The most recent articles from PC Magazine

Aopen XC Cube AV

PC Magazine staff — 2004-11-02T14:45:37.000Z

PC Magazine staff, PC Magazine, Tuesday 2 November 2004 at 14:45:37

A multimedia barebones PC that packs a punch

The current flagship of Aopen's SFF PC XC Cube range is the multi-talented AV multimedia barebones PC.

As well as the usual motherboard and CPU fan of normal barebones packages, the AV also comes with a PCI TV/FM card and its own Linux-based OS called Instanton. This OS takes up just 100MB of disk space and allows the AV functions to be ready to use within six seconds, great for playing DVDs, watching TV or listening to music.

The installation is easy and the accompanying booklet guides you through all the steps to get started. Instanton must be loaded before you install Windows or any other OS. For ordinary Windows, the Intervideo Home Theater application is provided. The Instanton DVD, audio and Home Theatre functions can be controlled via the supplied infrared remote control.

The system is well built and looks good in its black finish. It features a multifunctional front display panel and controls that light up blue when the unit is switched on. At the heart of the XC Cube AV is one of Aopen's own UX4SG-1394-II motherboards, built around Intel's 865G chipset.

This supports Socket 478 Pentium 4s with 400MHz, 533MHz and 800MHz FSB speeds up to 3.2GHz (including Prescott versions), but it may be wiser to install a less powerful CPU because of problems with the heat generated by larger processors.

The CPU cooling fan is very loud when the system is first switched on and, although the noise level drops after a while, the AV is not what you would call a silent PC. Two Dimm slots support up to 2GB of DDR266/333/400 memory, depending on which processor you fit.

To fit the processor and memory, the whole drive cage can be removed by undoing two screws. The drive cage contains a seven-in-one card reader, but if you don't mind empty slots in the front of your AV you can remove it and fit a second hard drive.

Above and below the card readers are the 5.25in and 3.5in drive bays. Aopen supplies a Sata data cable and specially shortened parallel ATA cables to use on any standard hard drive.

The integrated graphics supplied by the Intel 856G chipset is fine for everyday applications, but that's about the limit. For serious gaming you should add a decent 3D card in the AGP slot.

However, with the TV/Radio card sitting in the PCI slot, there's not much room to get rid of heat generated by the graphics card, and the graphics card will need to be a slimline model that doesn't need more than a single expansion plate.

Apart from these reservations, the XC Cube AV offers the chance to make a true multimedia PC in a format that will grace any room.

Gigabyte GA-8I915P-D Pro

PC Magazine Team — 2004-09-03T09:27:45.000Z

PC Magazine Team, PC Magazine, Friday 3 September 2004 at 09:27:45

A well laid out motherboard from Gigabyte.

Part of Gigabyte's PX (Performance Extreme) range, the GA-8I915P-D Pro is the most basic of the three 915 boards featured here, but basic is a relative term when you take into account the features the new chipsets provide as standard.

What you do get is integrated Gigabit Ethernet, support for up to eight USB 2.0 ports, a 16X PCI Express (PCX) graphics slot, two 1X PCX slots and integrated 7.1 audio.

As with most Gigabyte boards, there's plenty of room around all the components.

The GA-8I915P-D Pro is the single channel memory option sibling of the GA-8GPNXP Duo. Instead of the dual DDR1/2 support you get with the Duo, the GA-8I915P-D Pro supports up to 4GB of just DDR2 memory in dual-channel configuration.

The board has four SATA ports but it uses the basic ICH6 Southbridge so these can't be configured into a RAID array.

Bundled in the box are two SATA data cables, SATA power cable, Ultra ATA/100 and floppy cables and two expansion plates.

Contact: Scan (0870) 755 4747

www.scan.co.uk

Shuttle XPC SB81P

PC Magazine Team — 2004-08-27T09:46:23.000Z

PC Magazine Team, PC Magazine, Friday 27 August 2004 at 09:46:23

This small form factor PC from Shuttle is ahead of the game.

Shuttle has been at the forefront of SFF (Small Form Factor) PC design since the concept first saw the light of day, and its latest offering, the XPC SB81P, shows that it is still one step ahead.

The XPC SB81P is based on Intel's latest 915 chipset and 775-pin CPU socket and features some clever design updates.

It's a little taller and longer, and now has the 6-in-1 memory card reader positioned above the optical drive bay, hence the increase in height. The internals have been redesigned to allow the fitting of three hard drives - overcoming the lack of drive bay space that has been a problem with the format.

The removable drive cage unit has been redesigned to accommodate two extra hard drives across the top of the cage, using the special drive rails supplied; these are in addition to the standard 3.5in drive bay.

The Shuttle FB81 motherboard uses the RAID version of the ICH6 Southbridge, which supports RAID 0 and RAID 1 arrays. The core chipset is the 915-G, which incorporates the latest version of Intel's integrated graphics, the GMA 900. This is fine for everyday use, but if you want to play serious games with the SB81P you will need to install a PCI Express graphics card in the 16X PCX graphics slot.

The heatpipe technology that Shuttle uses to cool the CPU has always been one of the most impressive things about the Shuttle range. This system has been redesigned to take into account the increased heat generation of the latest Intel Prescott CPUs. There's now a dual-fan processor cooling system that has been moved to the front of the case.

