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Microsoft Windows Vista has arrived, now what?
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Total Votes: 41525 |
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nVidia's Native HDMI Geforce 7050PV Motherboard Chipset
Issue No. 244
TIP: FIREFOX CUSTOMIZED SEARCH TOOL AND RSS FEED
Last week you saw what AMD's 690G chipset was capable of, this week nVidia releases the follow up to its extremely popular Geforce 6150. The GF6150 was the workhorse of the Home Theatre PC world, and an all around great platform for budget-minded PC builders too. The new Geforce 7050PV chipset continues that legacy with HDMI compatibility, Geforce 7-series integrated graphics, TV-out and even the nForce 630a southbridge integrated in. PCSTATS off...
Highlights:
Tip: FireFox Customized Search Tool and RSS Feed
Reviews Covered:
Biostar TF7050-M2 GeForce 7050PV, nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 320MB, Asus EN8800GTS/HTDP/320M, Beginners Guides: Flashing a Motherboard BIOS, DataTec DS350 eSATA External, Biostar TA690G AM2
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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HDMI on the Motherboard - Biostar's TA690G Platform
Issue No. 243
TIP: CUSTOMIZED SEARCH TOOL IN IE 7
Core, Quad, Quint... it's getting hard to know just which kind of CPU one really needs these days. More processor cores and faster clock speeds generally indicate better "performance", but perhaps you should keep a little bit of reality in mind as a family of new DDR3 friendly CPUs sprout from Intel next week. The fastest CPU you need is the one that gets the work that you do, done. If a single core AMD or Intel chip handles what you use a comput...
Highlights:
Tip: Customized Search Tool in IE 7
Reviews Covered:
Foxconn 8600GTS-256 Geforce 8600GTS, Biostar TA690G, Beginners Guides: 104 Tech Tips for Windows XP, Beginners Guides: Understanding and Tweaking WindowsXP, MSI NX8600GTS-T2D256E-OC
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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nVidia Geforce 8600GS DirectX10 Videocard Reviewed
Issue No. 242
TIP: TWO FOR ONE VISTA TIPS, WINXP HOTFIX KB891781
nVidia introduced us to the Geforce 8600 family this week, a good mainstream line of videocards with full Direct X10 and Shader Model 4 support. Clocked faster than a Geforce 8800GTX, but relying on a different architecture, you'll have to see how MSI's factory-overclocked videocard actually stacks up to the rest in PCSTATS' breaking review of the MSI NX8600GTS, catch it right here.
The second half of PCSTATS' look into resolving Hotfix KB891...
Highlights:
Tip: Two for One Vista Tips, WinXP Hotfix KB891781
Reviews Covered:
MSI NX8600GTS-T2D256E-OC, Asus P5N32-E SLI Plus, MSI NX8800GTS-T2D320E-HD-OC 320MB, Beginners Guides: Remote Access to Computers
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Can't Play DVDs in Vista Business? The Fix is...
Issue No. 241
TIP: TAKING SCREENSHOTS IN VISTA, WINXP HOTFIX KB891781
Changing platforms is never fun, all those files to backup and move, software to reinstall, mail settings and remembering passwords. Argh... After a hard day of porting a PC to a new OS there's nothing quite so frustrating as discovering Vista Business can't play back DVDs! For the love of MPEG-2 codecs!!! Anyway, the PCSTATS Newsletter has a special TechTip this week just to fix this little oversight if you're running Vista Business or Basic. Sc...
Highlights:
Tip: Taking Screenshots in Vista, WinXP Hotfix KB891781
Reviews Covered:
MSI NX7900GS-T2D512E-OC, ABIT AB9 Pro Intel P965, ECS PN1 SLI2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Intel's Core 2 Duo E6600 Processor
Issue No. 240
TIP: WINDOWS EVENT VIEWER, WHAT'S NEXT?,
This weeks issue is short and sweet. Starting from the top is a review of the CPU du jour, the Intel Core 2 Duo E6600. With a clock speed of 2.4GHz and the all important 4MB of L2 cache, the E6600 is quick, both in 32-bit and 64-bit benchmarks. Next up is MSI's P6N SLI Platinum motherboard - an Intel platform built on the economical new nForce 650i SLI chipset. Following along is a budget Windows Vista videocard, the Powercolor Radon X1550. The w...
