Sky 3D channel: line-up revealed
Sky has unveiled just what you can expect from its 3D channel this autumn, which is gearing up for a full 1 October launch.
The programme announcement comes on the same day that Virgin Media announced the launch of its on-demand 3D service, proving that rivalry between the two factions is still pretty high.
The content announced is a range of sports, movies and documentaries and includes big-name films such as Alice In Wonderland and Monsters Vs Aliens.
The live events will be the biggest draw for many, though, so it's good to see that Manchester City vs Arsenal (Sunday 24 October) and Liverpool vs Chelsea (Sunday 7 November) are both in the channel line-up.
The full list of content is as follows: Sport
- Ryder Cup [1-3 October]
- Live Barclays Premier League matches in October and November including: the Manchester, Merseyside and north London derbies, plus Manchester City vs Arsenal [Sunday 24 October] and Liverpool vs Chelsea [Sunday 7 November]
- Rugby Union's Autumn Internationals
- The World heavyweight title fight between David Haye and Audley Harrison
- Euro 2012 qualifiers [starting with Scotland V Spain, 12 October]
- Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs [from launch weekend]
- Monsters vs Aliens
- Coraline
- Alice In Wonderland
- Bolt
- Fly Me To The Moon
- Cloudy with A Chance Of Meatballs
- My Bloody Valentine
- Toy Story 1 and 2
- Toy Story 3 [box office]
- StreetDance UK[box office]
- Garfield's Pet Force [box office]
- Step Up 3 [box office]
- A Christmas Carol [box office]
- The Prince's Trust Rock Gala
- Flying Monsters 3D
- Dance, Dance, Dance
- 3D Meerkats
- Bugs!
- 7 Wonders of the Solar System
- Treasure Houses of Britain
"The launch of the channel is the just the beginning, 3D has arrived and will change TV forever."
The official UK release date for Sky 3D is 1 October. As this is the initial line-up, there will bound to more programmes announced in due course.
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In Depth: Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad vs Samsung Galaxy Tab
Apple's dominance of the modern tablet market may be coming to a close: rival firms have seen the iPad's sales figures, identified its weaknesses and built some very convincing alternatives.The tablet wars are just beginning, but we've already seen two very serious bits of kit enter the ring: the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the BlackBerry PlayBook. So what do the three tablets - PlayBook, Tab and iPad - have in common, and more importantly, what sets them apart? Let's find out in our Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad vs Samsung Galaxy Tab stand-off.
Size and screen
Apple's iPad has the biggest screen here, a 9.7-inch LED with IPS technology (for a wider viewing angle) and a 1024x768 resolution. Both the BlackBerry and the Samsung have smaller 7-inch screens, but the pixels are more densely packed to deliver 1024x600 (WSVGA) resolution. All three displays are capacitive touch screens with full multi-touch and gesture support.
As you might expect, the iPad's bigger screen makes it not just the biggest but the heaviest device here: it's 680g (730g for the 3G model) compared to 400g for the PlayBook and 380g for the Galaxy Tab.
Operating system
Apple's iPad runs iOS 3.2, Samsung's Galaxy Tab runs Android 2.2 (aka Froyo), and the PlayBook runs BlackBerry's own Tablet OS. The iPad will get iOS 4.2 in November, but until then it's the only device here that doesn't multi-task (with the exception of a few of Apple's built-in apps, such as Mail and iPod).
For those all-important apps Apple has the App Store and Samsung the Android Market, both of which are well established, but BlackBerry has a brand new operating system, a new development system and a range of new tools for the PlayBook. The firm promises compatibility with existing BlackBerry applications, which will upscale like iPhone apps do on the iPad.
The iPad is the only tablet here that doesn't support Adobe's Flash.
Processor and RAM
It's a trio of 1GHz ARM processors here, with the PlayBook's 1GHz Cortex A9 up against Samsung's 1GHz Hummingbird and Apple's 1GHz A4 - both of which are based on the Cortex A8 processor with PowerVR graphics (SGX540 in the Samsung and the SGX535 in the iPad).
The PlayBook has the edge here as its processor is a dual-core job with an as yet unannounced graphics processing unit, so the "fastest tablet ever" marketing claim is accurate for now.
Memory
The BlackBerry PlayBook has the most memory here, a full gigabyte compared to Samsung's half-gig and Apple's 256MB. When multi-tasking arrives in iOS 4.2 that quarter gigabyte may turn out to be a little on the low side.
Storage
Only one of our trio offers removable storage, and that's the Galaxy Tab with its microSD card slot. So far the PlayBook comes in 16GB and 32GB flavours, and Apple's iPad comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions.
Camera
The iPad doesn't have any cameras but its rivals have two each: Samsung offers a 3.2 megapixel rear facing camera and a 1.3MP front facing one, while BlackBerry ups the stakes with a 3MP front facing and a 4MP rear facing camera that's capable of 1080p HD video recording.
Connectivity
Both the iPad and the BlackBerry PlayBook support Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and all four flavours of Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), while the 3G iPad also works on 3G, EDGE, GPRS and GSM networks.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab has better Bluetooth (3.0) but poorer Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n but not 802.11a), and it also does 3G, EDGE, GPRS and GSM. For now there's no 3G-enabled PlayBook, although it will happily pair itself with a BlackBerry phone if you need to use the phone network.
For physical connections the iPad has the familiar Dock Connector and a headphone/AV out. The Samsung looks similar, with another 3.5mm headphone/AV port and a 30-pin plug on the bottom, while the PlayBook has microHDMI, microUSB and a headphone out.
Battery
Apple claims up to 10 hours of web, video or music and nine hours on 3G. Samsung says the Tab will do seven hours of video, while BlackBerry isn't saying anything about the PlayBook's battery just yet.
We'd expect it to be competitive, though, as a tablet that doesn't last all day simply won't sell to BlackBerry's demanding business customers.
Anything else?
You can't buy all three tablets just yet, because only the iPad is currently on sale. The Samsung Galaxy Tab joins the party next month, but the BlackBerry PlayBook release date isn't until early 2011 in the US and before the summer in Europe.
The other thing that we can't do is compare the tablets' prices. We know how much iPads cost, but the PlayBook's pricing hasn't been announced yet and there's some confusion over the Galaxy Tab: Amazon's listed it at £799, which has since dropped to £599.
Conclusion
Unless there's an outbreak of silly pricing BlackBerry's PlayBook is the best tablet here - on paper, at least. It has the best processor, the most RAM, the best cameras and the newest operating system.
Then again, every gadget looks just great when the only way to see it is in a promotional video. The PlayBook could well be as good as the marketing blurb says it is, but until we get our hands on one for a full PlayBook review - and pit it against its closest competitors - we're taking the hype with a very big pinch of salt.
The other thing to think about is the PlayBook's release date. You won't be able to buy a PlayBook until well into 2011, and by then Apple should have iPad 2 ready to roll. The second generation iPad may well address some of the apparent weaknesses in this company; we'd certainly expect more memory, a faster processor and a camera or two to appear in Apple's 2011 tablet. And of course, Apple isn't the only firm making tablets. The next few months are going to be very interesting indeed.
