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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 category: Cases

Fractal Design Node 605 HTPC Case Review

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Not that long ago we took a look at Fractal Design’s Node 304 case. This small form factor case was made for mini-ITX motherboards. Today we have the Node 304’s big brother the Node 605. This case is designed the be a home theater PC case. It supports full ATX motherboards, which is great as many people repurpose old systems into home theater PC’s. The front of the case has a nice brushed aluminum finish and inside you have room for up to 4 hard drives. Other features include USB 3.0 support, a card reader and two 120mm fans included. Is this the case for your next HTPC build?

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AZZA Silentium 920 Case Review

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When it comes to building a quiet PC system it ultimately comes down to the case. You want a case with sound-dampening properties and quiet fans. There are quite a few out there but today we are going to be checking out AZZA’s take on a quiet case. The AZZA Silentium 920 which is available in both white and black versions features thick sound dampening material on both side panels, two 120mm included fans and a sleek elegant design. Is this case the next one for your quiet system build? Read on as we take a look…

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Enermax Ostrog GT Mid Tower Case Review

Enermax Ostrog GT Mid Tower Case Review

Enermax has been relatively quiet when it comes to cases. They have not had a case that has really stood out to us as of late. We hope that is going to change with the Ostrog GT Mid Tower. It features a unique design, room for 10 fans (three included), USB 3.0 support, a large side panel window, and room for a total of 10 hard drives! Enermax is looking to make a mark in the sub $100 segment with this case as it is currently selling for $74.99. Will this case impress? Read on as we find out!

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Fractal Design Define R4 Case Review

Fractal Design Define R4 Case Review

Fractal Design is definitely making a name for themselves not only in the power supply market, but in the case market as well. Their cases have been popular with gamers and enthusiasts alike a we can see why. It has been a while since we have taken a look at a larger case from Fractal Design and today we are taking a look at the Define R4, which of course the successor to the extremely popular Define R3. This case features room for up to 10 hard drives, two included fans with a fan speed controller, USB 3.0 support and more than enough room inside to work with. This case also has many sound dampening features to keep your system nice and quiet. Read on as we take a look…

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Zalman MS800 Mid Tower Case Review

Zalman MS800 Mid Tower Case Review

When you hear the name Zalman you immediately think of their CPU coolers. They have been creating great CPU coolers for quite sometime now. They make quite a lot of other products, but are not as well known for them. Their cases have been hit or miss over the years, some have been awesome and others are easily forgot. Today we are taking a look at one of their latest cases the MS800. This mid tower case has a pretty unique design, has room for long video cards, 2.5-inch hard drives, water cooling as well as having USB 3.0 support and an included fan controller. Will this be a case that brings Zalman back into the spotlight when it comes to cases or will we easily forget about it? Read on as we find out.

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Sentey Halcon GS-6050 II Case Review

Sentey Halcon GS-6050 II Case Review

When it comes to mid range cases there are quite a few to choose from. The $60-80 dollar segment is filled with some great cases as well as some that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. Today we are taking a look at Sentey’s Halcon GS-6050 II mid tower case. The big thing that stood out to me about this case is that it comes stock with 7 cooling fans! That is a lot of fans for any case, but especially for a mid tower. The Halcon also has support for 2.5-inch hard drives, long video cards and has USB 3.0 support. Will this case be one of the cases in the mid range that we recommend or that we tell you to stay away from? Read on as we find out!

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Raidmax Cobra PC Case Review

Raidmax Cobra PC Case Review

Raidmax has been around for quite a while, since 1988 in fact.  I fell in love with their early designs and they were some of the first cases we reviewed when ThinkComputers started.  Since then they have been going strong creating some very unique PC cases.  Today we have one of their more budget-minded cases, the Cobra.  Coming it at just over $70 this mid tower case offers a pretty cool design, support for 2.5-inch hard drives, two included 120mm cooling fans, USB 3.0 support and a nifty side panel window.  Is this the next case for your build?  Read on as we take a look…

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NZXT Phantom 630 Case Review

NZXT Phantom 630 Case Review

Not that long ago we took a look at NZXT’s Phantom 820 case.  This case took the best parts of NZXT’s original Phantom and combined them with the best parts of their own Switch 810 case.  We loved the case and even gave it our Recommended Award.  With a pricetag of $249.99 the Phantom 820 may be a little too expensive for some people.  At CES we were shown the Phantom 630, which seemed to be like the little brother to the Phantom 820.  While NZXT explained that this is a less expensive Phantom it has a lot of new features that are not in the 820.  Some of these features include dual SSD mounts behind the motherboard tray, three included 200mm fans, three removable hard drive cages, and a new motherboard tray design.  Can NZXT release a new Phantom this soon and still impress?  Read on as we find out…

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Fractal Design Node 304 Case Review

Fractal Design Node 304 Case Review

Small form factor systems have become increasingly popular over the past year.  The main reason for this is the availability of Mini ITX motherboards that have some of the same features as full-sized ATX motherboards.  Having a smaller system means it is easier to take with you to LAN parties, takes up less space on your desk, and is able to fit in your home theater setup.  Today we are taking a look at a case that is perfect for building a small form factor system.  The Fractal Design Node 304 has that familiar cube design that many SFF systems has, but inside you are able to fit a Mini ITX motherboard, up to six hard drives and a full sized ATX power supply.  Read on as we take a look…

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Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 Case Review

Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 Case Review

Nanoxia was a company I had not heard of up until recently.  We were introduced to them at CES this year as they provided cases for Swiftech’s demo systems.  The German company was founded in 2006 and has been making some great cooling fans and other smaller PC accessories.  This past year they introduced their first case, the Deep Silence 1.  These were what I saw at CES and I was rather impressed.  Now I have one to review and I am excited to spend some real time with the case.  The Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 is a mid tower that if you can guess by the name is made for silence.  It has sound dampening material throughout, three of Nanoxia’s Deep Silence fans, room for up to 8 hard drives, dual fan controller and USB 3.0 support.  Can this case compete against other silent cases out there?  Let’s find out!

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