Seri motherboard MSI XPower jelas dirancang untuk memanjakan penggemar overclocking dan high-end gamers. Asus telah menargetkannya dengan merek perusahaan Republic of Gamers (ROG). Kemasan The XPower memberi dukungan penuh untuk semua istilah-istilah terbaru dan kemampuan, tetapi MSI juga mengklaim menawarkan fitur unik tertentu yang produsen lain tidak bisa cocok saat ini. Kami tertarik pada inovasi baru dan ide-ide ketika mengamati desain motherboard ini, mari kita lihat di balik keuletan MSI's Big Bang.

Specifications & Features

Processor Support 
LGA1366 Socket for Intel Core i7 Processors
Supports Intel TurboBoost Technology

Chipset
 Intel X58  Chipset
Intel ICH10R Southbridge
   
Memory 
 6 x DIMM, Max. 24 GB, DDR3 2133(OC) 1600/1333/ 1066MHz Non-ECC, Unbuffered RAM
Triple Channel memory architecture
   
Expansion Slots 
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x16 speed)
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x8 speed)
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 speed)
1 x PCIe 1.1 x1

Multi-GPU Support:
Supports  NVIDIA Quad-GPU SLI Technology
Suports ATI Quad-GPU CrossFireX Technology

Storage
Intel X58 Chipset
6 xSATA 3 Gb/s ports
Intel Matrix Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10

JMicron JMB362 eSATA controller
1 x External SATA 3.0 Gb/s port
1 x eSATA/USB 2 Port

Marvell PCIe SATA 6.0Gb/s Controller
2 x SATA 6.0 GB/s ports (gray)
 
Audio
QuantumWave Audio Card
Realtek ALC889

LAN
2 x Realtek 8111DL Gigabit LAN Controller IEEE-1394
1 x IEEE1394a (VIA VT6315N) Internal
1 x IEEE1394a External

USB
10 USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at back I/O, 4 ports onboard)
2 x USB 3.0 ports (blue)Back Panel I/O

Ports
1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (green)
1 x Clear CMOS
1 x D-LED2 Panel Connector
1 x 1394 Port
5 x USB 2 Ports
1 x eSATA Ports
1 x eSATA/USB 2.0 Ports
2 x LAN RJ-45 Ports
2 x USB 3.0 Ports

Internal I/O Connectors
2 x USB 2.0 Connectors
1 x 1394a Connector
1 x Chassis Intrusion Detector
1 x TPM Module Connector
1 x Reset Button
1 x Power Button
1 x GreenGenie Connector (Optional)
1 x Over-Voltage Switch
1 x Set Voltage Check Point
1 x OC Genie Button
2 x Base Clock Control Buttons
1 x Set Debug LED Panel

Form Factor
ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30 cm x 24.4 cm )

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Not quite big enough to be considered a desktop-replacement laptop—yet slightly larger than most mainstream-size notebooks—the MSI GT660R offers gamers the best of two worlds. This slick-looking 16-inch machine delivers solid gaming and productivity performance and features one of the better audio subsystems around. Our gripes with this notebook are few and relatively minor; when the cooling fans kick in, they are noisy, and MSI’s Turbo Drive Engine+ (TDE+) feature does little to boost the machine's DirectX 10 graphics performance, despite MSI’s claims that it uses the Nvidia overclocking utility to boost graphics performance. The GT660R comes with lots of RAID-configured storage and a Blu-ray optical drive; the parts list rings up to a list price of $1,849, which is quite reasonable for a system of this caliber. (Plus, for $200 less, you can get the step-down GT660 model, which comes with a DVD-only drive and a smaller hard drive, if Blu-ray and massive storage aren't essentials.)

