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News Archive: January 2003

January 2003

Radeon 9500 the new speed king? (Modded 9500 benchmarks) @ PimpRig
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:49 PM EST

"If you read the news posted on various hardware sites on then you ahve probably recently seen a post about converting an ATI Radeon 9500 into a 9700 Pro. This article is not meant to be a technical walk through on how to do this mod but rather more proof that it indeed does work."

Check it out at: PimpRig

D-Link AirPro Multimode 2.4GHz/5GHz DI-764 Review @ Explosive Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:48 PM EST

While wired based LAN solutions have saturated the industry, wireless solutions are on the rise.  The technology is fairly new by most standards, and it is considered "the most promising" technology for the future my many important industry leaders.  It will allow countries/states to defer from rewiring their land based communications structure to support DSL and other high bandwidth solutions.  All the while, allowing them to come to grips with the need for the technological future demanding high bandwidth communications.

Long range solutions (ie: WIPS) are still in their initial release, while short range ones, 802.11b and to a lesser extent 802.11a, are becoming more and more popular. 802.11b is familiar to many as one of the first generation WAN solution, supplying a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 11Mbps.  It uses a 2.4GHz frequency spectrum, which inherently is resistant to weather conditions.  New to the mix is 802.11a, which utilizes the 5GHz spectrum, and provides a theoretical maximum bandwidth yield of 54Mbps.

Check it out at: Explosive Labs

Corsair XMS Low Latency XMS3200LL Review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:45 PM EST

"Corsair are trying to target two not dissimilar markets with this new range. Firstly, the user who doesen't want to play with settings in the BIOS yet still achieve optimum performance. As Corsair put it, Plug'n Frag technology. The other group are the people looking for the guarentee of certain timings. Much like we look to the guarentee of a certain bus speed with the Corsair XMS brand, people would like the security of the timings. Seeing also as the memory bus speeds are getting ridiculous, a guarentee on timings was the next logical step."

Check it out at: DeviantPC

FIC AU11 Chameleon Motherboard (nForce2 - Socket 462) Video Review #262 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:43 PM EST

"The FIC AU11 Chameleon Motherboard sports the new nForce2 chipset and 128bit dual channel memory architecture. Also features AGP 8X, ATA 133, onboard LAN, Audio, 2 firewire ports and up to 6 USB 2.0 ports and more. This product is very well priced, stable and performs very well. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

GeForce FX Tech Q&A @ Beyond3D
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:42 PM EST

"In the past, 2D and filter/circuitry quality varied greatly depending on the manufacturer of the card and how far they strayed from reference component levels. Has anything been done with GeForce FX to better ensure consistent quality?"

"Yes, GeForce FX includes a new generation of Digital Vibrance Control (DVC) that features the ability to sharpen photographs, colored text and many elements of the GUI. This will help to maximize image quality across all GeForce FX boards. However, there will still be variation based on the quality of output filter components. NVIDIA recommends you choose a board supplier that meets your personal preferences."

Check it out at: Beyond3D

Sunbeam Version 2 Rheobus Review @ OCModShop
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:39 PM EST

“I also need to mention how slick this looks with my black case. It matches the color really well. They also have a regular brushed aluminum unit for those of you with Lian-Lis and the like. Like I said before, you can always mount the knobs in your own 5.25" faceplate so the unit will look more stock and match your style better, so it's completely up to you. This is easy to do as well, since you are provided with the template to help you drill the necessary holes so that it will look more professional.”

Check it out at: OCModShop

Tweakmonster Rev. 3 Lightstrip Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:36 PM EST

"As you can see, the lightstrip gives off a nice purple haze. Keep in mind that the light given off by the strip is not near as bright as a cold cathode. The goal of the lightstrip is not to flood the area with light, but to give individual components a nice glowing accent. Users can simply place the strip inside of their PC to help illuminate hardware....  or you can choose to make a project of it."

Check it out at: OCIA

The MoBorg Case Mod @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:35 PM EST

I paid only 12 euros for all three big boxes of mainboards. At a other sales-stand I bought a cheap, and rather standard looking case, also for 12 euros. Once we arrived back home, T-Mug helped me out by first testing all of the mainboards, and the few that were still operational were put aside. With the rest of the broken main boards and the newly bought case, I started my case modding.

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Asus V9820S Ti4200 with AGP8X Reviewed @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 31, 2003 at 9:33 PM EST

“Asus enters the fray with their own card based on the NV28, the V9280S, and it is marketed well.  The box is somewhat larger than the competitor's and adorned with eye-catching graphics.  In large type, the words "SUPER FAST" are very hard to miss. And who wouldn't be looking for a super fast video card, right?  Continuing on, we read that this card is "20% faster than Generic Ti4200".  "20% faster" is one hell of an increase, I'd say.  Taking a closer look at the specs, we find that this is attributable to a 10% increase in the GPU clock (250 to 275MHz) and a 20% increase in the memory clock (500MHz to 600MHz).  Now, I am all for finding a way to increase the productivity of hardware (that's why we always cover how an item overclocks), but call me crazy, the last time I saw a card that was rated as 275/550+ it was called a GeForce 4 Ti 4400.”

Check it out at: HotHardware

Albatron Ti4200P Turbo Video Card Review @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 9:09 PM EST

"Albatron used Computex 2002 in Taiwan to launch their company and since then they've released many solid motherboard and video card products. Being a follower of nVidia, they have released products on nVidia's full range of GPU's. Today Cameron "Sov" Johnson checks out their Ti4200P Turbo video card based on GeForce4 Ti4600 technology, with the overclocker in mind. If you cannot afford the asking price for a Ti4600, stop and check out the Ti4200P Turbo from Albatron!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

TherMagic CPU Water Cooling System Review @ maximumpda
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 9:08 PM EST

“Why water cooling, what’s wrong with the standard heatsink fan combo? A year or two ago that would be a valid question that could only be answered by the most hardcore of system cooling enthusiasts. In today’s 2Ghz and up PC’s the shear size of the heatsink has gotten out of control and can weigh up to several pounds in the more extreme set-ups. That’s a lot of copper sitting on your P4 or Athlon processor/motherboard added to the weight is the fact that in some setups the motherboard actually flexes or bows up to a half an inch or more to accommodate the massive heatsink/fan’s mounting system that is required to keep it attached to the board. Of course the boards are designed to flex for these types of applications but that doesn’t mean that you’re not as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs while attaching such a system.”

Check it out at: maximumpda

FlashDisk 64mb USB Drive Review @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 9:06 PM EST

Size wise the FlashDisk is pretty small; only slightly larger than a container of Chapstick, a few quarters' in length and smaller than a Samsung R225m phone. The miniature dimensions of flash drives in general is what makes them so attractive; they're even more portable than a floppy and much more durable than a CD. Being a fraction of the size of a Zip disk and requiring no other device to make it work, this is the best form of portable storage in my opinion. Unfortunately, it comes at a price. You're paying a lot more per megabyte than you would with a CD, DVD, Zip, LS120, whatever. This is the trade-off for portability.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

AutoDeletePro Red Maple Leaf Fan Grills Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 9:04 PM EST

"A closer look at the 80mm version of the Red Maple Leaf Fan Grill reveals how detailed and precise the laser cutting process is for creating this product. All the corners are crisp with no sharp edges and the cuts around the maple leaf are highly refined and detailed. The construction of each grill is comprised of steel which has been powder coated with a bright red finish. For consumers who do not like the powder coat finish, AutoDeletePro does provide an alternative with its stainless steel versions of the same product. In terms of aesthetics, the overall design is very nice and patriotic which should appeal to Canadians everywhere."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Project: Nightwing @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 9:03 PM EST

The square in the centre is the one you should be looking at so ignore the other one (mistakes happen). The position of where the fan would go was marked out so that it would be in the centre of the bezel. The exact centre of the fan was also marked on the bezel so that the blowhole would be central. As with cutting any blowhole the steps and precautions needed to be taken are always the same.

