by Stuart Davidson | 23/05/2013
Now OCZ are bringing to market a new Vertex drive using more than a little tech from their Vector series of enthusiast SSDs. Today the Vertex 450 launches and we have the 256GB model in our test system to see where it fits into the current market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/05/2013
The ZOTAC ZBOX ID89 Plus contains the usual selection of 2.5in hard drive, wireless-n wi-fi and the like but manages to include support for dual channel memory and arrives kitted out with a Core i5 CPU. All in a chassis not much bigger than most external drive enclosures.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/05/2013
Today we take a look at ADATAs SX300 mSATA SSD, the 256GB model and will find out how it compares to a desktop SSD as well as a competing mSATA model.
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by Dave Chaos | 03/05/2013
Today DaveChaos takes a look at the Razer Nostromo Expert Gaming Keypad and compares it to the original Belkin design.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/04/2013
Today we take a look at what the Seagate Barracuda 4TB drive has to offer in a selection of tests while also finding out how easy (or hard) it is to set up a large capacity drive like this in Windows 8.
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/04/2013
Today we have one of Toshiba's latest solid state drives for review, the THNSNH256GCST, which is ideal for desktops and portable systems thanks to its compact 7mm casing.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/04/2013
Now Scythe are back with a new range of products and one of the newest is the Ashura tower cooler. Today we test it against a range of coolers on our socket 2011 system to find out how it might enhance our thermal performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/04/2013
Today we see Crucial attempt to drive the SSD market forward with the introduction of a SSD which has a capacity up to 960GB (so the best part of 1TB) while maintaining a price point which competes with 512GB models from the likes of Samsung and OCZ. Can the new M500 compete in performance as well as cost? In a selection of synthetic and real world tests we find out.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/03/2013
There are a large number of consumers out there looking for the best price performance ratio and OCZ feel that one of the best ways to satisfy those needs is to take the an older (but not necessarily outdated) range and tweak the model to minimise costs. Enter the Vertex 3.20...
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/03/2013
Today we have the 256GB version of the Ultra Plus connected to our test system and will find out how it compares to numerous alternative models.
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by Stuart Davidson | 20/02/2013
Recently Razer released their Lamborghini inspired mouse, the Ouroboros. With multiple interchangeable parts, ambidextrous layout, wired and wireless operation, changeable shape and a distinctive design it looks to compete with some impressive gaming mice at the high end of the gaming market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/02/2013
The Razer Blade (or New Razer Blade as we are now on a second revision) is a high end Ultrabook aimed at gamers. With a mobile i7 CPU, GeForce GTX 600 series graphics and a unique touch screen track pad it offers something that little bit different to the norm. Today we put it through a selection of real world tests including Crysis 3 and StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm.
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/02/2013
Now Plextor have built a mSATA SSD around the latest Marvell controller and hope to offer desktop like SATA 6GB/s in the compact form factor. Today we find out how it compares to an existing mSATA SSD as well as some desktop models.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/01/2013
Sapphire recently released the AMD A8 based Edge VS8 mini-PC and now we get a chance to see what ZOTAC's latest generation of system can offer in comparison. The ZBOX ID83 Plus takes us into Ivy Bridge in a system which is comparable in size to a decent router, let's find out how it performs...
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/01/2013
For all that big tower coolers and closed loop liquid coolers have their uses, there is also a significant market out there for compact, low noise models. Noctua are looking to fill that gap with the NH-L9i which aims to be a replacement for the stock Intel model, or an ideal product for SFF and HTPC use.
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by Stephanie Goody | 08/01/2013
Today we have the latest SSD from PNY attached to our test system, the XLR8 Pro, putting it up against the best that Samsung and OCZ (amongst others) have to offer.
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by Stuart Davidson | 07/01/2013
Plextor's SSD range is the subject of our review today and we are going to look at the M5 Pro, one of the first drives around to use Marvell's newest controller. How does it stack up against the likes of OCZ's Vector and the Samsung 840 Pro? Let's find out...
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/01/2013
Now Razer have a second generation of Xbox 360 controller, the Sabertooth, which looks to improve on the impressive start made by the Onza. Today the Sabertooth launches and we have one attached to our system to find out how it compares.
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by Stuart Davidson | 28/12/2012
Today we have another set of extreme modules from Kingston in our test system and with the "Beast" model name this 32GB kit had better impress. We will be putting the Beast sticks through a selection of synthetic and real world tests to find out how these 2400MHz modules perform.
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/12/2012
The focus of today's review is the Macho Rev.A (BW) a chunky tower cooler which looks to balance price and performance. With support for Intel and AMD sockets we will be pushing our i7 to 5.0GHz to see how the Macho handles extreme conditions.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/12/2012
Sapphire are back with their latest generation of mini-PC, the EDGE VS8. Based around AMDs A8 APU we get quad core processing and DirectX 11 graphics, all in an ultra-compact chassis.
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/11/2012
Earlier this year we saw OCZ release the Vertex 4 and Agility 4 SSDs, a mix of Marvel and Indilinx inside they offered some impressive performance along with OCZs decent software suite and excellent support. Today sees the first product to market which combines the Indilinx and PLX teams knowhow. The Vector series of SSDs is, other than NAND flash, a 100% in house design and we will be putting it up against the best drives currently available from Samsung, Intel and OCZ themselves.
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by Stuart Davidson | 21/11/2012
For all that the Kone[+] is a great gaming mouse the market has moved on since its release and newer, higher performance sensors have been released. This has prompted Roccat to refresh their Kone range and today we look at the new high end model, the Kone XTD with its 8000dpi+ technology.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14/11/2012
The product we have received from be quiet! today is the Dark Rock Pro 2 cooler their flagship model which promises ultra-high performance with virtually silent operation. Let's find out if it achieves this goal...
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/11/2012
In the last few months the SSD market has started to evolve again. Now we have drives which feature a wide range of controllers from various manufacturers that all look to offer the best balance of price/performance or features. Today we are taking a selection of the best and putting them up against each other in a Windows 8 environment.
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by Stuart Davidson | 17/10/2012
The focus of today's review is one of SilverStones latest coolers. From the Heligon series the HE01 supports all recent CPU sockets and has one of the chunkiest bundled fans we have seen, as well as the option to install two more on the heatsink if we wish.
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by Kaeyi Dream | 26/09/2012
Kaeyi takes a look at the Logitech G600 MMO gaming mouse comparing it to the Razer Naga mouse.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/09/2012
In the mainstream arena one of the key products of the moment is the Radeon HD 7770, a card designed to offer an excellent price to performance ratio. For those who are on a limited budget keeping costs to a minimum can mean money spent elsewhere and with their FleX Edition Sapphire look to facilitate multi-screen gaming at minimal cost. Today we have their new Radeon 7770 FleX Edition (GHz Edition) on our test bench, but is 5760x1080 gaming achievable with it?
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/08/2012
Recently AMDs partners were given the ability to design and release their own 7990 products (or 7970 X2 if you like). This would see two 7900 series GPUs on one PCB and every design would be different, PCB layouts, power spec, outputs, coolers... the works. One of the first to market with a 7990 is PowerColor with their Devil 13 card. This is as Extreme as Radeons currently get and today we put it head to head with the GTX 690 to find out which is best in the latest games.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/08/2012
One of the first manufacturers to get a 7970 GHz Edition to market is Sapphire and they haven't held back on their Toxic version. With 6GB of memory, custom cooler, redesigned PCB, improved build quality and a heavy overclock this is about as extreme as a 7970 gets.
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by Stuart Davidson | 25/07/2012
Today Razer's mouse range gets another new family member with the launch of the Taipan. Designed to be ultra flexible and cutting edge it has been co-designed with some of the world's leading gamers. Today we have a Taipan connected to our test system and will find out if it has the potential to meet everyones needs.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/07/2012
Recently Xigmatek launched a new revision of their Dark Knight cooler, the Night Hawk Edition. Releasing a Dark Knight product at the moment has obvious advantages and today we find out if it lives up to the high quality we have come to expect from Xigmatek products.
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by Vas Roberts | 09/07/2012
Razer have a new Naga to launch, the 2012 edition which takes the base design and tweaks it to offer a similar, but different user experience for those who are not as keen on the soft touch coating of the original... or indeed its size and shape. We have the Naga 2012 on our test bench today so let's see what has changed in detail.
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by Stuart Davidson | 07/07/2012
On our test bench today is the latest product from the ASUS RoG brand, their Maximus V Formula motherboard. We will be comparing it to another Z77 board in a selection of real world and synthetic tests to find out how ASUS look to improve on the base design and how far they have pushed the enthusiast feature set... watercooled heatsinks anyone?
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/06/2012
Rather than go with a rebranded version of an existing headset for their Battlefield 3 set Razer decided to design a new model and that is the Blackshark. Today we have the Blackshark on our test bench to see how it performs.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/06/2012
Since their first SSD Intel have taken a few approaches to building the devices. Initially they went with their own controllers within the drives and it is fair to say that those drives were some of the best in early generations. Since then we have seen them dabble with updated controllers under their own brand, try out Marvell and more recently release a Sandforce based drive in the form of the 520 series.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/06/2012
With a refined manufacturing process and a tweaked firmware/bios AMD are today launching a revised 7970 known as the GHz Edition, or XT2. We will be comparing that card to an overclocked, custom design GTX 680 and will dispense with the niceties, clocking our i7-3960X CPU at 5.0GHz and firing the resolution up as high as 5760x1080.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/06/2012
Sometimes in the technology industry there can be a real gap between what a product offers and what consumers need... or that until a consumer experiences something it seems like an unnecessary expense, or not worthwhile. Something which it would seem very much falls into one or both of those categories is multi-display gaming, either AMD Eyefinity or NVIDIA Surround.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/05/2012
Can Razer's new Tiamat 7.1 headset... with true multi-channel sound meet our expectations or is this destined to disappoint offering a less desirable alternative than the virtual 7.1 headsets which are already on the market?
