HIS ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB Graphics Card Review
Bit-Tech published a review of the HIS ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB graphics card

When you look at the Radeon HD 4830 in isolation, only comparing it to what Nvidia has on the market at the moment, it's a pretty good buy if you only care about frame rates in games, but unfortunately the world doesn't work that way. There's a certain card called the Radeon HD 4850, which is not only at least 15 percent faster (and more often than not the margin is greater than 20 percent) in games, but is also available for just over £100 including VAT, making it only £10 more expensive.

Of course, the card we've just linked doesn't have the best cooler on it in the world, but then neither does the HIS Radeon HD 4830 we've looked at here (when it comes to build quality). What's more, HIS has essentially cannibalised the reference design PCB by pulling components off while keeping the card functional in order to cut costs down. Cannibalising is probably a little strong because the card works fine in all but World in Conflict (where it black-screened when loading save points and starting a new game) and it overclocked beyond specification as well, although not as far as we'd hoped. Some would argue that it's a clever optimisation of the AMD reference design designed to keep costs down.

That's exactly what HIS has done here though, because its Radeon HD 4830 is at least £10 cheaper than any other 4830 in the UK at the moment. And at under £90 including VAT, that's quite a significant difference. Unfortunately, the underlying problem with the HIS Radeon HD 4830 (and the 4830 in general) is that, at least for the time being, there are Radeon HD 4850s that are more attractively priced considering the performance increase you'll net.

On the Nvidia front, there is of course the benefit of a more robust GPU computing infrastructure and significantly better performance in Folding@Home (if that's something you care about). There's also the new Release 180 driver just around the corner too, and they're promising some massive performance improvements - we'll be looking at that shortly in a couple of games. The drivers could change the picture a little and make the GeForce 9800 GT (or 8800 GT, for that matter) a much more viable option for the gamer but we'll have to wait and see how they impact the landscape.

When AMD first talked to us about the Radeon HD 4830, we were expecting the card to cannibalise Radeon HD 4850 sales because it'd perform so close to the card of choice amongst many gamers today. Sadly, that hasn't turned out to be the case and instead we see the well-priced Radeon HD 4850s out there eating away at the juicy pie AMD had baked for the Radeon HD 4830's entry into the market.

Overall then, the HIS Radeon HD 4830 isn't a bad card, but we'd recommend spending just that little bit more to buy a card like the Radeon HD 4850 as it has a more potent future ahead of it in our opinion.

HIS ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB Graphics Card Review

SilverPower SP-S850 Power Supply Review
Bjorn3D takes a look at the SilverPower SP-S850 Power Supply.

There's a new entry into the U.S. computer power supply market from across the pond called SilverPower. They are being brought to us by Tagan Technology Co., USA, which shares with SilverPower the same parent company, MaxPoint. Headquartered in Germany, MaxPoint describes the SilverPower brand as being a full range and nice priced series. Hmmm. Can you say budget brand auf Deutsch? Es ist haushalt marke.

Ranging in wattage from 350 to 850 watts, the SilverPower series is a no frills, non-modular cable offering that should appeal to those wishing to save a little money on a PSU that will provide them with enough power for their PC that is both adequate and economical. Though no MSRP has been anounced as of yet in the U.S., the SilverPower SP-S850 under review today is selling for about £80 (Including VAT) in the U.K. That's about $135 USD (no VAT). No VAT? No value added tax. Also note that there has been no official word yet on the U.S. warranty, but more than likely it's going to be three years parts and labor like its siblings from Tagan.

Checking in with my favorite online PC retail therapist, I found that 850 watt PSU's range in price from about $140 to $220 USD. Since I haven't won the lottery yet and I don't have an unlimited supply of cash, saving money on the endless supply of computer parts that I require is intriguing. If I can get adequate performance using economical means, I can justify my purchase by spending the savings in other areas. Let's take a look now at the SilverPower SP-S850 and see if its performance belies its nice price.

