Archive

Prolimatech Megahalems CPU Cooler | Posted on: 31/03/2009 @ 19:00

With nearly twenty different LGA1366 kits tested in our Best CPU Cooler Performance LGA1366 - Q1 2009 article, one particular product stood out as an up-and-coming favorite. The Prolimatech Megahalems is a CPU cooler build from scratch using over twenty years of industry design experience and engineering. While the Prolimatech name is new to most [...]

Intel Xeon X5570 and E5520 Gainestown Processors | Posted on: 30/03/2009 @ 23:30

The Intel Xeon processor 5500 series, previously codenamed "Nehalem-EP," offers several breakthrough technologies that have radically improve server system speed and versatility. Legit Reviews spends some time with the Intel Xeon E5520 and Xeon X5570 to see just how fast these processors really are in a 2P server configuration.

The Best Server CPUs part 2: the Intel "Nehalem" Xeon X5570 | Posted on: 30/03/2009 @ 20:00

Better hardware virtualization, a vastly improved server platform, and eight logical cores per CPU: it's no secret that the Xeon "Nehalem" X5570 is the Formula One car among the server CPUs, but how much faster is it, and more importantly, does it offer return on investment? Find out as we run real world server applications on the newest Xeon....

Intel Xeon W5580: Nehalem EP | Posted on: 30/03/2009 @ 20:00

If you thought Core i7 was fast, prepare to be shocked all over again - you can run two Nehalem EP Xeon W5580s together in one motherboard. We take a look at Intel's latest workstation/server CPU which is up to 93 per cent faster than previous Core 2 architecture Xeons.

AMD has no plans for new HD 4890 based X2 | Posted on: 30/03/2009 @ 17:40

We've learned that despite the fact that Radeon HD 4890 will be more power efficient, at the end with 850MHz clock it will have max power consumption that will come close to 190W.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400S | Posted on: 30/03/2009 @ 1:06

If you thought that nothing interesting is going to happen on Socket 775 scene after Core i7 was promoted, we can only tell you that you have made a wrong assumption. Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad CPUs are still very fast and, to be quite honest, enough for most today tasks. Intel decided to continue with optimizations of Core 2 Quad models and results are presented in form of model Q9400s that we ...

AMD Releases R700 Instruction Set Architecture | Posted on: 29/03/2009 @ 15:00

Back in January there was the release of the R600/700 3D documentation that is being used along with some open-source code to begin powering up the Radeon HD 2000/3000/4000 hardware with OpenGL acceleration support in Mesa. Some of this code should be out soon, but this past week AMD has released some more NDA-free documentation...

New Intel IGP Appears In Linux 2.6.30 Kernel | Posted on: 28/03/2009 @ 12:40

The merge window for the Linux 2.6.30 kernel is now open and Linus has already accepted a horde of new patches for this next quarterly Linux update. Among what has been pulled in so far is the DRM (Direct Rendering Manager) support for a new Intel chipset...

Cooler Master V10 Hybrid Heatpipe/T.E.C. CPU Cooler Review | Posted on: 28/03/2009 @ 0:20

“Cooler Master’s V10 is impressive in many respects. Size and stature are reassuringly large, but fitment may be an issue for some motherboards and cases. The engineering innovation and design are quite nice, as is the fit and finish. Unfortunately, the high cost and potentially troublesome installation leave something to be desired. Frankly, there are [...]

AMD Catalyst 9.3 Brings OpenGL Composite Support | Posted on: 27/03/2009 @ 18:10

While the Catalyst driver for Windows was released a number of days ago, the Catalyst Linux driver was missing. It has, however, been released today. AMD's Linux engineers ended up delaying the Catalyst 9.3 release so they could spend additional time tuning this driver, since it will be the last release that supports the R300 through R500 series as the support is being dropped. The significant ...

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 Processor Review | Posted on: 27/03/2009 @ 17:00

The Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 has four processing cores running at 2.66GHz, 6MB of shared L2 cache, and a 1333MHz Front Side Bus (FSB). If you are thinking of building an Intel LGA775 platform this processor should be at the top of your list. Read on to see how the Intel Core 2 Quad 9400 does against the other 25 processors it was benchmarked against.

