| original from http://lowyat.net by Wern Shen | |
| Tuesday, 09 December 2008 02:35 PM | |
| A thin client is essentially a low cost computer terminal that connects and runs off the processing power of a centralized server. Usually dull looking and boring, this new thin client from Pano Logic goes against the grain of thin client design and comes in a spectacular shade of gold.
There isn't exactly a price tag on this nifty little gadget, because the US$20 per month fee you'll be paying includes the broadband connection that it needs to function on. Not too shabby a deal though, eh? (Source: BB Gadgets) |
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Thin Client From Pano Logic
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Sunbeam core contact freeze review from http://www.ocia.net
The arena of CPU cooling is littered with choices. Keep the stock cooler, go water cooled, go aftermarket air cooled, go budget, go high end tower cooler, or take a couple of aspirin and worry about it tomorrow. With CPUs running hotter and hotter, especially overclocked, tomorrow might be to too late. Wait that extra day and you might manage to get a puff of that “Magic Blue Smoke” to expel from your machine. That's never a good thing.
More and more I get people approaching me asking about cooling their rig. Sunbeamtech never really crossed my mind when people ask me. I tend to go with Thermalright, Zalman, Noctua, or Tuniq myself. After having my hands on the Core-Contact Freezer from Sunbeamtech, I might have to start adding them to the list of viable solutions to today's cooling needs.
The Core-Contact Freezer comes in an attractive blue box, with enough information and specifications on the outside to assist you in the informed purchase of the C-C Freezer.
Inside the box, the Core-Contact Freezer is protected by a clam shell plastic pack. The Core-Contact Freezer arrived safely and the packaging is adequate to protect it during shipment.
Packed in with the Core-Contact Freezer, you'll find a retention bracket for the Intel LGA 775 socket. One nice touch is that you won't have to remove the motherboard to install the bracket. A gentle push and the pegs are through the mounting holes, then insert the four included buckles and the mounting platform is ready. That earns a lot of points with me. If you're on AM2, you should already have a compatible bracket on your board.
You'll also find a fan controller and screw to attach it to a PCI slot. It's a nice addition but the fan included with the CPU Cooler runs at 16 – 20 dBA and you really don't need it because the fan operates whisper quiet.
You will of course find the Core-Contact Freezer itself, and a set of mounting wires. The mounting wires are used to mount the fan before the install. If you go that route, you might have to re-mount the fan after the install as they tend to come off easily during handling.
The instructions say there are a couple of bolts in the pack, designated “2pcs CR-TF-6” - those were nowhere to be found but weren't needed for the install and look like thumb screws for the back of the case more than any thing.
It's a 12 volt, Magnetic Fluid Dynamic Bearing 120mm fan that draws .16 amps from the CPU fan header on your motherboard. It spins at between 1000 – 2000 RPM and pushed 90.65 CFM at max settings. The AMBF (Average Mean Time Between Failure) is 50,000 hours.
I was rather surprised the fan didn't really have a quality feel to it but operated flawlessly and as stated, was whisper quiet.
A nice surprise I found in the bundle was the Tuniq TX-2 TIM (Thermal Interface Material). Tossing in a syringe of their best CPU Grease impressed me. It's a trend I've been seeing more often. In the past, a lot of companies toss in some generic TIM of questionable origin and even more questionable quality.
Adding their top of the line Tuniq TX-2 earned them a few brownie points and will help to keep the cost of using the Core-Contact Freezer down as you won't have to go out and purchase a high quality TIM to make the best use of your new acquisition.
I always like to know if a different, perhaps higher quality fan is going to make a difference in the cooling of expensive CPUs. After all, an alternative fan that drives the temps down a few degrees gives you a little more headroom for overclocking which is all the rage.
For the alternative fan I chose the Noctua NF-P12 120mm fan.
The NF-P12 120mm fan has a nine blade design with vortex control notches cut into the blades. It also features SC-Drive (Smooth Commutation) and reduces torque variations. It has SSO-Bearing Technology that ensures quiet operation and exceptional long term stability.
