HotHardware.com Reviews Discussion

Case In Point: Navigating The Upgrade Minefield

News — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:13:48 GMT

Loyd Case's latest Case In Point column, titled "Navigating The Upgrade Minefield", is live. Here's a snip from the piece...

"Whenever I build a system, I always build it with one eye towards the future. I like to think that I’ll upgrade the system over time. Maybe I’ll swap in a new CPU, maybe a new graphics card, upgrade the RAM, etc. But these days, it’s not so easy.

I can’t remember a time when the upgrade picture has been so confusing. Just think of the situation as it exists today..."

Case In Point: Navigating The Upgrade Minefield

Alienware Aurora ALX Gaming System Review

News — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:42:39 GMT

Computer hardware enthusiasts are a unique group. Its true that some enthusiasts may spend hours, days, or weeks tweaking their BIOS and other settings to achieve optimal performance, while others might spend an entire evening painstakingly routing wires for proper cable management. Fortunate ones find themselves eagerly awaiting product launches in order to upgrade parts at every possible opportunity. This appetite for new technology is fueled by the never ending supply of components that perform faster, run cooler, consume less power and improve the overall computing experience for consumers.

As one of the leading system builders in the industry, Alienware helps fuel the fire and provides an all inclusive option for those who demand a machine filled with the freshest and fastest hardware available. Today we check out Alienware's latest gaming monstrosity, the Aurora ALX. This beast holds absolutely nothing back and features Intel's top of the line Core i7 975 processor, an X58 micro ATX motherboard, liquid cooling, a Blu-ray drive, adjustable lighting effects, a pair of 1 TB drives in RAID0, and two of the fastest graphics cards in the market running in CrossFire mode. Obviously, the spec sheet is impressive and is certainly loaded with best-in-class components. Read on to find out if the Aurora ALX can provide the performance to match...

Alienware Aurora ALX Gaming System Review

Where is the alienware alx full review?

Cyrusis — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:19:24 GMT

I've been wait for this review for so long!! The preview was posted on September 24th claiming the full review would be coming in very soon. I actually bought it fully loaded with the best and it'll be at my doorstep in 2 days. Would really like to see a full review to determine whether or not I should cancel it.

Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 Digital Camera

News — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:18:49 GMT

We do our best to protect our cameras, cell phones, MP3 players, and other electronics from extreme weather conditions, drops, force, and water. It makes sense to do so, given that most of these gadgets don’t stand a chance against a bucket of water, accidental drop, or extreme temperatures. Realizing that life brings its fair share of bumps, spills, and accidents, Olympus has launched an entire line of digital cameras that are designed to take a licking and keep on ticking.

The Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 is the top model in Olympus' newly renamed "Tough" series of digital cameras that are made to survive the battles of everyday life. This camera is able to survive a drop from 6.6 feet, capture photos at up to 33 feet underwater, withstand 220 pounds of crushing force, and it can be used in temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius). With these capabilities, it’s likely the photographer will surrender before this camera does...

Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 Digital Camera

Dell XPS 710 H2C Performance Gaming System

Dave_HH — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:47:56 GMT

The XPS 710 H2C Edition is billed as a top-of-the-line ultra-performance machine built with the most hardcore of gamers in mind, a niche that Alienware is very familiar with. Not only does the XPS 710 H2C hold the distinction of being Dell's first non-limited edition factory overclocked computer, it also uses Dell's first in-house liquid cooling system to keep it's quad-core power plant cool. The XPS 710 H2C is the most heavily performance-specified XPS system yet, with an Intel Core 2 QX6700 processor, dual GeForce 8800 GTXs, 4 GB of RAM and two Western Digital Raptors in a RAID 0 array, as standard equipment. We recently got our hands on one and we've been putting it through its paces, as it ripped through the benchmarks in our labs.

Dell XPS 710 H2C Performance Gaming System
http://www.hothardware.com/vie...rticleid=928&cid=8

Enjoy and Thanks!

iBuyPower Gamer Paladin F970 System Evaluation

News — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:53:37 GMT

Let’s face it; buying a gaming machine with today’s latest components is anything but inexpensive. iBuyPower’s Gamer Paladin F970, which is designed to make the most of its powerful Core i7 processor and other high-end components, is proof of that fact. When the Gamer Paladin F970 was first released, the standard configuration initially had a price tag of $3,799. Recently, iBuyPower dropped the price on the standard configuration of the Gamer Paladin F970 to $3,395. Even at that price, however, the Gamer Paladin F970 is still considerably more than its less expensive cousin, the F950, which has an MSRP of $2,319. Of course, the Gamer Paladin F950 also uses cheaper components throughout.