Despite these two fans and a further two case fans, the SB81P isn't as noisy as we'd feared, mainly because the fans have new four-pin connectors that allow for more advanced cooling settings to be set in the BIOS.

Once again Shuttle has pushed the boundaries of what's possible with the SFF format and maintained an edge over its rivals. The SB81P could easily form the basis of a powerful desktop or even entry-level workstation system.

Contact: Microdirect (0870) 444 4456

www.microdirect.co.uk

Upgrades for free - Part 2

Kelvyn Taylor and Richard Hunt — 2004-08-16T13:59:53.000Z

Kelvyn Taylor and Richard Hunt, PC Magazine, Monday 16 August 2004 at 13:59:53

The second and final part of our guide to using firmware updates to improve the performance of many hardware products

Firmware updates are more than simple bug fixes: by installing new firmware you can get improved performance from a number of your hardware products.

DVD writers

The performance of some DVD writers can be doubled by applying firmware upgrades. Many officially available updates make available new features, such as support for additional DVD formats. Hacked versions of firmware, on the other hand, should be approached with extreme caution.

It's wrong to assume that if the write speed of your DVD writer is no longer up to your requirements the only thing to do is to buy a faster model. In many cases you can apply free firmware to achieve faster DVD write speeds, support for new DVD formats and optimised writing strategy for different media.

Doubled DVD write speed

To try out these improvements it's often simply a matter of looking at the DVD recorder manufacturer's website. For example, Sony is offering an update to firmware version 2.0c for the DRU-530A multi-format DVD writer that can be run straight from Windows, which is downloadable here. This doesn't just double the DVD-R write speed to 8X, it doubles the DVD-RW write speed from 2X to 4X.

Benq is offering added value to anyone who buys its DW822A 8X writer; from the third quarter of 2004 it will offer a free firmware upgrade that enables the drive to write dual-layer DVDs containing up to 7.9GB of data. Patching straight from a command prompt is not often required these days, as most flash tools spring into action at the click of a button under Windows.

The firmware upgrades given as examples are the exception rather than the rule, however.Usually, new firmware won't speed up the writing process, but will contain information on how to optimise writing to various types of blank media. The importance of correctly matching the writer and blanks was shown in a test of DVD blanks carried out by PC Professionell, our sister magazine in Germany, for its May 2004 issue - two-thirds of the DVD blanks were damaged irreparably after writing because of badly set up recorder firmware.

Beware of hacked firmware

On some web forums you will find hacked firmware upgrades that are not approved by the manufacturers. A patch modified by a third party can be used to flash the NEC ND-1100 external 4X writer to emulate its multi-format sibling, the ND-1300A. Similarly, by applying a firmware patch the Lite-On LDW-41 1S 4X writer metamorphoses into the 8X LDW-811S.

The patches offered on 'insider' websites are usually modified original firmware upgrades. It's by no means clear which parameters the hackers have altered. The removal of the regional code barrier and the DVD rip speed limit do not usually cause problems. However, when it comes to burning DVDs it is a different matter, which can be seen with the NEC ND-1100A.

After flashing with a hacked firmware version, the recorder is recognised as an ND-1300A and burns DVD-format media, but with difficulties. According to a survey by The Firmware Page, many users reported that DVD-R and DVD-RW media written with an 'enhanced' NEC ND-1100A could not be read in another drive.

Tuning for CD writers too

The opportunities and risks of tuning outlined above are similar for CD writers. However, it is not possible to get much extra performance out of a modern 52X writer, although older CD writers will profit from an upgrade. For example, by updating the firmware the 32X Lite-On LTR-32125W can be made to perform like the newer 48X LTR-48125W - an increase in performance of around two per cent.

Digital cameras Firmware updates can also add new features to digital cameras. Installing the new, freely available firmware is quick and straightforward. Obviously the updates include bug fixes but they also often include new display modes and operating routines.

If you have a digital camera, it is a good idea to update the firmware, if available. The free updates mostly serve to correct minor problems. Updating the firmware often adds a few new features - upgrading the Nikon Coolpix 5000 firmware to Version 1.8 ensures that the correct shutter speed is shown on the display during manual exposure.

When its firmware has been upgraded to version 1.03, Canon's EOS 100D will recognise 2GB Compact Flash (CF) cards. With older firmware the CF memory cards are not always formatted at full capacity, with the result that the card holds fewer photos than it can.

A new feature also appears on the Sony DSC-T1 when you upgrade the firmware to version 2.0: the Pictbridge function allows you to print direct from the camera using a compatible printer (for example from HP or Canon) without needing to use a PC.

If you have a Sony DSC-F828 8-megapixel camera, you can avoid data loss by upgrading the firmware from version 1.0 to version 2.0. If the camera's Memory Stick contains more than two folders there is a danger that an image in the wrong directory will be deleted when using the camera's own delete function. The same goes for transferring images to the Memory Stick: in USB 2.0 mode it is possible that the copied file on the Memory Stick might be corrupted.

Notebooks, PDAs and Wi-Fi

More secure, faster, more functions; firmware upgrades also work wonders for devices in the mobile arena. The best part is that you can do all the upgrades yourself without going near the dealer.

It's true that notebooks are nothing more than small, mobile PCs. However, when it comes to BIOS updates, they are different from their deskbound relatives - the upgrades are specific to the manufacturer and not the BIOS or motherboard maker. The motherboards are manufactured for each notebook series and therefore require a customised BIOS.

