3:17 PM
High Technology
Before we get started we need to explain the format of our reviews over the past six months. Readers will have noted that an entire review is laid out on one long page instead of 15-20 short pages. While it takes longer for a single page of this length to load we have designed the layout so that text appears first and graphics last so you can start reading before completion of loading. We decided not to split over 15-20 pages as many people find it annoying to have interruptions once they start getting into a review. It also means you can use the search option in the menu bar to go straight to parts that are of interest. We'd like our readers to let us know which method they prefer by providing feedback in our Forums. In any case, by the time you finish reading this paragraph the page should have mostly loaded.
Here we go again : ). As some of our regular readers will already know, we had a major server cash which in effect lost all of our data from our 1TB RAID array. Unfortunately we lost some of our reviews. Here we have the first of our re-writes, a selection of must have products from GlobalWIN. What can I say other than it truly is a pleasure to work with these products again, they are a mix of function and form all wrapped up in an affordable price range.
GlobalWIN Travel Box USB 2.0
I think it's fitting that the first of GlobalWIN's products that we look at today is the one that could have saved us a lot of time and money if we had used one of its many functions last month to back up our valuable data.
It's clear from the start that the GlobalWIN Travel Box is destined for greatness, it's sexy, sleek style make it a very fashionable accessory which due to its small size fits neatly on any table top. Unlike many similar offerings from other companies the GlobalWIN Travel Box is made of lightweight aluminum and clear plastic to reduce weight during travel and increase heat dissipation during prolonged use. Its compact size also allows it to be easily stored in a briefcase or notebook bag.
As previously mentioned the Travel Box has many uses, backing up valuable data being an obvious one other common uses are to increase capacity on portable computers and laptops through the high speed USB 2.0 interface. Another use for the Travel Box, the use that it was initially designed and marketed for is the transfer of files between computers in different locations. We will be testing the device using a 0.99GB test file to see the benefits of the various formats available, but before we begin let's take a look at the Travel Box itself.
We see above that the Travel Box has two ports and a switch to its rear and an LED on the front. The switch is to turn the power on and off without disconnecting the device from the mains and the two connectors are for the USB cable and the Power Adaptor (supplied). Many of you may be thinking that many USB products draw their power from the computers USB port, which is true, however you must take into account that you will be putting a very powerful hard disk drive in the Travel Box with several platters and a possible 7200rpm which would draw a lot of power, especially over prolonged periods of activity. The LED lights when the power is on and when there is disk activity it varies in colour between Red and Green.
Here we have the speed test results for the 0.99GB file:
| Transfer Method | Time Taken (seconds) |
| PC to Travel Box USB 1.1 | 733 |
| Travel Box to PC USB 1.1 | 772 |
| PC to Travel Box USB 2.0 | 32 |
| Travel Box to PC USB 2.0 | 37 |
| PC to Internet (128kbp/s Upload) | 66960 |
| Internet to PC (512kbp/s Download) | 16560 |
Wow it takes a whopping 18 and a half hours to upload the file to the internet and only 32 seconds to put it on the Travel Box.
Here we have one of the latest advancements in Power Supply technology, not only has GlobalWIN provided us with a high power output they have reduced the noise to a mere 19DBA, which is just 1DBA over ambient room noise which has been rated at 18DBA. If that wasn't enough they've designed it with appearance in mind (like all their products) it has an illuminated glass window that gives off an eerie blue glow and a polished aluminum body.
As you can see below this particular power supply has an abundance of connectors, including some SATA power cables which are still quite hard to find on newer power supplies especially without sacrificing standard connector cables in their place. You will also see some 3pin fan connectors, these are very important as they provide a unique feature of GlobalWIN's latest range of Power Supplies. When you power down your system in a normal environment the expensive components inside are continually subjected to heat exposure for some time. With the SAF series of power supplies this is greatly reduced due to the fact that the fans continue to spin for 3 minutes after your system is powered down, effectively increasing the life and reliability of you computers components.
What more can we say, other than the Power Supply is available in the following versions 450W and 520W, with a quieter version (yes it's true!), the Sapphire Onyx available in 450W and 520W with an 80mm and 90mm fan included it still manages to remain silent and cool, however the Onyx doesn't have the eerie blue glow we love so much!
You're probably wondering why we put the word Pro in brackets, well that's simple, you get both versions in the kit! That's right with the additional blanking plate and the five minute task of mounting the radiator block externally you get the Pro version which offers an additional level of cooling equating to an average of 2 degrees centigrade cooler than the standard version.
Unlike other water-cooling systems the Silent Stream does exactly as it promises. It delivers extremely effective cooling whilst maintaining a near silent sound level. The Silent Stream comes pre-filled with water from Taiwan, this water is quite soft compared to that of the UK and is comparable to distilled water. Although distilled water is recommended for other water cooling systems GlobalWIN claim that the Silent Stream works just as effectively with tap water. This is quite handy as the reservoir will need to be topped up every month or two, depending on the environmental conditions of your computer room.
GlobalWIN's patented technology brought on by years of R&D and from creating superior quality cooling products has enabled them to combine the Reservoir, CPU Block and Pump into the compact unit displayed above. All in all you get a quiet, effective product that is compatible with all current CPU's including AMD's Athlon64 and Intel's Prescott at a fraction of the cost of a bulkier, noisy and less effective competitors unit.
Wow, that was fun! Was it good for you? What have we learnt from this review? Always back up your data, and buy GlobalWIN!
Seriously, you get top class products, which are available Worldwide, with excellent after sales service at a really competitive price. Their continued Research and Development mean that they'll be around for ever going from strength to strength pioneering in new technologies to make your life stress free and your computing experience more enjoyable.
This reviewer has no hesitation in awarding GlobalWIN the Hardware Review Gold Accolade for their top notch products and service. Keep up the good work!
