NZXT Releases Switch 810 Special Edition Cases

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 16, 2012 - 12:28 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: switch 810, special edition, nzxt, cases, atx

Popular case manufacturer NZXT has announced a special edition of it’s Switch 810 computer case. After listening to customer feedback, the company has decided to make the case available in two new colors. Gunmetal and Matte Black are the two new darker themes of the Switch 810.

In a recent press release, NZXT stated that the two new available colors are its way of showing their fans that they do listen to and value feedback.

Specifically, “Without our community’s valuable feedback and criticisms, our products would not be as unique as they are today. We always aim to maintain customer satisfaction through providing high quality products at great prices, which is why we decided to release the Special Edition to feature two of the most demanded color palettes from our loyal fans: Matte Black and Gunmetal.”

The Switch 810 is a full tower ATX case constructed of steel and plastic materials. It features support for up to 10 fans, six internal hard drives, up to an E-ATX motherboard, and plenty of room for custom liquid cooling solutions. The case also provides cable management cut-outs and tool-less drive bays.

The new Special Edition Switch 810 is available for purchase now from NZXT in either Gunmetal or Matte Black colors for $179.99 USD. When we reviewed the original version of the Switch 810, we gave it the PC Perspective Gold Award for its included enthusiast features and good execution. You can find our full review (including video) here.

Corsair Enhances GS Series Power Supplies

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 15, 2012 - 03:11 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: corsair, 80 Plus Bronze, PSU, modular psu

FREMONT, California — May 15, 2012 — Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced major upgrades to the GS Series line of high-performance power supply units (PSUs). A new improved design boosts energy efficiency, enabling the new GS Series PSUs to achieve 80 PLUS Bronze certification while also providing quieter, fanless operation at low power loads. The newly enhanced models are available in three wattage models: the GS600, GS700, and GS800.

GS Series power supplies are designed for PC builders who want an affordable, reliable, and efficient power supply that offers visually stunning, customizable looks to match their PC. The power supplies feature user-switchable red, white or blue LED lights that can also be turned off if desired. Further customization is possible with swappable color insert rings which are available for purchase from the Corsair website.

The 80 PLUS certification program was created by utility and computer companies to drive the creation and adoption of more energy-efficient power supplies for desktop computers and servers. Corsair GS Series power supplies now have an upgraded architecture that achieves 80 PLUS Bronze certification to provide up to 85% energy-efficiency under typical usage conditions, resulting in lower energy bills and less heat.

As with all Corsair power supplies, GS Series PSUs offer class-leading voltage stability and ultra-low ripple and noise specifications, for long component life. The 140mm temperature-controlled fan also ensures that GS Series power supplies remain quiet as well as cool. Plus, by operating fanless at load levels below 20% of the model's wattage rating, each GS Series PSU significantly reduces noise levels.

"The GS Series line has been popular with PC enthusiasts who demand quiet, good-looking, and affordable power supplies they can count on,” said Ruben Mookerjee, VP and General Manager for Components at Corsair. “Now we are proud to deliver the next evolution in the GS Series PSU line, with higher-levels of energy efficiency and a new striking, customizable industrial design."

Deepcool's tall and thin Ice Wind Pro heatsink

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 10, 2012 - 06:07 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Deepcool, Ice Wind Pro

At 157mm tall the Deepcool Ice Wind Pro stands among the tallest heatsinks but at 86mm deep it is much thinner which also means its weight is lower, at 650g.  The heatpipes contact the CPU directly and FrostyTech's measurements show the contact area to be completely flat which is very important for the efficiency of the cooler.  The noise generated at low speeds is negligible and even when turned to high to give better cooling performance it is still not very loud.  At high speed the cooler does provide good cooling even though it for both AMD and Intel processors, even if it is very slim, so if you are building a system using RAM with tall heatspreaders then this cooler is very much worth considering.

