Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
For those of you who are new to TheGadgetBlog.net, we want you to know that we’re in love with NZXT and their awesome gaming cases. We have yet to review one so far that didn’t blow us out of the water with it’s style and feel. We have yet to be disappointed by their design and hopefully neither have you. If you haven’t had a chance to try out an NZXT case, now might be the time for you to do so.
We’ve already addressed the fact that notebooks were once called laptops, but due to the heat they produce, the name has all but disappeared to prevent a generation of internet savvy individuals from being unable to produce offspring. Plenty of solutions have been released to rectify the dangers of placing a heavily heated device on ones lap, including devices with and without fans. But none of them have looked nearly as bad ass as the ThermalTake T2000 Notebook Cooler.
You’re no noob. So when you’re new processor and cooling unit comes packed with some generic thermal paste, you’re smart enough to toss that gunk and grab something a bit more powerful. While each person has their own personal favorite, Noctua’s NT-H1 pro-grade TIM solution is definitely one to consider regardless of whether you’re going for extended component life or to push your system to the limit.
Having a hybrid composition made up of different micro-particles allows for the NT-H1 to be perfectly optimized for use inside a PC. The compound has a much lower thermal resistance than most, allowing for it to work at temperatures other thermal paste aren’t even remotely effective at.
With the debate ever raging on as to how to apply thermal paste, it’s nice to see that NT-H1 stands firmly behind the dot method. Instead of wasting NT-H1 by spreading it manually across the surface, their instructions recommend that you put one drop onto the center of your CPU prior to installing your cooling unit and simply let the pressure spread it out for you. This works very well in general with most thermal paste, but I found the NT-H1 much more responsive to this method then prior compounds used.
NZXT hands down makes some of the best gaming cases hands down. So when they sent us the Tempest, considered to be one of the best cases out their for high performance gamers and modders, we sat and stared at it for awhile until we determined that it was in fact okay to touch it.
At first glance, you may think to yourself, “Sharp case, but what’s the big deal?”. Besides the fact that calling it “sharp” is an understatement, this case is packed with features that easily crown it the King of Airflow as their description so aptly puts it. The NZXT Tempest didn’t get that name without fighting for it either, as the case itself comes with 6 fans: dual 120mm intake fans, dual 140mm exhaust fans, and two additional side and rear 120mm fans. Surprisingly, they run more quietly then my air condition.
What’s really great about this specific case is it’s E-ATX support. If you haven’t looked at any of the new video cards hitting the shelves, get ready to either buy a new case or move everything out of the way. Luckily, if you have an E-ATX case like the NZXT Tempest, you’ll be all set room wise, regardless of whether you have a newer or older video card. The Tempest has several pre-drilled holes inside of it as well, allowing neat freaks like myself to lay much of the cabling behind the motherboard tray. Now, not only does the inside of my system look sweet when you see it through the side panel cut out, but the airflow is actually increased. If you’re bored, try setting it up with the cables normally and monitor the temperature, then set them up the way the Tempest is meant to be and see the difference.
As technology continues to advance, we’ve seen the prices drop on many different devices and components along with the size and speed of these devices increase as well. The desire for portability has increased greatly, leaving the gap between what was once just for desktop computing and not for laptops, little more than the restrictions of developing a suitable external video card. So when the average gamer finds themselves wondering how best to share his or her 1TB worth of games, movies, and music (all attained legally of course) with friends or even another computer, the previous options where limited to network sharing or transferring through an external hard drive.
Taking the concept of an external hard drive but keeping the versatility of putting that drive back into your computer has been something we geeks have sought after for quite some time. Luckily, the Thermaltake BlacX has the entire situation covered.
Ah, remember the days when those computers you could fold up and carry with you were called Laptops? Well somewhere along the line, they realized that the heat put off by those systems where way to strong for anyone to safely have on their lap if they ever wished to have children. So after switching the name to Notebooks, we’re still left with one very large issue: the lap is still the perfect place for them.
Our friends over at Thermaltake must have felt the same way (or had the desire to NOT feel the same way) and also had a soft spot in their hearts for the human ear, because they’ve put their heads together and come up with a nice and portable solution to save you and future generation from harm and discomfort.