The GT660R delivers the flash that gamers crave without going overboard. The lid is done up in a shiny black finish with just a trace of sparkle to it. Beveled edges give it a sleek, sculpted look. A backlit MSI badge is planted in the middle of the lid, and the sides and back of the lid sport thin strips of orange LEDs that you can set to be always on or off, or to pulse with the rhythm of human breathing. These lights also illuminate two grilles at the front of the chassis, as well as two smaller strips on the sides of the wrist rest.
Elaborate lighting schemes like these are usually found only on weighty, bulky gaming rigs, but the GT660R doesn't quite fit that mold. Weighing 7.7 pounds and measuring 1.8 inches thick, the GT660R isn’t exactly thin and light, but it is much easier to tote around than a typical 17-inch gaming notebook, such as the 12.7-pound Alienware M17x or the 11.9-pound Eurocom D900F Panther. And what's so nice about this machine's relatively light weight is that you don't have to forfeit having a fairly huge screen.
Beneath the lid, the 16-inch display is framed by a two-tone (glossy/matte) black bezel. The panel has a maximum resolution of 1,366x768 and can display HD content at 720p, which is pretty much the norm for notebooks of this size, though a little low for a gaming rig. You’ll have to move up to a larger model, like the Eurocom D900F Panther, if you want full high-definition at 1080p—and you’ll have to pay quite a bit more for the privilege. That said, the GT660R’s display looked crisp and clear while romping through the jungles in Far Cry 2, and the movie 2012, viewed on Blu-ray disc, looked excellent. Image detail was sharp, and color quality was excellent. We noted some reflectivity from the screen's glossy coating, but not enough to be distracting.
At the top of the deck are two round speaker enclosures, which work in tandem with a subwoofer to produce a robust wall of sound powered by Dynaudio's sound-processing technology. The speakers, considering they're planted in a laptop, are incredibly loud and crisp, and the subwoofer does an excellent job of delivering booming bass tones. Granted, you won’t feel the bass in your gut as you would if you had a big subwoofer planted under your desk, but the overall audio quality is much better than what you get with most notebooks and makes the movie and gaming experience all the more enjoyable.
The full-size black Chiclet keyboard has a dedicated number pad and red labeling for the W, A, D, and S keys, which are commonly used as gaming controls. The arrow keys also have red labeling, as do the 2, 4, 6, and 8 number-pad keys, so you’ll no trouble identifying them as additional gaming controls. The keyboard is firm, and the keys are evenly spaced for comfortable typing. It would be nice if they were backlit for nighttime gaming, though (or even if just for the cool factor alone).

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Here in late 2010, Acer, along with its sub-brands Gateway and eMachines, is swinging for the fences with compact, budget-friendly desktops—and mostly making very good contact. On the low end, Acer has tapped out a few underpowered, entertainment-focused options like the $299 eMachines Mini-e ER1402-05, which packs just a bit more computing power than your average netbook. But in contrast, if your budget can squeak a bit over $500, its "deluxe" budget offerings are mostly triples or homers. One of our favorites in that vein is the Gateway SX2311-03, which packs in a very capable quad-core CPU, Wi-Fi, and a full terabyte of storage. (When we wrote this, it was down as low as $550.)

At $449, the Acer Aspire AX3400-U2012 drops in neatly between these two, in terms of price. And while it loses the bundled Wi-Fi and halves the storage space of the Gateway SX model we looked at, this little PC is much closer to its costlier cousin in terms of performance. That makes it a good mainstream pick for those short on both budget and desk space.
This tower’s triple-core AMD Athlon II X3 435 CPU may logically sound less powerful than costlier quad-core options, but its 2.9GHz clock rate is actually slightly faster than the four-core chip found in the aforementioned SX2311-03. More to the point: Most mainstream software still makes use of only a single CPU core, so you likely won’t notice a performance difference between this PC and a similar machine with an extra core, unless you perform four CPU-taxing tasks at the same time with regularity. (The bottom line on this issue: Unless you use high-end graphics- or video-editing apps, anything over two cores in your CPU is a relative luxury, all else being equal.) The AX3400, helped by 4GB of DDR3 RAM, should be suitably speedy whether you’re using it as a dorm, office, or family PC.
Aesthetically, the AX3400 should blend in nicely in varying environments, as well. This compact tower (measuring 10.5x4x13.9 inches, HWD) sports a slightly different design than the last AX-series PC we looked at (the Aspire AX1301-B1812, back in February 2010). The newer model loses the difficult-to-press power button in favor of a big, blue-backlit square. It's impossible to miss when powered on, and it lies flush with the top of the case, making it more difficult to hit accidentally. The upper two-thirds of the case’s face is covered with a diamond pattern resembling steel plate, giving it some texture. The sides, on the other hand, are matte-black steel.

