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It's self-evident how AMD has kept us busy over the last few months, showing us new generation GPUs aiming at all possible price points. From the performance-oriented HD 5850/5870, to the mainstream HD 5770 and the extreme dual-GPU powered HD 5970. The budget models had to wait a bit longer.

Today AMD is introducing another new member to the Radeon HD 5000 family -- the eighth installment in the series. The ATI Radeon HD 5570 will sit between the aforementioned Radeon HD 5450 and 5670 in terms of pricing and performance, which means it should deliver a similar level of performance to that of the Radeon HD 4670 at the same starting price of ~$79.


The Radeon HD 5570 is a more powerful GPU than the HD 5450, capable of playing games comfortably at 720p, while retaining some of the HTPC-friendly properties that made the latter an attractive buy.

Read the complete review.

Over the years we've received numerous praises for our PC Buying Guide, nevertheless there was always the issue with recency. With prices changing every week and components coming and going, the guide's worth simply degraded until we eventually got to rewrite it a few months later.

Last December we announced we'd be undertaking the guide for a major revamp, with updates happening every other week and on every relevant product launch. Under this new approach the buying guide has silently received two major revisions and a few minor edits since it was launched six weeks ago. In other words, next time you are planning to build a system and want to know what are the best components you can buy at that precise moment you know you can count on us.

We wholly welcome your support and input to keep the guide as fresh as possible. As usual, here are our intended price points:

The Budget Box ($500) • Decent performance • Good for everyday computing • Gaming with add-on GPU Granted, if you just need to create a few documents and check your email, you can get by on much less than a $500 desktop. If you follow our Budget build to the T, you'll have a system acceptable for any role apart from running graphically intense applications -- which could also be attainable by investing in a dedicated video card. The Entry-Level Rig ($800) • Good performance • Fast for everyday computing • Casual gaming Our Entry-Level Rig should prove to be an excellent companion for running general applications and a sufficient solution for even the newest games on the market, albeit with a bit of the eye-candy tuned down. The Enthusiast's PC ($1,500) • Excellent performance • Good Multitasker • Perfect for gaming Our Enthusiast's PC incorporates the perfect blend of both the Entry-Level Rig and Luxury System, making this the most harmonious of builds. Our intent is to keep this system within the grasp of the average computer enthusiast, essentially offering a fully-loaded PC minus some of the unnecessary bells and whistles that could set you back an additional grand or two. The Luxury System • Workstation-like performance • Great for heavy multitasking • Extreme gaming The Luxury System is a screaming-edge machine lacking any virtual price cap. Every component in the Luxury System guide is thoughtfully scrutinized, offering the most horsepower for your greenback. If a component's premium price isn't justified, it simply doesn't make the cut.

Since releasing the first Radeon HD 5000 series graphics card some four months ago, AMD has continued its assault on Nvidia with an army of new models. Following the Radeon HD 5870 came the 5850, 5770, 5750, 5970 and most recently the 5670, while today yet another new product is set to make its first appearance.

The new Radeon HD 5450, code-named Cedar Pro, will be the most affordable graphics card belonging to the HD 5000 series. This is also the first on AMD’s latest wave of graphics products to do away with GDDR5 memory, replacing it with older GDDR3. Naturally, the Radeon HD 5450 is not designed exclusively for 3D gaming and certain versions will support advanced features such as Eyefinity.


The Radeon HD 5450 is stepping in to replace the Radeon HD 4350 graphics card which currently retails for as little as $35 - $40 (512MB) and $45 - $50 (1GB). AMD expects to ask between $50 - 60 for the new HD 5450, but we believe those prices should settle down a little closer to the levels of the older HD 4350 when old inventory is depleted.

Read the complete review.

If you've browsed the Web at all in the last few years, there's a good chance you've watched a ton of YouTube videos. The site serves over a billion every day both on their own and through the zillions of sites that choose to embed videos hosted on their platform.

We bet at least once you've wondered about downloading a clip and although there are many tips and services around to help you accomplish such a feat, here's a few we consider to be the best.


Read our Tech Tip of the Week.

After reading most comments on our latest Weekend Open Forum I can’t help but feel that many are taking the wrong approach comparing the iPad directly to a netbook or laptop. Apple is trying to squeeze a new category into the market and has yet to prove why we need it. What I do know is that I don’t *need* a full-fledged computer in this form factor — that’s what my laptop is for.

