AMD has retaken the crown for superior graphical power with their ATI Radeon HD 5870 video card, and consumers have confirmed that this is the hottest graphics accelerator of the moment. Armed with 1600 shader cores, the 40nm Cypress GPU claims to push video game frame rates well-beyond what NVIDIA offers from their GeForce GTX 285 counterpart. While the list of DirectX 11 video games has just started to grow, with one of the first being a free Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) named BattleForge. Perhaps ATI has created the perfect storm for their Radeon HD 5800-series by offering a price-competitive graphics card with several free games included or available. While NVIDIA toils away with CUDA and PhysX, ATI is busy delivering the next generation of hardware for the gaming community to enjoy. Sapphire factory overclocks the Cypress GPU and adds their own custom cooling solution, named Vapor-X. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X video card 100281VXSR against a cross-section of modern graphics accelerators. 

Desktop computers are making a resurgence, and have exploited the compact nature of newer technology to provide the best of both worlds. Netbooks are the popular item for travelers, but they don't get the job done for full time workers and students. Notebooks are nice, and meet halfway, but have their own limits too. Behold the nettop. It's a compact desktop computer with a notebook profile. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the MSI Wind Top AE2010-02SUS All-In-One touch screen desktop computer against an Intel Atom-equipped ASUS Eee PC netbook, Core 2 Duo notebook, and NVIDIA ION desktop system.

As we move into the holiday season, many are looking to Intel's new Lynnfield Desktop Platform for an upgrade or new build. Not surprising, there's plenty of good hardware on the market to choose from. In this article, Benchmark Reviews looks at the P7P55D EVO motherboard from ASUS. As part of their P55 lineup, the ASUS P7P55D EVO provides full support the for the new Lynnfield platform, along with several unique features. We'll explore these features in detail and find out how the EVO stacks up against other mainstream platforms.

Overclockers and performance enthusiasts both share the same desire to cool their processor with the best possible hardware solution, but they each have different needs. The Benchmark Reviews test lab is rife with cooling products, ranging from silent low-profile to full-size tower coolers. The purpose of this series is to measure products for the best cooling performance in both stock and overclocked forms. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests a new collection of LGA1366 coolers using the Intel Core i7-920 processor overclocked to 3.8 GHz @ 1.4V, allowing only the very best CPU coolers to endure our tests and reveal the most desirable heatsink for your computer system.

It doesn't require a music-prodigy to appreciate good music on a nice set of speakers.  But how can the average Joe distinguish a nice set of speakers from manufactured junk? Does the presence of a subwoofer, multiple speakers or a list of features guarantee a set will be high quality? Or can you be assured good performance by sticking to name-brands? At Benchmark Reviews we reviewed the Eagle Arion ET-AR504LR-BK 2.1 Soundstage Speakers using some objective, repeatable tests. These tests helped screen the important factors from the insignificant.

OCZ has earned the pole position in the race for Solid State Drive consumer supremacy. Most of the OCZ SSD product line is sold at retail to enthusiast end-users, but the EX-series offers SLC construction and delivers premier performance to the Enterprise sector and an affordable price. Corporate environments offer vast potential for SSD technology by offering drive performance faster than SAS-based storage, and dramatically reducing heat output. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the 60GB OCZ Agility EX SSD OCZSSD2-1AGTEX60G, and Indilinx-based SLC Solid State Drive.

Microsoft Windows 7 will deliver DirectX 11 visual quality like never seen before, and ATI has endowed gamers with an unparalleled graphics solution in the Radeon HD 5870. While the Radeon 5800-series is a monumental feat for AMD over the unprepared competition, not everyone can fit the absolute best video card available into their budge. Armed with 1440 shader cores, the 40nm Cypress GPU HD5850 is positioned to offer an excellent value for the upper mid-range and hits the sweet-spot for DirectX 11 gamers. In this article, Benchmark Reviews compares the Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5850 video card, model 21162-00-50R, against a cross-section of modern graphics accelerators.

Along with AMD's launch of the Phenom II and Athlon II processor families this year, we've also witnessed a steady shift in focus from their AM2+/DDR2 platform to a full AM3/DDR3 platform. The good news is that these newer AM3 processors support both DDR2 and DDR3 memory, allowing consumers to upgrade without replacing their whole system. Still, that leaves many wondering if they're missing out by not making the jump to DDR3 memory. To help answer that question, today Benchmark Reviews puts Gigabyte's DDR2-based MA790X-UD4P motherboard to the test.