All of the kits support the Intel XMP 1.3 profiles that allow the user to tune the RAM for performance. The Dominator kits come in 32GB and 16GB capacities and they have two different kits per capacity. There is a 32GB kit running at 1866MHz with latencies of 9-10-9-27. The other 32GB kit runs at 1600MHz with latencies of 10-10-10-27.

The 16GB kit runs at 2133MHz with latencies of 9-11-10-27. The second 16GB kit runs at 1866MHz with 9-10-9-27 latencies. Corsair also has Vengeance with 32GB, 10-11-10-30 1866 MHz kit, and a 32GB 1600 MHz kit at 10-10-10-27. The 16GB kits are both at 1600MHz with 9-9-9-24 and come in green or black. Vengeance kits also come in 8GB capacities.

The H70 is ready to install right out of the box with the thermal compound already applied to the CPU heatsink. The tubing is made to be kink free and has a radiator that is double thick for more performance. The radiator is made from aluminum and is a single 120mm unit.

The tubing used is pre-connected and is low-permeability so the user never has to refill the system. The device does need a pair of 120mm fans. The H70 is also made to allow the use with multiple CPU sockets including common AMD and Intel sockets.

The three new headsets all cover users with different needs. The 1300 and 1500 are the high-end headsets in the line. The 1500 is aimed at the player wanting to take advantage of positional audio with virtual 7.1 or 5.1 surround sound. The headphones connect via a USB port and have 50mm drivers. The Vengeance 1300 connects via a 3.5mm input and offer positional 3D audio playback when you used with sound cards that support positional audio with analog devices.

The Vengeance 1100 Gaming Headset is made for both gaming and chatting online. It has a USB cable and a 3.5mm plug that can be used. It sports 40mm drivers and has a behind the neck design. The mic is a noise cancelling design. The other two headsets have the same mic. The Vengeance 1500 will sell for $99, the 1300 will sell for $79, and the 1100 will sell for $39. Availability is set for October.

The new values line of PSUs from the company is the Builder Series that features four different models. The models in the range include the CX600, the CX500, CX430, and CX400W. The top of the line CX600 has 600W of power and the names for the products in the line correspond to the power they produce.

The line is designed to work with PCs that are running a single GPU and they all feature a single +12V rail and are up to 80% energy efficient. The PSUs have an ultra quiet 120mm fan and support ATX12V V2.3 specs. The CX600 sells for $74.99, the CX500 is $6499, and the CX430 is $49.99.

The new GS series include the GS800, GS700, and GS600. All of the PSUs share the same features save the power rating that they have. They all have a large single +12V rail with support for up to 65A. The fan has ball bearings for quiet operation and LEDs for some bling.

Those LEDs can be red, white, or blue and turned off at the user’s choice on the GS800 and GS700 while the GS600 gets blue LEDs only. All of the units are 80Plus Silver certified for 80% or better efficiency at normal loads. The PSUs are all normal ATX sized units as well. The power ratings are noted by the name of the models with the GS800 selling for $119.99, the GS700 for $109.99, and the GS600 for $99.99.

The RAM hit frequencies of 3078.2 MHz with timings of CL8-11-8-31, 1T and 3059.4 MHz at CL7-11-8-31, 1T. The geek who overclocked the nuts off the RAM to break the records is named Matthias Zronek. The world records were validated using the CPU-Z validation database.

The hardware in the test computer used for the record setting runs was a Gigabit P55-A-UD7 motherboard, an Intel Core i7-870 CPU, and two Dominator GT CMGTX6 RAM modules. Corsair notes that the modular design of the RAM allowed Zronek to attach a Besi Memory-Freezer directly to the RAM heat sinks enabling benchmark temperatures as low as -90C using liquid nitrogen.

The new headset is called the HS1 USB Gaming Headset. The headset connects to the PC and gets its power from a single USB port. It has 50mm drivers for accurate sound and good low frequency sound effects. That means it promises good bass.

The headset has soft fabric covered ear cups for comfort that have memory foam under the fabric cover. The headphones also have simulated 7.1 surround sound effects. The ear cups have closed backs for noise isolation and the ear pads can be replaced if needed. Pricing is unknown at this time.

Video demo after the cut

The end result?  A quieter machine with comparable performance – as you can see in the video demo below – but putting out only 37.5 dB of noise, versus the 50 dB from the stock Mac Pro.  Both machines were running at 47-degrees centigrade, despite the overclocking of the liquid-cooled model (which uses a 240mm radiator).

Now for the bad news.  While we can think of plenty Mac Pro users who would jump at the chance to quieten their computer while boosting performance, Asetek tells us this is a custom job and isn’t available for purchase.  That’s because of the socket 771 chip used in this particular Mac Pro; however, the new models use socket 1366 chips, and so you could feasibly hack together a few Corsair Hydro Series coolers to do something similar.  No straightforward boxed offering, then, so it’s time to start pestering Apple to offer factory-fit liquid-cooling options.

The upgrades include a double thickness 50mm radiator with a higher capacity heat exchanger. The pump/cold plate unit of the cooler is also upgraded. The H70 also has a pair of 120mm speed adjustable cooling fans in a push/pull configuration.

The H70 is prefilled so all the user needs to do is installed the device inside their computer and go. The cooler is also designed to be space efficient and low in mass to make it fit inside more cases. All the accessories and mounting tabs needed for installation are included.

This issue can allow the data that the person stores on the drive to be vulnerable. The good news is that Corsair says the issue can be fixed by the user. The issue is that when the 0/1 keys are pressed for more than three seconds the PIN is erased without erasing the data stored on the drive.

The issue can only happen once, so Corsair says follow the steps to set a new password and the data will be fine. The steps for the fix will leave data intact. With the drive locked the user presses and holds the 0/1 button for five or more seconds until the LEDs no longer glow and blink. Then press and hold the key button for three seconds and enter a new PIN from 4 to 10 digits long. After that press the key button again and red and green LEDs should glow. The PIN is then reentered to confirm and the green LED will flash after pressing the Key button. The issue is fixed after those steps.