Highlights:
Tip: Windows Event Viewer, What's Next?,
Reviews Covered:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600, MSI P6N SLI Platinum, PowerColor Radeon X1550, AMD Athlon64 X2 4800+
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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AMD Athlon64 X2 4800+ Processor Reviewed
Issue No. 239
TIP: TRIPLET OF TWEKS - DST2007, RESTARTS AND PC MONITORING,
In our line of work, reliable technology is a must. Behind the scenes at PCSTATS the cameras we take photos with, the notebooks we type on, the desktops used to publish each article or tackle photo editing all get major workouts. I've clocked in over 26,000 digital photos on one FujiFilm Finepix camera alone, and the Fujitsu P-series Transmeta Crusoe powered notebook this newsletter is typed on has more air miles on it than you can shake a stick ...
Highlights:
Tip: Triplet of Tweks - DST2007, Restarts and PC Monitoring,
Reviews Covered:
AMD Athlon64 X2 4800+, Foxconn FV-N88SMCD2-ONOC, Asus M2N32 WS Professional, Memory Bandwidth vs. Latency Timings, Super Talent T1000UX2G4, ECS PN2 SLI2+
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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nVidia nForce 680i SLI Motherboard Tested
Issue No. 238
TIP: FOLDER OWNERSHIP & NETWORK ACCESS,
It wasn't too long ago when nVidia just made videocards. The times have certainly changed, now nVidia is known equally as much for its motherboard chipsets as it is for its Geforce graphics chips. In fact, nVidia has had such a strong impact on the motherboard industry that VIA and SIS core logics are rarely seen anymore. The new nForce 680i SLI has a lot going for it, but Intel is still arguably the 800lb chipset gorilla. With AMDs acquisition o...
Highlights:
Tip: Folder Ownership & Network Access,
Reviews Covered:
ECS PN2 SLI2+ nVIDIA, Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6, Super Talent T1000UX2G4, ABIT AW9D-MAX 975X Express, Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-8888C4DF,
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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PCSTATS: BitTorrent Goes Legit
Issue No. 237
TIP: SERVICE ERROR RESOLUTION
As of today BitTorrent has branched out with an Entertainment Network with 5000 movies for rent, and for a couple bucks TV shows, music videos and other forms of digital content up for grabs. BitTorrent appears to have beat YouTube to the punch in a couple respects, making nice with a lot of major rights holders. Much of the content is in standard definition, and as part of the changes BitTorrent is allowing independent content distribution along...
Highlights:
Tip: Service Error Resolution
Reviews Covered:
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-8888C4DF, HEC Zephyr 650W, Asus P5N32-SLI Premium, Corsair Twin2X2048-6400 C3, MSI NX8800GTX-T2D768E-HD, Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP P965
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Processor Roadmaps for 2007 - OctaCore on the Horizon?
Issue No. 236
TIP: COMPATIBILITY MODE IN WINDOWS VISTA,
The roadmaps for Intel and AMD processors undoubtedly involve multiple core designs, greater power efficiency, and in AMD's case a socket change or two. As you may know, AMD's dual core CPUs will be migrating to a native quad core architecture by late summer. Those CPUs will operate with 2MB shared L3 cache, HyperTransport 3.0, and consume upwards of 125W power. By 2008 AMD will have migrated to socket AM2+ then AM3, as the desktop PC platform gi...
Highlights:
Tip: Compatibility Mode in Windows Vista,
Reviews Covered:
MSI NX8800GTX-T2D768E-HD, Asus M2-CROSSHAIR Socket AM2, Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-9136C5D, Computer Recycling, Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP P965, iStar Nitro AX
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Corsair's Killer RAM, New Motherboards and Vista Impressions
Issue No. 235
TIP: CONTROLLING PROGRAMS, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH OLD COMPUTERS? - PART V
Your initial Windows Vista impressions and top 10 first Vista tweaks are still coming in, (send your tweaks here) but the verdict is pretty clear... Windows XP works, whereas Vista is an unfamiliar, overly protective and demanding OS. Several readers are taking a "sit and wait until Vista SP1" approach, while others are waiting until new software eventually forces the upgrade. Yet, a good percentage of you wrote in to say you've made the switch t...
Highlights:
Tip: Controlling Programs, What Do You Do With Old Computers? - Part V
Reviews Covered:
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-9136C5D, Asus P5W64 WS Pro, Epox EP-AF550G Pro, iStar Nitro AX,, Zalman ZM600-HP 600W Power Supply
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Intel Motherboards and Windows Vista
Issue No. 234
TIP: VISTA'S MISSING MENU BAR AND INSTALLING VISTA, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH OLD COMPUTERS? - PART IV
Will you be upgrading to Windows Vista? According to PCSTATS' weekly poll, 60% of you are saying no, 7% have tried out Vista before going back to WinXP and only 32% said they would upgrade to one version of Vista or another. In the PCSTATS labs, we're running a test PC with Windows Vista Ultimate - the top of the line OS version. With 2GB of memory, a 3.2GHz CPU, and a 6800GT videocard, Vista runs well and looks fantastic. The first impression? V...
