Half Life 2 - Episode 2 Review
DriverHeaven posted a review on Half Life 2 - Episode 2

Half Life games are quite possibly amongst the most revered PC titles of the recent years. And how could they not be? Both the original and its sequel pushed forward the boundaries of FPS story-telling, making players experience the story first hand, not through directed cinematics. That was not all they did however! With great AI, graphics engines that were amongst the prettiest of the generation and some of the most memorable scenes in gaming the two defined what PC gaming was all about. As if all of this wasn't enough, Valve decided to push the boundaries in content delivery as well, bringing forward Steam and inevitably episodic games. HL2 Episode 1 was not amongst the longest games of last year, but it was without doubt one of the best shooters we had the pleasure of playing. Valve are also well known for learning from their mistakes, so let's see what Episode 2 has in store for us!

Half Life 2 - Episode 2 Review

Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset Review
DragonSteelMods posted a review on the Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset

Today for review I've got the Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset, yes it's called a headset because it comes with a microphone as well that can be used for gaming, Skype or whatever you need it for, but what we need to focus on is the headphones or ear buds themselves. In my three weeks with this headset I got to test it out quite a bit, using my MP3 player on average six hours per day for the last two weeks, and I have to say these are the most comfortable set of ear buds I have ever owned, it is truly wonderful to have such a comfortable set of ear buds. The sound reproduction is very good, and the cord is nice and long, so continue on to learn a bit more about what has become my favorite pair of headphones...

Icemat Siberia In:Ear Headset Review



Brother HL-4040CN Review
TrustedReviews have looked at the Brother HL-4040CN

There are definite good and bad points to the HL-4040CN. The reprint and direct print functions are things we've long looked for on business printers, as they are simple to implement and very helpful to the customer. On the other hand, its lack of expandability and only average print quality count against the machine. It should be on your shortlist, but only along with representatives of its major competitors.

Brother HL-4040CN Review

Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Review
TrustedReviews have looked at the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000.

An impressive webcam that easily justifies its premium price. It can capture and record high resolution images, and gives excellent pictures and sound in video calls. Being that bit more portable than the bulky Ultra Vision, the Pro 9000 is my new favourite webcam. Also, hats off to Logitech for an excellent performance from technical support.

Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 Review

Pentax Optio E40 Review
TrustedReviews have looked at the Pentax Optio E40.

For a rock-bottom price the Pentax Optio E40 offers good build quality, elegant design and a surprisingly complete set of features. Performance is a bit on the slow side, but it will reliably take usable pictures in most lighting conditions. Where it falls down however is on final image quality, with noise problems at all ISO settings, and vignetting is also an issue.

Pentax Optio E40 Review

Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3-11000 DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit Review
Bigbruin.com posted a review on the Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3-11000 DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit

PC3-11000? That's right, PC3-11000, or 1375MHz DDR3. PC3-11000 memory seems to be a creation unique to Kingston, a leader in system memory and flash memory products that has been in business since 1987. What they have done reminds me a bit of Spinal Tap, as my initial thought was that they took a 1333MHz module and turned the dial beyond 10, right up to 11.

Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3-11000 DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit Review

Hiper Anubis Mid-Tower Case Review
Hardwarecanucks posted a review of the highly anticipated Hiper Anubis Mid-Tower Case.

This may be Hipers first case but with the Anubis, they have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to case manufacturing and design. We have reviewed quite a few cases here on Hardwarecanucks and I am happy to say that the Anubis lies head and shoulders above anything that has passed through our greedy little hands. From the stunning design to the ease of installation to virtually every other aspect you can possibly think of, the Anubis is pure enclosure nirvana.

Hiper Anubis Mid-Tower Case Review

Unreal Tournament 3 Performance Revealed
PC Perspective has just published a detailed article that looks at the performance of the newly dropped UT3 demo on both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards in both single and dual-GPU configurations.