Intel to launch new logos April 1st | Posted on: 27/03/2009 @ 16:51

It turns out that Intel plans to launch its new logos on April 1st and we don’t need to remind you that this is internationally April fool’s day.

Antec MicroFusion Remote 350 | Posted on: 27/03/2009 @ 11:40

This is the Antec MicroFusion 350, the micro ATX little brother of Antec's awesome Fusion HTPC chassis. Although the case has had a face lift, the Fusion styling is still there, but why does opting for less case mean you have to pay more money? We built a PC inside it to find out.

Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 Core i7 Specific CPU Cooler | Posted on: 26/03/2009 @ 11:20

Noctua knew they were onto a good thing with the standard NH-U12P and now we get a look at the Special Edition Core i7 specific model with extras.

Intel Moblin V2 Alpha 2: It Boots Even Faster! | Posted on: 25/03/2009 @ 15:10

Back in January Intel had pushed out its first alpha release for Moblin V2. This Intel-optimized Linux distribution targeting systems with Intel Atom hardware was quite unique and offered a number of advantages for being a netbook-oriented operating system. Particularly special about Intel Moblin V2 was its boot-time, which was extremely fast when using a Solid-State Drive. Intel has now put out ...

Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ CPU Cooler | Posted on: 24/03/2009 @ 13:40

Titan has seen the light and submits to TweakTown the Fenrir 120mm tower cooler for some rigerous testing.

Win an AMD Phenom X4 Bundle | Posted on: 23/03/2009 @ 10:50

This is your chance to win a *BRAND NEW*AMD Phenom X4 Bundle What’s included in this bundle is as follows - AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 940 Black Edition 3.0GHz Socket AM2 - Retail Asus M3A79-T Deluxe AMD 790FX (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard G.Skill PK 4GB (2×2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 1066MHz Dual Channel Kit To be within a chance [...]

Nanoxia FX Series 80mm Fans | Posted on: 22/03/2009 @ 20:40

We've all got fans in our cases to keep our computers cool, but some of those fans, especially those that come in a pre-built system can be quite loud so we need to find a quiet replacement, but yet one that can still keep our systems cool. Today for review I've got two of the FX Series of 80MM fans from Nanoxia, a 1600RPM fan and a 3000RPM fans. In my time with these fans I've found them to be ...

CoolIT Domino A.L.C CPU Cooler | Posted on: 20/03/2009 @ 17:50

The CoolIT Domino A.L.C. CPU cooler is a water cooling unit at the price of an air cooler. It has three fan speed modes and features a blue backlit LCD screen. Installation is simple for a water cooling unit and its performance is exceptional considering its low price of $79.99.

AMD Releases ATI Catalyst 9.3 Driver for Windows 7 | Posted on: 19/03/2009 @ 13:20

AMD has released the ATI Catalyst 9.3 Unified Driver for Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7. ATI Catalyst 9.3 represents the industrys first unified driver installation package to incorporate Windows 7 support, including Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 1.1 compliance, bringing with it a host of benefits for developers currently testing and updating applications using the widely ...

Intel Poulsbo DRM Proposed, But Rejected | Posted on: 19/03/2009 @ 13:00

Back in January we shared that Intel's Poulsbo driver was a bloody mess. This Intel GMA 500 Chipset is used by a few select devices at the moment and its core is originally based upon a PowerVR ASIC...

Thermaltake BigTyp 14 Pro CPU Cooler | Posted on: 19/03/2009 @ 4:40

We fire up the T.E.C.C. and examine the theory of "bigger is better" with Thermaltake's BigTyp 14 Pro.

Xigmatek Dark Knight S1283 CPU Cooler Review | Posted on: 19/03/2009 @ 2:10

Xigamtek offers up a slick looking and inexpensive CPU cooling solution with the Dark Knight.

