God Bless America.

News Archive: July 2002

July 2002

Complete Innovatek Water Cooling Kit in Video Review #195 Review @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 7:14 PM EST

"The Complete Innovatek Water Cooling Kit makes setting up a H20 rig both fast and simple. With all quality parts this kit delivers on both price and performance. If you are in the market for a H20 kit keep this one at the very top of your list."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

Olympus Camedia C-4040 Review @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 7:12 PM EST

“Normally we don’t review cameras at OcPrices, but I just bought myself a shiny new digital cam for review shots, and I thought I might help some of you out there who may be aspiring to become web reviewers, (and what a grand job that is) or just looking to buy a digital camera. The camera in question is Olympus’ 4.1 megapixel Camedia C-4040.”

Check it out at: OcPrices

SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER "F.A.PORSCHE ENGINEERED" 15 INCH TFT LCD MONITOR @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 7:11 PM EST

"Clean, sharp and modern. These three words boil down my opinion on this great looking monitor. Add in the fact that you have your choice of analog or digital connection, Samsung quality and F.A.Porsche design and you have yourself a stylish and practical investment for your home or office. If this baby could game like a CRT, I would have to think we have the ultimate 15inch TFT."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Albatron PX845G Pro II Motherboard Review @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 7:08 PM EST

“The PX845G is the first board from Albatron, and it is quite simply the finest board I have ever had the pleasure to use, including those from big hitters such as Abit, Soyo and Asus. From the rock solid stabilty, to the insane overclockablity, it is hard to fault Albatron on anything. Innovative features such as the Voice genie, and its AGP retention mechanism - as well as a myriad of superb on-board features make the PX845G stand out from the crowd.”

Check it out at: OcPrices

D-Link Wireless Router & Network Adapter Review @ techwarelabs
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 7:07 PM EST

"With broadband spreading like wildfire, the desire for home networks is tremendous, but the majority of homes aren't wired for networking. D-Link's 802.11b internet gateway router and network adapter solve this problem by eliminating virtually all wires. Plus, with D-Link's affordable products, wireless networking is now avaliable to virtually everyone."

Check it out at: techwarelabs

ASUS V8460 Ultra Deluxe / V 8420 @ lostcircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 7:05 PM EST

Discounting the "MX" varieties, the GeForce4 comes in three basic flavors, that is, the Ti4200, the Ti 4400 and the the Ti 4600. The latter offers the currently most powerful graphics combination, the 4400 is a gap-filler and the 4200 is serious business at a budget price. We have taken the ASUS V8420 Pure and the V8460 Ultra Deluxe and compared them to the ATI RADEON 8500 and the GeForce 3 TI 500 (ASUS V8200 T5). What it comes down to is pretty much a deathmatch between the RADEON 8500 and the V8420, especially since both cards are positioned in the same price range. So where are the winners and where are the losers? And let's not forget the "Best of Show" either.

Check it out at: lostcircuits

More letters @ dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:23 AM EST

Another of my I/O letters columns has hit the Web.

This one deals with strange wiggly motherboard traces, DVD-to-CD spammers and what they're really trying to sell, figuring out what flavour a P-III is, how a computer with hundreds of megabytes of free RAM can run out of system resources, motherboard chipset drivers, how to persuade your BIOS that your fast AGP video card is more interesting than your slow PCI one, and where you should stick a thermal sensor.

Check it out at: dansdata

More ranting @ dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:22 AM EST

I've put up another Ground Zero column on Dan's Data. This one's all about memory effect - the supposed loss of capacity from which rechargeable batteries suffer, if you don't discharge them completely before recharging.

In brief, it's a bunch of hooey. And somewhat environmentally disastrous hooey, at that.

Check it out at: dansdata

Vantec Tornado 80mm fan review @ OverclockersClub
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:19 AM EST

"I'm always looking for the bigger, better, and faster computer fans. The black label delta fan was one of my favorite heatsink fans, up until the the Sunon 80mm 50.2cfm hit the market. Now, there is a newer fan on the market called the Vantec Tornado. Just as the name implies, this fan is really a tornado! It blows out 84.1 cfm of air, which is unbelievable for it's size!"

Check it out at: OverclockersClub

Part II: Setting an Inventory, and Ordering It All @ Bitbender
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:17 AM EST

“Here, we are going to show how we established a parts inventory for a "Home Rig", and one method for finding parts on the internet. The parts and computer that we build from this list will be featured in the BBF "How To" categories. It's the last rig built, and is NOT what one should consider a "model" list of equipment for YOUR PC.

There are many outlets for computer hardware, we will not address them all, for they are numerous. We will only say this, that it's best to take your time, and shop around. Avoid used parts from individuals, unless you know them, or the quality of the part. A faulty card, or device could cause damage to other components.”

Check it out at: Bitbender

New How To Series: Building your own computer from Home @ Bitbender
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:14 AM EST

Part I: Should I Buy or Build

“The decision to build a computer from scratch may come from many different perspectives. Some may be mechanically inclined, others want a new challenge, and others still, are seeking the savings they believe is associated with "building your own".

The standardization of components in personal computers has made it fairly easy to construct a basic, off the shelf computer, that will perform as well, or better, as any made by a computer company.

To that end, this thread is a starting point to help you in the process of determining whether or not to build.”

Check it out at: Bitbender

Thermaltake Smart Fan 2 Review @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:05 AM EST

"A fan's a fan, right? So what?

No! This is not just another fan! This is a SMART fan! I don't know of any company that makes a fan quite like this one. This fan has the ability to change it's speed on-the-fly, which means, (if the mode is selected) if your case temp (or wherever you attach the thermal probe to) increases, this fan will pick up it's speed and keep the case cool. Also, if the case is nice and cool, the fan will slow a little, to give your ears a rest. While this is only one of the three functions offered with this puppy, I think that it's the most useful. (keep reading to hear about the other two functions later on)."

Check it out at: ReviewNation

Thermalright AX-7 HSF Review @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:03 AM EST

"Today's review will cover the Thermalright heatsink AX-7. Thermalright has some of the best heatsinks in the industry and claim many of the top spots for best cooling solutions. If you've been in the AthlonXP forums, you probably have heard a few people talking about how great this heatsink is. So of course I had to get one for myself to see how it measures up and to decide whether to give it a permanent home in my box. (I would like to thank Thermalright for providing the AX-7 bare heat sink to us for testing.)…"

Check it out at: ReviewNation

Cooler Master HSC-V62 Auto Speed CPU Cooler Review @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 8:01 AM EST

"With constant increases in processor clock speeds, and the growing trend of high processor overclocking, heat can become a serious issue, while the sound produced by some products can be overwhelming. Cooler Master has not only combined a masterfully crafted copper heatsink with a smart fan technology to maximize cooling, while minimizing the resulting sound."

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Aerocool AS-6032cu heatsink review @ overclockersclub
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 7:59 AM EST

"Today we will be taking a look at the AS-6032cu Skive Fin Series CPU Cooler from Aerocool. This is the latest edition to there Skive Fin Series of CPU Coolers. This CPU cooler has an all copper heatsink which is very impressive. The base is polished to a mirror like finish and the fins are polished on one side and textured on the other. Let's take a closer look at this CPU cooler."

Check it out at: overclockersclub

4 Heatsink Shootout @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 7:59 PM EST

"It was time for me to build a new machine. As I was collecting the individual components I called playafly187 to see which heat sinks he suggested for the AMD XP1900 I had purchased to go with my Soyo KT333 Dragon Ultra Motherboard. He said that he had a few heat sinks for review and asked if I would be interested. Always one willing to try new toys I said sure. He then gave me 3 heatsinks to review. I decided to also use the stock AMD heatsink that came with the XP chip to provide a base for comparison, my rationale being that nobody would possibly put out a heat sink that wasn't at least as good as the stock AMD. Lo and behold this is one of the few times that an assumption on my part didn't prove embarrassing."