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The Asus VG236H is a 23-inch monitor with a 120Hz refresh rate and is compatible with the Nvidia 3D Vision Kit. The monitor includes a host of ergonomic adjustment options as well as HDMI and DVI connections. At $340 (without the 3D Vision kit; $500 with it), the Asus is not a terribly expensive investment prospect for a monitor, especially with the features it includes. However, if you spend $30 less, you can get the Samsung PX2370, which is a better performing monitor with some really useful onscreen display options. A green tint problem hampers the VG236H. While you can make adjustments to marginalize the issue, it takes effort to do so, and even then, the monitor's performance isn't perfect. If ergo options as well as 120Hz refresh rate are important to you, the VG236H should fit your needs nicely and at a price most people can live with.

Design and features

The 23-inch Asus VG236H has an extremely glossy, reflective piano black front chassis with a plain matte covering the back. The monitor's screen is also very glossy with mirrorlike reflectance. The monitor includes a typical-looking circular foot stand, which is 9.75 inches in diameter. While the stand provides the monitor with adequate stability, if you knock the monitor, the stand makes a loud clicking sound as the plastic and metal on its bottom grind together.
The monitor includes a five-degree back tilt, panel swiveling, and height adjustment; however, it doesn't have a pivot adjustment. The stand leaves 2.6 inches from the bottom of the bezel to the desktop when adjusted to its lowest height and 6.8-inches when at its highest position. The bezel is 0.75 inch wide and the panel is 1.25 inch deep at its most narrow and 2.5 inches at its thickest, when you take the monitor's ventilation system and connecting options into account.
The VG236H has HDMI, DVI, and component connection options. Asus locates the connections on the back of the display, on the right side, facing downward. The capability to adjust the height of the panel makes them fairly easy to access. The monitor's onscreen display button array includes five buttons in the lower right-hand corner of the bezel. Each button is suitably wide and provides a tactile click when pushed.
The array consists of a Menu button, an Up and Down button, a Source button, and a preset cycle button. The monitor's Up and Down buttons also doubles as the Brightness and Contrast shortcuts. Navigating the OSD is simple, although it took us a few minutes to get accustom to using Menu as the "Enter" button. The VG236H's preset modes include Standard, Theater, Game, Night View, and Scenery. Each preset changes the color temperature and brightness of the display with the intent of them being appropriate to the task at hand. Its additional color preset options include Cool, Normal, Warm, SRGB, and User Mode; the latter letting you change the RGB values individually. Finally, the "Skin Tone" option includes a Reddish, Bluish, and Normal setting.

Design highlights:

Connectivity: HDMI, DVI, Component
Ergonomic options: 5 degree back tilt, Screen height adjustment, Swivel
Resolution: 1,920x1,080 pixels
Aspect ratio: 16:9
Audio: n/a
VESA support: Yes


Feature highlights:

Included video cables? DVI
Backlight: CCFL
Panel Type: TN
Screen film: Glossy
Pixel-response rate: 2ms
Number of presets: 5
Overdrive: No
Picture options: Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, and Saturation
Color controls: Cool, Normal, Warm, sRGB, Reddish, Bluish
Gamma control: No
Additional features: 120Hz refresh rate and Nvidia 3D Vision compatible