What’s important is that you get what you pay for--the overall value proposition. With the iBuyPower Gamer Paladin F970, you’ll get a 3.2GHz Intel Core-i7 965 Extreme processor, 12GB of DDR3-1333 memory, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295, a 128GB RiDATA SATA MLC SSD, and a 1TB SATA-II 7,200-rpm hard drive. If you’ve ever configured a system on iBuyPower's website, you know the company generally offers a boatload of configuration options which can increase or decrease the price accordingly. And this holds true with the Gamer Paladin F970, so you’re free to customize the system to your heart’s content. In the pages ahead, we’ll take a closer look at the iBuyPower Gamer Paladin F970’s features and performance so you can be the judge of what this PC has to offer...

iBuyPower Gamer Paladin F970 System Evaluation

Nikon Coolpix L100 Mega Zoom Camera Review

News — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:43:32 GMT

Don’t be fooled by the Nikon Coolpix L100’s DSLR-like looks. Although the L100 looks like a serious camera that could compete with the functions of a DSLR, it’s really a relatively simple point-and-shoot with a wide angle 15x zoom lens as well as image stabilization, a 3-inch LCD, and a high speed burst shooting mode of 13fps that surpasses that of many cameras.

The L100 is part of Nikon’s Life series of digital cameras that are known for their simple and easy to use functions. As Nikon describes it, the Life series is “Powerfully capable–yet simple, at an entry-level price.” Indeed, the L100 offers plenty of fully automatic controls for the user who wants to simply point and shoot. In fact, unlike a lot of mega zoom cameras on the market today, the L100 was designed for fully automatic use and doesn’t offer many manual controls at all. Click the link below and check it out...

Nikon Coolpix L100 Mega Zoom Camera Review

Lenovo ThinkStation S20 Workstation, Tested, Burned-In

News — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:36:54 GMT

Today we have a new Intel Xeon W3540-based Lenovo workstation – the ThinkStation S20 - on our bench for some testing. Some of you may be wondering what a “workstation” really is. Well, it’s a term more commonly used in a business environment, especially one in which CAD/CAM design, 3D rendering or high performance computing occurs, and it basically just refers to a higher-end desktop or laptop. In the environments we’ve worked in, we’ve heard workstations referred as high-end desktops or laptops, tech PCs, and technical workstations. In this context, workstations (at least the desktop variety) are frequently comprised of components you typically see in servers.

In particular, the motherboards, memory and processors are often server class. It is also not uncommon to find workstations sporting high-end storage controllers and hard drives. The ThinkStation S20 we are evaluating today sports a 2.93GHz Intel Xeon W3540 processor, 4GB ECC DDR3 memory, a 500GB SATA hard drive, and an NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 video card. This Lenovo workstation is definitely packing some serious horsepower. Keep reading to see just how well this powerhouse performs.

OCZ's NIA Brain-Computer Interface Controller

News — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:32:39 GMT

OCZ lays claim to being the first company to bring a "brain-computer" interface to the retail market and they have aimed it squarely at the gamer. The device is called the NIA, which is an acronym that stands for Neural Impulse Actuator, and instead of buttons, sticks, gyroscopes or motion sensors, it reads the body's natural biosignals and translates them into commands that can be used to control PC games.

No question, it's a pretty wild product. Go now and see.

The New Xbox 360 Experience In-depth

News — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:59:01 GMT

Microsoft's recent Xbox 360 update overhauls the existing blade-style interface, moving to a much more flowing, intuitive design. It promises to keep and improve upon legacy features, while adding new content and functionality. The new Xbox Experience promises a lot but does it truly deliver in both increased usability and speed? Let’s take a look at some of the features that have been revamped and added, and then we'll have a chat about what we think is still missing.