Check it out at: OCIA

Vantec stealth @ eliteHW
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 7:58 PM EST

“Vantec has been all over the cooling market these days. Their release of the Tornado was applauded by the diehard overclocking group as a replacement for the popular Delta line of fans. Obviously, not everyone wants to have a “tornado” and the accompanying noise in their cases! So, in order to please the quiet case crowd (like me) they have created the “Stealth” line of fans. The name “Stealth” implies a certain level of silence. Hopefully these fans won’t disappoint. Vantec has been all over the cooling market these days. Their release of the Tornado was applauded by the diehard overclocking group as a replacement for the popular Delta line of fans. Obviously, not everyone wants to have a “tornado” and the accompanying noise in their cases! So, in order to please the quiet case crowd (like me) they have created the “Stealth” line of fans. The name “Stealth” implies a certain level of silence. Hopefully these fans won’t disappoint.”

Check it out at: eliteHW

Asus V8460 Ultra Deluxe graphic card Review @ Active-Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 7:56 PM EST

At times, it seems that the various versions of the GeForce 4 Ti4600 floating around the market are essentially identical, but that isn't always the case. The Asus V8460 Ultra Deluxe, for example, has managed to set itself apart by offering the most complete package we've seen in a card of this class.

Check it out at: Active-Hardware

Return To Castle Wolfenstein Review @ Geekshelter
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 7:54 PM EST

"Return to Castle Wolfenstein brought back memories of playing Wolfenstein 3-D, one of the first and greatest 1st-person shooters ever. That was a long time ago. Now, with the release of the 2nd installment, RTCW delivers. I find that some aspects could be worked on (like the story, they could of made it a bit more real to life) but some parts should be left alone (the multiplayer is one of the best I have ever seen) and some should be tweaked just a little (making the person with the Panzerfaust just a wee bit faster!) Return to Castle RTCW is played out in Germany during World War II. You are an allied special forces agent who has gone behind enemy lines. As you are behind enemy lines you investigate Nazi experiments with..........the supernatural...........alone......with no outside help."

Check it out at: Geekshelter

BeanTech Igloo3 Aluminum Chassis @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 8:13 AM EST

Today at GamePC, we've taken a short and sweet look at a new aluminum chasses from a new face on the scene, BeanTech. Based on the Lian Li PC-60 base layout, BeanTech has spit-shined the design and added quite a few new features to the mix. Integrated fan speed controls, tool-less drive installation, and included rubber padding for hard disk noise reduction, just to name a few. Not to mention, it's got a sleek black appearance and a brushed aluminum alloy finish.

Check it out at: GamePC

EPoX 4G4A+ Intel 845G Motherboard. @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 8:12 AM EST

"The progress of computer technology is non-stop. New features like USB 2.0, DDR333 support, RAID, support for 533 Intel Pentium 4 processors, and among others, are in high demand. In addition, more and more devices are being integrated into an all-in-one motherboard. EPoX takes all the useful features one would ever need and combines them into one awesome entity: the EP-4G4A+."

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Lian-Li PC-601 & Skyhawk MSR-4610 Shootout Review @ Explosive Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 8:11 AM EST

"This time, Lian-Li has sent us their PC-601 USB, which at the time of this review had not even been listed as a product on their product page. Skyhawk's MSR-4610 has been out for a little longer. If you take a look at both of them you will find the designs incredibly similar. It seems to me that the PC-601 was made to address the needs of those that wanted a clean looking aluminum case with a front I/O panel."

Check it out at: Explosive Labs

SunBeam 'Multi-Colored' CCFL Kit Review @ GideonTech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 8:08 AM EST

GideonTech is on a CCFL addiction. We've taken a look at almost every make and model available out there so far. From single to dual CCFL tubes, we've seen 'em all. But lately, you may have heard and seen preview pics on every case mod site online about multi-color CCFLs. Instead of spamming you folks to death with another 'picture' only link, we bring you the world's first review on these kits.

Check it out at: GideonTech

Thermaltake Volcano 9 HSF Review @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 8:07 AM EST

"Thermaltake, a well-known company around most pc-enthusiasts, which makes cooling products for almost every aspect of your computer has just raised the bar with their new cpu cooler; the Volcano 9. While this HSF resembles its predecessors, the major change is the switch from the 60/70mm to an 80mm fan..."

Check it out at: ReviewNation

DesignComp DCi CM 42-BL DIY Acrylic Case Kit Review @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 8:05 AM EST

With that said, we're ready to begin. DC was right about one thing: you need a lot of space because you'll find yourself reaching this way and that for all sorts of parts. Once the work area is set up (in this case, my bed covered with a dedicated Mikhailtech blanky) it's time to rip off the tape and open to bubble wrap bags. In the way of panels there are a total of eight; top and bottom, left and right, front and back, and two that make up the vertical drive cage. I would suggest you leave some in the bags until you're ready to use them, else you might make a few scratches. Put your gloves on, cause it's time to play Bob the Builder!

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Cooler Master Alloy Mouse Pad Review @ overclockercafe
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 8:00 AM EST

“While the Cooler Master Alloy Pad is not as frag happy as the Ratpad, it does have much more than its share of style. That shiny beveled edge and cool aluminum color definitely make a mark. The six thin non-skid feet do the job and not one bit of flex did we experience. With the thing being constructed of metal, I would hope not! The Cooler Master Alloy Pad reminds us that sometimes it’s not all about performance, it is also about sharp looks and lots of style.”

Check it out at: overclockercafe

MSI 8340 40x12x48 CDRW Burner Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 7:55 AM EST

"Associating a CD-Burner with MSI, the motherboard and video card manufacture may not be the first thing we think of, but the link is there. Plus it also makes sense if you consider that with every motherboard that gets sold, someone will invariably need a CDROM, or in this case a 40X CD-R, 12x CD-RW and 48x CD-ROM CD-RW drive."

Check it out at: pcstats

FrozenCPU Blizzard 900 Case Review @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 7:54 AM EST

"The FrozenCpu Blizzard 900 See Through is certainly a great case overall. With a few quirks here and there which may not bother the average user considering the extreme value of the case. For $99 you get a pre-installed window with your choice of color, a 350W Q-Power power supply, top mounted blowhole with fan and two extra USB ports located on the front bezel."

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Samsung 19" LCD Review @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:17 PM EST

"It seems like just yesterday that the neighbor's massive15" CRT with more curvature than a baloon was the best thing since sliced bread. Unfortunately for our credit cards, that's simply not the case. Samsung's new 19" LCD boasts incredible visual clarity, combined with a tiny footprint, and a plethora of other features."

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Heatsink Fundamentals: Contact Resistance Article @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:16 PM EST

"One of the biggest pieces of advice I have ever given to people looking for their own heatsink is to first flip the mass of metal over and look at the bottom. A good surface finish is what we hope to see, and most of the time we'll find something a less appealing. This isn't always the be all and end of a heatsink, though it does tend to knock many coolers out of the performance circle. So why is the surface finish on the bottom of a heatsink so important? The answer to that question lies in something called thermal contact resistance. This is described as the temperature drop across the interface between a composite system. Given a perfectly flat metal base, the degree of thermal contact resistance which exists will depend largely on surface roughness effects."

Check it out at: frostytech

Thermalright SLK-800 Heatsink in Video Review #194 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:13 PM EST

"The Thermalright SLK-800 Heatsink coupled with a great fan will cool the hottest CPU's. As current AMD CPU's get faster and faster the need for excellent cooling solutions are required and this Heatsink satisfies with one massive block of copper!"

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

More weird glowy stuff @ dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:11 PM EST

I've been poking and prodding various LED lighting devices again. And, this time, there's actually something computer-relevant in there! That something is Antec's blue and tri-colour LED-lit see-through 80mm fans, which are pretty, and work OK, and aren't stupidly expensive. I also review two things that attach to a Mini Mag-Lite, one thing that doesn't need batteries, one hybrid headlamp, and six plastic ice cubes that light up in different colours. I kid you not.