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/05/2012
It seems each manufacturer is going to take its own unique approach to building a card around the GTX 670 GPU with some going for compact models and others heading for larger PCBs with significant cooling solutions and overclocks. Inno3D fall into the second category and it is their custom GTX 670 which we have on our test bench today.
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by Stuart Davidson | 17/05/2012
Today we see the first Vapor-X 7000 series card in the shape of a Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 Vapor-X OC Edition. This enhanced version of the 7770 runs at significantly higher clock speeds than the reference model on both core and memory and combines this with a dual fan, vapour chamber cooler and we will be putting it head to head against the GTX 560 in a selection of real world gaming and multimedia tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/05/2012
The GTX 670 takes the features of the GTX 680 and tweaks the configuration to hit a lower price point while still being competitive. We have two custom, factory overclocked GTX 670 cards on our test bench and will be putting them up against overlocked versions of the GTX 680, GTX 570, 7970 and 7950 to find out how each enhanced model performs when paired with an i7 CPU at 5.0GHz.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/05/2012
Today we will be putting the MSI GTX 680 Twin Frozr through a selection of real world media, computing and gaming tests with titles such as Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim to see how it compares to an overclocked Radeon 7970.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/05/2012
CPUs like the i7-3960X sit at the top of Intel's product stack and if we are looking to build a top of the range system based around that CPU we need a quality board to maximise our features and performance. ASRock aim to deliver this with their X79 Extreme9 and today it is on our test bench as we put it through a selection of real world and synthetic tests. Can it offer as much as the newer Z77 boards, or maybe even more? Let's find out.
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/05/2012
Today we get to look at the GTX 690, NVIDIAs dual GPU Kepler part, and will be putting it up against some of the best custom GTX 680 and Radeon 7970 cards along with CF and SLI configurations in the latest games such as Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim. GPU computing and HD playback will of course make an appearance and to top it off a card like this needs to run on a beefy CPU, so it's time to take the i7-3960X to 5.0GHz...
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/05/2012
Today we update the battle between the 680 and 7970 by taking two of the most impressive models, both custom factory overclocked, and put them head to head in real world gameplay which includes Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim as well as media playback and GPU computing... enter the PowerColor HD 7970 PCS+ (Vortex 2) and Gainward GTX 680 Phantom.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/04/2012
We have the BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard, Onza Tournament Edition controller, Imperator 2012 mouse, Chimaera 5.1 headset and Vespula pad on our test bench today, all with Mass Effect 3 branding.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/04/2012
Today Intel launch their CPU range and we are combining the i7-3770K with Gigabytes rather impressive looking G1.Sniper 3 and G1.Sniper M3 to find out if these components can make the ultimate Ivy Bridge System. Testing will of course include synthetic and real world, with the likes of 3DMark 11 and Battlefield 3 making an appearance with the GeForce GTX 680.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/04/2012
Based on a familiar chassis the GT683DXR offers high end mobile speakers, a full HD screen and powerful CPU/GPU combination. Did we mention the dual hard drives in Raid 0 or 8GB of DDR3-1333, upgradable to 32GB? No. Well read on to find out what MSI can offer for the mobile enthusiast.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/04/2012
Corsair are now offering their take on the solid state cache drive technology with the release of the Accelerator. With capacities of 30-60GB they aim to offer a solution for those even on a minimal budget. Today we put it head to head with the competition, Crucials Adrenaline, to see who comes out on top.
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/04/2012
Dell were one of the first manufacturers to release an Ultrabook with up to date specification and today we have that model on our test bench. The XPS 13 mixes premium materials with some impressive specifications to try and tempt users away from more restrictive devices and into the world of performance mobile computing.
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by Stuart Davidson | 13/04/2012
One manufacturer pushing DDR3 to ever higher specifications is GeIL and their latest range, called Black Dragon, features some rather attractive styling and LEDs as well as speeds well in excess of 2000MHz. We have the quad channel kit in our test system today and will find out what it offers in a selection of real world and synthetic tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/04/2012
The idea behind the Crucial Adrenaline and Nvelo's Dataplex software is that we drop in the SSD and use it as a high speed cache which allows our system to perform faster while using an existing mechanical drive for storage. Today we take a look at this solution to find out if it is the ideal solution for those who might not have the budget for a high end/capacity SSD.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/04/2012
Today we have the official Z77 launch and can talk about the boards based upon it without restrictions. So we have gathered a bundle from ASRock, ASUS, ECS, Intel and MSI to compare and find out which offers the best features and performance on Intels new chipset.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/04/2012
Today we have two of the new Vertex 4 drives on our test bench and will be comparing it in real world and synthetic test against drives based on the latest Sandforce, Marvell and Samsung controllers.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/03/2012
The Palit GTX 680 JetStream is a factory overclocked 3 slot, triple fan cooled card which aims to show the competition how a GTX 680 should be done. We will be putting it through a selection of real world gaming tests including Battlefield 3, Mass Effect 3 and Skyrim as well as overclocking it to the limit...
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/03/2012
Based on a custom design the XFX Radeon R7850 Black Edition Double Dissipation is factory overclocked and has a familiar look to the more expensive 7900 series XFX cards. Today we will take a look at it in a selection of the latest games to find out what it offers over a standard design. Additionally we will be taking a look at the various anti-aliasing modes available on the XFX card and how they affect performance and image quality.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/03/2012
We have already taken a look at single GPU performance and now it is time to update that article with a look at SLI, featuring ZOTAC's version of the GTX 680 in titles such as Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 with single screen and surround gaming as well as Stereoscopic 3D testing.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/03/2012
Take one ASUS GTX 680 2GB, overclock it to its limit... add one MSI R7970 Lightning, the highest spec AMD card around and overclock it to breaking point. Thrown in comparisons at 1920x1080 and 5760x1080 mixing with the latest games such as Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 and SW: The Old Republic. Check cards are piping hot before completion and you have todays review.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/03/2012
Today we take a detailed look at gaming performance of the GTX 680 in titles such as Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 with single screen and surround gaming as well as Stereoscopic 3D testing. Added to that is GPU computing and media playback performance along with thermal, power, noise and overclocking results. Want to see how the GTX 680 does against the 7970 at its maximum overclock, or the GTX 580 OC 3GB we have that sorted too...
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by Stuart Davidson | 20/03/2012
Today we will put two of the top models, Sapphires OC Edition and XFX's DD Black Edition head to head in order to find out what they offer mainstream gamers looking for top performance in the latest games... including Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim.
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/03/2012
Today we have the most extreme 7970 we have received yet, the MSI Radeon 7970 Lightning. On paper MSI have taken this GPU to a whole new level with extra PCB's, voltage read points, power phases and top of the line components so we are going to do the same. Rather than bench the card at its impressive factory overclock we are taking it to the limit, its maximum stable overclock to see how it compares to the reference design as well as an overclocked, 3GB GTX 580.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14/03/2012
Today we have a Sapphire 7970 OverClock Edition card on our test bench and will be putting it through a selection of real world gaming tests, including Battlefield 3 and Mass Effect 3 to find what Sapphire can do with their own design.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/03/2012
We have one of the first retail 7800 cards available to us in the form of Sapphires 7850 OverClock Edition. Today we will be putting it head to head with the GTX 560 Ti Overclock in order to find out which comes out on top. Tests include Battlefield 3, Skyrim and The Old Republic along with the usual media, GPU computing and power/temperature results.
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by Stuart Davidson | 07/03/2012
We headed over to Germany this week to check out the latest tech on offer at Cebit 2012. Check out our coverage.
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/03/2012
Today AMD launch the 7800 series and allow us to look at their reference cards with partner availability to come later (around March 19th). With the same features as the 7900 series yet a significantly lower price today we find how well they compete with the 7950 and 6870 while looking in detail at the comparison with NVIDIAs GTX 560 Ti and GTX 570.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/03/2012
Today we take a look at the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, how to install it, what the basic OS experience is and how it performs, compared to Windows 7 on AMDs latest FX CPU and Radeon 7700 series GPU.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/02/2012
G.Skill have recently released their latest enthusiast modules in the form of RipjawsZ and today we have the 2133MHz, 16GB kit on our test bench. Let's take a look at them...
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/02/2012
Razer is expanding the Naga family with the Hex Edition. The Hex features a new thumb button layout, with mechanical switches, that is aimed at MOBA and action RPG gamers. Today we have one of the first Hex samples on our desk and will find out if it succeeds in enhancing our gaming experience and if it is suitably different to the previous model.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/02/2012
In this article we will look at Sapphire's 7770 Overclocked model which features a custom design and shall put it up against its direct competition from NVIDIA in the form of a GTX 560. As always we will be focusing on real world testing, including the latest games such as Battlefield 3 and some classics like World of Warcraft before moving on to media, power and thermal performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/02/2012
At the top of XFX's 7770 range is the "Jet Black" version of their usual Black Edition Overclocked model with this revision featuring heavily overclocked core and memory, well in excess of the AMD reference design. Today we have one on our test bench and will be putting it up against the GTX 560, also overclocked, in a selection of real world tests including Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/02/2012
Today we have the HIS Radeon HD 7750 on our test bench and will be putting it up against the GeForce GTX 550Ti in a selection of the latest games as well as media and GPU computing tasks. Is it the ideal solution for 1680x1080 gamers... or maybe even 1920x1080 users? Time to find out...
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/02/2012
Recently NVIDIA made the biggest change to their 3D Vision ecosystem, probably since launch, with the release of 3D Vision 2. A combination of the latest range of 3D displays with updated hardware and advances made in the driver enhance the experience.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/02/2012
Intel are today releasing the new 520 series based on SandForce technology. Today we have one of those new drives on our test bench and will be comparing it in real world and synthetic tests against drives based on the latest Sandforce, Indilinx, Marvell and Samsung controllers.
