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Quick Look: Synology DiskStation DS211j NAS
February 19, 2012
by Keith Soreghen
in Videos
Here is our quick look video of the Synology DiskStation NAS unit. The DS211j is a two bay NAS that supports either 2.5″ or 3.5″ hard drives, but most users will opt for the standard 3.5″ drives for the extra capacity. The device is very small at 161mm(H) X 88mm(W) X 218 mm(D) and resembles a regular external hard drive enclosure. Under the hood, the DS211j has a 1.2GHz CPU, 128MB ram and can support up to 6TB of storage. The NAS we purchased did not come with any drives pre-installed, so we purchased two 500GB hard drives to start out. Even after picking up the hard drives, we still spent far less than a full server would have cost. The DS211j without drives will run about $199.99. We also have a full text review available that shows software installation.
Quick Look: SilverStone Precision Series PS07
February 19, 2012
by Keith Soreghen
in Videos
The Build
We recently updated our testbed components and this is our first review using the new parts. Our goal was to build a fast gaming system using the updated Z68 chipset on a Micro-ATX motherboard. We were interested in a PC that was fast, but fit into a smaller chassis to make it more portable. We have a full review in addition to this video if you’d like to check it out.
Parts Used:
Case – SilverStone PS07 – $78.99
CPU – Intel Core i7 2600K – $315
Motherboard – ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z – $170
Memory – Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 8GB – $60
GPU – EVGA GTX 570 – $330
PSU – SilverStone ST75F-G 750W – $180
Hard Drive – Corsair Force 3 120GB SSD (CSSD-F120GB3-BK) – $190
DVD Drive – Samsung SH-S223 – $20
OS – Windows 7 Professional OEM – $140
Total: $1483.99
SilverStone Kublai Series KL04
February 4, 2012
by Keith Soreghen
in Reviews
If you are new to the PC building scene, it’s possible that you have never heard of the Kublai Series from SilverStone. If you have heard of it, you may have wondered when the series might be updated. Today, we are reviewing the newest case in the series, the KL04. It has been a number of years since the KL03 debuted, and this new model is quite different from it’s predecessors. The KL04 marks the first in the series to ditch the aluminum front panel in favor of stylized plastic. While some features have crossed over from SilverStone’s other popular case series, like USB 3.0, a large CPU cutout, painted interior and positive pressure design, the KL04 has enough unique features to bring new life to the Kublai Series.
Constructed with a steel chassis and plastic front panel, the KL04 sits firmly between the budget Precision Series and the higher end Temjin Series. The Kublai series has always been geared for enthusiast level storage and the KL04 does not disappoint. This chassis has four 5.25” drive bays, and can accommodate up to nine 3.5” hard drives, and up to six 2.5” SSD’s. All of this storage is packed into a Mid-Tower chassis with special features to keep it all running cool. If mass storage is an important feature to your next build, the KL04 is worth taking a look at. Check out our full review after the jump.
SilverStone Sugo Series SG08
December 11, 2011
by Keith Soreghen
in Reviews
It’s been a while since a Sugo series case has landed in our lab for testing. The last one to be reviewed was the SG07 back in August 2010. That model earned a 9 verdict for it’s sturdy construction, good looks and many great features. While the SG07 set the bar for small form factor enclosures, SilverStone’s latest SG08 takes everything we loved about the previous model and adds some improvements. The new case sports two USB 3.0 ports, something SilverStone has included with all recent product lines. The front panel has a fresh new design, made from 10mm thick aluminum. The SG08 includes the features from the previous model like the ST60F-SG 600W custom power supply, the AP181 Air Penetrator fan, removable fan filter and positive pressure design.
Since we haven’t tested a SFF case in a while, we thought this review would be a great opportunity to change out our testbed parts. We have updated all of our components to build an ultra compact gaming system that can handle most games with ease while barely taking up any space on our cluttered desk. To find out how the SG08 did, check out the full review after the jump.
