MSI sent us their latest fully featured PC, the Aegis Ti, to take a look at. This PC departs from the "traditional box" design in a big way and is ready to support not just one but two GTX 1080s! It's VR ready, including an HDMI port in front and dual M.2 drives, which can be configured in RAID, making it ready for whatever you want to throw at it.
Here's another $400 option for ultra-small PCs, this time based on Intel's 35W Skylake CPU, the Core i3-6100T. The ECS LIVA One ups the performance a notch compared to past LIVA units, but the ECS LIVA One also ups the size a fair bit.
ASRock has upped the ante with mini-PCs by introducing their latest innovation, the ASRock DeskMini 110. The DeskMini 110 features the new Mini-STX form factor that brings full 65W CPU support into a tiny 5"x5" package. That means you can stuff a 65W Core i7 6700 Skylake-S CPU into the ASRock DeskMini 110. It also features a PCIe Gen3 x4 link for one of its M.2 ports, so you can have ultra-fast storage, too!
ECS has yet another LIVA iteration in stores now, ready to add basic compute functionality to all those home theatres without "smart" features. The tiny LIVA Core features faster HDD tech to make media playback features better, so it's not just ready for HT use; it's capable of more! Presenting the LIVA Core!
Today, the RTS game Ashes of the Singularity was released in a version that supports mixing GPUs from various vendors, even of different architectures, to provide a performance uplift similar to SLI and CrossFire. We test a selection of NVIDIA and AMD cards to investigate what to expect from the new DirectX 12 feature.
350W? 10 Litres? What sort of power can you get inside that space? MSI's Nightblade MI2 answers both those questions in a very surprising way. Packing a GTX970, Skylake CPU, DDR4, M.2 SSD, and a built-in optical drive, the MSI Nightblade MI2 is a fully 1080p-capable GAMING PC you can lug around under your arm.
What sort of hardware can you get for a few more dollars than the cost of a retail copy of Windows 8.1? ECS has the answer with the ECS LIVA X2. Based on Intel's NUC platform featuring a Braswell SoC, the ECS LIVA X2 is a full PC that includes a full version of Windows 8.1. Hardware for pennies? Yes, please!
ASRock's engineering department has been at it again, this time to bring something new to the mini-PC market. With claims of 30 FPS 4K playback using a Braswell SoC, the ASRock Beebox is a nice little box supporting 16 GB of DDR3L, dual HDMI, USB 3.1 Type-C, and mSATA/SATA.
HiFiMAN has a reputation for producing great headphone amplifiers. Today, we take a look at their newest do-it-all headphone amplifier & DAC combo with an on-board T-amp. This all-encompassing device features a class A/B headphone amplifier with a tube input stage. Despite all its features, it sells for $499, which is quite impressive.
Today, we are reviewing the Vibe Therapy Meridian which comes with seven different settings and a high quality silicone finish. Priced between 30 and 60 euro, it delivers satisfying performance. Oh, and we overclocked it, too.
Tired of your smart TV's horrible interface? Looking to add Wi-Fi and digital media options to your home theatre? Want Windows in your living room? ECS's LIVA X is the cost-effective, silent solution to meet those needs, as well as the basic compute needs of most Internet users. With added storage-expansion options and more CPU power, the new LIVA X is the mini PC many have been waiting for.
The award-winning ASRock M8 barebones chassis has received an upgrade recently, sporting Intel's latest Z97 chipset as well as a larger 600W PSU. Ready to accept nearly any add-in VGA and nearly any LGA1150 CPU, the ASRock Z97 M8 barebones is that system many lust over, and we get our own chance to see why.
Today, we take a look at ECS's LIVA Mini PC Kit, a small and affordable PC with very low power consumption, a small price, and lightweight computing capabilities. With a sub-US$200 price tag, expecting top-notch performance would be ill advised, yet what can you get for $200 that fits in the palm of your hand? An ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit, of course.
Recently purchased a new Haswell-based CPU only to run into an overclocking nightmare? Looking for some tips to get a bit more out of your chip? After pushing the limits for several weeks and ending up with more than a few dead chips, we've come up with a guide focused on 24/7 overclocking with Haswell!
The Intel DC3217IYE Next Unit Computing is quite the beast, with the ability to connect two HDMI screens at the same time and the power of an Intel Core i3 and QS77 Express Chipset all in a tiny package. Just add memory and SSD and take this tiny system for a ride - we sure did!
Card readers are steadily catching up with the fastest memory cards out there, and with the help of USB 3.0, speeds well beyond those of USB 2.0 can be achieved. Lexar packs all this punch into the Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader aimed at professional users that need the fasted transfer speeds.
Creative's long awaited new line of sound cards is here. Today, we take a thorough look at the new entry-level model called "Sound Blaster Z". The sound card comes equipped with the new Sound Core processor and Creative even bundles it with a decent microphone.
Parrot's infamous AR.Drone just got revamped and we take the new and much improved 2.0 version for a spin around the block. The new drone comes with updated on-board hardware and brand new software tricks as well.
With more and more smartphones and tablets in people's hands, Soundgraph is aiming to bridge the gap between the HTPC and these devices by offering the Smartbay. We take the device for a spin to see if Soundgraph has done their homework or if the money could have been spent in a more efficient manner.
With more and more possibilities to store and playback media to and from different devices the limiting factor tends to be how you can lay down a cable to connect these. PowerColor aims to break that bond with their JustSling, a WHDI solution allowing for wireless, 1080p HDMI to be beamed to your TV without the need of any cables. We take the JustSling for a spin to see if it can sling all our favorite media from end end of the home to the other successfully or if it falls short.
Parrot's AR.Drone is a remarkable piece of kit which incorporates video games with RC-piloting. The AR.Drone is a fully fledged drone with on-board cameras and hardware which allows it to almost fly itself.
Lamptron Touch is the first touch screen fan controller in a series of notable releases from Lamptron. The Touch places excellent customization at your finger tips while an external brushed aluminum front will certainly go well with any case. We'll place this high end controller under our thumb and see how it stacks up against the competition.
iTwin aims to enable secure access to your data in the office or at home with plug and play ease. The 99 US Dollar device does not require setup, nor does it have any capacity restrictions for the amount of data you may access. While other implementations are based on software or online storage scenarios, the iTwin is completely independent and may be used on any Windows based system.
There are very few manufacturers of completely passive systems out there. Impactics is jumping into the fray, aiming to offer fan-less systems, but without the large price premium associated to such computers. We take a look at the black, H55 and i3-530 equipped system to see if it can keep going under the pressure, or if it crumbles under the heat.
Inadequate cooling is never to be taken lightly in a world that is getting hotter and hotter. Fortunately for all us desk bound gadget lovers Arctic Cooling have realized this and given us the Breeze Mobile.
