HyTek Computer - News Archive: May 2001

Mikhailtech has posted a Swiftech MCXC370 Heatsink Review
posted by BaBylon5 on Sunday, March 31, 2002 at 5:10 AM EST

Got another swifty heatsink review for ya. Let's see if this one performs as well as some of the other offerings from swiftech. Here's a qoute:

The clipping mechanism is something to behold. For those unaware with how it works, there's a screw with a spring beneath it. Before attaching the heatsink, the spring needs to be tight. Once the clip is on, simply loosen the screw and the spring will expand, therefore causing pressure to increase between the heatsink's base and the CPU core. Once the designated force is applied (around 22lbs) the screw will clear the top of the clip; this is when you stop twisting it. So while a screwdriver is required, minimal force/effort is necessary. What's new about this clip is the 3-prong design. That is, it catches all three hooks which is good if one of yours is broken. It also helps keep the cooler steady.

OcPrices has posted a review on CH Products Flight Sim Yoke & Pro Pedals [USB]
posted by BaBylon5 on Sunday, March 31, 2002 at 4:56 AM EST

If your into flight sims and don't like using the mouse or keyboard to fly then this product might be for you. You can feel like your right in the cockpit. Well ok, if you imagine real hard. Here's a quote:

"I assume you have a worthless game controller or at the very best you are using one of Microsoft's less-than substantial offerings. It's time to grow up and become a game god. Ask me how you can fulfill this destiny. Ask me! O.K. I’ll tell you. You go to CH Products’ website and you buy their expensive game devices. Yes, I did say expensive, but you get what you pay for. Today we are focusing on the Flight Sim Yoke and the Pro Pedals. And together, we will explore the high and lows of these two products."

Designtechnica Reviews Epson's Perfection 1250 Photo Scanner
posted by BaBylon5 on Saturday, March 30, 2002 at 12:01 AM EST

We have a scanner review to look at today. I don't use mine to much but they are handy when you need them. Go see if this one will fill your needs. Here's a quote:

There are a lot of scanners out there. We have seen features get added and maximum resolutions and bits/pixel increase. Is Epson's scanner up to the challenge of common use? Hopefully this will help answer the question, "Is this scanner right for me?"

Mikhailtech has posted a Power Cooler PCH154S Heatsink Review
posted by BaBylon5 on Friday, March 29, 2002 at 11:56 PM EST

Here's another heatsink review from power cooler. Being an important part of your system heatsinks design has become an art. Let's go and see how this one stacks up against the others. Here's a quote:

The overall heatsink design is somewhat atypical of Power Cooler because this is one of the most standardized units out there, kind of like Thermaltake's Volcano5/6 series. The whole thing is a solid block of aluminum and the fins are neither extremely thin (like those achieved via skiving technology) nor too thick. If you happen to get one of these models be sure to check from clearance on your motherboard; keep in mind that from two sides the PCH154S is just as large as the Alpha PAL8045. The base is relatively thick so optimal heat transfer (or at least close to it) should be easily achievable.

Hardware Extreme has posted this article ATI's Limited Edition "Entertain Your Mac" Combo Delivers A Party To Your Desktop
posted by BaBylon5 on Thursday, March 28, 2002 at 9:52 PM EST

MARKHAM, Ontario - For a limited time, ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT) is offering the "Entertain Your Mac" Combo for Apple Macintosh computers just in time to gather friends to watch Major League Baseball, NBA finals, TV show season finales, or any other TV special event. In addition, the "Entertain Your Mac" Combo brings great graphics to the desktop -- the perfect way to take a break with a computer game or video. More details are available at http://www.ati.com.

The "Entertain Your Mac" Combo consists of ATI's RADEON™ 7000 MAC EDITION, a mainstream graphics solution for Apple users featuring dual display support, and ATI's XCLAIM™ TV USB EDITION, an external TV tuner offering a host of great TV features. With a manufacturers' suggested retail price of (US) $199, the "Entertain Your Mac" Combo offers more features and value than any other multimedia offering in its price range. It will begin shipping today to distributors and retailers and will be on shelves next week.