Cooler Master Hyper N520 CPU Cooler | Posted on: 18/03/2009 @ 19:40

Overall, the cooler seems to be well made and so far the design intrigues me. The more compact size might be good for HTPCs or other computers with side panel fans that interfere with larger heatpipe towers. I just hope that the two 'smaller' fans can compete with the noise level and cooling performance of a 120mm unit.

ThermoLab BARAM CPU Cooler | Posted on: 16/03/2009 @ 9:50

Today we fire up the T.E.C.C. on the ThermoLab BARAM and see what this universal AMD and LGA775 cooler is all about.

AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE Black Edition AM3 CPU | Posted on: 16/03/2009 @ 0:46

Three is a number not normally associated with processors, although its actually gaining momentum thanks to Intels triple-channel memory architecture that caters to the 3GB sweet-spot for Windows XP. Dispite this, a triple-core processor just doesnt seem natural to many of us, because were so used to seeing everything come in twos. But three isnt a bad thing at all, because AMDs Phenom II X3 720 ...

AMD Phenom II X4 810 | Posted on: 15/03/2009 @ 23:37

Whenever is new generation of CPUs presented, either by Intel or by AMD, besides high-end models always are presented models for users that don`t demand top-performance levels. There are various ways to `slow down` existing high-end core. One of those is `partial amputation` of L2 or L3 cache memory, or `total amputation` of one or more cores. In most cases faulty segments of CPU are disabled ...

Hard-Core Gamers Losing Their Edge | Posted on: 15/03/2009 @ 7:10

Hard core gamers have lost their "most sought after" position for video game system and software producers. Without a lot of fanfare the developers/manufacturers have found that there is a huge general and casual gamer market out there... young or old, male or female. The game industry was in its infancy and only accounted for a few hundred million bucks. Today the market is huge and serious.

Cooler Master V10 CPU Cooler Review | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 12:30

The Cooler Master V10 CPU cooler is said to be capable of dissipating over 200 Watts of heat generated by processors, which makes it one of the most powerful coolers money can buy. With ten 6mm heat pipes, a TEC (Thermo-Electric Cooling), and two cooling fans this CPU cooler looks like it should cool any processor with no problems! Read on to see how it performs with an Intel Core i7 and Core 2 ...

AMD Sells 50 Millionth ATI Graphics Chip for Nintendo Wii | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:32

Today AMD announced that it had sold the 50 millionth ATI 'Hollywood' graphics chip for the Wii gaming console for Nintendo. With 50 million units delivered, the ATI graphics processor code-named Hollywood becomes the most successful AMD game console chip to date in terms of unit sales. The Hollywood GPU was manufactured using the same 90nm CMOS fabrication process as the 'Broadway' processor, ...

Thermolab Baram CPU Cooler Review | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:32

The new Baram CPU tower heat pipe cooler from ThermoLab has been designed with optimal aerothermodynamics in mind, so the CPU stays nice and cool. With here area total of five ‘U’ shaped pipes this cooler has a total of ten vertical pipes for heat dissipation. Read on to see how the Baram does against more than a dozen LGA775 coolers!

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550S Processor Review | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:31

The Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 has four processing cores running at 2.83GHz, a whopping 12MB of shared L2 cache and a 1333MHz Front Side Bus (FSB) to keep things moving along nicely. At $275.99 the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 is roughly 60% more expensive than the Q8200, but is it worth it? Read on to see how the Intel Core 2 Quad 9550 does against the other 24 processors it was benchmarked against.

What Goes On Within AMD's Linux Beta Program? | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:30

This year NVIDIA has been following the "release early, release often" mantra with it seeming like two weeks can't even go by without seeing a new Linux driver -- whether it's a beta driver, an official driver update, or one of their legacy drivers picking up a few fixes (at times they have even released four drivers at once). On the opposite spectrum, AMD continues with monthly Catalyst driver ...

