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Weekly CPU Prices - Week of July 21, 2008-July 24, 2008
AMD dropped prices two weeks ago, and although the dollar amounts can't compare, Intel made some effort at responding. There was one very significant price drop to the Core 2 Duo E8500, along with a selection of smaller decreases. 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. High-End Memory Prices - Week of July 21, 2008-July 21, 2008
The high-end memory charts are showing price drops at all levels, from DDR all the way up to DDR3. Certainly the depth of these cuts gets deeper as you move up the list, but it's still good news for all levels of the memory market. 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. 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.
HP Officejet J4680 All-in-One Review-July 22, 2008
You know you can get a versatile inkjet printer/scanner/copier for $300 or $400. But for a fraction of that ($130)? In a fraction of the size (9 inches high)? HP's small-business breadbox is full of surprises -- yes, it has fax as well as the usual three functions; yes, it has built-in WiFi; no, they didn't forget the automatic document feeder. It's a one-person office's one peripheral. Platform Trends: The Year of Serious Storage-July 21, 2008
One and one-half terabytes, people! Most of us remember when such storage capacity stretched the limits of a server RAID array, but next month Seagate will ship a 1.5TB desktop hard disk. Meanwhile, both old-fashioned and newfangled storage tech heats up the notebook market -- and PC enthusiasts and upgraders are getting their hands on the speedy solid-state drives once reserved for the most exotic, elite laptops. Montevina Mania: Intel Unveils Centrino 2 Notebook Platform-July 15, 2008
New 45-nanometer CPUs are only part of the story as Intel revamps its dominant laptop processor/chipset/WiFi bundling program. The nearly 250 new notebooks slated to wear the Centrino 2 sticker will flaunt faster, more far-reaching wireless; more game-worthy graphics (plus the option of switching between integrated and discrete graphics), and multimedia enhancements designed to let travelers enjoy a high-definition Blu-ray movie -- on one battery charge.
Wait for WiMAX Isn't Getting Any Shorter-July 18, 2008
Enterprises keeping WiMAX deployments at bay have the right idea given a new report that states the technology is two to three years from debuting as a mature networking option. Challenges in network builds and slow delivery of compatible handset devices have led to the delay. AMD Loses $1.18B and Its CEO-July 17, 2008
Seven is usually considered a lucky number, but not for Hector Ruiz. After seven quarters of red ink, the AMD CEO has resigned his post, turning it over to President and Chief Operating Officer Dirk Meyer, who had long been acknowledged as Hector's successor-in-waiting. EU Claims Intel Paid Retailers to Drop AMD-July 17, 2008
European Union antitrust regulators made new accusations against chipmaker Intel on Thursday, saying it paid retailers to not sell PCs using chips made by rival AMD. The "statement of objections" from the European Commission follows 2007 charges against Intel that claimed the world's biggest microchip producer gave computer makers rebates to limit their use of AMD chips or avoid them altogether.
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June Video Card Price Guide-June 30, 2008
The June 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. June Hard Drive Price Guide-June 30, 2008
Welcome to the June edition of our Hard Drive Price Guide, which provides a monthly snapshot of the overall market. We break down the trends for both Parallel and Serial ATA desktop drives, and find the best overall values in each area. If you're looking for a new hard drive, or just want to see where the market is heading, then be sure to check out the detailed price lists and commentary. 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. Gigabyte Radeon HD 3870 512MB Review-May 14, 2008
The Radeon HD 3870 512MB is positioned as ATI's answer to the mainstream performance question, and for the most part, it has done extremely well. After introducing a standard reference design, Gigabyte has put its own spin on the Radeon HD 3870, complete with a Zalman GPU cooler and Ultra Durable 2 design. Check out the review to see how it did in our performance and overclocking tests. AMD Phenom X3 8750 Review-April 23, 2008
The multi-tiered Phenom lineup has had to wait a bit for the updated B3 core to make the rounds, but the new triple-core X3 is finally here. The 2.4 GHz Phenom X3 8750 is the flagship of the triple-core line, running at a full 2.4 GHz, but at a lower power envelope. Our review will determine how well a Phenom X3 handles our system and gaming benchmarks, and see how high it can overclock. Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB Hard Drive Review-April 22, 2008
Samsung may have been the last company to join the 1TB hard drive club, but in this case, timing could be everything. The debut of the Samsung Spinpoint F1 1TB coincided with a shift towards higher-density 334GB platters, allowing the use of a triple-platter design in a full 1TB data capacity. Check out our review and see how this enhanced design affects the physical specifications and performance results. ASUS EN8800GT TOP 512MB Review-April 21, 2008
The 65nm GeForce 8800 GT was designed as an alternative to the mainstream GeForce 8600 GTS and high-end GeForce 8800 GTS models, but companies like ASUS decided to close the gap even further. Using custom designed, pre-overclocked cards like the EN8800GT TOP 512MB, ASUS has helped blur the lines between the mainstream and high-end markets. Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB Hard Drive Review-April 10, 2008
Seagate may have followed Hitachi to the 1TB disk party, but the Barracuda 7200.11 1TB hard drive offers a very compelling high-end solution. The full terabyte of disk capacity is a major selling point all on its own, but the flagship Barracuda drive also delivers on the performance end too. Check out our review and see how the 1TB behemoth stacks up. AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition Review-March 27, 2008
The B3 is here, and the X4 is back. This spells good news for AMD fans, as the Phenom X4 9850 showcases the latest B3 core revision, and at a higher 2.5 GHz clock speed. This is also a "Black Edition" release, which means an unlocked multiplier, and in addition to the standard system and gaming benchmarks, we'll be seeing how far we can overclock it. Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Review-March 27, 2008
Enthusiasts have been waiting on the 45nm Wolfdale to appear since Intel first announced the line. The 3.16 GHz Core 2 Duo E8500 sits at the top of the Wolfdale food chain, and offers a very compelling mix of high performance, low power usage and insane overclocking. Check out our review and see how it stacked up against some of the top processors from both AMD and Intel. Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GT 512MB Review-March 21, 2008
The 65nm GeForce 8800 GT was designed to bridge the gap between the mainstream GeForce 8600 GTS and high-end GeForce 8800 GTS models, but Gigabyte thought it could go one better. Their latest GeForce 8800 GT 512MB card features a custom design, complete with Zalman cooler and higher clock speeds, which all add up to a very interesting high-end graphics card. PNY XLR8 GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB Review-March 13, 2008
The 65nm GeForce 8800 GTS (G92) is a powerhouse GPU, reigned in slightly by its 256-bit memory architecture, but still representing one of the top high-end gaming cards you can buy. The PNY XLR8 GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB offers a very nice implementation of this technology, so check our review to see how it fares in terms of benchmark testing, overclocking and real-world usage. AMD 780G Chipset Review-March 5, 2008
Integrated graphics have not enjoyed much success in the gaming arena, with low performance and poor game compatibility being the most common complaints. The AMD 780G may not solve all the problems, but its integrated Radeon HD 3200 graphics core is certainly a big step in the right direction, and helps double it as a killer HTPC platform. March Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide-March 4, 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!
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