I’m as disappointed as many of you by its hardware shortcomings — there’s no point in listing them again here — but its locked down nature didn’t surprise me at all. Apple likes to have control over what you’re allowed to run on its devices, supposedly to ensure a relatively bug-free experience, and while the more tech-savvy may despise this strategy, to some extent it has been responsible for the success of the iPhone.


Where I really fear the iPad might falter is in having a clear purpose. We’re told it is the best way to experience the web, e-mail, photos, videos and e-books. But I’m not convinced. Laptop and desktop computers, even netbooks are still better for many of those things, while on others the iPad will have to prove itself. Take browsing, for example. It’s ridiculous to call this device the best way to experience the Web when Flash, one of the most ubiquitous and essential web technologies, is not supported.

Continue reading at the TechSpot Blog.

While we usually try to bring you timely and breaking facts from the two main discrete GPU makers, Nvidia and ATI, as of late it's not been up to us to bring balance to the coverage that goes to each company. Out of our last seven graphics card reviews, only one was about a new GeForce GPU, and a terrible one at that.

The Radeon HD 5670 is based on the same Evergreen GPU that makes up the HD 5800 cards, albeit seriously cut down to reach the $100 price point. The new card has a memory bandwidth of 64GB/s, versus 128GB/s on the Radeon HD 5850, and its core configuration has been halved compared to the mainstream HD 5770. The feature set remains intact, however, so you have DirectX 11 support, Eyefinity, HDMI audio bitstreaming, and of course low power consumption.


On paper, it looks like AMD is aiming for the GeForce GT 240, and we can't help but feel worried that they have not set their goals for the Radeon HD 5670 higher. But that's not to say we won't give it a fair go, so let's move on to check it out in more detail.

Read the complete review.

While we don't expect solid-state drives to become mainstream just yet, they are by all means moving quickly in that direction. Current generation SSDs deliver more value than ever before, plus they have the speed advantage, features, and adequate capacity to become viable alternatives to standard disk drives to most users.

OCZ's first SandForce-based SSD will be the Vertex 2 Pro which is set for release this March. The Vertex 2 Pro uses the SF-1500 controller with MLC memory and is intended to provide enterprise-level reliability and performance. Therefore, the Vertex 2 Pro is not going to be an affordable SSD as its primary focus will be on performance.


The more popular choice is likely going to be the Vertex 2 that will use the SF-1200 controller. This version should deliver similar performance to the Vertex 2 Pro with the exception of random writes, which is said to be lower. Still we are keen to see how the SandForce SF-1500 controller performs as we test OCZ’s upcoming flagship SSD.

Read the complete review.

Testing browser compatibility can drive any Web developer postal, especially when it comes to Internet Explorer. While there are multiple ways to install different versions of a browser on one computer, it's a headache waiting to happen. Thankfully, there are several solutions to this problem today, and a service from Code Systems is one of the most seamless ones we've come across so far.

The Spoon Browser Sandbox offers 11 different Web browser builds, including IE 6, 7, and 8, Firefox 2, 3, and 3.5, Safari 3 and 4, Opera 9 and 10, as well as Google Chrome. All of these run securely and don't require installation.


Continue reading our Tech Tip of the Week.

A little over a year ago netbooks were the emerging trend that had everyone buzzing. Now the so-called 'internet tablet' seems to be stealing that spotlight. But while these new devices have yet to prove themselves on a commercial scale besides maybe some niche business applications, netbooks have already found their place on the market, at least for now.

In this short time span we've seen at least a couple netbook generations pass by, with the concept itself getting a spin on each new revision. Today, we'll be taking a look at one of Asus' newer products in this segment, the Eee PC 1101HA 'Seashell'. You might recall, the last time we checked a Eee PC product was in late 2008 in our top netbook round-up. What we have today is a much stylized, equally lightweight and more usable offering than anything we reviewed back then.


The Eee PC 1101HA was Asus' first netbook to go beyond the 10-inch display size, sporting an 11.6-inch panel capable of a 1366×768 resolution -- they also have the 12.1-inch Eee PC 1201HA now. These larger screen netbooks provide a user experience that comes very close to that of a standard laptop, in fact, a few years back you would've had to pay a hefty premium for an ultra-portable notebook if you wanted the kind of mobility and flexibility a current generation netbook can provide.

