Tech News

• Intel Core i7-3820 Processor Review (10M Cache, 3.60 GHz) @ TechwareLabs

  Published: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 | By: Dennis

  This isn't your typical LGA2011 processor but does pack quite a punch when it comes to raw speed.  3.6Ghz to be exact.

  The 2XXX Second Generation of the Intel Core Processor Family took off this past year with many early adopters pleasantly surprised by the abundance of speed, updated technologies, and better graphics integration. Here at TechwareLabs we had the pleasure of reviewing the i5-2500K and i7-2600K last year with future prospect of greater economical choices to come in Q1 2012. The Sandy Bridge-E i7-3800 Desktop series takes on many of the 2nd Gen i7-2XXX series features with a boost in base clock speed, cache, and thermal specification.

  Keep in mind this is the quad core edition running with about the same power as a high-end Ivy Bridge.  The only major difference is quad channel memory common to Sandy Bridge E vs dual channel found on the mainstream LGA1155.

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• Demonoid takedown prompts attacks by Anonymous

  Published: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 | By: Dennis

  The use of BitTorrent has been under attack lately due in part to how easy it is to share files of a questionable nature.  Most find the process to be extremely convenient and a great way to get the latest version of Slackware or hard to find game demo.  The problem is, BitTorrent has a dark side and sometimes the files being shared are not supposed to be either they be pirated, warez, etc..

  This alone has led companies to demand that sites tracking BitTorrent files be taken down in an attempt to thwart would be downloaders from capturing their precious bits and bytes.

  The BitTorrent link tracker's internet service provider (ISP) took it offline after being contacted by law enforcement officers.
  
  The US had previously alleged Demonoid was one of the most visited sites used to share pirated content.
  
  Many of its visitors are now concerned their activities may be exposed.
  
  Demonoid's site became unavailable last week, but news of the authorities' involvement only emerged after an article in the local newspaper Kommersant on Monday.

  Of course the biggest legal hurdle here is that the BitTorrent tracking website only hosts a link to the .torrent and not the actual file you are downloading.  So does taking the tracking site down do anything to stop filesharing?, is hosting a link site illegal?.  I'm no legal expert but filesharing will continue and I'm pretty sure downloading a .torrent file isn't illegal.

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• ASRock Fatal1ty X79 Champion Intel LGA2011 @ techPowerUp

  Published: Monday, August 13, 2012 | By: Dennis

  If you had to ask yourself, "What is the best motherboard you can buy?" would ASRock be anywhere on that list??  Given that fans of a certain websites often side with the views of the author I suspect the answer for those reading this would be "No".

  However, with that being assumed I know there is at least 1 vocal Ninjalane reader who swears by ASRock claiming that if it's not ASRock then it has to be something else, and that is no good.

  

  A Champion has emerged! The ASRock Fatal1ty Champion seeks to beat out all other Intel X79 Express contenders, clad in red and black armor and carrying a loadout of features that is sure to have other boards run and hide. Can the ASRock Fatal1ty X79 Champion live up to its claim?

  I cannot diss, the color scheme is spot on, the layout and expansion slot designs mimick (nay are the same) those found on the more expensive Asus product line so why not give the mainstream Asus product line a shot?

  btw for those of you thinking you might be able to get one of these fine motherboards, think again.  "This model may not be sold worldwide. Please contact your local dealer for the availability of this model in your region. - ASRock website"

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• Aerocool X-Vision Fan Controller Review @ Kitguru

  Published: Monday, August 13, 2012 | By: Dennis

  A fan controller is one of the premiere aftermarket products you can buy for a personal computer.  Of course they don't do much but, go a long way to add some bling to your "beige box".  Aerocool is one of the only companies to take the standard fanbus and push it to the n'th degree by adding digital displays and fancy moving lights.

  But is all of that really necessary?

