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A case of a different shape; Cooler Master's HAF XB

Subject: Cases and Cooling | November 16, 2012 - 04:09 PM |
Tagged: coolermaster, HAF XB

While it might not look it at first glance the $100 Cooler Master HAF XB can fit a full ATX board inside its squat interior.  The case actually measures 17.4" x 13" 16.7", with a removable motherboard tray to help you install your components in what might otherwise be a difficult case to work with.  It comes with a pair of fans and you can add more to ensure air cooling, Legit Reviews were glad to see that there is also enough space for a radiator for those preferring water cooling.  Installation can almost completely be done without tools and the inclusion of 2.5" bays will make SSD users smile.  Check out the full review.

LR_HAF_XB_5.jpg

"The HAF Xb LAN Box Chassis is the newest addition to the Cooler Master line of enthusiast PC cases. The CM HAF Xb was designed with transportation and open bench testing in mind and the end result is a new form factor! The HAF Xb can look like a normal case one second and then be quickly converted into an open air test bench with the removal of the side and top panels. Read on to see if this $99.99 case has the features you need!"

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Source: Legit Reviews

Zalman Launching FX100 Passive (Cube-Shaped) CPU Cooler

Subject: Cases and Cooling | November 15, 2012 - 10:19 AM |
Tagged: zalman, Passive, hsf, cpu cooler

Images have emerged on the Internet of a new cooler coming from Zalman sometime next year. In a brief mention from Zalman, the company named the new passive CPU heatsink as the FX-100. The cube of fins are aligned in a cross, or +, shape and combined with shrouding at the corners, Zalman has created a hollow cube.  At the top is a hexagonal-mesh grill. The base-plate is connected to the fin array by four copper heatpipes. The fins are nickel plated and are black pearl in color.

FX100.jpeg

It is designed to be run in fan-less configurations, and Zalman is stating that it will not draw dust as well. The fan-less cube cooler is currently listed as a CES 2013 honoree, so here’s hoping it launches soon and lives up to the claims.

FX100Cube.jpeg

There are no details on pricing, availability or the TDP ratings it is designed to cool yet.

Zalman FX-100 Fanless Cooler.jpg

What do you think of the Zalman FX-100 passive cube?

Source: FanlessTech

Seasonic's new X-1250 provides pure power satisfaction

Subject: Cases and Cooling | November 13, 2012 - 03:11 PM |
Tagged: PSU, kilowatt, seasonic, X-1250, modular psu

Seasonic's new X-1250 PSU can provide 1250W of power, just as the name suggests, with up to 104 amps to the 12V rail which should provide enough power for even the most power hungry GPUs.  Instead of going with a single rail design Seasonic chose to provide 4 rails so you should ensure to know which plugs you are using.  It passed all of [H]ard|OCP's torture tests with flying colours, making it one of the better kilowatt ckas PSUs they have had the pleasure of testing and when you consider the price, with or without the rebate, it is a perfect choice for users building a system with multiple GPUs.

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"Seasonic makes some of the best enthusiast computer power supplies in the world. It has long produced some of the cleanest power producing PSUs along with being some of the quietest on the market. The new fully modular X-1250 sports many enthusiast features and touts gold level efficiency. Is this new X-1250 worthy?"

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Source: [H]ard|OCP

NZXT's Phantom 820 hits the high end

Subject: Cases and Cooling | November 9, 2012 - 02:09 PM |
Tagged: nzxt, phantom 820

NZXT may have originally made their name in the lower end of the case market but that doesn't mean that they cannot build a high end case successfully.  That is exactly what the $250 Phantom 820 is, with LEDs, an integral fan controller, well designed fan screens from top to bottom and an impressive array of extra screws, connectors and even covers for your USB ports.  While you can install quite an array of 120mm and 140mm fans the case comes with an impressive 200cm fan preinstalled.  All together, the quiet operation and impressive cooling capabilities netted this case a Gold Award from [H]ard|OCP.

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"The NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower case is chock full of enthusiast features; multiple fan placements with consideration for chassis airflow, designed for custom water cooling as well as fully contained water cooling solutions, rear panel I/O lighting, room for plenty of wiring, a sleek window, all literally on a pedestal."

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Source: [H]ard|OCP

SilverStone ST45SF-G 450W SFX Form Factor PSU Review

Author:
Date: November 6, 2012
Subject: Cases and Cooling
Manufacturer: SilverStone
Tagged: SST-ST45SF-G, SilverStone 450W, SFX PSU

Introduction and Features

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SilverStone has a long-standing reputation among PC enthusiasts for providing a full line of high quality enclosures, power supplies, cooling components, and accessories.  SilverStone recently updated their original ST45SF small form factor power supply to 80Plus Gold status.  The new ST45SF-G is rated for up to 450W and comes with fully modular cables. The SFX form factor is frequently found in Micro ATX Media Center PCs and Home Theater PCs.

