tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-230410522026-04-10T01:30:26.889-07:00Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-65705143997310749312008-06-06T06:52:00.000-07:002008-06-07T17:24:15.439-07:00

PNY Geforce 9800GTXA card with three-way SLI, a new cooler design, and morePros: Features offer some interesting future-proofingCons: Performance is a little disappointingBottomline: If you already own a 8800GTS 512MB, this card won’t give you a lot more, but if you are upgrading from a previous generation card it’s worth consideringManufacturer: PNYBut it online at:Buy.com (USA & Canada) -

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-89274320985175152262008-06-04T04:54:00.000-07:002008-06-05T23:23:43.564-07:00

High-end motherboard with plenty of stable overclocking potentialPros: Huge range of adjustments possible in the BiosCons: An extra PCI slot would be usefulBottomline: A well-built, fast-performing motherboard for the enthusiast, offering plenty of overclocking potentialManufacturer: AsusBut it online at:MacMallPC MallClubMacOnSaleNewegg.compcRUSHpcRUSH (SHOP.COM)TigerDirect.com (SHOP.COM)Part of

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-26229652039139557612008-05-29T04:24:00.000-07:002008-06-05T23:26:37.915-07:00

Proof that AGP is far from deadPros: Fastest AGP card we've seenCons: Does not support HD audio throughBottomline: Impressive in that it's not the normal cut-down afterthought card for AGP usersManufacturer: SapphireBuy it online at:CompuvestYou might think motherboards using an AGP slot are things of the past, but there's huge chunk of the population still using platforms based on it. Indeed,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-58982178875943180532008-05-16T06:43:00.000-07:002008-06-05T23:28:54.644-07:00

A mat designed for laser miceOverall: A worthwhile treat for gamers and designersManufacturer: SteelseriesBuy it online at:ClubMacPC MallDell Small BusinessNextDayPC.com (SHOP.COM)OnSaleMacMallBuy.com (USA and Canada)TheNerds.netLaser and optical mice are usually sold as being able to work on all surfaces, but since shiny tabletops can cause inaccurate movement there’s still a market for mouse

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-13832568120166120022008-05-13T00:07:00.000-07:002008-05-15T01:34:01.405-07:00

Hard disk for the style consciousBottomline: A dubious design, but it is fast with excellent connectivityManufacturer: LacieAvailable to buy online at:OnSale - 320GBOnSale - 500GBOnSale - 500GB, USB 2.0 onlyBuy.com (USA & Canada) - 320GBBuy.com (USA & Canada) - 500GBeCOST.com (SHOP.COM) - 500GBeCOST.com (SHOP.COM) - 500GB, USB 2.0 onlyClubMac - 320GBClubMac - 500GBClubMac - 500GB, USB 2.0

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-85496496206331227512008-05-08T06:45:00.000-07:002008-05-10T02:30:59.054-07:00

A robust and well-designed ATX tower casePros: Robust design; easy to access internals; good coolingCons: Non-removable motherboard tray; only one fan includedBottomline: A well-designed case with outstanding build quality and some great design touchesManufacturer: HiperAvailable online at:Newegg.comThe Anubis is Hiper’s first ATX case and screams quality as soon as you get it out of the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-3613878127685715182008-05-01T20:09:00.000-07:002008-05-01T20:16:31.210-07:00

An impressive high-end, all-purpose soundcardPros: Great sound quality; excellent driver support; onboard Dolby Digital Live and DTS encodingCons: Overkill for mainstream marketBottomline: If you’re into audio you’ll find that this card’s excellent sound quality and great range of features make it worth the moneyManufacturer: AuzentechThis soundcard is a bit special because it is built around one

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-50147467171839514322008-05-01T05:06:00.000-07:002008-05-02T05:12:26.105-07:00

Move hard disks the easy wayPros: Simple to install; Ideal for transferring large files; Good speedsCons: No UK mains cable included; Hard disks can be easily damaged when in useBottomline: A good way to move files from one computer to another, as long as you're carefulManufacturer: SandbergThe All-in-One Hard Disk Link from Sandberg allows users to take the hard disk out of a computer and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-67741184204047901822008-04-29T20:24:00.000-07:002008-05-01T20:29:39.933-07:00