  Once installed and powered on, we can see the 5 sections reporting fan speeds, and 5 sections of temperatures. Our first channel was for the CPU cooler, so you can see this fan was running at a modest 1400 rpm, and the heatsink where we attached the thermal sensor was only up to 28 degrees (channel 1), whereas the CPU block itself was running at 33 degrees (channel 2).

  I think for some the ability to control fans is a key feature for those suffering with OCD but also may be the only option to keep an overstuffed enthusiast system cool in the heat of battle.

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• How to Hack NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover - Kinda

  Published: Thursday, August 9, 2012 | By: Dennis

  This is an interesting story that looks at what it would take to hack the mars rover. 

  In other words, a state-backed actor could maybe take over NASA's planetary crawler, but the script kiddies are pretty much SOL here. We are exceedingly unlikely to see "We Are Legion" transmitted by Curiosity as its last act before driving off a cliff while IRC explodes with lulz.
  
  With that said, let's hack the rover! 

  In the end the article concludes that unless you sneak into NASA HQ and use their equipment the venture is cost prohibitive.  Of coures, if you had unlimited resources, a buttload of Xena tapes and Hot Pockets you might come close. 

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• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 Super Overclock Review

  Published: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 | By: Dennis

  What are the biggest issue facing high powered video cards in modern computer systems?  Power, Fame??  Nay, the biggest issue is how to beat the heat and, lets face it, when you get two or more of these things in close proximity there isn't a lot of room to breathe.

  During Computex Gigabyte showed me their new cooler design that appears to address these concerns from the top down.  The new cooler uses 5 smaller fans positioned across the top of the heatsink to pull air vertically thru the cooler.

  

  The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 Super Overclock ( WindForce 5x) Graphic Card arrived Technic3D. Technic3D will check the GTX 680 Monster in the following Review with a Resolution from 2560x1600, 1920x1200, 1680x1050, the real Power Consumption, loudness, temperature, Overclocking and many more in new Games against other Graphic Cards.

  The biggest concern would be noise.  Ts the heatsink loud? Does it use more power than your freshly overclocked toaster?  If you can read German then you might be able to find out.

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• NL: Review Block - Motherboards and Video Cards

  Published: Monday, August 6, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Time for another episode of Review Block goodness.  In this posting we'll be looking at some great cards that were recently reviewed by a crack team of hardware guys from around the web.  Some may be crackpots while others may crack the whip.  Either way they are here for your viewing pleasure.

  Video Cards
  - HIS HD 7870 IceQ Turbo 2GB Review @ HardwareLOOK
  - MSI R7870 HAWK Edition @ Bjorn3D
  - Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 SOC review
  - MSI GTX 680 Lightning Review @ Hardware Canucks
  - EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Classified 4GB with EVBOT review
  - Sapphire TOXIC 7970 GHz 6GB Graphics Card Review @ HardwareHeaven
  - ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU II TOP @ Bjorn3D
  - KFA GeForce GTX 680 LTD OC 2 GB @ techPowerUp
  - HEXUS Review: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Classified 4GB
  - AMD Radeon HD 7970 Video Card Review @ Madshrimps
  - Gigabyte HD 7970 Super OC 3 GB @ techPowerUp
  
  Motherboards
  - Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
  - ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE Motherboard Review @ Techgage
  - ASUS ROG Maximus V Gene (Z77) Review - Ivy Bridge on Phase Change
  - Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H WiFi Review @ HardwareLOOK
  - Gigabyte B75M-D3H Intel LGA 1155 @ techPowerUp
  - MSI Z77A-GD55 Motherboard Review @ Techgage
  - ASUS P9X79 Pro Intel X79 Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers
  - ASUS Maximus V Extreme review: ultimate Z77 board for overclockers

  There are a few products on this list that have already been reviewed on this site.  Check out the reviews section for more info.

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• Prolimatech PK-2 and PK-3 Thermal Paste @ Pro-Clockers

  Published: Thursday, August 2, 2012 | By: Dennis

  Its been awhile since I posted anything about thermal paste so it might just be time to do so.

