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News Archive: September 2003

News Archive: September 2003

September 2003

Logitech Cordless MX Duo vs Logitech Freedom Optical Review @ HardwareZoom
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 8:37 PM EST

"Introducing the Logitech Cordless MX DUO and the Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical, the 2nd and 3rd generations wireless keyboard and mouse combo from Logitech. Both versions use the same Cordless Elite keyboard, but different mouse. MX DUO comes with MX700 Cordless Optical while the Freedom Optical comes with Cordless MouseMan Optical. The other difference is the receiver; the MX DUO receiver is also a recharging cradle for the mouse."

Check it out at: HardwareZoom

ATi Radeon 9800 XT, R360 and RV360 VPUs - Review and Showcase @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 8:36 PM EST

ATi's new Radeon 9800 XT is live and in house here at HotHardware today!  

Come see what the new R360 VPU can do and what the gang from Canada has up their sleeve next!

Check it out at: HotHardware

ATI R360 RV360 @ lostcircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 8:33 PM EST

Today, ATI announced their new top and mainstream models for the next few months to come. After the somewhat confusing model politics of the 9xxx series, the new models will basically encompass two lines of distinct architecture based on the R360 and the RV360 VPU, respecitvely, that will aim either at the high end or else at the mainstream consumer.

Briefly, the top of the line is going to be the RADEON 9800 XT, based on the R360 engine, an evolutionary development of the R300/R350 line of graphics cores. Like the RADEON 9700 and 9800 series, the RADEON 9800 XT will feature eight pixel shader engines with up to 5 operations per clock for a whopping 40 floating point operations per clock. At 412 MHz this should theoretically result in 16.5 GigaFlops or GigaOps per second, whichever comes first. The entire set of features runs under the name "ATI Extreme Shader Architecture".

Check it out at: lostcircuits

Guide: Quieten Your PC (Noise Reduction) @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 8:26 PM EST

"Even as a reviewer for an overclocking site, I have to admit that pumping out every last MHz is no longer my main priority. This time last year I was using a swiftech cooler with a Delta "focus flow" fan, 4 more delta case fans and an Enermax power supply set to maximum. My graphics card looked like Frankenstein's monster with fan-mods, and I was close to the top of Futuremark ORB. Friends used to come over and comment about my monstrously noisy pc, with it earning nick names as complimentary as "Arnie's Lawnmower" and worse. I think our own games webmaster Andrew described it best in a single word: 'ridiculous'."

Check it out at: OcPrices

JMC SkyJet 70 reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 8:24 PM EST

JMC's Radial fin cooling offers a very unique and highly effective cooling solution and what makes it even more amazing is that it is all done without the aid of any copper inserts. So come on along as we check out the SkyJet 70 and learn why it maybe one of the best kept secrets in the heat sink world.

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

Memory Bandwidth and Timing Article @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 8:21 PM EST

"How is memory addressed?" is another common question.  This one is quite simple.  Think of a matrix, a collection of rows and columns. Each cell containing a 1 or 0 is defined by a location that is the intersection of a specific row and column, within a certain "bank".  The older i845 Brookdale chipsets only had 4 banks, and could only address 2GB of memory.  Newer Springdale and Canterwood chipsets are capable of addressing 8 banks, with a total of 4GB's maximum of memory.  How a bank is defined is mostly by the memory used.  Most modules are "double sided", or have two banks on them.  So in a Brookdale, you could only have one double sided module and two single sided modules, one/two/three/four single sided modules, or two double sided ones.  With an i865/i875 based chipset, the combinations are much larger, especially relating to the use of double sided modules.

Lastly, "what do all these buzzwords mean?  Latency, bandwidth?  I'm so confused!".  Those are bigger topics.  Lets get to them, shall we?

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Crystalfontz USB LCD Model 632 Review @ BigBruin
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 8:19 PM EST

"The Crystalfontz LCD model 632 USB is a very cool addition to any computer case, it’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing.  When I first started setting up the readouts, I thought it is was a very involved and time consuming process. But once you play around with it, it becomes very easy..."

Check it out at: BigBruin

Triplex Wireless Ti4200 8X Review @ Madshrimps
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 29, 2003 at 9:42 PM EST

"Triplex gave us a possibility to try out their rather special videocard. A Geforce 4 Ti4200 which has a Wireless TV-Out connection onboard! If you have a PC in one room and a TV in the next and want to watch those BMW-movies on your TV, then this video card might be for you!"

Check it out at: Madshrimps

Samsung SyncMaster 173B 17" LCD Review @ OnePC
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 29, 2003 at 9:38 PM EST

LCDs are a hot item these days, there’s no denying that. According to the NPD Group, unit sales of LCD monitors exceeded sales of CRT monitors for the first time ever, in May 2003. Leading the charge is Samsung, the world’s largest maker of LCD displays and one of the few manufacturers who have their own LCD panel production facilities. Much of Samsung's leadership stems from a seemingly endless product line that continues to grow each month. This fall, Samsung has released a number of new displays, and today we take a look at the SyncMaster 173B, a 17" panel with built-in speakers.

Check it out at: OnePC

SilenX 400watt PSU Review @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 29, 2003 at 9:30 PM EST

"Today I will be reviewing one of the PSU's from the SilenX Corporation which has been associated with various computer products since 1995. The SilenX website claims that their Fortron based ultra quiet PSU's are the rivals of such top names as Antec, Enermax, Vantec, Zalman, and Nexus. I have to say that I was eager to test these claims and take a hard look at the SilenX 400 Watt PSU to see if it has the kind of quality that will help your computer reach its maximum potential. As you may recall, we recently reviewed the Ahanix SilenX PSU and there's lots of the "he said she said" going on between the two companies. We'll be posting results for all to see and we highly recommend you take a good look at both reviews before making your decision."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

ABIT IC7 MAX3 Mainboard Review @ lostcircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 29, 2003 at 9:24 PM EST

Whoever said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks? The candidate in this case is the ABIT IC7, a rather prominent presence in the Canterwood scene, along with its Springdale brethren, the IS7 and the equivalent boards from ASUS probably the top choice when it comes to a platform for the Intel Pentium4 processor.

The new trick is actually not new after all, the MAX series within ABIT's repertoire has already lost its revolutionary touch and is more of a compromise now than the first examples were, stripped totally of any legacy support, including the PS/2 connectors. Accept the compromise, and only leave out the parallel and serial legacy, change the PCB color to black and slap on a better-designed active cooler on the MCH and there is a barebones idea for the latest spawn of the IC7 family. Replace the venerable HIP6301CB voltage controller with the more sophisticated ISL6556BCB from the same manufacturer and stick the entire VRM into a windtunnel-like design that blows the hot air out of the case, and all of a sudden, the little pieces are falling together to create an entirely new sensation of what a mainboard could look like.

Check it out at: lostcircuits

Belkin Nostromo n50 Review @ DiscGamer
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 29, 2003 at 9:13 PM EST

"A gamer is only as good as his/her tools. Which in this case, is their controllers. A lot of us use the mouse & keyboard combo, but Belkin has an interesting controller that could replace your keyboard in most cases, the Nostromo n50."

Check it out at: DiscGamer

ABIT KV7 Motherboard Review @ Short-Media
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 29, 2003 at 9:11 PM EST

ABIT continues to take bold design step going places others don't and now ABIT steps out on a limb with the KV7 KT600 motherboard. The KT600 chipset promises many improvements including reduced latency through faster access to system memory, improved six-channel sound and native serial ATA/RAID support. These improvements may be more of a benefit to the manufacturer than the enthusiast as many are discovering.

Check it out at: Short-Media

PC Power and Cooling 510W Deluxe Power Supply Review @ Extreme Overclocking
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 29, 2003 at 9:04 PM EST

PC Power and Cooling is known for their excellent power supplies. For the last five years Maximum PC magazine has chosen PC Power and Cooling power supplies as their top pick for the "Dream Machine" because they are of the highest quality, reliable, and come with a nice warranty.

