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News Archive: December 2002

December 2002

DFI NT72-SA i850E Motherboard Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:23 PM EST

"With Intel dropping support for RDRAM and adopting dual channel DDR for the Pentium 4, it's obvious that RDRAM will be soon be taking a less important role in the P4 mainboard markets. Still, Rambus is not going to go down without a fight, and today we're examining the DFI NT72-SA. The DFI NT72-SA is based on the i850E chipset, which is Intel's last to support RDRAM. The NT72-SA was originally released by DFI in May of 2002 and with the recent release of Granite Bay based motherboards now, it sits under the spotlight once again. The goal then, as it is now, was to produce a cost effective high performance desktop motherboard so there aren't many overclocking options to fiddle with."

Check it out at: pcstats

Arkua 838T-7G 2U Pentium 4 Heatsink Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:21 PM EST

"The 838T-7G heatsink from Arkua has already made its way into more than a few Small Form Factor PC's and desktops thanks to its small 2U stature, and easy clipping system. The heatsink makes use of the existing Pentium 4 heatsink retention mechanism and simply clips into place, with a small lever to then put the core under tension and finish off the installation. In those small book-sized systems and SFF PC's space is at a premium, and so manufacturers have taken to using heat pipes, or hybrid heatsinks like this unit from Arkua which are shorter than a typical P4 heatsink. Even though the space may be small, the goals remain the same - good cooling with little noise. Although the Arkua 838T-7G is not specifically designed as a low-noise cooler, its 70mm fan is pretty easy on the ears."

Check it out at: frostytech

Plextor 48X USB 2.0 CDRW Drive - Review @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:19 PM EST

Our resident Canadian, Jay Gibson, aka "Grand Master Mix-Man", has taken a new External USB 2.0 driven CDRW drive from Plextor, out for a little joy ride today.  He had the PlexWriter 48/24/48U laying down the stacks of tracks, from all the platters that matter... and he didn't even injure himself!  Seriously though, Jay is a licensed DJ, so don't try this at home kids.  Check out the gory details right here...

Check it out at: HotHardware

Albatron Ti4680P-Turbo GeForce4 Ti4200-8X Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:17 PM EST

"For half of the price of nVIDIA's high-end GeForce4 Ti4600 videocard, you can grab yourself 90% if its performance with a GeForce4 Ti4200 based card. There's really no argument about which GPU has been the best value in 2002; the GeForce4 Ti4200 sits on that thrown, and rightly so. Now if you ask any computer enthusiast which GeForce4 Ti4200 to get, you'd no doubt hear the name "Albatron" mentioned more than once. Albatron's original Ti4200P-Turbo videocard took the hardware community by storm. The card combined a Ti4400/4600 PCB and 3.3ns memory so well that many enthusiasts could overclock it well past Ti4600 levels. We played with the Ti4200P-Turbo in September '02 and were equally taken with its performance qualities. With nVIDIA rehashing their Ti4200\Ti4600's to incorporate 8x AGP technology, it was only inevitable that Albatron would redo their very successful Ti4200 Turbo's as well!"

Check it out at: pcstats

Lost In Space LCD panel review @ RipNet-UK
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:14 PM EST

"...more problems raised their ugly heads - namely, it didn't work! I knew that the LIS was receiving power, because the lights came on, but it seemed that despite this no-one was home; nothing was coming up on the LCD. Thus I deduced that it must be a problem with the serial port and not the USB, so I took the computer apart again, and first of all checked that the wire was pushed firmly into the L.I.S and tried a different serial port. Next step was to get online and have a browse about. What do you know? I found a latest software update here, and even better a pictorial installation guide. All of a sudden, Bingo! The LIS was up and running :-) ..."

Check it out at: RipNet-UK

BeanTech BT84 Acrylic Case Review @ VH
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:12 PM EST

"Acrylic cases are nothing new. As a matter of fact, they're been around even before VH started out. Where case windows only let you see a certain portion of your valuable hardwares, acrylic cases are totally transparent so you can see everything inside. These cases also helps in educational and display purposes. There're not many companies out there making them and most, if not all of them are based in the States or Canada but if the recent Comdex is any indication, be sure to see more and more variations of the acrylic case from the Taiwanese folks! And one of them is BeanTech International. BeanTech is a relatively new company, formed only recently but have grown into one of the leading manufacturers of mobile racks in Taiwan. They also manufacture their own line of aluminium cases and recently launched their acrylic case line. And the BT84 is one of the prototypes that we're looking at today."

Check it out at: Virtual-Hideout

WD400JB Hard Drive by Western Digital Review @ Xtrememods
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:11 PM EST

"With a massive 8mb cache and a rotational speed of 7200 RPM, this drive is truly a monster, perfect for games and even file server applications, this drive can easily give a 1500RPM SCSI drive a run for its money. In order to compare the drive for its speed, we have run it up against Quantum’s Fireball AS 20.5GB HDD, not the same size, but is a performance drive with a 2mb cache."

Check it out at: Xtrememods

PowerColor 128MB Xabre 400 Review @ Beyond3D
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:09 PM EST

"With regards to 3D support, this is a DirectX8.1 chip with support for Pixel Shaders up to version 1.3. Although SiS have included Pixel Shader capabilities in the chip, they have not decided to use hardware Vertex Shaders, instead relying on the software Vertex Shader path. Interestingly, although they didn't include Vertex Shaders, they do have a hardware Transformation and Lighting Engine - a slightly odd mix you may think, but one that probably suits the current mix of gaming titles quite well."

Check it out at: Beyond3D

Xoxide 6-Port Variable Speed Fan Controller Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:06 PM EST

"I like this concept because it allows the symmetry and color of my case to remain intact due to the fact that it uses the bay cover that came with the case. This controller offers three speed settings. With the switch in the top position, the fan is running as its normal operating speed. Positioning the switch to the bottom setting sets the baybus to run at 7 volts. This speed can be adjusted via the potentiometers that sit atop the LEds. The potentiometer was left at its default setting during testing. With the switch in the center setting, all power to the fan is cut off."

Check it out at: OCIA

Starfish Ray Lights (Review) @ ipKonfig
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:04 PM EST

Just when you think you've seen it all, something else gets handed to you. Let's face it, we've seen most all possibilities there are to modifying a computer case--or have we? When the market was hot'n'heavy with all sorts of case gadgets, there was lots to choose from. But that market has slowed down quite a bit. Now, we're seeing more creative devices appear, and the prices are quite reasonable. The biggest craze in all this madness was Neon Lighting. Most people had already installed a window onto their side panels, but not much was seen there until Neon lit up the hardware behind the sidewalls. Then came different colors of lights. Now, we have Cold Cathode lights-and even they come in multiple colors! The measurements of the Starfish Ray are 1.75" x 1.75" x .75", and that should tell you that it can be placed almost anywhere. What I find most valuable about the Starfish Rays is their assortment of colors. Ranging from Blue, Green, Red, and White, you can find the color you're looking for to suit your needs/wants.

Check it out at: ipKonfig

Mouse Pad Roundup @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:02 PM EST

"Nowadays we have mouse pads that are specifically designed for optical mice - and even though it might seem a bit silly, the market for mouse pads has gotten quite big. In this review, the [H]ardOCP's RatPadz, PCXMods' X-Trac, M3's Precise Mousing Surface, and a common mouse pad are all put to the test - for optical and ball mice."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Detonator 42.01 Driver Comparison @ bitbender
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 8:01 PM EST

“I gave these new video drivers that appeared on the web this week a going over and got some good improvements over the 41.09 set I had been using. I had installed DirectX 9 earlier this week and was anxious to see if these new drivers, which support DX 9, made any improvements. We need to remember that benchmarking is a tool to keep track of changes made to our systems in order to tell if drivers, tweaks, etc, are actually hurting or improving performance. Often, benchmarking will show an improvement in scores but there will be problems when playing games, poor 2D image quality, or overall color degradation”

Check it out at: bitbender

Vantec Nexus NXP-101 Review and Aesthetic Mod @ ExtensionTech
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 7:59 PM EST

“Ok, You've probably read a review or two of the Vantec Nexus Multifunction panel. But have you read it Extension Style? While some of the great features of course will be shown, the major downfall will be taken care of here. Can we say Mod? Well, I guess so. But anyone can handle a can of spray paint? See how the review and the painting comes out...”

