Alone in the Dark (PC) Review
bit-tech published a review of Alone in the Dark for the PC

Alone in the Dark is a game we really loathe to not like, but at the end of the day we do have to admit that we don't like it and that the game isn't really all that great. It's a real shame because we can tell that //Alone in the Dark is actually a real good game underneath. The story in compelling, the presentation is gripping and the gameplay itself mixes a load of styles together to make a final product that is unique and interesting.

Unfortunately, all of that potential is lost underneath a sea of problems on the PC version. The controls are unwieldy and awful, the graphics regularly freak out and break, the game can't decide what it is or how it wants you to play it and the balancing has got more holes in than the Incredible Hulk's underwear.

Instant-deaths and poor control schemes are really only the tip of the iceberg, but they do reveal the real problem beneath the ocean of minor gripes. Fixed camera angles and checkpoint saves? This is a console game, ported poorly to the PC and left to fester.

On a console, we can see this game making a lot more sense and having a lot more accessibility. This game was built from the ground up to be played with analogue sticks and that's clearly evidenced by the many mini-games and woeful handling. On the PC though, the game is part oil, part water -- and that mix just doesn't work.

We want to like it, we really do -- especially since we had to go out and buy it -- but the reality is that although the game may be good on a console, on the PC the experience is more infuriating than fun and is suited only to the survival horror hardcore. You know who you are.

Alone in the Dark (PC) Review

Visiontek 4850 Review
Bjorn3D look at the Visiontek 4850.

How many times do you get than you bargained for? Sure, when you're taking a risk you can end up worse of then you started. But we're talking about the other end of the spectrum. When was the last time you went shopping for something only to realize it was on sale or it was a two-for-one day? It's times like these that you really feel like you got your money's worth. In the world of computing these feelings occur even less often. Not because of lack of deals or overpriced equipment but rather the pace of innovation. What is a good deal today will be next to nothing in a few months making the decision of when to buy a daunting one.

Today Bjorn3D is looking at a video card that gives you more than you bargained for at a price that is amazing for the level of performance. The newly released Visiontek HD4850. Performance of the big boys for the price of the little guys.

Visiontek 4850 Review



Microsoft Wireless Mouse 7000 Review
HardwareLogic posted a review on the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 7000

We recently reviewed Microsoft's Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 and found that it was respectable mouse for the average enthusiast. Now we are taking a close look at Microsoft's Wireless Laser Mouse 7000. The 7000 has the same high definition laser and some other common features of the 6000. For about 20 more dollars, what extra features come with the 7000 model? Let's run this rodent through the gauntlet and see what sets it apart.

Microsoft Wireless Mouse 7000 Review

Lamptron Case Lighting Products
APH Networks has published a new review on Lamptron Case Lighting Products

When it comes to customization of personal computers, no one can disregard the popularity of the application of lighting effects -- it seems that adding lights are the basics of case modding. The funny thing is that the use of case lights in the general custom built personal computer market are decreasing in popularity in the computer scene as far as I can see -- I haven't used any lights since my pair of cold cathodes went on fire in 2005 (Hey, I'm not kidding. It smelled really bad). I'm not the only one though, many enthusiasts with nice cases and large side windows either didn't install any lights at all, or simply did it in a half-hearted fashion. That did not turn me away from case lighting though; the reason why I did not have any case lights for the past few years is that I was simply too lazy to find some. Not to mention that while there's an abundance of such products in the market, but none of them really appealed to my tastes because they are all so... generic, or simply just trying way too hard to be unique that ironically inhibited its very purpose. Of course, that's not until Lamptron contacted us with their huge array of unique case lighting products that's actually practical in my opinion. Today, we'll take a look at five out of the many products from Lamptron, and see how they fit in with my Silverstone KL-02 which incorporates a huge window on the side. If you've been following my computer photo posts for a while, you may have seen them already, if you haven't, they look absolutely beautiful. I won't waste anymore of your time, let's jump to the details.