Check it out at: Extreme Overclocking

Zalman ZM400A-APF 400W Power Supply Review @ HardwareZoom
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, September 27, 2003 at 9:51 PM EST

"Our first impression - The package is exceptionally heavy! Flip up the cover and we found a black PSU wrapped in a bubble bag together with a manual and power cable. This is definitely one of the heaviest PSU we have ever seen. There are 4 pieces of velcro strip, which can be use as cable tie. Very neat and reusable too! The casing of the PSU is nicely anodised to black, very smooth and even."

Check it out at: HardwareZoom

New Swiftech MCX462-V Heatsink (Review) @ ipKonfig
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, September 27, 2003 at 9:47 PM EST

Swiftech, as we all know, is very well known for its extreme Heatsinks that feature cooling pins with small ribs on a thick copper base, exceptional products for air cooling. MCX heatsinks use the thick copper bases that Swiftech is known for using on most of its product.

Swiftech isn't known just for its thick base and cooling pins, either. The introduction of its first heatsink with cooling pins was quite a surprise to the consumer, and they quickly took off due to the performance gains it gave. Now, Swiftech MCX series is known as the heatsink 'that performs', considered one of the world's premier heatsinks.

. . . As you can see the MCX462-V heatsink looks rather odd compared to previous product we've seen from Swiftech, an Onion-Blossom type design with angled cooling pins. This allows for a wider cooling area for larger fans, without being a nuisance for interfering with other motherboard components. The circular cooling pin design allows more airflow than its predecessors.

Check it out at: ipKonfig

OCZ 512meg Platinum Dual Channel PC3200 Memory Kit Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, September 27, 2003 at 9:44 PM EST

"Being an unbiased website, I have to report to the reading population as to how a product performed and I am never about to sugarcoat a review to make a product sound better than it is. The OCZ Platinum Dual Channel Memory Kit would be an expensive stock or mild overclocking alternative to generic memory, but honestly any informed consumer would be better off putting your money into the Corsair TwinX PC3200 kit for the SAME money and be able to push your system to the edge. Because of this, OCZ's Dual Channel Kit being reviewed today will get the "Good Product Award" because it does perform perfectly at it rated speed, just not too much more."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Thermal Paste Shootout @ MHW
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, September 27, 2003 at 9:41 PM EST

"The results basically speak for themselves. The biggest difference in load temperatures was 3C; idle was 5C. Many people care enough about shedding a couple of degrees to go out and buy the pastes."

Check it out at: MHW

Corsair TwinX 4000 vs OCZ Gold 4000 @ Madshrimps
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, September 27, 2003 at 9:36 PM EST

"A simple and to the point review. Sandra memory benchmarks will be used MAX-3 version and WCPUID for verification purposes. Which one comes out on top?"

Check it out at: Madshrimps

Everglide Ricochet Mouse Surface Review @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Saturday, September 27, 2003 at 9:33 PM EST

"So.you need a new mouse pad? You want one that's thin and comfortable for your wrist. You want a lot of surface area for gaming. Dual sided would be nice and easy cleanup a plus. Today we take a look at the ricochet by Everglide, the newest thinnest surface on the block. Does it stand up to the tortures of UT2k3, or the endless hours of browsing the web? More importantly can they make me give up my fUnc? Let's take a look."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

Zalman ZM400A-APF 400watt PSU Review @ mikhailtech
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 26, 2003 at 7:01 PM EST

The implementation of active PFC (Power Factor Correction) means a higher power factor (94% at full load, up from 75%) and less harmonic resonance. Active PFC uses active elements such as IC, FET and diodes to create a PFC circuit, whereas passive PFC uses passive elements (as the name implies) such as an iron core inductor. Although the passive method is more cost efficient, the power factor is significantly lower and harmonics are greater and harder to control, leading to higher levels of EMI. Another advantage of active PFC is that it can accept a full range (90-260v) of AC input, so no 115/230v switch is necessary (notice the sticker between the on/off switch and the plug).

Check it out at: mikhailtech

CompuNurse Advanced Review @ ExtensionTech
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 26, 2003 at 6:53 PM EST

"In the computer world, heat is the number one enemy, limiting overclocking results and component lifespan. While you can find the temperature of your CPU from either the core diode or sensor on the motherboard, What about the heat coming off your graphics card? Or your hard drive? How about the heat inside your power supply? The CompuNurse Advanced can answer your questions and help direct your cooling efforts, all for under $20."

Check it out at: ExtensionTech

Laser Cut Shockwave Fan Grill Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 26, 2003 at 6:52 PM EST

"At one time fan grills were just that, grills covering your fans.  The classic grill was utilitarian in nature and if you were on the cutting edge you might just get gold colored grills or even paint them yourself. Those days are over. Today custom fan grills come in acrylic, stainless steel, aluminum, plastic and a number of other materials. They also come in a number of designs and finishes. Once the custom fan grill hit mainstream then a host of cheap, flimsy imports flooded the market."

Check it out at: OCIA

Flash your Hercules 9800 to a 9800 Pro! @ Madshrimps
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 7:01 PM EST

"You need to have Samsung (2.8, 3.0 or 3.3ns) in order to flash you're video card correctly. Ask your vendor or look at the labels on your video card. All Hercules 3D prophet 9800np cards seem to have Samsung 3.3ns memory."

Check it out at: Madshrimps

ABIT IC7 MAX3 (875P): New Overclocking Champion? @ Extreme Overclocking
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 6:59 PM EST

OTES for the MAX3 is designed to keep the power regulation mosfets and capacitors cool, which are some of the hottest components on a motherboard. Some people have performed tests showing that the cooler you can keep these parts, the better the power and overclocking experience. So is this board going to be the new overclocking king? Read on to find out.

Check it out at: Extreme Overclocking

Albatron FX 5900 Turbo 256MB Review - EXCLUSIVE @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 6:58 PM EST

"f you've been watching the news in the last few weeks, you'll know that all is not well in the nV camp. There are some serious questions about the NV3x architecture's ability to handle DirectX 9. In the following review, I've got an exclusive look at the FX 5900 Turbo from Albatron, which I've tested with the latest Detonator 51.75 beta drivers, and some real world DirectX 9 titles. Read on."

Check it out at: OcPrices

Crucial Radeon 9800 Pro Review @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 6:55 PM EST

"Crucial Technologies, a division of Micron, is long recognized for their quality memory products and decided to venture into the peripheral market a few years ago. In the summer of 2002 they started offering the Radeon line of video cards debuting with the Radeon 8500. Now in 2003 they have the "128MB Crucial Radeon 9800 Pro". We will compare this card with the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro and look into the benefits of buying this card from Crucial vs. another reseller.

We'll also look at some new developments implemented in this card and why Valve, the developers of Half-Life 2, prefer ATI hardware for the game. We'll be sure to share nVidia's stance on the issue as well."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

XFX GF FX5600 Ultra 128MB Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 6:53 PM EST

"The Coolbits registry tweak gave me quite a bit of headroom to overclock the XFX FX5600 Ultra so I stuck with that instead of using a program like RivaTuner. I initially used the auto detect feature to jump to a safe overclock. It brought the card up to 428/857MHz (remember, stock is 400/800MHz). I then began overclocking in increments of 5 MHz, first focusing on the core then memory. I ran one full loop of 3DMark01 in between each setting to look for artifacts and test stability."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Crossover Mission II Water Cooling Kit @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 25, 2003 at 6:49 PM EST

"The pieces that were included were very good, however the fact that the first sample I received had a leak on the water block itself is not a good sign. This was not an isolated occurrence as The Tech Lounge had the same problem with their first review sample as well. Testing the water cooler before you put it on the CPU is a good idea as the problems we had shows."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

FIC KT-748 Motherboard (SiS 748 - Socket 462) Video Review #353 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:20 PM EST

"The FIC KT-748 Motherboard is based on the SiS 748 chipset and offers onboard audio, USB2, Firewire, and more at a very low price. The overall performance is good and it's stable. Although, this board is missing dual channel memory support and is poor at overclocking but is a great budget product."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

M-Audio Revolution 7.1 Reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:18 PM EST

M-Audio has made quite a name for themselves in the major recording industry and now they are attempting to do the same in the PC home audio arena. With the introduction of their Revolution 7.1 have they headed in the right direction or have they struck a wrong chord?

