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Welcome The Latecomer: Pentium 4 Prescott 3.4 GHzMar 22, 2004 - in Reviews
Several weeks after the initial Prescott launch, the 3.4 GHz Pentium 4 Prescott is now available. We take a look at the processor's performance and detail how Intel will change its processor nomenclature roadmap (the megahertz war is officially over).
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Swansong for the XP Era: VIA KT880 Chipset Challenges nForce2Mar 8, 2004 - in Reviews
VIA's KT880 dual-channel memory chipset shows that the AthlonXP processor still has a lot of fire power left in it. While the Athlon64 represents AMD's latest and greatest processor, AthlonXP based chipsets, especially those with dual-channel memory, still have much to offer. With its introduction of the KT880, VIA also hopes to eat some of Nvidia's nForce2 Ultra 400 lunch with its AthlonXP, dual-channel memory chipset offering.
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Plextor PX-708A DVD±R/±RW Recorder Goes 8XNov 21, 2003 - in Reviews
The race for Xs is still on and Plextor has gone into the lead with the PX-708A, what Plextor claims is the first commercialized 8X DVD recorder. At this speed, a 4.38 GB DVD+R takes under 9 minutes to record. That is about the same as a CD in just over a minute. What we wanted to know was whether the reliability and compatibility of blank supports suffer from this breakneck speed.
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USB 2.0 Sound: Creative Labs Audigy 2 NXNov 14, 2003 - in Reviews
Creative Labs has introduced its first USB-2.0 external sound card. Does this external card manage to surpass the constraints posed by a USB connection? Is its performance on par with internal sound cards? We put the device through a comprehensive series of tests to find out.
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Mobile Gaming: Nokia Phone Meets the GameboyOct 30, 2003 - in Reviews
The famous Finnish mobile phone manufacturer has decided to take on the mobile game deck sector. Now this being the sole reserve of Nintendo and its range of Gameboys, the task will not be an easy one. But Nokia has gone for an extremely versatile product with high technological potential. So, does such a combination give it the edge?
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Pioneer DVR-A06 DVD Writer: The War +/- Won't HappenSep 5, 2003 - in Reviews
Two years after the launch of the first mass-market DVD writer, Pioneer has brought out its sixth generation device, the DVR-A06 boxed version and the DVR-106 OEM version. The Japanese manufacturer, a member of the DVD Forum and an enthusiastic advocate of the -R and -RW standards, is nevertheless offering a hybrid product that the company says can read and record to multiformats. We put the company's compatibility claims to the test.
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Radeon 9800 256 MBJun 4, 2003 - in Reviews
Simultaneous to the launch of NVIDIA's GeForce FX 5900 Ultra, ATI introduces the 256 MB, DDR II variant of the successful Radeon 9800 Pro. This test will show you if double the memory is worth the extra $100.
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Unevenly Matched Mini-Trio: MSI vs. Shuttle vs. SaintsongMay 5, 2003 - in Reviews
The choice of compact PC's for daily office use is growing, but they vary in size, shape and functionality. We examined three interesting systems from MSI, Shuttle and Saintsong in our lab.
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Overclocking: 875 = 7205 + XApr 29, 2003 - in Reviews
Unofficially, Intel's old chipset offers similar features to the new high-end 875 Canterwood. 200 MHz (800 MHz) FSB is no problem for the old platform. So who really needs the expensive 875?
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Penalty: An Autopsy Of Dead LCD PixelsMar 19, 2003 - in Reviews
Sales of LCD flat panels have gone through the roof and their prices go down by the day, but there still remains a point that is not exactly emphasized in the specifications: how many dead pixels does it take before the manufacturers agree to replace a monitor We asked 36 manufacturers this question. The answers came back in dribs and drabs. Looks like there are some things they are not too proud of.
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DVD Burner Test: Seven Times The CapacityFeb 7, 2003 - in Reviews
With the huge amounts of information that now have to be stored, the CD-RW is beginning to run out of steam. The DVD boosts storage capacity to 4.5 GB, and, in addition to data, can also record videos. So here is the lowdown on what the market is offering.
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Pentium 4 with Dual DDR: Endurance Test of Seven Motherboards with the Granite Bay ChipsetFeb 3, 2003 - in Reviews
Intel's E7205 chipset (alias Granite Bay) is descended from its E7500 server counterpart and is supposed to speed up the Pentium 4 by means of a dual-channel memory interface. And this workstation chipset really does offer the best performance of any DDR-SDRAM-based product. We rounded up seven of today's boards in our lab for a test of strength.
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Old Hand Meets Young Firebrand: ATi FireGL X1 and Nvidia Quadro4 980XGLJan 23, 2003 - in Reviews
OpenGL - the story so far: the last Quadro4 chip to predate the GeForce FX, Nvidia entered the ring with the NV28GL. ATi countered with the R300, alias 9700 Pro, for use on the FireGL X1. Seven graphics cards take up the challenge.
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USB 2.0 as a Multi-Purpose Solution: The External ATA Drive Case from ADS TechnologiesJan 16, 2003 - in Reviews
There is a veritable host of external hard drives or CD ROM drives on the market. The external system developed by ADS Technologies allows you to run any ATA drive - including hard drives - via the USB port. Is this solution better than external hard drives produced by major manufacturers?
