One of the core values of Puget Systems is transparency
We detest hype in the midst of an industry that is full of it. Our mission is to provide the highest quality hardware and consultation services to our customers, and to back up our decisions by freely sharing what we've learned along the way. To earn a place in our product line, a computer component undergoes rigorous testing. We apply the results of our testing, along with our years of experience in learning reliability trends and manufacturer characteristics, to make prudent decisions about what we can put our name behind, whether that's an individual part or an entire computer. With the following articles, we are writing up the results of these internal processes and discussions, and taking them public. We feel we can take this on with a unique perspective as we evaluate each topic with the experience, resources, and objectivity of a system builder. If there is a topic you'd like us to write about, email us at !
Review: Cooler Master SickleFlow 120mm Green LED Fan
Posted on January 27, 2012 by
Puget Systems has used many variations of the Antec TriCool 120mm fan over the years - including the red, blue and green LED versions in our colored case fan kits - due to their excellent noise to airflow ratio. However, Antec has recently discontinued the green LED version of the Antec Tricool, so we needed to find a good replacement fan for our green LED kits. In our search for a replacement, we found that the Cooler Master SickleFlow fan fits all of our requirements as a replacement fan to the long-lived green Antec TriCool.
Product Qualification: Asus P8Z68-M Pro
Posted on January 26, 2012 by
This motherboard is very nearly the ideal micro ATX motherboard for Intel 1155 CPUs; the chipset is well established to be a great performer with excellent reliability and all of the features present on this board have been well tested on other models. The main issue with this motherboard is the lack of an internal USB 3.0 header, although at the moment that is only a concern for a limited number of chassis.
Product Qualification: Asus Rampage IV Gene
Posted on January 17, 2012 by
The Asus Rampage IV Gene motherboard is a micro-ATX motherboard based on the Intel X79 chipset. Sandy Bridge-E has proven to be a powerhouse, but until not has been limited to full size computer systems. With this motherboard, Puget Systems will be able to offer smaller, micro-ATX computers with all the power of Sandy Bridge-E.
Product Qualification: Asus P8H61-I
Posted on December 27, 2011 by
Our Echo line of systems has always strived to balance size, cost and performance. The Asus P8H61-I has just the right balance of features and cost and comes in the small mini-ITX form factor. There are a few features missing on this motherboard (SATA 6Gb/s notably), but overall this is a great motherboard at a great price point.
Dual Boot vs Virtual Machines on the Desktop
Posted on December 16, 2011 by
We often talk to people who are interested in running multiple operating systems on the same machine. Sometimes that's Windows 7 + XP, sometimes it's Windows 7 + Ubuntu Linux, or various other combinations. One of the most common ways to achieve multiple usable operating systems on a single computer is known as 'dual boot'. Desktop virtualization is a newer way of running multiple operating systems on one desktop system.
Card Reader Comparison: USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0
Posted on December 16, 2011 by
Anyone who has used a digital camera or smart phone has probably seen flash memory cards - small, removable devices on which a variety of data can be stored. Card readers in computers allow easy access to read those memory cards, or write new data to them, but the process can be slow for folks like photographers, who often work with multiple cards each full of image files. Can the move to a faster interface for card readers, like USB 3.0, improve performance substantially?
Product Qualification: Antec P280 Chassis
Posted on December 12, 2011 by
IN this article, we will be reviewing the Antec P280 which is a great chassis for a wide range of system configurations, but really shines in keeping high-end configurations both cool and quiet. Lower power configurations may run quieter in other chassis such as the Antec P183 V3, but since Antec is advertising this chassis as a high-performance option this is not much of a surprise. This chassis is close to ideal, but for a few small issues that will keep us from carrying this chassis.
Product Qualification: Intel S1200BTS Motherboard
Posted on November 30, 2011 by
The Intel S1200BTS (based on the C202 chipset) is a micro ATX server motherboard designed for small to medium-sized business applications. Puget Systems is already offering another micro ATX server motherboard - the Asus P8B-M based on the C204 chipset - but Intel motherboards are often better choices for a server platform than other brands. In this article we will be examining the Intel S1200BTS to determine if there is enough of a reason to replace the Asus P8B-M.
Product Qualification: Asus P9X79 Deluxe Motherboard
Posted on November 18, 2011 by
With the launch of Sandy Bridge-E and its corresponding Socket 2011, a new line of motherboards has been developed based on the new Intel X79 chipset. What this means for Puget Systems is that we have to look at all the available options to determine which motherboards we want to offer for our customers. We've looked at several different motherboards over the weeks leading up to the launch of Sandy Bridge-E and the P9X79 Deluxe jumped out at us as having just the right mix of features and connectivity.
Technology Primer: AMD Opteron 6200 CPUs (Interlagos)
Posted on November 17, 2011 by
AMD has launched their new Opteron 6200 series of processors (codenamed Interlagos) based on the recent Bulldozer architecture. Featuring an increase in cache size, up to 16 cores per CPU, a new 32nm manufacturing process and Turbo Core support -- Interlagos should have many performance advantages over its predecessor.
