~ Early Web Links ~

Beyond3D is a technical deep-dive site covering GPU architecture, graphics hardware analysis, and 3D chip history, with detailed reviews of cards from NVIDIA, ATI/AMD, and others. Its comprehensive 3D Chips index cataloguing nearly every major consumer graphics processor ever released makes it an invaluable reference for graphics hardware enthusiasts and engineers alike.

iXBT Labs is a detailed hardware review site, and this article by Andrey Worobyew puts three Leadtek WinFast GeForce2 MX graphics cards head-to-head across the NVIDIA MX, MX200, and MX400 chipsets. Packed with benchmark data, performance comparisons, and technical analysis, it offers a thorough look at budget GPU options from the early 2000s.

A no-frills browser-based tool by Jason Farrell that helps users detect stuck or dead pixels on LCD monitors by cycling through solid black, white, red, green, and blue fullscreen backgrounds. Simple keyboard shortcuts make it easy to navigate between test colors without leaving fullscreen mode.

A sharp-tongued critique of budget consumer PCs from manufacturers like eMachines and Compaq, coining the term 'craputer' to describe bloatware-laden, corner-cutting machines that frustrate users with pre-loaded junk and missing OS discs. The site documents specific grievances including desktop sponsor icons, mystery startup programs, and the infamous 'Recovery Diskette' trap that undoes all your cleanup work.

Viperlair is a dedicated computer hardware publication covering reviews, news, and analysis of components like GPUs, fans, cooling systems, and peripherals. With coverage spanning major brands such as Nvidia, AMD, Corsair, and Noctua, it serves as a reference for enthusiasts looking to stay current on PC hardware trends and products.

Chris Hare's PC Hardware Links is a comprehensive reference site covering CPU specifications, processor pinouts, motherboard chipsets, and 3D video specs spanning decades of hardware generations from 486 chips to current processors. Packed with detailed charts and a Processor Upgrading FAQ, it serves as a technical bible for anyone researching or upgrading vintage and modern PC components.

AcesHardware.com is a deep-dive hardware review and analysis site covering CPUs, GPUs, memory technology, and server platforms from the early 2000s, with detailed shootouts comparing Intel versus AMD processors and professional workstation graphics cards. The archive spans years of technically rigorous benchmarks and guides, from Athlon XP builds to multi-processor Opteron servers, making it a goldmine for retro hardware enthusiasts and PC history buffs.

Dan's Data, run by Daniel Rutter, is a long-running Australian tech site packed with PC hardware and gadget reviews, opinion columns, tutorials, and reader letters dating back to 1998. Covering everything from USB peripherals and storage devices to big-picture tech commentary, it combines hands-on testing with an opinionated, entertaining writing style.

Sandpile.org, maintained by Christian Ludloff since 1996, is the definitive technical reference for x86 processor architecture, covering everything from opcode encodings and register layouts to paging structures and CPU exception tables. Assembly programmers, hardware engineers, and low-level developers rely on its exhaustive documentation of opcodes, mod R/M bytes, descriptor tables, and processor-specific extensions like SSE5A, XOP, and Intel VMX.

Burningissues.net is a comprehensive resource covering CD, CDR, CDRW, and DVD burning tips, tricks, hardware reviews, and software guides for getting the most out of optical disc burning. The site features how-to guides, forum discussions, motherboard and hardware tests, and practical troubleshooting advice for common burning problems on Windows systems.