Daily Reviews Summary 09/28/06

I have to say one of the best Value/Performance CPU blocks on the market, if XSPC keep this up and release more excellent performing hardware like this they are sure to become as well know as the other major brands out there. A bargain and a performer all in one package, not something you see very often

The difference between a snapshot and an artistic photograph is simply a matter of composition. By changing the focal length, angle and position of the camera, the relative positions and sizes of objects in the frame can be changed to produce a more visually pleasing effect. Learning to do this is mostly a matter of practice and experimentation, but there are a number of tips and techniques that can help you to take better pictures.

Our Athlon64 3800+ X2 which is rated at 2GHz is running at almost 2.7GHz. With this great overclock, we turned our cheap Athlon64 X2 3800+ faster than an Athlon64 X2 5000+ chip. This feat was achieved out of the box.

After setting everything up in the D975XBX2 BIOS like pictured above a few final adjustments were made (1333MHz FSB Strap, with an increased multiplier of 11) the system was restarted and when it posted our Intel Core 2 Quad QX6700 processor was no longer a 2.66GHz quad-core processor it was now a monster running at 3.66GHz!

Lately, I have found myself becoming more and more disenfranchised with the whole concept of flash media. I’ve been feeling that way ever since the original Macromedia days and continue to feel that way now with Adobe. Flash has been a royal pain for a number of Linux users, therefore, today, I’m going to present my case on Adobe's lack of interest in the Linux community, and in the end, you can be the judge of its validity.

I'm a power user in some ways when it comes to software, but I've never been similarly inclined towards the hardware side of things. Don't get me wrong - I still love a good processor or a graphics card, but in my case, I'm more interested in the stuff that runs on the hardware. I mean, you may have that horsepower, but it's not going to do you any good unless you have some powerful applications that utilize it.

When AM2 was first announced it seemed like it was going to be a guaranteed hit. After all, this platform would be moving the tremendously successful socket 939 into the future with its use of DDR2 memory, a greatly increased memory bandwidth, hardware virtualization, and a number of exciting new CPUs. Despite everything AM2 had going for it, this includes a dedicated enthusiast base and a tremendous amount of pro-AMD spirit at the time, the new platform has largely been dismissed by consumers. The question now is, what happened? How did AMD go from record growth and being the darling of enthusiasts to having a new platform which failed to impress?

You may have come across the need to share files across a network, but were concerned about security, reliability, and just having to keep a system running 24/7. There are a few solutions out there, but for the most part they aren't as versatile as we'd like.

Vantec has what they think is the perfect solution; The NexStar LX works as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) and USB 2.0 enclosure. It uses an open IDE connection, so you can simply use any size hard drive you want.

The Zalman HD135 Media PC case was designed to be low-profile, yet you can install full-height video card(s) in it without the need for a riser card. It is also possible to use a standard sized power supply and a regular optical drive. Space for storage is also plenty, you can stuff up to 6 HDDs in this case which is just 135mm high. The HD135 is made from all aluminum and is available in black and silver for a price of $299.

Today we have a special graphics card in our labs. Believe us or not, but it's an AGP card and it's intended for all of those who still have a motherboard with an AGP port. Yes, I'm talking about the GeForce 7600GS AGP - Nvidia's latest response to ATI's RADEON X1600PRO AGP. This is the second card of the GeForce 7 family that is intended for the AGP market.

Nvidia already surprised us some time ago by releasing the GeForce 7800GS to the AGP market. Then ATI decided to make an AGP version of the RADEON X1600PRO. Nvidia had to respond, and they did so with the GeForce 7600GS. This GPU has 12 pixel pipelines, 5 vertex shaders and DDR2 memory. As you may have guessed already, this is based on the G73 core, 90nm. The card was sent to us from InnoVISION. The Inno3D GeForce 7600GS AGP has the following clocks: 400MHz for the Core and 800MHz (400x2) for the DDR2 memory.

Unlike the GeForce 7800GS, the GeForce 7600GS's price is very reasonable and it's a medium range card. That means you can use this baby to play the latest games, with anisotropic filtering and Anti-Aliasing at medium resolutions (1024x768 and 1280x1024) with playable frame rates. However, the 7600GS is not aimed for the extremely high resolutions such as 1600x1200 and above. But, in some cases, you will be able to play it in these high resolutions but without Anisotropic Filtering and Anti-Aliasing.

DV Hardware has a guide on using the run line function in Windows XP. By using this you can speed up to way you move through Windows XP. We also teach you how to create your own RL shortcuts.

The Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570 Case looks great and has lots of excellent features. It's mostly aluminum, so it's light at only 8kg (18lbs) but remains rigid. They include three 120mm fans which ensures fantastic air circulation. Also, the side panel ventilation section can be swapped out for a window which they include. Watch the Video to find out more...

The overclocking results were so spectacular that I had to make them the focus of this review. Starting with the stock speed of 450MHz core/1320MHz memory, an optimal speed of 557MHz/1568MHz was achieved with the overclocking applet in the new ForceWare control panel! With RivaTuner, I was able to push the memory up to 1600MHz for a 24% increase on the core and 21% increase in the memory clock speeds!

Cooler Master is well known in the DIY and enthusiast realms for combining great function with sleek, stylish looks. While Cooler Master has been selling Power Supplies and other cooling products they seem to be really diving into the case market lately providing some really nice looking cases aimed at a more mature crowd and offering them at a great price. Today we will be taking a look at the Cooler Master Mystique 631 which offers some really great features such as a tool free design at a great price.

Hardcore gamer? Then you probably are on the lookout for any product that will help you tweak your skill further, and maybe gain an advantage over the competition. If the G15 proves too expensive, or you don't like the LED screen, this one may be up your alley.

I found some features that I really liked: the small size, the performance, the USB cable storage box, and the ergonomics. All of those features really appealed to me, and using the NotePal P1 for the last week was very comfortable.