XSReviews has reviewed the Crucial Ballistix PC8500

Crucial has been one of the top memory manufacturers for a while now, and their Ballistix kits are some of the best loved performance products on the market. Today I have their PC8500 2gb kit, hopefully it can live up to the standard we have all come to expect of products wearing the Ballistix tag.

Crucial Ballistix PC8500 Review

HardwareLogic posted Hiper Type-R 580W Power Supply Review

The evolution of the ATX power supply seems to be a constant process as computer hardware becomes more powerful and power hungry. First we had simple units with three basic +3.3V, +5V, and +12V rails, then came extra features like Power Factor Correction (PFC) to help deliver cleaner, more efficient power, then came the introduction of SATA hard drives and the PCI-Express interface spurring on the introduction of a new ATX 12v 2.0 standard. Among other things, this new power supply standard includes four extra pins on the main 20-pin ATX motherboard connector (for a total of 24-pins) and multiple 12V rails for increased power delivery to new modern power hungry processors and video cards. Companies then started to develop a modular cabling system that allowed the user to customize what cables and connections they want and what they don't. This helped reduce wire clutter inside the case and set particular products out from the crowd of the usual power supply suspects.

Hiper Type-R 580W Power Supply Review



XSReviews has reviewed the Akasa Pro-Grade AK-460

The heatpaste crown has generally always been awarded to Arctic Silver, whether it is because of widespread publicity or top class performance. But since testing Jetart's attempt, I've seen that the most well-known isn't always the best. Today I have Akasa's 'pro-grade' AK-460 paste. Let's see if its name is warranted

Akasa Pro-Grade AK-460 Review

XSReviews has reviewed the Antec Veris MX-1 enclosure

External HDD enclosures have always been just a box with a USB cord out the back. No regard was given to cooling, or very high speed access. But today I have the Antex Veris MX-1 enclosure with not only e-SATA support, but a large blower fan that circulates air around your HDD.

Antec Veris MX-1 enclosure Review

Madshrimps posted a comparison of 10 Geforce 8800 GTS 320Mb Video Cards

We continue our Geforce 8800 320Mb tests with the additional of models from Asus, Albatron, Leadtek and the TEC cooled Calibre, comparing gaming performance, overclocking potential and cooling capability with the previous tested cards. This roundup will help you decide what card to get; read on if you=B4re in the market for a higher end VGA upgrade.

10 Geforce 8800 GTS 320Mb Video Cards Compared

TrustedReviews have looked at the Hewlett Packard iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger

I have been very clearly briefed by Hewlett Packard that the iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger is a smartphone primarily for business users, and not a phone aimed at those who like to have the very latest features at their fingertips. Yes it runs Windows Mobile 6, which makes it something of a rarity at the moment and in this respect it is ‘state of the art’. But there are features which some consumers will turn their nose up at.

Hewlett Packard iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger Review

3D Game Man posted a review on the CoolIT Systems PCI Cooling Booster

It is in my opinion that CoolIT Systems has targeted a specific audience here. We can see that there are benefits from a cooling fan above the PCI cards. Whether or not it is worth buying this cooling system is dependent on your setup. If you have a couple of video cards that have dual slot cooling fans on them, the PCI Cooling Booster is probably not going to do much for you. If you happen to run a system with a single slot cooler, or if you are running a passively cooled card, then this would be a viable option for you.

CoolIT Systems PCI Cooling Booster Review

TrustedReviews have looked at the Fujifilm S5 Pro

Unlike other current digital SLRs, in fact unlike most other digital cameras in general, in developing the S5 Pro Fujifilm has forgone the boost in megapixels that normally accompanies a model upgrade and concentrated instead on other factors to improve picture quality, such as colour rendition, dynamic range and smoother tonal gradation.

Fujifilm S5 Pro Review

Linux.com published an interview with Sam Hocevar, the new Debian Project Leader

Sam Hocevar recently became the next Debian Project Leader (DPL), defeating seven other candidates while running on a platform that emphasized ways to improve how project members interact. Hocevar's election comes at a time when Debian may be losing mindshare among both users and developers to Ubuntu, and looking for ways to improve its efficiencies and to mend internal divisions. Recently, Linux.com discussed these challenges with Hocevar via email in his first interview since his election.

First interview: Sam Hocevar, new Debian Project Leader

Bjorn3D posted a review on the CoolIT Systems PCI Cooling Booster

Most of the time, the PCI expansion cards do not need any additional cooling as these components are not subject to overclocking and hence they should not overheat like the rest of the components. With the exception of the graphic card, the area around the expansion slots usually does not have any designated cooling except the heatsink and sometimes the fans attached to the cards themselves. However, this does not mean that these components do not need proper cooling and any additional cooling to the internal components is welcomed as long as it does not add too much or any noise to the overall system. LetÂ’s see if the CoolITÂ’s PCI Cooling Booster can fulfill this requirement and keep the expansion cards cool.

