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Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell Processor Review
Just a year ago Intel launched their Ivy Bridge processors and now a year later we have another platform launch from Intel. The 4th Generation Core Haswell processors are the “tock” to Intel’s “tick” and “tock” release schedule. A “tock” represents a new architecture and a “tick” represents a process refinement. So Haswell brings with it a new architecture, but is still built on the same 22nm process as Ivy Bridge. Intel has introduced a new LGA1150 socket with Haswell and a new chipset so you will not be able to throw this processor in an older motherboard, you will have to buy a new one. Today we are taking a look at the top of the line Haswell desktop chip the Core i7-4770K. Of course the “K” denotes that it is an unlocked processor. This is a quad-core processor that has a default clock speed of 3.5 GHz and a turbo frequency that goes all the way up to 3.9 GHz.
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XSPC AX Radiator Desk Stand Review
One of the biggest limiting factors in what you can do with watercooling is how much room you have in your case. With so much equipment to pack in for watercooling alone, space ends up being one of the chief concerns for builders and modders. And the single biggest limiting factor: how much radiator one can fit. Radiators are large, bulky, and inflexible in how they need to be installed. This can easily lead to the builder having to sacrifice cooling surface for space. There is a solution to this problem though; external radiator stands. And if you have chosen to use XSPC’s AX series of radiators, then you’re in luck. Today we will be looking at the AX Radiator Desk Stand from XSPC.
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Win a NZXT Phantom 630 Case!
It is summer time and it is the perfect time to give you, our readers some free hardware! We have teamed up with our friends at NZXT to give away a brand new NZXT Phantom 630 Case! This Ultra Tower not only looks good it has room for quite a lot inside like long graphics cards, XL-ATX Motherboards, 8 hard drives and a lot of watercooling! Like many of our contests we will be running this one on Facebook and it is extremely easy to enter!
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Case Mod Friday: ReactorMod
Welcome to another Case Mod Friday showcase! This week we have a builders ReactorMod build. Here is what he had to say about it: It's a modded Chieftec BX-03 case. I wanted to make it look like it's quite old and kinda shabby. I was thinking about this build for quite a long time, so I managed to collect some cool stuff that I've found on a nearby scrap yard (e.g. switch or steel sheet that I used to make the radiator cover). I also used some spare parts that I had lying around.
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Enermax Triathlor FC 550W Power Supply Review
Enermax is a brand whose strong product is their power supplies, especially when it comes to the high-end spectrum. Their Platimax and MAXREVO units are some of the best out there. But these units are not cheap in terms of cost. Enermax knows not everyone has a ton of cash to throw at a new power supply so they have created the Triathlor series of power supplies. There are actually the Triathlor and Triathlor FC units. The Triathlor units are lower wattage and non-modular and the Triathlor FC units are higher wattage and are modular. Today we are checking out the Triathlor FC 550W unit which is 80PLUS Bronze certified and offers quiet operation.
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SilverStone ARM22SC ARM Two Dual LCD Monitor Mount Review
We mainly know SilverStone for their cases and for good reason, they are high quality and look great. What if SilverStone took that same quality and put it into a LCD monitor mount? Then you would have what we are reviewing today which is the ARM Two ARM22SC dual LCD Monitor Mount from SilverStone. LCD arms are a great addition to any computer setup, especially if you are using a multi-monitor system. The ARM22SC is constructed with robust aluminum alloy and steel so this is a heavy duty piece of hardware. It will support two displays with VESA mounts. Read on as we get this installed and see how it transforms our desk.
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Win a Pivos XIOS DS Media Player!
Pivos is a company we have been working with lately and they make some pretty cool little media players. We have already reviewed their XIOS DS media player and it is a very unique device. Pivos was nice enough to give us one to give away to our readers! Just like all of our contests this one is very easy to enter and we will be running it on Facebook? So what are you doing get out there and get your entry in!
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Case Mod Friday: Black and White
Welcome to another Case Mod Friday showcase! This week we have Christian Black and White build. Here is what he had to say about it: Well this is the first time I do something like this, and it really is interesting the world of case modding the project is BLACK AND WHITE and really was a design chosen because I began to paint the cabinet only and one thing leads to another as in all cases and was thinking of some ideas for covers.
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The History Of The Hard Drive
In 1953, engineers in IBM's California-based laboratory invented the very first hard drive. Since that first disk drive, technological advances have been made at an astonishing rate, with data capacity increasing and size and price decreasing exponentially, year on year. 60 years on, the hard drives of today are unrecognizable from the first models, which took up an entire room. Hard drives today are measured in terms of gigabytes and terabytes, rather than megabytes-an amount of data that would have been almost unimaginable in the early history of computers. Here we take a look back at the evolution of the hard drive as it grew from 5MB to 4TB.
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Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 Review
Lenovo has been making headlines with their IdeaPad Yoga. It is a tablet convertible that can be used as a laptop as well. There are 11-inch and 13-inch models. While the larger 13-inch model has the choice of Intel Core processors, the 11-inch does not and is rather powered by the NVIDIA Tegra 3 platform. Today we will be taking a look at that unit which does offer a very sleek and slim design, responsive 11.6-inch touchscreen, Lenovo’s patent-pending hinge design that allows the screen to flip completely over and it is running Windows RT. Let’s check it out!

