Featured Reviews
AeroCool AeroRacer Pro PC Case Review
The AeroCool AeroRacer Pro PC Case is one of those cases you have to do a double take when looking at since it looks so unique. With a gigantic 400mm fan there is no doubt that the AeroRacer Pro Case is going to have good ventilation. With a tool-free design and a car-style 'Engine Start' power button will the AeroRacer Pro have the features you want or will it blow you away?
SouthWing SF605 Bluetooth Car Kit Review
The SouthWing SF605 Bluetooth car kit by SouthWing is an elegant solution to recent hands-free legislation passed in various states. Conversations are clear on both ends with noise and echo cancellation ensuring your words are heard on the other end along with a powerful built-in 2-Watt speaker so you can hear what is being said regardless of road noise. Read on to see if this Bluetooth device that just clips on your sun visor is right for you.
Picking The Right Memory Kit For Intel Core i7 Platforms
Now that the new Intel Core i7 platform is on the market and consumers are looking into building systems for the holidays Legit Reviews takes a look at four different memory speeds to see if going with faster memory is worth the extra cost. We run the kits at 1066MHz, 1333MHz, 1600MHz and 1866MHz on five different benchmarks to see if any difference can be noticed by just changing the memory speed in the BIOS.
Antec Veris Fusion Black HTPC Case Review
For the many consumers looking to build that Home Theater PC this holiday season, be sure to check out the Antec Veris product line. The Veris Fusion Black offers an elegant, quiet and power efficient solution that makes this HTPC case stand out from the crowding market. Read on to see if the Antec Veris Fusion Black Media Center case is right for you!
CyberPower Gamer Infinity GTX System Review
CyberPower is one of the leading computer system manufacturers here in the United States and today we look at their Gamer Infinity GTX PC system to see what it is all about. This is without a doubt a customized high-end gaming machine that has quality and power written all over it. With an Intel Core i7 965 processor inside that has been overclocked to 3.6GHz it is certain that this gaming PC is going to to be faster than any other system we have looked at.
Tagan A+ Curbic Mid Tower Case Review
The Curbic is the latest mid tower chassis from Tagan and is part of their A+ case line. The Curbic is an entry level mid tower, but you can't tell that with the sweet looking front mesh grill or side fan. Tagan designed this case to be friendly on the pocket book, but still packed with all the features you would expect in a top dollar case. Read on to see if the Tagan Curbic computer case can offer you want you want for under $60.
Legit News
Kingston HyperX DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory Now Reaches 1066MHz
Kingston Technology today announced it is first to market with ultra-low latency HyperX DDR3 gaming SO-DIMMs. The new DDR3 1066MHz notebook memory modules are pre-programmed to high-performance ultra-low latency values of CL5-5-5-15 at just 1.5 Volts. The most impressive part of this new kit is the fact that it comes with a brand new metal heatspreader that helps promote thermal conduction for added performance. Not too many laptop memory kits need or can fit heat spreaders, but Kingston has pulled it off with the new DDR3 1066MHz notebook memory kit. The 4GB kit is sold under part number KHX8500S3ULK2/4G and has an MSRP of $228.00 here in the Unites States.
"Computer makers are releasing more DDR3-based notebook computers into the marketplace and Kingston is pleased to be first to ship ultra-low latency SO-DIMMs to meet the increased performance these laptops can offer,” said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston®. "Our HyperX DDR3 notebook modules with metal heatspreaders represent new technology for gamers who want every competitive edge possible when pushing system performance.”
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 05:19 PM
OCZ Announces Throttle eSATA Drive in 8GB to 32GB Capacities
OCZ Technology today introduced the Throttle eSATA drive, which offers performance and versatility for enthusiasts that demand the best hardware. The integration of eSATA connectivity now extends beyond desktop systems to laptops, offering increased data transfer rates with extreme portability while eliminating extra cords and power cables. These little drives look pretty slick and I'm sure we'll have a review for you very soon.