Check it out at: dansdata

Crucial Technology Launches First Crucial Brand Video Card @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:08 PM EST

"The Crucial Radeon 8500LE video card features 128MB of high-quality Micron DDR SDRAM, 400-MHz RAMDAC, DVI-out, dual-display capability, and a six-foot S-video cable, allowing the video card to connect to a S-video-compatible television display. The video card is available on Crucial's Web site at www.crucial.com and is currently priced at US$134.99. The Crucial video card comes with a limited lifetime warranty, free second-day shipping within the contiguous US (for a limited time), and Crucial's renowned customer service and technical support."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Kiiro Muze MP3 Player Review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:06 PM EST

"The LCD screen is the next thing that caught my attention. It displays a single line of text and several small icons and buttons that indicate that other features are active. It has a very impressive viewing angle, and the brightness is adjustable via the menu interface once the player is turned on."

Check it out at: DeviantPC

Crucial introduces video card
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:05 PM EST

First RAM, then flash cards, and now a Crucial video card?

Today Crucial Technology, the online memory upgrade leader, launched a new product--the Crucial(R) Radeon(TM) 8500LE 128MB video card powered by ATi, featuring Micron(R) DDR.

Check it out at: Crucial

CF-S868 gBOX P4 Aluminum Barebone System Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 9:02 PM EST

"Out of the box, there is only really one word to describe this system and that is "outstanding". The initial design of the CF-S868 gBOX P4 Aluminum Barebone System must been seen in person to appreciate the amount of craftsmanship that comprises the complete unit. The entire enclosure is made of brushed aluminum and surrounded by 1/4" thick acrylic Plexiglas panels. The Plexiglas panels serve two purposes, with the first adding to the overall look of the case and the second acting as a protective shield for the brushed aluminum. The gBOX measures approximately 9.5"(H) x 8.3"(W) x 12"(D), which makes this unit suitable as a LAN case or portable workstation. One of the nice features about the construction, is that it follows the tradition of tool less design and incorporates the use of chrome thumbscrews on the front, side and rear panels."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Windows PE Revealed @ Icrontic
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 8:59 PM EST

There are two different versions of Windows PE - 32-bit and 64-bit. One is for the x86 architecture, and the other for IA64, respectively. WinPE is too large, of course, to fit on a floppy disk, but it will however fit on any other bootable media, including a CD-ROM, DVD, a RIS server, or just on a machine's hard disk. The CD image weighs in at around 120MB, but takes up a mere 40MB of memory after fully booted (x86 version). Here's a more detailed breakdown of where the space is going:

Check it out at: Icrontic

iRock 520 64MB MP3 Player Review @ OnePC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 8:59 AM EST

"For a list price of less than $100 USD, the iRock 520 MP3 player provides 64MB of built-in memory, includes a SmartMedia expansion card slot and has great audio quality. Find out if this player gets a thumbs up or a thumbs down inside."

Check it out at: OnePC

MPIO-DMK Mp3player review @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 8:57 AM EST

Designtechnica has a review of one of the smallest MP3 players on the market. About the size of a lipstick tube and with great sound its no wonder the MPIO-DMK MP3 player has received Designtechnica’s prestigious Innovation and Technology Award.

Check it out at: Designtechnica

AKASA Rounded "Glow in the Dark" cables @ Viperlair
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 29, 2002 at 8:55 AM EST

"What I actually saw was some very cool silver effect braided cables. Yep that's right, when there not glowing they look just as cool. The outer rubber casing is the luminous part and in clear daylight its translucent showing off all of the braiding inside. If you look at them in a shadowy area then there is a green tint to the translucent rubber, but I expected the green shade to be more prominent than it was. The next thing I noticed was at each end of the cables at the plugs was a "tag" notifying you of what the plug is."

Check it out at: Viperlair

Sunbeam cold cathodes Reviewed @ UH
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 8:47 PM EST

"You can see the cathode is an acrylic protecting tube with cubic ends. This is what gives the cathodes its toughness. When I recieved these, they came via the post. I was a little bit shocked to see this, as cold cathodes sent by post can be a mistake. But when I opened the package up there was no damage at all. This is obviously due to the acrylic protecting tube."

Check it out at: Unique Hardware

Using Partition Magic to Manage Your Hard Disks @ Bitbender
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 8:46 PM EST

“The reasoning behind splitting a large drive into several partitions is so that we can manage the free space more efficiently, and give us somewhere to store our files away from the main system drive. Using this layout, we minimize the chances of losing personal data in the event of our Windows system becoming corrupt or non-bootable. This disk layout will not however safeguard your data in the event of a hard disk failure.”

Check it out at: Bitbender

Thermaltake Volcano 7+ Review @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 8:44 PM EST

"It is obvious that users want the most efficient product for the cheapest price - usually mutually exclusive requirements - but with their Volcano 7+, ThermalTake have provided one of the best, if not the best Intel Pentium 4 heat-sink available. Best of all, it only costs just $34.95 from HardCore Cooling.com. With its glimmering copper fins and shiny base, it will make you instantly fall under the hypnotic power of its beauty."

Check it out at: OcPrices

Everglide Giganta, MouseSkatez & Special Ops Mousepads Review @ AusPCWorld
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 7:29 AM EST

Ever seen a large mousemat? And I mean large.. A mousemat designed exclusively for game playing. This is the mat for you, The Everglide Giganta is designed for the hardcore gamer, made especially to give you just the right room to have every gaming advantage possible! Lets take a look at Giganta from Everglide Australia. We also take a look at the Special ops mousemat, and a handy addon for smooth mouse gliding and accuracy called MouseSkatez.

Check it out at: AusPCWorld

EXCLUSIVE: Windows PE @ eliteHW
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 7:25 AM EST

“WinPE lets you create (diskpart.exe) and format (format.com) disk partitions, and gives you access to both NTFS file system partitions (with some constraints) and your internal network. The environment supports all mass storage devices that use Windows 2000 or Windows XP drivers, and you can incorporate additional drivers as new devices become available.

Using WinPE allows you to port your existing MS-DOS-based tools to a subset of the 32-bit Windows APIs, so you can more easily maintain these applications in a standard development environment, such as Microsoft Visual Studio. These hardware diagnostics and other preinstallation utilities can then use the same signed Windows XP drivers in the computers you manufacture, and you will no longer need to request 16-bit drivers from independent hardware vendors (IHVs).”

Check it out at: eliteHW

Kingwin KT-436BK Black Aluminum Alloy Case Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 7:23 AM EST

"Want a aluminum case? What to save a couple of bucks? Don't need a window? Well, I would have to say that this would be a safe and intelligent purchase. For approximately $30 dollars less than the equivalent competition, you get sturdy aluminum-alloy lightweight construction, 150cfm's of airflow, removable motherboard tray, all black finish, gold trim and completely toolless entry."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Special Made Appliqués Reviewed @ ReviewSource
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, July 27, 2002 at 9:17 PM EST

"If you're a big computer modder, then you probably have a window kit, or two installed on your computer, right? Why leave that window showing your computer parts sit there plain, with out any excitement on it? Why don't you add a exciting custom made logo to it!? "

Check it out at: ReviewSource

Swiftech MCW462-UT Water Cooling Kit Review @
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, July 27, 2002 at 9:15 PM EST

You can see the TEC just between the waterblock and the copper cold plate in the picture above. Speaking of the TEC, the one on MCW462-UT is rated a huge 226W and heats up like hell on one side, while the other side is below 0C. But this kind of TEC needs a lot of power. It uses a standard 12V rail, but it can also use a 15V rail if you have a special TEC PSU. The biggest problem is the amperage, because the TEC is rated to require about 20-24A from a 12V rail. This is pretty high, since most 300-350W PSUs only have 18-20A on the 12V rail. More powerful PSUs like the 400-550W version might have enough power for this TEC, but only a select few.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

NickLock (Hard Drive Selector) Review @ AusPCWorld
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, July 27, 2002 at 7:43 AM EST

Have you ever bought a new PC and ever needed to switch back to some data you had on the old one? NickLock enables you to have two independent OS's running on two different Hard disks, with the easy of a lock and key, you can switch from one to the other. Keeping your data secure and detached from the other hard disk.