Check it out at: ExtensionTech

OCsystem Enhanced Geforce 4 Ti 4200 Review @ Monster-Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 7:57 PM EST

"Today we are looking specifically at the OCsystem Enhanced GeForce 4 Ti 4200. How exactly does the Ti 4200 differ from a vanilla GeForce 4 Ti 4200? Well here are the specs on the card I received."

Check it out at: Monster-Hardware

Intel D845PEBT2 Blue Mountain i845PE Motherboard - Review @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 7:54 PM EST

Tonight, HotHardware's Chris Angelini, has a good look at Intel's new i845PE motherboard, code named "Blue Mountain".  This board is an Intel original boxed retail product with a ton of all the latest features packed in.  From S-ATA, to Ethernet and USB 2.0, it's got is all.  But, does it overclock you ask?  Go see for yourself...

Check it out at: HotHardware

Xoxide's Acrylic Fan Grills Reviewed @ VoidedWarranty
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 7:52 PM EST

"OK! We are going to take a look at Xoxide's Acrylic fan Grills and let you know what we think of them. Screw the introduction on fan grills, why they are used, etc. If you don't know what a fan grill is for then you should probably consider some special ed classes and then report back to me once you have exercised your thinking muscle for a few years. Now for the review!"

Check it out at: VoidedWarranty

MSI K7N2-L nForce2 Motherboard Review @ ClubOC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 30, 2002 at 9:37 AM EST

After spending about a week with this motherboard, I have finally published my written words on what I found. The K7N2-L is Micro Star International's nForce-2 (SPP) motherboard. While the original nForce chipset did not receive the fanfare nVidia was looking for, that didn't stop them from trying again with a fresh approach. Being less expensive than the previous boards and offering features very comparable with other leading chipsets, the nForce-2 takes aim at both the Enthusiast and OEM markets.

Check it out at: ClubOC

HighSpeed PC Xpider TM2000 Thermal Monitor Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 6:35 PM EST

"There are a total of 3 included thermal sensors used to obtain temperature readings from the Processor, Hard drive and overall internal system temperature. Each sensor comes clearly labeled to avoid confusion when installing. By using the provided thermal tape, users can install the sensors on whichever piece of hardware they see fit but must keep in mind that the LCD screen will still display the CPU, HDD, and SYS acronyms. In order to get accurate results, I attached the temperature probe labeled HDD to bottom center of a 20GB Maxtor Diamond Max Plus 45 drive."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

EVWEB.AT's Plexmaster G1 ClearComputer Case Review @ VoidedWarranty
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 6:28 PM EST

"When I looked through the contents to make sure everything would be possible to install, I notice that two of the plastic 5 ¼” drive bay coverings were missing. When I installed my CD-ROM drive, I still had a big hole just waiting to take in dust, which is a problem."

Check it out at: VoidedWarranty

Swiftech H20-8500 Watercooling Kit Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 6:26 PM EST

"This kit is aimed at those who want the low noise operation of watercooling, but are confined to a somewhat small case and/or those who don't want to fool with extensive modding of their case to accommodate a watercooling setup. The only requirement for your case is at least one 80mm rear exhaust fan opening and an empty 5 1/2" drive bay. I will take a look at each component provided in detail, then will walk you through our installation and testing."

Check it out at: OCIA

Microsoft Age of Mythology Review @ OnePC
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 6:25 PM EST

"For all you RTS gamers out there, there’s a new title that combines the mortal world with the mythological world; Age of Mythology, by Ensemble Studios and Microsoft, combines stunning 3D graphics with engaging gameplay."

Check it out at: OnePC

CPL Winter C3 2002 Coverage @ VH
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 29, 2002 at 6:23 PM EST

"In my Xabre C3 Summer CPL Case Mod Competition article, I gave a small history of the C3 competition. If you missed it, be sure to run through it. This article will be focused on the event and competition. Unfortunately this time around there were much less competitors, however the few that were there were all amazing. I was among the spectators this time around along with many other long time competitors who couldn't make it because various reasons. I couldn't make it because of lack of funds, and time. This also marks the first CPL event I haven't brought my computer to in 4 years years of perfect attendance (which totals 9 events). The fact that the majority of the event was during finals didn't help. As last time, and pretty much all times before, it was held in downtown Dallas, Texas, blocks away from the Kennedy Assassination, in the Hyatt Regency Hotel."

Check it out at: Virtual-Hideout

How-to on Ultra-thin Video modules @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:57 PM EST

“Now seeing as I chose to mount the module into my front Antec door, one of the main selling points of this unit is “19mm in Depth”. If you take a look at some of the other modules available you’ll see the depth quickly shoots up to 40mm........... but I suppose if one wanted to, you could also mount them else ware in the case. With all the wires extended and hooked back up to their respective places, its time to put a switch inline with our modules power. I chose to use a toggle switch salvaged from an old blacklight to give me control over the modules power. This isn’t a necessity but it should extend the life of the unit dramatically if you turn it off when not in use; especially if your computer runs for days on end without anyone in front of it.”

Check it out at: GruntvillE

Samsung SPL4225 Tantus 42" Plasma Display Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:55 PM EST

After watching countless DVD's on good old televisions, tiny computer screens, high-resolution LCD displays, and even rear projection HDTV's, I can say without a doubt; once you go plasma you never go back!

Samsung's Tantus SPL4225 Plasma display measures an impressive 42" across, and a scant three and a half inches thick. The image quality is just luscious, and if you can forget about the nearly ten thousand dollar (CDN) price tag for a moment, there is virtually no downside to this display. This 42" plasma display can be connected to a computer to act like a giant monitor for presentations, or heck even gaming. As part of our...ummm testing...we played a few rounds of UT2003 on the 42" SPL4225."

Check it out at: pcstats

Abit Ti4200 OTES @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:47 PM EST

"The Geforce 4 Ti4200 has a great reputation of being a great overclocker, so Abit added some touch to it that will improve its overclockability even more. The Abit Siluro GF4 Ti4200-8X OTES video card I’m reviewing has 128MB of memory and supports the new AGP 8X. “OTES” stand for Outside Thermal Exhaust System. The unique OTES design is suppose to keep the GPU temperature low at stock and overclocked speeds. The GPU fan runs at an incredible speed of 7200 RPM! The video card comes overclocked to 275/550 MHz (This is the stock speeds of a Geforce 4 Ti4400) with 3.6ns ram while the regular clock speed of a GeForce 4 Ti4200 is 250/444 MHz with 4ns ram."

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

Akasa AK 824 HSF Cooler Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:41 PM EST

"The heatsink composition of the AK 824 is constructed entirely from aluminum and lacks any copper base or inlays commonly found on most 80mm coolers. The dimensions of the aluminum heatsink are 80mm x 80mm x 36mm. I was unable to obtain and information regarding the exact weight but from handling the cooler itself, the overall weight is rather light and should not pose a threat to the fragile cores of AMD processors. Using what appears to be traditional fin technology, the fins; totaling 21, all vary in height and rise towards the center. Having the highest point in the center of the heatsink accommodates for the core being directly below this portion, thus the need for tall fins and thicker base in that area particular to assist in heat dissipation."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Home Networking 101 Part 1 Article @ X-treme PC Tech
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:38 PM EST

"Nowadays more and more people have two or more PCs at their home. At some point you may decide that you want to share files, share a printer, share your internet from one system, or play a game head-to-head. Well to do any of the things I mentioned above you will need to network your PCs. Whats a network you ask? Well a network enables you to hook two or more PCs together and lets you do the things I listed earlier."

