Today we are checking out the latest CPU cooler from Thermaltake, known as the Jing, and yes we know, yet another wacky sounding product. The name is derived from the Chinese, representing “Silence” and carrying with it the concepts of comfort, excellence and exquisiteness. So how silent, comfortable, brilliant and beautiful can a CPU cooler really be? Read on to find out...

There is little not to like about the Jing as it is easy to install, supports all current AMD and Intel platforms, while the price tag of $60 US is quite reasonable given what it offers. Perhaps the only real issue some users might have with this product is its appearance. The Jing is not an ugly CPU cooler, unless of course lime green doesn’t speak to you, which in my case it doesn’t. Given that the flamboyant color scheme does not appeal to me, I am finding it hard to say good things about the design.

Prolimatech just recently announced yet another new revision of their award winning Megahalems heatsink. Known simply as the Super Mega, this new version looks very much the same for the most part, yet weighs almost 20% more thanks to the inclusion of come copper fins. The new fins are designed to try and improve performance further and this is something we will be looking at when testing the Super Mega...

The other disadvantage the Super Mega faces, other than the asking price, is its weight, at 945 grams it’s a big boy and a real flight risk for those that like to move their PC around when attending LAN party events for example. While the custom mounting kit appears up to the job, the Super Mega still places a great deal of strain on the motherboard.

Lost Planet 2 was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 a few months ago, while the PC version is yet to be released. Although initially released on console, Capcom has spent a little extra time working on the PC version, namely to include DirectX 11 effects. Being a DX11 title that makes good use of tessellation, Nvidia were very keen to get onboard and promote the game, and already there is a stand-alone benchmark available...

It is now blatantly obvious why Nvidia is working to promote Lost Planet 2, as their latest generation graphics cards enjoy a significant performance advantage over their competition when playing the game using DirectX 11. However before we jump to any real conclusions there are a few things to be aware of.

This time last month we were taking the wraps off some new GeForce GTX 460 graphics cards, so it is only fitting that we take the time to check out another great GeForce GTX 460 product, this time from Gigabyte. The Gigabyte GV-N460OC-1GI comes factory overclocked and fitted with an upgraded cooler, so it is certainly worth checking out...

The Gigabyte GV-N460OC-1GI is certainly one of the better quality GeForce GTX 460 1GB products out there, with its custom PCB design and upgraded cooler. Best of all the GV-N460OC-1GI meets the MSRP of $230 US, making it one of the cheapest GeForce GTX 460 1GB graphics cards available. Still the GV-N460OC-1GI does share this price bracket with some very stiff competition.

Recently Thermaltake released their new Toughpower Grand power supply series and today we are testing the entire range. This new family has units rated at 650watt and 750watt, and by using a combination of the latest and most demanding gaming hardware, we have put these Thermaltake power supplies to the test to determine which one is right for you...

The cable management system, or modular design as it is commonly referred to, helps to not only simplify the installation process, but it also makes for a very tidy install, and this is always something that we like to see. Finally, we have been very pleased with the Thermaltake Toughpower Grand series, and believe that they would make a fine addition to any high-end gaming system.

Gigabyte has recently expanded their Intel X58 motherboard line-up with a new and rather unique addition called the X58A-UD9. Like the X58A-UD7 before it, the UD9 has heaps and heaps of features on offer. However where the X58A-UD9 differs is in its support for multi-GPU technology, which it is fair to say is rather extreme. So extreme in fact that this motherboard does feature a ridiculous price tag, which will certainly place it out of reach for most!

There is no reason, at least as far as we can tell, as to why this motherboard should cost $700 US. It would seem that Gigabyte are hoping anyone able to drop $2000 US on the latest 4-way SLI setup is probably not going to blink twice when spending $700 US on a motherboard, and well, they are probably right. So then this product really needs no review, as those who typically read reviews like to know exactly what they are getting before parting with their hard earned cash, and with the Gigabyte X58A-UD9 what you get for $700 US doesn’t quite add up.

