Weekly Hardware Review Links

Weekly Hardware Review Links
Posted :: Jul 14, 2005 by Haggs

Last week's set of links was big, but this week AI has managed to top it. When will the madness end?! The tech industry never sleeps, and neither do we. Highlights of this week's hardware review links include BFGTech's GeForce 7800 GTX OC Video Card, 3Rsystems' R900 Computer Case, Hitachi's 500GB DeskStar Hard Drive, SunbeamTech's LED Keyboard and Mouse combo, the Matrix Orbital MX512 Gaming Mouse, and even Corsair's latest Corsair XMS2 DDR2-1000 RAM.

1.) BFGTech GeForce 7800 GTX OC Video Card @ Hard OCP
The bottom line is that BFGTech is offering you an incredible value. They are providing a GeForce 7800 GTX-based video card with faster GPU and memory frequencies at the standard 7800 GTX MSRP. That's right, for the same $599 MSRP as a standard GeForce 7800 GTX (Already seen as low as $491), you get a GeForce 7800 GTX-based video card that runs faster than the other stock 7800 GTX cards out of the box. The BFGTech GeForce 7800 GTX OC simply provides the best gaming performance on the planet right now. Without a doubt, it is Must Have Hardware for those gamers with a large enough budget.

2.) 3RSystems R900 Computer Case @ Hot Hardware
Getting our first taste of their product line, we bring you a review of 3RSystem's R900 Dual Power Station Case. The R900 is a versatile case that brings a slew of features that make it perfect as a PC or Server case solution. Built with size and durability in mind, look at the R900 as an SUV in the computer case world. With support for two power supplies, oversized cooling and an extra large frame, the R900 is ready to work or play hard while keeping things running cool and looking sharp.

3.) Hitachi 500GB DeskStar Hard Drive @ Tom's Hardware
When it comes to maximum drive capacity, the DeskStar 7K500 can help to reduce the number of drives you have to install, such as when using compact RAID array storage with a capacity in the terabyte range. It's thus clear that storage densities in rack-mounted servers will start hitting new records almost immediately. For desktop use, the massive 500 GB of capacity will be a Godsend for many users.

That said, this new monster isn't as worry-free as other new offerings introduced recently: the 7K500, for example, runs noticeably hotter than most other drives. In the interests of maximizing its service life, don't deploy this drive without applying cooling. Any air flow touching the drive will be adequate, or you might go for a hard drive cooling kit as well.

4.) SunbeamTech LED Keyboard and Mouse @ InsaneTek
Sunbeam continues to pump out accessories to add flavor to your personal computing. This time they show us a flashy LED keyboard and LED mouse.

Pros:
-Illumination when plugged into the computer
-Many multimedia/office/internet navigation hot keys
-No skipping or noticeable difference between mice

Cons:
-Lack of height adjustment
-Mouse size is too small
-Poor placement of keys on keyboard
-Cords could be too short for some users (approx. 4 feet in length)

5.) Matrix Orbital MX512 Gaming Mouse @ Overclockers Online
The MX512 is certainly a great accessory for your system. It has features that DIY models or models included with your case don't have. If you have a pretty penny to spend, say after getting your tax return, the MX512 will look great in a tower. For those who don't have two bay drives to spare, Matrix Orbital offers a 2*20 character LCD that fits into a single 5.25" bay. You can find this in their latest MX6 series. For those who still favour the DIY models, Matrix Orbital has several barebone LCDs that you can purchase. As you can see, the options are endless and everyone is sure to find something they like with Matrix Orbital.

6.) Corsair XMS2 DDR2-1000 RAM @ TBreak
We've been looking at hardware for quite some time now and its always been the memory modules that have been playing catch up with the frequencies that motherboard manufacturers offer in the BIOS. However, today Corsair throws our observation out the door by sending us modules that work at a speed for which we couldn't find motherboards to match up to. We're talking about Corsair's latest 8000UL modules that run at frequency of DDR2-1000.