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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 November, 2012

Techbargains Deals for 11-30-12

Techbargains Deals for 11-30-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
Asus PA248Q 24″ LED LCD IPS Panel Monitor + $30 Newegg Gift Card $289.99 plus free shipping (normally $399 – use this form)

Computers & Peripherals:
Asus PA248Q 24″ LED LCD IPS Panel Monitor + $30 Newegg Gift Card $289.99 plus free shipping (normally $399 – use this form)

PQI Air Drive Wireless 32GB USB Flash Drive $49.00 plus free shipping (normally $129)

Asus K55A-DH71 Intel Core i7-3630QM Quad Core 15.6in Laptop $589.99 plus free shipping (normally $699 – code: TURKEY)

Rosewill RC-410LX Unmanaged 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Networking Switch $14.99 plus free shipping (normally $39)

Sony 32GB SDHC Memory Card (Class 10) w/ File Rescue Software $14.99 plus free shipping (normally $29)

20GB Pogoplug Cloud Storage FREE (normally $20)

PNY Attache 32GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive $12.99 plus free shipping (normally $29)

Home Entertainment:
Polk Audio 10in Dual-Voice-Coil 8-Ohm Subwoofer $29.99 plus free shipping (normally $92)

Monster ScreenClean Small Screen Cleaning Kit FREE plus $4 shipping (normally $10)

Borderlands 2 Game (Xbox 360 or PS3) $27.99 plus free shipping (normally $59)

Puss in Boots Game (Xbox 360, or Wii) $9.99 plus free shipping (normally $39)

Personal Electronics:
JBL On Tour Micro Ultra-Portable Loudspeaker (RED) $19.99 plus free shipping (normally $49)

Canon PowerShot S100 12MP 5X Digital Camera (SILVER) $249.99 plus free shipping (normally $349)

M-Edge Cases for Kindle and Nook eReaders $4.99 plus free shipping (normally $24)

Refurbished IK Multimedia AmpliTube iRig Audio Interface $16.99 plus free shipping (normally $69 )

Sceptre X325BV-FHD 32″ LCD HDTV (1080p) $198.00 plus free shipping (normally $279)

Free Apps
Android
Duke Nukem 3D Game App (Android) FREE (normally $1)

iOS
Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’12 Game App (iPod/ iPhone) FREE (normally $1)

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ThinkComputers & TT eSPORTS Facebook Giveaway!

ThinkComputers & TT eSPORTS Facebook Giveaway!

Well it is that time of year, the time for giving and we are giving away another awesome product! Our friends over at TT eSPORTS were nice enough to provide us with a brand new Level 10M Gaming Mouse! This mouse is simply awesome and if you haven’t checked it out yet you really should! This contest is very simple, all you have to do is “Like” ThinkComputers and TT eSPORTS on Facebook and fill out our entry form! It really is that easy!

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Scythe USA Shuts Down

Scythe USA Shuts Down

It seems like we are seeing more and more of this lately. Scythe has been around for quite sometime and they had a name for themselves in the enthusiast market. Many people swore by their CPU coolers and it is really sad to see them shut down. It seems because financial difficulties Scythe USA had to close operations. On their website they have left a goodbye message. Scythe Japan will continue to maintain operations and will take care orders Scythe USA cannot fulfill by their closure date.

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Techbargains Deals for 11-29-12

Techbargains Deals for 11-29-12

OUR FAVORITE DEAL OF THE DAY!
Western Digital WD TV Live Wireless N Network Media Player $69.99 plus free shipping (normally $99)

Computers & Peripherals:
Acer G215HVBBD 22in LCD Monitor $99.99 plus free shipping (normally $159)

Brother MFC-J435W Network-Ready Wireless Color All-In-One Printer/Copier/Scanner/Fax $49.99 plus free shipping (normally $99)

Lenovo IdeaPad Z780 21823UU Intel i7-3520M Dual-Core Ivy Bridge 17.3″ Laptop $699.99 plus free shipping (normally $829)

Seagate Backup Plus 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $79)

Refurbished Apple Magic Wireless Trackpad $35.99 plus free shipping (normally $69)

Home Entertainment:
Onkyo TX-NR414 5.1ch 80W Network AV Receiver $199.99 plus free shipping (normally $499)

Western Digital WD TV Live Wireless N Network Media Player $69.99 plus free shipping (normally $99)

Personal Electronics:
Canon PowerShot S100 12MP 5X Digital Camera $249 plus free shipping (normally $349)

Auvio Bluetooth Portable Speakers $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $79)

Canon Speedlite 320EX Flash for Canon DSLR Cameras $169 plus free shipping (normally $224)

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EK Water Blocks Releases EK-CSQ Series Adaptor Fittings

EK Water Blocks Releases EK-CSQ Series Adaptor Fittings

EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium water cooling gear provider, is proud to present the first fittings from our latest EK-CSQ connector fitting line-up, more precisely the EK-CSQ Adapter 90° and EK-CSQ Adapter 45°. Adapter allows connection of any standard G1/4″ threaded fittings to extend tubing possibilites in your water cooled system.

