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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 May, 2012

Techbargains Deals for 5-31-12

Techbargains Deals for 5-31-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
Corsair Force Series 3 240GB 2.5″ Internal SATA III Solid State Drive $194.99 plus free shipping (normally $299 – use this form)

Computers & Peripherals:
ZyXEL PLA4205KIT Powerline Kit Gigabit Ethernet Adapter $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $124 – use coupon code: EMCNEGJ67)

Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 2.5″ 120GB Internal SATA III MLC Solid State Drive $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $149)

HTC Flyer Tablet P512 Tablet (WHITE) w/ 16GB Internal Storage $199.99 (normally $299)

Dell XPS 8300 Intel Core i7-2600 Quad-Core Sandy Bridge Desktop Computer w/ 24″ Dell Ultrasharp LED LCD Monitor $963.26 plus free shipping (normally $1638)

Logitech Couch M515 Wireless Mouse $11 plus free shipping (normally $49)

Samsung NP305V5A-A04US Series 3 AMD Fusion Quad-Core 15.6″ Laptop $499.99 plus free shipping (normally $699)

Refurbished Linksys E4200 Simultaneous Dual Band 802.11n Wireless N Gigabit Router $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $109)

Corsair Force Series 3 240GB 2.5″ Internal SATA III Solid State Drive $194.99 plus free shipping (normally $299 – use this form)

Home Entertainment:
Microsoft Kinect Sensor for Xbox 360 $59.99 plus free shipping (normally $149 – use coupon code: Kinect20)

Refurbished Logitech Harmony 200 Universal Remote $9.99 plus free shipping (normally $29)

Microsoft JR9-00011 Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows $34.99 plus free shipping (normally $54 – use coupon code: EMCNEGJ57)

Refurbished Insignia NS-BRDVD4 Internet Connectable Blu-ray Disc Player $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $59)

Personal Electronics:
Kef Model3sl Two-Way Closed Box Satellite Speaker (PAIR) $79.99 plus free shipping (normally $399 –use coupon code: EMCNEGJ87)

Patriot Swing 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive $6.99 plus free shipping normally $16 – use this form)

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CyberPower Zeus Thunder 2500 SE Ivy Bridge Gaming System Review

CyberPower Zeus Thunder 2500 SE Ivy Bridge Gaming System Review

When it comes to custom system builders one of the biggest names in the business is CyberPower PC.  They have systems specifically made for gaming, business, video editing and even students.  Today we are checking out one of their latest gaming systems the Zeus Thunder 2500 SE.  This system is based off Intel’s latest Ivy Bridge Z77 platform and features an Intel Core i7-3770K processor, GeForce GTX 680 graphics card, 16GB of memory and much more!  Did I mention they put all of this hardware in my favorite case so far this year, the NZXT Switch 810?  Read on as we take this gaming system for a ride!

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Unboxing the G.Skill Ares DDR3-2133 16GB Quad Channel Memory Kit

Unboxing the G.Skill Ares DDR3-2133 16GB Quad Channel Memory Kit

We are back with another quad channel memory kit from G.Skill! This time it is their Ares DDR3-2133 16GB Quad Channel Kit. This kit runs at 2133MHz with timings of 11-11-11-30 at 1.60v. Since this is a quad channel 16GB kit each module is 4GB. G.Skill has designed these modules to be low-profile with very small heatspreaders. Perfect for systems with large CPU coolers and small form factor systems. The heatspreaders come in 2 different colors, blue and orange. Read on to check out our unboxing and overview video.

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Techbargains Deals for 5-30-12

Techbargains Deals for 5-30-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
Pre-owned Samsung Galaxy Tab SPH-P100 Sprint 3G Tablet $129.99 (normally $429)

Computers & Peripherals:
Seagate Barracuda Green 1.5TB 3.5″ 5900RPM/64MB Internal SATA Hard Drive $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $119 – use coupon code: 24HRSALE530A)

Seagate Expansion 1TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive $89.99 plus free shipping (normally $129)

Refurbished Gateway NV-75S26U AMD A6-3420M Quad-Core 17.3″ Laptop $334.99 plus free shipping (normally $559)

Pre-owned Samsung Galaxy Tab SPH-P100 Sprint 3G Tablet $129.99 (normally $429)