“We are excited to introduce the Throttle eSATA drive, which delivers many of the key benefits of external SATA including faster transfer rates and a cost effective expansion storage for high performance computing,” said Eugene Chang, Director of Product Management for the OCZ Technology Group. “The Throttle is available in high densities and offers exceptional peak interface speeds for high performance notebooks, desktops, consumer electronics and entry level servers. In the case where an eSATA port is not available, the Throttle has the ability to connect via USB as well for ultimate flexibility.”
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 05:07 PM
Rumor Mill - Call it SATA 6G not SATA 3.0
Rumors are flying around today that AMD will have chipsets support SATA 3.0 in the second half of 2009. This will be the platform after Dragon and the Dragon platform will not be out till early 2009, so this is very far off. The platform after Dragon is rumored to be Leo, so with Leo will come support for SATA 6G thanks to RD890 and RS880D chipsets. It's really not called SATA 3.0, so I figured I'd help clear up the air now that SATA 6G is getting some more media exposure. Rumors have been floating around about SATA 6G since 2006, but finally we are seeing some launch rumors.
SATA-IO presented the draft specification of 6 Gbit/s physical layer in July 2008, and ratified its physical layer specification on August 18, 2008. The full 3.0 standard is expected to be available in early 2009. While even the fastest conventional hard disk drives can barely saturate the original SATA 1.5 Gbit/s bandwidth, Intel's Solid State Disk drives are close to saturating the SATA 3 Gb/s limit at 250 MB/s net read speed, and other new drives including Super Talent and Samsung are close to that as well. Ten channels of fast flash can actually reach well over 500 MB/s with new ONFI drives, so a move from SATA 3 Gb/s to SATA 6 Gb/s would benefit the flash read speeds. As for the standard hard disks, the reads from their built-in DRAM cache will end up faster across the new interface.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 02:44 PM
ECS X58B-A Black Series Motherboard Announced
Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the world’s leading motherboard, graphics card, barebone system and notebook manufacturer, today has disclosed the remarkable achievement that the newly lunched X58B-A Black Series motherboard is creating the world record of overclocking. Reaching the B-Clock of 215MHz, ECS X58B-A has set up a mile stone of overclocking the latest high-performance Intel Core i7 processors among Intel X58 Express chipset based motherboards.
Instead of staying focus on pursuing the processor’s core speed, ECS X58B-A provides another path to the wonderland of outstanding performance. With ECS’s innovative design, the X58B-A motherboard is capable to reach the unbelievable B-Clock of 215MHz and to overclock the processor up to the core speed of 4GHz simultaneously. Performance extremists will experience dramatically increased computing capability which comes from the incredible core speed as well as the extraordinary QPI bandwidth under this configuration. Simply by using air cooling system, ECS X58B-A creates the world records of overclocking the B-Clock up to 215MHz that realizes the possibility of building an exceptional platform even without any additional efforts such as preparing those complicated cooling equipment.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 01:11 PM
Silicon Power releases eSATA/USB Solid-State Drive - 8x faster than USB drives
This is an interesting new product that is sure to shake things up a bit in the USB Flash Drive market - a solid-state drive that features eSATA connector for even better performance. The eSATA connection has a read speed of 92 MB/s and a write speed of 48MB/s - 8 times higher than the speed of the normal USB Flash drive. The eSATA/USB SSD is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities and comes backed by a two year warranty.
The eSATA connector provides external data transfer at speeds up to 3Gbps, which is higher than USB 2.0 interface with 480MB/s. It is very convenient for large volume of data transfer at a short time. The bottom of the eSATA/USB SSD is a Mini USB connector offering a read speed of 33MB/s and a write speed of 25MB/s.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 10:22 AM
Leadtek Unleashes Smaller WinFast PX9800 GTX+ Graphics Card With Better Cooling
With Christmas just around the corner, Leadtek Research Inc. presents its new WinFast PX9800 GTX+. Keeping the best-in-class performance, the size of the new WinFast PX9800 GTX+ is reduced to 9.45 inch to increase flexibility of installation. Equipped with the specially designed 2-slots silent fan-sink, the new WinFast PX9800 GTX+ improved the GPU cooling efficiency and reduced noise level effectively while full-throttle operating.