Read the complete review.

While many publications are wrapping up their look at the best games of 2009, we have decided to peer ahead. Most gamers know what titles came last year, but keeping track of upcoming releases can be a bit more difficult.

We are going to take a look at some of the most anticipated PC games of 2010, from top to bottom in alphabetical order we have a total of 31 games spanning nearly every genre. Naturally, this list is subjective, but we hope it will allow you to keep tabs on what will likely be some of the best games this year.


Sneak peek inside: Aliens vs. Predator, BioShock 2, Deux Ex 3, Just Cause 2, Mass Effect 2, Max Payne 3, Stalker: CoP, StarCraft II, WoW: Cataclysm, and plenty more!

Read the complete article.

In our first solid-state drive round-up last year we quickly learned that a SSD can only be as good as the controller working the magic behind it. That was the last time we checked a solid state drive from G.Skill, who is better known for its overclocking friendly memory modules.

Last November G.Skill announced the Falcon II series featuring an updated Indilinx ECO controller, which as you may have guessed provides support for 34nm NAND flash memory as well as the latest firmware from Indilinx (v1819) with improved support for the Windows 7 TRIM command.


With TRIM support enabled the new G.Skill Falcon II SSDs should be able to operate at peak performance consistently over time rather than suffering the common degradation problems of early MLC-based drives. It can't be emphasized enough that the controller's efficiency plays a major role in solid state drive performance, so we are eager to see how the new Indilinx ECO-based SSD pairs up against the competition.

Read the complete review.

With the New Year came CES, the largest consumer electronics expo in North America. We traveled to Las Vegas to attend the event and bring you the scoop on some of the latest products from the main players in the computing world.

As it’s becoming more common, the majority of big announcements were made even before the show started as every company tried to jump ahead each other in order to grab everybody’s attention. This year wasn’t the exception and in fact the few major announcements made throughout the week were promptly taken care of in our regular news coverage. Thus this article is not meant to be a memory refresher, but to give you a brief outlook on what we observed and what caught our attention during the show.


Read our CES 2010 feature article.

As indicated by enthusiasts around the Web, there is a simple way to access a hidden "God Mode" in Windows 7 and Vista. With a name like that, your expectations might be a little high -- and no, Windows is not secretly invincible -- but the trick is awesome nevertheless.

"God Mode" simply provides users with a centralized Control Panel for all of Windows' settings, from changing your desktop background to setting up a VPN or partitioning your hard drive. In all, there are nearly 50 categories and most have several entries.


Read our Tech Tip of the Week.

Intel is getting into high gear with their Core processor family early on the new year, as they are set to release 6 new desktop processors and 11 mobile processors this month. Along for the ride will be 3 new chipsets for desktop PCs and 4 oriented towards mobility.

Today we will be looking at the Core i5 661, one of four new Core i5 processors. The other models include the Core i5 650, 660 and 670. Based on this naming scheme the Core i5 661 doesn't seem to fit quite right. Furthermore, Intel will charge $196 for both the 660 and 661 processors, but we'll break it down for you so you can gain complete understanding of the new processor line-up being announced today.


But before delving into more detail there's a thing or two you will want to know about the new Core i5 600 CPUs. This new series is based on the 32nm Westmere die shrink of the Nehalem architecture and goes by the code-name Clarkdale. Of most relevance, all processors in the series feature a built-in GPU.

Read the complete review.

The Universal Serial Bus standard has come a long way since its introduction in 1996. Backed by a consortium of companies led by Intel, Compaq and Microsoft, it offered some unheard-of features for its time, including the ability to connect peripherals without turning off the computer first and to draw power without a separate AC connection. The standard became popular with the arrival of version 1.1 in late 1998, allowing a maximum transfer rate of 12Mb/s, and as we can witness nowadays just about any device comes standard with 'Hi-Speed' USB 2.0 connectivity.


USB 3.0 is the next major revision of the ubiquitous interface. Dubbed SuperSpeed USB, this new version promises a tenfold leap forward in transfer speeds as well as improved capabilities, all while maintaining compatibility with USB 2.0 devices. In the following few paragraphs we've rounded out all the relevant information that you as a consumer should know about the next-generation USB standard.

