Review: Super Talent Pico-E 8GB

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

As computers have aged, files have gotten larger, and people have come up with alternative ways to store data. Of course, there are still hard drives, which are nice, but are not very mobile. There are CD-Rs which are mobile, but can only be written to once in most cases. However, many people now use USB thumb drives. These little guys can carry huge amounts of data rivalling a double layer DVD, and even in some cases, a Blu-Ray disc.

Today, we will be looking at a certain USB thumb drive. It is the Super Talent Pico-E, which is an 8GB drive. This drive is very small and only has the "half USB" connector as I like to call it. It also has a shiny finish. Super Talent makes a lot of other drives though, including an eco-friendly one and one that can be dunked in a glass of water, which have been reviewed by OverclockersClub before. These drives will be compared to the Pico-E later in the review.

Review: Asus My Cinema-PHC3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/RC TV Tuner

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

Television has been around for a long time, much longer than computers. However, it turns out that TV and computers complement each other very nicely. Who hasn't wanted to record a TV show on their computer so they could watch it later, or rewind a program to hear the punch line of a joke or see an instant replay of your favorite football team? Other people just don't have a lot of room available to them and would like to watch TV on their computer. While most computers don't come with the ability to do this, you can get an add-on card to allow you to connect a cable signal or antenna signal to your computer and tune in to any channels you have access to.

One such TV Tuner is the Asus My Cinema-PHC3-100/NAQ/FM/AV/RC (which from now on I'll simply refer to as the Asus My Cinema, even though this refers to an entire product line) which is a PCI card that can tune in FM radio as well as digital and analog TV signals. This is truly an all-in-one package, as it comes with a remote, as well as some software to make your experience complete. The software will let you tune in channels, record television, and watch TV on your Windows Vista sidebar. A final benefit that I will mention here is that the card also serves as a hardware MPEG2 encoder, releasing some of the stress off your CPU and onto the card.

Review: MSI N9800GT

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

It used to be that if you needed a new video card there were only a few choices to choose from. There would be the ultra high end card, the mid range card, and the card for people who want to save money. While these same categories exist today, there are many more cards that fit into each category. This is great for the consumer because now we can weigh what features we want and have a smooth gradient of options to choose from, anywhere from the inexpensive cards to the 600 dollar cards that double as a room heater.

The MSI N9800GT is one card that fits into the mid range category, even though it has a high end name. The N9800GT has all the features of a 9000 series card and is based on the G92b chipset which is made on a 55nm fab. This card will support DirectX 10, however it is not entirely DirectX 10.1 compliant. With a core clock speed of 600MHz and a memory clock speed of 900MHz, this card is already pretty fast. It has 754million transistors which eat up 105watts of power, enough to run a normal house lightbulb. The question that this review will answer is whether or not that 105watts of power is worth it or if it is better spent on other hardware.

Review: ATP ToughDrive

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

USB drives today are like floppies of yesterday. We use them for everything, from moving small files from one computer to another, to storing applications that are customized to your liking. Almost everyone has one, and there are many different options for them. You can get them in all sorts of colors, from many different companies, and with very different styles - just like the floppies of yesteryear came in different colors.

ATP has produced a set of drives called the ToughDrive. The particular version of the drive I am reviewing is camouflaged, 2GB in size, and has a key ring included. Additionally, the ToughDrive is advertised as waterproof and shock proof, making it ideal for people who are on the go, and need something durable to store their data. The modest 2GB size is enough for most people, and its small physical size keeps the option to put it on a key ring open.

Review: Tagan Icy Box IB-3218 Series

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

Everyone needs more and more storage, and as files get larger, our smaller drives get less effective. After all, who wants to install a drive that can only store several movies or a vacation's worth of photos? On the other hand, something that is becoming very handy is the ability to take hard drives with you to work, a friend's house, or on vacation. This portability allows many forms of media to be shared, company secrets to be encrypted and sent long distances, and games and applications to be run on computers other than your own - without losing your settings.

The Tagan Icy Box is a device that will allow you to knock down both of those birds with one stone. It is an external hard drive enclosure that uses a JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks) setup. This allows you to connect 2 drives, no matter what capacity, and they will show up in your OS as one physical volume. Not only is it portable, but it is also a nice way to combine multiple smaller capacity drives into one larger drive. Let's take a close look at it and see how it performs.

