Biweekly Memory Prices - Week of July 26, 2010-July 30, 2010
This issue of our memory price guide contains a bunch of price drops, many of which went into double digits. And while a majority of the savings came on triple-channel DDR3 kits, there are enough to be found in the other two charts to keep things interesting for prospective buyers.
Biweekly CPU Prices - Week of July 19, 2010-July 23, 2010
Our now-biweekly (alternating with memory prices) guide has only a handful of processor price drops to report, but one of them is by hundreds of dollars. Here's hoping that's a sign of savings yet to come.
Biweekly Memory Prices - Week of July 12, 2010-July 16, 2010
It's back! After a hiatus of more than a year, we've relaunched our guide to desktop memory prices, which will appear biweekly, alternating with our guide to CPU prices. Check out the best deals on different sizes and speeds of dual-channel DDR2 and dual- and triple-channel DDR3.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of July 5, 2010-July 9, 2010
A few savings can be found scattered amid otherwise stagnating prices, and one of those was even a pretty noteworthy drop. But by and large, the prices we tracked continued to hold steady in this week's guide.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of June 28, 2010-July 2, 2010
While not quite so devoid of price drops as last week's guide, this week's edition comes pretty close. Only two of the prices we track experienced any drops, and each of those fell by only $1.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of June 21, 2010-June 25, 2010
Looking for savings on PC processors? Sorry, you're out of luck. We hate to say it, but of the 35 CPUs we track, not one fell in this week's price guide.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of June 14, 2010-June 18, 2010
It's been another disappointing week for prospective CPU buyers who've been waiting for price drops before pulling the trigger. This week's processor prices held about as steady as we've seen them, with only a few falling, and those by only a few dollars.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of May 24, 2010-May 28, 2010
By and large, this week's tracked CPU prices continued to hold as steady as they've been for weeks. But a few price drops, at least, are scattered among the otherwise static entries.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of May 17, 2010-May 21, 2010
Processor price drops remained small and scarce. But there were a few more, at least, in this week's guide than in some recent issues, and hopefully the coming weeks will see this develop into a trend.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of May 10, 2010-May 14, 2010
While the weather might be heating up, price competition between the Intel and AMD CPU camps has yet to do the same. Savings remain rarities in this week's price guide, with few dropping by enough to stir much excitement.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of May 3, 2010-May 7, 2010
There are scattered savings this week, yet little apparent impact made by recently released products. But we remain hopeful that as six-core and higher competition heats up between the two camps, two- and four-core processor prices will start to move downward.
On Hardware Central
Netbook Review: HP Mini 311-March 4, 2010
With an HD display and an HDMI port, HP's $400 netbook is all about the video -- at least until we try it and find that an 11.6- rather than the usual 10.1-inch screen is irresistible for everyday productivity, too.
Dell Launches Flagship Business Desktop-March 3, 2010
Maximum manageability and security meet top-end performance, plus a healthy dose of energy efficiency and environmentally conscious design, in Dell's newest OptiPlex desktop.
WD Debuts SSDs for Upgraders and OEMs-March 3, 2010
Western Digital offers a choice of speedy solid-state drives, using MLC flash technology for performance and affordability or SLC flash for mission-critical, long-life applications.
Nvidia Gives Ion Netbooks More Muscle-March 2, 2010
Ion's graphics technology hasn't changed much but its structure has, resulting in a considerable performance gain. So how did Nvidia pull it off?
Wireless Adapter Review: hField Wi-Fire-March 1, 2010
Tired of weak and wimpy WiFi? This clip-on replacement for your laptop's 802.11b/g adapter promises up to triple the range, plus finding wireless networks you couldn't access before. Is it the best $49 a road warrior ever spent?
Monitor Review: Lenovo ThinkVision L2251x-February 25, 2010
IT hardware doesn't get much greener than this -- Lenovo's deluxe LCD monitor draws fewer watts (21) than its screen size in inches (22), and is smart enough to turn its power down when you're away from your desk.
Elsewhere...
Intel Wrestles With Windows 7 Deployment Issues-February 26, 2010
An Intel engineer blogs about the challenges involved in moving the tech giant, which skipped Windows Vista and stuck with XP, to Windows 7.
