Archer | TechREACTION

[Review] Sapphire Radeon HD6670 2 Comments By Archer on December 7, 2011 Sapphire has sent us an interesting sample this time and honestly not much was expected. Considering the competition from both NVidia, as well as many offerings with the same graphics processing unit (GPU) from other vendors, we assumed this would be an average card, considering its single-slot, low-profile cooling. It did not work out that way. Though the AMD HD6670 is considered a minimalist GPU in the standard arena it is a bang for the growing small form factor computer (SFF) segment. So i...
Small office, the home, the “Private Cloud” and you. 3 Comments By Archer on November 24, 2011 Introduction During a Private Cloud event in Durham, NC (Thanks Yung Chou and John Baker) I was amazed to discover the information available on Cloud computing. For many years we have been using the client\server model and this is just the next step; sort of. This is not some brand new technology but it is a step in the right direction that leverages newer hardware features (No VT-d yet) of desktop processors. As some of you know I am a very practical person (when it comes to computers) who is...
[Review] Sapphire Pure Platinum H67 2 Comments By Archer on August 17, 2011 Introduction Sapphire Technology is well known for their line of AMD/ATi video cards but they are also making motherboards. What can a video card company bring to the table? Name recognition that has been earned over the years by producing quality products. Packaging Sapphire has an all business approach with the packaging by pointing out the features. Other than the “Pure Platinum” badge it is a no frills look. Product Shots The Mosfets need no cooling and the Bluetooth does n...
[Review] Sapphire Radeon HD6770 Vapor-X 3 Comments By Archer on July 15, 2011 Sapphire Technology has been around for ten years and has learned how to get things done the right way. Being one of the, if not the, largest supplier of AMD/ATi video cards Sapphire is a leader in design, innovation and application of new processes. Through what many consider a conservative approach to innovation; Sapphire has maintained a strong market share in an ever growing field of competitors. Is this HD6770 is one of the reasons why: Though the packaged is a rather plain, no frills, box;...
[Blog] nMEDIAPC Black Aluminum / Steel HTPC 3000B ATX Media Center / HTPC Case 0 Comments By Archer on March 16, 2011 Introduction: Inexpensive cases are many times seen as sub standard and garbage; this is not always the case; though, it does apply (in part) to this case. Generally you get what you pay for and this case is no exception; though, the design, fabrication, fit and finish are of very high quality some things are substandard and to a point make this case a looser to the builder who has no patience. For the builder who does not mind fighting with a component here and there and removing parts this cas...
[Review] MSI Brazos E350IA-E45 4 Comments By Archer on March 7, 2011 Meet The New Kid In Town: MSI has seen the potential in the new AMD Fusion CPU. The MSI E350IA-E45 is a feature rich micro ITX board with the potential to be the heart of your next HTPC with it’s excellent integrated graphics; an effective home server with its 4x SATAIII ports, or even an adequate daily driver with DDR3 support and low heat output. The packaging is pretty standard, including two SATA cables. The rear panel has a nice set of external connections. With 8 USB ports (two of...
[Review] ASUS P7H55D-M EVO “Can You Say HTPC?” 1 Comment By Archer on October 22, 2010 Introduction: The HTPC market is different things to many people. Some require bleeding edge gaming on their 50″ LED TV, while others demand a quiet and efficient streaming box that is capable of decoding all formats of video smoothly with rudimentary gaming ability being a plus, not a necessity. The latter of these two groups will be for whom this article is tailored to. While overclocking will be touched on, the highlights will actually be the efficiency of this board when paired with...
[Review] ASUS P7P55D-E PRO – A Step Above (UPDATE 8/11) 6 Comments By Archer on August 9, 2010 Introduction: A motherboard is probably the single most important component to the enthusiast. For a person in the know, this is pretty obvious, but for a newer user this may come as new information. Many forums as well as review sites fail to reveal the big picture, and there are a plethora of components used in the assembly of today’s motherboards that frankly most people don’t even understand. This hodgepodge of devices can range from cheap, make-shift components to high quality,...
Rewriting the Book on CPU HSF Testing 9 Comments By Archer on June 21, 2010 To test a heat sink and fan assembly to the limit, a computer is not the best option. With some of the many variables, which can be attributed to the computer alone and completely outside the control of the tester, software and hardware results can be skewed to the point of being outright wrong. Things that can be controlled are often ignored and sometimes forgotten. Factors contributing to unreliable test results that can be controlled by the tester: Air temperature and humidity: When doing a ...