Based on NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ graphics processing units and running perfectly with the PCI Express 2.0 interface, WinFast PX9800 GTX+ comes with high-speed 512MB 256 bit GDDR3 memory, 128 streaming fast cores at a GPU clock speed of 738MHz. The new WinFast PX9800 GTX+ represents a dazzling 15% speed boost, giving every user the thrill of a first-rate entertainment experience while delivering exceptional value on price/performance.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 10:11 AM
Zotac Announces Mini-ITX Geforce 8200-ITX WiFi Board
ZOTAC unleashes its first Graphics Plus capable mini-ITX motherboard – the ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi. Powered by an NVIDIA GeForce 8200 mGPU, the ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi delivers NVIDIA unified architecture, NVIDIA CUDA, NVIDIA PureVideo HD and integrated WiFi technologies rolled up into a miniature 170mm x 170mm platform.
The ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi with NVIDIA unified architecture features 16 screaming-fast stream processors that are programmable for phenomenal visuals with DirectX 10 and OpenGL 2.1 enabled 3D games and applications or high-speed general computing tasks with NVIDIA CUDA-enabled applications. “General purpose computing is the future of graphics processors. The performance gains with NVIDIA CUDA enabled applications are astonishing with GeForce series graphics processors. Our new ZOTAC GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi enables users to take advantage of CUDA technology while maintaining a small system foot print,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 10:01 AM
Auzentech Launches X-Fi Forte 7.1 Native Low-Profile PCI Express Soundcard
Auzentech has unveiled the X-Fi Forte PCI-Express sound card. The Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 is the first Low Profile native PCI express audio card that Auzentech has designed especially for gamers and audiophiles. Compared to the X-Fi chipset reference design, the Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 has improved circuitry and components. The Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 soundcard is scheduled for release before the end of December of 2008. The MSRP is planned at $149.99.
"A large percentage of our customers are both gamers and audiophiles," said Stephane Bae, president of Auzentech, Inc. "Increasingly, they are requesting a low-profile sound card with 'mind-blowing' audio playback for music, movies, and games. We created the Auzen X-Fi™ Forte with these customers in mind."
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 09:51 AM
Adobe to cut 600 jobs, report lower fourth-quarter revenue
On the heels of other tech company layoffs, Adobe Systems said Wednesday that it will cut 600 jobs — or about 8 percent of its workforce — because of the global economic downturn and slow demand for one of its flagship software products.
"The global economic crisis significantly impacted our revenue during the fourth quarter," Chief Executive Shantanu Narayen said in a statement, which also cited "weaker-than-expected demand" for Creative Suite 4, the newest version of one of Adobe's most popular and profitable products.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:37 AM
New videogames lure players into the kitchen
A new crop of video games is encouraging fans to ignore their parents' advice and play with their food. Fans slice, dice and feel the heat of the kitchen with a new crop of foodie games that includes Atari's "What's Cooking? With Jamie Oliver," Majesco's "Cooking Mama World Kitchen," Ubisoft's "Hell's Kitchen: The Video Game" and Nintendo's "Personal Trainer: Cooking."
The title that launched the North American food game craze was "Cooking Mama," a Japanese import that hit our shores in 2006. It uses the touchscreen and stylus on the DS to let users "cook" everything from pepperoni pizza to cabbage meat rolls. Players also can blow into the DS microphone to "cool off" hot dishes.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:35 AM
Several top-10 PC vendors to cut order volumes by 50% on year in 1Q09
Several top-ten PC vendors including Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer and Asustek Computer are expected to reduce their PC order volumes in the first quarter of 2009 by around 50% compared to the same period in the previous year, according to sources at component makers. HP is planning to cut orders by around 50%, Dell 50-60%, and Acer and Asustek 40-50% each.
