Maxit Mag - Sunday Hardware Roundup 25 Feb

Written by Maxit

Zalman Zalman Fatal1ty FC-ZE1 Champ1on Case Review

"If youÙre looking for a thick aluminum mid-tower ATX case, than the Zalman Fatal1ty FC-ZE1 Champ1on case might fit the bill. It is not for everyone though, since is has excess branding, cautionary warnings and instructions printed all over it. It comes with four external 5.25" drive bays, one external 3.5", and three internal 3.5" drive bays. There are three fans; two 92mm fans at the front and one 120mm at the back. It also has a window and a hinged door on the left side. Unfortunately, all this comes at a very high price. Watch the video to find out more and check out the bloopers at the end."

REVIEW URL: http://www.3dgameman.com

Geforce 8800 GTS 320Mb Review - Does 640Mb matter?

"With the introduction of the Geforce 8800 GTS NVIDIA made available an affordable high end DX10 video card, now they've slashed its memory in half, reduced the price, to make it even better deal. Can the new GTS keep up with its memory-loaded brother? We find out."

DIRECT URL: http://www.madshrimps.be

Asus M2-CROSSHAIR Socket AM2 nForce 590 SLI Motherboard Review @ PCSTATS.com

The Asus M2-CROSSHAIR motherboard is a computer enthusiast's dream motherboard. Not only does it have quick access buttons for clearing the CMOS or just powering up, it has 16 bright blue LEDs spaced throughout the PCB to highlight SATA and USB ports, an integrated LCD status display panel on the rear I/O called the 'LCD Poster', and an electroluminescent I/O shield so the port names all glow light blue. All these features are extremely useful when there is little light to see what you're doing at the back of the computer, or inside.

REVIEW URL: http://www.pcstats.com

PowerColor X1550 512MB Extreme Video Card Review

"Nothing too special here. The card is fairly small and almost hits the end of the PCI-E slot. There is only a small heat sink on the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit, similar to a CPU) with a 40mm fan, as it doesn't need much cooling. There is no need for an external power connector, as it is a low wattage card, so all it's power is supplied by the PCI-E slot. In the front, we have the video outputs and dual DVI connections. This is a definite 'plus' as you can use a dual monitor setup using the DVI interfaces! You won't have to worry about having one monitor using analog and one using the digital connector. I'm surprised by this, as you normally don't see this feature on lower-end cards like this one, but if you have a VGA monitor, you can still use the VGA to DVI connector. Lastly, there is a S-Video output in the center of both DVI connectors allowing you to use your TV as a monitor."

REVIEW URL: http://www.overclockersclub.com

Rivet Fashion Wrap & MP3 Accessories Review

"Rivet is in the business of making a wide range of accessories for a number of portable devices, and they have just unleashed a whole army of goodies that any techie-on-the-go may want to consider. More specifically, they have provided us here at The TechZone with products for cell phones, music phones, and MP3 players."

REVIEW URL: http://www.thetechzone.com

Wi-Fi Skype Phones – ASUS AiGuru S1 vs. Netgear SPH101

"However, there is one drawback with Skype, you have to sit in front of your computer and use a headset to talk to people, hardly the most intuitive way of making a call. However, there are options available, ranging from cheap USB connected handsets which still keep you in close vicinity to your computer, to what weÙll be looking a bit closer to today, Wi-Fi enabled Skype handsets. You might wonder why youÙd want a Wi-Fi telephone, although in this case itÙs a lot more than just a simple telephone as youÙll see, but consider these handsets as a cordless phone and youÙll see why theyÙre so clever.

The downside is that Wi-Fi technology is a lot more expensive than cordless telephone technology, or is it? LetÙs now take a closer look at a couple of Wi-Fi Skype phones from ASUS and Netgear and see where we stand."

DIRECT URL: http://www.tweaktown.com

Computer Recycling - Where Should Old Computers Go?

"Lets be honest with ourselves for a moment. In the long run, most of us don't think about the environment outside of what directly affects us... hot days, smog, litter in front of our house - that sort thing. At the end of the day, the economic burden we face on a business or personal scale is the price tag that weighs heaviest, and this is a key facet of sustainability. If we take a moment to rethink the economics of something as trivial as tossing out an old junked computer, the idea of "garbage" can be viewed in a whole new light. Consider the amount of time, money and energy spent in acquiring and transporting the materials, not to mention actually making the thing in question."

ARTICLE URL: http://www.pcstats.com

New Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike Screenshots @ ThinkGaming.org

"EA was nice enough to send us over 10 screenshots for their upcoming expansion to Battlefield 2142 entitled Northern Strike. The screens showcase some of the vehicles and units in the game.”

DIRECT URL: http://www.thinkgaming.org

Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP P965 Express Motherboard Review @ PCSTATS.com

"The latest feature Asus has begun integrating into its motherboards is wireless networking - WiFi. With 802.11b/g support onboard already, setting up a wireless network at home or in the office for notebooks, printers, or other devices is pretty convenient. An 802.11g WLAN system supports data transfer speeds up to 54Mbps, which is more than enough for web surfing, streaming video or audio over the internet, and even LAN gaming. Cross one more thing off the to-get checklist for your new computer.... There is a good level of device integration built into the Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP already, so the two PCI Express x16 slots (one operates at PCI Express x16, one at PCI Express x4) for dual videocards, one PCI Express x1 and three 32-bit PCI slots. "

REVIEW URL: http://www.pcstats.com

Bluetooth A2DP: Streaming Music From Your Cell Phone

"WhatÙs still being discovered about Bluetooth are some of the advanced features that have been in the specifications for years, but device manufacturers are just starting to implement. One such feature is BluetoothÙs Advanced Audio Distribution Profile, or A2DP. Basic audio in the Bluetooth specification provides a very narrow frequency response that is optimized for voice communication—great for speech, lousy for music. By contrast, A2DP allows high-fidelity audio to be streamed from one Bluetooth device to another."

ARTICLE URL: http://www.bluetomorrow.com

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