That being said, if you want to blow away your senses and get the top image quality settings with that super-smooth frame rate we all desire, then NVIDIA's 8800 GTX card is the way to go. Our hours of gaming with it were sheer joy and I have no problems calling it the best graphics card for Unreal Tournament 3, period. Runners up include AMD's HD 2900 XT and NVIDIA's 8800 GTS cards, both the 640MB and 320MB versions.

Unreal Tournament 3 Performance Revealed

Targus 15.4-Inch Corporate Traveler Laptop Case CUCT02A Review
Benchmark Reviews posted a review on the Targus 15.4-Inch Corporate Traveler Laptop Case CUCT02A

In an age of mobile computing there is no room for compromise when it comes to comfort and reliability. The business person on the go knows all to well that cutting corners and saving a few dollars doesn't pay dividends when you are are left stranded while on a business trip. Targus has a long-standing history of insuring the corporate traveler a safe reliable storage solution for laptops, and now Benchmark Reviews has the opportunity to examine the 15.4-inch Notebook Case CUCT02A to see how well it performs under pressure.

Targus 15.4-Inch Corporate Traveler Laptop Case CUCT02A Review

Entry level VGA round-up, 7 Geforce 8400GS compared
Madshrimps posted a Geforce 8400GS round up

Home users and budget minded enthusiasts have been getting watered down version of high end hardware for years now, the latest Geforce 8 series recently got the same treatment, with NVIDIA introducing the 8400GS part, this lowly priced VGA card comes HDTV ready (for HTPC usage) and has a GPU with DX10 compatibility. We test 7 offerings from different manufactures and compare them to the low end range from ATI to see which one comes out on top. Read on to find out which card gives you the most bang for the buck!

Entry level VGA round-up, 7 Geforce 8400GS compared

CrossFire Comparison - Intel X38 vs. P35
Bit-Tech published a feature titled CrossFire Comparison: Intel X38 vs. P35, which covers the various ATI CrossFire configurations available on Intel's 3-series chipsets

So I'm sure that one question on your mind is //what should I buy? Well, next generation cards from AMD and Nvidia aren't far away at all if the rumours are to be believed. However, they're likely to command a premium for being new, unless they are particularly competitive with one another.

If you've set your mind firmly on buying two cards then at least balance this off with an appropriate solution - there are cheaper vanilla X38 boards out there if you can't afford an Asus Blitz, and if you're already prepared to throw £200/300+ on a pair of graphics cards, investing in a decent board to pair them with should be a necessary thing to keep in mind. But remember, simply overclocking or tweaking the system for more performance will negate some of the advantages of more PCI-Express lanes and should provide a better overall performance for your everyday computing, rather than just gaming.

CrossFire Comparison - Intel X38 vs. P35

Thermalright IFX14 Review
XSReviews has reviewed the Thermalright IFX14 CPU cooler

Heatsinks for modern processors are slowly getting bigger and bigger, in fact many are too big to fit in a standard case. There is an obvious limit on the amount of metal that you can strap to your core before limitations creep in (motherboard component conflict, case size, weight etc.).

As a result Thermalright have come up with the IFX-14 (Infernal Fire eXtinguisher) which not only supports up to a 14cm fan, but also a backplate cooler. Interesting, but does it actually affect the all-important silicon temperature?

Thermalright IFX14 Review

Sapphire Radeon HD 2600 Pro Review
Modders-Inc has a new review online on the Sapphire Radeon HD 2600 Pro

Sapphire is a name that most enthusiasts know as a quality video card manufacturer. Modders-Inc is taking a look at the Sapphire Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256MB. This card not only boasts DirectX 10 gaming performance but it also supports 1080p hardware video rendering, HDMI with 5.1 surround sound through HDMI and it is Crossfire ready.

Sapphire Radeon HD 2600 Pro Review

ATI RADEON HD 2900 XT 1024MB Review
Digit-Life posted a review on the ATI RADEON HD 2900 XT 1024MB video card

We understand why AMD doesn't allow to retail cards like HD 2900 XT 1GB. Even after our first article of this series it was clear that the problem was not in memory capacity - 512 MB of memory was quite sufficient even for top graphics cards. There is nothing wrong with memory bus width either. The problem is in the core...

