Reviews 51952 Published by

Cooler Master HAF-932 Case Review
Bjorn3D takes a look at the Cooler Master HAF-932 Case

Cooler Master loves to live up to their name, and that may have been precisely the inspiration behind their High AirFlow (HAF) 932 full tower case which we will be taking a look at for this review. Airflow isn't the only thought factored into this case's design, functionality, affordability, and dare we say it, silence, was as well. The Cosmos S may certainly a beauty of a full size tower, but very few people are willing to spend $250 for a computer case and for good reason.

So, where does the Cooler Master HAF-932 get its name from? Probably from the three huge 230x30mm fans built into the front, side, and top of this equally huge case. These aren't cheap, gimmicky fans either that have been commonly used in side panels of cases and will quickly wear out soon after purchase. The three 230mm fans in this case are real computer fans designed to last as long as any other normal case fan, and even when they eventually wear out (as all fans will do), Cooler Master has thought of that too. The case has been designed so that every 230mm fan can easily be switched for two 120mm fans, or (no pun intended) in the case of the side panel fan four 120mm fans can be installed.
Cooler Master HAF-932 Case Review

Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB DDR3-1333 Memory Kit Review
Bigbruin.com has posted a review on the Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB DDR3-1333 Memory Kit

The bottom line on the Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB DDR3-1333 memory kit is that it offers great performance right out of the box, and for those looking for more, they will gladly oblige. While they may not have the highest stock speed rating, even a novice overclocker should be able to get a few hundred extra MHz out of this kit.
Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB DDR3-1333 Memory Kit Review



Radius RadHeadphone LIVE Earphones with Titanium Drivers
TestFreaks tested the Radius RadHeadphone LIVE Earphones with Titanium Drivers

Today I've got the Radius RadHeadphone LIVE Earphones with Titanium Drivers in Savage Red color, and these are specifically made for my kind of music, Rock, Metal, Techno, and they're supposed to be a decent all around set of earphones as well. This set costs about twice as much as the Atomic Bass set does, but it comes with a carrying pouch and a cord extension, along with the titanium drivers, is it worth the cost? Let's find out
Radius RadHeadphone LIVE Earphones with Titanium Drivers

Antec Mini P180 Case Review
HardwareLogic posted Antec Mini P180 Case Review

Hot on the heels of the Antec Twelve Hundred, Antec has been busy developing a new breed of enclosure: The Mini P180. As a new member of the elite Performance One chassis lineup, the Mini P180 looks to improve upon the design of the P182 in a Micro-ATX form factor. Boasting a dual-chamber design, robust cooling, and dead silent computing, the Mini P180 looks to be the next hottest thing to hit the enthusiast market. Will the Mini P180 make the grade?
Antec Mini P180 Case Review

ASUS EEE PC 1000HA Netbook Review
Legit Reviews takes a look at the ASUS EEE PC 1000HA Netbook

With netbooks growing more in popularity every day, Legit Reviews has decided to jump into the craze, and do our first netbook review. Will it pass the test for the average Notebook user or will it come off as just another toy? The ASUS EEE PC 1000HA is an impressive netbook with a large 10" display and is powered by an Intel Atom N270 1.60GHz processor. Read on to see how it does! We also try out Ubuntu EEE on the ASUS EEE PC, so be sure to check that out.
ASUS EEE PC 1000HA Netbook Review

TuneClone Audio Converter Software Review
DragonSteelMods.com takes a look at the TuneClone Audio Converter Software

So there are a few free versions out there that will help my friend out, but I needed something that was easy to use, very easy to use and I found TuneClone, which is very easy to use so that's what I've got for review today. TuneClone is a program to convert you iTunes or other music services music over to mp3 format, quickly and easily. It essentially creates a virtual CDRW drive on your computer and virtually burns the CD from the main program, iTunes of other and then TuneClone automatically rips it to mp3 format for you, so in a few easy steps you've got music that is easily transferred and played on any device.
TuneClone Audio Converter Software Review