Even if at first glance the BIOS appears to be a standard Phoenix one, for example on a Samsung notebook, an upgrade is only available if Samsung makes it available. There isn't a central place where new versions appear; the only thing to do is to check the manufacturer's website frequently.

What does it really do? BIOS updates for notebooks do not usually add support for new processors, as is the case for desktop PCs .MobilePCs, because of heat considerations, are usually only designed for a small range of processors, so swapping the processor will seldom work.

Instead, upgrades add functionality, such as support for new, fasterWi-Fi Mini PCI modules, larger hard disks or the option of booting from a USB stick. This last option is something a lot of users would like, and many manufacturers offer it via a BIOS update. For example, if your Dell Inspiron D600 won't boot from a USB stick , the solution is to upgrade to the BIOS version A11.

Bring your PDA up to date

Upgrades for Palm PDAs or Pocket PCs come in two versions: either small patches that are just a few kilobytes in size, which fix minor problems such as difficulties with the Bluetooth interface, or complete updates, which overwrite the Rom and usually deliver an improved or new operating system. The files for both types of upgrade are always loaded from a PC connected by USB or serial cable.

As with notebooks the process is straightforward and can be controlled easily fromWindows. Again, make sure mains power is connected because battery failure can be fatal.

Updates for Wi-Fi devices

Almost all manufacturers of Wi-Fi access points (AP) offer updates that add WPA encryption. Users should install these updates urgently, because WPA's forerunner, WEP, has significant security loopholes.

The AP has to be connected to the PC using an Ethernet cable, because the Wi-Fi interface is not reliable enough. Once the firmware has been downloaded from the manufacturer's website, it can be installed using either a Windows utility or the AP's web interface.

A real-life example

The Linksys WAG54G router up to firmware version 1.01.5 had problems with port forwarding. To update the firmware, download version 1.01.7 here. After the download, the router's web interface opens in the browser. Select Administration|Firmware upgrade, click the browse button and specify the update file's location. Writing the data takes a few seconds. When the LEDs on the router stop blinking, you can reboot and begin using the new firmware.

Printers

Owners of laser and inkjet printers can rejoice. With firmware updates even older models can be equipped with performance enhancers such as Direct Print. Laser and inkjet printer manufacturers conti nually make firmware upgrades available.

Whether they're simple bug fixes or real power updates, they can affect the overall performance of a printer, including print speed and copy resolution. For example, to increase resolution on Konica-Minolta laser printers, the new firmware realigns the device's internal laser reflectors. A firmware update might also allow the printer to show more information via its LCD panel - for example, ink cartridge levels or the current print quality setting.

Upgrading the firmware on a high-end device such as the Epson Stylus Pro 10600 can improve several performance characteristics at once. After the upgrade, the printer will have more accurate cutting modes and an improved paper feed that gives higher print quality when using special papers.

Canon makes available particularly comprehensive firmware.Once it has been installed, even older inkjet models benefit from a Direct Print function. This means that you can print photos directly from compatible digital cameras (such as the Canon EOS 300D digital SLR or the Powershot G3 compact) without needing a PC. Lexmark goes a step further, and will customise firmware for large customers. There's just one fly in the ointment: after the update you need to rebuild customised colour profiles.

Updates using the IP address

All printer manufacturers make firmware updates available for download from their websites. There are two ways to transfer a specified update into the printer controller's flash memory. The first is to use the manufacturer's recommended Windows flash utility. The other is to use command line MS-DOS.

Use the command copy filename LPT1:wb to address the printer interface directly (filename stands for the name of the firmware). Network printers can also be updated from an MS-DOS command line by specifying the IP address of the printer to be updated.

Flashing a USB printer is particularly easy with a bootable USB stick. Just plug the memory stick into the printer's USB port. After switching on, the printer will recognise the update automatically and transfer it to the flash memory.

Upgrades for free - Part 1

Kelvyn Taylor and Richard Hunt — 2004-08-13T16:19:02.000Z

Kelvyn Taylor and Richard Hunt, PC Magazine, Friday 13 August 2004 at 16:19:02

Firmware updates are more than simple bug fixes: by installing new firmware you can get improved performance from many hardware products

Why buy a new piece of hardware if your existing model's performance can be noticeably improved by a firmware update? A firmware update can help you to achieve better performance from many devices. Possibilities include doubled burning speed for DVD recorders, higher clock speeds and unlocking the full performance potential of your motherboard.

Firmware updates can not only enhance performance, but can add new features to the hardware. For example, digital cameras might show additional information on their LCD display or offer more preset features. Official upgrades from printer manufacturers can improve picture quality and optimise paper feeding.

You should also keep an eye open for firmware upgrades for your graphics card: for example, applying an update transforms a sub-£300 ATI Radeon 9800 Pro card into the much more expensive Fire-GL-X2 Pro accelerator. This is possible because both cards use chips from the same product family.

In this feature we'll describe the concrete improvements you can achieve through firmware updates, for motherboards, graphics cards, DVD and CD recorders, PDAs and printers. First, though, we go over the basics and explain how to do firmware upgrades safely.

The basics: Flash at the click of a mouse

A firmware update will go smoothly if you observe a few rules. Before flashing the firmware, you must back up the old version. Almost all updater software has this facility. If a device doesn't behave properly after a firmware update, in most cases you can simply restore the old version.

