PQI S721 microSD Memory Card + Card Reader Review @ Rbmods
“Managing all the various types of memory cards, such as Compact Flash, SD, microSD, etc, can leave you with a pile of card readers and a headache if you lose the one that can read the card you want. PQI, makers of a wide range of memory products,sent us their latest 1GB microSD product that offers a couple of extra features that might make your use of microSD cards a little easier. Will those extra features allow the card to stand out in the crowd? Let’s find out.”

AMD DTX Small Form Factor System Sneak Peek @ HotHardware.com
“When AMD first revealed their plans for the DTX open industry standard, the intent of that early briefing was to explain AMD’s vision for interoperable small form factor systems. As it stands today, most SFF systems from large companies like Dell and HP are proprietary designs. On the do-it-yourself front, we’ve got form factors like Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX and SFF barebones systems from major players like Shuttle, Asus and MSI. However, for the most part you can’t take parts from one company’s SFF design and use it in another’s. Today AMD provided more details and a specific design example of the DTX small form-factor standard. This HotHardware article showcases a prototype system built on a low power AMD Athlon 64 BE-2350 processor and 690G chipset motherboard with integrated graphics.”

Zalman VF1000 LED Video Card Cooler Review @ Madshrimps
“Zalman is an industry pioneer when it comes down to cooling heated computer electronics, affecting the total system temperature and noise level in a design-friendly solution has been their marketing strategy for few years now. Their latest product is the Zalman VF1000 LED, a dual slot heatsink/fan video card cooling device with high compatibility in mind, a perfect challenge for 2007’s most popular video card the NVIDIA’s 8800 GTS. Curious? Read on.”

Coolmax CUQ-1200B Green Power 1200 Watt ATX Power Supply Review @ Tweaknews.net
“Coolmax seems to have a very good product in its latest power supply offering. The CUQ-1200B has impressive specifications, lots of connectors on superbly sleeved cables, modular design, and top-notch efficiency. The fit and finish is excellent and the attention to detail, from the packaging to the visual aspects and manual, is impressive.”

NVIDIA PerfKit 5: New Tools for 3D Developers @ Digit-Life
“PerfHUD reached this level of popularity, because it actually helps developers optimize their projects in an easier and more efficient way. PerfHUD compares favorably to similar utilities, as it works in real time with the analyzed application. The entire process of debugging and detecting bottlenecks is carried out right in an application. The new PerfKit 5 is available at NVIDIA website for developers, we offer you a review of its features.”

Zalman Reserator XT @ Overclockers Online
“Zalman continues their reputation for quality products with the new Reserator XT. The Reserator line finally gets active cooling to compliment its passive cooling with positive results. The Reserator XT is built to be as quiet as possible, but those who don’t mind the extra noise are still able to manually increase the fan and pump speed to squeeze a little more performance out of it. Zalman continues to bring top quality water cooling to inexperienced and experienced users, and the Reserator XT is no exception.”

Trendnet TEW-633GR Wireless N Gigabit Router Review @ The Tech Zone
“The Trendnet TEW-633GR Wireless N Gigabit Router is a solid product with solid performance, actually pushing its connection up to the 300 Mbps transfer rate promised on the box. The range is quite good, letting me stay connected even when I was half a block away from my house. The build quality and physical appearance are also much improved over the first router and we all know how important looks are these days.”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Oct 23rd 2007.

MSI GeForce 8500 GT Review @ Hardware Secrets
“GeForce 8500 GT is the simplest video card in the new GeForce 8 family from nVidia, meaning this is the cheapest video card based on DirectX 10 available today. We reviewed this model manufactured by MSI, also called NX8500GT-TD256E, and we will compare it with other mid-range products from both nVidia and AMD/ATI. Check it out.”

Zalman ZM500-HP Review @ XSReviews
“Zalman have always been at the forefront of silent computing with their CNPS mark; accreditation for the quietest components. Today I have one of their modular power supplies, the ZM500-HP, which features a heatpipe fed heatsink.”

Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-8500 @ Overclockers Online
“Esthetics and appearance aside, these modules are pretty solid…okay, so they are extremely satisfying. You are basically getting the fastest binned memory from the manufacturer who makes the most important component in any other kit of memory rated at the same speed or higher. I am a bench marker and out-right performance is all that impresses me with memory. The 3-4-3 overclocking of this memory has me very impressed and I have had some good kits at those timings. the bonus with this kit is that it clocks at 5-5-5 as well as some of the PC2-9200 modules out there.”

Noctua NF-S12 120mm & NF-R8 80mm Silent Case Fans Review @ Tweaknews.net
“The newest fan offerings from Noctua are real gems! They are quiet (silent, when used with the ULNA,) and move a respectable amount of air. While I hate to make generalizations about such things, these fans exhibit the high quality, innovative features and performance that products from this part of the world are famous for. Noctua has clearly set out to redefine what the future of quiet cooling will be, and if these fans are any indication, they have a very good start.”

DDR3 FAQ: A new memory standard already? @ OCModShop
“DDR3 SDRAM or double-data-rate three synchronous dynamic random access memory is the name of the new DDR memory standard that has been developed as the successor to DDR2 SDRAM.

The memory comes with a promise of a power consumption reduction of 40% compared to current commercial DDR2 modules, due to DDR3’s 90 nm fabrication technology, allowing for lower operating currents and voltages (1.5 V, compared to DDR2’s 1.8 V or DDR’s 2.5 V). “Dual-gate” transistors will be used to reduce leakage of current.”

DFI INFINITY 965 DARK Motherboard Overclocking Test @ Madshrimps
“DFI launches their Intel 965 based motherboard, their DARK series promises high overclocking potential at bargain price, can it deliver? Let’s find out”

Antec Performance One P182 Limited Edition @ NordicHardware
“Performance One P182 introduced some features the older P180 lacked. These contributions include pre-made and rubber-coated holes for drawing water cooling tubes through and keep the radiator on the outside, and better control of the fans. The one thing that makes the case a true Special Edition is the polished mirror surfaces and a snake light.”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, May 29th 2007.

Zalman HD160XT Ultimate HTPC Case with Touch Screen Review @ Tweaknews.net
“Constructed entirely in aluminum, it comes in either a silver or black anodized finish and promises quiet cooling performance in an elegant package. It comes complete with a 7-inch LCD display, remote control and an impressive battery of software that should make building a top shelf HTPC a relatively easy task for the average enthusiast. Follow along as we take an in-depth look at the Zalman HD160XT. I think you’ll be as impressed as I was with this product.”

ASRock ALiveNF6G-DVI AMD Socket AM2 Motherboard Review @ OCInside.de
“This Review will clarify if the ASRock ALiveNF6G-DVI MicroATX motherboard with onBoard GeForce 6100 graphics solution and provided HDMR DVI-D card can convince in a normal course of HTPC life, and if it is high overclockable. The first look to the equipment already shows ASRock’s main focus of this inexpensive mATX motherboard …”

Crucial Ballistix PC-8000 2GB Kit Memory Review @ Technic3D
“The Crucial Ballistix PC-8000 2GB Kit arrived Technic3D. Technic3D will see as good they are with 5-5-5-15 and Overclocking against other Memory Kits on Windows Vista Ultimate. You can see 1.160 MHz in the following Review.”

Geforce 8800 GTS 320Mb Roundup – Six Models Compared @ Madshrimps
“We have been gaming away at high resolutions and quality settings to find you the best deal for the newly release Geforce 8800 GTS 320Mb card. We compare models from known manufacturers Sparkle, Gainward, XFX and PNY as well as two new comers Twintech and Zotac. Which one offers the most bang for the buck? Read on to find out.”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Mar 20th 2007.

They note that by default, outbound filtering in Winows Vista is not turned on. In order to get around this problem, the user must use the Microsoft Management Console. Then go to Windows Firewall with an applet called Advanced Security Group Policy. The user will see a command prompt where he should type in “wf.msc” without the quotation marks. Then follow more instructions which is located on PC World’s article.

