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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, 2012

Corsair Vengeance 1500 Gaming Headset Review

Corsair Vengeance 1500 Gaming Headset Review

Corsair is well-known for making exceptional computer memory. Although, as we frequently see in today’s market, companies are expanding their product lines. Corsair has created the Vengeance gaming line which encompasses headsets, keyboards, mice, memory, and cases. We’ve taken a look at the Vengeance K60 Gaming Keyboard, and the Vengeance M60 Gaming Mouse. Finally we’re checking out the Vegeance 1500 headset. It is a USB stereo headset that uses Dolby Headphone to create a virtual surround environment up to 7.1 channels. With 50mm drivers it’s sure to deliver big sound, and be comfortable at the same time with memory foam behind each earcup. But the key is how well it performs. Check out the review to find out.

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Techbargains Deals for 4-27-12

Techbargains Deals for 4-27-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
Samsung 830 Series MZ-7PC128B/WW 2.5in 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive w/ Notebook Upgrade Kit for $135.99 with free shipping (normally $199 – use coupon code: HARDOCPX425A).

Computers & Peripherals:
Refurbished Sony VAIO E VPCEG37FM/W Intel Core i5-2450M Dual-Core Sandy Bridge 14″ Notebook Computer w/ Blu-Ray & 8hr Battery for $529.99 plus free shipping (normally $749).

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 120mm Sleeve Universal CPU Cooler + FREE 4FT Monster Cable THX V100 HDMI Cable for $19.99 plus free shipping (normally $39 – use this form

Samsung 830 Series MZ-7PC128B/WW 2.5in 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive w/ Notebook Upgrade Kit for $135.99 with free shipping (normally $199 – use coupon code: HARDOCPX425A).

Cooler Master R4-L4S-10AB-GP 140mm Blue LED Case Fan for $2.99 plus free shipping (normally $19 – use coupon code: COMA426 and use this form).

TRENDnet TPL-303E2K Powerline Ethernet Adapter Kit for $29.99 plus free shipping (normally $79 – use coupon code: OAR60076).

Refurbished Linksys E1500-RM 802.11n Wireless N Router w/ SpeedBoost for $22.99 plus free shipping (normally $49)

Refurbished MSI Raptor IN-9410 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ Built-in Card Reader for $24.99 plus $4.99 shipping (normally $79 – use this form).

Westinghouse LD-3265 32″ LED-Edgelit LCD HDTV for $219.99 plus free shipping (normally $1299).

Toshiba BDX4150 3D Blu-ray Disc Player for $59.99 plus free shipping (normally $99 – use this form).

Personal Electronics:
Refurbished Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch 2GB, Wi-Fi for $59.99 plus free shipping (normally $89).

Refurbished SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 4GB MP3 Player (FM Tuner, Mic)for $23.99 plus free shipping) (normally $49).

Refurbished Dynex 7″ Portable DVD Player for $36.99 with free shipping (normally $79).

Olympus PEN E-PL2 12.3MP Digital Camera w/ 14-42mm & 40-150mm Lenses for $399.99 plus free shipping (normally $149).

iOS Apps
iTunes App Roundup (Jetpack Joyride FREE, Smash Cops) for FREE (normally $2.99).

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Unboxing the Patriot Division 4 Viper Xtreme DDR3 Quad Channel Memory Kit

Unboxing the Patriot Division 4 Viper Xtreme DDR3 Quad Channel Memory Kit

Our friends over at Patriot Memory have sent us one of their latest memory kits, the Division 4 Viper Xtreme DDR3 Quad Channel Memory Kit. This 16GB kit is a PC3-15000 kit so it is going to be running at 1866MHz. The timings are 9-11-9-27 at 1.65V. The Division 4 series kits are designed specifically for Intel’s X79 platform and 2nd generation Core™ processors. Like all Viper Xtreme kits these featurethe 6 gram copper core and aircraft-grade aluminum heatspreaders. Read on to check out our unboxing and overview video.

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The Latest Catalyst 12.4 Driver Upgrades for AMD

The Latest Catalyst 12.4 Driver Upgrades for AMD

The Radeon HD 7000 series for Windows XP has received a fresh new upgrade as well as image enhancements fostered by anti-aliasing technology that may come as no surprise to avid users. What could come as a surprise is the economic feasibility of the upgrades, which should sell well to anxious consumers looking for low interest electronics deals.

AMD’s latest monthly driver update will sit well The Radeon HD 7000 series graphics already showcases a number of impressive features: the proprietary AMD Eyefinity Technology, which allows users to immerse themselves in multiple immersive environments and a panoramic gaming experience; the Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture, which is the world’s first 28nm GPU system and allows AMD’s 4.3 billion transistors; the AMD App acceleration feature, which provides great playback off the web, clean HD streaming, multi-app functionality, and brilliantly fast gameplay and effects. Now AMD will go a step further a series anti-aliasing enhancements. The upgrades contained in the Catalyst 12.4 include:

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Gaming Friday: Pittco Iron Storm XIII Lan Party

Gaming Friday: Pittco Iron Storm XIII Lan Party

This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending Pittco’s Iron Storm XIII Lan Party!  This 42 hour event hosted about 150 gamers and started April 20 and concluded on April 22nd.  They had official tournaments for Counter-Strike: Source, League of Legends, Starcraft II, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Halo Reach and many more.  Besides just the tournaments there was quite a lot of gaming going on as well as other fun.  Read on to see what the event was all about!

