Core i7 gets a mount for Noctua's popular heatpipe based heatsink

Noctua sent us their press release for the Socket 1366 version of their popular NH-U12P heatpipe based heatsink.

Here are some shots:

 

Click here to see more images

Sort of hard to describe: fancy lights for your computer

This computer peripheral is sort of a new idea. It's like mood lighting for your gaming experience. It sort of the accessory for the PC gamer that has everything. And I mean he has literally everything else. Like a joystick for racing games, flight sims, a set of VR920 glasses and an one of those mind-reading caps from OCZ. 

The amBX is a set of four lights that reacts to sounds, and produces various 'visual effects.' There are 4 different packages -- the least expensive goes for $149 for the lights, the top package, $279 and includes fans, a rumble pack, and a set of independent speakers.

I'm kind of torn on this one -- would they become annoying? Or would playing games using these only lights in your room, add to your gaming experience?

One particular title that might work well for this setup is Guitar Hero. Here is the amBX in action; check it out:

Upgrading to an Intel i7 CPU? Noctua has you covered

The fine Aussies at Noctua, makers of heatsinks and coolers, has offered free brackets and mounting materials to any one who plans to use a their Noctua coolers when upgrading to a socket LGA1366 platform, such as found in the new X58 motherboards. 

This isn't official yet -- but the announcement is forthcoming, says website Expreview.

The new bracket will fit any Noctua cooler made since 2005. To get one, you'll just have to upload proof of purchase onto to their website. However, I suppose if this means your UPC code, it could limit the amount of takers for this offer -- I don't imagine many hardware enthusiasts keep three year old cooler boxes around.

Nonetheless, this is nice of them.

 

Don't like fans? No problem, as long as you REALLY like heatsinks...

I saw an outrageous case over at Gizmodo - this guy custom built a case for his computer out of aluminium heatsinks.

That's right, the whole case is a heatsink.

Copper heatpipes are used to transfer the heat from the heatsink on the processor, and everything is mounted on monstrous open air heatsinks. Cool to look at, and it would be quiet, but I bet its a dust magnet.

Now your 360 really can look like a PC; manufacturer claims aftermarket 360 case will improve cooling and reduce noise during operation

In the world of PC hardware, a PC case chosen with your desired hardware components in mind actually goes a long way thanks to improved convenience, cooling, and possibly noise reduction. Lian Li, one of the better known computer cases manufacturers, looks to bring these considerations to the world of console hardware with its first "chassis replacement" for Microsoft's Xbox 360. The newly launched PC-XB01 case supports the Xbox 360's internal hardware components, and is designed to address "heating issues from hot components", and dampens vibrations from the 360's optical drives (including the hard drive and DVD-ROM) for quieter performance.  Lian Li previously revealed the PC-XB01 at CeBIT 2008 in this past March.

At first glance, the PC-XB01 looks more like a PC case than a "chassis replacement" for the Xbox 360. Like many of its top-of-the-line PC cases, Lian Li's PC-XB01 is made from brushed, light-weight aluminum with rounded corners. The third-party 360 case measures 160 x 250 x 415 mm (W x D x H), and features a silent 120 mm exhaust fan for cooling. By comparison the current 360 console measures 309 x 83 x 258 mm depending on orientation and has two 60 mm cooling fans. Lian Li must have researched the 360 well, as the PC-XB01 will support the different hardware configurations of the console, including the "Elite" model featuring the HDMI output. It even supports water cooling installations if you really want to keep the components cool.  It doesn't feature a built-in proprietary power supply, so it will still rely on the 360's external power adapter.

Considering that early hardware iterations of the Xbox 360 were unfortunately notable for their overheating issues and failure rates leading to what is largely known as the "Red Ring of Death" (RROD), the PC-XB01 appears sound in execution. However, cracking open the existing hardware to move internal components to the aftermarket chassis voids the warranty on the console. With the chance of RROD still possible on various models of 360 hardware, the prospect of voiding your console's warranty for potentially better thermal performance is a rather risky one at this point in the game.  Remember that the manufacturer's warranty is your ticket to product service and replacement.