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by Stuart Davidson | 31/01/2012
Regardless of the reason for its "late" arrival the 7950 launches today and one of our launch day cards is Sapphires 7950 Overclock. With a custom PCB and cooler this factory overclocked card has two different BIOS profiles and is without doubt one of the more interesting models available. We will be putting it up against overclocked versions of the GTX 580 3GB, 7970 and 6970 to find out how each performs on Intel i7/X79 @ 5.0GHz.
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by Stuart Davidson | 31/01/2012
XFX are back with the 7950 Black Edition, another 7900 series product which features a custom design and factory overclock. We will be putting it up against the GTX 580, 7970 and 6970 in a selection of real world tests, including Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic to find out whether it impresses.
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by Stuart Davidson | 31/01/2012
To complete the set of 7950 articles for today we have a HIS system set up and configured on an i7/X79 build and will be looking at CrossFire performance of AMD's new card in a selection of games which include Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic at resolutions up to 5760x1080 (Eyefinity).
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/01/2012
The Core i7-3820 will be released soon and already available to buy is the i7-3930K. We will be taking a look at both to determine where they sit in comparison to the older i7-990X, AMD FX-8150 and Intel i7-2700k in a selection of real world and synthetic tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/01/2012
Looking to capitalise on their ever growing experience with Android and the success of those older V3 and Pebl products Motorola announced the new Razr (or Droid Razr) towards the end of 2011. This new device in the Razr family features unique high quality styling with some impressive specifications and aims to sit at the top of the smartphone market. Today we take a look at one in detail to see if it can compete in that area.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/01/2012
First up on our test bench is the HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB. We will be putting it up against the best of the last generation in a selection of real world tests which include Battlefield 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Skyrimā€¦ all at 5760x1080. In addition to this we will also look at GPU computing and media performance as well as power and thermal performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/01/2012
Today we are finally able to talk about partner cards and so have paired up PowerColor's hardware in our test system and have retested the latest games such as Battlefield 3 and Star Wars: The Old Republic with single and dual GPU's on the latest drivers and game patches. What does the PowerColor 7970 and CrossFire offer us? Let's find out...
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/01/2012
With the only 'launch day' 7970 that features an enhanced cooler and factory overclock in hand we decided to put it up against overclocked GTX 580 3GB and Radeon 6970 cards to see what the performance looked like...
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/01/2012
What better to do with Sapphires 7970 than round up single and dual results then add in some tri-7970 action in games like Star Wars: The Old Republic. That not enough? Then we also take a look at their new X79 board and even throw in an attempt at Quad-7970... would it work? Let's find out!
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/01/2012
MSI are expanding their range of X79 products with today's launch of an enthusiast board which aims to be the best motherboard a consumer can buy for Intel's new high end CPUs. We have one on our test bench and will be putting it through a selection of real world and synthetic tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 28/12/2011
With the release of the A8-3870K AMD have a processor which is aimed very much at those who love to tweak and overclock but can't quite afford the higher cost of AMD or Intel's other components. Today we take a look at the potential of the A8-3870K on its own and in dual graphics mode to see what it offers for Skyrim, StarCraft 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic players.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/12/2011
Today we have the four Corsair Vengeance Keyboards and Mice on our test bench to see if they can continue to deliver the high level of quality and performance we have come to expect from Corsair.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/12/2011
Today we take a detailed look at the Radeon HD 7970 in the latest games, including Star Wars: The Old Republic and Batman: Arkham City. Added to that is GPU computing performance as well as 1080p playback tests and power, thermal and noise testing.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/12/2011
This review focuses on DUAL GPU performance comparing 2x Radeon 7970 with GTX 580 in SLI... and a little GTX 590 and Radeon 6990 performance thrown in for good measure. So let's see how the 7970 does running CrossFire in games such as Arkham City and Battlefield 3.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/12/2011
One of the manufacturers taking advantage of the new Intel architecture is Patriot with their latest Division 4 Viper Xtreme kit. This quad channel product has high quality heatsinks and tight timings aims to appeal to those looking to kit out their new high end system with 16GB of memory.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14/12/2011
Yesterday Sapphire launched their latest motherboard, the Pure Black 990FX which is based on the latest high end AMD chipset and Socket AM3+. Today we have one on our test bench and will be pairing it with an FX 8-core CPU and 16GB of memory to find out how it compares to one of the better competitors out there. In addition to that we will also take a look at Sapphires new 6450 Flex Edition which should be ideal for those looking to maximise their productivity.
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/12/2011
Now updated to include Razer's new (and just released) Synapse 2.0 cloud based driver/panel (with SW:TOR skin) and in-game screenshots of the Razer weapon customisations.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/12/2011
Today we are looking at two memory kits from GeIL which are designed for the Sandy Bridge platform. The Evo kit offers speeds above 2100MHz for the high end user and the Enhance modules are more mainstream, though guaranteed to overclock.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/12/2011
For consumers who prefer a more understated mechanical keyboard design than the shiny finish or clicky keys of the original BlackWidow Razer now offer the Stealth Edition. With its matte soft touch coating and low noise buttons this version of the Ultimate should open up the product to a wider market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 01/12/2011
Today's review product comes from the high end of the performance spectrum and is a kit designed for Intels X79 platform, though it will also work on dual channel boards. With an advertised speed of 2400MHz we put the latest Kingston HyperX modules through a selection of real world and synthetic tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/11/2011
Today we are looking at the latest SSD range from Corsair, the Performance Pro. Using a Marvell controller rather than Sandforce the Performance Pro offers a different approach to the majority of drives on the market. We'll find out how it compares with models based on the latest Indilinx, Samsung and Sandforce products in this review.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/11/2011
Enter the GTX 560 Ti 448 Core, a limited edition of the GTX 560 Ti with additional CUDA processors in the GPU. Give these cores to manufacturers and let them create custom models and on paper there are some very interesting products to consider. Today we have four of the cards in our system with models from ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI and ZOTAC all looking to persuade consumers to part with their hard earned money.
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by Stuart Davidson | 25/11/2011
Battlefield 3 is one of those killer titles which draws a lot of interest and aiming to offer those consumers something a little more interesting than the average peripheral is Razers BF3 Collectors Edition products. We have the BlackWidows Ultimate keyboard, Onza Tournament Edition controller, Imperator 2012 mouse and Scarab pad on our test bench today.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/11/2011
OCZ are back with yet another model in their SSD family and this time we see the results of using a controller which is based on Indilinx technology, something which hasn't really been present in high end drives for some time now. We'll be putting the Octane SSD through a selection of tests including real world and synthetic to see how it compares to models using the latest Samsung, Marvell and Sandforce controllers.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/11/2011
Corsair are back with a new range of gaming gear which includes keyboards, mice and a new range of headsets at the top of which the Vengeance 1500 currently sits. Today we have the Vengeance 1500 on our test bench and will find out if it offers a good alternative to the likes of Razer and SteelSeries in the gaming marketplace.
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by Stuart Davidson | 17/11/2011
Sapphire today announced their low profile compatible, single slot Radeon 6670. We have one on our test bench and will be looking at its performance in the latest titles, including Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3 and Skyrim as well as video tasks to find out how well it fits the needs of gamers and media enthusiasts.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14/11/2011
Updated: ASRock Extreme4 results added. Intel Core i7-3960X Processor and X79 Chipset featuring: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme, ASRock X79 Extreme4, MSI X79A-GD68 8D, ECS X79R-AX and Intel DX79SI Extreme Series Motherboards.
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/11/2011
One manufacturer who is pushing the 6970 to new limits is PowerColor. Famous for their PCS++ range they are no strangers to enhancing Radeons but this new card, the Devil 13 edition, goes further than ever before. Today we will be putting the Devil 13 up against an overclocked GTX 570 in Skyrim, Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Human Revolution and F1 2011 to find out how they compare.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/11/2011
PC Power & Cooling are today launching the Silencer MK3 series in wattages ranging from 400-600w. We have the 600w model on our test bench so let's find out if the latest Silencer model finds that nice balance of price, quality and performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/11/2011
Today's review product is the latest to come from the ECS Black Series range and is their take on AMD's 990FX chipset. This AM3 board is ideal for use with the new FX (Bulldozer) range of 8-core CPUs and features some excellent functionality such as support for SATA3, USB 3.0, Crossfire and SLI.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/10/2011
Updated: Battlefield 3 performance added.
Today we have a custom GTX 560 Ti on our test bench and this model from Palit aims to offer enhanced gaming and thermal/noise performance along with adding a little extra style to the system.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/10/2011
The XPS 14z takes its style from the 15z we reviewed back in July and packs as much of it into the smaller chassis as is possible, giving us some extra performance over the Inspiron 14" model.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/10/2011
The Inspiron 14z as it is known features a second gen Core i5 CPU and some good on paper specifications. Today we have one on our test bench to find out what this model has to offer for those who don't need a 15"+ system.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/10/2011
Today we have one of the first samples of the OCZ ZT 750w PSU on our test bench to find out if it can hit that balance of performance and cost which appeals to the mainstream consumer.
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by Stuart Davidson | 17/10/2011
Designed to cater for those who want AMDs best APUs but without the cost of a high end motherboard A55 products are the ideal option and today we have one of those boards on our test bench. The GA-A55-DS3P from Gigabyte aims to provide a solid APU based system at a very low cost, let's see how it does...
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/10/2011
Today we get to see for the first time how the top model in AMDs new FX range of CPUs, previously known as Bulldozer, performs against the existing Intel equivalent as we put the two CPUs head to head. Not only that though we will test their entire platform, testing gaming, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s and PCIe performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/10/2011
Today's review product see's OCZ attempt to find a middle ground between the capacity of a mechanical drive and the speed of an SSD. That product is the RevoDrive Hybrid a PCIe based model which is part flash memory and part 1TB 2.5" hard drive.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/10/2011
The Meka G1 isn't the only mechanical gaming keyboard that Tt's eSports brand offer, they also have the standard Meka and Meka G Unit. It is the latter we have on our test bench today, a model which sits at the top of the Meka range. Let's find out if the enhanced specifications allow the board to impress.
