[Review] Antec KÜHLER H₂O 9200 Comments By BoTcloseAuthor: BoTName: Edward Reese Email: bot@codisha.com Site:http://www.codisha.com About:See Authors Posts (14) on February 3, 2012
Introduction
There have been many discussions on the interwebs of whether or not traditional air cooling is efficient enough and if it can provide enough performance or if water cooling can supersede it and offer things that air cooling just can’t. Noise, power draw, reliability, performance and pure price are among common categories mentioned in these discussions. The camps are still divided but the manufacturers aim at the middle and hopefully will change that. A few years ago we started...
[Review] Corsair Voyager GT 32GB USB 3.00 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on February 1, 2012
Standard USB 3.0 flash drives are fast. Flash Voyager GT USB 3.0 is touted to be even faster with its data transfer rates. The portability and convenience of USB drives has always meant putting up with delays while waiting for files to copy, but with USB 3.0, that should be thing of the past. Chances are that you’re still using at least one PC that hasn’t yet been upgraded to USB 3.0. Flash Voyager GT has you covered, as it is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0 as well. The finger-friend...
[Review] ASUS Maximus GeneZ Full-power, half-pint0 Comments By NeuromancercloseAuthor: NeuromancerName: Rich Smith Email: rsmith@nettronic.net Site: About:See Authors Posts (27) on January 30, 2012
The Republic Of Gamers series gets a Z68 based microATX board with the Maximus IV GeneZ. Following the tradition of its forebears, Maximus signifies the best of the Intel lineups from ASUS and the Gene moniker tells us it is in microATX format. The Z indicates this is a Z68 based chipset and not a P67 like the Maximus IV Extreme. Very simple if familiar with their products.
(Note: this is not the GeneZ gen 3, which is looking forward to Ivy Bridge with full PCIE 3.0 compatibility, but will requ...
[Review] Antec Three Hundred Two3 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on January 27, 2012
Three Hundred, the previous well-liked case by Antec, is back with a chassis designed to handle today and tomorrow’s high-performance systems. The Three Hundred Two, is touted to be the next standard in affordable gaming cases. This new chassis from Antec is supposed to be built for gamers from the inside-out. With tool-less 5.25″ & 3.5″ drive bays, a large cable management compartment and two front panel USB 3.0 ports with an internal connector, the Three Hundred Two wil...
[Review] Cerwin-Vega XD3 Desktop Speakers2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on January 26, 2012
With over 50 years of speaker system know-how for concerts, movies, public address and clubs, Cerwin-Vega has been around the block. When creating the XD3 speaker for desktop and computer applications the goal is to optimize the sound output while keeping the enclosure small. Clarity is critical, especially for those producing multimedia or analyzing tracks. Signal purity must be maintained by using low noise amplifiers that don’t disappoint when the volume is set on high.
Powered desktop ...
[Review] Corsair Carbide 500R2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on January 25, 2012
The 500R from Corsair promises even more flexibility over the 400R. It adds a 200mm fan mounted on the side panel’s mesh screen for extra GPU cooling, a multi-channel fan controller, and removable and relocatable hard drive cages. The ability for the user to move and remove hard drive cages not only improves airflow, it also allows you to install graphics cards of up to 452mm in length. The Carbide Series are modeled from the Obsidian and Graphite Series which are acclaimed for their ease ...
[Review] Bitfenix Raider2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on January 18, 2012
Bitfenix comes to us today with their new creation which could possibly be a serious contender, the Raider. The first chassis to offer four USB 3.0 ports, the Raider is ready for any future peripherals you might want to throw at it, offering all the high-speed connectivity you need. The integrated fan controller manages up to five fans, allowing you to customize your system’s cooling profile to suit the task at hand. The Raider also sports filtered intakes, tool-free drive locking mechanis...
[Review] Enermax Briskie0 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on January 16, 2012
The Briskie keyboard is equipped with a durable membrane key stroke technology with up to 10 million key strokes lifetime. It ensures a smooth and comfortable typing experience, even over a longer period of time. The height can be adjusted in two steps to match your needs. To avoid damage caused by accidental spills and to ease the keyboard cleaning, Enermax further applied a spill-resistant structure.
The Briskie mouse is designed for prolonged, ambidextrous use. The ergonomic shape offers an e...