Performance
Editors' note: As our test system does not include an Nvidia GPU, we did not test the monitor with the 3D Vision Kit. For an earlier review of the Kit, check out its review.
We tested the Asus VG236H through its DVI input, connected to a Windows Vista PC. The display posted a composite score of 83 on CNET Labs' DisplayMate-based performance tests, which is more than a few points lower than the Samsung PX2370's score of 97. The VG236H's most glaring problem is its color accuracy, particularly its propensity to coat the screen in a green tint. Depending on the preset used, the green tint diminished only slightly and could always be easily seen no matter which color temperature or skin tone setting used. However, by accessing the RGB values and adjusting the green to 85, we were able to diminish the amount of green tint onscreen to a point where it was not distracting. At that setting, the green was unobtrusive; however, you'll have to adjust the red to about 94 to keep white from having a pinkish look.
In our Black Level test, the VG236H crushed very dark grays to the point that a level four gray--which is four levels above true black--was the darkest color the monitor could display other than true black. This indicates the monitor has a higher than optimal black level. In the Dark Screen test, we saw very apparent clouding on the top and bottom edges of the screen, much more so than on the PX2370.

Text

With text, the monitor had no color problems displaying black text on a white background. We were able to see fonts clearly down to a 6.8-point size.

Movies

We tested the Asus VG236H using the Blu-ray version of "Avatar." As in our DisplayMate tests, there was an apparent green tint problem in the Theater preset. The problem didn't go away when switching to other presets; however, we were able to diminish the amount of green in the picture by adjusting the red and green values downward. Also, the monitor didn't display dark details, such as braids in the hair of the Na'vi during a nighttime scene.

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Cooler Master is an extremely well-known brand for computer users and builders manufacturing a variety of components and accessories. Cooler Master's primary focus is on cases with the Cosmos and HAF lines being some of the best selling chassis made. The HAF line has been holding the top end sector of cases with models ranging from $60 all the way up to $250, but today we are looking at one of Cooler Master's very budget friendly cases in the Elite 430.

The Elite 430 is the top case in Cooler Master's 'Elite' line of chassis, offering the best features and appearance of the series with its massive 14x11" Plexiglas side window. The Elite 430 can be for anyone looking for a work chassis or just anyone on a tight budget who doesn't want a crazy looking chunk of metal holding their system. The very traditional Elite 430 is currently available at the $39.99 price point which is truly amazing for the specifications you find with this case listed below.

 

Features of the Cooler Master Elite 430 (RC-430-KWN1) PC Case

• Interior black coating makes stylish inside looks.
• Front 120mm fan with brilliant Blue LED provides the best airflow to HDDs.
• Rear 120mm fan for high-efficiency ventilation.
• Tool-Free mechanical design for quick assembly and maintenance.
• Side ventilation holes for better cooling performance.
• Large transparent side window included.

Specifications of the Cooler Master Elite 430 (RC-430-KWN1) PC Case

• Available Color: Black only
• Part Number: RC-430-KWN1
• Material: Steel Body; ABS plastic
• Dimension: 190 x 424 x 490mm / 7.5 x 16.7 x 19.3"
• Weight: 4.7 kg / 10.3 lbs
• Motherboard support: ATX / Micro-ATX
• Video Card Support: up to 315mm/12.4" -Any up to Radeon HD 5970, GeForce GTX 480
• CPU Heatsink Support: up to 163mm/6.4" in height
• 5.25" External Drive Bays: 3
• 3.5" External Drive Bays: 2
• 3.5" Internal Drive Bays: 5
• Expansion Slots: 7
• Top Cooling: 120 mm fan x 2 (optional)
• Front Cooling: 120 mm blue LED fan x 1, 140 mm fan x 1 (optional)
• Rear Cooling: 80/90/120 mm fan x 1 (optional)
• Side Cooling: 120 mm fan x 1 (optional)
• Bottom Cooling: 80/90/120 mm fan x 1 (optional)
• Warranty: 2 Year limited hardware

That's right; Cooler Master's Elite 430 $40 chassis can even house the ATI Radeon HD 5970 which is the largest video card available, with room to spare! I can hear some of you saying: "Well, why would I use a $40 case with a video card that costs between $600 and $700?" and the point is that you have the option, without ever having to worry about future graphics upgrades.