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/09/2011
One of the major manufacturers offering a Sandforce based SSD is Patriot with their Wildfire range of drives and today we have one attached to our system, putting it head to head with Intel's 510 model and the recently released Samsung 830 Series.
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by Stuart Kerley | 23/09/2011
On our test bench today we have one of the latest mechanical gaming keyboards to hit the market.The Meka G1 from Tt eSPORTS aims to give a desirable alternative to models from the likes of Razer and SteelSeries, let's take a closer look and see what it has to offer.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/09/2011
The 830 Series SSDs use Samsungs latest performance architecture, bringing the products into SATA 3 territory and taking on Sandforce and Marvell for the enthusiast user market. Can they succeed? Let's find out.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/09/2011
The ZOTAC A75-ITX WiFi and ASUS F1A75-I Deluxe are both Mini-ITX motherboards that are packed with features as well as support for the latest A8/A6 range of desktop APUs from AMD. We will be putting these two boards head to head in order to find out what they offer.
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by Stuart Davidson | 21/09/2011
Today we have the 80 Plus Gold Certified High Current Pro 850w model attached to our PSU testing equipment to find out if it offers an attractive balance of price, performance and power for those who don't need to go over 1000w.
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/09/2011
Today attached to our system is Roccat's ISKU Illuminated gaming keyboard which combines with their high end gaming mouse to enable Roccat Talk. We'll take a look at both the keyboard and Talk today to find out what they offer for those looking to maximise their gaming performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/09/2011
Today we have the latest SteelSeries mouse attached to our system. The Sensei has a familiar look and feel but this masks some impressive component upgrades inside such as one of the most precise gaming sensors we have ever tested... powered by a CPU as powerful as the original Pentium. Read on to find out what we thought of the mouse during our time testing it.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/08/2011
A few weeks ago we covered the Corsair Force Series GT drive, a performance tuned model based on Sandforce technology. Today we have the Force Series 3 drive on our test bench, a drive that aims to target a lower price point while still offering excellent performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/08/2011
The subject of our review today is the Mamba 4G, or Mamba 2012 as it is also known. This new edition of Razer's high end wireless gaming mouse has enhanced specifications which rival the best wired mice so let's find out what has changed and how it performs...
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/08/2011
Today we have the higher specification RevoDrive model, the X2 attached to our test system and will be putting it through a selection of real world and synthetic tests to find out if OCZ can meet their claims of 1500MB/s speed and 230k IOPS.
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by Stuart Davidson | 01/08/2011
Recently ASUS and their Republic of Gamers brand announced the Vulcan ANC headset, a high end gamer product which is designed to offer great features, build quality and design. Included in this is active noise cancelling technology which will appeal to those who game, or listen to multimedia, in a noisy environment. Today we have the Vulcan ANC attached to our system as we find out whether it can compete with headsets sold by manufacturers such as Razer and SteelSeries.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/07/2011
Today we have the Fatality Z68 Professional Gen 3 which is a board which works with today's PCIe 2.0 based hardware but also includes all the components required to support future 1155 CPUs and PCIe 3.0. For anyone looking to buy a board that will last through their next few upgrades this could well be the product to go for so let's put it through our usual test suite...
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/07/2011
Today we have the A6-3650 on our test bench along with the Sapphire Pure Platinum A75 motherboard to find out how these models fit into the current marketplace. We'll be running each through a selection of synthetic and real world tests to see just who each appeals to.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/07/2011
The latest range of SSD's from Samsung is the 470 Series with models available in 64, 128 and 256GB. Today we have the largest model attached to our main test PC and will compare it to models from Intel and OCZ in a selection of synthetic and real world tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14/07/2011
HIS are bucking the trend for custom 6950s today with a new version of the 6970, the IceQ Mix. While it has a name which could make people think of a cold drink it is actually a rather interesting take on the 6970 featuring a large, low noise custom cooler and the first real attempt we have seen at implementing Lucids HydraLogix 200 controller on a graphics card.
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by Stuart Davidson | 13/07/2011
Today we will be putting the 6950 PCS+ Vortex 2 and its unique cooler through a selection of real world gaming, multimedia and GPU computing tasks to see how it stacks up against some of the best competitor cards on the market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/07/2011
Today we are going to look at Intel's mainstream chipset and put 5 different memory kits through their paces in a selection of real world and synthetic tests on Z68.
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by Stuart Davidson | 07/07/2011
The Force GT is the latest in Corsair's range of SandForce based SSDs and features a tweaked architecture which should benefit reading and writing of music and video files (uncompressible data). Today we will be putting the 120GB model through a selection of synthetic and real world tests to find out how it compares to an alternative model which is also tuned for OS use rather than maximum IOPS.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/07/2011
Dell are back with the XPS 15z, a slimmer, higher specification model which combines an aluminium chassis with 2nd Generation Core CPU and GeForce GPU in a portable form factor which Dell states is the thinnest 15" PC available, anywhere. Today we have the XPS 15z on our test bench and will be putting it through a selection of real world and synthetic tests to find out if the great features and performance of the XPS 15 has been continued in this new model.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/07/2011
Taking the foundations of their DirectCU II GTX 580 ASUS have further enhanced the design, aiming it at enthusiasts with the addition of voltage read points, on-board buttons for fan and power adjustments and making it part of the Republic of Gamers brand. So today we have the Matrix GTX 580 Platinum on our test bench and will be finding out in a selection of real world gaming tests, including Crysis 2 with DX11 and high res textures and GPU computing, whether this is now the ultimate GTX 580... or maybe even the best single GPU product ever released...
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/07/2011
The latest to market with a board which is a little different to the norm is ASUS with their Maximus IV Gene-Z and today we will be putting this SLI and Crossfire compatible M-ATX enthusiast board through its paces in a selection of real world and synthetic tests to find out if it can match an ATX alternative from one of ASUS key competitors.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/06/2011
Today we have the A8-3850 APU running on Gigabytes A75-UD4H motherboard and will be putting them through a selection of tests to find out how they compare to the equivalent i3/Z68 system. Whether you are interested in media conversion, playback or gaming performance this article will demonstrate where the A8 and A75 fit into the current market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 25/06/2011
The AMD Radeon 6950 is a card which has been available for nearly 7 months but that doesn't seem to be stopping manufacturers from tweaking the design to suit their needs and one of the latest to do so (again) is Sapphire. In the form of a custom PCB, custom cooler model with a bundle designed to please even the most demanding consumers we have the Sapphire Radeon 6950 DiRT 3 Edition.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/06/2011
Today we have the Gigabyte 990FXA-UD7 on our test bench and will be comparing it to the ASUS Crosshair V Formula as we find out which board offers the best performance.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/06/2011
Today we are looking at a drive which OCZ hope will find a slightly more value orientated place in the market, the Agility 3. Based on the same controller as the Vertex 3 range we still get the same great features however the other internal components have been tweaked slightly. We will be putting the drive through a selection of tests to find out how it compares to one of the main competitors, the Intel 510 Series.
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by Stuart Kerley | 20/06/2011
SteelSeries have a long track record of delivering quality products so we were very much looking forward to reviewing the new 7XB. Now almost seven months later and we finally have our hands on it.
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by Stuart Davidson | 17/06/2011
Today we will be taking a look at three different approaches to socket 1155 products as we review a board based on H67 (mini-ITX) and to larger models which use the P67 and Z68. Each will be put through a selection of synthetic and real world tests to establish how they perform in a variety of scenarios which will assist anyone thinking about buying a socket 1155 product in the near future.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/06/2011
Every so often though we like to take a look at what the major manufacturers have to offer, something which will be particularly relevant for those building a new system or wondering how they can get some extra zip from an existing build and today is one of those days. We'll be using our high end X58 build to look at kits which each have their own unique selling points to find out what Corsair, Crucial, G.Skill, Kingston and Patriot have to offer in the triple channel DDR3 market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/06/2011
For quite some time the gaming keyboard market has concentrated on products which add macro buttons, re-assignments, profiles, USB and audio pass-through and weighted key actions to enhance the gaming experience. In addition to this we see branded products such as the Razer StarCraft 2 gear and SteelSeries Medal of Honor products however few manufacturers have looked to release high quality mechanical keyboards for the gaming masses.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/05/2011
Today we will be taking a look at two AMD 990FX boards and comparing them to a similarly spec'd Z68 system to find out what the new boards offer in today's marketplace. As always we will be focusing on motherboard specific tests such as USB3, PCIe and SATA 6Gb/s tests with a few more general benchmarks thrown in for good measure.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/05/2011
Today on our test bench we have the GTX 560 iChill from their Freezer X Series. What does that mean? It means a triple slot cooler, custom PCB and factory overclock and we will look at how the card performs in some of the latest games, such as DiRT 3, The Witcher 2 and Portal 2. The tests don't stop there though as we will, as always, take a look at media playback, 3D Vision performance and GPU computing.
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by Stuart Davidson | 25/05/2011
Now Sapphire are expanding their 6670 range with the introduction of the (silent) Ultimate Edition and today we have that version of the card on our test bench. We will be running it through a selection of real world tests which include DiRT 3 and The Witcher 2 as well as HD playback with GPU computing rounding things off.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/05/2011
Today's review product is the 240GB Max IOPS edition of the Vertex 3 and we will be putting it up against Intel's 510 series and Crucials M4/C400 series SSDs with a similar capacity in a selection of real world and synthetic tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/05/2011
Today we have a chance to look at the stereo Chimaera's big brother, the full 5.1 surround sound model and find out if the addition of Dolby technology has taken the Chimaera from excellent gaming headset to a high end high definition media peripheral.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/05/2011
Today we have the launch of Intel's new socket 1155 chipset, the Z68 which brings with it a plethora of new motherboards. On our test bench we have two separate approaches; the first is Gigabyte's enthusiast Z68X-UD7-B3 and the second, the ASUS P8Z68-V Pro which is aimed at mainstream consumers. Let's find out how they compete against the P67 and 890FX...
