Enermax
 

Enermax

Enermax was also on site with some of their new products. Their power supplies have also gone through some changes and offer more powerful, steady rails rather than fanatical wattage. They are very serious about keeping their power supplies Intel certified whether it be a desktop or server based system. Reliability is a feature they take seriously as we talked over what to expect from their new power supply series. What's most impressive is the test system they had one of their new MODU82+ power supplies connected.

MODU82+ 625W & System

Enermax ATI Custom Case

If you look closely at the picture, you'll see that the 625 Watt MODU 82+ is powering 16 hard drives, 4 processors, an extended server motherboard, 8GB+ of memory, and a couple 8xxx series graphics cards. This is an honest display of how much power we realistically need these days. Sure, 1000 Watts is a great thing. But unless you really need it, it's really nothing more than a bragging right. Over abundant watts don't help your system run any faster or any more efficient. I'm glad to see wattage coming back to earth.

New Peripherals

AEOLUS Notebook Cooler

Their new aluminum mesh Keyboards and AEOLUS Notebook Cooler are especially sexy. The new keyboards are much lighter than last year's and much cleaner. The AEOLUS has an enormous, LED fan that moves a good amount of air quietly without appearing too bright. It should add a nice effect to your desk and laptop when your working in low light. I can just see Diceman and Sludge considering the AEOLUS.

Caesar Keyboard

New Everest Fan

And while it may not be earth shattering technology, the new 80 and 120mm Everest Silence Fans have a new look to offer. Instead of just any kind of design, the fans have a pretty slick Enermax Aluminum shroud that connects the two removable caps that hold the fan together. When it's taken apart, you realize that the fans offer no vibrations with the new frictionless design. And they move a pretty impressive amount of air without the typical noise. The blade design seems to pay off and doesn't need the higher RPMs to move the air.

Everest 80 & 120mm Fans

Tooless Assembly

HP

Following the industry interests, HP had quite a few new notebook and laptop upgrades that feature HD compatibility and performance. They also have new, larger notebooks with 20" Widescreens for the avid video user. I thought 19 inches was really impressive, but their new 20" is huge when compared. The picture is really nice and the notebook should offer a lot more power for the video gamer.

20" Laptop

20" Next to 37"

There was also one of their new more compact desktop units which take up a bit less desk space and require a much smaller case to house the components. This system and the new 20" laptop were complimented by HP's new self sufficient Home Server with plenty of storage and wireless capabilities. Wireless storage and HD features are on the rise and it makes sense to offer something that can connect all the HP products.

Compact Concept

WiFi Home Server

HP has always been a long time supporter for improving their systems and services for the impaired and ederly. No matter the disability, they have been working very closely with Microsoft to offer better solutions. Take the oversized keyboard for instance. It may seem funny at first and look like a 'gag' peripheral, but it comes in very handy for the elderly and those who have difficulty reading the smaller keyboards. It's not rocket science, but it helps add a little better quality of life for those folks.

Large Keyboard

Portrait or Landscape

Another product that shows promise in this respect is a 22" flip monitor that was being connected to an HP Writing Tablet Laptop. I didn't get to see it in full action, but being able to change the orientation of an LCD screen is pretty slick. And of course, the software has to be capable which is why the demo system was operating under Vista. Just one of the many other ideas and products making life easier for the end users.

Networking with DLink, Netgear, TPLink, and ZyXEL

The latest thing to finally reach the shelves in greater numbers are Wireless N routers. Most of them are very similar in features and bandwidth. The reported real world bandwidth is upwards in the neighborhood of 100Mbps which is great improvement over Wireless G's mere 22 to 25Mbps. All the featured display models operate in the 2.4GHz band. This higher signal ratio also relies on better antennae reception which is why each router had two or three each. All of the N routers offer longer signal ranges, while some offer just a little extra distance.

TPLink isn't one of the more common names floating around locally. They are, however, on the same Wireless N train offering three of their own routers and supporting adapters. Their best routers support QSS, or Quick Secure Setup which complies with WPS wireless network security.

DLink's Wireless DGL-4500 Extreme N Gaming Router was unique in that it has an LCD screen on the top which is pretty useful reporting assigned network IPs and other useful information as well as better signal strength. Also complimenting DLink's newest router is their new Secure Spot v2.0 Management. This handy networking tool controls access to the internet, controls what comes in and out, and keeps you privy to the network traffic with reports.

DLink	Gamer Lounge	Secure Spot 2.0
DIR-615 & 625 Wireless N	More Wireless N	New Gaming N Routers

Netgear seemed to have one up on the rest with their newest HD/Gaming Wireless N which operates at a stealthy 5GHz. This frequency transmission range ensures that streaming HD data makes it to the assigned unit. Remember, this is where the HD industry appears to be headed with Wireless HD via access points set up near each HD capable component around your home or office.

Gigabit & Dual Band Wireless N	Gigabit Wireless N Ports
Dual Band in Action	5GHz HD Routers

Their brand new RangeMax series offers two new routers: the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless N and the RangeMax Gigabit Wireless N. And there are USB Adapters that work with both routers. The RangeMax Dual Band has a pretty nifty blue orb that's lit up while under operations. It's a unique look for those interested in appearances.

ZyXEL is another company listening to the consumers and has a wide variety of new products that debuted at CES. They've taken a more sleek design approach to their routers by using a clean, white enclosures. Their HomePlug AV ADSL2+ Wireless Router (P-660HWP) won a CES 2008 Innovations award.

Router Series

HomePlug AV ADSL2+

Digital Home Media

HomePlug, you ask? HomePlug is the method by which the signal is transmitted via your home's internal power wiring. You plug a small adapter in to a power outlet to connect and enhance your network transmission. The Data Rate speeds can reach 200Mbps naturally depending on the wiring. Now, the gurus reading this are wondering about line noise creating signal degradation. Large power hungry appliances originally partially interfered with performance. ZyXEL insured us that this newest revision whether hardware or firmware has immensely improved performance. We are working towards testing that in the future.

Wireless N

3G Wireless N Router

Office/Home Storage

Their newest, updated NSA-220 (Network Storage Appliance) is essentially an advanced network storage device supporting all of ZyXEL's routers. The unit has built-in remote FTP access, supports up to 2 Terabytes, Multi-Tier Data Protection, Gigabit Ethernet, USB ports, and One Touch data back up. The LCD even displays the connected network information. This will be one very handy unit.

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