Read the complete article.

In the age of inexpensive 2 terabyte hard drives, a few gigs might not matter, but there are situations where you might need that extra space.

For instance, if you purchase a solid-state drive to contain your operating system, applications and games, you'll grow to cherish every salvageable gigabyte. There a few simple adjustments you can make within Windows to regain some drive space.


For starters, you can disable hibernation. Hibernation basically writes your current system state to a non-volatile memory source, such as your primary HDD or SSD, allowing you to turn off your system and restore your progress at a later date. To save a little more space, you could also reduce the size (or entirely disable) system restore. Granted, it's better to be safe than sorry, but there are better backup solutions out there.

Read our Tech Tip of the Week.

Just recently we reviewed the A-DATA SH93 portable hard drive which featured a rugged design said to be both shock resistant and water proof -- within reason anyway. After abusing it for a few days the SH93 lived up to all our expectations with flying colors, surviving multiple drops onto a hard surface from up to 4 feet high, and being submerged into the kitchen sink for half an hour with no damage to the drive's contents whatsoever.

Today we have another rugged portable hard drive that looks to improve on some of those issues we had with the A-DATA SH93. Known as the Hitachi SimpleTough, this 500GB portable hard drive is a similarly priced offering meant to withstand even more punishment than the A-DATA drive.


According to the drive's specs, the SimpleTough portable drive can withstand a ten foot drop, and more impressively it can handle the pressure of a one-ton truck (see our durability testing for more).

Read our complete review.

One pitfall of our previous buying guides and many others on the Web is that they expire shortly after publishing. Prices change daily, components come and go, and the guides simply degrade in worth until they're eventually rewritten a few months later. Recognizing this, we will be taking an alternative approach in our revamped PC Buying Guide.

From now on we will add and update new hardware to the mix as it's released. The guides will be entirely up-to-date on major product launches, and we'll make a biweekly pass over the components and their prices to catch anything in-between. We wholly welcome your support and input to keep this guide as fresh as possible.

With that out of the way, let's take a look at our four system price points:

The Budget Box ($500) • Decent performance • Good for everyday computing • Gaming with add-on GPU Granted, if you just need to create a few documents and check your email, you can get by on much less than a $500 desktop. If you follow our Budget build to the T, you'll have a system acceptable for any role apart from running graphically intense applications -- which could also be attainable by investing in a dedicated video card. The Entry-Level Rig ($800) • Good performance • Fast for everyday computing • Casual gaming Our Entry-Level Rig should prove to be an excellent companion for running general applications and a sufficient solution for even the newest games on the market, albeit with a bit of the eye-candy tuned down. The Enthusiast's PC ($1,500) • Excellent performance • Good Multitasker • Perfect for gaming Our Enthusiast's PC incorporates the perfect blend of both the Entry-Level Rig and Luxury System, making this the most harmonious of builds. Our intent is to keep this system within the grasp of the average computer enthusiast, essentially offering a fully-loaded PC minus some of the unnecessary bells and whistles that could set you back an additional grand or two. The Luxury System • Workstation-like performance • Great for heavy multitasking • Extreme gaming The Luxury System is a screaming-edge machine lacking any virtual price cap. Every component in the Luxury System guide is thoughtfully scrutinized, offering the most horsepower for your greenback. If a component's premium price isn't justified, it simply doesn't make the cut.

Windows Update's automatic reboot can be one of the most annoying "features" in Microsoft operating systems. While it's a bit less pushy with Windows Vista and 7, allowing users to postpone the restart for up to four hours, you may not be at the computer to intercept the first or subsequent notifications.

In many cases this isn't a major deal. However, it can be frustrating if you step away from a work session and come back to a freshly rebooted system. You might also be downloading a large file or letting a lengthy operation run while away from your PC, expecting it to be finished upon return.


Fortunately there are various workarounds available. Today we will mention a few that have been tested to work in XP, Vista and Windows 7 systems.

Read our Tech Tip of the Week.

Before we tell you more about Asrock's Ion-based nettop, try to imagine buying a complete desktop PC that costs as little as $350 and is both modern and stylish. Furthermore, this imaginary computer supports many new technologies, runs Windows 7 with ease and provides full HD playback. Additionally it consumes less power than a traditional incandescent light bulb under full load and generates almost no noise.

