News Archive

Friday, January 30th 2015

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Cooling
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Gigabyte GTX 960 G1 Gaming 2 GB Review

Gigabyte GTX 960 G1 Gaming 2 GB Review

With 3x DP, 2x DVI and 1x HDMI outputs, Gigabyte's GTX 960 G1 Gaming features the most complete output configuration. The card is also overclocked out of the box, and a powerful triple-fan thermal solution keeps it cool, yet it stays very quiet in gaming states and will stop the fans completely with idle and light loads.

AeroCool Rolls Out DS200 Black Window Edition Case

AeroCool rolled out the latest addition to its DeadSilence (DS) family of quiet PC cases, the DS200 Black Window Edition. A variant of the DS200, it features a tinted acrylic window on its side-panel, measuring 284 mm x 217 mm. The rest of its feature-set is identical to the original. Measuring 210 mm x 485 mm x 527 mm (WxDxH), this ATX mid-tower case is made of a SECC steel frame, and ABS panels, with synthetic leatherette coating. One of its main features is an integrated multi-channel fan-controller, with temperature readouts. Other front panel connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports and HDA jacks.

The DS200 offers two 5.25-inch drive bays, and seven internal bays (2x 2.5-inch and 5x 3.5-inch), split between two detachable drive cages. The case offers room for graphics cards as long as 290 mm, but with one of the drive cages removed, that clearance is increased to 410 mm. CPU coolers as tall as 170 mm can be installed. Ventilation includes two 140 mm front intakes (one 140 mm fan included), one 120 mm rear exhaust (fan included), and a top exhaust vent that either holds one 200 mm spinner, or two 140/120 mm ones.
Thursday, January 29th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Gaming PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Mouse
NAS
Networking
Notebooks
Processors
PSUs
Sound Cards
SSD

Intel Announces Availability of 5th Gen. Core vPro Processor Family

Intel Corporation today announced the availability of its 5th generation Intel Core vPro processor family that provides cutting-edge features to enable a new and rapidly shifting workplace. To meet the needs of a more mobile and dynamic workforce, the latest iteration of Intel Core vPro processors offer wireless innovations, built-in security, faster performance and improved manageability that will allow workers and companies to improve their productivity and stay competitive.

With the new 5th generation Intel Core vPro processors, Intel addresses three specific areas to enable a better way to work and provide a better experience for users and companies: PC design innovation, wireless display and wireless docking. Businesses can choose from a variety of never-before-seen PC designs across 2 in 1s, Ultrabooks, ultrathin clamshells and mini PCs that offer up to twice the battery life and more than twice the performance, enabling form factors that are up to three times thinner and 50 percent lighter than a laptop PC from just four years ago.

AMD Cashes in On GTX 970 Drama, Cuts R9 290X Price

AMD decided to cash-in on the GeForce GTX 970 memory controversy, with a bold move and a cheap (albeit accurate) shot. The company is making its add-in board (AIB) partners lower pricing of its Radeon R9 290X graphics card, which offers comparable levels of performance to the GTX 970, down to as low as US $299.

And then there's a gentle reminder from AMD to graphics card buyers with $300-ish in their pockets. With AMD, "4 GB means 4 GB." AMD also emphasizes that the R9 290 and R9 290X can fill their 4 GB video memory to the last bit, and feature a 512-bit wide memory interface, which churns up 320 GB/s of memory bandwidth at reference clocks, something the GTX 970 can't achieve, even with its fancy texture compression mojo.

MSI Announces Limited Edition GeForce GTX 970 and GTX 960 Graphics Cards

To celebrate the grand milestone of selling over 100 million NVIDIA GPU based graphics cards from the moment MSI started to manufacture these until 2015, MSI has prepared a special limited edition of its recently launched GTX 960 GAMING and much awarded GTX 970 GAMING models with a striking NVIDIA green color scheme.

Both cards feature the well-known MSI Twin Frozr V cooler with Zero Frozr technology and Torx Fan design with innovative award-winning cooling technology for silent and cool gaming graphics. They will also come with a backplate to improve structural rigidity and most of all complement the exclusive premium appearances. As a token of appreciation, a special gift for dedicated MSI fans is included in the box. The MSI GTX 960 GAMING 100 ME and MSI GTX 970 GAMING 100 ME are now globally available.

Perfectly Functional GTX 970 Cards Being Returned Over Memory Controversy

In what is a major fallout of the GeForce GTX 970 memory allocation controversy, leading retailers in the EU are reporting returns of perfectly functional GTX 970 cards citing "false advertising." Heise.de reports that NVIDIA is facing a fierce blowback from retailers and customers over incorrect specs. Heise comments that the specifications "cheating could mean the greatest damage to the reputation of the company's history."