Upgrading is easiest with tools that work under Windows. In particular, flash programs for products such as DVD and CD writers and digital cameras work like this. A single mouse click is all that is needed to start the firmware update.

Even printers, graphics cards and motherboards can be flashed easily under Windows. However, you need to be particularly careful when flashing a motherboard: unstable Windows drivers can interfere with the flashing process. A BIOS update using the Windows interface should only be carried out on systems that are operating smoothly.

If you want to put new firmware on a Wi-Fi access point, you have to connect the access point and the computer via an Ethernet cable. The wireless interface is not reliable enough for this fussy process. You can either install the new firmware to the access point from the PC using a Windows utility, or use the access point's own web interface to fetch it from the PC.

More reliable with DOS

If you don't trust Windows you can, if themanufacturer allows it, update a PC?s BIOS using a floppy disk. To do this, you need to copy the firmware file and the flash program to a boot diskette. If you don't want to make your own Windows startup diskette, you can use a disk image, such as those at Bootdisk.com. In order for the PC to boot from the floppy, the floppy disk drive must be specified as the first boot device in the BIOS.

Updating is done from the command line after booting from diskette. The name of the flash program, the firmware filename and further parameters are entered here. A more precise set of instructions can usually be found in the relevant readme.txt file.

Warning: do not turn off the computer while the update is running (usually shown by a progress bar), or the device being flashed might be damaged. During the flashing procedure on a notebook PC, the external power supply must remain connected under all circumstances because if the battery ran out during flashing it would have fatal consequences. The notebook would be left without functioning BIOS, requiring manufacturer service.

Not always legal

Numerous hacked firmware versions are circulating on the internet. Often these work by tuning the device above the manufacturer's specifications, which can lead to the product being damaged, for example by overclocking. If you install an unofficial firmware patch, you will invalidate your warranty and possibly damage your hardware irretrievably.

Firmware files patched by third parties infringe intellectual property rights and are illegal. However, legal firmware patches have many advantages and are usually much more effective than tuning by altering software settings, because the firmware controls hardware directly, while software tuning tools are dependent on the Windows device driver. These only influence the hardware to a limited extent and are nowhere near as effective as optimised firmware when it comes to tuning.

In addition, settings specified in the device hardware are retained, even if the computer is turned off. If software patches can't solve a problem, installing new firmware is often the only way to overcome it.

Motherboards and CPUs

Add value to your motherboard at no cost: BIOS updates improve compatibility and add new features to your system. For some chipsets, a firmware upgrade can even push the system into the next performance class.

More performance for free: a firmware update can boost an older motherboard to the same performance level as its more expensive successor. You can save about £35 with a firmware upgrade of this type. For example, motherboards that use the Intel 865PE (Springdale) chipset can be elevated to the same performance level as a board using the high-end Intel 875P (Canterwood) chipset.

The difference between these chipsets lies in the Performance Acceleration Technology (PAT) function. This frees additional performance reserves, optimising the memory access between the CPU and system memory at 800MHz front side bus (FSB) frequency and dual-channel DDR400 memory.

It's possible to activate this feature because Springdale (865PE) and Canterwood (875P) come from the same production line. They are identical, but at the quality control stage, the most powerful chips are selected for use in Canterwood chipsetswhile the rest are used in Springdale chipsets.

Enabling the PAT function with a BIOS update improves overall performance by about two per cent. If your motherboard uses the Intel 845P chip set with an FSB frequency of 533MHz, you can switch to an Intel CPU with an 800MHz FSB without buying a new motherboard. Many manufacturers offer BIOS updates that support the higher FSB rate.

The same goes for AMD CPUs with a 400MHz FSB - motherboa rds using nVidia's nForce 2 chipset with a system frequency of 333MHz also work with newer AMD processors after a BIOS update. The new frequency brings an improvement in performance of up to six per cent.

Manufacturers such as Abit, MSI and Epox include overclocking functions that can be optimised by using updates to their firmware. Apart from menus for selecting preset values, they include tools for altering the FSB frequ ency, core volt a geand multiplier.

MSI offers by far the most advanced overclocking with dynamic overclocking technology (DOT); its integrated overclocking function increases the FSB frequency by up to 20 per cent for demanding applications. Different performance profiles can be selected from the BIOS. Support for DOT and updates for this function are added via BIOS upgrades.

If your computer won't start after an interrupted or completed BIOS update, then hardware intervention is the only way out. Manufacturers such as Gigabyte produce models with dual BIOS chips - if one BIOS chip is damaged , then a second takes over. Some motherboards also have a DIP switch to perform a BIOS reset. If this is still not successful then the BIOS chip will need to be replaced, which means returning the board to the manufacturer.

With regular chipset driver updates you can optimise hard disk and ATAPI drive access times. The aim is to get a high data throughput rate with low CPU usage. If you have a motherboard with an Intel chipset, you install the Intel Application Accelerator.

This speeds up loading times for both Windows and application programs. If you have an AMD Athlon 64 CPU you should keep the proce s s ordriver up to date. This will enable the Cool 'n' Quiet power saving function to be activated fromWindows.

Graphics cards

Even small changes to the BIOS can make graphics cards perform better. This renderscomplicated software tools superfluous. If the firmware meant for another card is installed, some 3D accelerators can transform themselves into different models.

