Packaging:

Specifications:

Next: Speed Tests, Conclusion

The 500R has support for USB 3.0 and 2.5” SSDs is built-in, while thumb screws on the side panels and tool-free drive installation should mean quick and easy installation of your hardware. Corsair has also integrated dust filters, which can be quickly removed for easy maintenance, keeping your system as clean as possible. Now that the love fest is over, let’s see if the Corsair 500R actually lives up to the same high standard we hold for all of Corsairs products.

Packaging:

Specifications and Features:

Next: A look at the Corsair Carbide 500R

With the market for extreme PC cooling growing at a rapid rate over the past few years, we are seeing a much greater number of PC components and accessories geared to this end of the spectrum.  This goes back to the Foxconn “Quantum Force” line, which was kicked off with a killer mainboard, the BLACKOPS with features that had never been seen before.  Fast forward a few years, and now all the top manufacturers are mimicking elements from that board, and pushing forward with other innovations geared towards extreme cooling enthusiasts.

However, one area that has not seen any special attention is in the TIM (Thermal Interface Material) market, at least until now (the last time there was anything resembling this kind of enthusiast buzz over some cooling goo was when Arctic Silver hit the market). eVGA recently unleashed on the world their new TIM dubbed “Frostbite,” and for good reason.  eVGA claims this new compound is not only better for the extreme cooling crowd, but also superior for everyday users as well.  Not only that, but k|ngp|n himself is signing off on all these claims and endorsing the product for extreme cooling use.

The longtime standard-bearer for extreme cooling has been Arctic Silver’s Céramique, which k|ngp|n and many others have used it for years.  However, over the past year of so, many users have been testing alternatives.  Elmor (a top overclocker from Sweden) swears by OCZ Freeze, and there have been a number of positive reports with several other compounds as well.  Considering all the recent speculation, we needed to take a closer look at this new contender.

Next: eVGA Frostbite, a closer look…

Presentation

The kit is composed of three 4GB memory sticks packaged in the familiar box format most RAM manufactures use. Each stick comes in its own hard plastic casing, instead of one large single hard plastic encasement which seems standard for many memory kits. This choice in packaging is a plus in our eyes. It adds a sense of extra care for each stick.

The sticks themselves show the rated timings, which are 10-10-10-27 2T, and the recommended DRAM voltage of 1.5v.

The modules are on a green PCB and sport the same type of aluminum heat spreaders their little brother, the Vengeance 12GB 1600mhz kit, comes in. It would have been nice, aesthetically, for the sticks be on black PCBs instead of green ones, if only to match the color scheme of the heat spreaders, but this is purely cosmetic, and has no bearing on performance.

The sticks themselves are light in weight compared to similar modules whose heat spreaders use copper, such as the G-Skill Trident or Patriot Viper. Some would form the opinion that the Vengeance heat spreaders are not sufficient to keep this sort of high performance RAM cool. The truth is, RAM modules, while some would disagree, simply do not generate enough heat during normal usage to warrant extreme heat spreaders. Extreme heat spreaders are usually needed when the RAM is being highly overclocked while being used on hours on end. That said, Corsair’s choice of spreaders with this kit is not a bad one, as these modules are not claiming to be extremely high overclockers; in addition, the lower voltage required for them will generate less heat. However, if the stock heat spreaders aren’t to your liking, rest assured that you can replace them with heat spreaders that are more to your fancy.

Next: Bench Testing & Overclocking

Packaging:

Specifications and Features:

Next: A look at the Corsair 650D

Upon delivery, the first thing you are likely to notice is the sheer size of the SP2500 setup. These things have presence.

Packaging

The speakers arrive in a very, very large box. The SP2500’s packaging dwarfs that of other 2.1 speaker sets, such as the Logitech LS21. The packaging design is very simple and clean, with clear grid-work showing through the body copy; helpfully for overseas consumers, the marketing and specifications are written in multiple languages right on the box.