SilverPower SP-S850 Power Supply Review



Comodo Registry Cleaner Review
ITreviewed posted a review on the Comodo Registry Cleaner

Comodo's Registry Cleaner is a really good program. It's fast, effective, and is a snap to use. And the fact that it's free means you've got absolutely nothing to loose. When we tested the software on our review machine it managed to improve its boot time by around 5 seconds. Total memory usage also dropped, which was also quite an improvement stemming from fixing 648 registry errors! It didn't harm our system in any way, either, which is the main thing. Another free registry cleaner worth testing is CCleaner, which also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. The only downside with CCleaner is that it's a 'mild' registry cleaner and does not go as deep as Comodo's Registry Cleaner. If you feel uncomfortable using free software for some reason, check out Uniblue's RegistryBooster 2009

Comodo Registry Cleaner Review

InternetVue 2020 Wireless PC2TV Receiver Review
TestFreaks.com posted a review on the InternetVue 2020 Wireless PC2TV Receiver

Today for review I've got the InternetVue 2020 Wireless PC2TV Receiver, it's an interesting little box that looks just like a wireless router, but it has a more specific job, which is to receive whatever is on your PC and play it on your television wirelessly. The InternetVue 2020 virtually eliminates the need for an HTPC in the home as your regular PC becomes the HTPC, no matter where it is in the house. As the name suggests you can also hook the InternetVue 2020 directly to the internet and enjoy streaming videos and more though the built in browser without having to even turn on your computer.

InternetVue 2020 Wireless PC2TV Receiver Review

Sunbeam Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler Review
DragonSteelMods.com posted a review on the Sunbeam Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler

We haven't taken a look at any CPU coolers in a while, so today I've got the Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer CPU Cooler for review. As the name suggests, the heatpipes are in direct contact with the top of your CPU to supposedly provide good cooling performance. The Core Contact Freezer is a lightweight cooler that appears well made and offers up some decent performance numbers when compared to other on the market today, so continue on to learn more about this cooler...

Sunbeam Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler Review

Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB Review
Legit Reviews posted a review on the Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB

The Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition is equipped with 512MB of GDDR5 memory and comes packed with innovative features like a dual bios and dual cooling fans. Palit custom designed this graphics card from the ground up, so no even the PCB is reference designed. Read on to see what Palit changed and how it performs with all the changes!

Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB Review

Linksys WRT610N Dual-N Wireless Router Review
ITreviewed posted a review on the Linksys WRT610N Dual-N Wireless Router

The WRT610N worked reasonably well in our tests, though you can get better 802.11n performance if you're not bothered about dual-band. You should expect data throughput rates to top out at around 75- to 80Mbps in 5GHz, and ranges of 20- to 50Mbps in 2.4GHz. In a rough comparison, Apple's AirPort Extreme Base Station with Gigabit Ethernet generally hits over 100Mbps in the fastest 5GHz mode in testing, though speed obviously differs depending on location. Overall the WRT610N is easy to use and all of the important features you need from a router are present - except perhaps for a broadband modem and the facility to serve printers. You'll love the WRT610N if you're an early adopter who thrives on the latest kit, but consumers still getting their head around wireless networking don't need the additional complications of dual-band.

Linksys WRT610N Dual-N Wireless Router Review

Antec Skeleton Open Air Computer Case Review
Futurelooks posted Antec Skeleton Open Air Computer Case Review

In the realm of the power user, there is a subset of people whose eccentricities go beyond that of their peers. Not simply satisfied with having the latest and greatest components in their hands every 6 months, they then have to constantly tinker with that component and experiment with it to experience every facet of every feature. This means they need to open their cases even more frequently then their “normal” power user brethren, making the standard ATX enclosure somewhat of a hindrance. It is for this group of users that Antec’s latest case was made for.

Antec Skeleton Open Air Computer Case Review

Garmin Nuvi 755T Review
TechReviewSource.com posted a review on the Garmin Nuvi 755T

GPS navigation devices have become quite popular these days, so why not get one yourself? The Garmin Nuvi 755T includes some excellent features,
including 3D navigation and free lifetime traffic updates. Check out TechReviewSource.com's full review for more information about the Nuvi 755T from Garmin.

Garmin Nuvi 755T Review

Sprint HTC Touch Diamond Smartphone Review
HotHardware.com posted a review on the Sprint HTC Touch Diamond Smartphone

It's hard to avoid making comparisons to Apple's iPhone when you mention the HTC Touch Diamond. Although they are very different phones running on different operating systems, the Touch Diamond is arguably one of the closest competitors in the U.S. market today to the popular iPhone in terms of unique touch controls, an attractive looking user interface, power and versatility.

Even though the phones compete in some areas, it's important to understand that there's a big difference between the Touch Diamond and the iPhone in terms of their intended users. You see, HTC designed the Touch Diamond as a Windows Mobile, business-friendly device. Come on by the site and take a look...