AMD FirePro V8700 1GB | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:30

The ATI FireGL graphics cards have been a staple of the workstation graphics scene for about a decade, but last year AMD made the decision to end the FireGL series and create the FirePro 3D series in its place. The FirePro 3D series is now made up of graphics cards ranging in price from under $100 USD and built using their RV730 GPU to their highest-end models costing well over $1,000 and using ...

Xigmatek Achilles S1284C CPU Cooler | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:30

“As promised, here is the last installment of my three part mini-series of Xigmatek product reviews. The previous two were some of the newer releases from Xigmatek, while this one is a trusted cooler that has made its place on most retail shelves a while back. While the sample is a little late in getting [...]

AMD Phenom II – DDR2 vs. DDR3 Performance | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:29

Today we compare the performance between DDR2 and DDR3 on the AM3 platform using JetwayÂ’s new combo motherboard which supports both memory types.

Kingston's DDR3 2,000MHz 6GB Core i7 memory kit | Posted on: 13/03/2009 @ 10:29

Upping the ante and dropping the price.

Evercool Buffalo HPFI CPU Cooler Review | Posted on: 11/03/2009 @ 1:20

Evercool offers up an inexpensive Intel CPU cooling solution with the Buffalo HPFI. How much extra bang for your buck, both at stock speed and at overclocked speeds, can you get with this rather fancy looking heatsink in a relatively modest hardware configuration? Read on to find out.

Scythe Ninja Mini CPU Cooler | Posted on: 10/03/2009 @ 20:40

The Ninja had everything going for it: silence, performance, a low price, and, er, size. It's monolithic design was a concern, in that people really did need to be concerned that it might not fit in their computers. The Ninja Mini is less of a revision and more of a derivation: a much shorter, broader heatsink that's got titanic shoes to fill. Besides a simpler mounting system, lighter weight, ...

AMD Unveils ATI FirePro 2450 Energy Efficient Video Card | Posted on: 10/03/2009 @ 10:29

AMD introduced the ATI FirePro 2450 today, a low profile quad display graphics accelerator that consumes minimal power, delivering exceptional power efficiency. The new quad display card is able to operate at less than 18 watts of power. The ATI FirePro 2450 offers the reliability professionals expect and the efficiency IT departments require. IT managers want a card they can test once, deploy ...

Intel Readies New X.Org Video Driver Release | Posted on: 10/03/2009 @ 10:28

It has been nearly three months since the release of xf86-video-intel 2.6, which means it's almost time for their next open-source driver update to arrive (they abide by a quarterly release cycle). As a sign of this, Intel's Carl Worth is heading the xf86-video-intel 2.7 driver management and he has pushed out the first release candidate. The xf86-video-intel 2.7 RC1 driver contains a variety of ...

AMD Dropping R300-R500 Support In Catalyst Driver | Posted on: 05/03/2009 @ 9:40

Beginning next month with the Catalyst 9.4 release, support for the R300/400/500 generations of graphics processors will be dropped from AMD's mainline ATI driver. In a move they hope will allow them to focus their efforts on newer and upcoming graphics processors, the mainline Catalyst driver on both Linux and Windows will stop supporting cards older than the Radeon HD 2000 series. Linux ...

Intel Announces Intent to Manufacture Atom SoCs at TSMC | Posted on: 04/03/2009 @ 18:42

What could have been a universe imploding sort of announcement amounted to something that just made sense: Intel will be making Atom SoCs at TSMC in addition to at its own fabs. I'll take you though why....

CyberPower Core i7-920 | Posted on: 04/03/2009 @ 18:42

CyberPower's midrange Core i7 system takes a spin through our test lab, all without breaking the bank....

Intel Updates Its X.Org Driver Again | Posted on: 04/03/2009 @ 18:40

Just over a week ago Intel had come out with the xf86-video-intel 2.6.2 driver, but today that is already being replaced with xf86-video-intel 2.6.3. The 2.6.2 release was significant in that it presented some major fixes to the Graphics Execution Manager and kernel mode-setting...