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

Steelpad 4s @ Bytesector
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:15 PM EST

The SteelPad 4s is a unique blend of style and design packed into a single mouse pad. The mousing surface itself is quite large (290mm x 257mm). This can be an advantage in most situations. The rubber feet keep the pad in place and almost never slip even on the slickest surfaces. With the rubber pads the pad is merely 3.5mm thick!

Check it out at: Bytesector

Allied 500 Watt PSU Review @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:13 PM EST

"Well, we're back at it with another new name in the power supply market. Though these folks have been around for a while, they aren't a name that is always heard of when it comes to a PSU. Come join Mike "Darthtanion" Wright as he takes a look at the Allied 500 watt Power Supply. It boasts an abundance of power, and quiet, cool operation. We're going to stress it out a bit and see if it can live up to it's own claims!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

Power Supply Testing Unit Mod @ ExtensionTech
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:08 PM EST

"There are two forms of modding in the computer world today; aesthetically appealing, and functional. While I do not consider myself an artist by any means, I think that a mod that is clean, functional, and has a generally sharp look to it is a success. In this article I will show you the process I went through to convert a $7 250w ATX power supply into an invaluable testing unit that comes in hand for both modding and hardware review."

Check it out at: ExtensionTech

Tape masking guide @ OCModShop
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:04 PM EST

"When masking a line that is very tight don't use the outside/inside edge of the tape, it can be irregular and cause imperfections in the line you are trying to make. Instead cut the tape down with an X-acto knife, creating a razor sharp edge to mask with. I just tear off a piece and stick it on some clean plexi, then use my metal straight edge to shave off a few mm from one or both edges of the tape. If you have to mask some compound curves or flames, use tape that is about 1/8" in width, if you can't find tape this size cut some down like mentioned above. Thin tape will bend and flex into a curve easily."

Check it out at: OCModShop

Speeze EE-SC01 Fan Controller Review @ BigBruin
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:01 PM EST

"Although in the simplest ways the controller accomplishes the task at hand, it has a few major pitfalls. The controller only supports 2 fans whereas more advanced users will probably be looking for at least 4 connectors for fans. Also the air-temperature of the case might “look” cool but functionally it doesn’t help the user much..."

Check it out at: BigBruin

Samsung Syncmaster 192T Review @ Designtechnica
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 6:00 PM EST

"Of the LCD panels we have seen, the Samsung 192T stands out as the all around best performer.  While ghosting is inherent to all LCDs, it was minimal enough to make games playable, the image quality overall was excellent, as was the display's brightness."

Check it out at: Designtechnica

Bleu Jour Gothic Thumbscrews @ Madshrimps
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 5:59 PM EST

"Two horns and a small "skull-face" in the middle make this thumbscrew a sight to behold. It is made out of strong steel and the overall feel is that of a high quality product. "

Check it out at: Madshrimps

Athlon 64 FX51 Review on LostCircuits
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 5:57 PM EST

The long anticipated Athlon 64 is finally ready to roll and to hit the shelves. At 5 minutes to midnight, AMD has added a surprise momentum to the launch in the form of the "FX-51" edition, featuring the same dual channel memory controller found otherwise only in the Opteron series, clocked to 2.2 GHz and running a 400 MHz memory interface. This latest "trump card" should ensure that the Athlon 64 FX-51 is the undisputed king of the desktop CPUs, despite a nominal handicap in raw clock speed.

The dual integrated memory controller reduces memory access latencies but requires registered modules that, in turn, add some latencies back into the access path. So what is left of the low lateny scheme after all? WindowsXP-64 is almost ready to roll, however, there are no applications yet to follow. Are there differences between the "compatibility mode" and the 32-bit operations in "protected mode"? There are a few selected 64-bit programs already available, how do they stack up against the original 32-bit applications. Finally, with only existing software, how does the Athlon 64 FX-51 hold up against a fierce competition in form of the Pentium 4 3.2GHz.

Check it out at: LostCircuits

Athlon FX-51 - Review and Showcase @ HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 5:55 PM EST

How long have you all been waiting for this launch with bated breath?  Just what does the term "bated breath" refer to anyway?  It's actually a Shakespearian term referring to holding your breath... BUT I digress!

The Athlon 64 FX-51 is here today, Launch Day for AMD's new crown jewel.  We've analyzed the architecture and benchmarked the stuffing out of this thing (Marco is a tired little camper).  One word is fitting... "impressive".  Simply put, this processor is going to give Intel a serious case of heart-burn.  

Check it out at: HotHardware

AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 Processor Review @ Legit Reviews
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 5:53 PM EST

"Today is one of the biggest days in AMD's corporate history as they are launching one of the most expensive processors they have ever designed. AMD will have retail processors available and expects system builders to be taking orders today, September 23, 2003. The Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX should be on their way to shelves right now. No paper launches on this one..."

Check it out at: Legit Reviews

OCZ PC4000 EL 512MB Dual Channel Kit Review @ Extreme Overclocking
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 24, 2003 at 5:50 PM EST

Today we have the OCZ PC4000 EL Dual Channel kit on the test bed. Sure you have heard a lot about OCZ since they are some of the best overclocking modules available. Just about every forum you go to, there are many satisfied consumers who have had great luck with their memory.

Check it out at: Extreme Overclocking

Vantec Nexus 305 Controller and Spectrum CCFL Review @ VH
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:32 PM EST

"A few weeks back we take our first look at Vantec's flagship controller, the NXP-301. The NXP-301 was a step forward in the fanbus/rheobus arena in the sense that it combines a Sound Activated CCFL Control Unit with a standard rheobus unit. If you've always wanted to get a rheobus and a CCFL Kit for your mod project, the NXP-301 was the clear choice. Vantec also included two blue CCFL light tubes so it's the perfect kit for you to start with. However, the NXP-301 requires a free 5.25" drive bay for installation. If you have none left or are planning the bay for some other projects, then you're out of luck. Vantec realized the issue and promptly followed up with the NXP-305, a 3.5" version of the NXP-301 that we're gonna take a look today."

Check it out at: Virtual-Hideout

DFI 865PE Infinity Review @ Ninjalane
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:31 PM EST

"We have all seen PAT like BIOS patches applied to Springdale boards but none are quite like the "Super PATCH" from DFI. Combined with the new CMOS Reloaded technology and you get a hardware enthusiasts dream board."

Check it out at: Ninjalane

Sapphire Atlantis Radeon 9800 Review @ Beyond3d
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:30 PM EST

"These types of boards are often introduced later because as they are likely to be higher volume the IHV need to understand chip yields to ensure that they will get the maximum return on the wafers. The high end part is clocked to get the higher end of of the clock speed scale and pricing premium is applied to them, while the lower end are clocked to ensure as many of the left over chips are utilised as possible."

Check it out at: Beyond3d

Snap Server 2200: 240 GB Network Attached Storage Review @ LAN Addict
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:28 PM EST

"Now you might ask what Network Attached Storage is, and it has been around for quite some time. Normally when having a network share, you do it through your operating system, and either a spare computer, or even worse your gaming machine while at a LAN Party. Essentially Network Attached Storage is exactly as it sounds a hard drive, processor, some software, and a network card to connect it to your Local Area Network. This in turn cuts out the need for your extra computer, removes some security holes, and in general makes administration of a similar storage solution very easy and simple."

