PC133 vs. DDR vs. RAMBUS
posted: May 9, 2001 @ 5:45 EDT by: ryan
With new memory technologies such as DDR and RAMBUS DRAM, the question that comes to mind is whether these new memory technologies could provide the performance that they claim to deliver. In this article, HardwareZone took these new memory modules for a spin with the older PC133 SDRAM module on various motherboards based on different chipsets. Here's an excerpt from the article:
"Although this article is not intended to give you a definite picture on which is the best chipset, it does offer an insight to which chipset could contribute better memory bandwidth performance. DDR technology is certainly going to stay and it will probably dominate the memory market with its attractive price and availability. We saw how much PC133 SDRAM could deliver and we're pretty sure that it will phase out in time to come although its lifespan may lengthen considerably due to market demands. However, if you're on a tight budget, PC133 SDRAM would certainly make a good choice since you will only suffer a drop of about 5-10% in performance with PC133 SDRAM as compared to DDR SDRAM. If you're still aiming for a Pentium III or Celeron system, you should go for PC133 SDRAM since there is little to gain with VIA's new Pro266 chipset based on DDR technology. We believe that there's still a lot of room for improvement on the VIA Pro266 chipset."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
19" Samsung SyncMaster Rv.
posted: May 8, 2001 @ 5:51 EDT by: ryan
NeoSeeker has posted their review of the Samsung SyncMaster 955DF 19" monitor.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Inno3D GeForce2 MX Rv.
posted: May 8, 2001 @ 5:50 EDT by: ryan
EXHardware has posted up a review of the Inno3D GeForce2 MX 64MB Graphics card with TwinView output capabilities. Here's a snip:
"The Inno3D Tornado GeForce2 MX card came in a rather attractive box with a commendable software bundle including the usual DVD software and among others a few games and a nVidia demo disc which includes some nify graphics capabilities that the GeForce2 chipset is capable of. Since most of you should know the GeForce2 MX chipset pretty well already, I will not go into detail about the differences between it and it's higher end brothers except that it has a slower core speed, and does not make use of the faster DDR ram which in turn also means a slower memory speed. Does this limitation prevent us from tweaking this card to one hell of a performer? Read on to find out!"
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Fujitsu LifeBook Notebook
posted: May 8, 2001 @ 5:49 EDT by: ryan
HWZ has posted up a review Fujitsu LifeBook P-1000 Notebook
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
I Hate Dust??
posted: May 7, 2001 @ 6:06 EDT by: ryan
Case Modders Australia has got a new article lovingly titled "10 things I hate about DUST". Snip:
"Our Computers are no exception to the effects of the horrid little dust bunnies. If anything, they are a prime target as a result of the air circulation for cooling purposes, thats right.. Your fans. Once upon a time you only needed one fan in your PC which was located in the power supply unit and, as a result have always been dust magnets. As technology improved and computers got faster, the trade-off was of course heat and fans were attached to your CPU. These two major parts of your computer are generally the hardest hit in the war against dust. Needless to say that extreme air cooling where hundreds of cubic feet of air per minute are forced in and out of your pc increase the intake of dust ten fold."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
P4 2.1GHz Vs. TBird 1.53GHz
posted: May 7, 2001 @ 6:05 EDT by: ryan
Take a Pentium4 1.7GHz/2.1GHz CPU and an AMD TBird 1.33GHz/1.53GHz, add a dash of OC, and take a look at the results.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Radeon Cooling Kit
posted: May 6, 2001 @ 5:04 EDT by: ryan
VYW just finished writing up a review of 2Cooltek's Radeon cooling kit. Here's a snip:
"The only potentially tricky part is removing the stock cooler from your Radeon. I used a tiny pocket knife with a blade that had been wrapped with electrical tape to eliminate the danger of cutting traces. I just put it under the cooler and slowly twisted it. I did this on all 4 sides, and on the 4th side the cooler just popped off. I then used some acetone to clean all the thermal glue off of the core. Once it was clean, I used isopropyl alcohol to clean all of the ram chips, the ram sinks, and the Radeon core. I had some extra thermal tape around the house, so I used 5 mil 3M tape to mount the Globalwin cooler to the core. Next, I simply used some scissors to cut the thermal tape to size and cover the ram chips. Finally, I attached the ramsinks by applying pressure to them once I positioned them where I wanted them. The whole process took less than 15 minutes."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
