Foxconn will release an Intel 975X chipset based motherboard in December.
Intel 975X is basically exactly the same as the older 955X but has dual-graphics capabilities. ATI’s crossfire is supported, while nVidia’s SLI in not, although it should be supported too.
Source: Digitimes
There is a huge range of options when buying motherboards these days. All the big manufacturers have one for you to choose from, and there are new companies joining the game as well.
When you are actually picking a board, you can limit your options fairly easily. First, decide on what chip you are going to get. Apparently AMD is better for games and Intel better for office apps. I’m really not a huge upgrader myself, my computer has only received upgrades for parts that have failed in the last 3 years.
I think most of the fast chips are fine, and I look for good value for money. I’m happy with last years chip, especially seeing as there is more information around on stuff people have already had for a while.
Anyways, if you plan on an Intel this LGA775 board will support all Intel chips including the new Dual-Core models and Extreme Edition.
Here is a listing of the main features…
This motherboard features the Intel 955X Express ICH7R Northbridge. The only other option out there would be the nVidia nForce 4 SLI Chipset, which is the only option if you want to SLI your graphics cards.
New 7800 series nVidia graphics cards offer so much of a performance increase over the 6800 that they even rival a 6800 pair.
The Asus P5WD2 Premium is well placed as the flagship model in the Asus range. It has a huge range of extras, leaving nothing wanting, except perhaps for a wireless solution.
Memory bandwidth has increased over older models. You can use up to 8GB of DDR2 memory. The front side bus supports up to 1066MHz. All cooling is done passively, so there are no little fans to add to the noise of your system. RAID 5 capability means that you can have 4 hard drives, losing the capacity of only 1 of them for that extra security.
There is a full compliment of SATA ports including a SATA port for an external SATA drive. There is also firewire, 2 network ports and USB 2.0. There is video out, the external SATA at the back, as well as the 6 audio plugs.
The audio is very good and gives many options for what you can change.
The functionality of the WiFi is not that great, and a seperate card is recommended. There is an video tuner which doesn’t work too great, so you couldn’t rely on the board to do that work for you.
Overall the board delivers a great package. Everything you could need is there. Despite the not so great WiFi and video tuning, this board does the trick for those looking for a true top of the line, fully featured board.
Pros
Cons
The X-plorer is aimed at the mid-range custom computer case market. At around 60 dollars of so it lacks a few of the features of its more expensive brothers and sisters. It’s still a good case for the money, but as you will see it has a few issues that might stop it from becoming a true winner.
It’s basic features are…
Of all the Aspire computer cases, this one disappoints a little in terms of things that needed to be thought about.
One of the most notable omissions in the lack of a simple guide to installation of parts. Seeing as the guide is aimed at the mid range, there is a good chance that someone who buys it is attempting their first case upgrade. You can find instructions on the Aspire website.
The case has been cleverly designed upon Intel’s Air Guide Design Guide. Intel basically specifies some things that need to be on a case to make it have good airflow.
Well the cases overall airflow is okay. There is space for 2 80mm fans at the front (not included) and space to upgrade the back 80mm fan to a 120mm.
The case still looks good and does do a good job in terms of styling. As with other Aspire computer cases it has a removable motherboard tray, making installation a snap.
So although the case might make it in the looks department, you are probably better off with one of their other cases, which are fantastic buys.
The Acer TravelMate TM8104 is in the Company’s performance series. It’s big but sleek design give it a look of good qualities in terms of performance, without giving making it too heavy for travelling with.
The TravelMate 8100 provides practically everything for those on the move. The computer is powerful enough that you actually don’t need to have a desktop computer for when your laptop is not in use. It’s fast and powerful features make it a potential complete replacement for your desktop computer.
Some of it’s more notable features include…
This notebook is based on “Sonoma” platform. It boasts a 1.86 Intel Centrino CPU which provides ample power for notebook uses and is a low power cosumer, allowing longer battery running times.