Highlights:
Tip: Vista's Missing Menu Bar and Installing Vista, What Do You Do With Old Computers? - Part IV
Reviews Covered:
Foxconn G9657MA-8KS2H, Zalman ZM600-HP 600W, Epox EP-5P945 Pro Express, IcyDock MB452 eSATA/USB2.0, DFI LANParty UT NF590 SLI-M2R/G, AOpen Mini PC MP945-VX
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Ultra Mini PC From AOpen: Big Punch Small Package?
Issue No. 233
TIP: DISABLING HIBERNATION IN VISTA, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH OLD COMPUTERS? - PART III
AOpen's Mini PC MP945-VX is an ultra compact barebones system only slightly larger than a stack of CD cases. The small size of this system allows for creative applications; like mounting onto the rear of a plasma screen for example... Up next is PCSTATS' test report on the DFI LanParty UT NF590 SLi - an enthusiast grade AMD Athlon64 (AM2) motherboard with punch. The board is built for overclocking, and has the finite controls to match. On a more ...
Highlights:
Tip: Disabling Hibernation in Vista, What Do You Do With Old Computers? - Part III
Reviews Covered:
AOpen Mini PC MP945-VX Ultra Small, DFI LANParty UT NF590, Asus P5B-E P965, ABIT FATAL1TY AN9 32X
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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ABIT's Fatal1ty Motherboard Pushes Faster...
Issue No. 232
TIP: USING THE RECOVERY CONSOLE IN SAFE MODE, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH OLD COMPUTERS? - PART II
It's 2007, when was the last time you backed up your photos, important data, music, email or whatever? If the answer is "ummm...." take a moment later today and back it up.
External hard drives work great, or grab a couple recordable DVD-Rs and burn that data to disc in 4.7GB chunks. There's nothing worse than loosing a years' worth of digital photo's, or "all that work" so back it up! Hard drives fail, and judging by the letters of thanks PCS...
Highlights:
Tip: Using the Recovery Console in Safe Mode, What Do You Do With Old Computers? - Part II
Reviews Covered:
MSI MEGA mPC 945 Barebones, ABIT FATAL1TY AN9 32X, Biostar P4M890-M7, Biostar Sigma-Gate GeForce 7600GS, MSI K9N Diamond
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Computers That Go Faster, Get Even Smaller
Issue No. 231
TIP: BUGS IN IE7 WITH WINXP, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH OLD COMPUTERS?
Imagine a full computer mainboard no larger than 170x170mm, capable of supporting a 64-bit AMD Athlon64 and just about everything else you need in a PC. Albatron's KI51PV-754 mainboard brings miniITX to a new level of compactness, so we hope you'll give our full review a look. Along the same lines, PCSTATS tested a very unique videocard this week which allows overclockers to adjust voltage to the nVidia GPU and VGA memory... the Biostar Sigma-Gat...
Highlights:
Tip: Bugs in IE7 with WinXP, What Do You Do With Old Computers?
Reviews Covered:
Biostar Sigma-Gate V7603GS-21, Albatron KI51PV-754, MSI P965 Platinum, Asus EAX1950Pro HTDP/256M/A,
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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ASUS X1950 Pro & Intel Core 2 Duo Mobo's
Issue No. 230
TIP: HYBERNATION CONTROL IN WIN XP AND SERVER 2003, A READER ASKS..., HOLIDAY ADVICE - AMD OR INTEL CPU?
ASUS is back this week with a good mainstream videocard called the EAX1950 Pro HTDP , based on the native Crossfire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro GPU. Following this are two Core 2 Duo motherboards, the first is the MSI 975X Platinum , the second a more economical Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3 motherboard. Biostar's nice little nVidia Geforce 6100 based iDEQ 250N small form factor PC, and Gigabyte's famous 3D Aurora 570 aluminum computer case round out the reviews...
Highlights:
Tip: Hybernation Control in Win XP and Server 2003, A Reader Asks..., Holiday Advice - AMD or Intel CPU?
Reviews Covered:
Asus EAX1950Pro HTDP/256M/A Radeon, Biostar iDEQ 250N Mini PC, Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570, Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3, MSI 975X Platinum
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Geforce 8800GTX and nForce 680i SLI Launched
Issue No. 228
TIP: MULTIPLE MONITORS, PUTTING RETIRED HARD DRIVES BACK TO WORK PT. 2
The last couple weeks have been full of new gear - the new nVidia nForce 680i SLI chipsets, and more interestingly the new Geforce 8800GTX and GTS videocards. The Geforce 8800GTX is big, really big... and beneath its armour is 768MB of DDR-3 memory and a GPU the size of a coaster running away at 575MHz. The memory runs at 900MHz, giving this graphics card a mind blistering bandwidth of 86.4 GB/s! With Direct X10 and full Windows Vista Aeroglass s...