Check it out at: X-treme PC Tech

ATI Radeon 9500 Pro Overclocking review @ ASE Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:37 PM EST

' The Radeon 9500 Pro may be good at stock, but we want to see what it can do overclocked! Get the tools and the steps to do it here '

Check it out at: ASE Labs

Radeon 9700 Overclocking Project (Part I) (Review) @ ipKonfig
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:36 PM EST

With the increase of voltage, as we well know, temperature rises, and ours raised to a massive 30°C. Now, 30°C on a video card is generally a good temperature, but it's not so good if overclocking with higher voltage being in the formula. Once the temperature went past 30°C, the graphic errors became even more critical, after playing the game a while longer, and the game had to be shut down. Of course when returning to Windows, we had a messed up screen as well. Powering off the computer was the only choice to abort any more damage. Remember, we're increasing the voltage and the MHz. The two will inflict much heat on the hardware, so cooling is of the utmost importance; I can't stress this enough! The final result, after many different attempts playing with the MHz and voltage settings, was a stable 452 MHz. Again, I really didn't care what the voltage was as I made adjustments visually, on the fly, during the game.

Check it out at: ipKonfig

Trek ThumbDrive Smart @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:34 PM EST

"In either platform, the device will appear as a removable storage device. The capacity of the unit we've received is 16MB. If that's too paltry for you, they have models with up to 128MB. The device works like any other storage device, where you can simply copy files back and forth from the device as you would a floppy. One thing that is suggested though... don't yank the Thumbdrive out when you're done with it, or you'll risk the possibility of data corruption."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Cooler Master ATC-201a-SX1 Case Review @ SystemCooling
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:33 PM EST

I've had the pleasure of bringing you every version of the Cooler Master ATC-201 family of aluminum cases and I have stated over and over again, that the ATC-201 is by far, the very best cooling case out of the shipping carton that can be had anywhere. Now, it seems Intel (can AMD be far behind) are in agreement, after looking over and thoroughly testing the ATC-201a-SK1, Intel has designated this case as a "Thermally Advantaged Chassis" suitable for running their P4 3.2GHz (and above) CPU based computer systems.

Check it out at: SystemCooling

Chaintech Geforce 4 MX 440 @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 27, 2002 at 8:30 PM EST

"With prices of new video cards being introduced in the $400.00 price range, there is still a need for a sub $100.00 card for those building budget systems that need a card that can still keep up with today’s games. Today we take a look at the Chaintech GEFORCE4 MX440 SE 64MB and see how it fairs in today’s gaming environment."

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

Jetway V266B Mainbaoard Review @ RipNet-UK
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 7:14 PM EST

"... Audio is provided on-board in the form of a basic AC97 audio implementation using the Via VT8233A South-bridge, which is fine for the usual windows pops and bangs and playing MP3's, and won't upset anyone except the hardened audiophile. As it is a controller less solution the gamers might want to invest in a dedicated card..."

Check it out at: RipNet-UK

GTA3 Car Modding/Tweaking Review @ X-treme PC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 7:12 PM EST

"The other day, actually 2 days ago, VSCG13 showed me that you can almost everything about the vehicles in GTA3 (Grand Theft Auto 3). I haven't seem or heard anyone tweaking the game so I decided to write this article. I hope you enjoy and have fun tweaking/changing ALL the vehicles in GTA3!"

Check it out at: X-treme PC

Vantec C7040 Series AMD and Intel Coolers in House @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 7:08 PM EST

“The concern I had with the socket 478 Aeroflow was that it did not give complete contact with the Intel heat spreader.  Although it did not harm performance, I believe that having a complete contact would give much better results.”

Check it out at: OCAddiction

TwinMOS PC3200 DDR RAM Review @ DDR Zone
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 7:06 PM EST

“Although no official standard for DDR400 memory exists at present, memory products rated at such speeds have been readily available for months. Fueled by the desires of tweakers and overclockers striving to squeeze the most out of their systems, PC3200 memory has become a standard fare of many a hardware site. Being called The DDR Zone, it would be remiss if we did not have a review of such a product, hence this following look at TwinMOS PC3200 offering...”

Check it out at: DDR Zone

I/O, I/O...Letters @ Dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 7:04 PM EST

This time, there's info on von Neumann bottlenecks, acronym decoding, making IE save stuff properly, page file size numbers that don't add up, dodgy Microsoft hardware, RAID-O under WinXP, mouse speeds, CD burning speeds, drive partitioning, and Socket A versus Socket 478.

Check it out at: Dansdata

BlueTake Wireless Networking Article Review @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 26, 2002 at 7:02 PM EST

"I have to say, for the price of these they are probably the bang for the buck. With security features like visibility status, MAC filtering and 128 bit WEP this unit is comparable to any other product aimed at the home user. Considering the ease of use, and an installation that couldn't be more trouble free you can be rest assured that placing your trust in 2 products like the BW009 and the BW318 is a good move."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

Seagate Barracuda V ATA 120GB review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 4:04 PM EST

“Seagate has outdone itself with this fine drive. They’ve taken a reliable name with proven performance, updated it with the latest data transfer technologies, protected it with the best in data security hardware and software solutions, and packed it with enough storage to handle the most immense of needs. The 120 GB Barracuda V ATA drive is a solid choice for someone looking for massive storage capabilities and nimble, reliable performance.”

Check it out at: Envy News

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin game review @ ASE Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 4:03 PM EST

' This review takes a look at Hitman 2: Silent Assassin. It's storyline and unique playing style combine to provide a great game that brings a well needed change in the gaming industry. '

Check it out at: ASE Labs

AMD or Intel?: Part Deux @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 4:01 PM EST

"One thing you'll have to take into perspective is although the 2400+ appears to be as fast, but cooler, it isn't really. The 2400+ is actually a 2GHz part. People who follow AMD will already know this, but I thought it'd be a good idea to remind a few of you. Therefore, although AMD has made improvements to their heat output, the winner is still Intel."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Case Logic NCL-40 Notebook Case Review @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 24, 2002 at 4:00 PM EST

The shoulder strap is woven nylon and resists dirt and grime and other icky things fairly well. Length is also adjustable for more people's heights/preferences. Depending on which side you wear the bag, you may need to rotate the strap as there's a fixed pad that goes over the shoulder and is slightly curved (shown later). The sewing job is very well done and I have not had one loose string as of yet, thanks to them being hidden between the curve of the face and the rubber tube connecting the sides and defining the shape of the bag. The top handle is screwed in on each side and is well padded for comfort while at the same time containing a rigid center preserving its shape.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Enermax B031TBB Workstation Chassis Review @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 8:02 PM EST

Today over at GamePC, we've taken a break from our holiday festivities to look at an interesting new case to recently hit the market. The Enermax B031TBB is perhaps the first mainstream PC chassis to use titanium alloy technology. While the case itself is steel, the B031TBB features titanium plating which makes the case extremely shiny, reflective, and resistant to most elements that would usually hurt PC cases.

Check it out at: GamePC

Globalwin CAK4-86 Copper Heatsink Review @ FrostyTech
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:55 PM EST

"True performance coolers are starting to fall by the wayside as consumers have gradually picked up the call to arms for quieter, low-noise cooling over raw fan power, and high decibels. There are a few die hards, or just die [H]ard overclockers who will always aim for the loudest, meanest, and best performing heatsinks in their search for extra Megahertz. The CAK4-8XX series is a chameleon of sorts in this area, Globalwin sell the same basic heatsink with different fans for different purposes. We've already looked at the two low-noise adaptations of this heatsink, so let's now focus on the high-noise version. The CAK4-86 comes packing a 38mm thick Delta fan which draws an impressive 0.81A of current."