Check it out at: DeviantPC

Taisol CCP445172 Copper Pentium 4 Heatsink Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 9:01 PM EST

"The Taisol CCP445172 is a full copper Pentium 4 heatsink sporting a manufacturer listed thermal resistance of just 0.329C/W and weighing in at nearly 700grams. This is a big heatsink, and one of Taisol's newest for the 3.06GHz Intel Pentium 4 platform. The heatsink arrived in our hands with HSRM and metal backplate PCB support. Because the clipping mechanism is integral to the fan and fan shroud you are pretty much stuck with a 70mm sized fan. Some users like to drop in larger fans which can then be operated at slower (less noisy) speeds with hopefully little reduction in overall air flow. In this instance because the plastic fan frame plays a functional role with the clipping system that type of fan upgrade just isn't possible."

Check it out at: frostytech

Bulletproof case! @ Dans Data
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 8:59 PM EST

OK, OK, all but the weediest of bullets probably _would_ make it through FastWin's FW-810S aluminium PC case. But it's nonetheless an unusually beefy box, made from 2mm metal throughout. And it's got a decent number of convenience features, and good looks as well.

The question, of course, is how it stacks up against better known aluminium cases, like Lian Li's offerings.

I compare and contrast the FW-810S and the Lian Li PC-60USB in my latest review, here:

Check it out at: Dans Data

Seagate Barracuda V Serial-ATA 120GB HD Review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 8:57 PM EST

“Recently, Serial ATA hit the shelves with a bang. Offering smaller cabling, faster transfer speeds, and breaking the limit on the ATA 137GB drive size limit, Serial ATA is poised to change the drive industry as we know it. In our latest review, we take a look at the first contender in the new drive war, the Seagate Barracuda V Serial ATA drive. Stacking up this 150MB/s behemoth against both an ATA/133 and an ATA/100 drive, we took a gander to see whether this drive is a welterweight contender or a heavyweight champion.”

Check it out at: Envy News

Thermaltake Spark 7 P4 Cooler Review @ hardcoreware
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 8:56 PM EST

The Thermaltake Spark 7 has all that and more, and we're going to find out how it performs. Are the elegant looks of the Spark 7 matched by killer performance? Read to find out!

Check it out at: hardcoreware

SunbeamTech 20Watt Rheobus reviewed @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 8:54 PM EST

"Personally I think this product kicksass. The features such as the possibilities to control the brightness of cold cathodes, and support for 20 watt for each pot makes it a perfect product for power users. Add as many delta fans as you want as long as you do not go above 20 watts for each pot. The feature to control Cold cathodes is very very nice. And the overall finish of this product is of high standard. I couldn't find any rheobus better then this one. You want the best? Get this one."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

NEC LT260 Wireless 802.11b Projector Review @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 8:53 PM EST

This digital projector caught our eye recently at the fabled wonderland that is CES. Small, compact, Wireless, you would think the presenters dream? We found that may not be the case. Still it is worth covering since this is only one of several machines with the feature on the market. If you are a fan of display technology, read on and find out why we think this machine is leading the way for the projectors of the future. Designtechnica takes a quick look.

Check it out at: Designtechnica

Shuttle SN41G2 SFF XPC Review @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 8:51 PM EST

Today at GamePC, we've given a good once-over to Shuttle's latest small form factor PC system, the SN41G2. The SN41G2 boasts Shuttle's attractive new G2 styling, along with the high-performance nVidia nForce2 IGP chipset running under the hood. Not only does this XPC support new 333 MHz FSB Athlon XP chips, but also has integrated GeForce4 MX multi-monitor and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio.

Check it out at: GamePC

Arena Computers Rounded Clear Cables @ XtReMoDs
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 8:50 PM EST

"Why do you need new shiny rounded IDE cables from Arena Computers? Well, first of all rounded cables increase air flow and helps your computer run cooler. Another thing is they look really sweet, when looking at them through your side window."

Check it out at: XtReMoDs

Case Modding, Sunbeam Style @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 7:49 PM EST

"Computer case modding has became so popular that it has featured in the world's largest newspapers, captivated many users worldwide, and changed the marketing strategy direction of many mobo and graphics card manufacturers to please the growing enthusiast market. Today Shawn “Toxic” Baker gives us a run down of a company who is dedicated to the case modding user, Sunbeam in Taiwan - and we aren’t talking about the Kettle and Toaster makers either before you ask!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

Vantec Nexus RheoBus Review @ Overclocker Café
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 7:47 PM EST

I decided to hook up every fan I could find to the thing and see what happened. After telling my wife to go get the fire extinguisher, I hooked up all the case fans (5) in the Cooler Master, the Heatsink fan, the fan on my GF4 cooler, and 4 more case fans I had lying around. I figured I might as well make sure, right?

Check it out at: Overclocker Café

Corsair PC 3200 Part 2 @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 7:46 PM EST

"Recently, I received a new motherboard, and now I’m more prepared to handle the extreme speeds capable of todays DDR. I also recently reviewed a stick of Corsair’s XMS PC3200 CAS2.5, however, we were not able to run the ram at its full potential. Equipped with a new motherboard, we hoped to do better!"

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

Computer Exhaust Systems RACHEL Review @ XtReMoDs
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 7:45 PM EST

"With the increase in computer speeds more heat and noise being generated by your computer. As a result it may become undesirable to be anywhere near you're loud and hot computer. ComputerExhaust.com is developing a new technique where the hot air and some of the fan noise from your case is directed through a pipe that leads into your wall."

Check it out at: XtReMoDs

Plextor External USB 2.0 PlexWriter 48/24/48U Review @ Explosive Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 7:43 PM EST

There have been some definite improvements made in the PX-W4824TU.  Most notably, the access time was lower compared to its little brother.  As far as testing was concerned, the burn time with Nero (for each drive) had a standard deviation of about <10± seconds.  Further improvements have also been made on the load/eject time, which means there is no justification for a lack of burning CDs on the account of time, inconvenienced, or the lazy couch potato (and computer too).

Check it out at: Explosive Labs

Labtec Spin-45 Speaker Review @ MonkeyReview
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 30, 2003 at 7:41 PM EST

These speakers are great for people who just want to be able to listen to music or play games on their computers without having to worry about fine tuning bass or treble just to hear decent quality sound. You can use these speakers in your home or office as they are both sleek and stylish. For a price of around $15 you can’t go wrong with the Spin-45 speakers.

Check it out at: MonkeyReview

Sapphire Radeon 9500 Atlantis Pro Review @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:44 PM EST

"We've been seeing a lot of 3D video boards hitting the market lately, but with so many of us on a limited budget, we really need to take a look at some of the alternatives that fall into a more reasonable price category. Come join Mike "Darthtanion" Wright as he takes a look at the Sapphire Radeon 9500 Atlantis Pro Video Card. With a price tag that is in the same general area as the Ti4200-8x boards, we'll take a look to see which one gives you more bang for the buck."

Check it out at: TweakTown

How To Build a Power Supply Article @ PimpRig
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:43 PM EST

"The power supply is perhaps one of the most overlooked components in a computer. It takes dangerous high voltage coming out of the wall and converts it into multiple lower voltages for use with digital electronics. Many people don't even give a second thought as to what their power supply is or what it does. Understanding how a power supply works, however, can provide insight into such common computer symptoms as the infamous "blue screen of death", random crashes/reboots, and data loss."

