Most of us try take advantage of a fast CPU or a ton of RAM, but we seldom remember what sits at the base of our system, remembering all of our operating system data - the hard drive. Today Jason Dumbaugh looks at one of the best performing drives on the market - the VelociRapter by Western Digital. With a 10,000 rpm spindle speed crammed into a 2.5 inch drive we are looking at blazing fast seek times with no compromise in storage space. Could this be the ultimate gaming drive of choice? The only question we are left with is whether or not this hard drive can survive Jason.
Are all those picture frames just taking up too much room? Have a cluster of picture frames laying around the house? Today Kali DeArmit takes a look at a Digital Picture frame that will help alleviate you of this mess. With this Digital Picture Frame, you can now convert all of your pictures into one frame and have them play in a slideshow. Now - does it work?
Today we take a look at the Ballistix series RAM from Crucial. Is this 2GB DDR2-800 kit a weapon of mass distruction? Or is it just a wimpy pellet gun?
Nitro pulls out the big guns with the Thermaltake ToughPower Power Express VGA 650Watt. As a dedicated graphics card PSU, can this handle two of the most power hungry video cards on the market today? See what happens when Nitro throws two Palit GTX280s into the picture.
From The Newsroom
09.7.2008
Dell Pre-Release Keyboard and Mouse Spyshots
A new Dell mouse seems to be a shot across the bow for Logitech. The text around the sensor reads "LaserStream Technology" which is a trademark used by Agilent Technologies, a company that sold laser technology to Logitech. The sensor appears identical to the one on the Logitech G-series (G3, G5, G7) which is a second-generation laser sensor maxing out at 2000 DPI or so.
This seems to be a direct potshot at the G3, having a similar shape; the Dell is arguably better for having an LED sensitivity indicator. I know the G5 has one, but the G5 is not ambidextrous. This looks like the best courtesy mouse I've ever actually seen, and I can see this raising the bar for OEMs regarding input peripherals.
The keyboard was of the short-throw type, with well-integrated media keys and volume wheel. It wasn't the world's best, but it was generally pleasant to type on. I know some of you hate short-throw keys on principle, but the rest of you should consider taking a look at these things - I expect them to be really good bang for the buck.
Until this year integrated graphics were still a major problem lacking in ability to play 3D games or decode H.264 content. AMD changed all of that though with the 780G and 790GX and Nvidia also raised the bar on integrated graphics with the GeForce 8200 and 8300 if not quite as high as AMD was able to. Intel's integrated graphics has been notorious at best and a major problem for the game development community given how popular their integrated graphics are. Intel though has a new chipset which looks to quell some of these problems in the G45, their follow up to the G35. We'll be looking at a board based on this new G45 chipset, Gigabyte's GA-EG45M-DS2H.
Taking the power supply out of the box you can feel that it is made out of very solid material. It is fairly heavy for a PSU and also a little longer at 150 x190 x 86mm. The power supply has a unique textured feel to it using a surface that isn't very reflective and doesn't pick up smudges. "ULTIMATE" is branded in large white letters on one side and "UCP-900W" with voltage specifications on the other.
The Mirrorbox is an all-in-one card reader, able to handle every card you throw at it. It has a stylish black housing with compact dimensions and everything to get access to those holiday images on that memory card.
The GeForce GTX 280 is undeniably the top performing single GPU product on the market and currently it is priced very competitively which makes even the highest specification models a very attractive purchase.
One such card is BFGs OCX model featuring some of the most attractive clockspeeds available at the time of writing. Today we have one of these cards on our test bench and will be comparing it to a reference model in a selection of the latest games as well as running it through some high definition playback tests, we will even throw in a few compares to the GTX 260 for those having trouble deciding which card best suits them.
The Xilence XQ LinearPower 1200W PSU arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next PSU Review with a high efficiency, 120mm Fan, 16! Serial ATA connectors and 4x PCI-e 6+2-Pin.