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Our BETA Forums Giveaway

Our BETA Forums Giveaway

We are having a giveaway for all of our BETA forums members! It is a big thank you to everyone that has helped us start our new community and helped test the forums out before we officially launch. So what are we going to giveaway? How does a memory kit sound? We have a 16GB kit of the Patriot Division 4 Viper Xtreme DDR3 memory! This kit runs at 1866MHz and has timings of 9-11-9-27 at 1.65V. Read on to see how you can win this awesome prize!

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Techbargains Deals for 4-26-12

Techbargains Deals for 4-26-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY
Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 2.5″ SATA Solid State Hybrid Hard Drive $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $149 – use coupon code: EMCNFHN53)

Computers & Peripherals:
Fantom GreenDrive Pro 2TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive w/ 2-year warranty, $10 future Buy.com credit $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $159)

Seagate Momentus XT 500GB 2.5″ SATA Solid State Hybrid Hard Drive $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $149 – use coupon code: EMCNFHN53)

Refurbished Toshiba Thrive AT105-T108 8GB WiFi 10.1″ Tablet w/ Android 3.1 Honeycomb $199.99 plus free shipping (normally $399)

Kanguru 100 128GB 2.5″ MLC Solid State Drive $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $159)

Pre-Owned Apple iPad MB293LL/A 32GB Wi-Fi Tablet (1st Generation) $199.99 plus free shipping (normally $399 – use coupon code: Ipad4me)

Toshiba External Blu-Ray Reader & DVD Burner w/ Lightscribe $42.00 plus free shipping (normally $99)

Refurbished Canon PIXMA MG5220 Color Inkjet All-in-One Photo Printer/Copier/Scanner $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $99)

Home Entertainment:
LD-3237 32″ LED LCD HDTV $224.99 plus free shipping (normally $399 – use coupon code: EMCNFHD88 )

Netgear PTV1000 Push2TV TV Adapter/Wireless TV Receiver for Intel Wireless Display WiDI $34.99 plus free shipping (normally $119)

Personal Electronics:
Zmodo PKD-DK1666-1TB 16-Channel Outdoor Surveillance Camera System w/ 1TB HDD $299.99 plus free shipping (normally $497 – use coupon code: EMCNFHD68 )

Pentax Q interchangeable Lens 12.3MP Digital Camera Kit with 8.5mm f/1.9 Lens $499 plus free shipping (normally $699)

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Zalman Z11 Plus Mid Tower Case Review

Zalman Z11 Plus Mid Tower Case Review

Zalman’s Z11 Plus MId Tower is their upgrade to the Z9 Plus, which we took a look at about a year ago.  Zalman takes some of the features of the Z9 Plus and adds to it and gives it a little bit of a make over.  The new Z11 plus features a futuristic look, 5 included fans with room for up to 7, USB 3.0 support, and support for 2.5-inch hard drives.  The case is selling for only $84.99, so is it a steal? Will this case put Zalman back on the map when it comes to PC cases? Read on to find out!

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Techbargains Deals for 4-25-12

Techbargains Deals for 4-25-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
Kingston HyperX 120GB 2.5″ Internal SATA III (6Gb/s) SSD $114.99 plus free shipping (normally $199 – use coupon code: EMCYTZT1498 and this form)

Computers & Peripherals:
HP Pavilion g6s Intel Core i5-2450M Dual-Core Sandy Bridge 15.6″ Laptop $499.99 plus free shipping (normally $679 – use coupon code: NBS5378)

Samsung EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB 32MB Cache 3.5″ Internal SATA Hard Drive $109.99 plus free shipping (normally $199)

Kingston HyperX 120GB 2.5″ Internal SATA III (6Gb/s) SSD $114.99 plus free shipping (normally $199 – use coupon code: EMCYTZT1498 and this form)

Team Color Turn 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive$9.99 plus free shipping (normally $19 – use coupon code: 24HRSALE425J)

Home Entertainment:
Pivos AIOS HD 1080p Media Center w/ Free WiFi Adapter $64.99 plus free shipping (normally $99 – use coupon code: 24HRSALE425D and this form)

Sony PlayStation 3 160GB Gaming Console w/ BONUS Batman Arkham City Game $199.99 (normally $249)

Mitsubishi WD-73C11 73″ 3D DLP HDTV $949.99 plus free shipping (normally $2099)

Personal Electronics:
Sony Dash HID-B7 Personal Internet Viewer $64.88 (normally $129)

Garmin nuvi 1490LMT 5″ Portable GPS Navigation $129.00 plus free shipping (normally $349)

Panasonic DMC-ZS10 14.1MP 16X Ultra-Zoom Digital Camera (Red) $169.00 plus free shipping (normally $199)

Sony XS-GTF1627 6.5″ 190W GTF Full Range 2-Way Coaxial Car Speakers (PAIR) $15.00 (normally $39)

Night Owl B-PODVR-4CM 4-Camera 8ch Surveillance H.264 DVR Kit $149.99 plus free shipping (normally $249 – use coupon code: EMCNFJA99)

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Unboxing the Cyborg M.M.O. 7 Gaming Mouse

Unboxing the Cyborg M.M.O. 7 Gaming Mouse

When I first took a look at this mouse I thought to myself, how can this thing be comfortable? With such a radical design and unlike any other mice out there I was a little skeptical. The Cyborg M.M.O. 7 from Mad Catz is of course geared towards MMO gamers with its 13 programmable buttons, a dedicated DPI switch button, weight system, and a 6400 DPI laser sensor. Did I also mention you can take off different parts of the mouse and exchange them with ones that are provided to you. Read on to check out our unboxing and overview video.

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