Performance freaks are catching on to graphics card firmware upgrades, which allow optimised settings to be saved in the hardware. The advantage over software tuning is obvious: these programs are available for numerous 3D cards and make it possible to make changes to the most important settings such as clock rates and AGP modes. The changes are effective as soon as the operating system is reinstalled, a new driver comes into use or even if the graphics card is installed in a different PC.

Two update methods

There are two possible ways to make changes to a graphics card BIOS. Some BIOS editors allow you to modify the original BIOS directly, which can be used, for example, to permanently specify a higher clock speed .Alternatively, you may be able to update theBIOS using the firmware for a technically similar but more powerful card.

For example, nVidia GeForce FX-5900 cards can be partially upgraded using the same manufacturer's BIOS to the faster FX-5950 Ultra , as long as the graphics chip and memory can cope with the higher frequencies. For both options, you'll need matching flash tools to read the firmware and transfer the new or modified BIOS back to the graphics card. For graphics cards with ATI or nVidia chips, you can find suitable programs on the internet at sites such as Mvktech.net.

For ATI cards,WinFlash makes the process particularly easy. This allows you to access the BIOS directly from Windows. After clicking on Load Image, the BIOS data is read and stored as a BIN file using the Save function. The program then rewrites the firmware.

For cards with nVidia chips, use the nVFlash utility (currently at version 4.46),which requires use of the command line and a boot diskette.

Adjusting the BIOS yourself

If you're using an ATI graphics card, once the BIOS is on your hard disk as a file you can adjust them parameters it contains using the RadEdit utility. These parameters include the clock speed, the TV standard for video output and the frame refresh rate for DOS mode. Version 1.1D supports all current ATI cards.

X-BIOS Editor (the current version is 1.0 build 520) is a powerful tool for nVidia graphics cards, which doesn't cover all of the latest chips' functions. For example, the clock rate on cards newer than the GeForce4 can't be changed. The Russian developers are reported to be working on a new version.

With older cards the functionality encompasses further possibilities such as the ability to deactivate AGP settings such as sideband or fast write addressing if there are compatibility problems. A unique feature is that you can use the X-BIOS Editor to change any graphics card's boot message. You can import the current 3D card's BIOS directly using the menu command Open/Read current. However, to write it back, you'll still need to use another utility such as nVflash.

New identity by changing the BIOS

Loading the firmware meant for another graphics card offers more opportunities for tuning than BIOS editing utilities. On the internet you can find, for example, BIOS versions that remove the frequency limitations on individual ATI cards, or you can use a suitable BIOS to transform the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro into the much more expensive Fire GL X2.

The Fire GL cards are based on the same chip technology, but have additional functions for accelerated display of raster graphics. This has advantages when using professional level graphics applications such as 3D Studio Max or CAD programs.

When looking for replacement BIOS versions, sites such as mvtech or ocfaq.com are a treasure trove for files and information on all types of card. Obviously, before changing the BIOS you should check the planned settings thoroughly. Faster clock speeds can be set up with utility software such as Powerstrip and soak-tested.

If there are problems after changing the BIOS, start the system using a PCI graphics card and then put the old BIOS back on to the AGP graphics card. Alternatively, use a boot diskette that has an entry in its AUTOEXEC.BAT file that carries out the BIOS re-update without requiring screen output.

Lian-Li PC-V2000

PC Magazine Team — 2004-07-22T13:55:05.000Z

PC Magazine Team, PC Magazine, Thursday 22 July 2004 at 13:55:05

An ideal case for anyone with a number of drives.

Lian-Li's PC-V2000 is a huge full tower case complete with a set of castors so you can move it around. It's really more of a workstation/server case, but if you need space for a huge amount of drives, this is the case for you.

As with all Lian Li cases, the build quality is superb, with a good grade of aluminium used throughout. There are some neat touches, such as threaded washers to hold screws. This prolongs the life of the case as the screws can't rip out of the aluminium.

All the access holes for the cable runs are lined with plastic to save knuckles and cables from chafing.

This case excels in the number of design innovations it features.

The side panels are held in by a lock and thumbscrew. Undoing the trapped thumbscrew allows the lock to be pulled out, to release the panel, so you can see just how different the V2000 is.

The case is divided into internal sections. The motherboard is fitted in the top section while the drives and power supply sit in the bottom section under the floor that divides the two.

When fitted the power supply sits on top of a drilled aluminium plate that allows the PSU to draw cool air through the grill in the bottom of the case. In case you need more cooling there's space for two 8cm fans to be mounted directly above the PSU.

Two 12cm fans are pre-installed in the PC-V2000, one in the upper rear panel by the motherboard and the other in the front of the chassis. Both of these are rubber mounted, and the front one is filtered.

As mentioned previously, this case can hold a huge number of drives: six 5.25in and twelve 3.5in in two drive cages. The uppermost 5.25in bay has a drop-down door on it, so there is no need to hunt down a silver optical drive for this bay at least. Special fixing screws are supplied for the hard drives. With these screws the drives become tool-free, slipping into cages with sliding locks to lock drives into place.

To reach some of the bays you will need long data cables and you will have to choose your power supply with care - ones with stiff cables may not be able to reach the motherboard.

Lian Li supplies all the screws and bits you need to install everything into the case.