The platform allows for the use of DDR2 memory which is faster so giving extra performance. 512MB should be fine for most uses, but it is possible to upgrade to more if needed.
As many of the extras as possible have been located at the front of the computer, which makes it very accessible. Two backlit switches for bluetooth and wireless LAN allow you to turn them on or off as you need them. This allows you to save battery life when they are off. The card reader allows you to save carrying an extra card reader with you.
The DVD burner is a great plus, and is one that is welcome on a notebook. They are becoming more common, but make laptops closer to their desktop counterparts, with this added functionality.
The very wide WSXGA monitor provides plenty of viewing area, while the Radeon Mobility graphics card allows good performance from it. It supports up to 1680 x 1050 screen resolution, which although would be very small, allows you to pack a lot of information on this laptop screen.
The inclusion of bluetooth and WLAN are fairly standard, but are cool extras to have, saving you from upgrades.
Overall there is not much lacking from this computer, it gives you everything you could need, except for multimedia buttons. Performance is great and everything else works fine. It’s not a low priced deal, but will certainly give you everything you would want.
Pros
Cons
An ATX sized offering the range from Aspire computer cases, this case has a retro feel with a lot of good features. Some only cosmetic, but some useful ones too.
Aspire PC cases have established themselves as good reliable cases, but as well as that they actually do appeal to the markets they are trying to. The X-cruiser is aimed at the computer case modder, or those who want to upgrade to a slightly more custom job.
Included features…
Overall the case does a good job. The colors are cool, and the construction is done well. There are no sharp edges inside, so you won’t get any cut fingers. There are a few spots for fans inside so you shouldn’t have trouble choosing which spots to use.
The 3 dials at the front are a VU meter, for sound level measurements, one for temperature and the bottom for fan speed. There are dials on the side to adjust the sensitivity of the VU meter, and the speed of the front fan.
A few complaints about the fan are that it only comes with a small 80mm fan at the back, although there is space to install a 120mm. There is space for 2 80mm at the front. There is a vent onto the CPU and a chimney vent at the top.
Installation should be a cinch, and detailed instructions can be found at the Aspire cases website.
So if you like the looks, the performance won’t disappoint, the case is suitable for anyone looking for that something unique.
At a price tag of around $150, this board is not attempting to appeal to the entry level computer. With its array of features, some of which are quite unique, it puts up a good fight in a market segment that is dominated by big brands.
The ECS PF21 is designed for Socket 775 and P4 processors. It has very high ratings for its FSB which is able to be clocked up to 1200MHz. This is quite cool as it is designed to go that far, rather than being a push beyond its normal usage.
Here’s a general look at its features…
The board comes with the option of Wireless internet capability which is an added bonus for the board.
There is a neat little thing called “Top Hat Flash” which sits on the motherboard. After you have booted up the computer, you flick a switch and take it out, you then have a backup of your BIOS just in case something terrible should happen.
The general layout if fine, with a few points that could be worked on, but alright overall.
General extras include USB, LAN, firewire and audio.
One point to note is the noise of the Northbridge fan. It is a very big unit that produces a lot of noise. If you plan to keep your computer quiet, this will need to be upgraded as its noisier than any other fan.
A good inclusion is a special PCI slot which is colored yellow. It has a much smoother and lower noise connection to the computer which makes it perform better with parts such as wireless cards. It is designed for overclocking too, so use the yellow one if you want to overclock.
A good attempt at extra cooling is a little inlet that points at the CPU cooler. It looks good, makes little noise, but possibly does very little, especially when other cooling is installed.
So overall this board is a great one if you are looking for good board from a lesser known manufacturer. It has an extreme amount of headroom for overclocking with a good array of general feaures too.
The Hitachi Deskstar T7K250 is just a souped up version of the its little brother, the 7K250. Unlike the slower version this one only comes in 160GB and 250GB versions.
It’s faster speed comes from the fact that there are only two platters inside, each packed with 130GB of space instead of 90GB. This compactness allows quicker access to the information on the disk.
