Cases & Cooling

In my pursuit of elevating myself to the upper echelons of the geek community, I am always looking for ways to separate myself from my neighbors. This started with my consumption of “extreme” computer components, to windowed cases glowing with bright blue cold cathodes, rheostats, dials, knobs, green fluids, and now; the Cooler Master Musketeer. This is in no way …

If there is one thing I love about the computing show grounds, it's the computer cases. With everyone bringing their "A" game these days, it's hard to decide who will end up with a chunk of my earnings. Some cases are flashy, some are simple; today, flashy is the word, functionality is the goal, and price is the key.

It seems as though every company out there wants more and more of my money. Recently, I have been spending more of it lately on my water-cooling system. Most of the money spent is from me being an idiot, burning out my pump, and not from experimentation. In my adventures these last few weeks, I have managed to burn out …

Companies are always trying to get consumers to buy new products aimed at the current “point of concern.” These days, it seems as though cooling and noise is the focal point. Our cases are no longer 1 fan cases that suffer from poor air circulation, our video cards have MONSTER heatsinks on them, our CPU’s are adorned in copper and …

Today I will be reviewing the Antec Sonata Mid Tower case. I was immediately impressed when I took the case out of the box. The sheer weight told me that this was a solidly built case. But the thing that took my breath away was the absolute beauty of the paint job. The fit and finish of this case is amazing. The Piano Black paint is buffed to a very high sheen (you can actually see your reflection). I tried to get a picture of this but it wasn't to be. The pictures of it really don't do it justice. It has the look and feel of an automotive quality paint job.

Everyone has their own ideas on how to add their own personal touch to the overall aesthetics of their computer. Some people have windows with neon lights, some have laser etched applique’s, but most of these people still populate their cases with BORING wire fan guards. Why? Who knows, but with the decreasing costs of today’s laser cut fan grills, …

I’m sitting at my desk in my nice comfortable chair, I have the 5.1 surround sound speakers in the perfect positions, the mouse and the keyboard are primed for fragging, BUT I CAN’T HEAR THE DAMNED GAME because my computer is TOO loud!!! There is a solution that doesn’t require losing fans. I’m not introducing you to a revolutionary product …

We sink so much into our computers, we research components, shop around for the best prices, look for ways of making it perform better; but we still have a plain beige box with poor cooling properties and NO aesthetics. There are many companies trying to deliver something different to the masses, at a considerably smaller cost then just a few years ago. Yes, that’s right boys and girls; the days of pulling out the jigsaw to put a window in your case is gone. Chieftec isn’t the only company doing this, but they sure do have a very attractive package available for the end user.

Along about the middle of last year Thermalright introduced the SLK-800 heatsink for socket 370/462 motherboards. The result was a resounding success. The SLK-800 found itself perched atop the food chain for aftermarket cooling on those steaming Athlons. Praises were heaped upon it like roses on Miss America. So, it’s been well over six months since it was introduced, why subject …

Vantec has released yet another stylish bay device. The NXP-201, or better known as the Nexus Fan Controller is the newest addition to adjustable fan rpm and loudness. But before you buy this at your favorite online store join me as I show you the problems I have encountered while owning the NXP-201.