The only reason the HDMI exists is DRM, so if you have discrete graphics card, you can use the integrated for the extra monitor using plain DVI. DVI is in all respects equal or better than HDMI except if you are running DRM-content under Vista. Not quite... You don't get sound over your DVI cable. ...

Nice review! However, I disagree with the reviewer about the HDMI card: the people who have a discrete graphics card are not going to need the HDMI of the integrated graphics. The only reason the HDMI exists is DRM, so if you have discrete graphics card, you can use the integrated for the extra moni...

slimeballzz wrote:I have a 12V DDC MCP-350 enclosed in a metal box sitting on top of layers of white foam (the white packaging foam for Antec cases). All I can say is that it is the loudest part of my rig.

Does it have the acrylic top?

Very nice and useful review, thanks folks! On a topic of restrictive vents: while restrictions naturally increase turbulence, good filters or other fine mesh on intakes is very useful to have, especially in HTPC. The reason for this is simple: dust. Most of the real-world houses and apartments are n...

Have any of you made such a thing? I imagine it'd take a large external radiator? If you want all-passive system, I'd go for heatpipes for heat distribution. They have more limited range and capacity, but they are passive and with proper engineering you should be able the get almost all the advanta...

My experience in peltier elements is limited to the occasional mini-fridge, so it is very limited to say the least. However I was under the impression you need to feed 20W into the TEC in order to remove 20W from the cold side to the hot side. You only pump a few watts into the TEC and still load i...

My experience in peltier elements is limited to the occasional mini-fridge, so it is very limited to say the least. However I was under the impression you need to feed 20W into the TEC in order to remove 20W from the cold side to the hot side. You only pump a few watts into the TEC and still load i...

Perhaps I missed something, or did you do those tests outside a case? Any energy the TEC itself uses is going to heat up the air inside the case and making system cooling harder as a whole. The test was totally synthetic in nature, so no case was present. One example of how you might do it in real ...

In short: by utilizing thermo-electric cooling modules properly, you can get your chips run cooler than without them by using exactly the same heatsink and fan. Here is my take in this, in form of practical experiment: http://zds.iki.fi/zds/projectlog/2007/07/02/120 Please note that by utilizing the...

I wonder if i should wait for the AMD's Phenom series now? Up to you. But there's always something greater and better coming next quarter. Current Core2Duo and k8 processors are IMO not faulty in any way, so there's no regretting in getting them now. And you can get hardware that's proven to work w...

I did some research.. if you want fast 3D acceleration (more than Intel can provide), 4G of memory *and* small form factor, here's a way to go: http://www.portwell.com/pdf/embedded/WADE-8156.pdf . Unfortunately they do not mention the price, which usually means "a lot". If you are not willing to pay...

Intel graphics is as compatible as things get in Linux. Unlike nVidia, Intel releases their Linux drivers open source--meaning they get included in virtually every Linux distribution. Compatibility isn't the issue; capability might be. Very true. But if you can/are willing to live with binary blob ...

I read that the low power Athlon64 X2s are only low power when idle and are actually worse during load time. True/not true? AMD's generally idle lower than Intel and hug more when loaded.. but AMD is more honest than Intel on the TDP values: so if AMD promises the chip will never go above certain w...

I'm looking for a small form factor. ... Can anyone recommend a good mobo/cpu/case combo? Any advice appreciated. Thanks in advance! You did not tell your budget, so I am throwing some parts I'd get if I was going with same goals and was not too short on money. Recent Shuttle models have not got so...

what I didnt like compared to the symphony is that the Reserator only has one pump and it just looks more cheaply made. fan noise isnt a concern to me (my apartment is next to the interstate and m I have used numerous Zalman products (for both air and water cooling) and I have to say that quality o...

YugenM wrote:nope, they're different. Innovateks are a single piece, Alphacools are a whole bunch of separate pieces that can be clipped together

Ah. Thanks for correcting me .

dean.collins wrote:Are the Cape Cora's passive radiators being dumped?

I have assumed that they are actually rebranded Innovatek Konvekt-O-Matics: http://www.webshop-innovatek.de/assets/ ... ovatek.de/

So searching with that name might shed some light..

The T-balancer will make the DDC quieter but at a cost. Undervolting the 10W DDC makes the T-balancer extremely hot, its heatsink reaches 50 degrees celcius. Undervolting the 18W is even worser. Are you sure this happens also in the PWM mode? I've understood at least some of the T-Balancer series p...

echn111 wrote:It's now quiet!

Grats .

Don't get me wrong, I respect the aerodynamic efficiency of big fans but I don't think we should go down a path where fans get bigger and bigger Yeah, I didn't mean it as a general solution for everyone.. It was just a comment on the physics of the fans. The reason I'm into them is more to do with ...

It seems to me there is a somewhat law of diminishing returns going with ever-bigger fans; because most retail heatsinks are not sized for fans bigger than 120mm, sure you get more airflow from a big fan but it's not precision airflow so a lot of it will flow uselessly past the heatsink fins in the...

The Apogee GT and the D-Tek Fuzion are very equal, with the Fuzion winning some tests and the Apogee GT winning others. However, even if they are almost equal, the edge is with the Fuzion as it is the less restrictive block. Very nice, competition is indeed welcome here. Reading your link I think i...

I took a look at some Apogee GT reviews: http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/Swiftech_Apogee_GT/index2.shtml http://www.vr-zone.com/index.php?i=4476&s=6 Based on the information I gathered, it looks like the only thing that has changed is the baseplate. Most likely they have been able to refine t...

[quote="echn111"]Yup same here. Read some good things about the DDC (aka Swiftech MCP350 /Laing/Danger Den DDC). Thought I did my research too. And am most disappointed. Perhaps there is a serious quality control issue with this pump since opinions differ so much. Ah well.[/quote] Sorry if I'm askin...

Flow isnt everything either, amount of head is more important And for running system silent, actual flow isn't that important either. If the pump has enough pressure head to make the water move at all, it's often enough. If you want M4d overclocks, you need to squeeze every last degree of Celcius o...

Guess water just isn't that good anymore compared to highend aircoolers :? It all boils down to selecting quiet parts. The water itself is not going to make any mechanical part quiet, you need to pick quiet components, just like in air cooling. I have Laing DDC pump and it's damn quiet. No way to h...

is Tec-Protect dielectric? No idea, and frankly it does not matter to me. Whatever fluid I run, I do *not* want it in contact with my electronics. The reason why I plan to use this instead of plain extra-purified water is that it should protect me a bit better against corrosion and algae. Here is m...

Basically, for 250 dollars, you could outfit yourself with a fairly beastly air cooling solution that may be all you need to have a quiet pc and have a lot less maintenance. I think you are overestimating the need for maintenance and risk of the leaks. Air cooling is not maintenance-free either, an...

The reason I'm so thrifty with the water is that MCT-5 costs 21 bucks per quart so if I need a gallon or more it really adds up. (That's $21 per Liter for Europeans.) I've been running on just plain extra-purified water this far, the one sold for car batteries. Whatever problems it causes, after tw...

And if you want to take advantage of the water loop, sandwitch HD between thick aluminium/copper blocks Or any heavy metal, for that matter. I mean, HDDs really do not produce so much of heat, and you want the construction to weight a lot (as weight is good dampener). Thus even steel might work, an...