Check it out at: PimpRig

Leadtek WinFast TV2000 XP Deluxe Review @ I Am Not A Geek
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:42 PM EST

"With all of the products available to make your computer seem less like a desktop tool and more like a high end media center, one of the components that lacks the popularity you might expect is the TV tuner card...  The Leadtek WinFast TV2000 XP Deluxe is a feature-rich TV tuner that will allow any couch potato with a computer to ditch the couch while still enjoying TV, as well as providing excellent capturing capabilities, and digitally tuned FM radio."

Check it out at: I Am Not A Geek

Thermal Integration Ti-T707TN Radial P4 Heatsink Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:41 PM EST

The Thermal Integrations TI-T707TN heatsink has a nice chewy 31mm diameter copper slug at its heart, and 70 very slender extruded aluminum fins in a radial pattern around the outside. The fins measure just 0.5mm in thickness and are straight from top to bottom, with a gentle curve to the outside. For those of us who are familiar with big square heatsinks the TI-T707TN is a drastic departure, and kind of interesting to look at as well. There are quite a few of companies challenging the traditional notions of what a heatsink should be shaped like, and for the most part these physical changes bring with them thermal and sometimes even acoustic advancements.

Check it out at: frostytech

MSI nForce 2 IGP (K7N2G-L) Review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:40 PM EST

"NVIDIA have proved beyond doubt that the nForce 2 platform is an ideal contender for the AMD performance crown. They have now shown that the IGP variant is an ideal contender for mid-range and business systems looking for that extra bit of performance."

Check it out at: DeviantPC

Crystal Optical Mouse review + mod @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:39 PM EST

"Using it around windows is great. You'll get used to it within a few days and after that it's just relaxation..... For desktop use, and use around windows this mouse deserves a 10 out of 10, however when your trying to play games with it you'll get frustrated, and killed a lot in Quake, or UT2003... I don't recommend this mouse for gaming.... I really do not recommend this mouse for gaming."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

Logitech Z-640 Speaker Set Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:38 PM EST

"Today I am proud to be reviewing the Logitech Z-640 speakers. These speakers are made for the average consumer that wants 5.1 surround sound without having to shell out a lot of cash..."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Samsung ML-1450 Laser Printer review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:36 PM EST

“Now, before you turn in disgust at the mere mention of Black and White, it has to be said that the addition of a laser printer in this household has had a dramatic impact on my productivity. You see, I have been a die-hard color inkjet advocate for over 10 years – color is a good thing, and I have refused until now to trade color for speed. However, in the last 10 years, the internet and its usefulness has erupted violently, and with online shopping and e-banking – having quick and permanent hard-copies of transactions is about necessary as a hard-disk data backup solution. The Laser printer solution suddenly becomes all too clear...”

Check it out at: Envy News

Firefly USBee and Translucent USB Drives Video Review #261 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:35 PM EST

"The Firefly USBee and Translucent USB Drives are small, lightweight and portable which makes them very convenient for data storage. Since it allows a very quick method of backing up, transferring/receiving, transporting data it a must have for staying mobile. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

OCZ Technologies PC2700 Rev 3.2 DDR @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:34 PM EST

"This particular module overclocked to 428 MHz. The module was able to run at the most aggressive timings up to 400 MHz, at which point it would not boot. Upping the timings to CAS 2.5 with a RAS to CAS delay of 2 allowed the memory to boot and complete all of the stress tests. Above 400 MHz the memory would not operate properly unless we upped the voltage to 2.7 Volts, at which point the module would successfully complete the Memtest86 loop."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Seagate Barracuda SATA V HD Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:33 PM EST

"The ST3120023AS uses an 8MB cache to enhance performance. Combined with the 2 60GB platters and 4 Heads to utilize the full 120GB of space on the platters. On paper, it seems to be a winning combination, but let's hold off until we see the results."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Xoxide Caffeinated Soap Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:32 PM EST

"Now it seems as though the soap is not infused with caffeine in the same manner as coffee. The soap has countless little brown/dark yellow flakes throughout that come off as you wash. Given the surface area of the skin, and the fact that these flakes come off during washing, the claimed dosage of approximately 250mg of caffeine per serving is entirely feasible."

Check it out at: OCIA

Epox 8RDA+ nForce2 Motherboard Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:30 PM EST

Today we're going to be checking out Epox's take on the nForce2 SPP; the 8RDA+ motherboard. Based on the same nForce2 SPP (System Platform Processor) you can already guess that that the Epox 8RDA+ is going to be fast, but will it be heads and shoulders above other nForce2 motherboards out there? Read on and we shall see...For starters, what exactly does the Epox 8RDA+ have to offer? Is it chocked full of USB and firewire ports, or is it just a plain and simple mainboard solution? Well thanks to the nForce2-128 SPP Northbridge chipset, the Epox 8RDA+ supports any 200/266/333 MHz based Athlon processor, even the upcoming Barton based Athlon's so upgrade paths are clean and simple. There are three DIMM slots for a maximum of 3 GB of PC1600/2100/2700/3200* (* there is no JEDEC PC3200 standard) memory, but since the NF2 is able to take advantage of dual channel DDR, you'll really just want to populate the first two slots with identical memory types/sizes."

Check it out at: pcstats

Steelpad 3S Mousepad @ Geekextreme
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:28 PM EST

"Up until a couple of years ago, owning a good mouse was essential for anyone associated with applications graphical in nature, whether they be graphic design applications or games. Mousepads were items for show; your favorite album cover, computer logos or your girlfriend’s mug shot.

Then came along the optical mouse. With resolutions improving significantly with the technology, mousepad resolution (differing patterns or tactile surfaces) became essential. Names like Ratpadz and Everglide became well-known among gamers and the race for the ultimate mouse surface has continued on"

Check it out at: Geekextreme

The watercooled LAN rig @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:27 PM EST

"So there I was…playing Wolfenstein at my local LAN (although my latest addiction is BF1942) and in comes this one guy with his rig. Mind you, this was a great setup and by the looks of it a lot of time and skill went into it. The good part: it was water-cooled, and the bad part: it was big…VERY big. His setup included a large heatercore rad, lots of duct work, and tubing running everywhere. Well after I saw him struggling with this huge box I went to speak to him. Well it turns out he was getting 40c..."

Check it out at: ReviewNation

Albatron PX845PE Pro II Silver Review @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:26 PM EST

"The 845PE is Intel's newest chipset for their Pentium 4 processor, supporting 533Mhz FSB and DDR333 memory. The chipset also supports Intel's Hyper-Threading technology, which has been around for some while in their Xeon processors but has only recently become available for the Pentium 4. In case there still is someone out there who doesn't know what Hyper-Threading is (in which case just where have you been?)..."

Check it out at: ReviewNation

Tyan Tachyon G9700 Review @ lostcircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:24 PM EST

Standing out from the crowd of "Powered by ATI" manufacturers is Tyan, the only manufacturer whose cards are significantly deviating from the ATI reference design. In addition to presenting itself in "Royal Blue", the TACHYON also claims to be the fastest RADEON spawn, courtesy of its overclocking margin of up to 400 MHz core frequency. Another advertised feature is the built-in hardware monitor. We took the TACHYON G9700 Pro and gave it some heavy beating, pushing it beyond the 400 MHz mark which gave us up to 17 % performance boost over the default setting. We did find some "hot issues" as well, though, but we also found how to avoid them.

