Daily Reviews Summary 09/28/07

Overall, the Kingston performs better in 2D applications when it's running at 1,333MHz with its default timings, whereas the OCZ seems to run better at 1,066MHz with lower latencies. On average there's a couple of memory heavy situations, like Xvid encoding, where the Kingston is just simply faster than the OCZ. This isn't reflected in 3D where the OCZ is the faster memory across all the games we've tested here.

So which one is better? We'd have to say neither of them are in the grand scheme of things. If you do a lot of intensive 2D work then the Kingston is more likely to suit you and if you're a gamer, you might find that the OCZ is a better choice.

It's hardly surprising that they both overclock virtually identically as well, considering they use the same DRAM chips - the Kingston can handle fractionally lower latencies but the OCZ does 8MHz more at the top end. ~1,430-1,440MHz from 1,333MHz modules is hardly that much to shout
about, but at least both of them are consistent. Compared to the //engineering sample Corsair DHX modules, which managed to achieve 1,520MHz, but that was at CAS-9 which negates almost any frequency advantage.

After a long wait the Razer Diamondback Mouse is back on the market. The new version is dubbed Diamondback 3G and features Razer's famous 3G infrared sensor for bargain price of $49.99. Other than the sensor there are only a few changes to the design, so can it live up to the expectations?

Vantec Thermal Technologies has been in business since 1994. Since that time, the company has expanded beyond just the initial thermal solutions and now provides a wide variety of components and devices for the PC enthusiast. Among the many products manufactured and distributed by Vantec are Storage Devices, Cooling Solutions for CPUs, Case, Memory, HDD and others; various Peripheral components; Cables of various kinds; Power Supply Units; PC Mod Kits; and Notebook Accessories and Supplies. A quick look at the distribution of Vantec products shows that the company's reach is truly worldwide.

Ultra's line of modular power supplies is known for its stability and originality, and the X3 series is no exception. The X3 series is up to 85% efficient at typical load and has outputs ranging from 600W to a mind-boggling 1600W. ThinkComputers got its hands on the 600W version and tests out the robust and easily-routed unit in this review.

For those who are on the go and need to carry large amounts of data with them, more than a USB stick can hold, then a 2.5" external drive is a must-have. One thing that makes these a much better option than a full sized external drive is the lack of needing to carry a power adapter. Because of the power requirements of 2.5" drives they can be entirely powered through the USB bus! This means you only need to carry one small cable with the enclosure and not a big and bulky adapter too!

Installing the Harmony is a two part process. First, you install the software provided by Logitech. Then you will plug the Harmony into any free USB port on the computer. Follow along as the software installation is completed to get an idea of how this remote works. The first thing to do to get started is to put the software CD supplied by Logitech into the drive on your computer and let the auto run start up the installation program.

Many manufacturers search out designs that will help them develop a product known for extraordinary performance. Benchmark Reviews has already reviewed many of the very best CPU coolers available to enthusiasts, from the very unique and original design of the Zaward Sylphee ZCJ003 and VIVO to the oversized Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369. Not long ago, we even reviewed the Ultra ULT33186 Chilltec TEC CPU cooler which combined three different cooling technologies into one solution. All of these products performed very well, but none of them really set itself apart from the pack like the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 did. In this review we will test the OCZ Vendetta (OCZTVEND) Exposed Copper Heatpipe Direct Touch CPU cooler against a field of well-established competitors.