Highlights:
Tip: Multiple Monitors, Putting Retired Hard Drives Back To Work Pt. 2
Reviews Covered:
AOpen DSW1812P, Gigabyte GA-8I945GZME-RH, Corsair HX620W, Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H, MSI NX7950GX2-T2D1GE, Beginners Guides: Windows XP Safe Mode Explained
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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PCs The Size of Toasters and Watercooling Cases
Issue No. 228
TIP: UNDOING ANTI-AUTOMATIC UPDATING, AMD FUSION: CPU+GPUS
The floodgates of unwanted email have opened up wide, but there are things you can do to protect yourself that don't involve unplugging your computer or tossing it out a fourth story window. Though, that can be very therapeutic... Have a look at this PCSTATS Beginners Guide, whose title I cannot mention, it will provide you with sound tips to dealing with junk email and all the nasty things that come with it. It's also a good time to double check...
Highlights:
Tip: Undoing Anti-Automatic Updating, AMD Fusion: CPU+GPUs
Reviews Covered:
Biostar iDEQ 250N Mini PC, Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570, IcyDock MB122SKGF, Beginners Guides: The Registry: Backups, Repairs, and Protection, AOpen DSW1812P, Corsair HX620W
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Swapfile Tweak and Core 2 Duo Hardware Tested
Issue No. 227
TIP: KEYBOARDS AND GERM KILLING IN FLU SEASON, PUTTING RETIRED HARD DRIVES BACK TO WORK
The release of the ATI Radeon X1950pro videocard with its native CrossFire capabilities has produced a fair bit of anticipation these past weeks in gaming circles. It will be interesting to see how the ATI dual videocard solution stands up against nVidia's well entrenched SLI platform, both in the benchmarks and commercially. What do you think? Are twin videocards from ATI or nVidia in the cards for you?
This issue of the PCSTATS newsletter st...
Highlights:
Tip: Keyboards and Germ Killing in Flu Season, Putting Retired Hard Drives Back To Work
Reviews Covered:
Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H, Asus M2R32-MVP CrossFire Xpress, HP LaserJet 2420-DN Printer, Gigabyte GV-NX76T256D-RH, MSI NX7950GX2-T2D1GE
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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MSI's Geforce 7950GX2 Videocard Benchmarked
Issue No. 226
TIP: DIS-ENABLING HARDWARE INSTALLATION IN WINDOWS VISTA
We spoke about the upcoming multi-core Intel Core 2 Quad processors an issue ago, and now light is surfacing on AMDs quad-core processor plans. AMD is leap-frogging the Intel approach with its "Barcelona" core; a native four-core CPU set on a single slab of 65nm silicon, with shared L3 cache. Native quad-core CPUs are anticipated by Q3'07 from AMD, though it's anybody's guess what will happen between then and now.
Considering all the dual, qua...
Highlights:
Tip: Dis-enabling Hardware Installation in Windows Vista
Reviews Covered:
MSI NX7950GX2-T2D1GE, Seasonic M12 700W Power Supply, SyncMAX Express PC2-6400, Gigabyte GA-945GM-S2, Samsung Yepp YP-U1ZB, ECS KA3 MVP Extreme Crossfire
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Fresh Computer Hardware For Fall
Issue No. 225
TIP: NETWORKING DENIAL
Ever had trouble getting printers up and working on your network? PCSTATS has a handy Guide to printer sharing on a home network that you won't want to miss.
Motherboards are the backbone of every computer, and right now there a handful of competing chipsets vying for the top spot. Up first in this issue is the Intel P965 Express based Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H, a good solid Core 2 Duo board. The Gigabyte 945GM-S2 aims to bring onboard GMA 950 vi...
Highlights:
Tip: Networking Denial
Reviews Covered:
Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H, Gigabyte GA-945GM-S2, ECS KA3 MVP Extreme Crossfire Xpress, Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5, Epox EP-MF570 SLI, Beginners Guides: Printer Sharing on a Home Network,
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Intel Quad Core Processor in '07
Issue No. 224
TIP: TWEAKING THE DNS
At the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco this week it was announced that a quad-core desktop processor will be unveiled in January 2007. The 65mn 'Kentsfield' Core 2 Quad CPU will be preceded on November 16 by the 2.6GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6700, a quad-core CPU with 8MB total cache, operating on a 1066MHz FSB and spitting out 130W of heat. The first kick at the 4-core can will see two physical silicon dies integrated onto one CPU - or in othe...
