MaximumPC 2007 11

MAXIMUMPC

Quick Start Microsoft unveils a

new graphics spec—DX10.1 .................. 09

WatchDog Maximum PC takes

a bite out of bad gear ............................. 16

Head2Head Is a gaming keyboard

superior to a standard plank? ................ 20

How To Tidy up your computer’s

cables ..................................................... 72

Ask the Doctor Diagnosing

and curing your PC problems ................ 74

Contents

R&D Everything you ever wanted

to know about power supplies ............ 76

In the Lab More about RAID, and

a primer on optical drive testing .......... 78

In/Out You write, we respond........ 118

Rig of the Month Brian

Carter’s Mystique2 ............................ 120

Departments

Reviews

Desktop PC Dell XPS 720 H2C ...... 80

Videocard Diamond Viper

Radeon HD 2900XT ................................ 84

External hard drive Toshiba

Portable ................................................... 84

External storage Data Robotics

Drobo ........................................................ 86

Monitor stand Atdec Visidec

Freestanding Double .............................. 86

Color calibrator Pantone

HueyPro ................................................... 88

Gaming mouse Logitech G9 ........ 88

Data transfer device Data

Drive Thru Tornado ................................... 90

Water cooler Swiftech H20-120 .... 90

USB headsets Rocketfish USB

Gaming Headset; Turtle Beach Ear

Force AK-R8 Headset ............................. 92

NOVEMBER 2007 MAXIMUMPC

Speakers Yamaha NX-U10;

Blue Sky EXO 2.1; Anthony Gallo

TR-2 ..................................................... 94

Digicams Sony Cyber-shot

DSC-W80; Olympus Stylus 780;

FujiFilm F40fd........................................... 96

Cellphones Apple iPhone;

HTC Mogul ............................................... 98

Keyboard/Mouse

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic

Desktop 7000 .......................................... 100

07

Ghost Recon Advanced

Warfighter 2 ........................................... 100

Medal of Honor: Airborne ................... 102

Gaming

EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF Will Smith
MANAGING EDITOR Tom Edwards
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michael Brown
SENIOR EDITOR Gordon Mah Ung
SENIOR EDITOR Katherine Stevenson
ASSOCIATE EDITOR David Murphy
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Nathan Edwards
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Norman Chan, Mike Chin, Tom
Halfhill, Paul Lilly, Roman Loyola, Thomas McDonald
EDITOR EMERITUS Andrew Sanchez

ART
ART DIRECTOR Natalie Jeday
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Boni Uzilevsky
PHOTO EDITOR Mark Madeo
ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHER Samantha Berg
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Martin Abel

BUSINESS
GROUP PUBLISHER Stacey Levy
650-238-2319, [email protected]
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Rob Smith
650-238-2503, [email protected]
WESTERN AD DIRECTOR Dave Lynn
949-360-4443, [email protected]
WESTERN AD MANAGER Gabe Rogol
650-238-2409, [email protected]
EASTERN AD MANAGER Larry Presser
646-723-5459, [email protected]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GAMES GROUP David Cooper
646-723-5447, [email protected]
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, GAMES GROUP Nate Hunt
646-723-5416, [email protected]
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jose Urrutia
650-238-2498, [email protected]
SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER Alison McCreery
MARKETING COORDINATOR Michael Basilio
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Richie Lesovoy
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Dan Mallory

CIRCUL ATION
CIRCUL ATION DIRECTOR Peter Kelly
NEWSSTAND MANAGER Elliott Kiger
NEWSSTAND COORDINATOR Alex Guzman
INTERNET SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER Betsy Wong
PRINT ORDER COORDINATOR Heidi Hapin

FUTURE US, INC
4000 Shoreline Court, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080
http://www.futureus-inc.com

PRESIDENT Jonathan Simpson-Bint
VICE PRESIDENT/COO Tom Valentino
CFO John Sutton
GENERAL COUNSEL Charles Schug
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR/GAMES Simon Whitcombe
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Dave Barrow
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR/TECHNOLOGY Jon Phillips
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR/MUSIC Brad Tolinski
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL SERVICES Nancy Durlester
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Richie Lesovoy

Future US, Inc. is part of Future plc.
Future produces carefully targeted
special-interest magazines, websites
and events for people who share a
passion. We aim to satisfy that pas-
sion by creating titles offering value
for money, reliable information, smart
buying advice and which are a plea-
sure to read or visit. Today we publish
more than 150 magazines, 65 web-
sites and a growing number of events in the US, UK, France and Italy.
Over 100 international editions of our magazines are also published
in 30 other countries across the world.
Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange
(symbol: FUTR).

FUTURE plc
30 Monmouth St., Bath, Avon, BA1 2BW, England
http://www.futureplc.com
Tel +44 1225 442244

NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: Roger Parry
CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Stevie Spring
GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR: John Bowman
Tel +44 1225 442244
http://www.futureplc.com

REPRINTS: For reprints, contact Ryan Derfl er, Reprint Operations
Specialist, 717.399.1900 ext. 167
or email: [email protected]
SUBSCRIPTION QUERIES: Please email customerser vice@
maximumpc.com or call customer ser vice toll-free at 800.274.
Maximum PC ISSN: 1522-

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