Monday Reviews

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The X1650PRO isn't a $200 video card or even a $150 card so it shouldn't be expected to do what the more expensive cards can do. The X1650PRO chipset offers excellent video quality with ATI's AVIVO software as well, so it is tough not to recommend HTPC users to have a look at the X1650PRO as well as gamers on a budget.

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ECS has come up with an awesome motherboard packed with lots of extras. ATI's newest chipset shows that they are headed in the right direction and that performance does not have to be heavy on the wallet. ECS's reputation for providing decent products at a decent price has just been bumped up a notch to provided great products to enthusiast builders at a great price...

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The HIS X1650XT 256MB Video Card is certainly not the fastest Video Card on the planet, but it does offer a lot of value. Since it is very affordable and supports the latest games, many price-conscious buyers will be interested. If you are not running at a high resolution and don't have all the eye candy turned on, this video card might be for you. Watch the Video to find out more...

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A month passed and I was getting quite antsy and in the process reading everything I could about the experiences of others and the motherboard(s) they chose. To keep an already long story from getting too much longer lets just say I woke one day, had my wake up caffeine, switched on the computer to get some news and clicked on the link to one of the sites I use for research. There was a veritable plethora of information about a new workstation styled board from ASUS® that was churning out some amazing numbers, the P5WDG2 WS Professional; in just over a week I had one. Normally the story would end here but as with any other high-tech computer product ASUS shortly after this announced the birth of a very similar board with even newer and more exciting features, the P5W64 WS Professional. Well I was not going to spend another tidy sum on a new motherboard when the one I had was working just fine.

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Quote: The Pertelian X2040 is the perfect device for gamers who don't want an interruption in the action, even if they need their computer to keep track of things in the rest of the world. They can configure it to check the status of just about whatever they want, and keep an eye on the Pertelian's LCD screen for updates.

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The SPH101 Skype WiFi Phone is a basic device- it is a wireless mobile phone that allows you to connect to Skype in order to send and receive calls. In addition to being used as one would a normal phone, it can be used for free Skype communications, which is a like instant messaging though you can talk rather than type. The goal of this product is to separate Skype from the computer. After all, if you are willing to pay a few dollars a month Skype can be a full-fledged phone service but there is no reason why you should have to be stuck at your computer the whole time- a phone like this one is how you get the most out of Skype.

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Today we'll get back to cards destined to sell for less than $200. = Namely, GeForce 7900 GS. I already reviewed this card before, it arrived = early in September. But now we'll examine two cards. Both operate at = increased frequencies, remaining quite cheap. We'll also compare them = with the recent RADEON X1950 PRO.

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There is a growing trend in notebook computers which could put you in harms way. Since the recent discovery of thousands of defective notebook batteries being used in many of the most popular brands, explosion and heat related injuries have been on the rise. Even though the majority of notebooks are using stable batteries, most systems are so powerful now that the user is still not free and clear of potential burns during routine use. Most users will agree that the term laptop may no longer apply, as the aptly named devices are showing up less and less on a users lap.

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The Noctua NH-U12F is an awesome cooler when it comes to size and weight. Weighing in at 790g, the U12F differs from the older U12 in two areas, one is weight and the second is the U12F comes with Noctua's new NF-12 120mm cooling fan. We will see how the Noctua monster stand up to the two baddest coolers we have tested here at Pro-Clockers.

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If you're an HDTV-owning home theater enthusiast who puts surround sound capability, eye-popping technological pizzazz, Blu-ray/DVD support and on-demand access to downloadable music and video content above base game play, this is the point where you can officially stop reading. Beg, plead, whine, cheat, steal from some poor teen who preordered the unit, even. Whatever it takes to get the job done, the system you're looking to lay hands-on this year is the PlayStation 3. However, should you be a longtime hobbyist chagrined by the industry's recent focus on cookie-cutter sequels, a gaming neophyte intrigued by this growing interactive entertainment fad, a fan of all-time great franchises like Mario and Zelda or simply an everyday admirer with a passing interest in the subject matter, we've got some good news. The Wii is your console of choice, and just the sort of eye-opening kick in the pants the biz has been desperately in need of for, oh, roughly the last half-decade or so.

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If given a choice, we think MSI's K9N SLI Platinum provides slightly better bang for the buck for gamers on a budget. The performance gap between that board and the MSI K9N Diamond really isn't that large at all. That said, those looking for a premium 590 SLI based board will be well served by the K9N Diamond. It has the same features as most 590 SLI boards in its price range but also offers a premium sound solution. If you do have a high-end CPU and a pair of $500+ video cards, the MSI K9N Diamond really is the only way to go.

