Tech News
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QNAP TS-219P II Network Attached Storage Review @ APH Networks
Published: Friday, November 18, 2011 | By: DennisIt has been awhile since we last featured QNAP products so I'm glad to see they are still alive and kicking stuff around.
Normally I wouldn't bother posting this but the "quote" the review site sent over is rather comical.
According to Google, success is broadly defined as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose". But what does it specifically mean to you? Back in the day, I have heard many individuals craving for lots of money to live well. Others have dreamed of owning many exotic cars. As for myself, I like to follow Albert Einstein's formula. "A + B + C = Success, if A = Hard Work, B = Hard Play, C = Keeping your mouth shut." If any one of those elements were taken out of the formula, success does not exist in my world. Personally, this has been very applicable with many tasks that I accomplish, especially when it comes down to important work that must be done, whether it be at school or at work. Missing hard work would lead to a low quality end product. Having no "play" will simply drive you up the wall. Lastly, keeping my mouth shut is how I personally get things done without getting distracted. Writing papers and delivering presentations with appropriate content is what makes the audience keep reading and paying attention from start to finish. When it comes down to technology, I apply the same concept in consumer products I obtain. I look for products that pack both quality and fun together, while being advertised in an elegant and presentable way. What we have here today is QNAP's TS-219P II network attached storage system. While maintaining its clean looks, it packs quite a big punch with the amount of features loaded for the end user. Despite its size, I'm sure this little guy wow you just as much as other products in the line such as the QNAP TS-559 Pro II reviewed by my colleague Jonathan not too long ago. Curious to what the TS-219P II can do? Keep reading to find out!
Oh ya. and really LONG..
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A Look Back: 3dfx Graphics Cards @ ThinkComputers
Published: Friday, November 18, 2011 | By: DennisThis reminds me of a "joke" review I did a few years back for April Fools.
I don’t know about you but when I first started to build my own computers all I wanted inside was a 3dfx graphics card. I’m not sure what it was, the awesome advertisements in PC magazines, the high price, or just the hype. Luckily I was able to build a few systems with 3dfx graphics cards before they went bankrupt and were eventually acquired by Nvidia. 3dfx definitely helped change PC gaming. 3dfx will probably always be remembered by computer and gaming enthusiasts so today we take a look back at the 3dfx graphics cards.
Some good info there for those of you looking down memory lane.
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Gigabyte GeForce GTX 570 Super Overclock Review @ Hardware Canucks
Published: Friday, November 18, 2011 | By: DennisDr00l over the SOC. Most overclockers prefer the lighting series from MSI due to the larger PWM but for me it's the lights and that the card doesn't break any of the industry standards for expansion card height.
But really it's the lights.
The GTX 570 may have been introduced over nearly a year ago (yes, it has been that long) but it is still one of the best graphics cards around when it comes to price / performance ratio. Gigabyte has taken it upon themselves to take this card to the next level by integrating it into their Super Overclock series. The resulting GTX 570 Super Overclock boasts high clock speeds and a $50 price premium over the reference version but its performance could go toe to toe against the GTX 580.
Decent overclocking results too and all without using any LN2.
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Sandy Bridge E Launch Day Round Up Redux
Published: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 | By: DennisIntel launched the X79 chipset "yesterday" with a few sites having reviews ready for the launch. November 15 marks the day processors are available with a slightly higher pricetag that what was expected. (Likely due to price gouging and early adoption fees)
X editions are currently selling for $1050 with the K editions coming in at $600 Prices will likely drop but not until sometime after the new year.
- Intel Sandy Bridge E 3690X CPU Reviewed @ Madshrimps
- Intel Core i7 3930K and Core i7 3960X Extreme Edition LGA2011 CPU Announcement
- Intel Core i7 3960X Extreme Edition Review @ HCW
- Intel i7-3960X and Intel DX79SI @ LanOC Reviews
- Intel X79 Chipset, Core i7 3960X & DX79SI Motherboard @ Bjorn3D
- Intel Core i7-3960X – Sandy-Bridge Extrem Review on Technic3D
- Sandy Bridge-E motherboards from Asus, Gigabyte, Intel, and MSI @ TR
- OC3D: Gigabye GA-X79-UD5 PreviewWith much pain from my pocketbook I have an X edition on the way. Hopefully it is a good one.
