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Tuesday May 13th 2008 - jeremy

The Ruh Roh Edition

I got up this morning and booted up my laptop to do some news, and the durn thing won't even turn on.  Not sure what's going on with that, but I certainly don't have time to mess with it now.  So, we're back up to the Desktop.

Let's get started.


Hot Hardware starts us up with a Memorial Day Sweepstakes.  Stop by and enter now for your chance to win.


OCIA Picks it up as they take a look at the OCZ Reaper HPC PC3-10666 2GB Memory Kit.

When considering different types of memory, I look at three main factors: performance, overclockability, and price. Looking at the 2 gig OCZ Reaper DDR3 kit, this memory has it all. In the performance section, we see that this OCZ kit consistently outperformed a similar kit by Aeneon. Across the board we see better bandwidth times. This is no doubt due in part to the tighter timings, but also to the general quality of the memory. Although the SPD doesn't speak to the advertised speeds, the RAM runs perfectly at those manual settings.


Moving on into my favorite sector of the market, check out the Palit GeForce 9600GT 1GB Sonic Video Card from the folks over at Think Computers.


Hardware Logic calls next as they show off the ASUS M3N-HT Deluxe MB.

ASUS always provides quality motherboards with lots of innovative features and the M3N-HT tries desperately to live up to that reputation.  In this era of multiple, monster sized video cards and gigantic power supplies, the new 780a chipset offers an energy saving feature that I applaud and feel should eventually be implemented in all enthusiast motherboards in some fashion. The onboard graphics is no slouch either as it is designed for High Definition video playback. Add to this features like 3-way SLI, ESA and PCIe 2.0, and its hard not to get excited about the possibilities..   


The long awaited Corsair HX1000W PSU is on the bench over at Hardware Canucks.


Jonny Guru takes a look at the same PSU.


The Overclocker's Club has got some memory.  And not just any memory, but the Mushkin Ascent XP3 16000 2x1GB Kit.

Once again, I am pleased with the results I have gotten from the modules Mushkin has produced. Since the XP3 16000 modules are rated for 2000 MHz operation at 9-9-9-24 using 1.9 to 2.0 volts, the expectation is that they will run and perform at this level. That they did. What I was not expecting was the ability to reduce the latencies at the 2000 MHz threshold. Normally, you will need an increase of the voltage supplied to the modules to make this happen. What it actually took took was a voltage decrease to do this, down to 1.82 volts and 8-7-6-24 at 2000 MHz, was the result of this exercise. If you need a set of modules to run with that brand new E8400 or E8500, and you don't want to wonder if the modules can keep up, this just might be your set of modules. We'll just have to wait a bit longer on pricing, though.


I've always wanted to give a DFI LANParty board a shot.  If you're like me, and in the market for a new one, have a look at the DFI LANParty LT X48-T2R on the bench over at Bit-Tech.


The Gigabyte X48 DQ6 775 MB throws some competition DFI's way over at Pro Clockers.


I'm getting scared.  Check out the XFX 9800 GTX Black Edition 512MB Video Card over at Overclock 3d.

XFX have set out to make a top end 9800 GTX and I feel they have achieved this perfectly. The 1900MHz stream processors coupled with a pretty blazing overclocked core clock really do give a boost to both the scores and FPS in real life. Here comes the but...the real life difference in gaming is really only shown in Crysis. This does mean that if you buy this card, Crysis will certainly be more playable than the stock 9800 GTX though.


We'll close it up with a few more goodies today (since I'm running a little late.. as per usual).

Got news?  Send it in to news@overclockercafe.com

 

Monday May 12th 2008 - jeremy

The Monday Already? Edition

Ugh.  This weekend was not long enough.  I'm still exhausted and a little sick from the trip before.  Soo want to call in sick.

Let's hop in.


Startin things up this morning, Tech Power Up takes a look at the Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P80R Spider Edition.  Sweet Looking Case!

The Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P80R AMD/ATI Spider Edition case is an incredibly huge "super" full tower case built for all the AMD & ATI fans out there. The Spider logo on the side panel is very well done, as is the rest of the design. Nearly everything is removable on this case: the motherboard tray, the power supply bracket, the expansion card support and even the top. I do like the fan controller included with the case, as it is a bit easier to use than the small three-position switch used on other cases. And if the case itself was not red enough for you, Lian Li includes four 140mm and one 120mm red LED fans that are fairly quiet even at full speed.


Moving us on along this morning, Future Looks checks out the Foxconn 9600 GT 512NOC Video Card.


I4U keeps things going.  Check out the Kingston HyperX DDR3-1800 Review.

When all the testing was finished the Kingston HyperX KHX14400D3K2/2GN kit performed well. It has some headroom left for overclocking and performs well at the programmed SPD settings. The RAM is also a bit cheaper than some other brands of enthusiast DDR3 on the market.


Metku Mods takes a look at the impressive NZXT Tempest Mid-Tower ATX Enclosure.


We've got a couple of coolers out there this morning as well.  First up, head on over to R&B Mods and check out the Noctua NH-U9B CPU Cooler.


Back to the case game, check out the Arctic Cooling Silentium T3.  This one comes to us from the folks over at Driver Heaven.

As the T3 is not the first generation of Silentium case Arctic Cooling have had time to refine the design and performance, the result is a near flawless product. The finish of the case is good and there are no problems with sections not fitting correctly. There is also plenty of room inside the chassis to work with when building a system and tool free drive/card installation is also very user friendly.


OCIA has got next as they take a look at the Silverstone Decathlon DA700 PSU.

But really I'm picking at straws here, the SilverStone Decathlon series is truly an awesome power supply and worthy of praise. Sure, just as with any other high-end power supply you're going to pay for the quality. I found the DA700 online for right around $175, and while you can find another 700W or greater power supply for much less, you'd be hard pressed to find one with a single +12v rail and as stable outputs as this. The SilverStone Decathlon DA700 earns the OCIA.net Seal of Approval.


TechARP's got a 1 Terabyte drive on the block this morning.  Check out the WD 1TB Caviar GP Serial ATA HDD.


Aaaand let's not forget about the Overclocker's Club!  Check out the Scythe Zipang 139MM CPU Cooler!

When I first looked at the Zipang in its packaging, I was somewhat leery. However, as soon as I took a look at the unit the situation became clear. The Zipang is rock solid in construction, with superb design and materials! It has a huge, slow moving fan, to move lots of air at low noise levels, and a nickel plated base. It really does not, at first glance, seem like a $55 heatsink at all. Surprisingly, it earns its keep.
 

Got news?  Send it in to news@overclockercafe.com

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