Here are the Specs on it at max settings which I used in testing.
RPM 1300
CFM 92.3
dB(A) 19.8
Watts 1.08
Volts 12
MTBF 150,000
During testing, the fan was whisper quiet and performed flawlessly. It also has the advantage of coming with four vibration compensators which were supremely handy in keeping the retention wires on the Core-Contact Freezer.
While the CFM and Static pressure are similar to the fan provided with the Core-Contact Freezer, the MTBF on this fan is 3x longer than the Sunbeamtech model. The bundled fan operates on Magnetic Fluid Dynamic Bearing and MTBF is 50,000 hours. The Noctua MTBF is 150,000 and operates on Self Stabilizing Oil Pressure Bearings.
The differences might be small on the surface but the added life of the fan, and not having Magnetic Fluid Bearings make the Noctua an attractive option. Magnetic Bearings seldom give a warning that they are going out and with the Sunbeam fan's quiet operation, unless you have auto notify of the fan's shut down in BIOS enabled, it could lead to problems down the line.
The Direct Contact Heat Pipes are the center of attention on this style cooler. There are four heat pipes, and unlike conventional coolers, they come into contact with the CPU Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS) directly.
Unlike some of the Direct contact coolers I have seen, the Sunbeamtech cooler has a nice polish to it. During the razor blade test where I run a razor blade across the base, it was extremely flat. While there are four heat pipes, they run across the sink and appear as eight protrusions from the top of the heatsink.
Taking a look at the assembled Core-Contact Freezer, you'll see Sunbeamtech's take on a hold down mechanism. They've chosen a clip type system that features an easy install. After mounting the retaining bracket, make sure to put a thin coat of thermal paste across the bottom of the heatsink. I used a plastic bag stretched over my finger. Don't use too much, but use enough to fill any gaps between the heat pipes and metal in between them.
Don't rely on the grain of rice and squash it with the CPU cooler method on this type of heatsink. It's been tested extensively both by me and others and it doesn't produce reliable results. After spreading the TIM across the base of the sink, spread another thin layer across the CPU and you're ready to mount.
Here's a closer look at the business end of the Core-Contact Freezer. You can clearly see the retention bracket and smooth flat surface of the base. The edges and metal in between the pipes is where you should concentrate on packing the TIM.
For visual comparison purposes, I put the Core-Contact Freezer next to a Thermalright Ultra 120 which I keep around for testing. You can see the Core Contact cooler is as tall as the TRUE and a decent amount thicker. The major difference is the TRUE isn't a Direct contact CPU cooler.
The fins on the Core-Contact Freezer are made of aluminum and are more flimsy than the TRUE so you'll need to exercise a little care when it comes to the install. The Core-Contact Freezer is strictly a single fan sink, while the TRUE can be used in Push / Pull if desired.
I borrowed the specifications for the Core-Contact Freezer from the Sunbeamtech website for you to take a gander at.
Weighing in at 590g and having a height of 155mm, you need to consider if the Core-Contact Freezer is going to fit in your system. Keep in mind that you need to add the additional 25mm thickness of the fan making it 129mm wide.
It takes up more room than the TRUE and sits fairly low to the motherboard. It fit on the Asus P5K-E I tested it on but just barely... and not without a little adjustment.
You can see the fan retention wire was in direct contact with the NB heatsink and the Core-Contact Freezer itself barely cleared it. It was such a tight fit that the Mosfet cooler had to slightly lean to accommodate the massive sink.
Here we have a side by side of the Core-Contact Freezer installed so you can access the size. The shot on the left is the stock fan and on the right is the Noctua NF-P12.
Here's the skinny on the test rig I used.