Check it out at: LAN Addict

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ and Athlon 64 FX-51 @ AthlonXP
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:25 PM EST

"Four years since the introduction of the Athlon Classic, we step into the fall of 2003 and AMD has introduced the next processor they look to carry through the next few years. With this new CPU, AMD hopes to build on the success that the Athlon Classic started. So much so they will continue to use the Athlon name. The processor known for some time as ClawHammer will be called the Athlon 64."

Check it out at: AthlonXP

INport reviewed @ dansdata
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:22 PM EST

Xitel's INport is a one trick pony, but it does its trick well. It gives your PC a single stereo line-in connector that's unaffected by RF noise or ground loops. It plugs in via USB, and needs no drivers. And it comes with a ton of cable, and some good simple software.

I've put the INport through its paces and (naturally) had a look inside, here:

Check it out at: dansdata

Athlon 64 One Stop Coverage @ Short-Media
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:19 PM EST

We've taken most every scrap of Athlon 64 reviews, news, press releases, editorials, FAQ's and benchmarks and compiled them into one ever-growing monster list.  If there is a need to know about Athlon 64.you'll find it here and we've made it easy by putting a monster link list smack dab on our front page.

Check it out at: Short-Media

Corsair XMS4000 Pro Dual Channel Memory Video Review #352 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:14 PM EST

"The Corsair XMS4000 Pro Dual Channel Memory is rated at 500MHz DDR which equals blistering fast performance and is stable even at levels well beyond its default. Also, this memory stands out from all others currently on the market with LED's which show memory activity and look great. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

So-Trickcomputers.com Spidey II Case Review at 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:13 PM EST

"If you are a Spiderman fan this is the case for you. Spidey has more than ample room in the case for standard PC components, enough fan mounts to keep air constantly moving throughout the case and can be purchased for a steal of only $42.00..."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Swiftech MCW5002-P Waterblock Review @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:09 PM EST

“On the Extreme Cooling end of the spectrum you have systems with ½” ID tubing, CPU blocks with high flow and turbulence, single 120mm or dual 80mm or 120mm radiators, and pumps pushing over 300gph. While these systems will still be quieter than most air cooled setups, they are geared towards keeping a CPU cool under heavy overclocking. This is the category where you’ll find companies like D-Tek, Danger Den, Swiftech, and Polar-Flo.

So today, as the first in a series of high-end CPU waterblock reviews we bring you the latest from “Big Blue”, Swiftech, the MCW5002-P. This is a high flow, high turbulence waterblock for extreme cooling with ½” ID connections and is available for AMD, P4 and XEON chips. So without further delay, let’s dig in!”

Check it out at: GruntvillE

ABIT KV7 KT600 Motherboard review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:06 PM EST

OCAddiction takes a look at the new ABIT KV7 utilizing the KT600 chipset for AMD CPU's. This the VIA KT600 have what it takes to give the nForce2 Ultra based mobos a run for their money?

"The CPU socket is well placed and has lost of room around it for normal sized HSF's and waterblocks as you notice the four motherboard mounting holes on the periphery of the socket. Also notice the small silver strip along the edge of the socket to protect the motherboard from the errant slip of a tool while installing a heatsink. Next you see the highly touted VIA VT-8237 Southbridge chip with the two front panel USB v2.0 headers and the two serial ATA connectors located close by.

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Abit IC7-MAX3 Canterwood Mobo w/ OTES - Review at HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:04 PM EST

Abit's IC7-MAX3 Canterwood based motherboard for the Pentium 4, is up on the HotHardware test bench tonight.  We were very impressed with Abit's new offering to say the least.  Its OTES (outside thermal exhaust system) for cooling the Power MOSFET arrays in the CPU power circuit, really seems to add to stability and overclockability.

Check it out at: HotHardware

Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer review at RipNet-UK
posted by Babylon5 on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 at 8:01 PM EST

"Whilst it may look strange at first, the shape of the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer makes it extremely comfortable to use. It's almost a perfect shape for the hand and seems to have grooves and curves in all the right places..."

Check it out at: RipNet-UK

FIC KT-748 Mainboard Review @ MBReview
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 22, 2003 at 10:24 PM EST

"Overall the layout of the FIC KT-748 is very well done. My personal favorite item dealing with the design is the spacing around the Socket462 for installing larger heatsink units, along with the location of the main 12V ATX power connection. The only item I found to be truly disappointing with the KT-748 is the lackluster form of cooling on the SiS748 Northbridge, along with the lack of any form of thermal paste, or thermal transfer material between the Northbridge and the heatsink."

Check it out at: MBReview

SilverStone Strider SST-ST360 Power Supply @ VoidedWarranty
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 22, 2003 at 10:21 PM EST

"After removing the power supply from the package, I noticed there was no exhaust fan. It had been replaced with hundreds of small vent holes. Only thought that came to me was how the heat produced by the power supply would be drawn out. Even though having no exhaust fan seemed a bit odd, I won't make any judgements until I see the performance."

Check it out at: VoidedWarranty

Vantec Nexus (NXP-305-SL) Review @ Overclockers Club
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 22, 2003 at 10:19 PM EST

Today we'll be taking a look at a new Nexus product from Vantec; The Nexus 305. What makes the 305 so different from the 205, 201, and 101 models that we have reviewed in the past? Unlike the others that only control fans, the Nexus 305 is a "Fan & Light Controller". That's right, in addition to controlling your fans, you now have the ability to adjust 2 Cold Cathode Florescent Lights (CCFL).

Check it out at: Overclockers Club

Chaintech Apogee FX71 GeForce FX 5600 Ultra Review @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 22, 2003 at 10:16 PM EST

"The GeForce FX has recently given nVidia a bad name with various decisions which could have been handled better. Chaintech is a long time supporter of nVidia and has stood by them in thick and thin. Today Cameron "Sov" Johnson takes a look at Chaintech's Apogee FX71 with some amazing cooling technology which is based on the Apogee FX71 core. Can Chaintech help nVidia in the performance department? Read on and find out!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

Monarch Hornet XP Small Form Factor PC at TechIMO
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:52 PM EST

"It seems small form factor systems are the latest and greatest fad in the computing industry. Today TechIMO is examining Monarch Computer's entry into the Athlon SFF realm, the Hornet XP. In addition, we will also examine the hype behind the current SFF craze." Quick Quote....

"We are witnessing a SFF revolution in the industry, and Monarch has an enticing offering with its Hornet line of PCs. And I am saving the best for last; Monarch will be debuting a Hornet system based upon the Athlon 64 architecture next week. Be sure to drop by TechIMO on Tuesday for all the great details!"

Check it out at: TechIMO

Chieftec BX Full Tower Chassis @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:50 PM EST

"Out of the box, you can't fail to notice the distinct gradient style slats that adorn the central front from top to bottom so we shall start our tour at the front. At the very bottom we find a door imprinted with the Chieftec logo that hides (from left to right) 2 USB Ports, a speaker port, microphone port and also a Firewire port."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Cooler Master Jet 7 reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:42 PM EST

Cooler Master is becoming the standard bearer for computer accessories that not only perform well but show off designs we would have never imagined to see in our computer. Case in point their new Jet 7 heat sink. Stylish, sleek and perhaps a winner. Come on along and lets find out just how well it does.

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

Radeon 9800 Pro Shootout @ OcPrices
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:38 PM EST

"With so many ATi Radeon 9800 Pro cards on the market now, it is important to get one right for you. Whether you are after obscene overclocking, the lowest price or the best looking card, this roundup has the ideal card for you."