Check it out at: lostcircuits

CaseArts "Red Cherry" Dragon Case Review @ VH
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:22 PM EST

"This CaseArts "Red Cherry" Dragon case hits a grand slam with a fantastic package at an extraordinary price. With a finish so strong, smooth, and detailed, right down to the tiny reset button, the few minor internal blemishes almost don't deserve to be mentioned at all. That's just how much the good outweighs the bad. Also, before I forget, I want to mention that there was NO sticky buttons or doors anywhere on this case. If you've ever felt a homemade painted case, you've probably dealt with the typical sticky buttons and stuck doors because the paint is too think. That's not the case here, the finish was so thin and smooth , it feels absolutely factory done. Might be because.....IT IS factory done! Even the feet swing out smoothly and do NOT scratch the paint off. The finish is baked on and seems to be as strong as any typical factory finish. That's a great thing."

Check it out at: Virtual-Hideout

Terratec 5.1 Fun soundcard reviewed @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:21 PM EST

"The Terratec Fun soundcard makes the sound quite brighter, and much more clear then onboard sound or any other soundcard that I've used. Overall a Successful product, for both the budget users, and performance seekers."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

HighSpeed PC TX50 Wearable USB Drive Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 at 7:19 PM EST

"The TX50 Wearable USB Drive is an all-inclusive solid state disk with a USB interface for PC and Mac compatibility. Solid state drives work on a similar principle as hard drives and CD-ROM drives, with the exception that instead of data being stored magnetically or optically, data is stored electrically on a solid state semiconductor. The benefits of this are lower power requirements and virtually no susceptibility to vibration, shock or extreme temperature."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

CPUmate DIA-10500 Heatpipe P4 Heatsink Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:21 PM EST

The cooling solution CPUMate base their heatsink around is nothing more than two interlocking nickel plated extruded aluminum heatsinks which are inexpensive to produce, but throw in a set of heatpipes and the equation changes. While we have seen similar examples (sans heatpipes) from other Taiwanese manufacturers which have proved disappointing, CPUmate have added the right technology in the right way, endowing the DIA-10500 with some fairly good performance characteristics. Heatpipes can be very useful additions to a heatsink - enabling it to work harder under the same airflow parameters. Heatpipes can also be ill designed for a particular heatsink and offer little or no realistic benefit to the overall cooling capability. In this instance, CPUmate have engineered a very simple and effective solution, that while not entirely quiet, it does posses very good thermal properties for its size and materials."

Check it out at: frostytech

iRock! BLiNG MP3/CD/FM Player @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:20 PM EST

"Because it isn't a solid state player, I had some initial concerns about skipping if the BLiNG is use. The specifications state a two minute electronic skip protection (ESP), and 45 seconds for audio CDs, I was determined to put it to the test. I chucked the player up and down in my hands, as well as giving it a few shakes for good measure, and the player continued playing my tunes without issue."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Sony MDR-V300 Headphones Review @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:19 PM EST

The reversible design makes for easy transition to single-sided listening. I am not a DJ myself, so I am not able to comment on how well they commit themselves in extended sessions of use in this manner. The earcups fold up for a smaller storage footprint. The 10 foot cable is more than adequate for general computer usage.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Logitech Z-680 THX Certified Speaker Set Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:17 PM EST

The total RMS wattage for the whole set is 500 watts, while the peak is power is 1000 watts. True Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound with built-in hardware decoding, Dolby Pro Logic® II decoding creates a 5.1 soundfield from two-channel sound sources round out the features of this incredible package.

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

High Performance Dual Channel DDR : Corsair vs. OCZ @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:13 PM EST

Today at GamePC, we've taken a look at a handful of hot new DDR modules hitting the market from Corsair and OCZ. These "performance" modules claim to offer higher clock speeds and lower latencies compared to their competition. High-bandwidth, fast clock speeds, large capacities and shiny heat spreaders. What more could you want in a stick of memory?

Check it out at: GamePC

Geil 512MB PC3500 DDR Review @ monster-hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:11 PM EST

"GeIL is the only memory I know of that includes instructions with the stick... a nice touch. Some time ago I remember reading of a review of a GeIL stick where the heatspreaders didn’t make contact with the memory modules... well, that’s not the case here:"

Check it out at: monster-hardware

Sunbeam Tech UV Fans Review @ Icrontic
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:09 PM EST

Light up your PC without flooding the room with unwanted light. UV Fans may not be a new concept but Sunbeam Tech made UV Fans self-illuminating. There is no need for buying a UV CCFL tube to activate the bright and vibrant colors of these fans. Sunbeam Tech took their CCFL Fans and transformed them.

Check it out at: Icrontic

Logitech Z-640 Speaker Review @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:08 PM EST

"With ever increasing applications for speakers (new game, computer, & theater systems) as well as new standards (5.1, 6.1, Dolby, THX, etc.) audio makers are constantly aiming at a moving target.  The latest two releases from Logitech (Z-640 & Z-680) aim to fill all the home needs at two very competitive price points – and do very nicely.  But after last year’s award winning Z-560 series that may come as no surprise.   Read on to see how the Z-640 compliments Logitech’s speaker line-up…"

Check it out at: Designtechnica

OCZ PC 3500 EL Review @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:05 PM EST

"Yesterday, I got to review one of the finest 845PE boards I’ve seen to date. The 845PE chipset brings a lot to the table. One of those things is a thirst for memory bandwidth. The 845PE allows for much faster memory speeds and impressive gains over older chipsets can be made due to this. Today I have a stick of ram that can fully take advantage of the 845PE chipset. Introducing, the OCZ PC 3500 EL DDR ram."

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

New Sunbeam UV CCFL Fan Review @ ExtensionTech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:04 PM EST

"I can't seem to find another UV CCFL fan review on the web myself, so this maybe the first. Regardless, have you been waiting for the Sunbeam UV version of the CCFL fan to get widespread? Me too! I was lucky enough to get one from Sunbeam Tech. A little news on some upcoming products that you may be interested in is located at the end of the review also. So come have a look! And please try and enjoy the first movie I have made for a review."

Check it out at: ExtensionTech

Abit IT7 Max 2 V. 2.0 Review @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 28, 2003 at 9:01 PM EST

"Abit has been in the computer industry since 1989. Since then, they have established themselves as one of the industry leaders for enthusiast based computer products. Today I have the 2nd implementation of the IT7 Max, the IT7 Max 2 V.2.0. Abit has put together yet another board aimed at the enthusiast market, and hopefully it will perform as well as some of their previous boards."

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

Swiftech MCW-50 Reviewed @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:30 PM EST

"Overall a perfect product. I couldn't pimp it any more then this. This is a great product for cooling down that videocard of yours, and oc it. You can also buy a Tec cooled version that cools below zero degrees...!! Nvidia is soon launching their GeforceFX cards, we will have to see if the MCW-50 will fit when its released."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

Evercool CUD-715 Heatsink Review @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:29 PM EST

"If you are building an entry to mid-level Athlon based system and don’t wish to spend more on the HSF than you did on the CPU itself; there are now quite a few capable HSF combos fighting for your precious cooling dollars. One such cooler is the subject of today’s review, the Evercool CUD-715."