Highlights:
Tip: Tweaking the DNS
Reviews Covered:
Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5, Epox EP-MF570 SLI, OCZ DDR2 PC2-7200 Platinum XTC, Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3, Asus EN7900GT Videocard
Originally Mailed Out: May 25, 2007 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 on P965 Express Motherboards
Issue No. 223
TIP: BSOD'S AND YOU: WHAT TO KNOW, SERVER 2003 AND DOMAIN CONTROLLER TROUBLES
Remember that really awesome Tech Tip from Issue #106, or when PCSTATS gave away two Fujitsu Notebooks in Issue #68? How about the column on mysterious motherboard troubles that plagued certain types of capacitors in Issue #163? Perhaps it was Issue #189 with the Guide to the Beginners Guides... Whatever stands out for you from past issues of the PCSTATS Newsletter is now archived, and completely available for online reference. Browse, or run a s...
Highlights:
Tip: BSOD's and You: What to know, Server 2003 and Domain Controller Troubles
Reviews Covered:
Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 Intel P965 Express Motherboard, Super Talent 2.5" Flash IDE 8GB Solid State Drive, Intel Pentium M 740 1.73GHz socket 479 Processor, Biostar TForce P965 Deluxe Motherboard, AMD Sempron 3600+ 2.0GHz Socket AM2 Processor
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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AMD Sempron 3600+ Value for the CPU
Issue No. 222
TIP: BITTORRENT AND PORT FORWARDING, ESSENTIAL GUIDES TOOLKIT
Every now and then we receive emails from readers who lament at the fact that PCSTATS mostly tests out flagship computer hardware; the fastest CPU, bleeding-edge videocards, enthusiast grade motherboards that come with every imaginable option, and in general just the PC hardware that costs the most. Yet when it comes to deciding on what to get for our own PCs, affordable gear is oddly overlooked and unevaluated by review sites, and publications l...
Highlights:
Tip: BitTorrent and Port Forwarding, Essential Guides ToolKit
Reviews Covered:
AMD Sempron 3600+ 2.0GHz Socket AM2 Processor, Biostar TForce P965 Deluxe Motherboard, Corsair Twin2X1024-8500 C5 PC2-8500 DDR-2 Memory, Beginners Guides: Overclocking the CPU, Motherboard and Memory, Intel Pentium D 940 3.2GHz Dual Core Processor, Albatron KM51PV-AM2 Geforce 6150 Motherboard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Albatron's Latest Geforce 6150 Motherboard Rocks AM2
Issue No. 221
TIP: AZUREUS BITTORRENT CLIENT ENCRYPTION TECHNIQUE
While universities and colleges gear up for a brand new semester in just a few short weeks, the internet too always seems to swell in unison... it's a seasonal shift that marks the starting point of a long line of impending videocard releases, new CPUs, chipsets and all manner of technologies. Fun!
PCSTATS 221st Newsletter issue starts off with Geforce 6150-based AM2 Albatron KM51PV-AM2 motherboard. The benchmarks tell the whole story on this ...
Highlights:
Tip: Azureus BitTorrent Client Encryption Technique
Reviews Covered:
Albatron KM51PV-AM2 Motherboard, OCZ DDR2 PC2-7200 Platinum XTC Memory, ASRock AM2V890-VSTA VIA K8T890 Socket AM2 Motherboard, Beginners Guides: Dual OS Installation of WindowsXP 32-bit/64-bit, Intel Pentium D 940 3.2GHz CPU, Seasonic S12 Energy Plus SS-650HT 650W Power Supply
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Intel Pentium D 940 Benchmarked
Issue No. 220
TIP: REVISITING WINDOWS 98 AND WINDOWS 2000 TIPS, THAT THING CALLED ROHS
Perhaps it should have been called the great paper launch. Officially announced twice (first a press preview, then officially so), the much touted Intel Core 2 Duo 'Conroe' processors remain elusively unavailable in retail channels in our neck of the woods. The Core 2 Duo E6600 looks like it will be the sweetheart of the bunch, whenever it happens to appear...
In this weeks Newsletter, PCSTATS reviews the dual core Intel Pentium D 940, a 3.2G...
