• GTX580 vs. HD7970 - Head to Head - Vortez
• Diamond Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card - TweakTown 
• Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 Overclock Ed - HardwareHeaven 
• Gigabyte HD7950 Windforce x3 - Vortez 
• Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 Overclock Ed - HardwareHeaven 
• AMD Radeon HD 7750 1GB Reference CrossFire - TweakTown 
• Gigabyte HD 7770 OC 1GB - TechPowerUp 
• Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 OC Ed 2GB - HiTechLegion 
• Sapphire HD 7970 Overclock Ed Dual-X - HardwareHeaven 
• AMD Radeon 7870 2GB Graphics Card - eTeknix 
• Sapphire HD 7870 OC Edition vs XFX R7870 Black Ed - HardwareHeaven
• Sapphire HD 7750 Ultimate 1GB - HiTechLegion 
• PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD 7870 GHz OC Ed. 2GB - TweakTown
  

If you are looking for a new audio distribution system (speakers or headphones), you may want to check out the Edifier MP250 Sound To Go USB Soundbar Speaker over at MEGATechReviews.  If you want something a little more private with 5.1 support, check out the CM Storm Sirus 5.1 Headset at HardwareLook.  There is a chance that you want something with even more speakers, and this is when the ROCCAT Kulo 7.1 USB headset also over at HardwareLook.  Finally, HardwareSecrets gives us the scoop on the Corsair Vengeance 1300 headset in their latest review.

Today we look at the ROCCAT Kulo 7.1 USB headset. Audio quality is not something that most casual gamers tend to care too much about, as long as they can hear whats going on around them they are happy. Recently though there has been a renaissance in gaming audio. With more and more high quality surround sound headsets appearing on the market gamers can now here not just whats going on around them, but where. This has meant that even casual gamers are now looking to upgrade their headsets which makes something like the ROCCAT Kulo 7.1, a product high on many people's wish lists.

Right smack-dab in the middle of the news today we have a few memory reviews to share with you.  RAM prices have dropped through the proverbial floor and performance RAM is very affordable.  Check out how well some of these kits perform.

Topower Gold Vapor Injection-HD DDR3 1866 8GB Kit - eTeknix --=-- Ivy Bridge High-Speed RAM Run with G.Skill PC3-20800 2666MHz RipjawsZ - TweakTown --=-- Patriot Viper Extreme PC3-16000 CL9 1.65v DDR3 - TechPowerUp --=-- G.Skill ARES PC3-17000 16GB (DC) Memory Kit - TweakTown --=-- Samsung 30nm Green PC3-12800 Low Profile 1.35v DDR3 - TechPowerUp

In a move that will piss off more than a few Technet subscribers, Microsoft has once again cut the number of keys that are allowed by Technet users down to 3 for each product.  They are doing this to try and curb piracy, but in my experience, it's just going to annoy and frustrate legitimate users of Technet.  ZDNet has more details.

In addition to that restriction, Microsoft has also imposed restrictions on the number of keys that can be claimed on any given day. As another support page notes, a TechNet Professional (Retail) subscriber can claim 44 keys in a 24-hour period.

Episode #151 of Weekly Tech Update is now available on iTunes and the Zune Marketplace.  This is our weekly podcast that covers the hottest stuff in tech - not only around BCCHardware, but also the world.  Check it out over here - as well as a free download in the iTunes store and the Zune Marketplace.

In this episode we will be discussing the FAA may change rules for gadgets on aircraft, Windows 8 to ship in October and the nXbox isn’t coming anytime soon. We have those stories and more...

Download Episode #151
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New Scientist has posted up some information that claims free apps for your phone actually use more battery - a lot more battery than paid apps.  Why?  Because the free apps are add supported and this requires GPS, 3G and more.  Take a look and find out why that $0.99 app may be worth buying.

Struggling to make your smartphone battery last the whole day? Paying for your apps might help. Up to 75 per cent of the energy used by free versions of Android apps is spent serving up ads or tracking and uploading user data: running just one app could drain your battery in around 90 minutes.

HiTechLegion has a look at the Zotac ZBOX ID80 Plus Mini-PC.  This unit packs in an Intel Atom D2700 and a NVIDIA 520M GPU.  Also combined in the bundle is 2GB DDR3-1066, 320GB 5400rpm drive, HDMI, USB2.0 and more.  

Noise is generally a concern when it comes to HTPCs but, thankfully, the Zotac ZBOX ID80 was whisper quiet, even under heavy loads. In fact, I couldn't hear anything unless I stopped and gave it a few seconds of silence and listened very closely. The temperatures are well-within optimal for a small space and there are generous ventilation holes on both sides and bottom to allow the internal components to breathe.

Let's face it - more and more people are packing smartphones as they allow you to do so much more than just make calls.  In fact, there are a lot of times that I will travel and even do service calls without my laptop - if I have my phone handy.  TechReviews gives us the scoop on the new Nokia Lumia 710 - Nokia's entry-level Windows Phone 7 device and shares their thoughts.  It's a pretty low-spec phone, but it gets the job done.

On the other side of the Operating System and Spec coin is the Samsung Galaxy Note.  HardwareHeaven pulls off a full review while the TechReport discusses life since they made the plunge to the Note.  Also, TechReviews looks at this device in a full review as well.

What if one device solved the need to have a separate 3/4G enabled tablet, or laptop in addition to a phone? Well that is what Samsung aim to achieve with the Galaxy Note. Sitting very much above the phone space, yet below a full blown tablet, with its 5.3" screen it could be the answer... then again it could also be too big to be a phone or too small to be functional for other tasks.

As we wrap up the news for this fine "spring" day, we've got a small collection of cases to check out this morning.  Take a look and see if anything grabs your attention.

• Xigmatek Gigas - TechPowerUp (I'd like one of these)
• nMEDIAPC HTPC 7000B Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX HTPC Case - MissingRemote 
• Steacom FC8 Fanless Case - HardwareSecrets
  
• NZXT Source 220 Mid-Tower - HiTechLegion
  
• BitFenix Shinobi XL Full Tower - TechPowerUp
• Corsair Obsidian 550D - HardwareSecrets
  
• Lian Li PC-100 "The Hammer" Mid-Tower - TweakTown 
• Fractal Design Arc Midi Mid-Tower - eTeknix
  
• Cooler Master Silencio 450 - Vortez
  
• Corsair Carbide 300R - TechPowerUp - HardwareSecrets