"Deepcool's Ice Wind Pro heatsink is a rather novel CPU cooler for two unique qualities; 1) its heatpipe-to-fin arrangement and 2) the geometry of its leading and trailing fin edges. First off, rather than clusters of heatpipes at the left and right sides of the aluminum fin tower, the eight ends of the heatpipes are lined up straight in a row, 10mm apart, right down the middle of the heatsink. Secondly, the leading/trailing edges of the aluminum fin stack have five large, slightly arc'd diamond cut-outs parallel to the direction of the fins that break up the otherwise monolithic wall."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

• Zalman CNPS11X Performa @ FrostyTech
• Phanteks PH-TC14CS @ Tweaktown
• Thermaltake Frio Extreme @ Kitguru
• Noctua NF-F12 PWM Cooling Fan @ Pro-Clockers
• Prolimatech Megahalems Rev. C CPU Cooler Review @ eTeknix
• Titan Fenrir Siberia Edition @ Kitguru
• Thermaltake Frio OCK CPU Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews
• Coolermaster Gemin II S524 Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
• Noctua NH-L12 Low Profile CPU Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews
• Thermalright Silver Arrow Extreme CPU Cooler Review @ NikKTech
• Coolermaster Hyper 212 Evo Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
• Xigmatek Gaia @ XSReviews
• Arctic Cooling F12 Series 120mm Fan Review @ Ninjalane
• Corsair Hydro H80 Watercooling System Review @ Frostytech
• Thermaltake BigWater 760 Plus CPU Liquid Cooler Review @ NikKTech
• Enermax Fulmo GT Review @ OCC
• 11 computer cases tested, from £70 - £110 @ Hardware.Info
• BitFenix Shinobi XL @ Funky Kit
• Bitfenix Raider Mid-Tower ATX Chassis Review @ OCIA
• Corsair Obsidian 550D @ Tweaktown
• Cooler Master HAF XM Case @ Kitguru
• Bitfenix Shinobi XL Case Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Cubitek HPTX-ICE Case @ Techspot

Thermaltake Announces WATER2.0 Series All-In-One Closed-Loop CPU Liquid Cooler

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 8, 2012 - 04:21 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: thermaltake, watercooling, all-in-one, WATER2.0, WATER2.0 Pro, WATER2.0 Performer

Thermaltake has just released two new all in one watercoolers, the WATER2.0 Performer and WATER2.0 Pro, available right now on NewEgg.  The $70 Performer and $100 Pro are very similar, with the Pro offering dual fans and what Thermaltake describes as a Thicker Watercooler, which will offer better cooling thanks to the pair of fans.  Check out the full press release below.

City of Industry, California – May 8, 2012 – Thermaltake brought water cooling technology to the mainstream in 2002 with the introduction of Aquarius and BigWater Series of liquid cooling solutions for computer enthusiasts and DIYers. The solutions were developed by garnering enthusiast communities’ experience and feedback, coupled with Thermaltake’s core expertise in thermal management. The goal was to enable PC enthusiasts to achieve higher PC performance by providing additional cooling needed in order for the CPU to run at higher frequency. Today, Thermaltake is introducing its WATER2.0 line of liquid coolers and announcing immediate availability of the all-new WATER2.0 Performer and WATER2.0 Pro all-in-one closed-loop CPU liquid coolers.

The “2.0” in the name denotes the progression and improvements that Thermaltake has made in the performance liquid cooling segment as well as the new approach which WATER2.0 solutions are taking. While traditional D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) liquid cooling kits offer expandability, the same benefit often complicates installation and filling these coolers introduces a risk of mixing water and electronics. WATER2.0 specifically addresses these concerns by having a closed-loop design, meaning all the fluid that are required for maximum performance are pre-filled and sealed inside so the users do not need to handle any type of liquid during installation or operation.

“WATER2.0 is not a direct replacement of air cooling solutions. The all-new WATER2.0 is an improved performance-driven solution that offers added benefits of simple installation, no-maintenance and extreme reliability to the traditional liquid cooling kit. After a long period of research and development, we came to a point where WATER2.0 has reached the performance standard that Thermaltake has set forth while ensuring a fluid user experience from installation to actual operation. Now is time perfect time to discover an all-new performance-driven alternative CPU cooling solution” commented Ramsom Koay, Director of Marketing for Thermaltake.

