Reviews 51923 Published by

Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

- XFX PRO 750 W Power Supply Review
- Fractal Design Define XL Review
- Roccat Kova + Review
- MSI GT680 Sandy Bridge Gaming Laptop Review
- Lian Li Mini Q PC-Q08 Computer Case Review
- ASUS Crosshair IV Extreme Review
- Dead Space 2 (PC) Review
- NVIDIA ForceWare 266.58 Performance Analysis
- Corsair Air Series A50 CPU Cooler Review
- G SKILL Ripjaws F3-17066 CL7D 2133mhz (Sandybridge) Review
- 3RSystem T.Rex L-1100 Cool Case Review
- TomTom XL 350 TM Review
- Epson Stylus Office BX625FWD Review
- Zalman N Series SandForce 128GB Solid State Drive Review
- Lian Li PC-V352 mATX Case Review
- CM Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse Review
- AXLE GT 430 Classic Review
- Cooler Master Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse Review
- ASUS G53JW-3DE Core i7 GTX 460M 3D Vision Gaming Notebook Review
- Video Frame Rates and Display Refresh Rates for Beginners Guide
- Targus XL Laptop Backpack Review



XFX PRO 750 W Power Supply Review
Hardware Secrets posted XFX PRO 750 W Power Supply Review

XFX is releasing their PRO series of power supplies, with single +12 V rail, DC-DC secondary design, and 80 Plus Bronze certification. So far three models were released: 650 W, 750 W, and 850 W. We have already tested the 650 W model, which proved to have a terrific cost/benefit ratio. Let's see if the 750 W model follows the same path.[/quote6
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Fractal Design Define XL Review
techPowerUp posted a review on the Fractal Design Define XL

Fractal Design has enlarged the Define R3 to a full tower with additional features, calling it the Define XL. We tear it apart, fill it with hardware and see if we still have room to breath or if it is all nothing but wasted space
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Roccat Kova + Review
XSReviews have reviewed the Roccat Kova + gaming mouse

While still one of the newer kids on the block, having only been around for a couple of years at this point, Roccat, makers of high end gaming peripherals have been rivalling the big boys since day one. Today they're hoping to do that once more with a revamp of a mouse that I like very much, the Kova. This one, termed the Kova +, brings tweaked specifications and some new features that Roccat is hoping will make it perhaps the best ambidextrous mouse available. Let's see if they're right.
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MSI GT680 Sandy Bridge Gaming Laptop Review
HotHardware.com posted a review on the MSI GT680 Sandy Bridge Gaming Laptop

When MSI unveiled the new GT680R gaming laptop at CES this year, the company touted it as one of the "fastest, most powerful gaming notebooks in the world." As one of the first laptops to take advantage of Intel's Sandy Bridge processor, this laptop definitely packs plenty of power. Under the hood, you'll find NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460M graphics with 1.5GB of video memory, 8GB of DDR3 system memory, and two 500GB 7,200rpm hard drives...
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Lian Li Mini Q PC-Q08 Computer Case Review
Modders-Inc posted a review on the Lian Li Mini Q PC-Q08 Computer Case

Today we will be taking a look at one of Lian Li smaller cases, the Mini Q PC-Q08. This case is perfect for individuals that are looking to construct a HTPC or a LAN gaming rig, but does it have all the right features for you?
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ASUS Crosshair IV Extreme Review
ocaholic posted a review on the ASUS Crosshair IV Extreme

With the Crosshair IV Extreme ASUS presents its flagship motherboard regarding AMD's 890FX chipset. It awaits overclockers and enthusiasts with lots of features and the additional onboard HydraLogix chip by Lucid, that we fully tested with latest Hydra Engine drivers and up to three graphic cards, seems to be a promising
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Dead Space 2 (PC) Review
KitGuru Gaming posted Dead Space 2 (PC) Review

I was a huge fan of the first Dead Space game, the eerie atmosphere and horror style shocks had me jumping at every corner. I also felt a certain kinship with retired engineer Isaac Clarke, he wasn’t a gun totting steroid injected one man army – more a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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NVIDIA ForceWare 266.58 Performance Analysis
TweakTown posted a performance analysis of the NVIDIA ForceWare 266.58 drivers

NVIDIA release a heap of drivers. It seems there's one coming out every week lately. Unlike AMD, NVIDIAs betas are really pushed throughout the enthusiast community. If we did the same kind of thing with the NVIDIA ForceWare drivers as we do with AMD and its Catalyst drivers, I would be testing ForceWare drivers 24 / 7.