Review: Eagle Consus

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

As files become larger and larger, our need for storage expands, and with that, our need for mobile storage. It used to be acceptable to carry around several floppy disks, which would allow you to keep small files on them. Now, however, we want to have the ability to carry around music, movies, and pictures to show to our families and friends. As you probably know, most of these files would be way too big for a floppy disk, and some might even be too big for a USB flash storage device or a writable DVD. This is where mobile hard drives come in to play. They allow you to carry all your largest files around in a pretty convenient package.

The Eagle Consus is one such setup, which will allow you to have tons of mobile storage at your fingertips. The Consus is an external enclosure, which means that it allows you to fit your own hard drive in it. It includes all the electronics to support data to be transferred over USB, even though the hard drive you use isn't. This means that how much storage, and how fast the storage is, is mostly up to you. This particular model allows connection to your computer via USB 2.0, is fanless, and supports Macintosh computers, as well as Windows based ones out of the box. Linux support isn't advertised, but probably isn't too hard, as long as you don't mind getting your hands dirty.

Review: BenQ G2400W

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

If you are visiting this website, or any website, you will probably agree that computers are a great tool for doing work, having fun, and learning. However, without a monitor, our home computers become nothing more than number crunchers. A good monitor can make the difference between being able to enjoy using your computer to getting a headache after using it for 15 minutes. As monitors become larger and larger, more things are possible. More realistic and immersive gaming environments start to pop out, the ability to see a lot more data, and, of course, larger high definition movies. While we look for larger and larger monitors, however, we cannot forget quality. The difference between a high quality monitor and one that just downright stinks can make the difference in whether you enjoy working at your computer or not.

Today, I am going to be taking a close look at the BenQ G2400W, a 24" widescreen monitor that runs at a resolution of 1920x1200, which is slightly over the Full HD specification (which comes in at 1920x1080 resolution). A monitor this big needs a pretty large amount of bandwidth to display everything without losing data, and because of that, it supports DVI and HDMI. However, if you have a computer with VGA output, there is no reason to fear as there is a VGA port as well. With a monitor larger than some TVs that supports over 1080p, it should be a joy to use and I am excited to put it through its paces.

Time Warner Metering

If you like this, consider Digging it... the more people that see this, the better!

I keep seeing articles about Time Warner beginning to test the implementation of metered internet and figured that maybe it was time to give a call to Time Warner and let them know what I think. It took be about an hour and a half before I was finally able to talk to someone who was able to help me, but I think it was absolutely worth it.

Now, the reason that I am writing this blog post is because I want everyone who enjoys being able to watch their favorite movies and TV shows on line, enjoys the luxury of working from home over a VPN, enjoys learning about some of the most obscure stuff you can find, enjoys downloading software packages, and enjoys doing anything else the internet has to offer to call your ISP and tell them that you will be taking your monthly business elsewhere if you are forced into using metered internet. It doesn't matter if you have no other options in your area, it doesn't matter if you don't live in Beaumont, Texas (where Time Warner is currently testing their metered internet service), and it doesn't matter if you won't be affected by the metering because you would be under the cap anyways (in fact, it is extra important that people in this situation call). Just do it. My actual phone call only took half an hour and that was after they put me through a series of redirects. It's not hard, and it is helping take a small step forward to keep our ISPs from taking a giant step back.

Here is the Time Warner phone number to call:

• 877-317-7766

If you call that number, you are going to have to have an account with Time Warner or RoadRunner, tell them that you are calling because you have a service complaint about metered internet, they should send you to someone in accounts or accounting or something like that. All you have to say there is that you are concerned about the possibility of Time Warner going to a metered internet model. When I called, after I told them why I was concerned the lady asked me a simple question: "If Time Warner forced you to use a metered layout, would you continue using our service?" I gave her a simple answer back... "no." Thats all you need to do. So is it worth it to you?

If you have another service provider and want me to add their number to the above list, please let me know and I will get it up there right away. Likewise, if you know any extensions that go straight to any high ups at these places, let me know and I will add those too.

Thanks for reading. I hope you decide to do the right thing and act.


----- UPDATE -----
Someone on Reddit provided a list of some providers and how to get straight to talking with someone. I have no idea if any of these work, but if your ISP is listed, it might be worth a try.

• America Online F 800‑827‑6364 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.


• AT&T Worldnet F 800‑400‑1447 Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.


• Bellsouth FastAccess DSL F 888‑321‑2375 Press 1; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 1; at prompt press 2, ignoring messages.


• CompuServe F 800‑848‑8990 Press 1211.


