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The MTB News Archive is a repository of news, reviews and information pertaining to system and
performance modification from around the web. Topics from affiliates include everything from
case modding, overclocking, watercooling, and operating system tweaking. In order to cater to
our audience MODTHEBOX provides interactive message boards in which articles, reviews and
modifications can be fully discussed in an open forum.
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Happy Halloween News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 1:08 AM (EST) | Friday, October 31 2003 |
Asetek New Generation WaterChill Review @ Monkey Review
"Excerpt: Before looking at temperatures, I first noticed the audible noise levels, or the lack thereof. At 7v, there's no question that it was running quieter than my previous setup. I'm confident that the difference in noise levels would have been more dramatic had my previous setup been using a standard HSF and not a WC kit. At 12v, the fan does have a slightly higher pitched whine, however still bearable, and as you'll soon see, the performance gain, in some cases may prove worthwhile."
More information on this review can be found here.
Chenbro Xpider Gaming Bomb Case Review @ Ohls-Place
"If the computer case is the home where your computer lives them some us are slumlords. Using cheap cases that would be better served as paint lockers than computer enclosures. You know the ones; they have more sharp edges than dull ones. It takes a complete Craftsman tool chest full of tools to do a board change in one of them. Today we are reviewing a case that is heralded as the "Gaming Bomb" from Chenbro. It also goes by the name of the Xpider so we will be checking it out to see where it lands on the rent scale."
More information on this review can be found here.
EZ Watcher 3060 Barebone System Review @ Legit Reviews
"The EZ-Watcher allows the end user to adjust the CPU frequency without accessing the BIOS or using any software. With an exclusive CPU speed monitor and CPU Tuner, it allows even the beginner to take full control of their system. You don't need to be an enthusiast, or read the user's manual just rotate the overclocking knob and you are done."
More information on this review can be found here.
Cooler Master Centurion Case Review @ Viper Lair
"Cooler Master has taken their first step into the budget case market with a bold step. Their case is sleek and flashy, sure to catch the eye of many people. And for those of you who put your components into this case once, shut it up and leave it alone (except to clean the front filter every few years, this case is a good budget solution to a mid-tower."
More information on this review can be found here.
Icemax Fan Controller Review @ Crazymodders.be
"Now everything is connected we can give it a little test. When we put the PC on, we already notice one thing: The knobs light up, in one of the 3 colours. The colour is depending on the voltage what also adjust the rpm. The red colour is for the lowest positon and is between the 7v and 8v. When we turn it, the knob changes into yellow, this is from 8v to 9.5v. If we put it in his highest position, it turns blue, and that's from 9.5v to 11.5v. The downside of this is if you turn it just between 2 positions, the knob doesn't light up."
More information on this review can be found here.
KoolPCMods Case Plate Review @ System Cooling
(c) 2003 System Cooling
"The KoolPCMods Case Plate is a 1/8" thick piece of plexy that is designed to stylishly decorate those plain and ordinary case windows. But the beauty of the Case Plate is in the fact that it cannot only increase the beauty of a case with a window but even those without."
More information on this review can be found here.
XFX GeForceFX 5600 Ultra Review @ NextGen Electronics
"It looks like the buys at XFX have done it again with a fantastic solution for people looking to upgrade to the nVidia GeForceFX line of product. This 5600 Ultra card performed well against card priced $150+ more and is a sleek and useful tool in gaming performance. This card comes highly recommended for purchase."
More information on this review can be found here.
Abit IC7 MAX3 875P Motherboard Review @ Overclockers New Zealand
"The performance is certain top notch and the overclocking is also the best among the dual channel DDR motherboards. The six SATA ports with RAID functions should be enough for users with many SATA hard drives. All these benefits add up the cost of the motherboard and the price of IC7-MAX3 isn't cheap."
More information on this review can be found here.
Centrios Wireless Keyboard and Optical Mouse Combo Review @ Tech-Mods
"In this world of technology, just a few short years ago we could only fathum the options we have today. With the advancements to our home computer to starting our automobiles from inside the house with the push of a button. The trend seems to be going wireless, no need to be hooked up limiting us. We have evolved into a radio frequency world. Today I'll be looking at a wireless keyboard and mouse that the budget minded can endure, The Centrios Optical Desktop Keyboard and Mouse Set."
More information on this review can be found here.
SilenX 400 Watt Power Supply Review @ Extreme Overclocking
"Most people do not realize just how important the PSU is to a modern day PC. It is really the heart of the PC, giving power and stability to each of the components in the system. A really good PSU is even more important to today's overclockers. With the ever growing demands placed on power supplies today, overclockers are always on the lookout for a very affordable PSU with really good and reliable power."
More information on this review can be found here.
Thermaltake Venus 12 AMD Athlon 64 HSF Review @ A1-Electronics
"We are delighted to award the Thermaltake Venus 12 heatsink three of our Gold medals for its excellent design, construction and of course its high performance making it an ideal heatsink for your AMD Athlon 64 or Opteron processor and overclocking."
More information on this review can be found here.
Thermaltake Extreme Volcano 12 HSF Review @ myWORLD Hardware
"First, let's take a look at what items you will get upon purchasing Thermaltake Extreme Volcano 12. Behind the plastic box packaging, you will stumble upon 2 fan knob controllers, one for PCI slot while the other for 3.5" bay. Besides the heatsink fan cooler itself, you will also get a nice pack of plastic bag that contains thermal sensor cable, thermal paste as well as adhesive tape. For those who are new to Do-It-Yourself job, Thermaltake has gladly included a simple instruction manual to guide you through the installation process."
More information on this review can be found here. |
Thursday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 1:03 AM (EST) | Thursday, October 30 2003 |
ioCombo CoolEngine T6C P4 Cooler Review @ 3dXtreme
"It looked like a Water Cooling device but I later found out the T6C utilized a heatpipe design. This cooler uses a design that is definitely unique, of course products like this really interest us here at 3dXtreme. Different is usually good, how well did the ioCombo CoolEngine T6C perform, read on."
More information on this review can be found here.
Thermaltake Volcano 12 Review @ Envy News
"The Thermaltake Extreme Volcano 12 is the latest in the Volcano series. An all copper base and a newly designed fan, the blood red and black tones are there to draw attention. Does the increase in size from my stock cooler guarantee proportionally increased results in cooling? Read on to find out."
More information on this review can be found here.
Nexus PHT-3600 Heatsink Review @ GruntvillE
(c) 2003 GruntvillE
"If you are one of the people still firmly entrenched in the air cooling camp for whatever reason, then there is at least a ray of hope on the horizon. There are several new products that are arriving on the market that promise the return of decent cooling without the insane noise levels. Today we will be taking a look at one of these new products from Nexus Technologies. Specifically, we will be testing the PHT-3600 Intel P4 /Celeron socket 478 heatsink and Nexus's claim that their SkiveTek manufacturing process will allow it to cool up to 3.2 GHz at an amazing 19dB (about the same as a whisper)."
More information on this review can be found here.
GeForce FX 5700 and 5950 Ultra Reviews @ Tweaktown
"nVidia's NV36 (GeForce FX 5700) and NV38 (GeForce FX 5950) cores have arrived. How do they compare to the competition from the 2003 conquering ATI in the 9600 Pro and 9800 Pro. Read on!"
More information on this review can be found here.
ATI ALL-IN-WONDER 9600 128MB PRO Video Card Video Review @ 3DGameman
"The ATI ALL-IN-WONDER 9600 128MB PRO Video Card is jam packed with goodies. This card is great for gaming, has a TV and FM Tuner built in, a remote control and much more. One very distinctive feature that this product has over the other All-In-Wonder cards is this one has dual display. Also, this Video Card is very reasonably priced considering its capabilities."
More information on this review can be found here.