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/05/2011
When we received the BlackWidow Ultimate with its individually backlit mechanical keys recently we were keen to see whether it would live up to the high standards Razer usually achieve. Read on to find out what we thought of their new high end gaming board.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/04/2011
Today we have one of the first Razer Onza Tournament Edition samples connected to our XBOX 360 (and PC) as we look to see if they have made good on their goal of revolutionising the console eSports and gaming arenas.
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by Stuart Davidson | 28/04/2011
Under the Tritton brand Mad Catz have a number of headsets which are designed to excel at their various price points. At the top of the range is the AX Pro 5.1, a true 5.1 headset which has features such as optical in and compatibility with PS3 and XBOX 360 as well as PC. Today we run the AX Pro through a selection of tests to find out if it is as impressive in the headset market as the R.A.T. 9 was for mice.
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/04/2011
Antec know that high end PSUs are not within the reach of everyone's budget though and so there are lower specification models in the family which have a more understated design with lower power rating and price. Today we have one of those models, the High Current Gamer 620w, attached to our test centre and will establish whether Antec have been able to maintain their high standards at the lower price point.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/04/2011
Today we have one of the 320 Series SSDs connected to our test system and will find out what it offers and whether it can compete with its main competition, a SandForce based model of similar capacity, in a selection of real world and synthetic tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/04/2011
Intel's recently released 310 Series SSDs take a different approach to the other models in their product catalogue. The 310 series is based on a mini-PCIe technology, is a similar size to a laptop Wi-Fi adapter but still claims desktop like performance. Today we take a look at the 80GB model to find out what it offers the market in a selection of real world and synthetic tests against a standard 5400rpm laptop drive.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/04/2011
Every good mouse needs a good surface to achieve optimal performance and todays review product is Roccats attempt at creating an ideal companion for high performance mice. So lets take a look at what the Roccat Alumic has to offer...
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by Stuart Davidson | 31/03/2011
It would be fair to say that the AX and TX2 ranges are premium products with great performance but a price which might be a little too high for some budgets. Enter the new GS range of PSUs from Corsair which are designed to provide over 80% efficiency and solid voltages for a more mainstream price. Let's see if the 800w model can meet the high expectations we have of Corsair products.
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by Stuart Davidson | 28/03/2011
Today we have one of Crucials new SSDs, the 256GB m4, connected to our P67 system and will be running it through a selection of real world and synthetic tests to establish how it compares to the Intel 510 series and OCZ Vertex 3. In addition to that we will also throw in the C300 and a first generation SandForce drive to see where this new model sits.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/03/2011
With Razer's great success in the MMO market thanks to the Naga mouse it was only a matter of time before Razer started to look at other products which could appeal to consumers who want to maximise their MMO experience and one of those is the new Anansi keyboard which we have on our test bench today.
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by Stuart Kerley | 18/03/2011
The Black Element is a gaming mouse optimised for MMORPG or RTS game play. With a powerful 6500 DPI laser and 128K on board memory it certainly seems to have the credentials to offer a quality experience for the PC gamer.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/03/2011
Today we have a sample of Intel's new 510 series SSD connected to our test system. The latest range from Intel brings their SSD platform right up to date with high end specifications and today we will find out how it compares to models such as Crucials C300, Corsairs F240 and even the OCZ Vertex 3 in a selection of synthetic and real world tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/03/2011
The ZX Series 850W is the first model in OCZ's new range of Gold Certified PSUs, a fully modular unit it is designed for high efficiency and low noise operation. Let's see if OCZ can achieve these goals.
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/03/2011
In the run up to CeBIT 2011 Razer announced the Chimaera wireless gaming headset, their second console product (which is also PC compatible) and today on our test bench we have one of the first samples to evaluate.
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by Stuart Davidson | 01/03/2011
2009 was the last time we looked at a new model, the Silencer 910w, which was another award winner and since then things have been a little quiet on the PCP&C front. That is something we rectify today as back in December they announced a new model in the range, the Silencer 760w and we have one connected to our test station.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/02/2011
On our test bench are two models from Corsairs new TX V2 range of enthusiast PSUs. The TX V2 range goes through the same certification as the modular AX and HX range of PSUs that Corsair use for their high end products but feature fixed cables rather than modular versions which gives the V2 a better price to performance ratio. Lets find out if Corsair can keep up their fantastic record for high quality power supplies.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/02/2011
Just about a year ago OCZ released their latest high performance SATA SSD, the Vertex 2 which was based on SandForce's latest controller. That drive was a huge success, surpassing the performance of its main competitor at the time, drives based on Indilinx controllers. Today we see the successor to that product launch, the Vertex 3 which runs on SandForce's latest controller and we have a 240GB sample on our test bench to find out how it compares to products currently on the market in a selection of real world and synthetic tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/02/2011
Today we will be looking at one of the first custom versions of the 6950 1GB, the XFX XXX and in the process we will take a detailed look at 1920x1080 performance as well as 5760x1080 (Eyefinity) and CrossFire. To spice things up a little we are adding in a detailed look at building an Eyefinity system for high end gaming, high end wheel and stick controllers... video of the system running... the works.
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/02/2011
When Razer offered us their licenced TRON mouse and mat we were a little sceptical about the products, wary due to our experience with other licenced products but still hoping that with this particular set of items that Razer could reach their normal levels of quality. Read on to find out how they did.
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by Stuart Davidson | 20/01/2011
Back in 2009 we reviewed the first of Razers Naga mice and found it to be a great item for MMO players. Then, just a few weeks ago we took a look at a refreshed model, the Naga Molten which added some design tweaks and once again the quality of the mouse shone through. Now Razer has released something we have been waiting a long time for, the Naga Epic mouse. This is the true successor to the original product and adds a number of new features; could this be the perfect MMO mouse? Let's find out.
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by Stuart Kerley | 30/12/2010
Now Razer has released a special edition Naga mouse, designed to tie into the new expansion for World of Warcraft. The Razer Naga Molten Special Edition has unique graphics which match the new Cataclysm expansion and today we have one connected to our test system. Read on to find out what we think of the latest addition to Razers range.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/12/2010
Today on our test bench we have the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, the latest high end soundcard from Creative which sets out to be the best audio card available for consumers. Aimed at audiophiles and featuring top of the range components with specifications such as the best signal to noise ratio Creative has ever achieved we will find out if this is the must have sound card of the moment.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/12/2010
On our test bench we have three new products from Razer, all based on a licence with Blizzard to tie them in with StarCraft 2. The Marauder keyboard, Spectre mouse and Banshee headset feature styling which is completely different to anything else Razer offer and each is designed with StarCraft 2 players and fans in mind. Do they reach Razer's usual standard of quality? Today we find out and the results are quite surprising...
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by Stuart Kerley | 06/12/2010
Never a company to rest on their laurels SteelSeries have been developing the follow-up to their original WoW mouse for some time now and today, timed to coincide with the release of the latest World of Warcraft expansion, we have the launch of that new product. The World of Warcraft: Cataclysm MMO Gaming Mouse takes the concept behind the original and brings the specifications up to date then packs into a new, even more attractive casing. Can it be as good as the original for WoW players?
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by Stuart Davidson | 25/11/2010
Running on our test bench today we have one of Antec's latest PSU's a 900w model from their new High Current Gamer range. This is a product designed to offer high current, efficiency and excellent cooling so let's see what Antec's latest SLI and CrossFire certified range can do.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/11/2010
Cryo describe the Rapier as an entry level system and at first glance it could be with a Core i3 processor and P55 motherboard as some of its main components. When we consider that this i3 CPU is actually running at 4.48GHz things get a little more interesting though, so let's look at what Cryo can do for under £800.
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/11/2010
We will be putting the RevoDrive X2 up against the original and one of the top performing SSDs on the market, Crucial's SATA 6GB/s based C300 256GB to find out how they compare in a selection of synthetic and real world tests. By the end of the review you will know exactly how OCZ's latest product will affect your daily PC use and productivity.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/10/2010
Today we have a number of brand new AMD 6800 Series cards on our test bench and will be putting them through a selection of real world tests including standard gaming, Eyefinity gaming, Stereo 3D gaming using the latest Zalman 3D monitor, 3D Blu-Ray playback and GPU computing to see where they find themselves in the marketplace.
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by Stuart Davidson | 21/10/2010
Today's review product is the more consumer friendly evolution of the Z-Drive; the RevoDrive takes the idea of SSDs built on a PCB, combined in RAID and connected to the system via PCIe at a more affordable price. We will be putting the RevoDrive up against one of the top performing SSDs on the market, Crucial's SATA 6GB/s based C300 256GB to find out how the two compare in a selection of synthetic and real world tests.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/10/2010
In the last few months the budget end of the storage market has moved on as a result of the high end changing and now we have low cost versions of the Sandforce and Marvell drives available. So today we take a look at models from Corsair and Crucial, as well as two low cost alternatives from Intel and OCZ to establish whether they are worthwhile purchases for those looking to try an SSD.
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/10/2010
There is one significant headset which we haven't yet tested... and should have long before now. That product is Razer's Carcharias which is still their high end gaming product and today we have one plugged into our test system to see how it performs in an ever evolving marketplace.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/10/2010
Today we have Zotac's GeForce GT 430 Zone Edition on our test bench and have run it through a selection of real world tests to establish where it sits in the current market. Tests include gaming, 3D Vision, PhysX, CUDA (GPU Computing) and 3D Blu-Ray playback so by the end of this article we will know exactly what NVIDIA's new budget GPU is capable of.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/10/2010
The Kone[+] is an evolution of the original model which retains many of the impressive features and adds to them some impressive upgrades and refinements.