  In many PC hardware test the higher the number the better the performance. Well, that is totally not the case when it comes to our next review. When it comes to most thermal testing the lower the better and that is definitely the case when it comes to thermal paste, compound, grease or whatever you want to call it. We know Prolimatech for their remarkable CPU coolers but they are showing their hands to day with a pair of thermal solutions to help theirs as well as all other CPU coolers. Today, we will be taking a look at their PK- and PK-3 compounds.

  There are 3 basic things to look for when choosing thermal paste.  The first is temperature range.  Normally temperature is only a concern if you are going subzero but some compounds react differently when they operate outside the temperature threshold.  The next is material, normally a company will focus on the thermal transfer properties but in reality your heatsink will do the hard work and the compound is there to fill the gaps (for which there should be none).  The important thing to know here is that some materials spread better than others.  This brings me to the third and final thing, consistency.  Some compounds are sticky while others are smooth like butter or loose like water.  The smooth ones are best for air cooling while sticky compounds tend to work better in high heat / high pressure situations.  

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• Article: Control Your HTPC With A PS3 Remote Control @ Computing on Demand

  Published: Thursday, August 2, 2012 | By: Dennis

  One of the most difficult things about building a HTPC is figuring out how to control it.  Yes, you can hook up a wireless keyboard and mouse but those are big and in some cases you don't have the room required to properly use them.

  So, what if you could use your game controller? its small and in some cases already available.

  Having recently reviewed the SilverStone Grandia GD08 and loving it, I was looking for a way to satisfy the one need SilverStone left me with.  The case design didn't allow for a standard 5.25 inch bay device to be used due to the flip down panels incorporated to conceal your optical drives.  This, in turn, meant that installing the coveted iMON VFD was out of the question; that means not have the control of my PC from a remote control.  In the interest of my budget ($10, set by the soon to be wife) and keeping my Dremel on the shelf, I set out looking for an easy way to incorporate operating my HTPC from a remote control without spending a pile of money, cutting up a beautiful SilverStone Grandia GD08, or having a keyboard and mouse on my coffee table.  After much research, I found a way to use the PS3 Remote Control I already had to control XBMC, WMC, or any other application that accepts keyboard input!

  Seems like a good thing, assuming you are a follower of Sony.

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• Five ways to skip Windows 8 - According to a Linux user?

  Published: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 | By: Dennis

  You just have to love articles like these, especially when they are written by Linux and Open Source authors.  The article is good and really just cements the 5 most popular options available.

  Many users don't like it, vendors don't like it, and developers don't like it. Windows 8 could be dead even before it arrives. So, what can you do to avoid Windows 8 when the stores start filling up with it in the next few months? Here are your best options:

  So what are the options this author says are available to you.

  1. Stick with Windows 7 or XP
  2. Go with desktop Linux
  3. Go with a Mac
  4. Cloud-based computing
  5. Time for a tablet

  The first option is the one Microsoft is suggesting for the enterprise space and will likely be the one most desktop users select who don't want to switch.  The second and third option are obvious considering the author, Linux.  

  Personally (and this is coming from a web developer) I am flip flopped on the whole Cloud based computing.  Yes, there is a benefit since you can get your data anywhere and on any device but it is highly dependent on your internet connection and while people in Asia and Europe get super fast mobile internet access users in the US have to pay for the privilege, and often pay way too much.  This leaves you with home network "clouds" and how are those different from a traditional home server/NAS box sitting in a closet?

  The last option on this list is a cop out to actually make a fifth option.  A tablet?!? seriously?  Windows 8 is designed for tablets and they are offering two flavors of hardware to compete at two different price points.  One is an "Ultra" style Surface that is powerful and will run desktop software like 3DStudio and Photoshop.  There is very little to NO competition in this space short of Notebooks and Desktops.  The other is an E(ntertainment)Tablet that closely matched to a high end Android tablet.  Saying these are overpriced is naive and shows how generalized the tablet market has become. 

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