The ForceWare 266.58 driver set is more important, because unlike a lot of other drivers this is a WHQL one; which for people who prefer to only upgrade when WHQL ones make their way to the market, it could well be time for an upgrade. With a whole lot of new models recently as well, there's finally a chance to get off those betas and get on some proper WHQL ones. So what are the performance improvements? Let's take a quick look at what's in the release notes before we get stuck into the benchmarks.
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Corsair Air Series A50 CPU Cooler Review
Legit Reviews posted a review on the Corsair Air Series A50 CPU Cooler

Excessive heat is the enemy of all processors, and the Corsair Air Series A50 CPU coolers sole purpose in life it to help extend the lifetime of your CPU by quietly and efficiently drawing that heat away. The Corsair A50 CPU Cooler can be found for just $20 shipped right now as well, which makes is a cost sensible upgrade for those still running the CPU cooler they got with their system. Join us as we put it on our Intel Core i7 test system and see how it holds up.

With the Corsair A50 doing as well as it does and costing what it does, I feel it would make for a nice budget cooler because it will get the job done and not break the bank in the process. The documentation is very easy to follow, it was easy to install, and will fit all the popular sockets out today -- even the new Intel LGA1155 socket for 'Sandy Bridge' processors as that socket same hole pattern as the LGA1156 socket. The Corsair A50 even comes backed by a 2-year warranty, which is nice for the price you pay. Not too many things can go wrong on a HSF, but you never know one of the three 8mm heatpipes might...
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G SKILL Ripjaws F3-17066 CL7D 2133mhz (Sandybridge) Review
Kitguru checked out the G SKILL Ripjaws F3-17066 CL7D 2133mhz (Sandybridge) memory

With the release of the stunning new Sandybridge platform from Intel, memory manufacturers are releasing kits designed specifically to maximise system performance. Today we look at a stunning new 4GB kit from GSKILL which operates at 2133mhz while maintaining the tightest possible timings.

In the past, getting memory close to 2,000mhz usually meant that timings needed to be relaxed for total stability, but not any longer. This G SKILL Ripjaws F3-17066 CL7D kit is sold to operate at 2,133mhz at tight timings of 7-10-7.
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3RSystem T.Rex L-1100 Cool Case Review
DreamWare Computers posted a review on the 3RSystem T.Rex L-1100 Cool Case

Our first introduction to 3RSystems here at DreamWare Computers was our review of their iCEAGE 120 Prima Boss 2 HQ CPUcooler a few months back. This ended up being a great cooler - not only did it have exceptional heat dissipation capabilities, but also was silent in doing its job. Looking to succeed in the same way with their cases, today we will be featuring 3RSystem's T.Rex L-1100 Cool case. Will we have the same surprise we did as with the cooler, or will there be disappointment after seeing such a good product from them before? Read on to find out.
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TomTom XL 350 TM Review
TechReviewSource.com posted a review on the TomTom XL 350 TM navigator

The TomTom XL 350 TM is a new GPS unit that offers free real-time traffic updates and free lifetime map updates. It also has a larger 4.3-inch touchscreen display that's about an inch large than previous models. It has a great mapping interface and a huge POI database, but it lacks Bluetooth.
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Epson Stylus Office BX625FWD Review
Business Computing World published a review of the Epson Stylus Office BX625FWD

Epson's BX625FWD is an excellent inkjet MFP for small-business users. Its build quality is above par, print and scan quality are superb, and operating noise is kept to a minimum. The unit looks great, is well supported, and the drivers (Windows and OS X) and undled proactivity appsare intuitive. The inclusion of memory card slots and a PictBridge port increase its versatility and the choice of wired and wireless connectivity is ideal for hot-deskers. The only consideration is running costs. If you're a very busy office that primarily prints documents for internal purposes, a laser printer is more cost effective over the long term. Small teams or those in home offices who print less frequently will benefit most from the BX625FWD.
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Zalman N Series SandForce 128GB Solid State Drive Review
TweakTown posted a review on the Zalman N Series SandForce 128GB Solid State Drive

It is no secret that solid state drives are very profitable and every company is looking to take a slice of the green pie. The latest addition to the growing number of companies offering SSDs is Zalman. Zalman, a company best known for their high performance CPU heat sink coolers and high quality PC cases, might seem to be late for the party, but their entry comes at a time when the winners have been established and little chance of faultier was possible.