The Lian Li PC-XB01 is the perfect complement to the Xbox 360 to alleviate heating issues. The stylish exterior gives your product a sense of class and will fit in with almost any living room environment. Microsoft Inc is very strict on warranties, so it should be noted that you will not be able to return your product if you use the Lian Li PC-XB01 alternative. With that being said, you are less likely to have overheating.

The PC-XB01 is currently priced at $149 USD.  Make no mistake, the PC-XB01 appears to be geared to a select portion of the 360 userbase who have no fear in taking apart consoles for the sheer heck of it.  Unlike other forms of console... modding, you won't need a solder iron for installation, but you'll still need to have some Torx series screwdrivers which PC buffs will be more familiar with.  No tool-free installation?!?

Will Microsoft have something official to say in response to this aftermarket case?

Click here to see more images

Cool that RAM with dual 40mm fans

Overclockers will soon be gaining another advanced item in their cooling aresenal. Partiot Memory (makers) put out a press release today on the Vortex cooling solution: no mere copper heatsink, this RAM cooling kit comes with heat pipes attached to two 40mm 5000RPM mini-fans.

"Patriot's Vortex active cooling fan is the perfect way to help keep your memory operating at optimal performance," bragged Les Henry, Technical Director of Patriot Memory, in a press release today. "Heat is a major enemy when it comes to high-performance overclocking memory. By adding airflow directly over the memory, Vortex can lower module temperatures up to 30%. This means potentially higher performing memory with increased stability for running today's complex multi-threaded applications which require high-bandwidth, low-latency memory."

This sweet RAM cooler has a catch though: it takes power from a DIMM slot. So if your sllots are filled at the moment, no extreme RAM overclocking for you.

Also, ThermalTake decided to throw a fan into the mix a few days go with the unveiling of the new RamOrb. This unit is 136g, supports DDR2, and the one 50mm fan runs at 4500 RPM.

Good times, for overclockers.

No word yet on the price for either of these two products.

 

Danamics LM10 - liquid metal cooled heatpipes

There is an interesting new cooler for CPU's - Danamics LM10.

In a typical heatpipe design, a liquid turns to vapor from the heat given off by the processor, rises, and as the fins cool it, turns back into liquid, running back into the bottom, to be heated again... and so on.. thus transferring the heat away from the processor, and cooling it.

Danamics has gone a couple of steps further - namely they have turned to using a liquid metal, and they have incorporated an electromagnetic pump to move the liquid metal along.

Sounds quite interesting... only thing that puzzles me is that the press shot does not show any power leads, and an electromagnetic pump by definition needs some electricity to drive it.

Danamics claims their LM10 outperforms most water coolers!

 

A whole lot of fan controller for $60 USD

NZXT has released a number of quality cases and components recently, and they are continuing with this trend with the announcement of the NZXT Sentry LX fan controller.

Coming in early July, the Sentry LX is a fan controller for your case that takes up two 5 1/4" drive bays. The Sentry has five temperature sensors that you can attach around your rig (on the GPU, CPU, etcetra) and five fan speed controls for -- you guessed it -- five fans. The temperatures and fan speeds are displayed on a nice LCD screen. The Sentry LX can also automatically adjust your fan speeds for you, and sounds an alarm if any of the five temperature sensor points go beyond a certain level.

Not many people even have cases with five fans, but for the hardware enthusiast who has interest in a product like this (such as myself) it looks like the Sentry would be a pretty sweet addition to a high-end setup.

$400 Khaos

Case company NZXT is coming out with a new "ultra-premium" case next week. It's called the Khaos, and NZXT prefers if it is called a "gaming chasis."

It will be retailing for about $400, which is expensive as cases go, but it appears to be a sexy, quality made case, so that's just how it goes.

NZXT is a relatively new case company, having only set up shop in 2004. Since inception they have put out a solid line of cases, from the more inexpensive to the more expensive. The NZXT Tempest has probably been my favorite, as it six fans and goes for about $100.