Check it out at: OcPrices

fUnc Surface 1030 Mouse Pad review @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:35 PM EST

"I admit it. I'm a gamer. I absolutely love firing up my favorite game and putting my latest Overclock to the test. But when it comes to gaming, your rig isn't the only thing that will determine how good you can be. Your mouse pad will play a lot into your accuracy and movement in a game. Which brings me to the mouse pad, or should I say mouse Surface known as the fUnc pad or Surface 1030. I bought this mouse surface almost 7 months ago. This isn't just something a vendor sent in with hopes of a good review. So sit back and keep an eye on your current mouse surface and see if it stacks up to what the fUnc has to offer."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

Enermax CS-EN5688 Case Review at 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:33 PM EST

"Looking at this case shimmer in the light is just awesome! Enermax did a great job with the paint on this series using a high gloss automotive paint. The case comes complete with 4 rubber feet, security screws w/keys and all the motherboard mounting hardware needed...."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Networking 101: Served Right @ TechSpot
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:31 PM EST

In the last few years networking has turned into a more attractive market for the average end-user, sharing files or broadband over a network is nothing new, however accessibility to these has improved considerably, indeed, an even more drastic change has been seen with the wide adoption of wireless technologies.

Over the course of the weeks and months to come, we will attempt to explain and educate you about what the great world of networking is all about. This first article is meant to be served right as an introduction to networking.

Check it out at: TechSpot

6-Way 1GB DDR500 Round-up @ Legit Reviews
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:29 PM EST

"Have you ever taken the time to read a review on a product and later purchased it only to find out that the reviewers got hand picked "special" samples? Yeah, we know it happens, and quite often we (insiders) purchase something on our own that is very different from the samples that were sent to us. After being fed up we set off to purchase every brand of DDR500 memory that was available in America one month ago from some online retailers and put them through basic testing and stability testing to show you which is the best brand of memory for end users...."

Check it out at: Legit Reviews

Corsair Hydrocool 200 Water Cooling @ Madshrimps
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:27 PM EST

"Performance wise this is a big yes for everyone who doesn't have the time or knowledge to assemble a custom water cooling solution"

Check it out at: Madshrimps

Black Cube 450W Power Supply Review @ HardwareZoom
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:25 PM EST

"Other than the 8 molex connectors, there is also two ATX12 and two smaller power connectors for device such as floppy drives. The longest cable is about 1m long, which should be enough to reach every corner of a full tower casing. At the back of the casing, there is a 80mm exhaust fan rated at 0.20A@12V. There is a power switch and power input next to it. Similar to many high power PSUs, there isn't any power output socket for the monitor."

Check it out at: HardwareZoom

Speeze LeopardClaw reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 21, 2003 at 8:23 PM EST

So far we have reviewed 2 AMD and 1 Intel heat sinks from Speeze and we're wrapping up the foursome with their latest addition named the LeopardClaw. This bad boy has a wealth of nice features so now will it cool as good as it looks?

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

Corsair TwinX1024 4000 Pro Series (Review) @ ipKonfig
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 19, 2003 at 8:48 PM EST

Recently we reviewed the newest memory from Corsair Memory, the TwinX4000 which hit new marks for memory speed. DDR500 gives new meaning to performance, for newer motherboards supporting 800MHz Front Side Bus, like the Intel i875P chipset. In our tests it gave us 1GHz Front Side Bus performance, and pushing our Pentium 4 2.4GHz up to 3.06GHz--on a solid stable system.

Now, we're looking at the same memory, but with more enthusiast enhancements. Two of the major ones are larger heatsink spreaders and new Activity LED lights on the top of the memory. Sounds interesting? Indeed.

Corsair Memory has kept this under its hat for quite some time, to maximize consumer 'shock and awe' at the new offering. To date, no other memory manufacture has produced any similar memory, and it takes cooling to the next level.

Check it out at: ipKonfig

ASUS A7N8X-X Motherboard Review @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 19, 2003 at 8:39 PM EST

"A quick glance at the motherboard looks strikingly similar to the older brother A7N8X Deluxe.  The first apparent difference is the all black DIMM slots.  Due to the lack of dual channel support, Asus colored all the DIMM slots black.  This indication shows that no matter how your memory sticks are arranged, no dual channel support will be given.  A more detailed look shows that the board is without the Silicone SATA controller."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Cobalt Pyramid V @ MonkeyReview
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 10:05 PM EST

Cobalt3 has gotten hold of a very promising concept, but I feel the Pyramid V, even a latter model in the Pyramid line, is still a very buggy product. If Cobalt3 could lower the temperature requirements for the alarms, and make them a little more distinct and operational, it would already be a worthy product. I urge Cobalt3 not to give up on what they already have, but to look over the design of the product, and give it a little more testing.

Check it out at: MonkeyReview

AVC 112C86 Heat Sink Reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 10:01 PM EST

Rounding up the AMD heat sinks from AVC we are going to be looking at the AVC-112C86 which looks to be a pretty nice heat sink with the large aluminum base and the 30mm copper insert, but can in run with the big dogs?

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

MSI CR52-M (52/32/52) CD-RW Drive Review @ explosivelabs
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 9:59 PM EST

"Today we take a look at MSI's latest member to their CD-R/W line, the MSI CR52-M.  The CR52-M is a 52x write, 32x re-write, 52x read CD writer.  With all the DVD-R/W hype these days it is great to see companies such as MSI keeping the CD-R/W market alive and kicking.  In fact, recently their is companies once again upping the ante and starting to bring out 54x writers, however again it will be hard to find media that is capable of writing at those speeds if it is even available.  With all that being said, lets get on to the review.."

Check it out at: explosivelabs

ABIT IC7-MAX3 Motherboard @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 9:58 PM EST

"We would have left it at that, but a couple days before wrapping the review up, we got our hands on some Corsair TWINX1024-4000 Pro Series ram. Look for our review shortly, but we managed an impressive 290FSB at 1/1. I wasn't able to run many benchmarks at this speed though, but did grab this screenshot. At 288FSB, 1/1, the system was much happier."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Plextor PX-708A DVD±R/RW CDR-R/RW Internal Drive Video Review #350 @ 3dGameMan
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 9:56 PM EST

"This product can not only burn DVD±R/RW media, but also CD-R/RW. What sets this drive apart from others on the market is its ability to write at DVD+R 8x speeds; that's 4.38 GIG's of data in about 8 minutes. Thankfully this burner is media friendly and that means almost any type of media can be used. Watch the Video to find out more..."

Check it out at: 3dGameMan

Cooler Master Jet 7 cooler @ MetkuMods
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 9:53 PM EST

"Cooler Master Jet 7 succeeds to be a very unique product. Performance is acceptable, fan solution is very exceptional and external appearance is quite stunning."

Check it out at: MetkuMods

Coolermaster Aero 4 Cooler Review at 3dXtreme
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 9:52 PM EST

"If you're looking for something with some headroom for overclocking or just a quiet cooler the Cooler Master Aero 4 may be just what you've been looking for..."

Check it out at: 3dXtreme

Athlon 64 and AMD's 64-bit technology @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 9:50 PM EST

"With the successful introduction of the Opteron processor in late April, AMD completed one half of its forecast entry into the 64-bit processing world. Based on an evolution of the x86 instruction set used by current 32-bit processors made by Intel and AMD, the Opteron is targeted at the high to mid-range server and workstation market. The second processor released under the AMD64 architecture will be the Athlon 64, formerly known as 'Clawhammer,' which aims to bring 64-bit computing power to the desktop and mobile markets. 64-bit… Sounds magical doesn't it? Full of the promise of faster and more powerful computing. After all, 64 is two times 32, so there has got to be a performance increase right? Well, yes and no. When we refer to 32-bit or 64-bit processors, what we are talking about is primarily the size of the registers, tiny, high-speed memory areas built right into the chip itself, closer even than the level 1 cache memory. You can think of them as the hands of the processor, in that they hold values to be operated on or combined."