Highlights:
Tip: Revisiting Windows 98 and Windows 2000 Tips, That thing called RoHS
Reviews Covered:
Intel Pentium D 940 CPU, MSI K9N SLI Platinum Motherboard, MSI NX7900GT-VT256E-HD videocard, Seasonic S12 Energy Plus SS-650HT 650W PSU, Do-It-Yourself Guide: Building a Home Theatre PC / HTPC, iStar D-Storm D300 3U Rackmount Case, OCZ Tempest Heatsink Review
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Power Blackouts and Lost Data Issue
Issue No. 219
TIP: VISTA'S SYSTEM PROTECTION
It's blackout season - heat records are breaking, air conditioners are running at full tilt, and power consumption is shooting through the roof... These are the perfect conditions for a power blackout when you least expect it. Power loss can cause data loss, and to prevent it every computer needs a UPS. If a blackout (or power surge) has ever caused your PC's spiffy new hard drive to fizzle and burn, then data recovery and backups should be at th...
Highlights:
Tip: Vista's System Protection
Reviews Covered:
Powerware 5125 1000VA UPS, Beginners Guides: Hard Drive Data Recovery, Beginners Guides: Flash Memory Data Recovery and Protection, Belkin Universal 1000VA UPS Review, Crucial PC2-6400 Memory Kit Review, ECS RS480-M Crossfire Xpress 200 Motherboard, Asus EN7600GT Silent videocard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Exploding Laptops... Oh my!?
Issue No. 218
TIP: LOCKING DOWN GROUP POLICY EDITOR
By now you may have heard about a handful of laptops spontaneously "exploding." Perhaps you've even seen the photo's of a certain laptop reportedly self immolating at a Japanese convention... Exploding laptops, fiery batteries, what's this all about!?
As laptops have become more compact, the high capacity Li-ion batteries that power them have been crammed into increasingly compact spaces with little room for appropriate ventilation... The issu...
Highlights:
Tip: Locking Down Group Policy Editor
Reviews Covered:
ASRock 775XFire-eSATA2/A/ASR Motherboard, Corsair Twin2X2048-8500C5 Memory, MSI NX7600GT-VT2D256E Geforce 7600GT Videocard, Samsung Syncmaster 173P+, AOpen miniPC MP915-B Super Multi System, PQI mPack P800 Portable Entertainment, Epox 9U1697 Motherboard, Beginners Guides: Synchronizing Files and Folders
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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ASUS M2N32SLI Deluxe AM2 Motherboard Benchmarked
Issue No. 217
TIP: WINDOWS EXPLORER SPEED UP, ENHANCED PERFORMANCE PROFILES - EPP
The rumour mill is running rampant about a series of upcoming processor introductions from Intel and AMD. First up is the Intel Core 2 Duo 'Conroe' CPU, which is supposed to be released on July 23rd. If indicators are true, 'Conroe' is going to be one very nice performance chip. AMD on the other hand is expected to introduce its new Athlon64 FX-64 CPU on August 8th, preceded by some alluring price cuts to existing socket AM2 models on July 24th.....
Highlights:
Tip: Windows Explorer Speed up, Enhanced Performance Profiles - EPP
Reviews Covered:
Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe nForce 590 SLI AM2 Motherboard, Epox 9U1697 GLI ULi M1697 Motherboard, SyncMAX PC2-5300 DDR2-667 Express Memory, AOpen miniPC MP915-B Super Multi System, PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW Power Supply, IcyDock MB453SPF-B SATA Multi-Bay Backplane
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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AOpen's 'MacMini' Ultra miniPC Reviewed
Issue No. 216
TIP: TAKING CARE OF VISTA
Apple may produce trendy computers, but most of us on this side of the fence aren't willing to leave behind all that the x86 PC offers. If you know where to look, you'll find incredibly cool, tiny little Intel-based PCs like the AOpen miniPC MP915B that offer the same compact features as that of the alluring Apple MacMini. With a solid metal chassis, slot-loading DVD writer and single glowing button, the sheen of this ultra mini computer belies t...
Highlights:
Tip: Taking Care of Vista
Reviews Covered:
AOpen miniPC MP915-B Super Multi System, Asus EN7900GT TOP/2DHT/256M/A Videocard, PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW Power Supply, IcyDock MB453SPF-B SATA Multi-Bay Backplane Module, Shuttle XPC SN27P2 SFF PC, Biostar TForce 6100 AM2 Motherboard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Shuttle's socket AM2 xPC - Small Formfactor Done Right
Issue No. 215
TIP: AMD COOL 'N' QUIET, AMD VS. INTEL PART 6: A WORLD OF TWO CPUS
Did you ever think a Toaster sized PC would exist that could pack in 8GB of RAM, SATA RAID, and a dual-slot PCI Express videocard? We didn't until the socket AM2 Shuttle xPC SN27P2 small formfactor barebones arrived in the labs. Small, sleek, with plenty of expansion in a quiet little black box... sometimes you've just got to love the pace at which technology runs. PCSTATS has an extensive review of the Shuttle xPC SN27P2 right here, running on t...
