Jeremy’s Holiday Gift Picks

Our News Editor Jeremy is a "jack of all trades" kind of guy, and his tech picks show that as he recommends everything from a simple multi-tool to a full blown laptop.

1. ZOTAC AMP! ZT-50702-10M GeForce GTX 560 – $210 USD

This Nvidia card from Zotac represents the company’s budget 1080p gaming option.  While it doesn’t have the extra CUDA cores of the newer Ti or Ti 448 core versions, it does have a dual fan heatsink, is overclocked quite a bit above stock, and is less expensive to boot.  This card would make a good addition to a budget gaming rig if you find it on sale.

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Core is 950MHz, a 140MHz overclock, the Shader is1900MHz, a 280MHz overclock and the Memory is 4400MHz which is a 400MHz overclock (effective). With these speeds the card punches well above it’s weight and at $220 you could even consider picking up a pair of them.

2. HP Pavilion dv6-6135DX (Refurbished) – $550 USD

An AMD powered Windows 7 notebook with Blu-Ray drive and switchable AMD graphics was extremely difficult to find earlier this year, at least in this price range.  For $550, you are getting a lot of computer for the money.

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This is a ridiculously good deal for a laptop capable of gaming while supplies last. An A8-3500M is paired with a Radeon HD 6750M and you even get a BluRay drive, all for $500.

3. Leatherman 830846 Skeletool Multitool – $41 USD

A shiny stainless steel (body) and aluminum (handle) multitool packed with attachments that weights five ounces and has a 25 year warranty.

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You have to open the case somehow.  With the holes punched through the handle this model weighs significantly less than others and a lot of the extraneous tools have been left out.  Whether you are in the server room, working on your personal computer or just puttering around the house this is a great tool to have handy.

 

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