Fan grills are a component in a computer that is often underestimated in terms of their contribution to both system noise and airflow. Most often, grills are chosen based on aesthetics with only a small thought towards performance. In this article, we will be examining nine different grills to determine the effects of grill design on both noise and airflow.
Product Qualification: Antec Solo II
The Solo II is Antec’s latest addition to their Sonata family of chassis and is designed primarily for quiet operation of low to mid range systems. This chassis includes many features for quiet computing, a high-quality stock fan and USB 3.0 connectivity to keep it in line with the latest technology. However, is this chassis solid enough to justify it’s high MSRP value of $129?
Side Panel Fans: Are They Worth It?
Adequate cooling is always a concern when using high-end hardware. In this article we will examine the cooling advantages a side fan can give to an otherwise normal system.
Product Qualification: Lancool PC-K9B
The PC-K9B is a mid tower chassis from Lancool’s “First Knight” series. It is available in black, silver and a black version with a painted black interior. For this qualification, we will be reviewing the basic black version.
Product Review: Gelid GX-7 CPU Cooler
The GX-7 is Gelid’s latest addition to their heatsink line and is in their Gamer line of coolers. In this article we will be reviewing the performance and noise levels in comparison to to the Gelid Rev. 2 Tranquillo.
Product Qualification: Asus F1A75-I Deluxe Motherboard
The F1A75-I Deluxe is Asus’ first mini-ITX motherboard based on the new AMD A75 platform. In this article we will be reviewing the features available on this board to see if it lives up to its intended use in home theater systems.
Product Review: Silverstone TJ08-E
The Silverstone TJ08-E is the successor to the popular Silverstone TJ08. Today we will be reviewing the case to see if it is worthy of replacing the Silvestone TJ08.
Product Roundup: Intel/LSI RAID cards
As hard drives are becoming faster and faster, you need a RAID card that is able to keep up with them. Today we will be reviewing the performance of five RAID cards. From LSI: the 9211-4i, the 9750-4i, and the 9240-4i. From Intel: the RS2BL040 and the RS2BL080.
Product Qualification: Antec 120/140mm TrueQuiet Fans
The Antec TrueQuiet series of fans are designed for quiet operation and feature a low/high switch allowing the user to choose between silent or higher cooling modes. We are very familiar with Antec’s Tri-Cool case fans and have been very happy with them, but they are not the best option for quiet operation. In this article, we will see if the TrueQuiet fans live up to their name.
Product Qualification: Gelid Slim Silence I-Plus
The Gelid Slim Silence I-Plus is a cooler designed to fit in places too small for even a stock CPU cooler. But given the small size of this cooler, will it have enough cooling to keep a CPU cool?