We all want more for less. That's why enthusiasts overclock, and that's why we build HTPCs. The PlayStation 3 game console has sold millions of units because of its ability to delivery realistic video game performance, but Sony has sold more units because of the PS3's Blu-ray Disc player capability than any other factor. Bringing personal computer technology into the home theater environment has just come one step closer, thanks to the NVIDIA ION platform. The synergistic effect of an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and the dual-core 1.6GHz Intel Atom process have delivered true high-definition performance beyond any HTPC before it. The Zotac IONITX-A-U packages the Atom N330 CPU and 9400M GPU on a Mini-ITX DDR2 motherboard. Benchmark Reviews discovers how nice it is to have native HDMI connectivity from the HTPC into the HDTV in this article.

Prior to our 33-Way Thermal Compound Comparison article published back in March 2008, there had not been another project of its size available online. So when Benchmark Reviews revealed our test results, it was a surprise to find that many overclockers had been ill-informed by marketing hype and misleading enthusiast opinions. Benchmark Reviews later published several other complimentary articles for performance hardware enthusiasts, offering an instructional guide on Thermal Paste Application Methods and testing for the Best CPU Cooler Performance. As the author to both of those articles, I have discovered that the most critical factors pertaining to thermal cooling performance seems to be overlooked. In this massive follow-up article, which was built from entirely new project data taking over one year of research to publish, our collection of test material has grown to include every product we could acquire from the marketplace. Benchmark Reviews has received advice of industry experts, manufacturers, and elite overclockers to bring you this comprehensive 80-Way Thermal Interface Material cooling performance comparison benchmark test.

If you've ever visited Benchmark Reviews in the past, you've probably noticed that we've tested a large collection of NAS products. At the same time, you might have noticed how many of these products aren't really geared towards home users needing just the basics. That's where the QNAP TS-119 comes in handy. Designed to hold a single SATA drive (HDD or SSD), the TS-119 can deliver all the great features of larger more expensive NAS products. The latest Enterprise-level NAS servers feature iSCSI expansion, RAID redundancy, and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, and surprisingly the TS-119 does these things too, but without the expensive price tag. How can a single-drive NAS offer RAID you ask? In this article Benchmark Reviews takes the QNAP TS-119 through a tough set of performance tests while we outline the Turbo NAS functions and features.

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.

Home Theater PCs continue to gain popularity, particularly as more television networks are pushing their content over the web. They're also a great platform for gaming, watching Blu-Ray movies, running a custom DVR, and centralizing media storage. For some of these tasks, a low-power Atom system might be sufficient, but for gaming and processing high definition content, most consumers will want a little more horsepower. That's where a quality HTPC chassis can make a big difference. With room for full-size ATX components, seven hard drives, and five fans, the SilverStone LC10B-E that Benchmark Reviews is covering today should fit the bill.

Sapphire has four ranges for most top-end products they offer: standard, Vapor-X, Toxic, and Atomic. While each is different in its own right, for most gamers it is the Toxic design that draws the most attention. Combining the Vapor-X cooling with overclocks seen on the Atomic, the Toxic brand is the most elite air-cooled video card Sapphire offers. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the performance on the Sapphire HD4890 Toxic Vapor-X 11150-01-40R video card against many of the other best graphics accelerator solutions in the price segment. FPS tests compare frame rates between low to high-end video cards, including a pair of CrossFireX Radeon HD 4770's.

Yesterday at Computex, AMD took the wraps off of two highly anticipated processors: the Athlon II X2 250 and the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition. Both are based on AMD's 45nm SOI process with the key difference being the amount of L3 cache. The Phenom II X2 550, codenamed Callisto, gets the full 6 MB cache of the Phenom II family and will serve as AMD's new flagship dual-core processor. The Athlon II X2 250, on the other hand, is based on the new native dual-core Regor die that omits L3 cache completely and targets the mainstream segment. Benchmark Reviews was fortunate to receive samples of both processors. Yesterday we covered the Phenom II X2 550 and today we bring you the Athlon II X2 250 ADX250OGQBOX.

Samsung makes the DRAM modules found in nearly all popular SSD products today, with Elpida and Qimonda also adding their name to cache buffer parts. JMicron, Indilinx, and Samsung engineer many of the most well-known SSDs on the market, with OEM companies adding their own branding, custom-tuned firmware, and warranty. The OCZ Summit SATA-II MLC SSD is another such OEM product, built from the PB22-J model that Samsung decided not to ODM and sell themselves. Equipped with the Samsung S3C29RBB01 SSD controller and a 128MB cache buffer, OCZ intends to keep their crown as the King of SSD product offerings with the Summit OCZSSD2-1SUM120G.