Reviews 51924 Published by

Steelseries 7G Keyboard Review
Driverheaven posted a review on the Steelseries 7G Keyboard

At around 90 the Steelseries 7G is a considerable investment and gamers will be wondering why they should invest in such a basic outward design when other companies offer cheaper products packed with useful features such as macro functionality and backlit keys. In our review were going to take a look at the 7G and find out what sets it apart from other products.
Steelseries 7G Keyboard Review

Antec Twelve Hundred Full Tower Case Review
Bjorn3D takes a look at the Antec Twelve Hundred Full Tower Case

Being a big brute isn't necessarily a bad thing these days when it comes to finding a housing for a gaming rig. There can be strength in both sheer size and in sheer numbers. The Antec Twelve Hundred full tower case is an example of the two. This chassis is brutishly large and includes six fans with blue LEDs, one of which, a top mounted 200mm fan, blows directly on the CPU and RAM. The other five fans are 120mm, three for air intake, and two for air exhaust. Two more optional 120mm fans can be mounted, for a grand total of eight fans.

The Antec Twelve Hundred full tower case sports twelve bays (nine of which are filled with three 120mm fans), seven expansion slots, a side window (pre-cut for optional 120mm fan), and enough room inside to fit even the largest graphics cards. Let's take a look at the Twelve Hundred and see what kind of gaming case Antec has come up with.
Antec Twelve Hundred Full Tower Case Review



Games to Watch in 2009
Bit-Tech published their Games to Watch in 2009 preview

So, we're back. You may not have ever realised we ever left thanks to our hard work pre-Christmas, but finally all the bit-tech.net staff are snug in their office chairs after an exhausting Christmas break.

We're back and ready for more; more games, more tech and more 'splosions than ever.

2008 was a mixed year for gamers and while 2007 was undoubtedly one of the best years in gaming that anyone can remember, 2008 didn't quite manage to top it. There were some gaming highlights to be sure, but for every Braid or Left 4 Dead there was a disappointment to counter it.

Still, at least there was plenty of cheesecake. It wasn't all bad.

Our hope remains however that 2009 will prove a better, more exciting year for gaming -- one not mired in DRM worries and console exclusives. Who knows, with a host of innovative titles on the horizon and an increasingly popular indie scene 2009 may manage to top even 2008.
Games to Watch in 2009

Logitech Comfort Lapdesk review
DV Hardware has published a review of the Logitech Comfort Lapdesk.

If you've ever used a notebook on your lap while sitting on the couch or in bed, you probably know this can be a rather unpleasant experience because notebooks generate quite a lot of heat. I frequently work on my laptop while sitting on the couch and if I don't use a surface under my notebook my legs become uncomfortably hot after about 30-45 minutes. Besides excessive heat, many laptop users also experience other problems such as neck pain. This is were a product like the Comfort Lapdesk from Logitech comes in handy.
Logitech Comfort Lapdesk review

Sapphire HD4870 TOXIC 1GB Graphics Card Review
DriverHeaven posted a review on the Sapphire HD4870 TOXIC 1GB Graphics Card

Sapphire are the biggest AMD graphics card partner and a few months ago they released an overclocked version of the 4870 (Toxic edition) carrying a custom cooling solution. However, that version only shipped with 512MB of GDDR5 memory which wasnt ideal for the growing demands of high end enthusiast users.

Today were looking at a new offering from Sapphire based on the original 4870 Toxic. This edition now brings 1GB of memory to the table to combine with the pre-overclocked frequencies.
Sapphire HD4870 TOXIC 1GB Graphics Card Review

Lian Li PC-888 Exotic Aluminum PC Case Review
TechwareLabs has published a review of the Lian Li PC-888 Exotic Aluminum PC Case

Perhaps best known for their work with aluminum PC cases Lian Li has recently released the PC-888 which will be the focus of this review. Lian Li has a wide range of media center cases, small, medium, and full tower cases in addition to a line of power supplies. With more than 20 years manufacturing cases for the PC market Lian Li has more than enough experience in what works and how to engineer it. We will be taking a look at their latest creation to see if their engineering and experience has been put to good use.
Lian Li PC-888 Exotic Aluminum PC Case Review