Can it match or exceed our opinions on the G700? Let's find out.
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/10/2010
We have two of PowerColor's Radeon 5870 PCS+ cards on our test bench. We will be running them through 1920x1080 and 5760x1080 tests in a number of the latest games, including Medal of Honor, Civilisation 5 and F1 2010 to see what the user experience is like (Eyefinity videos included). In addition to this we also look at GPU computing and HD playback to get a full overview of the PowerColor model.
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/10/2010
Today we have the first products in a new range of PSUs from XFX on our test bench. These models, aimed at the value conscious consumer who doesn't like to compromise, should be in-stock across the web tomorrow but are they worth buying?
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by Stuart Davidson | 01/10/2010
In addition to the ASRock Extreme6 we also have Intel's latest i7-970 CPU to test. So join us as we put some ultra-high end kit through its paces in real world testing which includes SATA3 and USB 3 performance, CrossFire Eyefinity and 3-Way SLI 3D Vision Surround gameplay in addition to our standard tests which include encoding and media playback.
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/09/2010
When we last looked at an OCZ product, the Vertex 2, we awarded it our Gold Award and scored it 9/10 and 10/10 in every aspect. So when we saw that they were one of the first manufacturers to release an SSD based on USB 3.0 technology we were keen to try it out. Today we have that SSD connected to our test bench and will be putting it through a selection of tests, including the all-important real world transfer test to find out how it compares to USB 2.0 based mechanical and flash based devices.
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by Stuart Davidson | 22/09/2010
Today we have one of Novatech's latest systems on our test bench. The Revolution is a midrange desktop with 6-core AMD processor and Radeon 5700 series graphics. Can it live up to the high expectations generated by the recent Which report? Let's find out in a selection of real world tests ranging from Gaming to High Definition playback and media conversion.
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by Stuart Davidson | 21/09/2010
Today AMD are releasing their lastest batch of CPUs which include hex, quad and dual core models. We have one of each and have run them through a selection of real world tests including media playback, encoding, gaming and productivity tasks to find out where they sit in the current market.
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/09/2010
Today we take a look at how to set up a 3D Vision Surround system and then run it through a selection of real world gaming tests to find out the performance level we can achieve on the latest driver.
We will include a full selection of 5760x1080 screenshots, 5760x1080 gameplay videos and all of this running on three Asus VG236H screens with Zotac's GTX 480 AMP! Edition in SLI.
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by Stuart Davidson | 13/09/2010
Today we will be putting three GTS 450s through their paces in a selection of real world gaming tests which include PhysX and 3D Vision. In addition to that we also take a look at the GPU Computing potential and fire up a Blu-Ray 3D title to check out the acceleration performance offered by the GTS 450.
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by Stuart Davidson | 07/09/2010
The Silent Pro Gold 800W is a model in Cooler Masters new high end PSU range and features some unique design elements and 80 Plus Gold Certification. Let's find out if Cooler Master have what it takes to compete in this area.
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/09/2010
Today on our test bench we have the GTX 460 Beast Edition which on paper exceeds any GTX 460 we have tested to date. We will be running it through a set of real world gameplay tests which include DirectX 9, 10 and 11 titles, PhysX, 3D Vision, 3D Blu-Ray and GPU Computing to establish just how good it is.
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by Stuart Davidson | 31/08/2010
Today we get the chance to put sample 0021 of the Black Edition Limited run through its paces. Tests will cover 5760x1080 Eyefinity gaming, GPU computing, HD playback and the usual selection of single screen gameplay... is this the most extreme 5970 ever? Can it play the latest games including Mafia 2 and StarCraft 2 at 5760x1080? Let's find out...
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by Stuart Davidson | 28/08/2010
Recently Enermax have been refreshing the Revolution 85+ series and we have the 920w model on our test bench, let's see if the series continues to impress.
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by Stuart Davidson | 21/08/2010
There is one CPU from Intel which has remained at its price point without a refresh for some time now. That CPU is the Core i5-750 originally released in September 2009 it was long due a refresh and just a few weeks ago Intel made that move, releasing the Core i5-760. Today we have that very CPU on our test bench to find out how it compares with the older model and the direct competition from AMD at $200, the 1055T.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/08/2010
Today on our test bench we have the latest model in Corsair's PSU range, the Professional Series Gold AX850. This is Corsair's new flagship product and considering how well their previous PSU's have performed it has a lot of expectation placed on it.
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by Stuart Davidson | 17/08/2010
The 5850 PCS+ is a factory overclocked model with enhanced cooler and we will be putting it thorough a selection of real world tests, including StarCraft 2, to establish how it compares to the best 5830 on the market. In addition to this we will also take a look at how both cards perform in the recently released Mafia 2 and Lost Planet 2 benchmarks before concluding with some 3D Blu-Ray playback and GPU computing tasks.
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by Stuart Davidson | 17/08/2010
Today Zotac are releasing their "AMP! Edition" of the GTX 460 and hope that its redesigned cooler and enhanced specifications will appeal to enthusiasts on a budget. Today we take a look at that card and find out in a selection of real world tests how it compares to the standard GTX 460 as well as a couple of Radeons in the same price range.
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/08/2010
Today we have the XFX Radeon 5830 XXX Edition on our test bench and it will be put through its paces in a selection of real world gaming, multimedia and GPU computing tasks. As always these will feature DirectX 11 titles such as Alien Vs. Predator but we have also updated our test suite to include a first look at Mafia 2, Lost Planet 2 as well as StarCraft 2 and 3D Blu-Ray.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/08/2010
Today we have another 5770 on our test bench and while it uses an enhanced cooler that is not the cards main feature, Sapphires 5770 FleX Edition offers a refined Eyefinity experience. Read on to find out what they have changed and how it offers a significant improvement over other Radeon cards.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/08/2010
On our test bench today we have the H70 and we will be putting it through its paces against the H50, CoolIT Vantage and Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme to establish where Corsairs latest product sits in the marketplace. Have they improved on the H50 and more importantly can they give us a strong reason to choose the H70 over products such as the Tuniq Extreme and CoolIT Vantage?
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/08/2010
Today from PowerColor and Gigabyte come two Radeon 5750s which offer passive heatsinks and a few more twists. Will these make an ideal HTPC card; can they even game successfully without active cooling? Today we find out.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/08/2010
Today on our test bench we have the latest model in Corsair's PSU range, the Professional Series Gold AX1200. This is Corsair's new flagship product and considering how well their previous PSU's have performed it has a lot of expectation placed on it.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/07/2010
Today we look at CoolITs new high end cooler, the Vantage A.L.C. In this review we will discover how it compares to the H50 in terms of performance and also look at it in detail to find out what features it has which could take processor cooling to a new level.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/07/2010
Todays roundup features the ASRock Extreme 3, ASUS Rampage 3 Extreme, ASUS Rampage 3 Gene, Gigabyte X58A-UD9, MSI Big Bang Xpower and ASUS P6X58D-E boards. We look at media performance, memory performance and more.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/07/2010
The enthusiast cooling market really is a busy place at the moment, despite reviewing coolers from Gelid, Akasa, Noctua, Spire, CoolIT and Xigmatek in the past few months there is still a large selection out there which may appeal to consumers. Today, for the second time in as many weeks, we have a selection of the newest on our test bench allowing us to see which is the most appealing in a very crowded marketplace.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/07/2010
Today we get the chance to look at the OMNI A.L.C. for the first time and what better card to start with than the GeForce GTX 480, one which would very much benefit from aftermarket cooling. Can the Omni give us CoolIT's usual level of quality and provide performance that GTX 480 users have been looking for, let's find out...
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/07/2010
Today sees the launch of the GeForce GTX 460 despite a name which is close to the existing GTX 465 the GTX 460 is based on a new class of Fermi/GF100 GPU. Today we find out how it compares to the existing GTX 400 range, the GTX 200 series and its direct competition, the Radeon 5830.
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by Stuart Davidson | 08/07/2010
We will be combining the ARES with a Core i7-980X overclocked to 4.25GHz and running it through a selection of real world tests including gaming and Blu-Ray 3D playback to find out how well it compares to the standard 5970 and 2x480 in SLI.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/06/2010
StarTech were founded in 1985 and since then they have been providing a wide range of IT and A/V products to a diverse range of customers from education to industrial and beyond. They claim that their products offer uncompromising quality and workmanship with sales backed by free, live pre and post purchase support. For those who prefer email support StarTech offer guaranteed responses within 2 hours.
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by Stuart Davidson | 20/06/2010
Todays review includes SandForce, Indilinx and Toshiba based SSDs mixed in with the Seagate 6GB/s and VelociRaptor mechanical models then just for good measure a high spec 2.5"¯ mechanical drive is added to ensure we have a complete picture of the real world performance available at each market segment.
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by Stuart Davidson | 16/06/2010
On the ATI based side we have Sapphire's 5970 Toxic 4GB and the Asus Matrix 5870 Platinum. From NVIDIA partners we have Zotac GTX 480's, Gigabyte and Palit GTX 470's and Gainward GTX 465s which allow us to compare single GPU and SLI based setups. We will be covering real world gameplay, PhysX, 3D Vision, GPU computing, High Definition / 3D media playback and power/noise readings in this review to establish which products are worth purchasing.
