Eagletech ET-CS2XMESU2-BK 2.5" hard disk enclosure Review
Elite Bastards posted a review on the Eagletech ET-CS2XMESU2-BK 2.5" hard disk enclosure

To open up the enclosure, a small tool is provided which clips to the device's stand - This can be used to press the small button (although to be honest a paper clip will do the same job) which releases the enclosure's mechanism and allows a 2.5" hard disk to be either added or removed. This method to open the device aside, installation is completely tool-free, as a suitable Serial ATA drive can simply be slid into the enclosure until it clips into place, or equally pulled out with ease to remove the drive.

Eagletech ET-CS2XMESU2-BK 2.5" hard disk enclosure Review

Sapphire HD4770 512meg Review
Bjorn3D takes a look at the Sapphire HD4770 512meg

It is nothing new for video card manufacturers to attempt to improve upon already proven video cards. Normally when these improvements are made the performance gain is marginal. But again, every once in a while a video card manufacturer comes out with a real gem of a video card. The Sapphire HD4770 video card is one of these gems.

Sapphire HD4770 512meg Review



Cooler Master Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler Review
Verdis Reviews posted a review on the Cooler Master Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler

Cooler Master's newest addition to their cooling range coincides brilliantly with the launch of the i5 and LGA1156 hardware. The i5 is the baby brother of the i7 CPUs and has a lower stock TDP of 95W and thus producing less heat. The Cooler Master Hyper TX3 aims to be very affordable and yet still perform well so as to provide sufficient cooling for the i5 range. With a good reputation that has extended into the cooling market, Cooler Master's Hyper TX3 has high expectations. However, will corners have been cut in order to allow for the price reduction? Let's take a look.

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 CPU Cooler Review

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard Review
DV Hardware has published a review of the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard.

Compared to a decade ago, one of the things you immediately notice that has changed about personal computers is their design. Long gone are the ugly beige boxes, with accompanying unattractive CRT displays and peripherals. These days companies are paying much more attention to design, and in this review I'm taking a closer look at the premium Illuminated Keyboard from Logitech.

Logitech Illuminated Keyboard Review

PC Power & Cooling Pro-Source 1500VA UPS Review
HardwareLogic posted a review on the PC Power & Cooling Pro-Source 1500VA UPS

PC Power & Cooling has just released an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), the Pro-Source 1500 UPS, somewhat sidestepping out of its element into an area traditionally dominated by APC, CyberPower Systems, and Tripp Lite. Also known as a backup power supply, UPSs are one of the oft-most overlooked components, yet arguably one of the most important investments of any PC build, not only to provide a power source in case your electricity goes out, but to ensure a clean flow of power to your pricey parts. Will the transition from PSU to UPS maker be a smooth one for PCP&P?

PC Power & Cooling Pro-Source 1500VA UPS Review

BFG EX-1200W PSU Review
Driverheaven posted a review on the BFG EX-1200W PSU

Being an aggressive company BFG have now released a very high performance 1.2kW+ unit aimed at the most hardcore of enthusiasts. Today we will thoroughly test it and see what kind of performance it can deliver to this demanding segment of the market.

BFG EX-1200W PSU Review

Gigabyte GTS 250 Review
Bjorn3D takes a look at the Gigabyte GTS 250

With all the video cards on the market today, which is the right one for you? Even on cards with the same GPU, you have lots of different choices. Clock speeds, outputs, fan noise, cooling efficiency, even PCB color! Gigabyte has long been famous for their non-reference design cards. They take a video card and make it their own.

They've done it again with the latest GTS 250. They've added Zalman cooling for noise reduction as well as better cooling, and they've put an HDMI port right on the card, no HDTV dongle to mess with here. They've used a 2oz copper PCB, Tier 1 Samsung/Hyrix memory, solid capacitors, lower RDS(on) MOSFET, and Ferrite Core chokes. In addition, they've overclocked the memory to 2.2GHz.