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SilverStone ST45SF-G 450W PSU

Here is what SilverStone has to say about the ST45SF-G: "After successfully expanding and leading SFF (Small Form Factor) cases and SFX PSU into the DIY market, SilverStone engineers have continued their push for advancement in these categories by releasing a true upgrade-worthy small form factor power supply, the ST45SF-G. Despite being half the size of regular ATX power supply, the ST45SF-G can still produce continuous power output of 450W. Its 80 Plus Gold level efficiency is a great leap from the previous SFX best of 80 Plus Bronze and the full modular cables are also the first of its kind for this form factor. To enable users to easily take advantage of this excellent SFX power supply, an adapter is included to convert the ST45SF-G to mount in any ATX case in addition to ones designed for only SFX. For SFF users and for SilverStone, the ST45SF-G is more than just an upgrade, it is an important milestone for DIY desktop computer users."

SilverStone ST45SF-G Main Features:
• Supports standard SFX form factor and ATX (via included bracket)
• 450W continuous power output at 40°C and rated for 24/7 operation
• 80 PLUS Gold level efficiency (87%~90% efficiency at 20%-100% load)
• 100% Modular cables
• Class-leading single +12V rail with 37A capacity
• Strict ±3% voltage regulation with low ripple & noise
• Silent running 80mm fan (18dBA minimum)
• Single PCI-E 8-pin and dual PCI-E 6-pin connectors
• Universal AC input (90-260 VAC) and Active PFC

Please continue reading our review of the SilverStone ST45SF-G power supply!

Corsair AXi/AX PSU Refresh: AX860, AX860i, AX760, AX760i

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling | November 6, 2012 - 08:00 AM |
Tagged: PSU, corsair, 80 Plus Platinum PSU

It has not been too long since Lee Garbutt reviewed Corsair’s AX1200i Power Supply. Corsair used that product to introduce their Corsair Link Dashboard to the monitoring of Power Supply performance. Lee was very impressed with the supply and gave it a Gold Award.

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Some of us are not looking to power a microwave inside our PCs. Corsair has thusly brought that feature to lower wattage PSUs with their new AX860i and AX760i. These PSUs achieve 80 PLUS Platinum certification along with the Digital Signal Processor connection to monitor. If you would rather have $30 USD instead of monitoring capabilities: each model number without the i contains the same 80 PLUS Platinum certification just without the monitoring capabilities. As an added bonus the Corsair power supplies should be very silent. The 860W power supply will shut down its fan to 0 RPM until it reaches a 60% load while the 760W will operate without fans until a 70% load.

These PSUs will be available in November and are priced: $249.99 USD for the AX860i vs. $219.99 USD for the AX860. The AX760i will be available for $229.99 USD vs. $199.99 for the AX760. Again, the i denotes the ability to be monitored by Corsair’s Link Dashboard software.

Press blast after the break!

Source: Corsair

Corsair Announces Hydro H100i and H80i Liquid CPU Coolers

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling | November 5, 2012 - 08:00 AM |
Tagged: water cooling, corsair

Corsair has expanded their lineup of water coolers with the addition of the H100i and H80i products. The hook of this new product line is its ability to be monitored and adjusted by Corsair’s free Link Dashboard software. You are able to program profiles for fan speed as well as adjust lighting levels. Corsair has been moving toward this power and cooling monitoring architecture and they seem to be betting on that as their key differentiation factor.

H100i_hero_fan.png

The cooler also boasts compatibility with just about any major motherboard out there designed for modern processors from either AMD or Intel. The H100i is based on a 240 mm radiator compare to the “double-thick” 120 mm radiator of the H80i. Both will be available in November for 99.99 USD or 119.99 USD for the H80i or H100i respectively.

H80i_hero.png

Press blast after the break.

Source: Corsair

Got heat problems? Slap a kilo of cooler on your CPU!

Subject: Cases and Cooling | November 1, 2012 - 02:37 PM |
Tagged: Silverstone, SST-HE02

The heatsink market has really run with the idea that bigger is better, with the SilverStone HE02 being no exception.  At 170mm x 130mm x 160mm (6.7 x 5.1 x 6.3") and a whopping 990g without a fan (which it does not ship with) this is one of the largest consumer heatsinks on the market.  At $66 it does cost as much as many heatsinks that do come with fans,  however it is large enough that it could be used passively on some CPUs though [H]ard|OCP's testing shows you would be wise to attach a 140mm fan if you plan on overclocking.  When they charted out the price to performance of this cooler it was obvious that this is not a worthy successor of the HE01.