Check it out at: FrostyTech

Stronghold Crusader Review @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:53 PM EST

"Stronghold Crusader is a game that I heard hardly anything about before taking the plunge (released back in September 2002). There it sat on the shelf, the front design of the box not appearing particularly inspiring, looking for a home. Further inspection at the back revealed a much better prospect. The graphics looked reasonable, it looked like Age of Empires, and it concentrated on castle building and siege tactics, so I thought why not? After all, I can always take it back and claim my specs weren’t good enough! He he he..."

Check it out at: OcPrices

Swiftech MCX-4000 Review @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:52 PM EST

"If you have ever opened a computer case before, then there’s a pretty good chance you have heard of Swiftech. Founded in 1994, the company has long been on the cutting edge of air, water and thermo-electric cooling designs, and their products are always excellent performers, and of very high quality. Today we are looking at their dreadnought-sized Pentium 4 heatsink, the MCX-4000."

Check it out at: OcPrices

VoyeurMods VEXX Pre-modified Mid-Tower Case Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:51 PM EST

"The front bezel sports an acrylic panel backed with a silver finish. Plastic thumbscrews line the drive bays and the rear portion of the bezel. The plastic bolt caps, which secure the window to the side panel, give the case a bit of an industrial feel. The switches and LEDs for the unit are mounted on a polished chrome panel along with a VoyeurMods case badge. As was previously mentioned, the side panel is protected by some packing material covering the dual side intake fans, while the window is covered on both sides by a protective pull-away backing. Even the masking tape is folded over, keeping users from having to scratch off a corner to peel it away."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Globalwin CAK4-86 Copper CPU Cooler Review @ hardcoreware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:49 PM EST

Well the CAK4-86 could easily crush any regular cooler with its 800 grams of copper, and high RPM 80x80x38mm fan blowing an incredible 69 CFM of air over it. The CAK4-86 is no "mouse" but it is most definitely "mighty"...

Check it out at: hardcoreware

X-pider TM2000 Thermal Monitor Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:48 PM EST

"Excluding the three temperature probes, these wires are used as extension cables to relocate the USB, sound and fire wire ports to the front panel of the unit. The entire unit slides into an empty 5 1/4" bay. Screws are provided to secure the unit in the bay. A rear PCI plate is also given with slits to accommodate for the audio wires that will be run from the back of the case. Power to the unit is supplied via a 4-pin molex connector."

Check it out at: OCIA

MSI G4Ti4200-VTD8X Review @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:46 PM EST

"Overall, we can see that the card has performed well. As with most of their products, it is apparent that MSI has put a lot of thought into the manufacturing and marketing of this product. The included software bundle and features of this card such as TV-Out make the MSI G4Ti4200-VTD8X a great value."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Samsung SM-348 CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive Review @ I Am Not A Geek
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 7:45 PM EST

"The SM-348 is a 48x24x48 CD-RW and a 16x DVD-ROM all in one unit. With small form factor PC's such as the Shuttle SB51G and the AMS gBox gaining popularity, people have some serious decision-making to do when it comes to filling their single 5.25" bay. Previously, choices were limited to either a CD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD drive. In order to have 2 drives, an external drive would have to be added, but not with the Samsung SM-348."

Check it out at: I Am Not A Geek

Soyo Kt400 Ultra Platinum reviewed @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:17 PM EST

" This motherboard has everything you want. Overclocking goes quite easily. Performance is quite good and it comes packed with a lot of handy gadgets. If your in the market for a all-in-one AMD solution, that looks great in a window, then the Soyo Dragon is a good buy."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

Dr. Thermal variable rate P4 cooler review @ overclockercafe
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:14 PM EST

“I like my machine's temperatures to run as low as possible while still having a good "livability" quotient.  Sure, we could stick a few 80 x 80 x38mm Delta screamers in a case and run cool but you can forget all about hearing any audio from your box.  My personal machine is water cooled because I have grown to hate excessive noise.  I do want to be able to sleep, hold a conversation with someone over the phone, etc., without needing to put 50 feet between me and my machine.”

Check it out at: overclockercafe

Lux Design Rheobus Version 4 @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:12 PM EST

“Unlike the Switched Baybus I reviewed, the unit does not require any type of drilling. It comes pre-mounted in an aluminum faceplate. Two color options exist for the faceplates, black and silver. The unit I received for testing was black, and matches my Lian Li PC6099 very well. The unit is incredibly easy to install. Slide it in, and connect the fans and power source. Comparatively speaking, if you can install a CD drive, then you can install this rheobus.”

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

Sonic Edge 5.1 Speaker System Review @ insideproject
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:08 PM EST

For most hardcore enthusiasts, the sound coming from their PC is just as important as the quality of graphics on their screen or how high they can clock their newest CPU.  Even though new motherboards come with onboard sound with 5.1 speaker capabilities, most don't rival a stand alone sound cards quality.  With the exception of the audio available with new nForce2 rigs that have an Audio Processing Unit (APU) built into the south bridge, most of the onboard audio setups are typically poor in quality and lack a nice feature set.  This makes purchasing a dedicated sound card a desire for the power users who want the best sounding games and music.  Sound card prices can range from a dirt cheap $20 all the way up to $200+ for the most feature rich setup complete with breakout boxes and remote controls. Philips produces a line of audio cards that fall into this range, with no price higher than $100.  The Sonic Edge 5.1 reviewed here costs a mere $39.99, and comes with a variety of features and sound quality that rivals the best sound cards on the market.

Check it out at: insideproject

Translucent USB Drive 64MB review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:05 PM EST

“With a spattering of USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Flash Keychains now appearing on the retail market, manufacturers of older USB 1.1 drives are faced with a new opportunity in the marketplace – producing and disseminating lower-cost product for mass-market adoption. A case in point was our Tweakmonster Tx50 64MB review – a ‘no frills’ product with a very low end-user price tag. In this continuing trend, we look at TwinTech’s Translucent USB Drive with a 64MB storage capacity.”

Check it out at: Envy News

Solarism LM-1711 17" LCD Monitor Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:02 PM EST

One of the key features I would like to touch on here is the level of brightness on this monitor. Solarism rates this display at 600cd/m2 (candela per square meter). This is leaps above the standard 200 - 250cd/m2 that you will find on most other LCD. So what does this mean for you? Well, over time the brightness level of an LCD monitor will slowly decrease. So in a few years, a standard LCD monitor could possibly have dropped to a brightness level which you are not comfortable with. However, with Solarism's ABT (Advanced Brightness Technology), this problem would not affect you for many years to come.

Check it out at: OCIA

Molex 37256-005 HSF Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:01 PM EST

"Molex has a variety of the 37256-00x series of heat sinks.  The 37256-005 we received classifies as the high performing heat sink with a more powerful fan.  Basically, the last three digits "00x" comes with a different fan equipped--the lower the number, the less powerful and quieter the fan.  The heat sink is made of a copper base with aluminum fins enclosed in an aluminum shroud. "

Check it out at: OCAddiction

FanStorm Deluxe Fan Controller Kit Review @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 22, 2002 at 9:00 PM EST

Interesting is the way the FanStorm modulates the fan speed. Usually units like this use resistors to cut the voltage of the current supplied to the fan. This obviously works, but it produces a certain amount of heat. Not a lot, sure, but that’s one more heat source inside a case that already has to cool down a CPU that everyday looks more like a blast furnace. Not a smart idea! Way better is the method the guys at FanStorm came up with: “pulse width technology”. This fully microprocessor guided system supposedly provides the usual 12V current to the fan not at a continuous rate, but in impulses so that the fan is actually powered only for a certain percentage of time, that varies following the temperature of the thermistor. When current arrives, the fan accelerates a bit, and when power is cut the fan slows down a bit. Since the fan has a certain inertia, the rotating speed stays about the same, and it can be modified by the number of impulses per second it receives.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Kingston 1GB CompactFlash Card review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 11:18 PM EST

“It’s interesting how times change, and in this time, technology changes with an even more wicked rhythm. Large is never large enough, and Fast eventually gets slow. What once was a ‘vast’ amount of storage one day becomes simply ‘adequate’ the next. The Kingston 1GB CompactFlash card is a super-solider in the constant struggle to obtain micro-storage dominance.”

