Reviews

There have been hundreds of different wireless input devices released over the last several years as home theater PCs have become more popular. The size, shape, and overall functionality of these devices has varied greatly. Lenovo, the successor to IBM's PC division, released the N5901 to set a new standard in wireless input, putting a mouse and keyboard in a form factor that can easily be manipulated with a single hand.

nMedia's HTPC 1000-series cases is a shining example of this design philosophy. The folks at nMedia were kind enough to send us an evaluation unit to try out. The 1000-series comes in either black or silver, and features a hidden optical bay, card readers, optional LCD output, and much more.

The folks at Sapphire were kind enough to send their Radeon HD4550 card at the same time, which will be on the table today. The Radeon HD4550 features 512MB of DDR3 memory, a 600MHz core clock, and 80 stream processors. It's not quite as beefy as the Radeon HD4650, but it can be found for an average of $30 less.

The folks at Sapphire were recently kind enough to send us an overclocked sample of one of these mid-range cards, the Radeon HD4650. Sapphire's overclocked Radeon HD4650 features 512MB of GDDR3, 320 Stream processors, and a 700MHz memory clock. BIOSLEVEL.com will look at how this card fairs against its older brothers, as well as nVidia's mainstream offerings from the 9x00 family of GeForce cards.

NorthQ, who's BlacKMagic 850W PSU we previously looked at, has taken the game to a new level. They have a series of case fans built from aluminum frames. The Silent Tornado fans, as they're called, promise extreme performance with a good bit of silence.

Shortly after QNAP released the TS-409U Turbo NAS, the TS-509 was announced. The TS-509 Pro picks up where QNAP's TS-409 Pro left off. The TS-509 Pro adds a fifth drive bay, as the name may entail. Also included with the TS-509 Pro are: dual gigabit ethernet ports, five USB 2.0 ports, two serial connections, and a single eSATA port. While the form factor is different from the TS-409U, both units promise relatively similar features, with a few subtle differences.

Noctua, whose NF-P12 120mm case fan BIOSLEVEL.com previously reviewed, brings a pro-grade thermal compound to the table, NT-H1. The NT-H1 compound aims to minimize thermal resistance and provide long-term stability. BIOSLEVEL.com will put the compound to the test.

I've never traditionally been picky about my mouse pad. Any old felt pad I picked up through some promotion booth would suit me fine, and I was none the wiser. I was often irked by the size of these standard pads, finding them too small for FPS gaming or even normal mouse use in a dual-monitor setup. Let me tell you how the Evo-G MP1 mouse pad has forever changed my feelings about a deceptively important accessory.

Much like NorthQ's Black Magic powersupply I previously looked at, the ST-850P-AF also features a 135mm cooling fan. The biggest different between these two units aside from individual components is that the ST-850P-AF does not feature modular connectivity. Will the stability of the ST-850P-AF prove that the unit should be carried in more U.S. retailers such as NewEgg? Or will the powersupply not quite live up to my expectations?

NorthQ sent me the Black Magic Flex 850W power supply to satisfy my power-hungry CrossFire system. Tthe Black Magic promises to stand up to my power requirements and do so quietly with a 135mm fan. The Black Magic also features a modular connection system, allowing me to only use the cables I really need.