Gigabyte Geforce 210 1GB HDCP Low-Profile Video Card $9.99 plus free shipping normally $34 – use coupon code: EMCYTZT1684 and this form)

Home Entertainment:
LG 47LM8600 47in 3D LED LCD TV w/ Six 3D Glasses $1249.99 plus free shipping (normally $2299)

Onkyo HT-RC360 7.2ch 100W/ch 3D-Ready Home Theater Receiver $279.99 plus free shipping (normally $499 – use coupon code: 24HRSALE530F)

Logitech Harmony ONE Universal Remote w/ Touchscreen $139.99 plus free shipping (normally $199)

Denon AVR-3312CI 7.2ch 3D-Ready Home Theater Receiver $697.99 plus free shipping (normally $999)

Pivos AIOS HD 1080p Media Center $65.99 plus free shipping normally $99 – use coupon code: 24HRSALE530J and this form)

Personal Electronics:
MineCraft Game for Xbox 360 $14.99 plus free download (normally $19)

2-Pack of Sandisk Extreme Class 10 SDHC UHS-I Flash Cards $34.99 plus free download (normally $129)

Mushkin Enhanced 32GB SDHC Flash Card (Class 10) + HDMI Cable $20.39 plus free download (normally $29 – use coupon code: EMCNEHF45)

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CM Storm Sentinel Advance II Gaming Mouse Review

CM Storm Sentinel Advance II Gaming Mouse Review

As a hardcore gamer, I take my gaming tools seriously, and the mouse is no exception to a great PC gaming tool.  I thought my Razer deathadder an I would be till death do us part, but when I received the Cooler Master Storm Sentinel Advance II, what’s a deathadder? This mouse with its bunch of awesome features totally was like slipping into new sheets.  This mouse an I have a new relationship now, and I can say we bonded instantly.

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Tuesday Evening News Post 5-29-12

Here is the late night news post for everyone! Enjoy!

Cases
CM Storm Trooper Gaming Case Review @ HardwareLOOK
Cooler Master Cosmos II Ultra Tower Chassis Review @ OCIA.net

Cooling
Xigmatek Praeton CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets
Thermaltake Frio Extreme Cooler @ TechwareLabs

Memory
Mushkin Redline PC3-12800 (994057) 16GB Quad Pack Memory Kit Review @ Hi Tech Legion
G.Skill Trident X 2400MHz Review @ OCC

Motherboards
Gigabyte G1.Sniper 3 @ Ocaholic

Storage
Kingston USB 3.0 Media Reader and MobileLite G3 Card Readers @ MEGATechReviews
Bytepac Eco Friendly HDD Enclosure Review @ Nitroware
NZXT Aperture M Multimedia Card Reader and USB 3.0 Hub Review @ Hi Tech Legion
Icron USB Ranger 2211 Range Extender @ Benchmark Reviews
VisionTek Racer 120GB SSD Review @ Neoseeker

Systems
Alienware M14x R2 Ivy Bridge Laptop Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Video
HIS HD7850 & HD 7870 GHz Edition Graphics Cards @ Metku.net
PowerColor HD 7850 PCS+ 2 GB @ techPowerUp
HIS 7850 IceQ X Turbo @ PureOverclock
HIS Radeon HD 7850 iCooler 2GB Review @ NikKTech

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Techbargains Deals for 5-29-12

Techbargains Deals for 5-29-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
Asus X54L-BBK2 Intel Core i3-2330M Dual-Core Sandy Bridge 15.6″ $309.99 plus free shipping (normally $499)

Computers & Peripherals:
Lenovo IdeaPad Y480 Intel Core i7-3610QM Quad-Core Ivy Bridge 14″ Laptop $849 plus free shipping (normally $1499 – use coupon code: DOORBUSTER0524)

Canon ImageClass MF3010 Monochrome Laser Multifunction Printer/Copier/Scanner $59.99 (normally $149)

Asus X54L-BBK2 Intel Core i3-2330M Dual-Core Sandy Bridge 15.6″ $309.99 plus free shipping (normally $499)

Kaspersky Lab Internet Security 2012 Software (3-PCs) Free plus free shipping normally $79 – use this form)

Home Entertainment:
Sony DualShock 3 Charging Station and Blu-ray Remote Control Bundle $24.99 plus free shipping (normally $34)

The Darkness II Game (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) $11.99 plus free shipping (normally $39)

Denon AVR-1312 5.1ch 75W/ch 3D-Ready Home Theater Receiver $139.99 plus free shipping (normally $249 – use coupon code: SCORE2)

Pioneer VSX-1022-K 7.1Ch 80W/Ch 3D Network Receiver $299.99 plus free shipping (normally $499)

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

Digital Reference DRV100 Dynamic Cardioid Handheld Mic $19.99 (normally $99)

Brother PT-90 Personal “Simply Stylish” Labeler $9.99 (normally $24)

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Monday’s News Post 5-28-12

Pretty big news post today, catching up from the weekend!