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by Stuart Davidson | 31/05/2010
To tie in with Computex 2010 Nvidia is today launching the GTX 465 which brings the same GF100 architecture and features which were present in the GTX 480 and 470 to a new price point, sub $300/£255. We will be running the new card through a number of real world tests including DX 9/10/11 gaming, 3D Vision, PhysX, CUDA and 3D movie Playback to establish how it fits into the current marketplace; including comparisons with cards such as the GTX 285, 470 and Radeon 5000 series.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/05/2010
Today Intel aims to satisfy the needs of enthusiasts on a budget with the release of the Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K, two processors on Socket 1156 which feature unlocked multipliers.
We will be running each through a selection of real world tests to establish how they compare to the latest offerings from AMD, and finding out how well they overclock using the unlocked multiplier.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/05/2010
Today we have Kingstons HyperX DDR3-2400 which give huge potential memory bandwidth.
Kingston dont just do extreme speed though, they also produce a very interesting product further down their catalogue. Their LoVo sticks offer some very competitive performance at settings far below the reference 1.65v.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/05/2010
Today on our test bench we have CoolITs latest product, the ECO A.L.C. which shares the same design ethic as the Domino but revises many aspects in the hope of a product which will be preferable to the H50. We will be running each through a selection of tests on our Intel Core i7-980X CPU to find out which is the best choice for those wanting a simple, easy to use liquid cooler.
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by Stuart Davidson | 30/04/2010
In recent times Sennheiser have been producing headsets designed for enthusiast and pro gamers and their PC 350 headset is regarded as one of the best products for that market. Recently they launched the latest model in their gaming range, the PC 360 G4ME and today we have a sample on our test bench.
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by Stuart Davidson | 27/04/2010
Today we find out how Sapphire's Radeon 5870 2GB TOXIC compares to the GTX 480 in a selection real world gaming, media and GPU computing tasks. In addition to this we will also cover noise levels, power use and overclocking to find out which enthusiast product is worth purchasing.
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by Henry Butt | 22/04/2010
We recently looked at Logitechs top end gaming mouse, the G9x, which boasts a huge range of features and great performance. Logitech also produce some budget-friendly gaming mice that have a lower specification and a significantly lower price. Today we are going to look at one such device, the Logitech G500 gaming mouse, which shares a number of features with the G9x, but for a lower price of around £45.
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by Henry Butt | 09/04/2010
Today we are going to look at the Logitech G9x laser gaming mouse which brings a plethora of interesting features to the table. These include an adjustable weights system, onboard settings profiles and two different grips which are designed to optimise the mouse for different styles of gaming.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/03/2010
So today one of the most discussed graphics card launches of all time takes place; join us as we take a look at the real world performance of the GTX 480 covering DirectX 9, 10, 10.1 and 11 gaming, GPU Computing (CUDA), High Definition playback, PhysX, 3DVision, gaming with 32x anti-aliasing and even 3D-DVD playback. If thats not enough then how about internal and external temperature readings, power use then some overclocking?
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by Henry Butt | 23/03/2010
Today we are going to look at two pairs of earphones from Arctic Cooling's latest range; the Arctic Sound E361-WM and E352. They are both of the noise-isolating earbud variety and offer slightly different approaches in terms of features and specifications.
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by Henry Butt | 19/03/2010
Today we are going to look at a number of hard drive accessories from a few different manufacturers. Sharkoon have provided us with two hard drive docking stations; the SATA QuickPort USB3.0 and the SATA QuickPort Pro LAN. We are also going to look at the In Win AMMO 2.5" hard drive enclosure and the Vizo Ares II dual 2.5" SATA rack.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/03/2010
Today sees the release of Intels latest CPU, the Core i7-980X Processor Extreme Edition. While the model number may be similar to the existing i7-975 this release is more than "just another speed-bump". Today we take Intels new high end processor through a selection of real world productivity, media and gaming tests to establish how much of a step forward it is from the existing product range.
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by Stuart Davidson | 02/03/2010
Today on our test bench we have the latest chipset from AMD which they hope will be attractive to consumers, offering many of the features present on the 785G and adding to this functionality such as SATA 6GB/s. We will be finding out how boards from Asus, Foxconn and Gigabyte perform in a selection of real world gaming, multimedia and productivity tasks to find out which is worth your hand earned cash.
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by Stuart Davidson | 25/02/2010
Today we get to see the final (for now) piece of the puzzle in the Radeon 5000 range, the 5830. We will be running the card through a selection of real world gaming tests as well as GPU computing tasks and HD playback to find out how it compares to the 5770, 5850 and GTX 275.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/02/2010
Today we have a product on our test bench which aims to fill the SATA3/USB3 gap in AMDs high end product line. We will be running the Gigabyte GA-790FXTA-UD5 through a selection of real world tests to find out whether this is the board that AMD users with a need for the latest features have been waiting on.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/02/2010
On our test bench today we have a version of the Radeon HD 5850 which has received the Toxic treatment. We will demonstrate how it compares to the reference design 5850 and the GeForce GTX 285 in a selection of real world gaming, multimedia and GPU computing tests.
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by Henry Butt | 15/02/2010
Today we are going to look at the latest addition to Razers range; the Imperator ergonomic laser gaming mouse. It is designed with right-handed gamers in mind and on paper seems very impressive.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/02/2010
Today we will be taking a look at Sapphires 5570 to see where the new GPU fits into the market in a selection of real world gaming tests, GPU computing tasks and high definition playback. In addition to this we will also take a look back at two other products in the value area, the XFX 5670 and HIS 5450...
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/02/2010
Today we have two sets of memory from G.Skill on our test bench, the high performane Pi series DDR3-2200 and a 1.35v set from the Eco series running at DDR3-1600.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/02/2010
Today we will be running Sapphires version of the card through a selection of real world gaming scenarios as well as GPU computing tasks and media playback tests. Read on to find out how the card compares to the main competitor in the same price range.
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/01/2010
Today we have two different models of the 5770 on our review bench. Each offers enhanced performance and aftermarket cooling and we will be running them through a selection of real world benchmarks in both gaming and GPU computing tasks.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14/01/2010
Today ATI/AMD are launching the first sub $100 (512MB) and $120 (1GB) DirectX 11 capable products in the shape of the Radeon 5670.
We will be running the latest addition to the Radeon range through a selection of real world gaming and media tests to find out how it fits into a very competitive marketplace which includes the GT 240, GTS 250 and Radeon 5750.
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by Henry Butt | 12/01/2010
Today we are going to look at the Kinzu optical gaming mouse which is a budget model with some interesting features that we often see on higher-end gaming mice.
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by Henry Butt | 21/12/2009
Today we are going to look at the Abyssus Optical gaming mouse which is Razers latest attempt at an ambidextrous mouse. It is similar in shape and design to the other mice we have tested from Razer recently and is equally impressive in terms of aesthetics.
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by Stuart Davidson | 11/12/2009
On our test bench today we have Tuniq's latest CPU cooler, the Tower 120 Extreme which sits at the top of their product catalogue and offers enhanced performance and CPU compatibility.
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by Stuart Davidson | 09/12/2009
Today we have one of Thermaltake's latest coolers on our test bench. The Contac 29 is a hugely flexible CPU cooler which is aimed at the mainstream market, let's find out how it compares to the standard Intel box cooler.
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/12/2009
Back in September Intel released the Core i5-750 and i7-870 along with their latest midrange chipset, the P55. At launch we were very impressed by the excellent value for money offered by the i5-750, especially when Turbo Boost is enabled and there was no shortage of P55 boards to combine with it. Since then Gigabyte and Asus have been expanding their P55 range and between them they have now 36 different models for users to choose from.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/11/2009
Today we have the latest model in the Sapphire Vapor-X family on our test bench, the 5750. We will be taking a look at how it compares to the reference model in areas such as thermal performance, overclocking, GPU computing and real world gameplay. Can the Vapor-X 5750 live up to the reputation of the previous models?
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by Henry Butt | 27/11/2009
Today we are going to look at the ROCCAT Kave gaming headset which features real surround sound with three speakers in each earpiece. It also has an inline control which allows you to adjust volume settings for each channel in-game.
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by Zardon | 20/11/2009
Today we will be taking a look at the new HIS and Sapphire 5970's and as they sent us two of the cards apiece we felt it would be a good time to to cover Crossfire X configurations - for those of you rich enough to be able to afford two of these monster graphics cards. We also overclock our watercooled Core i7 processor to 4.1 ghz and the memory to 1800mhz to mirror a real life environment for a potential customer of two of these high end boards - we want CPU limiting at a minimum.
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by Stuart Davidson | 18/11/2009
Today we will be taking a look at the Powercolor Radeon HD 5970 2GB and putting it through its paces in a selection of real world gaming tests, including the recently released Modern Warfare 2. In addition to this we will cover GPU computing and high definition playback as well as having a play with the surprise inclusion of an official voltage tweaking tool. This little application may well make this product a favourite with enthusiasts who want to get the most from their purchase.
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by Aaron | 11/11/2009
Today we are going to look at the ROCCAT Vire gaming headset which is optimized for mobile gaming, although still compatible with any PC, and similar to the Razer Moray+ headset we recently reviewed.
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by Stuart Davidson | 04/11/2009
Today we look at the new AMD processors - the revised Phenom II 965 Black Edition and the Athlon II X3 435. We also look at the DFI DK-790FXB-M3H5 and the stunning new Sapphire Vapor X 5870 and watercooled Powercolor 5870 LCS.
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by Henry Butt | 30/10/2009
Today we are going to look at the FireGlider Laser Gaming Mouse from Sharkoon which promises to impress even the most demanding gamers. It is about half the price of a lot of gaming mice on the market but well soon see how its performance compares.
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by Henry Butt | 28/10/2009
Today we are going to look at the SteelSeries Siberia in-ear headphones which are designed for use with most portable audio devices. They are in fact one of the only products from SteelSeries that arent specifically designed for gaming although they are also available with a separate microphone if youre looking for a portable gaming headset.'
