Hardware Canucks » Reviews

EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Superclocked Review

skymtl — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:32:23 +0000

As the GTX 670 launched, many wondered what kinds of changes NVIDIA’s board partners would make with the final retail cards. While Gigabyte, ASUS, Galaxy and some others went the route of fully customized versions, EVGA stuck with the reference design for their new Superclocked edition. But other than increased clock speeds, EVGA has packed in a few additional surprises for us.

AMD Trinity: Going Mobile with a New APU

skymtl — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:01:12 +0000

Ever since Llano was first introduced, people have been talking about Trinity. In this article, we take an in depth look at the latest generation of APUs which are part of AMD’s ongoing Fusion initiative.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Review

skymtl — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:58:47 +0000

While the GTX 680 is NVIDIA’s brute force flagship product, their new GTX 670 is targeted towards a lower, more affordable price point. But that doesn’t mean this $399 card lacks the ability to compete with some of the best this market has to offer. Indeed, as we find out in this review, it has what it takes to go toe to toe against AMD’s HD 7970.

Samsung UN55ES8000 LED HDTV Hands On Preview

skymtl — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:27:16 +0000

The UN55ES8000 is Samsung’s newest flagship LED-based HDTV and it incorporates several features we’ve never seen before. Context-based voice control, facial recognition and a unique upgrade system have all been implemented into one supposedly seamless package. We took a few days to go hands on with an early engineering sample of this new $3,500 TV.

ASUS Maximus V GENE Z77 mATX Motherboard Review

skymtl — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:04:48 +0000

The Maximus V Gene has everything gamers and overclockers could possibly want: a great BIOS, features galore and the possibility for multi card GPU configurations. All of this -and more- is packed into a svelte mATX configuration which packs enough of a punch that many expensive, full sized ATX boards have something afraid of.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 Review

skymtl — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:59:46 +0000

The GTX 690 is hardly a secret anymore but the newest member of the GeForce lineup has nonetheless been shrouded in mystery. This dual GPU behemoth packs a pair of fully enabled Kepler-based GK104 cores and is supposed to win back the performance crown for NVIDIA. But at nearly $1000, is it really worthwhile?

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 Preview

skymtl — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:05:57 +0000

As we’re posting this preview, NVIDIA’s CEO Jen-Hsun Huang is likely just finishing up on stage, presenting the latest addition to NVIDIA’s GTX 600-series lineup: the GTX 690. It was high time that a GeForce-branded product became king of the hill and make no mistake about it: the GTX 690 is meant to absolutely trample the competition.

Patriot Pyro SE 240GB SSD Review

skymtl — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:11:31 +0000

Patriot hasn’t been all that active in the SSD market lately but their new SandForce-based Pyro SE has taken the market by storm. In its 240GB form, it runs with some of the best drives on the market but costs substantially less than one may expect.

Dell UltraSharp U2312HM, 23” Monitor Review

skymtl — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 03:31:28 +0000

Dell’s UltraSharp monitor lineup is full of high end products that boast high quality and equally lofty prices. However, their new U2312HM breaks that mold by offering an IPS panel on a reasonably sized screen at a budget friendly price.

Cooler Master HAF XM Mid Tower Case Review

skymtl — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:52:53 +0000

The Cooler Master HAF series has arguably been one of the most successful case lineups in recent memory and the new HAF XM is hoping to continue that tradition. It is nearly as large as a full tower and packs an impressive list of features but it is priced closer to many mid tower chassis. To us that sounds like a winning combination.

Intel Core i7 3770K Ivy Bridge CPU Review

skymtl — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:00:02 +0000

Today, Intel is officially unveiling Ivy Bridge, and it is a significant launch. Not only is Ivy Bridge manufactured on the brand new 22nm manufacturing process but it also features some worthwhile microarchitectural changes. The 3770K is currently the pinnacle of the Ivy Bridge desktop lineup and looks like a perfect successor to the Sandy Bridge architecture.

Intel Core i7-3720QM Review; Ivy Bridge Goes Mobile

skymtl — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:59:39 +0000

With such a big deal being made about the introduction of Intel’s Ivy Bridge lineup on the desktop side, their new mobile chips deserve a chance in the spotlight as well. In this review, we take a closer look at the new i7-3720QM notebook processor which promises to be a significant step forward for the mobile product space.

Gigabyte HD 7950 WindForce 3X & MSI HD 7950 Twin Frozr III Review

skymtl — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:03:41 +0000

With AMD dropping the price of their HD 7900-series, the HD 7950 has come down to a very affordable $399 price point. In this review we take a look at two competing cards from MSI and Gigabyte which incorporate higher clock speeds and custom cooling solutions but neither asks for a huge premium over a reference design.

Dell Professional P2412H 24” Monitor Review

skymtl — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:07:05 +0000

Monitors which are geared towards a professional clientele may not be appealing to gamers and home users but Dell’s P2412H is looking for everyone’s attention. Not only does it have a relatively low price but it also boasts wide viewing angles and a power sipping LED backlight.

Intel 330 SSD; A New Budget Friendly Drive

skymtl — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:00:57 +0000

Intel is known for their high end SSDs that throw caution and price points into the wind but their new 330 SSD family (with capacities of 60GB, 120GB and 160GB) is all about combining price and performance. By following in the footsteps of the highly regarded 320-series, it looks to appeal to anyone who hasn’t taken the SSD plunge yet and is looking for next level system responsiveness without spending a fortune.

