OCZ PC3500EB Platinum DDR Memory Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 1:22 PM EST

"When Intel introduced the i865PE/i875P chipsets over a year ago, the Pentium 4 overclocking changed, but many enthusiasts seem to have forgotten that the rules stayed the same. Latency is just as important as bandwidth, for the average overclocker/gamer latency is actually more important! And so in this day and age, pretty much everyone reviewing high-speed memory, except us, has been praising the introduction of high speed DIMM's. Sure they let you go higher than ever before, but only at a very steep price."

Check it out at: pcstats

QuietPC QTechnology QT-02400G PSU @ PimpRig
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 1:18 PM EST

"It’s difficult to see in a photograph, but the black isn’t a jet black or even a charcoal black. It has what I can best describe as a titanium sheen to it. It's an appealing finish. It should go well with a wide variety of case colors. And rather than using the common contrasting gold or silver grill, black is used here as well. It gives the psu a nice clean integrated look."

Check it out at: PimpRig

asetek WaterChill Antarctica KT12A-L20 Kit @ Madshrimps
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 1:15 PM EST

"There is always room for improvement, that is the general idea behind the whole computer business. If you don´t want to be left behind, upgrading your product is necessary to keep up. Asetek made some improvement to their WaterChill cooling kit, let´s find if the changes are for the good!"

Check it out at: Madshrimps

Foxconn 755A01-6EKRS Athlon64 Motherboard (SiS 755) review @ hardCOREware
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 1:09 PM EST

While I can almost guarantee that you are using or have used a Foxconn product at some time, you probably wouldn't know it. For 20 years or so, they have been making the various connectors and cables that companies such as Abit or Gigabyte would use on their motherboards.

Now Foxconn is jumping into the crowded retail motherboard market however, starting with low-cost parts. Of course low cost motherboards aren't something that we're normally excited about, but I had to jump at the chance to review a motherboard based on the seemingly rare SiS 755 Athlon64 Chipset.

So if you're interested in this chipset, or are looking for a sub-$90 motherboard for an Athlon64, check out this review!

Check it out at: hardCOREware

Lite-On SOHW-812S DVD +/- RW Burner @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 1:06 PM EST

"DVD burners are finally coming into the limelight. They are now extremely affordable and they will soon replace CD burners in most new systems. Lite-On has recently released their 8x all-format drive. We the drive in the lab for a little testing. Read the review and see how it performs."

Check it out at: Techware Labs

MSI GeForce FX5700-VT2DR256 Video Card @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 1:02 PM EST

"There are a couple reasons why the VT2DR256 stands out among other Geforce FX 5700 cards. The dual DVI capability is an awesome feature to have, and the included software is probably one of the best packages we have seen come with a card in this price range. If you are looking for the best gaming card in this price range, we recommend that you check out ATI’s Radeon 9600XT. You can find the 9600XT for about $30 dollars cheaper than the MSI VT2DR256 and its gaming performance is much better.

The VT2DR256 is not a true multimedia focused card even though it gives the impression that it is. People looking to add TV functionality to their computer will want to look at ATI’s All-in-Wonder 9600XT card. Disappointments aside, the  VT2DR256 is an above average graphics card and we have to give props to MSI for creating a very tempting overall package, we just wish they put the remote control to good use."

Check it out at: Designtechnica

Tisonic Mega Power EPS ATX-460-1024DF PSU Review @ Overclockers Club
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 12:52 PM EST

With today's power hungry systems a high quality PSU is a must, but high wattage doesn't mean high quality. There are many variables when it comes to rating PSU's. Some companies use unrealistic internal operating temperatures when rating there PSU's, and have low amps on the rails. The chances are the generic PSU that comes in most cases just can't handle what we overclockers are going to put them thru. Today we are going to be looking at a PSU from a new company called Tisonic. The Mega Power EPS ATX-460-1024DF is Tisonic most feature pack PSU offering some impressive specs usually only found in server market PSU's. What shocked me was the price of this PSU after seeing the specs I could not believe the price. lets take a closer look and see what this PSU has to offer and if its worthy of your hard earned money.

Check it out at: Overclockers Club

Flexiglow Illuminated Keyboard @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 12:46 PM EST

"The blue EL glow is a very pleasant pastel blue that doesn't "get in your eyes" but lights up in the dark just enough to be able to type or game easily from without distraction. You can also turn the EL Glow on and off which is an obvious must but something I've come to expect manufacturers to overlook; FlexiGlow didn't."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Hard Drives @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, May 21, 2004 at 8:11 PM EST

"The hard drive is the single most important device behind the mass acceptance of personal computers in the home and workplace. The ability to save significant amounts of data within a computer itself, rather than being forced to place it on external media finally fulfilled the potential that the PC had never quite lived up to, at least as a business tool."

Check it out at: pcstats

PC Plasma Ball @ XYZ Computing
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, May 21, 2004 at 8:10 PM EST

We have another review for you! XYZ Computing just took at look at the PC Plasma Ball, available at Xoxide.com.  The PC Plasma Ball is a miniature Van de Graaf generator that can be placed on our desk or even in your car. Its the coolest computer add-on that we have seen in some time.

