The Terastation doesnt use a good implementation of software raid, hence the bad performance. However if you are using a 2800+ a64, your processor will have plenty of overhead with which to do the RAID calculations. The other option is to get a mobo that supports RAID 5, like the Asus SLI Premium bo...

So does anybody here know, or know where i can find, how much heat the Zalman Reserator 1 Plus can dissipate. I'm planning and Athlon X2 4400+, northbridge, and 6600GT cooling loop and want to make sure it can handle it (and ideally leave some headroom to overclock the 4400+ a little bit or add a se...

Well if you are willing to get SATA drives (instead of SATAII) there are plenty of good choices, namely the samsung P80 and P120 series.

2. P180: my case is sort of cramped right now with 3 HDs and the big 7800 GTX. How much cooler would the better airflow of P180 give me? Thanks all! It will give you much better airflow. Since you can move the HD's down to the lower chamber, the intake restriction is eliminated. and if you remove t...

IsaacKuo wrote:In the meantime, 4gig CF microdrives are going for about the same as that unpopulated card.

True, but the speed and latency of a compact flash drive and a RAM drive isnt even comparable.

part of the appeal of dual core processors is because of how you can get a dual processor machine for a much lower price. normally for a dual processor setup you would have to get two-way capable opterons, plus a dual socket board (which is usually at least $350 for an entry-level one), plus registe...

cpu cooler: dont bother with the all copper version of the xp-90, it isnt that much better than the regular aluminum one, and it is much heavier and more expensive. Power Supply: Knowing alienware you also probably have a very noisy power supply, it probably would be a good replacement too. case fan...

The only way you will likely get the chip temperature lower is better cooling. That either means more airflow (which is too loud) or a better HS. While the 7000 is a good entry level heatsink it isnt really meant for something like a dual core chip (especially running on 5V). I'd go get a Ninja or a...

I've been looking at the 6600GT's for my next build (dual core athlon), since they provide a good price point/performance, but it really annoys me that none of the stock silent ones have Dual DVI. I have a pair of Dell 1704 FPV monitors, and the digital picture is really sharp and beautiful. Right n...

Finally someone (in this case anandtech) has gotten their hands on a gigabyte iRam. The performance doesnt seem to be quite as good as was hoped but it still looks like a good solution for certain applications (htpc, office machine, anything else that doesnt need much storage).

here's the link

xenithon, while everyone is free to have their own opinion, making a decision simply based on some belief you hold is well, .... foolish. The difference in the fan controllers and the fans selected make a huge difference. (ie: a yate loon is a quiet 120mm fan, but 2 80mm panaflo's are probably quiet...

I'd get one of the new smartpowers. I have the 500W one and it is very quiet.

i thought the s12-430 had a pci-e connector? No it doesn't I see with the seasonic s12 500 that it comes with a 6 pin pci express video plug. The 430 watt doesn't have that, what does that mean? I'm getting a BFG 7800GTX and was wondering if it would run better with the 500 using that express only ...

Never, ever, ever use patriot. Every build i have ever made with patriot ram has been unstable. RAM is probably the most important thing in a sytem when it comes to stability, crappy ram will give you crappy stability, spend the little extra money and get some Corsair or OCZ Ram (doesn't even have t...

Its a good deal. i just bought three from jab-tech and couldn't be happier, they are very quiet.
also, if you find it too loud, just undervolt it. A nexus is just a yate-loon with an inline resistor.

sthayashi wrote:I would not recommend running a reasonable ATX v1.3 PSU on your setup. They're usually weak on 12V power. The Zalman is no exception.

agreed. Upgrade to one of the new seasonics

So i went out to fry's this weekend to pick up a new power supply for a computer im fixing up, and in an attempt to get something inexpensive and quiet i stumbled upon a wonderful power supply: the Vantec Ion2 350 . its a 120mm fan psu, 350 watts, and only 50 bucks at frys. Things i really like abou...

Yah that is pretty suspicious. As far as the AMD cooler on the celeron goes, i can believe that part: if you look closely at the cpu socket, you can see there are only 2 connection points for the heatsink. Socket A (for athlons) uses 3, while socket 370 (used for pentium III and celeron), only has t...

It depends on what else you have in your setup. for instance, it will probably be fine if you have a venice core athlon and a single 7200RPM hard drive. It probaby wont be fine if you have a dual core pentium with 2 raptors in RAID and another hard drive for storage. It also depends on what the ampe...

One other thing. It would make more sense to get a single 7800 gtx. Less heat, lower power requirement, cheaper, and better performance. SLI is really doesn't make sense to do unless you are using two 7800s. OMG!!!, We agree on something!!! Seriously though, thats a good observation, it would make ...

Thursday, July 14, 2005: Our second test case displayed a couple of issues not seen with the first one. The Antec True Power 2.0 550W (in the 550-watt class of course) withstood the 24-hour stress test. However, it failed to fulfill the requirements set forth by the ATX12V specification, which call...

Yes, I did as you said. There seems to be a consensus that the PSU should not have sparked and smelled when plugged in. Have you done this with a PSU? Would you just expect them to sit there doing nothing? exactly. Since there was no way for the PSU to turn on (since the connection between the on a...

so by turn it on, you mean simply plug it in and flip the switch on the back?
If that is the case, nothing should have happened, so i would definately RMA the psu.

your mobo (depending on the motherboard, but most have the capability) can control normal 3-pin fans. additionally, add on programs, such as speedfan, can too.

what tactic did you use to turn it on without being plugged into the mobo (psu tester, paperclip trick, etc)?

and yes, i wouldnt plug it into your mobo either until you talk to tech support.

77, using an antec smart power is not short changing a system. I too have had systems destroyed by faulty psu's and thats the exact reason that the only two brands of power supply i will use are antec and seasonic. I have never had an antec power supply fail on me, they are possible the most stable ...

Vulcan, you know i meant that antec wouldn't put out low quality gear (course i know you know that cause of your little smiley face, so its all good). to address your next point though, yes it does. I like having the sleeved and modularability. Granted you dont need to buy a modular psu to have one ...

i agree with frank, price isnt everything. One important thing to remember is that the smart power is still an antec, and antec makes very good products. As i said before, it really comes down to money. If you can afford to spend 130 for the power supply plus another 70-100 to have it sleeved and mo...

the neopower uses a 120mm fan on the bottomt. The smart power 2.0 uses to 80mm fans in a push-pull configuration. The interior of the two fans is always on, but the exterior one only turns on when it is necessary. Additionally the Smart Power 2.0 comes in multiple sizes (although only the 500W is mo...

jermaink wrote:What do you think about the Neopower? Apparently it can be pretty quiet.

According to the SPCR review here it starts out quiet but ramps up too quickly. The seasonic or the smart power would both be better buys.