Palit GeForce GTS 250 2048 MB | Posted on: 04/03/2009 @ 15:38

Today NVIDIA released their GeForce GTS 250 Series which is based on the G92 graphics processor that has already been used on a number of GeForce 8 and GeForce 9 designs. While NVIDIA's reference design comes with 1 GB of memory, Palit has chosen to create a card that comes with 2 GB of VRAM.

SilverStone Sugo SG03 | Posted on: 04/03/2009 @ 15:38

Opting for small form factor cases often involves demoting style to the subs bench. We take a look at Silverstone's Mini-ATX Sugo SG03 which is breaking all the rules and setting new standards for pint-sized PCs.

Xigmatek Achilles S1284C CPU Cooler | Posted on: 04/03/2009 @ 15:38

The last of the trio gets tested from Xigmatek. This time we are testing the Achilles S1284C with optional i7 mounting hardware.

FEAR 2: Project Origin | Posted on: 04/03/2009 @ 15:38

Fear 2 is a game for people who arenÂ’t alright with a safe world. Even a despotic world. Those places can be made safe with skill and determination, and a gigantic supply of ammunition. ThereÂ’s a grim glee in being scared, truly frightened, by something that isnÂ’t even real. Fear 2 is a place where the most dangerous place isnÂ’t tangible, but can and wants to kill you, because ...

China Intentionally Crashes Lunar Probe Into Moon | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

Chang'e 1 was an un-manned lunar orbiting spacecraft which was used in the first phase of the Chinese Lunar program. The spacecraft was named after a Chinese mythological figure, Chang'e, pronounced roughly as chang-uh. The probe was sent into space back in October of 2007 but the mission came to a crashing end by striking the moon's surface on Sunday, only 16 months after it was launched into ...

Report Shows Apple App Store Miles Ahead of Competition | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

The Global Intelligence Alliance Group (GIA) today released an analysis of Mobile Application Marketplace initiatives, which indicate Apple's App Store is miles ahead of the Android by Open Handset Alliance and Ovi by Nokia. This is based on timeliness and the number of variety and appeal of application made available to consumers. The analysis was conducted along five parameters which GIA deem ...

Nortel Under Bankruptcy Protection Posts Further Q4 Losses | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

Nortel, now under bankruptcy protection, today announced further quarterly losses that more than doubled its previous announced loss. The total revenues in the fourth quarter were $2.72B a decrease of 15% compared to 2007."The fourth quarter revenues decreased 15 percent as the market continued to deteriorate and customers either reduced or deferred spending. However, strong operating performance ...

NASA Awards Contract For Moon Spacesuits | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

NASA has awarded an interim letter contract to Oceaneering International Inc. of Houston to begin work on the design, development and production of a new spacesuit system for the Constellation Program. The system will protect astronauts during voyages to the International Space Station and exploration of the moon's surface.T. Jay Collins,nPresident and Chief Executive Officer, stated, We are ...

T-Mobile Launches $50 Unlimited Nationwide Calling Plan | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

As we previously announced, T-Mobile today officially announced the Unlimited Nationwide Calling Plan for $50 to customers via email and on the web to those who are eligible. Under the same promotion, T-Mobile is offering customers a $135 credit for switching to T-Mobile from its competitors. Under the $49 unlimited calling plan you can add up to four more lines for $39 a month each, add ...

Microsoft's Kumo Search Service Gets Powered Up! | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

We reported in November of Microsoft Kumo, a new cloud based service or search service coming to Microsoft. It still really isn't known exactly what Kumo will be used for; many still say it will be a new branding to replace Microsoft Live search this year but others still believe it has more to do with cloud computing. What ever Kumo is, it's getting powered up this week and Microsoft will be ...

NASA Ares Rocket Parachute Tests Completed Successfully | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

NASA and industry engineers successfully completed the second drop test of a drogue parachute for the Ares I rocket. The test took place Feb. 28 at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground near Yuma, Ariz.The Ares I, the first launch vehicle in NASA's Constellation Program, will send explorers to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond in coming decades. The drogue parachute is a vital ...

