Marco's RTG
One of the great things about working at a site like HotHardware is that I get exposed to a ton of PC hardware and related accessories. Most of my time is spent testing and evaluating high-end processors, graphics cards and storage devices, but every once in a while something new and different comes along that catches my eye and I take...
Read more...
Every so often, I get my hands on a product that doesn’t necessarily require a multi-page, deep-dive technical analysis, but is interesting nonetheless and something worth talking about. When that happens and the product is something that I (or another member of the team) can use on a daily basis, we’ll take it for a spin...
Read more...
A few weeks back, Eaton sent over one of their enterprise-class 5PX uninterruptable power supplies for testing and evaluation. If you haven’t seen what Eaton has to offer in the power protection space, I definitely suggest taking a look. I was aware of the company before, but hadn’t had any firsthand experience with their products....
Read more...
I tend to shy away from doing full-blown power supply reviews. Without using specialized (and expensive) equipment with which to precisely control load and environmental / operating temperatures and monitor output stability and noise, it is difficult to draw any solid conclusions regarding one PSU’s capabilities and performance over...
Read more...
It has been a long while since I last wrote about my favorite PC peripheral—the mechanical keyboard. Too long, in fact. Since my last blog post on the subject, there have been a number of developments in the mechanical keyboard scene, with a handful of major players now in the game, like Razer and Rosewill. Keyboards with less-common...
Read more...
I recently had the chance to test out an interesting set of speakers targeted at PC users, the Soundscience rockus 3D|2.1, designed by Antec. At first glance, these speakers may not stand out with their smallish-looking satellites, and unassuming rectangular sub, but upon closer inspection there’s obviously something special going on...
Read more...
We geeks are a diverse bunch that run the gamut from pretty-boy, genius, millionaire entrepreneurs that regularly change the world, to socially inept, stereotypical nerds that really have no place leaving the confines of our cubicles (I fall somewhere in between). And our interests are equally as diverse. Don’t agree? Come to a big tech-centric...
Read more...
While in the process of reviewing the ASRock Vision 3D home theater PC a few months back, I became entrenched in all things 3DTV. At the time, I had already been building up a new home theater around a Samsung 3D TV and the opportunity coincidentally arose to evaluate a 3D-capable device, so I jumped at the chance. With that ASRock HTPC and...
Read more...
A few months back, we took a look at a true-5.1 channel headset from Psyko. We started that post off with this opening, “Aside from a powerful graphics card and large monitor, one of the best ways to increase the realism and immersiveness of PC games is with a high-quality, multi-channel speaker setup. Hearing sounds that seemingly...
Read more...
By now, regular readers of my blog should know that I have an unhealthy obsession with input devices. I constantly experiment with different mice and keyboards in an effort to find the “perfect desktop”, at least for my tastes. Over the years, my quest has led to me to two conclusions: 1) I prefer wired laser mice, with high-resolution...
Read more...
In an attempt to squelch my insatiable--and sometimes unhealthy--need to experiment with all kinds of keyboards and other input devices, I recently acquired three more 'boards for the collection, the latest Das Keyboard Pro Silent, the Microsoft Sidewinder X4, and the unique Phantom Lapboard. Although they all technically do the...
Read more...
Aside from a powerful graphics card and large monitor, one of the best ways to increase the realism and immersiveness of PC games is with a high-quality, multi-channel speaker setup. Hearing sounds that seemingly wiz by your head and being able to pick up on subtle tones coming from different directions, can transform a ho-hum gaming session...
Read more...
I am a total keyboard snob; there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Over the last few years, I've personally tested virtually every possible keyboard type--and every key switch type--and am convinced there is no better option than a mechanical keyswitch keyboard if you spend any significant amount of time in front of a computer....
Read more...
Although USB 3.0 is a relatively new technology that is not yet natively supported by any of the core logic chipsets currently on the market, a number of motherboards from major players like Gigabyte, Asus, and MSI (among others) sport an NEC-built USB 3.0 controller that supports the feature. The main advantage of incorporating such a controller...
Read more...
I am happy to report, that since the initial publishing of my "Mechanical Key Switch Keyboards Demystified" post, a number of the more obscure 'boards I mentioned in the piece have been made available right here in the good ol' U.S. of A, eliminating the need to import products like the Filco Majestouch, HHKB Pro, or...
Read more...
Regular readers of my blog know that I've got a somewhat unhealthy obsession with input devices; more specifically keyboards. I've spent the better part of the last few months experimenting with some of the most expensive mechanical key-switch keyboards currently in production. So, when Gigabyte offered up an affordable multimedia...
Read more...
The vast majority of notebook docking stations have traditionally been nothing more than port replicators or breakout docks that give users the ability to quickly connect their portable computers to desktop-bound accessories, like keyboards, mice, and monitors. Sure, there have been some hybrid docking stations that have allowed for increased...
Read more...
I have been intrigued by all things electronic since a very young age. Even before I started grade school, I can remember taking apart my brothers' AFX cars to see how they worked, and modding the electrical contacts on the underside of the cars, in the trigger throttles, and on the track to make the cars go faster. I would pull apart...
Read more...
I'm a bit of a Left 4 Dead addict. I have been a PC gamer for close to 27 years now, if you count those myriad hours spent banging away on my first Commodore 64, and I've come to the decision that Left 4 Dead ranks in my top three all-time guilty pleasures. I can't even fathom how much time I spent scrambling through levels in...
Read more...
I'm sure you've all heard the old saying, "You get what you pay for" many times throughout your lives. Whether talking about plumbing or electronics, that saying has seemingly rung true for ages. But for whatever reason, it isn't always taken to heart, especially by PC users. Let me give you an example. Years ago, in...
Read more...
Although the Holiday Season is supposed to be a time for celebration and for reconnecting with family and friends, a few tragic stories inevitably come to pass. I'm sure many of you have read the news recently and are well aware of some of the ugliness that went down over the past few days. But I never thought something as terrible as...
Read more...
Every once in a while, something happens in a gamer's life that sticks out in his or her memory. I had one of those moments tonight playing a little Unreal Tournament 3. I was just taking one of my usual 20 minutes breaks for a round of Vehicle Capture the Flag on the Suspense map, and just as the match was ending (my team won 2 to 1),...
Read more...