DII: Lord of Destruction History
posted: May 6, 2001 @ 5:01 EDT by: ryan
PlanetDiablo has posted up some information on the Diablo II expansion pack version history.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Building Your Own PC
posted: May 5, 2001 @ 8:00 EDT by: ryan
Overclocked Cafe has posted up an article on building your own PC.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
ThermalTake VolcanoII Review
posted: May 5, 2001 @ 8:00 EDT by: ryan
TweakTown has posted yet another HSF review, this they check out the ThermalTake Volcano II. The heatsink of the Volcano II unit measures in at 60mm x 60mm x 42mm, it is made of quality aluminum and is a pretty standard design.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
VIA Apollo266 Chipset
posted: May 5, 2001 @ 7:59 EDT by: ryan
With all of the focus on DDR and the Athlon everybody seems to be forgetting about the good old Pentium 3. With the prices of DDR the same as SDRAM now added cost is no longer an issue. HardwareOC has posted an article on the VIA Apollo266 chipset.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Aopen HX08 Server Case
posted: May 5, 2001 @ 7:58 EDT by: ryan
PCStats has posted up a review of the Aopen HX08 Server Case. Here's a clip:
"There are two kinds of computer junkies in the world when it comes to cases. First there are those of you who are perfectly content to cram as much gear as is humanly possible into a tiny, little, puny case with metal so flabby that it would buckle if you ever leaned on it. Then, there are those of you with killer computing systems who invest in one of the most popular cases out there - the HX08 - and enjoy all the benefits of what a 23" tall case has to offer."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Anarchy Online Shots
posted: May 4, 2001 @ 5:53 EDT by: ryan
Fresh this morning on EuroGamer are the obligatory three new screenshots of Anarchy Online.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
BIG Socket A Shootout
posted: May 4, 2001 @ 5:53 EDT by: ryan
ViaHardwrae have posted their Socket A shootout, which includes four KT266 boards, one Magik 1, one AMD760, and one KT133A board. The results may just suprise you. Here's a clip:
"Yes, the ancient KT266 reference board gets ready for battle one last time. A BIOS update has given this old dog new life, and improved its performance considerably. This gives credence to the viewpoint that most under-performing KT266 based boards simply need a BIOS update. the KT266 reference supports both SDR and DDR, and has a 4 PCI, 1 ACR, and 1 AGP layout. A bank of huge voltage regulators keep the board stable, and the CPU socket has an utter expanse of space around it. Unfortunately, overclocking is nearly impossible."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Copper Heat Sink Comparison
posted: May 4, 2001 @ 5:52 EDT by: ryan
Extreme Overclocking has just posted a Copper Heat Sink Comparison. Some of the new copper heatsinks out on the market that were examined are the GlobalWin CAK38, Thermaltake Mini Copper Orb (actually it's only part copper), and OCZ Gladiator. The Thermoengine & WBK38 were also included as a comparison against these hefty copper coolers.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Antec 1030 SOHO Case
posted: May 4, 2001 @ 5:50 EDT by: ryan
HardwareOC has posted up a review of the Antec 1030 SOHO file server case.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
MSI K7 Master DDR Mobo
posted: May 4, 2001 @ 5:48 EDT by: ryan
TweakTown has posted a review of the new MSI K7 Master DDR motherboard which is based on the AMD 760 chipset with VIA 686B Southbridge chipset allowing for native IDE ATA100, 4 USB ports, AC'97 and MC'97 codecs as well as support for all new 2100 DDR SDRAM. The K7 Master is intended for businesses and high end graphics designers, not everyday enthusiasts.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Slim500 Speaker System
posted: May 3, 2001 @ 5:54 EDT by: ryan
HWZ has posted up a review of the Cambridge SoundWorks' SoundWorks Slim500.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
GlobaclWin WBK38 Review
posted: May 3, 2001 @ 5:53 EDT by: ryan
Case Modders Australia has written up a great review of Global Wins newest cooler, the WBK38. Here is a snippet:
"The WBK38 is of course the successor to the hugely successful FOP38. The heatsink utilises a conventional fin design, however one thing you will notice is the way the fins fall and rise, creating a peak at the centre of the heatsink. Obviously the GlobalWIN engineers have put a bit of thought in here."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Rune PC 1.07 Patch
