Where would computers be without coolers? Nowhere... High-end systems put out heat just like an engine, and they need to be cooled just like an engine. Water cooling is becoming a more popular format to keep these systems in line, but what if you don't want or can't afford a water system? High-end air coolers are the only next option. XIGMATEK is now starting to fulfill this need with coolers like the 055 which we'll look at today.
The Biostar V7603GS21 V-Ranger is based on NVIDIA's GeForce 7600 GS but comes at a higher memory clock. In addition to that Biostar added some changes to the PCB to allow software to change the GPU and memory voltages, which allows much better overclocking of the card. In our testing we could increase the core clock by 63% and the memory clock by 20% which made the card play in a completely different performance league.
Today we will be taking a look at the recently launched and highly anticipated SteelSound 3H gaming headset, which should bring some quality audio to the low-/midrange headphone market. The headset can be folded together nicely to take up very little space in your LAN party backpack, for a very competitive price of $50.
The A-DATA Vitesta DDR2 1066+ 2 GB memory kit is an excellent choice for overclockers who are looking to maximize their clock rates and performance. Even though it is specified to run at CL5, we had no problems running at CL4 above DDR2-1000 - CL3 is possible as well at reduced clock rates. What makes this versatile memory kit even more attractive is its fair price of $365.
The Thermaltake Bach VX case is nothing ordinary, even though the slogan "The Charm of the Ordinary" may imply some form of simpleness. The case sports some gorgeous looks and comes feature packed from start to finish. A brushed aluminum front, black drive bay covers, multiple locks and a partially screws-less design are just some of the highlights. We fill the case with hardware and let you know if we are still smiling in the end.
The I-Rocks IR7330 4-Way Navigation Laser Mouse is a very light, but robust 800/1600 DPI mouse. It offers more than the usual functionality and comes with a very small and slim piece of software to customize these. If you are a gamer looking for an ultra light mouse, this one may be for you. We won't be distracted by the fancy blue scroll wheel and take a close look at form, functionality, feel and performance of this mouse.
With the Tarantula Razer has created a keyboard that is designed to suit the needs of gamers. The keyboard offers programmable macro keys and lets you also reorganize your keyboard layout by swapping keys. As always, Razer's software is intuitive to use and offers a lot of features. Unfortunately with a $129.99 price tag the keyboard is fairly expensive.
Goldenmars are expanding from being an OEM manufacturer to targeting the retail market. To facilitate the changes, the company launched its signature brand "GeeDom" line of memory modules and flash based storage products. We are testing the Identity flash drive and SD card today which comes with a small LCD display that shows volume label and available capacity, even when disconnected from the PC.
Razer has always been known to produce some of the best mice and sensors on the market. They established their reputation with the Razer Diamondback which has now found a worthy successor. The Razer DeathAdder is the best mouse we ever tested, in both low sensitivity and high sensitivity. The bundled control panel is a breeze to work with and boasts a huge number of features. With a price of $59.95 this mouse also offers an excellent price/performance ratio.
At CES Zalman announced that they will enter the monitor market. The first product is a 3D display based on LCD technology. Initially there will be two sizes available, 19" and 22". Another more traditional new product was a fan controller that can measure the system's power draw.
The Radeon X1950 Pro series is one of the hottest selling video cards at the moment. It is competitively priced and can run all current games without breaking a sweat. Gecube has engineered a special TEC cooled solution for improved overclocking. In our testing we saw amazing clock increases of 20% on both the core and memory for a final clock of 682 MHz / 816 MHz.
The SteelSeries SteelSound 4H is a headset made specifically for gamers. Like its big brother, the 5H, it is designed to give you an advantage in games by making sure you hear all the little details like footsteps. The SteelSound 4H offers great wearing comfort even when used for gaming sessions of several hours.
A-DATA's My Flash PD7 USB Drive is certified for use with Microsoft Windows Vista ReadyBoost. In our testing this drive takes the performance crown with a sustained read transfer rate of 34 MB/s, far more than any other USB drive we tested so far. Access times are very important for ReadyBoost. Here the PD7 can shine too, only 0.6 ms is a new record as well.
Super Talent has recently announced their RBST line of USB sticks that support the Windows Vista ReadyBoost feature. ReadyBoost is a technology that enables you to increase system performance without doing any complex hardware upgrades. In our testing we see that the RBST offers amazing access times of only 0.9 ms and solid transfer rates of 17 MB/s for a very competitive price.
Everglide has been known to produce very high-end mouse pads for years. Now they ventured into the gaming headset market with their S-500 series of professional headsets. The headset offers excellent wearing comfort, even when used over longer periods of time. Also the sound quality is good for both gaming and listening to music.
Ratpadz was one the first companies to produce high quality plastic mats aimed at gamers who wanted absolute precision. The pad looks just like the original and is made from the same type of durable plastic. Can this old, relatively speaking, mat compete with the new sleek designs of the other big pad producers, read the review to find out.
Akasa has a full range of external hard drive enclosures. The integral line-up includes every connection variant from LAN and USB 2.0 to eSATA. The Akasa integral eSATA combines USB 2.0 and eSATA. You can also use an IDE or SATA drive with the enclosure. This makes the integral eSATA a very versatile enclosure. We use every possible combination and take a look at the performance of both connection types. Its stackable, sleek looks combined with the good performance make this a perfect choice for users who plan to use multiple external enclosures.
OCZ's hottest announcement at CES was their upcoming 2000W powersupply that is so big that it is housed in an external case. Another promising product is their Equalizer series of gaming mice. These laser mice have a feature "Triple Threat Button" that simulates three keypresses when pressing a mouse button once. Quite useful for pistol action in Counter-Strike or to get off quick bursts.
Func has always been known to produce some of the best gaming mouse mats in the world. They started off producing their infamous surface1030 which featured two surfaces: one rough and one smooth. Today we test the new version of their smooth surface namely the Func F10.S Large, which is aimed at low sensitivity gamers, and gamers who want the smoothest glide.
ASUS has been showing a number of innovations at CES. For example their XG Station which is the first external video card for notebook. The 7900 GS class card lets you play modern games on your ultra portable business notebook. Another show highlight was the W5Fe notebook which is the first to use a secondary display for Microsoft Windows Vista Sidekick technology.
The big attraction at Sapphire's CES booth was the Dual X1950 Pro, which uses two X1950 GPUs on one PCB with a total of 1 GB of memory. The card that is bigger than any other video card to date is designed to give top notch performance to users of motherboards with only one PCI-E slot. Also on display was a completely passively cooled Radeon X1650 Pro.
The Thermaltake LanBox is a portable case, which - as the name implies - is perfect for LAN parties. It features a large, comfortable and very sturdy handle, while keeping the weight down. It may cost more than other SFF cases out there, but certainly shines in every aspect. We let you know if the money is well spent for this case that is made to be the ultimate LAN party case.
Arctic Cooling has been in the video card aftermarket cooler market for several years. Their products are well known among overclockers and users that are looking to lower the fan noise of their video card. At this year's show they presented two completely fanless passive VGA coolers that can even cool GeForce 7950 and X1950 cards.
The Everglide Titan "Fnatic" is the first mousepad which is the result of the collaboration between Clan Fnatic and Everglide, hence the name. Everglide has always been known for producing high quality gaming surfaces. A great feature for low-sensitivity gamers is its size, it is absolutely huge. But will it live up to Everglide's standard and reputation?
