Phenom II charges into Core i7 fray

DO YOU LIKE Intel but are looking at AMD for bang-for-buck glory? Just don't know what to buy? Well, check out Fudzilla's 19 config/11 CPU mix-and-match test. Eliot got it on with all he could get his hands on and has come up with some interesting numbers.

Seagate's twelfth generation Barraucda drive is on review at Big Bruin. It seems the big S is catching up on power efficiency and even delivering some serious gains on read performance.

NZXT's Rogue SFF Gaming Chassis, it is a cube-like micro-ATX case built in aluminium and even includes a carry strap so you can carry it along to the LAN party. It can actually take five 120mm fans... crikey.

Technic 3D has some nice little 3x2GB sticks of Mushkin DDR3-1600 CL7 for the Core i7. Some overclocking potential but a naughty price tag over the Radioactive series memory.

Tech Gage is tuning its golden ears to the Asus Xonar Essence STX. The card draws on an external power supply, which kind of says a lot about it.

TweakTown is reviewing the Solidata X2 128 MLC 2.5-inch SSD. Despite showing off some of the highest performance numbers to date – closing in even on the Intel X25 – it suffers from chronic stuttering.

PC Perps has a review of the MSI X58 Platinum LGA 1366 motherboard, an overclocker-friendly, power-efficient and inexpensive Core i7 mobo.

Legit Reviews has an ECS A790GXM-AD3 motherboard for that Phenom II you've been eyeing all month. Despite not getting much more from the DDR3, overclocking seems to be the key to success.

Hot Hardware is giving us a look at Ben Heck's commodore 64 laptop mod. Our suggestion? Auction it off on Ebay UK or Deutschland, it should fetch a pretty price...

Gaming gear manufacturer, Razer, markets the Carcharias Gaming Headset. Hardware Logic is giving it a look. Paul says it's what the original Piranha kit should have been, from the beginning.

Thrusting Reviews is testing the Asus N50Vc 15.4-inch lappie, a very budget piece of kit that's well equipped and powerful enough for most apps. Screen disappoints, though.

ExtremeTech has an OCZ Apex 120GB SSD on the bench. Overall it's worth every buck and boasts a low-ish $/GB ratio, but it isn't the fastest thing around, at all.

Zalman's VF950 GPU cooler is being given the once-over at XS Reviews. This is a definite upgrade for your noisy reference cooler and it even looks the business.

Gelid's Silent Spirit CPU cooler might have an odd configuration, but it is almost silent and cools well. Marred by the mounting mechanism. µ