Category Archives: Review

|Review| MSI Big Bang Xpower II

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INTRODUCTION

The Big Bang series of mainboards from MSI such as Trinergy, Fuzion, XPower, and Marshal is not new to most users. The Big Bang series is designed and tailor-made for gamers and extreme power users by utilising the best components to deliver the best performance. Each of the Big Bang series mainboards have their own focus points. For XPower, one will immediately realise that Power has always been the No. 1 feature. Evidently, MSI’s flagship X79 mainboard, Big Bang-XPower II, features the Xtreme Power Design with an overwhelming 22 phase hybrid digital power design and supports 4-way NVIDIA SLI & AMD CrossFireX via PCI Express Gen3.

As the top level of the Big Bang Series, the Big Bang-XPower inherits a concept of extreme power and unlimited performance, hoping to provide extreme gamers with the smoothest visual and sound experience, high-standard specifications and various MSI-exclusive technologies. Apart from powerful features, a golden color in a diamond-like metal design is used to identify its unrivaled quality and ultimate performance. The Big Bang-XPower’s unique character integrates performance and stability.

MSI

MSI Bing Bang Microsite - http://event.msi.com/mb/bigbang/index.html
Big Bang-XPower II – http://www.msi.com/product/mb/Big-Bang-XPower-II.html
Big Bang Xpower II Preview  - http://www.ocdrift.com/msi-big-bang-xpowerii-pictured/

 MSI Big Bang Xpower II received the Editor’s Choice Award from OCDrift.com

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|Review| Mushkin Enhanced Redline 1600 7-9-8 Quad Channel Kit

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Memory manufacturers has been announcing their quad-channel kits with the release of Intel X79 solutions that supports quad-channel memory. Like other memory manufacturers, Mushkin has released their own unique low latency quad-channel memory kits.

Founded in 1994, Mushkin is best known for producing memory modules, with a product range of Power Supply, Solid State Disks and Flash Drives. Mushkin categorises their memory modules into 5 different series; Redline, Blackline, Frostbyte, Ridgeback and Stiletto. We are glad to be given the opportunity by Mushkin Asia-Pacific to review the Mushkin Enhanced Redline 993982 1600 7-9-8 Quad Channel Kit and this would be the first quad-channel memory review by us.

Mushkin, Inc.: http://www.mushkin.com/
Mushkin Asia Pacific: http://www.mushkin.com/Contact-Us.aspx
Product Link: http://www.mushkin.com/Memory/Quad-Kits/993982.aspx


Mushkin Enhanced Redline 1600 7-9-8 Quad Channel Kit received Silver Award from OCDrift.com

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|Review| AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB

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Introduction

AMD has begun to release their widely anticipated latest family of GPUs, the Southern Islands. Southern Islands will become the successor to AMD’s previous generation of GPUs, the Northern Islands. The Southern Island GPUs will be the first GPUs based on the 28nm silicon fabrication process, PCI Express 3.0, Microsoft’s DirectX 11.1 API compliant and a new architecture named Graphics Core Next (GCN). The first GPU to be released is the Radeon HD7970 (Tahiti XT). It features a wider memory bus (384-bit) compared to its predecessor, the Radeon HD6970 (256-bit). Most importantly, it has 2048 stream processors and clocked at 925MHz Core /1375MHz Memory clock.

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|Review| Asrock Z68 Fatal1ty GEN3

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INTRODUCTION

Before we begin, OCDrift.com would like to thank Zeon PC Trading for the opportunity given to test this mainboard and eventually making this review a reality.

Intel Z68 is the latest chipset supporting their 2nd Generation Core-i series. Before Z68, there’s H61, H67 and P67 chipsets. While Z68 chipset is certainly a not new but still, we reckon that it’s still a chipset worth to invest for. Why? Because the newly launched X79 chipset is mainly for enthusiast and big-spenders with high buying power as the Sandy Bridge-E processors pricing is currently on the high side now. As for the 2nd Generation Core-i series processor, widely known as Sandy Bridge is now entering the mainstream market providing one of the best price/performance ratio solution.

Asrock Z68 Fatal1ty GEN3 is the top of the line mainboard among Asrock Z68 mainboards. For ASRock high-end models, it can be easily identified via the Red-Black colour scheme and the “Fatal1ty” theme. We are glad to be given the honour to review this beast and please do continue exploring this review to know more about this mainboard.