Check it out at: OcPrices

Kingwin Black Aluminum-Mg Alloy Case with 3 Windows Video Review #260 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:24 PM EST

"The Kingwin Black Aluminum-Mg Alloy Case has style and functionality written all over it. This case includes: Aluminum-Mg alloy construction, 3 clear acrylic windows, 4 front USB ports, 1 front firewire port, 1 front microphone jack and earphone jack, 5 ball bearing case fans, removable motherboard tray, and more. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

3 1/2" Four Channel Rheobus Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:17 PM EST

"As you can see the device is pre-made, so there is no assembly required to install. This is unlike it's baybus counter-part which required drilling out a case face plate in order to install. While it is fun to mod your case, I for one am a huge fan of plug 'n play."

Check it out at: OCIA

Supercomputer balderdash @ Dans Data
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:16 PM EST

Marketing people love to compare consumer computing devices - consoles, PCs, Macs - with supercomputers. As in, "The Xbox has 80 Gigaflops of computing power. That's equivalent to the power found in a Cray C94 supercomputer."

Well, that's a bunch of hooey.

I address the hooeyness of statements like the above one in the latest column I've put up on Dan's Data, here:

Check it out at: Dans Data

Jab-Tech Digital Doc 5 TNG Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:14 PM EST

"The Digital Doc 5 TNG is an all inclusive package which comes pre-assembled and is available in three different front bezel colours (black, silver and beige). This product is being marketed as the lastest revision in the Digital Doc series and provides temperature monitoring & fan control for up to 8 fans. Consumers have the ability to monitor 8 different temperatures with support for high performance fans rannging from 60mm and 120mm fans with a max of 12 watts or 1000mA."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

OCZ DDR PC3700 Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:13 PM EST

"While the OCZ PC3700 is actually rated at 466MHz, my system is simply not capable of running at that speed. However, I was able to reach 460MHz effectively and while doing it, had the memory at the most aggressive settings possible. That is what is truly amazing about this memory. While OCZ claims these memory sticks are capable of 466MHz at CAS 2.5, hitting 460MHz at CAS 2/5/2/2 is nothing short of amazing. Also notice how Cpu-Z recognizes the memory modules at PC3700, whereas most other memories are recognized simply as overclocked PC2700."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Kingston HyperX PC 3500 Review @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:11 PM EST

"Kingston recently has recently released memory that is geared towards the gamers and enthusiasts crowd. This memory is called Kingston HyperX PC3500. It is rated at an astounding speed of 433MHz DDR CAS2-4-4-8-1T. Kingston’s engineers carefully designed and qualified these modules to their rated speed. HyperX modules are designed to push the limits of the enthusiasts’ computers. Lets see how they do!"

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

EasyHardDisk 20GB USB 2.0 Review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:10 PM EST

“In the dozens of USB Flash drives, Flash memory storage products, and portable drives we’ve reviewed to date, not one offered the best of all the features we sought – affordability, portability, and performance. However, a new and exciting product we’re looking at today offers all three. Enter EasyDisk’s first foray into hard disk based storage – the EasyHardDisk. Packing a performance punch that wrecked our other two portable drives in our labs, this 20GB model does not disappoint.”

Check it out at: Envy News

Logitech Cordless Elite Duo Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:08 PM EST

The elegant and comfortable Logitech Cordless Elite Duo delivers maximum freedom, performance and value. It combines an ultra-flat cordless Zero-Degree Tilt™ keyboard with the high-performance Cordless MouseMan® Optical.

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

GeForce FX Pre-Production Showcase @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:06 PM EST

We've posted up quick GeForce FX Pre-Production Showcase for you this evening, in lieu of actually having the card in our lab for testing.  It's seems we'll have to wait a short while longer before we have NVIDIA's new flagship in our test labs.

In the mean time, we've got boards specs, some new eye candy, driver control panels and a few other things for you to look at.

Check it out at: HotHardware

GeForce FX Q&A with nVidia @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:03 PM EST

"We have just posted our GeForce FX Q&A interview with Hazel Heng, Marketing Manager of nVidia Asia in Singapore, where she was kind enough to answer our questions regarding their upcoming GeForce FX."

Check it out at: TweakTown

Gigabyte Maya II Radeon 9700 Review @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:02 PM EST

"Simply mentioning the words "GeForce FX" sends a shiver down the spine of enthusiast’s users in the tech community as its retail release draws near. Don't forget about the graphics company from Canada though, ATI still currently have the speed crown in the Radeon 9700 Pro. Gigabyte are one of the third party manufacturers who switched to ATI from nVidia and today Cameron "Sov" Johnson takes a look at their Maya II Radeon 9700 - a cheaper, cut down version of the Pro version."

Check it out at: TweakTown

Lian-Li PC65U Case Review @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 8:01 PM EST

The only thing keeping me from 100% recommending the Lian-Li 65U is the fact that almost everyone has one, or some variant of it. I wouldn't exactly call it a clone, but if you look at the Skyhawk MSR-4610, it looks a lot like a Lian-Li. This is a really petty thing, I know, but the fact that your dream machine is going to be housed in a case that doesn't stand out like it used to makes it lose a little of its lustre.

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Nexus frontports reviewed :O @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:50 PM EST

"In first sight this product looks kickass, it's not expensive. It has 3 temperature meters, it can control the speed of your CPU fan and it has frontport usb and firewire, however there are some several problems, I've not seen any hardware review site mention those."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

Vantec Stealth VAN-470A Review @ MonkeyReview
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:49 PM EST

Each PSU delivers power, some a little more efficiently than others, but they all carry the same drawback: with the increase of power, you guessed it, you generate more heat. So this, in itself creates a new problem. Vantec has done a good job of remedying this issue by using 3, yes 3, double bearing fans which can be adjusted via rear switch. You have the option of selecting “Slow”, “Medium”, or “Auto”. The “Auto” setting relies on an internal sensor to detect the temps, and adjust the fans accordingly to meet these needs. I’ve looked at PSU’s with a similar feature; Antec’s True Power Line offers a similar feature but lacks the switch, which I really like.

Check it out at: MonkeyReview

Meritline USB Notebook Light Review @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:48 PM EST

USB lights in general aren't that popular because, as we'll see shortly, while they do offer some functionality and quite a bit more pizzazz, they're not justifiable enough for mass marketing, though for under $20 a pop it just might make for a nice stocking stuffer. 11 months from now. Anyway onto the kit. The packaging is pretty scarce, as should be the case; there's nothing else aside from the light itself. No software is required (and therefore it'll work on any OS, so long as your computer has a functional USB port) and although it is USB2.0 certified don't get your hopes up, it won't shine any brighter.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Logitech Clicksmart 510 Webcam/Digital Camera @ Geekextreme
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:46 PM EST

"When I first saw this camera, I thought "awww, ain't it cute?"  In a strange sort of way, it is kinda cute, with it's all rounded edges and that "Logitech" look.  Some may think it's cute, others will think "what a butt-ugly camera."  But we're not here to judge a product strictly on looks.  Although I did feel kinda silly walking around work taking pictures with this thing. I give you, the Logitech Clicksmart 510."

Check it out at: Geekextreme

I-TEE case review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:44 PM EST

"Quick release mechanisms were first seen in Chieftec’s cases but even with this the slides had to be screwed to the drives. The i-Tee’s system is truly a tool free process.

The cooling in the case takes the form of two 80mm fan grills mounted on the side of the case. The fan grills also fit 60mm fans; these are supplied. Surely, adding two 80mm fans (now the defacto standard really) wouldn't have been too much trouble?"

Check it out at: DeviantPC

Lian Li Aquarium Side Panel Review @ Overclocker Café
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:43 PM EST

Right from the get-go, this review turned out to be the most fun I've had with a review in a while.  My two kids had to come and watch me, to see how I was going to "make fish appear."  I was expecting at any minute one or both of them to go and get a fishing rod.

