Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including MSI X79A-GD65 (8D) Motherboard Review, Kingston DataTraveler HyperX USB 3.0 64GB Review, and Desktop CPU Comparison Guide Rev. 11.5



Phanteks PH-TC14PE Review
OCC has published a review on the Phanteks PH-TC14PE

When the results from the first test I ran (Overclocked Load) started to take shape, I could only describe the look on my face as "WOW". In disbelief of these numbers demolishing the NH-D14, I grabbed my infrared thermometer and checked the floor next to the computer (to verify ambient temperature) - it was right where it was supposed to be. I looked back at the RealTemp display and stared at the temperatures for the next few minutes (after already running for 45 minutes), and they didn't budge. This cooler has thrown up some astounding results and has blown me away.

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MSI X79A-GD65 (8D) Motherboard Review
Hardware Secrets posted a review on the MSI X79A-GD65 (8D) Motherboard

Let’s take a look at this socket 2011 motherboard from MSI based on the new Intel X79 chipset and targeted to the new Core i7 “Sandy Bridge-E” CPUs.

MSI has released four motherboard models for the new socket 2011 platform, the X79A-GD45, the X79MA-GD45, the X79A-GD65, and the X79A-GD65 (8D), targeted to the most high-end processor Intel offers for desktops today, the Core i7 "Sandy Bridge-E" models. Let's take a look at the X79A-GD65 (8D), which comes with five PCI Express x16 slots.

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GeIL EVO CORSA PC3-19200 16GB Kit Review
TweakTown posted GeIL EVO CORSA PC3-19200 16GB Kit Review

Checking out the EVO CORSA kit, you can see that the look of the module is quite different to what we're used to seeing with quite a different looking heatsink that comes in a Metallic Green finish. I've never been the biggest fan of the color green, but to be honest with more and more companies using it, the color is beginning to grow on me. The Metallic finish that GeIL has gone for here as well looks pretty good.

As for the size of the kit, we're dealing with 4GB modules which is another contributing factor to the more relaxed timings. Of course, being a Quad Channel kit, 4GB modules mean we've got a total of 16GB of RAM here. 16GB of RAM running at a massive 2400MHz DDR? Sounds like there's going to be little to complain about.

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Optoma HD33 3D Projector Review
TechwareLabs posted Optoma HD33 3D Projector Review

Optoma's HD33 projector which is a full 3D 1080P projector gets reviewed by TechwareLabs. Through a full 90 day review we were very impressed with the Optoma HD33 projector and were very reluctant to ship it back. The Optoma is a very well designed, very bright and sharp projection. The very simple option and use made the setup and usage ever so simple. All you need is a wall big enough to project on and 3D content.

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Maingear EPIC 180 Liquid CPU Cooler Review
TweakTown posted a review on the Maingear EPIC 180 Liquid CPU Cooler

Maingear prides themselves on delivering premium quality products along with thorough and personal support for the systems and is why they went to CoolIT to partner up to design a custom solution to fit inside of the SilverStone RV01 chassis. We all know that SilverStone long ago jumped ahead of the curve and started cooling their cases with 180mm fans. This gave Maingear a unique opportunity that they took full advantage of. Maingear could have followed suit with Corsair, Antec, CoolIT, or Asetek and just deliver the standard 120mm solution that we have seen in many, many forms, even one with a dual 120mm radiator! For Maingear that wasn't enough, they want to deliver their customers something even better.

Since there isn't much weight in any of the AIO head units, they are the perfect solution to remove the stress from the motherboard in any form of transit, limiting company returns and customer disappointment. Even with the fact of moving to a single 180mm radiator, Maingear took it a step further and offers a shroud/offset component to these units. This allows the EPIC 180 we are about to take a look at to not only perform better than if the fan was connected directly to the radiator, the main reason was to allow for longer PSUs with the offset.

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Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Review
OCC has published a review on the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

As far as performance goes, this cooler is an excellent $35 well spent. What I've found with other direct contact heatpipe coolers, even this one, is that the idle temperatures are almost always superb. This is due to the very quick heat transfer rate of the cooler, thanks for the direct interface between the CPU and the cooler. Coolers without direct contact heatpipes require that the heat from the processor travel through an additional interface (the base itself) before making it to the heatpipes.

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Samsung UN55D8000 55" LED 3D HDTV Review
Hardware Canucks posted a review of the new Samsung UN55D8000 55" LED 3D HDTV.