Check it out at: AusPCWorld

FrontX Port Extender Review @ AusPCWorld
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, July 27, 2002 at 7:41 AM EST

Have you ever had to get on your knees behind your computer to plug something in, I know I have many times. Their is nothing worse then crouching under a dark desk, looking at the back of the PC to plug in your Microphone, or USB cable. Ever wondered why they dont put these to the front of your PC for easier access? A product called the Front X does all that and more and attempts to eliminate these kind of problems.

Check it out at: AusPCWorld

Thermaltake Xaser II A6000A PLUS Review @ hardcoreware
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, July 27, 2002 at 7:38 AM EST

Thermaltake has come a LONG way since the Golden Orb over 2 years ago. Their entire product lineup consists of some of the most unique, stylish cooling products on the market, and the Xaser II is no different.

Starting with Antec's awesome case design, Thermaltake brings it further than no other, with some unique mods like temperature guages, fan speed controls, and a HUGE window! The fit and finish is something we've come to expect from Thermaltake over the years.

Check it out at: hardcoreware

ThermalTake G4-VGA Copper Cooler (Review) @ SystemCooling
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 9:36 PM EST

"Since the release of the history making Thermaltake Blue Orb two years ago, Thermaltake has become the enthusiast market's leader in graphic chipset cooling solutions. With each new release of the Geforce line Thermaltake created a new version of their famous orb-shaped cooler. First was the Blue Orb with the Geforce 2, then the Chrome Orb for the Geforce 3, and now the G4-VGA Copper Cooler for the Geforce 4 family of graphic chipsets."

Check it out at: SystemCooling

OCA's Guide to backing up DVD to DivX @ ocaddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 9:34 PM EST

"What you need: A PC with 128M ram and at 1G or better CPU. This has been tried and tested on Win2K (sp2). Do a disk defrag before and after every successful creation but only after you have deleted all the “old” files that got created but are no longer needed. A sound card that can play MP3. Turn off any power save options that relay on keyboard activity.

Have at least 8G (NTFS or FAT32) of disk space. Conversion is almost entirely CPU intensive, and whatever CPU you have will run 100% utilised during the various process’s. So be sure your PC has a fast processor and good cooling."

Check it out at: ocaddiction

Abit IT7-MAX Motherboard (Intel 845E) in Video Review #193 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 9:28 PM EST

"The Abit IT7-MAX Motherboard is legacy free and loaded with goodies like onboard, Audio, NIC, USB2, Firewire, and RAID. It doesn't stop there; this motherboard is one of the best on the market for overclocking yielding fantastic results. Just be sure to have a USB keyboard and mouse on hand."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

Samsung/Powmem PC2700 RAM review @ phlux
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 9:25 PM EST

"With the CPU FSB at 133MHz, and the RAM at 166MHz (333DDR - the rated speed of the RAM and motherboard) CL2, I booted into Windows fine. So I started overclocking the system a little, keeping the RAM at HCLK+33 to provide a RAM speed of 33MHz over the FSB all the time. Eventually I got a stable speed of 143MHz with the RAM at 176 (352DDR) with some fairly aggressive memory timings in the BIOS. CAS 2-3-5-3 with 4-bank interleave, 1T command enabled, memory speed set to Ultra (the fastest) and burst length set to 8QW. I managed to boot with less aggressive settings and CL2.5 at 147FSB (360DDR for the RAM) into Windows and take a WCPUID screengrab."

Check it out at: phlux

MSI 845E Max2 mainboard Review @ Active-Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 9:24 PM EST

The aptly named 845E Max2 is the first MSI motherboard to feature the i845E chipset that we've reviewed. As a result of its milestone birth, it has been gifted with just about every bit of functionality and connectivity its designers could think of: a 10/100Base-T controller, USB 2.0 ports, and even wireless Bluetooth communications technology.

Check it out at: Active-Hardware

Stomp Inc. MySoundStudio @ ViperLair
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 9:19 PM EST

So you have your Britney Spears MP3s. Why not make them a little more edgy with some gangsta rap? If you're an aspiring DJ, Stomp Inc. may have a product for you.

Loading in a stereo MP3 displays the waveforms of both the left and right channels allowing you to edit them separately. You can add a multitude of effects to the entire track or just a selected part of the track via the pull down effects menu. All of these effects pop up a window to allow you to tweak the individual effect to your liking.

Check it out at: ViperLair

Gainward GeForce 4 PowerPack! Pro/450 Review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 8:00 AM EST

"The Gainward card is unusual in the fact that it does not stick to the NVIDIA guidelines; Gainward always try and push each card to give it "something else" over other manufacturers' cards. In this case Gainward have added 5.0ns DDR-SDRAM to the MX420 instead of the SDR-SDRAM depicted above. The additional memory bandwidth provided by the DDR should boost the Pro/450 over other GeForce 4 MX420s."

Check it out at: DeviantPC

OCSystem Geforce 4 ti 4200 video card review @ OverclockersClub
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 7:58 AM EST

"This card was impressive in keeping up with my Asus! For a company that I have never heard of, they have made quite the impression with me.Companies can either walk the walk or talk the talk, this company can do both. This card beat my Asus Ti4600 right out of the box. Only way that my Asus can beat this card is by overclocking it. I almost hit 300FPS twice with Ti4200 very impressive. Nice feature to have the Thermaltake fan on it as well. I'm still in shock with the performance with this card."

Check it out at: OverclockersClub

DesignComp DIY Acrylic Case Review @ GideonTech
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 7:49 AM EST

GideonTech had a chance to test out the worlds first DIY acrylic case from DesignComp. Instead of getting a pre-constructed case, this one comes in pieces ready for you to put together.

Check it out at: GideonTech

NVIDIA NV3X Architectural Overview @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 7:47 AM EST

Good evening folks! Chris is right back at it tonight with his affinity for all things 3D. Tonight we have a brief architectural overview of NVIDIA's up coming NV3X family of GPUs. Come check out what NVIDIA is planning to bring to the table with DirectX 9 features, capabilities and performance.

Check it out at: HotHardware

Zalman CNPS5100-Cu heatsink review @ OverclockersClub
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 7:45 AM EST

"Yesterday, I did a review on the CPNS6000-CU heatsink, another Zalman product. Today, I will be reviewing a newer product that Zalman offers, the CNPS 5100-Cu heatsink. The CNPS 5100-Cu doesn't look as unique as the CPNS6000-CU heatsink, however it does have its own unique design. Zalman, has chosen to engineer the CNPS 5100-Cu like the conventional heatsinks we are use to seeing, but with their own little twist."

Check it out at: OverclockersClub

Antec SX-830 Vinyl Dye Mod Guide @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 7:44 AM EST

There are many modifications that can be done to your case, but one of the easiest, most cost effective, and aesthetically pleasing mods is a relatively simple vinyl dye modification for your front bezel. It can easily be completed in one afternoon, but it requires a good deal of patience to prevent from over-spraying the surface. The end result of this mod can turn your plain and drab looking beige tower case into an original and unique case that shows off your personality.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Sunbeam Tech Tri-Color cold cathode Preview @ PCExtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, July 26, 2002 at 7:41 AM EST

"Sunbeam Tech is now going to unveil the latest version CCFL... The Multi-Color CCFL which combines 3 different colors into only ONE LAMP! It took some work, but we successfully overcame the technical barriers to make different phosphors glow separately. Don't be fooled by cheap imitations that use colored acrylic or painted stripes. This is the real deal, so get one soon and you will be pimpin' at the next LAN party!"