Hardware Extreme has posted this article System Builders Vote AMD ‘Channel Champion’ in CRN’s Microprocessor Category
posted by BaBylon5 on Thursday, March 28, 2002 at 9:40 PM EST

AMD is making a mark in the market. At least to the vendors of North America who voted on this award. Check it out. Here's a snip:

BurnOutPc has posted a review of a Remote Control
posted by BaBylon5 on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 7:04 PM EST

Well I haven't heard the name Packard Bell in a while. They bring us a new product for those lazy people out there. You know who you are. The ones that have trained there dogs to bring them the remote for the TV because it would mean getting up off the couch. This will make you happy because you can add another remote to that collection. This one is for your computer. Check it out. Here's a quote:

"Today I am looking at something different and new. Today I'm looking at a remote control for your pc. This product has been provided by our new sponsor Case-Mod. Control WinAmp, pause movies and more. They are all compatible with this remote. Let's take a closer"

viperlair has posted a Review of Vantec Stealth Fans
posted by BaBylon5 on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 6:52 PM EST

Fans are an important part of a system especially with the highspeed processors producing more heat. Some of us like all the air flow we can get at the expense of the sound level. Others want there system to be quiet and are happy with not pushing it to the limit. These fans are for you quiet folks out there. Here's a quote:

I don't know if fans can get any louder, but they can certainly stand to get a little quieter. Vantec has released a line of near silent fans, and we have a few in-house. Let me tell you, silence really is golden.

"I know true performance enthusiasts are gonna look at the numbers and say "bah!". As one of these users, I'll have to agree. Performance is not as good as the 7000rpm screamers, with 68cfm case fans blasting through your system."

Designtechnica has posted an article about Digital Cable
posted by BaBylon5 on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 6:42 PM EST

Is digital cable all it's cracked up to be? Is satelite as bad as cable providers would like you to think? Go read this article and see if these questions and, others you may have, are answered. Here's a quote:

You see the ads on television boasting how Digital Cable is so much better than satellite. Well, I bought into those ads and I could not tell you how false their advertising and sales are. Journey with me as I venture into the mess of false advertising and promises that is "Digital" Cable.

Inside Project posted a review of Apple’s iPod MP3 player
posted by BaBylon5 on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 6:09 PM EST

This little player boasts 5 gigs of storage with a fast firewire connection. Is it worth the $399.99 price tag? You decide.Here is a piece from the First look:

“Just a bit larger then a pack of cigarettes, and weighing in at a mere 6.5 ounces it is easy to carry around; I just slipped it into the front pocket of my jeans. Since then I have kept it with me at all times. The iPod has an 8th inch jack so it can plug into anything. I have used it in my car, at work, and with my home stereo. Yes, to answer all your questions in one fell swoop, you do have to get the proper adapters.“

Extreme Overclocking has posted a review on the Swiftech QPower Barebones Case
posted by BaBylon5 on Wednesday, March 27, 2002 at 5:59 PM EST

If your a true overclocker then you want as much out of your system as possible. This means water cooling for some willing to take that leap. Swiftech has made that leap a little less ominous with a case and all the parts you need. Our friends over at Extreme Overclocking have done a review on this setup. Go check it out and see if your ready to make the leap to water. Here's a qoute:

Swiftech has taken the popular Lite-On FS020 entry level server case and outfitted it with their water cooling gear. The case comes pre-filled and is ready to have a system dropped in it. It does cost a little more compared to similar products, however Swiftech's uses the largest case and can hold more components, after all the case was made for a server and all its trimmings.

ICEHardware has posted a how to The great Window Mod
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 9:16 PM EST

This article is for those that need that extra little confidence to cut thier own window out. For us modders a window makes the case. Go check out this how to and start cutting. Here's a quote:

"Ever since the advent of case modding the installation of windows into cases has consistently been one of the most popular and effective alterations you can do. While the designs and variety may have increased the basic principles for fitting them have remained the same. In this retrospective guide I'll be looking at techniques I used in the fitting of a window into my PC70 in the hope that it will help those unsure of themselves or convince those who are in two minds."

ICEHardware has posted a Compaq Fingerprint Reader Review
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 9:08 PM EST

Here's something that might interest some of you that need to veryify a persons identification. Go check this little baby out and see if it is for you and your business. Here's a quote:

"Compaq Fingerprint Identification Technology - The Password They'll Never Forget" reads the box of my new fingerprint scanner that I bought the other day. To start with I was very sceptical about how this thing would actually perform, but I saw it had been knocked down from £100 to £20, and paying £100 would usually mean you're getting a good quality item. So I went ahead and ordered one..."

OcPrices has posted a Creative Geforce 4 Ti-4400 Review
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 8:58 PM EST

I have just completed my review of the graphics card that I believe offers the best bang-for-buck performance out there. Overclocking well beyond the speeds of the stock Ti-4600, this Creative Ti-4400 offers incredible performance for the money - hitting clock speeds that put even a Ti-4600 to shame.