The article also mentioned that it lacks a rule that prevents all malware on making outbound connections.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Vista Firewall

Cyber Snipa Spotter USB Webcam Review @ Tweaknews.net
“While not the most compact webcam available, the Cyber Snipa Spotter takes pretty nice photos and video and is a good value for anyone who frequently uses Skype, Netmeeting, or any other application that warrants using a webcam. Like other Cyber Snipa products this is not a typical looking PC peripheral but to me that’s a plus.”

PowerColor X1650 XT AGP Review @ Technic3D
“The PowerColor X1650 XT AGP arrived Technic3D. As good is the Graphic Card X1650 XT AGP really against NVIDIA 6800 Ultra and 7800 GS Graphic Cards? Technic3D will see that in the following Review.”

abit Fatal1ty AN9 32X review @ NordicHardware
“Abit needs no further introduction. Among overclockers and game enthusiasts it has always been a manufacturer you can trust because performance is high on the wish list. Through the years, Abit has manufactured motherboards that manage to deliver an outstanding overclocking.”

Vantec Piano 101 – Ultimate laptop dock? @ OCModShop
“Let’s take a look a Vantec’s new laptop station: the Piano 101. Piano? I am a veteran pianist, but what do speakers, fans, and ports have to do with a classical instrument? Perhaps the great sound? I dunno. Ponder the qualifications yourselves and see what you come up with. Even if the Piano 101 has nothing to do with a box shaped instrument with a keyboard, Vantec is onto something here……”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Jan 17th 2007.

Thermalright HR-03 VGA Videocard Cooler Review @ Tweaknews.net
“The HR-03 VGA cooler is a great leap forward for Thermalright, putting them back in the VGA cooling business with a vengeance. The innovative design and dual configuration mounting system combine to make the HR-03 a real winner. Good passive cooling performance and monstrous active cooling should make gamers very happy, and anyone overclocking a card with this cooler and fan combo won’t have to worry about heat holding them back.”

MSI P965 Platinum Mainboard Review @ Technic3D
“The MSI P965 Platinum Mainboard arrived Technic3D. The fanless Mainboard with a small Price for Gamer with Intel 965 Chipset. Faster than other P965 Mainboards? We test this against the Gigabyte DQ6 and Foxconn P965AA. See you the result in the following Review on Technic3D”

DVD Formats Explained @ OCModShop
“The name Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue-violet laser used to read and write this type of disc. Because of this shorter wavelength (405 nm), substantially more data can be stored on a Blu-ray Disc than on the common DVD format, which uses a red, 650 nm laser. In comparison to HD DVD, which also uses a blue laser, Blu-ray Disc has more information capacity per layer (currently 25 GB, but test media is up to 33 GB). Several manufacturers have released 50 GB recordable BDs and rewritable discs. All supporting studios have either already released or have announced release of movies on 50GB discs.

In comparison to its main competitor, Blu-ray Disc, HD DVD has less information capacity per layer (15 gigabytes instead of Blu-ray Disc’s 25). HD DVD shares the same basic disc structure as a standard DVD: back-to-back bonding of two 0.6 mm thick, 120 mm diameter substrates.”

TV Calibration Tips @ eCoustics
“To get the maximum performance out of your brand new HDTV set or an older CRT (picture-tube) set, here is a list of typical TV picture ills, and a basic guide to fixing them.”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Jan 8th 2007.

Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5 Mainboard Review @ Technic3D
“The Gigabyte GA-M59SLI-S5 Mainboard arrived Technic3D. The fanless High-End Mainboard for Gamer and Overclocker with nForce5 SLI. A Dream? See you in the following Review on Technic3D”

Thermaltake Toughpower 850w Modular Power Supply Review @ Tweaknews.net
“With the Toughpower 850W PSU, Thermaltake is targeting the very top of the enthusiast/gamer market. Four very strong +12V rails and native support for four graphics cards and eight SATA drives is certainly not the norm and will almost surely be embraced by its eager, albeit small, target market. The 850W PSU should prove to be a worthy addition to the very competent Toughpower line.”

Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H nForce 590 SLI “AMD Socket AM2 Motherboard @ OCInside.de
Two 16x PCI express Slots, four DDR2-800 Slots up to 8 GB memory, six S-ATA II ports, ten USB 2.0 ports, two 1 Gigabit LAN connectors and wonderful OC features is not my list of wishes for Christmas, but rather the excellent equipment of the new Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H Socket AM2 motherboard.
Without anticipating the result, this Socket AM2 board is a dream for overclocker, because this mainboard has as many OC options,that it would be possible to write dozens of OC guides. And overclocking an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ processor to 3000 MHz is really nice …”

Swedish Performance Championship 2006 @ NordicHardware
“NordicHardware is proud to present the fifth annual Swedish Performance Championship. Working together with Intel, XFX, ASUS, Corsair, AMD, Shuttle, SilverStone and Antec we now open up the doors for the championship that will make it possible for us to crown Sweden’s fastest PC at the beginning of next year.”

Nine DDR2 memory kits for Intels Core 2 Duo @ Au-Ja (english) (german)
“We used our Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800 to testdrive some memory kits from DDR2-533 to DDR2-1066.
Which kit offers the best performance and which the best value?”

Sempron 3000+ and Celeron D 331 Review @ Hardware Secrets
“We finally got to review processors designed to the low-end market, i.e., the most inexpensive processors in the market. Nowadays Intel has the advantage on the high-end market, but who gets to be the best at the low cost PC market? Read our review and find out.”

M-Audio Revolution 5.1 Review @ Digit-Life
“M-Audio launched a remake of the Revolution 7.1 – Revolution5.1. Revolution7.1 was the first multimedia card to support 7.1-channel sound. Like most products with a new super feature, it was quickly pushed out of sight by new competing products with better design. And this card was put up on the board of honor of the company, labeled “we were the first”.
The manufacturer now has two multimedia PCI cards in the series. Revolution7.1 is formally the top card, its price is even higher by $20. But in fact, it should have been Revolution5.1 with DAC AKM 4358 of a higher quality (the same DAC is installed in professional cards ESI Juli@ and Audiophile192), an additional headphone output jack and internal AUX.
As the Revolution7.1 had been pushed aside by competing products, it will be interesting to see how competitive the new Revolution5.1 is.”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Dec. 13th 2006.

Zalman FATAL1TY FC-ZV9 Videocard GPU Cooler Review @ Tweaknews.net
“When Zalman and Fatal1ty team up, you expect some special results. The FC-ZV9 graphics card cooler combines good cooling performance, great looks and wide compatibility into a product that any gamer would be proud to have in their case. The nickel plating and red LEDs give it a distinctive look that many folks will find appealing. The price, however, may deter some potential buyers.”

Gigabyte GA-M61PM-S2: A Full-Featured Plug-and-Go Motherboard for AM2 @ OCModShop
“Gigabyte’s GA-M61PM-S2 is geared towards the user who just wants everything to work right away and get the job done without breaking the bank.but at the same time, getting the job done comfortably, because as you will see there are some things that make this board special. It is the Honda Accord of motherboards if you will – not pretentious or glamorous, but just a cut above the Honda Civic. The board is based around Nvidia’s GeForce 6100/nForce 430 chipset, and has on-board everything: Nvidia graphics, 8 channel High Definition Azalia audio with a header for optional S/PDIF output, gigabit ethernet, 4 USB ports with 3 internal headers for a maximum of 10 USB ports, 1 firewire port (IEEE 1394) with 2 internal firewire headers, 1 IDE/ATA 133 connector (kind of a bummer since a lot of people still use many parallel ata devices), 4 SATA II ports, and RAID (0,1,0+1,5).”

Gigabyte 3D Rocket II CPU Heatsink Review @ Technic3D
“The Gigabyte 3D Rocket II CPU Heatsink arrived Technic3D. The Rocket Cooling? See you in the following Review against others CPU Cooling.”