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Sony SMP-N100 takes on Apple TV and YouView
Sony has announced that it is to launch a standalone streaming device – the SMP-N100 – which has access to Bravia Internet Video and can connect to DLNA-friendly devices.According to Sony, the SMP-N100 offers instant online access to an unparalleled range of entertainment services such as YouTube, catch-up TV platforms and movies and has Wi-Fi and DLNA compatibility to stream all of your AV content.
When it comes to file compatibility, it will be able to stream DTS 2.0+Digital Out and Dolby Digital Plus, AVCHD, DivX HD, Xvid and MKV.
Couple this with Full HD 1080p video support and it is looking likely to be a powerful machine.
On-demand content
The SMP-N100 also comes with access to Qirocity, Sony's Video on Demand service, which brings HD movie streaming, and you will be able to tap into BBC iPlayer, Demand Five and Lovefilm through the set-top.
Those who have a PS3 will be familiar with the machine's menu screens as it uses the same XrossMedia Bar as the PlayStation.
And when it is launched, there will be free Android and iPhone apps available to control the machine – so wave goodbye to the remote control.
The SMP-N100 looks set to take on the might of Apple TV and also seems to pre-empt the upcoming YouView service, which is all set to offer on-demand content through a set-top box.
Sony has been vocal about how it has reservations with YouView (formerly Project Canvas) and with the launch of this device it is now easy to see why.
The Bravia Internet Video enabled SMP-N100 has a UK release date of October, with pricing to be around £120.
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Review: A-Data XPG Plus 1866+
How much is cooling a factor for high performance memory? Expert opinion, you might say, is divided. Still, we're sure about one thing. If anything is holding back the A-Data XPG Plus 1866+ triple-channel memory kit, it ain't cooling.We know this because the XPG Plus has perhaps the most elaborate heat dissipation arrangement we've seen on any memory stick. Each DIMM is clamped by a pair of anodised alloy plates from which springs a pair of heat pipes that in turn feed into an array of cooling fins. It's quite a sight, and has the added advantage of being passive.
Notably, however, there are no fans. That should make for an interesting comparison with Corsair's optionally fan-cooled Dominator GT kit. On the upside, fans tend to provide more effective cooling. On the downside, they also tend to collect dusty, become whiney and generally suffer mechanical failure.
Beyond peace of mind, the real benefits of the A-Data XPG Plus's complex cooling solution are hard to quantify. We can at least confirm the heat pipes and cooling fins do an effective job of keeping temperatures under control. Even at high clocks and under full load, the DIMMs themselves are only slightly warm to the touch.
Lower temperatures are always a good thing when it comes to component longevity, of course. Whether they really help memory performance, on the other hand, is open to debate.
Still, there's no doubting this is one of the quickest triple-channel DDR3 kits around. With a maximum overclock of 2,133MHz, it's certainly got some chops in terms of raw frequency.
At that speed, however, measured bandwidth is actually beginning to fall off. That just goes to show chasing higher clocks isn't always a great idea when it comes to memory performance.
If you're looking for an explanation, memory timings are often problematical at really high frequncies. But whatever the truth, the A-Data's table-topping overclock does not translate into world-beating performance in real world applications.
Moreover, this kit does its best work at 1,866MHz. At that frequency, it cracks the 30GBps barrier, posts some handy gaming frame rates and delivers low latency. In other words, it does the works. The only slight snag is that the same can be said of Corsair's much cheaper XMS3 triple-channel kit. In fact, it does all that and more without fancy cooling paraphernalia or a premium price tag.
Click here to see a larger view of benchmarks
We liked
Technology for the sake of it is a favourite theme on TechRadar. So despite doubts regarding the efficacy of high end cooling in the context of memory performance, we salute A-Data for giving this triple-channel DDR3 kit some funky-looking pipes and fins. Of more practical use, perhaps, is the enormous overclocking headroom. Overclockers looking for maximum flexibility could do a lot worse.
We disliked
While we are all about the funky tech, we do still like it to deliver some tangible gains if it's going to cost a lot of money. While the A-Data XPG Plus's cooling is a nice feature, we're far from convinced it justifies the massive price premium.
Given the slight performance issues at really high clocks, there's probably better value to be had elsewhere.
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Open thread: BlackBerry PlayBook price: how much would you pay?
BlackBerry has announced its new tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook.Set for a UK release date of "before summer 2011" in the UK, the PlayBook features a 1GHz dual-core Coretex A9 processor, 7" capacitive touchscreen with a 1024 by 600 widescreen resolution, dual HD cameras, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
There's 1GB of RAM and a choice between 16GB or 32GB of storage.
But RIM hasn't yet announced the PlayBook price.
So how much would you pay? Let us know in the comments.
For more on the PlayBook, check out BlackBerry PlayBook: what you need to know
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Review: SilverStone Strider Plus
The SilverStone Strider Plus SST-ST1000-P is aimed at the casual user up to enthusiast gamers. It can deliver power to a range of system components that includes mid- to high-end PCI Express graphics cards. Under our lab testing, the Strider Plus achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance based on real-world scenarios involving the most commonly used 12 volt rail.
In terms of total efficiency, the Strider Plus lagged behind the other high-range power supplies, such as the Antec TruePower Quattro 1200 and the Nexus RX-1.1K Gold.
However, if you wanted to drag a compliment from us we'd say it performed satisfactory in terms of standby efficiency, achieving the average in this class.
As a PSU topping 1,000 watts, it also produced less decibel noise compared to similar power supplies such as the Antec and the Nexus units, being one of the quietest in its class. Despite the low-noise levels the fan did a good job venting heat, and even the cables did not significantly heat up during high loads.
Despite these good points, vitally, the tested rails exceeded the ATX-specified tolerances, falling outside the standard. The SilverStone Strider Plus SST-ST1000-P also produced a fair amount of jitter at a 75 per cent voltage load.
In a master class of understatement, the PSU has one of the most minimalist black casings we've seen, with only the 135mm fan being of note, generally larger than even the Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200W. The rear of the power supply is the standard honeycomb grate, used as an exhaust to vent excess heat.
The build quality of the SilverStone Strider Plus is generally good. It is of a standard design with dimensions of 160x85x150mm. Despite this, the Strider Plus is a fat fella, weighing in at a hefty 3.064kg. The manufacturers' stated AC power input is 100-240v 12A-6A 60-50Hz.
The SilverStone unit comes with a total of 23 output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 2x ATX 8-pin connector, 4x PCI Express 6/8-pin connectors, 2x PCI Express 6-pin connectors, 6x SATA connectors, 6x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, and 2x floppy connectors.
In terms of overall performance the Strider Plus was a disappointment, not performing as well as the other PSUs in its class. The unit could further benefit by improving total power efficiency and reducing the voltage noise.