Quote:
"Overclocking these new cards is effortless. Not only is clock support included in Creative's 27.50-based drivers, but NVmax supports the card straight out of the box. The cards default clock speeds are 275MHz for the core and 550MHz DDR for the memory. On the core I managed to overclock to a whopping 325MHz with the default cooler, and a massive 677MHz DDR on the memory."

SubZeroTech has posted their review of the Neolec Vento HSF
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 8:47 PM EST

We have another heat sink review. This one is not a well known name so maybe we have been missing something. Go check out the review and see if it compares to some of the better known coolers. Here's a qoute:

Neolec is not very well known here in the US but they seem to be a solid company out in Europe with their head office located in Germany. Neolec carries a full range of cooling solutions, ranging from socket coolers, p4 coolers, chipset coolers, HD coolers, system fans but that's not all, they also have their line of keyboards, mice, speakers and cases. Today we will take a look at the Vento cooler, this seems to be their top of the line Socket cooler but at a price of a mid-range cooler.

Bopc has reviewed an Enermax PSU
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 8:35 PM EST

With todays highspeed processors you need the power to make them run. Enermax is a well known name when it comes to power supplies. Go see it taken through the paces. Here's a Quote:

Viper Lair has posted an article about Mouse Ball Cleaning
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 25, 2002 at 11:45 PM EST

Sure, sounds silly, but honestly, unless you're using an optical mouse, when was the last time you cleaned it? Simply scraping the junk, or blowing into it won't get the job done either. We show you how.

"It amazes me how many people don't clean their mouse. I constantly get calls here in our office about mice not being responsive, or odd clicking sounds whenever they move the mouse. When asked if they've cleaned the mouse, I'm usually met with blank stares, or silence if on the phone."

Hardware Extreme has posted Cellphone Madness Showcase
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 25, 2002 at 11:41 PM EST

OnePC has posted a review on the Samsung SyncMaster 240T Monitor.
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 25, 2002 at 11:32 PM EST

This monitor is a dream. It would make my office TV obsolete. but the price tag would make my pocket empty. Go check it out and make sure you cover the keyboard so you don't drool all over it. Here's a quote:

OnePC.NET has something that all of you would like to have. Let me give you a hint: it's thin, flat and measures more than 24" across the diagonal. That's right, the Samsung SyncMaster 240T, with a recommended resolution of 1920x1200 was just reviewed!
"Got a few thousand dollars lying around? Check out the Samsung SyncMaster 240T, a 24” wide-screen TFT LCD monitor with a recommended resolution of 1920x1200 and analog, digital and video inputs."

WinHQ Does A nVidia Detonator Driver Comparison
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 25, 2002 at 12:05 AM EST

This will be a good read for the nVidia fans out there. Find out what drivers out of the lastest releses will work for you. Here's a quote:

"The previous driver version, the 23.11's, was released in early December before the Geforce4 was released. This means there was probably a nil amount of optimization for the new chipset. The 28.32 have more support and features including DirectX 8.1 and OGL 1.3 updates. Another update is associated with the nView technology."

Mikhailtech Case Giveaway: Week 3 !!!
posted by BaBylon5 on Sunday, March 24, 2002 at 11:58 PM EST

We've already given away a window-modded Zeus case and blue reflective Noblesse. This marks the last week in this month's contest and the grand prize is a blowhole-modded Predator 505 mid tower with a matching black keyboard & mouse. Here's a quote:

It's finally here. This month's contest is sponsored by our good buds at Color Cases. This is a pretty straightforward giveaway. It doesn't require a lot of thinking or hard work, but it's also not a simple "mail in your entry" contest. As you know, we're trying hard to build up traffic in our forums, to get people more involved not just with me or the MKT staff but with the other visitors as well. So the rules are as follows: go register (if you haven't already done so) in our forums and post away. Just start up/reply to discussions and liven up the community. At the end of each week we will randomly select a winner from a set number of posters.

New Bill Could Ruin Everything
posted by BaBylon5 on Sunday, March 24, 2002 at 11:49 PM EST

The Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act is making its way through congress. If passed the bill would make it illegal to create any hardware or software that does not include copy protection features, or facilitates copyright violation in any way. "If Hollywood and the music industry get their way, new software and hardware will sport embedded copy protection technology. A bill introduced by Senate Commerce Chairman Fritz Hollings could prohibit the sale or distribution of nearly any technology -- unless it features copy-protection standards to be set by the federal government. "The issue hasn't been getting much press. We need to stand up against Congress and stop them before it's too late. I compiled an article that has key information about the bill and some links to more resources.

