Tuesday Reviews

Quote

This is the second product from Icy Dock to pass by the Labs of ASE. In the previous review, we saw that Icy Dock knows how to make an excellent product. Will the trend continue with the internal version of the screwless hard drive enclosure? The Icy Dock 3.5" Screwless SATA Internal Enclosure (MB672SKGF) hopes to earn a valuable 5.25" slot in computer and it did on mine.

Quote

It seemed like some time ago that external storage was the oddball for people. Times have certainly changed now that internal hard drives are so large that backing up to optical media is really an impossibility. More and more external drive enclosures are coming out to provide the need, but they aren't created equal. Icy Dock's 3.5" External Screwless Hard Drive Enclosure (MB664US-1S) aims to fit the external storage needs of everyone in a convenient to use package. I believe they have achieved that.

Quote

Since ASE Labs is getting more and more into producing videos, it is time to start reviewing digital video cameras. The first such device is absolutely perfect for the Youtube crowd and has been making the rounds on the internet. The Flip Video Mino from Pure Digital promises web videos made with ease and they aren't kidding.

Quote

A few months ago, I reviewed a DDR3 kit from Kingston that supported 1800MHz operation at fairly fast timings. It was criticized by some that the modules did not include XMP information to aid in easy system setup. Fast forward to the current market and the KHX14400D2K2/2GX delivers XMP support.

Quote

Quote: Installing the Thermaltake DuOrb heatpipe CPU cooler on a motherboard with an open layout should be very simple thanks to the well thought out mounting hardware that will hold the cooler in place and will keep it from sliding around. As seen in the review, there could be issues installing the DuOrb on some motherboards.

Quote

Last month on July 1st, Corsair Memory announced the immediate availability of a new DOMINATOR DDR3 memory kit running at 2133MHz. The launch of this memory kit made it the world's fastest DDR3 memory solution in production volume, a title that it still holds over a month later. Read on to see how this kit does on an EVGA nForce 790i SLI Ultra motherboard at 2135MHz.

Quote

"Intel's P45 Chipset was released this summer along with the P43, G43, and G45 Chipsets as the mainstream Eaglelake alternative to Intel's current flagship X48 Chipset. Though over the older X48 motherboards, the P45 has the advantages of using Intel's newer ICH10 / ICH10R Southbridge and support for up to 16GB of DDR2/DDR3 memory, which is double that of what's supported by the X48. Today we are looking at two Intel P45 motherboards compliments of Gigabyte with their EP45-DS3L and EP45T-DS3R. The EP45-DS3L and EP45T-DS3R are just two of Gigabyte's motherboards bearing the P45 Chipset but in total they have eight different motherboards using this version of the Eaglelake Chipset."

Quote

Sunbeamtech has left a clear presence in the hardware industry by developing a huge line of products and since a year or so they created a whole new premium series to offer cases and coolers. What we are looking at today is their Tuniq 3 casing which offers their patented 3D Core-Fan Bracket, tool free drive installation and two cold cathodes underneath the bottom to finish it off.

Quote

What's so great about the TOP line-up from ASUS is that they don't get a card and just add an extra 10MHz to the core and 20MHz to the memory, the TOP line-up of cards are really well overclocked cards that stand out from the competition. That latest card to carry the TOP name comes from the AMD team; the HD 4870 has quickly become a hot product for so many people thanks to the aggressive performance and even more aggressive price tag. Today we'll be checking out how the ASUS overclocked version goes against a stock clocked offering and see if it's worth paying the premium that the TOP cards carry to get the larger out of the box clocks.

Quote

* Today I will be looking at ATI's most recent release, the Radeon HD 4870 X2. I can't quite imagine the performance capacity of a pair of HD 4850s, so I really have no idea what to expect from twin 4870s, complete with two full gigs of DDR5 memory. This will be my first ATI-branded Radeon card, which will make things even more interesting. Will the 4870 X2 offer the ultimate 3D graphics experience? Read on to see!" A post in your news would be appreciated! Please send your news to news@ThinkComputers.org Regards, Bob Buskirk Founder, Webmaster, Editor-in-Chief bbuskirk@thinkcomputers.org http://www.thinkcomputers.org

Quote

Technology doesn't play favorites, and when it reaches an apex there is an indifference towards who develops it. ATI has learned this lesson the hard way, having watched from the sidelines for so long that most have forgotten that AMD could be a leader in technology. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 is the latest evolution in graphics cards, and ATI has delivered something bigger than we've ever seen before. Benchmark Reviews is fortunate to test the Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 X2 Dual-RV770 GPU video card 100251SR against a collection of todays hottest video cards available.

Quote

How do you decide which router to buy in this day and age? Is there one product that has it all? You'll be hard pressed to find a product with all the bells and whistles, but we may have one here today that comes close to the mark. Today we get up close and personal with TRENDnet's very latest router, the 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router sporting model number TEW-672GR. Specifically, we are looking at version 1.0R, which is the shipping version you'll find in the stores when buying.

Quote

* "Listen up folks, the DDR3 era is upon us. Both Intel and AMD have adopted the newer standard, and with Intel's Core i7 (the chip formerly known as Nehalem) peeking around the corner, there's just no looking back. Despite the temptation posed by dirt-cheap DDR2 modules, any build from the ground up should be focused on DDR3, save for those on an extremely tight budget. Newer processors are finally starting to benefit from the added benefit, and each new chipset release finds new ways of optimizing memory performance, making those DDR2 modules seem ancient by comparison."

Quote

For a unit that performs as well as those which double it in terms of cost, Corsair's TX750W is quite a contender. Uncommon to most budget power supplies, Corsair has neither fallen short on performance or features. Shrugging off each of our tests is a feat of its own, but matched with perks found commonly in much more expensive units such as a beautiful paint job, quality fan, fully sleeved wires and matching black Molex connectors, I must honestly say, this is pretty much as good as it gets.

Quote

It's been almost a year since the original Asus Eee 701 appeared stateside, making traditional ultra-portables look fat with its size and weight, sending prices plunging with its $400 price tag, and triggering a landslide of imitators. In that time, many have tried, but few have succeeded in one upping Asus at its own game. The Wind is MSI's freshman effort in the emerging subnotebook genre, but the company has managed to run with the best of them by offering a 10-inch display, a fast and efficient Intel Atom processor, and loads of storage.

Quote

Quote: We have heard from an anonymous source that the M912 Gigabyte netbook will sport some features not to be found in any other netbooks at this time. We have also heard that it may indeed be coming to the USA though we do not have confirmation nor an available date as of yet. Stay tuned as we will bring you the update first when the information becomes available. For the full details of what the M912 will be packing when it hits the US check out our scoop.

Quote

"First of all, it was planned to oppose GeForce GTX 280 with CrossFire configurations based on two separate HD 4850 or HD 4870 cards. Then the company presented a dual-GPU solution on a single PCB, the RADEON HD 4870 X2. We've already published its preview with several tests. Now it's time for a sterling article with theoretical data, synthetic tests, and an expanded set of games."

Quote

Quote: Interested in getting a fully featured security system but don't want to pay over $300 for it? If so, then WiLife's Digital Video Security System might be worth a look. One of the featured items at CES earlier this year, was the WiLife Security System. WiLife, a sub company of Logitech, now offers wireless security for your entire home. Featuring three different types of cameras each for different instances, these include your standard indoor camera, weather-proof outdoor camera, and even a spy camera found in an alarm clock. Now I'm sure most of you guys just got some wild ideas of what to do with that spy camera, I know I thought of a few. Read on to see how the WiLife truly performs.