Archive for April, 2011

ASUS Rampage III Formula Intel X58 Motherboard Review

ASUS Rampage III Formula Intel X58 Motherboard Review

ASUS’s top tier line of products is the Republic of Gamers line of products otherwise known as ROG.  If you are purchasing an ROG product you know you are getting the best of the best and something that is going to last you a long time.  With any line it is broken up into segments, Extreme being the highest, Formula being in the middle and Gene at the lower end.  Today we will be taking a look at the Rampage III Formula board and from the name we know it sits in the middle.  This is an Intel X58 board that has many of the features of its more expensive brother the Rampage III Extreme for a more reasonable price.  Let’s take a look and see if this board is perfect for your next build!

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Techbargains Deals for 4-19-11

Techbargains Deals for 4-19-11

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
1TB Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Portable External Hard Drive for $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $139).

Computers & Peripherals:
15.6” Acer Aspire AS5253-BZ602 AMD Dual-Core E-350 [FUSION] Laptop for $349.99 plus free shipping (normally $499).

Sapphire Radeon HD5850 Xtreme 1GB HDCP PCI-E Video Card for $139.99 (normally $199 – use coupon code: MWM27388).

Cooler Master HAF 912 Steel ATX Computer Case w/ 8 120/200mm Fans for $43.99 plus free shipping (normally $69 – use coupon code: EMCKFJA38).

GoDaddy Coupon Code – $1 on 1-Year New Domain Name Registration (Including .COM) (use coupon code: ACES1).

Canon imageCLASS LBP-6650DN Network Laser Printer for $179.99 plus free shipping (normally $399 – use coupon code: CanonSpecial).

EVGA P55V Intel P55 LGA1156 MicroATX Motherboard (2xSLI) for $29.99 plus free shipping (normally $89 – use this form).

ESET NOD32 V.4.0 AntiVirus Software (3-User) for $29.99 plus free shipping (normally $69 – use coupon code: EMCYTZT411).

1TB Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Portable External Hard Drive for $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $139).

Thermaltake Armor V60 ATX Computer Case w/ USB 3.0, eSATA, LED Fans for $49.99 (normally $69 – use this form).

Sony Style Coupon Code 30% of Select Sony Outlet VAIO Laptops + Free Shipping (use coupon code: TECHBARGAINSOUTLET30).

Creative Live! Cam Socialize HD 1080p High Definition Webcam for $64.99 plus free shipping (normally $89).

Gaming:
Sony PlayStation 3 DualShock3 Wireless Controller for $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $54).

Portal 2 Video Game (Xbox 360, PS3) for $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $59 – use coupon code: EMCKFJA89).

Mortal Kombat Video Game (Xbox 360. PS3) for $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $59 – use coupon code: EMCKFJA86).

SOCOM 4 Video Game (PS3) for $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $59 – use coupon code: EMCKFJA88).

Home Entertainment:
46” Mitsubishi LT46164 LED LCD HDTV (1080p) w/ 16-Speaker Sound Bar for $999.99 (normally $1699 – use coupon code: WNQ26875).

40” Mitsubishi LT40164 LED LCD HDTV (1080p) w/ 16-Speaker Sound Bar for $699.99 (normally $1399 – use coupon code: YTL26866).

40” Sharp AQUOS LC-40D78UN LCD HDTV (1080p, 120Hz) for $494.99 plus free shipping (normally $799).

Sony NSZ-GT1 Blu-Ray Player w/ Google TV (REFURB) for $269.99 plus free shipping (normally $399).

Klipsch HD500 5.1ch Home Theater Speakers for $299.99 plus free shipping (normally $1399 – use coupon code: EMCKFJA78).

Monster MCC AVL300-S Advanced Universal Remote Control (also controls lights) for $67.99 plus free shipping (normally $399).

