ATI FirePro V8700 and V3700 Reviewed

 

Introduction

Delivering a higher level of graphics performance and reliability than consumer products, the professional graphics cards are widely used for professional applications such as digital content creation (DCC) and computer aided design (CAD).

NVIDIA occupied the main market share with its Quadro series in this field, so AMD launched its FirePro family with the intention of turning the situation around.

FirePro Workstation Graphics Accelerators

Read the rest of this entry »

Thermalright Venomous X: A Premium Choice for LGA1366 Platform

 

Introduction

Back in April in 2007 Thermalright’s Ultra 120 Extreme CPU heatsink managed to climb up to the throne by virtue of its stylish look and outstanding performance, and until now, we’ve hardly seen competitors who dare to challenge it. Since the company has just unveiled the new flagship product, dubbed as Venomous X, let’s figure out if it will do a better job.

Venomous X

Read the rest of this entry »

Intel Core i5-661 Overclocking Performance Check

 

As we reported, Intel is rolling out no less than 17 new Intel Core processors during CES later this week, and these fresh chips are expected to deliver greater performance with integrated graphics chip.

In this article we’re going to find out the real OC potential of Core i5-661.

Read the rest of this entry »

Thermalright VRM-R3/R4 Heatsink Performance Review

 

Introduction

The VRM temperature has been causing a problem for the users of Radeon HD 4890/4870, especially for those who are into overclocking. Considering the fact that VRM-R1/R2 successfully fixed this, Thermalright unveiled earlier this month the VRM-R3/R4 for Radeon HD 5800 series VGA cards.

Read the rest of this entry »

Xigmatek Bifrost VD1065 VGA Cooler Reviewed

 

Specs and Features

Xigmatek has gained a high reputation with their performance heatsinks, though they’re a relatively young brand in this field. In this article we’re reviewing their new creation – Xigmatek Bifrost VD1065 VGA cooler.

Read the rest of this entry »

Asus Sabertooth 55i Motherboard: Born for Reliability

 

Introduction

Back in August we learned that Asus was preparing a brand-new TUF (The Ultimate Force) motherboard series which claims to provide decent overclocking performance as well as high stability and durability. In this article we’re reviewing the first model of the lineup – Sabertooth 55i.

Read the rest of this entry »

MSI Big Bang Trinergy Motherboard CrossFire/SLI Benchmarks

 

Introduction

Cool package

Back in October MSI unveiled the first motherboard of its high-anticipated Big Bang series – Trinergy, but the board turns out to be using NVIDIA’s nForce 200 SLI chip instead of the Lucid Hydra 200 as most of us expected.

Read the rest of this entry »

Radeon HD 5970: The Undisputed Performance Champ

 

AMD announced the Radeon HD 5800 (Cypress) and HD 5700 (Juniper) series back in September and October, becoming the first to market with fully DirectX 11-compatible graphics cards. In order to push its advantage over NVIDIA, the company quickly moved on to launch the dual-GPU flagship accelerator – Radeon HD 5970 on November 18th, targeting the enthusiast sector.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dirt 2 Performance on Current Hottest Graphics Cards

 

To be powered by the third generation of the EGO engine, Dirt 2 has taken advantage of DirectX 11 features and ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology for more immersive gaming experience, and is expected to become available for PC platform pretty soon.

Read the rest of this entry »

Radeon HD 5770 First & Second Edition Performance Comparison

 

If you’ve been paying enough attention to the Radeon HD 5770 graphics card which was released in October, you’d probably have noticed some tweaks on the heatsink. Pictured below, the first version is a closed turbo cooler, while the new version looks like a third-party cooler.

First version of Radeon HD 5770

Read the rest of this entry »

[Update] 18 CPU Coolers Roundup: Mega Shadow Takes the Crown

 

Introduction

We launched a poll about the new king of air cooler earlier this month, and 22% of voters believe it would be Noctua NH-U12P SE2. But, things are different according to our test. As we said, this roundup is going to compare up to eighteen mid-segment and high-end coolers, covering the most renowned coolers just like Thermalright Ultra 120, and some creative products from new brand like Prolimatech. We sincerely hope this article could give our reader some tips on hardware purchase, and you know that – any suggestions, discussion or even criticism from you are always welcome.

Read the rest of this entry »

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat DirectX 10 vs. DirectX 11

 

Last week the GSC officially launched the benchmark of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat which enables you to find out how well your system is balanced for gaming and the game in particular.

Read the rest of this entry »

Galaxy GeForce GT240 Reviewed: High Performance and Low Power

 

Introduction

NVIDIA announced the 40nm GeForce 210 and GT220 graphics cards back in October, completing its first transition of desktop products to more advanced 40nm process. In order to offer better gaming performance in the entry-level segment, NVIDIA released another 40nm product in the form of GeForce GT240.

NVIDIA GeForce GT240

Read the rest of this entry »

Micro-ATX X58 Motherboards Roundup Review

 

As the only chipset working with Intel’s Nehalem-based processors Core i7, the X58 has been made extensive use by a group of motherboard makers, and even packed into the small Micro-ATX form factor to impress the users who want a cute board for their compact PC. The MicroATX motherboard measures 244×244mm, which is 61mm shorter than the standard ATX motherboard at 305mmx244mm.

Read the rest of this entry »

Galaxy GeForce 210 and GT220: 40nm and DirectX 10.1 Under $80

 

Introduction

AMD launched the first 40nm desktop graphics card – Radeon HD 4770 back in April, but the low yield of TSMC’s 40nm chips made the product hardly available on the market.

On contrary to AMD’s “quick” strategy, NVIDIA decided to wait until last week to debut its 40nm GeForce 210 and GT220, though the company had started to bring them to OEM market in July

Read the rest of this entry »