After the Maxrevo series Enermax hits again with the Platimax. The members of this series meet the 80 PLUS Platinum certification requirements so they are among the most efficient units on the market. In today's review we will take a detailed look at the Platimax 850W which, among others, uses a semi-modular cabling design and promises reliable performance even at 50°C ambient.
Lian Li has made quite a few unique enclosures in the past. This includes the Spider looking PC-T1 or the extravagant PC-888. Now, their newest designer case, the PC-U6, comes in the shape of a snail's house, with round circular shapes. Such a case will turn heads, even with a Van Gogh hanging next to it, that is for sure.
In Win's first Commander power supplies were built by Channel Well Technology. The second generation, which we are reviewing today, uses Andyson as OEM. Internally the Commander II uses a modern design based on DC-DC converters, which promises high efficiency and stable voltage supply.
Antec's new Basiq series offers affordable power supplies that are engineered for 230VAC only, to maximize price/performance. While we don't see fancy colors, sleeved cables, modular connectors or LED lighting, the VP550P features great performance characteristics and good component selection like japanese capacitors.
Patriot's new Wildfire SSD is based on the popular Sandforce SF-2281 controller, but is advertised as "enterprise" model by Patriot. In our real-world testing we are amazed by the drive's performance, which makes it the fastest Sandforce SSD we tested so far, even the mighty Intel 510 SSD is only 1% ahead.
ModMyMachine's first mouse mat is tested to see whether it can compete with the more estabilshed brands. The SlamePad is made from aluminum and has a lot of distinctive design features. All those looking for a certain color of mouse mat will be pleased to find that the SlamePad is available in a multitude of different colors.
The Fractal Design Define Mini is not only a successful shrink of the award winning Define R3 or Define XL cases, but also adds USB 3.0 to the mix. We take the chassis for a spin to see if the small case really carries the same genes as its bigger brothers.
In Win Glacier is a new modular PSU series which focuses on efficiency and reliability. The Glacier 900W is the first released model and provides up to seven PCIe power connectors for maximum expandability. Warranty is a whole seven years which shows the confidence In Win has in their product.
ECS is back, with another "Black Series" product, the ECS A75F-A. Built for the recently released Llano AMD APUs, the ECS A75F-A offers entry-level pricing, with quite a few enthusiast features. We take the shinig knight in black armor, and put it into battle!
Akasa can be considered an institution or constant as a computer brand. The Venom Toxic chassis is their latest case aimed at the gaming crowd. The neon green accents make for a badass chassis. We give the large chassis a spin to see if it's all hot smoke or if the Viper has a real toxic bite.
Mach Xtreme's MX-DS Turbo SSD is based on the Sandforce SF-2281 controller which features support for the SATA 6 Gbps interface among other improvements. In our real world testing we pit the MX-DS Turbo against a handful of competing solid state drives to check whether it can stand out in the crowd of Sandforce drives.
The Centon Rush boasts with good read performance but also excellent write speeds. We shred through the plastic packaging and test the compact flash drive on our testing station, with surprising results - it's even faster than what the manufacturer advertises.
HPTX cases are usually so tall that they do not fit under a normal desk. Lian Li - the company who first offered such a chassis - has managed to shrink things down to mid tower size while still offering HPTX compatibility and the ability to install up to 12 hard drives. We rip the case apart to see how everything is suppose to fit in such cramped spaces.
OCZ, having the value-oriented user in mind, recently released a new PSU series. According to OCZ the ZS series PSUs offer affordable power solutions to value-oriented gaming systems.
ASUS has updated their microATX ROG offerings with the latest chipset from Intel, and we take a look. A red and black racer, the ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z is ready for high speed gaming without a doubt, and packs in many exclusive features that just might see it hit the finish line first. Ready? Set? GO!
Be Quiet, as the name implies, specializes in the construction of silent PC components like CPU coolers, fans and power supplies. In this review we will test the Pure Power CM L8 730W, a modular PSU that targets the tight budget users since it features an affordable price, it is 80 PLUS Bronze certified and is equipped with four PCIe connectors. On top of that it promises quiet operation even at full load thanks to the SilentWings fan technology.
Pandawill Rii mini i6 is the name of a new miniature keyboard and remote combo product. The device integrates a full Bluetooth QWERTY-keyboard into the back of a normal infrared remote control. The unit is priced at $60 so it will not break the bank.
The Thermaltake Chaser MK-1, a futuristic looking chassis with a long list of useful features manages to impress in terms of looks, but can it hold up on our test bench? We fill the case with hardware to see if it ends up being chased or really manages to stay the chaser in every scenario.
OCZ is very busy lately releasing new PSU models. Today we have the chance to test the OCZ ZS 650W. The main difference compared to the bigger ZS 750W, besides capacity, is the reduced number of available PCIe connectors, only two. Like all ZS units it has 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency, its OEM is Sirfa and it uses a non-modular cabling design.
The CORE 1000 is the most affordable entry into the Micro ATX case market from Fractal Design. It is aimed to take on the Cooler Master Elite and the Xigmatek Asgard by offering as many features at an affordable price point. Will it prevail?
Fostex's newest product is a headphone amplifier and DAC dubbed the HP-P1. The HP-P1 offers a fully digital connection to any newer iPod or iPhone. Its ability to read digital data from the device is a unique feature that promises maximized audio quality because it bypasses the cheap analog hardware in the i-device.
Outfitted with a real X-Fi chipset and a KillerNIC E2100 to score maximum kills, Gigabyte's latest from the G1.Killer series, the G1.Sniper2, hits TechPowerUp's boot camp. Ready to jump into trenches and enter combat, we put the Intel Z68-equipped G1.Sniper2 in the front lines, target in sight.
The new Corsair TX M lineup is an evolutionary step forward from the Corsair TX V2 Series. It introduces modular connectors and a new fan grill design. Internally, the platform provider has been changed from Seasonic to Channel Well Technology. Overall the TX750M is a rock solid performer that comes at only a moderate price increase.
AMD's new Llano APU lineup gets a stylish new addition with the Biostar TA75A+. Sporting an fancy color scheme, and a low price, the Biostar TA75A+ seeks to bring some enthusiast features to the entry-level market.
OCZ's Vertex 3 is the company's flagship solid state drive. It is based on the fast Sandforce SF-2281 controller which offers support for the latest SATA 6 Gbps interface. We tested the 240 GB version against ten other SSDs in both 6 Gbps and 3 Gbps mode.
