Our Most Recent Reviews
ASUS P8 Z68-V/GEN3
Perhaps one of the most daunting tasks after making the decision that you do not wish to purchase an off-the-shelf computer is attempting to figure out which components go in the machine. There are fun aspects, like the graphics card and processor, and then there are the not-so-fun aspects, like the motherboard (at least in my opinion). Why do I think it is a whole lot of not fun? There are so many out there to choose from, with all sorts of features. When shopping you will likely come across the ASUS board that I am going to review today. Arguably, it is one of the better all-around boards out there, with features like good integrated graphics and killer sound. But to a gamer that generally does not mean squat. Does the ASUS P8 Z68-V/GEN3 board have what it takes to function as a serious gaming component? Read on to find out!
XFX R7750 Black Edition DD
Not everyone is looking to spend $500 on their video card, in some cases that is the total budget for a build. When you are up against a wall trying to pack the best performance you can get into a budget build you still want to get the most performance you can out of your video card. That’s where cards like the XFX R7750 Black Edition Double Dissipation come into play. XFX has taken the styling and cooling from their high end cards and combined it with the price of budget cards like the HD 7750. Today we are going to take a look at how those two things do combined in XFX’s R7750 Black Edition Double Dissipation.
Sapphire HD 7770 Vapor-X
Earlier this year when AMD introduced the HD 7770 we took a look at cards from both Sapphire and XFX. Although we were impressed with the cards performance it was a little ill-timed due to AMD still clearing out discounted back stock. Three months later we are able to revisit the situation with today’s release of Sapphires new HD 7770 Vapor-X. With Sapphires Vapor chamber cooling technology along with a nice overclock over the reference design, the Sapphire HD 7770 Vapor-X could be a great option for a gamer on a limited budget. Let’s take a look.
Motherboard Sizing
When we got in a few oddly sized dual CPU motherboards from EVGA and Asus I posted up a few pictures on our forums and on Facebook. The problem was that even though they looked large there wasn’t any prospective. So we tossed in a couple other boards to give everyone a little perspective. This lead us to digging out even more motherboards to put together all of the standard motherboard sizes all together for everyone to be able to see the differences. Along with the picture we also have a breakdown on the dimensions of each size standard; I hope this helps everyone as some point. Sometimes it can be hard to understand all of the different motherboard sizes and how they all relate.
Android to the Maxx, DROID Razr Maxx
The list of different Android based phones available at any time is both overwhelming and frustrating. It’s almost impossible to get good feedback from friends who have the same phone because of this. So it’s rare than you have any one phone that manages to stand out. Doing something different is the only way to do this normally, but most times this ends off coming off as gimmicky or just lame. When Motorola introduced the Droid Razr Maxx it caught my attention right away. This was just before our trip out to San Francisco for the GTX 680 Editors day, what a better way to put the Maxx’s proposed batter life to the test!
Lian Li PC 100 “The Hammer”
We have had a few different Lian Li chassis come through the LanOC Offices and there hasn’t been a time that we haven’t been impressed with the new and interesting features Lian Li always seems to slip in. When they wanted to ship over their new case “The Hammer” PC 100, we signed up right away. We had seen the case previewed from a few shows prior and this time around Lian Li took a new perspective with its design, I was very interested to see how their changes worked out. Let’s jump in and see what it’s all about!
Nvidia GTX 670
When Nvidia launched Kepler with the GTX 680 I was impressed with the launch price of the card but even at such a great value it is still out of reach for some people. Just because you can’t afford the top card doesn’t mean you don’t want to experience Kepler’s performance. Of course it was only a matter of time before we saw Nvidia filling in the gaps in their product line, starting first with the GTX 690 then going to the next step down from the GTX 680, the GTX 670. Today we get to have a look to see how the performance compares to both the GTX 680 as well as AMD’s offerings. We are also very curious how it compares to the GTX 580, a card that has found its way into most of our office PC’s.
ioSafe Rugged Portable
So you do the smart thing, you backup your data from your laptop and your home PC to an external or network drive and go on with life feeling confident that you have gone well and above what most people do. For the most part, you did. What about when you’re traveling, have you seen how much abuse a device can take when on the go? For some people, and I know I’m one of them, some of the data you carry with you while traveling is more important than the laptop or device that you actually carry it on. In that situation you need a way to not have to worry about your data, no matter the situation, and to have a guarantee to back it up as well. The folks over at ioSafe focus specifically on this crowd. Not only do they offer products that are according to them build to handle almost anything, but they back it up with data recovery if something does happen. Today we are going to take a look at that Rugged Portable hard drive to see what all of the fuss is about, without any more buildup, let’s dig in.