posted: May 3, 2001 @ 5:52 EDT by: ryan
Rune107All.zip version upgrades all the Rune PC versions (North American and Foreign releases) to 107.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
GlobalWin WBK38 Review
posted: May 2, 2001 @ 6:39 EDT by: ryan
In the effort to review every heatsink on the market, TweakTown has posted a review of the impressive GlobalWin WBK38, the brother of the GlobalWin FOP38. The WBK38 has just recently entered the arena as a competitor against one of it's own. It uses the same Delta fan, a bit larger heatsink, and a new sink design that will need to fight hard to hold it's own against a proven winner.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
ASUS CUSL2-C Mobo Review
posted: May 2, 2001 @ 6:38 EDT by: ryan
Tech-Gods has posted a review of the i815EP CUSL2-C mainboard from ASUS. Similar to the CUSL2, the -C variant discards the onboard video and shaves a few bucks off the price. Here's a snip:
"ASUS is no stranger to performance and quality. With the arrival of the new processors and chipsets ("new" being a relative word), the likes of the Socket370 design are being shifted to the back of the bus. Sure, it my not be tomorrow, but the progression is inevitable. Most of us, myself included, still have a 370 chip powering our rig and are still in need of quality and performance. Now, the core of your system lies in your mainboard, and this is where Asus comes into focus. Based on the i815EP chipset, I'm going to take a look at the CUSL2-C board. A slightly lessened version of their popular CUSL2, with no points for creativity with the name. If you're looking for a motherboard, got a 370 chip, then grab your helmet and let's play ball."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Win Some Crucial SDRAM
posted: May 2, 2001 @ 6:37 EDT by: ryan
SystemLogic.net is giving away 2 128MB stick of the winners choice of PC133 SDRAM or PC2100 DDR memory from Crucial Technology. It's very easy to apply.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
TaiSol Copper Bottomed HSF
posted: May 2, 2001 @ 6:36 EDT by: ryan
Amdmb.com has taken a look at the TaiSol CGK7600092 Copper Bottomed HSF. Quote:
"What more can I say, the TaiSol CGK7600092 Copper Bottomed HSF is a WINNER in every respect. I could find nothing to complain about this unit. It should meet and surpass the needs of 99% of computer user’s, be it Overclocker or Business user or Enthusiast like me, who want the very best in performance even if we don’t push our systems to the limit. It’s nice to know it’s there and capable. This beauty is definitely a keeper!!!!"
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Late Elsa Gladiac Review
posted: May 1, 2001 @ 10:03 EDT by: ryan
Ok, so this is an old card, but with all the new content coming out, I thought it would pay off taking a look at the aging GeForce 2 GTS, and how it handles the latest in benchmarks and games. There are thousands out there asking the same question, "Should I upgrade my GTS/Pro/Ultra/MX so I can play these new games?" PenStarSys has the review. Here is a quote:
"If you were one of the first to buy a GeForce 2 GTS, you have made quite an investment that has more than paid itself off in the past year. While other’s may have opted for a TnT2 or a Voodoo 3/Voodoo 5, they were all forced at one time or another to think about upgrading their card. Their choices for an upgrade are much the same as they were 1 year ago, with the upcoming exception of the GeForce 3. The support for the GeForce 2 series of cards has been phenomenal, and it is easily the most successful product that NVIDIA has produced in its entire history."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Windows XP Compatibility
posted: May 1, 2001 @ 6:10 EDT by: ryan
ViaHardwareh ave posted their exploration into Windows XP VIA compatiblity. As many know, Windows 2000 has given VIA users a huge amount of headaches in the past year. Will XP improve on Win2K in terms of compatibilty and the rediculous driver situation? Here's a clip:
"Also, hardware detection has become much more intelligent, with the majority of driver installation happening in the background. Users who perform a motherboard swap will be simply amazed, as XP boots up and installs the proper drivers without any intervention, or any real interference with the user's computing. The only indication that major driver installation is being performed is a good deal of hard disk activity, and occasional notifications on the taskbar."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Siemens ID Mouse Review
posted: May 1, 2001 @ 6:09 EDT by: ryan
PC Stats has posted up a Siemens ID Mouse review