• Earthlink F 888‑327‑8454 Press 1; press 0 at each prompt thereafter, ignoring messages.


• Hughesnet F 866‑347‑3292 Press 2. Juno F 888‑839‑5866 Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.


• MSN F 800‑386‑5550 Say "agent" at each prompt, until offered a representative; say "yes."


• Netscape F 866‑541‑8233 Press 000.


• NetZero F 866‑841‑1442 Press #### at each prompt, ignoring messages.


• People PC F 800‑736‑7537 @ Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.


• SBC DSL support F 877‑722‑3755 Say "sales".


• Sprint Broadband Direct F 888‑996‑0001 Press 00.


• Time Warner Road Runner 877‑318‑8333 Direct to human.


• Verizon DSL F 800‑567‑6789 Say "agent" at each prompt, ignoring messages.


• Verizon FiOS F 888‑553‑1555 At prompt say "operator"; at prompt say "yes"; at prompt say "operator"; at prompt say "yes."

I know some of these ISPs aren't currently thinking about metering, but it might still be worth a call to tell them you don't want to see them rolling it out or letting them know you appreciate the fact that they are not considering it.

Review: Corsair Flash Voyager 32GB

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

Not that long ago, people were transferring files between computers on small capacity floppy disks. These floppies were then replaced by CDs and DVDs, and now flash storage. Flash storage has been around for a while now and has always been increasing in capacity. Flash drives have many benefits, including speed and size, and open new doors like putting live bootable operating systems and very large files on them. The possibilities are endless with this much space.

The Corsair Flash Voyager 32GB is absolutely huge. Corsair's Flash Voyager series has gained a large following because of how rugged they are, and they come in a large variety of sizes. They are also water resistant so you can do a large range of activities and be assured of your data's safety. With a flash drive this big, you can always have your information with you wherever you go.

Review: Vizo Mini Ninja Notebook Cooler

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

A lot of people these days are getting laptops instead of desktops. While a laptop has many benefits over the desktop computer, it also has its drawbacks. One of these drawbacks is heat. A desktop computer has plenty of room to allow air to flow around all the components and enough room to house a large heatsink. Laptops on the other hand, have very limited space because of their mobile nature. This limited space in turn limits air flow, which causes the temperature inside the computer to rise, causing unstable conditions for your laptop.

Devices like the Vizo Mini Ninja have been made to help combat these rising temperatures. These devices typically raise the laptop off the surface of your desk and have fans to increase the airflow around the bottom of the chassis. These combined measures can do wonders to drop the temperature of your laptop, but some do better jobs at it than others. Lets see how the Vizo Mini Ninja performs.

Review: Vizo Propeller System Cooler

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

All computers since the beginning of their history have had to face the problem of heat. This heat can force computers to run at a slower speed or less efficiently than they otherwise might, and in extreme cases, could cause the computers to stop functioning all together. Knowing this, people who build computers, and even more so people who overclock computers, need to be conscious of this heat and take steps to reduce the heat in their systems. Many products have been made to help with this.

One of these products is the Vizo Propeller. The idea with the Propeller is not a new one but is still a pretty cool idea. It works by occupying an empty expansion slot in your case and then uses a turbine style fan to expel air out of the case. The design is very similar to a scaled down version of what is seen now on high end video cards.

Review: Gigabyte GA-EX38-DQ6

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

There are many components that are included in a complete computer system, all of which are required for proper operation. However, there is one component that allows all of the other parts to interface with one another. This component is, of course, the motherboard. Motherboards allow the RAM, CPU, video card, hard drive(s), and everything else to talk to each other. As time has gone along, certain improvements have been made to motherboards, such as using solid capacitors, including power saving features, and providing the ability to modify almost any setting that controls voltage, bus speeds, etc.

The Gigabyte GA EX38-DQ6 is one of Gigabyte's higher end motherboards that uses Intel's X38 chipset. The motherboard has many features, including Blu-Ray and HD DVD audio support (and 7.1 + 2 channel output), 2Gigabit LAN (via Teaming), Ultra Cool Silent Pipe technology, ultra durable capacitors, chokes, and MOSFETs, and dynamic energy saving. Specially designed for 45nm processors, the EX38-DQ6 can run any Core 2 processor and can push the FSB up to 1600MHz and will push DDR2 RAM to 1200 MHz. In this review I am going to go through and look at and test every part of this motherboard thoroughly so you can know if it is the motherboard for you.