^{Water2.0 Pro}

WATER2.0 Series closed-loop CPU liquid coolers are available in three different performance categories that cater to different performance requirements or applications. The WATER2.0 Performer features dual 120mm PWM fans with a high-performance 120mm x 25mm radiator that can be mounted to any chassis with an available 120mm case fan mount. The liquid circulation is handled by a high-efficiency, low-profile pump that sits on top of the all-copper cold plate. The low-profile pump is ideal for high-performance systems where high-end air cooler may interfere with enthusiasts-grade memories that often come equipped with taller heat spreaders. A dual-PWM adapter is also included allowing both included PWM fans to be connected to a single PWM fan header on the motherboard to ensure synchronous fan speed operation.

For more performance, the WATER2.0 Pro utilizes a much thicker radiator, 49mm compared to 25mm found on the Performer model, to dramatically increase the heat-dissipating surface area by almost doubling the doubling the volume of the radiator. The WATER2.0 Pro also includes the same low-profile pump along with dual 120mm PWM fans including the dual-PWM adapter.

^{Water2.0 Performer}

While all of the WATER2.0 CPU liquid coolers provide performance and low-noise operation, WATER2.0 Extreme delivers the ultimate performance by incorporating a double-long (240mm x 25mm) radiator that further increases the available heat-dissipating surface area for maximum cooling power. WATER2.0 Extreme ships standard with dual 120mm PWM fans and it is capable of supporting up to four PWM fans in push-pull configuration. Targeting enthusiasts and overclocking consumers, the WATER2.0 Extreme also comes with Smart Control Software that allows the user to monitor status of various hardware elements within the cooling unit, in addition to creating cooling profiles that best matches the user’s working and gaming environment.

“WATER2.0 Series of closed-loop CPU liquid coolers are not just new products that Thermaltake is introducing,” stated Weller Chen, Director of Product Management at Thermaltake, “WATER2.0 represent a shift in design philosophy from Thermaltake that aligns user experience in the same breath with performance, as consumers can see from the maintenance-free operation as well as simplified installation.” The WATER2.0 Performer and Pro are now available at major retailers in the United States and Canada. MSRP for WATER2.0 Performer is USD $69.99, and USD$99.99 for WATER2.0 Pro. The WATER2.0 Extreme will be available in July at major retailers with MSRP at USD $129.99. For more information, please visit the manufacturer’s product page: http://thermaltakeusa.com/Products.aspx?C=1444.

FSP goes for Gold with their 1200W Aurum PSU

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 4, 2012 - 04:52 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: PSU, fsp, aurum pro gold, kilowatt, modular psu

As the name implies, the FSP AURUM PRO GOLD 1200 PSU's efficiency is rated 80 Plus Gold and is capable of an impressive 100A on its single 12V rail.  [H]ard|OCP was glad to see that FSP has increased the quality of materials they use in constructing the PSU.  This has paid off as the PSU received a Silver Award after passing their torture tests.

"'AURUM' means gold. So today we are showing you the "Gold Pro Gold" from FSP. That is a big name to stand behind. Once past the marketing though, the Aurum Pro Gold looks like a very solid and efficient single rail power supply for the enthusiast needing a heaping supply of wattage in a snazzy looking PSU."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

• Enermax Revolution87+ 1000 watt PSU @ Bjorn3D
• OCZ ZT Series 650W @ Funky Kit
• Sharkoon WPM 600W Power Supply Review @ HardwareHeaven
• Codegen P-Case 460W - Low Price, Poor Quality @ AnandTech
• Antec HCG-620M 620W Power Supply Unit Review @ NikKTech
• Silverstone Strider Gold Evolution 850W Power Supply @ Pro-Clockers
• Coolermaster Silent Pro M2 1000W @ Rbmods
• Thermaltake Smart M650w @ XSReviews
• Akasa Venom Power 550W @ techPowerUp
• FSP Aurum Xilenser AU-500FL 500W @ AnandTech
• Coolermaster Silent Pro M2 720w Review @ HardwareLOOK
• Visiontek 800W Modular Power Supply @ Kitguru
• Silver Power SP S460FL 460W @ Kitguru
• Nexus Value 430 Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Rosewill Capstone Modular 750 W @ techPowerUp
• Enermax Revolution87+ 850 W @ techPowerUp

Gamer Storm's new heatsink wants to Assassin-ate your heat problems

Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 4, 2012 - 12:59 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Gamer Storm, Assassin, heatsink, heatpipes

Following in the current trend of trying to give your newest heatsink a bizarre name comes the Gamer Storm Assassin, a 5.7" x 6.1" x 6.3" (144 x 154 x 160 mm) dual tower heatsink.  The cooler comes with a pair of mismatched fans, a 120mm fan for use on one of the sides of the tower and a 140mm for use in between the towers.  That does not seem to have hurt performance at all, Hardware Secrets tests show it to not only be an effective cooler but also one that does not generate excessive noise.  It will fit both AMD and Intel sockets, so whichever you are using you might want to ignore the name and consider this cooler for your system.