Fragapalooza 2006 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) @ The TechZone
“Fragapalooza is Canada’s largest LAN event, and this year they celebrated their 10th year in a BIG way. I braved many a sleepless night to bring you all the details and goings-on at Fragapalooza X.”

VIZO Ninja Laptop Cooler Review @ Futurelooks
“Ouch! Hot laptop! As most laptop owners know, systems can get pretty hot to the touch. So hot, that you never want them anywhere near your lap. The VIZO Ninja laptop cooler can help things cool down a bit while being silent like a Ninja. Built of solid aluminum, the Ninja is also durable, but will it be the right cooler for you?”

Kinc warming up with 3DMark 03 world record: 84.244 points! @ NordicHardware
“Kinc has spent the day warming up before DreamHack by testing his system with dual graphics cards, I.e. SLI. Earlier it’s been single-card records, but this time it’s all the way with dual cards. He has primarily focused on 3DMark 03 and then managed to reach 84,244 points, a new world”

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+: Desktop Multi-Core Gets Close To Athlon 64 FX Review @ Digit-Life
“Whether you like it or not, AMD continues to expand its range of desktop dual-core processors for Socket AM2 combining just two parameters: core clock rate and L2 cache size. This article is devoted to another combination of the well-known components: L2 cache of Athlon 64 X2 4800+ (1 MB per core) and clock rate of Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (2.6 GHz). Thus, having gained the key advantages of both previous models, the processor got the name of Athlon 64 X2 5200+.”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Dec. 4th 2006.

Antec’’s Fusion HTPC Case Fuses Computers with Home Theater @ OCModShop
“Home Theater PCs are becoming more popular these days, and they all try to tone down that they’re a PC, trying to blend in with other Home Theater equipment. Antec’s Fustion case is one of Antec’s latest offerings for the home theater enthusiast. Antec designed this case to reduce noise and heat buildup using an innovative chamber structure, and even included a VFD display to complement your home theater software.”

ASRock AM2XLI-eSATA2 PCIe SLI AMD Athlon 64 Socket AM2 Motherboard Review @ OCInside
“After more than 20 different AMD Socket 939 and Socket 754 Motherboard Reviews and the recently published AM2 Upgrade report, it’s time to test more AMD Socket AM2 boards. To compare all Socket 939, 754 and Socket AM2 motherboards a CPU with the same frequeny was used and just the memory modules were changed to the new 240-pin DDR2 memory.
The ASRock AM2XLI-eSATA2 test report shows if this board is good overclockable and if it offers a wide range of features in spite of the low price. In addition, a direct comparison is available for all AMD Athlon 64 Reviews.”

Black Ice GT-Stealth Radiator Review @Technic3D
“The new Black Ice GT-Stealth Dual and Tripple Radiator arrived Technic3D. Better than the “old” Series? See you in the following Review on Technic3D.”

Cooler Master iGreen-Power 500W Power-Supply @ TweakPC.de
“The Cooler Master iGreen-Power Series should have an efficience over 85% and the standby-wastage should be very low. We took a look at the 500 Watt PS. Is it able to compare with other high-end power supplies or can it even beat them? ”

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS (G80): Just 96 Unified Processors Left in Action @ Digit-Life
“We know that NVIDIA’s new series consists of two cards now:
- NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX (G80; 768MB GDDR3, 575/1350/1800 MHz, 128 unified processors/32 TMUs/24 ROPs) for $599;
- NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS (G80; 640MB GDDR3, 500/1200/1600 MHz, 96 unified processors/24 TMUs/20 ROPs) for $449.
Today we’ll review the second one. By the way, it’s already available in stores – we reviewed serially produced cards from two manufacturers: XFX and BFG.”

Zalman ZM600-HP Heatpipe Cooled Modular 600 Watt Power Supply Review @ Tweaknews.net
“I’m very impressed by Zalman’s newest PSU offering. The ZM600-HP seems to deliver the goods everywhere one looks. The heatpipe feature keeps it running cool and the LEDs keep it looking cool. This PSU has enough power to supply all but the most extreme systems with ease. Outstanding stability and efficiency are complimented by near-silent operation and a pleasing blue glow.”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Nov. 28th 2006.