Review: Rosewill Notebook Cooler RNA-7000W

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

Laptops are amazing machines that pack a lot of punch in a small package and as a result, they get very hot. Depending on how much you know about computers, you may or may not know that heat can cause your computer to run in a very unstable way and reduce the life of the many components used to make it run. To combat this in a traditional computer, people can buy heatsinks, water cooling systems, or increase their airflow through the case. However, none of those solutions are very practical on a laptop, so an alternate solution has surfaced. This solution is to place fans underneath the laptop to increase airflow around it. This is in the hope that this increased airflow can move the old, hot air out of the way, for cooler air to come in contact with the chassis and cool the components inside.

The Rosewill RNA-700W Notebook Cooler does just this. With two small fans that are powered by USB under a solid aluminum stand, air flow can be increased to the bottom of the chassis, cooling it the laptop and the components inside. Also, the notebook cooler is tilted at a slight angle which allows for the Rosewill to serve a second purpose, which is to improve the ergonomics of the keyboard. Lets take a closer look at the Rosewill and see how much the temperatures drop.

Review: Saitek GM3200 Laser Mouse

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

When it comes to playing a FPS game or taking advantage of the UI elements of your operating system and programs, a standard mouse is what most people use. They have been around forever and, to most people, are nothing special. However, to the enthusiasts and gamers, a mouse can mean a lot. Factors like DPI, number of buttons and the ability to customize it, are meaningful terms that can make the difference in your mouse choice. Although those are all important, companies that produce mice don't talk much about real world performance and comfort in a realistic way, and that is exactly what this review intends to do. Hopefully by reading this review, you will get a good idea of the real world performance that this mouse provides.

The Saitek GM3200 Laser Mouse is one of Saitek's new high end gaming mice. Saitek claims that this is the first 3200 DPI mouse - a very impressive feat. The GM3200 also sports many features along the lines of user customization; for example, the weight of the mouse can be changed by adding or removing small weights and the amount of friction can be changed by flipping the feet of the mouse over. These features sound pretty exciting and will be looked at in-depth over the next couple of pages.

Review: Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini (250Gb)

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

One of the problems that has plagued the modern computer since its introduction in the 1930s is the issue of storage. As time went on, people invented devices to help solve this problem and one of these devices is the ever familiar hard drive. These hard drives started out holding about 5 megabytes, which isn't much by today's standards, but a huge amount by the 1960 standards - almost as huge as the drive physically was. Now we have similar drives that hold much more. So much more, in fact, that most people won't ever be able to fill one up. However, with the introduction of online music and movie stores as well as the introduction of high definition video, the computer or media enthusiast might find that their hard drive just isn't holding quite enough. Many of the people who frequent Overclockersclub.com might just jump and buy a new, high capacity, internal drive without even thinking of an external like the drive I will be reviewing. This is a silly mistake though as an external drive, which can have capacities matching even the best internals, has many benefits, including the ability to take your data with you to wherever you might be, and also the ease of install.

The Maxtor OneTouch 4 Mini is one such external hard drive. It is incredibly small, only a little bit bigger than my iPod, and can hold 250 gigabytes (Gb). There is also a 160Gb version that you can currently buy according to your needs. The drive has only one cable to connect: a USB cable that gives the drive its power and also provides the data link. Because of this, you will need a powered USB port or a powered USB hub. All of this sounds just great, but lets take a closer look at how the drive looks and preforms!

Review: Lapworks Attaché Laptop Stand

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

As laptops keep getting smaller and smaller, the insides of the laptops get hotter and hotter. While the companies that produce the components used in the laptops keep trying to make these components use less electricity and run cooler, there is still a long way to go especially when it is no easy feat to make something both smaller and cooler. The heat that these components generate is not good for them and can decrease the lifespan of your laptop, so taking every measure that you can is a responsible action. To do this, most people buy laptop coolers which typically try to increase airflow around the laptop. Like all products, these laptop coolers all sport different feature sets and preform differently. Hopefully, through this review, you will be able to choose a laptop cooler that fits your needs.

The Lapworks Attaché Laptop Stand is one laptop cooler that you might consider. This cooler is made out of Aluminum and has two small fans embedded in the surface of it. There is also a USB hub which can help you have the ability to plug a few more USB devices into your laptop. While the Attaché cools the laptop, there is also a second benefit that it aims to provide: ergonomics. The bottom of the Attaché can be raised to several different heights depending on how your laptop is set up. Some settings make it more comfortable to type, while others make it easier to see. All these features will be discussed in depth in the following review, so if you are interested in making your laptop last longer and protecting your body from unnecessary strain, read on!