Saints Row 2 (PC) Review
GamingHeaven posted a review on Saints Row 2 for the PC

Saints Row 2 was released on the next generation consoles quite a while ago and while similarities are always going to be made with it and Grand Theft Auto there are some quite large differences between the two .... What? Well for a start one is actually good fun, the other isn't!
Saints Row 2 (PC) Review

Thermolab Baram CPU Cooler Review
DragonSteelMods has posted a review on the Thermolab Baram CPU Cooler

It's been a while since we've seen any product from our friends over at Thermolab, but they've just sent me a rather large CPU cooler that has been designed with an aerothermodynamic design. It looks interesting and it's attractive, the fins are oddly spaced as is the heatpipes from what you normally see on a heatpipe CPU cooler, this design is supposed to help the cooling process. We'll see if that's true, I've put it up against a bunch of other coolers I've got for comparison, so read on..
Thermolab Baram CPU Cooler Review

I-Star T5F-SS Hot-Swap Hard Drive Bay Review
OCModShop posted I-Star T5F-SS Hot-Swap Hard Drive Bay Review

I love storage. It doesn't matter what kind. I have stock in those plastic dresser-style drawers, and I keep 'em chock full of crap I'll never use or at the most very rarely. Any time I look at a car I check out the trunk first, and try to estimate how many bodies would fit in there. If I'm unsure, I'll ask the salesman. And yes, I have done it before. Ah, the joys and freedoms of being a sociopath. But my favorite type of storage is always those heavy bricks we call Hard Drives. I have them in all capacities, and when I want to access one, I simply take apart my external storage unit, or power down my computer and take the side off, install the HD, and then put it all back together. It's a pain in the ass at best.
I-Star T5F-SS Hot-Swap Hard Drive Bay Review

Fujitsu-Siemens Esprimo Mobile U9210 Reviewed
ITreviewed posted a review on the Fujitsu-Siemens Esprimo Mobile U9210

Small in size, but big for business, Fujitsu Siemens' Esprimo Mobile U9210 is an ultra-portable (300x229 x36.5mm, 1.95kg) laptop with enough power and connectivity under its hood to let you get your job done at your desk or on the road. Business people who are frequently on the move need the perfect companion on the road, and the Esprimo Mobile U Series could have been just the ticket - if it wasn't for a few shortcomings.
Fujitsu-Siemens Esprimo Mobile U9210 Reviewed

Azden SGM-X Shotgun Microphone Review
PCShopTalk posted a review on the Azden SGM-X Shotgun Microphone

While many users use Standard or High-Definition camcorders for their vacation videos or perhaps for making some home-made movies, the onboard sound quality becomes noticeable to the user as they want to make more professional movies. The reason for this is because the onboard microphones tend to pick up background noises that lower the quality of your audio. Some cameras that use MiniDV tapes tend to pick up a small hum sound from the motor inside the camera itself. Whether you are aiming for just a home-made footage of your family and/or you just want to film your own little short, we highly recommend a shotgun microphone for all users that want to get the most out of their camera.
Azden SGM-X Shotgun Microphone Review

Jetway X-BLUE P43 Motherboard Review
PCShopTalk posted a review on the Jetway X-BLUE P43 Motherboard

On the right part of the motherboard we see one of the 3-pin fan connectors along with a power LED and speaker connector; we also have here a front panel connector marked JW_FP. It is very nice to have the POWER and RESET buttons on the board, when testing it before putting it into a case. The Floppy connector is still here, but the IDE connector is gone, so we have no JMICRON controller present.
Jetway X-BLUE P43 Motherboard Review

Crucial 6GB DDR3-1333 Tri-Channel Review
PureOverclock published a review of the Crucial 6GB DDR3-1333 Tri-Channel memory kit.