Gigabyte GA-7NNXP nForce2 Ultra Motherboard Review @ PC Guide
"The GA-7NNXP is a great board with more features than we've seen on any other board, including 400MHz FSB, AGP 8X, 4xDual Channel DIMMS, Gigabit LAN, 10/100 secondary LAN, SATA and PATA RAID, audio, dual BIOS, and lots of expansivity. The fact that these features also come with great performance bodes very well for this solution."
More information on this review can be found here.
Thermaltake Lanfire Xaser III Case Review @ TechTastic
"Are you looking for a pre-modded computer case? Don't have the time or skill to do it yourself? Well today we take a look at the newest pre-modded case from Thermaltake the Lanfire Xaser III VM2000A."
More information on this review can be found here.
Vantec Nexus NXP-301 Fan Controller Review @ FastLaneHW
"Today Vantec brings us a new model, the NXP-301 fan and light controller. While it features one less fan channel, it has a light knob and built in dual inverter to control the lighting inside your case, and also includes two blue Vantec 12" CCFL lights."
More information on this review can be found here.
AC Ryan SATA+ATA PCI Combo Card Review @ Madshrimps
"Today we test a PCI SATA controller from AC Ryan. Allowing you to connect 2 SATA hard drives to any system that has a free PCI slot. Does it perform better or worse then an onboard solution? We installed it and let you know."
More information on this review can be found here.
Bytecc Mobile USB HDD Enclosure Review @ OCIA
(c) 2003 OCIA
"Size and mobility, the ultimate goal of most external enclosures, were at one time proportional in relationship. If you chose to increase the size of your external drive capacity you almost always had to increase the size of your enclosure. Multiple drives were used to give external capacity and cost was a key limiting factor. Speed was also a limiting factor if budgets were tight. Capacity has become less of an issue as the new IDE hard drives have increased cache and capacity while the cost has become more reasonable. Firewire was already available but had not been accepted as readily as USB. USB was slow and thus prevented real time computing of any critical processes. With the advent of USB 2.0 another avenue of external high speed connection became possible."
More information on this review can be found here.
Taurus CX 450B Silent Switching PSU Review @ Ohls-Place
"Do you want your computer to operate with a great deal more stability, do you want the voltages on the all of the rails to stay within at least a 5% tolerance? Then you are going to have to invest in a good power supply. With the ever-increasing number of toys we seem to find ourselves placing inside our computers, the need for a high current, well regulated power supply should be a paramount concern. Today we are looking at Coolmax Taurus CX-450B Silent Switching PSU, which should be enough horsepower for most, but only testing it will tell."
More information on this review can be found here.
November and December Giveaway
"What happens when you take a VIA EPIA-M1000 Mini-ITX motherboard with the C3 EBGA M10000 Processor, place in it a solidly build, sleek self powered Morex 3688 case and finally finish it off with a Mitsumi SR2441 Slimline CD-ROM from Logic Supply to make installing that operating system of yours a breeze? You have our next give away contest and your chance you win this complete bundle so you can be well on your way to having your own Mini-ITX system. So how do you enter and win? Register for our forums between now and December 24th at midnight (CDT) and post a minimum of 10 messages and you will be entered to win. It doesn't get much simpler than that."
Free stuff rules! More information on this contest can be found here. |
Sponsor News - Author: HiTEK at 8:03 AM (EST) | Wednesday, October 29 2003 |
New DIY Days Sale @ VoyeurMods
"DIY Days are here for you Do It Yourselfer's. We think it is time for you to take control of that bird’s nest of wires in your case. To help you out we have marked down ALL of our SLEEVING to $0.25 a foot. Now that you are going to clean up your case a bit, how about adding some class to it. For this we have marked down all of our Window/Case Appliqués, pick from over 250 to choose from in 7+ colors including UV Sensitive colors."
More information on this sale can be found here.
Beware of Fake Sunbeam Products
MTB has received word from Sunbeam's R&D Manager that they have found some online stores selling cheap, low-quality CCFL related products marketed as Sunbeam. Please note the following points:
1. The fake products use old CCFL style inverters which are known to burn out after extended use. The new revision of Sunbeam's CCFL inverters come in an enclosed case with ventilation holes.
2.There are two companies: www.sunbeamtech.co.uk and www.pc-x-treme.net that are pretending to be affiliates of Sunbeam Technology. Sunbeam Technology has received complaints from customers ordering products and not receiving orders or refunds.
Please make sure you purchase your products from a reputable source or authorized vendor. Sunbeam Technology does not have a UK division. |
Wednesday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 12:21 AM (EST) | Wednesday, October 29 2003 |
Pelts for the People: What is Beyond Water Cooling @ The Modfathers
"Peltiers aren't for everybody. Their cost and level of involvement are geared more towards an extreme hobbyist than an end user looking to get 5 more frames per second running Unreal Tournament 2003. However, for someone geeky enough wishing to seriously cool a CPU, peltiers are the most effective method short of liquid nitrogen immersion."
More information on this article can be found here.
Wet and Chilly Chips Water Cooling System Rev2 Review @ Viper Lair
"Definite improvement to be seen here when compared to the old style radiators and a very impressive full load that tops out at only 12C above room temperature with the Evercool fan at full speed. The new design radiators would both seem to handle load temperatures with a low speed fan more efficiently as well, which for those wanting to get a quiet system will be good news."
More information on this review can be found here.
DynPower's Spiden Case Review @ Neoseeker
"Remove one thumb screw and the top panel slides back and off. This exposes the side panels that have small handles the panels easily pop off and give you access inside the case. Worth noting is the ease of replacing the panels; if you've ever struggled putting some sliding panels back in place you'll really appreciate how easy these just pop back in; very nice indeed. Also included in the side and top panels are two clear 80mm fans, the side panel houses an intake fan and the top panel has an exhaust fan, which allow for plenty of airflow."
More information on this review can be found here.
ABIT IC7 MAX3 Motherboard Review @ Tweaktown
"AMD Athlon 64 has taken most of the spotlight over the past month but we shouldn't forget about Intel Pentium 4. One such motherboard to support it is ABIT's IC7 MAX3, which takes the Canterwood chipset to the MAX."
More information on this review can be found here.
EPoX 8HDA3+ Socket 754 Motherboard Review @ Extreme Overclocking
"The 8HDA3+ is based on the K8T800 chipset, supporting Athlon Socket 754 processors. The new chipset is loaded with features and we will see how well EPoX has incorporated this chipset into their design and of course put the board to the test against our Intel 3.2C on 875/865 motherboards."
More information on this review can be found here.
Gigabyte R9600 Pro 128MB Graphics Card Review @ PC Guide
"Time and time again we have seen that ATi been able to offer the market the best performance and quality available to date. Now with future gaming and 3D quality pushing the barriers of older graphic cards with detail required, the 9600 Pro offers end-users the ability to get ahead of the time where future software will be able to take full advantage of the technology implement in the R96P128D card and not just the grunt. It provides excellentprice/performance ratio, giving those looking for a decent performing 3D card without making a big dint in your back pocket as the 9800 Pro version would."
More information on this review can be found here.
ABIT Siluro FX 5600 DT 256MB & FX 5600 Ultra DT128MB Reviews @ Hexus
"The FX 5600 / Ultra series is a reasonable stab at attempting to balance features and performance to cost. ABIT has a couple of cards here that are quite different beasts. The 256MB model is a disappointing card, especially in view of its potential. The 128MB Ultra version is worthy of consideration, however. We just wish it was based on the newer revision 2. Both cards appear to be priced at around the £125 mark. You pays your money, you takes your choice."
More information on this review can be found here.
Nvidia GeForce FX 5700 Ultra Review @ A1-Electronics
"All in all a decent improvement on the earlier GeForce FX 5600 Ultra which now puts Nvidia basically on a level playing field as such with ATI in the all important mainstream or mid-range graphics cards."
More information on this review can be found here.
