http://techreport.comPC Hardware ExploredWed, 16 May 2012 01:55:00 -0500http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/MqBZ7tKijrw/22932http://techreport.com/articles.x/22932<p><span class="smallcaps">One of the</span> big stories in PC processors over the past few years has been AMD's struggles to match the performance of Intel's high-end desktop CPUs. The much-anticipated "Bulldozer" microarchitecture landed with a thud, unable to mount a serious challenge to the dominance of Intel's Core i5 and i7 offerings. Meanwhile, Intel continues to crank out major improvements to these products at a pretty regular clip, as it did with the introduction of the 22-nm <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22835">Ivy Bridge</a> chips last month. </p><p>However, there is another, even bigger story unfolding in PC processors at the same time, and AMD plays a more intriguing role in it. As you may know, CPUs have swallowed up a whole host of other system components in the past few generations from the memory controller to I/O and graphics. The reasons for this trend ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22932">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/09UFl8TOK86VFs_ORAJBsRABZWM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/09UFl8TOK86VFs_ORAJBsRABZWM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/09UFl8TOK86VFs_ORAJBsRABZWM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/09UFl8TOK86VFs_ORAJBsRABZWM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/MqBZ7tKijrw" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 16 May 2012 01:55:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22932http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/kL_H_9jBzJQ/22922http://techreport.com/articles.x/22922<p><span class="smallcaps">The new PC hardware</span> releases have been coming at us so fast lately, we haven't been able to keep up. Yes, today marks the introduction of yet another new graphics card, as Nvidia fills out its GeForce GTX 600 series. After posting my <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22890">GeForce GTX 690</a> review just yesterday, I had half a mind to delay this review and give myself a breather. But then I realized, hey, that's why God made caffeine. </p><p><img src="http://techreport.com/r.x/geforce-gtx-670/card-3q.jpg" width="620" height="506" alt="" border="0"> <br> Nvidia's GeForce GTX ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22922">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p0S0GwPwVNwIzj4TN5KEK6IazJI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p0S0GwPwVNwIzj4TN5KEK6IazJI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p0S0GwPwVNwIzj4TN5KEK6IazJI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/p0S0GwPwVNwIzj4TN5KEK6IazJI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/kL_H_9jBzJQ" height="1" width="1"/>Thu, 10 May 2012 08:00:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22922http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/TyilVDKB1Z4/22890http://techreport.com/articles.x/22890<p><span class="smallcaps">Man, I have to say,</span> thank goodness for tablet computers, smart phones, Xboxes, and whatever else is distracting the masses from PC hardware. The rise of those other devices is supposed to be siphoning off interest from the personal computer, and on some levels, that must be true. There was a time when, as a guy who wrote for TR, I could make conversation with friends and relations about the latest Pentium or Radeon or whatever. These days, those conversations are all about iPads and such instead.</p><p>At the same time, it appears those of us still paying attention to, you know, the most powerful consumer computing platform are living in some sort of a magical future-land where our most persistent gripes have been replaced by difficult choices between multiple amazing options. Want a quiet case? Easily done. Want a case capable of housing ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22890">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/swn35De5mXny9GgfqM7QE0gIino/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/swn35De5mXny9GgfqM7QE0gIino/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/swn35De5mXny9GgfqM7QE0gIino/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/swn35De5mXny9GgfqM7QE0gIino/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/TyilVDKB1Z4" height="1" width="1"/>Tue, 08 May 2012 23:32:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22890http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/NzDYhzk-ilU/22910http://techreport.com/articles.x/22910<div> <table cellpadding="0" class="transparent" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://techreport.com/archive.x?tags=Podcast"><img width="414" height="257" src="http://techreport.com/r.x/2012q2/podcast0506.jpg" alt="The Tech Report Podcast"></a></td> <td style="padding-left: 1em;"><span class="subsubhead">Date: May 6, 2012<br> Time: 1:10:10<br><br> Hosted by Jordan Drake<br><br> Co-Hosts: Scott Wasson, Geoff Gasior, and Cyril Kowaliski<br><br> Download:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep111.mp3">MP3</a> (50.5MB) | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep111.m4a">M4A</a> (68.8MB)<br><br><span class="subsubhead">Subscribe:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_mp3.rss">RSS (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_m4a.rss">RSS (M4A)</a><br><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tech-report-podcast-mp3/id276890851">iTunes (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=273853335">iTunes (M4A)</a></td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2"><script language="JavaScript" src="http://techreport.com/podcast/audio-player.js"></script><span class="subsubhead">Listen now: </span><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="/podcast/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="/podcast/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;bg=0x364B78&amp;leftbg=0xD4D4D4&amp;lefticon=0x364B78&amp;rightbg=0xd4d4d4&amp;rightbghover=0x999999&amp;righticon=0x364B78&amp;righticonhover=0xFFFFFF&amp;text=0xFFFFFF&amp;slider=0xFFFFFF&amp;track=0xFFFFFF&amp;bo rder=0x364B78&amp;loader=0xD4D4D4&amp;soundFile=/podcast/trpodcast_ep111.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="hr"> </div><p><span class="subsubhead">Show notes</span> <br> We're back with a short but sweet episode that kicks off with listener mail. After answering questions about GPU upgrades and CPU/RAM pairings, Jordan polls the panel on their ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22910">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rGFa_JPPKAoWELz43Aa_lxJ1SeQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rGFa_JPPKAoWELz43Aa_lxJ1SeQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rGFa_JPPKAoWELz43Aa_lxJ1SeQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rGFa_JPPKAoWELz43Aa_lxJ1SeQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/NzDYhzk-ilU" height="1" width="1"/>Sun, 06 May 2012 22:56:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22910http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/ovm_ZzIpz2c/22868http://techreport.com/articles.x/22868<p><span class="smallcaps">Netbooks sales are dwindling</span>, and it's easy to see why. While consumers remain keenly interested in ultraportable computers, they clearly prefer tablets to tiny Windows PCs. I don't blame 'em. The touchscreen interfaces that permeate modern tablets are far more conducive to couch surfing and media consumption—and considerably more satisfying than mini touchpads and keyboards. Tablets typically offer better displays and longer battery life. They're thinner and lighter, too.</p><p>To be fair, netbooks do have some advantages. They can run Windows and its associated applications, which is admittedly becoming less important due to the growing selection of apps for Android and iOS. But netbooks do boast conveniences like video outputs, SD slots, and USB ports. Those standard features are relatively rare ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22868">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/otAmvhXuxkqkdDsrtpSnDd21XT8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/otAmvhXuxkqkdDsrtpSnDd21XT8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/otAmvhXuxkqkdDsrtpSnDd21XT8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/otAmvhXuxkqkdDsrtpSnDd21XT8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/ovm_ZzIpz2c" height="1" width="1"/>Thu, 03 May 2012 15:58:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22868http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/kNjBDriPE7k/22836http://techreport.com/articles.x/22836<div> <table cellpadding="0" class="transparent" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://techreport.com/archive.x?tags=Podcast"><img width="414" height="257" src="http://techreport.com/r.x/2012q2/podcast0423.jpg" alt="The Tech Report Podcast"></a></td> <td style="padding-left: 1em;"><span class="subsubhead">Date: April 23, 2012<br> Time: 1:26:46<br><br> Hosted by Jordan Drake<br><br> Co-Hosts: Scott Wasson, Geoff Gasior, and Cyril Kowaliski<br><br> Download:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep110.mp3">MP3</a> (62.6MB) | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep110.m4a">M4A</a> (85MB)<br><br><span class="subsubhead">Subscribe:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_mp3.rss">RSS (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_m4a.rss">RSS (M4A)</a><br><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tech-report-podcast-mp3/id276890851">iTunes (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=273853335">iTunes (M4A)</a></td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2"><script language="JavaScript" src="http://techreport.com/podcast/audio-player.js"></script><span class="subsubhead">Listen now: </span><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="/podcast/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="/podcast/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;bg=0x364B78&amp;leftbg=0xD4D4D4&amp;lefticon=0x364B78&amp;rightbg=0xd4d4d4&amp;rightbghover=0x999999&amp;righticon=0x364B78&amp;righticonhover=0xFFFFFF&amp;text=0xFFFFFF&amp;slider=0xFFFFFF&amp;track=0xFFFFFF&amp;bo rder=0x364B78&amp;loader=0xD4D4D4&amp;soundFile=/podcast/trpodcast_ep110.