When it comes time to replace that old power supply inside your favorite computer or you’re looking to build up a brand new system, GMC Power Supply’s should be the first place you look. Many cases come packaged with their own power supply, and while many of them are quality, purchasing an independently made power supply can give you a few more options and a lot more comfort knowing that it wasn’t a packaged deal.
This specific model, the GMC AP-600f12v offers up a full 600 watts of power to whatever your system could need through a +12v1 and +12v2 output. Several years ago, 600 watts was quite the sizeable power supply, but with Quad Core processors and Quad SLI graphics card setups, you’re going to need something up in this realm of power. Unless you’re going to be running some massive equipment, this specific power supply will fit your needs very well.
The Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply is a truly unique power supply. Specs wise, you’re looking at a fully functional ATX 12V 2.2 power supply completely SLI compatible. At 650W you should be fairly set with any of the current and next-gen graphics cards available on market as it has two PCI Express connectors. Tough luck for those of you running quad-SLI rigs, but as few games actually support SLI successfully, you already know what you’re getting yourself into. The ability to power up to 6 SATA devices should be more than enough even for the most advanced PC enthusiasts and the Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply doesn’t discriminate against AMD or Intel processors.
What’s really unique about this power supply is its embedded socket and modularized cable management system. Instead of the standard power supply layout that includes a variety of cables hanging out of your new power supply, this device allows you to pick and choose what cables you plug in, avoiding a serious amount of clutter. The box also comes loaded with nearly all the cables you would need to use all the slots (short one PCI Express cable). While this doesn’t add anything to performance, with an increase in the desire for many people to keep their system looking clean as they line it with LED’s and other devices, this will make things a lot roomier. Plus, if you damage a cable, you can easily get a replacement without having to toss the entire power supply.
The Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply is a lot quieter than many of the other power supplies that I’ve had a chance to test out. This can be attributed to it’s noise canceling silicon padding. The look of the device isn’t compromised for functionality either, as it has a sharp black mirror finish. While you may not be showing off your power supply at the next LAN party, you’ll stay confident knowing exactly how slick it looks.
The downfall for this product is really the price. At $169.99 you’re paying a lot for a good deal of functions that don’t increase benefit how your system runs. While the functionality that the Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply does offer is top notch, you can find similar 650W 2.2 power supplies capable of handling what this can for a fraction of the price. What Thermaltake does have to offer is exceptional service and a commitment to quality that few other manufacturers can match. With your entire system relying on a power supply to not only run but to prevent it from frying, having a brand name in this situation puts a lot of people at ease, and so it should.
You can find more detailed specs on the Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply by Thermaltake at their website listed below. This power supply was provided by them for our reviewing purposes.
Power Supply Provided By Thermaltake
Looking for a new gaming case but don’t have the cash to throw down for a top of the line?
NZXT has just released their line of Tempest Gaming Chassis that appear to be pretty fully loaded. They’ve got a pretty decent feature list as well:
- Mounting area for dual radiator solution
- Dual Intake, Exhaust, Side, and Rear Fans
- E-ATX Design
- Pre-Drilled cable routing behind motherboard
- Bottom mounted PSU
- 8 HDD dual fan cooled cage
For that low of a price, it seems like it could have a lot of potential. Plus it looks pretty slick as well. If we have a chance to get out hands on one, we’ll post a review up on the site for it.
I had a chance to get my hands on this pretty sweet PC tower the other day; It’s called the H-70 (Middle Tower ATX Series). This baby supports up to full ATX (Advanced Technology Extended). On the front panel, it has two really useful features. It comes with a fan controller and thermal display, and front air ventilation and detachable air filter. This is great for people into overclocking, because you can up your fan power when you are stressing out your hardware to keep it cool, and stop it from overheating. You’ll also be able to know when the computer is about to overheat with the thermal display that tells you how warm your system is running. Not only are they extremely useful features, but they blend well with the casing, and look pretty sleek.
There are many other useful thermal solutions in addition to the ones I’ve just mentioned built into this tower. There are two fans; A 140mm fan in the front, and a 120mm one in the back. This helps the air circulate through the tower, so you aren’t getting the same warm out you pumped out back in. Also, there is an air duct and PCI Express air hole in the side panel of the casing. This will help keep your video card cool. As mentioned, there is a fan control in the front, but there is also one in the rear of the tower, as well, in case you are working in the back, and need to shut off the fan or something.