[Review] Rosewill Thor V2 White Edition2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on January 10, 2012
Today we have the new Thor V2 White Edition in hand, which has plenty of features jammed into it. The Thor supports up to XL-ATX Motherboard (13.5” x 10.3”) / SSI-CEB (E-ATX) (12″ x 10.3″) along with a mostly tool-free installation. The Thor V2 has also updated the USB 3.0 connections, adding one more than the original, and reorganizing the top I/O section. The massive inside supports up to a 330mm (12.99″) video card, along with having a 230mm front intake fan to help keep...
Arctic E461-BM Earphones1 Comment By TrembledustcloseAuthor: TrembledustName: Patrick Innocent Email: patrick@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About:See Authors Posts (10) on January 5, 2012
Arctic has been a well recognized and respected name in the custom PC building world for many, many years due largely in part to their PC cooling solutions. These solutions range from case fans, heat sinks, and of course their renowned thermal compound (MX family, please take a bow).
Unknown to some in the PC world, Arctic, under the guise of Arctic Sound, has been in the business of putting out audio devices to the public for a few years now. These products include headphones, headsets, spe...
[Review] Cooler Master Storm Trooper3 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on January 2, 2012
The Cooler Master Storm Trooper includes features that are often coveted by gaming enthusiasts in that it has full dust filter coverage, a fan controller, an external SSD drive hot-swap dock and two modular hard drive cages. These features give CM Storm Trooper the ability to adapt easily to configurations ranging from workstation to water-cooled gaming configurations. The CM Storm Trooper is the first in its class to include an ultra-strong carrying handle, allowing a gamer to travel with rel...
[Review] Bitfenix Outlaw2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on December 26, 2011
A new release from Bitfenix, the Outlaw, packs a slightly different punch than anything else from Bitfenix. With its inverted motherboard tray, the Outlaw accepts even the longest graphics cards with ease, while enhancing graphics card cooling. Plenty of optional fan locations will help keep the rest of your system cool, while a native SSD mount on the bottom of the case will help you keep up with new technology. With plenty of connectivity and their signature BitFenix SofTouch™ Surface treatm...
[Review] Nexus Prominent 52 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on December 18, 2011
The Nexus Prominent 5 silent case features tool-less installation making it a quick and easy installation of your components. A black mesh front, aluminum edges, and black interior with orange accents give the Prominent 5 a different look. Nexus outfitted the Prominent 5 with a 140mm on the top and a 120mm is placed in the front for the air-intake. Some isolating padding, where the PSU is placed, prevents resonance and there are ventilation holes, and room for a fan, in the bottom of the case ...
[Review] Enermax ETS-T40-TB1 Comment By GSG-9closeAuthor: GSG-9Name: Levi Tomes Email: gsg-9@mediocrocy.com Site:http://StypticDesign.com About:See Authors Posts (13) on December 16, 2011
Recently Enermax sent over one of its newest cooling products, the ETS-T40.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
World leading thermal resistance performance of 0.09°C/W.
VGF (Vortex generator flow) technology to greatly increase air convection.
SEF (Stack Effect) design to enhance heat transfer.
Unique air path creating high VEF (Vacuum Effect) to optimize the airflow.
HDT (Heat Pipe Direct Touch) Technology to ensure rapid thermal conduction and eliminate CPU hotspot.
Side flo...
[Review] Akasa Venom Voodoo3 Comments By BoTcloseAuthor: BoTName: Edward Reese Email: bot@codisha.com Site:http://www.codisha.com About:See Authors Posts (14) on December 11, 2011
Introduction
We got some Voodoo in the lab. No seriously, some Venom Voodoo. I think you got it now. Correct, The Akasa Venom Voodoo spooked it’s way in our labs. Let’s hope that the black magic doesn’t effect the results.
The company Akasa is well established. Akasa has development and manufacturing operations in Taiwan, China, Brazil and England to makes this an international operation. There is a wide range of products Akasa is developing and manufacturing. We will focus on...
[Review] Sapphire Radeon HD66702 Comments By ArchercloseAuthor: ArcherName: Kevin Marlin Email: kevinsmarlin@embarqmail.com Site:http://www.techreaction.net About:See Authors Posts (18) 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...
[Review] Bitfenix Merc Alpha2 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on November 29, 2011
Getting a quality gaming chassis doesn’t necessarily mean spending a small fortune. BitFenix took that to heart when making Merc, which comes in two versions, the Merc Alpha and Merc Beta. The Merc Alpha will give you the option of going with additional fan locations, while choosing the Merc Beta gives a more streamlined look. The Merc has plenty expansion possibilities, which means your Merc can grow with the rest of your system, while friendly DIY features make system installation headache-f...