Mushkin 1GB PC4000 Dual Pack Memory Review Review @ Legit Reviews
"Mushkin has been operating its memory and components e-commerce site since 1994 and it is not hard to see how they have made it this far! We can clearly see that their DDR500 memory modules are some of the best on the market after looking at the majority of 512mb modules sold in North America."
More information on this review can be found here.
OCZ DDR PC-4200 Dual Channel Review @ Madshrimps
"This article will not only be a review, it will discuss the discrepancies found from the label on your DDR, to the chipset claims of bandwidth. As Overclocker' (Enthusiast's), we can be an overly demanding and fickle bunch. We are insatiable when it comes to hardware performance, and whether it be DDR, Graphic's, or CPU's, we plug them in and immediately begin seeking the performance ceiling."
More information on this review can be found here.
Powmax Power Supply Tester Review @ 3dXtreme
"This ATX powmax PSU tester displays the condition of your power supply. Simply plug the tester into your power supply's 20 pin motherboard connector and the built in LEDs will give a basic diagnostic of your power supply. If all of the green LED's light up, then the power is OK. If a Red LED lights up, then there is a malfunction in the power supply and it is highly recommended to no longer use."
This is a very interesting little item. More information on this review can be found here.
Seasonic Super Tornado 400 Review @ Ohls-Place
"The last time we reviewed a Seasonic Super Tornado power supply it was only rated at 300 watt but it was still able to impress us with the tight voltages and the little extras that came with the unit. So when we got news that the new Super Tornado 400 was available to review we jumped at the chance to see if it could hang in there as well as its little brother did."
More information on this review can be found here.
DawG PounD Fall Giveaway @ GruntvillE
"GruntvillE is having yet another DPG; this one should strike the interest of every modder and OC'r out there. We've all been there, we just installed the nice dual cathode set or got the perfect chip that begs for more and then the reboot. Your PSU is huffin and puffin but just can't blow enough power for what you need. Antec is going to drop their King of the Hill winning TrueControl 550Watt PSU in the lap of one of our lucky readers. Good luck to all!"
More information on this contest can be found here. |
Tuesday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 12:18 AM (EST) | Tuesday, October 28 2003 |
Chieftec Dragon Aluminum Case Review @ BitBenders
"This case should be great to work with, there's plenty of room and features, and the side panel with the fan is a definite plus. If you are looking for an aluminum case that has a lot to offer, you can't go wrong with this Chieftec design and it's available in a variety of colors."
More information on this review can be found here.
Lian-Li PC6077 Aluminum Mid-Tower Case Review @ System Cooling
(c) 2003 System Cooling
"Today, my friends, we are going to show you the Lian-Li PC6077 that is like no other Lian-Li Aluminum Case that you or I have ever seen. So much has changed for the better that even cooling nuts (like me) just can’t help drooling over it; just about every change I’ve ever wanted to see in a case has been incorporated into the Lian-Li PC6077."
More information on this review can be found here.
Global WIN Super Silent 520W PSU Review
"There are power supplies, then there are POWER SUPPLIES. Today we’ll be showing you the Global WIN SAF520-Sapphire 520W unit that is in a class by itself."
More information on this review can be found here.
HighPoint e.SATA RAID Kit v2 Video Review @ 3DGameman
"The HighPoint e.SATA RAID Kit includes the RocketMate 1200 external HDD enclosure and the RocketRAID 1542 Host Adapter. The RocketMate 1200 allows the installation of standard IDE HDD's and when in a RAID0 configuration it is one of the fastest and most inexpensive external storage devices on the market today. Also, the RocketRAID 1542 Host Adapter not only has two external SATA connections but two internal SATA connections."
More information on this review can be found here.
WinAmp Remote Control Review @ Viper Lair
"Currently I have remote control for Winamp, WinDVD, WinDVR, Windows Media Player 9, the Mouse (via the cursor pad), so basically anything you can think of to control, you can. Hell I turn my monitor off with the Tekgems remote now, which for a bedroom PC this is quite a handy prospect before sleep (no more waiting for Windows to shut it off after 10 minutes)."
More information on this review can be found here.
Gigabyte R9800 Pro 256MB Graphics Card Review @ PC Guide
"Once again with the R98P256D Gigabyte have proven they can produced high performance cards, the R9800 Pro 256MB really showing why it is given the name as the King flagship of the graphics card industry. Although the R98P256D is the fastest card, I don't think the software has really developed to the stage where it actually takes advantage of the extra grunt that the 9800 Pro 256MB brings to the table."
More information on this review can be found here.
Kingston HyperX PC3500 Review @ MetkuMods
"And then there is that problem that overclocking these modules need very high voltages, which void your warranty and can be unhealthy for memory modules. But if you are going to be extreme, you need extreme memory and Kingston HyperX PC3500's filled with Winbond BH-5 chips are just that."
More information on this review can be found here.
Enermax UC-A07FATR2 Thermal Control Panel Review @ Tech PC
"On a monitoring level you get two fan controllers and a display that tells you the fan speeds and the temperature reading from the two sensors. The fact that you only get two fan controllers is the first let down on this product, and therefore is quite prohibitive to the extreme overclocker who might for example simply want to monitor more fans, so bare this in mind when buying. It would be good to mention here that there is an alternative product by Enermax in this range (UC - A5FATR2 Fan Controller) which has 6 fan controllers but no USB/Firewire/line out which should satisfy those with this particular desire."
More information on this review can be found here.
Crucial Hi-Speed USB 7-in-1 Card Reader Review @ 8BallsHardware
"Sometime ago, we took a look at their 6-in-1 portable card reader solution. Now, we take a look at an upgraded version, the Crucial Hi-Speed USB 7-in-1 Card Reader. With support for USB 2.0 transfer speeds, you will no longer have to wait for all your files to transfer over from your flash media."
More information on this review can be found here.
AudioTrak ProDigy 7.1 Review @ IPKonfig
(c) 2003 IPKonfig
"Demands by today's games on sound systems are growing, and technology is growing rapidly to meet them. This year we're seeing a lot of 7.1 sound cards being rushed to market, and game publishers and others are taking advantage of their technology. People love realistic and/or movie theatre sound on demand; there isn't anything else like it. I've always said that if you can't feel the music, then it ain't loud enough!"
More information on this review can be found here.
Logitech MX 700 Wireless Mouse Review @ ASE Labs
"Optical mice are nothing new, hell, even wireless mice are pretty much standard. The problem is the technology used to operate the wireless optical device and the power that the device needs to operate. If either of these technologies didn't depend on the other, then wireless would be more prevalent than it is. Alas, it is dependant, so we are forced to look to alternative ways to power and drive these devices. The Logitech MX 700 is a great example of the best in wireless optical technology, with no problems with power sources. Let's find out if this mouse is worth the cost."
More information on this review can be found here.
Sunbeam Overclocker Cooler Kit Review @ R&B
"Overclocker cooling kit? Well this kit is supposed to be a product that enables you to get better air cooling in your computer. It's a straight pipe that goes from your front intake fan straight to your cpu so the plan is that it should provide with fresh air all the time. We are going to see if we get lower temperatures with this product."
This review really doesn't cover this product very well. If you want another opinion on this product, see our comparison review. More information on this review can be found here. |
Monday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 9:53 AM (EST) | Monday, October 27 2003 |
Antec Minuet Micro-ATX Desktop Review @ EpiaCenter
"If you are looking for a stylish desktop case or if you want to build a HTPC for your living room, you might take a look at the Antec Minuet Desktop case."
More information on this review can be found here.
AOpen H360 Mini ATX Case Review @ 3dXtreme
"I work with a lot of book PC's, so I was excited to review this product. Let me start off by saying that I was impressed by the look of this case. A few features stood out above the rest. First off, the drive bays have a blue cover over the front of them to protect them from dust. This single feature alone makes this case a winner if it needs to be used in a restaurant POS system."
More information on this review can be found here.