The new line of PSUs come in 1200W, 850W, and 750W versions and are fully modular. The Gold Plus certification ensures that the new PSUs are over 90% efficient at 50% load when using an 115V input. Users in Europe where 230v input is used can get even better efficiency of 92%.

The PSUs are designed with features to improve efficient, stability, and reliability for server and enthusiast systems. The low profile modular cable sets help to reduce the clutter inside the case by removing cables not needed improving airflow at the same time. Pricing and availability are unknown.

Corsair has now added a new computer case to its line called the Graphite Series 600T mid-tower case. The new 600T is made with the goal of combining features and performance for computer enthusiasts. Corsair gave the chassis a front panel USB 3.0 port, which is something I haven’t seen on a computer case yet.

The chassis also uses heavy duty latches and panels for durability. The case is designed around airflow, which is important for overclockers and gamers looking to cram the case with high-end hardware generating lots of heat. Features include a back plate cutout for the CPU cooler, cable management, water-cooling ready, and support for a dual 120mm radiator. The stock cooling system includes a pair of 200mm fans and a 120mm exhaust fan. Long graphics cards like the GTX 400 and HD 5970 are supported. The case will ship this summer at an undisclosed price.

The new SSDs boast 285MB/s read speeds and 275MB/s write speeds across the board. The F60 is a 60GB SSD, the F120 is a 120GB unit, and the F240 is a 240GB unit. I have no idea why the picture of the F120 shows 200GB when the specs state 120GB of storage. Perhaps 120GB is formatted capacity, but that is not specified.

All of the new SSDs use the Sandforce SF-1200 controller for improved write endurance and ECC data protection. Corsair is mum pricing, but the SSDs will ship in June.

Corsair has been able to take that RAM kit, cram it inside a PC running the new AMD Phenom II X6 Black Edition CPU with a Corsair Hydro Series H50 CPU cooler and an Asus Crosshair IV formula mainboard and set a record for frequency for dual channel memory. The test was independently validated as well.

The frequency that Corsair was able to hit was 2287.6MHz. “The new Phenom II X6 CPUs offer a quantum leap in overclockability for the AMD platform,” stated Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing at Corsair. “The combination of the new CPU core and Corsair’s most aggressively sorted DIMMs results in some truly amazing memory performance.”

Corsair has announced a new GTX4 RAM kit that operates at 2533MHz and is available now in limited quantities. The RAM operates with timings of 9-11-10-30 at 1.65V. To achieve the performance the memory offers the memory modules are hand screened and graded for performance.

I have often wondered how the process for selecting these modules happens and Corsair has offered a behind the scenes look at how the GTX4 modules are chosen. You can see exactly how the components for this RAM are chosen here.

The new model can be had in 32GB and 64GB capacities. The drive promises to survive submersion in up to 200M of water. Corsair still builds the drive to resist shocks and repeated drops.

The new GTR is speedy too with read speeds of up to 34MB/s and write speed of up to 28MB/s. Wear leveling technology is used to extend the life of the drive. Pricing and availability for the GTR drives is unknown.

Corsair has announced today that it has broken the world record for the PC Mark benchmark using a computer equipped with its speedy new Force SSD storage. The machine used to break the record was no normal computer rig though. The beast used a Core i7-980X CPU clocked at 5.5GHz, Force SSDs in RAID 0, 6GB of Dominator RAM, HD 5870 graphics, and the massively overclocked CPU was cooled with liquid nitrogen.

The beast of a machine was able to score 32,947 3Dmarks compared to the previous record of 30,359 3D marks. I bet that second place guy is out buying new hardware right now.

Each supports the Windows 7 TRIM command, for improved longevity, and Corsair reckon you’ll see over 1m hours use between failures.  Maximum power draw while active is 2W, and the SSDs suck just 0.5W while idle.

Both drives will go on sale in two weeks time, though Corsair are keeping quiet on pricing.  We’d expect them to both be more expensive than the company’s recently announced Reactor and Nova SSDs.

Press Release:

Corsair® Launches Force Series Solid-State Drives

- Using SandForce™ SF-1200 SSD Processor, Force Series SSDs offer class-leading performance of up to 280MB/sec read and 260MB/sec write –

Hannover, Germany, March 4, 2010 — Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer and flash memory products, today announced the Force Series of SSDs, providing outstanding SATA II performance based on innovative SSD Processor technology from SandForce Inc.

By utilizing the state-of-the-art SandForce SF-1200 SSD processor combined with MLC flash memory, the Corsair Force Series of solid-state drives deliver outstanding performance figures of up to 280MB/sec read and 260MB/sec write. In addition, these drives feature class-leading random read/write performance. The highly innovative SandForce DuraClass™ Technology also delivers unparalleled write endurance and error correction features.

“The Force Series are the fastest SSDs that Corsair has launched to date,” stated Kevin Conley, Vice President of Engineering at Corsair. “We have been very impressed with the SandForce SSD Processor innovations in the months that we have been working with them, and we can’t wait to get these extraordinarily fast SSDs into the hands of our most demanding customers.”

The Force Series of SSDs are available in capacities of 100GB and 200GB and support the TRIM command in Windows® 7, which helps to maintain optimal performance over the drive’s lifetime.

“The SandForce SF-1200 SSD Processor employs revolutionary flash management technology to create a new class of SSD with unparalleled performance and reliability,” stated Thad Omura, Vice President of Marketing at SandForce. “We have enjoyed working closely with Corsair to bring this exciting technology to market for Corsair’s large worldwide network of system builders, retailers, and computing enthusiasts.”

The Force Series of SSDs will be available within two weeks from Corsair’s worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers. For more information on Corsair Force Series SSDs, please visit http://www.corsair.com/products/ssd_force/.

The new GTR uses quad-channel architecture to deliver read speeds of up to 34MB/s and write speed up to 28MB/s. Those speeds are close to the maximum transfer rates of USB 2.0. The new flash drive is offered in several capacities.