Intel Core 2 Duo: E0 vs C0
NordicHardware compared the E0 and C0 stepping of Intel Core 2 Duo

Our processor and overclocking guru Robert Kihlberg decided to investigate Intel's latest E0 stepping and compare it to the older C0 model. With advanced power measurements and precise overclocking he has come to some very interesting results.
Intel Core 2 Duo: E0 vs C0

Intel Stock Core 2 Duo E4xxx Heatsink Review
Frostytech tested the Intel Stock Core 2 Duo E4xxx Heatsink

Readers complain Frostytech doesn't have enough "reference" heatsinks to draw comparisons against. Good thing Frostytech has this review of a reference Intel Core 2 Duo E4xxx series socket 775 heatsink! The stock Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 heatsink is composed of two sections - the first an outer ring of extruded aluminum with 26mm long curved bifurcated (split) cooling fins, the second an internal 33mm diameter solid cylindrical aluminum heat spreading core. The aluminum slug at the center makes direct contact with the processor integrated heat spreader, conducting the heat it absorbs out to the larger fin surface area.
Intel Stock Core 2 Duo E4xxx Heatsink Review

Antec's Skeleton chassis Review
bit-tech published a review of Antec's Skeleton chassis

The Antec Skeleton is a desperately frustrating product in so many ways, not least because we'd allowed ourselves to believe it could be something special, that it could prove that open air setups don't have to just be for benchmarketeers like ourselves and that it really could offer a compelling alternative to the upgrade happy enthusiast.

The sad fact is though that the Skeleton has failed utterly in delivering any of these things and is in great danger of becoming a real white elephant for Antec. The build quality we've come to expect is still there, but the important design decisions seem to have missed out hugely important concerns like aftermarket coolers or tall graphics cards. The inability to support these products, which in the case of aftermarket coolers have been enthusiast bread and butter for years, borders on the unbelievable and is frankly an unforgivable omission.

Antec has itself said this case isn't aimed at the mass market and instead at the enthusiast or overclocker, but what advanced system builder with any level of knowledge is going to want to overclock with just a stock heatsink, or at best a small low profile aftermarket cooler?

What's perhaps the most frustrating thing is that in the course of a five minute conversation here in the office we'd come up with a handful of solutions to all these design flaws. The inclusion of a hinged section on the frame to allow access inside or even a slightly taller frame would have alleviated most of our concerns and made the Skeleton a slightly quirky, but interesting alternative to a normal chassis rather than the crippled proof of concept it's been released as.

With prices starting at £129 the Skeleton goes from bad to borderline abysmal. £129 is just stupid money for what you're getting here, no matter how well put together it is, especially considering the quality and feature sets of proper cases you can pick up for a similar amount. For the same cash you pick up excellent cases like the Cooler Master HAF 932 or Akasa Omega, both of which can deliver excellent airflow performance while also getting the basics like supporting aftermarket coolers right. As a dedicated hardware test bench it's even harder to recommend, with the frame interfering with the ultra easy access to hardware that we ourselves require when installing and testing hardware.

While the Antec Skeleton is certainly an innovative product -- a rare commodity in the case industry -- its design flaws have turned what could have been a unique and exciting addition to the marketplace into an exercise in frustration, and we haven't even mentioned the hazards inherent in having your hardware permanently exposed.

Needless to say even those without children or pets liable to reach in and break hardware or those not worried about the inevitable dust build up should think very carefully indeed before picking up this case and perhaps Antec should have left this particular Skeleton firmly in the back of the closet.
Antec's Skeleton chassis Review

Leadtek WinFast GTX 260 Extreme+ Review
Hardware Zone posted a review on the Leadtek WinFast GTX 260 Extreme+ video card

The GTX 260 is back, stronger and faster than ever with more stream processors. We take a look at Leadtek's factory-overclocked WinFast GTX 260 Extreme+ to see what the extra 24 stream processors bring to the game.
Leadtek WinFast GTX 260 Extreme+ Review

