"When I first heard of CaseArts.com coming into existance, it was well before the product ever seen the publics eye. As I first heard of them selling "custom painted case" I thought " yea, great....but been done, not very popular. Usually costs way too much, etc,etc". Well, what I was not prepared for was the "Real Deal" behind the whole CaseArts.com philosophy. This was more than just a "fly-by-night" idea. This was more than the "a-typical" case painting shop. This was a whole new level of visually stunning case customization. This wasn't "just blue", or "just aluminum" or "just clear"...this was something different. Something that's never been done before. Especially on such a professional level."
MODTHEBOX Speeze 5E198B1H3R CopperKing CPU Cooler Review
"In the past, MTB has featured several AMD Athlon and Intel Pentium 4 based coolers from Fanner Tech, each designed for different cooling environments and thermal results. One of the most recent additions to Speeze product line up is an all copper based CPU cooling solution entitled the CopperKing. Today in MTB Labs, we will be evaluating the 5E198B1H3R CopperKing CPU Cooler which marks the first all copper retail cooling solution offered from Speeze, designed to cool both the Intel Pentium III and AMD processors."
"A while ago, I went over to my friends place and noticed that he had a PC hooked up to his home theatre system. Full 5.1 surround JBL setup with all the bells and whistles. He showed me a few things that it could do and I got pretty hooked. Aside from playing DVD movies through his HT setup, he played VCDs, DivX, MP3s, CDs and whatever you could throw at it. What other set top player on the market can do that right now? None.
So after about two weeks of planning, I gathered up the parts needed to build a home theatre PC. I am by no means an expert nor can be even considered an audiophile. I have a slight grasp on what is needed to get video and audio out to my HT. I will try to explain what I went through which will hopefully guide you on the right track to setting up your own."
"The NVIDIA DetonatorTM XP Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) delivers new performance optimizations and features in both DirectX® and OpenGL®, offering industry-leading performance, visual quality, and high reliability in the industry’s only true integrated software upgrade. Detonator XP provides a free performance upgrade for your Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), including the TNTTM, GeForce2TM, GeForce3TM and GeForce4TM families of GPUs. Detonator XP also offers full hardware and software acceleration for Windows® XP, the next-generation operating system from Microsoft®, enabling the best digital experience for Windows XP Home Edition and Professional users.
Detonator XP software provides a 30-to-50% increase in performance for all NVIDIA GPUs in both DirectX and OpenGL Application Programming Interfaces (API). In addition, Detonator XP software exposes new hardware acceleration for Windows XP, enabling new features such as 3D textures and shadow buffers."
"The promise of seeing images of sexy South American pop star Shakira provides the social engineering for a new worm. It's not the first time that Shakira has served as the bait, as tonight's "Tech Live" reports.
"This is the second time Colombian hip-shaker Shakira has inspired a virus writer," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos. "The popularity of pop stars and other celebrities makes them a key psychological aid in virus writers' attempts to persuade innocent computer users to open unsolicited emails.""
"Any technojunkie worth his or her salt salivates at the mere thought of having the latest and greatest gizmos. After all, it's all about who has bragging rights of owning the hottest toys. So whether you're a gadget newbie or a hardened technophile, there's sure to be something that you'll love in our picks for the 10 best gadgets."
IBM "Millipede" project demonstrates trillion-bit data storage density
"Using an innovative nanotechnology, IBM scientists have demonstrated a data storage density of a trillion bits per square inch -- 20 times higher than the densest magnetic storage available today.
IBM achieved the density -- enough to store 25 million printed textbook pages on a surface the size of a postage stamp -- in a research project code-named "Millipede". Rather than using traditional magnetic or electronic means to store data, Millipede uses thousands of nano-sharp tips to punch indentations representing individual bits into a thin plastic film."
"Some of you may not know the difference between the Inwin Q600 and the Q500 full tower cases. Well, the upper left pic shows you everything. Yep, that's it! Just a smoother , and more symetrical bezel. So, why custom order a Q600 online, when I can go the local store to get a Q500? All because of the bezel! I had to have it! I had every intention of putting that intake "scoop" in there and the Q600 bezel was a must. The little groove that runs vertically off center on the front of the Q500 bezel would totally screw up my idea. The only explanation I got as to the origin of the Q600 is it's kinda the "OEM" model with a more generic bezel. Well, it wasn't gonna be generic for long, so that didn't bother me :o)
This is a trim ring for a piece of accent lighting. Its black plastic about 4 1/2" in diameter on teh outer part with a slight taper inward but not enough to get in the way. And actually the taper makes it look better. I found the trim ring on a piece of accent lighting at a local home depot after my bro-in-law tipped me off that he found a good trim ring. So I bought the light , took off the ring, and returned the light. (my bad ; )"
"Networks of computers are becoming very common nowadays, especially in small businesses. As companies grow, their network equipment requirements change, often leading to frustrated IT managers and unacceptable downtime. In particular, the storage requirements of a network can increase at astonishing rates, necessitating frequent upgrades. The problem with just adding a new hard drive to a server is that the server must be turned off before the upgrade can be done, creating server downtime. In many instances, downtime can be very costly to a company in lost sales or productivity.