IBM Firmware Bug Could Cause Data Loss | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

IBM today announced that a software bug in a firmware affecting hard drives of IBM based servers could cause data loss after a power cycle. After the power cycle, the SATA drive is no longer avaliable and becomes unresponsive. "Data may become inaccessible due to the drive not responding." the bulletin by IBM stated. The affected firmware is level BB10 on the following ...

News Fragments From Around The Web | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:37

Here are the odd, funny, scary, offtopic, and sometimes ironic news that didn't make its way into a full featured article on Tech Fragments today. We hope you enjoy the articles that we have found today.What Technology In 2019 Will Look Like From Microsoft's EyesHow to Automatically Install Required Software After a Windows Reinstall

AT&T Offers 100 HD Channels in All U-Verse Markets | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

AT&T today announced that AT&T U-verse TV now offers 100 HD channels exceeding the HD channel lineups offered by the local cable providers in every U-verse TV market.With recent expansions to the U-verse TV HD lineup, customers can now enjoy ABC Family HD, Disney Channel HD, Disney XD HD, ESPNews HD and ESPNU HD as part of their existing HD service subscription, depending on their programming ...

How to Install Vista on the ASUS P6T Deluxe with SAS RAID | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Today's hard drive market is starting to grow towards enterprise level hardware, which is SAS. SAS, or Serial Attached SCSI, is the server grade storage medium of choice these days. Some desktop motherboards like the ASUS P6T Deluxe offer support for up to a pair of SAS drives, so read on as we show you how to setup a pair in RAID and install Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit.

Corsair Designs an Enthusiast ATX Case | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Corsair likes to try out new things and this time around they have developed a new chassis from the ground up that is clearly aimed at computer enthusiasts. Corsair has a prototype of the yet to be named case on display at CeBIT this week and since we couldn't be there they sent us the following pictures of the original prototype that was produced back in December.

Are Netbooks Already Obsolete? | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Online storage, five of the best.. | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Welcome to a review of five on-line storage solutions that are on offer today on the net. I have chosen them because if you type, "on-line storage" into Google, these are the ones that take up the top spaces. I have also chosen a bit of a sneaky choice that may be of interest if you like using existing technologies creatively. If you would like to know, read on...

Esquire Magazine E-Reader: Watch Out Kindle | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Following in the footsteps of the successful Amazon Kindle, Hearst Corp. is looking to launch a similar device for magazines in an attempt to capitalise on the growing interest in electronic readers. Hearst is one of the biggest magazine publishers in the world with titles including Cosmopolitan and Esquire. If you’re more of a niche magazine [...]

Tengu: Lipsyncs like Britney Spears | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

There’re approximately a million USB ‘friends’ available to you. Most will make some kind of noise and remind you that there is someone who cares for you, even if they’re completely controlled by the wire coming out of their bum. They do require attention though, most of them and will do anything to get it. [...]

2nd March 2009 Daily Roundup | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

The latest news and reviews from our affiliates. Canon PIXMA iP4600 Printer reviewed @ ITreviewed Will truly DIY laptops ever exist? @ Hardware Secrets ASUS Striker II NSE nVidia nForce 790i SLI Motherboard Review @ PCSTATS.com NZXT Sentry LX Fan Controller @ Techgage.com Apple iLife ‘09 reviewed @ ITreviewed Leadtek WinFast GTX 260 EXTREME+ in SLI @ TweakTown Eagle Consus ET-CSPESU2-BK ...

Visit the Corsair Booth @ CeBIT 2009, Hannover, Germany | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Corsair will be at CeBIT 2009! It’s the best opportunity to get first-hand information on: Our Ultimate Memory for High Performance Overclocking New Flash Memory Devices Preview New Upcoming Corsair Components - a CeBIT Exclusive Award-winning Power Supplies. Where: Hall 21, Booth B40 When: March 3rd through March 8th

Antec introduces TruePower New series of power supplies | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Press release March 2, 2009 Antec introduces TruePower New series of power supplies ~ TruePower New series delivers advanced system efficiency and stability at affordable price~ Antec, Inc., the global provider of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and do-it-yourself markets, today announced the [...]