Lamptron Case Lighting Products

ASUS EN9600GT TOP Video Card Review
Legit Reviews posted a review on the ASUS EN9600GT TOP Video Card

The GeForce 9600 GT has been on the market for some time now and prices seem to keep dropping. The ASUS EN9600GT series feature a 10% core clock frequency boost and improved cooling for those looking to push the limits of their graphics. The ASUS EN9600GT Series uses the Glaciator Fansink, which reduces temperatures and is ultra quiet with operating levels of only 25dB. If your budget doesn't allow you to get a $229 GeForce 9800 GTX+ then check out this card as it's $100 less at $129 after rebate.

ASUS EN9600GT TOP Video Card Review

G.SKILL DDR2 PC2-8800 4GB Memory Kit Review
3D Game Man posted a review on the G.SKILL DDR2 PC2-8800 4GB Memory Kit

The default speed on this memory is 1100MHz DDR3 or PC2-8800 and memory timing is 5-5-5-15 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS). With a low voltage of 1.8, a fast memory speed and a reasonably tight memory timing, the G.SKILL DDR2 Pi series PC2-8800 memory is the memory to get. Not only that, it's available in 4GB and 8GB kits.

G.SKILL DDR2 PC2-8800 4GB Memory Kit Review

Roccat Sense Review
XSReviews has reviewed the Roccat Sense mouse mat

Gaming peripherals are something that not many hardware enthusiasts spend much time on; as the title suggests, it's more of a gamer thing. However, many underestimate what effect a simple mouse or keyboard upgrade can have on their PC usage in terms of comfort and features. The peripheral overlooked most of al however, is the mouse mat. From it's humble beginnings as a poorly held-in-place piece of foam, gaming mouse mats were born and today, I'm testing one that's been causing a stir with it's flashy looks; bring on, the Roccat Sense: Adrenalin Blue.

Roccat Sense Review

OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator
The Tech Report posted an article on OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator

Like flying cars, thought-based control schemes have been a staple of sci-fi movies for decades. OCZ has embraced the concept with its Neural Impulse Actuator, a headband that reads brain waves along with eye and facial muscles. We've taken this innovative device for a spin.

OCZ's Neural Impulse Actuator

Nullsoft Winamp 5.53 Media Player Review
Bios Magazine posted a review on the Nullsoft Winamp 5.53 Media Player

Winamp is an extremely popular, fast, and flexible media player for Windows. The software - which is available for free and as the $19.99 Pro version - supports pretty much every major audio and video file you can through at it, and it can be skinned for a completely new look and feel. Indeed, Winamp supports more than 10000 interface skins, 300 visualisation plug-ins and CDDB support for automatic CD audio title listing, making it the most customisable media manger on the planet. One word of warning: pay attention during the install, as Winamp will install several promotional utilities unless they are unchecked from the list.

Nullsoft Winamp 5.53 Media Player Review

VelociRaptors In RAID 5, A Case Study In Speed
HotHardware.com takes a look at the VelociRaptors in RAID 5

If you're the type who thinks of 2.5" drive technology only in terms of notebook products, then recently, Western Digital probably helped expand your horizons a bit. With the release of their VelociRaptor 300GB SATA hard drive, mainstream users were exposed to the advantages of the high transfer rates associated with 2.5" platters rotating at 10K RPM, with four access heads pulling data. Though packed in a 3.5" form-factor for desktop system compatibility, the 2.5", dual 150GB platter platform that the VelociRaptor was built on allows it to outperform virtually all standard 3.5" SATA drives on the market today, even WD's 10K RPM Raptor WD1500 series.

However, the VelociRaptor is definitely targeted to the performance enthusiast, with a price tag currently at $1/GB (MSRP $299). Regardless, when you consider the upside potential performance gains and the fact that a hard drive is easily the slowest component and limiting factor in many areas of overall system responsiveness, it's obvious this new Raptor will do well from a retail perspective. But what about the Data Center?

