AMD Phenom II (Socket AM3), respectable benchmark scores and real bargains
The move to a new platform brings credible new challengers to Intel’s Core 2 processors
ATI Radeon 4550
Can’t handle gaming, and beaten by cheaper media cards too.
ATI Radeon HD 4850, superb performance without the HD 4870's price tag
The ATI HD 4800s hit a sweet-spot of performance and price. If you're after high-end performance at a few hundred dollars less than the 4870, then this is your card
Belkin N+ ADSL2+ Storage Modem-Router
Fast and blessed with some truly useful features - a router that's well worth investing in
Dell Inspiron Mini 12, poor keyboard, sluggish performance is a letdown
Dell's 12.1in netbook could have been good, but you'd have to buy one in the US to realise its true potential
EMPIRE: Total War, takes on the 17th century on a gloriously large scale
Empire: Total War is a game that’ll appeal to history nerds and fans of previous Total War titles.
Free laptop deals, are they a cleverly disguised con?
Are "free laptop" deals like Vodafone's Dell Inspiron mini 9 offer a great way to save money on a new PC, or a cleverly disguised con? We reveal the truth
Home NAS Box Roundup: 7 boxes tested
We put seven NAS drives from the likes of Maxtor, Netgear, Synology, Thecus, Western Digital and Iomega to the test to find out which is best for storing your files
Iomega StorCenter ix2 2TB
Iomega’s latest shows promise, but it’s outclassed by others
Is email wasting your day? The two-minute rule for Outlook, and other tips to feel like you've achieved something each day
This feature is for anyone who's finished a working day with the horrible sense of dissatisfaction that things didn't go to plan, that you've been ineffective. That you just didn't do all the things you wanted to.
LaCie Network Space 500GB
Inexpensive, but a frugal assortment of features
Left 4 Dead, close to a truly interactive zombified movie
Welcome to the first zombie movie we’ve seen that’s actually any good. Left 4 Dead finally gets gaming away from the trigger-point mechanic: you have no idea if a dozen zombies are around the corner, or one, or none.
Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard, 22 hotkeys on one pad
Looking like it's been plucked straight out of a sci-fi film, you're unlikely to find a gameboard with this much style
Logitech Harmony 1100, the ultimate universal remote?
The Logitech Harmony 1100 has enough bells and whistles to attract the biggest home entertainment enthusiasts - but it doesn't come cheap, and will it work with older Harmony models?
Lord of the Rings: Conquest
Fans of the films will probably get a kick out it, but it's probably not the greatest use of the franchise.
Maxtor Shared Storage II
Plenty of storage, but average performance and limited features
MSI Wind U120H netbook takes on 3G, 6-cell battery
More than just a new coat of paint, the new Wind adds mobility with 3G. While the design and features don't look as cutting edge as they once did, this is still a great netbook
Netgear ReadyNAS Duo, good value storage for music and video
With more homes served by their own wired and wireless networks, there’s no better way to store all your music, movies and documents than a NAS box like this
Netgear ReadyNAS Duo
A comprehensive set of features and good performance
Nvidia GeForce 9400 GT
Cheap and functional, but rivals perform better.
Nvidia GeForce 9500 GT
Can't handle gaming and beaten by cheaper media cards too.
Nvidia GeForce 9600 GSO
On its last legs, it costs as much as faster cards.
Panasonic Toughbook CF-W7, handles bumps and bruises with flair
Lightweight, resilient laptop with reasonable performance at a price tag that doesn’t break the bank.
Sennhesier IE8, powerful quality sound at a price
Would you pay more for headphones than your Mp3 player? You might, if you had a pair of these to hear your favourite tunes through.
Synology ds209+
Expensive, but the ds209+ is very fast – the NAS to aspire to
Thecus N3200 Pro
A fast, sensibly designed three-bay NAS device with RAID5
Top 10 amazing research projects
We tour several of the leading tech research labs in the US to discover which 10 research projects could soon change the world
Warhammer 40,000 Dawn Of War II, the RPG becomes all-out combat
You might expect Dawn Of War II to follow in traditional sequel style, offering a real time strategy experience with more Orks than you can throw a Bolter at.
Western Digital ShareSpace 4TB
Oodles of storage and middling performance, but found lacking
What's hiding in the terms and conditions?
What are you really getting yourself into when you click 'I agree' during software installations? We delve into the hidden world of End User Licence Agreements (EULAs).