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ADATA Reveals Tiny DashDrive Durable UD310 USB Flash Drive

ADATA Reveals Tiny DashDrive Durable UD310 USB Flash Drive

ADATA Technology a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash storage application products, today announces the release of the DashDrive Durable UD310 USB Flash Drive, a tiny, water resistant USB flash drive with an attractive gem-like appearance.

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Affiliate News 11-28-12

Audio
MXL FR-310 Hot Shoe Shotgun Microphone Review @ TechwareLabs

Cases
Fractal Design’s NODE 605 Home Theatre PC Enclosure @ Futurelooks
Fractal Design NODE 304 @ techPowerUp

Cooling
Corsair Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid Cooler Review @ Pro-Clockers
Silverstone Heligon HE01 Heatsink Review @ Frostytech.com
Rosewill AIOLOS CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets
Noctua NH-L9i and NH-L9a Low Profile CPU Cooler Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Gaming
CM Storm Quick Fire TK Mechanical Keyboard Review @ eTeknix
CM Storm QuickFire TK Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review @ Techgage
Max Keyboard Nighthawk Custom Keyboard @ LanOC Reviews
Dreamhack Winter 2012 Coverage @ OCmodshop
Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @ Benchmark Reviews

Memory
GSkill Ripjaws Z 1866MHz 32GB Kit review @ Pro-Clockers

Motherboards
ASUS F2A85-V PRO Motherboard Review @ OCC
MSI Z77 MPower LGA1155 Motherboard Review @ [H]

Storage
Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD review @ DV Hardware
OCZ Vector 256GB SSD Review @ Hardware Canucks
OCZ Vector 256GB SSD Review @ [H]
OCZ Vector 256GB SSD Review @ KitGuru
OCZ Vector 256GB SSD Review @ TechSpot
OCZ Vector Barefoot 3 Solid State Drive Review @ HotHardware.com
ADATA SP600 128GB @ PureOverclock
Verbatim 2.5″ SATA-II SSD 128GB @ Rbmods

Video
HIS Radeon HD 7950 IceQ X Boost 3 GB @ techPowerUp

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Rosewill Announces HERCULES 1600W Power Supply

Rosewill Announces HERCULES 1600W Power Supply

Rosewill, the recipient of multiple awards for their innovative power supplies, has decided to hold nothing back and has just unleashed a new member of their 80 Plus certified power supplies, and it’s a monster. Joining the Rosewill power supply family such as Tachyon, FORTRESS, CAPSTONE, HIVE and SilentNight, Rosewill is proud to present, HERCULES, 1600W of raw power. The most powerful power supply Rosewill has released and it’s built ready to power the biggest, toughest, and most Extreme Ultimate PC Gaming Enthusiast machine.

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Reeven Kelveros RC-1202 CPU Cooler Review

Reeven Kelveros RC-1202 CPU Cooler Review

One of my favorite things in life is discovering new, great, and fascinating things.  As a techie, this desire is fulfilled quite often.  Today I would like to introduce you to both a new product and a new company, so without further ado here is the Reeven Kelveros RC-1202.  It is a single tower air cooler from this new upstart out of Taiwan.  The Kelveros RC-1202 is an combatively styled, moderately sized air cooler, suited to the mid to lower upper level overclocker.  If you’re as curious as I was to find out how it would perform following along as I put it through it’s paces.

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GIGABYTE Launches New HD Motherboard Series

GIGABYTE Launches New HD Motherboard Series

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today launched its latest HD series motherboards, bringing unprecedented dual digital display support, including HDMI and DVI, to a range of value segment motherboard models.

The new GIGABYTE HD motherboard series defies the current ethos that means true digital display outputs are reserved for upper mainstream models, adding both HDMI and DVI ports to a range of motherboard models at attractive and affordable price points. All DIY enthusiasts can now enjoy true HD display capability using the most commonly integrated digital output technologies on today’s HD displays and TVs.

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