It just so happens that Specialtech and Lian Li have teamed up to offer one lucky Specialtech forum member the chance to own one of these stunning cases. How so you may ask? Well all you have to do is follow the guidelines below and you’ll be one step closer to getting your hands on the stunning P60 from Lian Li.

Be a registered Forum member with a post count of 5 or more
Yes it really is that simple!!! If you already have a post count of 5 or more, you are already entered…sit back and relax, you need do nothing more.
To people new to the Forums…..welcome and get posting.
Prize winner will be drawn on July 31st
Once again a HUGE thank you to Lian Li for this great prize…..(I know there’s more in the pipeline)

Rules
1. Not open to Specialtech employees and their families.
2. Post count must be viable posts and not just spam or one word replies (any posts we deem as spam will be removed).
3. Any participants outside mainland UK will have to be charged appropriate shipping to their country (sorry)
4. In some instances we can not ship fluids to various countries due to shipping regulations, we can determine this on the close of the competition and your country of destination.

Even if you’re not a regular forum goer, making 5 non spam posts really isn’t that difficult, so get signed up, get posting and good luck!

Since it began in 2003, the 80 plus certification program has been widely adopted as the de facto standard whereby high end power supply units undergo rigorous testing to ensure they meet the standards set to ascertain an 80 plus certfication. It’s only in the last few years that we’ve seen the marketing buffs go to town with the 80 plus branding, but do the PSU’s actually perform as the claims may suggest?

Cooler Master have been producing power supplies for around 6 years now and have recently launched a range of 80 plus Gold power supplies, aptly named the “Silent Pro Gold Series.” A range of wattages from 600W to 1200W are available, but we’ll be taking a look at the 600W unit today.

To achieve an 80 plus gold certification the PSU must reach 87%, 90%, 87% efficiency levels at 20%, 50%, and 100% loads respectively, so these are also the loading levels we’ll be using to test the Silent Pro M Gold 600W, along with our Corsair HX 620W and Corsair HX 650W for the basis of comparison. Obviously these PSU’s aren’t rated for 80 plus gold, but a review without some form of comparison wouldn’t be of much interest.

Before I go any further I’d like to point out that if I hadn’t been invited to Cooler Master’s labs to use their PSU testing equipment today’s review wouldn’t have been possible. A big thumbs up to you all for trusting me not to break your expensive equipment!

So let’s take a look at what Cooler Master are offering with their Silent Pro Gold 600W in regards to Specification:

On the next page we take a closer look at the Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold.

ROCCAT ReStyle – Protective Notebook Skins can be cut to millimeter precision, plus as they measure 295 x 420mm, they can be used on any 13” to 17.3” notebook. The special SafeStick adhesive technology means they’re really easy to apply. And if needed, the film can be removed without leaving a trace – and even reused.

ROCCAT ReStyle – Protective Notebook Skins will be available from retailers from the start of July 2010 for the MSRP of €14.99.

FEATURES AT A GLANCE

SCRATCH-PROOF PROTECTIVE FILM
with ROCCAT-Style for notebooks

FLEXIBLE UNIVERSAL SIZE
cuts to fit any 13” to 17.3” notebook

HARDWEARING PLASTIC SURFACE
for protection against dirt and scratches

SPECIAL SAFESTICK TECHNOLOGY
for easy application and residue-free removal

HIGH UV RESISTANCE
for brilliant, long-lasting colors that won’t fade

REUSABLE AND EXTREMELY DURABLE
thanks to the innovative adhesive and high-quality coating

DIMENSIONS
295 x 420mm

SteelSeries will offer a complete gaming solution with the StarCraft II Limited Edition Zboard gaming keyboard bundle, which includes the SteelSeries Zboard Base with Z Engine II software, the Zboard Standard QWERTY Keyset for everyday use and the SteelSeries Limited Edition Zboard™ Keyset (StarCraft II). The specially designed Zboard™ Keyset (StarCraft II) provides labeled commands, in-game shortcuts, official artwork from the game, and three race-specific mods featuring unique abilities for each of the races. Through its unique Z Engine II software, gamers can also remap every key on the keyboard, guaranteeing a completely customized experience for each and every user.