Check it out at: Envy News

Blue 92mm LED Fan Review @ ExtensionTech
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 11:15 PM EST

“Got a 92mm exhaust or intake fan on your case? Are you a modder and gouge out your own blowholes? Well if you did a 92mm one, you were probably stuck with a plain old black fan. Now, finally Galaxy has put out some 92mm fans, and even some 120mm fans I see. Are they better or worse than the 80mm models? Join me as I showcase a blue 92mm fan...”

Check it out at: ExtensionTech

Clearing the VR hurdles @ dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 11:13 PM EST

Affordable consumer virtual reality gear still hasn't shown up. But it could, and it could do so quite soon. We're not going to be jacking our brains directly into the Net in the near future, but basic VR isn't nearly that tricky.

Check it out at: dansdata

Lite-On LTR-52246S 52/24/52 CD-RW Drive Review @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, December 21, 2002 at 11:11 PM EST

SMART-X will also kick in if you are watching a movie from a CD (VCD). In this case, you don't need the CD to be read at full speed, so SMART-X will adjust speed for optimal performance. The SMART-X function will also check for scratched CDs and slows the drive down to prevent reading errors, so it acts almost like an error detection and correction mechanism. SMART-BURN is short for Smart Monitoring & Adapting Recording Technology for BURNing. It is not just a buffer underrun protection technology, it also acts like a writing error reduction system to assure the best quality write available. LITE-ON merged media condition checks, variable writing speed strategies, OPC (Optical Power Calibration) tests and buffer underrun technology. The drive has a media list and writing strategy in the firmware, and when a media is inserted the SMART-BURN checks to see if the media is found in the firmware. If so, then the preset writing strategy will be used. If the writing strategy for the inserted media is not in the firmware, a default strategy will be used. This includes a series of media condition checks, OPC (Optical Power Calibration). The drive will choose the best laser power and speed for the inserted media, or it might even use variable writing speed strategies. It is just like having both Plextor's BURN-Proof and PowerRec in one complete function, thanks to LITE-ON and MediaTek.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Gigabyte GA-7VRXP Rev. 2.0 Review @ AthlonXP
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:44 PM EST

Today our buddy TCash takes a look at one of the more feature-rich offerings in the Socket-A platform, the GA-7VRXP.  Lots of extras are nice, but does this motherboard hold its own in the performance catagory?

Check it out at: AthlonXP

Albatron PX845PE Pro II Motherboard Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:42 PM EST

"The PX845PE Pro II is based on the very popular i845PE chipset and can run any Socket m478 400/533 MHz based Pentium 4. With three DIMM slots the motherboard can support a maximum of 2GB worth of PC1600/2100/2700 DDR memory. Like most other motherboards in its class, the Albatron PX845PE Pro II is very well equipped. It has two on board Serial ATA ports, IDE RAID, Intel 10/100 LAN, dual bios's and of course 5.1 audio. If that's not enough for you, expanding the motherboard should be a fairly easy task with the six PCI slots to choose from. There is a 4X AGP (1.5V cards only) slot with a sliding lock to secure those precious videocards too. The sliding lock that Albatron employs with their boards is much better then those simple AGP tab locks on most other boards, and works well to keep the card seated properly in situations where the case might be poorly made, or bumped hard during transit."

Check it out at: pcstats

Sunbeam Rheobus Easy Fan Controller Review @ ICEHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:40 PM EST

"In the kit Xoxide provided (Kit1) we received a fully built rheobus, an aluminium brushed drive bay and a molex adapter - not to mention the instructions and screws. The pic shows the colour of LEDs mounted in the rheo, in this case super bright blue. My first impressions of this unit were good ones, it feels very high quality and the brushed aluminium certainly looks pleasing to the eye."

Check it out at: ICEHardware

2002 Christmas Wish List @ GideonTech
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:38 PM EST

GideonTech has a small Xmas wish list for the end of the year. Some small and large items here and there to stuff some stockings. From rounded cables to fully modified cases, there's bound to be something for everyone in this round up.

Check it out at: GideonTech

Lighted Rheobus Guide @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:37 PM EST

"Looking for a cool way to get more control over your fans? There is no doubt that a rheobus is the way to go. But you are thinking "everyone has a rheobus and I want something that looks different". Good point, well what if it was lighted?"

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Philip's 32" 32FD99654 Plasma teleivision set Review @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:35 PM EST

"Philips new 32FD9954 32" Plasma television offers new plasma technology, high definition connectivity and a unique design to compliment any contemporary room. Called a 32" Flat TV by Philips, the 32FD9954 offers decent resolution with built in 30 watt speakers for good picture and sound quality. While the 32FD9954 may be advanced in both technology and design, a little fine tuning would have made this plasma television a top performer."

Check it out at: Designtechnica

Swiftech MCP300 Water Pump Review @ monster-hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:33 PM EST

"OK... lotta figgers and graphs but what do they say? They say that this particular pump thingy can push a maximum of 332 gallons per hour through a 5/8" hose... but this changes drastically with "head" or the necessity to push the water up against gravity... my particular system is designed to minimize head but figuring in bends and other variables I would say that I am getting about half that or 150gph."

Check it out at: monster-hardware

Samsung SyncMaster 171N LCD review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:32 PM EST

“In our last few TFT-LCD display reviews, we looked at a crop of high-quality digital panels from Samsung. These panels were considered to be in the middle to upper range in price as they bore the DVI cable convention, wide viewing angles, and quick response rates. Today, we take a gander at Samsung’s entry-level 17” analog LCD; the SyncMaster 171N.

Additionally, this review puts fact behind the myth that analog displays do not differ in image quality when compared to digital displays. Fact or Fiction - read on to find out!”

Check it out at: Envy News

EluminX Illuminated Keyboard review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:30 PM EST

“Enter the EluminX Slim-Series Electroluminescent Keyboard from Auravision. Not only does it make gaming in the dark rock, but it promises to help in any low light environment by reducing CVS (Computer Vision Syndrome). Ordinary desk lamps used to light up the keyboard and work area cause glare, which wreaks havoc on one’s eyes. The EluminX does not; it provides the perfect amount of ambient glow to see the keys - electroluminescence at its best.”

Check it out at: Envy News

Turn It Up!! Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1 Review @ I Am Not A Geek
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:28 PM EST

"The Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1 is an extremely nice sound card, and for the price (less than $50 US), it is an option well worth considering if you want high quality sound from your computer without breaking the bank. The outstanding performance, coupled with the trouble free drivers and attractive/simple control panel make the Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1 an I Am Not A Geek dot com Top Performer!"

Check it out at: I Am Not A Geek

Skyhawk Galaxy LX Designer Aluminum Computer Case Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:27 PM EST

"Cases of today have come a long way design wise. Everyone reading this review owns and/or has owned one of the heavy steel, beige, bland cases of the past. Even OEM computer manufacturers are moving towards more extravagant cases of different colours, sizes, shapes and materials. Today Tweaknews.net will be reviewing a great example from one of the premier aluminum computer case line from SkyhawkUSA. If you are in the market for an attractive, aluminum case for your next system, you have to check this one out. It's a beauty!"