Personal Electronics:
Apple iPod Touch 8GB (4th Generation) for $184.99 plus free shipping (normally $229).

Logitech Squeezebox Radio Wireless Internet Radio/Audio Streamer (New in Dented Box) for $119.99 plus free shipping (normally $249 = use coupon code: logi_radio_41811).

TomTom XL 340TM GPS (4.3in, Lifetime Traffic & Map Updates) for $109.95 plus free shipping (normally $199 – use coupon code: BUYDIGCLUB5).

Huawei IDEOS U8150 Cell Phone (Unlocked, Quad-Band GSM) w/ Android 2.2 OS $139.99 (normally $229).

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Vantec NexStar SE Dual 2.5-inch Hard Drive Rack Review

Vantec NexStar SE Dual 2.5-inch Hard Drive Rack Review

Solid state drives are all the rage right now.  The most common form factor for solid state drives is the 2.5-inch form factor.  Many new cases have support for 2.5-inch drives, but many cases, even newer ones do not.  No one wants to go out and buy a brand new case, just for a hard drive.  Vantec knows this and has a whole line of hard drive racks that support 2.5-inch drives.  Today we will be taking a look at the NexStar SE Dual 2.5-inch hard drive rack, which is a 5.25-inch bay device that supports two 2.5-inch drives.  Let’s take a look…

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Techbargains Deals for 4-18-11

Techbargains Deals for 4-18-11

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
128GB Kingston SSDNow V100 Internal Solid State Drive (TRIM) for $164.95 plus free shipping (normally $214 – use this form).

Computers & Peripherals:
10.1” HP Mini 110 Intel Atom N455 10.1in Netbook (1GB/250GB/3-Cell Battery/Win7) for $224.99 plus free shipping (normally $299 – use coupon code: NB7676).

HP LaserJet Pro CP1525nw Color Laser Printer w/ Wireless Networking for $124.99 plus free shipping (normally $219 – use coupon code: 48437290).

Kensington SD100 Notebook Docking Station $9.99 (normally $79).

MSI AMD E350 [FUSION] Dual-Core CPU + AMD Hudson M1 Mini ITX Motherboard for $94.99 plus free shipping (normally $129 – use this form).

1TB HP Personal Media Drive USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive for $84.91 plus free shipping (normally $110 – use coupon code: ACCS73419).

19” Dell IN1920 19 inch Widescreen LCD Monitor for $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $129).

TRENDnet GREENnet TEG-S50G 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch for $24.99 plus free shipping (normally $59).

128GB Kingston SSDNow V100 Internal Solid State Drive (TRIM) for $164.95 plus free shipping (normally $214 – use this form).

15.6” HP G62-358NR Intel Dual-Core P6100 2GHz Laptop (3GB/320GB/Win7) for $369.99 plus free shipping (normally $499 – use coupon code: A660GBTO).

HP Pavilion p6710f AMD Athlon II 640 Quad-Core Desktop Computer (4GB/1TB) for $399.98 plus free shipping (normally $529).

23” Samsung 2333T cPVA Widescreen LCD Monitor (REFURB) for $129.00 plus free shipping (normally $229).

Samsung ML2525 Monochrome Laser Printer for $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $119).

22” Acer P215H Bbd LCD Monitor (1920×1080, HDMI) for $109.99 plus free shipping (normally $129).

Gaming:
God of War 1 and II Game Collection (PS3) for $15.99 plus free shipping (normally $29).

Toys R Us BOGO FREE on Select Video Games (titles starting at $9.99).

The Sly Collection Game for Playstation 3 $19.99 (normally $29).

Personal Electronics:
TomTom XL 335TM GPS (4.3in, Lifetime Traffic & Map Updates) for $1259.00 plus free shipping.

Sony Bloggie Touch MHS-TS20 8GB Portable Video Camcorder for $149.99 plus free shipping (normaly $179).

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ASUS O!Play HD2 HD Media Player Review

ASUS O!Play HD2 HD Media Player Review

ASUS has unleashed a super sleek, attractive and capable media player on the world, they’ve named it the O!Play HD2. There are a lot of things to enjoy about the O!Play HD2 like its iPhone remote control, intuitive interface, and the ability to playback all kinds of media including SHOUTcast and Flickr support. Are all of these flashy features enough to beat the competition? Check out the article or our video review to find out!