Our imaginary computer is about the size of a biscuit tin or about 19x19 cm. (7x7 in) with a height of just 7 cm. (<3 in). This computer sounds like the perfect HTPC and truth be told, it is.


No longer a mere a figment of our imagination, let's get this thought out of the way. Despite paying little attention to the hype behind the Nvidia Ion, it turns out we loved Asrock's implementation of the platform. By combining Nvidia's latest chipset with the Intel Atom processor, Asrock has put together an extremely impressive low-profile computer.

Read the complete review.

While popular among storage-hungry PC enthusiasts, network-attached storage has proven to be particularly useful in office environments, where sharing large amounts of data between several desktop PCs can become quite problematic. With the availability of 2TB hard drives, a majority of users will be satisfied with a 2 or 4-bay NAS solution. However, as data accumulates over time there are those who might require even more than that.


Performance and feature set are two things you'll definitely want to keep in mind. From our experience in testing a range of devices we can assure you there can be huge differences from one offering to another. Some will provide you with transfer speeds of around 10-20MB/s, while other more serious models will deliver considerably better performance, but most still struggle to max out a Gigabit Ethernet connection.

Our quest for bigger and better alternatives led us to one place: the QNAP TS-809 Pro Turbo NAS. Not only can this product accommodate more hard drives than we've seen before, supporting a total of eight, but it possesses power that is unmatched by any NAS device we have come across to date.

Read the complete review.

At one point or another, you're bound to run into this pesky issue: you can see an application open in the taskbar, but can't see the window on your desktop. A number of things can cause this, such as disconnecting your laptop from a secondary display before dragging the windows back to the primary desktop. It can also occur when you open a program that alters your resolution, among a few others.


Restarting your PC may not be viable, because the inaccessible program window could contain unsaved data -- not to mention that it's never fun to reboot without a good reason. There are a couple of tricks to get your stray window back on screen.

Read our Tech Tip of the Week.

Our latest double-packed giveaway is now over, and time to announce the first winners has finally arrived. Special thanks to everyone who participated in either contest, in total 288 TS members took part in the giveaway.

As usual we've drawn our official winners, gathered some interesting statistics, and got ready to announce upcoming prizes for our next and last giveaway before the year is over. Enter here for the results.

Update: Contest winners have now been announced. As we close down our latest giveaway, I wanted to highlight some awesome photo submissions that were uploaded as contest entries for the second part of the giveaway. Users were asked to show the TechSpot homepage in as many screens as possible, with each screen increasing your chances of winning. This lead to some rather creative ways to get as many as 28 screens together in a single shot.

Winners for both contests will still be chosen randomly, and announced before Monday coverage starts end of day, Monday. In the meantime, check these out:

Click to see more submission highlights.

While commonly overlooked, regular backups is one of the most sensible tasks one should perform when it comes to personal computing. Without the help of a secondary storage device or some sort of remote backup strategy, chances of recovering data should your computer's hard drive completely die overnight would be bleak at best.

Reliability and durability should also be taken into account. Portable hard drives are just an accidental drop away from irrecoverable loss, so spending a bit more to ensure data safety is a no-brainer for someone as ham-fisted as myself.


A-DATA has taken it upon themselves to deliver such a product with their new SH93 line, bringing the industry's first waterproof and shock resistant portable hard drive. The SH93 was designed for road warriors who need to take their storage with them on the harshest of environments.

Read the complete review.

Last October Nvidia released a brand new graphics card aimed at the budget market, the GeForce GT 220, and unlike the shady GTS 250 this was actually a new product that deserved to be part of the 200 series. Built using a last generation manufacturing process and given the codename GT216, you'd be forgiven to be unaware of all this, as the 40nm GeForce GT 220 turned out to be a dud.

In terms of performance we were disappointed to find the theoretical bandwidth of 25.3GB/s placed this card alongside the old GeForce 9500 GT. Not everyone can afford a high-end graphics card, of course, so we welcomed the addition for the sake of competition. But this is where things got even more ridiculous, as Nvidia decided to slap an $80 price tag on the GT 220, even when the far superior Radeon HD 4670 from ATI had been retailing for less for quite some time.