ATI RADEON HD 2900 XT 1024MB Review

OCZ ATV Turbo Review
DV Hardware published a review of the new OCZ ATV Turbo memory stick.

Memory maker OCZ added two new flash drives to their lineup last month; the ATV and ATV Turbo. Both drives are designed to keep your data safe even under the most extreme conditions. The rugged ATV Turbo has a rubber waterproof housing and should be pretty fast too.

OCZ ATV Turbo Review

Super Talent W1866UX2G8 DDR3-1866 Memory Review
PC Stats posted Super Talent W1866UX2G8 DDR3-1866 Memory Review

The Super Talent W186IUX2G8 DDR3 memory does very well, but it will be interesting to see where the lines are drawn as more DDR3 memory comes into the lab. The speeds are pretty amazing, particularly considering the standard is still in its infancy.

Super Talent W1866UX2G8 DDR3-1866 Memory Review

SilverStone TJ10 Case Review
3D Game Man posted a review on the SilverStone TJ10 Case

Like the TJ09 case the SilverStone TJ10 Case is exceptional, right from the outside to the inside. It has looks fantastic, very well designed and constructed, it's also all aluminum. Being made from thick aluminum gives the case rigidly, but it also adds weight. The sophisticated structure is second in stiffness only to the unibody designed TJ07 case. There are plenty of drive bays, excellent air circulation and the motherboard tray is removable. It fits all types of ATX motherboards, long power supplies and full length video cards. For a mid-tower case, this product rocks! Watch the video to find out more and check out the bloopers at the end.

SilverStone TJ10 Case Review

Assassin's Creed hands-on preview
bit-tech Preview published a hands on preview of Assassin's Creed

In fact the only real problem is the futuristic-bend on the story. On its own it would be forgiveable, but it manages to pervade itself through into absolutely every aspect of the game. Flashing clouds of binary for loading screens, streaming symbols in the middle of combat and invisible walls dotted with pseudo-scientific emblems -- these are the elements which could ruin the game's otherwise fantastic set-up.

A lot of this could of course change dramatically over the next few months. These futuristic elements could be toned down or removed. It's even possible that they could be so well explained in the full version that they turn from weak points to indispensable and innovative game elements.

But I'm sceptical of that possibility and I for one am going to be watching //Assassin's Creed very closely as the release date creeps forward out of the shadows. It'd be a horrible shame for this awesome game to stab itself in the throat by trying to be something it isn't.

Assassin's Creed hands-on preview

A Quick Look at NVIDIA's MCP73 Motherboard GPU
Hardwarezone took a quick look at NVIDIA's MCP73 Motherboard GPU

The NVIDIA nForce 7-series mGPU chipsets for the Intel Platform is finally here. We take a quick look at NVIDIA's first foray into the Intel IGP market to see if the GeForce 7-series mGPU can offer what Intel's GMA parts have yet to achieve - proper onboard graphics processing and 3D imaging.

A Quick Look at NVIDIA's MCP73 Motherboard GPU

ATP Pink Petito 2 GB USB Drive Review
techPowerUp posted a review on the ATP Pink Petito 2 GB USB Drive

The ATP Petito 2 GB USB stick features a solid metal shell which helps make the drive a lot more resilient to damage. We tested the pink girlie version which you either love or hate and were impressed by the excellent results it delivered. Both bandwidth and access time were among the top of all USB stick we ever reviewed.

ATP Pink Petito 2 GB USB Drive Review

Kingwin Mach 1 800W Modular PSU Review
3D Game Man posted a review on the Kingwin Mach 1 800W Modular PSU

Kingwin definitely has a great product on their hands here. The ABT-800MA1S falls right in line with the rest of their Mach 1 series power supplies. There is more than enough power for most entry level enthusiast with modular features and great looks. Unfortunately the Mach 1 series of power supplies do not feature Active PFC nor do they carry the 80%+ efficiency rating. The voltages stayed stable and did not fluctuate at load. This power supply does come with a slightly high price tag between one and two hundred US dollars.