Microsoft to cut contractor pay by 10% | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

Wants to lower is temporary staff costs by 15% It seems like Microsoft isn’t doing all too well, as the company is about to implement another cost cutting move which could see its contractors lose 10 percent of their pay. The cost cutting is targeting the employment agencies, but this is likely to have a [...]

What Does A $16,000+ PC Look Like | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

“A couple of months back, I was talking to the folks at Puget Systems for the first time, and in our initial discussion, they mentioned a high-end system they were working on. Curious as to what the company meant by a true high-end machine, I asked about the box’s innards. The project was just getting [...]

FEAR 2: Project Origin Performance Review | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

“Many gamers will remember F.E.A.R., the horror-themed first-person shooter from 2005 by American developer Monolith. After a long legal tussle between original publishers Vivendi and the new owners of Monolith, Warner Brothers, over the rights to the franchise, a sequel has finally emerged - F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin.” Source

Nintendo Unveils New Controller | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:36

“Normally we’d scoff at the idea of Nintendo releasing yet another new controller (hell, we’ve already got the Wii-mote, nunchuk, zapper shell, wheel shell, balance board, classic controller, and GameCube controller, not to mention third party offerings like the Hori sticks and alternate pads) but in this case, we’re on board.” Source

Solar Panel Drops to $1 per Watt | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:35

“A solar power milestone was reached on Tuesday when First Solar Inc brought its manufacturing costs for solar panels down to $1 per watt. But a study from the University of California and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs suggests that this might be the bottom for a price-point—if solar power is ever going to scale up [...]

AMD divides itself in two | Posted on: 03/03/2009 @ 9:35

“After a couple of years of preparation, Advanced Micro Devices is finally going to split itself in two today in the belief that competing with Intel is easier done with two heads instead of one. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD will retain 14,000 employees focused on the design and marketing of microprocessors. Meanwhile, the temporarily-named Foundry Co. [...]

New Site Offers 100% Free Credit Scores and Credit Reports - Tech Fragments | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:06

We all know tracking your credit score is an important thing to do, especially when wanting to get a mortgage or some other type of loan such as a car or personal loan. Today, you'll have to dish out money to get your "true" fico score, from MyFico.com. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, well actually free alternative then you might be interested in Credit Karma. Credit Karma offers a ...

StarLight Creations Light Laptop Stands | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Laptop stands are often accessories neglected by most. More often than not, they only offer minor improvements and aren't always the quietest with their active cooling. StarLight Creations has come up with an incredibly no-fuss simple laptop stand that works without fans.

How Much do Cost and Value Matter? | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

So here we are once again to find out what you guys think about some aspect of graphics hardware. In response to our recent articles on multiGPU scaling, set to conclude with a 4-way shootout coming soon, we have gotten a lot of feedback about cost and value. Our attempt to distill some of the decision making process will always be clunky, as there is no...

MultiGPU Update: Finding the True Halo with 4-way | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

We round out our series on multiGPU performance with a look at 4-way SLI and CrossFire. Who will come out on top? The answer will surprise you....

Phenom II System Buyers' Guide | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Phenom II is generating new excitement for AMD Buyers. We look at Phenom II systems built for value, maximum overclocking, and top performance....

Dell Unveils G2210 22 Inch LED Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Hot on the heels, or should I say out in front of the Dell SX2210 LCD Monitor, is the Dell G2210 - a 22-inch LED Wide Screen Flat Panel monitor that has environmentalists names written all over it. This ultra efficient LED monitor comes packed with power-saving features such as an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness based on the ambient brightness, PowerNap which can ...

Team Fortress 2 Scout Pack Cheaters Slapped on the Hands | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Only hours after the release of the new Team Fortress 2 Scout Updates, cheaters began developing external programs that allow them to unlock all of the scout features without having to work for it. Below is a posting from the TF2 Blog:This time it seems a number of you used an external application to unlock all of your achievements in order to get items unfairly. Coming as a surprise to no one ...