Check it out at: pcstats

Vantec Nexus NXP205 Fan-Controller Review @ frostytech
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 6:54 PM EST

"The original Vantec Nexus NXP201 fan controllers took up one whole 5.25" bay and brought speed control of up to four fans with a nifty blue LED backlit dial. They were blue, they were cool, but they were just too large. Coming in either black or silver aluminum, the panels looked sleek and worked nicely at controlling the fan speed of case fans. Well, that was then and this is now - enter the 3.5" Vantec NXP205 Fan controllers. The NXP205 fan controllers maintain the four dials with blue LED black lights, but this time around the package is much smaller. Packed into a standard 3.5" FDD frame, this fan controller allows the user to adjust the speed of up to four case fans via responsive dials accessible from the front of the computer. The panels come in either black or silver, and blend in equally well with all black cases as they do with aluminum ATX."

Check it out at: frostytech

Zalman Theatre 6 Headphones Review @ Short-Media
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 6:52 PM EST

Can a set of headphones be classified as a "quiet computing product"? They most certainly can compared to the alternative of blasting through a game surrounded by loudspeakers. Zalman is well known for quiet computing products and steps up front and centre (and rear) with Theatre 6 Real Surround Sound Headphones.  Zalman claims to deliver that 5.1 surround experience, normally had with 6 speakers, in a set of headphones.

Check it out at: Short-Media

Antec TrueControl 550watt PSU Reviewed and MoDDeD @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 6:49 PM EST

We've had the TrueControl for quite some time and have been loving it. The bay insert wasn't quite our flavor so we decided to change it a little. Well a little turned into more, more got us thinking and before we knew it, the TrueControl was a site to behold. Here's a quote:

"It's not often that there's a bay insert included with your PSU. The bay insert offers a 3.5" bay and the TrueControl Panel. The 3.5" bay can hold either a floppy or a hard drive. They were kind enough to vent the front to allow for some cooling of the HDD. They also made the 3.5"bay cover easy to remove if you plan to fill it with a floppy or flash reader. Once I took it out, I realized how bland the finish of the unit is. It's a perfect match to the Antec gray towers but isn't going to go well with other products. The back of the 3.5" cover was a polished aluminum that I felt was incredible looking. This finish on the whole insert would be sure to impress most of us. but then again it's hard to please everyone."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

Abit IC7-MAX3 Mainboard Review @ Hardware-Testdk
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 6:45 PM EST

So it is said in the fairytale: “The Sword in the Stone”, and so once again ABIT is proclaimed right-wise king of the motherboards. Once again they have proven, that they posses the strength and the courage to pull the sword from the stone. Once again ABIT gives us Pentium4 owners a remarkably brilliant product - top of its class – very high quality!

Therefore we have given this new product a very special award, this ABIT motherboard is given Hardware-Test.dk’s totally unique: “Ultimate Hardware Award 2003”! – Sublimely and consistently well laid-out product ABIT! - this motherboard has no drawbacks!

Check it out at: Hardware-Testdk

Samsung SF-555P Multifunction Laser Printer Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Thursday, September 18, 2003 at 6:42 PM EST

"Today I will be reviewing a compact and effective multifunction printer that would be a great addition to any small business. I have personally have been using this particular model for the past five months and found it to be reliable, easy to use and best of all, not a space hog."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Four Way AMD Athlon XP Heatsink Shootout @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 8:01 PM EST

"Even though it is under one week till AMD conduct their worldwide launch of their desktop 64-bit processor, Athlon 64, many people will still buy current Athlon XP 32-bit processors for a little while to come as Athlon 64 drives its pricing down across the globe. Today Shawn "Toxic" Baker has a four way AMD Athlon XP heatsink shootout comparing two heatsinks from CoolerMaster and Thermaltake including the CoolerMaster Jet 7 which was only came out of NDA today!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

Leadtek WinFast K7NCR18D-Pro @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:58 PM EST

"This motherboard is a good performer, and for a low price as well, and has some overclocking potential. However the lack of the ability to change the multiplier and the poor overclocking with a 133MHz FSB processor push it just out of range of a recommended award, though if you want a inexpensive and good nForce 2 motherboard this should be at the top of your list."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

PLED Review!! Great LCD Replacment @ Modasylum
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:57 PM EST

"The PLED can be made using a thin layer of polymer sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. The negative electrode injects electrons into the polymer film, while the positive electrode injects holes. When an electron and hole capture one another within the polymer, then a bound excited state that can decay by emitting a photon."

Check it out at: Modasylum

Xoxide X-Clear Acrylic Case Review at Ownt
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:55 PM EST

Clear cases are nothing new in the case modding community. They are gaining in popularity and in just about any LAN event, you can expect to see at least one, but more likely you see more than one.The first and foremost aspect of the clear case scene that you need to realize, if you haven't already, is that clear cases are for users that don't mind taking time putting together a system from the ground up and taking time on the just getting the case to look extremely good looking.

Check it out at: Ownt

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra Graphics Card Review Posted @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:54 PM EST

"While the NV30-based GeForce FX 5800 Ultra card was a total flop, NVIDIA grit their teeth in the face of fierce competition from ATI and worked hurriedly on its replacement - the NV35. Eventually, the NV35 became GeForce FX 5900 Ultra.

But did NVIDIA learn from their expensive experience with the NV30? Or did they just brush off criticism and do it their way again? Read ZuePhOk's NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra review to find out!"

Check it out at: Adrian's Rojak Pot

Athenatech A747CS Designer Computer Case Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:52 PM EST

"For a mere US$50-$60 getting a decent looking case with an included quality power supply is nothing to sneeze at. Add in the features like the tool-less side panel, tool-less optical and Hard drive installation and easily accessible multimedia ports and you have yourself quite a deal."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Monarch Computer Barebone AMD Hornet system @ MonkeyReview
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:49 PM EST

I have mixed feelings concerning the Monarch Computer AMD Barebone system. On one hand it does deliver some decent benchmark results, on the other, air circulation, a poorly located Noise Killer (has been addressed), and less than exciting looks seem to hinder my overall feelings. With a little effort from our DYI readers it does have some interesting possibilities & the makings for a nice system.

Check it out at: MonkeyReview

Clear Acrylic Case GC - 900 reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:46 PM EST

We are always on the lookout for some way to show off our cases and the goodies within. Well today we are going to be looking at case that I can promise you will allow your systems bright features to shine through. So come on along as we check out the GC - 900 Clear Acrylic Case.

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

PSU Modding @ GideonTech
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:45 PM EST

GideonTech has a new write-up that details the modding of a power supply. Switching out a fan, cutting up a window, making some room for ventilation and dropping in some lights all in one easy to pick up guide!

Check it out at: GideonTech

Corsair TwinX1024-4000Pro DDR Memory Review @ pcstats
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:43 PM EST

"Appearances play an ever increasing role in today's computer purchases. When it comes to memory, you can only do so much though; manufacturers have tried changing the colour of the PCB, adding colourful heat spreaders, or just about anything else to sway our purchasing decisions. Corsair's TwinX1024-4000Pro memory modules are easily the coolest looking DIMM's on the market, bar none. Sure there have been other companies to incorporate LED's on a stick of memory, but Corsair have taken this to the next level. Eighteen red, orange and green LED's pepper the outer edge of the DIMM and blink on and off something to the effect of a memory-level tachometer. The two rows of LED's represent each bank of the memory module independently, and as the individual DRAMs are accessed the lights reflect the 1GB of memory being used. Watching the pair of Corsair XMS512-4000Pro light up through the side of a case as a benchmark runs through its paces is something to behold."