The Dominatrix is OCZ's newest dive into the gaming mice market. It offers features usually found on much more expensive mice at an entry level price point and comes in a stylish blue and black color. You can store your profiles in the mouse so they are available on any PC, even without the mouse software.
Is Your Linksys SD2008 Switch Overheating or Losing Connectivity? @ Legit Reviews
If you already own the Linksys SD2008 and are having issues with it remember the switch has a limited lifetime warranty, so you shouldn't be stuck with a faulty product. The newer Linksys SD2008 v3.0 switches are more power efficient and put out far less heat than the older v2.x series that so many people are having issues with...
The Spore PC Game from Electronic Arts arrived Technic3D. Create universal wonder in Spore, an exciting new simulation game that lets you develop your own personal universe. Work your way through five evolutionary phases, including Cell, Creature, Tribe, Civilization and Space, that offer unique challenges, thrills and goals. You can start in Cell and nurture one species from a simple aquatic organism all the way until it becomes a sentient life form. Or you can jump right in and begin building tribes and civilizations on multiple planets. What you do with your universe is totally up to you. Spore gives you the chance to make worlds and beings that evolve, grow and delight you every step of the way. We will make a Final check in the following Review.
[Editorial] Google and Chrome - A Plausible Future @ TheTechLounge
Google wants to change the world. Knowing what they know and not doing anything with it is anathema. Being able to see what people want, how they think, all this is part of their intention to build something different. That isn't a bad thing, they're not out for control in a cravenly sense, and they aren't positioning themselves as a kind of benevolent dictatorship. And Chrome, in its simplicity, telegraphs their plan. Firefox replacement? Hardly. Microsoft replacement? Nothing like that. What Google is working on is an Internet replacement. Or rather, an alternative.
www.hardwarezone.com(R) News : HP iPAQ 912 Business Messenger
The iPAQ series has been a long running name within the Windows Mobile market. Its flagship model, the HP iPAQ 912 Business Messenger, is back in business.
WolfKing Timber Wolf Gaming Keyboard @ Benchmark Reviews
Today's PC gaming enthusiast is always on the lookout for the edge that will put him or her above other players. A performance gaming keyboard is at the top of the list of products that can certainly make a difference. Today Benchmark Reviews takes a look at what could possibly be an edge that some players are looking for, the Wolf King Timber Wolf gaming keyboard.
The typical gaming keyboard is hardly more than a standard keyboard with a few enhancements. They have unnecessary software to set up profiles for multiple games, which can bring along its own issues. Multiple and fast keystroke capability are also on the list of features. Will the design of the Timber Wolf change the way you play?
Everybody has been talking about Google Chrome this week. First they announce using a comic book on Labor Day (slow news day), then they launch yesterday and it seemed everybody and their family was giving it a try. Some have gone so far as to make it their new default browser. Some even uninstalled Firefox. Others, still, have proclaimed it to be a Windows killer.
ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ Zone Edition Video Card @ BmR
It used to be that if you wanted to overclock your hardware, you ran the risk of voiding a warranty. Supposing that you dared to accept that risk, your options were still limited by the cooling equipment available to you. So it stands to reason that ZOTAC is making huge strides with their ZONE series, which combines a silent liquid-cooled system to a 55nm GeForce video card. The AMP! Series is already a fan favorite because of the extreme speeds at which they are factory overclocked, and the ZONE series adds to this a dramatically improved water-cooling solution for the best performance with no worries of heat or noise. Benchmark Reviews tests the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ ZONE Edition G92 video card against a comprehensive collection of competitors in this article.
[News] GlacialPower GP-AL650 Power Supply Review @ Virtual-Hideout
Well, we're finally here. First, the short of it - is this a good product? Yes, but. It features high quality components, good quality cabling, a quiet, intuitive design, fairly stable voltage rails, and almost the same amount of connectors found on the recently reviewed BFG ES800 - a much more expensive and robust unit. But, I feel that this power supply is over-rated in terms of wattage. The performance is just as indicative of this as the ratings chart is - in effect, I would feel much, much more confident calling this unit a sober 500w, than an eager 650w.