The solution to this problem is the network attached storage (NAS) device. Essentially, it is a self-contained storage unit that connects into the network and seamlessly integrates itself into the existing storage system, without the need for downtime. NAS devices span the entire range of capabilities and prices, but the DS5200 NAS from Enhance Technology is a low-end unit designed for the small network."
"A while ago, we took a look at one of Samsung’s high-end LCD monitor solutions, the SyncMaster 150MP. While graphics card manufacturers like ATI are defining the convergence of the PC and living room with their All-in-Wonder Radeon series of graphics cards, it also looks like Samsung is paving a new convergence path with their MP series of LCD monitors and the newest models, the 171MP and the 151MP we’re looking at here look to further that path. It still has that great TV tuner feature (which it inherited from the 150MP) as well as the selection of video inputs and features such as picture-in-picture that one would expect out of a TV, but Samsung has made some noticeably subtle changes--which we think are for the better."
"The next-generation ATi Radeon 8500 LE is one of the several recent ATi video cards that will launch ATi into the 128 MB DDR video memory realm. ATi's 128MB Radeon 8500 LE is a "lite edition" of the regular Radeon 8500. Following suit with other ATi-powered Radeon 8500 LE video cards out there, ATi clocked the 8500 LE at a slightly lower 250/250 MHz core and memory frequency versus the standard 275/275 of retail 64MB ATI Radeon 8500s. In addition, this video card also sports a new Ball-Grid Array memory packaging technology, instead of the traditional TSOP memory package"
"FIC has been around since the 80's and produces motherboards, video cards, PC systems and mobile devices. They've made a name for themselves in the low-cost basic boards arena. The Intel 845D chipset is geared directly towards that. The 850 + Rambus combo is what Intel has geared towards the high end. DDR is what the mainstream users want. When properly tweaked the 845D can offer performance that rivals the 850 at a considerably lower cost"
"The structure fan is made from copper material and is polished with a nice reflective shine. The backside is very smooth; mirror finished, but does show some slight pitting. From a production stand point, these types of imperfections are common with most VGA and CPU heatsink coolers which are massed produced in a production facility. I was still impressed overall with the quality compared to previous coolers I have seen in the past. The fan included on the cooler is a standard 12v ball bearing fan capable of exhausting 3.5 CFM @ 5000 RPM's"
"The KT333 North Bridge is covered by a heatsink – not a heatsink and fan combination that we have seen on many other motherboards. I did not notice any kind of detriment in overclocking power though, as we used this board in our PC3000 memory article, reaching FSB speeds of up to 200 MHz with an unlocked processor. This was definitely one of the best boards we have had for overclocking"
"It used to be that when you say "aluminum case", either Lian-Li, or Cooler Master come to mind. This is no longer the situation, as more and more aluminum cases are hitting the markets. Directron's Black Pearl is one more in this glutted market, but with a few features not all cases have.
The multimedia connector comes with plugs for your Firewire devices, microphone and speakers. The port connects to the back of your motherboard with a long set of connectors that loop through the back of your PC. The USB connectors on the right side connect directly to your mainboard. Unfortunately, not too many mainboards have the USB panel connectors built-in, so you won't be able to use two of the four ports on the front panel"
3dGameMan - Visiontek Xtasy GeForce4 Ti4600 Video Card in Video Review
"The Visiontek Xtasy GeForce4 Ti4600 Video Card is currently the leader of the pack in the Geforce 4 series Video Cards and it has undeniable KICKASS 3D gaming performance. This unparalleled performance does come at a high cost, however, if you want the fastest current consumer 3D gaming card on the planet, look no further!"
"Aluminium case's are everyone's choice at the minute and the subject of many reviews. These case's look nice and do help keep your system cool. But what about a stylish steel case? They are few and far between but today I'm taking a look at a 'steel avenger' from Jeantech with good functionality and the looks to boot"
Deviant PC - Windows 2000/XP Registry Article Part 2 - Internet
"The Registry controls all aspects of Windows functionality and determines how it acts on a network, whether it be at home or in the workplace, and on the internet. There are many different settings that can be adjusted and tweaked to enhance (or secure) the internet experience, be it maximising your download potential or reducing that all important ping to your favourite gaming server"
[ed] - I read Part 1 of this article and it's well worth taking the time to read
"If you've ever used Windows, you've inevitably had to do a three-finger salute. The good old Ctrl-Alt-Delete is by far, the most well known keyboard combination on the planet (sorry Bill, but its true). We don't even think about the Windows Task Manager as an application, but rather an annoyance we have to endure. And unlike other Windows utilities we fervently exchange for third-party solutions (like system cleanup agents, disk defragmenters and such), it is probably safe to estimate 90% of Windows users haven't even contemplated replacing the Task Manager with something useful. While power users tweak cable modem settings and adjust Windows parameters to speed up load times, very little time is spent tweaking the processes that Windows manages. Today in the MTB Labs, we will be reviewing WinTasks 4 Professional by Leading Interactive, an advanced resource management application."