Here are some marketing bullets in regards to this fine product:

• Unparalleled Design – Following the success of the Lexa Chassis, NZXT took on the major feat of designing an ultra-premium chassis achieving “perfect symmetry” with matching curves and mirrored design
• Three channel cooling – Features two 120 mm fans for intake over 8 HDDs along with the first-ever three 120mm fan bracket is placed exactly before the video card and motherboards to ensure steady airflow
• Dual Power Supply Support – Designed for the power hungry PC enthusiast with future component upgrades in mind, the Khaos offers support for two power supplies.  The user can split power usage between major components like the video cards and CPU with other components such as the hard drive, motherboard and floppy.  NZXT even includes a specialized cable that will help start up the second PSU
• Thick Aluminum Build – Following the success of the NZXT Adamas, Khaos is built with high quality craftsmanship infused throughout the chassis and comprised completely of durable 2mm and 3mm thick aluminum
• Maximized Expandability – Khaos features 11 5.25” bays providing a large array of space for drives such as CD ROMS, Temperature Displays, and multi-format readers
• Convenience – Khaos comes standard with mounted rubber finished wheels for moving the chassis around the home.  A handle is mounted at the back for comfort during movement.  Khaos also features a flippable motherboard tray for easy access to components
   

Dual power supply support? Sounds good to me.

The idea: push streams of water right through a chip

Science-lovers, working from IBM labs and the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin, have come up with a great idea for cooling CPUs. While cooling the surface of CPU using water has been around for a while now, new research pushes this concept one step further: in a working prototype, water cools the CPU, from the inside.

Basically, this CPU designs calls for multiple layers of silicon. Between the layers, water is piped through. “As we package chips on top of each other to significantly speed a processor’s capability to process data, we have found that conventional coolers attached to the back of a chip don’t scale. In order to exploit the potential of high-performance 3-D chip stacking, we need interlayer cooling,” Thomas Brunschwiler, project leader at IBM’s Zurich Research Laboratory, was quoted as saying. “Until now, nobody has demonstrated viable solutions to this problem.”

Proper cooling is certainly a big problem in keeping up with the exponential increases in computational power and transistor density. While today's coolers are very efficient, their is only so much you can do with working with the surface of the CPU. With future CPU designs looking like they may incorporate on-chip memory, as well as multiple graphics cores, this new design breakthrough seems like it could be the way forward.

If you are interested in reading more details, follow this link.

Ridiculous in a good way

CPU coolers are getting bigger every year. And as far as many overclockers are concerned, the larger, the better.

But Coolermaster is really pushing it to the limit -- and standing on the razor's edge -- with this unprincipled, fearsome abomination they have being showing at Computex:

The fine folks at the Inquirer snagged this shot of it.

It almost appears as if Coolermaster used a micro-ATX motherboard just to emphasize the porportions of this CPU chill'er, that looks like it could be a piece of an engine block. Really, I think I could bench press this V10 at the gym for exercise; the thing is massive.

Size doesn't necessarily assist cooling, but nonetheless, I am intrigued to see what it can do.

No

Inexpensive, Intel Atom-powered, desktop-worthy PC the size of a paperback

You have no doubt heard about the Eee PC, from Asus. The Eee PC was tremendously successful -- it sold out in all the local stores here, and collected some very positive reviews from the press. A bevy of other companies have been working on their own versions of the ultra-portable Eee PC concept ever since Asus first launched the Eee PC back in Novemeber.

Well, now Asus is following up on the Eee PC by releasing a new concept of what a PC could be. Called the Eee Box, this new product being unveiled at Computex is all about having the full functionality of a desktop computer in a small case, for a low price. The concept sounds fool-proof, if you ask me.

The folks at PC Perspective have managed to get a picture of the Eee Box:

Personally, I'd be surprised if this product wasn't successful -- it just makes so much sense. I've talked to tons of people over the last few years who have gone out and purchased a $1000 computer, but only bought it for browsing the Internet, and maybe playing media files.  That's it -- that's all they are looking for from their computers; so I'm sure people like that would be very interested in only have to pay around $250 for a extra-small form, capable, low-power using, fully-functioning computer.

