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Deep Dive Into Thecus NAS Software
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 "Testing NAS servers is a complicated and time consuming task. For the most part modern NAS products are computers in their own right with some using Intel Core2 Duo processors with 4GB of RAM. When writing a NAS review it is easy to focus on the hardware and capabilities, but often the software, applications and setup functionality take a back seat even though these functions are in many cases just as important as the hardware used.
To help ease the strain on both the reader and the writer, today we are going to cover the latest firmware / software release from Thecus. In a couple of days we will also publish a similar article covering the QNAP firmware / software since these are the two companies that send us a sample every other month and also have such extensive software. We plan to keep these available as living documents with updates published throughout the coming years."
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Western Digital RE4-GP 2 TB Hard Disk Drive Review
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The biggest difference between the Western Digital RE4 hard disk drive and the Western Digital RE4-GP hard disk drive is the spindle speed. The "regular" RE4 drive spins at 7,200 RPM while the RE4-GP spins at a slower fixed speed between 5,400 RPM and 7,200 RPM. Everything else remains identical between the two drives.
Although the WD RE4-GP may appear to be a RAID-optimized version of the WD Caviar Green desktop hard disk drive, it is far more than just the Caviar Green with TLER support. Let's find out just how well it performs against the 10,000 RPM WD VelociRaptor and other leading desktop hard disk drives.
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Everki Camber Laptop/Netbook Bag
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Looking for a carrying case for your netbook? Take a close look at EVERKI has to offer with their Camber 7" - 13" case. Sure, there are endless companies on the market today to choose from, but not too many have carrying bags for netbooks. The Camber from EVERKI is one that really stood out among others while attending CES 2010. Let's take a closer look at the Camber to see why were excited to review it for you.
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ASUS TUF SaberTooth 55i
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We over at Bjorn3D.com are going to be looking at one of ASUS's newest additions to their motherboard line up. This motherboard is built upon ASUS's outstanding continuation of high quality and their attention to detail. This motherboard uses Intel's P55 chipset, like other motherboards based on the this chipset, the ASUS Sabertooth 55i motherboard can support any 1156 socket CPU. It can be configured to run either Nvidia's multi GPU configuration SLI, or ATI's multi GPU configuration Crossfire X. But like all other P55 based motherboards, this motherboard only supports Dual Channel memory.
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Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 128GB SSD
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It is always interesting when a new controller steps into the
market for SSDs and today we are looking at the Kingston SSDNow V+
Series with the new Toshiba T6UG1XBG drive controller. Will this new
controller be a step up or another JMicron disaster? Read on to find out.
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Corsair Obsidian 800D
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Corsair is a company mostly known for their memory and power supplies. Lately they have started to move towards other areas like SSD's and today we are looking at their first computer case: the Corsair Obsidian 800D. This is not just any case. Corsair has gone big in all sorts of ways and wants to make this the ultimate gamer and computer enthusiast case. Have they succeeded?
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Asrock P55 Deluxe3 motherboard
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For that kind of money the Asrock P55 Deluxe3 certainly has a lot on offer while the inclusion of SATA3 (6Gb/s) and USB 3.0 (5Gb/s) support means that it should ward off future upgrades for quite some time. While the ability to support upcoming USB 3.0 devices is an impressive feature of the P55 Deluxe3 there are already a number of motherboards that are USB 3.0 ready and many of them are even cheaper.
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Cooler Master 750 Watt GX PSU
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When we build our computer systems, the first thing we need to ask ourselves, 'What am I planning on using in my computer?' When we get our thoughts settled out on what video cards, CPU, motherboards, type and size of the memory, right down to the HDD's we are going to use. The next thing we should ask ourselves, 'What PSU should I be using, that will properly power my new computer?' Tring to find that perfect balance of power and cost is not an easy task. But we all know that by getting the cheapest PSU we can get is not exactly the best option. Because these sub-standard PSU's on average cost us more in the long run, then what we paid for them.
I have seen and heard of some rather strange things on what happens on a under powered computer, or when someone uses a sub standard PSU. I seen a PSU literally blow up, I have experienced computer lock ups, unexplianed overheating of key computer components, too losing conductivity with my USB peripherals. The possiblities are endless on what can and will happen when we use a under powered computer, or when a computer uses a sub-standard PSU.
When ever someone is building a new computer, or when someone is asking for PSU advice. I normally advise the use of at least a 750 watt PSU from a reputable company. Even if they may or may not use its full potential, a 750watt PSU will give their computers the necessary power it needs, and also allow the user a bit more flexibility on future upgrades. I have used Cooler Master PSU's in my computer builds for a few years now, And I have never experienced any power related issues from these PSU's. With all of this in mind, lets give Cooler Masters newest addition of PSU's a good work out.