Today we are taking almost half a dozen games to see how they perform when using one, two and four cores. For this test we will be using not just an Intel Core i7 processor, but also the Core i5, Core 2 Quad and AMD Phenom II X4 processors, which will give us a good idea of just how core dependent each series is in order to deliver maximum performance...

Looking at the results it obviously comes down to which games you are playing, and plan to play, that will dictate how many cores you are going to need. As a rule of thumb we suggest all gamers look at making the transition to a quad-core processor, as we found more than half the games we tested with saw significant gains when going from two to four cores.

Today marks the release of the fourth member of the GeForce GTX 400 series, as Nvidia takes the covers off their new mid-range contender the GeForce GTX 460. Based on the previously released GeForce GTX 400 graphics card, this new version sheds a lot of weight, cutting down on power consumption and thermal output without sacrificing too much performance...

The new Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 graphics cards appear to be real winners, as they deliver greater performance per dollar than their ATI rivals while giving up nothing on the power and heat front. The GeForce GTX 460 768MB graphics card, which will be priced at $200 US matching the current retail price of the Radeon HD 5830, was found to be on average 6% faster.

Today we are checking out a new and fairly unusual product from Prolimatech called the Samuel 17, and while it may not look all that unusual at first, keep in mind that this new cooler measures just 45mm tall. That alone is unusual for a company that typically designs heatsinks that stand over three times taller than this...

Those looking to build a small HTPC or even a mini-ITX computer that has a fair bit of guts for taking on more demanding tasks, are going to face the issue of keeping it not only cool but also quiet. The Prolimatech Samuel 17 has proven to be good at both cooling powerful processors and doing so while making very little noise. More importantly, it does all this while measuring just 45mm tall plus fan.

Today we are checking out the newly released Patriot Inferno Solid-State Drive series and comparing them with the industry’s leading MLC based SSDs. To date Patriot has released a long list of SSD products, and the Inferno series is now at the top of that list. With so much competition already present, we are keen to see what they have in store for us...

However, making the Inferno purchase significantly less risky is the impressive 5 year warranty, which we believe is unmatched by the competition. This lengthy warranty should attract heavy power users, as it means they do not have to be as conservative with the Inferno. After all, at some point in time all SSDs will fail to write data, and it is nice to know that an investment in the Inferno will not be written off within a 5 year period.

Today we are checking out a tiny yet very powerful Nettop computer from Asrock, known as the Core 100HT. This computer has a volume of just 2.5 liters, though despite this it can accommodate a range of mobile Intel Core i3/i5 and even Core i7 processors. There is also a huge range of impressive features on offer, such as USB 3.0, making this one of the most impressive HTPC to date...

Rather than opting for a low powered embedded processor that cannot be upgraded, this new model features an rPGA socket supporting a range of current Intel mobile processors. Although we tested with the most affordable processor the Asrock Core 100HT supports, it is important to note that a number of Core i5 and Core i7 (Arrandale) mobile processors are also supported.

Today we are going to show you just how well a pair of Radeon HD 5770 graphics cards in Crossfire compares to similarly priced single GPU graphics cards in modern video games such as Aliens vs. Predator, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Just Cause 2, Metro 2033 and many others. Already 8 months has passed since our original Radeon HD 5770 Crossfire article and we want to find out if anything has changed...

For example at 1920x1200, which was the resolution that we focused on, adding a second Radeon HD 5770 graphics card improved performance by 75% when testing with Aliens vs. Predator, while we saw a 78% performance increase when testing with Battlefield Bad Company 2. Other new games such as Just Cause 2 and Metro 2033 saw 63% and 86% performance gains respectively.

Today we are checking out the new Palit GeForce GTX 470, which is no ordinary GTX 470, as it features a number of new upgrades making this graphics card much more exciting. Most noteworthy is the upgraded cooler, which reduces load temperature considerably. Despite these improvements, Palit is said to be waiving any price premiums for this product...