Chenbro SR205 Sub-Entry Junior Level Server Case Review
"Chenbro is making a name for themselves in the computer case industry. They are known for manufacturing excellent cases at an affordable price. The SR205 out of the box looks like the perfect case already. It doesn't have any flashy colors or windows, but it looks like a big strong warehouse that is ready to store data. The case is an extended ATX case (12 x 13) which makes it a little bit wider then most cases. This will give us plenty of room to install the parts. The front door does not lock. Once opened, you can see the power and reset button, along with any exterior drives that are installed."
More information on this review can be found here.
Soltek EQ3702M Mini Barebones Review @ Hexus
"A decent SFF barebones outfit should question the need for larger desktop or midi-tower boxes, especially for the non-power user. The Soltek does exactly that. Overall, however, the Soltek EQ3702 mini barebones PC covers most of its intended bases well. It's fast, stable, quiet, feature-rich in just the right areas and, subjectively speaking, looks cool. A genuine contender in the popular SFF market."
More information on this review can be found here.
Criticool Powerplant PCI Relay Card 2 Review @ Crazymodders.be
"The major difference between the Criticool Powerplant 2 and the Criticool Powerplant 1 is its isolation (however not the most important difference). The very first Criticool Powerplant was not isolated, at all. This huge security hazard was corrected in the Criticool Powerplant 1 by some silicone on each of the solder points. The Criticool Powerplant 2 however has a completely isolated backside by means of some, isolating substance that feels a bit rubberish."
More information on this review can be found here.
Kingston HyperX PC4000 512MB Kit Review @ Envy News
"The last time I reviewed memory from Kingston, I had a couple of sticks from their ValueRAM line solution. Although these sticks were 100% reliable, stable, and able to clock in a small increase of performance, they were not the stories made for the over clocking crowd. Since that time, Kingston has realized the increase in performance which enthusiasts sought. With the market moving towards faster bus speeds, Kingston Technology have come up with their new performance line, aptly named HyperX. In this review, we cover their PC4000 512MB Kit and show you how we achieved our Envy News overclocking record!."
More information on this review can be found here.
Corsair TwinX1024-4000Pro DDR Memory Review @ ExtremeMHz
"While Corsair has had DDR500 modules on the market for some time, the new XMS Pro series lineup sport a highly unique feature never seen before that should be a real treat among the growing number of case modders and enthusiasts. The PRO series has larger heat spreaders that include LED's on the top, 18 to be exact! Aside from great looks, the LED's do serve a purpose. Let's take a closer look."
More information on this review can be found here.
Corsair CMX512-3200LLPRO Memory Review @ Ohls-Place
"Corsair's CMX512-3200LLPRO memory may just about be the top of the line in memory for someone looking for DDR400 memory. Yes we know that it designed for purest hardcore gamers and people running dual channel motherboards wanting the best possible performance. But I have one little question; will it help an aging KT-400A climb a bit higher in the search for the grail of speed? Come on along an find out as we take a a look at how an average person might find a use for this memory."
More information on this review can be found here.
Zalman CNPS7000A-CU Cooler Review @ Pimped Out Cases
"In today’s computing world you have two typical choices: Fast or Quiet. Zalman’s mission over the last few years has been to try and overcome this tradeoff by providing efficient and unique cooling designs aimed at taming even the wildest of beasts. Today we’re looking at a new cooler from the fine folks at Zalman, the CNPS7000A-CU. This cooler is a continuation of their quiet cooling line and is the next logical progression from the previous CNPS7000 CU."
More information on this review can be found here.
Super Lazer LEDs Review
"Traditional lazer LED light kits have been around for a while now, and have never seemed to be the most popular form of case lighting. Things could change with the newest generation of these lighting tools from Xoxide, aptly named 'super' lazer LEDs. Improving some setbacks from the traditional model, these lighting kits have some exceptional features for anyone looking for alternative lighting solutions to traditional cold cathodes."
More information on this review can be found here.
A+GPB PSU Round-Up @ FastLaneHW
"Today we'll be looking at 3 power supplies from a company called A+GPB. I've never heard of them either, but we have their TrueSilent 420w, MagicColor 480w, and the dual-fan 500w models all here on our testing table. Add a multimeter, a high-powered system, and Antec's TruePower 430w in the mix and you have a 4-way PSU shootout."
More information on this review can be found here.
Logitech X-620 Review
"Today we'll be taking the world's first look at Logitech's top end foray into the budget speaker market, with the X-620. Ringing in at just $99.99, they fill every gamer's needs with the 6-channel surround and subwoofer, as well as the ability to hook up to game consoles and televisions as well as PCs."
More information on this review can be found here.
Silverstone ST-360 Power Supply Review @ Ascully
"Shopping for a power supply for your PC used to be a simple experience. You went out and bought one that usually was manufactured by a company with a certain animal name. (Deer anyone?) Things have gotten a little bit more complex with the advent of those power hungry CPUs from AMD and the just as power hungry Radeon series of graphics cards out of ATI. Silverstone, a new company, has entered the PSU arena and is providing consumers with something just a little bit special. These Power Supplies are almost like the Rolls Royce of the industry providing stunning good looks with excellent performance."
More information on this review can be found here.
Altec Lansing AHS-502 Headset Review @ GruntvillE
"There is nothing quite like laying a good smack down on your opponents while you and your buddies chat and laugh about it. In fact, the appeal of a headset/ mic combo is so great that most team gamers will overlook the better sounding headphones that don't have the convenience of a built in mic. I certainly fall into this category of players. My faithful Plantronics Audio 90's have seen many fun nights of gaming, but I have also been tempted by the cool looking headsets that offer up top quality sounds. I have often wondered how nice it would be if you could merge a high quality headset with a built in mic for gamers."
More information on this review can be found here.
Sunbeam Dual UV Cathode Acrylic Fan Grill Review @ The Modfathers
"With the growing tide of shiny, clear glow in the dark PCs is it any wonder that we are seeing an influx of cheap tacky products to the market? When asked to review a UV dual cathode fan grill I was to say the least laughing my butt off. So with a giggle I begrudgingly accepted the task. Its a dirty job being a site owner so it had to be done."
More information on this review can be found here. |
Weekend News Edition Part 2 - Author: HiTEK at 2:33 AM (EST) | Sunday, October 26 2003 |
Three New Promotions @ Compuvision
Compuvision has made three different promos for everyone to enjoy. Promo numbers 1 and 2 can also be used towards Promo number 3 as well since some heatsinks and all the memory modules are over $50 CDN. We are giving our customers a chance to come out way ahead by taking advantage of these promos listed below. All promos are set to expire on Tuesday, October 28th.
Promo #1: Order any processor heatsink off our website and receive a tube of OCZ Ultra 2 Thermal Compound on us to get yourself started towards your overclocking journey.
Promo #2: Receive 15% off all Mnemosyne orders placed online this weekend. Order any PC-3700 or PC-4000 modules off our website and save big. Supplies may run out during
this promo, so please be informed that we will be honouring all orders placed at our discounted rates.
Promo #3: This promo was put together as a thank you to all our web customers. Place your orders off our website (phone or email orders excluded) over $50 CDN and select the expedited shipping option when checking out and we will bump your order up to Xpresspost on us. Get your orders much faster and save yourself some money. Not a bad way to kickoff the weekend wouldn't you say?
More information on these deals can be found here. |
Weekend News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 7:19 AM (EST) | Saturday, October 25 2003 |
Asetek WaterChill Kit Review @ Spode's Abode
"I'm quite impressed with these temperatures, because not only is the WaterChill kit cooling the CPU, it is also cooling both the north bridge(which is known to run hot on nForce2 based boards) and the video card. Even when highly overclocked, the temperature never rises to a critical level."
More information on this review can be found here.
Zalman ZM-WB2 Waterblock Review @ HiTechMods
"Zalman have been creating quite cooling products for a while but everything has been air cooled, until now. Zalman is stepping into the water cooling market with their first product which is a waterblock. The design is very different from most blocks on the market right now. Today at HTM we will be looking at the Zalman ZM-WB2 waterblock which is the newest addition to their Computer Noise Prevention System line of products."