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="hr"> </div><p><span class="subsubhead">Show notes</span> <br> Intel's long-awaited Ivy Bridge processors (and our review) come out in concert with this latest episode of the TR Podcast. Before diving into ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22836">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pZgCHdusMFVuWMa02ZcAMLfeAUw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pZgCHdusMFVuWMa02ZcAMLfeAUw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pZgCHdusMFVuWMa02ZcAMLfeAUw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pZgCHdusMFVuWMa02ZcAMLfeAUw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/kNjBDriPE7k" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:32:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22836http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/VmUHkxNGegs/22833http://techreport.com/articles.x/22833<p><span class="smallcaps">Overclocking is a sort of rite of passage</span> for PC enthusiasts. You're not truly hardcore until you've pushed your hardware beyond the stock speeds defined by the manufacturer. Back in the day, that meant fiddling with DIP switches, navigating arcane BIOS interfaces, and sometimes even making hardware modifications with a #2 pencil. Also, we had to walk barefoot through several feet of snow just to get our hands on the hardware; Newegg wasn't around, and Amazon only sold books.</p><p>Today, clock boosting couldn't be easier. AMD and Intel both offer CPUs with fully unlocked multipliers, the holy grail of overclocking. Pushing one's CPU past its default speed requires ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22833">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpQKNE3juIrueEx3caHOzjZ7hzo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpQKNE3juIrueEx3caHOzjZ7hzo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpQKNE3juIrueEx3caHOzjZ7hzo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HpQKNE3juIrueEx3caHOzjZ7hzo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/VmUHkxNGegs" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:24:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22833http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/FHwXtpE1V6A/22835http://techreport.com/articles.x/22835<p><span class="smallcaps"></span>Yes, folks, today Intel is introducing the long-anticipated new CPU code-named Ivy Bridge. The release of any new microprocessor comes with a tremendous amount of complex information, and Ivy is certainly no exception. Intel has handed over vast amounts of detail about its new chip, the products based on it, and their dizzying arrays of features. To that, we've added a boatload of test results comparing Ivy Bridge to her contemporaries. We're practically bursting with info to share with you.</p><p>However, I've been reviewing CPUs for quite a while now, and I'll let you in on a little secret. Sometimes, beneath all of the complexity, the scuttlebutt on a new chip is pretty simple. And, truth ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22835">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yrLXWucuzN01dGjwQUnFASyh06g/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yrLXWucuzN01dGjwQUnFASyh06g/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yrLXWucuzN01dGjwQUnFASyh06g/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/yrLXWucuzN01dGjwQUnFASyh06g/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/FHwXtpE1V6A" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:18:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22835http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/T4avwkYGLEw/22823http://techreport.com/articles.x/22823<p>Rumor has it Ivy Bridge is just around the corner. The Z77 Express motherboards designed to accept Intel's new hotness are already selling online, and we took an <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22755">in-depth look at three of 'em</a> last week. Since then, Intel's own enthusiast-oriented Z77 board has made its way into the Benchmarking Sweatshop. There hasn't been time to run the DZ77GA-70K through our exhaustive motherboard test suite because it's been busy with, ahem, other things. However, I've spent enough time with the board to get a reasonably good sense of what it has to offer.