Prices have dropped slightly since then, but our opinion on it hasn't changed much. Needless to say our expectations for the new GeForce GT 240 are underwhelming, but that's not to say we won't give it a fair go. The card is said to be considerably more powerful than the GT 220, though in terms of performance it should still sit well below the GeForce 9800 GT. We really hope the tweaked version from Gainward that we are reviewing today can surprise us, so let's move on to check it out in more detail.

Read the full review.

As mentioned earlier on, this year TechSpot took part on a collaborative effort to bring a comprehensive holiday gift guide for techies covering computer products, HDTV and home theater equipment, smartphones, gaming, cameras and personal tech.

TopTechGifts.com covers nearly a 100 product recommendations for these holidays. Here are three more suggestions from the TechSpot staff, click on the headlines for the full write-ups.

Cooler Master HAF 932 Full Tower ATX case
Who’s it for: DIY PC builders looking for a solid, big, aggressive case to go with their killer hardware.
Why: Coming from the bland beige box, we’ve seen a numerous trends come and go in the world of PC cases. For dedicated PC builders and gamers, today it’s more about functionality than ever before. Those not needing portability are favoring full-tower ATX cases, so they can comfortably fit all their extreme hardware. With flagship graphics cards now measuring over 9 inches long, typical mid-size cases are no longer sufficient. [...]

OCZ Agility Solid State Drive
Who’s it for: PC enthusiasts who want impressive response time and speed from their system at the best possible value.
Why: Solid state drives are an almost rare example of marketing-hype being matched by real world performance. These flash memory-based devices are among the best upgrades any system can get nowadays, most notably because of the massive access speed boost they offer, but also due to the improved reliability that comes with the lack of moving parts, as well as their noiseless and energy efficient operation. [...]

Sling Media Slingbox Pro-HD
Who’s it for: Media, sports, and TV buffs – the kind of users that can’t live without their DVR.
Why: The Slingbox concept was developed by two sports fans in 2002 when they were away from home and missed some key MLB baseball games. Three years later, the Slingbox became a reality. And while initially the Slingbox was meant to appeal to heavy travelers, as time has passed people have found more uses for the device. Sling Media has also kept refining both the hardware and software sides of the product. [...]

Previously covered recommendations also by TS:
ATI Radeon HD 5750, Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch, Intel Core i5 750.

Be it screensavers, desktop wallpapers or font type and sizes, visual customization at the OS level is usually important to all kinds of users. Recognizing this, Microsoft has made it easier than ever to apply and adjust individual themes with Windows 7. We looked at this last week showing you how to find hidden themes buried in your hard drive as well as sponsored ones available through Microsoft's online Personalization Gallery.

This time around, we are going to show you how to customize the Windows 7 login screen. There are various methods to accomplish this, with and without third-party software. I understand many people might not want to rely on a third-party application, while others would appreciate a quicker, safer route. First up is the more hands-on approach, and then the utility.


Continue reading this week's tech tip.

In the world of notebooks, Apple is an indisputable trend setter. Case in point, the 13-inch Averatec N3400 that we recently reviewed had an aluminum outer shell, while the Acer Timeline 4810T used island-style keys like those found on MacBooks. Not surprisingly, however, those two laptops are considerably less expensive than anything on Apple's product line.

Today we'll be taking a look at the X-Slim X340, a very slim notebook from MSI that's been labeled by many as the budget alternative to the MacBook Air. Currently selling for $600, MSI hopes to lure potential buyers with its svelte design and extended battery life.


The MSI X340 weighs in at only 3.2 pounds with the included 8-cell battery and is powered by Intel's Core 2 Solo SU3500 CULV processor operating at 1.4GHz. It comes equipped with 2GB of DDR2 -- its maximum supported capacity -- a 320GB SATA hard drive, 13.4" LCD display sporting a 1366 x 768 resolution, Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics, and 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity.

Read the complete review.

Update: Contest winners have now been announced. Participate in TechSpot's double giveaway! You can win an ATI Radeon HD 5850, a BenQ LED Mini Projector, a barebones OCZ DIY netbook, 3x Aten USB KVMs and a OCZ Sabre programmable keyboard. Rules are simple and anyone can participate no matter your location. The contest will be held until next Friday, December 4th. Enter here for more details.