New for Decemeber 16th 2008
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Title: Microtransactions in Online games Today @ TechwareLabs
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Cooler Master HAF 932 Full Tower ATX case review
http://www.techspot.com/review/133-coolermaster-haf-932/
For the ultimate gaming machine the full tower ATX case has become the weapon of choice, though evidently not for its portability or value. Rather gamers with high-end systems are turning to the full tower ATX form factor simply so they can comfortably fit all their extreme hardware. With flagship GeForce and Radeon graphics cards now measuring over 9″ long (23cm) typical mid-size cases are no longer sufficient.
The Cooler Master HAF 932 is a truly impressive looking gaming case without being over the top in anyway. The design is clean yet aggressive at the same time, which is not easy to accomplish. From the most recent full tower ATX cases we have seen this year – and we have pretty much seen them all – the HAF 932 is probably the coolest.
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Title: Sapphire HD4850 Dual-Slot Graphic Card Review on Technic3D
Link: http://www.technic3d.com/article-793,1-sapphire-hd4850-dual-slot-grafikkarte-kein-einheitsbrei.htm
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Quote: “The Sapphire HD4850 Dual-Slot arrived Technic3D. The Graphic Card with a Dual-Slot Heatsink and a good price better than AMD Reference-Design? Technic3D will see the RV770 Chip in the following Review with 2560×1600 up to 1280×1024 against more Cards on Windows Vista 32 Bit SP1. And what say the real Power Consumption?”
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Quote: Fancy being able to carry 32GB of data around in my pocket without looking like you’re concealing a hard one (disk!)? The OCZ ATV 32GB may well have an affordable and rugged solution.
Link: http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php?/storage/ocz_atv_32gb_usb_flash_drive/1
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TITLE: G.Skill FM-25S2S-64GB SATA-II MLC SSD @ Benchmark Reviews
DESCRIPTION: Back in November 2007, after experiencing the SuperComputing Conference SC07, finding Solid State Drives on sale anywhere was a real challenge. One year later, and online stores are offering dozens of SSD models at reasonable prices. Solid State Drives are rapidly changing the computing landscape, and many enthusiasts are using SSD technology in their primary systems to help boost performance. Benchmark Reviews has tested nearly all of the products available to the retail market in this sector, and several do well while others fall flat. It used to be that performance was the largest hurdle for SSD’s, followed by stability, and later price. In this article, we benchmark test bandwidth performance on the G.Skill FM-25S2S-64GB SATA-II MLC mass storage NAND Solid State Drive and compare it against the top competition.
ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=256&Itemid=60
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Quote: ” If you are looking for a high power PSU but 1500W is out of your budget then you may interest with a 1000W or 1200W PSU. Today we will bring you a 1200W PSU from In Win; Commander 1200W which is a high end PSU from In Win and targeting for gaming market with its supportability for dual/quad core processor, NVIDIA SLI, ATI Crossfire and etc hardcore hardware. Let have a deep look on this PSU.”
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NEW CONTENT (Cases, Cooling and Power Supplies) – IKONIK Vulcan 1200 watt Modular Power Supply
QUOTE: “For those who have been building their own systems for a while, you get accustomed to certain brand names. That said, I always enjoy the opportunity to look at some of the new names that come to the market place. Such is the case with a company named IKONIK; a relative newcomer whom we have looked at once in the past with one of their enclosures. Cases are not the only thing they are making, though. Also included in their product lineup are SIM (System Intelligent Management) modules for their high-end system enclosures and power supplies.
Today we will be looking at one of their upper echelon of power supplies, the Vulcan 1200. It is an enthusiast class model designed for those who like to push the edge of technology. We will begin by looking at the feature set, then delve into the performance levels of this new kid on the block. After all, we’re talking about your upgrading dollars here so we want to see if the Vulcan 1200 is worth your time and money.”
For more information, please visit - http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1688/ikonik_vulcan_1200_watt_modular_power_supply/index.html
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Title: ASUS Eee PC 1000HA Netbook @ Techgage
Link: http://techgage.com/article/asus_eee_pc_1000ha_netbook/
Quote: With a countless number of netbooks available, we’re looking to see if the originator of them all still has what it takes to deliver a model that’s both affordable, and complete with the features we’re after. The 1000HA lacks the Bluetooth and Draft n of the 1000H, but still retains the same great looks, along with killer battery-life.
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Title: Lian-Li PC-7F Case Review
Link: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/671
Category: Reviews
Summary:
PC-7F is an all-aluminum mid-tower case from Lian-Li coming with a very attractive price tag. Is this a good product? Let’s see.
