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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: Cooling

XSPC AX Radiator Desk Stand Review

XSPC AX Radiator Stand

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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XSPC AX240 Dual Fan Radiator Review

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With so many water cooling radiator options on the market, it’s no wonder that people have trouble choosing which is best for their loop. There are many things to consider: price, performance, size, and style. One option that ticks many boxes is from XSPC, the AX240. Follow along as we take a look at this sleek radiator and find out if it may work for you.

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Noctua Fans Review

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So you’re putting together your all out custom build. You’ve got the best processor, motherboard, memory, GPU, and case you can buy. Now is the time you’re going to have to start thinking about fans and cooling. Whether it be air or water, you will need fans. This is often forgotten till the end, and this item is crucial to bringing all those bits together and helping them to perform to their fullest. While there are many options when it comes to choosing fans, it is very important to be selective in order to get the right fan for your configuration as well as a good quality fan. Today we are going to be taking a look at a broad selection of 9 fans from one of the most lauded fan manufacturers, Noctua.

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XSPC RayStorm 750 RS240 Watercooling Kit Review

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In the computer world, every once in awhile a company that is thought of as bargain basement starts to come out with great products. In this case we’re talking about XSPC. Usually considered at best to be entry level, not many would give XSPC a second look for pure performance. That is until they released their first Raystorm blocks. Now not only are they affordable, but they actually stack up against the big name water cooling manufacturers. And that leads us to today’s review, the XSPC RayStorm 750 RS240 Watercooling kit. This kit has everything you need to build your own custom watercooling loop. Let’s take a look…

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be quiet! Shadow Rock TopFlow SR1 CPU Cooler Review

be quiet! Shadow Rock TopFlow SR1 CPU Cooler Review

I have to admit something; I hate top down air coolers. I can’t put my finger on what it is about them I so dislike. Perhaps it’s simply that they don’t tend to perform very well. Or maybe it’s just their strong dissymmetry that rubs me the wrong way. Whatever it is, something inside tells me to take a tower cooler over them any day. And so it is with great fear and trepidation that I present another air cooling product from German manufacturers, be quiet!, the Shadow Rock TopFlow SR1. Please follow along as I attempt to prove my instincts wrong., or right, as we find out how this cooler performs.

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Corsair H80i Water Cooling System Review

Corsair H80i Water Cooling System Review

In every industry there is always at least one company that seems to always be on top. No matter what product they are releasing they always sell well and everyone seems to love them. Without a doubt one of these companies is Corsair. As an owner of one of the original Corsair AIO’s, the H70, I am very interested to see how far they’ve come over the years. Today we will be taking a look at one of their most recent AIO units, the H80i. At the mid-top end of Corsairs line and with so many AIO cooling units on the market, lets take this cooler for a test drive and find out where it falls when the heat is turned up.

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Fractal Design Adjust 108 Fan Controller Review

Fractal Design Adjust 108 Fan Controller Review

Coming to us from the frozen north of Scandinavia is a product from Fractal Design. The Adjust 108 is a 6 channel fan controller from this award winning Swedish company. The minimalistic controller looks great on paper, but how does it perform? Follow along as we test this controller and see if it’s up to par.

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PrimoChill Compression Tube Reservoir Review

PrimoChill Compression Tube Reservoir Review

What if I were to tell you that there is a tube reservoir on the market that seals without threads cut into the acrylic? Would that be something you would be interested in? Well if so, then today is your lucky day. We are taking a look at the 240mm UV Green PrimoChill Compression Tube Reservoir (CTR), and it is just that.

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be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 CPU Cooler Review

be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 CPU Cooler Review

Let’s talk about air coolers! Ok specifically let’s take a look at a pretty massive air cooler from our German friends over at be quiet!, the Dark Rock Pro 2. This is a large twin heat sink air cooler aimed at the more performance oriented consumer. With claims of massive cooling power, why don’t we see if this dark cooler deserves a place in your rig, or if it should be outcast to the dark side of the moon.

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Cooler Master Seidon 240M Water Cooling System Review

Cooler Master Seidon 240M Water Cooling System Review

You have probably noticed there are a lot of AIO coolers on the market today. It seems like every other week a company is launching a new AIO unit, or a new company is bringing their first to market. Most of these units are built by watercooling systems manufacturer Asetek. Today we’re going to take a look at the Cooler Master Seidon 240M, this one is designed and built in house by Cooler Master…or is it? Follow along as we put this controversial cooler through it’s paces and find out what it can do.

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