Olympus E-620 Digital SLR Review

News — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:10:09 GMT

Olympus’ latest E-620 DSLR targets users who are interested in something better than a budget entry-level DSLRs, that don’t want to pay for an upper mid-range or semi-pro body. This new camera is packed with features from the higher-end E-30, but uses a body that’s closer in size to the compact E-420 DSLR. By combining high-end features in a compact body, Olympus addresses many of the complaints users had with the previous E-520 and E-420 models. In essence, The E-620 starts with the E-520’s popular built-in Image Stabilization and combines it with the higher resolution sensor of the E-30 as well as Art Filters and an articulating 2.7-inch screen. Click the link below and check it out...

Olympus E-620 Digital SLR Review

Asus Eee Top ET1602 All In One Touch Screen PC

News — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:07:35 GMT

The Eee Top ET1602 builds upon Asus' popular line of Eee-branded products by introducing an all-in-one desktop form factor, complete with a 15.6" touch screen. Like the Eee PC netbooks that preceded it, the Eee Top ET1602 is built around Intel's low-power Atom platform, with the 945 GSE chipset. Other features include an integrated webcam and 802.11n Wi-Fi, 4W speakers with SRS Premium Sound enhancement, and a flash memory card reader. At about $599, the Eee Top ET1602 is relatively expensive considering its performance, but its integrated touch screen and proprietary Asus Eee applications help to somewhat justify the investment for a system that offers such ease of use and innovative touch interface features...

Asus Eee Top ET1602 All-In-One Touch Screen PC

Disney Joins Hulu, Brings Along Lots Of Content

News — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:40:13 GMT

Hulu has suffered its fair share of criticism from dissing Boxee, but now that things seem to be ironed out between the two, we're thrilled to hear that more content is coming to the online video portal. Hulu and The Walt Disney Company today announced that Disney, through a subsidiary of ABC Enterprises Inc., has agreed to join NBC Universal, News Corporation and Providence Equity Partners as a joint venture partner and equity owner of Hulu. What's it all mean, you ask? To suits, it means another thing entirely, but to consumers, it means that Hulu's library of material just got a massive boost.

In fact, the agreement will enhance Hulu’s programming line-up through the expanded online distribution of Disney’s most popular current and library primetime series and library feature films. Specifically, full-length episodes of hit current and library programs like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, Scrubs, Greek, Hope and Faith, Less Than Perfect, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, General Hospital, The View and The Secret Life of the American Teenager will soon be streamed on Hulu on an ad-supported basis.

Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, seemed pretty proud of getting the deal done: "From our landmark iTunes deal to our pioneering decision to stream ad supported shows on our ABC.com player, Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today’s Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey. Disney and Hulu share a focus on delivering the highest-quality entertainment experience and we look forward to working with Hulu to build value for our consumers, our brands and our shareholders."

Following the closing, content available to Hulu users will include:

Full-length episodes of ABC primetime programs like Lost, Grey’s
Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Samantha Who?, Scrubs,
Private Practice and popular late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel
Live
Full-length episodes of hit ABC Family series like The Secret Life
of the American Teenager and Greek
Popular series from ABC Daytime and SOAPnet like General Hospital and
The View
Classic series from ABC’s library like Hope and Faith, Less Than
Perfect, Commander in Chief, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Dancing
with the Stars
Select hit programs from Disney Channel like Wizards of Waverly
Place and Phineas and Ferb which can be easily accessed
from a new DISNEY location in the Channel section of Hulu.com
Popular library titles from The Walt Disney Studios
Short-form content including webisodes, sneak peeks and episode recaps
from ABC Entertainment, ABC Family and SOAPnet

Digital Storm Custom Core i7 Gaming System

News — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:10:30 GMT

Boutique system builders tend to fall into three categories, there are the more custom or high-end offerings from some of the larger names like Dell/Alienware or HP/Voodoo (though you may or may not classify them as "boutique"), there are offerings from large e-tailers like Tiger Direct's SystemMax, and then there are independent companies as well, obviously. A few of the major names in this third category are MainGear, Velocity Micro and the company whose product we have on the bench for you today--Digital Storm.

Digital Storm as a company has been around since 2001. It has become fairly well known in the community for building solid computer systems, primarily targeted at the enthusiast, though they also have a workstation and server product line-up as well. The company has historically taken a design approach to their products that incorporates only top shelf, standard components in an effort to offer the consumer a high quality product that is both easily serviceable and upgradeable down the road. That said, even with top shelf components, quality systems with a reasonable value and price point are not always equal to just the sum of their components. We'll step you through the salient features, performance, and value of Digital Storm's 950si custom Core i7 gaming system and let you be the judge of what this boutique builder with a history for quality products has to offer. Check it out...