Mikhailtech Posted The Power Cooler PCH075H Heatsink Review
posted by BaBylon5 on Sunday, March 24, 2002 at 12:53 AM EST

Today we review one of Power Cooler's very unique heatsinks. Sporting a radial-fin design (somewhat like a ThermoEngine) and one of the best clipping out there, the PCH075 is a very nice looking piece even if performance isn't so great. Here's a quote:

Upon removing the fan I was greeted by one of the strangest looking heatsinks ever. The design is somewhat reminiscent of what Arkua is doing but slightly different at the same time. There's a copper slug inserted into the middle and pushed down until it's flush with the rest of the base. Looking from the top reveals a more rugged and unfinished part of the rod. This is surrounded by a relatively thick aluminum shell with fins radiating out in a circular pattern. A third aluminum shroud is soldered to the fins and is useful in directing airflow down instead of out. It also provides holes for fan mounting.

Designtechnica takes a looks at NHT's new Evolution Series
posted by BaBylon5 on Sunday, March 24, 2002 at 12:41 AM EST

OK these aren't for your computers but if your like me you also have a kick butt stereo system. This is a review of a new line of speakers from NHT. Speakers can make or break a good stereo setup so go check these out and see if they are for you.

Here is a piece from the article" Each T5 tower system is comprised of two M5 monitors, a pair of single 12" bass tower modules, A1 monaural 250 Watt amplifier (SRP: $400 each), and X1 bass manager/electronic crossover (SRP: $350 each). The T6 tower features two M6 monitors, a pair of mirror-image dual 12" bass modules, two A1 250 Watt amplifiers, and the X1 bass manager/electronic crossover. The T5 reaches an in-room bass response of 24Hz and peak acoustic output of 108dB SPL, while the T6 reaches an in-room bass response of 24Hz and peak acoustic output of 114dB SPL. Both tower models include all necessary mounting hardware, a wire harness, and stabilizers.

SubZeroTech has posted their review of the MSI K7T266 Pro2 Motherboard
posted by BaBylon5 on Sunday, March 24, 2002 at 12:29 AM EST

We have one of the KT266A offerings here from MSI. They use colors to spice up the looks of thier boards but will it perform as well as the rest. Go check it out. Here's a quote:

"In traditional MSI practice, the board is bright red, and it's certainly one of the better-looking motherboards on the market. Also, the sheer number of USB ports, both USB 2.0 and 1.1 is overwhelming, two USB 2.0, two USB 1.1 as expansions (included) and two USB 1.1 onboard."

WinHQ Has Posted A Review On The Thermaltake Orange Orb
posted by BaBylon5 on Saturday, March 23, 2002 at 12:51 AM EST

Here's a review on a chipset cooler. Have to keep that GPU cool and it can also be used on the northbridge. Check it out and see if this baby will do the job. Here's a quote:

"I had seen reviews of the Orange Orb on various other sites, but I had to have one of my own to see for myself. When I received this new cooler encased in a wrinkled FedEx bag from Taiwan, I opened it and saw its potential almost straight away. The package contained a thermal pad (I recommend AS adhesive), thermal grease, and some pushpins. I installed it on my Geforce2 MX400 and I was ready to test."

Insideproject Has posted A Review On The "Kleer-Dome" Custom Casebadge Kit
posted by BaBylon5 on Saturday, March 23, 2002 at 12:42 AM EST

All I can say is WOW. Now we can make our own case badges at home like the ones you pay big bucks for and you can make it the way you want. You need to get over there and check this out. Here's a snip:

BurnOutPc.com has taken a look at madonion's 3dMark2001 SE.
posted by BaBylon5 on Saturday, March 23, 2002 at 12:18 AM EST

Our friends at BurnOutPC have gone to the trouble of giving us a look into the uses for 3DMark2001SE. It's not just a # but, a tool to help you make some decisions. Check it out and see what they have to say. Here's a qoute:

"Having troubles on deciding what to upgrade? Trying to figure out who's PC is better yours or mine? Well look no further 3d Mark 2001 SE is the tool for you. The main function of this tool is to provide a standard benchmark for comparison purposes and to demonstrate new DirectX features that your video card is capable of."

Viperlair Has Posted An Optical Mouse Comparison Article
posted by BaBylon5 on Saturday, March 23, 2002 at 12:10 AM EST

With so many new mice on the market, choosing the right one isn't so easy anymore. We put four new optical mice under the microscope, and will hopefully give you enough insight in choosing your own.