The GTR will come in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities. The drive uses a durable and water-resistant rubber housing for data protection. Corsair claims the drive can be used as a bootable flash drive and is nearly six times as fast as other flash drives for copying documents.

The Reactor drives are based on a JMicron JMF612 controller with 128MB of DDR2 cache, while the Nova SSDs get an Indilinx Barefoot controller with 64MB of cache.  Each drive supports Windows 7′s TRIM command for improved performance over its lifespan.

As for pricing, the Corsair Reactor SSDs are priced at around $185 and $349 for the 60GB and 120GB drives respectively, while the Corsair Nova SSDs come in at around $199 and $375 for the 64GB and 128GB drives respectively.  All four are shipping now.

Press Release:

Corsair Launches Reactor and Nova Series Solid-State Drives

New SSDs utilize JMicron JMF612 and Indilinx Barefoot™ controller technologies to deliver exceptional price/performance and Windows® 7 TRIM support

FREMONT, California, February 26, 2009 — Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer and flash memory products, today announced the addition of the Reactor Series and Nova Series to its family of solid-state drives (SSDs). Both the Nova Series and Reactor Series provide the performance benefits of solid-state technology at an attractive cost per gigabyte.

The Reactor Series, including 60GB and 120GB drive capacities, is built using the new JMicron JMF612 controller. This second-generation controller from JMicron incorporates 128MB of DDR2 cache memory for stutter-free performance. The 120GB Reactor Series SSD delivers speeds of up to 250MB/s read and 170MB/s write, while the 60GB Reactor Series SSD features speeds up to 250MB/s read and 110 MB/s write.

The Nova Series is built using the popular Indilinx Barefoot controller with 64MB of cache memory, and is offered in drive sizes of 64GB and 128GB. The 128GB Nova Series SSD is able to achieve speeds of up to 270MB/second read and 190MB/second write, while the 64GB Nova Series SSD delivers speeds up to 270MB/s read and 130MB/s write.

Both Reactor Series and Nova Series SSDs fully support the TRIM command in Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems, which automatically maintains optimal performance over the lifetime of the drives.

The Reactor Series and Nova Series are available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide and are backed by a Two-Year Limited Warranty. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available.

The new drive is called the Padlock 2 and has a much better look that is rounded and fits with the Corsair family of flash drives. The Padlock 2 has 256-bit hardware encryption of data on the drive and access is restricted by a PIN number. The PIN number can be anything from four to ten digits.

The drive has 8GB of storage and needs no software for the PIN functionality and encryption to work. Multiple failed attempts to enter the PIN will lock the drive for two minutes to help prevent hacking. If the PIN is lost the drive can be reset to default state, but all data will be wiped from the drive.

The 700D is the little brother to the 800D and looks virtually identical to the 800D. The only external difference between the two is that the 700D has a solid side panel whereas the 800D side panel has a window.

On the inside, the 700D loses the hot swap SATA drive bays in favor of cheaper fixed SATA drive bays. The other features are the same. The 700D has six 3.5-inch drive bays that are compatible with 2.5-inch drives. It also has five 5.25-inch drive bays on the outside. The chassis has a CPU back plate that is removable, cable management system, and tool-free 5.25-inch bays. The case is set to launch in April at an undisclosed price.

It was announced today that the Corsair Dominator 2333MHz GTX kit has been certified as the world’s fastest Intel XMP-certified memory. The RAM runs at the 2333MHz speed with timings of 9-11-9-27 with 1.65V.

Corsair reports that the platform used in the certification process was a Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P mainboard. Corsair guarantees that the modules will operate at up to 2400MHz with timings of 9-11-9-27.

The kit has six 4GB memory modules each running at 1333MHz designed for the Intel X58 mainboard chipset with Intel Core i7 Bloomfield processors. The timings for the RAM are 9-9-9-27 at 1.65VDIMM. The modules use the DHX+ heatsink technology for cooling and a cooling fan is included.

The RAM is available now on the Corsair website and it’s far from cheap. The 24GB kit will set you back $1349.99. That’s a lot of money for a lot of RAM.

Like the lower capacity flash drives before it, the 64GB version of the Survivor is ruggedized to survive the perils of your daily grind. It is encased in an aluminum tube sealed against water, dust, and dirt. The thing is sealed well enough to make it through the washer and the dryer without any problems.

The new 64GB drive is water resistant to a depth of 200 meters according to Corsair. The high capacity flash drive is compatible with Corsair’s Flash Voyager Port combining the drive with disaster recovery feature of the NovaBACKUP software bundled with the Voyager Port device. The 64GB flash drive is available now.

While Corsair’s brand may be writ-large across the brushed aluminum of the SSDs themselves, inside it’s Samsung providing most of the magic. The P64 uses a Samsung S3C29RBB01-YK40 controller, together with eight Samsung K9HCGZ8U5M SCK0 DRAM flash chips, for the total 64GB of storage. The new Samsung controller provides garbage collection to maintain the SSD’s performance. As a 2.5-inch SATA 3.0Gb/s drive the P64 will fit into most laptops and desktops (though you may need a buy adapter for the latter).

As you’d expect, installation is just as straightforward as any other hard-drive. Corsair expect buyers of the RAID kit to set up the pair in some form of array, in which case you’ll either need a hardware or software controller, but you can obviously leave them as two separate drives if you prefer. With no moving parts there’s no noise or vibration when the P64 is in action.

To test out the P64′s performance, we set up pair of drives in a RAID 0 array in our test machine and compared it to the same machine using a pair of Intel X25-M 80GB SSDs. Our test machine has dual 2.93GHz quad-core Intel Xeon CPUs, with 6GB of DDR3 memory, NVIDIA Quadro FX1800 graphics and an Areca 1680ix-12 PCI-e RAID controller; it’s running Windows Vista 64-bit, and we used HDTune Pro to measure read and write speeds.

As you can see from the HDTune Pro results, the Intel SSD outperformed the Corsair SSD in every category. Read rates for the P64 ranged from 354.2 MB/sec to 439.5 MB/sec, with an average of 427.7 MB/sec, while write rates ranged from 98.7 MB/sec to 229.8 MB/sec, with an average of 142.4 MB/sec. Meanwhile the X25-M showed 440.8 MB/sec average read rates and 168.5 MB/sec average write rates.