Excellent sound quality for both enjoying and editing musicPros: Excellent balanced sound quality; Audio/traction pads; Non captive cablesCons: No headphone sockets; Not especially powerfulBottomline: True audiophile speakers, the Studiophile AV20 speakers excel with all kinds of music and even gamesManufacturer: M-AudioChoosing the right computer speakers is one of the most important choices if

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-55210555829834708312008-04-29T20:07:00.000-07:002008-05-01T20:09:40.825-07:00

Are three AMD cores for the price of two Intel ones good value?Pros: Better performance than Intel in multithreaded apps; Affordable; Good upgrade for AM2 motherboards.Cons: High power consumption; Each core is slower than Intel’s.Bottomline: Triple cores break the CPU mould a bit.Manufacturer: AMDWith the introduction of B3 stepping (Phenom 9050) quad cores, which don’t have the translation

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-62954221533538162402008-04-29T00:20:00.000-07:002008-04-30T00:28:10.861-07:00

Are three AMD cores for the price of two Intel ones good value?Pros: Better performance than Intel in multithreaded apps; Affordable; Good upgrade for AM2 motherboards.Cons: High power consumption; Each core is slower than Intel’s.Bottomline: Triple cores break the CPU mould a bitManufacturer: AMDWith the introduction of B3 stepping (Phenom 9050) quad cores, which don’t have the translation

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-79717468703369189502008-04-25T00:28:00.000-07:002008-04-30T00:34:23.090-07:00

Music minus the background noisePros: Impressive sound quality; Comfortable to wearCons: Audible thud when cable is snaggedBottomline: A definite improvement on conventional earphonesManufacturer: SennheiserIt's generally the case that good-quality earphones should be top of your shopping list after buying a decent portable music player, as the supplied ones are rarely up to scratch.But it's

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-83400187226596532322008-04-24T06:34:00.000-07:002008-06-05T23:30:58.305-07:00

A compact keyboard with a stylish designPros: Stylish design; easy to set up and configure; media mode functionCons: Can be awkward to operate at speed; clickpad is too smallBottomline: There’s no doubt the Dinovo Mini has its uses, but it’s too awkward to operate in terms of text entry to thoroughly recommendManufacturer: LogitechBuy it online at:Newegg.comPC Rush (SHOP.COM)Buy.com (USA and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-64353018432776234272008-04-20T00:29:00.000-07:002008-04-24T00:41:07.462-07:00

Mouse design goes ergonomicPros: Nice looking; Fits hand comfortably well; Scroll wheel moves smoothly; Back and forth buttons.Cons: Heavy; Occasional lag.Bottomline: A bit too heavy for many users, but otherwise a good mouse.Manufacturer: MicrosoftMicrosoft’s latest wireless laser mouse has a slightly smaller wireless transceiver than its predecessor but if you are used to the way that worked

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-31229694594021559142008-04-17T00:05:00.000-07:002008-04-24T00:12:43.954-07:00

A useful but complicated webcamPros: Lets user view remote locations.Cons: Poor documentation; Confusing installation process.Bottomline: A potentially versatile and useful device marred by poor ease of use,Manufacturer: EdimaxA wireless webcam – or Wireless IP Camera, as Edimax rather geekily calls it – can come in handy in all sorts of ways.One of the most common uses is for security – like a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-3554701947829103102008-04-16T10:07:00.000-07:002008-04-21T10:16:23.930-07:00

Bottomline: A good design for all sizes of Kensington lock slotsManufacturer: CubebyteAlmost all notebooks come with small slots designed for Kensington locks, allowing them to be secured to non-moveable items such as fixed tables and desks.However, slight variances in the size of the slot means all locks will not fit all notebooks. Cubebyte attempts to solve this problem by using a lock that

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-67149907150517896512008-04-10T07:56:00.000-07:002008-04-10T09:03:04.767-07:00