"Optical mice did have some advantages though. In general, their overall usability was better than the ball mice they were upgraded from. The big selling point though was the fact that there were no moving parts, more notably, no ball. Why was this such a big deal? Ball mice get dirty, and when it gets to a specific point of, erm, dirtiness, the performance scales downwards. Optical mice never suffered this problem, hence performance stays even."

Kaypro has Posted A Review Of Kingmax PC2100 DDR Ram
posted by BaBylon5 on Friday, March 22, 2002 at 12:41 AM EST

Ram memory is an important part of your system so, if your like me, your always looking for the best. Memory can make or break a good overclock. Here's a review of a stick of DDR2100 from Kingmax. Go on over and see how it performs.

Mikhailtech Has Posted A Review Of Power Cooler's PCH141H Wide Aluminum Heatsink
posted by BaBylon5 on Friday, March 22, 2002 at 12:25 AM EST

Here's another heatsink added to the masses. It looks nice but are looks everything. Go read the review and find out. here's a quote:

"And this is where the PCH141H differs from the rest. The top part seems to be inserted into the lower portion with alternating fins placed in-between each other. On the one hand this does provide more surface area, but personally I fail to see how doing this instead of just making more fins will help. Aluminum is aluminum and having two blocks instead of one will decrease performance if anything. I'll admit that it looks cool, yes, but I'm more concerned about how it does the job. On the sides the aluminum fins (from the lower portion) are textured so a bit more surface area is created."

OcPrices Has Posted A Review On A Excellent HDD Cooler Put Out By HardcoreCooling
posted by BaBylon5 on Friday, March 22, 2002 at 12:15 AM EST

If you need to keep your HDD cool and have an extra 5 1/4 bay this may be your answer. It has 5 fans and can prolong the life of your highspeed HDD by lowering the temperature. Here's a qoute:

"As you may already know, IBM Deskstar GXP HDDs, well, suck. IBM has recently informed people that their HDDs are not conditioned to run for more than eight hours straight. Unfortunately, I found this out to be true. I think it’s pretty sad and unfortunate to have a 7200RPM HDD to “overheat,” and I must tell you, these do run hot. The cooler kept my HDD considerably well cooled."

Viper Lair Has Posted A Review On The Mouse Bungee
posted by BaBylon5 on Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 3:14 PM EST

Check out this review on the mouse bungee. If you get annoyed at your mouse cord getting snag on things this might be the answer your looking for. Here's a qoute:

We finally got one of these in-house for some testing. It's not going to revolutionize anything, but it does a pretty good job of securing the mouse cord. Question is, does anyone really need this?

"I stated before that the Bungee is a frivolous expense, and I still think it is. It does look nice, and keeps the mouse cord off the desk, but that's about it. It does make a nice conversation piece though, as the last LAN party I attended, some babe walked by and mentioned how cool it looked.

Well, actually, it was some short, long-haired, skinny dude that said it looked cool…"

ICEHardware Posted A Review Of The Lian Li PC70 Full Tower Case
posted by BaBylon5 on Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 3:01 PM EST

Here's a review of the full tower offering from Lian-Li. These cases are sweet. Go check out the review and see what I'm talking about. Here's a quote:

'Computer cases have come a long way in the past couple of years both in their functionality and particularly in their appearance. It seems manufacturers are starting to realise the potential selling power of a good looking case and designs are venturing away from the steel and plastic standard. The thermal conductive properties and appearance of aluminium especially mean it has become one of the newer materials that is becoming more common. Lian Li and Coolermaster have since become the market leaders of cases in this material but are they worth their high prices ?...'

Digital-Explosion Has Posted An Article On Chipset Cooling
posted by BaBylon5 on Thursday, March 21, 2002 at 2:45 PM EST

This article will guide you through replacing the heatsink on your motherboard chipset. Excessive heat from the chipset can hinder a good overclock so better cooling can make a big difference. Here is a qoute:

"80°C is hot for anything inside a computer right?! Well I recently discovered this was the temperature my chipset had been running at. I thought that since I had to do something about it, I might as well write an article, so here's a simple guide on replacing your chipset's Heat Sink / Heat Sink & Fan (HSF).

