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Hardware 10/31/2008 Daily Hardware Reviews
Brandon Hill (Blog) - October 31, 2008 8:11 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 13 comment(s) - last by Shibathedog.. on Nov 6 at 1:08 AM

Dell Studio Hybrid Small Form Factor Desktop @ HotHardware.com

Patriot Warp V2 128GB 2.5 Solid State Drive @ TweakTown

Sony VAIO VGN-Z11WN/B 13.1in Notebook @ Trusted Reviews
DailyTech's roundup of hardware reviews from around the web for Friday

Desktops
Dell Studio Hybrid Small Form Factor Desktop @ HotHardware.com

Notebooks
Medion Akoya S5610 15.4in Notebook PC @ Trusted Reviews
Sony VAIO VGN-Z11WN/B 13.1in Notebook @ Trusted Reviews

Motherboards
ECS P45T-AD3 @ Legion Hardware
AMD 790GX Roundup @ CDR-Info
Foxconn A7DA-S Motherboard @ Elite Bastards
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3 Motherboard @ Hardware Bistro
Zotac GF9300-A-E @ Trusted Reviews
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P Motherboard @ Hardware Canucks
Gigabyte EP45-UD3P @ Techgage.com

Memory
Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3 PC3-10600 2Gb Kit @ CPU3D
Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3 1333MHz @ Pro-Clockers

Video
MSI HD 4670 @ Bjorn3D
Sapphire Radeon HD 4670 512MB Video Card @ TheTechLounge
HIS Radeon HD 4870 X2 2048MB @ Guru3D
Sapphire HD 4830 Video Card @ Hardware Secrets
PowerColor X1600 Pro Video Card @ OCModShop
XFX GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition @ Techgage.com
HIS ATI Radeon HD 4830 512MB Graphics Card @ bit-tech
Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 512MB Overclock Edition Video Card @ ThinkComputers.org
Sapphire Radeon HD 4650 & 4550 Overclocked Editions @ AMD Zone
HIS HD 4850 IceQ 4 TurboX @ Overclockers Online
Sapphire HD 4650 Overclocked @ Pro-Clockers
Galaxy GeForce GTX 260+ 896MB Graphics Card  @ PC Perspective
BFG Tech GeForce GTX 260 OCX Graphics Card @ TweakTown
Palit Radeon HD 4870 Sonic Dual Edition 512MB @ Legit Reviews
Sapphire Toxic Radeon HD 4870 @ Hartware.net
ATI Radeon HD 4830 @ Silent PC Review

Displays
NEC MultiSync 24WMGX3 @ XSReviews
Iiyama ProLite E2207WS 22in LCD Monitor @ Trusted Reviews

Storage
Patriot Warp V2 128GB 2.5 Solid State Drive @ TweakTown
Thecus N4100 Pro NAS @ Tweaknews.net
Thermaltake Vi-On HDD Enclosure @ TechwareLabs
SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus USB Flash Drive @ Futurelooks

Peripherals
Razer Lachesis Gaming Mouse @ Hardware Secrets
OCZ Technology Dominatrix Laser Gaming Mouse @ Bigbruin.com
Silverstone Raven Gaming Mouse @ t-break
JayBird JB-200 Bluetooth Stereo Headset @ Legit Reviews
Creative HS-1200 Wireless Headset @ Metku.net
Vidabox Premium Wireless HTPC Media Center Keyboard with Laser Trackball @ ThinkComputers.org
Asus My Cinema-PHC3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/RC TV Tuner @ OCC

Cases
Coolermaster CM690 @ CaseCritics.com
Cooler Master ACTS 840 Chassis @ bit-tech
SilverStone FT01 Mid-Tower Case @ Techgage.com
Antec Skeleton Open Air Computer Case @ Metku.net
Antec Skeleton Open Air Computer Case @ Futurelooks
Antec Skeleton Open Air Case @ Pro-Clockers
LanCool Metal Bonded PC-K1 Mid-Tower Case @ ThinkComputers.org
Aerocool Aeroracer Pro Mid-Tower ATX Case @ Tweaknews.net

Cooling
Thermalright TRUE Black 120 @ Bjorn3D
OCZ Gladiator MAX @ OCC
Scythe Musashi VGA Cooler @ High Techreviews.com
OCZ Gladiator Max CPU Cooler @ Virtual-Hideout
Zalman CNPS9300 AT CPU Cooler @ HardwareLogic
Thermaltake MaxOrb EX Heatsink @ Frostytech.com
Cooler Master Z600 CPU Cooler @ bit-tech
Vantec Aeroflow FX 92 VAF-9225 Heatsink @ Frostytech.com
Aquacomputer AquagrATIx HD4870X2 VGA Watercooler @ Hardwareoverclock Austria
Sunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer Heatsink @ Ninjalane
NZXT Cryo LX Laptopcooler @ TweakPC

Power Supplies
Corsair TX750 PSU @ DriverHeaven
Cooler Master UCP 900W & 1100W @ InsideHW
SilverStone Decathlon DA700 Power Supply @ Silent PC Review

Consumer Electronics
Philips Cineos 47PFL9603D 47in LCD TV @ Trusted Reviews
Samsung L310W Digital Camera @ Trusted Reviews
Sprint HTC Touch Diamond Smartphone @ HotHardware.com
Samsung U800 Mobile Phone @ Trusted Reviews

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Back to the Future?
By BernardP on 10/31/2008 11:42:13 AM , Rating: 5
Wow! We have OCModShop testing the Radeon X1600! How old is this? Two years, three years? They are comparing it to the red hot GF 7600 and ATI 2400.




