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Cooler Master 690

CM690 Cooler Master is a name everyone knows about, if you read the review on the Cooler Master Real Power Pro 850W, you’ll know that quality comes first.

The CM690 comes packaged in a standard white and purple box decorated with photos and details to enlighten potential customers. It is well packaged and has a number of accessories ready for your use. I’m surprised that Cooler Master didn’t package the case with one of its respected power supplies, it would add a minimal amount of cost to them but add huge value for us, the buyers. My guess is that an extra 650W PSU, sufficient for just about another mid to high end machine (with the exception of 8800GTX and CF HD3870′s). I would say such an investment would be a poor idea for unknown companies, but Cooler Master is probably in the top 5 best known and best respected.

CM2 The case comes with plenty of space for you to install your machine. The power supply installation, optical drive and hard drives are a piece of cake. The later two are screw-free making it more convenient. While the screw-free mounting device for the hard drives seem a bit shady, I will be perfectly safe once pushed into the hard drive cage. I personally like the tool-less expansion slot system. Unlike other systems currently on the market, the blue tabs on the expansion slots to hold your card in place will not interfere with third party coolers.

In terms of cooling performance, the CM 690 is on par with how your system performs if there wasn’t a case. Meaning there’s no real thermal advantage. This defeats one of the main reasons why you purchase a case. The first reason is to protect your investment from others and the second is to provide additional system cooling. The CM 690 failed to this.

While the case is very visually pleasing, marketing and graphics designers are great at this, and the installation isas simple as it gets, it’s not for everyone. If you want to lower your system temperature to prolong the life of your equipment or squeeze a few more Mhz out of your rig, you may need to look into something like that Stacker or Cosmos 1000.

Here’s a link to the full review.

Tags: cases, CM 690, Cooler Master

. 03 Feb 08 | Reviews | Comments (0)

Overclockers Online Upcoming Events

Today marks a new month, a fresh beginning so to say. It was a good month for Overclockers Online. We published a total of 7 reviews:Patriot Memory 2GB DDR3 1333 (PDC32G1333LLK) Thermalright Ultima-90 Corsair Dominator PC3-14400 Noctua NF-P12 120mm Fan Super Talent Project X 2x1GB PC3-14400 CoolIT USB Chiller and Cooler Master Real Power Pro 850W.

You can expect the same number of reviews for February, I already have all of the month planned out. Products you’ll see include: AutumnWave onair GT, Ultra Products Aluminum Hard Drive Cooler, BlueLounge POP, Cooler Master 690, Audio FX Pro 5+1, Antec NeoPower 650W Blue, Noctua NH-U12, and Zalman CNPS7500-CU.

Reviews that I expect to see completed include the Samsung CLP-610ND, Samsung 2693HM, Tagan BZ 900W PSU, Silverstone KL02, Mitron Hard Drive selector, HIS HD3870X2, Cooling Jag Programmable Mini LED Flash Fan and Patriot Memory Viper Series DDR3 1866.

If all goes well, the following samples are expected to arrive in February: OCZ 2x2GB DDR2 PC2-8000 Platinum Edition Dual Channel , Samsung T22, Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution and Biostar TF-7150UF. I will of course make every attempt possible to bring in more samples and get some contests rolling again.

Tags: Antec, Audio FX, AutumnWave, Biostar, Cooler Master, Cooling Jag, CoolIt, Corsair, HIS, Logitech, Mitron, Noctua, OCZ, Overclockers Online, Patriot Memory, Silverstone, Super Talent, Thermalright, Ultra Products

. 01 Feb 08 | Reviews, Technology | Comments (0)

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 850W

CMRealPower Cooler Master is a name many of us have looked to when seeking out high performance thermal equation. They also have an extensive lineup of cases and power supplies, most of which fit my bill in terms of aesthetics, performance and price.

After reviewing the Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1000W, Cooler Master couldn’t wait for us to review the Real Power Pro 850W, a younger sibling of the 1KW model if you want to look at it that way. The specifications are almost identical with the exception of capacity.

The power supply itself is not manufactured by Cooler Master, instead they have re-branded an Enhance unit as indicated by the UL number E166947. This is a common occurrence amongst all major manufacturers that you are aware of in the computer industry. Only a few companies truly manufacturer their own units.

For a moderately priced unit, the Real Power Pro 850W has all the features included in the 1000W unit, along with the rest of the Real Power Pro line: excellent performance, a fantastic finish, sleeved wires, and an incredibly silent fan. Overall, the Real Power Pro 850W may be placed at a lower price point, but as we have seen in this review, it is yet another incredibly solid offering from Cooler Master.

Tags: Cooler Master, Overclockers Online, PSU

. 30 Jan 08 | Reviews | Comments (0)