Today we're looking at a set of Crucial 6GB DDR3-1333 tri-channel modules for some Core i7 goodness, and though they are very conservatively timed at CL9, we'll soon see that these sticks are capable of far better, both in timings and speed, and can overclock like a champ.
Crucial 6GB DDR3-1333 Tri-Channel Review

AMD Phenom II Arrives 45nm Deneb and Dragon Platform Review
TweakTown posted a review on the AMD Phenom II

So far we have now seen AMD release the Phenom core in quad, tri and dual core variants, slowly phasing out the K8 architecture for all time. And it’s about time, as AMD has been relying on this same architecture since 2003 when Hammer was released at Computex.

Today AMD up’s the ante in regards to Phenom with some minor changes to the design. We take a look at the Phenom II 940 processor core along with a new platform named Dragon to complement the latest technology.
AMD Phenom II Arrives 45nm Deneb and Dragon Platform Review

AMD Phenom II X4 920 and 940 processor review
The Guru of 3D takes a look at the AMD Phenom II X4 920 and 940 processors

AMD today unleashes their Dragon, and though that might sound like a pun it's actually an AMD marketing phrase for the infrastructure that carries Phenom II, an AMD 790 chipset based motherboard, Radeon graphics cards and a Phenom II processor.

Today of course we will focus on that new processor being launched. Is it a tick or a tock product ? You have learned to know it under the Deneb codename. Smaller die size, more performance, larges caches, more tweaking potential .. yes finally the Phenom II processors have arrived. The Phenom II processors we are reviewing are:

AMD Phenom II X4 920 (2.8 GHz)
AMD Phenom II X4 940 (3.0 GHz)

AMD made a considerable step forward with the release of Phenom II and we wanted to make sure to show you exactly that with a large amount of benchmarks, but obviously also performance tests with games as this processor might be a really good sweet spot for high-end graphics cards. Have a look at this Guru3D article a this URL.
AMD Phenom II X4 920 and 940 processor review

MESH Matrix II 920 desktop system review
Elite Bastards posted MESH Matrix II 920 desktop system review

As we've already mentioned, the main focus of the Matrix II 920 is AMD's new Dragon platform, with this system bringing us a Phenom II X4 920 processor (rather than the flagship 940 part), a Gigabyte 790GX chipset motherboard, and ASUS' take on the Radeon HD 4850.

Rather than simply supplying a base unit, the Matrix II 920 also comes complete with a Creative Labs 5.1 surround sound speaker system, wireless keyboard and mouse, and 22" Iiyama monitor, all of which we'll discuss in a little more detail later in this review. On the software side, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit is the order of the day, while other bundled software includes Microsoft Works and a Cyberlink Video Editing suite (which includes the likes of PowerDVD for video playback too).
MESH Matrix II 920 desktop system review

AMD Phenom II X4 920 processor review
Elite Bastards posted their review on the AMD Phenom II X4 920 processor

It's been a tough couple of years for AMD's CPU division - First their Barcelona architecture and Phenom processors based around them were delayed, then the initial stepping of said processors were found to have a bug which crippled performance when worked around. Couple that with disappointing clock speeds and poor overclocking (until the introduction of Advanced Clock Calibration on later AMD motherboard chipsets at least) and you found yourself with a far from compelling solution. Today, AMD looks to change all that with the release of their first Phenom II CPUs - Sporting a larger cache, a 45 nanometre manufacturing process, and myriad other improvements to boost performance over their predecessors. So, is this the architecture AMD needs to get back on terms with Intel in the CPU market? We take a look at the Phenom II X4 920 to find out.
AMD Phenom II X4 920 processor review

AMD's Phenom II processor
The Tech Report posted a review on AMD's Phenom II processor

After months of anticipation, AMD's first wave of 45nm desktop processors is finally here. Do the new Phenom IIs fare any better than their predecessors against Intel's Core 2 Quads, and more importantly, how do they compare to the new Core i7s? Read on for all the details.
AMD's Phenom II processor

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Review
OCC has published a new review of the AMD Phenom II X4 940