Here's the specs:

Name and Model: Eee Box B202
OS: Linux System/ Hardware Compatible with Windows XP
Processor: Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz, FSB 533)
Memory: DDRII 512 MB / 1 GB / 2 GB (see US configs below)
Storage: 80 GB / 120 GB / 160 GB / 250 GB (see US configs below)
Chipset: 945GSE + ICH7M
VGA: On-board Intel GMA 950, 1600 x 1200 maximum resolution
Networking: 10/100/1000 Mbps LAN, 802.11n WLAN, Bluetooth optional
SD/MMC/MS slot: SD, SDHC, Mini SD, (Micro SD through adapter) ; MMC, MMC plus, MMC4.x, RS MMC, RSMMC4.x (MMC mobile through adapter);MS,MS PRO
Audio: Azalia ALC888 Audio Chip

Front Ports:
USB x  2
Card Reader x  1
Headphone-out jack (WO/SPDIF) x  1
MIC x  1
 
Rear Ports:
USB 2.0 x  2
Gigabit LAN x  1
DVI out x  1
Line-Out (L/R) with S/PDIF x  1
WiFi antenna
 
Accessories:
19Vdc, 4.74A, 65W power adaptor
Mouse (optional)
Keyboard (optional)
VESA mount (optional)
WiFi antenna
Stand
 
Dimensions: 8.5” x 7” x 1”
Net Weight: 2.2 lbs.
Gross Weight: 6.6 lbs.

US Configurations and Price:
$269     1GB memory + 80GB HDD Linux edition
$299     1GB memory + 80GB HDD XP edition
$299     2GB memory + 160GB HDD Linux edition

The Eee Box will probably be in stores by the middle of July.

 

One case holds components for four gaming rigs

Over the next few days at Computex in Taipei, Foxconn will be releasing a "LAN party console station" machine that perhaps has more gaming potential than anything ever released, around the same size.

Its called the Quantum Force Denube, and its an absolute beast of a PC. In a sense, it is four PC's fitted into one case. The general idea is that its a portable party: you hook up four monitors to the Denube, and you and three friends are ready to get their game on in a big way.

Get a load of these specifications: you have four Foxconn mobo's running with four E8500 CPUs (at 3.16 GHz). Each sub-system has 3GB of DDR3 memory, and GPU power is supplied by four Foxconn GeForce 8800GTs, OC. All the power requirements are met by a single 1200W PSU.

According to VR-Zone, this insanity machine is only a bit larger than a normal ATX case, does not overheat, and is very quiet.

Presumably the market for this kind of device is about as small as the Denube is large. But I could see someone starting a LAN cafe perhaps thinking that the Denube is a good way to go. Or perhaps professional gaming organizations might see this as easier way to quickly setup a veritable gaming orgy. The key will be the price -- which has not yet been announced. If this rig costs significantly more than four budget gaming PC's, then it probably won't do so well. If it sells for less than four budget gaming PC's, then who knows, this product could lead the way into some new market territory.

Click here to see more images

Handy-guy sets out to make a "Victorian All-in-One PC"

Handy-guy Jake Von Slatt decided he needed to upgrade his computer. So, he went out and bought a 24" wide screen monitor. Having this monitor inspired him to get really handy, and craft something he decided on calling the Steampunk All-In-One PC.

The case mod has a sort of Victorian England thing going for it, and makes much use of metals. The motherboard was inset behind the LCD monitor, making it fairly portable as well. Jake Von Slatt has a lot of information on his website, going through all the steps necessary to make this mod. Unfortunately, if you do want to build one for yourself, your going to need some things that don't exactly grow on trees, such as table saws and pieces of a metal chandelier.

Besides this case mod, this steampunk-loving, resourceful and talented Jake Von Slatt person has all sorts of projects on the go, such as a kerosene electric lamp, a steam-powered car, and, as he explains in the video below, making homemade video blogger glasses.

 

 

Pretty cool 8-bit Nintendo case mod

An impressive case mod of a Nintendo Entertainment System has been making the rounds on the Interwub today. The modder managed to dissect a NES cartridge, and then put a NES into the cartridge. Does that sound confusing? Well, the pictures explain it much better. So check out the pictures.

