Daily Reviews Summary 09/05/09

Tacens sent us a really compact notebook cooler this time. After having reviewed the Tacens Fero I was eager to test something more portable, which could fit in my notebook bag. This first attempt at a portable notebook cooler by Tacens, does however leave me wanting more...

When Nokia announced its ie-up with Intel earlier in the year, few people would have expected to see a new device produced so quickly. The last computers made by Nokia were in the 1980s, but the Booklet 3G isn't actually made by Nokia. Nobody will tell us who the manufacturer is, but we aren't that bothered because the design is 100 per cent Nokia.

With the tower format cooler generally accepted as the best current heatsink design architecture, the variations are often with the case, heatpipes and fan configurations. Previous Cooler Master designs such as the V8 and V10 are pretty extreme with additional heatsinks sprouting from all parts making them into monster coolers.

Although this cooler may resemble a basic heatpipe cooler, CM has gone down a different route in making it unique. The Hyper N520 not only has a dual fan configuration but the fans are also slightly offset supposedly to ensure the air is "accelerated" through heatsink. So where about does this cooler fit into Cooler Master's ranges?

Well, the V8 and V10 coolers are very high end and with specific coolers such as the Hyper TX3 for the new Intel i5 processors, Cooler Master appear to have slotted the N520 into the all round category with it being compatible with an array of different processors. Enough said for the moment, let's take a better look at the product in question before unleashing it on our test rig.

The introduction of a new platform is always a rather secretive affair but as the i5 launch date nears, P55 chipset motherboard previews are coming through thick and fast. Although whispers of high overclocks and unrivalled performance are usually rumoured with a new socket, the i5 series seems to appeal more to the average user as a mid range CPU rather than full out performance for hardcore enthusiasts that the i7 can provide.

Early indications also seem to point towards the LGA1156 motherboards being much more affordable than the X58's but we can't be totally sure as of yet.

Today, we'll be taking a quick look at the ASUS P7P55D Deluxe motherboard from the P7 series of boards. Unlike older ASUS motherboards, the chipset is now included in the name so as to avoid confusion with the series so let's take a quick look.

It is time to review Kabuto CPU cooler from Japan-based Scythe. This cooler has six heatpipes and three independent heatsinks, with a 120 mm fan placed horizontally. Will it perform well in our tests?

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet with Samsung at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. One of the more unique products that I was shown was none other than the Samsung HMX-R10. The specs make it sound like any number of other HD digital camcorders, but this thing does at least one thing differently.

Up on the review block today I've got an interesting little product called the iMainGo 2, and it's a portable speaker system for your iPod, iPhone, Zune or most any other portable audio player. The iMainGo 2 though is much more than just a set of speakers it's actually a case that will protect your MP3 player. I've been using the iMainGo 2 for over a week now and I really like it, the audio quality is excellent, and overall the product is well made, producing big sound from a little set of speakers.

Almost everyone owns a Flash Drive nowadays whether it is for work, college or to back up your important files so choosing the right one for you is important. Today we're reviewing SanDisk's Cruzer Micro U3 Drive. U3 technology is relatively new and provides portable software solutions that might not be available to you on the host computer. The Cruzer Micro should prove to be an all round great drive so let's find out.

In preparation for Intel's upcoming Lynnfield processors, we took a look at Gigabyte's P55-UD5 last week, and this week, ASUS' P7P55D Pro is on our workbench for a quick once-over. Equipped with lots of functionality, an easy-to-stomach price and a great color scheme, this board should prove to be a popular choice upon its launch.