Mobo: Asus P5K-E
CPU: Intel E2180
Ram: Mushkin 1 X 1 gig ddr2 800
Case: Thermaltake M9 full Tower
HD: Western Digital 80 Gig
PSU: SolyTech 480w
Fans: 2x 120mm Thermaltake front/rear push/pull
I could have thrown a Quad at the Core-Contact Freezer but I chose the Dual Core E2180 because I've tested it with a bunch of coolers, the same coolers I tested on the Quad Q6600, and the temps always come out within a degree of each other. I'd attribute that to the older 65nm design of the E2180. I was quite surprised when I bought it that it pushed so much heat. It makes for a good test because of the similar heat signature to the Quad.
Testing And Methodology:
1.Ambient Temps were kept at 72 Fahrenheit
2.Idle tests were performed from a cold start with 30 minutes down time to cool the rig.
3.Load tests were performed after the 30 minute idle without shutting down
4.After the load tests, the machine was shut down for 30 minutes to cool off
5.The Tuniq TX-2 was cleaned off and reapplied for each sink tested
6.Orthos Prime was used to stress both cores simultaneously
7.No particular effort was made to close background programs
8.The overclock was from 2.0 GHz to 2.5 GHz with a voltage of 1.26 Vcore
The Sinks And Blocks Tested:
1. Stock Intel Cooler
2. Stock Core-Contact Cooler
3. Core-Contact Cooler w/Noctua NF-P12 Fan
4. NexXxos Water Block
5. Thermalright XWB-01 Water Block
The Water Rig Consisted Of:
1. Swiftech MCP350 3/8" barb pump
2. Swiftech Micro Reservoir
3. Swiftech MCR320 triple 120mm Radiator
4. 3x Yate Loon 83 CFM 120mm fans in pull config on radiator
Right out of the gate you can see that the stock cooler just wasn't cutting it and had the highest idle temp of the group registering at 43 C.
The Core Contact cooler with both the stock fan and Noctua came in at 36 C, a 7 C advantage over the Stock Intel Cooler. The Thermalright Water Block came in at an idle of 33 C, the best of the bunch, and the NexXxos came in behind the Core Contact Freezer at 38 C. I'd say that is because of the acrylic design of the NexXxos.
With the overclock at idle, we see much the same thing with nothing more than a degree or two difference which is to be expected because I trimmed the voltages down to an absolute minimum to attain complete stability.
Running at the stock E2180 speed of 2.0 GHz under Orthos load stressing both cores, the Stock Intel cooler ran at 58 C which is considerably higher than I allow my rigs to run. The Core-Contact Freezer kept it down to an acceptable 48 C with both the stock and Noctua fans. The Thermalright held the line at 44 C and the NexXxos didn't do any better than the air coolers.
With the OC under load, the Core-Contact Freezer held the line at 51 C after a half hour of stressing with Orthos. I actually let it run another half hour but recorded the temp at the half hour. After an hour, the Temp remained at 51 C with the stock fan and 50 C with the Noctua. I don't know about you, but ~50 C is my cut off. If a CPU cooler won't hold my CPU down to ~50 C, I don't use it.
With the OC, the Intel cooler was dragging the rear and IMO more fit for cooling my calculator than my computer, a sad showing at 60 C. I had to shut the test down prematurely because the temp was rising sharply.
The NexXxos Water Block held to a pathetic 49 C and is probably destined for eBay. The Thermalright held the line at 45 C and in every case was by far the best cooling solution but not to be held to the same standard as air cooling.
The Sunbeamtech Core-Contact Freezer did a good job keeping the E2180 heat pump in check. It's massive stature, and four direct contact heat pipes combined with both the Stock and Noctua fan did a respectable job. The machining of the base was held to tight specifications and didn't require lapping.
The install was reasonably easy and I didn't have to remove the motherboard to accomplish it. Other than a wire clip slipping off (more due to gorilla hands than design), it went smoothly and was accomplished with little more than a glance at the easy-to-understand instructions.