Basically you plug in the controllers where the cartridge bit that normally plugs into the NES used to be. Then you plug your RCA cables into the back of the card. And the game cartridge gets plugged into the top of the NES mod.

Hmm... hard to describe perhaps, but very well done indeed.

 

 

Click here to see more images

Impressive...most impressive.

People make some amazing cases for their computers. This one has to be up there: it is a functional R2D2 case, and it looks just like the real thing. The drive-trays pop out of the droid's body, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately it is immobile -- otherwise we'd really be in buisness here.

Another nice touch would be a LCD projector in his head -- but hey, nonetheless, this is still a very nicely done, well-made case. A number of people had made a R2D2 computer case, but this is the best one that I have seen.

 

Click here to see more images

Big blingin'! Where my diamonds at? Gold -- oh no'es! We got's gold.

You know, computers get can pricey. Really quick. Want that extra two gigabytes of DDR2? $50 bucks. Want to go from that so-so 8600 GT to a sweet 8800 GT? That'll be at least a 'nother 100 clams. Want that case plated with flashy, expensive gold plating or diamonds? That's another $500,000 down the drain. The bill adds up quick!

But Japan's Zeus Computer has what you need. Folks will be impressed with the power of your E6850, sure -- but they'll be even more impressed with your willingness to go that extra mile, by spending several hundred thousand dollars on that semi-precious stone inlaid, gold or platinum Jupiter case! You'll be the most talked about guy at any LAN party you happen to bring one of these babies to, that's for sure. 

Not sure how the air flow is in a gold-plated case -- or how heavy it would be exactly -- but hey, if you have that much cash to spend on stuff like this, then immediatly rush to your local bank and get some financing!   

You can even get a case specific to your astrological sign -- which will be etched in diamonds, to further enhance your most auspicious astrological pleasures!

All the pictures of the cases seem to be artists' representations, so I'm not sure if Zeus actually built one of these yet. I'm going to contact them today to see if they are willing to send us a review sample.

Could really help out in some specific power requirement circumstances

PC component maker Ultra Products has released a new twist on the PSU called the 'Power Partner.'

The Power Partner is meant to supplement your primary power supply, in your case. So, say you had a 500 W power supply, and needed additional power to support another 2900 XT. Instead of buying an entirely new power supply, you can pick up this Power Partner, slide it into a 5.25” bay, and viola, you have an additional 325 Watts.

The $90 USD Power Partner has the following power connectors: 1x 24 pin motherboard connector, 2x 4 pin molex connectors, 2x 6 pin PCIe power connectors, and 1x 8 pin PCIe power connector.

Pretty neat -- though, with the lower power requirements of the new wave of video cards, the Power Partner might have been better to see a year or so ago.

Look out scum of the Earth, F.R.E.D. is coming to get ya!

Police have it hard these days; murder, assault, theft and all of those crimes that usually have some measure of physical evidence to back up the claims of wrong doings committed. But it's become increasingly common for criminals to dabble in Cyber-Crime; credit card theft, hacking personal information, child pornography, software piracy and so forth.

Well, the folks in blue have a new tool to help thwart digital villains. Meet F.R.E.D., the Forensic Recovery of Evidence Device. This pimped out rig being sold by Design Intelligence Forensic Solutions boasts some specs that more than a few case modders and hardcore PC enthusiasts will be interested in.