</p><p>DZ77GA-70K doesn't exactly roll off one's tongue, but its Gasper codename isn't much better. Indeed, there is nothing about this board that would ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22823">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6mk9h_vTdXDxaDhAJZuZQdNNwN4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6mk9h_vTdXDxaDhAJZuZQdNNwN4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6mk9h_vTdXDxaDhAJZuZQdNNwN4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6mk9h_vTdXDxaDhAJZuZQdNNwN4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/T4avwkYGLEw" height="1" width="1"/>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:23:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22823http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/qNkzBzWvCNc/22794http://techreport.com/articles.x/22794<p><span class="smallcaps">Since the first Western Digital Raptor</span> was released in early 2003, a new version has arrived roughly every two years. The initial incarnation was the first Serial ATA hard drive to spin its platters at 10,000 RPM. With performance that outclassed its 7,200-RPM competition but only 37GB of storage, the Raptor became the original enthusiast's boot drive.</p><p>In the years since, WD has kept the drive's spindle speed steady while increasing its capacity. A 74GB model soon followed, and the Raptor jumped to 150GB after that. Then, in 2008, the drive shrunk down to a ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22794">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zdXPswJited0X8IbzJkd2dWsaAc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zdXPswJited0X8IbzJkd2dWsaAc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zdXPswJited0X8IbzJkd2dWsaAc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/zdXPswJited0X8IbzJkd2dWsaAc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/qNkzBzWvCNc" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:00:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22794http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/n13JbEmjgMs/22763http://techreport.com/articles.x/22763<div> <table cellpadding="0" class="transparent" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://techreport.com/archive.x?tags=Podcast"><img width="414" height="257" src="http://techreport.com/r.x/2012q2/podcast0408.jpg" alt="The Tech Report Podcast"></a></td> <td style="padding-left: 1em;"><span class="subsubhead">Date: April 8, 2012<br> Time: 1:22:10<br><br> Hosted by Jordan Drake<br><br> Co-Hosts: Scott Wasson, Geoff Gasior, and Cyril Kowaliski<br><br> Download:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep109.mp3">MP3</a> (59.3MB) | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast/trpodcast_ep109.m4a">M4A</a> (80.5MB)<br><br><span class="subsubhead">Subscribe:</span><br><a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_mp3.rss">RSS (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://techreport.com/podcast_m4a.rss">RSS (M4A)</a><br><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tech-report-podcast-mp3/id276890851">iTunes (MP3)</a> | <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=273853335">iTunes (M4A)</a></td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2"><script language="JavaScript" src="http://techreport.com/podcast/audio-player.js"></script><span class="subsubhead">Listen now: </span><br><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="/podcast/player.swf" id="audioplayer1" width="290" height="24"> <param name="movie" value="/podcast/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=1&amp;bg=0x364B78&amp;leftbg=0xD4D4D4&amp;lefticon=0x364B78&amp;rightbg=0xd4d4d4&amp;rightbghover=0x999999&amp;righticon=0x364B78&amp;righticonhover=0xFFFFFF&amp;text=0xFFFFFF&amp;slider=0xFFFFFF&amp;track=0xFFFFFF&amp;bo rder=0x364B78&amp;loader=0xD4D4D4&amp;soundFile=/podcast/trpodcast_ep109.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object></td> </tr></tbody></table><div class="hr"> </div><p><span class="subsubhead">Show notes</span> <br> We kick off this episode with a sizable amount of listener mail, and then dive into two OCZ SSD reviews with Geoff. Next, we cover a trio of Apple stories, including Geoff's blog post highlighting the ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22763">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RdaQTpYx-h2hwb7kTXxHu-ze5Qs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RdaQTpYx-h2hwb7kTXxHu-ze5Qs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RdaQTpYx-h2hwb7kTXxHu-ze5Qs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/RdaQTpYx-h2hwb7kTXxHu-ze5Qs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/n13JbEmjgMs" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 09 Apr 2012 01:04:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22763http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/SodzJO2zBOA/22755http://techreport.com/articles.x/22755<p><span class="smallcaps">Intel's next-generation processor</span> may be the worst-kept secret in the industry right now. Intel has disclosed quite a bit about Ivy Bridge, and other details have already leaked onto the web, including specifications, benchmark results, and Intel's own marketing materials—yet I've been asked to refrain from mentioning her by name. Instead, she's to be referred to only as Intel's "3rd generation Core processor." And she's not ready yet.