Kingwin Mach 1 800W Modular PSU Review

Lian Li PC-A70 Review
techPowerUp posted a review on the Lian Li PC-A70 case

Ever find that you never seem to have enough room in your chassis? Then it's time to get a full sized tower. Lian Li has several large towers, and now they have a new one - the PC-A70. Today we'll take a look at the new PC-A70 from Lian Li and see if it's worthy of the Lian Li brand name.

Lian Li PC-A70 Review

x264 Benchmark Results Updated
Tech ARP has updated their x264 Benchmarks.

We have updated the x264 benchmark results for both AMD and Intel processors.

The x264 benchmark measures how fast your machine can encode a short, DVD quality MPEG-2 video clip into a high-quality x264 video clip. It will give you results in FPS that can be used to compare the performance of different CPUs and different CPU settings.

x264 Benchmark Results Updated

MSI P6NGM (NVIDIA GeForce 7150/nForce 630i) Review
Hardwarezone posted a review on the MSI P6NGM (NVIDIA GeForce 7150/nForce 630i) motherboard

MSI's latest mainstream all-in-one motherboard runs on NVIDIA's new GeForce 7150/nForce 630i mGPU chipset. Its features are nothing to shout about, but having a NVIDIA GPU in the Intel IGP market means finally getting decent compatibility for games and 3D applications alike.

MSI P6NGM (NVIDIA GeForce 7150/nForce 630i) Review

Prestigio Officer 375 Review
InsideHW.com posted Prestigio Officer 375 Review

Prestigio in Europe is predominantly known as a notebook brand. Besides that, their manufacturing lines are aspiring life to numerous different products, mainly very good in design. Given we are facing computer placed into display chassis, Mac products are first we can think of. Still, unlike them, Prestigio Officer is not primarily focused on design itself. Price is play trump, and we salute it...

Prestigio Officer 375 Review

ASUS G1S 15.4" Gaming Notebook Review
Techgage posted a review of ASUS' latest 15.4" gaming notebook, the G1S.

Despite having a number of models available, ASUS is still not a name that's synonymous with notebooks. But one thing is certain, they don't push out poorly designed products. We are taking a look at a perfect example of what a quality notebook should be, with the G1S gaming series.

ASUS G1S 15.4" Gaming Notebook Review

Zalman ZM-DS4F Dual Stereo Headphone Review
Futurelooks posted Zalman ZM-DS4F Dual Stereo Headphone Review

The Zalman ZM-DS4F dual stereo headphones aren’t quite as huge as the highest end headphones, nor as they as compact as earphones that go deep within your ear canals. They fit somewhere in between and I think this was their first mistake. And oh yes, there’s more than one mistake on this set of headphones.

Zalman ZM-DS4F Dual Stereo Headphone Review

Antec P190 PC Case Review
ThinkComputers.org posted Antec P190 PC Case Review

Antec makes some of the best PC cases and power supplies available today. As far as cases go their Performance One series has been at hit. We have seen the P150, P160, P180, and P182 cases. Now it's time for the "Big Boy" the P190. The P190 combines 2 Antec power supplies with the P190 chassis giving you an all-in-one powerful system. This is the first time we have seen a dual-power supply design so it will be interesting to see how it works. Let's see what the P190 has in store for us!

Antec P190 PC Case Review

Logitech G9 3200 dpi Laser USB Gaming Mouse Review
Benchmark Reviews posted a review on the Logitech G9 3200 dpi Laser USB Gaming Mouse

Ever since I first laid my hand on the funny pointing device attached to the Apple Mac back in the forth grade, I felt that computers would always seem to be approachable. I think that most of us probably started this way, and eventually learned our way around the rest of the landscape. Times have changed, and now many of us require, nay demand, something more from our peripheral hardware than simple functions. The Logitech G9 3200 dpi Laser USB Gaming Mouse 910-000173 has arrived on the scene and Benchmark Reviews is ready to point and click... boom, head-shot!