• 22 1/2" High (24 3/8" w/Wheels) , 9 1/4" Wide, 22 1/2" Deep - 70 lbs
• ATX Aluminum Server Case: 12 x 5¼", Dual Redundant 500W Power Supply
• Core 2 Duo Dual Core Motherboard with Intel 975X Chipset
• Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 CPU (Dual Processor), 2.40 Ghz, 1066 Mhz FSB (Upgradeable on Request)
• 2 x PCI, 2 x PCI-X, 2 x PCI-Expressx16 Slots
• 4 GB DDR2-800 Dual Channel Memory
• Nvidia 7600 PCI-Express Video Card (256MB) with dual monitor output
• Dual 10/100/1000 Mbs Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapters
• 8 Channel High Definition Audio Controller with Dolby Digital Live Technology
• 4 Port (4 Drives) Primary 3.0 Gb/s Serial ATA (SATA) Controller (RAID Capable)
• 4 Port (4 Drives) Secondary 3.0 Gb/s Serial ATA (SATA) Controller (RAID Capable)
• 1 Port (2 Drives) DMA 66/100/133 Parallel ATA (IDE) Controller
• 8 USB 2.0/1.x Ports (4 Front Mounted)
• 3 FireWire IEEE 1394a (400 MB/s) Ports (1 Front Mounted)
• 2 FireWire IEEE 1394b (800 MB/s) Ports (1 Front Mounted)
• Ultra 320 SCSI Controller (Narrow, Wide, Ultra, Ultra160, Ultra320)
• Digital Intelligence UltraBay Hardware Write-Blocker:
  - Integrated IDE Drive Write Blocker
  - Integrated SATA Drive Write Blocker
  - Integrated SCSI Drive Write Blocker
• Digital Intelligence UltraBlock USB Write Blocker
• Digital Intelligence Integrated Forensic Media Card Readers - One Read-Only Hardware Write Blocked and One Read/Write (MSC, MS Pro, SMC, CFC, MD, XD, SDC, and MMC Memory Card compatible)
• 2 x 500Gb 7200 RPM 3.0 Gb/s SATA Hard Drives in Shock-Mounted Trays
• 2 x Native Shock Mounted Serial ATA (SATA) Removable Hard Drive Bays
• 1 x Native Shock-Mounted Parallel IDE Removable Drive Bay
• 1 x HotSwap Shock Mounted Serial ATA (SATA) Removable Hard Drive Bay
• 1 x HotSwap Shock-Mounted Parallel IDE Removable Drive Bay
• DVD ± RW/CD ± RW Dual-Layer Combo Drive
• 3½" Floppy Diskette Drive with Write Protect Switch
• Integrated Universal Imaging Workshelf
• 104 key PS/2 Microsoft Keyboard
• Microsoft Intellimouse
• 19" LCD Monitor with Built-in Speakers

FRED TAPE Option (add $950.00)

• DLT-V4 Internal Tape Drive (160GB Native / 320GB Compressed)
  Note: The hot-swap IDE removable drive bay will be eliminated from the FRED configuration to accommodate this option.

FRED INTERNAL 2.0TB RAID0 (1.5TB RAID5) Option (add $1,590.00)

• 4 channel PCI SATA RAID Controller
• 4 x 500 GB, 7200 RPM, 3Gb/s, SATA Hard Drives
  Note: The hot-swap SATA drive bay, hot-swap IDE removable drive bay and the Integrated Multimedia Card Reader bay will be eliminated from the FRED configuration to accommodate this option. You will receive the Read-Only Multimedia Card Reader in your toolbox.

Toolbox Containing

• Adapters, Terminators, and Cables: All the necessary cables, adapters, and terminators to image and process internal/external SCSI drives, 1.8 inch IDE (iPod) drives, 2.5 inch IDE (laptop) drives, and 3½ and 5¼ inch IDE drives.
• Digital Camera: Useful to document your suspects environment and hardware.
• Security Screwdriver Set: A varied assortment of popular security bits for opening computer enclosures that may have been locked down in a corporate environment.

Software

• MS-DOS 6.22 (Pre-Installed & Configured)
• Microsoft Windows 98SE Standalone DOS (Pre-Installed & Configured)
• Microsoft Windows XP Pro (Pre-Installed & Configured)
• Suse Linux 10.1 Professional (Pre-Configured)
• Norton GHOST 10.0 & 2003
• Nero DVD/CD Authoring Software
• DriveSpy, Image, PDWipe, PDBlock, PART

Great Caesars Ghost! Honestly, with some Cyber-Cop hell bent on justice driving this beast those guys double swiping credit cards at some dime and dash fast food joint don't stand a chance. The RIAA will probably buy a couple of these rigs too, then take them over to the home of some grandmother and accuse her of pirating German Death Metal rock and promptly dissect her hard drives.