</p><p>Intel <a href="http://techreport.com/discussions.x/22542">has confirmed</a> that Ivy Bridge's arrival has been delayed to iron out kinks in the 22-nm fabrication process used to make the chip. We may not see notebooks featuring Intel's new hotness until June. Desktop versions of the CPU should be available before ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22755">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OK1mTYv3BGdMt5emabDEDDCy-Co/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OK1mTYv3BGdMt5emabDEDDCy-Co/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OK1mTYv3BGdMt5emabDEDDCy-Co/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OK1mTYv3BGdMt5emabDEDDCy-Co/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/SodzJO2zBOA" height="1" width="1"/>Sun, 08 Apr 2012 20:58:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22755http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/jauFMiKv-7Y/22747http://techreport.com/articles.x/22747<p><span class="smallcaps">Wow, it's been a long time</span> since I sat down to review a mechanical keyboard. Just over three years, in fact. The last clicky keyboard I looked at was the <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/16616">ABS M1</a>, which was a fantastic bargain... right before it mysteriously disappeared from e-tail listings in late 2009.</p><p>Things took a turn after that. Enthralled by the snappy chiclet keys on my MacBook, I grabbed one of Apple's <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/17687">full-sized aluminum desktop keyboards</a> . My interest in mechanical key switches promptly plummeted. Somehow, the ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22747">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OZMK20mAHEotvTKAaMl-fBdjX4o/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OZMK20mAHEotvTKAaMl-fBdjX4o/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OZMK20mAHEotvTKAaMl-fBdjX4o/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/OZMK20mAHEotvTKAaMl-fBdjX4o/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/jauFMiKv-7Y" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:49:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22747http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/hulEXPuiY2Y/22736http://techreport.com/articles.x/22736<p><span class="smallcaps">OCZ's original Vertex</span> wasn't the first SSD on the market, but it deserves a lot of credit for popularizing solid-state drives among enthusiasts. The first iteration debuted in late 2008 with an Indilinx Barefoot controller that offered much better performance than the flaky JMicron chip making the rounds at the time. Although the 120GB drive's $470 price tag seems high by today's standards, it was a bargain compared to Intel's X25-M, which cost more but offered just 80GB of storage. The Vertex also gained TRIM support via a firmware update, while Intel famously reserved that feature for its second-gen X25-M.</p><p>Since its arrival, the Vertex has spawned multiple models distributed across a several generations. About a year after the first Vertex arrived, OCZ ditched Indilinx for a new muse. SandForce's ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22736">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oaIbMyZeIDGzkG9C4Kb5KPZjFB0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oaIbMyZeIDGzkG9C4Kb5KPZjFB0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oaIbMyZeIDGzkG9C4Kb5KPZjFB0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oaIbMyZeIDGzkG9C4Kb5KPZjFB0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/hulEXPuiY2Y" height="1" width="1"/>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 08:00:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22736http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techreport/articles/~3/PmKYCxN4Oh0/22735http://techreport.com/articles.x/22735<p><span class="smallcaps">When we first</span> <a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22653">reviewed the GeForce GTX 680</a>, we were in our usual rush to push out an article at the time of the product's unveiling, after a solid week of poking and prodding Nvidia's new GPU. We were also attempting some of the more complex analysis of real-time graphics performance we'd ever done, and these things take time to produce.</p><p>Something had ...</p><p><a href="http://techreport.com/articles.x/22735">Read more...</a></p> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQG2lOzq5y76CBMFY9q7qzlhB1s/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQG2lOzq5y76CBMFY9q7qzlhB1s/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQG2lOzq5y76CBMFY9q7qzlhB1s/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pQG2lOzq5y76CBMFY9q7qzlhB1s/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techreport/articles/~4/PmKYCxN4Oh0" height="1" width="1"/>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:56:00 -0500http://techreport.com/articles.x/22735