Here is a snippet:
“PC-7F is an all-aluminum mid-tower case from Lian-Li coming in two color options, black or silver, and two side panel options, solid or with a transparent side window (this version is also known as PC-7FW). It comes with a very attractive price tag (USD 130 – USD 140 in the US) and features that will certainly please the average user. Is this a good product? Let’s see.”
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Title:
Fallout 3 (Games For Windows – PC DVD) @ BRnR
Link:
http://www.barrys-rigs-n-reviews.com/reviews/2008/games/fallout3/1.htm
Quote:
“Fallout 3 is the latest and long-awaited installment of the critically acclaimed saga of post-nuclear war survival. Can the folks who brought us The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion work their magic and satisfy the expectations of existing Fallout fans while winning new converts to one of the most popular Science Fiction RPG series of all times?â€
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Title: AMD Linux 2008 Year in Review @ Phoronix
Direct Link: http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=13267
Summary: “Last year when publishing our AMD Year in Review article there were numerous new features to account for, including but not limited to the new OpenGL driver, support for Compiz, and the AMD Catalyst Control Center Linux Edition. This year has been another interesting year for AMD’s Linux efforts on both the open and closed fronts. We are focusing on their Catalyst driver efforts in this article, which has picked up support for CrossFire, is now capable of being overclocked with OverDrive, and AMD is now delivering same-day Linux product support. In this article we will recap some of the highlights from the Catalyst driver releases this year as well as set out on a benchmarking extravaganza.”
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Two new cards were recently introduced in NVIDIA’s  Quadro FX lineup of professional workstation graphics cards. On the high-end, they have the Quadro FX 5800 card, which uses the same powerful GT200 architecture that powers the GeForce GTX 280, coupled with 4 GB of memory and a 512-bit memory interface.  Of course, that beast costs $3,499, and it’s going to be a tough sell in this economic climate, powerful as it may be. Perhaps the more reasonable solution is the card we’re looking at today, the Quadro FX 4800, the Quadro FX 5800’s little brother.
The Quadro FX 4800 is a much more palatable high-end solution, coupling together a GT200 graphics processor with 1.5 GB of memory and a price tag nearly half that of the QuadroF X 5800. Â Come on by the site and check it out…
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 1.5 GB Workstation Graphics Card
http://hothardware.com/Articles/Nvidia-QuadroFX-4800-15-GB-Workstation-Graphics-Card/
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We have just posted our review of the ASRock G43 Twins-FullHD motherboard. This is a little mATX board that comes packing support for 10 USB2.0 connectors, 8-channel audio, GB Ethernet, VGA, DVI and DisplayPort. It’s based on the G43 chipset from Intel and has DX10 GMA X4500 graphics. Is it everything you want in an HTPC motherboard? Read our review to find out.
Title: ASRock G43 Twins-FullHD mATX
URL: http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6487&Itemid=40
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CaseCritics.com has just posted their review on the Sunbeamtech Acrylic HTPC Chassis
Quote
“The Razer Goliathus Gaming surface comes in two variations, the Control edition and the Speed edition. The one we are looking at is the Control edition in the standard size. The great thing about the Razer Goliathus is that it is available in three different sizes. If you want something a little bigger than the standard size (344mmx254mm)we are looking at then you can go for the oversized version (444×355mm) or if you do not have much room to spare on your desk than you can always go for the space-efficient version which is only 270 by 214mm’s big. The two latter versions are both 4mm thick and the oversized gaming surface is 4.3mm thick.”
Direct Link – http://www.burnoutpc.com/2008/12/razer-goliathus/
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iXBT Labs Review: ASRock A770CrossFire Motherboard
Excerpt:
“ASRock approached with maximum creativity and decided to squeeze everything possible not only from the Southbridge, but also from the Northbridge: they installed the 2nd graphics port and added nominal CrossFire support (8x + 8x), although only 790X and higher-end chipsets officially possess this feature.”
Article: http://ixbtlabs.com/articles3/mainboard/asrock-a770crossfire-770-p1.html
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TechwareLabs has published a review of the Tagan Diablo Advance PC Case. Here’s a clip from the review:
Quote: Tagan is perhaps best known for their line of power supplies, which combine high-performance specs with a flashy, LED-laden presentation that certainly catches the eye. Expanding on this theme, Tagan has come out with a number of cases that combine various levels of flash with generally solid design. Today, we will be taking a look at Tagan’s most recent addition to their enthusiast case line, the El Diablo Advance. After we put this case through its paces, you can decide for yourself if the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.
LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/reviews/cases/Tagan-El-Diablo-Advance
Title: Tagan Diablo Advance PC Case @ TechwareLabs