More information on this review can be found here.
New Weekly Special @ The Cutting Edge
(c) 2003 The Cutting Edge
"If you have been waiting to get one of these lighted keyboards but did not have the cash then this should get your attention. This black keyboard with blue lighting is quite a bit cheaper than the others on the market and yet is physically identical. Features an on/off switch to turn off the lighting when you don't need it. Has a PS/2 connector. This is a very nice looking keyboard and at this price you no longer have an excuse to not buy one.
Specifications:
- Black keyboard with blue lighting
- On/off switch for light
- Fullsize keys
- PS/2 connection
- Cheaper than the competition
More information on this special can be found here.
Packard Bell Fast Media PC Remote Control Review @ Tweaknews
"The Packard Bell Fast Media Remote Control is a very good addition to a PC that is used for multimedia (whether videos, music, tv, etc.). The programmable options and variety of available software make it easily customizable, meaning it can suit nearly anyone's needs."
More information on this review can be found here.
Thermaltake Silent Boost Cooler Video Review @ 3DGameman
"The Thermaltake Silent Boost Cooler is virtually silent and offers good performance. Most Socket 462 coolers that have similar performance are extremely loud; however, the fan on this product is designed to allow maximum airflow but still be very quiet. While this cooler does have a secure three point clip design, a screwdriver is required to install and remove it."
More information on this video review can be found here.
Thermaltake Volcano 12 AMD Cooler Review @ 3dXtreme
"Before I get to the nitty gritty on the TT Extreme Volcano 12 I would like to explain that I really wanted to attempt to push this product by overclocking my Barton 2500+ on a BioStar M7NCD Pro Motherboard to AMD 3200+ speeds using a 200mhz front side bus and a multiplier of 11. This resulted in an overall CPU speed of 2.2Ghz and an overclock of just under 400 Mhz. Seeing that Thermaltake claims to be one of the best air cooling solutions for overclockers, lets see how well this cooler performs."
More information on this review can be found here.
Zalman Real Surround Sound Theathre 6 Headphones Review @ Tech-Dreams
"The world of sound system products for computer has always been vast, and it has always been a growing world. From 4.1 to 5.1 to 7.1, sound systems have always been an essential part of a gamers (or multimedia gurus) computer setup. So what about your typical LAN gamer? Sure 5.1 systems are fine and dandy, but not everyone is going to want to carry in 6 speakers."
More information on thisn review can be found here.
Enermax EHD-350 USB Enclosure Review @ Viper Lair
"The test copies, reads, and then deletes a file as many times as it can in one minute. The results are based off of these values using a file sized 512B, 32Kb, 256Kb, and 2MB. Higher values are better in this test as well. The drive once again performed pretty well. You obviously won’t get the same speed from the drive using the USB 2.0 interface as you would using the IDE interface but the drive still is working well."
More information on this review can be found here.
Thermaltake Xaser III Lanfire Series Case Review @ CoolTechZone
"Thermaltake and the quality of their products are not unknown to most of us. They have engineered some of the best yet expensive cases in the market. Thermaltake is one of the few companies that pay close attention to every aspect of the product that includes shipping boxes, a well-designed website, easy to understand installation guides along with other such factors that make the product worthwhile to purchase."
More information on this review can be found here.
Vantec Iceberq 4 Pro Review @ GruntvillE
"What's the story with most cooling solutions that come with video cards? It's almost like the manufacturers just slap any old fan and/or some copper on there and call it a day. Unless you're buying the top of the line card you end up with a cooler that's just 'adequate'. We all know that not a single one of us is happy with anything that is adequate. We want more. Heck, we demand more."
More information on this review can be found here.
Advance A320 Case Review @ Hexus
"The Advance A320 is a stunning case for very little money. Since the case is made from steel it is very strong, but not really ideal for LAN parties since it weighs quite a bit. I would certainly consider this case over the similar designed aluminium cases due to the price saving."
More information on this review can be found here.
Motherboard Giveaway Contest @ MBReview
"MBReview would like to announce that they are running a motherboard contest for the next week. There are no catches to this contest like you would normally see, no forums sign up for this or that, no nothing, all you need to do is shoot over and E-Mail to contest@mbreview.com with your name, and preferred E-Mail address for contact. Winners will be randomly chosen from all of the entries on the 31st of October, and will be notified via E-Mail. This contest is open to anyone who wishes to enter also! There will be three prizes that will be given out. Each person will have a choice between a listing of hardware to select from, with the 1st prize winner gaining first selection. The prizes are: FIC KT-748, Abit KV7, FIC 875P Dynasty, MSI 865PE Neo2-FIS2R, Abit IS7-G, Soyo SY-P4I875P DRAGON 2, and a Gigabyte GA-8KNXP. If you'd like to enter yourself, just shoot over an E-Mail to the above address and you're set!"
Free stuff rules! More information on this contest can be found here. |
T.G.I.F News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 9:02 AM (EST) | Friday, October 24 2003 |
Albatron KX18D Pro II Motherboard Review @ myWORLD Hardware
"To be frank, Albatron has been producing nForce 2 board way back to few months ago where we took a look at KM18G Pro. The only thing that differ these two boards from each other was the form factor, whereby KX18D Pro II came in full ATX size. And talking about full ATX size, full ATX sized board usually offered much better expandability than smaller sized ATX board. KX18D Pro II or should I say the whole line of Albatron products came in blue colored PCB board, whereby it stands for tranquility and trademark of Albatron products."
More information on this review can be found here.
ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe Motherboard Review @ TheCrucible
"Asus P4C800-E Deluxe was released to add the overlooked features to their top end board (P4C800 Deluxe). While they have added most of the features they left out, they have added a few other issues. The CSA lan is nice as well as the ICH5R southbridge being included, you still get the IDE raid functionality, that you might want, and a overall good board at stock speeds. However with that said, they have failed to bring out a high performance motherboard, that is geared toward the popular overclocking scene."
More information on this review can be found here.
BFG GeForce FX 5700 Ultra and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 Ultra Reviews @ BJorn3D
"Today, we're going to take a quick look at the newest members of NVIDIA's GeForce FX family -- the 5700 Ultra and 5950 Ultra, replacements for the 5600 Ultra and 5900 Ultra, respectively. Usually this means that we have only reference cards to benchmark, but thanks to BFG Tech, we have a retail 5700 Ultra in our possession and that's what will be featured in this article. Although we don't have a BFG 5950 in our hands, we do have some pictures of it to show you. The 5950 benchmarks will be from the NVIDIA reference unit."
More information on this review can be found here.
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 Ultra Review @ Sharky's Extreme
"The mainstream video card market has been quite active of late, and new models are consistently being released by both ATI and NVIDIA. The Radeon 9600 XT was the latest salvo from ATI, and basically improved on the previous Radeon 9600 Pro through higher clock speeds and an on-demand overclocking feature. This was an important product launch for ATI, as the company had taken some heat for shelving the popular Radeon 9500 Pro in favor of a lower-cost, and lower-performing, Radeon 9600 Pro. Once the Radeon 9600 XT was introduced, it effectively shut off any criticism of past moves, and ushered the RV350 core's performance past that of the Radeon 9500 Pro."
More information on this review can be found here.
Gigabyte Radeon 9800 Pro 256Mb DDR II Review @ The Modfathers
"This is not your normal DDR this is the true 256 bit DDRII. Now nVidia were the first lot to give this stuff a go with the ill fated FX 5800, however they only gave support for 128 bit of bandwidth ensuring that it could never truly perform. However the R350 allows the full 256 bit effectively letting the memory have a full head of steam."
More information on this review can be found here.