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Review: Xigmatek NRPPC602 600W
The Xigmatek 600W PSU is well suited to eco-enthusiasts, with an 85 per cent efficiency rating claimed by the manufacturer, and recycled packaging to boot. In general, home users and casual gamers will benefit by using this PSU. It can certainly deliver power to a wide range of system components, including lower-end PCI Express graphics cards. Under our testing, the Xigmatek 600W achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance based on real-world scenarios involving the most commonly used 12 volt rails. In terms of total efficiency, the Xigmatek 600W came in at a very respectable third place, behind other entry-level power supplies such as the OCZ StealthXStream 2 600W and the Antec TruePower 550W.
It also performed moderately well in terms of standby efficiency; coming in around the middle of the field compared to its rivals.
Even under load the PSU produced less decibel noise than all similar power supplies in its class, including the Fractal Design Tesla 650W and the Spire Blackmoon 650W, making it the quietest under test. The large 140mm fan did a good job venting heat, helping to keep the inside of the PC cooler than the outside exhaust, and the cables didn't significantly heat up during high electrical loads.
We were glad to see the tested rails were all within the ATX-specified tolerances, comfortably meeting the standard. The Xigmatek 600W also went on to produce an almost completely jitter free voltage reading at the 75 per cent load mark, forming a near flat line to demonstrate low electrical interference.
The build quality is generally sound and satisfactory, if nothing stellar. It's of a standard design with the dimensions of 160 x 86 x 150mm.
The Xigmatek is a fairly heavy power supply for this size, weighing in at 2.140kg. The Xigmatec 600W has two 12v rails to split loads and the manufacturer's stated AC power input is 100-240V 10A 47-63Hz.
It also comes with a decent – for this class – total of 23 output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 2x CPU 4+4-pin connectors, 2x PCI Express 6/8-pin connectors, 2x PCI Express 6-pin connectors, 8x SATA connectors, 7x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, and 1x floppy connector.
In general, this entry-level power supply met or exceeded our expectations; the main area of potential improvement is standby efficiency compared to the rest.
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Review: Patriot Sector 5 2,400MHz
Remember the days when 400MHz DDR memory seemed impossibly exotic? Fast forward to 2010, add another 2,000MHz and welcome to the state of the art in the form of the Patriot Sector 5 2400MHz triple-channel DDR3 kit. In fact, even today a claimed clockspeed of 2,400MHz is undeniably exceptional. But is it worth paying over £200 for? For that matter, is it actually achievable?
The answer to the second question is a little tricky. One of the key barriers to hitting 2,400MHz has nothing to do with the memory itself. Instead, it's the integrated memory controller in Intel's LGA 1156 chipsets. Unlike the upscale 1366 stuff, the memory dividers top out at 12. That means the maximum frequency on offer without overclocking is 1,600MHz.
The knock-on effect is that you'll need to run the baseclock at 200MHz to nail that 2,400MHz memory clock. That's a fair old lick by any metric, and stresses other parts of the platform, including the QPI link.
To cut a long story short, in testing with our Gigabyte P55 board and Intel Core i7 860-processor, 2,400MHz is not possible with the Patriot Sector 5 kit. In fact, the best we managed was 2,000MHz.
Whether this reflects a limitation of the board or these Patriot Sector 5 DIMMs is hard to say for sure. The higher the speeds you demand from your memory, the more likely other components are to spoil your fun.
However, the problem for Patriot is that Corsair's Dominator GT 2133MHz does exactly what it says on the tin. In other words, it happily hums a 2,133MHz tune on the same motherboard that the Sector 5s stopped at 2,000MHz. At the very least, that doesn't look good.
Admittedly, a few days spent hand tuning various timing and voltage settings could turn that around. But one thing is for sure: this kit is not a ticket to easy memory performance. Unlike other kits, you'll have to work at it to have any hope of hitting the claimed frequency.
Elsewhere, the news is a little better. There are no horrors to report regarding the Sector 5's performance at more attainable clockspeeds. In fact, this is one of the most effective kits currently available when running at 1,333MHz.
By cranking out 61 frames per second in World in Conflict and 17.65GBps of outright bandwidth, this kit shares first place with the OCZ Platinum 1600MHz. Likewise, at 2,000MHz, performance across our full range of benchmarks is certainly competitive.
Click here to see a larger view of benchmarks
We liked
We're suckers for big numbers here on TechRadar, so that eye-catching 2,400MHz specification is certainly desirable. Likewise, Patriot has equipped the Sector 5 triple-channel kit with decent cooling in the form of proper alloy heat sinks and fins, not merely pressed metal spreaders.
We disliked
The problem with promising the earth is that people are liable to be disappointed when you fail to deliver. So it is for Patriot and its clock-tastic 2,400MHz DDR3 memory kit. By most metrics, 2,000MHz is hardly slow for a triple-channel memory solution. But when it says 2,400MHz on the packet, you're bound to feel short changed.
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Review: XFX HD 5770
As the very cheapest of the HD 5770s we've tested, XFX's offering grabs our interest. Shop around, and you can have one of these for as little as £116 – that's a whole £35 cheaper than Sapphire's offering, with its four-screen EyeFinity capability.And that's a claim that XFX's 5770 can't make. With just two DVI ports, a DisplayPort and no HDMI, it's a no-frills card. That lack of HDMI makes it less suited to home cinema, which leaves it as a pure gamer's card.
However, it makes up for it in elegance. While all the other 5770s we've tested are dual-width cards, the XFX is slim and single, which is a boon for smaller, sexier, SFF setups, and leaves more room in your case for components to breathe. Let's see how it fairs in the performance stakes.
We've tested five HD 5770s from the leading manufacturers against each other to see which hits the price/performance sweetspot when it comes to mid-range and high-end gaming. We also cranked the settings up (HDR, Anti-Aliasing, reflections etc) even at middling resolutions, to see just how capable these cards really are.
We tested each card using the following games and settings:
Heaven 2.1
1900x1200, 8XAA, 16XAS, Extreme Tessalation
Just Cause 2
Mid-range: 1680x1050, 8xAA, 16xAF, High setting
High-end: 1920x1200, 8xAA, 16xAF, High settings
Far Cry 2
Mid-range: 1680x1050, 8xAA, 16xAF, High setting
High-end: 1920x1200, 8xAA, 16xAF, High settings
DiRT 2
Mid-range: 1680x1050, 8xAA, 16xAF, High setting
High-end: 1920x1200, 8xAA, 16xAF, High settings
[insert benchmarks table – highlight XFX line]


In most tests, the XFX offers equivalent performance than the bulk of the 5770s we tested. Worth noting is that it scored the lowest in our Heaven 2.1 Tessellation test, but only by 0.1 FPS.
We'd likely attribute this to the smaller, slightly less-powerful cooler allowing the heat – and resistance – to rise. But in real-world gaming terms, its marginally lower scores in some tests are unnoticeable; the competition really is that close.
The really interesting thing about the XFX HD 5770 is what its price represents. Now, the 5770 generally speaking, is a reasonably capable mid-range card. We burned these babies with high AA and AF setting in our tests, but drop those settings a little and you do see the frame rate rise.
But at just £116, our thoughts turn to Crossfire setups. For just over £230, you can net yourself a twin-card setup, which would offer pretty kick-ass performance at mid-range resolutions of 1680 x 1050.