Check it out at: PCExtreme

SOHO Router Reviewed @ BurnOutPc
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 8:37 PM EST

"Upon receiving the Nexland ISB SOHO router I could not quell my excitement. Dodging past my wife holding out my baby (ready for a diaper change) I rushed into my office and shut the door. Ahh alone at last, ripping open the Fed Ex box…Mike, your product here is kick-ass, thanks for the support!"

Check it out at: BurnOutPc

Magic I Key Chain Review @ Unique Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 8:36 PM EST

"So, what is the Magic I Key Chain? Well its used to store information such as telephone numbers. It also has the capability to show you world time and information of 100 word cities amongst other features. But the main feature is the way you can transfer onto the Magic I, but more about that later"

Check it out at: Unique Hardware

Samsung SpinPoint SP8004H 80GB Hard Drive Review @ Bytesector
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 8:34 PM EST

Samsung’s challenge wasn’t easy; they had to analyze the human ear, and the typical hard drive to understand how we react to the annoying noises produced by the latter. Studies have shown that the constant buzzing of noise could significantly lower productivity, and the experience of watching ... How does it all relate to a hard drive?

Check it out at: Bytesector

Microsoft Sideshow Reviewed @ Icrontic
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 8:31 PM EST

Microsoft Sideshow is a program which is designed to keep the user up-to-date on important information. Not only does it keep track of emails, online contacts, news, weather and the market status but also certain things like the traffic in your area or a certain eBay auction that you’ve got your eye on. But what’s really amazing about this software is the ability to customize it to your OWN needs.

Check it out at: Icrontic

Thermalright AX-7 heatsink reviewed @ ReviewSource
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 8:29 PM EST

Thermalright, one of the more prominent names in CPU cooler technology. With the SK-6 being the heatsink that brought them their claim to fame, they now have an even better and badder cooler to show, the Thermalright AX-7.

Check it out at: ReviewSource

Leadtek Winfast A250 TD Geforce 4 Ti4400 128MB Review @ Explosive Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 8:15 PM EST

"Taking a first glance over this card you will notice it is unusually unlike most Geforce 4's on the market because of the huge heatsink that spans across most of this card's front and back. Since you can imagine how hot this card runs under operations, you are going to need fans to dissipate the heat that gets generated from the GPU and RAM. Leadtek has placed two fans on the front of this card, one in the upper right and one in the lower left."

Check it out at: Explosive Labs

Shuttle SS40G BAREBONE Review @ Hardware-Test
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:35 AM EST

Finally we finished our review of the nice Barebone from Shuttle. It's a cool aluminum case, whit a SIS740 mainbord. It's the first Barebone Shuttle made for AMD, and I can say that I'm impressed. With all the features like Firewire, TV-out and heat-pipe CPU-cooling, this is really worth a closer look.

Check it out at: Hardware-Test

P4PB 266E Mainboard, First to be Based on the VIA Apollo P4X266E Chipset Info @ AusPCWorld
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:33 AM EST

The VIA P4PB 266E offers the performance and feature set necessary to stay abreast in today’s dynamic computing environment. Based on the VIA Apollo P4X266E chipset, the successor of the highly acclaimed Apollo P4X266A, the P4PB 266E mainboard features 533MHz front side bus support for the latest high-speed Intel® Pentium® 4 processors and the rich 2D/3D graphics performance of AGP4X, as well as supporting today’s “must have” features such as DDR266 SDRAM memory, USB 2.0, six channel audio, and ATA/133.

The six USB 2.0 ports on the VIA P4PB 266E enable seamless connectivity to all the latest high speed multimedia devices and peripherals such as digital video cameras, MP3 players, and the next generation of scanners and printers while also providing backwards compatibility with established USB 1.1 standard devices.

Check it out at: AusPCWorld

Plextor PlexWriter 40*12*40 Review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:29 AM EST

"Plextor have always had a good reputation for selling good, well-built drives which were expensive. But now their drives have come down in cost whilst the drives themselves are getting technologically better every few months."

Check it out at: DeviantPC

Directron Charcoal Black 6919 Compucase Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:28 AM EST

"My first impressions of the Directron Charcoal Black 6919 Compucase after removing the packaging were very positive. Out of the box the case is aesthetically pleasing and has been finely detailed in black with silver highlights located on the front bezel. The description of this case advertises "Charcoal Black" which is partly true, the top and side panels are charcoal grey but the front bezel and drive bay plates are flat black. The Compucase measures approximately 8.25" x 18.50" x 21.25" or 210 x 480 x 540mm (WxDxH) which is standard for most mid-tower cases on the market. One distinct feature which is obvious from the design of this case is that it looks similar to the popular Antec, Chieftec and Chenning cases which are widely available."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Highpoint 1520 Serial ATA/150 RAID @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:25 AM EST

Today at GamePC, we've got a first look at one of the most exciting technologies to hit the PC in quite a long while, Serial ATA/150. Finally ridding PC's of those largy, clumsy Ultra ATA ribbon cables, Serial ATA'a new super-small 7-pin connectors not only allow for increased cable length and better case airflow, but also have an increased transfer rate of 150 MB/s, better data protection, and a simple one disk for one cable setup (no master / slave configuration). We test out the first commercially available Serial ATA/150 adapter on the market, the Highpoint Rocket-RAID 1520. We've run benchmarks with this board against other ATA/133 RAID adapters in it's class on some WD Special Edition drives to see how performance matches up.

Check it out at: GamePC

Exclusive Thermaltake Aluminum Case Review @ Overclocker Café
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:23 AM EST

“The aluminum drive bay cover is a hard one to miss with that big red X on it. That door is no flimsy piece of sheet metal either. Depending on if you measure the thickness on the recessed black areas or the sides you will find it to be 2 - 12 mm thick. There was enough metal there that with no components in the case, it was decidedly heavier up front and very much unbalanced. This was intentional on the part of Thermaltake. You will see why shortly.”

Check it out at: Overclocker Café

Vantec Tornado @ eliteHW
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:20 AM EST

“Overclocking has been slowly changing into a mainstream hobby. Enthusiasts enjoy the thrill and fun that can be had by overclocking, however; with overclocking comes heat. Heat has a negative effect on overclocks so it is essential that it is dissipated with a proper heat-sink and fan combo. Today we will be looking at a fan that has been dubbed the “Tornado.” With a name like that, it would seem that this fan should be a very high performer. Let’s see how it does!

Check it out at: eliteHW

Zalman CPNS6000-CU heatsink review @ OverclockersClub
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 7:18 AM EST

"Today, I'm reviewing a heatsink from ZalmanUSA.com, the the Zalman CPNS6000-CU. This is not your ordinary looking heatsink. It is actually the most unique looking heatsink that I have ever came across. It is made mostly of solid copper, with HUGE copper fins fanning out, and is sometimes referred to as the flower heatsink. Because of this design, it has to be the coolest looking heatsink I have seen, but does it cool as good as it looks? Lets find out!"

Check it out at: OverclockersClub

Asus V8420 Deluxe Review (Geforce 4 Ti4200) @ TecCentral
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:47 PM EST

We have reviewed the new Asus V8420 Deluxe VGA Card. The V8420 based on the nVidia Geforce 4 Ti 4200 chipset. In our comparison it had to be able to be measured at the Geforce 3 Ti500 and the Geforce 4 Ti4600.

Check it out at: TecCentral

SunBeam dual cold cathode kit review @ phlux
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:45 PM EST

"Since I've had no previous experience with cold cathode lights, I didn't know what to expect to receive, but I was pleased with what I got. The features of the SunBeam kit are quite impressive. Things like having the power wires from the tubes both coming from one end and the inverter having a dual output are certainly not as standard! In fact, I believe this to be the ONLY dual output inverter on the market."