NVIDIA GeForceFX 5700 Ultra and FX 5950 Ultra Review @ Hexus
"It looks like NVIDIA are on to a winner with their new mid-range entrant. Price is what's most exciting, with it being set at $199 (yes, for the 900MHz mem equipped Ultra version) it's a firm competitor to 9600XT. With it beating 9600XT in the majority of our tests, I can clearly see why NVIDIA are more excited about 5700 Ultra than any other FX product so far. NV38 is more evolution than revolution, being no more than a speed bumped NV35. However it seems to overclock a lot better than the outgoing version, pointing to core enhancements and elimination of hot spots, to give it some headroom. It's as quick as 9800XT for the most part, something we'll confirm properly with a new suite of tests in reviews featuring boards from retail partners. It's just a little too pricey."
More information on this review can be found here.
Antec PC Noise Killer Review @ System Cooling
(c) 2003 System Cooling
"Anything that purports to lesson or reduce the noise emanating from today’s power-laden, hot-running PC’s draws the immediate attention of PC enthusiasts. So it is, with aftermarket manufacturers who are ready to meet the needs of the computing public. Antec, one of the most trusted names in aftermarket products, is not a newcomer when it comes to helping us quiet our systems, so it was only logical that they go a step further than their quiet PSUs."
More information on this review can be found here.
VME BioDrive Fingerprint Security USB Flash Drive Review @ ExtremeMHz
"Flash drives are becoming more and more popular lately and many companies have been mass producing these highly useful storage devices. Due to this increased popularity, we at ExtremeMHz thought it would be time to review one of these drives. There are numerous flash drives out on the market so we started to do some research to find one that would offer some unique features not found in current models. The VME BioDrive, available from Meganet Corporation, uses biometric logon authentication combined with Meganet's Virtual Encryption Algorithm to provide the highest level of security. Biometric devices are slowly creeping into the PC market. What better way than introducing this technology on a portable flash drive!"
More information on this review can be found here.
Plextor PlexWriter PX-708UF External DVD Writer Review @ Designtechnica
"Unfortunately the PX-708UF does not have the polish we have come to expect from Plextor products. We gave the PX-504UF a much better score because it was the first external DVD writer developed by Plextor and overall was a good first attempt. But we expected their updated version the PX-708UF to address some of the issues their predecessor had and this simply was not the case. The PX-708UF is a relatively fast and reliable drive, but it lacks the ability to daisy chain other FireWire devices through it and has a very loud internal fan. Priced at $299.99 we would recommend holding off for Sony's external 8X drive which was just announced while writing this review."
More information on this review can be found here.
Trust 2500P 2.1 SoundForce Review @ Pirate Software
"Performing well in both games and music, these little speakers do really pack a lot of punch with their £30 price tag. Could they have made them better? Well, yes - there is always things that could be improved with any product. Design wise, the speakers are very very good, but there are better performing 2.1 speakers out there. Although for £30, these aren't bad at all - if only to see them with their vibrating cones."
More information on this review can be found here.
SilenX Ultra Quiet Temperature Controlled Case Fans Review @ Tweaknews
"These fans perform fantastically. Airflow is impressive, the thermistor is a nice feature for those who don't own a fan controller, and the silence is golden. I am seriously considering ordering 2 of these units to replace the remaining Antecs in my Lian-Li case."
More information on this review can be found here.
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro Review @ PC Guide
"Creative are the real pioneers when in comes to sound hardware and the Sound Blaster Audigy ZS Platinum Pro once again proves their prowess in producing feature pumped cards that not only included latest technology for sound but make this count when it comes out in the speakers, not to mention recording facilities."
More information on this review can be found here.
Eumax EZ7000 Black Keyboard Review @ HardExtreme
"Are you currently shopping to buy a new keyboard? Don't buy just any keyboard before reading this review. If you can shell the extra cash then buy the Eumax EZ-7000 keyboard. Once you get your hands on this keyboard you won't want to touch a dull ordinary keyboard anymore! The Eumax EZ-7000 is dubbed the "Smart Office Keyboard". The keyboard is full of hot keys each categorized into separate sections. Hot keys can do anything from launching programs such as MS Word to completing tasks such as Log Off or shutdown."
More information on this review can be found here.
Christmas Prize Giveaway @ IndyGamers
"IndyGamers is running a contest to put some very nice prizes in your stocking for Christmas. An ATI Radeon 9800 256 Chipset is up for grabs, as well as, 2 Motherboards from DFI, a Crossfire set from Ideazon, a FraggPad from ShatteredWeb, a Cooldrive 4 from Cooler Master, and SO MUCH MORE!"
Free stuff rules! More information on this giveaway can be found here. |
Thursday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 9:02 AM (EST) | Thursday, October 23 2003 |
Hard Drive Mod Guide @ Creative Mods
"Putting a window on the top of your case is a common mod to do. the only problem is that there is usually not much to look at. To spiff things up a little, try this hard drive mod and learn how to put a window on the top of your hard drive."
More information on this guide can be found here.
MSI vs. Chaintech: Tier 2 i865PE Head to Head
"As promised back in our Tier 1 i865PE motherboard shootout, we promised to put Tier 2 and Tier 3 motherboards head to head, to see just who, in their respective classes can make the cut. In our Tier 1 shootout, we saw that Gigabyte was just that bit stronger over the ABIT IS7 motherboard due to better tuned BIOS that allowed better overclocking and an improved memory interface. While ABIT might have caught up with new BIOS we aren’t here to debate this issue. Today we are going to put two other great motherboard manufacturers through their paces - namely MSI and Chaintech."
More information on this review can be found here.
Gigabyte K8VNXP Athlon64 Motherboard Review @ Legion Hardware
"As you would expect from a reasonably high end Gigabyte motherboard, the K8VNXP comes loaded with just about every feature possible. The list of integrated peripherals includes; a GigaRAID ATA133 RAID controller, Texas Instruments IEEE1394b controller, Realtek 8110S Gigabit Ethernet controller, Realtek 8201 PHY LAN chip and Realtek ALC658 Audio AC'97 Codec."
More information on this review can be found here.
Asetek Waterchill Video Review @ 3DGameman
"The Asetek Waterchill water cooling kit comes with three water blocks (CPU, Chipset & GPU), radiator, 120mm fan, reservoir, pump and more. All the gear needed for a complete cooling solution in just about any computer system. One very important part to any water cooling kit is the blocks and these are very well crafted. Also, the pump that is included is strong and will circulate water throughout the system with ease. Overall a very high end water cooling setup."
More information on this video review can be found here.
VL System's INDY LED Front Audio Display Review @ Tweaknews
(c) 2003 Tweaknews
"I was fairly disappointed with this product. There are too many issues with the unit such as the stereo connector, the writing on the faceplate, the loss of the case HDD activity LED and the lack of any real options leave me craving a better display."
More information on this review can be found here.
Aspire X-Alien Aluminum Case Review @ Envy News
"With many different variations on the standard, and much beloved, Chieftech/Chenming-based cases it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of the many different manufacturers who use these cases as a basis to build off of. Put some lights here, a window there. Another fan here some front I/O ports, and now you start to give a second look. Aspire International, a relative newcomer to the ‘case race’ is trying to set itself apart; and they’re doing this in a few ways with their X-Alien."
More information on this review can be found here.
Kamakaze CPU Cooler Review @ Hexus
"What the Kamakaze lacks in looks it makes up for in performance. The standard product provides for most needs and is excellent as a high performance cooler and excels as a silent cooler. As one solution fits both AMD and Intel setups this could be the only CPU cooler you need for years of upgrading."
More information on this review can be found here.
Coolermaster Jet 7 Review @ FastLaneHW
"Cooler Master has released recently a few heatsinks employing the use of the blower type of fan. On the table today we have the new Jet 7 CPU cooler. So, just how well does the Jet 7 perform and does it live up to its name and actually sound like a jet?"
More information on this review can be found here.