Highlights:
Tip: AMD Cool 'n' Quiet, AMD vs. Intel Part 6: A World of Two CPUs
Reviews Covered:
Shuttle XPC SN27P2 Small Formfactor Review, Biostar TForce 6100 AM2 Motherboard, AMD Athlon64 FX-62 and X2 5000+ Socket AM2 CPUs, Mushkin Enhanced XP-650 PSU, Corsair Twin2X2048-6400C4 Memory, Zalman CNPS9500-AM2 Socket AM2 Low Noise Heatsink, Asus EN7900GT TOP/2DHT/256M/A Videocard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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AMD Socket AM2 Athlon64 FX-62 and X2 5000+ Processors
Issue No. 214
TIP: BASIC FIREFOX MANAGEMENT, AMD VS. INTEL PART 5: DOUBLE UP CORES, ADD IN 64-BIT
After a week of solid technology releases it's no surprise that Carpal Tunnel fires are blazing away at PCSTATS... perhaps a little refresher on Ergonomics & Computing is on order. This issue of the PCSTATS newsletter starts off with two bangs - the new socket AM2 2.8GHz Athlon64 FX-62 and 2.6GHz Athlon64 X2 5000+ processors. We cover these new socket AM2 CPUs from head to toe, so don't miss it! The nVidia nForce 5 chipset offers an impressive fe...
Highlights:
Tip: Basic FireFox Management, AMD vs. Intel Part 5: Double Up Cores, Add in 64-bit
Reviews Covered:
AMD Athlon64 FX-62 and X2 5000+ Socket AM2 Processors, Zalman CNPS9500-AM2 Socket AM2 Low Noise Heatsink, Foxconn 975X7AA-8EKRS2H Motherboard, Corsair Twin2X2048-6400C4 Memory, Buffalo FireStix FSX1000D2C-K2G Memory, Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI Quad Royal Motherboard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Gigabyte's Quad PCI Express Videocard Motherboard
Issue No. 213
TIP: PERFORMANCE FOCUS AND VISUAL OPTIMIZATION, AMD VS. INTEL PART 4: CHIPSETS - THE "X" FACTOR
June is set to be a very exciting month of new technology releases, with CPUs from both Intel and AMD, and the usual flurry of releases to come from the Computex tradeshow floor in Taipei!
For the moment though, PCSTATS is continuing its look at high speed DDR-2 RAM - set to be the enthusiasts best friend when AMD socket AM2 processors emerge. As such, this issue starts off with 1GB Buffalo Technology Firestix PC2-8000 memory. Following that r...
Highlights:
Tip: Performance Focus and Visual Optimization, AMD vs. Intel Part 4: Chipsets - The "X" Factor
Reviews Covered:
Buffalo FireStix FSX1000D2C-K2G Memory, Gigabyte GA-8N-SLI Quad Royal Motherboard, Seasonic S12 600W PSU, Asus EAX1600XT Silent/TVD/256M/A Videocard, Patriot Memory PDC22G8000+XBLK Memory, S3 Chrome S27 PCI Express Videocard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Low Latency Memory - The Next Big Thing?
Issue No. 212
TIP: ASSIGNING SPECIAL ACCOUNT CONTROLS IN WINXP, AMD VS. INTEL PART 3: NAVIGATING BETWEEN DDR AND DDR-2
With the impending release of the much anticipated AMD socket AM2 and Intel Core 2 Duo processors, everything is about to change... dramatically. By the time it's unveiled, Intel's Core 2 Duo CPU will make your computer obsolete if it's using anything with 'Pentium' in the name. Likewise, it will soon be time to put that trusted single-core Athlon64 CPU out to pasture. Dual cores, DDR-2 RAM, and Virtualization will be the new buzzwords this summe...
Highlights:
Tip: Assigning Special Account Controls in WinXP, AMD vs. Intel Part 3: Navigating Between DDR and DDR-2
Reviews Covered:
MSI K8N Diamond Plus Motherboard, Patriot Memory PDC22G8000+XBLK Memory, ECS KA1-MVP Extreme Xpress 1600 Motherboard, S3 Chrome S27 PCI Express Videocard, Asus EN7800GT TOP Silent 2DHTV/256M Videocard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Holographic Storage Not Just Sci-Fi Anymore
Issue No. 211
TIP: FASTER BURNING WITHOUT WINXP, AMD VS. INTEL PART 2: MUCH ADO ABOUT THERMALS
Holographic data storage long ago shed its kitschy Sci-fi factor, but has only recently moved from the R&D labs to commercially available recorders. A traditional DVD records data on the surface with very small pits and lands, while a holographic disk uses light sensitive material to encode data within the medium. A split laser beam passes through the holographic storage medium to then create a 3-Dimensional interference pattern that holds 1 mill...