Check it out at: phlux

Cho Liang CB0315U17 Copper Heatsink Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:42 PM EST

"Cho Liang have been aggressively trying to enter into the lucrative North American markets and one such example of this attitude is the full copper CB0315U17 Socket A Athlon XP heatsink. The heatsink (which really ought to have a less abstract name if it is ever to see wide acceptance) is based on three sets of copper parts, brazed together and then heavily sanded and polished to a mirror finish. The bright, shiny look will absolutely grab your attention if you ever happen to see it on a store shelf.

On the plus side, this finish leaves the heatsink looking like a shiny aerodynamic block of copper. On the negative side, the heavy polishing takes away from some of the machining which tends to indicate manufacturing quality."

Check it out at: frostytech

Kingston PC1066 RDRAM Memory Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:40 PM EST

"Mushkin doesn't manufacturer their own memory, so they simply stuck a sticker on the 256MB PC1066 modules of Kingston ValueRam. The code on the side of the RIMM says KVR1066x16-8/256 and the "1066x16" bit means that this memory is rated to run at up to PC1066 standards and that the memory is 16 bits wide. The "-8" means that the RIMM uses 8 DRAM modules, and the "256" represents the module size. The little yellow diagram is actually telling the truth, the Kingston PC1066 reached about 40-50C during the testing. While I'm not sure if adding a fan is really going to bring the temperature down into a more stable region, it did offer a bit of piece of mind - so we did just that and it helped keep the memory in more acceptable temperatures."

Check it out at: pcstats

Another Speakerset Review, Again 5.1@ BurnOutPc
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:39 PM EST

"Watching DVDs on your 21· flat screen on your uber 1ee7 computer with the iddy biddy speakers? Feel like your 1980·s Ghetto Blaster pumps more than your 2000$ computer? Well today I'm taking a closer look at Trust latest product."

Check it out at: BurnOutPc

Abit Media XP (interface technology) in Video Review #192 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:36 PM EST

"The Abit Media XP implements audio, USB, IEEE1394, IR remote control and card readers in one small unit which fits into a 5 1/4" drive bay. A feature packed product like this will make life a lot easier. However, this unit is only compatible with Abit MAX series motherboards."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

GeIL 256MB PC3500 (DDR 400) @ iamnotageek
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:34 PM EST

GeIL is the first company I know of to release DDR 433 or PC3500, whichever you prefer to call it. Many people have no need for this RAM yet, as very few systems can support RAM running at that speed, but there are a few extreme overclockers out there that have been waiting anxiously for this.

Check it out at: iamnotageek

SIS648 Review @ lostcircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 8:32 PM EST

The third incarnation of the Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS) DDR chipset for the Intel Pentium4 finally got a new name instead of a suffix: SIS 648 where the last digit signifies the new AGP 3.0 compliant x8 interface with 2.0 GB/sec bandwidth. A revamped SouthBridge with increased connectivity for USB 2.0, 3-port IEEE 1394 firewire and ATA133 endorsement offers enough bandwidth hogs to warrant an upgrade of the Multi I/O Link (MuTIOL) interconnect from 533 to 1066 MB/sec bandwidth. Overall, the new chipset convinces with blazing fast performance in the same league as any PC1066 Rambus system, even though we found a few issues, primarily with the ATA interface that need to be resolved before the chipset becomes a undisputedly viable platform.

Check it out at: lostcircuits

Thermaltake GeForce 4 Highest Performance Cooler Review @ Extreme Overclocking
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:53 AM EST

This all-in-one package to cool your GeForce 4 includes an all-copper GPU cooler, RAMsinks, thermal compound & thermal tape, and a 3-to-4 pin adapter. How much higher can you overclock vs. stock cooling, how much cooler does the GPU run? You will have to check out the review to find out... :)

Check it out at: Extreme Overclocking

How to create an emergency boot disk for win98-win98se @ Alltechbox
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:37 AM EST

"In spite of the increasing diffusion of Windows ME or XP , Windows 98 remains the reference operating system for home users and tweakers. Since the stability of this system is not always very good , I will explain how to create a boot disk containing all you need to readjust your PC if something goes wrong"

Check it out at: Alltechbox

Protect your components from electrostatic electricity how-to @ Alltechbox
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:35 AM EST

"Electrostatic electricity manifests itself when two materials that were in contact are separated, during this action a lack of balance among the electrons of the two materials take place, creating charges of opposite sign on the two materials."

Check it out at: Alltechbox

PC Geiger Review @ DeviantPC
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:33 AM EST

"The PCGeiger markets as a PCI Bus Malfunction Analyser, which is true, but it is capable of much more. It provides an easy interface with the hardware in your system. It provides data on boot up sequence (error), displays overclocking information and can use functions such as CMOS reset or IDE master/slave selection."

Check it out at: DeviantPC

Nexland ISB SOHO Router (Review) @ ipkonfig
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:31 AM EST

"We see routers and hubs all over the place in our favorite computer stores. Some wonder if it's something they need, or even want, for that matter. I've found myself walking through some of these stores watching others scratch their heads and pondering if what they're about to purchase is the right equipment. Nexland, fortunately, has made deciding, choosing and buying a tad easier for wannabe home networkers, and have even made it affordable!

Setting up the Nexland ISB SOHO router is quite straightforward. The steps laid out in the manual are very clear-yes, even for you illiterates. Nexland has included everything from the manual to the cable."

Check it out at: ipkonfig

Logitech iFeel Mouse Review @ Viperlair
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:28 AM EST

"On the front of the box, Logitech claims that this mouse will help the average user "Feel the web for easier navigation" and "Feel [his or her] desktop for improved accuracy." Now, despite how much I disagree with this, I must give Logitech some credit for how dynamic the range of "tactile sensations" are generated by this little thing. The vibrations range from short bursts to long shakes, it can even make musical notes when it vibrates."

Check it out at: Viperlair

The CrazyPC Biohazard Case Mod Reviewed @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:27 AM EST

It seems that case modding is becoming more and more popular these days. Several large websites like CrazyPC dedicate themselves to offering the latest hardware for people who want more out of their rigs. Some will simply buy a motherboard with a colored PCB, while others are adding lights, windows and anything else that will make their rig look special. Today we have a unit that definitely falls in the later category. CrazyPC has put together the Biohazard Case MOD, which matches a high quality Lian-Li case with some impressive laser cut designs. Take a look!

Check it out at: HotHardware

Lian Li PC-50 Case Review @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:24 AM EST

"Aluminum cases have come along way in terms of market acceptance. What used to be an expensive novelty item, is now a mainstream product, and a must have for PC enthusiasts. From their great "brushed" aluminum look, to there lightweight and quality build, these cases have become extremely popular. Well today we will look at one of the biggest players in the case market, Lian Li. James was nice enough to send us over a PC-50 for review..."

Check it out at: ReviewNation

Nikao Zeus Case Review @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:23 AM EST

"I am going to be using this Zeus case for a long time, I can feel it. It's everything I look for in a case; sturdy construction, high user-friendliness, and the phrase, "Blue Steel," comes to mind every time I look at it. The case sports a plexiglass, oval-shaped, side window, which is great since it allows all your friends to marvel at the engineering masterpiece you have created inside. The mid-tower features four 5.25 inch bays and seven 3.5 inch, (six hidden for hard drives, one exposed for a floppy drive.) That is a lot of bays for a mid-tower. J It supports three 80mm fans, on the back, top, and front, although the front is rather tricky to reach. It's a great case with a sleek look, but there are a few, albeit minor, problems…"

Check it out at: ReviewNation

Old Computer Fun Guide (Part 2) @ ReviewNation
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 10:21 AM EST

"Is that computer totally useless? So what if it can't run any recent software? It can still access files, right?

Ever wished you could share your mp3's with all the computers on your home network without leaving your noisy computer on? Well, that old (and almost inaudible) computer can quite quickly be turned into a full-functioning file server!..."

Check it out at: ReviewNation

World Premier: DesignComp Acrylic Case Kit (Review) @ systemcooling
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:24 PM EST

"When Andrew Smith of DesignComp, inc. first told me he was sending me this case kit for review, I asked him one question; “are the directions idiot proof” his reply was “yes Bob, even you can put it together” and he was right. I think there was a hidden message in what he said!