Joining the current line of StarCraft II-branded Qck Limited Edition mouse pads, SteelSeries introduces two new products showcasing beautiful in-game artwork. The SteelSeries Limited Edition QcK Tychus Findlay and Marauder mouse pads feature images of the iconic terran marine and the terran heavy infantry unit respectively. The Qcks are made of a high-quality cloth material with an optimized textured surface, and provide players with a smooth and consistent gliding surface.

“With Blizzard Entertainment’s recent release date announcement for the highly anticipated StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, SteelSeries is excited to introduce new game-specific gear designed to offer high-quality peripheral options and a true immersive experience,” said Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries CEO.

Available at game launch, the StarCraft II Limited Edition Zboard gaming keyboard bundle will retail for $69.99 USD / EUR 64.99. The SteelSeries Limited Edition QcK Tychus Findlay, Marauder, Qck Marine, and Kerrigan vs. Zeratul mouse pads retail for $14.99 USD / EUR 14.99. The SteelSeries Zboard Keyset (StarCraft II) is also sold separately for $24.99 USD / EUR 24.99. Gamers can find all of SteelSeries Limited Edition StarCraft II gear available at http://www.steelseries.com and additional retailers.

The Next-Gen 3D Performance Benchmark – 3DMark 11

MSI R5000 and N400 series graphics cards fully support DirectX 11 technology

Because DirectX 11 becomes a must-have technology for the next generation games, MSI’s R5000 and N400 series graphics cards with ATI Radeon HD 5000 series or NVIDA GeForce 400

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Graphite Series™ 600T mid-tower case, the latest addition to Corsair’s award-winning range of high-performance computer cases.

The Graphite Series 600T builds on the success of the Obsidian Series™ 700D and 800D full-tower cases, by combining the features and performance that enthusiasts demand with a premium standard of build quality. It is designed to accommodate years of future component upgrades, with a USB 3.0 front panel connector and heavy duty latches and panels. The Graphite Series 600T stands out from the crowd of standard mid-tower cases on the market by offering builder-friendly features, optimized airflow, and exciting, dynamic styling.

“Corsair took the case market by storm with the launch of the Obsidian Series 700D and 800D, and with the launch of the Graphite Series 600T, the storm will most certainly continue,” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing, Corsair. “The Graphite Series 600T may be a mid-tower on the outside, but inside it offers the features and performance of a full-tower case. Whether you are building a system with multiple GPUs, extra-long GPUs, or advanced watercooling, the 600T will accommodate your needs with style.”

The Graphite Series 600T incorporates many of the same builder-friendly features from the award-winning Obsidian Series 700D and 800D, including advanced cable management and a large backplate cutout for easy CPU cooler installation. Specific design steps were taken to enable advanced watercooling configurations, including support for a dual 120mm radiator.

Cooling is taken care of by one 200mm front intake fan with an easy-access dust-filter, plus one 200mm and one 120mm exhaust fan. An integrated fan controller allows for flexible control over fans speeds to balance cooling performance and sound levels.

Up to six 2.5in or 3.5in storage drives are supported in easy-access caddies, plus up to four 5.25in front-panel devices. The Graphite Series 600T also supports all long graphics card formats, such as the Nvidia® GeForce® GTX 400-series and ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, and will easily fit 3-way SLI™ or CrossFireX™ configurations.

The Corsair Graphite Series 600T mid-tower case is expected to be available later this summer from Corsair’s worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers. It is supplied with a two year warranty, and is backed up by Corsair’s legendary customer service and technical support.

]]> http://performancehardware.net/news/corsair-launches-graphite-series-600t-mid-tower-computer-case/feed/ 0 http://performancehardware.net/news/coolit-systems-introduce-the-world%e2%80%99s-first-range-of-specialised-advanced-liquid-cooling-solutions/ http://performancehardware.net/news/coolit-systems-introduce-the-world%e2%80%99s-first-range-of-specialised-advanced-liquid-cooling-solutions/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:36:25 +0000 AntiHeroUK http://performancehardware.net/?p=160 CoolIT Systems, leaders in IT liquid cooling technology announced today their first four products in what will be the world’s largest range of specialised advanced liquid cooling solutions.

