http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/front-large.jpg
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.
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/intel-core-i7-4770k-haswell-processor-review/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/front3.jpg
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.
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/xspc-ax-radiator-desk-stand-review/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/phantom630.jpg
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!
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/win-a-nzxt-phantom-630-case/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/reactormod.jpg
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.
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/case-mod-friday-reactormod/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/front2.jpg
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.
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/enermax-triathlor-fc-550w-power-supply-review/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/front1.jpg
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.
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/silverstone-arm22sc-arm-two-dual-lcd-monitor-mount-review/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/XIOS_DS_main2.png
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!
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/win-a-pivos-xios-ds-media-player/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/blackandwhite.jpg
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.
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/case-mod-friday-black-and-white/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/hdd-history.jpg
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.
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/the-history-of-the-hard-drive/
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/front.jpg
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!
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-11-review/

OCZ Vertex 4 256GB Solid State Drive Review

Final Thoughts
It was a very bold move by OCZ to go out and purchase Indilinx, thus acquiring the technology behind the Everest 2 platform.  This really shows OCZ’s dedication to being one of the top manufacturers of solid state drives.  They could have just as easily created another drive based on the SandForce SF-2281 chip and made some changes like 0-provision or a different type of NAND and called it the Vertex 4.  Instead they decided to release the Vertex 4 based on the Everest 2 platform, which really was a big gamble.


When they first released the drive it was much slower than the drive that we tested.  Constant firmware updates have enabled the Vertex 4 to keep up with similar SandForce drives.  In our testing even going from firmware 1.4 to 1.5 showed a nice boost in performance and 1.5 was just released!  This again goes to show that OCZ is standing behind their products and wants to continue to improve them even after you have purchased them.

As far as performance goes this drive is definitely in the top of all of the drives we have tested.  With scores of 560MB/s read and 513MB/s write in ATTO it is now our #1 drive in that test and can easily compete with SandForce-based drives in our other tests as well.  Also this drive is not have to worry about incompressible data like SandForce drives do, it performs just the same when accessing incompressible and compressible data.

OCZ is backing this product with a 5-year warranty, more than most other solid state drives on the market.  Right now the 256GB version of the drive is selling for $249, which puts it on par with some of the other best in class SSD’s available. OCZ is constantly updating the firmware to make the drive better so that is a great incentive right to choose this give over others.

Overall ThinkComputers gives the OCZ Vertex 4 256GB Solid State Drive a 10 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!

Pros:
- Great performance
- 5 year warranty
- No performance drop when dealing with incompressible data
- Constant firmware updates have improved performance

Cons:
- None that I found

OCZ Technology OCZ SSD TL2CSAK2G2M1X-0480 480GB Talos 2 C Series SAS 2.5inch Retail - OCZ Technology TL2CSAK2G2M1X-0480StoreRatingPrice$1317.95$1327.99Offers by PriceGrabber.com
« Previous Page » Next Page

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tags:

Related Posts

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003952851640 Mark Bloggs
    The prices and some of the links on here are for the 64GB SSD. Big difference in price between a 64GB and a 256GB SSD :-)