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Hardware Price Index
posted: May 1, 2001 @ 6:07 EDT by: ryan
The Tech Zone has updated their Hardware Price Index for Tuesday, May 1st. Great deals on AMD processors this week. A 1000Mhz TBird can be had for just $120 (down from $134)! With the GeForce 3 hitting retail stores, the price of older GeForce cards are dropping like a rock. The Creative Annihilator 2 GTS can be had for just $145 now (down from $219.90)! Check all the prices here.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Blue Rounded Cables
posted: April 30, 2001 @ 3:41 EDT by: ryan
Virtual Hideout today takes a look at the Blue Rounded Cables from CoolerGuys. Here's a blurb:
"We add more fans to increase air-flow. We take the powertools to our cases cutting out bigger fan holes or maximizing the factory locations all to increase the air circulation in and out of our case. Although air entering and exiting our cases is very important to overall system cooling, there's another very important factor that is all too often ignored. It's the air circulation inside the case itself. How the air travels from front to back or lower front to upper rear,etc. All case have obstructions including the power supply leads,molex connections,audio cables, larger ISA cards, and even the pci cards and hd cages will interupt the free flow of air. But, the biggest interference by far, would have to be the big, flat, and wide IDE and SCSI ribbon cables . We all have them and we all hate how bulky they are.They don't always like to bend the way we want them to nor do they tkae kindly to letting some fricking air go past! =) So alot of us take a razor blade to them , seperating the individual strands, or groups of 4-5 strands , rolling and folding and taping them together, or up small trying to clear up the clutter. While I find that fairly harmless if you got some patience and a pretty steady hand, It's still a risky proposition in general. Only takes a split second to make a fatal mistake that will cause you to have to throw that expensive cable away and start all over."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
On GeForce3 Overclocking
posted: April 30, 2001 @ 3:40 EDT by: ryan
X-bit labs has posted an article entitled: "VisionTek GeForce3. First Round of GeForce3 Overclocking". They tested the first mass produced card based on NVIDIA GeForce3 from VisionTek. It is built on the final A05 chip revision.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
New IWILL KD266 Mobo
posted: April 30, 2001 @ 3:39 EDT by: ryan
Iwill posted some information for their latest motherboard announcement, the KD266, based on ALi M1649 chipset. It sports 266 MHz Bus support, and 3 GB of memory and should be at a lower price than nearly all currently available Athlon/Duron systems.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Globalwin CPS25603-16 Rv.
posted: April 30, 2001 @ 3:38 EDT by: ryan
FrostyTech (gotta love the name) has posted up a review of the Globalwin CPS25603-16 Heatsink. Quote:
"Choosing an OEM class heatsink means you get an inexpensive heatsink with questionable performance characteristics. In this case Globalwin have developed a heatsink with some standard features, an extra sized fan, and an easy to use clip design.The heatsink is large, and the fins are plentiful, so this cooler looks like it could be a good choice for the budget minded consumer.
As we have seen in the past, looks don't always indicate the true colours of a heatsink. Often it is the tiny details to attention which tell us how much thought and design has gone into a particular cooling design. Large fan for instance may improve performance, but they can also illustrate a shortcoming in the fin design."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Thermoengine HS Review
posted: April 30, 2001 @ 3:37 EDT by: ryan
Overwear Online have posted a review on the Thermosonic Thermoengine CPU Cooler. This cooler gives out exceptional performance especially when fitted with a fast, more powerful fan such as the Delta 6800rpm model which is used on the Globalwin FOP38. Snippet:
"All of this plus the newly designed heatsink make the Thermosonic Thermoengine a top-end performer, which makes it a good competitor when comparing it against other good high-end coolers such as the Globalwin FOP38 and Thermaltake Volcano II."
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
Soldier of Fortune 2 Preview
posted: April 29, 2001 @ 8:34 EDT by: ryan
3DActionPlanet has posted up a preview of Soldier of Fortune 2.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
THERMALTAKE VolcanoII Rv.
posted: April 29, 2001 @ 8:33 EDT by: ryan
Octools has just posted a review of THERMALTAKE's VolcanoII.
[ Comment on Speedy 3D's Forums ]