And if one (perhaps myself because I want it) were to buy something like this, it would make the best diagonistic tool ever. No more Knoppix boot CD needed to help recover files from my neighbors twitchy MacBook. Even 3 1/2" floppy drives don't stand a chance. The only thing that stands in my way is the $5,999.00 price tag. Well, at least it's under 6 grand.

I wonder if people will start using the old school 5 1/4" floppy disks again, just to be safe. That 1,200 KB of storage was pretty abundant for its day.

OCZ means great memory, rock solid power supplies and now offers one killer cooler.

Back in the end of May of this year, OCZ had acquired PC Power and Cooling in the hopes expanding their market share ever further. Looks like it paid off.

The OCZ Vanquisher CPU Cooler. Cool!

The OCZ Vanquisher CPU cooler looks to be a beastly triple heatpipe affair with one huge fan. Some of the specs include . . .

• Solid copper base plate
• Triple copper heatpipes
• Stacked aluminum fins
• 92mm ceramic ball bearing fan
• Rubber mounted fan for vibration reduction
• Variable 800 to 2000 RPM
• AMD 754, 939 and AM2 mounts
• Intel LGA775 mounts

Perhaps I should get on in for review.

Cooler Master ditches their three year warranty in favor of a five year warranty. Sweet!

Perhaps one of the most important, and most neglected portions of any home computer is that of the power supply. It is after all constantly working to deliver clean and steady voltage to all of that high-end hardware attached. Too bad most people will spend hundreds, if not thousands on their processors and graphics cards and everything else, but skimp out when it comes to choosing a decent power supply, simply electing to buy what ever PSU that will have the least amount of impact upon their wallet.

Well, thankfully for them Cooler Master has taken it upon themselves to sweeten the pot somewhat by raising the bar when it comes to PSU warranties. No longer does Cooler Master follow the industry standard of a basic three year warranty, but now offers a five year warranty on its PSUs. The new extended coverage affects their Real Power Pro and Real Power M line up of power supplies. The Real Power Pro line-up comes in a few flavors, with that of 650W, 750W, 850W, and 1000W rated models. The Real Power M series offer 620W, 700W, 850W, and 1000W power ratings. Both series enjoy this new five year warranty, along with an 80% plus efficiency rating, and cooling from one big 135mm silent fan. The only difference between the two series being that of the modular cable system for the Real Power M series, and the standard bound cables for the Real Power Pro.

Both PSU lineups are "engineered for high efficiency, quiet operation, and stable power output," according to Cooler Master.

Hmmm, just so happens that I'm in the market for a new PSU, and a kilowatt should do just fine. Maybe I should get a couple of these supplies in for review, push them through their paces.

HOW many watts is my Quad SLI draining??

Want to better monitor your computer's power usage? One product showed off at this years Computex in Taiwan was Zalman's new Fan Mate ZM-MFC2. The ZM-MFC2 can control up to four fans, but what really separates this fan controller from the rest of the pack is the colorful front display which gives you direct measure of your PC's overall power consumption:




This controller can measure up to 800 Watts of power drain.

With this kind of ingenious product hitting the market, and the slowly growing popularity of 'green computing', it's possible that power consumption may increasingly become a more important selling point for graphics cards and other power-hungry components.

SilverStone moves their PSU manufacturing from China to Taiwan, promising a new breed of ever better power supplies.

Perhaps one of the thing I enjoy reviewing most is power supplies. They're quick, relatively simple, and can often yield some interesting little tid-bits when you peek inside.

But I have been disappointed with some PSU's for their seemingly hapless internal build. More often than not, I will see poorly placed components, sub standard construction methods, and a rats nest of wiring. A simple fact of the matter is that there are only a few PSU manufacturers in the world. Everyone buys their PSU's from those select few OEM's, slams their logo on it, and pawns it off as their own. Most of these issues have to do with the fact that the overwhelming majority of power supplies are built in China, by hand. Yes, by hand within a warehouse full laborers meticulously placing each and every component onto a PCB (Printed Circuit Board), and then soldering them into place.

"I'm made in Taiwan by a robot."