CoolIT Systems PCI Cooling Booster Review

Driver Heaven posted a DDR2 roundup

In the current marketplace buying memory for a high performance PC can be one of the most difficult tasks. It wasn't long ago that everyone (except the hardcore overclockers) could safely purchase PC3200 sticks with tight timings and be assured of great performance. With motherboards on the Intel platform allowing speeds in excess of any memory currently available manufacturers are releasing sticks which vary in their methods of being the fastest. Some go with relatively low speeds of 800Mhz and use tight timings. Others go with higher bandwidth 1066 MHz modules and looser timings. Today we are going to take a look at 3 different brands of memory which are all aimed at the enthusiast market, however each has its own unique selling points, which one should you go for?

DDR2 Roundup: Crucial, OCZ and Patriot

Hardware Canucks posted Asrock 4CoreDual-VSTA Review

With the demise of the S939 chipset, many enthusiasts-on-a-budget are left out in the cold. For many people, complete rebuilds are not an option which leaves them wondering: "where to from here?". If this is you, you might be interested in this affordable hybrid motherboard which could be the missing link between your old single core S939 and the S775 platform. This review examines the feasibility of this upgrade path and pits the perofrmance of an Core 2 Duo e6420 against a single core A64 3700+ on the same board!

Asrock 4CoreDual-VSTA Review

techPowerUp posted a review on the XIGMATEK 082 Cooler

Ever hear of "the point of diminishing returns", where something gets to the point where you can't improve on what you have unless you come up with a completely new idea? With air coolers, manufacturers are hitting that wall, but recently some companies have devised a new means of heat sink technology. Direct touching heat pipes - Today we take a look at Xigamtek's new cooler using this design.

XIGMATEK 082 Cooler Review

Motherboards.org posted a review on the EPoX Optimus EP-AD580 XR Motherboard

The AD580 XR motherboard has all of the features you would expect from a Crossfire compatible motherboard and if you're in the market for an ATI graphics card would make an excellent choice. The board has 6 SATA ports, and many expansion slots, making it an excellent choice for the tweaker that wants to expand.

EPoX Optimus EP-AD580 XR Motherboard Review

XYZ Computing has a new article out on the Nokia N80 Internet Edition

Nokia has loaded the phone up with some great features like support for quad band GSM, 3G WCDMA, and 802.11g WiFi. There are two cameras in the phone, a 3 megapixel camera for photos and a secondary camera that can work with conferencing and video calls. The built in WiFi support is a huge plus for the N80, just ask any BlackBerry user and they'll tell you they wish they could switch to WiFi when available. Many places are already covered in WiFi and you can hop from hotspot to hotspot in just about every major city. The connectivity is great, but what else does the phone have to offer?

Nokia N80 Internet Edition Review

DragonSteelMods posted their first impressions of Lord of the Rings Online

From the very beginning its easy to see Lord of The Rings Online isnt your standard MMORPG. From the very first character creation screen that allows you to customize features based on which region of Middle Earth you come from to movies that show you a small part of your chosen job abilities, its immersive and engaging. Though the race and class choices are limited by any standards, if youve read the Tolkien books youll see that they succeed in staying as close to the main character creations as possible.

Lord of the Rings Online: First Impressions

Viper Lair posted a review on Anydrive 3

If you're looking for a stand alone MP3 player for the money there are much better choices out there than the Anydrive, But if you are looking for a way to transmit the music from your MP3 player to an FM receiver the Anydrive is a great choice. Sure there are a lot of FM transmitters on the market but the Anydrive also provides the ability to play MP3's from other media sources not just an MP3 player.

Anydrive 3. CSFM07 Wireless transmitter and Card Reader with LCD

PC Apex have a new review up on a HDTV card from DVico

The big advantage I see with a HTPC over set-top DVR's is the ability to upgrade easily. When my Series 2 TiVo (with a lifetime service contract) recently started acting up, I was forced to replace the hard drive. Something I would not suggest for the novice computer user. But eventually my trusty Series 2 is going to go completely belly up and my lifetime service contract will go with it. I needed options and considering the rate at which I upgrade my computer, building a HTPC with last years parts was a very attractive option. Cruising the SnapStream (BeyondTV) web site, I noticed a HD capture card in one of their bundles and decided to contact the maker directly. I talked to a very nice woman by the name of Carol Wong and a short time later I had a Dvico FusionHTDV5 Gold Plus TV Capture Card delivered to my door.