Check it out at: Tweaknews

*Exclusive* EluminX Lighted Keyboard Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, December 20, 2002 at 6:26 PM EST

"News of this keyboard hit the community rather quickly. I have read on a few forums about this keyboard. To answer a commonly asked question, the keys on this board do NOT have the rubbery/plastic feel that many thought they might have. The keys are in fact made of hard plastic, much like you would find on any other keyboard."

Check it out at: OCIA

MSI GNB MAX-FISR Granite Bay Motherboard Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:44 PM EST

The past year has been pretty uneventful for Pentium 4 chipsets from Intel. Sure, the i845 was respun and coupled with DDR, the official Pentium 4 FSB was raised from 100 MHz to 133 MHz, and i845PE/GE chipset memory support was widened to PC2700/DDR333 standards. Those improvements were all expected, and very long overdue by the account of most P4 users. However, as evolutionary steps they didn't cause that much of a stir - but with the release of Intel's E7205 Granite Bay chipset the revolution has started! Well, for the moment at least. If you recall, Intel made a surprise announcement on November 15th at Comdex 2002 concerning the impending release of "Canterwood", an 800MHz version of the Pentium 4."

Check it out at: pcstats

Coolermaster Aluminum CD drive cover reviewed @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:42 PM EST

"If you think it's worth it to buy an aluminum case, then you need some of these bezels for your drives. They are easy to install, and look wonderful. Down with Beige! In fact, this could really look sharp in a black case too."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

Globalwin CAK4-88T Copper Heatsink Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:40 PM EST

"There are a few major heatsink manufacturers which produce the staples of the cooling world, and Globalwin is one of them. The CAK4-88T is an all copper skive heatsink with a thermally controlled 80mm fan for lower-noise sensitivity. When the heatsink is not very hot, the fan spins at a slower RPM which produces less noise. When the thermistor senses an increase in temperature, the fan speed kicks in to full RPM, and the heatsink receives an added boost necessary to keep temperatures under control. Since the copper skive portion of the Globalwin CAK4-88T is just 70mm in size, Globalwin have added an 80mm-70mm fan adaptor to the package. The fan adaptor is made from translucent blue plastic and features an ingenious curved divider down the center."

Check it out at: frostytech

Tidy Up Your PC Interior @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:38 PM EST

"So what can we do about flat IDE cables, without resorting (read: spend money) to round cables? Fold them of course. I'm well aware you can make round IDE cables manually, but it won't work with the trick I'm going to show you. Folding cables is easy enough, and in most cases, it should hold it's shape well. Just be careful not to over do it, since if you ever decide to take it apart, you're going to have a tough time working all those wrinkles out."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

gBox P4 System review @ Buddhacon
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:37 PM EST

"Typically systems of this size are ignored by gamers due to their lack of features and upgradeability, but the Gbox is something different, it has a full sized AGP slot and a PCI slot making this one awesome portable powerhouse!"

Check it out at: Buddhacon

CoolMAX 550w PSU Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:35 PM EST

"After promptly voiding my warranty, we get to see the inner workings of this beast. Cool Max definitely is taking cooling the unit seriously. The temperature probe is located underneath the gold heatsink, and the fan controller is located at the bottom right hand side of the heatsink. You can just make out the fan connector for the intake fan located on the cover of the unit. This is a nice touch if you ever wanted to swap out fans at a later date."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Thermalright Sk-6+ review @ OCModShop
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:32 PM EST

“I just did a review on a Thermalright SK-7 and this is the little brother to that heatsink, the Sk-6+. This heatsink is almost identical to the SK-7 and has a lot in common with the SLK-800. The only real difference between the SK-7 and this heatsink is the fact that this heatsink can only hold a 60mm fan while the SK-7 can hold a 60mm and 70mm fan. This heatsink is about $8 cheaper than the SK-7 which is one reason you might want to go with the SK-6+ over the SK-7. If you are only looking to use a 60mm fan and want to save some money this SK-6+ would probably be a better buy for you.”

Check it out at: OCModShop

AeroCool Glacier HSF Cooler Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:30 PM EST

"AeroCool continues the tradition of providing some aesthetically pleasing heatsink designs with the inclusion of a matching blue anodized fan shroud. The fan shroud has 4 pre-drilled mounting holes in each corner which normally fit a 70mm fan but have been overlapped with a conversion bracket to allow the installation of an 80mm fan. The Glacier utilizes AeroCool's "bonding fin" technology, which is similar to "skiving fin" technology. The "bonding fin" technology involves shaping materials to keep the joint between the fin and the base continuous to produce lightweight, high fin density thermal solutions and optimal thermal performance."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Asus P4G8X Granite Bay P4 Motherboard - Reviewed @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:24 PM EST

We spent a little time on Granite Bay again tonight folks and this time we kicked back with Asus and their P4G8X Motherboard, with Dual Channel DDR and AGP8X support for the Pentium 4.  What fun!

Check it out at: HotHardware

Samsung Syncmaster 171n Review @ MonkeyReview
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 5:22 PM EST

Aesthetically speaking, the 171n like most of the monitors I have seen from Samsung looks amazing and will no doubt compliment any office or home system very elegantly. The Samsung Synchmaster sports the narrowest bezel in the market right now, measuring in at a very acceptable 0.5”. Along the front of the 171n you will notice 6 very slim and thin buttons for your basic controls such as auto calibration, power, OSD, Exit, and +/-. The buttons are thin, and unfortunately they are not touch buttons which makes me sometimes wish they were a little larger.

Check it out at: MonkeyReview

ICEe PC Sound Activated CCFL Review @ GideonTech
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:43 PM EST

GideonTech loves their CCFL tubes, and we love them when they bounce with our music. We got a chance to look at a sound activated model with the works and we even have a video clip of it in action!

Check it out at: GideonTech

Pyramid 2 fan silencer review @ RipNet-UK
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:42 PM EST

"... I decided to use an Antec fan to test the Pyramid so I could still monitor the fan speeds through the motherboard. The first thing I noticed is just how much noise those Antec fans make! You may not think so but just with the one fan running slower the overall system noise dropped a noticable amount..."

Check it out at: RipNet-UK

Enermax (CS-3171L-S3A) Rainbow LED Silver Case Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:41 PM EST

"So far we have a case that is made of Aluminum, features a factory installed Window Kit of the Enermax logo with an intake fan. We also have support for two USB, Audio and mic inputs at the front of the case and a top mounted exhaust fan. There is support for a 120 mm fan (not included) in the front for additional intake and dual 80 mm fans at the rear for exhaust. The Enermax CS-3171L also comes with a 350 Watt Power Supply and a Sound Activated Neon Light. All this for only $74..."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

MobileMaxx Removable Hard Drive Rack Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:39 PM EST

"The rack has programmable alarms so that you can set your computer to alert you whenever your drive is getting too hot. The rack also has a fan alert alarm that lets you know if the fan stops working. I find both of these features to be quite useful. Some might consider it overkill but if you have ever had a drive crash and burn while full of data, anything that might help your current drives not to crash gains value quite rapidly."

Check it out at: OCIA

Akasa Silver Mountain 2Q HSF Cooler Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:37 PM EST

"Out of the box, my initial impressions of the Silver Mountain 2Q were very positive, the entirely silver plated heatsink coupled with a black fan guard boasts a nice amount of aesthetics. Bearing a striking resemblance to its predecessor; the original Silver Mountain, the Silver Mountain 2Q features Silver plated copper construction along with a slightly increased base from 60mm to a 72mm footprint. The Silver Mountain 2Q is Akasa’s prestige offering and is rated to handle up to AMD Athlon XP 2800+ speeds."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

nForce 2 roundup @ Deviantpc
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:35 PM EST

"In the Summer NVIDIA released their much heralded nForce 2 chipset. Boasting updated features and even some new ones, plus the realisation that Windows XP support, as a mature operating system this time around, would not be a problem made the nForce 2 again look good on paper.