SilverStone has decided to move all of their PSU manufacturing faculties to Taiwan. It's here that all of their future PSU's will be assembled by robots, the same types of robots responsible for the placement of components on motherboards, video cards, sound cards, and the like. These robots are accurate to within .0001" (a thousandth of an inch) of part placement, work longer hours than humans, don't make mistakes, and don't go on coffee breaks.

Who needs a 1.2kW PSSU? I do, I do!

Recently, SilverStone showed off their Decathlon 1.2kW power supply. Internally, it has the look and feel of a finely crafted piece of German-precision hardware. On the outside, a 'Made in Taiwan' logo hints to the new construction method.

And even more promising is the 95% efficiency rating that SilverStone is oping to achieve with this new construction method. In order to facilitate such a high efficiency rating however, it will take some measure of communication between the motherboard and PSU to better regulate power usage. Having a type of core logic in a power supply may seem odd, but if it can yield greater efficiencies, then I'm all for it.

This announcement comes on the heels of the recent acquisition of PC Power and Cooling by OCZ. Though OCZ may spawn thoughts of memory and SD cards, and PCP&C brings coolers to mind, they are starting their collaboration by focusing on the power supply market.

Good days are ahead for PSU's.   

Two heads are better than one, and with OCZ and PC Power & Cooling working together, that's brilliant.

OCZ; long standing leader in PC memory and power supplies, with a few coolers too. PC Power and Cooling; an undeniable source for great cooling gear and power delivery. It would be sweet to see what both of them could do if they join forces.

Well, OCZ has just announced their acquisition of PC Power and Cooling in a press release from earlier today. Now I could go into great and extraordinary detail as to what the future holds for these two tech giants, but I'll just drift over some of the more important details.

Both parties hope to utilize their expertise and advanced research and development lab to facilitate even better PC power delivery systems. OCZ does have their own brand of high-efficiency, high-output power supplies. PC Power and Cooling has in past days been recognized as a world leader in PC power distribution. As best as I can recall, PC Power and Cooling had used SeaSonic as an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for their power supplies. Both companies will still release products under their own respective names, but expect for this collaboration to improve all of their future product releases.

"OCZ and PC Power & Cooling are both technology leaders that share a common passion for delivering premium solutions to consumers," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology Group. "By bringing these two established companies together we are able to leverage the strengths of each organization and accelerate the development of cutting edge products for a variety of markets. We believe that collectively OCZ and PC Power & Cooling will build on our combined heritage to revolutionize high end computing."

I for one can't wait to see what they'll roll out next.

"As an expansion partner, I believe we have found in OCZ the ideal fit for the culture and approach of PC Power & Cooling," said Doug Dodson, founder and CEO of PCP&C. "In my new role as Chief Technology Officer, I will focus on maintaining PC Power's lead in proven ultra high-performance with the Turbo-Cool line, and in value and quiet computing with the Silencer line, as well as provide guidance for the continuing improvement of OCZ's power management solutions. I am excited about the improved accessibility of PC Power & Cooling products and I am confident that our rich tradition of reliability and innovation will continue to strengthen as a part of the OCZ Technology Group."

Both OCZ and PCP&C have been recognized as industry leaders. I'm certain that this new partnership will herald a bright new day for the PC market. Enthusiasts and simple consumers alike should benefit greatly from the new developments coming forth. Hmmm, I can't wait to see what they roll out next.

Better heat transfer is the key

According to IBM researchers, the transfer of heat from a chip to a cooler is limited by the sub optimal performance of thermal pastes due to the particles in the paste "piling up" and thus lowering the efficiency of heat transfer by as much as 40%.

The IBM team designed a special series of micrometer sized "trenches" in the surfcace of the cap on the chip, and were able to reduce the ammount of thermal paste by a factor of more than three; and this technique allowed much better heat transfer to the cooling device, thus lowering the temperature of the device being cooled.

IBM was using thermal paste manufactured by Momentive Performance Materials.

A paper describing their process, ""Hierarchical Nested Surface Channels for Reduced Particle Stacking and Low-Resistance Thermal Interfaces" by R. J. Linderman, T. Brunschwiler, U. Kloter, H. Toy, B. Michel" will be published in Proc. 23rd IEEE Semi-Therm Symp. 2007