Kinc pushes GeForce 8800 GTX over 900MHz GPU! @ NordicHardware
“Kinc has shown that the card overclocks well and now even that it overclocks really well. As the first person he has managed to push the card over 900MHz GPU, from 575MHz at stock, while the memory was running at 1240MHz up from 900MHz. That GDDR3 would be an disadvantage has proven to be somewhat of an overstatement.”

Zerotherm VGA Cooler GX810 Review @ Technic3D
“The Zerotherm VGA Cooler GX810 arrived Technic3D. More Cooling and Modding for ATI and NVIDIA Videocards? See you in the following Review.”

Seventeam ST-420BKV 420 W Power Supply @ Hardware Secrets
“Even though power supplies from Seventeam aren’t sold in the USA retail market, they are very popular in several other countries, due to its low cost. In fact, it seems that Seventeam is the OEM manufacturer for some other brands – we discovered that the external power supply series from XG/MGE, Magnum, is in fact Seventeam Fanless series. ST-420BKV is a 420 W power supply without PFC. Let’s take an in-depth look on this power supply to check whether this unit is good or not and how it is compared to competing products.”

Core 2 Extreme vs. Zalman CNPS9700 LED, CNPS9500 AT and Others @ Digit-Life
“Intel had been preparing the revolution well in advance. In summer, 2006, the corporation launched several series of processors with the “absolutely new” Intel Core microarchitecture, which retained only crumbs from NetBurst (some crumbs!) Its basis was inherited (and improved) from Pentium III - Pentium M - Core Duo. The key advantage of this microarchitecture is significantly increased performance at significantly reduced power consumption. Let’s dwell upon the latter.”

Flexiglow Cyber Snipa Intelliscope Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Tweaknews.net
“The Cyber Snipa, even though it’s geared towards gamers, is a well rounded mouse that works well in both games and everyday PC applications. Gamers will enjoy the six programmable buttons, ultra fast response times, DPI toggle button, and the cool red and blue illumination.”

Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD @ eCoustics
“Today, it’s not clear why anyone would spend $800 or more on a Blu-ray or HD-DVD player, when you can get a perfectly good DVD player for $30. The difference in quality just isn’t that great, especially if you don’t have a home theater.”

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Playstation 3 @ OCModShop
“The PS3 was released on November 11, 2006 in Japan. It will be released on November 17, 2006 in the United States and Canada, and in March, 2007 in Europe and Australasia. It will ship in two initial configurations. Sony officially unveiled the PS3 to the public on May 16, 2005 during an E3 conference. A functional version of the console was not at E3 2005 or the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005, although at both events, demonstrations were held on devkits (e.g. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) and comparable PC hardware, and video footage based on the predicted PS3 specifications was produced (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundam). It was not until E3 2006 that games were shown on actual PlayStation 3 systems. In preparation for launch, Sony demonstrated 27 playable PS3 titles during the Tokyo Game Show in September 2006 on final hardware.”

MSI K9A Platinum (ATi Radeon XPRESS 3200) (german) (english) @ Au-Ja
“Now that AMD bought ATi, the company is once again selling CPUs and chipsets. But is the Radeon XPRESS 3200 really good enough to best NVIDIAs nForce 590 SLI? No, it isn’t! The new southbridge SB600 is a step in the right direction, but it still lacks LAN, RAID 5 and the ATA133 throughput isn’t great at all. Yes, there’s CrossFire and yes, the chipset runs quite cool. And, most important of all, the MSI K9A Platinum costs only 115 Euros.

After the initial BIOS killed our HDD partitions (all of them in one go), we had the chance to test the MSI K9A Platinum with BIOS 1.25 beta. Things look much better now, most of our memory sticks worked flawless and the mainboard runs very stable – unless you try S3 (Suspend to RAM)…”

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Hardware Reviews, Nov. 20th 2006.