Mikhailtech Has Posted A Gainward Geforce4 Ti4600 Video Card Review
posted by BaBylon5 on Wednesday, March 20, 2002 at 1:18 PM EST

Today we take a look at Gainward's Ti4600. This oversized (and very cool looking) video card has awesome cooling, great overclocking and full VIVO functions as well as dual LCD/CRT connectors, a Firewire card and 3D glasses. Could this be the best Ti4600 out there? Here's a quote:

"Anyway, the manufacturer claims they are 2.8 ns chips and who knows these things better than the guys that produce the card? So 715 MHz rated memory huh? Cool, overclockers should be very happy to hear this. Another good news for overclockers is the presence of an additional 3pin fan header in case you decide to replace the GPU cooler with another cooler of your choice. I’ve seen the same thing on Gainward’s GeForce4 MX440 GS card, very interesting, means that Gainward is building their Golden Sample series with overclockers in mind and they add some extra features that only the interested party will find and take advantage of. Another feature of the card, as if there aren't enough already, is the VIVO capability. VIVO stands for Video In/Video Out and it means you can just use the same card for gaming and video capture. Not only you can use a TV to have a better view of the opponents when playing games, but you can turn the card into a TV-Tuner and even capture live images from TV or an external camera. The chip that makes all this possible is Philips’ SAA7108F."

OCIA Has Posted A Review On Some Marvel Comic's 3D Laser Cut Fan Grills
posted by BaBylon5 on Wednesday, March 20, 2002 at 12:50 PM EST

These things are great for those of you looking for something different in your quest to mod your case. I'm not a comics fan myself but I wouldn't mind have the spiderman one. I can't wait to see what they come up with next. Here's a snip:

"The orangish glow in the pic above is a result of my digital camera, not the grill. The Punisher grills appear to be unpainted aluminum, with clearcoat on them for that added shine. The Spiderman grill looks to have been anodized red, also with clearcoat applied."

Madonion Has Offered A New Benchmark PCMark2002
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 1:55 PM EST

Madonion is well known for it's video benchmark tools 3DMark2000 and 3DMark2001. Everybody that wants to know how thier video card compares to the masses use these benchmarks. Especially the overclockers out there want to have bragging rights and also want to see what extra they are getting for thier money.

Madonion has hit the computer world with a overall system benchmark tool, PCMark2002. I have used it and compared it to other popular benchmarks. I have determined that it does what is claimed based on these comparisons. Will it take off as a popular benchmark tool? Probably based on the past products from Madonion. Click the link below, download it, and give it test drive. Here's a little snipet from Madoinion:

PCMark2002 provides consumers and business users with a unified benchmarking tool that reliably measures and compares performance of laptops, desktop PCs and workstations, across multiple Windows® operating systems. An integrated online result browser allows instant results comparison against the world's largest performance database.With PCMark2002's ease-of-use, professional caliber benchmarking software is now available to even novice PC users.

Viperlair Has Posted An Updated Article About Windows XP Activativation
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 11:05 AM EST

Here's an article about the dreaded Windows XP activation. It is my contention that the benifits are worth it for those who buy a computer and just use it. For those of us who like to break open the side panel every other day there is XP Pro. It is the best Microsoft OS I have ever used and I was going to be stubborn and stick with W2K. Go check out this article it's a good read. Here's a snipet:

Given the popularity (read: hate) of our last article, I've decided to go ahead and update it with a few user comments, and to address some new (now old) information that I missed the first time.

"So else what do I have to say? Not much really, but here's a thought that should enlighten some of the WinXP naysayers, ...if you want it, buy it. If you don't want it, keep your wallet in your pocket. Like computer hardware, there isn't any point griping about technology moving too quickly. If you don't need an upgrade, there isn't a reason to. If you want the latest, then buy it."

Hwextreme Brings Us News On The Next Generation Of GPU The SIS330
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 10:44 AM EST

The state-of-the-art SiS330 is formally opened to the public, the world’s first announced new generation GPU with AGP8X will assure you an unforgettable sound-and-light show ~

Taipei, Taiwan, March 19, 2002 -- Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS), one of the world’s leading graphic chip makers, announced today that they will demonstrate the next generation GPU, SiS330, at annually GDC show. The outstanding performance and lifelike shading that SiS330 provides will revolutionize the 3D graphics power of PCs at GDC 2002. Anyone who experiences the unforgettable hail of bullets in the most popular FPS game at the SiS booth will have no doubt about the true definition of “next-generation graphic chip.”

Designtechnica reviews ATi's All-In-Wonder 8500DV
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 10:30 AM EST

Another review of the new All-In-Wonder from ATi the 8500DV. You can't get enough of a good thing. It look's a lot better than my old AIW. Time to upgrade.

Case Modders Takes A Look At The Thermaltake Memory Cooling Kit
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 10:17 AM EST

This ones for all you hard core overclockers out there. You know who you are. Get a little cooling on that ram and look good doing it.