Tenma 72-7712 dual channel temp probe, what happens with temperatures inside a PC. 7 Comments By Archer on June 1, 2010 The 72-7712 Digital Thermometer from Tenma Test Equipment is a dual thermocouple meter with internal logging capability, USB output for saving logged data and software up-link. This unit can become an integral part of a PC testing arsenal by allowing for isolation of case hot spots, heat sink testing and LN2/Dry Ice work. The limitations start to change and the performance bar can be raised when you know where it is hot and where it is not. Compatible with K-, J-, T- and E- thermocouples (oth...
[Guide] Converting your VHS collection to digital and a little more! 0 Comments By Archer on May 26, 2010 A lot of people have an old VHS collection gathering dust, or content that was purchased on their gaming device that must be kept on that device. What does it really take to get this content on to a DVD? Not much. Using a hardware video trans-coder, such as the ADS DVD-ExpressDX2 (does not work with Vista or later without software issues), a DVD+/-RW Drive and an external HDD for portability, converting a video collection as fast as you can play them (even direct to DivX) is pretty simple. So wh...
Epson Workforce 500 0 Comments By Archer on February 5, 2010 While visiting the Target closeout section, to look for electronics deals, I came across a good one. The Epson Workforce 500, though not top of the line in any one thing it does a good job at everything, best of all it was only $41.99 + tax! What you get is a small office level multifunction printer (document feed, copy, scan, fax and print). Scan and print quality: With everything at default and 2400DPI scan you can’t tell much difference, until you get up close and personal. Scan, prin...
[Quick Look] Razer LACHESIS a sexy, comfortable, almost perfect mouse. 0 Comments By Archer on January 25, 2010 What is the best attribute of a mouse? For me it is all about feel! If it does not feel right, I don’t care if it can take out the trash or even walk the dog, it is trash! Razer hit the nail on the head with the LACHESIS, for me the feel along with the tight crisp action makes this mouse a winner. Let me define my comfort, first and foremost is weight, this mouse has it. In a comparison with some brand name and generic mice it is on the heavy side of the scale for wired and approaching the...
PCI POST Code Reader: Is it dead or can I revive it? 4 Comments By Archer on December 23, 2009 It really helps to know when it is time to give it up and with one of these little toys it is a little easier. A piece of hardware with a purpose from Budget Gadgets. The USB PCI PC Analyzer Diagnoses Card Tester seems to be just the thing to use before scrapping anything, or should I say save headaches before scrapping. I have tested this on many assumed dead boards and it worked well as it let me know I was correct and they were dead with a 00 code (int 19 error). You would think that I coul...
A good clamp-on multimeter for GP use 1 Comment By Archer on December 21, 2009 Well I had a chance to do some testing for BudgetGadgets.Com and ran across what I thought was a deal (it seems to be). The DT-3266L clamp on multimeter, at less than $14 USD, is an excellent around the house meter with decent capabilities. Just a little tip before diving into the DATA, keep the probes clean! Use alcohol or acetone pads, scotch brite pads, copper or steel wool will promote better/proper functionality epically where resistance measurements are concerned. I am not going to talk it...
Modern CPU communication bus architecture Intel (i5, i7, Core2) and AMD (Post AthlonXP) and it’s relation to overclocking 2 Comments By Archer on November 4, 2009 There seems to be some misunderstanding about what Hyper-Transport (HT-AMD), Quick Path Interconnect (QPI-Intel) and Front Side Bus (FSB-Intel and pre-A64 AMD) really are and their differences. First we need to clear the air: Socket 775 is dying (FSB is DEAD)! The FSB can no longer adequately support the information flow. In the diagram below and with the data provided the problem is obvious, too much data for the old bus. As can be seen all information must take one path on the older architectu...
Athlon II X4 620: “Ferrari? This Mustang Can Hang!!!” 8 Comments By Archer on September 25, 2009 I was looking for a detailed review of these CPU’s and you guessed it!! If you want a good one then do it yourself! All of the reviews out there were good enough and well done but, for some of us, that does not cut it. The two premises I am focusing on are max (reasonable) overclock for the gamer and undervolting at stock speed for the HTPE\HEPC. A WARNING: BIOS, BIOS, BIOS!!! do not assume you need to update, and if you do be prepared to revert. When I first installed this CPU I did not u...
Phenom II 905e: A new breed turning the HTPC to the HEPC 2 Comments By Archer on July 20, 2009 Well the time of the duallie in the HTPC is ending and the time of the Tri/Quads is ushered in and we have the HEPC (Home Entertainment Personal Computer). Below are some of these offerings: AMD Phenom II X3 705e Heka 2.5GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 65W Triple-Core Processor AMD Phenom II X4 905e Deneb 2.5GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 65W Quad-Core Processor Intel Core2 Q8200S Yorkfield 2.33GHz 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Quad-Core Processor Intel Core2 Q9400S Yor...

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