Cooler Master Storm Trigger
Just two years ago the only mechanical keyboards you would find were from companies like DAS keyboard trying to create a nitch market. Over the past two years things have really exploded with every manufacture you can think of introducing their own mechanical keyboards. Cooler Master has been especially aggressive with multiple unique designs like their Quickfire series. What they did lack was a full featured mechanical keyboard with full backlighting, until now. Today they officially introduce their Storm Trigger, although it you look around the board was available Globally before now. With full backlighting it falls into a small category of Mechanical Keyboards with very little competition. I am excited to see how it performs.
Cooler Master HAF XM
The topic of cleaning your computer out came up last week on our forums and it got me thinking about how often I really need to clean out my computer. As it turns out it’s not very often anymore. All because of improvements in case design like fan filters. You don’t really see them on low end cases yet but they have been slowly trickling down. At CES this year we had a chance to get our hands on one of Cooler Master’s upcoming chassis, the HAF XM. A mid-range case packed with the features we have come to love from their high end HAF line. Today we are going to dig into the final product and see how it came out.
Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H
Z77 boards come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and prices. Just about every manufacture has a whole lineup of boards covering the whole range to make sure you can find what you are looking for. Gigabyte is no different; they have a whole selection of boards that will fit your needs. Today we are taking a look at their Z77X-UD3H, one of their budget boards. It may not be a high end board but it is still packed with features. I am curious how it will perform now that the cat is out of the bag with Ivy Bridge. Let’s jump in and see what it’s all about.
Intel DZ77GA-70K
Now that Intel has opened up the flood gates with Ivy Bridge we can finally take a full look at their latest chipset including testing with the i7-3770. When combining the two we get the latest CPU with the latest chipset and a load of new features. You can now take advantage of PCIe 3.0 along with USB 3.0 integrated into the chipset. We were very impressed with the DZ77GA-70K when we first took a look at it, let’s finally see how it performs!
Eight New Kensington Accessories Bring You the Power to Travel Light
Anywhere You Go, smart made simple™ Designs Keep Your Devices Going With You
Redwood Shores, Calif. – September 22, 2009 – Kensington Computer Products Group, a worldwide leader in delivering smart made simple computing accessories for the mobile consumer, today introduced eight new products to help users boost the everyday performance of their mobile devices. Kensington has created affordable, easy to use, and pocket-able accessories to accompany netbooks, smartphones, and other portable devices. The ideal technology enhancers to bring on the go include: an all-in-one travel battery pack, two car chargers, a 4-piece car kit, a videochat light, a 4-port USB mobile hub, and two mice for netbooks.
The smart made simple design gives any household the power to travel light and stay connected to its personal technology. Mobile and portable devices continue to evolve from individually used technology tools into an everyday mobile lifestyle. Gartner research claims mobile devices sales will grow at a rate of 32% in 2009. Additionally, a 2009 NPD survey shows that smartphone users purchase 27% greater accessories (52% vs. 41%) than basic phone users. This ever-growing popularity of mobile devices means users need a new generation of multi-function accessories that can accompany them anywhere they go.
Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch (SKU K33456US; SRP $69.99)
Perfect for long flights and small travel bags, here´s a big boost of power with zero charging cables to pack. Everything you need to charge and power your device is built in to the Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch. It even doubles as a kickstand for hands-free landscape viewing of movies and videos when you’re on the road. All-in-one design; no cables needed.
• Built-in dock connector to charge your iPhone and flip-out USB tip to recharge without the mess of extra cables
• Extends play time up to 23 hours music, up to 7 hours of video and up to 5 hours of talk time. Extended play time listed based on iPhone 3G
• LED battery gauge displays remaining battery pack power level
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for iPhone and iPod touch
Kensington USB Car Charger (SKU K38054US; SRP $9.99)
Charge your Blackberry® or any other USB-powered device without cluttering up your car. The Kensington USB Car Charger has all the power you need in an ultra low profile design that integrates into your vehicle’s interior.
