSonic @ ThinkComputers
Zune 2 80GB MP3 Player @ Bonafide Reviews
Corsair Dominator PC3-14400 (TWIN3X2048-1800C7DFIN) @ Overclockers Online
Crysis 1.1 Patch Performance with Multi-GPU Testing @ TechSpot
ASUS Triton 75 CPU Cooler @ Virtual-Hideout
ULTRA Stackable @ Bjorn3D
CES 2008: Thermaltake @ ThinkComputers
Zerotherm Hurricane HC92 CU 8800 VGA Cooler @ Tweaknews