Pros: Small size; build quality; aspect-ratio scalingCons: Poor contrast, viewing angles and colour gamut; no DVI connectorBottomline: If you need a small monitor and aren’t fussy about high specifications, this screen won’t disappointManufacturer: ChimeiAside from those miniature 7in displays, you won’t find a PC monitor that takes up much less space than this. Marketed as a 16in display, the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-90567527195550420602008-04-10T02:05:00.000-07:002008-04-11T02:09:43.720-07:00

Bottomline: Great for Bluetooth-enabled devices – others need the chunky receiver, thoughManufacturer: PhilipsThe SB6102 headphones are designed for listening to music wirelessly from a music player or mobile phone and they can also be used as a phone headset.The package consists of a pair of neckband-style headphones, a small Bluetooth receiver that plugs into the headphone socket of the MP3

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-39529110069518436132008-04-08T11:17:00.000-07:002008-04-08T11:20:05.187-07:00

Pros: Fast transfer rate, 2.4m cable length, five-year guaranteeCons: Both PCs must be side by sideBottomline: Makes it easy to move to a new Vista PCManufacturer: Interactive IdeasIf you have recently acquired a new PC, transferring your existing personal files and program settings from your old PC will probably be the first task after unpacking it.To make the process easier, Windows Vista

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-37865777125264547182008-04-04T23:56:00.000-07:002008-04-07T00:01:31.381-07:00

External audio system for gamers and DJs, but audio enthusiasts will be left wantingPros: Good-value surround capabilities; at least one balanced audio in with phantom power; ground terminal for decksCons: Main audio I/Os are coaxial phono (unbalanced); no Mac drivers as yet; a single XLR/TRS audio inBottomline: Home-recording enthusiasts will want more, but gamers and DJs will appreciate its

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-86961765562636197582008-04-04T11:01:00.000-07:002008-04-08T11:05:46.633-07:00

Pros: Solidly made, good sound quality, easy to useCons: Quite large, inaccurate voice diallingBottomline: A better cordless headset for Skype than for a mobileManufacturer: LogitechAll Bluetooth headsets can be used with a mobile phone, but this Logitech Cordless Headset can also connect to a computer to work with Skype.On the headset there are controls for adjusting the volume and a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-49980983027185906982008-04-02T23:43:00.000-07:002008-04-06T23:48:39.972-07:00

A great card for those on a tight budgetPros: Great value for money; range of outputs; performanceCons: Palit’s cooling turns it into a two-slot designBottomline: Just like the 8800GT before it, the 9600GT offers plenty of bang for your buck, and Palit’s Sonic adds a host of extra featuresManufacturer: PalitSonic is the name Palit gives to its overclocked graphics card range, the latest of which

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-63980969894832394432008-03-31T01:06:00.000-07:002008-04-07T01:13:57.690-07:00

A USB adapter with a removable external aerial that's ideal for desktop PCsBottomline: A decent adapter, and the removable aerial is handyManufacturer: HawkingThere are dozens of wireless network adapters on the market today, with more and more connecting to a computer’s USB socket.This is certainly convenient, but if you use a desktop PC tucked under a table it can cause problems as the adapter

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-57825820380327069032008-03-28T02:55:00.000-07:002008-03-31T03:00:01.429-07:00

An essential hard disk accessoryBottomline: More expensive than a hard disk enclosure, but it can cope with two disks at onceManufacturer: MaplinIf a notebook or desktop PC fails completely, data can often be recovered from the hard disk.After removing it from the broken computer, it can be plugged into a device such as the Maplin USB 2 Combo Adapter and then plugged into a USB port on any

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23041052.post-3928140899578976742008-03-28T01:02:00.000-07:002008-04-07T01:06:32.836-07:00

A DVD writer that's inexpensive and easy to installBottomline: Cheap and easy to connect, this drive is a winner.Manufacturer: PioneerCD and DVD drives are extremely common nowadays – in fact, you're extremely unlikely to find a new PC without one.But if you're upgrading an older computer that didn't have one, or that had one with limited functions, it's easy to pick up a good one, such as the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0