At an idle, it kept within 3 C of the Thermalright Water Block and crushed the stock Intel cooler by an impressive 7 C. Under an overclocked Load using Orthos, which is the standard I go by, the Core-Contact Freezer kept the line at 51 C stock and 50 C with the Noctua. The OC difference between the Thermalright water block and the air cooler was only 6 C; pretty respectable for an air cooler.
I did find the tremendous size to be a little intimidating, and some boards out there simply won't allow for a clean install of the sink without obstructions. I would have liked to seen the opposite side of the sink set up for an additional fan with two extra fan clips included. That might have decreased the size and increased the cooling a little, further exhausting the heat out the rear pull fan in many systems.
I've tested a lot of coolers, many heavier than the 590 gram Core-Contact Freezer, but even with it's lighter weight, it performed as well as most of them.
Pros
Cools good
Installs Easy
Quiet Operation
Accepts any 120mm X 25mm fan
Tuniq TX-2 included
Cons
Size/Possible conflict with Mobo Hardware
Single Fan design
If you've got the room for the Core-Contact Freezer in your case and the hankering for some decent overclocking, Sunbeamtech has a winner in their Core-Contact Freezer. OCIA.net has awarded it our Seal of Approval.
(origin: http://www.ocia.net/reviews/corefreezer/page1.shtml Author: Mark Taliaferro)
Thermalright TRad2 VGA Coolers Review
Thermalright Trad2 VGA Cooler
Considering just how often these guys slide us primo product, it's almost redundant to introduce Thermalright by this point. But here's the short version of their history - Thermalright came to be, providing performance solutions for the hottest CPU of 2002 - quite literally, producing one of the few heatsinks at the time which could tame this thermal beast. To this day, Thermalright has had a reputation for producing heatsink after heatsink to keep the ever advancing generations frosty. yet, there's one area where Thermalright has just recently come into it's own.
That area where Thermalright has just recently come into it's own, is the videocard market; first with the HR-03, then the GT, and now-a-days with the GTX. But alas, not every user can afford the 5 slots that cooler eats up when a fan is strapped to it. That's where the T-Rad coolers come into play. By sacrificing just two slots after your graphics card, you too can keep it chilly with either 2x92mm or 1x120mm fans. Will it turn out to be a winning blow? There's only one way to find out - tear it from the package, slap it on a card, throw in a healthy measure of thermoster, and finally... we'll see how it does. Come on in, this is going to be an interesting one.
Features & Specifications:
Again, another product with proper PR - it must be a miracle, that there's no charts to slice up this week! Along with the usual fare, I've opted to roll in the brief compatibility chart Thermalright has given for users wishing to apply these coolers in crossfire, or SLI. Here's a quick hint - if you don't have two slots between PCI-E slots, don't even think about it.
Right, with that out of the way, there's a brief note to cover about that compatibility list - in regard to the HD4870, the small heatsinks given with the videocard don't really do that good a job of cooling the PWM circuitry, and since the heatpipes lay so low to the base of the cooler, it's impossible to use the stock baseplate to cool the components. That, could be an issue. But that's a discussion for the testing section. Let's see how it's packaged.
A Closer Look:
Coming packed inside Thermalright's signature, nondescript box, each TRad2 is very well packaged, held snugly in place by the soft foam blocks which extend to the well fitting sides. Sitting below the cooler in the package is the bevy of mounting hardware; one, which though varied really only does suit a few cards. As well as providing quite a few ramsinks, Thermalright has gone the distance to throw in a tube of their Chill Factor thermal paste, as well as a Thermalright case sticker, and a brief installation manual. Before we take a look at the superb construction of the sinks themselves, let's take a brief moment to explain how things are done with this heatsink. The average sized rectangular heatsinks are intended for memory modules, as well as small groups of Mosfets in close proximity. The rectangular, although flat heatsinks are intended to cool memory modules lodged under heatpipes. Finally, the long and thin heatsinks are intended for the strips of power circuitry found on videocards. When you mange to apply these all, your card will look pretty swank. But more about that later. Let's take a look at the cooler itself.