If you're content with that 22" monitor and want zingy performance on a budget, this is probably the cheapest way to achieve it. At a price equivalent to Nvidia's 285, which such a setup will blow out of the water, it's pretty mouth-watering. Oh, and did we mention the 5770 is DX11 capable? Yum.
And that's what that lower price-point really represents: the prospect of a twin-card CrossFire setup, and a pretty feisty one at that.


We liked
Capable performance, at a lower price than pretty much every other 5770. That makes it a real candidate for a Crossfire setup, and the gateway to tasty mid-resolution frame rates in DX11.
We disliked
No frills; no bundle to speak of; just the facts, Jack.
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Microsoft boosts Hotmail security, limits account hijacking
Microsoft has announced a raft of new features to boost the security of Hotmail, including new ways to combat account hijacking.Announcing the new updates on its blog, John Scarrow at Microsoft explained: "We are releasing new features to safeguard everyone's account from hijackers.
"These updates help you protect your password and, in the unlikely event that a hijacker gains access to your account, provide a more secure recovery path so you will always be able to get your account back and kick the hijackers out."
New security
The new 'secure recovery path' is as follows:
- There is now a single use code (a one-time password) that can be sent to your mobile phone, which can be used to log into your Hotmail account when you are on an unsecured computer.
- Two new kinds of proofs for account recovery have been introduced: A Trusted PC can now be assigned, so if you sign on using this PC, then it is likely it is you; there is also the option to get a secret code sent to your phone which can be used to reset your password and reclaim your account.
- You can also get access to one proof when your account has been locked, which means that hackers can't completely claim the account for their own. You can now change a proof and access your account this way.
This is all part of a number of updates to the new Hotmail. Just last week, it was announced that Facebook Chat integration is coming to the email service.
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Review: Crucial Ballistix Tracer 1,333MHz
What price do you put on appearance? To even consider Crucial's Ballistix Tracer 1,333MHz triple-channel DDR3 DIMMs, it needs to be high, possibly bordering on the stratospheric. This is a very pricey 6GB memory kit by any standard, but it's rated at a lowly 1,333MHz. It's also devoid of substantial cooling apparatus. Forget lush alloy fins or miniature fans. Cheapo heat spreaders are all you get.
What the Ballistix Tracer does have, however, is lights. Lots and lots of pretty lights. In fact, across the top of each stick are two rows of piercingly bright blue LEDs. Powered up, they burst into action. At first, you get a slow blinking pattern with a satisfying 80s sci-fi rhythm.
But wind up the workload and all hell breaks loose in the form of various high-speed patterns and sequences. It does absolutely nothing for performance, but what the hell, it's completely mesmerising.
At this price point, the Crucial Ballistix Tracer 1,333MHz has its work cut out. The fancy LED light show may look great, but it does push the Tracer's pricing up and in turn its performance off-target.
Running at 1,333MHz, they're actually pretty decent. 22.55GBps of raw bandwidth is certainly on the pace. Likewise, 71 frames per second in World in Conflict is as good as it gets. But then, most 6GB DDR3 kits deliver very similar numbers at that rather mundane frequency.
The real performance deltas begin to appear when you begin to really crank up the clocks. On paper, the Crucial Ballistix Tracer 1,333MHz have little in hand compared to similarly priced or cheaper 6GB triple channel kits.
Nearly all, including Corsair's XMS3 2000MHz or the Kingston HyperX 1600MHz, have significantly higher official operating frequencies and many are tuned to hit even high speeds when overclcoked.
By contrast, the Tracers are all about style. With that in mind, an overclocking result of 1,866MHz is actually pretty impressive. Certainly, it means this kit has enough headroom for most overclocking needs.
You also get great performance in applications that feed off bandwidth, such as games. But then so does the Kingston HyperX 1,600MHz kit, and that's yours for £40 less.
In that context, we're probably preaching to the converted by pointing out the cost implications of the Tracer's LED frills. If flashing lights are your bag, the Tracers will twinkle with the best of them. For everyone else, the price premium is impossible to justify.
Click here to see a larger view of benchmarks
We liked
For a kit that majors on appearance, the Crucial Ballistix Tracer 1,333MHz turns in pretty decent performance numbers. It also clocks up to 1,866MHz, which is probably enough for most people's needs. At the same time, those funky blue LEDs do add a certain pizzazz. If you like lights with pretty patterns, you'll love this funky DDR3 kit.
We disliked
Never mind the flashing lights, £173 is an awful lot of money for a few sticks of memory. Thus, the harsh truth is that there are several cheaper 6GB triple-channel memory kits that offer more performance for less money. Some also come with superior cooling solutions.
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Review: Spire Blackmoon 650W
The Spire Blackmoon 650W is a PSU that lends itself to systems for power-hungry desktop and mainstream gamers. It'll happily power a range of system components that include mid-range PCI-E graphics cards and SATA equipment and ships with two 12 volt rails as standard.During all of our testing the Spire Blackmoon 650W achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's performance claims, based on real-world scenarios.
However the total efficiency for the Blackmoon lagged behind all the other low-end power supplies under test, including the Xigmatek NRP 600W and the Fractal Design Tesla 650W. It also failed to gain any ground in terms of standby efficiency, and was the lowest performer in its range.
Compounding this poor power performance, the PSU was the loudest product under test in terms of decibel noise when compared to similar power supplies like the SilverStone Strider Plus and the Corsair HX 650W.
The 120mm fan did do its job well, venting heat and keeping the computer cooler on the inside than the outside exhaust point, and the cables did not significantly heat up during the high load tests.
Under load, the tested rails were all comfortably within the ATX-specified tolerances, easily meeting the standard, and the Blackmoon produced an almost jitter free voltage readout at the 75 per cent load mark, creating a near flat line to indicate low electrical interference.
A robust and solid build does help boost our confidence in the Spire Blackmoon 650W and the addition of the blue illuminated translucent fan was a welcome design addition to the otherwise plain black chassis with the usual honeycomb exhaust grill.
Dimension-wise, it's a standard 140 x 85 x 150mm and is somewhat more meaty than similar units weighing in at 2.432kg.
The manufacturer's stated AC power input is 200-240V 50-60Hz 8A and the Blackmoon 650W comes with a total of 16 well selected fixed output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 1x ATX 8-pin connector, 2x PCI Express 6/8-pin connectors, 4x SATA connectors, 6x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, and 2x floppy connectors.
Despite its SLI-ready capabilities this is really an entry-level PSU providing no modular plugs, and it lags the other PSUs in the test for efficiency and audible noise.
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Review: Scythe Stronger 700W
For anyone looking to put a high-quality PSU at the heart of their next desktop PC or mid-ranged gaming rig, the Scythe Stronger 700W wouldn't be a bad choice. It's able to deliver power to a range of system components that include PCI-E and SATA based equipment. For all of our tests the Scythe Stronger 700W achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance based on real-world scenarios involving the most commonly used 12 volt rails.
Looking at total efficiency, the Scythe Stronger 700W achieved an average performance in its field of five competitors, placing it in front of other mid-range power supplies such as the NesteQ Xzero 700W, and behind better units like the Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 800W.