Manufacturer’s Specifications:

Specifications

• Frequency response: 35Hz – 20kHz +/- 3dB
• 232 Watts total power (measured via FTC “RMS” method)
• Subwoofer dimensions: 18.1 x 10.2 x 11.7 inches (46 x 25.8 x 29.7 cm)
• Satellite dimensions: 4.25 x 4.7 x 6.25 inches (10.8 x 12 x 15.9 cm)

Subwoofer:

• 8″ 120W (IEC60268-5 24hr continuous rating) subwoofer with durable rubber surround
• Fourth-order closed bandpass enclosure design
• Bridged dual 60 Watt class-D amplifiers with integrated DSP for 120 Watts of power (measured via FTC “RMS” method)
• Ultra-efficient integral power supply with 100V – 240V AC input

Satellites:

• Bi-amplified, two-way design with detachable audio cables
• 3″ 40W (IEC60628-5 24hr continuous rating) midrange drivers
• 1″ 16W (IEC60268-5 24hr continues rating) ferrofluid-cooled silk diaphragm tweeters
• 56 Watts per satellite (measured via FTC “RMS” method):
• 40 Watt midrange class-D amplifiers with integrated DSP
• 16 Watt tweeter class-D amplifiers with integrated DSP

I/O, Controls and Programming

• PC input on subwoofer
• Dual 3.5mm auxiliary inputs (one on subwoofer, one on desktop controller)
• 3.5mm headphone output with digital signal processing
• Wired desktop controller with high-resolution color 1.8″ (4.6cm) TFT display and multi-lingual interface (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese)
• Mod X™ theatrical audio processing for Blu-Ray and DVD audio that recreates the theater experience
• Dynamic DSP programs and EQ curves for late night listening, environment simulation, and optimal enjoyment of game and movie genres

Package Contents

• Subwoofer
• Satellites (Two)
• Desktop controller with 6′ / 1.8m cable
• 3.5mm to stereo RCA cable for PC input
• Two 6″ / 1.8m satellite audio cables with ATX4 connectors

Once the SP2500 is unboxed, you will find an array of cardboard inserts protecting the equipment. The packaging was organized, easy to unpack, and held everything extremely securely. All in all, this is exactly what we like to see from manufacturers here at TechREACTION.

In addition to the contents listed above, our review sample included two satellite risers used to aim the speakers exactly where your ears will be in order to make a crisper and more accurate “sweet spot” for listening.

Installing the speakers is as intuitive as possible, as the cables and components are color-coded, and include diagrams that are very easy to understand. The only comment that we have to make in this area is that for someone looking to use the home stereo speakers for another purpose (like a home theater system) the 6′ cables for the satellites may not be long enough to provide a sufficiently spacious audio stage.

SP2500 Connectors

Cables, Cables, Cables!

Corsair made interesting cable choices for the SP2500. The power system does not utilize a standard C13/C14 coupler, it is a C17/C18 (see the images below). C13/14 cables are compatible with C17/C18 devices, but C17/18 cables are not compatible with C13/14 devices. This means that if you need a longer power cable, you CAN use any standard C13/C14 ones you have lying around, but you cannot use the cable supplied by Corsair for your monitor or printer or what-have-you.

SP2500 C17/18 Connector

C17/C18 coupler

C13/C14 coupler

In addition to the unique power delivery method, Corsair went with ATX4 connectors for the speakers. This is not completely unheard-of, as Sony has also done this for some of its entertainment centers that utilize dual-driver satellites.

SP2500 ATX4 Satellite Speaker Connector

SP2500 Subwoofer

The Subwoofer

The 8″ subwoofer is powered by a pair of 60-watt class D amplifiers which utilize a 4th-order bypass filter to refine the signal as it leaves the amp, resulting in clearer, more accurate sound.

SP2500 Satellite

SP2500 Satellite Connection

The Satellites

The SP2500’s satellites feature 3″ midrange drivers and 1″ tweeters. Corsair designed the SP2500 first and foremost, as a desktop sound system. What that means for the end user is these speakers are designed to be placed to the left and right of your monitor, a few feet from your ears, creating an acoustic sweet spot in front of your PC. This kind of focus is an advantage – your head will be more or less in the same place all the time (like in a car audio environment), which means they can tune the speakers to deliver their best sound with a fairly high degree of precision as to where the listener is likely to be.

The Remote

The wired remote Corsair has included with the SP2500 series has a wide array of settings, languages, and features.

• Wired desktop controller with high-resolution color 1.8″ (4.6cm) TFT display and multi-lingual interface .
• English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese
• Mod X™ audio processing
• EQ settings: late night listening, environment simulation, and optimal enjoyment of game and movie genres

The Mod X™ and EQ settings will be discussed in further as we perform our testing.