Contact Perfex (0870) 141 7161

www.overclock.co.uk

Specifications:

Format Full ATX tower
Dimensions (DxWxH)62.5x21.0x61.7cm
Weight 8.5kg
Drive bays 13 x 3.5in (1 external),6 x 5.25in
Expansion brackets 7
Front ports 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x audio, 1 x FireWire
Cooling fan 2 x 120mm
PSU rating no PSU

Antec SLK2650-BQE

Simon Crisp — 2004-07-22T10:40:15.000Z

Simon Crisp, PC Magazine, Thursday 22 July 2004 at 10:40:15

Antec's latest addition to its range of PC cases.

Another addition to Antec's Solution Series of cases, and the smaller sibling of the SLK3700-BQE (PC Magazine, April 2004), the SLK2650 is a compact midi tower model with the build quality and features that we have come to expect from Antec.

The black finish on the good quality steel chassis isn't the smooth piano-gloss finish of the LifeStyle range but rather a matt crackle finish.

Behind the door forming the top half of the front fascia are the externally accessible drive bays - four 5.25in and two 3.5in. Also behind the door are the power and reset buttons. The lower half of the fascia houses two USB ports.

Cleverly hidden behind the blanking plates for the 5.25in. bays is the mounting rail that allows you to remove drives tool-free once you've screwed on the supplied adapters.

The two smaller external drives are not tool-free and the mounts for these form part of the main hard drive cage. The cage accepts another two 3.5in drives and features rubber mounts to lessen the impact of any drive vibration.

The motherboard back plate is fixed but this doesn't present too much of a problem. The expansion plates are fixed by screws, but these are protected by a removable plastic cover which has a tiny storage area built into it to hold spare screws and accessories.

For cooling the SLK2650 comes with a rear mounted 120mm Antec low speed quiet fan, with options to fit 80mm fans in the front of the chassis and in the case's Air Guide. The Air Guide is an adjustable duct built into the side panel that sits above the CPU, providing cooling direct to the processor.

Included with the SLK2650 is one of Antec's own quiet SmartPower 350W power supplies. Antec supports the case with a three-year return to base warranty.

Contact: RiskFree (08700) 110700

www.riskfree.co.uk

Specifications:

Format Midi ATX tower
Dimensions (DxWxH) 42x21x42cm
Weight 7.3kg
Drive bays 4 x 3.5in (2 external),4 x 5.25in
Expansion brackets 7
Front ports 2 x USB 2.0
Cooling fan 1 x 120mm
PSU rating 350W

Sparkle FX5700 Ultra DDRIII

PC Magazine Team — 2004-06-30T16:02:36.000Z

PC Magazine Team, PC Magazine, Wednesday 30 June 2004 at 16:02:36

Does this graphics card from Sparkle have anything new to offer?

What's so special about GDDR3 memory? Its major advantage is that it requires only 1.8V (Micron) or 1.9V (Samsung) and it also has to have on-die termination, both of which allow it to run at much higher frequencies (500-800MHz) than GDDR1 and the disappointing GDDR2 (because of the high heat generated by the chips).

Although 800MHz GDDR1 chips are available they are prohibitively expensive. The new chips run cooler, especially at the slower speeds.

But it's not quite all good news. The new chips have higher latencies than the older GDDR1, so the GDDR1 modules are slightly faster then GDDR3 chips at the same clock speed, but this is outweighed by the higher frequencies that are possible with GDDR3.

NVidia's FX5700 Ultra was the company's first card to use the new chips. It shows the advantage of using 256MB modules as it needs only four chips to reach 128MB, instead of the eight modules for the original FX5700 Ultra.

Sparkle's FX5700 Ultra DDRIII is a reference design even down to the heatsink and fan, but it is highlighted by Sparkle's use of a gold edging strip to the edge of the PCB.

There's no big bundle of goodies with the card, but this helps to keep the price down. All you get is a power cable, SVideo cable, DVI-I to VGA adaptor and a driver CD.

Contact: Discount Computer Supplies

www.dcs-online.biz

MSI NX6800 Ultra (T2D266)

PC Magazine Team — 2004-06-28T13:57:56.000Z

PC Magazine Team, PC Magazine, Monday 28 June 2004 at 13:57:56

This graphics card from MSI comes with an impressive bundle of games andutilities.

MSI's NX6800 Ultra is the first retail board we have seen based on nVidia's new NV40 core. The basic PCB is as nVidia's reference design, including the dual DVI/I and single TV-out ports on the expansion plate, but MSI has added its own style of heatsink and cooler.

MSI supplies an impressive bundle of games and utilities with the card. These include MSI's own useful utilities; Media Deluxe Centre, which allows you to browse all your multimedia files under a single application; 5.1 DVD player, Super Pack with Photoshop Album SE and 3D Album SE; and 3D Desktop.

There's also a CD containing Virtual Drive 7 Professional and Restore It 3. The driver CD includes yet more useful goodies, including Live Update, which supports live BIOS updates; drivers for the graphics card; and WMIinfor, a DMI system information.

The games supplied are full copies of URU, XIII and Prince of Persia 3D, and if these aren't enough there is also a 14-in- games collection.

Contact: Scan Computers

www.scan.co.uk

Sapphire Radeon X800 Pro

PC Magazine Team — 2004-06-25T12:00:05.000Z

PC Magazine Team, PC Magazine, Friday 25 June 2004 at 12:00:05

This sapphire is similar in looks to its predecessors but this latest version has some added features.