It was only until their performance benchmarks started trickling through from review sites that we were to gauge how good the board actually was.

In this roundup we will be looking at 3 of the stalwarts of motherboard production, the nForce 2s from Asus (A7n8x-deluxe), Leadtek (Winfast NCR18D-Pro) and EPoX (8RDA+)."

Check it out at: Deviantpc

The AOpen AX4PE Max mainboard against the MSI 845PE Max2 and Abit IT7 Max2 @ Active-Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:34 PM EST

AX4Pe Max's principal selling-points are its support for Hyper-Threading CPUs, 400MHz and 500MHz FSBs, and DDR333 memory. The AX4PE Max can also boast of its controllers, which give it the ability to connect not only to Firewire devices, but also add Serial ATA disk drives. The AX4PE Max also includes a long list of AOpen technologies, including Dr. Voice II, Die-Hard BIOS, Vivid BIOS, Easywin Flash, EZRestore, and JukeBox.

Check it out at: Active-Hardware

Rounded EL IDE Cable Review @ VH
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:32 PM EST

"I think there's certain things that "if they aren't broke, don't fix them" and this is one of them. Like we don't have enough stuff in our cases that need power and/or molex plugs, now the damn IDE cables too?!.... HELL NO, WE WON'T GO!!...LOL! I'm a huge supporter of LED fans myself. Why? Because they not only serve their cooling purpose, but they add the great colors and glow to the product WITHOUT adding any additional wiring. It's totally an invisible feature. That to me, is the perfect kinda product. This EL IDE Cable, is the exact opposite of an led fan. Instead of taking a messy product and either adding features or making it neater, this product takes a perfectly fine item and turns it into a pricey mess. Remember guys, even if you like the spiral glow of these, think x 3. Three inverters to hide, Three wires to hide, Three molex plugs you'll need .....just for your ide cables!"

Check it out at: Virtual-Hideout

Hardware Geometry Article @ Beyond3D
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:31 PM EST

“We all play games, but it’s easy to forget how many mathematics and processing power is involved to actually bring you the ultimate realistic 3D game play experience. That fabulous well-endowed female you just shot while playing your first person shooter is actually nothing more than a collection of vertices, polygons, textures, blending and a bunch of other boring math operations. Most of you undoubtedly have heard that a triangle is the basic building block of 3D graphics, while this holds true for a large part of the graphics pipeline, it’s not exactly true for the part of the pipeline that is being discussed in this article. The basic building block we need is a single, simple, boring (?), point in 3D space.”

Check it out at: Beyond3D

Gainward GeForce4 Ti4200 Ultra 700-8X VIVO Golden Sample @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:29 PM EST

Today over at GamePC, we've taken a look at a brand new GeForce4 Ti card (yes, you read correctly) from Gainward. While many figured that nVidia's GeForceFX announcement would signal the end of the GeForce4 Ti family, nVidia's board partners are still busy kicking out new products. Gainward's latest board features the GeForce4 Ti4200-8X GPU, and has been custom designed with a new PCB to allow for better overclocking. We test the board against a panel of cards including the new ATI Radeon 9500 Pro.

Check it out at: GamePC

Thermaltake Silent Purepower 420W PSU @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:28 PM EST

"Many manufacturers can claim "x" number of watts, but what you will want to be concerned with is the combined output of the +5v and +3.3v rails, which is what items such as your CPU, AGP/PCI cards, and memory needs, as well as anything plugged into the floppy power connection. If possible, you'll want at least 200W combined. The Purepower has 220W, which is pretty good."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Altec Lansing 641 Speakers @ KEP Technologies
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 9:21 PM EST

Nowadays, when considering all the different components for a system there are many things that go through your mind, AMD or Intel, which mainboard manufacturer, DDR or RDRAM, ect. On many occasions when building that dream system the speakers are skimped on in order to buy that extra stick of RAM. Speakers are a critical part of the gaming and movie watching experience. This said today I’m going to take a look at the 641 speaker system from Altec Lansing.

Check it out at: KEP Technologies

Samsung Syncmaster 241MP TFT LCD Monitor Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:54 PM EST

"So, you want bragging rights. You have the latest video card, the fastest processor overclocked to stupendious speeds complimented with as muchram you can muster to squeeze into the available slots on your motherboard that can do pretty well everything other than take your dog out for a walk. How about your monitor? Is it the everyday CRT? If yes, shame on you!!! What I will be reviewing today is THE largest multifunction TFT LCD on the market. This TFT does everything from DVD's to TV and yes, as a minor point, you can use it as a monitor and a huge one at that."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Logitechs MOMO Force vs. MOMO Racing wheels Review @ AthlonXP
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:52 PM EST

Racing fans, take note: AndrewAce has given us a comparison of the MOMO Force vs. MOMO Racing wheels from Logitech. Is that extra $60 worth spending on the Force wheel? (Also, do we really need to see photos of our reviewers' feet?)

Check it out at: AthlonXP

Evercool ND18-715 heatsink review @ Alltechbox
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:49 PM EST

"As you can see in the photo below, fins are not all of the same length and the longer ones have the top slightly bent: Evercool claim that this feature permits to better take advantage from the airflow of the fan."

Check it out at: Alltechbox

Creative Inspire 5.1 5500 Digital Speaker System Review @ DDR Zone
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:47 PM EST

“Over time, as video technology has progressed, so have audio technologies, starting from stereo and progressing to massive 7.1 channel cinematic audio. Over time, output methods and technologies have also changed, evolving from the simple line out stereo plug to the complex and technologically advanced optical out. The system we have here today, the Creative Inspire 5.1 5500 Digital, is almost at the pinnacle of both input and output technology. It can accept optical in and has an external Dolby decoder for the latest in surround sound. It is when using these highly advanced technologies that these speakers truly shine..”

Check it out at: DDR Zone

Crazy PC Imperial Fire Dragon Side Panel Review @ monster-hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:45 PM EST

"Holding the Fire Dragon panel in your hands up close you start to fully appreciate the attention to detail here. Not only are the edges of the Laser cut steel completely smooth, the pattern used is so intricate I doubt it would be possible to recreate at home with your dremel, even if you are really skilled."

Check it out at: monster-hardware

Soltek SL-85ERV (VIA p4x400) Intel Motherboard Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:41 PM EST

"That's right, unofficial support for DDR400!! Not only that but Soltek also had a bios update that makes this board Hyper-Threading capable....."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Scorpio EL IDE Cable Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:39 PM EST

"We've seen automotive neon's transformed into PC hardware use, then Cold Cathode lights, and who can escape the wrath of the LED fan review. Just when you think you've seen it all, Cool Max USA whips out a rounded EL lighted IDE cable. Damn they look sweet!!! Now I wouldn't recommend a whole set if these (I currently have 4 IDE cables plus the floppy cable), but one, maybe two strategically placed cables can finish off the interior of your case very nicely."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Leadtek and Chaintech nForce2 Motherboards - Reviewed @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:38 PM EST

HotHardware's Maine-land Back-woods Tech Editor, Tom Laverriere, has taken a good long look at two new nForce2 Motherboards from Chaintech and Leadtek.  Stop in and see what Tom thought these two new, Dual Channel DDR driven power-houses, offer for the Athlon crowd!

Check it out at: HotHardware

Vantec Nexus Multifunction Panel NXP-101 Review @ PimpRig
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:37 PM EST

"The three interchangeable panels that came with the unit were a nice touch, but the colors definitely leave something to be desired. I like where Vantec is headed with this trend though, and hope many other manufacturers begin to follow suit."

Check it out at: PimpRig

Coolermaster's XDream HSF Review @ VoidedWarranty
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:35 PM EST

No more taking the panel off of your case just to change the speed settings of your HSF. I would like to give some props to Cooler Master for this new design. Good work guys... Even if I did think of it first.