Mikhailtech Has Posted A Review Of ZXMods 4" Cold Cathode Barebones Light Kit
posted by BaBylon5 on Tuesday, March 19, 2002 at 9:54 AM EST

Today we review a short (4") cold cathode kit from ZX Mods. Perfect for those who can find other uses for a light besides letting it sit behind a window. Here's a quote:

ZXMods is the first place I've seen that sells cold cathodes this short. Now while users with mid-full towers and huge windows might not want anything less than a 10" or 12" version (the variations sold by most stores), there are quite a few advantages to this unique length. There are only a handful of Shuttle SV24 barebone system owners (you know, that tiny little Apple Cube duplicate) who could take advantage of a shorter light, but being small also allows for a wider placement variety. 10-12" bulbs can only be affixed a handful of ways, vertically or horizontally. But this 4" light can go almost anywhere, as you'll see shortly.

SubZeroTech has posted a review of the Alpha Pal8045
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 18, 2002 at 8:50 PM EST

"It seems that Alpha has been around in the cooling market forever, and they deserve to be. They have provided solid, high performance coolers one after another. Although they do not release products as often as other companies, they do make their products competitive for a long time so they need not to worry about falling behind the competition. The Alpha Pal8045 is their high end cooler for the Socket A market and it has been very popular around the community of enthusiasts."

PGN News: Lian-Li 60 Warrior Review
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 18, 2002 at 8:35 PM EST

I know there have been a lot of reviews out there of Lian-Li cases but I have one of these babies so I couldn't resist. This is a premodded case for those of you who are squimish when it comes to cutting holes in such a beautiful case.

We have posted our First Review Ever. It is the Lian-Li 60 Warrior Pre-Modded case from Xoxide.

Here's a quote:
"Within the last year, Lian-Li has gone from obscurity to the top of the PC Case manufacturing pack. Their cases are innovative; they are made of alliuminum which has a much greater heat dissipation than regular steel cases and they are a lot lighter too! They may be expensive but they have become the modders case of choice. Xoxide Modifications was established in January, 2000. They are still a small company that keeps their values high."

Hardware Extreme has posted a review of the Intel Pentium 4 2.0AGHz Processor
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 18, 2002 at 5:59 PM EST

In this review we are covering one of Intel’s newest brainchildren, the PGA-478 Northwood Pentium 4 2.0A GHz. Intel has so kindly provided us with not one, but two chips for review, so we will also be testing for manufacturing consistency. Here's a quote from the Introduction:

"For the past years, Intel, facing extremely stiff competition from rival AMD, has been churning out one new product after another in order to regain its dominance in the desktop processor market. The Pentium 4 series introduced last year, with speeds ranging from 1.3GHz to a whopping 1.9GHz and packing new technologies and optimizations like SSE2, NetBurst and a 400MHz system bus, was marketed with great aggression by Intel but lost out due to the fact that the cheaper AMD Athlon XP chips outperformed them by a wide margin."

Check it out at: Hardware Extreme

ViaperLair has posted a review on the Ratpadz
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 18, 2002 at 5:31 PM EST

We're starting "Mouse" week with the Ratpadz. If you're looking for an edge in gaming, you might want to start with your mouse pad. Yes folks, a good, clean surface does make a difference. It's durable, big, and actually makes fragging, or being fragged, easier.

"The edges have been improved, according to the specifications. I never tried the first revision of the pad, but I know that despite being cardboard thick, the fUNC got uncomfortable after long usage. Anyone who has those marks on their wrists/palms when resting on the edge of a table knows what I'm talking about. The Ratpadz is also more comfortable since the surface is higher than the 3M and fUNC. Resting my hand on my mouse felt more natural with the Ratpadz. I never thought mouse pads made much difference for ergonomics, but it does."

Check it out at: ViperLair

SubZeroTech has posted their full review of the Arkua 7528 HSF.
posted by BaBylon5 on Monday, March 18, 2002 at 5:12 PM EST

"Arkua sounds like a Japanese anime but in reality they are a english/chinese hsf company. Arkua has designed a X-formed radiating conduction technology Combining aluminum and copper in their latest coolers including this Arkua 7528."