Check it out at: Overclocker Café

SIIG Serial ATA PCI card (web-exclusive) Review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:41 PM EST

“When it comes to storage technology, the buzz is all about the new standard on the block: Serial ATA. Serial ATA, or SATA for short, is one of the more revolutionary steps that is taking place in the computer industry. No more do consumers have to put up with those wide IDE cables that block airflow or deal with rounded cables that may be shielded just enough to prevent major data loss; the days of trying to plug in drives without bending pins or playing with jumpers are now coming to an end as well. Ultra-fast transfer speeds, tiny cabling, and hot swap ability are now available to those that are equipped to use it.”

Check it out at: Envy News

Lux Design Aerocool X-Factor HSF Review @ VH
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:39 PM EST

"The X-Factor is based on an extruded-fin design, with fins radiating outward from a center that encompasses a copper core, a design that has been featured on other heatsinks before. The heatsink is about regular size in terms of its footprint, but isn't tall, being only 28mm in height. This comes into effect later on as the implementation of the clip design futher shortens the fins' effective height. The fan utilized is a 70mm square by 15mm thick unit. While the frame of it is made out of aluminum, the blades are still plastic and have merely had a metal finish applied to them. It flows a respectable 32cfm."

Check it out at: Virtual-Hideout

Thrust Master Firestorm Wireless @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:38 PM EST

"There are a plethora of different game pads to choose from these days. However, shopping for them can be quite difficult. You try and take into account the price, features and comfort of the unit. Today we will look at Thrustmaster's Firestorm wireless, hopefully this wireless technology will perform well, I have enough wires on my desk as it is!"

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

CoolerMaster HAC-V81 XDream HSF @ GeekExtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:37 PM EST

"I'm still kinda shocked at how not only has case-modding in general become so mainstream, but how many different items you can buy that are specifically aimed to be cosmetically pleasing--from cold cathodes and blue LED everythings, to super-shiny heatsinks of all sizes and Marvel-Comics endorsed fan grills.... Not only available on the web, but on the shelf at the local CompUSA. My, my how times have changed in such a short period of time. Have computers gotten so fast that we need all this spiffyness just to keep them operating, or has the hardware gotten so fast that the emphasis is off of extreme performance and on to looks? Ah....but I digress.

But it brings me to the point of this writing. I ended up with a pretty darned interesting item to cool my processor upgrade from Coolermaster; the HAC-V81 XDream (good lord who comes up with these names!?) copper/aluminum hybrid heatsink."

Check it out at: GeekExtreme

SubBeam Tech's 4 port rheobus Review @ Xtrememods
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:35 PM EST

"Nowadays, people just want to get the quietest possible system. Some people will do anything as they simply hate the noise but with modern systems, nearly everything has to have a fan including the Graphics card, CPU, Chipset & PSU whereas at one time, nothing but the PSU did. So what does this device Xoxide have sent me do? Well..."

Check it out at: Xtrememods

Tt G4 VGA Cool Mod Review @ Overclocker café’
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:33 PM EST

The frame rates and temperatures from our modifications speak for themselves as far as raw performance.  Some small but not insignificant gains.  What I want to get back to is that the VGA CoolMod is geared more as a higher performance visual mod.  Meaning, you don't buy a neon chipset cooler and not think about the neon.

Check it out at: Overclocker café’

Gigabyte 7VAXP Ultra Motherboard Review @ Icrontic
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:31 PM EST

As NFORCE2 motherboards chip away at the top ranks the KT400 chipset seems in jeopardy. Gigabyte had a successful run with the popular 7VAXP motherboard. The Ultra series is the next step up. The Gigabyte 7VAXP Ultra motherboard comes with an absolutely impressive amount of features. Accessory after accessory come out of the box before the motherboard finally appears. On the surface Gigabyte appears to have put together one of the most user friendly purchases that has been seen to date.

Check it out at: Icrontic

FujiFilm xD PictureCard review (web-exclusive) @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:30 PM EST

“Are you a little overwhelmed by all the current Flash card formats already in existence? No? Well, say hello to the xD PictureCard. I first saw this new media on shelves a few months back and frankly thought that any company trying to introduce a new format would be shy of insane. As such, I feel the need to ask just one question - will the new format offer enough benefits to prove itself and compete against the other standards, or will it become just another form-factor to add to the growing pile of confusion?”

Check it out at: Envy News

PestPatrol, Take back control of your computer @ ASE Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, January 26, 2003 at 10:28 PM EST

" Firewall program running and anti-virus software setup. Computer is protected against outside intrusion and virus attacks. Protection complete. Maybe not! Your more susceptible than you realize, from the inside out. "

Check it out at: ASE Labs

Thermaltake P4 Spark 7 Highest Performance Cooler Video Review #259 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:22 PM EST

"The Thermaltake P4 Spark 7 Highest Performance Cooler outperforms most other coolers that are currently on the market. Cooling performance is great even in the 3GHz+ range, has an adjustable fan and a fantastic clip design for super easy install and removal. Also, you get all of this at a reasonable price. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

Swiftech H2O-8500AV Liquid Cooling Kit Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:20 PM EST

"The base plate of the unit is 0.5" CNC milled copper. The submersed side of the plate incorporates Swiftech’s latest design concept, the Diamond Pin Matrix. I did not open the block up prior to review, the Swiftech web site has some pictures of the plate. Essentially, the submersed side has rows of diamond-shaped fins on it, similar to a conventional heatsink. The premise is that the pins create additional surface area for increased thermal dissipation, while also creating flow turbulence within the block for augmented thermal transfer between the coolant and the copper plate."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

35 New Case Mods @ BlueSmoke
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:19 PM EST

BlueSmoke is back at it again like a hoard of rabid beavers. 35 brand new entries have just been posted on their Cool Case Gallery. Head on over to check things out.

Check it out at: BlueSmoke

MSI MX440 8x – Graphics on a Budget @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:17 PM EST

"While graphics designers, programmers, and hardcore enthusiasts await the retail launch of the upcoming GeForce FX from nVidia, many forget the huge and very lively value market, with users who have a budget to consider. One of the current value solutions on the market is the GeForce 4 MX, and today Cameron "Sov" Johnson takes a look at MSI's MSI MX440 8x graphics card based on this very chip from nVidia."

Check it out at: TweakTown

Shielded Round IDE Cables @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:16 PM EST

"Unless we're talking about SCSI or proprietary devices, IDE cables are fat and have a large amount of surface area, causing IDE to be one of the main culprits when trying to find airflow obstruction. So, as many a computer "modder" has done before, people started to improvise - they started to cut up their cables lengthwise, and twist their cables, or enclose them in heat shrink-wrapping or using cable ties to keep the wires tightly bound together, in a "rounded" shape."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Abit IT7-Max2 v2.0 vs. Iwill P4HT-S @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:14 PM EST

Tonight on HotHardware.Com, we've taken a look at two of the most talked about i845PE based motherboards currently available, the Abit IT7 Max2 v2.0 and the Iwill P4HT-S.  These are two of the most full features i845PE based boards on the market today.  We pit these bad boys against each other in a heated head-to-head battle.

Check it out at: HotHardware

BFG GF4 Ti-4200 Review @ Overclocker Café
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:11 PM EST

We overclocked our Asylum Ti-4200 using the Coolbits registry hack.  In doing so, we discovered why the BFG seemed to in most every test; barely edge out the ABIT card.  What we expected to find was the core clock speed set at 250MHz and the memory clock set to 500MHz.  What we saw was that the memory speed of the BFG card was defaulting to 513MHz instead of the expected 500MHz.  This is not enough to get big gains or in a tizzy about but it does explain the constant 1-2 fps advantage the BFG card has shown so far.

