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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: Full Systems

iBUYPOWER Revolt Gaming System Review

iBUYPOWER Revolt Gaming System Review

The PC gaming industry is changing.  NVIDIA’s Project Shield and the upcoming Steambox and Steam’s Big Picture Mode are indications that PC gamers want to move into the living room.  At CES we saw many different compact gaming systems from the likes of Alienware, Digital Storm and iBUYPOWER.  Today we are getting our hands on one.  iBUYPOWER’s Revolt is the newest compact gaming system in which iBUYPOWER is using their own custom designed compact case, and their own motherboard.  This is something new as we mainly know iBUYPOWER for using other companies hardware in their custom systems.  This system is small enough to fit in your home theater, can easily be taken to LAN parties and did I mention it looks awesome?  Inside you will find a watercooled Z77 system, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 and 8GB of DDR3.

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Giada i35G Mini PC Review

Giada i35G Mini PC Review

The last Mini PC we took a look at from Giada was their D2305, which was a real powerhouse.  It could handle some of the latest video games and do some very CPU intensive tasks.  Today we are checking out another Mini PC from Giada, but it is a lot different than the D2305.  This mini PC is made to be used for basic web browsing, maybe some light gaming and just an all-around machine.  The mini PC I am talking about is the Giada i35G and it features an Intel Atom D2500 processor, NVIDIA GT610 graphics, 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB hard drive and Bluetooth and WiFi.  Did I mention this system is extremely small?  Read on as we take a look!

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Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 Review

Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 Review

Using a touchscreen is something we are used to with our mobile phones and tablets but it really has not translated to the desktop all that well.  Yes there have been all-in-one touchscreen systems, but for the most part they have been clunky and Windows 7 really is not made for a touchscreen.  This all changes with Windows 8.  The Metro interface in Windows 8 is more or less designed to be used with a touchscreen device.  Today we are checking out Lenovo’s flagship all-in-one and their largest as well with a 27-inch touchscreen display.  The IdeaCentre A720 features a very sleek and thin design, NVIDIA GeForce Graphics, a TV tuner, HDMI in and out, WiFi, Bluetooth and much more.  Read on as we have some fun and check out this system.

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Lenovo ThinkStation S30 Workstation Review

Lenovo ThinkStation S30 Workstation Review

Workstations and business related products are not normally what we cover here at ThinkComputers.  We are more consumer and enthusiast based, but our friends at Lenovo asked us if we would take a look at their latest workstation system the ThinkStation S30.  We decided why not since we never cover things like this and who knows many some of you reading this review might pick up a few of these for your office.  The ThinkStation S30 we are taking a look at today features an Intel Xeon E5-1620 Sandy Bridge processor, NVIDIA Quadro 2000 graphics, 8GB of DDR3-1333 memory, and two Seagate 500GB 7200 RPM drives in a RAID 0 setup.  Let’s see what the S30 is all about!

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Giada D2305 Mini PC Review

Giada D2305 Mini PC Review

Mini PC systems are great, especially for media or web browsing machines.  They are very small and out of the way, they are easy to take with you, they have a small power footprint and they require hardly any maintenance at all.  While most mini PC’s are great for doing simple tasks, what about gaming or more intensive tasks?  This is where the Giada D2305 comes in.  Powered by the Intel i5-3427U processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 graphics it is aimed at the mid-range to be an all around system that can perform basic tasks as well as intensive ones without any issues.  Let’s see what the D2305 is made of shall we?

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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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Lenovo C325 All-in-One PC Review

Lenovo C325 All-in-One PC Review

Lenovo, who we all know for their popular ThinkPad and IdeaPad notebooks also has a complete line of All-in-One PC systems. Today we are taking a look at one from their Essential Series, the C325 All-in-One.  This system features an AMD E450 processor, AMD Radeon HD 6320 graphics, 4GB of RAM, 500GB of disk space, WiFi and much more.  Did I mention all of this is inside of a 20-inch display?  Since the entire system is basically just a display it makes it perfect for an office, bedroom, or even your kitchen.  Read on to see what this system is all about!

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iBUYPOWER Gamer Paladin XLC Intel X79 Gaming System Review

iBUYPOWER Gamer Paladin XLC Intel X79 Gaming System Review

Intel’s X79 platform was recently announced and we are lucky enough to have one of the first custom PC’s that it is based on.  Our friends at iBUYPOWER have sent us over their Gamer Paladin XLC Intel X79 Gaming System.  This system packs a brand new Intel Core i7 3930K 6-core processor, ASUS P9X79 motherboard, EVGA GeForce GTX 580 video card and a liquid cooling system.  Read on as we take this system through the paces.

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Zotac ZBOX Nano AD10 Mini PC Review

Zotac ZBOX Nano AD10 Mini PC Review

We have seen quite a few different Mini PC’s lately.  They make great Internet surfing and media machines for home theater setups.  Not that long ago we took a look at Zotac’s ZBOX HD-AD02 mini PC, which proved to be a great and very function mini PC, but was a little on the large side.  Today we have the ZBOX Nano AD10, which has to be one of the best-looking and smallest mini pc’s we have looked at.  I know you are going to say it so we will say it now, it looks like a Mac Mini only smaller!  Inside this small design you have an AMD E350 CPU, AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 2GB of DDR3 and a 320GB hard drive.  Let’s check out the ZBOX Nano and see if performs as well as it looks!

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Sapphire Edge HD2 Mini PC Review

Sapphire Edge HD2 Mini PC Review

I’ve had a home theater PC for the longest time.  My first one was just a normal PC that I connected to my TV.  From there it has evolved getting smaller and smaller.  With the progression of technology it is very impressive what all we can fit in to a small form factor (SFF) PC.  Today we will be checking out the smallest form factor PC that I have ever seen!  It is smaller than the Zotac ZBOX HD-AD02, Western Digital Live TV Hub and pretty much every other SFF we have got our hands on.  Being super small it is still capable of HD playback, has 2GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB hard drive, 4 USB ports and WiFi.  So what is this SFF PC we are talking about?  It is the Sapphire Edge HD2, let’s take a look…

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