MaximumPC 2006 04

T

hough it looks just like any other USB key, this TravelDrive from

Memorex is actually quite different from other USB keys we’ve

reviewed. Instead of serving as a mere data bucket, the TravelDrive includes

“U3” technology—a front-end interface to the key that allows you to run

apps, manage settings, and perform other maintenance duties, all from a

Windows-like start menu. It’s slick and easy to use, and the concept is a

welcome one, but there are two big problems: The utilities you can put on

the key are mostly useless and the key is obnoxiously slow.

Here’s how the U3 experience works: You plug the key into a USB

port and are presented with a Memorex splash screen. Then a little “U3”

icon appears in the system tray and functions exactly like the Start button

in Windows. When you click it, a menu pops up that lets you run programs

installed on the key, download new utilities, explore the drive’s contents,

and so forth. All in all, it works just fine, but here’s the rub: There’s

a U3 Software Central window that lists all the software that can be down-

loaded for the key, and most of the software either costs money, is totally

worthless, or isn’t available on a trial basis.

To Memorex’s credit, there are a number of software trials to sample,

and the downloading and installing process is effortless. But of all the

software we sampled, the only apps we liked come on the key already—

Firefox, Thunderbird, and Migo for file-syncing.

In addition to our disappointment with Software Central, the key is

extremely slow at file transfers. You won’t notice it with small file transfers,

but it took 103 seconds to write 400MB, while Corsair’s zippy Flash Voyager

accomplished the same feat in a mere 46 seconds.

So even though the U3 tech is nifty and well implemented, it offers little

real-world utility. Perhaps the situation will improve in the future,

but for now it’s more of a tech-

nology novelty.

—JOSH NOREM

Memorex U3 TravelDrive

Interesting tech that’s of little real-world value

T

he words “budget” and “performance” typically fit together about as

well as “Dick Cheney” and “cuddlemuffin.” But thanks to nVidia’s sweet

GeForce 6800 GS and a little overclocking work from the engineers at PNY

Technologies, budget-minded upgraders can lay their hands on one power-

fully cheap videocard.

If you can spring for two of these and run ‘em in SLI—either now or a

little ways down the road—you’ll be the proud owner of a rig that can not

only hang with boxes powered by the likes of a single GeForce 7800 GTX

512MB or an ATI X1900 XTX, but one that will also outrun them on some

benchmarks. Really.

Although the 6800 GS has only 12 pipes, its high clock speeds, 256-

bit memory bus, and increased transistor count enable it to deliver better

performance than a 16-pipe 6800 GT, which is outfitted with just a 128-bit

memory-interface. nVidia accomplished

this trick by taking the GeForce 6800’s

basic architecture

and moving it from

a 130nm fabrication

process to a 110nm

process. In fact, the

benchmarks for PNY’s

card come within spit-

ting distance of the

6800 Ultra—not bad

for a card that’s selling

for just $220 at press time.

This card manages to get by with a single-slot cooler, despite its GPU

being clocked at 470MHz (compared to 425MHz in nVidia’s reference design)

and its 256MB of memory cranked up to 550MHz (compared to the stock

500MHz). The fan is fairly quiet, but we wouldn’t recommend installing it in a

home-theater PC if you’re sensitive about noise.

It’s been some time since we’ve been this enthusiastic about a videocard

priced under $300. In fact, our only criticism stems from PNY’s decision to include

just one DVI output along with a TV-out; the remaining output is a lowly VGA. Aside

from that minor shortcoming,

this is one of the best video-

cards in this price range.

—MICHAEL BROWN

PNY Verto GeForce

6800 GS

An incredible bang-for-the-buck videocard

76 MA XIMUMPC APRIL 2006

reviews TESTED. REVIEWED. VERDICTIZED

PNY’s $220 Verto GeForce 6800 FS is a screamin’ deal for

upgraders on a budget.



MEMOREX U3 TRAVELDRIVE

$100(1GB), http://www.memorex.com

PNY GEFORCE 6800 GS

$220, http://www.pny.com



MA XIMUMPC

KICKASS

SINGLE TWO PNY

PNY IN SLI

For details on our videocard benchmarking methodology, point your browser to http://www.maximumpc.com/benchmarks.

DOOM 3 (FPS) 38.0 71.0

FAR CRY (FPS) 68.2 118.3

3DMARK03 12,924 21,510

3DMARK05 5,661 10,155

HQV SCORE 61 61

BENCHMARKS

Whenever a USB key includes a removable cap, we end up losing

it, as was the case with this TravelDrive.