The key advantage of the Palit GeForce GTX 470 is certainly the upgraded cooler, as it reduced load temperatures significantly when compared to the Nvidia reference design. Even when heavily overclocked, temperatures were still lower than that of the reference design, which was impressive. Of course while it was possible for Palit to solve the thermal issues of the GeForce GTX 470, there is little they could do about the graphics cards power consumption problem.

Today we are checking out the latest AMD 890FX based motherboard from Gigabyte, designed to deliver the very latest features to the AM3 platform. Features such as USB3 and SATA3 are included, as well as some pretty impressive overclocking abilities, that help make the Gigabyte 890FXA-UD7 a very well rounded motherboard...

Okay, so first things first. Let’s work out the $240 US price tag. The Gigabyte 890FXA-UD7 is by far the most expensive AMD 890FX based motherboard, making it one of the most expensive AM3 motherboards available. Clearly performance has nothing to do with the price, as you can expect all 890FX motherboards to deliver roughly the same performance.

Thermaltake offers a huge number of cases and they seem to be adding new models almost every week. Today we have yet another new model. Announced early in May, we have the Armor A90, which is the seventh addition to the Armor family. The Armor A90 is just one of a dozen mid tower chassis on offer from Thermaltake, though it has to be said that it features one of their more aggressive designs...

Really the Armor A90 is a good all-rounder, offering an impressive feature set, great looks and an affordable price tag. Our only real gripe is that while the black paint job looks great on the inside, the lack of cable management really undoes this. Creating a clean build with the Armor A90 is not an easy task, and while it can be done, the user must carefully plan out where they run certain cables.

Today we are checking out another high-end CPU cooler, this time from a company called ThermoLab. They claim that their new Baram 2010 heatsink is able to rub shoulders with the industry’s best products and does so without costing a small fortune. Furthermore, this is a truly universal CPU cooler supporting all current and recent AMD/Intel platforms...

In terms of performance the ThermoLab Baram 2010 delivered, working within a few degrees of the much more expensive industry leaders. Although the dual 120mm fan configuration failed to really improve performance, the single fan results were still very impressive anyway. Keeping our Intel Core i7 965 Extreme Edition processor, which was overclocked to 3.70GHz, at just 65 degrees using a single 120mm fan is a remarkable achievement.

For those of you who are looking at upgrading to the AMD AM3 platform and do not wish to spend a great deal of money but would still also like to receive the latest features, then we have the perfect motherboard for you. The new Asrock 870 Extreme3 provides many new features, such as USB 3.0 and 6Gb/s SATA, for a little over $100 US...

The Asrock 870 Extreme3 is all about value and at a little over $100 US there is plenty of that on offer. Those looking at upgrading to the AM3 platform that only require a single GPU solution, which I dare say is most of you, will find that the AMD 870 chipset meets all your demands. Currently it seems that the typical AMD 870 based motherboard is selling for around $110 US, which is exactly where the 870 Extreme3 fits in.

Today we are checking out the latest AMD 890GX based motherboard from Gigabyte, designed to deliver the very latest features to the AM3 platform. Features such as USB3 and SATA3 are included, as well as some pretty impressive overclocking abilities, that help make the Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3H a very well rounded motherboard...

Although the 890GPA-UD3H might be the only AMD 890GX based motherboard that Gigabyte has on offer right now, we feel that it is one of the best examples available. Priced at just $140 US, the Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3H is unquestionably one of the most affordable 890GX motherboards money can buy. In fact, there are just a few select boards that are cheaper, which include models from Asrock as well as the ultra cheap ECS A890GXM-A.

Today AMD is launching its first hexa-core desktop processors, as we take the covers off the Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition and 1055T processors for a round of testing. Based on the architecture codenamed Thuban, these new 45nm processors are designed to provide users with six working cores without breaking the bank...

So under the right circumstances the Phenom II X6 processors are extremely fast, faster than the Core i5 and Core i7 quad-core processors. Again the problem is that most applications lack proper support for these new processors, which is half the reason why the Core i7 920 appeared no faster than the Core i5 750 in most tests back when we did our clock-for-clock comparison, despite its support for Hyper-Threading. Few applications could make use of the 8 threads supported by the Core i7 920 and as a result the Core i5 750 appeared just as fast with only 4 threads.