Check it out at: SubZeroTech

ATI AIW 8500DV does NOT fit into LIAN-LI PC6X
posted by Josh on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 at 12:32 PM EST

"Last night we received our Radeon 8500DV and first thing I did was to install it. Or at least try. Just to let you know that if you own a LIAN-LI PC6x series (this issue may exist for others), you will NOT be able to fit the AIW Radeon 8500DV into the AGP slot. The opening for the i/o is too narrow on top, which interferes with the TV-Out on the card. Better pull out the dremel and grind it open, cause that's the only way it's gonna fit. I wrote up a one pager demonstrating the problem, and how we got around it."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Visiontek Xtasy 6564 GeForce3 Ti 200
posted by Josh on Sunday, March 10, 2002 at 3:25 PM EST

"In modern times NVIDIA has been trying a new method by releasing video cards completely different to the old style which was to just come out with a new card that had faster speed and add a Pro or Ultra on to the end of the normal card. Now they have done something completely new by coming up with a whole new series of cards and basically creating a GeForce3 Pro and MX but naming them the Ti 200 and Ti 500."

Check it out at: Hardware Extreme

Visiontek XTasy 6964 GF3 Ti500
posted by Josh on Saturday, March 9, 2002 at 12:43 AM EST

Visiontek's humble beginnings started off with the OEM market. They've been very active in the retail area for quite awhile now, and are well known for their quality graphics cards. Today, we have a write up on their GeForce 3 Ti500 product.

“Like pretty much every other video card you buy, you get the card, instructions and some drivers. There's not much else included, which I thought was a shame. Typically, I consider game bundles nothing more than fillers, but considering the cost of the GeForce 3 Ti500 (at the time of release, as the bundle hasn't changed since), you'd think at least DVD software or something would be included. The driver CD is a throwaway, as nothing is really customized from nVidia's reference drivers, and they are outdated.”

Check it out at: ViperLair

Visiontek XTasy 6564 GeForce 3 Ti200
posted by Josh on Thursday, March 7, 2002 at 11:42 AM EST

Given the current prices of the GeForce 3 Ti500, and the MSRP of the GeForce 4 Ti4600, we're going to look at the most likely candidate to be the budget video card of choice for the next few months. Today, dsp takes a look at the Visiontek 6564 GeForce 3 Ti200…

“Were there any 3D driver issues? Yes two small ones that I noticed in my testing. In Unreal Tournament when you pick up the Redeemer part of the pipes leading into the actual gun are missing on the VisionTek but not on the Kyro II. Also in Ballistics there seems to be a 'weird' texture at certain checkpoints that isn't there on the Kyro II. Apart from that all other games tested worked just fine.”

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Samsung SyncMaster 170T LCD Monitor
posted by Josh on Thursday, March 7, 2002 at 11:41 AM EST

"The Samsung SyncMaster 170T is the perfect LCD monitor in that it offers the same vibrant, crisp and high-contrast image outputs that larger, more high-end monitors offer for a much smaller price. If you’re looking for an LCD, this one’s a must-see."

Check it out at: One PC

February 2002 Technology Showcase
posted by Josh on Thursday, March 7, 2002 at 11:37 AM EST

It's technology showcase time, this is when Hardware Extreme scours the web looking for the coolest and newest stuffs available. The stuffs we present in this showcase are all what we consider the best of the best. They provide some exciting new abilities or they introduce a new technology that will change computers, gaming, or technology as a whole. This list is full of all the greatest but with your help we can make each edition even better. Enjoy the showcase and when you are done reading please vote on your favorite gadget in the forums.

This Edition Showcased Items :

February Showcase

Check it out at: Hardware Extreme

Digital-Explosion plays with Winroute and Networking
posted by Josh on Thursday, March 7, 2002 at 11:35 AM EST

"Most people have 2 or more computers nowadays and have got themselves a nice little LAN. Digital-Explosion with the help of Nick Hall from Internewt.org.uk have detailed some of the uses of Kerio's Winroute on the home lan. Everything from simple networking to Ad-Removal and port mapping. Check it out. Secure your home LAN and let the fun begin."

Check it out at: Digital Explosion

Morpheus preview edition out!
posted by Josh on Saturday, March 2, 2002 at 1:06 AM EST

I hope this is only a preview, because it definitely needs some work. I loved Morpheus before and am willing to give it another chance. Check out the link below and download your copy and test it out!

Check it out at: CNET

Creative Geforce 4 MX440 Review
posted by Josh on Saturday, March 2, 2002 at 1:04 AM EST

"Today we will be looking at the GeForce 4 MX 440 solution from Creative, who will lead the field in the European market. Priced at £119 ($165) including tax, this card is very affordable, yet maintains blistering performance thanks to 64MB of DDR ram running at 200MHz (400MHz DDR) and core clock of 270MHz (remember that’s 20MHz quicker than the GeForce 3 Ti-500)."

Check it out at: OCprices

March 2002