Author: Ľubomír Samák

Cooler Master GX III Gold 850: The only one with a right angle 16-pin

Preview, PSUs | | Ľubomír Samák

The GX III Gold 850 PSU is in a number of design aspects different than what might be described as a typical ATX 3.0 model. One of the aspects is the significantly different approach to cable design with the 12VHPWR connector for external graphics card power. The wires behind the connector are unconventionally bent at right angle for the sake of maximum robustness. But this power supply represents more than one way of looking at things. Read more “Cooler Master GX III Gold 850: The only one with a right angle 16-pin” »

What does GeForce RTX accelerate in DaVinci Resolve Studio 18?

Analysis, Graphics | | Ľubomír Samák

DaVinci Resolve (Studio) video editing applications are highly optimized for hardware acceleration by GeForce RTX graphics cards. These can dramatically reduce the time of some tasks, turning hours into minutes or, for larger projects, days into hours. We’ll take a look at what exactly this is about in a two-part miniseries dedicated to streamlining work in Black Magic Studio video editors with NVIDIA Ada Lovelace GPUs. Read more “What does GeForce RTX accelerate in DaVinci Resolve Studio 18?” »

Fractal Design Anode (550 W) or a really cheap power supply

Preview, PSUs | | Ľubomír Samák

We will also take the Fractal Design Anode PSU to the external testlab to analyze its electrical properties. This one doesn’t really fit into the mosaic of the others, as it is a power supply with support for the older ATX standard, it also has significantly lower power compared to the others, and according to the 80 Plus Bronze branding, it is expected to have lower efficiency as well, but again, it will be a good one to illustrate how such a low-budget option compares. Read more “Fractal Design Anode (550 W) or a really cheap power supply” »

Asus DIMM Flex: If fast memory, then managed dynamically

Motherboards, News | | Ľubomír Samák

Although no new boards with the Z890 chipset came out with Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs, each manufacturer added new models with the “old” (Z790) chipset. The reason to take interest in them may be, for example, DIMM Flex support. The latter should increase memory bandwidth and stability on selected Asus motherboards. Asus describes well how it all technically works and has published some practical results as well. Read more “Asus DIMM Flex: If fast memory, then managed dynamically” »

FSP Hydro G Pro ATX 3.0. From creators of the unforgettable

Preview, PSUs | | Ľubomír Samák

The legendary “Fortrons” are ancient history, but many of you still remember them vividly. Especially when it comes to the Blue Storm model series, which among the cheaper ones of its time represented one of the few alternatives. Its manufacturer was FSP, as is the case with the Hydro G Pro. With that, we can also talk about better affordability for a powerful, 850-watt model. Read more “FSP Hydro G Pro ATX 3.0. From creators of the unforgettable” »

BeQuiet! released Dark Rock Pro 5. Plus one, more elite cooler

Cooling, CPU coolers, News | | Ľubomír Samák

The new generation of high-end tower coolers also comes with one change in segmentation. The Dark Rock Pro is no longer the top model. It is now the Dark Rock Elite. The differences between these twin-tower CPU coolers are quite small, partly relating to the available cooling performance and partly to their aesthetics, into which BeQuiet! has implemented ARGB LEDs. But it did so rather subtly. Read more “BeQuiet! released Dark Rock Pro 5. Plus one, more elite cooler” »

Sapphire RX 7700 XT Pure: The fastest for around 500 euros

Extra tests, Graphics | | Ľubomír Samák

The cheaper of the pair of Radeons with the Navi 32 GPU is priced closest to the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti. Although the RX 7700XT is a bit pricier, it often has a significant performance edge, even attacking the RTX 4070. In this comparison, the RX 7700 XT with ray-tracing is already noticeably behind, and its efficiency is a notch weaker, but the price-performance ratio is often still better. And this is also true for the Sapphire Pure version in white. Read more “Sapphire RX 7700 XT Pure: The fastest for around 500 euros” »

The armored Apex Stealth fans promise the “impossible”

