Content and news by Optix

Cooler Master’s HAF series of cases have long been favored by many enthusiasts thanks to their sturdy construction and feature-rich likeness. This was especially true with the HAF 932 released three years ago. For that reason it has been updated to an ‘Advanced’ edition, bringing a refreshed look and some worthwhile new features.

With NZXT having expanded its product portfolio on multiple occasions throughout the years, the introduction of its first-ever CPU cooler, HAVIK 140, almost didn’t even come as a surprise. But, how good is it? Well, it’s big, has dual fans, aims for silence, and looks aesthetically-pleasing, so it holds a good chance of impressing.

Need proof that sufficient CPU cooling doesn’t need to be expensive? The ~$45 Zalman CNPS7X LED is it. Taking after the design of the much more expensive CNPS11X, the CNPS7X uses fewer heatpipes and a smaller 92mm fan, resulting in a modest size and silence – even with a decent CPU overclock under its belt.

Announced back in March on the official CM Storm forum, the latest product in Cooler Master’s gaming line will finally make its way to store shelves this summer. After launching very popular lines of cases, mice and surfaces, Cooler Master hopes to continue the trend with the CM Storm Sirus 5.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset.

Progress marches on and it’s marching in a big way. Clarkdale processors have been replaced by Sandy Bridge and the same fate awaits the Gulftown series thanks to the upcoming release of the Sandy Bridge E that will use the new uber high-end LGA2011 socket expected to launched in the first quarter of 2012 assuming the world doesn’t end.

In our first-ever look at a Rosewill product, we’re taking the company’s Blackhawk mid-tower chassis for a spin. It offers similar design cues to another mega-popular chassis and adds in a couple of new features to help set itself apart, so let’s see if it manages to stand on its own and becomes worthy of your $100.

When Corsair earlier this year announced its partnership with CoolIT, it at the same time also announced a follow-up to its popular H50, the H60. At first glance, the H60 looks simpler in design to the H50, but with an entirely rethought inside, featuring a split-flow design with micro-channel cold plate, that’s not the case at all.

When Thermaltake released its Level 10 chassis, it was unique in both its design and price-point – the latter of which kept it out of the hands of the regular enthusiast. Enter the Level 10 GT, a ~$270 variant that retains much of the aesthetic appeal of the original, but is easier to build with and has other cool features added to boot.

Sentey is a name you may not heard of before, but the company has been around for quite a while. It’s recently been focusing on its chassis line-up, and with its full-tower Arvina, it hopes to deliver gamers and enthusiasts a feature-packed offering for around $150. Let’s take a look and see if it can compete with other well-established models.

Bigger is better, right? Lamptron sure thinks so and has just announced the launch of its FC9 fan controller to try and prove it. This controller promises to be able to handle just about anything that users can throw at it, and then some. It features the same CNC milled silver or black anodized aluminum face plate that has become something of a…

Progress marches on and it looks like it’s Best Buy who is high stepping to Apple’s beat. Today it was reported that the retail giant has suspended online sales of the current MacBook Air in preparation for Apple’s refresh of the little white laptop. The reason for all of this is the expected upgrades in the form of Intel’s Sandy Bridge processor…

When we tested out Intel’s ‘Smart Response Technology’ last month, we liked what we saw. But at $110 for a 20GB SLC SSD, we wondered if a larger, more cost-effective option could still make the best use of the technology. With that, we’re pitting Kingston’s SSDNow V+100 64GB drive, at $150, against Intel’s, to see if we retain SRT’s effectiveness.

Being that silence is golden, it’s no wonder that so many people go out of their way to make sure their PC runs as quiet as possible. Pulling that off can be made a lot easier with the right chassis, however, and of them all, NZXT’s H2 is one of the best. It features classy aesthetics, a ton of features, and more foam than a busy Starbucks.

To help make up for the lack of a proper EFI solution, GIGABYTE has given its Z68 users what it touts as being a “Hybrid EFI” – or in non-marketing speak, a piece of Windows software for interfacing with an old-school BIOS. We take TouchBIOS for a spin and see if it has what it takes to become a viable solution for most users.

After being left so impressed with Corsair’s Obsidian 650D chassis last month, we couldn’t wait to take the company’s Special Edition White Graphite 600T for a spin to see if it could match or surpass our expectations. Though similar in design to the original, the SE White has a couple of upgrades, and a whole new aesthetic appeal.

With the major success SilverStone’s Raven series has experienced in the past, the RV03 has a lot to live up to. A full-tower on its side, the Raven 03 orients your motherboard to exhaust heat out the top, and as a result, makes installation an interesting process. Let’s take a look and see if this gold-trimmed $130 offering hits its mark.

Interested in faster-than-mechanical performance but don’t want to splurge on a big SSD? Intel has a tech for that, and it meets you half-way by utilizing a modestly sized SSD for caching purposes, used in conjunction with any HDD you want for total storage. Read on as we cover both the setup process and our real-world test results.

A couple of months ago, we took Lamptron’s FC Touch fan controller for a spin, and were left extremely impressed with its ease-of-use and aesthetics. But what about those who don’t care for touch capabilities, and are fine with knobs? Enter the FC8, a clean-looking and high-performing option; offering eight channels at 30W each.

When Corsair released its Obsidian 800D full-tower nearly two years ago, it was the company’s first chassis, but still managed to set standards. For those who were hoping for much of the same aesthetic value and design features in a smaller package, Corsair delivers with its 650D, a premium-priced offering at $180.

Of all the components we shove into our PCs, the hardest to keep cool is the graphics card. With current models easily able to reach 80°C or higher at full load, purchasing an after-market cooler can be tempting. GELID has just a single GPU cooler model, the Rev. 2 Icy Vision, so let’s see how effective it is against our hot GTX 470.