Reviews Tom's Hardware UK

Five Budget Gaming Cases Reviewed

Fri, 25 May 2012 03:48:00 GMT

Mainstream cases priced between $80-120 seem to be the most popular with our readers. But there's a huge range of quality and features in that segment. Today we build up five cases from our recent picture story preview to see how well each model performs.

Overclocking Core i7-3770K: Learning To Live With Compromise

Thu, 24 May 2012 03:48:01 GMT

We recently took our first look at Intel's Ivy Bridge architecture. Then, we evaluated its efficiency. Now, we turn to overclocking. Recently, each of Intel's die shrinks has helped increase frequency headroom. This time, however, we ran into some walls.

Act Of Valor: Bandito Brothers' Jacob Rosenberg, Interviewed

Wed, 23 May 2012 03:48:00 GMT

Worldwide editor-in-chief Chris Angelini interviews Jacob Rosenberg, CTO of Bandito Brothers, the media company responsible for "Act of Valor." They talk about the marriage of technology and film-making, overcoming bottlenecks, and the future of Bandito.

Core i5-3570K, -3550, -3550S, And -3570T: Ivy Bridge Efficiency

Tue, 22 May 2012 03:48:00 GMT

After recommending Sandy Bridge last year, we weren't particularly impressed by the new Ivy Bridge-based Core i7-3770K as an upgrade. But are Intel's more mainstream third-gen Core i5 processors any more attractive? We grab four models to find out.

In Pictures: Five Mainstream Gaming Cases, Previewed

Mon, 21 May 2012 04:30:00 GMT

We put out feelers for mainstream gaming cases priced between $80 and $120 and were surprised to receive 15 submissions. Today we cover the first five, giving you a virtual tour of each enclosure's features before our in-depth review later this week.

Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: May 2012

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:58:00 GMT

This month's update includes Intel's much anticipated Ivy Bridge-based processors, and how their introduction to the market affects our recommendations. In addition, AMD's new Trinity APU is discussed, and we consider its formidable graphics prowess.

Gaming On A Netbook? 13 Great Titles Playable At 720p

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:20:00 GMT

We wanted to know if our AMD C-50 equipped netbook can be more than a word processor and movie player. So, we tried a bunch of games we thought might run smoothly at 720p. The resulting list is also a worthy resource for any gamer with older PC hardware.

Intel SSD 330 Review: 60, 120, And 180 GB Models Benchmarked

Wed, 16 May 2012 03:48:00 GMT

Intel recently introduced its SSD 330 family, positioned ahead of the SSD 320s and below the SSD 520s. Like the company's highest-end models, these drives employ SandForce's controller technology. We bought all three capacities and ran our tests on them.

AMD A10-4600M Review: Mobile Trinity Gets Tested

Tue, 15 May 2012 13:48:00 GMT

AMD steps up to the plate with an all-new processor. Armed with the updated Piledriver CPU core and VLIW4 graphics architecture, the Trinity APU represents an impressive improvement over the Llano generation. But can it stand up to Intel's best efforts?

Core i7-3720QM: Ivy Bridge Makes Its Mark On Mobility

Mon, 14 May 2012 03:48:00 GMT

We've already seen that Ivy Bridge doesn't make much of a splash in the desktop space. But we collected notebooks based on Ivy Bridge, Sandy Bridge, Arrandale, and AMD's mobile Llano, and found that the new architecture's effect on mobility is profound.

Do-It-Yourself: Upgrading Apple's 27" iMac With An SSD

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:46:00 GMT

Love Apple or hate it, the company's iMac is a popular machine. Per the usual, though, Apple way overcharges for an SSD upgrade. Today, we're going to show you how to replace the iMac's hard drive with your own SSD and hopefully save a bundle of money.

Best Graphics Cards For The Money: May 2012

Thu, 10 May 2012 13:50:00 GMT

This month we cover continued GeForce GTX 680 availability problems, compounded by a lack of GeForce GTX 690s, and other Kepler-derived products on the horizon. We also discuss some significant price drops, and call out a couple of special deals.

GeForce GTX 670 2 GB Review: Is It Already Time To Forget GTX 680?