Each packet of parts/screws, etc. is meticulously labeled and they have even included a pair of white gloves to prevent smudges or fingerprints on the acrylic parts during assembly."

Check it out at: systemcooling

Mushkin pc3200 / Crucial pc2700 on the kt333 Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:21 PM EST

"This review is going to be approached a little bit differently than most 3dXtreme reviews. While it's not really a roundup it's more of a comparison. The market for ram has been changing so quickly right now it's hard to keep up. Faster ram hitting the market and the prices have been fluctuating quite a bit. So what ram is the right ram for you right now? Do you buy something like Muskin's pc3200 (400 mhz) which will take us into the next generation of motherboards the kt400? Or do you buy something like Crucial's pc2700 (333 mhz) and worry about buying faster ram when the kt400 boards arrive?"

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Trek 16MB Thumbdrive Smart Review @ GideonTech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:20 PM EST

"Some of the best features of this drive is the ability to use this on pretty much any USB enabled computer. All Windows OSes are supported except for Win95 and NT. What also is good about this, is that no drivers are needed on WinMe, 2000 and XP. With Windows 98/SE, a simple driver installation will get this drive working for you. There is also support on the Mac under OS 8.6, 9.x or 10.x."

Check it out at: GideonTech

Business Oriented Integrated Motherboard Roundup @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:18 PM EST

"Faced with the purchase of dozens of new computers, government agencies, schools and businesses need to find ways to keep costs down while still getting the equipment they require. "White box" systems based on integrated motherboards offer one of the best ways to lower the price of a new PC, as long as the application is right. Businesses looking to build workstations for high-end applications will obviously have to side with more expensive computers, but for the majority of standard office work System Administrators on a budget are well served."

Check it out at: pcstats

Holesaw blowhole mod @ phlux
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:16 PM EST

"The first stage of the prepping for the cutting is to mask off the holes. I de-tacked the masking tape by sticking it to my clothes then pulling it off, so as to not damage my case's paintwork when it is removed after cutting, then stuck it so it covered the mounting holes and the hole itself. Once this has been done you come across one problem, you cannot see the holes that you punched, but don't worry, if you push the masking tape down enough and scan the surface you can see where the punched holes are. To make them easier to see once you have found them pencil or pen in a dot over it."

Check it out at: phlux

Wintasks 4 Professional Review @ Active-Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:15 PM EST

Wintasks 4 Professional is a multipurpose application suite that allows users to manage and control their digital resources, such as memory and CPU priorities. WinTasks also permits users to tweak their system's security by hunting down and plugging common security holes.

Check it out at: Active-Hardware

ECS AG400 Video Card @ Active-Hardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:13 PM EST

The ECS AG400 is a graphics card that is based on the SiS Xabre 400 GPU -- the first GPU to support the AGP 8X standard. Not designed to be a GeForce 4 "Titanium" killer. the AG400 is a mid-level product designed to compete with such products as the ATI Radeon 7500, and the Nvidia Geforce 4 MX.

Check it out at: Active-Hardware

Learn how to modify your case @ ReviewSource
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:11 PM EST

"This guide is designed to help all you would-be case modders out there. You know who you are, always drooling over the fantastic cases you see in case galleries, but never thinking you could actually try it yourself. Well, it's not really all that hard, you just need a few basic tools and some imagination."

Check it out at: ReviewSource

Vantec Tornado 80mm Fan Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:09 PM EST

"This review showcases a product that only true cooling enthusiasts will appreciate. Vantac has stepped up and produced the loudest 80mm fan available on the market. While the noise may make this item less than desirable it's specs are quite impressive. The Vantac Tornado is the first 80mm case fan that can push over 84cfm (cubic feet per minute) of air however it's unfortunate that we have to mention that this is at a mind numbing 55.2 dba! Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that this 80mm case fan is going to be reviewed on a cooler! The Thermalright SLK-800 in fact. Once this fan is installed on the SLK-800 there are reports that the Vantac Tornado may actually produce it's usual 84.1cfm at over 70dba."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Ti4200 reference sample from nVIDIA Review @ BurnOutPC
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:35 AM EST

"Today I’m looking at the Ti4200 reference sample from nVIDIA. Even though this card is aimed at the Mid level gamer, this is quite possibly the most cost effective card that I have seen.  The performance for the price ratio is unbelievable and the overclocking capabilities are amazing. Let's first see some specifications on this card."

Check it out at: BurnOutPC

Asus P4T533 Intel 850-E Motherboard with 32-bit RDRAM @ GamePC
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:32 AM EST

Today at GamePC, we've taken a good in-depth look at the newly released Asus P4T533 motherboard. This board is the first on the market to support the newly released 32-bit RIMM-3200 and RIMM-4200 memory modules, which have the highest single module memory bandwidth of any solution on the market. We take a look at this new board and 32-bit RDRAM technology in general, along with testing it against the competing Pentium 4 chipsets currently on the market.

Check it out at: GamePC

Microsoft Wireless Desktop Keyboard and Mouse Review @ OnePC
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:31 AM EST

"If you’re looking for a high quality wireless mouse and keyboard package, you probably realized by now that you don’t have many options. Well, add one more to that short list as we examine Microsoft’s Wireless Desktop offering."

Check it out at: OnePC

Windows XP Tweaking Guide@winhq
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:29 AM EST

"Welcome to WinHQ.Net's Windows XP Tweaking Guide. In this article we have 18 tweaks for your tweaking pleasure. This article will be constantly updated..."

Check it out at: winhq

eVGA MX-440 1U/5v Cooler Mod Guide @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:27 AM EST

After going to my balcony and setting up the "workstation" (old magazines for a table and a plastic bag as the floor mat), I was ready for some cutting. Basically I needed to shave off about 2-3mm from one of the sides. There was a convenient protrusion from the bottom but it was slanted inward to I decided against cutting from that side. This was dumb, since in the end that would have been the easier route. Instead, I started cutting the fins from the top. There was a lot of slipping, a lot of bending, and a lot of sweating. Two of my wheels broke in the process (either the rotation speed was too low or they got temporarily stuck in the fins). I could have sworn one of them bounced off my goggles before vanishing; good thing I had a pair on. After going through four wheels with little done I decided enough is enough.

Check it out at: Mikhailtech

Rounded Silver IDE Cable Review @ 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, July 23, 2002 at 8:22 AM EST

"If you're in the market for new IDE cables or just looking to liven up the inside of your case, silver rounded IDE cables are definitely the way to go! The price on rounded cables has dropped considerably since first being released and the difference in price is negligible. This set provided by Jab-tech.com runs under $15 for two 24" dual channel cables and a single channel floppy cable making it an affordable upgrade to users at any level and budget!"

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Soyo Dragon KT333 Ultra Platinum Edition Review @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:21 PM EST

"As usual with Dragon boards, I was highly impressed with the Ultra. It is a welcome update to the KT266A Plus, with a host of new great features including USB 2.0 and the ability to run with the PC2700 DDR standard. Add to this the best integrated RAID and Audio on the market, as well as a bundled smartmedia and compact flash reader and its hard to place fault with the Ultra's feature set. This platinum edition is surely the best looking board I have seen, and all of you case modders out there should place it right at the top of your motherboard list. In terms of performance, the Ultra is the best performing Athlon motherboard we have tested to date, with it being marginally quicker than competition using the same chipset. The Soyo board loses out in terms of overclocking to its 8K3A+ rival from Epox, but to all but the most ardent of overclockers it is a far superior choice thanks to all of the additional features."