MSI HD 7970 3GB Lightning Review

skymtl — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:42:12 +0000

The HD 7970 may not be too high on enthusiasts’ radars these days but MSI is hoping the newest member of their Lightning series will stand out from all of the other cards on the market. It may have a steep price of $600 but its features are unique and the clock speeds are high so this may be worth the premium over NVIDIA’s GTX 680.

OCZ Octane 512GB SSD Review

skymtl — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:47:39 +0000

OCZ Vertex 4 may have the first drive we reviewed with the new Everest 2 controller but not that long ago, another Everest-equipped lineup was introduced: the Octane series. In this review, we take a closer look at the affordable Octane 512GB to see where it stands now that the Vertex 4 has smashed its way onto the scene.

ViewSonic V3D231 3D Monitor Review

skymtl — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:57:54 +0000

By now, we’ve all heard about the benefits of active 3D technology with its shutter glasses, high refresh rate monitors and expensive technology. However Passive 3D has been making a resurgence since it offers stereoscopic images at a fraction of the price but there are still hurdles to overcome. ViewSonic’s new V3D231 hopes to abolish the longtime issues with passive 3D but can it succeed where other have failed?

EVGA GeForce GTX 680 SC+ 2GB Review

skymtl — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:46:07 +0000

EVGA’s new GTX 680 SC+ is looking to capitalize upon the popularity of NVIDIA’s latest creation and with a custom backplate alongside higher than reference clock speeds, it has a serious chance to capture a good portion of the high end market. However, is a $30 premium for this card money well spent?

Corsair Carbide 300R Case Review

skymtl — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:32:12 +0000

Regardless of their dominance within the case market, one area where Corsair hadn’t ventured into has been the entry level sub-$90 category. But that’s all about to change with the introduction of the new Carbide 300R. It boasts a good list of features and a relatively neutral design but will this be enough to overcome some fierce competition?

OCZ Vertex 4 512GB SSD Review

skymtl — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:58:37 +0000

OCZ’s Vertex series has been the de facto leader in the SSD market for the last few years and their new Vertex 4 is looking to continue that tradition. Equipped with the new Everest 2 controller and a relatively low price point, this new drive sure looks impressive but it will take more than just that to dislodge the entrenched SandForce competition.

Acer Timeline Ultra M3 & NVIDIA GT 640M Review

skymtl — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 04:24:06 +0000

Acer’s new Timeline Ultra M3 blazes a path that no others have been willing to take. By incorporating one of NVIDIA’s new GT 640M Kepler-based graphics processors within their design, they have become the first company to include a gaming-grade GPU into an Ultrabook. It sounds great but does this combination actually work out as planned? We find out.

nMedia HTPC 7000B SFF Case Review

skymtl — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:57:48 +0000

The incorporation of better quality components into smaller enclosures has led nMedia to create the HTPC 7000B. As with most sub-ATX cases, it looks like it would be right at home sitting next to your amp or HDTV but in a move that bucks several trends from years past, it also focuses upon cooling those hot-running, high end GPUs and CPUs.

OCZ Synapse 64GB SSD Cache Drive Review

skymtl — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:33:07 +0000

Cache drives like the new OCZ Synapse are the new darlings of the SSD market since -in principle- they have the capability to drastically improve overall system load times without costing an absolute fortune. Unfortunately, there are some issues that are bound to be encountered along the way but the Synapse and its included software are supposed to succeed where other solutions have failed.

GIGABYTE X79-UD5 LGA2011 Motherboard Review

skymtl — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 03:46:30 +0000

Unlike some of the ultra-pricey X79 motherboards that we have reviewed so far, the GIGABYTE X79-UD5 carries a fairly reasonable price tag, yet still has an exhaustive specs list. Does it come short in any area? We find out in this review.

Samsung Galaxy Note Review

skymtl — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:45:53 +0000

It can’t be classified as a superphone or a tablet but the new Samsung Galaxy Note strides within the distance separating these two categories by offering a unique blend of portability and functionality. Alongside its unique S Pen hybrid stylus, the Note offers up tablet-like features such as a large screen size and fast processor while retaining inbound and outbound cellular network calling. It sure sounds great but does this middle ground approach make this device a jack of all trades but a master of none?

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Review

skymtl — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:59:06 +0000

NVIDIA’s Kepler is finally here and after months of waiting, we finally get to see the first card with this new architecture: the GTX 680. The GTX 680 is based around a GK104 core and 2GB of GDDR5 memory but what really makes it stand out from the competition is NVIDIA new focus upon power efficiency coupled with class leading performance. Bucking their past trends, NVIDIA expects this card to beat the HD 7970 in benchmarks while consuming significantly less power and costing less than its AMD competitor. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

ASUS Z77 LGA1155 Motherboards Preview

skymtl — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:27:27 +0000

A little over a week ago, we had the opportunity to check out and even briefly go hands-on with next-generation ASUS motherboards based on a yet-to-be-released Intel 7-series chipset, specifically the enthusiast-grade Z77 Express.

Air Canada’s GoGo In Flight WiFi Tested; A Turbulence Free Experience

skymtl — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:52:10 +0000

Recently, Air Canada added in flight Wi Fi access on some of their long haul flights between Canada and the United States. Called GoGo, it is supposed to offer an inexpensive gateway to the world for travelers. On a recent flight, we were able to put this new feature through its paces.

AMD Radeon HD 7870 & HD 7850 Review

skymtl — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:59:07 +0000

With today’s release of the HD 7870 and HD 7850, AMD has achieved their goal of having a complete top to bottom desktop graphics card lineup based upon the new GCN architecture. These two new entries into the lineup are meant to effectively bridge the gap between the high end and entry level markets. With of $349 and $249 respectively, they could be exactly what gamers have been waiting for.