Product Qualification: Intel DRX-B Liquid Cooling Solution
Posted on November 14, 2011 by
Along with the standard air cooler, Intel has decided to partner with Asetek to launch a closed-loop liquid cooler - the RTS2011LC - for their new 2011 socket. With the rise in popularity of these closed-loop liquid cooling solutions, the real question is how this liquid cooler fares in relation to similar products already on the market.
Product Qualification: Intel Core i7 3960X, 3930K (Sandy Bridge-E)
Posted on November 14, 2011 by
The new socket 2011 Sandy Bridge-E CPU's have arrived, and Intel is claiming major performance increases. In this article, we will be taking a look at both the benchmark and thermal performance of the Core i7 3960X and the Core i7 3930K.
Technology Primer: Intel Socket 2011 (Sandy Bridge-E)
Posted on November 14, 2011 by
Intel has announced a new line of processors, which utilizes many of the advances in processor technology that was developed with the Sandy Bridge line of CPUs launched earlier this year. Codenamed Sandy Bridge-E, this article will examine some of the larger changes and how they will affect CPU performance.
How It Works: Asus USB 3.0 Boost
Posted on November 9, 2011 by
The USB 3.0 Boost software from Asus is designed to take advantage of the recently introduced UASP (USB attached SCSI protocol) to give a performance boost to supported USB 3.0 devices. In this article we will take a look at exactly how much of a performance increase an USB 3.0 external hard drive can achieve using this software.
Product Qualification: AMD FX-8150 CPU
Posted on October 25, 2011 by
In this article we will be reviewing the FX-8150 3.6GHz 8-core processor from the AMD's new Bulldozer line. We will be taking a look at how this CPU does from a thermal standpoint as well as how it performs compared to the similarly priced Intel Core i5 2500K.
Technology Primer: AMD FX Processors (Bulldozer)
Posted on October 15, 2011 by
AMD has recently anounced the launch of the new FX series of processors (codenamed Bulldozer). Featuring an increase in cache size, up to 8 cores per CPU, and a new 32nm manufacturing process, Bulldozer should be both faster and cooler than its predecessor; AMD Phenom II.
Product Qualification: Intel RS25DB080 RAID Controller
Posted on October 6, 2011 by
In this article we will be reviewing the Intel RS25DB080 8-port RAID controller which features two 800MHz processor cores with 1GB cache memory. Our testing however shows that this card suffers in terms of performance when compared to the Intel RS25DB040 and RS25DB080.
Battlefield 3 Certified on Puget System Deluge
Posted on October 4, 2011 by
With the relatively high system requirements of EA's latest title in the Battlefield series, many consumers will be looking to replace their current system in order to run Battlefield 3 at its maximum settings. In this article we will examine gaming performance of Battlefield 3 on three systems from Puget System's Deluge line of gaming computers.
Product Qualification: Intel S1200BTL Motherboard
Posted on September 29, 2011 by
The C204-based Intel S1200BLT motherboard is a server-class motherboard designed for use in small to medium size business applications. It's large number of PCI-E slots makes it very flexible and the remote management options make system maintenance easier than ever. Overall, the Intel S1200BTL is a very solid choice for a wide range of server-class systems.
Product Qualification: Intel Remote Management Module
Posted on September 29, 2011 by
With Puget System's recent launch of the Summit series of servers, we have begun to discover a whole new series of computer accessories. One of the more exciting is hardware-level remote management chips like the Intel AXXRMM4LITE that are available for use on a select number of server-class motherboards. These chips allow for remote management of the server (including KVM functionality over LAN) without the need to be at the physical computer for anything short of hardware replacement. In this article we will be reviewing this module for use in server-type systems.
Effects of Grill Patterns on Fan Performance/Noise
Posted on September 19, 2011 by
Fan grills are a component in a computer that is often underestimated in terms of their contribution to both system noise and airflow. Most often, grills are chosen based on aesthetics with only a small thought towards performance. In this article, we will be examining nine different grills to determine the effects of grill design on both noise and airflow.
Product Qualification: Antec Solo II
Posted on September 9, 2011 by
The Solo II is Antec's latest addition to their Sonata family of chassis and is designed primarily for quiet operation of low to mid range systems. This chassis includes many features for quiet computing, a high-quality stock fan and USB 3.0 connectivity to keep it in line with the latest technology. However, is this chassis solid enough to justify it's high MSRP value of $129?
Side Panel Fans: Are They Worth It?
Posted on September 2, 2011 by
Adequate cooling is always a concern when using high-end hardware. In this article we will examine the cooling advantages a side fan can give to an otherwise normal system.
Product Qualification: Lancool PC-K9B
Posted on August 30, 2011 by
The PC-K9B is a mid tower chassis from Lancool's "First Knight" series. It is available in black, silver and a black version with a painted black interior. For this qualification, we will be reviewing the basic black version.
Product Review: Gelid GX-7 CPU Cooler
Posted on August 29, 2011 by
The GX-7 is Gelid's latest addition to their heatsink line and is in their Gamer line of coolers. In this article we will be reviewing the performance and noise levels in comparison to to the Gelid Rev. 2 Tranquillo.
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