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Although many users are currently looking for smaller power supplies below 500W, there still is a demand for stronger ones, particularly if you are a gamer with Triple-SLI or Quad-Crossfire systems. Those planning on running NVIDIA's next generation "Fermi" will want a fairly beefy PSU, and the same goes for Folding@Home farms where you'd want a lot of stable power. For the upper end PSUs there are a wide range of models, which doesn’t make the purchase decision easy. In addition, these power supplies are usually expensive so you'll want to get the best features and a reliable power supply that can operate even under maximum load and summer temperatures.

We received a TruePower Quattro 1200W from Antec and as usually we're looking to see if it provides a good overall package. We'll check out the safety features, voltage stability, and the available connectors. Efficiency is also an important issue and affects the energy consumption as well as the internal temperature. We also got a special OC version from Antec. It has two big regulators for the internal fan and +12V voltages. You can easily adjust the rail when the voltage drops down too much. In all other areas the OC version has the same features as the standard model.

The TruePower Quattro 1200W is a PSU that polarizes because of its 80mm fan. Usually a bigger fan also has a bigger cooling area, but lot of it depends on the fan-quality and cooling topology. With a 120-140mm fan mounted on the bottom, you have a curve in the airflow, but with 80mm the airflow is more direct. So temperatures should not be a problem. But will the fan be silent enough for most discerning buyers? Let’s find out!

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Since the great DRAM price plummet of 2007, memory prices continue to be extremely low. It's currently possible to pick up high capacity memory modules for very respectable prices. As the DRAM market is highly volatile, however, it's possible that we could see prices jump within the next month, week, or even by the day. However, it has been about a year since prices dropped, and things have yet to "recover", allowing prices to remain low. Regardless, continues to be a fairly good time to buy system memory.

The majority of the really good deals are for DDR2 memory, which has completely flooded the market and is available for ultra low prices (under $30 for 4 GB in some cases). With virtually no money to be made in DDR2 anymore, beyond high-end enthusiast modules, memory manufacturers are pinning their hopes on DDR3 to revive the market. Not that the situation is much better there, as 4 GB of solid DDR3-1333 memory can be had for about $70 on the low-end.

However, there is demand, and they have Intel to thank for it. As Intel has now integrated a triple-channel DDR3 memory controller onto their superb new Core i7 processors, potential buyers are now advised to buy three-or-six DDR3 memory modules per system, compared to two-or-four of previous generation Core 2 based systems. Instead of dual-module kits, triple-module kits are currently the flavor of the moment, which has allowed memory manufacturers to be a little more creative in terms of naming and packaging.

There's quite a lot of variance in DDR3 modules today, which can certainly be overwhelming for potential new buyers. While the Core i7 processor is officially rated to run at only DDR3-1066 speeds, modules that can run at DDR3-2000 or even higher are available for the Core i7, and many new motherboards support speeds even greater than these. There is also the introduction of huge 12 GB (6 x 2 GB modules) capacity kits to consider, and we have latencies in the CAS 7 to CAS 9 range, all of which affect pricing of these various modules kits dramatically.

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Although Solid State Drives are all the rage lately, they comprise only a fraction of the overall desktop PC storage market. While SSDs are undeniably fast and enhance the overall user experience, they are also prohibitively expensive for many users and offer relatively low capacities. As such, traditional, spinning hard drives, with their huge capacities and low cost per gigabyte, still make up the lion's share of the market.

One of the more interesting hard drives to hit the scene recently is the Seagate Barracuda XT. Its 2TB capacity, 64MB of cache, and 7200 RPM spindle speed will automatically piqué the interest of many enthusiasts. But couple those features with the drive's support for SATA 6G and the story gets all the more interesting.

We've tested the Seagate Barracuda XT while connected to SATA 6G and SATA 3G controllers, and compared its performance to a 2TB drive from WD, and Seagate's own 7200.11 offering. Take a look at the XT's full specs below, then check out the rest of the piece to see just how this drive performs and whether or not it's worth springing for a SATA 6G capable mobo or controller...

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A few weeks back, AMD quietly released a couple of new graphics cards in the Radeon HD 5500 series. For a while there, starting with the Radeon HD 5870 in late September of last year, it seemed like AMD was releasing a new series of graphics cards aimed at different price points, practically every few weeks. Things slowed down a bit once the company had a complete top-to-bottom line-up of DX11 and Eyefinity capable cards from prices ranging from about $49 to $600, but obviously AMD wasn’t quite done beefing up the Radeon HD 5000 series.