 Twin boxes |  With a simple common bundle |
Now, onto these sleek slabs of metal themselves. Each heatsink is composed of quite a few fins, each with six broad heatpipes passing through it. Though five of the heatpipes bunch together towards the top of the cooler, this does little to impeded airflow, ensuring that the memory modules below this portion of the heatsink do not overheat. Turning the cooler over, we pass the heatpipes yet again, seeming in themselves as a section of Atlanta highway. Though they thread around each other here, seemingly effortlessly, they all straighten out to enter the flat, albeit not so shiny base, with but a thin slice of copper, and a plating of copper between them, and the formerly steamy graphics die. Situated around this base plate are the four mounting ears, which take the threaded mounting studs that will extend backward through the card. Though Thermalright recommends that the user place the four self adhesive, thin rubber washers on these posts before the cooler slides onto the card, I found few problems here. Bringing the cooler back topside, the variety of mounting holes for affixing 2x92 or 1x120mm fan can be seen - though keen users will notice that a 120mm fan in fact overhangs the cooler - something which is rectified by the two small wire clips included with the heatsink
 Sexy, no? |  Fins-on-pipes |
 Base Plate |  Your options. |
With that part of today's show covered, it's time to take care of the steps and gripes of installation, and finally the most important part - performance!
Installation & Performance:
As with almost any other heatsink on the market, the first step to this program is to get your target device naked. In this case, it was a pair of HD4850s, now with stock coolers stripped free, and thermal paste scraped off. Getting things rolling is quite simple. Use the appropriate ramsinks on the appropriate spots, making sure to peel off the backing first, and if they don't want to stick, try heating the sinks slightly before pressing them down. Getting the cooler itself seated is no more a matter of threading in the rods, sliding the card with a fresh coat of grease onto the card, then tying down those posts with a hard washer and a knurled nut. Overall, the process can be done in under 15 minutes. Then it's just a matter of screwing (and clipping, if you need to) the fan on, and voila! It's time to test!
 Naked card |  Ramsinks! |  She POSTed! |  Sinks On |
 PWM Covered |  Sink installed |  It's VERY tight to the PCB |  Two by two... |
With the heatsinks installed, there's now just the means of testing to be concerned. Due to the 4850's inability to measure it's own PWM temperature, as well as memory temperature, I used four thermosters from the previously reviewed Sentry LX for this purpose - first slid underneath the heatsink between memory modules, then stuck among the pins of the PWM sink. When it came time to test the TRad2, the probes were wedged in the approximately same spaces. Monitoring of the card's core temperatures was care of RivaTuner. In order to assure that I hit the card's maximum temperature, I looped 3DMark '06 for 30 minutes on the same test (Canyon) at 1680 x1050, 8x AA 16x AF. Here's what we found!
A Great reduction in core temperatures can be seen right off the bat.
As are the memory temperatures - probably a product of the memory being off the same hot plate.
and of the three, the power circuitry sees the best reduction, mostly helped by the dedicated airflow.
With these stunning tests aside, it's time to fetch the conclusion.
Conclusion:
These heatsinks perform well, and despite their limited compatibility, they are very easy to install. Though I found the thermal tape given with the ramsinks to be a little on the side of lax, they still managed to keep the chips under their watch quite chilly - and that's an important start. Though, this review is unfortunately not with an entirely sunny outlook. Effectively speaking, it is impossible to use these heatsinks to cool a tri-SLI array, as well as normal videocards in multi card configurations on many motherboards. Yes, it can be done, but it's difficult as 92x10mm fans are very rare. But beyond these issues, this is a great product, a well supported, well though out, and all-round intuitive product. Despite it's flaws in versatility, the ability to silently cool a wide variety of videocards without eating up all of your expansion slots is irrefutable. It's truly worthy of a recommendation.
Source: http://www.virtual-hideout.net/reviews/Thermalright_TRads/index.shtml