However, the Corsair drive is also significantly cheaper than Intel’s impressive SSD. Right now, you can find a single P64 64GB for $199.99, whereas a single X25-M 80GB comes in at around $329.99. Although the Intel drive gets you more capacity you’re still paying an extra dollar per gigabyte; for many users the more affordable Corsair will hit a price/performance sweet spot. 64GB may not be sufficient to store all of your data, especially if you’ve a heavy collection of media files, but as a primary drive for your OS and applications it could deliver a decent speed boost for running software.

What we’re seeing, then, is the next phase in SSD adoption: the so-called mainstreaming of solid-state drives as they move out of the expensive peripheries of use and into the grasp of general users. $200 is still a significant amount to spend on storage, especially when the same amount will get you a 2TB traditional HDD, and we would still point system admins toward the Intel drive if they’ve heavy-duty real-time backup to be done, but balance price and performance and you’ve got an excellent consumer-centric drive.

As you might guess from the product name, the PSU has 950 watts of power and it is guaranteed to sustain its full rated wattage at ambient temperatures of 50C. The PSU promises to be up to 85% energy efficient under real-world load conditions. A large single +12V rail provides up to 78A.

The PSU is also multiple GPU ready and uses 105C solid-state capacitors. Other features of the PSU include active PFC with a PF value of 0.99. Corsair supports ATX 12V 2.3 and EPS12V 2.91 standards and the PSU is backwards compatible with ATX12V 2.01 as well. The PSU is available for purchase now online.

That’s a bold claim, and to back it up Corsair have stuffed the HX650W with industrial-standard hardware delivering 96-percent of the PSU’s total power output on a single 52A +12V rail.  In the box, Corsair include a selection of flat, modular cables from which system builders can pick and choose; that way, you don’t have to find a hiding place for all the unwanted connectors, spare molex plugs and other cords you’d generally have hanging from a PSU.

Those connectors include four PCI Express plugs, making the HX650W capable of dealing with even a quad-graphics workstation.  The Corsair HX650W is available now, with a street price of around $130.

Press Release:

Corsair® Launches 650 Watt Professional Series Modular Power Supply

- Successor to the critically-acclaimed HX620W delivers even higher performance -

FREMONT, Calif., Sept. 15, 2009 — Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced the launch of the Corsair Professional Series HX650W modular power supply.

The HX650W joins the multi award-winning HX750W, HX850W and HX1000W as part of Corsair’s Professional Series of PSUs, all of which feature a comprehensive low-profile modular cable set, minimal noise levels, ultra-high efficiency, and the highest component quality and performance on the market.

“The Corsair HX650W is ideal for enthusiasts and gamers who are looking for a highly efficient, quiet, modular power supply, but don’t need the higher wattages offered by the other PSUs in the Professional Series” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing at Corsair. “The HX650W offers the same unmatched quality standards and 7 Year warranty, but at a power level more suitable for mid/high-spec PC builds, such as those based on Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 ‘Lynnfield’ processors.”

The Corsair Professional Series HX650W uses industrial-grade components, ensuring stable, clean and reliable voltages, and delivers the vast majority of its total power output (96%) on its single 52A +12V rail. This is essential for reliably powering today’s PCs with multi-core CPUs and graphics cards. The Professional Series HX650W is also tested and guaranteed to operate at 100% load at an ambient temperature of 50°C, guaranteeing stability and reliability no matter the conditions.

The Corsair Professional Series HX650W features a sophisticated, energy-efficient circuitry design that ensures maximum energy savings and minimal heat generation. This highly efficient design meets 80 PLUS BRONZE certification standards, ensuring a minimum efficiency of 82%, and typical efficiency of 85%.

The Corsair Professional Series HX650W also boasts an innovative cabling configuration that uses flat modular cables — including 4 x PCI Express connectors for SLI and CrossFire configurations — that help maximize airflow through the chassis. The modular design also simplifies installation as it allows you to utilize only those cables that are needed.

An image of the Corsair Professional Series HX650W is available here.

For more information about the Corsair Professional Series HX650W modular power supply, please visit corsair.com/products/hx650/.

Best Buy tossed the Samsung Instinct HD online confirming its most important specs in the process. The phone will sport a 5MP camera that can play and record HD video along with Wi-Fi and lots of social networking. We found out early in the week that Apple’s latest OS, Snow Leopard, will ship on August 28 for $29. Bill Gates should be ashamed.

Shuttle swiped some of the team form ECS a while back and it looks like the new employees are going to be working on a netbook for Shuttle. That is just what we need, another netbook on the market. Speaking of another netbook, Nokia whipped its new Booklet 3G out this week with a promise of 12 hours of run time per charge.

The Nokia N97 Mini was reviewed early on Tuesday and the verdict was the keyboard is horrible. That may as well be the kiss of death for the smartphone. Asus’ new Eee Top nettop computers were confirmed as coming to the U.S. with the ET2002T and the ET2203T coming with some very nice features like NVIDIA Ion.

Nintendo filed a patent application on a new football controller this week that looks really weird. From the line art, it looks like you plug your remote and nunchuck into it. I wonder how long it will take for someone to put a football through their TV when this thing hits market. Sony let it slide this week that they are still losing money on the PS3 Slim from a hardware perspective. The motion controller spawned from Project Natal is due to hit market in 2010 as well.

Elecom unveiled a cool SSD this week that has 16GB of storage in a design so small it plugs directly into the internal SATA port on your mainboard. It looks like you have to give up any ports beside it though thanks to the fat drive. HIS launched a new HD 4890 iCooler x4 video card this week that is overclocked and has a unique cooling solution. I wondered if putting the heat back into the chassis would cause any issues for the other components of a computer using the card.