Features at a glance…
As with other Hitachi drives it comes with SATA2. Although it still uses less bandwidth than SATA its still a nice thing to add in.
It doesn’t however support Native Command Queuing. NCQ speeds up data transfer by intelligently reordering reads and writes so as to minimize drive spin time. The lag in the disk spinning to the right spot accounts for much of the lag in hard drives.
There is an UltraATA/133 version of this drive that should deliver similar performance if you don’t need or want SATA.
In terms of performance this drive is slightly faster than the rest of the Hitachi drives.
Write and Read transfer rates are similar with both coming in at an average 52MB/s. Interface bandwidth gets a very high score of around 118MB/s.
A good performer, which should be fine for a few years because of its decent size.
Aspire mini cases have made lots of improvements since the incarnation of the Antec Aria. The X-Qpack packs in a whole host of useful and useable features that probably make it one of the better buys when considering a microATX case.
The Aspire X-Qpack makes up the microATX sized range of the Aspire computer cases range. It comes in a variety of colors too, which is a cool thing for those who want it to match something, or just for something cool. These Aspire cases can make a great case for an entertainment system in your home.
The list of features for this case include…
The whole case is nicely colored and has smooth lines. The insides are visible from clear panels on every side of the case. These are enhanced by blue LED lights on all of the fans.
There is an blue LCD display at front which displays CPU and Hard drive temperatures. And they actually work. With the little connectors they give a fairly accurate guage of how hot things are getting inside.
Airflow is strong due to the large fan at the back. There should be no overheating concerns with a standard non-overclocked setup.
Two more noteable things are the removable motherboard tray and the handle. The removable motherboard tray makes installation of a motherboard in a computer which is tight on space easy. So no more lost skin with this one. Also there is a handy dandy handle on the front for ease of carrying.
Go to the Aspire cases website at http://aspireusa.net for a closer look.
Overall a very easy to work with case that looks good and doesn’t cost much. A great buy.
This card is the kind of card that you want to get the first time you buy. It’s reliability and speed make it a good choice for those who want to go wireless, but also want the speed of a regular network.
The D-Link Airplus Extreme G Wireless Card DWL-G650 seems to have hit the mark, where some of it brothers and sisters have not.
The features of this card include…
The card connects with no problems to most computers. One of the things that D-Link has excelled at is making the installation of its products as easy as possible. This card is no exception.
Consumer reports show that its range is about average, but its speed is it’s defining feature. As with all the products from D-Link, I highly recommend that you go to their website and get the latest drivers and firmware for yours as they change often to fix bugs.
This card should provide you with a high speed internet experience, with no problems with setup. Basically everything I would want from a wireless card.
If you are looking for the single biggest desktop hard disk drive you can find, then you have found it. The Hitachi Deskstar 7K500 is the biggest hard drive on the market at this time.
Features
One notable thing about this drive design is that it only comes in 500GB. Usually a single design will come in a variety of sizes. This disk has only 1.
Not that its a down point, with 500GB of capacity spread over 5 platters, its enough to satisfy even the most space hungry of users.
This humungous drive runs very hot, up to 62° C. However it does very well in tests and gets good points for access times and transfer rates. It boasts 48MB/s read/write transfer performance.
Its data transfer performance is the best amongst the Hitachi SATA drives, except for the T7K250 which has a higher maximum transfer.
It’s I/O performance puts it in the mid level of hard drives. Hard disks with NCQ outdo the levels reached by this drive, so it would be nice to see that added. It’s transfer bandwidth is high, but doesn’t really translate into much higher speeds overall.
Despite its very average figures, the Hitachi Deskstar 7K500 did very well in real world situations. It boasted actual file writing speeds that put it near the head of the class, and was the fasted in “XP startup” test.
Not only is this a very large drive, but it is a very capable one. It’s a great combination to see real world performance with large capacity. You won’t need to upgrade for a while.
In summary…
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