Digital Storm Custom Core i7 Gaming System

Dell XPS 625 Phenom II Gaming System

News — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:27:43 GMT

Dell's new XPS 625 is their latest AMD-based creation, and is the first out of the Dell labs using the relatively new Phenom II processor. Initial reviews of AMD's new chip have been favorable, as this new quad-core processor is slated to deliver roughly the same performance as Intel's quad-core Core 2 processors at very tolerable price points. While it's pretty clear that the Phenom II can't quite crack Core i7 levels of performance in most usage scenarios, the question is, do most users really need that much computing power? Can the Phenom II deliver a great computing experience at a palatable price? Is it worth considering one over an Intel-based Dell system? The XPS 625 is here to help us answer those questions. Click the link below and check it out...

Dell XPS 625 Phenom II Gaming System

hd 4870 reviewed! nvidia gets beaten.

ice_73 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:31:11 GMT

first off, i want to say that yes nvidia does beat ati, but at 299 vs 700-800, is a few fps that important? 2 of these in crossfire will kick the 280's ass

http://en.expreview.com/2008/06/24/first-review-hd-4870-and-hd-4850/

enjoy

EVGA nForce 790i SLI FTW Motherboard, Burned In

News — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:14:24 GMT

Our latest release, an evaluation and performance review of EVGA’s nForce 7901 SLI FTW motherboard, with Digital PWM is now live for all to enjoy.

This is definitely one special board that has a lot to offer. For starters, it sports three PCI Express x16 slots for 3-way SLI, and it boasts support for up to nine SATA 3Gbps drives. Additionally, the mainboard supports 2,000MHz dual channel DDR3 with EPP and a front side bus up to 1,600MHz. The board was designed with enthusiasts in mind though, so you can rest assured that EVGA also includes a plethora of overclocking options in the BIOS. Continuing the trend, EVGA appeals to enthusiasts even further by offering a digital PWM circuit, an 8-phase power design, VDroop control, 100% solid state capacitors, and onboard clear CMOS, power and reset buttons.

Direct Link:
http://hothardware.com/Articles/EVGA-nForce-790i-SLI-FTW-Digital-PWM-Motherboard/

Weekend Project, Storage Media Server Completion

News — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:48:25 GMT

As we've mentioned previously, Marco has been working on a Storage Media Server build for a project showcase at Symantec's Security with Speed site. The purpose of the site was an effort by Symantec to create awareness that their new Norton Security 2009 product has been completely engineered from the ground up with speed and low system resource utilization in mind. As a side benefit to their campaign, the Security with Speed site is also a pretty good resource for multitude of PC tech info, including HotHardware's contribution to the Storage Media Server project that Marco has been working. Today we offer you the next installation of BigWop's video journal on building a home Storage Media Server...

http://hothardware.com/News/Weekend-Project-Storage-Media-Server-Completion/

Velocity Micro Edge Z55 Intel Core i7 Gaming Sys

News — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:19:35 GMT

Like many enthusiast system manufacturers, Velocity Micro makes hand-built, high-end gaming rigs using the latest components, such as Intel’s Core i7 processors. Velocity Micro claims that they pride themselves on their extensive customization options, meticulous assembly procedures, a technically trained staff, and in-house US-based support.

Velocity Micro offers two series of gaming rigs—the Raptor and Edge series. The Raptor is “the best of the best” with more customization and tweaking options along with higher-end specs. The Raptor line offers two models: the Raptor Signature Edition (starting at $5,499) and the Raptor Z90 (starting at $3,599). The Edge series is also geared towards serious gaming enthusiasts, but strikes a balance between high-end specs and affordability. You’ll find five models in the Edge series: the Edge Z5 (starting at $859), Edge M10 (starting at $1,099), Edge Z15 (starting at $1,499), the Edge M40 (starting at $1,699), and the Edge Z55 (starting at $2,199).

Velocity Micro added a few options to our Edge Z55 test system, bringing the cost up to $2,399. Read on to see how the Edge Z55 Intel Core i7 Gaming System faired as we put the system through the usual level of rigorous HotHardware testing and hands-on evaluation.