Check it out at: XYZ Computing

ClearPC "Secret Agent" Clear Acrylic Briefcase Enclosure Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, May 21, 2004 at 8:07 PM EST

"Well, I went in slightly skeptical, not wanting to be disappointed, and I was blown away. This case is fantastic. I've left it running for hours, checking on it periodically to see what the temperature inside the case is, and it always remained cool. Even the acrylic felt cool to the touch. This design is superb."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

LCD Resolution: When Bigger Is Actually Smaller Editorial @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, May 21, 2004 at 8:05 PM EST

"Whether you’re in the market to replace the hulking CRT that is making your desk sag or you’re planning on purchasing a laptop, some knowledge of LCD technology will help you make a better decision.

Unfortunately, the contradiction of today’s Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology is that bigger often means smaller. And as a result, consumers who think a bigger screen will be easier on their eyes are often disappointed in their purchase."

Check it out at: Designtechnica

MSI K8N Neo-FIS2R Platinum NF3-250Gb Motherboard Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, May 21, 2004 at 8:02 PM EST

"Now, almost a year after 64-bit AMD Athlon64 processor was introduced, we're getting a taste of nVIDIA's new nForce3-250Gb chipset. It comes care of the very well equipped MSI K8N Neo Platinum motherboard which is based on this latest nVidia chipset. In terms of goodies, the K8N Neo-FIS2R Platinum boasts onboard native Serial ATA/RAID, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 1394, an onboard 7.1 audio controller and of course, MSI's well known "CoreCell technology." We'll dive deeper into the technology behind the NF3-250Gb a bit later in the article."

Check it out at: pcstats

DFI LanParty PRO875B Reviewed @ Hi-TechRevews
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, May 21, 2004 at 8:00 PM EST

DFI's LanParty motherboards have become well known through out the enthusiast's community and the value packed accessories that are included in each motherboard hasn't hurt their cause either. Today we are taking a look at the LanParty PRO875B, which we found after our testing to be just about as much motherboard as anyone person could possibly ask for.

Check it out at: Hi-TechRevews

Diamond's Stealth S100 & S110 @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:57 PM EST

We've just posted a review of two value priced cards from Diamond, the Radeon 9600SE powered S100 and the Radeon 9200 powered S110. These cards won't be breaking any performance records, but at under $100 a piece, they're worth considering for a second PC or as a replacement for on-board graphics.take a look.

Check it out at: HotHardware

Albatron K8X800 Pro II Review @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:54 PM EST

Searching for the perfect AMD64 Motherboard? TWL has the K8X800 Pro II in the labs for a round of testing. Built around the VIA K8T800 chipset, the Albatron motherboard aims to please both the enthusiast and the average consumer, while delivering ample performance and a wide feature set. How does the Albatron K8X800 Pro II fare in testing?

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Actiontec Wireless Digital Media Player Review @ Hardware Pacers
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:52 PM EST

"Today we take a look at the Wireless Digital Media Player from Actiontec which allows wireless access to a wireless accessible computer and Internet access without having to utilize a PC. It offers a remote controller to type in URLs and to access the PC. Movies, MP3s and other files that are located on the PC can be played and displayed on a TV. Since the Wireless Digital Media Player has access to media files on the PC, the family does not need to huddle around a computer monitor to see a media file. It can also access Internet radio stations and play them all day long."

Check it out at: Hardware Pacers

Epox EP-4PDA5+ i865PE Springdale Motherboard Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:49 PM EST

"Today I will be reviewing Epox's latest edition to their i865PE (Springdale) based motherboards. The EP-4PDA5+ is not your everyday Springdale motherboard. Although it is not targeted towards the enthusiast market, you will see in the upcoming pages that if you didn't know what chipset this motherboard was powered by, you would swear it was a Canterwood.

Aside from performance, this motherboard is no slouch in the feature department either. With an extremely overclocker friendly BIOS, 7.1 channel onboard sound, Gigabit LAN, four SATA drive capability and Prescott support, it's hard to believe that the MSRP is only weighing in at a measly US$110. Is this the fast and cheap motherboard the cash strapped masses have been waiting for?

Read on....."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Gainward SilentFX GeForceFX 5700 at the GamePC Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:47 PM EST

Today at GamePC, we've taken a look at the first of Gainward's new "SilentFX" line of graphics cards. This card uses a custom designed cooling system with huge heatsinks and dual copper heatpipes to cool the GPU passively, allowing for completely silent operation. While their first generation product is based on the fairly weak GeForceFX 5700 graphics chip, this product certainly paves the way for silent GeForceFX 6800-series cards in the future.

Check it out at: GamePC Labs

ATI All-In-Wonder 9800Pro Review @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:45 PM EST

"Here we have the connectors on the rear of the card. Notice there is not a standard VGA connector; you must use the DVI-VGA adapter to accomplish that connection. From left to right you have the Video In, Cable TV in, Video Out, and DVI connectors. You would connect the large purple cable to the Video In to allow for S-Video and audio inputs such as recording from a video camera. Obviously, a coaxial connection goes to the Cable TV Input. For the output you have 2 different choices. First are the standard outputs such as S-Video and RCA connectors for audio and video. The second is the ability to use Component Video output along with S/PDIF audio."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

Latest SP2 build includes DirectX 9.0C @ iamnotageek
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 9:41 PM EST

I have a couple of screenshots here from SP2 build 2126 which I believe is going to be known as RC2 in the near future. I'm noticing quite a few things that have been polished up and improved upon. I'll give you a detailed report as soon as I feel like I have everything rounded up. I know you guys are wanting to take advantage of pixel shader 3 and the other goodies that your hot new video cards use.

These files were packaged on the third and have been given the attributes Final Retail. Microsoft COULD have tagged them as beta, but maybe they're done? It's not like them to add beta software to a nearly public release!

Check it out at: iamnotageek