Logitech G9 3200 dpi Laser USB Gaming Mouse Review

GIGABYTE GA-P31-DS3L Motherboard Review
Virtual-Hideout posted GIGABYTE GA-P31-DS3L Motherboard Review

Intel has two chipsets in the P3x family, the Intel P35 Express and the P31 Express. The P35 Express is designed for higher performance platforms, with support for DDR2 or DDR3 memory and the ICH9 series Southbridge. The P31 being tailored for budget systems, only supports DDR2 memory and features Intel's older ICH7 series Southbridge. However the P31 has one major advantage price. Today I'll be reviewing Gigabyte's GA-P31-DS3L platform based on the Intel P31 chipset. Let's dig in and see how this board stacks up.

GIGABYTE GA-P31-DS3L Motherboard Review

Antec VERIS A/V Cooler Review
OzHardware posted Antec VERIS A/V Cooler Review

With Antec venturing further and further into the Home Theatre PC market, they've started to come out with some general Hi-Fi accessories as well, the first of which is the VERIS A/V Cooler. Today we take a look and see if it's any good.

Antec VERIS A/V Cooler Review

Logitech AudioHub Notebook Speakers Review
CoolTechZone.com posted Logitech AudioHub Notebook Speakers Review

Logitech continues to add its special touch to one product after another. Today, it's AudioHub's turn, and needless to say, we like it. Really, Logitech's Product Managers have become the tech industry's rock stars who deserve to have their autographs taken from consumers worldwide. Give it enough time, and it may just happen.

Logitech AudioHub Notebook Speakers Review

Super Talent DH Flash Drive Review
OCC has published a new review of the Super Talent DH Flash Drive

What could be better than being able to transport a large amount of files around in a small compact sexy little flash drive? I would have to say being able to transfer those same files into that same drive at amazingly fast speeds, such as an average of 33 Mb/s! This beats the other two flash drives that I was able to compare it to; one of which was the one that I use every day, but will now be replaced. Having the ability to carry those files around and being able to upload at blazing fast speeds cannot be beat, especially when it is all packaged in a small piece of hardware that is very easy to look at and show off.

Super Talent DH Flash Drive Review

Microsoft Sidewinder gaming mouse Review
bit-tech published a review of Microsoft's Sidewinder Mouse

Technically the Sidewinder is a good mouse and on paper it has all the features one might look for -- on the fly DPI, thumb buttons and an ergonomic design which isn't entirely uncomfortable to use. On top of this it adds a load of features which range from pseudo-useful to the downright annoying, such as the weight system and Game Explorer button.

The mouse even performs quite well and I tested it across a number of games in the week I had it on my desk, including the awesome / /Team Fortress 2.

However, the mouse isn't exactly the most comfortable to use and the Intellipoint software hinges on being needlessly elaborate. Some of the
features, the Game Explorer button in particular, are entirely stupid and do absolutely nothing for us. The overall look of the mouse is also a bit repugnant, which makes the price even more annoying. The Sidewinder costs around £40 in the UK or $65 in the US.

At that price, the Sidewinder is starting to put itself out of the market and for just a little bit more you can get a much better mouse, like the Logitech G5, or you could get a Razer Deathadder for the same price.

Microsoft Sidewinder gaming mouse Review

Pocket Navigator 7 GPS Software (Europe) Review
TrustedReviews have looked at the Pocket Navigator 7 GPS Software

If you're looking for sat-nav software for your new Windows Mobile smart phone this will definitely do the job. However, there are annoyances and niggles, plus there's nothing that's a big deal breaker here. It's just a shame that the truck mode isn't all it promised to be, as this may well have turned an adequate score into an award-winning one.

Pocket Navigator 7 GPS Software (Europe) Review

Sony VGC-LT1S.CEK Media Center Review
TrustedReviews have looked at the Sony VGC-LT1S.CEK Media Center

Sony's latest all-in-one is a undeniably stylish machine that's powerful, and well featured, with highlights including a Blu-ray drive
and dual hybrid tuners. It's not hideously expensive for what you get
either - there's no denying that this is a first class machine.

Sony VGC-LT1S.CEK Media Center Review