• Charges any USB-powered device, including mobile phones/smartphones, iPhone, iPod, MP3 players and more. (USB Power Tips sold separately, for more information, visit www.kensington.com)
• Compatible with most vehicle power ports
• Includes a LED power indicator
Kensington USB Car Charger for iPhone and iPod (SKU K38058US; SRP $19.99)
Here’s the car charger that’s just as sleek as your iPhone or iPod. The Kensington USB Car Charger for iPhone and iPod has all the power you need in an ultra low profile design that integrates into your vehicle’s interior.
• Detachable USB cable, charges and syncs your iPhone or iPod from your car or computer
• Compatible with most vehicle power ports
• Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch, iPod nano (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th gen), iPod classic, iPod mini, iPod (1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th gen)
• Includes a LED power indicator
Kensington Car and Wall Charger for Mini and Micro USB Devices (SKU K38057US; SRP $29.99)
Here’s everything you need to charge your Blackberry® devices and other mini or micro USB devices whether you’re at home or on the road. The Kensington Car and Wall Charger for Mini and Micro USB Devices comes complete with a USB Car Charger, a USB wall adapter, and a mini USB charging cable with micro USB adapter.
• 4-piece charging kit for USB powered devices at home or in the car
• Charges any USB-powered device, including mobile phones/smartphones, iPhone, iPod, MP3 players and more
• Lightweight and ultra low profile USB Car Charger with USB power port and LED power indicator
• Wall adapter with USB power port, mini and micro USB charging cable included
Kensington Video Chat Light for Netbooks (SKU K33932US; SRP $14.99)
Brighten up your video chats with the Kensington Video Chat Light for Netbooks. It plugs into any USB port and easily adjusts to help you look your best whether you´re at the office or relaxing on the sofa.
• Brightens up your video chats to help you look your best
• Flexible gooseneck adjusts easily to direct light wherever it´s needed
• On/off and dimmer switch to clearly see and be seen
Kensington Mobile Hub for Netbooks (SKU K33933US; SRP $14.99)
More ports means simpler syncing for your netbook and mobile devices with the Kensington Mobile Hub for Netbooks. It expands one USB port into four to connect your favorite USB devices. The compact design goes wherever you and your netbook go.
• Works with USB devices such as cameras, MP3 players, mobile phones/smartphones, and more
• Compact design makes the hub easy to carry anywhere
Kensington Wireless Mouse for Netbooks (SKU K72349US; SRP $24.99)
The Kensington Wireless Mouse for Netbooks is the simple, comfortable wireless mouse you need for your netbook. The nano USB receiver is so small, you can plug it in and leave it in. Plus, the built-in scroll wheel makes scrolling through web pages fast and easy- no more messing with the tiny touchpad on your netbook.
• 2 AAA batteries included
• Stay plugged in with a nano USB receiver
• A wireless receiver means no more messy cables
Kensington Wired Mouse for Netbooks (SKU K72348US; SRP $14.99)
Simplicity, comfort, and reliability come together in the Kensington Wired Mouse for Netbooks. The built-in scroll wheel makes scrolling through web pages fast and easy. Plus, the compact design makes travel a breeze.
• Includes 2 ft. USB cable
Product Availability
The Kensington products are available for pre-order at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000425591) and Kensington.com (http://us.kensington.com/html/5663.html). For additional information on the existing line of Kensington products, please visit www.kensington.com.
Anywhere You Go, smart made simple™ Designs Keep Your Devices Going With You
Redwood Shores, Calif. – September 22, 2009 – Kensington Computer Products Group, a worldwide leader in delivering smart made simple computing accessories for the mobile consumer, today introduced eight new products to help users boost the everyday performance of their mobile devices. Kensington has created affordable, easy to use, and pocket-able accessories to accompany netbooks, smartphones, and other portable devices. The ideal technology enhancers to bring on the go include: an all-in-one travel battery pack, two car chargers, a 4-piece car kit, a videochat light, a 4-port USB mobile hub, and two mice for netbooks.
The smart made simple design gives any household the power to travel light and stay connected to its personal technology. Mobile and portable devices continue to evolve from individually used technology tools into an everyday mobile lifestyle. Gartner research claims mobile devices sales will grow at a rate of 32% in 2009. Additionally, a 2009 NPD survey shows that smartphone users purchase 27% greater accessories (52% vs. 41%) than basic phone users. This ever-growing popularity of mobile devices means users need a new generation of multi-function accessories that can accompany them anywhere they go.
Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch (SKU K33456US; SRP $69.99)
Perfect for long flights and small travel bags, here´s a big boost of power with zero charging cables to pack. Everything you need to charge and power your device is built in to the Kensington Travel Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod touch. It even doubles as a kickstand for hands-free landscape viewing of movies and videos when you’re on the road. All-in-one design; no cables needed.
• Built-in dock connector to charge your iPhone and flip-out USB tip to recharge without the mess of extra cables
• Extends play time up to 23 hours music, up to 7 hours of video and up to 5 hours of talk time. Extended play time listed based on iPhone 3G
• LED battery gauge displays remaining battery pack power level
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for iPhone and iPod touch
Kensington USB Car Charger (SKU K38054US; SRP $9.99)
Charge your Blackberry® or any other USB-powered device without cluttering up your car. The Kensington USB Car Charger has all the power you need in an ultra low profile design that integrates into your vehicle’s interior.
• Charges any USB-powered device, including mobile phones/smartphones, iPhone, iPod, MP3 players and more. (USB Power Tips sold separately, for more information, visit www.kensington.com)
• Compatible with most vehicle power ports
• Includes a LED power indicator
Kensington USB Car Charger for iPhone and iPod (SKU K38058US; SRP $19.99)
Here’s the car charger that’s just as sleek as your iPhone or iPod. The Kensington USB Car Charger for iPhone and iPod has all the power you need in an ultra low profile design that integrates into your vehicle’s interior.
• Detachable USB cable, charges and syncs your iPhone or iPod from your car or computer
• Compatible with most vehicle power ports
• Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod touch, iPod nano (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th gen), iPod classic, iPod mini, iPod (1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th gen)
• Includes a LED power indicator
Kensington Car and Wall Charger for Mini and Micro USB Devices (SKU K38057US; SRP $29.99)
Here’s everything you need to charge your Blackberry® devices and other mini or micro USB devices whether you’re at home or on the road. The Kensington Car and Wall Charger for Mini and Micro USB Devices comes complete with a USB Car Charger, a USB wall adapter, and a mini USB charging cable with micro USB adapter.
• 4-piece charging kit for USB powered devices at home or in the car
• Charges any USB-powered device, including mobile phones/smartphones, iPhone, iPod, MP3 players and more
• Lightweight and ultra low profile USB Car Charger with USB power port and LED power indicator
• Wall adapter with USB power port, mini and micro USB charging cable included
Kensington Video Chat Light for Netbooks (SKU K33932US; SRP $14.99)
Brighten up your video chats with the Kensington Video Chat Light for Netbooks. It plugs into any USB port and easily adjusts to help you look your best whether you´re at the office or relaxing on the sofa.
• Brightens up your video chats to help you look your best
• Flexible gooseneck adjusts easily to direct light wherever it´s needed
• On/off and dimmer switch to clearly see and be seen
Kensington Mobile Hub for Netbooks (SKU K33933US; SRP $14.99)
More ports means simpler syncing for your netbook and mobile devices with the Kensington Mobile Hub for Netbooks. It expands one USB port into four to connect your favorite USB devices. The compact design goes wherever you and your netbook go.
• Works with USB devices such as cameras, MP3 players, mobile phones/smartphones, and more
• Compact design makes the hub easy to carry anywhere
Kensington Wireless Mouse for Netbooks (SKU K72349US; SRP $24.99)
The Kensington Wireless Mouse for Netbooks is the simple, comfortable wireless mouse you need for your netbook. The nano USB receiver is so small, you can plug it in and leave it in. Plus, the built-in scroll wheel makes scrolling through web pages fast and easy- no more messing with the tiny touchpad on your netbook.
• 2 AAA batteries included
• Stay plugged in with a nano USB receiver
• A wireless receiver means no more messy cables
Kensington Wired Mouse for Netbooks (SKU K72348US; SRP $14.99)
Simplicity, comfort, and reliability come together in the Kensington Wired Mouse for Netbooks. The built-in scroll wheel makes scrolling through web pages fast and easy. Plus, the compact design makes travel a breeze.
• Includes 2 ft. USB cable
Product Availability
The Kensington products are available for pre-order at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000425591) and Kensington.com (http://us.kensington.com/html/5663.html). For additional information on the existing line of Kensington products, please visit www.kensington.com.
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