AMD Maui HTPC Video Spotlight

News — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:26:47 GMT

Synopsis: AMD's "Maui" home theater PC platform consists of a combination of AMD hardware and software. Systems built around the platform feature an energy efficient Phenom or Athlon processor, ATI Radeon graphics, ATI TV tuners, and AMD LIVE! software elements. The current foundation of the platform is MSI's somewhat unique Media Live DIVA 5.1 motherboard, which is based on the AMD 780M chipset, and includes a specialized Intersil D2 Ausio DAE-3 audio chip with an accompanying 5.1 channel amplifier, but a 3.1 / 7.1 pre-amplifier card is also an option.

For the full video review go here

Dell Studio Hybrid Small Form Factor Desktop

News — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:00:35 GMT

Two perpetually, almost fad-like and recurring themes for computing technology in 2008 are low power, environmentally friendly products as well as tiny, small form-factor or ultra-portable machines. Power consumption and size -- it has become undeniably hip and cool to offer products that cater to the new carbon footprint and mechanical footprint-minded consumer. If you didn't know better, it almost seems like the introduction of Asus' Eee PC started the craze back in Q4 of '07 but clearly, at least small form-factor system have been around for many years.

Some of you will remember Shuttle's line of wildly popular barebones XPCs which became an underground hit with many in the DYI crowd looking to build Home Theater setups or fully capable and portable LAN boxes. Shuttle hit the scenes with this system over six years ago, if you can believe that, and they've been growing in popularity ever since with the recent small form-factor/eco-friendly frenzy breathing even more life into the market niche'. And you know SFF (small form-factor) systems have arrived when the "big guns" like Dell set their sites on this competitive arena.

Dell's marketing team had their collective thinking caps on for the brand naming of their new line of Studio Hybrid SFF desktops. While the machine is comprised of traditional electronics and is powered by standard AC current, the term "Hybrid" conjures up efficiencies in power consumption along with perhaps a physical profile that slices cleanly through the air. Click the link below and check it out...

Dell Studio Hybrid Small Form Factor Desktop

Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop Video Spotlight

News — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:12:18 GMT

With a low-power Intel Core 2 Duo processor under its hood, the Dell Studio Hybrid is capable in many mainstream user applications and could make for a decent Home Theater PC. Aficionados may scoff at the system's integrated Intel X3100 graphics, however, the Studio Hybrid has more than enough power to playback full 1080p resolution content with its Core 2 Duo dual core processor, 5400RPM 160GB hard drive, and DDR2-667 system memory. As a minimalistic business-class machine, family computer or college-bound bookshelf PC, the Dell Studio Hybrid has all of the basic features of a full sized system, in a sleek, stylish, eco-friendly footprint.

More here in our Video Spotlight of the Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop.

Dell XPS 630 Desktop Gaming PC Evaluation

News — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:59:13 GMT

Dell just took the wraps off their latest XPS desktop system for gamers and enthusiasts today and this time around the new systems are targeted at being more affordable. The new XPS 630 we’ve evaluated here at HotHardware, is Dell's new customizable machine with support for NVIDIA dual-GPU SLI graphics, the latest dual and quad-core Intel processors, and a slick chassis design that will turn heads at your next LAN party. Click the link below and check it out...

Dell XPS 630 Desktop Gaming PC Evaluation

Asus Eee Box B202 Video Spotlight

News — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:57:34 GMT

In some respects, when we think about what the capabilities of a $299 desktop system should be like, we can't help but be impressed what Asus has achieved and the overall value of the Eee Box. What's more impressive though is the Eee Box's absolutely tiny form-factor and completely miserly power consumption. The original Eee PC notebook cultivated quite an enthusiastic following in the marketplace and we think the Eee Box is likely to as well.

Asus Eee Box B202 Video Spotlight

Our more detailed full review can be found here.

Asus Eee Box B202 Desktop System Evaluation

News — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:13:13 GMT

Asus certainly made a splash this year with their line of ultra-light, ultra-affordable Eee PC notebooks and they've been fleshing out the product line ever since with a wealth of new offerings, as the company continues to milk the product's successful brand name recognition for all it's worth.

Today marks the introduction of the $299 Asus Eee Box to the US market, but we've had a unit in house for the better part of a month now. Just what does $299 buy you in terms of capabilities and features, in an absolutely tiny footprint? You're about to find out.

Asus Eee Box B202 Desktop System Evaluation

And our video spotlight of the system in action. Enjoy