Check it out at: pcstats

Trillian Pro 2.0 Review @ Techware Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:40 PM EST

"Three years ago, Trillian started out as a basic IRC client which quickly expanded to support the AIM, MSN, ICQ, and Yahoo messaging protocols. It was, at first, a free program (free as in beer) but the developers, working under the name Cerulean Studios about a year ago, on September 10, 2002, released their Pro version, Trillian 1.0 and, for the first time, charged for it, US$25.  As of Sept 10, the long-awaited Trillian Pro 2.0 has been released."

Check it out at: Techware Labs

Corsair TwinX1024 XMS4000 Memory Review @ GruntvillE
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:39 PM EST

"Fast forward a few months and Dual Channel DDR has become the rage for high performance motherboards. To make sure you can take full advantage of this, all the major memory manufacturers are offering "kits" with "matched pairs" of memory. Why is this important? Simply put, Dual Channel DDR, which is supported in all Intel chipsets after the E7205 (Granite Bay) as well as any current AMD chipset allows the CPU to access 2 data paths to the memory at the same time. In order for this to work optimally, the two sticks of RAM have to be as closely matched as possible. Here we are in September 2003 and we have Dual Channel kits in speeds ranging from PC3200 to PC4000 and higher from a variety of vendors. Today we will be taking a look at the TwinX1024-4000 from Corsair which is 2 sticks of 512mb CMX4000 RAM."

Check it out at: GruntvillE

Gigabyte Radeon 9600 Pro Graphics Card Review @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:37 PM EST

"We would all love to be in the position to be able to buy a brand new Ferrari on the way to work tomorrow but of course due to the high retail it is inhibitive of actually happening unless your numbers come up in the Lottery. The same, to a lesser extent, applies to graphics cards. If you can't afford the Ferrari of graphics cards, follow Cameron "Sov" Johnson as he takes a look at the Gigabyte Radeon 9600 Pro. It might just be what your wallet was looking while satisfying your performance cravings!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

A visit to Dell, understanding the magic @ Hardware Analysis
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:35 PM EST

Ever wondered what is going on behind the doors of one of Dell's manufacturing facilities? What is needed to manufacture and ship thousands of computers every day? Here's a brief look behind the scenes of their European facility.

Check it out at: Hardware Analysis

Thermaltake Silent Boost Review @ Ninjalane
posted by Babylon5 on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 at 7:33 PM EST

"With fans being the major contributor of noise in any PC you need to decide, what do I want more, good cooling or quiet heatsink? With the Silent Boost you might be able to get both."

Check it out at: Ninjalane

Lian Li PC-6077 Case Review @ OCIA
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:38 PM EST

"I decided to do this review with no major changes to the case. Mods could change the results, which could skew the results on the case in either a positive or negative direction. I added no fans, and went with the stock fans. I'll give you a little taste of the results. The temps in the Lian Li with no mods are as follows: 1. CPU 38C and Chassis 32C. This was after folding at home had been running at 100% CPU for over an hour. I think I'll add another exhaust fan and not open any more openings. Those filtered intakes will help keep the dust down."

Check it out at: OCIA

ABIT IC7-MAX3 Motherboard Reviews @ OCAddiction
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:37 PM EST

"One of the most anticipated features of the IC7-MAX3 is the onboard OTES cooling. Motherboard cooling? That's right, ABIT has something special in store for the hardest of hardcore overclockers and cooled notoriously hot spots of the motherboard with their patented Outside Thermal Exhaust System Cooling, more commonly known as OTES. What the OTES does is surround the components that need to be cooled, pulls the hot air off of them, and expels them outside of the PC case, getting the hot air out and away from internal components."

Check it out at: OCAddiction

Valve Half Life 2 Presentation and Benchmarks @ Beyond3D
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:36 PM EST

"Valve appeared to be very happy with the way they were able to implement DirectX9 into their engine and the way it utilised the hardware. The nature of the way they were able to implement DirectX9 allowed them to more effectively expose the underlying hardware and make efficient use of it. They cite the example of the Radeon 9800 able to run the full DirectX9 functionality at the same performance as the DX8 path despite the fact that the DirectX9 path has a greater feature utilisation. From here on in, anything new added will only be DirectX9."

Check it out at: Beyond3D

SMC 802.11g wireless networking review @ OCModShop
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:34 PM EST

"The desktop, as you can see, had to contend with three full walls worth of resistance. Because of this it averaged a Tx rate of 24Mbps. The actual transfers took about 85 seconds, which would put the actual throughput at about 10Mbps. The connection was very stable and the transfer speeds were consistent over six tests. I tested the transfers against interference such as microwaves, cordless phones, etc... and they had no measurable effect."

Check it out at: OCModShop

AquaMark3, GFFX5900U Vs. Radeon 9800Pro - DX9 Benchmarks? - Article at HotHardware
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:32 PM EST

We've taken a look at Massive Development's new AquaMark3 benchmark and have run it through its paces with a GeForce FX 5900 Ultra on Det 45.23 and Det 51.75 drivers, along side a Radeon 9800 Pro.  Is AquaMark3 a true measure of pure DX9 performance?  Will we see the same sort of results, as was exhibited with NVIDIA and ATi product in Half Life 2?  All those questions answered and more right here!

Check it out at: HotHardware

Zalman ZM80C-HP VGA Heatpipe with ZM-OP1 Fan Review @ BigBruin
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:31 PM EST

Utilizing a Yokogawa industrial thermocouple recorder, temperatures were monitored externally with the ZM80C-HP installed on a Radeon 9700 Pro...   "The Zalman heatpipe is a capable, silent, modern video card cooler all by itself. Add a bit of air flow, either with the Zalman optional fan or through a side fan, and it becomes a great power cooler. The added benefit of cooling the memory is also a plus for the fan."

Check it out at: BigBruin

Zalman CNPS7000A-CU Heatsink Review @ Short-Media
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:29 PM EST

The thought of hanging a heatsink that weighs nearly 2lbs. on the motherboard scared the crap out of me. I had nightmares about the socket giving way under the strain and this copper behemoth crashing down to the bottom of the pc case taking the processor and video card with it. The Zalman www.zalmanusa.com  CNPS7000A-CU pure copper heatsink tips the scales at 733 grams (1.61 pounds) and, quite frankly, is one of the best heatsinks for noise, ease of installation and cooling efficiency.

Check it out at: Short-Media

Albatron PX865PE Pro II @ MetkuMods
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:25 PM EST

"One of the best and most unique features of Albatron PX865PE Pro II is definitely its audio solution. There is no usual cheap and low quality 5.1 audio chip onboard but very good and feature rich VIA Envy24PT. This raises Albatron to it's own level concerning integrated audio features and quality."

Check it out at: MetkuMods

Coolermaster Q Alloy Keyboard (EAK-US1) @ Madshrimps
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:21 PM EST

"For those who are tired of space-hogging desktop keyboards which are packed with multimedia keys you never use, Coolermaster has released a stylish solution. After using the Coolermaster Q Alloy keyboard - a notebook-sized, sleek aluminium keyboard - you'll throw your old one in the garbage and never look back."

Check it out at: Madshrimps

AquaMark 3 – Time for nVidia to face the reality? @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:20 PM EST

"In two days time Massive Development in Germany will release AquaMark 3, a fully compliant DX9 benchmark which offers gamers the ability to measure the performance of their graphics cards for the next 12 months. With all the news of poor DX9 performance from nVidia's NV35 lately, Cameron "Mr.Tweak" Wilmot has posted an article examining the performance under AquaMark 3 compared to ATI's R350 while taking a preview look at the upcoming benchmark. Read on!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

Interim Release 3 of the BIOS Optimization Guide Posted @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:18 PM EST

"Ever peeked into the BIOS and got your brains scrambled with all the mumbo-jumbo? Maybe it's time to check out the most comprehensive guide on BIOS options!"