"The next thing on our list was was the heatsink and the Power Supply unit. We chose to go with the heatsink first as it can be a pain since you have so little space to work with. Now we all know that the Athlon gets a little hot and when Shuttle announced the FS40, we wondered how they will be able to capture the heat problem. Let us tell you that Shuttle has an ingenious solution- the heatsink has a copper base with copper wires that extend and rest inside the fan. Now the fan is pretty big in size, however, it rotates at 2000 RPM which barely makes any noise."
Virtual-Hideout FrozenCPU Blizzard 360 ULTRA QUIET! Case Review
"Today I'm gonna be giving you a look at the next installment of the hugely popular "Blizzard" series of cases from Frozencpu.com . This new revision is called the Bliizard 360 "ultra quiet". Now, If you're familiar with the blizzard cases, you may be thinking that "blizzard 360" and "ultra quiet" couldn't possibly be in the same title. I assure you, in this particular case, the name holds true. But don't let the name fool you into thinking that this is a weak performer. It's only quiet if you set it to the slow settings by means of the included dual-voltage baybus. Once you crank up the three 120mm Panaflo H1A's, you could rename this beast to the " Blizzard 360 Ultra OMFG$#!$" :o) Read on for all the juice ...mwuahhaha"
"Why has this list been kept so small? Well, first is mainly because of the problems AMD was having with their chipsets. AMD never quite got the MPX chipset right until it was too late. And then with the announcement of the AMD Opteron Processor we already see that AMD has turned its enterprise-level attention elsewhere. While that is good for the users and AMD in the long run, it makes the AMD workstation and server market rather weak. The product is very good, from the processors to the motherboards – just getting it accepted is difficult without the full assault of AMD’s marketing and promotional teams"
"One thing that disappointed me on this case was the lack of a reset button and the lack of LEDs (such as power and hard drive activity). The only button provided was the power button and there were no LEDs whatsoever. Another thing I really have to say I was disappointed with is the lack of instructions regarding what screws to use and how to install components. It took me a while to figure out how to properly install my hard drives using the supplied hardware. The below pic shows how this is done. Since all the bays are full size bays (5 1/4"), you need to use standoffs when mounting things such as your floppy drive or hard drives"
"Leadtek has long been a manufacturer of quality video cards. While it has recently expanded into TV tuners and motherboards, video cards have remained Leadtek's focus. Leadtek has long favored the overclocker, with very large active heatsinks on their GeForce 2 models and up. It's no surprise, then, that the A250 Ultra TD should stand out as much as it does to those of the overclocking community"
"The temperature probe and LED are quite useful, and if you're a statistics freak, you'll love the ability to monitor the temperature of everything you have (albeit, one at a time). The brushed aluminum looks very swank, and you'll undoubtably impress your techie friends with it."
"The i-Buddie XP is a dream come true for all AMD Athlon fans. ECS has really showed the world that it could do more than just plain motherboards. All the most advanced features packed in a small form factor similar to an all-in-one notebook, the i-Buddie XP has what it takes to replace the desktop. What's more, it is semi-mobile since it weighs no more than 3.18kg. The only drawback with the i-Buddie XP is the lack of a battery compartment. But then again, it wouldn't be called a DeskNote with a battery compartment, right?"
"I designed the shroud to stand off of from the heater core nearly 1" to give the passing air a chance to swirl. All fans big or small have a dead spot directly in their center. If you were to place the fan directly to the shroud two problems are going to arise. First the core is not going to be cooled in this dead zone and second, you're going to restrict air that you are trying to push or pull through the heater core. In my system I am using the push/pull format. The front fan is pushing air across the core while the rear fan is pulling air across the core. This gives a true CFM airflow. Both fans used are Panaflow 120mm 86 CFM"
"To cut down on the noise of your hard drives Noise control have come up with a way to hold your drive suspended so that no vibration is carried through your case. Check out what we thought of this little gizmo at Digital-Explosion"
"Cases have become the new rage for people building new systems. People now want cases that not only can provide the space needed for their peripheral's, but also ones the look cool so they can amaze their friends. Many new case companies are coming into the market because of this demand, and the cases they make are becoming cooler and cooler. Directron/Chieftec/Antec cases are one of the most popular cases around. Many people have this model of the case, which is made by a few diffrent companies, but they all look and perform the same"