The first retail card based on ATI's latest R420 core to appear in VNU Labs came from one of ATI's long time partners, Sapphire Technology.

As you can guess from the name, the Radeon X800 Pro uses the 12-pipeline version of the R420 and, as is usual for the first of the retail cards, it?s clone of the reference ATI design complete with red PCB and reference heatsink and fan.

It's a nice, compact card. At first glance you could you were looking at one the previous Radeon 9800XT cards because they look similar.

Bundled with the card are the usual goodies from Sapphire: all the cables you need, including power, plus copies of Tomb Raider, CyberLink PowerDVD, Tweak (overclocking utility) and a driver CD.

Although the Sapphire Radeon X800 Pro is excellent value for money even at its full price, you can find it up to £40 cheaper if you shop around.

Contact: ebuyer

www.ebuyer.com

Ayrsoft Icon Server

Alex Arias — 2004-06-22T14:10:36.000Z

Alex Arias, PC Magazine, Tuesday 22 June 2004 at 14:10:36

Server takes a new form.

Small form factor PCs have been around for some time, but only enthusiasts have converted these into servers. This has changed with Ayrsoft's Icon Server, which hosts a number of applications within a Shuttle system.

Our review system was powered by an Intel P4 2.4GHz processor. The twin 80GB hard drives were mirrored for redundancy and 512MB of PC2700 DDR unbuffered non-ECC memory was installed. Because of the small size of the case, there are only two available memory slots and a single PCI slot.

The hardware configuration is designed to cope with more than 24 users, which seems reasonable, while the base operating system is a customised version of Mandrake Linux. There is no need to know Linux, though, as the unit is managed over a secure browser connection.

A wizard guides you through the installation and once completed the well designed Web-based management screen lets you configure additional options. This literally takes a few minutes, after which the office software can be managed. This includes applications such as an intranet, email, file sharing, firewall and VPN support, as well as a MySQL database. In the near future distributed Internet will become available, and automatic upgrades from Ayrsoft can be scheduled every night.

There are several different versions of the Icon software, from a starter pack to a Plus edition, that include customer relationship management, antispam filtering and other options.

The server can be bought in varying configurations, such as with a DSL modem. A lower specified system for fewer than 24 users is available, but the lack of a second hard drive might make some administrators a little anxious. Icon Server software is sold separately and can scale up to 5,000 users with the right hardware.

It's a powerful system that can be easily managed. Expansion is restricted to three FireWire and four USB ports, while the Linux operating system may limit support for peripherals.

Contact: 01294 318722

www.ayrsoft.com

Specifications:

Form factor: Small form factor
Dimensions 200x285x185mm
Shuttle system SB51G
CPU Pentium 4 2.4GHz
Max memory 2GB
Network cards 2 x 10/100Base-TX
PCI slots One 32-bit 33MHz
Optical drive AOpen CD-RW
Hard drive capacity 2 x 80GB
Seagate ST380011A UltraATA/100
Applications Email, firewall, Web, print server (additional applications available)
Warranty One year RTB

Price:

£2,799 (ex. VAT) for a 50-user license.

Dell PowerEdge 700

Alex Arias — 2004-06-21T14:23:18.000Z

Alex Arias, PC Magazine, Monday 21 June 2004 at 14:23:18

Dell serves up all-rounder.

Dell's PowerEdge 700 is a general purpose server designed for minimal IT support environments and is suitable for branch offices or small to medium-sized businesses. Based on an Intel E7210 chipset, it supports a single Intel Pentium 4 (up to 3.2GHz). The memory is dual banked and is expandable to 4GB, so it should be able to cope with moderate-sized database applications.

Storage can be based on either SCSI or cheaper SATA drives, and optional RAID cards can be purchased for either interface. Our review system came equipped with a Dell CERC SATA Raid controller and two SATA drives. Four 3.5in drive bays should provide sufficient storage capacity for its intended market. Additionally, there is a spare 5.25in bay for backup devices such as a tape drive. There's plenty of room for expansion, with three PCI-X slots and two PCI. These could be quickly used up as there's only a single integrated Gigabit Ethernet NIC. Optional extras such as the RAID card and Dell's remote management card (DRAC III/XT, £132 ex VAT) will also reduce the number of slots available.

The hardware is encased in a lockable tower chassis that unfortunately doesn't have any internal tool-free features. The large air duct over both the CPU and the memory may prove a little fiddly if you have to upgrade the memory, but apart from this it's pretty uncluttered internally. There's limited redundancy as there are no hot swap power supplies or hot plug drive bays.

In terms of performance, the system was well up to par, with the SATA drives configured as a RAID1 configuration performing well. The 2.8GHz Pentium 4 HT processor coped well, fulfilling a high number of Web requests. However, the server generated significant noise, which could be a problem in small offices.

Dell's Server Assistant provides the relevant driver files for all the major operating systems including Linux, making installation easy. The browser-based Dell Open Manage IT Assistant is used for server maintenance.

Overall, it fulfils all basic requirements of a small network environment, although with a single CPU it's obviously more limited for demanding applications.