Cooling, Fans, News | | Ľubomír Samák

Alphacool has unleashed the new Apex Stealth fans on the world, which attract attention for two things in particular. Firstly, the fact that they contain robust metal elements and secondly, the specifications. These seem to be literally incredible, and while we have no doubt that the efficiency of these fans will be top notch, it’s hard to find elements for which they should be “the best”, as the specs suggest. Read more “The armored Apex Stealth fans promise the “impossible”” »

Enermax gives the AIO cooler mainstream thicker radiators

Cooling, CPU coolers, Preview | | Ľubomír Samák

Radiators on the vast majority of AIO coolers are very similar and… relatively thin compared to what the new Liqmaxflo models from Enermax come with. Additionally, on the 40% thicker than normal radiators, there are fans that are known to achieve high static pressure. And when you factor in the fact that these are still affordable solutions by liquid cooler standards, it’s a good idea to take a closer look at this offering. Read more “Enermax gives the AIO cooler mainstream thicker radiators” »

Chieftec Polaris 3.0: Circular grille is still alive

Preview, PSUs | | Ľubomír Samák

Loyalty beyond the grave. This, too, is how one might define the relationship between Chieftec and the circular grille. Unlike other manufacturers, they haven’t shied away from it, and their Polaris 3.0 is the only one of the ATX 3.0 power supplies we’ll be testing with a really proper setup in front of the fan. Naturally this is a minor thing and what’s key is everything behind the grille. Still, the first impression Chieftec’s PSU gives is a really good one. Read more “Chieftec Polaris 3.0: Circular grille is still alive” »

The new Phanteks D30 fan: Extra thickness now in 140 mm

Cooling, Fans, News | | Ľubomír Samák

A few 120 mm fans are already thicker than standard, but now there is one which is also one number larger. And it’s being taken up again by the brand that managed to popularize the 30 mm profile the most – Phanteks. The latest D30-140s come in two designs. In addition to the regular variant, there is also a reversed one with the same blades, but incorporated into the frame for the opposite direction of airflow so that it mainly “looks” good. Read more “The new Phanteks D30 fan: Extra thickness now in 140 mm” »

Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G: Save both power and space

Extra tests, Graphics | | Ľubomír Samák

Catching up where we’re behind, we come to the GeForce RTX 4060. Across designs, these graphics cards represent not only the most efficient and lowest-power across the latest generation of Nvidia Ada Lovelace, but overall (i.e., even compared to the latest Radeons, including the competing RX 7600). The advantage of the tested (RTX 4060) Windforce OC 8G design is in its smaller size and extra compatibility. Read more “Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G: Save both power and space” »

Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM: Efficient fan on a budget

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

Why spend as much money on one fan as you would on four or five Endorfy Stratus 120 PWMs? There is a clear answer to this, but it may not be interesting to everyone. Especially when the fans are meant to fit well into builds designed with the best possible price/performance ratio in mind. That’s when low-cost fans make sense, and the end-user often dismisses the “imperfections” of the Stratus 120 (PWM) with a wave of the hand. Read more “Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM: Efficient fan on a budget” »

Pure Loop 2, or BeQuiet! renewed the cheapest line of AIO coolers

Cooling, CPU coolers, News | | Ľubomír Samák

In the lower class of BeQuiet! liquid coolers, the new Pure Loop 2 models replace the old (Pure Loop) models in up to four formats. This means that this news may be of interest to users of SFF systems as well as those on the opposite end of the spectrum, with full tower cases. The key changes between generations are the pump upgrade (finally with PWM control) as well as fans with higher static pressure. Read more “Pure Loop 2, or BeQuiet! renewed the cheapest line of AIO coolers” »

Sapphire RX 7800 XT Nitro+: Radeon can be quiet too

Extra tests, Graphics | | Ľubomír Samák

We start our mid-range Radeon 7000 tests with a more powerful model with a fully enabled Navi 32 GPU. The RX 7800 XT is mainly a competitor to the GeForce RTX 4070, which is a more expensive but also lower-power (and efficient) graphics card. However, Sapphire handled the relatively higher power draw exceedingly well, and if you have experience with “noisier Radeons”, that won’t be the case with the RX 7800 XT Nitro+ at all. Read more “Sapphire RX 7800 XT Nitro+: Radeon can be quiet too” »

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