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Corsair has ventured even further away from their home range landing in the middle of Power Supply territory. Their initial offering´s are well constructed and feature one of the best modular cable systems seen to date. Today we have the opportunity to test their CMPSU-620HX modular PSU

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About 4 years ago Scythe started up business basically as a CPU cooler manufacturing company and distributor of PC parts & gaming devices. I still remember getting my first Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer from them back when they were the only people importing them. Scythe has since grown to be one of the most highly regarded companies offering top quality PC cooling components and computer accessories, ranging from CPU and GPU cooling solutions to PC chassis and everything in-between. This time around we are going to be taking a look at one of their 5.25 bay devices, the KAMA-METER Multi Functional Controller, which works as a fan, temperature and sound controller for your computer.

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Quote: The Cooler Master iTower 930 ATX Case is a definite winner. It provides attractive styling, good system cooling, extremely quiet operation, mostly tool-less installation features, and high quality construction. These are all things you expect from a Cooler Master case, and they are what makes them one of the premier brands in the business. They then take things to a new level by adding the four extremely useful hot swap SATA drive bays. Cooler Master didn't cut any corners with the integration of the drive bays, as they are easy to use, do not impact drive performance, keep drives cool, and just look really sharp in the process.

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So, does the Nine Hundred live up to all the hype? Is it, as Antec touts, the Ultimate Gamer Case? If cooling and configuration options are the benchmarks we're looking at, it just may be. With four case fans included (three 120's and a massive 200mm top fan) and a distinctive look incorporating a chevron side window and mesh front, the Nine Hundred brings a lot to the table in both performance and aesthetics.

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Asrock realize that not everyone wants to spend $250 on the latest motherboard, but still want and expect the same kind of quality and dependability. So, a board like the AM2NF6-VSTA is right up most people's alley. Providing decent graphics, quality sound and plenty of room for upgrading, this board is an awesome value.

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If good things come in small packages, this board has it all. For anyone looking to build a powerful car-computer this is a great alternative to the usual VIA solutions. The overall system performance is respectable given the system configuration. The dual Ethernet solution could easily turn this into a mini-server or custom router. The GeForce 6150 makes for a very powerful backbone allowing great video playback and dual display output with TV-out.

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PC Power & Cooling is redesigning their product line to meet the voracious DC-current requirements of the next generations of graphic silicon. With video cards reaching 28cm in length and their power requirement in direct proportion things are bound to heat up. The fleet of multi-rail power supplies out there are misleading the public into believing more Rails = more power when the opposite is often true. Today we peer into the PC Power & Cooling´s Silencer series via the Silencer 750 EPS12V for an interesting alternative to multi-rail anemia.

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This time around on the review scene I was lucky enough to get an XFX brand nVidia 7900GS. This card didn't come to market claiming to beat all previous cards released, but rather as a value-priced offering which can be pushed to impressive speeds through overclocking. It also has the power to hold someone over until the next revision of cards (DX10 for Vista) appear.

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Quote: Celebrating the company's 1 millionth shipment in 2006, Corsair is currently offering 5 custom 2GB DDR2-8888 gold-plated DOMINATOR memory kits as contest prizes. These modules are rated to operate at 1111MHz at impressive timings of 4-4-4-12 2T. The PC2-8888 modules also feature the best IC's that Corsair can find, so computer memory doesn't get any better than the TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF kit. What the press release fails to mention is that these gold plated modules are actually plated with real gold. After getting all the details from Corsair it was found that these modules are 18 Karat gold plated!

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Foxconn has always made a quality motherboard; hell, I have a few that are acting as servers right now they are that stable. The only knock I could ever give them in a review was their inability to overclock; apparently that cloud is thinning more than ever before. They are still not up to par with the likes of DFI, MSI and Asus when it comes to BIOS adjustments and extreme levels of overclocking, the distance to catch up is much less then just a few months ago.

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The NF-S12 series deviates away from standard ball, sleeve or liquid bearing designs in favour of new SSO Bearings. SSO Bearings are self-stabilizing oil-pressure bearings that include an additional magnet located near the rotor axis. This allows for faster, more precise and reliable long term quietness of the bearing during operation. The NF-S12 has been specifically designed to address the short overall lifespan and increasing noise levels found in normal ball and sleeve bearing fans.

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To sum it all up, would I buy this RAM if I had the chance? Definitely. It performs great and it looks nice. I know not all of us notice at how pretty something looks, but in the world of computers now, with clear side cases, LED fans, cold cathodes and the like it, definitely is getting to be the norm to look nice. And this RAM definitely gets point for that as well, with the blue LEDs along the base of the RAM, and the chasing LEDs on the top to show activity. URLs: Review / Article: http://www.lanaddict.com/rev/187/1/ Image: http://www.lanaddict.com/reviews/jputman/Crucial2GB/review_overall.jpg Website: http://www.lanaddict.com