Corsair unveiled a new SSD with 256GB of storage called the X256 with seriously fast read and write speeds Tuesday. The SSD will support TRIM for Windows 7 reducing unneeded delete cycles to prolong the drives life. Samsung’s Omnia 2 was spied on the Samsung mobile website sporting a Verizon logo. Details are scant, but we know it has a 3.7-inch screen with AMOLED tech.

Motorola announced that it will be holding an event on September 10. The event is expected to be the unveiling of the Sholes and Morrison handsets thanks to the Android drawn on the logo. Sony finally offered up a real competitor to the Kindle this week with the unveiling of its first 3G eReader with a 7-inch touchscreen at $399.

A rumor tipped up Wednesday that has the cheap, plastic MacBook getting an update and possibly a lower price tag. That would be a welcome addition to the Apple line. It’s almost disgusting to see cool gadgets gutted and filmed for our enjoyment. The Sony PS3 Slim was torn down and snapped Wednesday and it was almost enough to make the gaming geeks cry.

I talked about the new PocketDock Wednesday that allows you to charge your iPod or iPhone with a plain USB cable rather than the Apple cord you typically use. It also has a 3.5mm output to connect to your home stereo. We also saw a new external Blu-ray player perfect for netbooks this week sporting both USB and eSATA interfaces. The power sipping optical drive gets all the juice it needs from the USB port.

Sirius XM unveiled the XM SkyDock for iPhone and iPod touch. The dock turns the iPhone into a touchscreen controller for satellite radio programming and keeps the phone charged up. The Super USB mobile phone charger showed up this week and charges all sorts of devices at once, it reminds me of a Swiss army octopus.

Thursday we showed off the official video of the slick new Nokia N900 along with its Maemo 5 operating system. This may be Nokia’s best chance to fight RIM and Apple on even ground. We found out that Apple will be having an event on September 9 and while what they will be showing off is unknown, we suspect it’s the iPod devices with cameras to go along with all those leaked shots of iPod cases.

Thursday Microsoft officially confirmed the rumored price cut on the Xbox 360 Elite. The console price dropped to $299 to combat the new PS3 Slim selling at the same price. The PS3 seems to be the better deal with the Blu-ray player in it to me. Navteq issued a study this week that claims using a GPS with traffic data can save drivers four days per year of sitting in traffic. That’s four more days you can spend at the office.

I ran across an external laptop battery later in the week that promises to work with 10,000 different laptop models. The battery claims to be good for about three more hours of use. TiVo filed a lawsuit in an East Texas court against Verizon and AT&T over DVR patents. The court is that of the judge that ruled against Nintendo and other big companies in recent patent suits.

Sony unveiled several new DSLR cameras this week, all of which can store to SD and SDHC cards. The cameras are due in October with the most expensive one selling at $950. Logitech’s new Squeezebox Touch was spotted running wild Friday with accessories showing up on the Logitech website. The thing looks a lot like the Harmony tablet style remotes to me.

Yet another iPhone blew up this week in France leaving the teenage boy using it with a headache that lasted about two days. I bet he had to replace his tightie whities too and just didn’t mention that part. What’s with all the European explosions? Altec Lansing brings back the 80′s with a new style boom box called the MIX Boombox sporting all sorts of digital media docks and inputs. I could totally see the thing sighting beside a cardboard dance floor while dancers spin around on their heads.

The Nokia N900 went on pre-order in Germany and Italy Friday at 599 EUR. There is no word on pricing and launch date for other countries yet. We posted up reviews of the new Nokia E52 and E55 mobile phones Friday. We liked the E52 better than the E55.

Another week has come and gone and another week in review in the history books for your perusal. Till next week!

The memory also have their XMP profiles set at 1600MHz, with CAS latency settings of 8-8-8-24. According to Corsair, systems using the RAM kits and running Windows 7 demonstrated “substantial performance gains in system startup, shutdown, context switching, and game loading”‘ you can find their full results here [pdf link].

The dual channel configuration (CMD8GX3M4A1600C8) comes with four matched 2GB modules, and is optimized for P55 motherboards, while the triple channel configuration (CMD12GX3M6A1600C8) consists of six matched 2GB modules, optimized for X58 motherboards. Each also includes a color-matched Airflow fan.  No word on pricing, but we can’t imagine these will be cheap ways to add memory.

There’s also end-user upgradable firmware which means Corsair will be able to update the SSD with new functionality.  One of the first such updates will be TRIM support for Windows 7, which will apparently reduce unnecessary delete cycles and prolong the SSD’s lifespan.

Of course, 256GB of high-performance SSD doesn’t come cheap, so while the Corsair Extreme Series X256 may be already on sale you may find it beyond your current means.  We’re seeing it retail online from around $695 upward.

Press Release:

Corsair® Launches 256GB Extreme Series SSD

- Top-of-the-line Extreme Series SSD offers maximum performance and capacity -

FREMONT, Calif., Aug. 24, 2009 — Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced a new, high-capacity 256GB addition to its high-performance Extreme Series SSD family.

Built using the renowned Indilinx Barefoot controller and Samsung MLC NAND flash memory, the new Corsair Extreme Series X256 SSD combines high-performance with a massive 256GB of storage space, for enthusiasts who don’t want to compromise on speed or capacity. The new Corsair Extreme Series X256 joins the existing models, the X32, X64 and X128, and offers read speeds of up to 240MB/s and write speeds of up to 170MB/s. It also features 64MB of cache memory, ensuring stutter-free performance.

“Since the launch of the Corsair Extreme Series SSDs in June we’ve had a fantastic response from customers who love the high-performance and reliability, and we’ve regularly been asked for even higher capacity models.” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing at Corsair. “The new 256GB Extreme Series X256 is a response to the growing popularity of high-capacity SSDs, and it joins our Performance Series P256 at the top of its range, for enthusiasts who want the fastest speeds and plenty of space available for their pictures, music, and videos.”

All Extreme Series SSDs feature end-user upgradable firmware to allow for new features to be added, such as the upcoming TRIM command for Windows 7 and other operating systems, which maintains optimal performance over time. Support for the Extreme Series, including future firmware upgrades is available at corsair.com.