Early this year we put the first Prolimatech built VGA cooler to the test. The MK-13 is an impressive looking product, though we soon found it suffered from a few critical flaws. The most notable of which was the VRM cooling which comprised of a few small heatsinks, and as a result allowed the VRM’s to reach dangerous temperatures. Prolimatech has taken note of our complaints, and updated their package with a new, much larger VRM heatsink which we are going to check out today.

The updated VRM cooling did help reduce load temperatures by 10 degrees, but clearly this is not nearly enough. The standard Radeon HD 5870 cooling keeps the VRM at just 51 degrees, so going above 60 degrees here is really unacceptable. Therefore we are still not pleased with the 76 degree load temperature that the new Prolimatech MK-13 reaches.

Today we are checking out the latest Intel X58 based motherboard from Asrock, designed to deliver the very latest features to this enthusiast platform. Features such as USB3 and SATA3 are included, as well as some pretty impressive overclocking abilities that help make the Asrock X58 Deluxe3 a very well rounded motherboard...

Now if the overclocking results alone are not enough of a selling point, Asrock has been quiet diligent when it comes to onboard features. As far as motherboards go the X58 Extreme3 is about as well equipped as they come, particularly when compared to other examples priced at under $200 US. In fact, it is the price tag that has us so excited about the X58 Extreme3.

Today we are checking out the Thermalright Spitfire VGA cooler along with the VRM-R5 heatsink designed to solve the VRM heat issues that most aftermarket cooling solutions suffer from. Designed to suit a range of graphics cards, including the mighty Radeon HD 5870, we plan to put the Spitfire to the test...

Thermalright had claimed that the Spitfire would reduce stress temperatures of the Radeon HD 5870 by 32 degrees. This is an interesting claim as it is extremely conservative based on our findings. With the 140mm fan, which operates at just 1000 RPM, we witnessed a 44 degree drop in temperature, while the much faster 1500 RPM 120mm fan allowed for a 50 degree temperature drop.

Today we are checking out one of the most, if not the most, impressive ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics card available. Designed from the ground up by MSI, their custom built Radeon HD 5870 is known as the R5870 Lightning, which is labeled under their military class products as it is designed to kick some serious arse...

The MSI R5870 Lightning is an impressive graphics card with a number of unique design aspects. In terms of features, build quality and overclocking abilities, it is by far the best Radeon HD 5870 graphics card that we know of. The fact that we could overclock the core to 1GHz with the memory at 5.4GHz and not end up with a swirling vortex that tried to suck the case door in, is impressive.

In the second installment of our Radeon HD 5870 Crossfire CPU Scaling Performance article we are including a total of 11 processors from both AMD and Intel. With over 2800 unique results, we have covered a number of processor series in a range of gaming titles...

For the most part the Core i7 9xx and Core i5 7xx series were in a league of their own. Something that we did also find surprising was the fact that for the most part the Core i3 5xx series kept pace with the Phenom II X4 on a clock-for-clock basis. Something else we noticed when making this comparison was that the Core i3 5xx almost always matched the minimum frame rate of the Phenom II X4, while in a number of cases it was significantly faster.

QNAP kick started 2010 by releasing the world's first Intel Atom D510 based NAS devices that are VMware ready iSCSI for virtualization deployments. The new products include the TS-259 Pro, TS-459 Pro, TS-659 Pro and TS-859 Pro. Today we are checking out the 4-bay TS-459 Pro to see if it can live up to the hype...

Overall the QNAP TS-459 Pro Turbo is an impressive product that sets a new standard for all high-end 4-bay NAS devices. Furthermore, its intuitive software, 4-bay hot-swap design, and enterprise-friendly features like built-in iSCSI target service, AES 256-bit volume-based encryption, and dual Gigabit Ethernet NICs for teaming and network failover safety, truly make this a unique product that's well worth the asking price.