FusionHDTV5 RT Gold Card Review

3D Game Man posted a review on the OCZ ProXStream 1000W Power Supply

The OCZ ProXStream 1000W Power Supply has lots of clean, quality power and comes with plenty of sleeved leads. This power supply is very small, considering others in the 750 to 1000+ watt range are usually much longer. As a matter of fact, there's so much crammed into such a small enclosure they couldn't even fit a power switch and had to use a rather loud 80mm fan. The advantage to being small is this power supply will fit in any ATX case. Watch the video to find out more and check out the bloopers at the end.

OCZ ProXStream 1000W Power Supply Review

Bigbruin.com has posted a new article about how to extending the life of your laptop battery

Despite the ongoing evolution of battery technology, there are limits to their usage, and that leads to a discussion of ways to preserve and improve battery functionality. We can start by discussing what a battery is, how it works, and the different types of batteries in use today. Even though battery performance declines over time, it is possible to prolong per-charge and overall battery life by taking simple steps.

Extending the Life of Your Laptop Battery

Ninjalane has just posted their review of the DFI LanParty UT NF680I LT SLI-T2R

In the Enthusiast hardware world "custom" is the name of the game. This is not a hard and fast rule but when you look at what people do to get the best performance you cannot deny that enthusiasts like to change things. It might start with something simple like the addition of watercooling or something extreme like a voltage mod so help stabilize an overclock, either way the system is no longer stock.

DFI LAN Party UT NF680I LT SLI-T2R Review

Techgage posted a review of Ultras latest CPU cooler

With the summer heat right around the corner, you need to figure out a good way to keep your CPU cool. Has Ultra come to the rescue with their ChillTEC cooler? As the name suggests, it uses a Thermo-electric Chip to help moderate the temperature of your CPU. The big question is though: Is this Totally-Enormous-Cooler worth your $130?

Ultra ChillTEC CPU Cooler Review

OCC has published a new review of the Avanquest TransferMy Music Software

Most people that I've talked to cannot stand this program. The worst attribute about the program is that you must use it if you want to use the company's product. Given these vague details, does any particular program stick out in your mind? The program that I'm talking about is iTunes. Apple's iTunes isn't the easiest program to learn. I can't tell you how many times I've spent trying to figure out just how to transfer my music to my iPod with the click of a button. Most of the time, I end up restarting iTunes so that it auto-updates and I don't have to find out how to sync my music. Avanquest has released a new iTunes add on called "TransferMy Music". Now that sounds easy! Let's dig in and see just how this program affects my relationship with iTunes.

Avanquest TransferMy Music Software Review

Supersite for Windows published a review on Windows Server "Longhorn" Beta 3

Longhorn Server Beta 3, released just last week, exemplifies the "slow and steady" mantra adopted by the Windows Server folks at Microsoft. It follows a Beta 2 release in May 2006, just about a year ago, and a July 2005 Beta 1 release which was, yep, was just about a year before that. Microsoft still expects to ship the final version of Longhorn Server in late 2007. By that time, the product will have been in active development for over three years. But don't think that these guys have been sitting still. After releasing Windows Server 2003 (see my review) in April 2003, Microsoft shipped a slew of add-on Feature Packs followed by an interim release, Windows Server 2003 R2 (see my review), in December 2005. And looking back on my bit about schedules, these releases do indeed meet Microsoft's goal of shipping new Server versions every other year. And every other one of these releases--Windows Server 2003, Longhorn Server--are major product updates, whereas the interim releases--Windows Server 2003 R2 and a 2009-era product currently codenamed

Windows Server "Longhorn" Beta 3 Review

I4U NEWS reviews the Saitek Obsidian Wireless Mouse.

In the hand the Saitek Obsidian is wider and lower profile than typical mice such as those from Logitech. Battery life is very good with one battery lasting my entire work day, and I use the mouse very heavily.

I would peg battery life at about 6 hours which is right on par with the Logitech G7 that I normally use.

Saitek Obsidian Wireless Mouse Review

Hardware Secrets posted a review on the Thermaltake Bigwater 760i

Thermaltake showed us a working prototype of what can be their next water-cooling system, Bigwater 760i. They are, however, still studying whether they are going to release this product in the US market or not. Bigwater 760i is an all-in-one water-cooling solution that can be easily installed on two available 5 ¼” bays of your PC case. Check it out.

Thermaltake Bigwater 760i Review

PC Magazine published 50 Windows Vista tips and tricks

We'll walk you through Vista's many neat features and more than 50 tips on installing Vista optimally, configuring it for you and your family, improving system speed, and turning up its coolness. When we're through, you'll have made the new OS uniquely yours.

Vista Made Easy: 50 Tips, Tricks