Its main weakness turned out to be standby efficiency, where it trailed most of the field and turned out to be one of the lower performers in its range. Countering this, the PSU produced less decibel noise compared to all similar power supplies in its class, with the sole exception of the Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 800W, making it among the quietest under test.
The large 140mm fan performed well to vent produced heat, helping to keep the PC cooler on the inside than at the exhaust outlet, and the cabling did not significantly heat up during high load test runs.
During loading the tested rails were all within the ATX specified tolerances, easily achieving the standard. To back this quality up the Scythe Stronger 700W produced a nearly jitter free voltage reading at a 75 per cent load test, making a near flat line to indicate low electrical interference.
The PSU has a simple and effective design consisting of a black casing and fan housing. At the rear of the power supply is a honeycomb grate, used as an exhaust to prevent heat retention. The build quality of the Scythe Stronger 700W is generally good, with a particularly robust feel to it.
It's of a standard design and has dimensions of 160 x 86 x 150mm, and this is largely why the Scythe Stronger 700W has an average weight, measuring in at the 2.024kg mark.
The manufacturer's stated AC power input is 100-240V 12-6a 60-50 Hz. The Stronger comes with a reasonable total of 28 output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 1x ATX 8-pin connector, 4x PCI Express 6/8-pin connectors, 10x SATA Connectors, 8x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, 2x floppy connectors and 2x intelligent fan connectors.
For a lower-end PSU it put in a strong performance across the board, although it could further benefit by an improvement in standby efficiency.
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Review: Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200
The Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 is ideal for any high-end gamer or those who simply want to power a vast array of high-end hardware, because it will happily deliver power to a range of system components including the most demanding high-performance PCI Express graphics cards. Under testing, the Corsair AX1200 achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance based on real-world scenarios involving the most commonly used 12 volt rail.
In terms of total efficiency, the Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 performed top of its class, beating all other units tested such as the Antec TruePower Quattro 1200 in pretty much all areas.
Just to start, the standby efficiency was outstanding, being one of the best performers in this highest-end class. One of the few weaknesses we noted was the slightly elevated decibel noise levels when compared to the best power supplies such as the Thermaltake Toughpower 1500W, which was quieter overall.
Thankfully for Corsair, that additional noise was justified because the fan performed excellently, helping to cool the PC efficiently. Reassuringly, the supplied power cables did not significantly heat up during high loads.
Importantly, the tested rails were all within the ATX-specified tolerances and the Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 produced an almost jitter free voltage reading at a 75 per cent load, making a near flat line showing less electrical interference.
For its design, Corsair has taken a minimalistic approach with the PSU, using a plain black casing complimented by a black fan. At the rear of the power supply is a honeycomb grate, used as an exhaust to vent excess heat. The build quality of the Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 is of a reassuringly high standard.
Physically, the PSU is larger than a standard sized unit with dimensions of 210 x 86 x 150mm. Despite this, the Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 is not as heavy as you'd expect, weighing in at 2.138kg.
The manufacturer's stated AC power input is 100-240V 15A 50-60Hz. If you were in any doubt about the premium-level packaging for this unit the Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 comes with a staggering total of 39 output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 2x EPS/ATX 4/8-pin connector, 6x PCI Express 6/8-Pin connectors,16x SATA Connectors, 12x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors and 2x floppy connectors.
Without doubt, Corsair has put together a stunning PSU that performs extremely well in most areas. With an impressive total power efficiency, it's only flaw is a slightly louder noise level for its class.
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Review: Corsair XMS3 2,000MHz
We've grown familiar with Corsair's high-end Dominator kits and their sleek alloy cooling fins. So it's a little unnerving to crack open this more mainstream Corsair XMS3 2,000MHz kit and discover plain-old pressed metal heat spreaders applied to the DIMMs. For once, expectations of high quality work against Corsair.However, look past the visuals and there's plenty to like. For starters, thanks to the 2,000MHz rating these sticks are no slouches. In fact, when you take the speed into account, a £149 price tag actually looks pretty reasonable.
There are cheaper 6GB triple-channel kits out there, of course, including Crucial's Ballistix 1600MHz and the Kingston HyperX 1600MHz. But none can live with that 2GHz stat.
Indeed, some more expensive kits such as Crucial's Ballistix Tracer are slower, too. As for latency, the XMS3s clock in at 9-9-9. That's more than adequate for a 2,000MHz triple-channel kit at this price point.
As for the performance of the Corsair XMS3 2,000MHz, we'll stick with that "more than adequate" refrain. Running at the default 1,333MHz frequency, there's nothing in it between the XMS3 and the other 6GB triples. They all return around 22GBps of raw bandwidth and virtually identical results in our real-world application tests.
As an end user you literally would not be able to tell the difference between any of them.
Up the ante to 2,000MHz, however, and things get a lot more interesting. For starters, cheaper kits including the Kingston HyperX 1600MHz and Crucial's Ballistix run out of puff well below 2,000MHz. The most notable real-world benefit of this advantage can be seen in the World in Conflict game benchmark which rockets up to 78 frames per second.
That's a boost of over 10 per cent compared to running at the default 1,333MHz setting and enough to really feel in-game and as much as five per cent quicker than kits running at 1,600MHz. That said, you won't get those kinds of returns across the board. Most applications simply aren't that sensitive to memory performance.
What's more, 2,000MHz is your lot with the Corsair XMS3. Attempting to crank things up beyond that results in a non-booting rig, but 2GHz is plenty to be getting on with. More to the point, it provides all the headroom you'll need for overclocking. With that much frequency flexibility, you'll almost definitely get the absolute maximum out of any LGA 1366 CPU.
Click here to see a larger view of benchmarks
We liked
This is a no-nonsense kit that majors on speeds and doesn't bother with frills. In other words, forget about fancy cooling solution or flashing lights. Instead, soak up the 2,000MHz clockspeed and enjoy the competitive pricing. In short, this kit delivers all the performance most users will ever need at a price they can afford.
We disliked
In a ideal world, Corsair's XMS3 2,000MHz would be clad in the finest heat-dissipating material money can buy. We'd hardly complain if this kit came with the same clip-on fans as the Corsair Dominator GT. Back in the real world, cheap heat spreaders are all you get at this price point.
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Review: Antec TruePower 550W
Aimed at power-hungry desktop users and the more ambitious gamer the Antec TruePower 550W can deliver power to a range of system components that include dual GPUs and dual/quad-core CPUs from its four 12 volt rails.Rather impressively in regards to total efficiency, the Antec TruePower 550W led the field, beating out other lower-range power supplies in its class, including the Xigmatek NRP 600W and the OCZ StealthXStream 2 600W.
It also achieved a very respectable third place out of seven contenders in terms of standby efficiency, narrowly losing out to the OCZ StealthXStream 2 600W and the Corsair HX 650W.
This PSU produced slightly more decibel noise compared to similar power supplies in its class like that Xigmatek PSU and the Fractal Design Tesla 650W, although it was still among the quietest under test. The 120mm fan performed well to vent heat and the cables remained fairly cold during high load testing.