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Sapphire 6970 FleX Battlefield 3 Edition @ PureOverclock
Published: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 | By: DennisIt takes a lot of power to push three monitors in gaming which could be one reason why nVidia requires two cards to run the threeway.
What's so special about this Sapphire 6970 FleX BF3 Edition? Well, it supports Eyefinity out of the box with no need for expensive DisplayPort or adapters. That capability is built directly into the card itself, independent of the monitors being used. This means that any monitors with DVI ports can now run Eyefinity.
Of course there is no indication that the card comes with a copy of Battlefield 3 but they did use the game during their tests.
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Sandy Bridge-E Launch Day - Roundup
Published: Monday, November 14, 2011 | By: DennisSome highlights hitting the news box today.
Processor
- Core i7 3960X processor
- Intel's Core i7-3960X processor: Sandy Bridge goes Extreme
- Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E CPU Review @ HotHardware
- OC3D: Intel Core i7-3960X Review
- Sandy Bridge E: Core i7 3930K and Core i7 3960X @ ocaholic
- Intel Sandy Bridge-E i7-3960X CPU Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Intel Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge-E Processor Review @ Legit Reviews
- Core i7-3960X Processor Review @ HardwareHeaven
Motherboard
- ASUS Rampage IV Extreme review
- OC3D: ASUS Rampage 4 Extreme Review
- ASUS P9X79 Pro Intel X79 Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
- Asus Rampage IV Extreme X79 Motherboard Review @ eTeknix
- Intel i7 3960X EE / Gigabyte GA X79 UD3 / 16GB GSkill Ripjaws Z (2133mhz) ReviewMore to come
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Case Modding with Aquatuning Review - XSReviews
Published: Thursday, November 10, 2011 | By: DennisGotta love it when you can watch a simple modding projects like this come together.
Performance is a great factor when deciding what to buy, but what about looks? Should a rig be esthetically pleasing, or is it just a waste of money? For some, including me, casemodding is a hobby and can give a lot of pleasure. Improving the looks of your system can make the difference whether it’s good for the living room, to show off on LAN-parties, or just for your own satisfaction.
Today we’ll take a look at some casemodding accessories supplied by and available at AquaTuning.This is basically a wiring project that sleeves each of the wires to make things all nice and tidy.
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PowerColor HD 6970 Devil 13 2 GB @ techPowerUp
Published: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | By: DennisIt is sad more companies don't do this right out of the gate.
PowerColor's HD 6970 Devil 13 is a brand-new premium class Radeon HD 6970 which comes with the highest clocks available on any HD 6970 card. The Devil 13 also includes voltage monitoring points for voltmodders and a high quality power conversion system. But is that enough to justify a price of $549?
-- snip --
The PowerColor Devil 13 is using a completely revamped PCB design and cooling solution with overclockers and gamers in mind. Compared to other HD 6970 models, the Devil 13 comes with the highest clock speeds of any HD 6970 on the market today - when it's turbo mode is enabled. Without turbo, the card will run at reference design clocks, and is more focused on a quieter gaming experience according to PowerColor.
The way I see it anything "custom" is worth the additional cost. Of course the assumption here is that the company takes the effort to include good silicon when they build the board.
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NL: Review Block - Gigabyte Motherboards and Cases
Published: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | By: DennisMotherboards
- Gigabyte E350N-USB3 @ LanOC Reviews
- Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H and Z68XP-UD4 @ PureOverclock
- Gigabyte G1.Sniper2 Z68 Motherboard Review
- Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 @ LanOC ReviewsCases
- Cooler Master Storm Trooper Case Review
- CM Storm Trooper @ techPowerUp
- Lian Li PC-6 @ Computing on Demand -
Areca ARC-1882x RAID Card Review: Lightning Strikes at 4.7GB/s
Published: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 | By: DennisDid I ever tell you I LOVE hardware RAID?
Of course hardware RAID is only beneficial in a few situations, namely when parity calculations need to be preformed or when data is being accessed by a wider audience.
Have You Ever Seen 4.7GB/s Performance Benchmarks Before? Would you think it possible from an enthusiast point of view? Our tests of the Areca ARC-1882x RAID Card, when accompanied by 8 x Micron C300 SSDs, will blow you away just as it did us. Heads up though because we are going to throw fifteen pages of tests and pictures at you as we check out both RAID 0 and RAID 5.
The interesting thing about the controller is that it requires two PCBs indicating that the transfer speed is greater than what a single PCI Express 4x slot can provide.