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Four Mainstream System Cases from AeroCool, Enermax, NZXT and Scythe
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Today we are going to talk about four system cases of the most popular type: mainstream price range. We will talk not only about solutions with classical design that stood the test of time, but also about a few truly unique products. Among our testing participants are AeroCool Syclone, Enermax Phoenix Neo, NZXT Beta EVO and Scythe Fenris Wolf.
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NVIDIA GeForce GT 240 Roundup
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If you weren’t pay close attention to the GPU market a few months ago, you may have missed the launch of the GT 240 series since the launch wasn’t preceded by any of the usual marketing or release day fireworks. As such, not much attention has been paid to this card but in this roundup we take a look at six cards from four of NVIDIA’s board partners.
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ViewSonic ViewBook Pro VNB131S 13.3-inch Notebook
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"ViewSonic is most known for its range of TVs, PC displays and digital picture frames. The company has been making all sorts of computer displays for years now and has just started branching out into the notebook arena. Interestingly, the ViewSonic ViewBook Pro at first glance doesn't look like a freshman offering.
In fact, if you look at the ViewSonic ViewBook Pro too quickly, you might actually mistake the thing for an Apple MacBook Pro. The minimalist design, silver on black colors and elegant looks of the machine certainly appeal to the same senses that draw many to the MacBook line."
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Intel X25-M G2
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Intel’s second generation SSD promises advanced fabrication technology and a faster controller. But how does this compare to its predecessor, the competitors and Western Digital’s Velociraptor as example of a usual Hard disk?
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ADATA S596 128GB SSD Video
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ADATA is a company that is new to us, but is a well established company in the east, making their way west. Watch in this video review as I actually beat this drive on a table a few times and then run it through a gauntlet of tests. This new S596 SSD is a very fast drive and can hold its own agains't the competition. Check out the full review and I think you will like what you see, its pretty funny to watch just for the verbage and drive beating.
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Athlon II X4 635 CPU
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“Almost six months have passed since we first presented Athlon II
quad-core CPUs on our site. In parallel with the 630 model, the cheapest
620 model was presented as well, threatening the competition severely
with its price of under 100€ and bringing quad-core Phenom II
derivatives closer to the mainstream segment. The popularity of these
processors became evident quick after they were presented, and now we
have the chance to review the latest member of the Athlon II X4 family,
namely 635…”
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Intel Core i5 661
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Hardwareoverclock.com has posted another processor review. Last week we have take a look at the Intel Core i5 661 processor. The Core i5 661 is one of the most interesting cpu for gamer and Overclocker. The 661 is a DualCore LGA1156 chip with Hyper Threading and Turbo Mode. The 34nm production promises lower temperatures and abundant overclocking reserves.
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Masscool MP-1370S 'Media Mate' Media Player Review
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"Today we take a look at Masscool's MP-1370S "Media Mate" high-definition media player. For us, Masscool is not exactly the first name you think of when you look to buy a HD media server, but the company has been in the business of designing and building HDD enclosures and media players since 2000. The Masscool MP-1370S is designed to not only be a media player that can access your favorite multimedia on your local or remote hard, but users are able to use the player to record to an attached USB device or an installed HDD. Priced at a very economical $100, it supports playing of video up to 1080i resolutions through an HDMI port and includes room for an 3.5" internal SATA hard drive so that you can load up all your favorite multimedia. Even if you don't install an internal hard drive, the MP-1370S can connect to your local internet via the 10/100 Ethernet connection..."
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Ownership of Windows 7 and Vista Files with a Shortcut
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While Windows 7 is a largely polished upgrade from Vista, a few headaches have carried over. Among them is a security feature that assigns ownership of many system and program files to an entity called "TrustedInstaller." Such a design is useful in the presence of inexperienced users, who might otherwise accidentally delete or modify important files. However, for the tech savvy, it can be an aggravating obstacle.
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Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB Toxic Edition
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ATI has been gaining steam with numerous releases over the last few months but none have come close to the price / performance ratio of the HD 5850. In this review we take a look at Sapphire’s Toxic Edition which features high overclocks while packing a Vapor-X cooler and custom PCB. To whet your appetite even more, Sapphire has priced this card within a few dollars of the reference card.
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IN WIN Maelstrom Full Tower Chassis
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"The Matrix was well over a year ago, and the X-Fighter some nine months later. The Matrix offered subtleties in both looks and the fact that it was tiny and attractive, while the X-Fighter was larger and is bolder in design. Both were well thought out cases in designs, but the X-Fighter offered a full line up of options and unique features. I hope all of this isn’t lost with IN WIN and they are still offering both to their customers.
Today we are going to take an in depth look at the Maelstrom, one of IN WIN’s full tower chassis’. Aside from what I have seen online and a bit of poking around on their site, my first impressions are that IN WIN kept with making a chassis that houses some ideas we have seen before, but also seems to offer a few new tweaks along the way."
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