Samsung's 2011 HDTV lineup is one of the strongest around in a take-no-prisoners market and their UN55D8000 is currently one of their flagship products. Retailing for just south of $3000, the D8000 has the hallmarks of a genre defining TV and boasts more features than any one person can use....at least on paper. We've had our fair share of experiences with lackluster performance from high end products so let's hope this one will deliver on all it promises.

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IOCELL NetDISK 351UNE Network Storage Device Review
Benchmark Reviews posted a review on the IOCELL NetDISK 351UNE Network Storage Device

The first thing that IOCELL wants you to know about the NetDISK 351UNE is that it is not a NAS. It is a network-direct-attached-storage (NDAS) device. It does not function as a server, and there are distinct benefits to that. For one: size, cost and complexity go way down. Two: it does not use TCP/IP to connect to your network, which eliminates all TCP/IP-based methods for hacking your data. Three: it's faster, since there's ess overhead to manage. Sometimes, less is more. Benchmark Reviews has tested several full-range NAS products in the last few months, now let's investigate what advantages a more tightly focused approach can provide.

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Thermaltake Dr. Power II Power Supply Tester
TestFreaks posted a review on the Thermaltake Dr. Power II Power Supply Tester

If you were to think of a computer as a living thing I’d have to say that the power supply would be the heart of it. The heart supplies the blood or in this case the electricity to your computer system and just like a living organism if something goes wrong with the heart then it’s a major concern. Thermaltake has sent me over their new power supply tester called the Dr. Power II for review that can help you check your power supply for problems quickly and easily.

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Kingston DataTraveler HyperX USB 3.0 64GB Review
PureOverclock has published a review of the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX USB 3.0 64GB flash drive.

Sporting a speedy USB 3.0 interface, the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX USB 3.0 64GB flash packs 64GB of capacity onto a form factor that can fit onto your key ring. But what about performance? Around here, we think Performance is King, and we've heard people complain these large capacity flash drives are slow as molasses in a Canadian winter. Just how fast is USB 3.0? Well, we put the Kingston DataTraveler HyperX and we came away grinning.

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2011 CPU Cooler Roundup: Highlights (and Not-So-Highlights) of the Last Two Years
Hi Tech Legion posted their 2011 CPU Cooler Roundup

Most of the coolers I review don't simply leave the test bed and head for the closet. They tend to get used for comparison units for other reviews, for builds I'm working on or just because it's the first one I grabbed after a benched a budget cooler that I couldn't leave on my rig for day to day use. There is also the fact that chips change, and so do the thermal properties of them. My go to Intel and AMD coolers are entirely different. And while my go to AMD unit puts up very good numbers on Intel, my favorite Intel unit is pretty mediocre on AMD chips. The point being, after extended practical use I have a bit more insight to these pieces, and a bit more info than when I reviewed them. We here at HTL thought it might be a good time to share those insights, and even dole out some awards. So, let's start at the beginning...

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Patriot Division 4 DDR3-1600 Quad Channel Memory Review
Neoseeker takes a look at the Patriot Division 4 DDR3-1600 Quad Channel Memory

Patriot's 16GB Division 4 quad channel memory kit hits the streets with aggressive pricing and performance, but also a higher voltage requirement at 1.65V compared to the 1.5V demanded by competing quad channel kits for the Intel X78 platform. Find out how much of an impact on overclocking this will have for the new Patriot DDR3-1600 quad channel kit in our review.

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OCZ RevoDrive 3 PCI-Express SSD Review
OCIA.net has posted their review of the OCZ RevoDrive 3 PCI-Express SSD

The 240GB sample that we have features blistering performance rated at up to 1000MB/s read and 900MB/s write with 130,000 IOPS. This is 260MB/s read and 180MB/s write faster than the RevoDrive X2, a card that included four SandForce controllers to obtain such speeds. The RevoDrive 3 is able to trump those numbers with only two controllers thanks to new advances across the board.

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Futurelooks Evaluates RAID 0 Performance With Two Kingston HyperX 120GB SATA3 SF-2281 SSDs
Futurelooks checks out Kingston's HyperX SSDs twinned

The Kingston HyperX 120GB/240GB SSD is the current champion SATA3 SSD that earned our esteemed Editor’s Choice in our recent Round Up of SATA3 Sandforce Controller SSDs. Not only does it perform quite well in any basic configuration, but it also features the most extensive consumer friendly accessory bundle offered by anyone. The “Upgrade Kit” is intended to help you transform your current or new computer in to a high performance speed demon by providing you everything you need in the box. Check out the unboxing video (above) to see what you get. Then we’ll show you some performance numbers.