CCleaner 2.17.853 Released | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to ...

Thunderbird 3 Beta 2 Released | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

The most striking part of the release is the sheer volume of bug fixes. The list of bug fixes is quite long, which is actually a good thing to see during a beta program. Among the new features include; an archive feature which looks a lot like the Gmail's archive feature, hit the 'A' hotkey to select all, and IMAP auto-syncing. Other features you may notice:- Much more useful Growl notifications ...

New Site Offers 100% Free Credit Scores and Credit Reports | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

We all know tracking your credit score is an important thing to do, especially when wanting to get a mortgage or some other type of loan such as a car or personal loan. Today, you'll have to dish out money to get your "true" fico score, from MyFico.com. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, well actually free alternative then you might be interested in Credit Karma. Credit Karma offers a ...

The 12 Best Firefox About:Config Performance Tweaks | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Below are a few of our favorite Firefox performance hacks, tweaks, and productivity enhancements that can be made via the About:config of Firefox. We show you step-by-step how to perform the tweaks and what each of the tweaks are responsible for and how they improve your performance in Firefox and increase your productivity.Make Firefox Give Back RAM When MinimizedTypically when a program in ...

AT&T To Launch Trade-in Program For Mobile Phones? | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

The rumor mills keep on turning as AT&T might be considering a Trade-In Program for mobile phones, paying anywhere from $50 - $200 bucks - at least that's what the word is on the information superhighway. Apparently you can't just trade-in any old phone, the phone must meet a set of guidelines;1) The phone may not be older than 2-years old - free of dents and dings as well as in working order.

LG Recalls 830 Spyder Mobile Phone Due to Software Issue | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

LG Mobile, a subsidiary of LG Electronics, today announced that the LG 830 "Spyder" cell phones with software version T83LGV03 and T83LGV04 have been recalled and require a software upgrade. LG has initiated the "voluntary program" to provide the required upgrade for free. "Many of you with LG 830 Spyder cell phones with those software versions have already received the upgrade, and no other ...

News Fragments From Around The Web | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Sometimes we just need a break from the ordinary and some of the articles below reflect this. Below are a few articles that we have found that might be of interest to you, as they were to us - technology related or not, here they are:Top 10 Google Earth FindsJudge Orders Defendant To Decrypt PGP Encrypted Laptop for Child Porn Case

Six Must Have Antispyware Tools To Add To Your Toolkit | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Like it or not, spyware and malware is here and probably always will be but we don't have to spend lots of time cleaning it off our systems on a regular basis if we have a free anti-spyware toolkit at our disposal. This is exactly what we have put together, or at least our favorite ways to protect us against the elements of malware and spyware.Spybot Search and Destroy - Scanning ...

Coolermaster HAF932 Full Tower ATX Chassis Review | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:05

Xigmatek Achilles S1284C | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:04

“Achilles S1284C, a new generation H.D.T. cooler, once again proves that it is possible to do concurrently both good-looking and performance. Its H.D.T. technology and 4pcs Φ8 heat-pipe makes Achilles a remarkable performing and special fan design makes it to reach a silent level. With LED lights, transparent fan, Anti-vibration [...]

Inno3D iChill GTX 260 896 MB (216 SP) | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:04

If you are looking for a quiet high performance card, then the factory-overclocked iChill GTX 260 is certainly a great choice for you. Using Arctic Cooling's Accelero XXX cooler it emits less fan noise than most low-end cards, yet offers performance close to the GeForce GTX 280.

ASUS BC-06B1ST Blu-Ray Disc Optical Combo Drive | Posted on: 02/03/2009 @ 12:04

It wasn't more than a few months ago that Benchmark Reviews tested the ASUS BC-1205PT Blu-ray Drive (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=172 Itemid=60), which was proven to be a future-proof asset with the format war recently ended in favor of BD media. But sometimes technology isn't adopted quite as fast as we might think, because in the age of Blu-ray there are people out there who still ...