Cases:
Thermaltake Armor Revo Snow Edition Full Tower Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion
Lian Li PC-TU200 Case Review @ KitGuru
Corsair Obsidian 550D Case @ Technic3D
BitFenix Prodigy Review @ OC3D
Corsair Vengeance C70 Case Review @ Hardware Secrets
Thermaltake Overseer RX-I Case Review @ Legit Reviews

Cooling:
SilenX EFZ-120HA5 Heatsink Review @ KitGuru
Thermaltake Frio OCK Review @ HCW
SilenX Effizio EFZ-120HA5 Review @ OCC
NZXT Cryo E40 Lightweight Notebook Cooler @ Megatechreviews
Thermaltake Frio Advanced and Frio Extreme Review @ OCC
Corsair Carbide 300R Mid Tower Case Review @ TechwareLabs
Thermaltake Frio Advanced Heatsink Review @ FrostyTech

Gaming:
Roccat Isku Gaming Keyboard @ Pro-Clockers
SteelSeries Kinzu V2 Pro Edition Review @ Vortez
Max Keyboard Nighthawk X8 @ PureOverclock
CM Storm QuickFire Pro Gaming Keyboard Review @ Hardware Secrets
Zowie AM Gaming Mouse @ techPowerUp

Memory:
Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR3 1866 16GB Quad Kit @ Pro-Clockers
Corsair 8GB 1866MHz CL10 Laptop Memory Kit Review @ Legit Reviews

Motherboards:
Asus Sabertooth X79 Mainboard @ Technic3D
ASRock Z77E-ITX Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
Asus Z77 Roundup @ LanOC Reviews

Multimedia:
Noontec A9 Smart TV Box Review @ KitGuru

Power:
Thermaltake Dr. Power II Review @ Rbmods
Huntkey X-MAN 90 W @ techPowerUp
Thermaltake ToughPower Grand 850W Power Supply Review @ Rbmods
Thermaltake Dr Power II Power Supply Tester Review @ eTeknix.com
Antec Earthwatts Platinum 650 Watt Power Supply Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Storage:
QNAP TS-419P II @ techPowerUp

Video:
Asus Geforce GTX670 Direct CU II TOP Review (OC) @ KitGuru
MSI GTX680 Twin Frozr 3 OC Review @ OC3D
Gaming Performance: GTX 680 SLI vs HD 7970 CFX vs HD 7950 CFX @ ocaholic
MSI R7850 Power Edition 2 GB @ techPowerUp

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Kingston HyperX 3K Solid State Drive and Wi-Drive’s Giveaway!

Kingston HyperX 3K Solid State Drive and Wi-Drive’s Giveaway!

We are going into our final week of our Month of Giveaways! We have given away a prize each week during the past month! This week up for grabs we have a 120GB Kingston HyperX 3K Solid State drive and two 16GB Kingston Wi-Drive’s. Want to see what the HyperX 3K drive is all about? You can check out our unboxing here. The contest is only running for a week so make sure you get your entry in quickly and make sure you meet the below requirements! Special thanks to Kingston for providing us with the HyperX 3K Solid State Drive and the two Kingson Wi-Drives!

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Unboxing the ASUS P9X79 Pro Motherboard

Unboxing the ASUS P9X79 Pro Motherboard

Today we are taking a look at one of ASUS’s mainstream Intel X79 motherboards. This board is the first step up from the ASUS P9X79 board, which we would consider entry level. The board has a really great design, optimal cooling and of course all of the great features you would expect from ASUS. Some of those features include Dual Intelligent Processors 3 with New DIGI+ Power Control, support for up to 64GB of DDR3 and ASUS’s SSD caching. Want to see what this board is all about? Read on to see what this board is all about!

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