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by Stuart Davidson | 26/10/2009
Today we have Gigabytes GTX 275 Super Overclock in our labs which takes nVidias GTX275 to a whole new level. To make things even more interesting we have paired this impressive card with Nvidias 3D Vision kit, today we see if the latest development in display technology is ready for the mainstream market.
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by Henry Butt | 19/10/2009
Today we are going to look at Razers latest offering, the Naga gaming mouse. It is designed with MMO games in mind, instantly noticeable by the number of macro buttons included. It also has an impressive specification to back up its gaming orientation, boasting a 5600 DPI precision laser sensor and a 1000Hz polling rate.
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by Henry Butt | 14/10/2009
Today were going to look at the Cooler Master Storm Sentinel Laser Gaming Mouse which boasts up to 5600 DPI with customisable profiles allowing it to be tailored to your own preferences. It also has an attractive price tag which makes it affordable to casual gamers.
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by Stuart Davidson | 13/10/2009
These two products are priced to target (and undercut) the GTS 250 and GTX 260. Can ATI take control of the mainstream graphics market? Read on to find out as we put all of these cards through their paces in a selection of the latest games as well as high definition media playback and GPU computing tasks.
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/10/2009
Despite Nvidia having a strong product catalogue rumours have been rife in the last week or so about the future of their mid and high range products. It is business as usual in the budget range today however as we see the launch of a new card in the sub $79 price range. This isnt just a cut down version of a different card though; for once we have a budget model which brings something a little different to Nvidias product range.
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/10/2009
Due to the positive experiences we have had with Arctic Cooling products in the past we always look forward to their latest releases and today we have three such items on our review bench. For AMD CPUs there is the Alpine 64 Pro, mainstream GPUs get the Accelero L2 Pro and the GTX 260/275/280 get their own version of the Accelero (Xtreme GTX280).
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by Stuart Davidson | 10/10/2009
A couple of weeks ago on launch day we looked at the Radeon 5870 and found it to be a very impressive card. Today we have a follow-up article where we will look at the 5870 offerings from a selection of ATIs partners as well as the 5850 to see which cards are worth your hard earned cash. In addition to this full CrossFire results for both cards will be provided as well as GPU computing and media playback performance figures.
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by Henry Butt | 07/10/2009
Today we are going to look at the latest Moray+ earphones from Razer which have been designed to be completely compatible with both the Sony PSP and Nintendo DSi, whilst also being appropriate for PC gaming and MP3 players.
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by Stuart Davidson | 29/09/2009
Today we have two cards from either end of the price spectrum on our test bench to find out what each has to offer. For those who feel their onboard sound is has issues, or anyone with high quality headphones/speakers this article should assist in finding the ideal purchase.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/09/2009
In order to take full advantage of Microsofts latest DirectX we require hardware which supports features such as Shader Model 5 and today we bring you the launch of the worlds first publically available DX 11 hardware, the Radeon 5870.
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by Danny Moorhead | 08/09/2009
Alienware proudly released their TactX keyboard and mouse into the US with the UK to shortly follow. DriverHeaven received a production pair and obviously, the TactX name implies a focus on cunning ingenuity and precision, designed to appeal to serious gamers and others who realize it takes great peripherals in addition to a great computer to make an awesome gaming ecosystem.
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by Stuart Davidson | 03/09/2009
Today were going to be looking at a product from Razers high end selection, the £ 120 Razer Megalodon 7.1 surround sound headset. This headset has an on-board audio processor with Razers Maelstrom sound engine which claims to provide immersive surround sound from just two drivers.
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by Zardon | 20/07/2009
Ok I admit it, I am a media junkie. There is nothing else i would rather do in my free time than lounge on the sofa and fire up my computer to watch the latest downloaded films and tv shows - the shape of my body is almost burned into the leather recliner as if to verify the point. Phantom are set to answer the call of many a media fan with the release of their Phantom Lapboard which combines a rather unusally styled keyboard with a laser mouse that can be used on 'a lap' with a home theater PC.
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by Nathan Marks | 31/03/2009
Asus are a household name among computer enthusiasts as they manufacturer some of the best equipment available on the market, the most notable products being their large range of motherboards and the famous Eee PC. Their range of portable machines is ever growing and today we are going to look at one of their laptops from the Asus Republic of Gamers line, the G71V, which as you can tell by the brand title puts heavy emphasis on catering for gamers.
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by Nathan Marks | 19/03/2009
Today were going to look at the Razer Mamba, the first wireless mouse truly designed for the hardcore gamer offering 1ms response and up to 5,600 DPI. Razer have taken years to bring this product to market and promises that it is the real deal.
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by Zardon | 06/03/2009
Today we will take a look at a set of In ear headphones which have been receiving critical acclaim since they were released. Are these rather expensive phones set to redefine expectations of in ear entertainment?
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by Nathan Marks | 11/02/2009
SteelSeries have built a name for themselves over the years by producing some of the most popular gaming headsets and surfaces in the business. We have looked at a couple of their other accessories recently though, namely the 7G Keyboard and their World of Warcraft Mouse. Today we are going to take a look at another mouse from them, the SteelSeries Ikari Laser.
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by Stuart Davidson | 23/12/2008
CoolIT have taken their experience with OEM designs and the rigorous quality and performance standards involved in these builds and used them to create a product which they claim is high performance, feature rich, universally compatible, indestructible, simple-to-install, fail-safe, long lasting and last but not least, extremely affordable.
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by Stuart Davidson | 14/11/2008
QPAD are a company based in Sweden and as their name suggests their product line is essentially based around mouse pads although they do offer a couple of other items such as lanyards and wristbands.
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by Stuart Davidson | 20/10/2008
The Razer Mako 2.1 Advanced Desktop Audio System was co-developed by the audio scientists at THX with input from Razer.Ā Over the last couple of months we have run the Mako system through a barrage of tests in real world use and today we will let you know if this system lives up to the quality associated with its creators.
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by Grace | 14/10/2008
Razer are one of the oldest companies who focus entirely on producing gaming peripherals and products, such as keyboards and mice. We reviewed several of their products in the past, and they have always fared well in our labs. Today we will have a look at one of their cheapest gaming mice, the Salmosa. Even though the Salmosa is an entry-level gaming mouse, Razer boasts that it has the fastest optical sensor in the world. How this translates to real world situations we will find out today.
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by Stuart Davidson | 24/07/2008
The Lycosa is the latest keyboard to be released by the California based company and on first glance it appears to have at least a few improvements over the Tarantula.
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by Stuart Davidson | 06/06/2008
Everglide are a California based company who have been specialising in gamer hardware since 1997. Initially their product catalogue focused on mouse pads (with many winning awards throughout the press) but in 2005 Everglide began branching out into other peripherals such as headphones, mice and keyboards.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/05/2008
Here at Driver Heaven we use quite a lot of Razer hardware both on our work PCs and test systems. The hardware ranges from mice to headphones and the majority of the components are very good, the DeathAdder mouse has yet to be beaten as far as we are concerned.
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by Stuart Davidson | 12/05/2008
Most people could not live without their favourite keyboard, mouse or headset but there is one other device which connects with a PC and is essential to daily life for many of us, USB storage.
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by Stuart Davidson | 07/03/2008
In our final Cebit roundup for 2008 we will be taking a look at the Asus, Corsair, and Razer stands as well as some other products we missed on previous days. Let's get started.
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by Stuart Davidson | 05/03/2008
The latest 17” model to be released by Alienware is the Area-51 m9750. This particular model features the latest Core2 parts with excellent hard drive options and continues an initiative that Alienware first introduced in 2006, mobile SLI.
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by Stuart Davidson | 19/12/2007
At Driver Heaven we spend a lot of time in front of PC’s and because of this our components such as keyboards and mice, even headphones, have to be decent quality. Having peripherals which perform well and feel comfortable is essential if you are an enthusiast. It says a lot about Razer that the systems at the desk I work on daily use Razer mice, a DeathAdder and a Diamondback. In addition to this a Barracuda headset can also be found hanging from my chair arm. These components all far exceeded our expectations when we first used them and turned out to be best in their class.
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/02/2007
Razer are based in San Diego California and have a long history of producing fantastic gaming mice such as the Razer Boomslang, which was a revolutionary product when it was released.
In the years since then Razer have been producing mice which are more than a match for their competitors and the latest in the range is the DeathAdder, their first to feature a 3rd Generation optical lens. Razer don't just make mice however and in recent times they have branched out into audio products, one of which we have been able to get our hands on. The Barracuda headset features true 5.1 capability and (more than a few) impressive specifications. Let us see how the DeathAdder and Barracuda impact our PC experience...
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by Stuart Davidson | 15/02/2007
Razer are based in San Diego California and have a long history of producing fantastic gaming mice such as the Razer Boomslang, which was a revolutionary product when it was released.
In the years since then Razer have been producing mice which are more than a match for their competitors and the latest in the range is the DeathAdder, their first to feature a 3rd Generation optical lens. Razer don't just make mice however and in recent times they have branched out into audio products, one of which we have been able to get our hands on. The Barracuda headset features true 5.1 capability and (more than a few) impressive specifications. Let us see how the DeathAdder and Barracuda impact our PC experience...
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by Zardon | 13/11/2005
Today I will review two new products, comprising an essentially new type of mousepad, the Razer Mantis Speed and the Everglide Titan mouse surfaces/cloths. Both companies, Razer and Everglide, have a long history of creating great, if not the best mouse pads and mice.
Both products were released this month and I was surprised to hear that both are made out of a fabric and not some type of plastic, alloy, metal or glass.
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by Zardon | 11/05/2004
Following on from Julians review of the tasty Razer Viper Gaming mouse we have the opportunity to test two more gaming mice from Terratec: The Mystify Mamba and the Mystify Boomslang 2100.
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by Chaos | 09/05/2004
Long gone are the days of the 2 button ball mouse - welcome to the 21st century.
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