Intel Core i7 Overclocking
t-break overclocked the Intel Core i7

We have already benchmarked two new Nehalam processors- the 920 and the 965EE and compared them to other processors on the market. It is now time for some temperature tests and to see how high these processors can be overclocked using the ASUS P6T motherboard.
Intel Core i7 Overclocking

Akasa Vortexx Neo Review
techPowerUp posted a review on the Akasa Vortexx Neo

The Akasa Vortexx Neo is a dual-slot cooler that exhausts warm air out of a computer case filling a void in today's graphics cooler market. This all in one, universal cooler is advertised to cool every component on a graphics card from the voltage circuitry to the GPU, and does so with classic dual-slot cooler looks.
Akasa Vortexx Neo Review

NorthQ NQ-3360A Max Tower Extreme CPU Cooler Review
OCIA.net has posted their review of the NorthQ NQ-3360A Max Tower Extreme CPU Cooler

While the Denmark-based NorthQ has been making a variety of computer hardware products for the past few years, the availability of their merchandise has always been limited to non-existent in the United States. NorthQ not only manufactures a broad spectrum of computer equipment, from cases to power supplies to CPU coolers (water and air), but also home and car electronics. Their name may not be big in the USA, but we have seen their products before with good results.
NorthQ NQ-3360A Max Tower Extreme CPU Cooler Review

Corsair Flash Voyagermini 8GB Review
Overclockers Online has posted a new review on the Corsair Flash Voyagermini 8GB

While Corsair's Flash Voyager Mini isn't going to take a speed crown, it gets the job done. Its diminutive size hides a decent 8 GB of data and the Mini is about a 1/3 the size of your standard drive. No chance of losing a cap is a definite plus and it is hardly noticeable attached to your keychain. This makes for a handy bit of storage to take with you wherever you go.
Corsair Flash Voyagermini 8GB Review

Altec Lansing VS3251 5.1 Surround Speaker System Review
TweakTown posted a review on the Altec Lansing VS3251 5.1 Surround Speaker System

These days AL are focusing on more affordable systems that are very functional without entering into a higher pricing bracket. Now, I'm not sure about AL’s exact reasons for concentrating on the lower end of the spectrum, but let’s hope they can combine value with performance, which is admittedly not an easy nut to crack for any company.

The VS3251 system is an analog 5.1 channel system consisting of five small speakers, each with a 2.5” full range cone enclosed within a sturdy molded plastic shell. To complement these we have a 5” medium sized subwoofer unit which is of the front firing long throw breed, enclosed within an MDF box. MDF is often chosen to increase tonal accuracy and natural resonance within the unit.
Altec Lansing VS3251 5.1 Surround Speaker System Review

Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier Review
OCC has published a new review on the Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier

The Antec Veris Premier is a very useful tool for anyone wanting more control over their computer's multimedia functionality. This controller opens a whole new world of uses for your system and makes it very easy to get the information. If you are putting together an HTPC then this device would be invaluable to you especially with the fully featured remote control that is included with the unit. Most devices I have seen their remote controls are their downfall but this is not the case with the Antec Veris Premier. Another nice thing is that I had no problem installing and running the Veris Premier in Windows Vista so it is as fully compatible as Antec claims it is.
Antec Veris Multimedia Station Premier Review

OCZ EliteXStream 1000 W Power Supply Review
Hardware Secrets posted OCZ EliteXStream 1000 W Power Supply Review

OCZ EliteXStream 1000 W is one of the most affordable 1,000 W power supplies available in the market today. Its lower price point was achieved by carrying fewer features compared to other 1,000 W models, such as less auxiliary power cables for video cards (only four) and the absence of a modular cabling system. On the other hand OCZ was able to put this power supply inside a housing with a depth of only 6 19/64" (16 cm), while other 1,000 W models like Corsair HX1000W needs to use a bigger housing with a depth of 7 7/8" (20 cm). But is this a good power supply? Let's see if it survives our load tests.
OCZ EliteXStream 1000 W Power Supply Review

Hiper Osiris HTC-1K514 Review
OCC has published a new review on the Hiper Osiris HTC-1K514