[Review] Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo9 Comments By GSG-9closeAuthor: GSG-9Name: Levi Tomes Email: gsg-9@mediocrocy.com Site:http://StypticDesign.com About:See Authors Posts (13) on November 27, 2011
Cooler Master sent us one of its newest cooling products, the Hyper 212 Evo.
Some words from Cooler Master about their newest HSF:
Succeeding the popular Hyper 212, the Hyper 212 Evo carries on the legacy of providing a great balance of performance and noise level during high and low speed operations. The Hyper 212 Evo is Cooler Master’s first cooler to be equipped with an all-in-one mounting solution that includes LGA 1156 and 1366. Direct Contact heat-pipe is now also utilized in this la...
[Review] Raidmax Blackstorm4 Comments By The DukecloseAuthor: The DukeName: Drew Briggs Email: drew@techreaction.net Site:http://www.techreaction.net About: Just keeping it real for the average joe overclocker and computer user.See Authors Posts (168) on November 14, 2011
The Raidmax BLACKSTORM case attempts to make assembling a system easier than ever before. It has a modular, tool-free design that makes the initial build and future upgrades simple. Both side panels latch into place for ease of access, so it could be for you as it is the latest version of one-click side panel case. A 120mm fan is mounted on the front of the case to draw cool air in and blow it across the hard drives, along with a 180mm optional fan on the side, and a pair of rear-mounted 120mm e...
Introduction
There have been many discussions on the interwebs of whether or not traditional air cooling is efficient enough and if it can provide enough performance or if water cooling can supersede it and offer things that air cooling just can’t. Noise, power draw, reliability, performance and pure price are among common categories mentioned in these discussions. The camps are still divided but the manufacturers aim at the middle and hopefully will change that. A few years ago we started... 
Standard USB 3.0 flash drives are fast. Flash Voyager GT USB 3.0 is touted to be even faster with its data transfer rates. The portability and convenience of USB drives has always meant putting up with delays while waiting for files to copy, but with USB 3.0, that should be thing of the past. Chances are that you’re still using at least one PC that hasn’t yet been upgraded to USB 3.0. Flash Voyager GT has you covered, as it is also backwards compatible with USB 2.0 as well. The finger-friend... 
The Republic Of Gamers series gets a Z68 based microATX board with the Maximus IV GeneZ. Following the tradition of its forebears, Maximus signifies the best of the Intel lineups from ASUS and the Gene moniker tells us it is in microATX format. The Z indicates this is a Z68 based chipset and not a P67 like the Maximus IV Extreme. Very simple if familiar with their products.
(Note: this is not the GeneZ gen 3, which is looking forward to Ivy Bridge with full PCIE 3.0 compatibility, but will requ... 
Three Hundred, the previous well-liked case by Antec, is back with a chassis designed to handle today and tomorrow’s high-performance systems. The Three Hundred Two, is touted to be the next standard in affordable gaming cases. This new chassis from Antec is supposed to be built for gamers from the inside-out. With tool-less 5.25″ & 3.5″ drive bays, a large cable management compartment and two front panel USB 3.0 ports with an internal connector, the Three Hundred Two wil... 
With over 50 years of speaker system know-how for concerts, movies, public address and clubs, Cerwin-Vega has been around the block. When creating the XD3 speaker for desktop and computer applications the goal is to optimize the sound output while keeping the enclosure small. Clarity is critical, especially for those producing multimedia or analyzing tracks. Signal purity must be maintained by using low noise amplifiers that don’t disappoint when the volume is set on high.
Powered desktop ... 
The 500R from Corsair promises even more flexibility over the 400R. It adds a 200mm fan mounted on the side panel’s mesh screen for extra GPU cooling, a multi-channel fan controller, and removable and relocatable hard drive cages. The ability for the user to move and remove hard drive cages not only improves airflow, it also allows you to install graphics cards of up to 452mm in length. The Carbide Series are modeled from the Obsidian and Graphite Series which are acclaimed for their ease ... 
Bitfenix comes to us today with their new creation which could possibly be a serious contender, the Raider. The first chassis to offer four USB 3.0 ports, the Raider is ready for any future peripherals you might want to throw at it, offering all the high-speed connectivity you need. The integrated fan controller manages up to five fans, allowing you to customize your system’s cooling profile to suit the task at hand. The Raider also sports filtered intakes, tool-free drive locking mechanis... 
The Briskie keyboard is equipped with a durable membrane key stroke technology with up to 10 million key strokes lifetime. It ensures a smooth and comfortable typing experience, even over a longer period of time. The height can be adjusted in two steps to match your needs. To avoid damage caused by accidental spills and to ease the keyboard cleaning, Enermax further applied a spill-resistant structure.
