High-End Memory Prices - Week of January 5, 2009-January 6, 2009
Our first memory guide of 2009 gets the year off to a rocky start, as both DDR and DDR2 listings show higher prices for the most part. Only DDR3 comes to the rescue, with one of its patented "Wild West" price cutting shows. If you want the inside scoop on the high-end memory market, then don't miss our detailed price list and commentary, and see who is offering the best values.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of December 29, 2008-January 2, 2009
The holiday season has come and gone, leaving our CPU price guide virtually unscathed. A few noticeable price drops did poke their heads above the snow, but the overall trend was still towards very stable pricing. If you're looking for a new CPU or just want to see where the market is heading, be sure to check out the detailed price lists and commentary in our Weekly CPU Pricing Guide.
December Video Card Price Guide-January 2, 2009
The December edition of our Video Card Price Guide demonstrates that no matter your budget, our monthly price list can always find the right deal. We break down the trends and prices from the entry-level, mainstream and enthusiast-level cards, and find the best overall values. If you're looking for a new video card, or just want to see where the market is heading, then be sure to check out the detailed price lists and commentary.
December Hard Drive + SSD Price Guide-January 1, 2009
Welcome to the December edition of our Hard Drive + Solid-State Drive Price Guide. We break down the trends for Parallel and Serial ATA desktop drives, and SSDs, finding the best overall values in each area. If you're looking for additional storage, or just want to see where the market is heading, then be sure to check out the detailed price lists and commentary.
NZXT Tempest Case Review-December 12, 2008
The system case is an integral part of any PC build, but determining the right combination of features, size, cooling, and price can be a daunting task. But for enthusiasts and gamers with a spare C-note, the decision became a lot easier, as the NZXT Tempest case offers an excellent value for around $100.
On Hardware Central
Gyration Air Mouse with MotionSense Review-December 29, 2008
When is a PC like a Wii? When it's paired with Gyration's 3D-motion mouse, a pointing device that keeps working when you lift it off your desk and wave, shake, or swipe it in the air. Vangie Beal finds the $100 high-flyer a little clunky when earthbound, but as addictive as, well, a Wii for PowerPoint and other presentation and media-center power users.
Epson WorkForce 600 Review-December 23, 2008
A year ago, we were marveling at the speed and output quality of $250 and $300 inkjet all-in-ones. Today, we're marveling at one with a street price of $150: Epson's handsome black printer/copier/scanner/fax has features ranging from an automatic document feeder to Ethernet, WiFi, and auto-enhanced photo printing, and it's fast. Seriously. We mean it's fast.
Platform Trends: AMD's Phenom-enal New Athlon-December 19, 2008
You've got to draw the line somewhere, and AMD has drawn it between dual- and triple-core processors: While its newest dual-core has the same DNA as the chipmaker's Phenom X3 and X4, it carries the older Athlon name instead of the prestigious Phenom moniker. But while it's the new top of the Athlon line, it isn't the fastest. In other words, what gives?
Elsewhere...
Smaller Gadgets a Big Theme at CES-January 5, 2009
Even amid the flash and sizzle of the world's premier showcase for consumer electronics, the reality of the economic recession will be hard to ignore. The focus is likely to be on smaller, more connected and greener devices that can help consumers save on bills.
Netbooks Aren't Bad, Just Misunderstood-December 31, 2008
Sales of netbooks have been one bright spot for the PC industry during the past year. So why are many users returning them? Many are seeing higher-than-usual rates of return. And many are blaming the retailers' marketing.
Hardware Vendors Up Focus on Stylish Design-December 30, 2008
With consumers showing an appetite for stylish personal devices, PC and gadget makers will need more than just vibrant colors, rounded edges or an elegant metallic finish to stand out in a crowded market.
Recently on Sharky Extreme
OCZ PC3-10666 Gold 2x1GB Review-December 1, 2008
DDR3 memory is already the standard for high-end Intel platforms, and with AMD readying a DDR3-based processor line, the transition away from DDR2 will only speed up. The only potential issue is sticker shock, but as the OCZ PC3-10666 Gold Edition 2x1GB kit proves, you don't need to spend a lot to jump on the DDR3 bandwagon.
November Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide-November 14, 2008
Our latest Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide is online, and we're taking $1,000 in cold, hard cash to build a powerhouse gaming PC for the budget crowd. If you're the type of gamer who counts your pennies before buying any new computer, then this is the system guide for you.
Intel Core i7-965 XE & Core i7-920 Review-November 3, 2008
The Intel Nehalem platform has finally emerged in the form of the Core i7 processor line, and it brings with it a new architecture and a host of features and options we've never seen on an Intel CPU, as well as the return of an old friend. We will be checking out both the Core i7-965 Extreme Edition and Core i7 920 processors and examining their performance against the very best from both Intel and AMD.