“Our aim is to offer a wide variety of configurations to satisfy a vast amount of individual cooling requirements across many IT platforms whilst maintaining cost effective, highly efficient, easy to install and maintenance free cooling” explained Geoff Lyon, CEO, CoolIT Systems.

For the ultimate cooling performance, the CoolIT Systems ECO 240 ALC features a 240mm optimised radiator with a twin 120mm fan assembly powered and regulated by a single 12V motherboard header.  The fans can be configured in either a push or pull orientation according to the customer’s preference.

The CoolIT Systems Dual ECO 240 ALC is designed for dual processor workstation and server platforms.  Two award winning ECO units work effectively in series providing optimal stability and reliability whilst reducing acoustic output from an optimised 240mm radiator and twin fan assembly.

Addressing small form factor computing, the CoolIT Systems ECO 80 ALC features CoolIT’s newly developed 80mm radiator and fan combination.  Hardware components in confined environments can finally be effectively and quietly cooled by extracting heat directly out of the chassis.  For maximum compatibility, CoolIT have also introduced the ECO 92 ALC with 92mm fan and radiator.

“The possibilities are endless” continued Lyon, “further customisation can be requested on all our products to suit individual requirements and specifications, such as a 4 fan setup on the Dual ECO 240 ALC powered and controlled by just a single 12V fan header”.

Following the launch of the CoolIT Systems OMNI ALC universal graphics card cooler, both GPU and GPU/CPU combinations will soon be introduced to the new range as well as the infamous MAESTRO scalable wireless control system.  Lyon explained,

“Imagine being able to control and monitor the cooling performance of multiple graphics cards, processors, fans and temperature sensors from a simple piece of software and more importantly without any wires!”

“CoolIT Systems is built on pure innovation, but our innovation extends further than our product line” added Lyon.  “We invest massive amounts of resources in the development of our manufacturing processes and services we offer.  This is what sets us way apart from our competitors” he concluded.

Innovative and Patented Technologies

The Silent Pro Gold series features an entirely new design with several innovative and patented technologies. Cooler Master has created HTT™ (Heat Transfer Technology), a unique “L-shaped” heat-sink designed to vastly improve the airflow inside the power supply, resulting in lower operating temperatures. Another unique feature to the Silent Pro Gold series is the Hybrid Transformer™ which mounts the transformer directly to the heatsink. This makes for a more compact transformer and improves the power efficiency at the same time.

Yet another feature that helps improve the power efficiency is Hyper Path™ which is a “hyper link” between the transformer and the various power conversion components. The “hyper link” results in almost a loss-less transfer of energy which has never been done before. Combine all three of these features and you got one of the most quiet and power efficient power supplies in its category. The entire range offers a power efficiency that exceeds 90 percent at 220V, starting from a load of about 50 percent (model dependant), with some models never dropping below 90 percent. During normal use (up to about 50 percent load), neither model exceeds 21 dBA of fan noise thanks to the low RPM fan design combined with the new heat-sink design.

Superb Performance

Power efficiency and noise aside, the Silent Pro Gold series offers a wide range of cutting edge features. You will of course get modular cables and as with other high-end power supplies from Cooler Master and the Silent Pro Gold series is supplied with flat cables which allows for a much tidier build. Some models also features a cable protector for the main ATX power cable on the PSU end which reduces wear and tear where this large cable enters the PSU chassis.

Good as Gold

The Silent Pro Gold series is available in a wide range of different Wattages, starting at 600W going all the way up to 1200W. The 700W, 800W and 900W models are all ready for 3-way SLI or CrossFireX, while the 1000W and 1200W models handles quad SLI or CrossFireX as well as the latest XL-ATX motherboards with support for dual 8-pin 12V connectors. The 600W unit starts out with a single 48A 12V rail, while the 1200W model ups this to an insane 98A, enough to power anything you can throw at it. Common across the entire range is support for no less than nine SATA drives, four Molex connectors and a single floppy drive connector. All models also come with a class leading 5 year warranty.

Best-in-class performance comes from a new NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 465 graphics processor packing 352 unified shaders ready to take on the latest 3D games, NVIDIA® CUDA™ and OpenCL compatible applications. An ultra-wide 256-bit memory interface joins the GeForce® GTX 465 graphics processor with 1GB of high-speed GDDR5 memory for a screaming-fast performance combination that delivers an adrenalin packed gaming experience.