Osiris, the leader of all the Egyptian gods on Earth. Thus this case is also leading in quality when compared to most cases - although there are a few better cases out, just as there is a more powerful god than Osiris- Ra. This case performs and looks good, but it is not the best. In general, I was impressed by the durability of the aluminum alloy, the stylish looks, and how well it kept the hard drives and other hardware cool. Installing hardware was a breeze in this case, as there is plenty of room to work inside, and the tool-free design meant a quick and easy install. There is plenty of room for even the largest video cards out, even SLI/Crossfire configurations should fit. The paint never scratched during all of the testing and assembly, and the stock case fans adequately cooled the test rig.
Hiper Osiris HTC-1K514 Review

AT&T Pantech Matrix Mobile Phone Review
I4U NEWS published a review of the Pantech Matrix Mobile Phone.

Today we are looking at the AT&TPantech Matrix messaging phone. If you don't want a full-fledged smartphone, but send lots of text messages this is the handset for you. The phone is a messaging marvel and offers features that text fans will love. Read on for all of the details.
AT&T Pantech Matrix Mobile Phone Review

Seven Ways Gadget Geeks Can Go Green
Futurelooks thinks about Mother Nature in this next article

It’s easy to point your finger at massive gas-guzzling SUVs and the giant polluting factories, but “green living” starts right at home. We can all do our part to help the environment and, yes, this applies to our ongoing infatuation with the latest technology too. Even gadget geeks can adjust their lifestyles to better accommodate the needs of the Earth. Below are seven ways that gadget geeks can go green. Are you doing your part?
Seven Ways Gadget Geeks Can Go Green

Lian Li's Silent Force 850W power supply unit Review
bit-tech published a review of Lian Li's Silent Force 850W power supply unit

At a $210 MSRP this PSU is really very expensive, especially if we compare it to the OCZ EliteXStream 800W PSU which can be bought for $139.99 or $109.99 after a mail-in rebate. The BFG ES Series is even less at $109.99 before rebate and $69.99 after, while the more powerful Corsair HX1000W is only a little more at $259.99 or $239.99 after rebate.

We're still waiting for Lian Li to bring the unit to the UK, but with the poor USD to GBP exchange rate giving UK Sterling less strength, this will cause higher prices anyway - if the Silent Force is already expensive in the States we can't see the end result being positive in an already overly competitive UK market. Lian Li will have a hard time convincing people it's better value when the efficiency is marginally lower than the cheaper and more established BFG and OCZ units, even if it is marginally quieter than them both. In terms of noise, we actually only think it's only second to the awesome and genuinely silent Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 650W that uses a fluid bearing fan.

The end result is that the Lian Li Silent Force 850W does what it says on the tin perfectly well, and while it may not be the most efficient, it is still highly efficient and makes up for the slight difference with a complete lack of noise, a solid table of voltages and some good quality cable and connector choices. We do like the Lian Li Silent Force a lot, and for a first try it's a fantastic effort, but for our cash we'd plump for the more popular OCZ or BFG units, even if the BFG is expensive by UK terms, it seems our US brethren have it better than we do.
Lian Li's Silent Force 850W power supply unit Review

ECS X58B-A motherboard review -- Intel X58 chipset
The Guru of 3D posted a review on the ECS X58B-A motherboard

Guru3D Motherboard test - ECS released a drop-dead gorgeous looking X58 motherboard. It's feature rich has a few hidden Easter eggs and get this .. it's less than 249 USD. Now this motherboard is a BlackEdition. Meaning black PCB, a solid color schema connector wise, extra hidden features like micro switches for power/reset and even CMOS CLEAR, optical audio TOSLINK outputs, copper heatpipe passive cooling, dual GigE Ethernet and heck it's even SLI certified for two way SLI.

Now it might not be able to compete with 350-400 USD counterparts feature wise .. but it's certainly able to be just as fast and very likely the most affordable X58 motherboard you'll find on the market today.
ECS X58B-A motherboard review -- Intel X58 chipset