The Corsair Extreme Series X256 solid-state drive is available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide, and is backed by a Two-Year Limited Warranty. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available.

For more information on the full line of solid-state drives from Corsair, please visit corsair.com/ssd.

Of course, they didn’t, and so we have a compact memory stick that boasts transfer speeds of up to 32MB/s reads or 25.6MB/s writes.  That, Corsair tell us, is nearly twice the speed of rival high-performance drives, and pretty much at the point where OS overhead and the USB 2.0 bus become the stumbling block.

It’s also rubber-clad for durability, water-resistant and comes with a ten-year warranty.  The Corsair 128GB Flash Voyager GT is available now, apparently, though it’s proving difficult to find retailers offering it; the few that do are asking a not-inconsiderable $390 or therabouts.

Press Release:

Corsair® Launches World’s Fastest High Capacity USB Flash Drive

- 128GB Voyager GT performance limited only by speed of USB 2.0 bus -

Fremont, CA. August 13th, 2009 — Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced the 128GB Flash Voyager GT, the world’s fastest 128GB USB flash drive.

The newest Flash Voyager GT is based upon a revolutionary design that employs a unique dual-controller architecture to achieve SLC-levels of performance using MLC NAND flash memory. The 128GB Flash Voyager GT is able to achieve read speeds of up to 32MB/sec and write speeds of up to 25.6MB/sec, with the limiting factor effectively being the speed of the USB 2.0 bus and operating system overhead.

“High performance is a key requirement for super-high capacity flash drives, such as the 128GB Voyager GT, simply because it is able to store such a large volume of data,” said John Beekley, the VP of Applications at Corsair. “The 128GB Voyager GT is nearly twice as fast as other high-capacity flash drives, which means less time waiting for your music, video or office files to copy to and from the drive.”

The 128GB Flash Voyager GT also utilizes a durable and water-resistant rubber housing to protect the drive against accidental damage, and sports the racing-red ‘GT’ styling that is a trademark of Corsair’s ultra high-performance products.

“The 128GB Flash Voyager GT is ideal for those who need access to a huge volume of data in a format that’s convenient, durable and extremely fast,” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing for Corsair. “The 128GB Flash Voyager GT can store massive video, photo and music libraries, yet it’s less than half the size of a solid-state drive, effectively obsoleting less-reliable, portable mechanical hard disk drives.”

The 128GB Flash Voyager GT is available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide, and is backed by a 10-Year Limited Warranty. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available.

For more information on Corsair USB flash drives, please visit http://www.corsair.com/products/voyagergt_128

All of the chips are black with red fins, and ship with the Corsair Airflow fan as standard.  They’re manufactured using the company’s DHX+ (Dual-path Heat eXchange) heatsink for both front and rear cooling, and have removable heatsink fins for using the memory with waterblocks and other cooling devices. 

The four kits are as follows:

• 6GB for Intel Core i7 (CMG6GX3M3A2000C7): Matched set of three 2GB modules, DDR3, 2000MHz, 7-7-7-20 latency timings
• 4GB for AMD Phenom II AM3 (CMG4GX3M2A1600C6):  Matched pair of 2GB modules, DDR3, 1600MHz, 6-6-6-18 latency timings
• 6GB for Intel Core i7 (CMG6GX3M3A2000C8):  Matched set of three 2GB modules, DDR3, 2000MHz, 8-8-8-24 latency timings
• 6GB for Intel Core i7 (CMG6GX3M3A1866C7):  Matched set of three 2GB modules, DDR3, 1866MHz, 7-7-7-20 latency timings

All will be available within one to two weeks, directly from Corsair or though resellers. 

Press Release:

Corsair® Re-launches Dominator GT Ultra-Performance DRAM Modules

- Implements changes in materials and qualification to bring Hyper-based overclocking modules back to market -

Fremont, CA. July 22, 2009 — Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies, and flash memory products including solid-state drives, today re-introduced the popular Dominator GT line of memory modules. These modules had been removed from the market due to unacceptable failure levels of the Elpida “Hyper” components with which the modules are constructed.

“The issue with the Hyper RAMs was discovered with the help of the enthusiast community, and we worked closely with them to solve it,” stated John Beekley, VP of Applications Engineering at Corsair. “Our lab was able to correlate the failures to specific batches of early material, we worked very closely with Elpida to determine the root cause of the issue and to define the associated corrective actions to take. We are confident that every GT module using the Elpida Hyper IC Corsair ships from today will meet our strict quality and reliability standard.”

The Dominator GT memory kits are being re-introduced with updated part numbers, and will be available within one to two weeks. All Dominator GT modules are black with red fins, and include the Airflow cooling fan. Module kits and specifications are as follows:
· 6GB kit for Intel Core i7: Part number CMG6GX3M3A2000C7, available directly from Corsair’s web store at corsair.com. Matched set of three 2GB modules, DDR3, 2000MHz, 7-7-7-20 latency timings.
· 4GB kit for AMD Phenom II AM3: Part number CMG4GX3M2A1600C6, available directly from Corsair’s web store at corsair.com. Matched pair of 2GB modules, DDR3, 1600MHz, 6-6-6-18 latency timings.
· 6GB kit for Intel Core i7: Part number CMG6GX3M3A2000C8, available from authorized Corsair resellers and Corsair’s web store at corsair.com. Matched set of three 2GB modules, DDR3, 2000MHz, 8-8-8-24 latency timings.
· 6GB kit for Intel Core i7: Part number CMG6GX3M3A1866C7, available from authorized Corsair resellers and Corsair’s web store at corsair.com. Matched set of three 2GB modules, DDR3, 1866MHz, 7-7-7-20 latency timings.