Cooler Master Jet 7 Review @ GruntvillE
"Some of you may be looking at the Jet 7 and thinking that it looks vaguely similar to the Aero 7+ that I reviewed back in July. The Jet 7 basically builds upon the standards set in place by it older brother. Cooler Master took the feedback they got from the Aero line of coolers and went back to the drawing board to make revisions in what we hope will ultimately result in a better cooling package for the user."
More information on this review can be found here.
ThermalTake Thin Wings Copper Sheet Review @ EnScape
"I have been looking around the market recently for some BGA cooling solutions, for cooling the so called 'hotspots' on my motherboard. Such as the southbridge, mosfets, and clock generators, to name just a few parts which give off more heat than you would think, especially in an overclocked system. Cooling these parts of your system, effectively, should allow you to gain a greater FSB, provided your northbridge and CPU are up to it."
More information on this review can be found here.
Sunbeam EL Strip 80mm Fan Grills Review @ ExtensionTech
"Here is something very hybrid for you folks to look at, and hear. Today, I launch my first ever audio review with pictures. Ok, it is a little rough around the edges, but hey, it's my first attempt. Join me as I take a look at some EL strip fan grills from Sunbeam Tech."
More information on this review can be found here.
Trust 514DX Sound Card Review @ PC Review
"The last few years of Personal Computing have seen a huge rise in not only the speeds of computers, but also the features of the peripherals that come with them. This sound card is absolutely packed full of features, and enables you to get digital and optical inputs/outputs - allowing for some excellent 5.1 surround sound for DVDs."
More information on this review can be found here.
Win a stick of OCZ 512MB PC3500 High Performance Ram @ Tech Dreams
"Tech-Dreams and YI Industries is holding a contest in which a stick of OCZ 512MB PC3500 High Performance ram can be won. Check the contest link for details!"
More information on this contest can be found here. |
Wednesday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 9:12 AM (EST) | Wednesday, October 22 2003 |
Electronics 101 Guide @ PC Review
"In this series of guides I'll be introducing you to the concepts and practicalities of electronics, and how to use this essential and rewarding skill to add a little something special to your PC. Each part will introduce a few concepts and then a practical project or skill that
demonstrates these. In this edition I'm going to take you through the three most basic and important electronics concepts (Voltage, Current and Resistance) and the relationships between them. In the practical section I'm going to show you how to check and measure Voltage, Current and Resistance with a multimeter."
More information on this guide can be found here.
Ahanix dboX Computer Case Review @ SL Central
"The last few years have given rise to cases with modded windows – a practice previously unheard of. Now it’s a growing a trend to have a modded PC case with a side panel window. With so many options available which should you choose? We reviewed the Ahanix dboX and liked it although there were a few minor issues. Read on to find out what we found in our official review."
More information on this review can be found here.
Asetek WaterChill Review @ DWPG
"The regulars here will know I recently reviewed Plug&Chill's predecessor, and was generally very impressed. One other difference between this kit, hereafter code-named "Plug&Chill", and the previous kit, is that this new kit contains a CPU cooler, a chipset cooler and a VGA cooler which are all connected in series and the old one encompassed just a CPU cooler. I am curious how this setup will work when taxed by an overclocked CPU and AGP card and a chipset running at full speed."
More information on this review can be found here.
Highpoint Rockethead100 SATA Convertor & AC Ryan EL SATA Cable Review @ Tweaknews
"Several weeks ago, I picked up two 120GB Western Digital HDDs. the 8MB cache specials. My plan was to span them and use them for storage. My wife remarked that there is such a thing as too much storage space. I laughed at her. Apparently I shouldn't have. Luckily our couch is comfortable."
More information on this review can be found here.
Zalman CNSP7000A-Cu Heatsink Review @ Overclockers Club
"Last month I took a look at the CoolerMaster Aero 7+ heatsink, which brought forth a new unique design. Today, we'll be looking at a new heat sink from Zalman, who as many know also have a unique design of its own. H U G E. For those of you who complain about your computer noise, read on, as the CNSP7000A-Cu heatsink is something you are really going to like."
More information on this review can be found here.
Zalman Theatre 6 Real Surround Sound Headphones Review @ Tech-Mods
"May it have been neighbors complaining or just others in the same room, you were often asked to turn it down losing all what it was for. Regular headphones have solved that problem for years, But they do not quite do the job for a newly released movie with a 5.1 sound track. Has Zalman come up with a personal way of enjoying the latest 5.1 sound tracks at a level you desire? Today I am going to look at and test the new Zalman Theatre 6 ZM-RS6F 5.1 headphones."
More information on this review can be found here.
Strider Series ESST-ST400 PSU Review
"Is it time to purchase a new power supply? With almost every conceivable variation on the market today, it becomes hard to choose. Are you looking for the monster powerhouse or the elite and subtle laid back silent type? Silence has become as important to power supplies as the power they create Heading the main stream of your system, one may not realize how important a good power supply is. There has been many approaches to this level of noise the power supply generates trying to make them as quiet as possible today I'm looking at the Strider Series ESST-ST400 PSU."
More information on this review can be found here.
Crucial PC3200 DDR400 Review @ Viper Lair
"Everything was running well so we will go up 1 MHZ at a time until we reached our maximum over clock. As we approached the higher speeds, we had freezing issue, and we had to increase the memory voltage to 2.8v to maintain stability. At 3-4-4-10, I managed a maximum over clock of 236MHz (472MHz DDR), but the ram fails the Memtest86 tests."
More information on this review can be found here.
Crucial PC3200 DDR Memory Review @ BigBruin
"The Crucial PC3200 DDR has proven itself as a worthy choice for people looking for rock solid performance at default speed and timings, and surprisingly also allows for some impressive overclocking. The maximum speed of 466 MHz DDR achieved during testing translates to a speed rating equivalent to PC3700, which is far higher than I would have imagined."
More information on this review can be found here.
Speeze Buzzard Kite Review @ Ohls-Place
"The Buzzard Kite is a typical aluminum and copper plugged heat sink with pretty nice design design. Speeze has taken the extra step of doing a little fanciful art work in the aluminum base via the bored holes that transverse the width of the heat sink, thus making more than just a plain looking piece of metal and it also offers a bit more air space for the Buzzard Kite to cool things down a bit."
More information on this review can be found here.
Leadtek K7NCR18D-Pro2 Motherboard Review @ AllAMD
"Leadtek's K7NCR18D-ProII boasts NVIDIA's nForce2 Ultra 400 and NVIDIA nForce2 MCP-T, with loads of add on features. This is basically an updated version of Leadtek's original nForce2 board: the K7NCR18D-Pro. The major difference between the two boards is the change in chipset from the regular nForce2 to the nForce2 Ultra400. The only difference between the two is the added support for 400 Mhz front side bus. However, there are some added features on this board compared to the original K7NCR18D-Pro."
More information on this review can be found here.
Avixe Portable CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive Review @ HardwareZoom
"On the other hand, Avixe Portable CD-RW/DVD Combo is even smaller than my Discman, it is about the size of two CD jewel case. You can keep it in your laptop bag and burn CD or watch DVD movie anywhere you go. This is great for laptop without a build-in CD-RW/DVD Combo. Not forgetting that the package comes with a great bundle, it is the best we have ever seen for a CD-Writer."
More information on this review can be found here.
iRiver SlimX iMP-550 CD/MP3 Player @ Designtechnica
"The quality and features of the iRiver SlimX 550 really stand out. It's "the" CD/MP3 player to get. The form factor is perfect with the ease of control, great battery life, great sound, and numerous features that put it ahead of anything else out on the market. iRiver continues to achieve excellence in the SlimX line. With a relatively low price point of $179.99, we believe you will not find a better similarly equipped CD player than iRiver's SlimX iMP-550 today."
More information on this review can be found here. |
Tuesday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 9:03 AM (EST) | Tuesday, October 21 2003 |
MTB Staff Position Openings
MODTHEBOX.COM is looking for two dynamic and enthusiastic individuals to become apart of our growing team. We currently have two staff positions available for both product reviewers/forum administrators. This is an open opportunity for both male and female to be apart of one of the largest case modification sites in Canada. In order to apply you must meet the following qualifications:
1) Located in the U.S or Canada.