The recently released Radeon HD 5500 series cards differed from their predecessors in only one meaningful way—they were equipped with GDDR5 memory. The original 5500 series cards sported GDDR3 or GDDR2 memory. The move to GDDR5 allowed AMD to crank the memory clock speed up a bit, which would have a positive impact on overall performance.

We’ve got both the Radeon HD 5550 and Radeon HD 5570 GDDR5 edition graphics cards in house and have taken them for a spin around the lab with an assortment of popular games and benchmarks. Take a look at the pages ahead to see just what a sub-$90 graphics card can get you these days…

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There's little question, like the sun rising and setting each day, that when Intel launches their latest top-of-the-line processor, a stinging four-figure price point awaits. It seems like forever that Intel's latest flagship desktop chips drop into the market at anywhere from $999 - $1100 or so at their time of launch. Obviously, for many mainstream users, that's the price of an entire system and monitor and they just don't need all that much CPU horsepower. But for others, the need for speed is insatiable. Either that or their productivity and ultimately profitability, is directly proportional to processor throughput; as is often times the case with folks in the video production or professional design and animation business, for example. Either way you slice it, it's hard to argue, when you've got the fastest desktop chip on the planet, you get to command a hefty premium.

And to play devil's advocate for just a moment, how else should we expect Intel to recoup the R&D expenditures they put forth to design a killer chip like the Core i7, to say nothing of having to pay for the billion dollar fab plants they have to build in order to manufacturer these things? Okay, we'll stop there, for fear that we'll incite a riot on the subject, but you get the drift. Bleeding-edge semiconductors are a high stakes game. And when the stakes are high, so are the price pain points.

That said, Intel decided they'd ease your pain just a little bit today, if you've got an interest for one of their new 32nm six-core Core i7 processors. The Core i7-980X Extreme 6-core processor that debuted in March of this year, still currently retails for anywhere from $1,000 - $1200. Until now, if you wanted something in a six-core from Intel, the 980X was the only flavor of the day. However, we just got in a sample of a new 32nm Gulftown-based Core i7 six-core that is slotted for a somewhat more palatable price point of $885. Clocked at 3.2GHz, the new Core i7 970 will afford you a bit more financial breathing room, if you're hankering for that step up to what is arguably (or perhaps not arguably) the fastest X86 desktop chip architecture around currently. We've got the rest of the speeds, feeds and performance details laid out for you here on the following pages. You want Core i7 six-core goodness? Intel is sweetening the pot just a little more for you.

Specifications and Featurs

• Core Frequency: 3.2GHz (Up To 3.46GHz w/ Turbo)
• QPI Speed - 4.8GT/s
• TDP (Thermal Design Power) - 130W
• Stepping - 2
• Number of CPU Cores - 6 (12 Threads w/ HT)
• Intel SmarCache - 12MB
• L2 Cache - 1.5MB (256K x 6)
• Processor input voltage (VID) - .95v
• .032-micron manufacturing process
• Shared Smart Cache Technology
• PECI Enabled
• Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST)
• Extended HALT State (C1E) Enabled
• Execute Disable Bit (XD) Enabled
• Intel 64 Technology
• AES-NI: 12 new processor instructions
• Intel Virtualization Technology (VT)
• Packaging -  Flip Chip LGA1366
• Total Die Size: Approximately 248mm2
• Approximately 1.17B Transistors
• Price - $885  (1K quantities)

Specifications & Features

 Specifications & Features

Specifications & Features

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If you're in the market for an X58 motherboard, there are plenty of options available. A quick search fetches countless results that fill a wide range of price points. Budget conscious enthusiasts looking to save some scratch will be happy to find that almost every motherboard maker offers an X58 model under $200. On the other end of the spectrum, companies offer performance enthusiasts and overclockers a number of products that cater to pushing the performance envelope that often manifests itself while attempting to break world records. 

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