RE: Back to the Future?
By RamarC on 10/31/2008 11:59:15 AM , Rating: 4
i just saw that. here's a hilarious quote from that article:
quote:
The X1600 is CrossFire Ready to deliver the ultimate gaming performance. The one I'm playing with today is sporting 512MB of pure video power, and can be purchased for around $100 on the online marketplace. It's a pretty damned sweet video card.


RE: Back to the Future?
By Mojo the Monkey on 10/31/2008 2:12:23 PM , Rating: 2
Haha... wow. Yeah, considering that all of the following generation cards, even the next level higher, are now selling at that price point, I think its not longer "ultimate gaming performance".


Patriot V2
By therealnickdanger on 10/31/2008 9:07:36 AM , Rating: 2
I was very impressed with the review. Several days of use and only 2 5-second hangs that he noticed? Keeping in mind that he was likely looking specifically for just such a quirk, that is very promising that MLC controllers are improving. Obviously Intel's SSD is still the one to own, but this Patriot is half the price with 40GB extra. It's tempting.

I'm definitely going to be patient... 3 more months and we'll likely see an end to all known random write problems, capacities will be larger, prices will be lower. STAY STRONG! LOL




RE: Patriot V2
By ultimaone on 10/31/2008 10:10:56 AM , Rating: 2
yup its just a matter of time for the SSD drives to come down in price. kinda reminds me of old hard-drives that size and price :D


RE: Patriot V2
By therealnickdanger on 10/31/2008 4:02:46 PM , Rating: 2
Obviously it may be a couple years before SSDs reach 1TB+ (on the consumer end, anyway), but I have to expect that the "hard drive" as we know it is in the last 3 years of its life before being completely overtaken by SSDs. One year from now, I expect SSDs will be optional on nearly every configurable computer/laptop available. Within two years, they will be standard on PCs. I imagine that HDDs will not be able to increase density much further - at least not at the pace that SSDs will rise to meet them while at the same time crushing them in speed.


By Murloc on 10/31/2008 2:31:25 PM , Rating: 1
I see many negative reviews on most hardware sites, of course they don't just flame against the makers, but they don't give them many points.


RE: All these reviews are not real and are funded
By TheDoc9 on 10/31/2008 5:14:37 PM , Rating: 1
It's in their best interest for a for-profit website to err on the side of positive reviews - Give a bad review and they will no longer receive free parts or special treatment by the company.

For example, It would almost be pointless for anyone except a professional benchmarker/journalist to buy the antec Skeleton. Likewise, when video cards first came out they were bundled often with 3 maybe even 5 full version latest release games and loads of demos, now you're lucky if the card has drivers with it and the manual in PDF on the cd!

At least some of the reviews are thorough.


By capper5016 on 11/1/2008 3:17:59 PM , Rating: 2
Thats not entirely accurate......

Look, a lot of smaller sites are basically "strong armed" into positive reviews.....want to get another review sample in the future? You'd better be kind.

But also consider that what you are getting in most instances is just a little more thorough opinion from an enthusiast like you. Some sites have a dedicated staff who all review the same type of products over and over, and some sites just let anyone contribute content.

To throw out a blanket statement saying all reviews suck is silly. Too many times here I see the same people post over and over again blasting reviews. Instead, use the reviews in an intelligent way, read as many reviews as you ccan about a particular product. Different sites focus on different things....so by reading several different opinions you should be able to see trends in strengths and weaknesses and get all the information you need.


RE: All these reviews are not real and are funded
By NerdKing on 11/1/2008 6:57:17 PM , Rating: 2
There are good exceptions, though. Take a look on this review from Antec Skeleton at Hardware Secrets and compare it to the other reviews for this case posted above:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/637

This is a "per-profit" website as you call it and nonetheless they slam the manufacturer when they think a product is bad.


By capper5016 on 11/2/2008 4:53:06 PM , Rating: 2
All review sites are "For Profit" in a sense....everyone has to pay the bills, whether its server costs, shipping review samples, or buying test equipment.

something lost in this a bit is whats important.....as long as its a medium sized site, it doesn't matter if its a positive review, companies look at page views over anything else.

Also, companies typically don't advertise with smaller sites, usually only 3-4 large sites......smaller sites rely on stuff like Google Ads and PriceGrabber for income.

Regardless, those reading reviews to make an educated buying decision should read as many reviews as possible, to get different opinions, as several sites focus on different aspects of a given product.


By Shibathedog on 11/6/2008 1:08:52 AM , Rating: 1
This is exactly why the end score doesn't really matter, The review is still useful though, Make your own judgment because the benchmarks are right in front of your face. It's pretty easy, I do it all the time, I don't know why you can't. If you know your stuff you can tell when they are screwing with numbers and usually determine what a more valid value would be too. These are not game reviews where opinion matters, these are hardware reviews, raw numbers, that's it.


"Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine." -- Bill Gates









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