Throughout all the testing the Antec TruePower 550W achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance over its 12 volt rails. These tested rails were all within the ATX-specified tolerances, successfully adhering to the standard.
The TruePower produced the least amount of jitter voltage of all similar power supplies under test at the 75 per cent load level, making an almost perfect flat line translating to very-low electrical interference for the end user.
The PSU has a black casing, complimented by a square patterned grate at the rear, used as an exhaust to vent excess heat. The build quality of the Antec TruePower 550W is generally robust. It is of a standard design and has dimensions of 150 x 86 x 150mm and weighs in at an average 2.135kg.
The manufacturers' stated AC power input is 100-240V 8A -4A 50-60Hz. It comes with a total of 24 well selected output connectors; 1x ATX 24-pin connector, 1x CPU 8-pin connector, 1x ATX 4-pin connector, 1x PCI Express 6/8-pin connector, 1x PCI Express 6-pin connector, 9x SATA connectors, 9x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, and 1x floppy connectors.
A well-engineered PSU with very good overall performance; it leaves little in regards to improvements for its class and met the manufacturer's specifications for 100 per cent of its loads.
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Review: SilverStone Strider Essential Series 500W ST50F-ES
The SilverStone Strider Essential Series 500W is particularly suited to standard desktop users and casual gamers. It can deliver power to a range of system components that include mid-ranged PCI Express graphics cards. Under load, the SilverStone Strider Essential Series 500W ST50F-ES achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance based on real-world scenarios involving the most commonly used 12 volt rails.
In terms of total efficiency, the SilverStone Strider Essential Series 500W ST50F-ES lagged slightly behind other lower-range power supplies like the Xigmatek NRPPC602 600W and the Antec TruePower 550W. However, it gained significant ground in terms of standby efficiency, and was one of the best performers on test.
Another big win for this PSU was the low decibel noise compared to similar power supplies, such as the OCZ StealthXStream 2 600W and the Corsair HX 650W, with it being among the quietest under test.
Its 120mm fan performed well venting heat, helping to keep the PC cooler on the inside, and the cables did not significantly heat up during high loads.
We were also impressed that the rails were all within the ATX-specified tolerances and that the SilverStone Strider Essential Series 500W ST50F-ES produced an almost jitter free voltage reading at 75 per cent load, making a near flat line to show minimal electrical interference.
For what is effectively a budget PSU, we can excuse its basic black casing, complimented by a black fan and the standard rear honeycomb grate, used as an exhaust to vent excess heat. The build quality of the 500W Strider is generally good.
It's a standard design with dimensions of 140 x 85 x 150mm and the SilverStone PSU comes in at a lightweight 1.474kg. The manufacturers' stated AC power input is 115-230 v 6.5A 60 Hz.
The SilverStone Strider Essential Series 500W only comes with a basic total of 12 output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 1x CPU 8-pin connector, 1x PCI Express 6/8-pin connector, 1x PCI Express 6-pin connector, 4x SATA connectors, 3x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, and 1x floppy connector.
Overall, this PSU performed extremely well. It could further benefit by improving total power efficiency but it matched the manufacturer's specifications for 100 per cent of the load tests and produced minimal electrical noise.
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Review: Corsair Dominator GT 2133MHz
£140 is a lot of cash for a dual-channel 4GB memory kit, even one rated at a lofty 2,133MHz. In fact, look a little closer at the Corsair Dominator GT 2133MHz's specifications and the pricing looks even more preposterous. After all, timings of 9-10-9-24 are nothing special, even taking into account the flighty frequency.However, that would be to disregard a number of benefits that come with this DDR3 kit. For starters, it's made by Corsair, and that means it's about as impeccably hewn and physically desirable as they come. There's nothing flashy or adolescent. It's just quality engineering and it bodes well for operating at high frequencies.
You also get Corsair's Xtreme Cooling System which involves a twin-fan cooling attachment that clips on top of the DIMMs. With all that in mind, the extra £4 Corsair is demanding compared to Geil Evo Two 2000MHz actually looks pretty reasonable.
Given the tardy timings, it's no surprise to find the Corsair Dominator GT 2133MHz's raw throughput and latency is a little off the pace compared to other 4GB DDR3 kits when running at 1,333MHz. Much cheaper dual-channel kits such as the OCZ Platinum 1600MHz knock out better numbers pretty much across the board.
Of course, we're talking about fractions here. Yes, you might lose a frame per second or two in gaming. But overall, the knock on effect on real-world performance is negligible.
Still, wind things up to 2,133MHz and the picture generally looks a lot healthier. Raw bandwidth leaps to nearly 26GBps and measured latency is much, much improved. Gaming performance certainly takes a big step up, too.
In fact, you might see as much as 10 per cent more gaming performance compared to running these DIMMs at 1,333MHz.
But what about overclocking? Given the sky-high official frequency, it would be a bit rich to claim disappointment that no further headroom from the Dominator GTs is forthcoming.
Moreover, at these kinds of speeds, motherboard and BIOS limitations often begin to complicate matters. The bottom line is that there's more than enough frequency on offer for both outright performance and overclocking flexibility.
As for the twin-fan cooling kit, it's difficult to judge how effective it is. But we can reveal the following. It's very nearly silent in operation, it keeps the DIMMs cool to the touch even under heavy load and it doesn't come at a significant penalty in terms of power consumption.
Click here to see a larger view of benchmarks
We liked
There's a lot to like about Corsair's Dominator GT 2133MHz kit. For the most part, the specifications are superb. Crank up the clock and the clocks and the performance is pretty handy, too. Brownie points also go to Corsair for the sheer quality of this kit. The heat sinks are top notch and as if that wasn't enough, you get active cooling as well. Bear all this in mind and it even measures up well for sheer value.
We disliked
In relative terms, this is not a cheap kit. The high frequencies can't be sustained with low latencies, either. But truly these are minor quibbles in the context of a great little dual-channel kit.
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Review: Nexus RX-1.1K Gold
The Nexus RX-1.1K Gold is aimed squarely at gamers and those with a number of power-hungry components. Its meaty 1,100w output can deliver power to a range of system components that include, of course, the most thirsty top-end PCI Express graphics cards. In specific tests, the Nexus RX-1.1K Gold achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance based on real-world scenarios involving the most commonly used 12 volt rail.
In terms of total efficiency, the Nexus RX-1.1K Gold gave an average performance in its class, falling slightly behind other higher-ranged power supplies like the Antec TruePower Quattro 1200 and the Thermaltake Toughpower 1,500W. However, it gained significant ground in terms of standby efficiency since it was one of the best performers in its class.
Despite the high power rating, the large 135mm fan helped the unit produce less decibel noise compared to similar power supplies in its class, though it was no match for the Thermaltake 1,500W PSU.
That large fan also did a good job venting heat, helping to keep the PC cooler on the inside; however the output cables were quite hot to the touch at high load intervals.
We noted a fair amount of jitter with the Nexus RX-1.1K at a 75 per cent voltage load, but this was still not as dramatic as the SilverStone Strider Plus.