Check it out at: Overclocker Café

X-Trac Pro HS Optical Mouse Pad Review @ Geekshelter
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:10 PM EST

"At first when I heard about it I wasn't too thrilled with the hexagonal pattern. I didn't think it would look so cool but of coarse I was proven wrong. It actually was perfect. The black/white blends together to create a black/gray look which is perfect for any aluminum or black computer case and because my entire computer had a color scheme like that it was perfect replacing my old blue mouse pad."

Check it out at: Geekshelter

Logitech Cordless Elite Duo Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, January 24, 2003 at 6:08 PM EST

"The reason behind Logitech's naming of the keyboard "elite," is the superior functions the keyboard boasts in comparison to Logitech's other keyboards, or any other manufacturer's keyboard for that matter. Perhaps the greatest quality in this duo that should be the deciding factor in purchasing one, is the simple fact that it is cordless. It is however, important to remember that not all wireless peripherals are created equal! With both the keyboard and mouse, I was able to take approximately 25 steps away from the receiver and still maintain connectivity. That's at least 20 feet away. I was also able to control my computer from a different room, showing the fruits of Logitech's smart decision in using RF (radio) technology instead of infrared."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Pocket DV II reviewed @ Dans Data
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:35 PM EST

Aiptek's Pocket DV II is a teeny-tiny digital camera that takes pictures, records audio and video, has a TV output, works as a USB storage device and as a tethered webcam, and accepts CompactFlash storage. And it's cheap.

Check it out at: Dans Data

Shuttle SN41G2 (nforce2 XPC) Review @ LostCircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:34 PM EST

The second incarnation of the AGP for AMD doctrine in Shuttle's series of XPC brings a full-fledged nVidia nForce2 chipset to the table, including IGP and MCP-T featuring the GeForce 4MX core and nVidia's APU. Some minor adjustments to the SFF caused the demise of the second Ethernet port, otherwise, all the goodies are there, including an abundance of memory bandwidth. Unlike conventional integrated graphics, the nForce2 architecture does not take a performance hit proportional to the desktop resolution, courtesy of the "Twin Bank" architecture. Using a triple phase VRM with asymmetric FET switches, the FN41 as the heart of the SN41G2 appears well prepared for coming generations of AMD Athlon and Barton processors. Specs are specs and paper is patient, so where are the pitfalls? Or were there none?

Check it out at: LostCircuits

15" Kiss Technology Widescreen TFT Review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:32 PM EST

"The screen defaults to a resolution of 1024*768 and 60hz refresh with a PC, and native resolution depending on the input such as a camera. The Coolview is very easy to look at if it is used for DVD playback or server monitoring, but for general web browsing and work the clarity and contrast became very noticeable. As such the TFT would be misplaced as a primary monitor; despite its low profile it is not really suitable for this purpose."

Check it out at: DeviantPC

MSIs E7205 Master-L Workstation Motherboard @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:31 PM EST

Today at GamePC, we're looking at the second motherboard from MSI to hit the market based on Intel's new E7205 dual channel DDR chipset, the E7205 Master-L. This motherboard is mostly intended for workstation, as it has such features like onboard gigabit LAN, Mini-PCI Ultra160 SCSI add-in card abilities, and AGP Pro 8x graphics support. We test this board against the other available E7205 boards on the market, as well as Intel 850-E and 845-E motherboards.

Check it out at: GamePC

SamCheer PC90 Titanium Reviewed @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:30 PM EST

"This case is very spacious and if you'd made a window inside this case it would look wicked. The Locking system for the drives are fantastic and I haven't seen any other company doing this! The hdd silencers work great and again I haven't anyone else seen doing this. The overall looks are fantastic too. Nuff said this case is by far the best one that i've tested so far."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

PcocketPC Phone edition Review @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:29 PM EST

Those who are used to carrying around a PDA with the PocketPC OS and using a modem add-in card for phone functionalities will find this phone appealing; those making the transformation over from a straight mobile phone will find this product somewhat lacking.

Check it out at: Designtechnica

AMK PC75 PC Case Review @ Icrontic
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:28 PM EST

The AMK Computers PC75 PC case has always been a favorite. It is roomy. It has a multitude of features. It looks great. And it is expensive. For the extravagant few who want to splurge then this PC case will more than satisfy. We got together with AMK Computers and took the PC75 one step further...yes it's moddin' time. Hang on as there's over 65 images for the full tour!

Check it out at: Icrontic

Thermalright SK6+/SK-7 Review @ monster-hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:26 PM EST

"Thermalright is a brand that certainly needs no introduction. They are revered for their high quality coolers which are always on the leading edge. The Thermalright SK-6+ and the SK-7 coolers were introduced to me as budget coolers. But let me say from the get go that budget does not equal poor performance. Both of these coolers held their own in my AMD XP 2400+ system without a loud, high rpm fan."

Check it out at: monster-hardware

OS Updates page Updated @ TechSpot
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:25 PM EST

We have added a few more patches and overall updated our OS Updates section at TechSpot, be sure to take it a look for all your WinXP, 2000, Me and 98se patching needs.

Check it out at: TechSpot

Zalman ZM80A-HP VGA Heatpipe Cooler Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, January 23, 2003 at 6:22 PM EST

"There was a time not too long ago when all graphics cards were cooled by tiny little aluminum heatsinks. Then along came ATI and Nvidia who developed faster and stronger GPU's which needed active cooling, and so fans were added. The fans started off fairly quiet, but as graphic card technology continued to advance, things began to get louder and louder. Now as we sit in the face of nVidia's NV30 which is reported to produce as much as 60 Watts under load, it's comforting to find at least one manufacturer producing an after market VGA cooling solution that can handle the heat. Silently. The Zalman ZM80A-HP is the latest incarnation of a revolutionary concept we saw introduced early last year, and one which has been garnering a lot of attention of late."

Check it out at: frostytech

Albatron GeForce4 Ti4280PV Review @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:52 PM EST

"AGP 8x is now in the forefront of the video graphics environment, and Albatron is the first to bring it to you. The GeForce 4 Ti4280 is now out. Always driving to be first in the market with strong products, Albatron has delivered new and cutting edge products for years. They have decided to keep up the tradition by coming onto the Video card market with a strong representation of what this company is all about. See how it performs here..."

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Alpha 8942 HSF Review @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:51 PM EST

"Alpha has been producing cooling solutions for quite a long time! Their first leap into heatsink technology was in 1989, and since then, they have produced nothing short of outstanding products. Today I have their latest P4 cooling solution to test"

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

Koolcases Aluminum Silver Case Video Review #258 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:50 PM EST

"The Koolcases Aluminum Silver Case is a very stylish product that comes standard with two 80mm Sunon fans, drive rails, removable HDD cages, front USB ports, side window, all aluminum construction and more. This case has all the looks and space needed at an amazingly low price. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

Hot new Matrix Orbital MX212 USB LCD @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:48 PM EST

"The LK202-24-USB has six general purpose outputs. These are provided to control relays or other electronic devices. This allows external devices to be turned on or off using your PC or controller and software commands. That’s right; you can control everything from case fans to cold cathodes to even your desk lamps! If you’ve followed my article on installing a color video module into your case, you can also use the GPO’s to control that!
There are2 types of GPOs on this bad boy, low and high power. GPO 1, 2 and 3 are referred to as Low Power GPOs and are capable of sourcing +5V at 20mA which is limited with a 240 ohm current limiting resistors. GPO 4, 5 and 6 have no current limiting resistors and offer an optional +12V power through the white floppy connecter located bottom left of the display."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

ABIT Siluro GF4 Ti-4200 Review @ Overclocker Café
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:47 PM EST

We were able to get the core clock up to 310 MHz and the memory topped out at 321 MHz. Anything beyond this and tearing started to occur, but would still run. At 319/626 the card would lock up under load after about 45 minutes. We ran the speeds at 310/621 for about 3 hours under stressful conditions with absolutely no problems whatever.