Sprint HTC Touch Diamond Smartphone Review

Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 512MB Video Card Review
TheTechLounge posted a review on the Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 512MB Video Card

I have always had problems endorsing the sub-hundred dollar video card. Usually, for an amount less than the video game you intend to play, you can get a card that can actually play said game, unless you really don't care about turning the detail setting up--which, as far as I'm concerned, is the way the developers intended it. They come with lots of RAM and no hardware to drive it, inadequate, bottom-dollar cooling, and disappointment. But I'm about to tell you that the HD 4670 isn't a complete waste. I know, weird, right? Now, it's just one of many options, which I'll get to here in a minute. But for the first time since ever, eighty bucks'll let you play the Orange Box, Unreal Tournament 3, and yes, Crysis. Well, Crysis, admittedly, not on High. But everything else maxed out, with anti-aliasing, and at your display's native resolution.

Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 512MB Video Card Review

Sapphire HD 4830 Video Card Review
Hardware Secrets takes a look at the new Radeon HD 4830

The recently launched Radeon HD 4830 is basically a capped Radeon HD 4850, running at lower clock rates and having less graphics processors available, but offering a far more attractive price tag than its big sister. Does this new video card provide a good cost/benefit ratio like its big sister? Let's see.

Sapphire HD 4830 Video Card Review

Cooler Master UCP 900W & 1100W Review
InsideHW.com has posted article about Cooler Master UCP 900W & 1100W power supply units

It seems that "masters of the coolers" decided to cover all users' needs for power supply units and we got on test UCP (Ultimate Circuit Protection) series that brings several innovations. The present state on the computer market confirms that multi CPU and GPU systems are not science fiction anymore. If you have Quad Core CPU with SLi or CrossFire GPU system in your computer case, soon you'll realize that PSU is one of the basic things that you should choose very carefully for your configuration. Cooler Master promoted itself to a new level with its Real Power series, earning very enviable reputation.

Cooler Master UCP 900W & 1100W Review

Asus My Cinema-PHC3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/RC TV Tuner Review
OCC has published a new review on the Asus My Cinema-PHC3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/RC TV Tuner

The ASUS My Cinema TV Tuner card has proved to be part awesome and part let-down. The software included with the card was the main disappointment and cast a shadow on a card that otherwise shined. With the ability to pull down clear signals on analog cable and FM radio, the thing that really matters, the hardware itself, really stood out. There are plenty of inputs, and the ability to receive both digital and analog TV signals which will be very important once the FCC mandated switch occurs.

Asus My Cinema-PHC3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/RC TV Tuner Review

Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Motherboard Review
Hardware Canucks posted a review of the Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P P45 motherboard

With an industry-leading fifteen P45 motherboards in their roster, Gigabyte made it abundantly clear that they were strong supporters of this new chipset, and few would have begrudged the company for resting on the laurels of their impressive lineup. However, during our stay in Taipei for the Gigabyte Open Overclocking Championship 2008 event, they unveiled the new Ultra Durable 3 motherboard series, which surprisingly contained three new P45 models: the EP45-UD3, EP45-UD3R, and the EP45-UD3P.

Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Motherboard Review

Patriot Extreme Performance Viper Series PC2-8500 4GB Memory Review
Modders-Inc.com has posted a review on the Patriot Extreme Performance Viper Series PC2-8500 4GB Memory

The Extreme Performance Enhanced Latency modules are designed to operate at 1066MHZ with 5-5-5-15 timings. They utilize Patriots Viper Heat Shields with integrated ACC (Aluminum Copper Composite) technology. They are designed for maximum performance and stability under extreme overclocking conditions. So let's dig in and find out.

Patriot Extreme Performance Viper Series PC2-8500 4GB Memory Review

Eagle Tech ET-CS2LSU2-BK Review
Bjorn3D takes a look at the Eagle Tech ET-CS2LSU2-BK (2.5'' SATA To USB Enclosure).

Recently, we have come across a very nice external storage enclosure from Eagle Tech, the ET-CS2LSU2-BK. This is an enclosure that will house a 2.5’’ SATA hard drive. It features a USB port and a nice sleek look. Today, we will put this cool-looking enclosure to the test and see if its performance can match its elegant look.

Eagle Tech ET-CS2LSU2-BK Review