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:48:01 GMT

Not like it was ever really widely available anyway, right? The GeForce GTX 670 offers most of GK104's on-chip resources, doesn't give up much performance, and costs £100 less. Now, let's see if Nvidia can make enough of them to satisfy demand.

Video Teaser: Radeon HD 7800 Series Remains A Solid Value

Wed, 09 May 2012 05:36:00 GMT

Two months after the Radeon HD 7800-series cards first launched, they remain strong performers at attractive prices. We recap our coverage of the Radeon HD 7870 and 7850, discuss why we still like them, and cover one caveat for multi-GPU gamers.

Benchmarking AMD's 768-Shader Pitcairn: Not For Public Consumption

Tue, 08 May 2012 04:02:00 GMT

Last week we reported that an engineering sample card with 768 shaders accidentally found its way into our lab instead of the HD 7850 we were expecting. This GPU may be meant for engineers, but it piqued our interest, since it happens to fill a large gap.

Diablo III Performance, Benchmarked

Mon, 07 May 2012 04:02:00 GMT

With the much-anticipated release of Diablo III right around the corner, we wanted to explore this incredible game's performance on 12 different graphics configurations and a few CPUs. Does your PC have what it takes to run Diablo III well?

In Pictures: A History Of Computer RPGs

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:16:00 GMT

Today we cover more than 30 years of computer role-playing games in pictures! From Ultima I to The Bard's Tale, Wasteland, Diablo, and of course The Elder Scrolls, this walk down memory lane undoubtedly includes a few of your favorites.

GeForce GTX 690 Review: Testing Nvidia's Sexiest Graphics Card

Thu, 03 May 2012 13:02:01 GMT

We already know the GeForce GTX 690 sports two GK104s and is priced at around £850. But hardware like this is fun to read about. Oh, you actually want to buy one? Expect performance just shy of two GTX 680s in SLI, and good luck tracking one down

Five Radeon HD 7970 3 GB Cards, Overclocked And Benchmarked

Wed, 02 May 2012 04:52:00 GMT

GeForce GTX 680 cards are nowhere to be found, and the Radeon HD 7970 recently dropped to a much more attractive price. We thought it was time to round up a handful of Tahiti-based cards to see how board partners are improving upon AMD's original recipe.

Marvell-Based SSDs From Corsair, Crucial, OCZ, And Plextor: Tested

Tue, 01 May 2012 04:02:00 GMT

Do you want the best performance from your SSD all of the time, regardless of workload? Drives with Marvell's controller technology should be on your short list. We put seven of them through the paces and discover lots of speed at each capacity point.

Six Sub-£160 Z77 Motherboards, Benchmarked And Reviewed

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:02:00 GMT

Combining the newest features with moderate expandability, Intel’s mainstream platforms provide high value to most gaming and overclocking enthusiasts. We compare six examples with Z77 Express to find the best features, overclocking, and efficiency.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 690 4 GB: Dual GK104, Announced

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:02:00 GMT

Did you spend some time this week wondering what Nvidia was planning for today's announcement? Everyone who guessed GeForce GTX 690, you're right. Powered by two GK104 graphics processors, we have the scoop on Nvidia's soon-to-be flagship.

Tom's Hardware Interviews Four Android And iOS Game Developers

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:06:00 GMT

Four leading mobile game developers divulge their thoughts on the rise of mobile gaming, the iOS vs. Android vs. WP7 industry face-off, the impact of HD tablets like the iPad 3, and whether mobile gaming is now challenging the dominance of game consoles.

Best SSDs For The Money: April 2012

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:02:00 GMT

SSDs prices continue to fall, and we're updating our list of recommendations to reflect those changes. This month, the best deals are found in mid-range arena. In particular, keep an eye out for 240 GB SSDs priced closer to $1/GB than we've ever seen.

Hitachi's 4 TB Hard Drives Take On The 3 TB Competition

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:02:00 GMT

Hitachi recently started shipping a pair of 4 TB hard drives. We can see that they're pretty expensive, but how do they compare to existing 3 TB models in other ways? It’s time for a comprehensive overview of today's high-capacity hard drive offerings.