All Corsair Dominator GT modules are built using the patent-pending DHX+ (Dual-path Heat eXchange) heatsink, which uniquely cools both the front and back of the memory ICs, and the printed circuit board, for greater reliability and increased overclocking flexibility. DHX+ modules also utilize removable heatsink fins, which allows for range of Dominator GT cooling options, including the Corsair Cooling™ Hydro Series H30 waterblock and Ice Series T30 thermo-electric cooler, which actively cools the modules up to 20°C below ambient temperature for maximum overclockability.
All Dominator GT products also ship with the Corsair Airflow fan as standard, which maximizes airflow over the module’s cooling fins, increasing heat dissipation to improve memory performance and reliability.
The new Dominator GT modules will be available within one to two weeks from Corsair’s authorized distributors, resellers worldwide and Corsair’s web store at corsair.com, These modules are backed by Corsair’s limited lifetime warranty. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available.

More information about the Corsair Dominator GT family can be found here: http://www.corsair.com/products/dominatorgt
About Corsair®
Founded in 1994, Corsair Memory, Inc., is a worldwide leader in high-performance components for personal computers. Specializing in very high performance memory and ultra-efficient power supplies, our flagship products, Including Dominator™ memory modules, are the choice of overclockers, enthusiasts, and gamers everywhere. Our expertise in design and manufacturing is also evident in our complete line of Flash Voyager® and Flash Survivor™ USB storage devices. Corsair offers 24/7 customer support via forums and the Tech Support Express helpdesk. For more information, please visit www.corsair.com
Copyright© 2009 Corsair. All rights reserved. All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks, and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

The drives use Samsung MLC NAND flash, paired with 64MB of on-board cache and a SATA-II 3.0Gb/s interface.  Corsair estimate a 100+ lifetime, and suggests they’re ideal for both use as primary drives in desktops and notebooks together with inclusion in RAID 0 arrays.

Corsair’s Extreme Series SSDs have a two-year warranty.  So far there are no MRSPs known, but a quick search online seems to suggest that the 128GB X128 will retail at around $413.99, the 64GB X64 for around $249.99, and the 32GB X32 for around $159.99.

Press Release:

Corsair® Launches new ‘Extreme’ Series High-Performance SSDs

- Uses Indilinx Barefoot controller for up to 240MB/sec read and 170MB/sec write speeds -

Fremont, CA. July 16th, 2009.- Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced the Extreme Series X32, X64 and X128 high-performance SSDs, in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB densities respectively.

Built using the renowned Indilinx Barefoot controller and Samsung MLC NAND flash memory, the Extreme Series has been designed to offer the highest performance currently available on the market, with read speeds of up to 240MB/s and write speeds of up to 170MB/s.

“The combination of the Indilinx Barefoot controller, Samsung flash memory, and 64MB of on-board cache delivers blistering, stutter-free performance, eliminating the bottleneck imposed by traditional mechanical hard disks,” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing at Corsair. “The new Extreme Series SSDs are ideal for use as primary drives in desktop and notebooks systems, and also for RAID 0 configurations in high-performance desktops for enthusiasts who want extreme performance.”

All Extreme Series SSDs feature end-user upgradable firmware to allow for new features to be added, such as the upcoming TRIM command for Windows 7 and other operating systems, which maintains optimal performance over time. Firmware upgrades and support for the Extreme Series SSDs will be available via Corsair’s website, and drives can be updated without the need to wipe data from the SSD, ensuring seamless upgrades.

The Corsair Extreme Series X32, X64 and X128 solid-state drives are available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide, and are backed by a Two-Year Limited Warranty. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available.
For more information on Corsair solid-state drives, please visit the Corsair SSD product page

About Corsair®
Founded in 1994, Corsair Memory, Inc., is a worldwide leader in high-performance components for personal computers. Specializing in very high performance memory and ultra-efficient power supplies, our flagship products, Including Dominator™ memory modules, are the choice of overclockers, enthusiasts, and gamers everywhere. Our expertise in design and manufacturing is also evident in our complete line of Flash Voyager® and Flash Survivor™ USB storage devices. Corsair offers 24/7 customer support via forums and the Tech Support Express helpdesk. For more information, please visit corsair.com.

Meanwhile the P64 promises 220MB/sec read and 120MB/sec write rates.  Both drives use the same Samsung controller as their more-expensive sibling, together with 128MB of cache and NCQ support. 

The Corsair P128 is available now, with an MRSP of $339; you can currently find it on Newegg with a $40 rebate.  The Corsair P64 will follow on in July; prices are yet to be confirmed.

Press Release:

Corsair® Launches New 128GB and 64GB Performance Series Solid State Drives

- P128 and P64 SSDs offer class-leading performance at smaller capacities -

Fremont, CA. June 25th, 2009. Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced two new products in its Performance Series SSD family: the P128 and P64 high-performance solid-state drives.

Building on the success of the award-winning P256 SSD, the Corsair P128 delivers the same 220MB/sec read speeds and 200MB/sec write speeds as its higher capacity cousin, at a lower cost. The P64 is one of the best-performing, lower-density SSDs available, with read speeds of up to 220MB/sec and write speeds of up to 120MB/sec. Both drives utilize the same cutting-edge technology as the P256, including a sophisticated Samsung controller IC with 128MB of cache memory and NCQ support to deliver class-leading, stutter-free performance.
“The high performance of the new Performance Series solid-state drives, combined with the inherent reliability and stability of flash technology, make them ideal for both new system builds and upgrades of desktops and notebooks,” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing for Corsair. “These drives have also been extensively validated in a wide range of popular notebook computers, which means that you can upgrade with absolute confidence.”
The Corsair P128 solid-state drive is available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide, and is backed by a Two-Year Limited Warranty. The Corsair P64 solid-state drive will be available in early July. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available.
For more information on Corsair solid-state drives, please visit corsair/ssd
An image of the Corsair P128 (CMFSSD-128GBG2D) is available [here]
An image of the Corsair P64 (CMFSSD-64GBG2D) is available [here]
About Corsair®
Founded in 1994, Corsair Memory, Inc., is a worldwide leader in high-performance components for personal computers. Specializing in very high performance memory and ultra-efficient power supplies, our flagship products, Including Dominator™ memory modules, are the choice of overclockers, enthusiasts, and gamers everywhere. Our expertise in design and manufacturing is also evident in our complete line of Flash Voyager® and Flash Survivor™ USB storage devices. Corsair offers 24/7 customer support via forums and the Tech Support Express helpdesk. For more information, please visit www.corsair.com

The chassis itself is finished in matte black and has a brushed aluminum faceplate. There’s support for ATX, Extended ATX and micro ATX as well as hot-swappable SATA bays in the chassis’ tool-less frame.