2) Over the age of 18.
3) Have a good understanding of computer hardware and software.
4) Have access to a digital camera required for product reviews.
5) Able to work a fast paced schedule and meet target deadlines.
To apply please send a list of your qualifications, sample review or article to hitek (at) modthebox.com.
Antec Minuet Case Review @ BJorn3D
"That’s right, this case only accepts half height expansion cards. That said, integrated video and audio might be something to look for when buying your hardware. The computer industry seems to be offering more compact and full featured components (such as motherboards), so it’s not out of the question to have a decent computer crammed into this case."
More information on this review can be found here.
How NOT to Install Computer Hardware @ Hardware Analysis
"Wonder what could go wrong when installing your newly bought computer hardware? This article details how NOT to install newly purchased hardware. Please give it a good read and take the advice to heart."
More information on this review can be found here.
VL System L.I.S VFD Blue Platinum Front Panel Display Review @ Tweaktown
"There are a lot of front panel display products on the market which spit out all sorts of interesting information. However, have you ever seen one which spits out as much as the funky-looking L.I.S VFD Blue Platinum from VL System?"
More information on this review can be found here.
Asetek WaterChill Water Cooling Kit Review @ Extreme Overclocking
"Asetek is well known for their vapor phase cooling solution dubbed VapoChill. Not long ago, Asetek entered the water-cooling market with the WaterChill. Most of you know the benefits of using water-cooling. They run quieter than air-cooled systems and have the capability to provide much better temperatures. Water-cooling is becoming more and more popular, especially with enthusiasts. They are neat to use and can aid a lot in overclocking."
More information on this review can be found here.
Swiftech MCX462-VT Heatsink Video Review @ 3DGameman
"The Swiftech MCX462-VT Heatsink is designed a lot differently than most heatsinks. It has many aluminum ribbed fins which are positioned and designed to provide optimum cooling and reduce fan noise. These fins/pins are mounted directly into a solid 1/2" copper smooth base to allow for great heat dissipation. Also, an 80mm or 92mm fan can be very easily installed."
More information on this video review can be found here.
Chaintech's 7NJS Ultra Zenith Motherboard Review @ Neoseeker
"Provided with the C-box is the Handigator (they need better names), which is basically a remote control that windows detects as a IR composite device (keyboard and mouse). That big grey button near the top functions like a joystick (well, more like a directional pad of a game console system), and is used like a mouse. The 3 buttons underneath are for left click, scroll and right click. The remote is definitely designed for a right-handed user as trying to double-click using your left hand is not possible without substantial discomfort and/or moving your hand lower down."
More information on this review can be found here.
Asus A7N8X Deluxe Motherboard Review @ HighTekPC
"At HighTekPC we try to bring you the quality of review that you deserve. This time we have an overclocker's review of the Asus A7N8X Deluxe Motherboard. We have charts ands graphs showing our results and overclocks of the FSB. We were able to get this board at a 200MHZ FSB stable with PC2700 RAM. Read the review and found out more."
More information on this review can be found here.
Zalman CNPS7000(A)-CU Super Flower Cooler Review @ The Modfathers
"The main Flower cooler part of the Heatsink is derived from 66 fins of Copper compressed together in the center to create a one piece "SOLID" Copper heatsink."
More information on this review can be found here.
ATI Radeon 9600 XT Video Card Review @ A1-Electronics
"Our simple graph shows you the sort of performance you can expect from the ATI Radeon 9600 XT compared to similar competing graphics cards at 1024 x 768. Much as you would expect the performance of the ATI Radeon 9600 XT to be, slightly better than the 9600 Pro but still way down on the more powerful 9800 XT & 9700 Pro."
More information on this review can be found here.
Altec Lansing XA3051 Ultimate Speaker System Review @ Ascully
"You're already a serious gamer. Now you can get the 6-piece speaker system that matches your skills. Our top-of-the-line video gaming system features a center channel, a powerful subwoofer, and surround sound that put your TV's speakers to shame. Feel the bass. Unleash the power."
More information on this review can be found here.
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro Review @ SlCentral
"I've never seen such a powerful card in my entire life, the ATI video card is the most powerful card at the time of writing and is packed with features. This card provides any gamer with a true experience of how a game should be played, packing realism and power in a card that is about 7 inches long. There is no question that the ATI Radeon 9700 Pro is simply the most powerful card out there at the moment so we will move on to the impressive features of the card, such as Frame Scene Anti-Aliasing and Antistrophic Filtering. All the things needed to give the gamer a completely realistic experience while gaming."
More information on this review can be found here.
ActionTec USB Bluetooth Adpater Review
"Bluetooth is supported by more types of harware every day but how would you go about giving your Windows-based PC Bluetooth support? We reviewed the ActionTec USB Bluetooth Adpater and it did exactly that, how did we rate this hardware and its installation?"
More information on this review can be found here.
Transcend's USB 2.0 Internal 6-in-1 Flash Card Reader @ Envy News
"Being the owner of a multiple portable devices usually leads to the requirement of having multiple Flash memory readers. However, in many cases, we don't need to have a portable card reader, and certainly not two, three, or four of them. Cables winding all over your desk is one thing peripheral vendors have started to cut with thing like cordless mice and Bluetooth printers. In this same step, Transcend opted for a 3.5-inch bay 6-in-1 multi-standard Flash card reader which tucks all the external cables into a permanent on-board USB 2.0 reader."
More information on this review can be found here.
InFocue X1 Projector Review @ Designtechnica
"The X-1, introduced by INFOCUS in late 2002, is aimed primarily at the business projector market. It features an excellent Faroudja DCDi de-interlacing chip and is combined with a Pixelworks scalar chipset used for scaling and other functions. It is an SVGA resolution DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector (800x600 native resolution) that utilizes a single chip display with a rotating color wheel, but the picture quality belies the numbers. Not surprisingly, shortly after its introduction it was discovered by home theater enthusiasts and quickly became the entry level standard for that market. When INFOCUS dropped the MSRP from $1500 to $999, it took off in popularity as the low cost ticket to front projection home theaters."
More information on this review can be found here. |
Two Important Announcements! - Author: HiTEK at 2:24 PM (EST) | Monday, October 20 2003 |
MTB Staff Position Openings
MODTHEBOX.COM is looking for two dynamic and enthusiastic individuals to become apart of our growing team. We currently have two staff positions available for both product reviewers/forum administrators. This is an open opportunity for both male and female to be apart of one of the largest case modification sites in Canada. In order to apply you must meet the following qualifications:
1) Located in the U.S or Canada.
2) Over the age of 18.
3) Have a good understanding of computer hardware and software.
4) Have access to a digital camera required for product reviews.
5) Able to work a fast paced schedule and meet target deadlines.
To apply please send a list of your qualifications, sample review or article to hitek (at) modthebox.com.
MTB Gear Now Available - Online Store Launched
MODTHEBOX.COM is pleased to announce the official opening of our virtual online store. We have partnered with CafePress to offer an assortment of MTB Logo Gear. This is the first of several related items that will be introduced to the MTB community. To access the store simply click on the MTB Gear image on the left side of the website menu or visit right here. |
Monday News Edition - Author: HiTEK at 10:48 AM (EST) | Monday, October 20 2003 |
Ultimate Gaming-Workstation Guide @ The Firing Squad
"The Firing Squad has just posted a >12000 word system building guide featuring the construction of a flagship dual Opteron gaming PC. This system was built with no strict budget, but we made sure we weren't wasting money. We give out 7 awards in this article and feature 12 products never reviewed at FiringSquad before, and a few products never before reviewed on the Internet such as our Swans T200a PC speakers. It's the most detailed article of its kind."
More information on this guide can be found | | |