The Briskie mouse is designed for prolonged, ambidextrous use. The ergonomic shape offers an e... 
Today we have the new Thor V2 White Edition in hand, which has plenty of features jammed into it. The Thor supports up to XL-ATX Motherboard (13.5” x 10.3”) / SSI-CEB (E-ATX) (12″ x 10.3″) along with a mostly tool-free installation. The Thor V2 has also updated the USB 3.0 connections, adding one more than the original, and reorganizing the top I/O section. The massive inside supports up to a 330mm (12.99″) video card, along with having a 230mm front intake fan to help keep... 
Arctic has been a well recognized and respected name in the custom PC building world for many, many years due largely in part to their PC cooling solutions. These solutions range from case fans, heat sinks, and of course their renowned thermal compound (MX family, please take a bow).
Unknown to some in the PC world, Arctic, under the guise of Arctic Sound, has been in the business of putting out audio devices to the public for a few years now. These products include headphones, headsets, spe... 
The Cooler Master Storm Trooper includes features that are often coveted by gaming enthusiasts in that it has full dust filter coverage, a fan controller, an external SSD drive hot-swap dock and two modular hard drive cages. These features give CM Storm Trooper the ability to adapt easily to configurations ranging from workstation to water-cooled gaming configurations. The CM Storm Trooper is the first in its class to include an ultra-strong carrying handle, allowing a gamer to travel with rel... 
A new release from Bitfenix, the Outlaw, packs a slightly different punch than anything else from Bitfenix. With its inverted motherboard tray, the Outlaw accepts even the longest graphics cards with ease, while enhancing graphics card cooling. Plenty of optional fan locations will help keep the rest of your system cool, while a native SSD mount on the bottom of the case will help you keep up with new technology. With plenty of connectivity and their signature BitFenix SofTouch™ Surface treatm... 
The Nexus Prominent 5 silent case features tool-less installation making it a quick and easy installation of your components. A black mesh front, aluminum edges, and black interior with orange accents give the Prominent 5 a different look. Nexus outfitted the Prominent 5 with a 140mm on the top and a 120mm is placed in the front for the air-intake. Some isolating padding, where the PSU is placed, prevents resonance and there are ventilation holes, and room for a fan, in the bottom of the case ... 
Recently Enermax sent over one of its newest cooling products, the ETS-T40.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
World leading thermal resistance performance of 0.09°C/W.
VGF (Vortex generator flow) technology to greatly increase air convection.
SEF (Stack Effect) design to enhance heat transfer.
Unique air path creating high VEF (Vacuum Effect) to optimize the airflow.
HDT (Heat Pipe Direct Touch) Technology to ensure rapid thermal conduction and eliminate CPU hotspot.
Side flo... 
Introduction
We got some Voodoo in the lab. No seriously, some Venom Voodoo. I think you got it now. Correct, The Akasa Venom Voodoo spooked it’s way in our labs. Let’s hope that the black magic doesn’t effect the results.
The company Akasa is well established. Akasa has development and manufacturing operations in Taiwan, China, Brazil and England to makes this an international operation. There is a wide range of products Akasa is developing and manufacturing. We will focus on... 
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... 
Getting a quality gaming chassis doesn’t necessarily mean spending a small fortune. BitFenix took that to heart when making Merc, which comes in two versions, the Merc Alpha and Merc Beta. The Merc Alpha will give you the option of going with additional fan locations, while choosing the Merc Beta gives a more streamlined look. The Merc has plenty expansion possibilities, which means your Merc can grow with the rest of your system, while friendly DIY features make system installation headache-f... 
Cooler Master sent us one of its newest cooling products, the Hyper 212 Evo.
Some words from Cooler Master about their newest HSF:
Succeeding the popular Hyper 212, the Hyper 212 Evo carries on the legacy of providing a great balance of performance and noise level during high and low speed operations. The Hyper 212 Evo is Cooler Master’s first cooler to be equipped with an all-in-one mounting solution that includes LGA 1156 and 1366. Direct Contact heat-pipe is now also utilized in this la... 
The Raidmax BLACKSTORM case attempts to make assembling a system easier than ever before. It has a modular, tool-free design that makes the initial build and future upgrades simple. Both side panels latch into place for ease of access, so it could be for you as it is the latest version of one-click side panel case. A 120mm fan is mounted on the front of the case to draw cool air in and blow it across the hard drives, along with a 180mm optional fan on the side, and a pair of rear-mounted 120mm e... 
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