The sources pointed out that they originally thought that HP and Dell were trying to lower their costs by combining orders together and outsourcing to just a few makers, but after confirming with other channel sources, it became clear that the two vendors have actually significantly reduced their orders. Although PC and notebook orders will see a large drop in the first quarter of 2009, orders for netbooks and LED notebooks are still seeing a surge growth.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:34 AM
AMD Updates Fourth Quarter 2008 Outlook
AMD today announced that it expects revenue from continuing operations for the fourth quarter ended December 27, 2008 to be approximately 25 percent lower than third quarter 2008 revenue of $1.585 billion, not including process technology license revenue.
The decrease is due to weaker than expected demand across all geographies and businesses, particularly in the consumer market. AMD will report fourth quarter 2008 results after market close on January 22, 2009. AMD will hold a conference call on this day for the financial community at 2:00 p.m. PT to discuss fourth quarter results. A real-time audio broadcast of the teleconference will be provided at www.amd.com.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 08:32 AM
The billion mouse mark
Computer peripheral powerhouse Logitech is working to get some PR mileage out of a milestone event -- since letting the first one scamper into the retail market in 1985, the company has now shipped 1 billion computer mice. Pretty impressive, even if all the economic recovery plan numbers have sapped "billion" of some of its impact. "It's rare in human history that a billionth of anything has been shipped by one company," Logitech's general manager Rory Dooley told the BBC. "Look at any other industry and it has never happened." OK, members of paper clip and toothpick industries, among others, might want to quibble, but we'll let it slide.
That billionth mouse, by the way, is getting the celebrity treatment (if the celebrity is Dick Cheney). The unit, christened Billie, rolled off an assembly line in Suzhou, China, and was immediately sent on a roundabout secret journey to an undisclosed location. Logitech is inviting folks to follow online clues to deduce Billie's whereabouts and win a prize.
Posted by | Thu, Dec 04, 2008 - 12:14 AM
G.Skill Announces PI Black 2GHz Triple-Channel Memory Kits
G.Skill recently launched the World’s Fastest DDR3 2000HMz 6GB (2GB x 3) PI Black series memory products designed for Intel Core i7 processors / Intel X58 Express Chipset. Launching at the Taiwan event held by Intel, ITMonth, G.SKILL pre-launched ultra-speed PI Black DDR3 2000MHz 6GB triple memory kits for overclocking enthusiasts. Legit Reviews recently looked at the Kingston HyperX 2000MHz 3GB memory kit with 9-9-9-27 timings, bit this kit by G.Skill offers twice the memory density and tighter 8-8-8-21 timings!
Compatible with the cutting-edge Intel Core i7 Processors and X58 Express Chipset, the G.SKILL Triple Channel kits provides outstanding performance and stability at an ultra-fast 2000MHz with an incredibly low CAS Latency of 8-8-8-21. This has been tested and verified by world famous overclocking enthusiast, Coolaler, during the 2008 Taipei ITMonth. PI Black heatsinks ensure cool and reliable running during this extreme performance and a rigorous, 100% hand-tested regime assures G.SKILL Triple Channel kits have a solid-quality, superb compatibility and ultimate reliability.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 08:11 AM
Windows 7 beta To Be Released on January 13, 2009
Windows enthusiasts were buzzing on Tuesday over a Microsoft blog posting that makes it seem as if a beta version of Windows 7 should be ready by next month. In a blog posting on Microsoft's Technet site, Keith Combs suggests those wanting to get their hands on the beta version should register to attend one of a dozen or so upcoming MSDN developer conferences.