Contact: Dell 0870 907 4155

www.dell.co.uk

Specifications:

Form factor: Tower
CPU: Single P4 up to 3.2GHz or a Celeron 2.4GHz
Max memory: 4GB ECC PC3700
Internal storage: 4 x 3.5in bays, 1 spare 5.25in bay
PCI-X slots: 3 x 64-bit/66MHz
PCI slots: 2 x 32-bit/33MHz
Network cards: 1 onboard Intel Gigabit NIC
Warranty: Three years on site

AOpen XC Cube EY65

Simon Crisp — 2004-06-03T13:49:40.000Z

Simon Crisp, PC Magazine, Thursday 3 June 2004 at 13:49:40

Save desk space with this small form factor PC from AOpen.

The latest addition to AOpen's popular barebones XC Cube range is the Intel-based EY65. This series does away with the dropdown doors for the floppy drive/card reader and the front port bay of the original XC Cube. Instead, there's a black panel for the bay and the front ports are left open.

Installed with AOpen's UX4SG-1394 motherboard, the EY65 has most of the integrated features we've come to expect from a small form factor PC.

The board uses Intel's i865G (Springdale) chipset and supports all Intel Northwood processors up to the 800MHz front-side bus (FSB) 3.2GHz P4.

On the downside, the large processor fan is a little noisy when first turned on.

The two DIMM slots allow for a maximum of 2GB of memory (up to DDR400) to be installed using the chipset's dual-channel memory support.

The chipset also supplies the integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2 card. If you want to play serious games there is an 8X AGP slot. Thanks to the size of the case, it can happily seat a full-height card, as can the single PCI slot. Also integrated is a Gigabit Ethernet port, while a Realtek ALC650 controls the 5.1 audio.

Two Serial ATA (Sata) and two IDE ports are supplied, with the Sata solution producing the tidiest cable arrangement. AOpen supplies Sata data and power cables with one connector angled at 90§ to make fitting easier.

The barebones PC comes with a well written manual full of colour photos showing how to assemble the Cube.

Overall, the EY65 is a stylish addition to the family and comes close to beating Shuttle at its own game.

Contact: AOpen

www.aopen.com

Specifications:

CPU support Intel Pentium 4 Northwood processor
Chipset Intel 865G
Memory 2x DDR DIMM slots (PC3200)
Graphics Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2
Expansion slots AGP slot, PCI slot
E-IDE controllers 2 parallel ATA slots, 2 Sata slots
I/O 4xUSB 2.0, 2x6-pin FireWire, 1x4-pin FireWire, 2xPS/2, 2xS/PDIF, serial, parallel, LAN, VGA, 5 audio

Antec Aria

Simon Crisp — 2004-06-01T15:55:39.000Z

Simon Crisp, PC Magazine, Tuesday 1 June 2004 at 15:55:39

A small form factor case from Antec.

Small form factor (SFF) PCs are turning up more and more as the basis for mainstream systems. However, for some people they aren't big enough to take all the expansion cards they use. Antec's Aria is not only bigger than the usual SFF cases but unlike all the others it is not a barebones system - it's just an empty case.

Antec makes some of the best built cases around and the Aria follows that trend. Part of the Lifestyle range of cases that includes the popular Sonata and Overture cases, the Aria is large enough to accept microATX motherboards, which makes it a lot more flexible than the normal run of SFF PCs. While it is the same height as AOpen's XC Cube, it is some 50mm wider, mainly to accommodate the AGP and three PCI slots of a microATX motherboard.

Build quality is high, as we've come to expect from Antec, and it looks stylish, with a silver and black finish.

The chassis is made from aluminium, with removeable side and top panels allowing full access to the insides of the case. The side panels are made from two skins of aluminium with a plastic panel sandwiched between them, while the top panel is a single aluminium layer with a plastic panel, all of which keep the case weight down to a respectable 4.75kg.

The rear of the case is dominated by the 120mm cooling fan and the power supply, both of which are part of Antec's quiet component range. The large fan spins more slowly, thus reducing noise levels. The 300W power supply means that there's plenty of power for a Pentium 4 Extreme Edition or Athlon 64 and a powerful graphics card.

Antec also includes one of its Cyclone blower fans in an empty expansion slot, to aid internal cooling further.

One of the major plus points of the Aria is that it can take up to three 3.5in drives. At first glance, the one-piece aluminium removeable drive housing looks like it can accept only the usual single 5.25in drive and 3.5in drives, but there are screw holes for mounting one more 3.5in drive vertically on either side of the larger bay.

The top rear of the cage has a couple of rubber pads to aid in the reduction of case vibration from the drives. The larger of the two bays has a sprung dropdown door to hide any optical drive, so you don't have to match the colour of the drive to the outside of the case.

Built into the front of the case is a seven-in-one card reader that connects to a USB 2.0 header on the motherboard and is accompanied by two USB 2.0 ports, a 6-pin FireWire port and two audio ports.

The Aria is well designed and impressively built case, ideal if you want to slim down your tower PC but are put off by the lack of flexibility offered by most SFF cases.

Contact Perfex (0870) 874 0074

www.overclock.co.uk

Specifications:

Format MicroATX cube
Dimensions (DxWxH)33.5x26.9x20cm
Weight 4.75kg
Drive bays 3x3.5in 1x5.25in
Expansion brackets 4
Front ports Seven-in-one card
reader, 2 USB 2.0, 2 audio, 1 FireWire
Cooling fan 120mm
PSU rating 300W