Intel DX48BT2 (X48) Motherboard Review-October 21, 2008
Intel has been holding the performance CPU market in a virtual stranglehold, but the company still needs platforms that properly exploit the Core 2. The X38 started the move to DDR3, and the Intel X48 completes it, with full support for both FSB1600 and DDR3-1600 speeds. The Intel DX48BT2 motherboard supplies a high-end implementation of this chipset, complete with full overclocking features.
Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800 2x1GB Review-October 10, 2008
The transition from DDR2 to DDR3 is continuing to accelerate, and now that more vendors are offering low-latency DDR3 that doesn't induce sticker shock, expect demand to only grow. Corsair's XMS3 PC3-12800 2x1GB kit, complete with support for CL7 timings and Intel Extreme Memory Profiles, is a great enthusiast match for a high-end Intel platform.
Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick Review-September 19, 2008
Adding TV tuner functionality is both a popular and inexpensive way to watch and record TV on your computer. This is true for notebooks as well, and using an external USB tuner makes for a very simple upgrade. The PCTV HD Pro Stick from Pinnacle is one such product, with support for both SD and HD programming, as well as unencrypted ClearQAM digital channels.
September Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide-September 11, 2008
An extreme $4,000 budget is sure to put these Extreme Gaming PC Guide components on the top of everyone's shopping list—and make its builders the envy of those who can only afford to follow our $2,500 High-End Guide! If you're looking for the best combination of parts available for a little less than this hefty price limit, read on!
D-Link DWA-652 Xtreme N Notebook Adapter Review-August 20, 2008
The Wireless-N revolution is upon us, and although the IEEE 802.11n specification is still in Draft 2.0 format, it still offers a potential 300 Mbps wireless link, or almost 6X that of Wireless-G. The D-Link DWA-652 Xtreme N Notebook Adapter is an upgrade device that adds Wireless-N to an older notebook, getting it up to speed for faster online performance.
AMD 790GX Chipset Review-August 8, 2008
The AMD 780G represented the first wave of the HD 3000-based integrated chipsets, but the AMD 790GX is definitely second-generation. This improves on the 780G in almost every way, offering full Phenom X4 support, a faster graphics core, integrated display cache, and a higher-end architecture. If you've always wanted a performance platform with integrated graphics, look no further.
D-Link DGL-4500 Xtreme N Gaming Router Review-July 28, 2008
The IEEE 802.11n specification is in Draft 2.0 format, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the faster 300 Mbps wireless speeds, enhanced stability and greater range now. The D-Link DGL-4500 Xtreme N Gaming Router is a serious piece of hardware that not only uses the fastest Wireless-N and Gigabit LAN speeds, but also incorporates several gaming-oriented features to ensure your online games will get all the bandwidth they need.
Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5 Motherboard Review-July 16, 2008
The AMD 7-series of chipsets offers everything from entry-level to ultra high-end platforms for the Socket AM2+ market. We're concentrating on the top of the line 790FX chipset, and the Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5 motherboard that features it, so check out our review to see how it stacks up against some other AMD-based solutions.
July High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide-July 9, 2008
It is time for another edition of our High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, where we take $2500 in cash and assemble feature-rich, high performance gaming systems using readily available parts. If you ever wanted to know exactly what $2500 could buy in today's PC market, look no further than our latest edition of this guide.
AMD Phenom X4 9950 BE & 9350e Review-July 2, 2008
AMD is taking the old "hit 'em high & hit 'em low" adage to heart with their latest set of product releases, offering up the unlocked 2.6 GHz Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition alongside the low-power 2.0 GHz Phenom X4 9350e. These two processors couldn't be more different in terms of clock speed and TDP rating, so check out our review for performance, overclocking and power usage results.
Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution Review-June 27, 2008
If the selection of Logitech cordless desktops had one issue, it was the lack of a top-end mouse in the package. With the Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution, Logitech has solved that problem, and incorporated the popular MX Revolution into their latest desktop kit. Check out our review to see how it stacked up in terms of features, design and usability.
PNY XLR8 GeForce 9800 GX2 1GB Review-June 17, 2008
The latest trend in enthusiast graphics card is to produce a hot mainstream card, then double up for some multi-GPU goodness. ATI did it with the Radeon HD 3870 X2 and NVIDIA has followed up with a GeForce 9800 GX dual-GPU card of their own. The PNY model offers a great look at the technology and provides a serious dual-GPU performer for the enthusiast market.
OCZ PC2-8500 Titanium 2x1GB Review-June 4, 2008
The shift from DDR2 to DDR3 is still just beginning, and most performance users are still using low-cost DDR2. DDR2-800 remains the standard, but as both AMD and Intel now support higher-speed DDR2-1066, like the OCZ PC2-8500 Titanium 2x1GB kit, this is emerging as the new default clock speed.
May Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide-May 19, 2008
Our latest Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide is online, and we're taking $1,000 in cold, hard cash to build a powerhouse gaming PC for the budget crowd. If you're the type of gamer who counts your pennies before buying any new computer, then this is the system guide for you.