It was with these questions in mind that we decided to RAID up not two but three WD VelociRaptor drives in a RAID 5 configuration with an Areca PCIe X8 hardware RAID card, to see what the numbers looked like. Head on over to the site and take a look...

VelociRaptors In RAID 5, A Case Study In Speed

Meridian F80 Audio System Review
TheTechLounge has reviewed the Meridian F80 Audio System

If you've never heard of Meridian, well, I hate to say it, but it's probably because you're just like me and can't afford to spend your entire annual income on a pair of loudspeakers. While I think it's safe to say that the F80 won't set you back that much, it's definitely not a cheap audio solution either. Let's take a closer look and see what kind of value the unit has to offer...

Meridian F80 Audio System Review

Thermalright TRue Black 120 CPU Cooler Review
OCIA.net has posted their review of the Thermalright TRue Black 120 CPU Cooler

Thermalright is now set to further capitalize on the success of the Ultra-120 eXtreme with the release the TRue Black 120. While physically identical to the Ultra-120 eXtreme, other than the new black nickel finish, the TRue Black comes with another set of clips to attach a second fan in a push/pull configuration and Thermalright has thrown in a small tube of their improved thermal compound, Chill Factor 2.

Thermalright TRue Black 120 CPU Cooler Review

Foxconn GeForce 9800 GTX / GX2 2x512MB Review
Digit-Life posted a review on the Foxconn GeForce 9800 GTX / GX2 2x512MB

Our today's article may seem boring to some of you, because we are going to examine another reincarnation of reference cards, packed into Foxconn's boxes. However, NVIDIA uses manufacturing facilities of this very company to produce its reference cards.

Foxconn GeForce 9800 GTX / GX2 2x512MB Review

Toshiba Qosmio x305 Gaming Notebook Review
Legit Reviews posted a review on the Toshiba Qosmio x305 Gaming Notebook

The graphics on the Qismio x305 will be powered by the yet to be announced NVIDIAGeForce 9800M GTX graphics card, which has 1GB of video memory. For those that still want to game, but save some hard earned dollars we overheard that consumers can customize the notebook with the less expensive GeForce 9700M GT graphics card rather than the GeForce 9800M GTX. NVIDIA hasn't said much about this un-released graphics card, but they did have the Toshiba Qosmio x305 notebook on display at a Microsoft Corporation event this week called the Games for Windows Presents: The Big Picture...

Toshiba Qosmio x305 Gaming Notebook Review

NVIDIA's PhysX: Performance and Status Report
Techgage posted an in-depth look at NVIDIA's PhysX, both from a status and technical standpoint.

PhysX is getting a lot of attention right now, but the reasons vary wildly. Since we haven't taken a look at the technology in a while, this article's goal is to see where things stand. We'll also be taking an in-depth look at GPU PhysX performance, using both 3DMark Vantage and UT III.

NVIDIA's PhysX: Performance and Status Report

MSI P7N2 Diamond 790i Motherboard Review
TweakTown posted a review on the MSI P7N2 Diamond 790i Motherboard

It seems as of late the nForce 790i is finally making its rounds through our labs, most likely because of the GTX 280 performing as well as it does, especially in SLI and Tri SLI configurations.

So far we have had the ZOTAC board cross us; now it’s time for MSI, one of the biggest motherboard makers in Taiwan, and one of the biggest presences here in Australia to have its time in the sun. Today we have been given the P7N2 Diamond motherboard. This baby is aimed at being the top gun of all 790i SLI boards out there. While that’s a good aim, does it perform? – Let’s see.

MSI P7N2 Diamond 790i Motherboard Review

Yuin PK1 Ear Buds Review
techPowerUp posted a review on the Yuin PK1 Ear Buds

Yuin's PK1 earbuds were all the rage when they first hit the market quite a while ago. Since then Yuin has further upped the stakes by introducing the new and improved OK-series earphones. Today we take a look at the PK1s to see if the former earbud champion can still compete in today's market.

Yuin PK1 Ear Buds Review