To overclock the AMD Phenom II X4 940 I started with the multiplier since this is a "Black Box" Edition with an unlocked multi. I pushed the multi 1x at a time until the system would not boot or became unstable. Then I backed it down by a half to achieve stability. Next I pushed the BUS speed 1MHz at a time until again the system because unstable. Doing this gave me a nice stable overclock that passed all of the benchmarks with no problems at all. The final overclocking result was 3.755GHz which is about a 26% overclock. This is also 155MHz better than my first run with this processor when I attended the AMD Tech Day.
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Review

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Processor Review
Legit Reviews posted an AMD Phenom II X4 940 Processor Review

When it comes to desktop processors the AMD Phenom series of processors hasn’t been too phenomenal, but that could all change today as AMD is launching the Phenom II series. Will this new processor usher in a new era of value and performance or leave consumers wanting more. Read on as we go in-depth on the Phenom II and compare it to the Intel Core i7 920 processor to see how each processor does in a battery of tests.
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Processor Review

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Review
t-break posted a review on the AMD Phenom II X4 940

Today, AMD is introducing yet another CPU- this time it’s the follow up to their high-end desktop CPU and is being labeled as Phenom II. We received the X4-940 version, which is currently the highest end in the Phenom II range, clocked at 3.0Ghz and featuring four cores. With the Core i7 from Intel already dominating the benchmarks, lets find out if the Phenom II can hold its own or if it’s a bit too little too late from AMD.
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Review

NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision Gaming Kit Review
Benchmark Reviews posted a review on the NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision Gaming Kit

It was exactly one year ago that I shared my first experiences with stereoscopic gaming in the 2008 CES Technology Highlights article. Although the wireless active-shutter glasses felt ready for prime-time back then, the full-retail product would have to wait for an official launch. Making a debut at the 2009 CES, the NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision gaming kit offers a visual experience like no other 3D product before it. While only first-hand experience can best describe the product, Benchmark Reviews hints at how the out-of-screen effects generated by GeForce 3D Vision will change games forever.
NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision Gaming Kit Review

Sapphire HD4870 1GB Toxic Review
OCC has published a new review of the Sapphire HD4870 1GB Toxic

To overclock the Sapphire HD4870 Toxic, I started off by raising the GPU speed a little at a time and testing to make sure it was stable. If it was, I added some more to it until I could not run any stability tests. Once I hit the wall for the GPU speed, I used the same method for the memory until I hit the maxumim stable. The walls I hit were 845 on the core and 1066 on the memory. For a card that was already overclocked, the additional speed gained was very nice. Also while testing the card overclocked, the temperatures remained around 67C degrees with the fan speed controlled by the Catalyst Control Center, which is fairly cool for an HD4870 that is running even at stock speeds. By bumping up the fan speeds, the temperatures plummet down into the 50C range at 55C.
Sapphire HD4870 1GB Toxic Review

AMD Phenom II X4 940 & 920 Review
TechSpot posted a review on the AMD Phenom II X4 940 & 920

Today we are covering the official launch of the new AMD Phenom II X4 processors. The flagship model in this new series is the Phenom II X4 940 which works at 3.0GHz, while the 920 is just slightly slower at 2.80GHz. Both processors should be available from retailers anytime soon and are meant to be compatible with all current AM2+ motherboards provided they are supported with an updated BIOS.

Based on the AMD 45nm Deneb core, the new Phenom II CPUs have been eagerly anticipated in hope that they could rival the dominant Core 2 Quad and most recently the devastating Core i7 series that Intel used to up the ante and most likely put its closest competitor in further trouble.
AMD Phenom II X4 940 & 920 Review

EVGA X58 SLI Classified Preview
VR-Zone published a preview on the EVGA X58 SLI motherboard

VR-Zone today takes a Sneak Preview at the new X58 Motherboard from EVGA, the EVGA X58 SLI Classified. It is powered by X58+ICH10R chipset with NVIDIA nF200 X16 and supports 6 DDR3 SDRAM DIMM sockets up to 24GB memories.
EVGA X58 SLI Classified Preview