“ZOTAC strives to deliver phenomenal graphics performance with all of our graphics cards. The new ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 is our latest offering and redefines user expectations for features and performance when it comes to a performance-class graphics card,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

Microsoft® DirectX® 11 with Shader Model 5.0 compatibility injects visual realism with new integrated GPU-accelerated tessellation technology. GPU-accelerated tessellation takes realism to new heights with unprecedented character and environmental details for phenomenal photorealistic in-game visuals.

Enhanced anti-aliasing algorithms obliterate jagged edges from 3D visuals for super-smooth game environments and characters. The enhanced algorithms deliver up to 32x samples at lightning-fast speeds for superior visuals that do not compromise performance.

“Visual realism traditionally takes a toll on performance, but with the ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465, you can turn up the eye-candy with a minimal impact in your favorite and newest games,” Mr. Berger said. “The ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 also ensures you’re ready for future titles powered by the latest Microsoft® DirectX® 11 technology as well.”

NVIDIA® Surround and 3-way SLI readiness enables up to three ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 graphics cards to work together to drive up to three high-definition displays for immersive multi-monitor gaming. NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ Surround readiness adds stereoscopic 3D effects to hundreds of games when paired with 3D Vision™ compatible glasses and displays for the ultimate gaming experience.

Two technology demos are included with the ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 graphics card – Supersonic Sled and Design Garage. Supersonic Sled demonstrates all the hardware features such as GPU-accelerated tessellation, NVIDIA® PhysX® and CUDA™ technologies and lets users race a rocket-powered sled down a track at high-speeds for a phenomenal visual demonstration of the capabilities of the ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 while Design Garage takes advantage of ray tracing technology to colorize and render exotic cars with photo-realistic details and utilizing the full power of the ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 graphics card.

It’s time to play with the ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 graphics card.

General details

• • New ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465 graphics card
  • ZOTAC GeForce® GTX 465
    • Engine clock: 607 MHz
    • 352 Unified Shaders
    • Shader clock: 1215 MHz
    • 1GB GDDR5 memory
    • 256-bit memory interface
    • Memory clock: 3206 MHz
  • Dual dual-link DVI-I outputs
  • Mini HDMI 1.3a output
  • PCI Express 2.0 interface (Compatible with 1.1)
  • DirectX^® 11 with Shader Model 5.0 compatible
  • OpenGL^® 3.2 compatible
  • NVIDIA^® 3D Vision™ Surround ready
  • NVIDIA^® CUDA^™ & PhysX^® ready
  • NVIDIA^® SLI ready (3-way)
  • NVIDIA^® PureVideo^™ HD technology
  • HDMI 1.3a compliant (w/8-channel LPCM audio)
  • xvYCC Color & DeepColor compatible
  • Microsoft^® DirectX^® 11 & DirectCompute ready

Specifications:

“We’re eager and excited to enter into a partnership with GUNNAR Optiks. GUNNAR not only designs market leading digital performance gear, but also maintains an excellent reputation in the entertainment industry from novice players to professional gamers, and believes, like SteelSeries, in the future of competitive gaming,” said SteelSeries CEO, Bruce Hawver.

“Partnering with a peripherals company that’s built its reputation on creating gear that offers a competitive advantage for gamers is a smart and beneficial alignment for both of our brands,” said Rob Aarnes, President, GUNNAR Optiks. “We’ve already begun our collaboration and design process and look forward to introducing this exclusive co-branded line of advanced gaming eyewear very soon.”

As a leading worldwide manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, SteelSeries applies the Winning is Everything philosophy to professional and publisher gaming gear, from product functionality and technology to the aesthetics and feel. Since the company began, SteelSeries collaborates with the most talented and successful professional gamers in the world to produce innovative products that provide a true competitive edge for all gamers.

This collaboration with pro-gamers and the goals to create a better experience and competitive edge for gamers is where GUNNAR and SteelSeries align. GUNNAR Optiks is the first company to develop a total lens and frame solution addressing the needs of the most demanding digital device users.

SteelSeries and GUNNAR Optiks will provide further details and introduce their co-branded gear within the next few months.