How to Save Money on Small Business Technology-February 26, 2010
Market research firms predict that small businesses in the U.S. will start buying computers, peripherals, and network gear again this year. Here's how to assess your needs and not go overboard.
Developer: Windows 7 Maxes Out on Memory Use-February 19, 2010
Devil Mountain Software's latest results from its XPnet performance network claim to show that Windows XP machines use less memory than Windows 7 does.
Recently on Sharky Extreme
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of September 7, 2009-September 11, 2009
With new products starting to slowly make their ways into the market, we're hopeful that the coming weeks will bring some downward price movement on existing processors. But so far, that has yet to be the case and prices have continued to hold about as steady as ever.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of August 31, 2009-September 4, 2009
Unfortunately, we have to report that this week's prices continued to hold steady for yet another week. Only four of the prices we track, throughout the guide, fell at all; and none of those fell by more than a few dollars.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of August 24, 2009-August 28, 2009
This week's CPU prices, unfortunately, are about as frozen in place as they've been in quite a while. Only two prices fell at all, in fact, and none fell by enough to stir much in the way of excitement.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of August 17, 2009-August 21, 2009
Unfortunately, prices drops are even more a rarity in this week's guide than what we saw in the previous week's edition. Only a few of the prices we track fell at all and only one fell by more than a few dollars. The rest, for the most part, held right where they've been for weeks.
Weekly CPU Prices - Week of August 10, 2009-August 14, 2009
This week's guide contains one double-digit price drop from each camp; and each camp's prices held otherwise steady. Price drops, unfortunately, remain a rarity, with few prices dropping at all and fewer still dropping by enough to draw much interest.
AMD Phenom II X3 720 BE & X4 810 Review-February 9, 2009
AMD's initial Phenom II product release was a very positive one, and demonstrated that the redesigned, 45nm version of the Phenom quad core could be successful against the Core 2 Duo and Quad, while offering superb value and overclocking. The foray into the world of Socket AM3 brings a few more changes, such as a lower-cache X4 model and a hotrod X3 Black Edition that is just itching to be overclocked.
Logitech G15 Keyboard Review-February 6, 2009
The Logitech G15 keyboard is a popular choice for the gaming crowd, and is a worthwhile upgrade from the older model and the lower-end G11. In this review, we're not only taking the G15 out for a new test drive, but also installing it with a 2009 driver set. Check out our review to see how it stacked up in terms of features, design and usability.
Alienware Area-51 790i System Review-January 26, 2009
There are two methods of achieving an ultra high-end gaming system: do it yourself or buy one pre-configured. Alienware looks to meld these into one process, allowing users to select the various components, and then receive a custom-built system tailored to their specific needs. The Area-51 offers a lot of potential customizations, and at the top-end, a ton of performance as well.
Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 Motherboard Review-January 16, 2009
Intel has shifted to the Core i7 + X58 as their top-end platform of choice, but the Core 2 Duo/Quad market still has a lot of life in it. The Intel X48 is currently one of the top performance bases for a DDR3-equipped, Core 2 performance system, and we're checking out the Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 motherboard to see how it compares in terms of features and performance.
AMD Phenom II X4 940 BE Review-January 9, 2009
With their third official Phenom-based release, AMD has saved the best for last. The 45nm Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition features a full 3.0 GHz clock speed, 6MB of L3 cache and overclocking headroom unheard of for an AMD processor. We'll be checking out AMD's newest quad and putting it through the benchmark grinder to see how it stacks up.
NZXT Tempest Case Review-December 12, 2008
The system case is an integral part of any PC build, but determining the right combination of features, size, cooling, and price can be a daunting task. But for enthusiasts and gamers with a spare C-note, the decision became a lot easier, as the NZXT Tempest case offers an excellent value for around $100.
OCZ PC3-10666 Gold 2x1GB Review-December 1, 2008
DDR3 memory is already the standard for high-end Intel platforms, and with AMD readying a DDR3-based processor line, the transition away from DDR2 will only speed up. The only potential issue is sticker shock, but as the OCZ PC3-10666 Gold Edition 2x1GB kit proves, you don't need to spend a lot to jump on the DDR3 bandwagon.
November Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide-November 14, 2008
Our latest Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide is online, and we're taking $1,000 in cold, hard cash to build a powerhouse gaming PC for the budget crowd. If you're the type of gamer who counts your pennies before buying any new computer, then this is the system guide for you.
Intel Core i7-965 XE & Core i7-920 Review-November 3, 2008
The Intel Nehalem platform has finally emerged in the form of the Core i7 processor line, and it brings with it a new architecture and a host of features and options we've never seen on an Intel CPU, as well as the return of an old friend. We will be checking out both the Core i7-965 Extreme Edition and Core i7 920 processors and examining their performance against the very best from both Intel and AMD.
Intel DX48BT2 (X48) Motherboard Review-October 21, 2008
Intel has been holding the performance CPU market in a virtual stranglehold, but the company still needs platforms that properly exploit the Core 2. The X38 started the move to DDR3, and the Intel X48 completes it, with full support for both FSB1600 and DDR3-1600 speeds. The Intel DX48BT2 motherboard supplies a high-end implementation of this chipset, complete with full overclocking features.
Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800 2x1GB Review-October 10, 2008
The transition from DDR2 to DDR3 is continuing to accelerate, and now that more vendors are offering low-latency DDR3 that doesn't induce sticker shock, expect demand to only grow. Corsair's XMS3 PC3-12800 2x1GB kit, complete with support for CL7 timings and Intel Extreme Memory Profiles, is a great enthusiast match for a high-end Intel platform.
Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick Review-September 19, 2008
Adding TV tuner functionality is both a popular and inexpensive way to watch and record TV on your computer. This is true for notebooks as well, and using an external USB tuner makes for a very simple upgrade. The PCTV HD Pro Stick from Pinnacle is one such product, with support for both SD and HD programming, as well as unencrypted ClearQAM digital channels.
September Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide-September 11, 2008
An extreme $4,000 budget is sure to put these Extreme Gaming PC Guide components on the top of everyone's shopping list—and make its builders the envy of those who can only afford to follow our $2,500 High-End Guide! If you're looking for the best combination of parts available for a little less than this hefty price limit, read on!
D-Link DWA-652 Xtreme N Notebook Adapter Review-August 20, 2008
The Wireless-N revolution is upon us, and although the IEEE 802.11n specification is still in Draft 2.0 format, it still offers a potential 300 Mbps wireless link, or almost 6X that of Wireless-G. The D-Link DWA-652 Xtreme N Notebook Adapter is an upgrade device that adds Wireless-N to an older notebook, getting it up to speed for faster online performance.
AMD 790GX Chipset Review-August 8, 2008
The AMD 780G represented the first wave of the HD 3000-based integrated chipsets, but the AMD 790GX is definitely second-generation. This improves on the 780G in almost every way, offering full Phenom X4 support, a faster graphics core, integrated display cache, and a higher-end architecture. If you've always wanted a performance platform with integrated graphics, look no further.
D-Link DGL-4500 Xtreme N Gaming Router Review-July 28, 2008
The IEEE 802.11n specification is in Draft 2.0 format, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the faster 300 Mbps wireless speeds, enhanced stability and greater range now. The D-Link DGL-4500 Xtreme N Gaming Router is a serious piece of hardware that not only uses the fastest Wireless-N and Gigabit LAN speeds, but also incorporates several gaming-oriented features to ensure your online games will get all the bandwidth they need.
Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5 Motherboard Review-July 16, 2008
The AMD 7-series of chipsets offers everything from entry-level to ultra high-end platforms for the Socket AM2+ market. We're concentrating on the top of the line 790FX chipset, and the Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS5 motherboard that features it, so check out our review to see how it stacks up against some other AMD-based solutions.
Daily News
Apple Drops to Third in PC Reliability Report-
June 4, 2010 Electronista:
Apple has fallen to the third position in Rescuecom's latest computer reliability report, after maintaining the highest overall score in 2009.
Dell Considered Buyout-
June 4, 2010 CNET: At a financial conference, Michael Dell says he had considered taking his computer hardware company private--but doesn't explain why.
Hitachi LG Develops Blu-ray Drive With Built-in SSD-
June 4, 2010 PC World: Hitachi LG Data Storage Korea present first-of-its-kind product at Computex, a Blu-ray Disc optical drive that combines a solid-state drive.