Check it out at: VoidedWarranty

Milling a Pentium 4 Processor? @ ipKonfig
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:34 PM EST

Scot from OverclockersHideout sent us an email today, something I wasn't prepared to see, of a Pentium 4 1.8Ghz processor getting milled to remove the heatspreader. We've seen people use all sorts of tools to remove it, but this is just too extreme. I'm not sure I could recommend this to anyone, but it sure is fun to watch the mill carve right into the heatspreader. Check out the end results and a video of the actual milling.

Check it out at: ipKonfig

Cooler Master Ramsinks & Alloy Front Bezel Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 7:05 PM EST

"Cooler Master has developed two specific types of RAM chip coolers, which consist of an all copper, and all aluminium based solution. Each package contains 8 ram chip coolers in total measuring approximately 22mm (W) x 8mm (L) x 5mm (H). The chip coolers have been designed to be universal and used in a wide variety of applications which include RAM cooling, GPU video card cooling as well as motherboard chipset cooling. Cooler Master has advised that these kits should meet all heat dissipation requirements for current and future RAM chips currently on the market. Consumers contemplating the use of these kits should measure their existing components prior to purchase."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Vantec Stealth 420 watt 3 fan P4 P/S Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 7:03 PM EST

"Overall the Vantec Stealth 420 Watt Power Supply is a winner. Combining an Aluminum housing with 3 Fan switchable operation along with rock solid performance you cannot go wrong with this unit...."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Coolmax 470 Watt Tri-Led Power Supply @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 7:02 PM EST

"Now that we have discussed the aesthetics, let's look at what really counts, the power rating. The Coolmax 470 Watt PSU pushes more amps on the 5+, 3.3+ and 12+ lines than I have seen from any other unit. The amps that are being pushed across each line are actually more important than any other feature."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

ASUS V9180VS GeForce4 MX440-8X Review @ Beyond3D
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 7:00 PM EST

"Not so long ago NVIDIA did a small refresh to the GeForce4 line, upgrading them to support the new AGP8X graphics interface bus, thus doubling the available bandwidth, in comparison to AGP4X, from the host memory and CPU to the graphics card. The NV25 chip that powered GeForce4 Ti became NV28 and the NV17 chip that was GeForce4 MX moves up to NV18."

Check it out at: Beyond3D

NexusTek Cooler reviewed @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 6:58 PM EST

"Good performance, flat surface, with easy installation and a quiet fan, that's all you need from a cooler these days. This cooler will not let you down, It can take just about anything you could throw at it. Although, I was quite frankly shocked by the instructions on the back of the packaging. Some users might actually do this, and by doing this they fry their brand new CPU. So overall a really nice cooler made by NexusTek."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

ATI Radeon 9500 Pro Graphics Card @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 6:56 PM EST

Today at GamePC, we've given a good look at ATI's powerful new mainstream graphics card, the Radeon 9500 Pro. Despite a halved memory bus and slower GPU and memory speeds compared to ATI's high-end 9700 Pro card, the 9500 Pro manages to give incredible performance for the money. We test this card against other graphics boards from nVidia, SiS, and Matrox.

Check it out at: GamePC

Laser Goodness! (Review) @ SystemCooling
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 6:53 PM EST

Have you ever followed a link while surfing, a friend had given you in search of a particular product and getting so excited about a whole range of products being offered that you almost forgot why you were there in the first place? Well, that is exactly what happened to us. We found KoolPCMods and their fantastic collection of laser cut mods. In this article we will show you just a few of the ones that caught our attention, otherwise we could go on for days!!

Check it out at: SystemCooling

Vantec Nexus Fan Controller NXP-201 Review @ PimpRig
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 6:52 PM EST

"The Vantec Nexus Fan Controller is not a run of the mill rheobus like you see on other mod supply websites, as a matter of fact, it isn’t a rheobus at all."

Check it out at: PimpRig

Kingwin Tri-Window Black Aluminum Case with UV Highlights Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 6:50 PM EST

"Like I said I want to make this case mine. Gold grills on black fans seems so passé and like I said I wanted to personalize the case so I put some neon blue UV sensitive fans with chrome grills in place of all five stock black fans. I found something interesting in the case; the front and rear pairs of fans have been spliced. I know that the splicing seems like no big deal but when one is building a case for viewing, less is more when it comes to wires to hide. Nice idea. I'll add that to my bag of trickin' tricks one day."

Check it out at: OCIA

Asus P4S8X SiS648 P4 Motherboard - Review @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, December 16, 2002 at 6:48 PM EST

HH Tech Editor Chris Angelini, steps into the Batter's Box tonight and he's taking a swing at the Asus P4S8X, SiS648 Motherboard for the Pentium 4.  It's got a wealth of cool features, like integrated 10/100 Ethernet, SATA RAID, 6 Channel Audio, the works. 

Check it out at: HotHardware

Wahoo Computers Stratagem Computer System Review @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 6:16 PM EST

"Many hardware companies claim to offer the best computers. Anyone can say they have computers with the fastest this, or the latest that, but few are still made especially for the customer. Wahoo brings this old tradition back with their latest computer, which we have had the pleasure of reviewing."

Check it out at: Designtechnica

PC-6099B case from Lian-Li Review @ ICEHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 6:15 PM EST

"The case also features many useful additions to make your life easier and to make the case look better. Such things as a removable motherboard tray, thumbscrews for everything, blue and red leds, 4 ready fitted fans, top blowhole, fan speed selector, detachable cables from front panel to motherboard, it also has a tray for sliding in and out of the psu."

Check it out at: ICEHardware

ASUS P4G8X Mainboard Review @ lostcircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 6:13 PM EST

Intel's release of the E7205 Granite Bay chipset for the workstation market has caused the awkward situation that mainboard manufacturers are using the expensive silicon to compete in the desktop space for the crown of the Dual Channel DDR  platform for the Pentium4. Demands on workstations differ from demands on desktop PCs with respect to the emphasis on performance and features vs. stability and, therefore it is not too surprising that the Granite Bay-based desktop boards are comparable to a Sports Tractor-Trailer. These considerations aside, we have dug through the data sheets for the bugs and errata, thrown in all possible and impossible memory configurations and looked at how the different parameters affected performance.

Check it out at: lostcircuits

Vantec Nexus @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 6:11 PM EST

“The Nexus Multifunction panel is the best looking fan control and temperature monitoring device I’ve seen on the market. It comes with three interchangeable faceplates to properly fit your “style”. The knob in the middle controls fan speed (as well as noise). The unit is equipped with an lcd display for temperatures as well as fan RPM:”

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

Lightstrip Accent Lighting (Review) @ SystemCooling
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 6:09 PM EST

Looking to add another light to that already lit case of yours or you just want something to catch someone's eye but you don't want it to be too bright? Well then I got something for you, an electro luminescent tape. You can bend it, you can cut it and you can attach it to almost everything. As long as you have a 12-volt DC power supply you are in business. The tape length that I received was 2 ½ feet (76.2cm) long, ½ inch (13mm) wide, and the package included an inverter and instructions. I was very impressed with the instruction - for such a small and simple product they are well detailed. They even give you helpful hints on how to use the product, which I will go into later on in the article.

Check it out at: SystemCooling

And more letters! @ dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 6:08 PM EST

In this instalment: Nonsense about battery charging, what to use to isolate a P4 pin, whether a disco-fever PC can give you sunburn, IDing a mystery video card, making jewellery out of magnets, (not) running programs over a LAN, LED Christmas lights, and my admission to the ranks of the lowest common demonimators.

Check it out at: dansdata

Letters again @ dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, December 15, 2002 at 6:06 PM EST

This time, my alleged wisdom is sought on the subject of questionable fan air flow numbers, antigravity machines, electrifying a bicycle, controlling model tanks, different kinds of surround speakers, dying hard drives, and who owns some pictures