Highlights:
Tip: Faster Burning Without WinXP, AMD vs. Intel Part 2: Much Ado About Thermals
Reviews Covered:
S3 Chrome S27 PCI Express Videocard, Beginners Guides: WindowsXP Command Prompt, ASRock 939SLI32-eSATA2 ULi M1695 Motherboard, Patriot Memory PDC2G4000ELK 2GB Memory, Asus EN7800GT TOP Silent 2DHTV/256M Videocard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Spring PC Cleaning and Tune Up's
Issue No. 210
TIP: FIREFOX DOUBLES AS INTERNET EXPLORER, AMD VS. INTEL PART 1: WILL THE BEST CPU PLEASE STAND UP?
In a meeting with AOpen last week I was briefed on the Mobile on the Desktop (MoDT) initiative Intel is championing. Heat, noise, and power draw are steadily becoming important criteria, and MoDT seeks to address these issues with technologies born of the notebook industry.
We're not quite at the tipping point where power efficiency, low thermals, and quiet operation are really motivating the computer industry to make drastic changes, but it's...
Highlights:
Tip: Firefox Doubles as Internet Explorer, AMD vs. Intel Part 1: Will the Best CPU Please Stand Up?
Reviews Covered:
Asus EN7800GT TOP Silent 2DHTV/256M Videocard, ECS C19-A SLI Motherboard, PowerColor X1600 XT Videocard, Samsung SPP-2040 Photo Printer, Beginners Guides: Most Common Ways to Kill a PC, Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Memory, ECS 945G-M3 Motherboard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Upgrade or Else, Microsoft Windows 98SE Finally Expires
Issue No. 209
TIP: FIREFOX, PRIVACY AND PASSWORDS
Today marks the passing of a long time friend and nemesis. Microsoft Windows 98, Windows 98SE and Windows ME are being officially laid to rest. If your PC is still running any of these operating systems, you have until July 11, 2006. On that day, the little computer status light will flicker for just a second, as the plug is forever pulled on Microsoft technical support, security updates and critical patches for these Operating Systems (your comp...
Highlights:
Tip: Firefox, Privacy and Passwords
Reviews Covered:
Beginners Guides: Crash Recovery & The Blue Screen of Death, Albatron GeForce 7300GS128 Videocard, ECS 945G-M3 Motherboard, Samsung Yepp YP-U1ZB 1GB MP3, ABIT AN8-32X Motherboard
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Patriot's Secret Weapon on Sluggish DDR-2
Issue No. 208
TIP: DON'T MANAGE MY COMPUTER
It's been quite a while since Colin got as excited about a couple sticks of RAM as he did with the Patriot Memory PC2-8000 modules in this Edition of the Newsletter... low latency and high speed capability all in one package, how very versatile! Colin's review on this DDR-2 RAM is a good read. Be sure to give it a once over, especially if you're considering the upcoming socket AM2 Athlon64 processor or running an Intel Pentium 4 PC right now.
...
Highlights:
Tip: Don't Manage My Computer
Reviews Covered:
Patriot Memory PDC22G8000+XBLK Memory, ABIT AN8-32X nForce4 SLI x16 Motherboard, MSI NX7300GS-TD256E Videocard, Samsung Yepp YP-U1ZB 1GB MP3 Player, AMD Athlon64 FX-60 Dual Core Processor
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 VIEW ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER
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Asus Radeon X1900XTX Videocard... Umm Fast?
Issue No. 207
TIP: RECOVERING HDD SPACE FROM SYSTEM RESTORE
There has never been a better time to scout out a new videocard by the looks of it. Almost every week week we're hearing about ATI or nVidia releasing graphics cards which leap-frog the previous generation... While many of these GPUs (ie, Geforce 7900GTX) are enthusiast grade, there has also been tremendous improvements to mainstream videocards. The Albatron 6600-512 videocard is one such example, though more of a hybrid Geforce 6600 with 512MB m...
Highlights:
Tip: Recovering HDD Space From System Restore
Reviews Covered:
Asus EAX1900XTX 2DHTV/512M/A Radeon, Albatron GeForce 6600 512MB Videocard, Beginners Guides: USB Memory Drive Projects, Super Talent PC2-6400 DDR-2 Memory, Samsung Yepp YP-U1ZB MP3 Player
Originally Mailed Out: Oct 05, 2006 | | | |