Solid State Drive technology has helped transform computers into high-performance machines. Adding to the mania, 6.0-Gbps SATA-III bandwidth has cleared any bottlenecks that may have previously limited SSD speeds. Based on the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 SSD processor, the 256GB Crucial RealSSD-C300 becomes the industry's first SATA-6G consumer Solid State Drive. Likewise, the C300 is also the first SSD to use ONFI 2.1 synchronous NAND flash. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the MTFDDAC256MAG model rated for 355 MBps read speeds using the HighPoint Rocket 620LF host controller.

Just when I thought they had finished cutting halves, ATI has taken the 40nm Cypress architecture to a new low. Low power, that is. In a brand new design, unlike anything they have released with this architecture, ATI is going after the Home Theater PC market with their heat sinks blazing. OK, I exaggerate; the Radeon HD5450 video card actually runs pretty cool, which is the point, really. It's silent, too, with a large and lovely red heatsink sitting atop the tiny GPU, sans fan. Follow along with Benchmark Reviews as we investigate an early sample of ATI's new standard bearer for low-power HTPC applications.

AZZA have taken a few steps away from what is considered conventional with the Solano 1000R (model: CSAZ-1000R) and gave it an extreme bright red interior. The AZZA Solano also boasts "maximum thermal management with fans installed everywhere" to keep your high end hardware cool. In sum, a total of two 230mm fans, two 140mm fans and one 120mm fan work in harmony to provide you maximum airflow. This full tower case supports E-ATX, ATX, and Micro ATX motherboards and the thumb screw design allows for easy installation of seven PCI expansion cards. A plethora of drive bays, including up to ten 5.25" and eight 3.5" bays, allow you to grow your system over time. All the bays have a thumb screw design for easy assembly as well. Are you looking for a new case? Join Benchmark Reviews as we examine the Solano 1000R ATX full-tower ATX case.

Webcams are rapidly becoming a very popular item. In fact, webcams were one of the most popular electronic items purchased for the 2009 holiday season. Microsoft has long been a competitor when it comes to webcams and with the release of the Microsoft LifeCam Cinema 720p HD Webcam H5D-00001 they may have placed themselves on top of the market. With Skype, Windows Live Messenger, and even Google Video Chat becoming communications tools that are an easy and fun way to stay in contact with our friends and families, people are beginning to expect more from their webcams. The blurry, choppy video that doesn't match up with the audio is a thing of the past. Now Microsoft is introducing HD Video to the mix, offering high definition resolutions up to 720p with their new LifeCam Cinema. In this article Benchmark Reviews takes a detailed look at the Microsoft LifeCam Cinema in order to bring you the latest information on the newest webcam technologies.

Very recently Benchmark Reviews published the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade and Installation guide, which helps erase the mistakes made by Windows Vista and introduces computer enthusiasts to the newly introduced O/S. Microsoft has enjoyed a successful launch for their Windows 7 Operating System, also referred to at Win7 or W7, and PCs have been made more productive and secure as a result. But like all good things that we receive, it's in our nature to protect and keep them. The best way to accomplish this is with a solid backup, and luckily Windows 7 offers a built-in Backup and Restore tool for creating System Images. By creating a backup file users can preserve their data, but with a System Image recovering the source disk can be helpful when replacing the drive with another. In this article, Benchmark Reviews guides users on the best practices for protecting and Recovering Windows 7 with System Image Restore Disks.

NVIDIA and AMD build such great products that it's not always easy for their partners to improve upon the initial design. A perfect example is the ATI Radeon HD 5850, which has earned accolades from consumers and critics alike. While the original ATI design worked well, there's always room for improvement. Offering a robust PCS+ (Professional Cooling System Plus) feature that adds better thermal management over the Cypress GPU, the PowerColor Radeon HD5850 is designed with overclocker enthusiasts in mind. Delivered with a factory overclock, Benchmark Reviews tests the HD5850 PCS+ AX5850-1GBD5-PPDHG model against the original reference ATI design, and a large collection of competing graphics cards.

Cooler Master is a brand name that constantly strives to offer the enthusiast community fresh new products with a proven track record. Although the original CM-690 was launched back in August 2007, that chassis still remains a popular choice for do-it-yourself computer system builders even today. Skip to 2010, and Cooler Master launches the CM690-II Advanced mid-tower case to compliment the CM-series enthusiast product line. The new RC-692-KKN2 model improves upon the original design with an updated look, and adds a new list of features fitting of the modern technology landscape. In this article, Benchmark Reviews inspects the Cooler Master CM690-II Advanced Edition performance enclosure and determines just how much has really changed in this sequel.

ProlimaTech holds the crown for best CPU cooler here at Benchmark Reviews with the Megahalems. They have also surprised a lot of review websites with their PK1 thermal compound. All of these things are a massive feat for a company that was founded just 2 years ago. It comes as no surprise that ProlimaTech have now ventured into another field within the PC enthusiast market: VGA cooling. Introducing the MK-13 VGA cooler, ProlimaTech's first entry into what is a steadily growing market, Weighing in at 555g it's no baby, and has six heatpipes to transfer heat to the uniquely designed heatsink fins. The ProlimaTech MK-13 comes with nearly universal compatibility and future proofing for video cards. Many consider Thermalright to hold the crown here, but I get the feeling that ProlimaTech won't settle for second best. Join me as Benchmark Reviews examines and tests the ProlimaTech MK-13.