Check it out at: Adrian's Rojak Pot

DVD Ripping - The final lesson @ Short-Media
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:16 PM EST

Digital Video Discs are, of course, DVDs. To you lucky few (but growing number) who have a burner, this guide will also cover the creation of a DVD from a DiVXC/XViD source. Principally, the methods of creating DVDs or SVCDs are identical: simply change the bitrate of the audio and video, as well as the resolution. Using most DiVXC/XViD sources, people will typically get images that are close to, but not quite, DVD quality. The bitrate of a normal DVD is usual approximate to 10,000 kbits, whereas an SVCD runs in the 2500 range. While this may seem a large, disparaging difference between the two formats, it actually is a small one. SVCDs will exhibit some picture-blocking and colorbanding in high-activity scenes, but it's usually unnoticeable. The resolution of the movie itself is far more deterministic in regards to the picture quality. The difference between both format boils down to convenience.

Check it out at: Short-Media

SilverStone Strider SST-ST400 PSU Review @ TweakTown
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:13 PM EST

"Power supplies... The past couple of years have shown just how important this component really is. It is no longer a matter of just picking whatever happens to be cheap and creating a master system. No, now you have to make sure that you have a PSU that can handle the high amount of stress that comes naturally to an enthusiast rig. Come join Mike "Darthtanion" Wright as he takes a look at a new company's entry into the PSU rat race. The SilverStone SST-ST400 makes bold claims of being both powerful and quiet, so let's delve a little deeper and see for ourselves if this newcomer can live up to their own claims!"

Check it out at: TweakTown

Chenbro XPIDER Case Review @ Overclocker Café
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:11 PM EST

The bargain priced Chenbro XPIDER gets the once over at the Overclocker Café.  Not a bad little box but some problems with lack of attention to detail reared their ugly head.  The listed specs on the manufacturer website were off as much as 1.5 inches.  Here’s a snip of the review.

I hate to begin a review off by popping the manufacturer but this deserves a firm slap on the hand.  Some months back we noticed occasional discrepancies as to size and weight with what products were billed as and what they did actually weigh or measure.  Hence, you will more often than not see us list dimensions and weight as "observed dimensions" in the specs we list.

Check it out at: Overclocker Café

Kingston HyperX PC4000 512MB Dual Channel Kit Review @ Extreme Overclocking
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:06 PM EST

DDR400 is the fastest standard speed according to JEDEC specifications but memory manufacturers are always releasing faster, "overclocking" modules. A couple of months back we first saw the release of PC4000, since the Intel 865 and 875 chipsets were capable of pushing memory beyond 500MHz DDR.

Check it out at: Extreme Overclocking

Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Monday, September 15, 2003 at 7:05 PM EST

Is it possible to find perfect heat sink? One that is quite, cools well and looks nice inside your case? Today we're checking out the Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu and it may just be that heat sink.

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

SMC 8013WG Wireless Cable Modem Gateway Review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 14, 2003 at 12:41 AM EST

"For those of you still renting a cable modem from your ISP, you should be ashamed of yourself for not jumping on this device. And for those that are about to jump on the cable internet bandwagon, the SMC 8013WG Wireless Cable Modem Gateway is a no-brainer. You no longer have to deal with a ton of external networking gear to share the internet via cable. You can combine all three major items into one compact form factor: the Cable Modem, a Router with a built-in switch and a Wireless Access Point. All of these separate items are now unnecessary. Yet another World-exclusive Envy News review, and one definitely not to miss!"

Check it out at: Envy News

Transcend USB 2.0 2.5-inch Enclosure Review @ Envy News
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 14, 2003 at 12:38 AM EST

"Psst! Have a laptop and you don't want to carry around large peripherals with you? You desire something that slips into a laptop bag, doesn't way a ton, and can be entirely powered without the use on an AC adapter? These are tough requirements, but thankfully a bunch of manufacturers do have scanners, printers, and storage drives that are either bus-powered, battery operated, or piggy-back off of a PS/2 keyboard or mouse port. Today, we take a look at an external storage drive from Transcend; their 2.5-inch USB 2.0 hard disk enclosure."

Check it out at: Envy News

Icemat Review @ ASE Labs
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 14, 2003 at 12:34 AM EST

"Welcome to the second mousepad review at ASE Labs. Now, I'm not one to really get excited about a mouse pad... I mean, it is JUST a mousepad. Regardless, many people use an expensive, or exotic type of mousepad rather than the plain old cloth type. The Icemat is the other product from Softtrading, the company that also makes Steelpad. Can the Icemat succeed where the SteelPad failed? Yes, and that's pretty impressive coming from me."

Check it out at: ASE Labs

Coolermaster EAK-US1 Q Alloy Keyboard Review @ enscape
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 14, 2003 at 12:32 AM EST

"... does it cut it when it comes to everyday use?
Well, yes and no, it is all down to personal preference, I like the actual feel of the keyboard, it's very responsive and the keys are very smooth and don't require you to do anything more than touch them, some keyboards require you to impale your finger as far into the key as humanely possible, this isn't one of those keyboards, thankfully. If anything, it's a bit small, I don't like the return key all that much, I keep hitting keys next to it, with it only being 2 keys wide, and 1 key in height, rather than the normal 3-key space it has on most standard desktop keyboards."

Check it out at: enscape

Speeze VultureSpin Reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Sunday, September 14, 2003 at 12:24 AM EST

"Yesterday we checked out a nice low end heat sink from Speeze called the Owl Stream , but today we are going to look at the VultureSpin which appears to be the Owl Stream's big brother. So will we feel as good about this heat sink when we're done as we did about the first one? Come on and find out."

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

Unlocking and Overclocking the Athlon XP @ Viper Lair
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 12, 2003 at 8:35 PM EST

"Today, we're going to focus on the AMD Athlon XP, and we'll be covering the Palomino, the Thoroughbred and the Barton models. We'll be covering how to unlock them, how to overclock them, cooling tips, and some benchmarks to prove a point regarding the CPU Ratio and Front Side Bus."

Check it out at: Viper Lair

Sony DRU-510A: 4X DVD-RW Drive Review @ explosivelabs
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 12, 2003 at 8:26 PM EST

"With the launch of DVD rewritable drives people have often wondered which format they would use before they decide on what drive to buy. For some, the reason of having this 'Multi-Standard' approach has scared them off from adapting the use of DVD media from the bad memories of the VHS/BETA days. A close friend always reminds me that VHS only got the standard over BETA (which was far more superior) because all the 'Adult Video' (and other) tapes were done and mass distributed in VHS. But to ease the pain and the confusion manufacturers such as Sony has come out with a non-biased Multi-Standard drives that allow you to record on both standards..."

Check it out at: explosivelabs

The Speeze Owl Stream reviewed @ Ohls-Place
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 12, 2003 at 8:23 PM EST

Not everyone needs a heat sink that can promise you a 5 degree temp swing from idle to load. Just as not everyone can afford to pay upwards of $50.00 for heat sink. So for those that want something that cools better than a stock heat sink and look better by a long shot, the Speeze Owl Stream may just be what you're looking for.

Check it out at: Ohls-Place

Lian Li PC-60H3 Mid-Tower Designer Aluminum Case Review @ Tweaknews
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 12, 2003 at 8:20 PM EST

"As one of the few pioneer companies to create and mass market the aluminum case, Lian Li Industries has always been known to have THE best high quality aluminum cases on the market. A little over a year and a half ago, I had the opportunity to review the Lian Li PC-86 Black Aluminum Computer Case and found it to be a great case. Has the quality gone down hill over time? Has the company taken the cheaper approach their new models? You will find out in this review.."

Check it out at: Tweaknews

Asetek WaterChill Kit w/Chipset Block (Review) @ ipKonfig
posted by Babylon5 on Friday, September 12, 2003 at 8:19 PM EST