You can install fans in seven different positions including a 140mm fan that goes in the SATA bay. The power supply also has a dedicated intake and exhaust fan, plus you can place 120mm fans in the ceiling, if you wish. You can get the Obsidian Series 800D from Corsair starting in July for $299.

The P256 contains a Samsung MLC flash memory, a Samsung Controller IC and 128MB of cache memory plus Native Command Queuing for top-notch performance at serious speeds. It’s capable of read/write speeds of 220MB/sec and 200MB/sec.

Opting for the P256 will supposedly improve startup, shutdown and loading speeds for games and applications. It is also able to offer 25% longer battery for most notebooks. Most importantly, the capacity is large enough to accommodate those that want ample storage space, not just speed. You can get the Corsair Storage Solutions P256 256GB Solid-State Drive now for $329.99.

This SSD features an whopping 200MB/s read speed and a 170MB/s write speed. That’s a serious increase over their previous model, which offered up a 90MB/s read speed and a 70MB/s write speed. That’s over doubling the performance speed!

So, just how much will a SSD with such an impressive performance speed go for these days? Apparently, $749 is the asking price. Once your eyes settle back into their sockets, you can start saving your pennies.

Video demo after the cut 

According to Corsair, the vast majority of users have a My Documents folder containing less than 64GB of data: that means one of the company’s 64GB Flash Voyager drives is enough for a full backup.  Alternatively, they’re promoting the Voyager Port (and NovaBACKUP 10′s “Disaster Recovery” tool) to make a full image of an SSD-based netbook, the full storage of which often comes in at under 32GB.

No word on pricing as yet, but the Corsair Voyager Port has a 10 year warranty.  As an alternative – which works with both flash and USB hard-drives – check out our review of the ClickFree Transformer. 

Press Release:

Corsair announces Voyager Port

Corsair develops innovative solution to transform any USB flash drive into
a powerful and flexible portable backup and recovery device

Fremont, CA, March 31st, 2009 – Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer and flash memory products, today announced the Voyager Port portable backup solution for USB flash drives.

The Voyager Port transforms any USB flash drive into a powerful data backup solution, complete with a simple, one-button file backup feature. The Voyager Port requires no external power supply and features a USB 2.0 port for the latest, high-speed USB flash drives.

“USB flash drives, such as Corsair’s shock- and water-resistant Flash Voyager drives, are smaller and far more durable than portable hard disk drives, which have moving parts that are vulnerable to shock” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing, Corsair, “And with 64GB Flash Voyagers now available, USB flash drives are ideal backup solutions.”

The Voyager Port is seamlessly integrated with the included copy of award-winning data backup and recovery software NovaBACKUP 10, to easily store and protect your important data. Simply press the Voyager Port’s backup button and you need never again be without your most important documents, photos, email contacts, music and other data.

“Your most important personal data, such as documents, spreadsheets, PDFs and presentations generally only occupies a few gigabytes of hard disk space, meaning that huge hard disk-based backup drives are largely wasted,” continued Carlton. “Our research indicated that over 80% of users have a ‘My Documents’ folder of less than 64GB, and more than 85% need to regularly transport less than 64GB of data between different PCs. This shows that USB flash drives are an efficient method of backing up your data, and with high-capacity USB flash drives, there’s still plenty of room for your favourite music, photos and even movies.”

The Voyager Port, combined with 32GB or 64GB USB flash drives, also makes an ideal total backup solution for notebooks and netbooks with smaller main storage drives. Simply use NovaBACKUP 10’s Disaster Recovery option to take a snapshot of the system to preserve your data in the event of a failure.
The Voyager Port is available immediately from all good stockists, and is backed by a 10-year warranty and comprehensive customer support via telephone, email, forum and the Tech Support Express helpdesk.

The next-generation DHX technology includes a heavy set of Aluminum heatspreaders and removable cooling fins to enable dual path RAM heat’s dissipation from water to custom-designed thermoelectric cooling system. The modules, according to Corsair, can be actively cooled as much as 20 degrees below ambient temperature.

Additionally, PC enthusiasts will soon get their hands on some very limited quantities, hand-screened and hand-tuned overclock-friendly performance sticks, in both 3GB and 6GB kits. According to the press release, they will be available exclusively at company online store only.

remont, CA, February 5th, 2009 – Corsair®, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer and flash memory products, today announced the launch of the new Dominator GT line of ultra high-performance DDR3 memory modules for Intel® Core™ i7-based systems.
Sporting a new racing red color scheme and the next-generation of Corsair’s patent-pending Dual-path Heat eXchange (DHX) technology, the new Dominator GT comes in 3-up 6GB kit, running at 2000MHz with latencies of 7-8-7.

“Corsair’s Dominator line has long been the memory of choice for PC enthusiasts and high-end gamers,” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing at Corsair. “The new Dominator GT family delivers even greater levels of performance, as well as enhanced cooling options, making it the perfect memory for anyone looking for the fastest possible performance from their Intel Core i7-based system.”

The next-generation DHX technology includes a single-piece heat-sink and removable cooling fins. The removable fins allow multiple cooling options for the Dominator GT modules, including water cooling, as well as a custom-designed thermoelectric cooling system to actively cool the modules to as low as 20°C below ambient temperature for maximum overclockability.

In addition to the 1866C7 Dominator GT, Corsair will be offering very limited quantities of hand-screened, hand-tuned, extreme performance modules in both 3GB and 6GB kits. These kits are specifically designed to allow hardcore overclockers to push the limits of PC performance and are built with the fastest chips available. Because of the complexity in screening, manufacturing and testing, the Dominator GT family will be available only through the exclusive online GT Performance Shop at www.corsair.com, where Corsair will offer also offer the full range of cooling options for the Dominator GT family.