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TRITTON AX Pro True 5.1 Surround Headset Review
Real World Labs posted a review on the TRITTON AX Pro True 5.1 Surround Headset

The latest revision of the award winning AX Pro 5.1 Surround Headset by TRITTON features the same 8 speaker system for maximum clarity, plenty of bass and excellent positional audio along with support for PC, XBOX 360 and PS3 systems and a brand new Dolby Digital External Decoder.

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ZAGG ZAGGSparq 2.0 Portable Battery Review
Real World Labs posted ZAGG ZAGGSparq 2.0 Portable Battery Review

Granted the rather slow charge and recharge times of the latest ZAGGsparq 2.0 portable battery by ZAGG may fail to impress but its 6000mAh Lithium polymer battery, built-in power plug and current price tag are more than enough to turn the tables in its favor.

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Seagate 750GB Momentus XT Solid State Hybrid Drive Review
PC Stats posted a review on the Seagate 750GB Momentus XT Solid State Hybrid Drive

On the PCSTATS test bench today is a unique 2nd Gen. Solid State Hybrid Drive (SSHD) from Seagate called the Momentus XT. This hybrid drive doesn't run on Hydrogen, but rather combines 8GB of SSD-grade SLC NAND flash with a standard 750GB two-platter 7200RPM notebook HDD. Looking no different than any common 2.5" notebook hard drive, the trick up the Momentus XT's sleeve that it learns what data you frequently use and caches this to its 8GB of internal flash memory.

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Desktop CPU Comparison Guide Rev. 11.5
TechARP just posted the Desktop CPU Comparison Guide Rev. 11.5.

There are so many CPU models that it has become quite impossible to keep up with the different models or even remember their specifications.

Therefore, we decided to compile this guide to provide an easy reference for those who are interested in comparing the specifications of the various desktop CPUs in the market, as well as those already obsolescent or obsolete.

Currently covering 798 desktop CPUs, this comprehensive comparison will allow you to easily compare up to 19 different specifications for each and every CPU.

Here's the latest update in Revision 11.5 :

- Added the AMD Phenom II X4 B99 quad-core processor.
- Added the AMD Phenom II X2 B60 dual-core processor.
- Added the AMD Phenom II X2 B59 dual-core processor.
- Added the AMD Athlon II X2 B30 dual-core processor.
- Added a new core (Zosma) to the AMD Athlon II X4 640 quad-core
processor.
- Added a new core (Propus C3) to the AMD Athlon II X4 630 quad-core
processor.
- Added a new core (Propus C3) to the AMD Athlon II X4 605e quad-core
processor.
- Updated the specifications of the AMD Phenom II X4 B97 quad-core
processor.
- Updated the HTT Speed specifications of the AMD Phenom II X4 B57,
B55 and B53 dual-core processors.
- Updated the Socket specifications of the entire AMD Athlon II X4
series of processors.

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Thermaltake Overseer RX-I Review
techPowerUp posted a review on the Thermaltake Overseer RX-I

The Thermaltake Overseer RX-I is positioned just below the Chaser chassis. It costs slightly less, is slightly smaller, but still has a very similar feature set. We take a close look if there is more to it than meets the eye or if the Overseer RX-I offers the same price/performance value as its bigger counterpart.

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GeIL Enhance Corsa DDR3 1600MHz 8GB Memory Kit Review
eTeknix.com posted GeIL Enhance Corsa DDR3 1600MHz 8GB Memory Kit Review

GeIL have been releasing a lot of new memory kits lately, and so have many other brands on the market, with the majority being quad channel kits, aimed at the newest X79 platform from Intel. Whilst GeIL have done the same, as you may have already read here, they have also been focussing on other platforms too including AM3+ and Z68 in the hope that they can hit the market from all angles.

GeIL have two major ranges of memory, including the Evo Corsa and Enhance Corsa. The latter, which we'll be looking at today gives the flexability of overclocking your memory to tried and tested speeds that GeIL have personally stressed themselves giving you piece of
mind, where it matters most. Their 1333MHz kit that we saw a little while ago has the functionality to run at 1500MHz using CAS latency 9 whilst the 1600MHz kit that we're looking at today can run at 1700MHz using CAS 9.

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Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Review
Overclock3D have just published a new article titled: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Review

The latest Incantation of the 212 Plus. Evolution, Revolution, or more of the same?

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