The GTS 250 is a recent release of an update to the 9800GTX+ card. While the 512MB version is a direct renaming of the 9800GTX+, Nvidia has even stated they can be run in SLI together, the 1GB version of the GTS 250 receives a die shrink to the 55nm process which produces less heat and consumes less energy.

Nvidia also managed to keep the price down with this card, they retail for $129 for the 512MB version and $149 for the 1GB version. Gigabyte's version of the 1GB card retails for $139.

Gigabyte GTS 250 Review

BFG EX1000 1000W PSU Review
JonnyGURU.com posted a review on the BFG EX1000 1000W PSU

I've looked at several BFG units in recent months, but none have piqued my curiosity as much as this week's review subject. The EX1000 belongs to a brand new line of units from BFG, bringing the "Frequency Conversion" feature from their previous high end unit to a new platform that adds the magic words "modular cables" to the deal.

Grab yourself a coffee, pull up a chair, and we'll find out just what this new line from BFG brings to the power supply party.

BFG EX1000 1000W PSU Review

AMD Istanbul six-core Opteron processors reviewed
The Tech Report takes a look at the AMD Istanbul six-core Opteron processor

The new "Istanbul" Opteron packs six cores into a single chip, which makes it the fastest, most power-efficient Opteron yet. But can it match Intel's formidable Nehalem Xeons? The answer might surprise you--in more ways than one.

AMD Istanbul six-core Opteron processors reviewed

ASUS Mars GTX 295 - what GTX 295 should've been
Nordic Hardware posted a preview of ASUS Mars GTX 295, a card different from all other GeForce GTX 295.

ASUS has spent many hours improving NVIDIA's top tier card to make it even faster, and it has succeeded. ASUS Mars GTX 295 is basically two GeForce GTX 285 graphics cards slapped together. We have pictures, benchmarks and specifications to share, and some first hand information on how the graphics card in a Quad-SLI configurations claimed the 3DMark Vantage Extreme world record with ease.

ASUS Mars GTX 295 - what GTX 295 should've been

Hornettek Viper and Hover Enclosures Review
Rbmods posted a review on the Hornettek Viper and Hover Enclosures

Today we will be looking at two 3.5" SATA hard drive enclosures from Hornettek: the Viper and Hover. While in the end they perform the same task, these units cater to different markets. We'll be taking a look at each of their features, but first, here's some background information.

Hornettek Viper and Hover Enclosures Review

SilverStone GD01B-MXR Case Review
Hardware Secrets posted a review on the SilverStone GD01B-MXR Case

SilverStone GD01B-MXR is an HTPC (home Theater PC) computer case that supports ATX motherboards, unlike many other HTPC cases that accept only micro-ATX models. GD01B-MXR comes in black and SilverStone has also this same case in silver, called GD01S-MXR. The "-MXR" means it is equipped with a front media display, and there are models without this display (without the suffix -MXR, obviously).

SilverStone GD01B-MXR Case Review

Alienware M17x (codename quicksilver) - Exclusive Preview
Driverheaven.net posted a preview on Alienware M17x

Back in 2006 there was a significant change behind the scenes at Alienware when they became part of the Dell corporation. For the first 3-years of the changeover the products released by the two divisions continued under the existing branding with Dell continuing to use XPS for their high end enthusiast products. This situation changes with the launch of the Alienware M17x, the first machine to be released in a post XPS era. Today, for the first time in their history Alienware are allowing a publication (DriverHeaven) to preview a product as yet unavailable to purchase by the public.

Alienware M17x (codename quicksilver) - Exclusive Preview

Mionix Alioth 320 & Alioth 400 Mouse Pads Review
PCShopTalk takes a look at the Mionix Alioth 320 & Alioth 400 Mouse Pads

These mouse pads from Mionix are suitable for all types of gaming. The surfaces are made of an extremely smooth cloth, which allows the user to do precise movements. Their backsides are made of rubber-based material, which offers a firm grip and great performance.