Check it out at: Overclocker Café

An Interview With ATi's VP of Software - @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:45 PM EST

ATi's VP of Software, Ben Bar-Haim, was good enough to spend some quality time with us, participating in a short Q&A session about the software behind their current line of products.  Want to know what goes on behind the scenes or what ATI has in store for future generations of Catalyst drivers?  Dive in and find out!

Check it out at: HotHardware

MSI StarSpeed 16x DVD-ROM Drive @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:44 PM EST

"The StarSpeed handled commercially pressed software well enough, and handled every DVD I threw at it. Things were not as rosy with some CDR media though. All media, burned at 16X and lower, were readable by the StarSpeed, but I had some problems with some random discs (Sony, Kodak, and generic) burned at 24x. Our Plextor 24/10/40A, the burner used to create these discs, read them without any issues."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Vantec AeroFlow VA4-C7040 Review @ ExtensionTech
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 at 5:43 PM EST

“CPUs produce heat. There is no way to get around it. There are a few different ways that we try to deal with the heat; air cooling is the cheapest and most mainstream method. There is always water cooling, but if you don't want to spend the money, or balk at installing a complicated water cooling system, then air cooling is your only route. Vantec has sent us their AeroFlow VA4-C7040 to see if it can stand up to the wide range of heat sinks available today.”

Check it out at: ExtensionTech

Lian Li Aquarium Side Panel (fish inside your case!): @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 10:36 PM EST

Includes: Cold cathode light kit, Low noise pump, All in one structure and Colorful plastic fish

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

LanRig's Sunbeam Rheobus Kit #2 Review @ ForumOC
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 10:33 PM EST

"The Sunbeam Rheobus Kit #2 from LanRigs is as functional as it is attractive. It does the job it is intended to do, and it looks good doing it! I was able to tame the roar of my two 92mm Delta intake fans and still maintain a reasonable case temperature."

Check it out at: ForumOC

Black Ice Extreme @ Nexus Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 10:32 PM EST

"As watercooling solutions become more and more popular, more and more commercially made products are being released. After my first water cooling attempt, I must say that I couldn’t be more pleased with the temperatures as well as sound levels of my computer. Since then, I have expanded my list of “used and abused watercooling gear”. I have played with tygon tubing, a dual fan radiator, as well as an innovatek graph-O-matic. Today, I have yet another radiator to look at, the Hardware Labs Black Ice Xtreme."

Check it out at: Nexus Hardware

AeroCool X-Factor HSF Cooler Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 10:31 PM EST

"The X-Factor is available in two different fan configurations and this particular review sample was configured with an aluminium bladed fan. The footprint on this fan is low profile measuring 70mm x 70mm x 15mm and is manufactured by EverCool. The 70mm EverCool fan model#EC7015H12CA is rated for 12VCD and runs at 4000 RPM, pushing 32.45 CFM @ 30.0 dBA. The external housing is composed of aluminium while the fan blades have been painted silver to colour match. AeroCool advises that this model features a "magnetic vapo bearing" fan with a life expectancy of 80,000 hours."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

BeanTech BT-84 Acrylic Case Review @ I Am Not A Geek
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 10:28 PM EST

"Definitely a beautiful case. With motherboards, video cards and even sound cards coming out with brightly colored PCB's, what better way to put them on display than with a clear case? A window is nice and all, but nothing offers the view of a clear case."

Check it out at: I Am Not A Geek

irock! BLiNG CD/MP3 Player Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 at 10:27 PM EST

"With the unit in the "screwed turtle" position, we get a good look at the underside of things. The arrow points to the "Recharge" switch. Activate this only when you have rechargeable batteries in the unit. A complete battery recharge will take between 7-8 hours. Activation while using regular AA batteries could cause fluid to leak from the batteries or cause the player to overheat."

Check it out at: OCIA

Samsung Syncmaster 172T LCD Review @ GideonTech
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:45 PM EST

"For our testing, we tested it using the analog connection.  I've noticed after reviewing quite a number of LCDs, digital barely beats out the analog connection.  That may just be my eyes talking, but in games and movies there hasn't been that 'wow' factor for me in regards to DVI."

Check it out at: GideonTech

Thermaltake AquariusIIT Liquid Cooling Video Review #257 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:43 PM EST

"The Thermaltake AquariusII™ Liquid Cooling offers an out of the box water cooling setup for your PC that is very easy to install and performs well. It includes all the parts and documentation needed to get everything setup very quickly with no hassles. Great cooling at low noise levels is what this product is all about. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

Cooler Master Ram Chip Coolers @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:42 PM EST

"The aluminium sinks whilst getting quite warm to the touch didn't help in further increasing the overclock of the ram. The copper versions however did help in stabilising the overclock, producing a stable windows environment at 175 FSB. The thermal properties of copper are such that it can draw heat away very quickly indeed, but it also has a tendency to keep that heat."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Sapphire Beast All-In-Wonder 9000 PRO 64 MB Review @ Beyond3D
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:39 PM EST

"The use of BGA modules also easily facilities 128MB variants, as seen by the empty module positions on the backside of the board. While the RAM on the standard 9000 PRO is rated at 3.3ns, the BGA modules on the A-I-W 9000 PRO are rated at a slower 3.6ns, however it is DDR SGRAM, not SDRAM. Also, the default RAM clock speed of the standard 9000 PRO is set at 275MHz, but in the case of this A-I-W 9000 PRO it's set at a slightly lower 270MHz (540MHz effective) -- testing will indicate whether the supposedly better performing SGRAM will alleviate the consequences of a lower memory clockspeed."

Check it out at: Beyond3D

AMD XP2700+ Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:37 PM EST

"The Thoroughbred 2700+ outputs 62 watts of heat, and runs a default voltage of 1.65. AMD looks like they have finally settled down the new core with the addition of the extra layer to give some more headroom in performance."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

MSI GeForce4 Ti4800 Graphics Card @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:36 PM EST

Today at GamePC, we've got a first look at a new graphics board from MSI. It has a brand new revision A1 nVidia graphics processor underneath, a bright red PCB, and a massive copper cooling system. No, unfortunately, this is not the GeForceFX quite yet. Rather, it is the new GeForce4 Ti4800 GPU which nVidia has quietly launched under the radar. We take a look at this new GPU and the card based upon it, and how it stacks up to recent card releases from ATI and nVidia.

Check it out at: GamePC

Chieftec Dragon Aluminum Case Review @ Overclocker Café
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:35 PM EST

The Chieftec Dragon DX-01 Aluminum Case represents the absolute best bang for the buck available in the high performance case arena.  The lightweight aluminum chassis is only the beginning.  Dual intake and exhaust fan mounts, removable drive racks, the drive rails to allow ease of access of 5.25" devices, locking bezel and side panels are some of the many reasons this case rates as high as it does.

Check it out at: Overclocker Café

Sunbeam Tech CCFL Fans Review @ Icrontic
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, January 20, 2003 at 7:33 PM EST

The introduction of CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light) meant smaller diameter tubes generating less heat, more