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Digicams: New Little Megapixel Monsters, Part IIDec 24, 2002 - in Reviews
This year's ultimate Christmas present has to be a digital camera. We have tested the latest of them - the most beautiful and compact, the real must-haves: Canon PowerShot S230 (Ixus V3), Casio Exilim EX-M2, Minolta Dimage Xi, Toshiba PDR-T30 and Sony DSC-U10. Colors, detail, vignetting, zoom and speed have all been examined under the microscope.
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Dual DDR For Pentium 4: Intel E7205 Chipset Put To The TestNov 25, 2002 - in Reviews
Three motherboards - Asus, Gigabyte and Tyan - run Intel's new Granite Bay chipset through its paces in the THG laboratory. Also: First server board with E7500 for dual Xeon from Tyan.
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A Cool Bunch: How To Put A Lid On The Die Temperature Of Your AthlonSep 16, 2002 - in Reviews
Testing, testing... THG has pulled all the stops to give you the latest in-depth look at the market for CPU fan coolers. No fewer than 55 products were subjected to the rigors of a comprehensive testing procedure with a new CPU simulator.
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Comparison: Seven 21" and 22" CRT MonitorsAug 5, 2002 - in Reviews
While monitors of 17 and even 19 inches are now commonplace for the average user, the larger formats are mostly still reserved for the graphics business. It's true that 21" and 22" monitors are usually beyond the reach of the ordinary wallet, though actually you can find low-range 21" models for a reasonable price. But this raises the question: is it worth making the switch to 21" and 22"?
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DDR400 Kills Rambus: Shooting Star SiS 648 for P4Jul 20, 2002 - in Reviews
No other chipset offers more than this: DDR400 and AGP 8x, along with a stable P4 platform and serial ATA. Also, we take a look at the first of the SiS648 motherboard series from Shuttle.
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Warp Speed with Rambus: Six Boards for PC1066Jun 24, 2002 - in Reviews
The fact is that only RDRAM is capable of bringing out the very best in Intel's P4. We put six new boards with the i850 E chipset to the test, using brand new 32 bit RDRAM.
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Matrox Parhelia-512 - The ChallengerMay 14, 2002 - in Reviews
With drum rolls and trumpet blares, Matrox announces its return to the 3D consumer market for graphics cards. However, we'll have to wait and see just how triumphant its comeback is - currently, the press has to make to with nice-looking data sheets instead of working samples of the hardware. Read on to find out what the new Parhelia-512 chip has to offer, and whether or not ATI and NVIDIA should brace themselves for a tough battle.
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ATI All In Wonder RADEON 7500Jan 22, 2002 - in Reviews
ATI fleshes out its product line with an entry level All in Wonder card. We give it a run through in our labs and decide how it compares to its bigger brother, as well as Nvidia's Personal Cinema.
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El Cheapo: Duron 1300 vs. Celeron 1300Jan 21, 2002 - in Reviews
A good basis for low-cost systems - AMD introduces its fastest Duron with 1300 MHz. Is this CPU worth getting?
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ATI All In Wonder RADEON 8500 DVDec 11, 2001 - in Reviews
The Canadian graphics chip and graphics card manufacturer presents a new flagship product in its 'All In Wonder' Series, the All In Wonder RADEON 8500 DV.
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Raising PC Audio Standards To Hi-Fi Levels: Audiotrak Maya 7.1 Gold and CARDampNov 30, 2001 - in Reviews
On-board sound systems are standard today. However, the quality of codecs meets only basic requirements such as system and application sound output. If you want high fidelity sound, you might want to upgrade your sound system. We introduce two interesting products from Audiotrak: Maya 7.1 Gold, a high-quality sound card at $129, and a PC amplifier called CARDamp.
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Radeon 8500 vs. Ti500 - Overclocked GraphicsNov 7, 2001 - in Reviews
ATI and Nvidia are going to keep playing driver leapfrog, and everyone's going to "cheat." Just means more benchmark work for us, and a continual debate about who really is the graphics champ these days. This time we take a look at the 8500 versus the Ti500 on an Athlon rig, and check out some overclocked benchmarks.
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Performance Matters: AMD Introduces AthlonXP ProcessorOct 9, 2001 - in Reviews
The wait is finally over. Today AMD is releasing its first desktop processor based on the 'Palomino' core under the name AthlonXP. The launch of AthlonXP is also marking AMD's step away from the usual clock frequency rating of processors to a new rating system suggesting 'relative performance'. I consider this the real big deal about today's launch. It requires a lot of discussion.
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Lo-Cost Duel: Duron 1100 vs. Celeron 1200Oct 3, 2001 - in Reviews
It doesn't get any cheaper than this: both manufacturers offer entry-level 1 GHz CPUs for less than $130. How fast are they in comparison to the high-end processors - which is a better choice, AMD or Intel?
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VIA Teams Up Pentium 4 With DDR-MemoryAug 17, 2001 - in Reviews
Now that Intel is selling Pentium 4 at rather aggressive prices, all it takes to make the processor enter the mass market is a reasonably priced platform. The i850 chipset with its requirement of the expensive RDRAM is still unable to offer that. While Intel's upcoming value-chipset for Pentium 4 will initially only support the rather slow PC133 SDRAM, VIA's P4X266 is ready to bring fast DDR-support to Intel's flagship processor.
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BIOS Tuning: Maximum PowerJul 25, 2001 - in Reviews
BIOS tuning allows users to squeeze out as much power as possible from virtually all motherboards. We show the details that really count.