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Promise Technology SmartStor NS4600...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are dusting off the SmartStor NS4600 from Promise Technology for a round of benchmarks. This new NAS device is designed to replace the older NS4300N by significantly boosting performance. While the hardware specifications look promising, we were once again reminded of the importance that software plays...
The Promise Technology SmartStor NS4600 showed a tremendous amount of potential, yet it left us terribly disappointed. At first we were disappointed with how difficult the SmartStor NS4600 was to configure, and then with the lack of flexibility. However it was when we began to test the SmartStor NS4600 that we became even more disappointed with the product, though not because it performed badly, in fact quite the opposite.
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OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 Reaper HPC (DDR3-1600...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are looking at another new DDR3 triple-channel memory kit from OCZ, which is of course designed to work with Intel’s latest Core i7 processors. This new kit boasts some pretty impressive features and although it is designed to work at 1600MHz, the memory timings have remained tight for maximum performance...
There are plenty of DDR3-1600 memory modules that support CAS8 timings for around $20 US less. However few modules that work at this frequency can match the impressive timings of this OCZ memory. Therefore, if anything the OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 Reaper HPC memory is a unique product. Additionally, it is also quite an exciting looking product, and the Reaper HPC heatsinks do help keep this memory cool when overclocked.
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ASUS M4A79T Deluxe...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we have the ASUS M4A79T Deluxe motherboard to check out. This motherboard has been designed to accommodate the new AMD Phenom II processors. However not just any Phenom II processors will work, as this is an AM3 motherboard, which also means DDR3 memory is on the menu...
Then the M4A79T Deluxe also has to contend with the fact that there are plenty of cheaper AMD 790FX motherboards designed to use DDR2 memory with the AM2+ socket. Therefore, it is clear that the M4A79T Deluxe is not designed or intended to be used in budget systems. Rather, the M4A79T Deluxe is a no expenses spared motherboard, designed for Phenom II users trying to get the very best performance out of their processor.
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Synology Disk Station 109...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Synology recently sent us their new DS109 single bay NAS server aimed at small offices and home users. Designed to support the latest hard drives, the DS109 boasts an impressive 1.2GHz processor along with the new DSM 2.1 software, and despite all this it costs just a little over $200 US...
The new Synology Disk Station 109 is a dream, as it provides users with an impressive level of performance without the price tag that is generally associated with high-performance NAS devices. Priced at just $230 US, we consider the Synology DS109 to be a bargain, and although it is possible to purchase single bay versions for as little as $100 US, such as the DS108j, they do not deliver the same experience.
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ASUS Extreme AH4770 Formula...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we have a new and exciting budget product from ASUS, called the Extreme AH4770 Formula, which as the name suggests is a Radeon HD 4770 graphics card. However not just any Radeon HD 4770, as a lot of work has gone into upgrading this particular version with better cooling and more durable components...
The ASUS Extreme AH4770 Formula is an interesting take on the Radeon HD 4770, and although it is no faster than the standard version, it does still have a few advantages. Obviously the biggest advantage being the unique cooling solution, which saw the Extreme AH4770 Formula reach a load temperature of just 60 degrees, making it significantly cooler than our ATI reference sample.
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ASUS OC Station...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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There will be those of you who remembers overclocking the way it used to be, setting motherboard jumpers and calculating multipliers. Although a fair amount of knowledge is still required, software tools are available for tweaking your hardware on-the-fly from Windows without ever having to enter the BIOS. Today ASUS plans to take things one step closer, with the OC Station...
The ASUS OC Station is a pretty cool idea, and we like the concept. However it does have one glaring omission and that is quite simply that it is a Windows based overclocking tool. There is no getting around that, and what it means is if you enter the wrong setting or get a little over zealous, the system will crash in one way or another.
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Ultimate Budget Gaming System...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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At least once a year we put down our Extreme Edition processors, dual-GPU graphics cards, 2560x1600 LCD’s, and RAID configurations to build something a little more realistic, something all of us can enjoy, a budget gaming system...
Amazingly the guts of our Ultimate Budget Gaming System cost just $336 US, and this includes the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition processor, ASUS Extreme AH4770 graphics card, ASUS M3A78-EM motherboard, and OCZ Blade Series 4GB memory kit. Really, to think that all we need now is a case/power supply and a hard drive is incredible.
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AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are taking a look at AMD’s latest processor based on the Phenom II architecture. Surprisingly this is not a quad-core or even triple-core part, but rather a dual-core processor. That said, do not be fooled by the new Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition, it has a serious bite...
For the most part the Phenom II X2 550 proved to be faster than the Core 2 Duo E7400, which costs 20% more at $120 US. Although the Phenom II X2 550 did show one or two weaknesses, it was the gaming performance that impressed us the most. Not only was this new AMD processor faster than the E7400 in all three tested games, it was also comparable to the Phenom II X4 910.
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ASUS Extreme NGTX275...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are taking a look at the new ASUS Extreme NGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 graphics card and we will forgive you for thinking it’s a reference card because for the most part it is. However ASUS has included some unique features, such as “Fuse Protection” and “Ultimate Armaments”, to try and make their product stand out...
For the most part the ASUS Extreme NGTX275/HTDI/896MD3 is a typical GeForce GTX 275 graphics card. In terms of performance we found nothing unusual about the Extreme NGTX275, and when it came to overclocking it was just as impressive as other reference cards. The cooler, which is also from the reference card, performed as expected and for the most part we were pleased with it.
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The Sims 3 - High-end VGA Performance...
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[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are taking a look at how the latest ATI and Nvidia graphics cards perform in what will likely be this year’s best selling game, The Sims 3. This article is designed to give you an idea of how high-end graphics cards will perform in this game using the very best quality settings and the results were surprising...
Despite featuring lack luster graphics, The Sims 3 did not run nearly as nicely as we had expected it would when using the GeForce GTX 285 for example. Right away we were surprised at how jerky the game was when scrolling around. The jerky performance was a bit of a mystery, as the GeForce GTX 285 produced a minimum frame rate of 64fps at 2560x1600.
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