Check it out at: OcPrices

ECS K7VTA3 v3.1 Mainboard Review @ mbreview
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:19 PM EST

"The ECS K7VTA3 v3.1 comes nicely outfitted considering the budget cost of the board. The K7VTA3 v3.1 features an integrated AC 97’ v2.2 codec, offering decent two channel sound, optional support for USB 2.0 which is provided by the VIA VT6202 USB 2.0 Controller, optional ATA/100 RAID provided by the Promise 20265 chip, and onboard LAN provided by the Realtek RTL8100B chip. It would be nice to see ECS throw in the occasional support for four to six channel audio, however when you consider that anyone looking for true high quality sound, myself for example, will head down the add-on peripheral route, it is acceptable."

Check it out at: mbreview

Toshiba's New Laptop with Popout Keyboard Reviewed @ Ownt
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:16 PM EST

Ownt.com has yanked an article from the latest Popular Science make it their latest "Quick Take". The Quick Take features a little info and a picture of Toshiba's upcoming laptop that is geared toward the user that wants their laptop to be their desktop as well.

Check it out at: Ownt

i845E Motherboard Roundup @ Explosive Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:12 PM EST

"It seems that the i845 line has prevailed in the Pentium 4 line up. Specifically, the i845e has become the most common, and offers one big thing. It is an Intel chipset. Who better to use a chipset from, than the maker of the processor too, right? Well, this has not always been the case. In the past, VIA and SIS have made a good effort at being a platform for Intel processors, and in many instances they have come out on top. [In many times they still do.] Their fade from this scene is due to two things. Intel marketing has done a good job of setting themselves at the “official” Pentium 4 chipset maker, using the line of thinking that the maker of the processor should be the maker of the chipset. And with all the Pentium 4 compatibility issues, the Intel chipsets offer standardized features and better optimization."

Check it out at: Explosive Labs

ECS AG400 SiS Xabre 400 Videocard Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:06 PM EST

"SiS is very hot at the moment and seems to be very much on the ball in terms of producing chipsets. It all started about a year ago with the release of the SiS 735 chipset for the Athlon and has simple grown from there. That chipset was the fastest thing when it came out, totally dominating the competition however SiS's success was not limited to AMD platforms alone, their 645/645DX also was very powerful and popular. When SIS recently announced the Xabre line of Graphics chipsets the hardware community greated the news with some skepticism. Sure on paper the Xabre was powerful in appearance, but how would it really perform in silicon? As it was ultimately destined to be a low cost solution many wondered if it would really be able to compete with nVidia's GeForce4 MX or ATi's Radeon 7500 GPU's."

Check it out at: pcstats

Swiftech MCX4000T Heatsink w/TMD Fan in Video Review #191 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:04 PM EST

"The Swiftech MCX4000™ Heatsink with the Tip Magnetic Drive Fan is simply an unbelievable combo for fantastic cooling results. The heatsink itself has a huge copper base with 429 pins and a very quiet fan that spins 5800 RPM and pushes about 36.8 CFM of air. Achieving great cooling results at reasonable noise levels puts this cooler in a class of its own."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

Cobalt3 Pyramid II Fan Silencer Review @ MODTHEBOX
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:02 PM EST

"My first impressions out of the box were that the Pyramid II Fan Silencer is one of the smallest mini fan controller devices on the market. The unit measures approximately 1.5" X 1.5" X 1" (W X L X H) and is capable of handling up to 6 high performance fans with a maximum of 24 watts. One of the attractive features of the unit is the inclusion of an all clear pyramid acrylic base. Embedded inside the unit is a Colbat3's "smart technology", a mini processor on a PCB circuit which allows fan speed management with built-in fail safe features."

Check it out at: MODTHEBOX

Taisol CEP426151A Pentium 4 Heatsink Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:01 PM EST

"The trend with socket 478 Pentium 4 heatsinks has either been on the side of new and extremely innovative aluminum designs, or very complex and heavy copper based heatsinks. Taisol have taken the simplicity of the extruded aluminum manufacturing process and blended it with a 4mm thick copper base plate. The idea is of course to speed the thermal energy from the processor core to a larger surface area for dispersal. Doin this with a copper heatspreader means that the heat energy is spread over the bottom surface of the aluminum extrusion more efficiently and hence the heatsink should work better."

Check it out at: frostytech

Innoventions Ramcheck Advanced Memory Tester @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 7:59 PM EST

"Designed and built with the reseller, memory manufacturer and computer service center in mind, the Ramcheck memory tester from Houstin-based Innoventions is a one-of-a-kind portable memory testing platform for the professional. At a cost of just under $2,000 USD for the standard unit, the Ramcheck memory tester comes in fairly inexpensive in a market populated by large desktop testers that can range in price from as much as $8,000-$26,000USD. The basic unit comes in a padded protective case with a serial cable, power supply, desktop software and instructions. Depending upon individual requirements, expansion adaptors can be used to widen the capabilities of the Ramcheck from standard 168-pin SDRAM through to DDRAM, SODIMM, SIMM, and even individual TSOP memory modules. The versatility of the unit is quite unique, though at first glace it presents a more humble impression."

Check it out at: pcstats

AKASA Silver Mountain 2Q @ Viperlair
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 9:03 AM EST

"I'm not the only one out there who wants a quiet PC and some manufacturers are starting to realise this and cater for those with a desire for low noise whilst retaining good cooling. AKASA is one such company and have very kindly sent us for review the Silver Mountain 2Q Quiet cooler. AKASA believes that the properties of this cooler are good enough to allow proper cooling with a quiet fan. Well were about to find out for ourselves here at the lair."

Check it out at: Viperlair

Q. Power Water Cooled Case (Review) @ systemcooling
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 9:02 AM EST

"The vast majority of liquid cooling today uses quite offensive methods. When I speak of offensive, I'm talking performance, and whether or not the kit/system is actually quiet. Most think quiet means sacrificing performance; combining them is very hard to accomplish by any means--or is it?

Swiftech has already moved beyond the cooling market, with many popular products that sell very well. Most agree: Swiftech has laid out some very impressive goodies for the consumer. But this time, we're going to look deep inside the Q Power Case, a fully loaded liquid cooled system that has many asking lots of questions about its performance.

When the makers of the Q Power Case began development, two factors were of the utmost importance: quietness, and true performance. But, as you'll find out, there are many special features about this case."

Check it out at: systemcooling

Hardcano2 Hard Drive Cooler Review @ PCExtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:59 AM EST

"Although the Hardcano2 is advertised as a hard drive cooler, it really doesnt do much to cool your hard drive because of the single small fan, and lack of any type of heatsink. The Hardcano2 does have one redeeming quality. It may not cool well, but it looks damned cool installed in your PC, and the LCDs are really nice looking as well. It is an attention getter at LAN parties, and would look excellent in an aluminum case like a Lian Li."

Check it out at: PCExtreme

ATI 9000 / 9700 launch Article @ lostcircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:55 AM EST

The technique employed by ATI consists of Shells and Fins, that is, superimposed over each surface is a shell that is filled with semi-transparent fins which is enough to create realistic looking hair pieces. Dynamic Fur Growth can be achieved by looping the shell command (for twice as long hair, albeit sparse) or the fin command for higher follicle count or a combination of both.

Check it out at: lostcircuits

ATi Radeon 9700 Relative Performance Update @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:51 AM EST

Our man in the field, Chris "I'm a fool the frame rate" Angelini, got behind closed doors, up close and personal with a Radeon 9700, last week at the ATi Launch even in San Fran.

He brought back with him numbers, lots of benchmark numbers on the current revision of the Radeon 9700.  Get out the drool towel and prepare to have R300 envy.

Check it out at: HotHardware

Antec SX-830 Case Blowhole Guide @ Mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, July 22, 2002 at 8:49 AM EST

The next step is to cut the blowhole itself. The cutting disks work very well, but the 2mm cold rolled steel of the Antec case chewed them up very quickly. I went through five disks in cutting the hole. It was after running out of disks that I decided to try and use the carbide cutting bit, much to my chagrin. It is obviously not adept at cutting steel in the manner which I hoped, and I ended up gouging part of the steel outside of the blowhole in the process. After returning from the st