Mionix Alioth 320 & Alioth 400 Mouse Pads Review

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Review
Hi Tech Legion posted a review on the AMD Athlon II X2 250

The Athlon II X2 250 by AMD is built on the new 45nm process which offers better processor and graphical performance and efficiency. The Athlon II X2 250 is also compatible with both AM2+ and the new AM3 sockets for maximum compatibility, flexibility, and performance. The Athlon series has been a very influential line and a line of processors full of firsts, thanks to AMD, and will be having their ten year anniversary in June.

We tested the AMD Athlon II X2 250 on a AM3 motherboard and it did real well. Now with it not having an L3 cache may concern some users but it ran everything I threw at it without a problem, and it should be fine for the average user or the average family. For the enthusiasts, I was able to get an *800MHz* overclock out of it very easily, which just shows how much headroom that this CPU has to offer. So for the average family or the enthusiast on a budget, the AMD Athlon II X2 250 is definitely a great CPU to own. AMD has done a great job giving users options and flexibility in their designs so the average system builder can get the most performance out of their systems for the best price.

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Review

Chieftec Dragon Case Review
Hardware Secrets posted a review on the Chieftec Dragon Case

Cases from Chieftec usually have a very "formal" looks and we were kind of surprised when we saw that Chieftec was going to release a case with more aggressive looks – by their standards, of course. Featuring four 120-mm fans and one big 220-mm fan, Dragon also supports a total of seven hard disk drives (if a 5 ¼"-to-3 ½" adaptor is used; otherwise the maximum number of hard disk drives you can have is six) and features a meshed design for improved airflow. Let's take a look on this new mid-tower case from Chieftec.

Chieftec Dragon Case Review

Village Tronic ViBook Review
CCE Reviews posted a review on the Village Tronic ViBook

When I first heard of the ViBook I had doubts that I would truly enjoy its presence. I mean, most monitors already have the ability to extend their workspace with a second monitor. Then I realized that two monitors aren't always enough. What if I needed 3, 4, 5 or even 6? No laptop is going to come with that many DVI or VGA ports nor will you likely have 3 video cards installed onto your PC. You will more than likely have 6 or 8 USB ports at your disposal and that's where the ViBook really shines. You won't need to fiddle with any screws or wiggle a cable to make sure all the pins line up. The USB connection is simple and always works.

Village Tronic ViBook Review

AMD Athlon II and Phenom II X2 Processors Debut
HotHardware.com posted an article on the new AMD Athlon II and Phenom II X2 Processors

AMD is using the prominence of the Computex show in Taipei to unveil a slew of new, affordable desktop processors. A few of them are based on the existing core used in the company's Phenom II processor line-up, but one of them is comprised of a new piece of silicon that pays homage to the once might Athlon brand.

We've got four new AMD processors on tap for this article, low power quad-and triple-cores, and a pair of new dual-cores. The 3.1GHz AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition is positioned as AMD's fastest dual-core processor ever, while the Phenom II X3 705e is a low-power triple-core CPU. The Phenom II X4 905e is a low-power 65w quad-core, and the brand new Athlon II X2 250 is AMD's latest high-performing, budget-class dual-core processor.

All of these processors share some similarities, of course, but each one is positioned for a somewhat different market segment. Come on by and take a look...

AMD Athlon II and Phenom II X2 Processors Debut

AMD's New X2s: Redeeming AMD's Dual Core Market
PC Perspective takes a look at the new AMD processors

It has been several years since AMD released a true desktop dual core processor, and finally they have delivered with the Athlon II X2 250. They have also released a Phenom II based X2 that could be the new darling of budget enthusiasts everywhere. We explore the performance of these new parts, as well as try our hand at overclocking to see where we go. While they might not be world beater's, they certainly give AMD a fighting chance in the dual core market.

AMD's New X2s: Redeeming AMD's Dual Core Market

AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE and Athlon II X2 250 review
TechSpot posted AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE and Athlon II X2 250 review

AMD has made a successful transition to the 45nm fabrication process, giving the Phenom II series the necessary breathing room to prove it has what it takes to go head to head with the Intel Core 2 range. However, as of today it will be possible to get your hands around the Phenom II architecture for even less as we present you with the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition processor.