H_HE02.jpg

"SilverStone is back with its latest air cooled heatsink unit for today's desktop processors. As far as size goes, the HE02 heatsink is mammoth. Along with the huge heatsinks we often find installation and compatibility issues. SiliverStone speaks to designing the HE02 in order to ease those pains. How well does it work though?"

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Source: [H]ard|OCP

Corsair Vengeance C70 Mid-Tower Gaming Case Review

Author:
Date: November 1, 2012
Subject: Cases and Cooling
Manufacturer: Corsair
Tagged: vengeance, Mid-Tower Case, corsair, C70

Introduction and Features

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Earlier this year Corsair added the Vengeance series to their enclosure lineup and in this review we will be taking a detailed look at the Vengeance C70 mid-tower gaming case.  Corsair continues to bring a full line of high quality cases, memory components, power supplies, cooling components, SSDs and accessories to market for the PC enthusiast and professional alike.  The new Vengeance cases come in three different colors: Gunmetal Black, Military Green, and Arctic White. Corsair designed the Vengeance cases for travelling gamers. They feature rugged steel construction with numerous case cooling options for going on the road to the next LAN party.

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Here is what Corsair has to say about the Vengeance C70 Cases:

Battle-Ready

When it’s time to take your competitive gaming on the road, the Vengeance C70 mid-tower PC case is a great choice. It’s crafted out of solid steel and made to survive trips with less wear and tear, and the ergonomic carry handles help you move your gear with confidence.

Air Cover

High-performance gaming hardware requires high-performance cooling. Vengeance C70 is equipped with three 120mm fans out of the box, with mounting points for seven more to meet your exact air cooling demands.

…and Water Cover, too

Vengeance C70 is also outfitted for liquid cooling upgradability. You get 240mm radiator compatibility on top of the case, and if that’s not enough, you can remove the lower hard drive cage to fit a second 240mm radiator for a dual-loop setup.

Gear Up

A case is as much a part of your armory as any other component. With internal USB 3.0 connectors for modern motherboards, native SSD compatibility, eight expansion slots and room for long graphics cards, the C70 stands ready to take on any challenger.

Lock and Load

Easy access side panels come off with quick-release latches. The optical drive bays and 3.5” hard drive bays are tool-free. Thumbscrews secure your graphics cards, and the hard drive cages can be easily removed for better airflow or additional expansion room. Cable routing tie-downs and built-in clamps keep your system tidy.

With so many features, the Vengeance C70 does what it’s supposed to do – stay out of your way while you build or upgrade.

Please continue reading our Corsair Vengeance C70 case review!

NZXT Unleashes the Kraken -- World's first all-in-one 140mm & 280mm liquid-cooler

Subject: Cases and Cooling | October 31, 2012 - 05:18 PM |
Tagged: watercooling, all-in-one, nzxt, Kraken X40, Kraken X60

30th October, 2012 – High performance liquid cooling has finally arrived in an easy to use, all-in-one package. NZXT releases the Kraken, the first premium all-in-one water cooler series for PC enthusiasts and gamers alike. The Kraken X40 and Kraken X60 are high end, all-in-one 140mm and 280mm liquid-cooling solutions where ease of use meets unmatched performance.

Applying its forward-thinking design philosophy to the water-cooling market, NZXT raises the bar with a userfriendly solution that brings unrivaled liquid-cooling performance to your fingertips. With 36% more surface area than standard 120mm/240mm radiators and fully interactive fan control, NZXT’s Kraken series is nothing short of a water-cooling behemoth.

NZXT brings its innovative HUE controlled lighting system to the Kraken, setting a new standard for design and performance. Featuring premium black sleeved cables and extended 16-inch tubing for large tower support, the Kraken brings high performance cooling with an uncompromised look that any enthusiast will be dying to show off.

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At its core, the Kraken features a state-of-the-art pump attached to an all copper base that is compatible with all of the current offerings from Intel and AMD. Included with the 140mm Kraken X40 is one NZXT FX-140 PWM fan, with the ability to install an additional 140mm fan for a push-pull configuration, offering unmatched cooling performance.

Kraken 60.jpg

The 280mm Kraken X60 features two NZXT FX-140 PWM fans, with the ability to install an additional two fans for a push-pull configuration as well. Additionally, the Kraken X60 utilizes a SATA power connector for easy installation and effortless cable management.

Both Krakens are aggressively priced at $99 and $139 for the X40 and X60, respectively, and backed by a 2 year warranty. With the Kraken, NZXT set out to unleash the best closed loop water cooler on the market, and believes its customers should not settle for anything less.

Source: NXZT

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