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G.Skill Ripjaws-X DDR3-2133 8GB Dual Channel Memory Kit Review

G.Skill Ripjaws-X DDR3-2133 8GB Dual Channel Memory Kit Review

Sandy Bridge, by now you all know the name and you know that Intel’s new processors blew the socks off almost anything out there.  With this whole new architecture comes a new line of components made specifically for Sandy Bridge.  Today we will be taking a look at some memory from our friends at G.Skill.  A little while back we took a look at their 1600 MHz Ripjaws memory and today we are checking out the 2133 MHz Ripjaws-X memory, more specifically the Ripjaws-X F3-17000CL9D-8GBXLD kit.  This kit runs at 2133 MHz with timings of 9-11-9-28 at 1.65v.  Let’s take a look at this memory and see if it is perfect for your Sandy Bridge setup.

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Techbargains Deals for 4-13-11

Techbargains Deals for 4-13-11

Computers & Peripherals:
15.6” HP dv6tse Intel Core i5-2410 2.3GHz Sandy Bridge Laptop (6GB/640GB) for $629.99 plus free shipping (normally $899 – use coupon code: NB7758).

MSI H61M-P23 Intel Core i5-2500k 3.3GHz Sandy Bridge Barebones Kit for $399.99 (normally $349 – use this form).

23” Asus VH238H LED-Backlit LCD Monitor (2ms, HDMI) for $154.99 plus free shipping (normally $169 – use coupon code: EMCYTZT400 – use this form).

Logitech N315 Portable Lapdesk (BLUE) for $14.99 plus free shipping (normally $29).

Cooler Master HAF 912 Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ EIGHT 120mm-200mm Fans for $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $59 – use this form).

15.6” Dell Inspiron N5030 Intel Dual-Core T4500 2.3GHz Laptop (4GB/320GB) for $399.99 plus free shipping (normally $638).

10.1” HP Mini 210 Intel Atom N550 Dual-Core Netbook (1GB/250GB/6-cell/Win7) for $299.99 (normally $349).

Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax 802.11n Dual-Band Wireless N Gigabit Router REFURB for $69.99 (normally $159).

Samsung SCX-4623F Monochrome Laser All-in-One Printer w/ Fax $89.99 (normally $199).

Gaming:
Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim 250GB w/ Kinect Sensor + Kinect Adventures Game for $299.99 (normally $399).

Lego Batman Video Game (Wii) $9.99 (normally $34).

Home Entertainment:
32” Samsung UN32C4000 LCD HDTV (720p, LED-Backlit) for $399.99 (normally $649 – use coupon code: DFS26347).

Dell M109s On-the-Go DLP Projector (858×600, 0.8 lbs) for $259.00 plus free shipping (normally $399).

Samsung SSG-3100GB/ZA Active Shutter 3D Glasses $49.99 (normally $99).

Energy EW-100 10in 225W Powered Subwoofer for $129.88 plus free shipping (normally $299).

40” Sony KDL-40NX711 3D LED LCD HDTV w/ Blu-Ray Player + (4) Glasses $1049.99 (normally $1999 – use coupon code: BFQ26179).

40” Sony KDL-40NX711 3D-Ready LED LCD HDTV (1080p, 120Hz, Wifi w/ Netflix) for $899.99 plus free shipping (normally $1499 – use coupon code: UBP26170).

32” Westinghouse LD3260 LED-Edgelit LCD HDTV (720p) for $289.99 (normally $399 – use coupon code: ALF26590).

Sony BDP-S270 Blu-Ray Player (Refurb, Netflix Streaming) $59.99 (normally $99).

Personal Electronics:
Samsung HMX-U20 High Definition 1080p Pocket Camcorder for $99.97 plus free shipping (normally $199 – use coupon code: 3A825).

GoPro HERO Naked Wearable 1080p High Definition Camcorder for $201.75 plus free shipping (normally $269 – use coupon code: gopro25).

Creative EP-830 Noise Isolating Headphones for $29.99 plus free shipping (normally $49 – use coupon code: 40CEP830).

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Wednesday News Post 4-13-11

Wednesday News Post 4-13-11

Ahh its Wednesday, that means the week is almost over! Make sure you check out our review of the Sapphire HD 5830 Xtreme 1GB Video Card!