"The Assassin is the first CPU cooler from Gamer Storm, a brand of cooling products from Logisys/Deepcool, aimed at gamers. This huge cooler has two twin tower heatsinks, eight heatpipes, one 120 mm fan and one 140 mm fan. We already reviewed the Dracula VGA cooler from this brand."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

• Thermaltake Frio Extreme CPU Cooler @ Pro-Clockers
• Noctua NH-L12 Low Profile CPU Cooler @ Tweaktown
• Thermalright Silver Arrow SB-E CPU Cooler @ Tweaktown
• Zalman CNPS10X Optima Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
• Thermaltake Frio Advanced CPU Cooler @ Pro-Clockers
• Zalman CNPS8900 Extreme Low Profile Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
• Cooler Master TPC 812 CPU Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews
• Top 5 Heatsink Charts on Frostytech
• Noctua NH-L12 Low Profile Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
• Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2 CPU Cooler @ Kitguru
• Cooler Master TPC 812 CPU Cooler Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• rolimatech Megahalems Revision C CPU Cooler Review @ VR-Zone
• Phanteks PH-TC14CS CPU Cooler @ Pro-Clockers
• Zalman CNPS8900 Extreme CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Scythe Mugen 3 PCGH and Ninja 3 Silent review @ Hardware.Info
• 393 80/92/120/140mm case fans reviewed @ Hardware.Info
• Xclio Touch 767 @ XSReviews
• Cooler Master HAF XM Review @ Neoseeker
• Lian Li PC-V353A Aluminum Silent PC Case Review @ NikKTech
• SilverStone Temjin TJ04-E Evolution Case @ kitguru
• In Win Mana 136 Mid-Tower Chassis Review @ eTeknix
• Antec Three Hundred Two review @ Hardware.Info
• Thermaltake Armor Revo Chassis @ FunkyKit
• NZXT Phantom 410 "Gun Metal" Edition @ Oc3D
• Maingear Shift Limited Edition Chassis @ Tweaktown
• Antec Eleven Hundred Case @ Rbmods
• Little Devil LD-V4 Test Bench @ OC3D
• Lancool PC-K65 Case Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Antec Three Hundred Two Mid-Tower Case Review @ Madshrimps
• Cooler Master HAF XM Mid-Tower Chassis @ Tweaktown
• NZXT Phantom 410 Gunmetal Mid-Tower Chassis Review @ HCW
• Silverstone TJ04-E Evolution Case Review @ Ninjalane
• Zalman Z11 Mid Tower Gaming Case Review @ HardwareLOOK
• SilverStone Precision PS07 White Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

Rosewill Announces R5 Mid-Tower Gaming Case

Subject: Cases and Cooling | April 26, 2012 - 07:46 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: rosewill r5, rosewill, mid-tower, case

Rosewill, a company known for fans and low cost gaming chassis, announced on Monday a new mid-tower case. The new Rosewill R5 is constructed of SGCC steel, offers lots of air cooling options, and comes in at sub $100 USD.

The new R5 case comes with three 120mm fans (two intake, one rear exhaust), and can support up to eight total fans. The matte black case also features one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, eSATA, and audio input and output jacks on the front panel. Also, the case supports four external 5.25” bays (one of which can be converted to a 3.5” bay).

On the inside, the Rosewill R5 supports up to six 3.5” (or 2.5”) drive bays and can hold either ATX or micro ATX motherboards. The fans also includes removable dust filters. According to the company:

“We also spent countless hours researching airflow patterns and strategically placed 8 fan mounts in key positions in the R5 that will provide maximum cooling for your components while you dominate your games.”

There is no word on specific pricing or availability but it will have a sub $100 MSRP and should be available later this year.