Review: Saitek GM2400 Laser Mouse

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

Computer mice have been around since the 1980's and most people reading this site probably remember the first generation of mice that they used. Yes, I'm talking about the horrid ball mice. Thankfully, most of us no longer use a ball mouse, but rather an optical mouse that instead of "feeling" the user's movement, "sees" it. Since its inception, optical mice have become more and more complex and powerful, which is good for everyone, and especially gamers. With the newer laser mice of the past few years, more and more accurate pointing is possible, making it easier and easier for you to get the ever beloved headshot. Since getting the right mouse can mean the difference between being the hunter and being the hunted in many games, it is a very important decision, and through reading this and other reviews, you should be able to get a very good idea of what mouse could be your weapon of choice.

The Saitek GM2400 Laser Mouse is one of Saitek's newer, high end mice. A laser driver allows the mouse to reach a resolution of 2400 DPI and is adjustable on the fly. An ergonomic design gives you comfortable access to six configurable buttons that are along the sides and top of the mouse. A combination of using lightweight material and using PTFE feet allows the mouse to slide along pretty much any surface. I plan on testing all these features of the GM2400 in this review and hope that it can help you make an informed decision about what mouse will be your new pointing device.

Review: NZXT Cryo LX Notebook Cooler

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

The laptops these days keep getting smaller and smaller and the components inside them get more and more powerful. While the components in the laptop are getting more efficient as the years pass, they still generate a lot of heat and when they are confined to such a small space, the heat really builds up, which is bad for the components and can be uncomfortable for the user as well. Only small fans help the laptop by itself expel the hot air out of the casing. People have noticed this heat issue and have been designing products to assist your laptop cool itself down. Over the years these have become more advanced and feature rich.

The NZXT Cryo LX is one such laptop cooling device. This laptop cooler has three 120mm fans housed in it, more than some computers have, and is tilted upwards to make the keyboard more comfortable to type on than if it were flat on your desk. As a bonus feature, there are some USB ports on the back. USB is used for a lot of today's electronics and it always seems like there just aren't enough ports. With the Cryo LX, you can plug in up to four additional USB devices, as long as they don't pull too much power. Join me now as I take an in depth look at the NZXT Cryo LX.

Review: mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb iPod Dock

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

iPods have exploded in popularity over the past several years and coming with them has been a slew of accessories, ranging from battery packs to speaker systems. Like all products, however, there are ones that perform above and beyond what they are supposed to do and there are others that are just a waste of money. It is really helpful to know which ones are good before you go out and buy them, and this is the goal of this review.

The mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb is an iPod dock sporting 2.1 audio (2 main speakers and 1 main subwoofer). Having 2.1 usually means that sounds should be crisper with bass that hits harder than the similar units that integrate all sounds into one speaker. Unlike many iPod docks, however, this one only plays music from an iPod or other auxiliary source (via a headphone jack), but allows the docked iPod to be connected to your computer (and thus iTunes or whatever other program you use to maintain your iPod). Let's take a look at how these features really work and if they are worth it!

Review: Razer Piranha Gaming Communicator

Link to article (Overclockersclub.com)

Headsets are a hard thing to shop for. Unlike a graphics card, which has a definite speed and feature set, headsets are pretty subjective. Yes, you usually see the dynamic range of the headset, if they are closed or open ear, and if they have an inline volume control. After that, however, you get some features that you really have no idea what effect they will have. Does it really matter if the connector is gold plated? What does having a neodymium magnet driver mean? And are these features worth an extra $30 or $40? That makes reviews like this one essential tools in aiding you with your purchase decision, and I will do my best to help you out. Headsets are very helpful in a lot of situations, and more and more games have built-in VoIP support, which makes it even easier to communicate and strategize with your teammates. A headset should be in every gamer's toolbox.

The Razer Piranha headset boasts several features that everyone should like. Some of these features are the 18-22,000 Hz dynamic range (well outside the human audible range), the ability to use it with either 1/8th inch inputs/outputs or USB, and an inline volume control. Some other features that it boasts are braided fiber cable protection, 32 Ohm impedance, and a single-sided cable for "hassle free usage." These are the features that make people wonder if they're really necessary or not. Let's take a look at how the Razer Piranha stands up to some testing, and see if these specs really make for a great product.