Nexus has attempted to inject a little personality the cables use a snakeskin-effect patterned mesh and the unit itself has a classy titanium coloured finish that's smooth to the touch, though the rear exhaust uses a standard honeycomb grate.
In general, the built quality of the Nexus RX-1.1K Gold leaves us without any complaints.
As with many of these high-end units, the chassis is larger than average with dimensions of 165x85x150mm. The Nexus RX-1.1K Gold is fairly light considering its extra length and with the amount of power on offer, weighing in at 2.239kg.
The manufacturers' stated AC power input is 115/240V 15A/7.5A 47/63Hz. The Nexus RX-1.1K Gold comes with a substantial 30 output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 1x ATX 8-pin connector, 1x ATX 4/8-pin connector, 6x PCI Express 6/8-Pin connectors, 9x SATA Connectors,10x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors and 2x floppy connector .
Despite its excellent standby efficient the unit is a disappointment in terms of its overall performance, it simply can't stand up to the other PSUs in its class and really needs to improve its total power efficiency.
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Review: OCZ StealthXStream2 600W
The OCZ StealthXStream2 600W is aimed at those of us with mainstream systems and modest gaming needs, but that still desire a quality power supply. It'll happily delivers power to multiple system components that include PCI-E graphics cards and SATA devices from four 12 volt rails as standard.Under loading total efficiency for the OCZ StealthXStream2 600W put it second out of seven similarly classed power supplies, only losing out to the Antec TruePower 550W by the narrowest of margins.
However, it beat all competitors in the standby efficiency stakes, finishing an impressive first in its class.
Despite its 120mm fan, this PSU came in at the mid-range mark on decibel noise, when compared to similar power supplies like the Spire Blackmoon 650W at the louder end and the Xigmatek NRP 600W on the quieter side.
The fan – aided by additional air outlets on the supply – vented heat well, helping to keep the PC cooler on the inside than at the exhaust, and the PSU cables did not significantly heat up during the highest load tests.
In specific tests, the OCZ StealthXStream2 600W successfully met 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance figures, based on real-world scenarios for its 12 volt rails.
The tested rails were also all within the ATX specified tolerances and happily conformed to the standard. The OCZ StealthXStream2 600W produced an almost flat line on voltage noise at a 75 per cent load test, making it virtually jitter free, helping to provide a low level of electrical interference.
We found the build quality of the OCZ StealthXStream2 600W to be pleasingly generally robust, despite its uninspiring black casing and an internal black fan. It has bog-standard dimensions of 140 x 86 x 150mm, while the weight of the OCZ Stealth XStream2 600W is just 1.863kg. The manufacturers' stated AC power input is 100-240 V 9.5-4.5A 50-60Hz.
The OCZ Stealth XStream2 600W ships with 13 well selected output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 1x CPU 4+4-pin connector, 1x PCI Express 6/8-pin connector, 1x PCI Express 6-pin connector, 3x SATA connectors, 5x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, and 1x floppy connector.
For a low-end power supply, the power performance was excellent. It could do with improvements to its noise levels, and an extra PCIe connector would definitely please us.
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Review: Corsair HX 650W
On the face of it the Corsair HX 650W is particularly suited to standard desktop systems and casual gaming machines. It provides power to a range of system components that include PCI-E and SATA devices. It comes with a robust single 12 volt rail is 80Plus Bronze certified, Nvidia SLI compliant, and is semi-modular.Under our tests, the Corsair HX 650W achieved 100 per cent of the manufacturer's claimed performance based on real-world scenarios involving the most commonly used 12 volt rails.
Looking at total efficiency, the Corsair HX 650W came in around the mid-range mark for its class, lagging behind other power supplies such as the Antec TruePower 550W but still ahead of others like the Spire Blackmoon 650W.
It did gain substantial ground in terms of standby efficiency; achieving second place from a field of seven similar power supplies. This PSU produced a fraction more decibel noise when compared to most other PSUs in its class like the OCZ StealthXStream 2 600W and the Xigmatek NRPPC602 600W, although the overall noise difference was minor.
Thankfully, the tiny bit of extra noise was justified because the 120mm fan performed well to vent heat, helping to keep the PC cooler on the inside than it was at the exhaust, and the cables did not significantly heat up during high loads.
The tested rails were all within the ATX specified tolerances, comfortably meeting the standard. Importantly the Corsair HX 650W did not suffer from high electrical interference, in fact it produced an almost jitter free voltage noise reading at the 75 per cent load level, translating to a near flat line on the corresponding oscilloscope printout.
Despite the price, the PSU has a mostly plain-black casing, complimented by a somewhat dull powdered blue logo and the standard honeycomb-style exhaust mesh. The build quality of the Corsair HX 650W is generally robust with a professional finish.
It's a standard design and has dimensions of 150 x 85 x 150mm and weighs in at 2.271kg, which is pretty heavy for this class of PSU. The manufacturer's stated AC power input is 100-240v 10A 50-60Hz.
The Corsair HX 650W ships with a total of 25 output connectors; 1x ATX 20/24-pin connector, 1x EPS/ATX 4/8-pin connector, 4x PCI Express 6/8-pin connectors, 9x SATA connectors, 8x 4-pin peripheral (MOLEX) connectors, and 2x floppy connectors.
Despite its strong overall performance, the PSU could further benefit by improving total power efficiency, but it did meet the manufacturer's specifications under load testing with a noise-free result.
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Review: Geil Evo Two 2000MHz
Hardcore gaming memory is the claim, but does the Geil Evo Two 2000MHz have the, er, game? First impressions of this dual-channel 4GB kit are outstanding. The classy presentation and packaging suggest your £136 is money well spent. Meanwhile, the DIMMs themselves are beautifully engineered with alloy heat spreaders extending into modular black and red fins.
On paper, the specification looks pretty cool, too. First there's the speed rating of 2,000MHz. If this kit can deliver on that promise, there's enough headroom on offer for some pretty extreme CPU overclocking. Of course, the AData Extreme 2000MHz 4GB matches the 2,000MHz specification for less money.
What that kit can't do, however, is pull the same showbiz moves when it comes to latencies. The Geil Evo Two 2000MHz rocks some impressive 6-9-6-24 figures. Bundle the frequency and latencies together and the result ought to be something approaching table-topping performance.
Fire the Geil Evo Two 2000MHz 4GB kit up at 1,333MHz and the results are more or less impeccable. Bandwidth clocks in at 17.56GBps while a latency of 68ns is extremely competitive. It's a similar story for gaming, HD video encoding and graphics rendering. All the numbers are exactly where you'd want them. It all bodes very well for performance at higher frequencies.
Next up are the performance results at the Evo Two's 2,000MHz rating. At least, that should be next. But try as we might, we couldn't get this kit running higher than 1,600MHz. No amount of BIOS or voltage tweakery would unleash more frequency.
That's extremely disappointing and serves as a worthwhile reminder of the pitfalls of performance memory. Minute variations between motherboards – and even between two CPUs that are ostensibly identical – can sometimes be enough to spoil your fun.