Official Link – Enter
Asrock Fatal1ty Microsite – Enter
ZEON PC Trading (ASRock Distributor, Malaysia) – Enter

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|Review| ASUS E350M1-M Pro

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Introduction
AMD Zacate was already in the market for quite sometimes. This platform is meant to support the system that runs with low power consumption. There is a trade-off for a low power system, the performance. You have to sacrifice the system performance in order to get a low power consumption system. This system is not meant for heavy tasking user but more to light casual use. Because this system consumes very less power, it is ideal for downloading and torrenting system. The processor is equipped with a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) AMD Radeon HD6310. The GPU is quite weak for a 3D application like gaming, but the GPU supports Universal Video Decoder (UVD) technology. This technology makes the High Definition video playback smooth. This means that this system also suitable for a Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC)

Click here is the official link for the mainboard

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|Review| Patriot Viper Xtreme Division 2 DDR3-2133Mhz CL9 2x2GB

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Introduction

Intel launch 2nd generation Intel Core processor early in the year, in order to provide end user better experience of new platform, every memory vendors annouce their new memory product line for new processors at the same time. While for Patriot Memory, they have their Viper Extreme Division 2 for Intel Sandy Bridge processor. Today, we are looking at the model PXD34G2133ELK, rated at 2133MHz speed, 9-11-9-27 latency, most importantly, it equips with sleek design heatspreader, an extruded aluminum shield build around a copper core to provide improved cooling.

Patriot’s Viper Xtreme Series, Division 2 Edition memory kits are designed for Intel’s? 2nd Generation Core?; processors. Engineered for PC Gamers and enthusiasts the Viper Xtreme Division 2′s utilize a custom designed heatshield solution with an outer shield built around a copper core to provide enhanced cooling. Each module has 6 grams of copper at its core paired with extruded aircraft-grade aluminum outer shield. Built from only using the highest quality pre-sorted IC’s available, they are rigorously tested and validated on the Intel? 6 Series platform to achieve maximum performance and stability. These modules are engineered to reach PC3-17000 (2133MHz) at 9-11-9-27 timings and are available 4GB (2 x 2GB) kits. Each module is 100% hand-tested to quality assurance and is backed by a full-lifetime warranty and industry leading customer service.

Specification

  • Extreme Performance PC3-17000 (2133MHz)
  • Enhanced Latency (9-11-9-27)
  • Voltage: 1.65V
  • XMP Ready
  • Equipped with an extruded aluminum shield build around a copper core to provide improved cooling
  • 100% Tested and Verified
  • RoHS Compliant
  • Tested on Intel P67 platform

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[Review] ASUS F1A75-V PRO

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INTRODUCTION

ASUS Malaysia has given me a chance to test and review their new AMD FM1 socket motherboard which is ASUS F1A75-V Pro. Here is the official link of the motherboard ASUS F1A75-V PRO

This motherboard has normal ATX dimension, CrossfireX support and comes with DIGI+ VRM and priced at RM390.  Let we see what is so great about this motherboard.

Test Setup

  • AMD A6-3650
  • Scythe Ninja3 | Scythe Sliptream 2000RPM
  • ASUS F1A75-V PRO
  • Gskill Flare 1800Mhz 8-8-8
  • Enermax Liberty 620W

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|Review| Kingston HyperX SSD 120GB – UPDATED

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Kingston HyperX SSD, can be said with most sleek design among competitors, and it is not all, if you have been surveying around which SSD to go for, you should have know that none of competitors ever come with that kind of bundled accessories. Initially, Kingston announced the drive rated at 525MB/S Read and 480MB/s respectively, as you can see that their earlier batch of packaging, thanks to their hardworking developers and programmers, through firmware upgrade which I strongly believe is, bring the drive to higher level of performance, finalised at 555MB/S Read and 510MB/s Write. Of course, these speeds are rated based on ATTO benchmark program, which also used by other competitors.


Kingston HyperX SSD 120GB received the Silver Award from OCDrift.com

Visit here for full review.

|Review| Kingston HyperX SSD 120GB

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Kingston HyperX SSD, can be said with most sleek design among competitors, and it is not all, if you have been surveying around which SSD to go for, you should have know that none of competitors ever come with that kind of bundled accessories. Initially, Kingston announced the drive rated at 525MB/S Read and 480MB/s respectively, as you can see that their earlier batch of packaging, thanks to their hardworking developers and programmers, through firmware upgrade which I strongly believe is, bring the drive to higher level of performance, finalised at 555MB/S Read and 510MB/s Write. Of course, these speeds are rated based on ATTO benchmark program, which also used by other competitors.


Kingston HyperX SSD 120GB received the Silver Award from OCDrift.com

Visit here for full review.

|Review| Patriot Wildfire 120GB

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Many of you might have heard of the Sandforce 2200 series firmware bug, as well as the BSOD issue suffered by plenty of SSD vendors, particularly the OCZ Vertex 3. Corsair even issued a recall of their early batch Force series SSD. Nevertheless, there has been constant firmware updates to fix the mentioned issues. In the whole process of testing Patriot Wildfire 120GB SSD, I’m glad that I didn’t encounter such issue with the shipped firmware version, 3.1.9. Just before i’m about to finish benchmarking the Wildfire SSD, Patriot released a version 3.2.0 firmware update. Thanks to the NAND/Controller combination, the performance of Patriot Wildfire 120GB SSD is one of the best in it’s class and close to 240GB’s.


Patriot Wildfire 120GB received the Recommended Award from OCDrift.com

Visit here for full review.