SP2500 Remote in Use

SP2500 Remote Serial Connector

Next: Our Test System

Now, let’s get find out just how well Corsair lives up to their claims with the Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T.

Packaging:

Specifications & Features:

Next: A Look At The Corsair Graphite Series 600T

The performance memory market has continued to push the performance envelope over the last few generations of hardware, each new development ushering in more speed and better performance.  But beyond speed, memory has not yielded much material to the marketing departments.  We all know that the marketing departments are tasked with getting products on the market and into your hands. But other than performance, the only marketable aspects in the segment are fancy heat spreaders, cooling fans and the occasional LED strip. So with this we had to ask, has innovation hit a roadblock?  I thought so, but then I’ve never been a huge fan of gimmicky marketing. If you read my last memory review about the Corsair Dominator GTX3 DIMMs, you’ll see why.

However, this review has left me wondering if I was wrong.  Crucial has been kind enough to supply one of their latest and greatest Ballistix memory kits for our review today.  Are they bucking the trends and actually packing some real innovation into their latest products, or is it just a bunch of fluff?  We’ll soon find out, read on!

Crucial Ballistix – The Hardware:

The kit we have here today is based on three BL25664FN2139 2GB DIMMs for a total of 6GB of memory.  These DIMMs are rated at DDR3-2133 (PC3-17000) with 9-10-9-24 timings running at 1.65V.  The kit shipped in an unassuming brown cardboard box with a generic Crucial label sealing it shut.

Ballistix box

The box contained the three 2GB DIMMs  as seen here.

Ballistx back

The rear of the DIMMs have a small sticker attached with a serial number displayed.

Ballistx front

The front of the DIMMs are quite unique.  The heat spreaders are black anodized aluminum and attached to the memory ICs with thermal tape. The PCB does not make contact with the heat spreaders.

Ballistix PCB

Upon removal of said heat spreader we get a clear look at the PCB, which is average height and matte black in color.  I’m not personally very concerned about “bling” in my computer builds, but I am becoming a little more picky about color coordination and I’m a big fan of the black PCB here, which is visually a nice upgrade over standard green.

Ballistix IC

If you are not aware, Crucial is the direct retail arm of Micron, so the best of Micron technology goes directly into Crucial’s premium products: Ballistix & Ballistix Tracer being premium.  As you can see here, the IC’s used in these DIMMs are marked with the Ballistix name, which clearly illustrates this relationship.  Embedded somewhere in this PCB is a piece of temperature monitoring hardware, the only obvious extra logic on the PCB is shown in the upper left corner of the last image, but I cannot say for sure if this houses said hardware.

Next: Crucial Ballistix – The Software

Packaging:

Specifications & Features:

Next: A look at the Corsair HS1A

If you haven’t already seen our complete Asus Maximus IV Extreme (MIVE) motherboard review, Parts ONE and TWO, you’re missing out. Part 1 covered synthetic testing with the i7 2600K CPU at 5.1GHz to give an idea of the power that this platform contains. Part 2 was a full blown comparison between X58 and Sandy Bridge, with a helping of AMD Thuban for good measure. We also awarded the MIVE the TechREACTION.net Gold Silicon award for its outstanding performance.

Today, we’ll give you a look at another top P67 choice; the Gigabyte P67A-UD7. Currently it is the top choice for Sandy Bridge users looking for Gigabyte flavor in their builds. This will be a true head-to-head comparison between the two motherboards’ performance, overclocking, and ease of use factors. All of these things are important for enthusiasts in this market, so with luck, Gigabyte will meet and exceed our expectations in regards to these features with the UD7. Read on…

Gigabyte P67A-UD7

V.S.

Asus Maximus IV Extreme

Both of these boards represent each company’s premier P67 offering at this time. They each support numerous USB3.0 ports, dual NICs, triple SLI and top quality components. Each company has attempted to infuse a plethora of overclockinging features to keep all enthusiasts, from gamers to hardcore overclockers, happy and…well…enthused. Each claims to be the best, but there is only one problem with that; they both cannot be the best. This statement creates a conundrum, but never fear; TechREACTION is here!

Next: A Closer Look At The P67A-UD7