On another day with another motherboard, things might have been very different. There really are no guarantees.
For the record, the Geil Evo Two 2000MHz's performance at 1,600MHz was actually above par for that frequency. Compared to the OCZ Platinum 1600MHz running at the same speed, it squeezes out an extra frame per second in World in Conflict, for instance, and likewise has a slight edge in raw memory bandwidth at 19.8GBps.
But that's not much consolation when clockspeeds above 2,000MHz would be more appropriate for a kit of this class and cost. Failing to deliver any overclocking headroom is one thing. Not hitting claimed frequencies is quite another.
Click here to see a larger view of benchmarks
We liked
When paying a lot of money for any PC component, it's nice to know you're getting quality produce. That's certainly the case with the Geil Evo Two 2,000MHz when it comes to build and engineering. This kit has some seriously swanking cooling. On paper, it also has some impressive specifications including a high operating frequency and low latencies.
We disliked
Good specifications and great build are all very well. But ultimately, performance is the most important metric. By failing to live up to its 2,000MHz specification, this kit falls well short of expectations and somewhat makes a mockery of its own high-quality cooling and construction.
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Review: HIS HD 5770
The 5770 is, in general, an odd prospect right now. On the one hand, you get functionality that supports DX11 and its suite of goodies, such as hardware tessellation and improved multi-threading support. However, as the first mid-ranger with true DX11 capability, we have to remind ourselves that it's just that: a mid-range card. The extra features offered by DX11 require a resource overhead, and when you add in anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering, that's an awful lot for a sub £150 card to do.
The HIS HD 5770 offers features close to the best of the 5770s, with two DVI ports, DisplayPort and HDMI-out. And like most 5770s, it's a double-width card. Its ATI-reference looks are fairly sleek, providing you're into the red-and-black thing, and it features a bonnet that KITT would be jealous of.
That leaves the question of performance, which we'll tackle on the next page.
We've tested five HD 5770s from the leading manufacturers against each other to see which hits the price/performance sweetspot when it comes to mid-range and high-end gaming. We also cranked the settings up (HDR, Anti-Aliasing, reflections etc) even at middling resolutions, to see just how capable these cards really are.
We tested each card using the following games and settings:
Heaven 2.1
1900x1200, 8XAA, 16XAS, Extreme Tessalation
Just Cause 2
Mid-range: 1680x1050, 8xAA, 16xAF, High setting
High-end: 1920x1200, 8xAA, 16xAF, High settings
Far Cry 2
Mid-range: 1680x1050, 8xAA, 16xAF, High setting
High-end: 1920x1200, 8xAA, 16xAF, High settings
DiRT 2
Mid-range: 1680x1050, 8xAA, 16xAF, High setting
High-end: 1920x1200, 8xAA, 16xAF, High settings
[insert benchmarks table – highlight Gigabyte line]
The HIS HD 5770 offers gaming performance that is largely equivalent to the other 5770s we've tested. It performed around as well as any other in our Heaven 2.1 high-end tessellation tests, slightly better than most in Just Cause 2 at 1680 x 1050, although it was the worst performer in Far Cry 2 at 1680 x 1050, which seems odd. However, that performance differential is so marginal – less than a frame per second – as to be negligible. In real-world terms you won't notice the difference.
But, like the rest of the 5770s on the market, it's not really cards with the Juniper GPU that are the competition. If we put DX11 aside for the moment, it's Nvidia's last-gen, DX10-supporting GTX 260 that offers the strongest competition.
And due to a series of price-cuts to bring it in-line with ATI's 5000-series mid-range offerings, it can now be had for as low as £133, if you cast around the online retailers. You don't get tessellation or that improved multi-threading support, but you do get the kind of grunt that, with historical features such as AA and AF, outperforms the 5770.
So it's really down to a question of price and features. Is this the best 5770? Not quite. It underperforms against its peers in some tests – but by an unnoticeable margin. But at £122, it's also one of the cheapest HD 5770s going.
So if you're mad-keen on getting a DX11 card, and you're on a budget, the HIS HD 5770 is a pretty good option.

We liked
Fully-featured in the outputs department, the HIS HD 5770 is well-equipped for three-screen EyeFinity. It's also one of the cheapest 5770s around.
We disliked
As long as you've decided that a Juniper-cored HD 5770 is for you, there's little to dislike here.
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Review: GSkill Tri-Channel 1600MHz
Initial impressions do not bode well for the GSkill Tri-Channel 1600MHz. Judged purely on the official specifications, this admittedly snazzy-looking 6GB triple-channel kit shouldn't stand a snowball's. After all, at £135 it's more expensive than both Kingston's HyperX 1,600MHz effort and Crucial's Ballistix1,600MHz offering. Compared to the Crucial kit, the difference is getting on for £20.
That's a problem because not only is the GSkill Tri-Channel rated at the same 1,600MHz frequency as the competition. It also clocks in with tardier 9-9-9-24 timings. Both Kingston and Crucial give you quicker 8-8-8 timings for less cash.
As for cooling kit, the Tri-Channel's anodised red heat spreaders look slick enough, but are hardly the last word in high-fidelity heat dissipation. In other words, this kit costs more than the competition, but does seem to offer anything extra by way of speed or spec.
It's hard to spot where exactly the extra money is going.
A quick scan of the performance numbers the GSkill Tri-Channel spits out running at the default 1,333MHz frequency doesn't provide much insight into the slight price premium this kit demands.
True, there are no horrors across our full suite of tests. But whether it's synthetic measures such as bandwidth and latency, or real-world applications including gaming and HD video encoding, these Gskill DIMMs are at best on a par with and usually a click or two behind the cheaper Kingston HyperX sticks.
Up the ante to 1,600MHz and things don't look much better. In fact, the raw memory bandwidth goes south in dramatic style. In truth, this is something of a testing anomaly rather than a true reflection of the GSkill Tri-Channel's data throughput.
Consequently, this kit continues to match its closest competition in our World in Conflict game bench. But the bandwidth result is probably indicative of the wheels beginning to come off in terms of timings.
With that in mind, it's actually a little surprising to find the Tri-Channel kit keeps on trucking at 1,866MHz. But, again, the raw bandwidth reported is well below expectations. That's a shame because performance in our other metrics is actually pretty solid at this frequency.
All of which makes GSkill's work hard to gauge. On the one hand, the extra speed is attractive in terms of both performance and overclocking headroom. On the other, the measure bandwidth issues suggest possible stability and compatibility issues. The choice is yours.
Click here to see a larger view of benchmarks
We liked
For overclocking enthusiasts, every little helps. The fact that the GSkill Tri-Channel 1600MHz clocks up to 1,866MHz will therefore be very attractive. Real-world application performance at that frequency is also distinctly speedy. The highlight is probably a 10 per cent boost in our game benchmark compared to memory DIMMs running at 1,333MHz.
We disliked
We don't want to fuss too much over performance anomalies that show up in synthetic benchmarks rather than actual applications. However, the fall off in measured bandwidth this kit suffers from when running at higher frequencies is undeniably something of a worry.
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