The Phenom II X2 550 is based on the same specifications as the rest of the Phenom II family, but featuring half as many cores being a dual-core processor. The new processor operates at 3.10GHz, so about 100MHz slower (per core) than the flagship X4 955, and is expected to sell for a compelling $102.

AMD is also breathing new life into the Athlon brand with today's launch of the Athlon II X2 250. This new dual-core Athlon is the first of four models scheduled for release, of which the X2 250 should be the fastest part clocked at 3.0GHz.

AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE and Athlon II X2 250 review

AMD' s Athlon II CX2 250 and Phenom II X2 550
Lost Circuits posted a review on the new AMD processors

As we mentioned, the Athlon II X2 has been completely redesigned from scratch using a modular design approach, that is, recombining existing building blocks originally incepted with the Deneb core. For those not too familiar with the differences we have a short synopsis of the major hi-lights...

AMD' s Athlon II CX2 250 and Phenom II X2 550

AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE AM3 Processor Review
Benchmark Reviews checked out the AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE AM3 Processor

Today at Computex, AMD took the wraps off of two highly anticipated processors: the Athlon II X2 250 and the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition. Both are based on AMD's 45nm SOI process with the key difference being the amount of L3 cache. The Phenom II X2 550, codenamed Callisto, gets the full 6 MB cache of the Phenom II family and will serve as AMD's new flagship dual-core processor. The Athlon II X2 250, on the other hand, is based on the new native dual-core Regor die that omits the L3 cache completely and targets the mainstream segment. Benchmark Reviews was fortunate to receive samples of both processors and today we can officially share with you our results. In this review, we focus on the Phenom II X2 550 BE HDZ550WGIBOX.

AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE AM3 Processor Review

AMD Phenom II X2 550 and Athlon II X2 250 Processors Review
OCC has published a new review on the AMD Phenom II X2 550 and Athlon II X2 250 Processors

When it came to overclocking, the Phenom II X2 550 BE was easier to push to higher numbers with its unlocked multiplier, reaching a 785MHz overclock - which is almost a 24% increase. The Athlon II X2 550 did not fair to poorly either, considering it is not a Black Edition and has the multiplier locked at a maximum x15. By pushing the voltage up to 1.45v, I was able to raise the bus speed of the Athlon II to 236MHz, for an overclock of 540MHz - or about an 18% overclock. When compared to the previous dual cores, the Athlon X2 7750 and Athlon X2 7850, these new DDR3-based dual cores are much stronger. However, do not think they are runners for the triple or quad core processors, because they do not come even close. If you are looking for great performing processors at an even greater price, you would be a fool not to consider the Phenom II X2 550 BE or the Athlon II X2 250. Their price to performance ratio is unmatched, and will not leave you hanging.

AMD Phenom II X2 550 and Athlon II X2 250 Processors Review

AZZA Solano 1000 Review
PureOverclock posted a review of the AZZA Solano 1000 full tower case.

Today we will be look at the Solano 1000 enclosure from AZZA, which bears a rather striking resemblance to Antec's iconic 900 gamer case. But this does not necessarily mean that the Solano is a carbon copy of the other. In fact, it looks as if AZZA has endeavored to improve upon the existing base design. But the question is: Has inspiration led to innovation?

AZZA Solano 1000 Review

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Review
Neoseeker posted a review on the new Phenom II 550 Black Edition

Looking at the scores, the 3.1GHz Phenom II X2 550 is pretty much equal to the 3GHz E8400. Our subject won 3 real-world gaming tests out of 5, but the others it lost 7 benchmarks out of 12. So really, if it is inferior to the E8400, I would say it is by a tiny bit. The difference though is that the Phenom II X2 costs $102 whereas the 3GHz Core 2 Duo costs $165. Furthermore, for that mere $102, one gets an unlocked multiplier. We can then affirm that processors in the E7x00 series will just be opponents to laugh at for the X2 550. The $13 difference with the 3GHz locked Athlon II is really worth it in my opinion if it is for a gaming or enthusiast build.

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Review