That blog, and another Microsoft blog, make it clear that attendees will get a DVD with Windows 7 beta 1 on it. Some of the events are in December and the bloggers make it clear that those attending the earliest events won't get their DVD at the conference. In the comments section of his blog, though, Combs said the DVDs should be ready by mid-January.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 07:33 AM
AMD updates chipset schedule for next year
AMD plans to launch a new entry-level IGP chipset, the 760G based on RS780 architecture, in January 2009. The chipset will support DirectX 10 and Shader Model 4.0, but will not support Unified Video Decoder (UVD) and Hybrid CrossFireX technologies nor HDMI and Display Port connections, according to sources at motherboard makers. The 760G will replace the 740G chipset and will be accompanied by a new SB710 southbridge.
The company will also launch upgraded 790FX and 790GX IGP chipsets that include AM3-computability and will be paired with the SB750 southbridge. An RS880 IGP chipset will be launched in May or June next year paired with the SB710, and in July or August, AMD will launch an 770 chipset also paired with the SB710 which adds support for AM3-based processors.
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 07:30 AM
December 3 News from Around the Web
Fractal Design Newton 1000W (FD-PSU-NEWT-1000W) PSU Review on Technic3D and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
"The Fractal Design Newton 1000W (FD-PSU-NEWT-1000W) arrived Technic3D. See you in the following Review from Technic3D the next Big PSU with modular cable management, 135mm Fan, 4x 12V rails, 6x Serial ATA connectors and 2x PCI-e 6+2 Pin."
Posted by | Wed, Dec 03, 2008 - 07:27 AM
OCZ Announces CrossOver USB Flash Drive
OCZ Technology today introduced the CrossOver USB 2.0 Flash drive, the latest line of flash media that also doubles as a microSD and microSDHC card adapter. For the on-the-go student, gamer, or professional, the OCZ CrossOver flash drive eliminates the need for card readers and transfers your important multimedia files to and from your computer, phone, and camera.
“With the proliferation of smart phones and MP3 players, the demand for microSD and microSDHC and the ability to easily transfer content to these cards has significantly increased,” said Alex Mei, CMO for the OCZ Technology Group. “OCZ is excited to introduce our new Crossover USB drive that to addresses this growing need, combining the benefits of a USB drive and a MicroSD adapter that allows consumers to transfer music and images directly from their microSD cards to their computer or onto the Crossover itself without another reader, making it easier than ever to manage multimedia between devices.”
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 05:20 PM
NVIDIA Launches QUADRO FX 4800 Graphics Card
Today, mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD), digital content creation (DCC) and broadcast applications received a major performance boost with the introduction of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 ultra-high-end professional graphics card. With advances in GPU architecture, added graphics memory and 30-bit color, the Quadro FX 4800 gives professionals the right toolset to dramatically push the boundaries of realism, performance and quality. The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 is available today and has a MSRP of $1,999 USD.
"In this increasingly competitive landscape, it's imperative that professionals deliver better, faster and more cost-effective results," said Jeff Brown general manager, Professional Solutions, NVIDIA. "NVIDIA is not only addressing this challenge, but is raising the ultra-high-end visualization bar by creating specialized solutions to meet the direct needs of professionals - whether it be a geophysicists or MCAD designer."
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 02:59 PM
Redstone sells Midway Games stake at a huge loss
Billionaire media mogul Sumner Redstone and his holding companies have sold his family's 80.3 million shares in Midway Games Inc. for less than a penny each, according to a Monday securities filing. The sale means a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, which Redstone is expected to use to offset taxable gains his holding company, National Amusements Inc., is realizing from selling assets in its attempts to restructure $1.6 billion in debt.
According to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Redstone and companies National Amusements and Sumco Inc. on Friday sold their entire 87.2 percent stake for $0.0012 per share, about $100,000 in total, to Mark Thomas. Midway, best known for its "Mortal Kombat" video game, had 92.1 million shares outstanding as of Oct. 31. Thomas takes on $70 million in debt on the books of Chicago-based Midway, according to the filing. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter estimated Redstone lost around $600 million on his investment in the video game publisher.
Posted by | Tue, Dec 02, 2008 - 11:45 AM