“I’m sure many of you remember AMD’s 5800 series of video cards, they were the first family of video cards in the world to support the advanced graphical features of DirectX 11. It has been quite some time since their original introduction and Sapphire has decided to relaunch the series with the HD 5850 Xtreme and the HD 5830 Xtreme. Today we will be taking a look at the HD 5830 Xtreme which features 1120 stream processors, 56 texture units, an 800 MHz core clock and 1GB of DDR5 memory. Let’s check it out!” Read On…

Audio
Corsair SP2200 2.1 PC Speaker Review @ Legit Reviews
Cyber Snipa Sonar 5.1 Championship Gaming Headset Review @ Techgage
Corsair SP2500 2.1 Speaker System and HS1A Headset @ HotHardware.com

Cases
Cooler Master Storm Enforcer Gaming Tower @ Pro-Clockers
CM Storm Enforcer Gaming Case Review @ HardwareHeaven.com
Cooler Master Storm Enforcer Computer Case @ APH Networks
Cooler Master CM Storm Enforcer Case Review @ KitGuru
Cooler Master Storm Enforcer Review @ OCC

Cooling
Thermaltake Massive 23 LX Notebook Cooler @ Virtual-Hideout.com
Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler Review @ t-break

Storage
LaCie FastKey USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ EverythingUSB
Seagate GoFlex Slim 320GB Portable Hard Drive Review @ Tweaknews
Seagate Momentus 750GB SATA Notebook HDD Review @ Club Overclocker

Video
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 550 Ti OC Graphics Card Review @ eTeknix.com
MSI Radeon HD 6970 Lightning 2 GB @ techPowerUp

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In Win BUC Mid-Tower Case Review

In Win BUC Mid-Tower Case Review

In Win is a company we know for making cases that are attractive, have all of the features you want, but still are affordable.  Today we will be taking a look at their new BUC “buck” mid-tower case.  The concept behind the BUC is “strong shield” and this concept is echoed through the case with its strong SECC steel construction and stylish interior and exterior.  The case features a practically tool-less design, 3 120mm cooling fans, USB 3.0 connectivity, and a hot swap module on the side of the case.  Let’s take a look and see if this is the perfect case for your next build.

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Techbargains Deals for 4-12-11

Techbargains Deals for 4-12-11

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
24” ViewSonic VX2450WM-LED LED-Backlit LCD Monitor for $169.99 plus free shipping (normally $229 – use coupon code: EMCKFJH34).

Computers & Peripherals:
17.3” Toshiba Satellite L675D-S7022 AMD Phenom II Triple Core P820 Laptop Blu-Ray for $499 (normally $699).

Apple iMac Intel Core i3 3.06GHz All-in-One Desktop w/ 22in 1920×1080 IPS LCD for $1049.00 plus free shipping (normally $1199).

24” ViewSonic VX2450WM-LED LED-Backlit LCD Monitor for $169.99 plus free shipping (normally $229 – use coupon code: EMCKFJH34).

20” Acer S201HLbd LED-Backlit LCD Monitor for $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $139 – use coupon code: EMCKFJH39).

Samsung ML-2525W Monochrome Laser Printer w/ Wireless Networking for $73.99 (normally $149 – use coupon code: EMCKFJH55).

1TB Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Portable External Hard Drive for $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $139).

Logitech M510 USB RF Wireless Laser Mouse for $19.99 plus free shipping (normally $39 – use this form).

15.6” Gateway NV59C09U Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz Laptop w/ Blu-Ray for $499.00 plus free shipping (normally $649).

Logitech ClearChat Pro USB Headset (Open Box) for $14.99 plus free shipping (normally $49 – use coupon code: logi_ccpu_41111).

Gaming:
Halo: Reach Game (Xbox 360) for $29.99 plus free shipping (normally $59).

Home Entertainment:
42” Westinghouse LD-4255VX LED-Backlit LCD HDTV (1080p) for $499.95 plus free shipping (normally $899).

Yamaha RX-V367 5.1ch 100W/ch Home Theater Receiver for $149.99 plus free shipping (normally $349 – use coupon code: EMCKFJH22).

Jamo E8SUR.2 RT 3-Way Surround Speaker for $99.88 plus free shipping (normally $229).

32” Sceptre X320BV-HD LCD HDTV (720p) for $249.00 (normally $399).

Personal Electronics:
Insignia NS-NAV01 GPS Navigation (4.3in, Text-to-Speech) $29.99 (normally $79).

Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus Alarm Clock/Dock (Dented Box) for $44.99 plus free shipping (normally $79 – use coupon code: logi_pfep_41111).

Pioneer SE-A1000 Studio Quality Stereo Headphones for $69.97 plus free shipping (normally $149).

Kill A Watt P4400 Electricity Monitor for $16.99 plus free shipping (normally $24).

Garmin nuvi 1390T GPS (4.3in, Text To Speech, Lifetime Traffic Updates) for $127.00 plus free shipping (normally $257 – use coupon code: EMCKFJH97).

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