At Puget Systems, we pride ourselves in building some of the quietest PCs in the industry. At the same time, we build high-performance computers, and designing a computer to be both can be a delicate balance. Passively cooled video cards are essential to an ultra-quiet computer like our Serenity PC. The Gigabyte Silent-Cell video cards appear to be a perfect fit, but as we’ll find in this article, appearances can be deceiving.
SATA cables: Is there a difference?
With the release of SATA III 6GB/s, we have seen some confusion on the web regarding what SATA cables are supported. Today we will be addressing those concerns by testing multiple SATA 3Gb/s and SATA 6Gb/s cables to see if there are any performance differences.
Product Roundup: Kingwin 3.5inch Hot Swap Racks
Today we will be reviewing three different sizes of 3.5″ internal hot swap racks from Kingwin. They are the KF-1000-BK (single drive), KF-3001-BK (triple drive) and the KF-4001-BK (quad drive).
Spanning Multiple Monitors
Early this year, I decided to purchase and setup a trio of monitors for a triple monitor display. The setup itself was going to be used in a span configuration with a resolution of 5760 x 1080 on an ATI 5870 Eyefinity Edition video card with the goal of being able to see more while gaming. I thought I’d share my experiences, and what I learned may help you with your own monitor configuration.
Vertical vs. Horizontal Case Cooling
Some manufactures begun rotating their cases so they have a up/down rather than front/back airflow, claiming that this vertical airflow is superior since it is working in cooperation with the forces of convection. Does vertical airflow really improve cooling?
Announcing Puget Labs
Last December, we got together at Puget Systems and talked about our industry, how we see computers evolving, and how Puget Systems can continue to grow as a leader in our industry. We mapped out an exciting long term plan, with some ambitious goals for 2011. I am happy to announce today one piece of that plan — Puget Labs. What is that all about?
Product Review: BitFenix Shinobi Black w/ Window
The BitFenix Shinobi is a case designed with budget consumers in mind. Looking at this case though, it is clear that a cheap price does not necessarily mean cheap construction. All too often, budget cases feel flimsy and the design not fully thought through. Luckily, the Shinobi has neither of those problems.
Product Review: Asus ASMB5-iKVM
The Asus ASMB5-iKVM is a BIOS-level remote management solution, allowing it to work at any point; whether the system is in the OS, the BIOS, or even halted due to a bluescreen. Most current remote management solutions are software-based, so they only work when an OS is running, which makes the Asus ASMB5-iKVM an attractive solution for network administrators and many home users alike.
How it works: O.C. Profiles
O.C. profiles allow users to save their BIOS settings to a memory chip on the motherboard so that if the BIOS gets reset due to a power loss or the CMOS battery dies, you can quickly restore the BIOS to the proper settings. This article show the basics of using O.C. profiles.
PCI-Express Performance and the NVIDIA Warning
Puget Systems has been in the business of building computers for 11 years now, and we know what we are doing when it comes to assembling top-notch custom computers. It is a bit insulting, then, when a parts manufacturer puts out a warning which appears – on the surface – to indicate something we do is resulting in anything other than the highest performance possible. Yet here I am, to let you know about just such a notice that nVidia’s latest driver software is giving when using their graphics cards in certain configurations.