Zalman's highest performing SSD, the N Series, is controlled by a SandForce SF-1200 controller, the highest performance SATA 3G controller on the market and our pick for any SSD with less than 256GB capacity. The SF-1200 is a beast of a controller and it is aging very gracefully. New firmware from SandForce and their partners has given the highest rated even better performance; something we will look at today since the new N Series uses the latest firmware offering.
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Lian Li PC-V352 mATX Case Review
ThinkComputers.org posted a review on the Lian Li PC-V352 mATX Case

With mini-ITX systems becoming more and more powerful and mini-ATX motherboards offering the same features as full ATX boards it is hard to decide what type of system to build. At the same time if you are going to build one of these smaller systems there really are not that many cases that offer all the features you expect from a normal PC case. Well Lian Li noticed this and came out with the PC-V352. A small cube style case that packs in a lot of features and has all of the quality you expect from Lian Li. Let’s check it out and see if it is perfect for your next small system build.
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CM Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse Review
Neoseeker posted a review on the CM Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse

Looking for a 7-button mouse that's not too flashy but still beefy in the feature department? We take a look at one potential option from Cooler Master's new Storm product lineup, the Spawn. It's programmable, and it even has anti-slip rubber grips for those gaming sessions it's geared for. Check out our latest mouse review for all the details
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AXLE GT 430 Classic Review
OCC has published a review on the AXLE GT 430 Classic

The AXLE GT 430 performed great. It didn't overclock past the ASUS variant, but it did run with a lower temperature while operating approximately as quiet as the CPU heat sink fans. The gaming potential is there somewhat, as long as graphics quality or frame rate isn't important - minimalism is key for gaming with this. High definition content handling is a great use for this card, as it is tailored to media workloads. This card also works great as a dedicated PhysX processor and can take the load off the CPU when decoding media content, while also completing the job faster!
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Cooler Master Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse Review
Hi Tech Legion posted a review on the Cooler Master Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse

The Cooler Master Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse impresses at first glance with a dark crimson and black finish. The Storm Spawn is hardly just a pretty face, however, boasting 3500 DPI adjustable on the fly with anti-drift sensing, polling rates up to 1000Hz, macro recording ability and 32kb of memory onboard to save those macros to the Storm Spawn itself. Saving macros to the hardware allows the Storm Spawn to be plugged into any computer with the Storm's software suite and have the macros work immediately. No need to re-input. The Storm Spawn is also built to be comfortable in the hand with a sculpted ergonomic design featuring textured black rubber grips. To stand up to some hard gaming, the Storm Spawn features Omron micro switches on all buttons, guaranteed for a minimum 5 million clicks. The Teflon feet on the Storm Spawn allow it to glide smoothly across most surfaces.
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ASUS G53JW-3DE Core i7 GTX 460M 3D Vision Gaming Notebook Review
PC Perspective posted a review on the ASUS G53JW-3DE Core i7 GTX 460M 3D Vision Gaming Notebook

ASUS has been seriously challenging the custom-order companies with its own pre-built options over the last few years. While the earlier models were good, the more recent launch of the ASUS G73 was, I think, the company’s declaration that it intends to be counted among the best gaming laptop manufacturers in the world. ASUS is now offering the G53, which serves as the flagship 15.6” model.
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Video Frame Rates and Display Refresh Rates for Beginners Guide
MissingRemote.com published their Video Frame Rates and Display Refresh Rates for Beginners Guide

We hope you've been enjoying our series of Beginner's Guides for HTPC and Home Theater. As part of the series, we’ve previously discussed video resolutions and how video information is displayed on a screen for a frame of video in our guide, Video Resolutions for Beginners. What we didn’t delve into much was the rate at which video frames are captured, or, in other words, the video frame rate. This guide will cover the basics of frame rates and how displays deal with the frame rates. We’ll try to cut through the marketing buzzwords like 120Hz, 240Hz, 600Hz sub-field drive, etc. so that you can make a more informed decision when purchasing your next display and how to insure an optimal viewing experience.
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Targus XL Laptop Backpack Review
Rbmods posted a review on the Targus XL Laptop Backpack

Targus is well known for their laptop bags, today we are taking a look at one of their laptop backpack. We recieved a sample of their TCB001EU or XL backpack as it also seems to be called.
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