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The Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD5 motherboard continues that trend on the Intel Z68 Express platform. The GA-Z68XP-UD5 packs a ton of features with some pretty innovative software. Starting out, the motherboard uses the Z68 chipset. This means that it is a LGA1155 socket for the newest Intel Sandy Bridge processors and has memory support up to 2133MHz with a capacity for 32GB. For storage there are two SATA 3.0 ports and four SATA 2.0 ports with RAID 0,1,5,10 support. There are I/O connectivity includes two eSATA 6Gb/s connectors, up to ten USB 2.0 ports (including the 4 expandable with internal headers), up to 8 USB 3.0 ports (4 on the back panel and 4 with internal headers), and three IEEE 1394a ports (two on the rear and one internal header).
In our CPU scaling article we investigate gaming performance of AMD's latest Radeon HD 7970 flagship. The processors in our test group have been selected to match popular CPUs used by gamers and enthusiasts: AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer, Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge and Intel Core i7-920 Nehalem.
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Today we are going to look at the ASRock A75M-ITX motherboard which is aimed at the small-form-factor market. As its name suggests, the motherboard is Mini-ITX which makes it ideal to use within a compact HTPC.
Of all the superheroes, Batman is one of the few who does not possess any super-human power. Perhaps that is why so many people cheer for The Great Detective, and why so many gamers seek to wear his utility belt. Although the upcoming movie The Dark Knight Rises depicts the same character played in the Batman: Arkham City video game, both also share 3D special effects that offer a glimpse from behind Batman's cowl. Super-villain Joker always gets the last laugh, and uses dozens of other arch enemies to help make his punch line. In this article, Benchmark Reviews guides you through the criminal masterminds that inhabit Batman: Arkham City in this NVIDIA 3D Vision game review.
The E30200A DDR3 from Exceleram are some really affordable 8GB memory modules that we can use in case we are running lots of virtual machines, Ramdrives or other memory-consuming applications. These are not too overclockable, so the maximum stability we could obtain only at 11-11-11-30, 1600Mhz, by running with two out of four sticks.
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Peripherals
Mach Extreme are a name which may be unknown to many, but a handful of their executives have a strong history in the memory sector. This Mach Xtreme MX-DS Turbo 120GB Solid State Drive is based around the class leading Sandforce SF2281 controller with full support for the SATA 3 interface.
Wait a second, did I just explain my situation? Well, unfortunately, yes. I am quite sure many of us have found ourselves in this position as well. And now that I think about it, Christmas Day is no more than 54 hours away, and I have yet to begin my shopping. Oh, but of course, the Gigabyte motherboard review comes first! If I had a moment's time to breathe, I would simply go through all the amazing technological developments of 2011. However, since I do not have the luxury of such a physiological need, I will sum up the entire year with a few words, letters, and numbers. Sandy Bridge, H67, P67, and lastly, Z68. So without further adieu, let us plow through the last motherboard review of the year here at APH Networks!
The new AMD Radeon HD 7970 is here. Is it as hot as it's namesake, Tahiti? Our performance review pits it against the best high end GPUs from the last two generations, and details what's new and exciting in the fastest single GPU available today.
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We hope you are all having a great Christmas, and today we are extending our excellent giveaway bonanza with a fantastic power supply courtesy of OCZ Technologies. We have looked at the 1250W version of this power supply [3]over here, and it won our top award.
Wishing every one of our readers a very Happy Christmas!
When most people think of ASUS, they immediately think of the "ROG" product line, one that has set itself apart from the rest due to extensive functionality, and top-level overclocking ability. however, ASUS does have a few other products out there that offer the same, if not more, and the ASUS P9X79 Deluxe that recently arrived on our doorstep is definitely one of those products. Boasting ASUS's improved "Dual Intelligent Processors III" VRM design, the ASUS P9X79 Deluxe offers performance customization abilities that few other products do, easily setting it apart form the rest.
That is when the new low profile Sapphire HD Radeon 6670 comes into play. This card is capable of playing back awesome video with the clearest of audio and at the same time can even game (well to a certain extent). But what most of you will like is what I mention in the first sentence of this paragraph, this card is a low profile single slot unit that can be placed in almost any rig.
Today we have a Radeon HD 6950 from our good friends at Club3D. It may look standard, but it is basically identical to their patented CoolStream card, but comes with Battlefield 3 included. CoolStream is the cooling technology behind Club3D's graphics cards, and as we've seen in other reviews of their cards, it really is a great cooling solution, so we're eager to see how this card performs.
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Trine 2 is a side-scrolling action-puzzle game that features gorgeous aesthetics and fluid game mechanics. Trine 2, much like the original title, allows players to control one of three characters at a time but have now also expanded the multiplayer aspect to allow online co-op. Players can choose between playing as Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight or Zoya the theif and switch mid-game to solve puzzles by utilizing each character's unique talents. While Trine 2 does not have a 3D Vision profile rating yet while playing with the latest 290.36 beta GeForce drivers installed, the stereoscopic 3D effects nevertheless works spectacularly.
The introduction of Intel's X79 chipset with its quad-channel memory controller coincides nicely with historic lows in memory prices. Corsair's recently introduced "Vengeance" line of peripherals includes products as diverse as headphones, mice, and even memory. Representing a lower-cost alternative to their "Dominator" memory line, Vengeance memory is offered with both high and low profile heat spreaders and several different speeds and timings. Benchmark Reviews tests the 1600MHz C8 16GB quad-channel low profile Vengeance kit against an assortment of other memory in this test.
Today we are taking a look at a Kingston SSD disk that I was able to get for quite cheap a few weeks back, my main rig is lacking a SSD so I thought why not do a review on this also? The average price for this Kingston HyperX 120GB SSD is around 230-250$. I was able to pick it up for about 130$ so lets find out what kind of performance we can expect from this drive.
It be a glorious day for many people around the world, and I'm not just talking about Christmas here. A game that many have been waiting for has finally arrived, from a galaxy far far away… Star Wars: The Old Republic. The game marks a pivotal moment for BioWare as its first MMORPG, so read on for our initial review.
Technology enthusiasts can be a jaded bunch – even with Xmas cheer filling the air and a selection of stockings waiting for a jolly good stuffing – the opportunity to win a graphics card or stick of memory, might not ‘do it’ for you. But this prize just might!
AMD 7000 Series GPU's, 7970 3GB Previews and Reviews
Many thought that AMD's latest card based on a 28nm process would be out for Christmas, but alas we have to wait till the begining of the new year for the 7970 3GB to start hitting shelves. That hasn't stopped AMD giving hardware to a few sites to review and preview the card. One thing I would say is, despite the obvious performance increase the 7970 3GB brings (it's about 5%+ faster than a 580) keep in mind that you'll want a high resolution setup to make the most of it, and other 28nm parts from both AMD and NVIDIA will start appearing between now and March. As always, we'll keep the list below update with new articles as we get them.