Major German PC hardware retailer Caseking.de says that retailers don't have any explanation from NVIDIA to give to their customers. A similar sentiment is being expressed by the NVIDIA add-in card partners (AICs) we spoke to. Retailers and AIC partners are on their own, for now. One AIC partner rep told us that NVIDIA has no worldwide action plan, as of now, to deal with a potential flood of returns.

Kingston HyperX Sets DDR4 Overclocking World Record at 4351MHz

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced its HyperX Predator DDR4 memory was overclocked at 4351 MHz, the highest frequency among all DDR4 memory in the world. The mark was set by overclocker "Toppc" of MSI using one 4GB HyperX Predator 3333MHz DDR4 module on the new MSI X99S XPOWER AC motherboard. The valid CPU-Z screenshot can be found here. The video of the overclocking record can be found here.

In addition to having the highest frequency, 10 out of the top 20 memory clock records were achieved using HyperX Predator DDR4 memory. Eight of those records were set at the recent HyperX OC Takeover (HOT) World Finals event during 2015 International CES, where the world's top overclocker's gathered to compete for $15,000 (USD) in prize money. HyperX DDR4 memory currently also has the top scores in two other benchmarks recognized by HWBOT, MaxxMEM and MaxxMEM Read Bandwidth, respectively.

MSI Nightblade Now with Latest GTX 900 Series Graphics

MSI, leading gaming hardware brand, is leveling up by implementing the latest MSI 900-series graphics cards into the tiny MSI Nightblade powerhouse. The recent release of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 970 and 960 graphics cards enables MSI to offer gamers an even more lavishing gaming experience with the MSI Nightblade, which fits an ATX-size graphics card without the need for additional adapters, despite its mini-ITX form factor.

Gamers that want a powerful, compact gaming PC that can be carried to gaming and LAN events will have an excellent pick with the MSI Nightblade. By default, the Nightblade B85 gaming systems come with Killer Game Networking technology, Audio Boost 2 and Military Class 4 components, known for its stability and power efficiency. Selected resellers will also offer the MSI Nightblade with locally preferred configurations.

MSI to Refresh X99S Motherboard Series as USB 3.1-equipped X99A Series

MSI is planning to give its socket LGA2011v3 motherboard lineup a refresh, replacing the X99S series, with the new X99A series. The X99A series will feature USB 3.1, the new 10 Gb/s USB standard. One confirmed model from the new lineup is the X99A Gaming 9 ACK. This board offers two USB 3.1 type-A ports, which are 100% backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, and are driven by an ASMedia ASM1352R controller. This chip is wired to the X99 PCH over PCI-Express 2.0 x2, which is just enough bandwidth for 10 Gb/s downstream. At CES, MSI displayed the first motherboard to feature a USB 3.1 type-C port, the Z97A Gaming 6.
Wednesday, January 28th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
Notebooks
Speakers
SSD
Storage

Biostar Outs GeForce GTX 750 Ti Gaming OC Graphics Card

Biostar made a comeback to graphics cards after a long sabbatical, with a new GeForce GTX 750 Ti based graphics card, the GTX 750 Ti Gaming OC. Based on a custom-design that we guess could be originally designed by either Onda or Galaxy, the card features a custom-design dual-fan cooling solution, which consists of a solid aluminium heatsink, which is ventilated by a pair of 80 mm spinners. The card offers factory overclocked speeds of 1059 MHz core, 1137 MHz GPU Boost, and an untouched 5.40 GHz memory, compared to reference speeds of 1020/1085 MHz. Display outputs include two dual-link DVI, and a mini-HDMI. The card features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory, across its 128-bit wide memory interface. Based on the 28 nm GM107 silicon, the GTX 750 Ti features 640 CUDA cores based on the "Maxwell" architecture.

Func Announces an Update to the F-Series 10 Mousepad Series

Func is excited to announce a new version of the F-Series 10. The F-Series was introduced to the market for the first time back in 2005 and was meant to be an economical alternative to the more high-end product from Func, the Surface 1030. The new Func F-Series 10², is like earlier versions is a single-sided, low profile, semi-rigid mouse pad constructed of high quality polycarbonate but is now available in 3 sizes. In addition to a wider range of sizes, the MSRP of the new F-Series 10² is significantly lower compared to earlier versions.

SMART Modular Announces DDR4 Mini-DIMM

SMART Modular Technologies, Inc., a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of specialty memory and storage solutions, including memory modules, flash memory cards and other memory and solid state storage products, has announced today the launch of its DDR4 Mini-DIMM, one of the industry's first Mini-DIMM form factor utilizing next generation DDR4 technology.

SMART's initial lineup of DDR4-2133 Mini-DIMMs includes 8GB and 16GB VLP Mini-UDIMM along with 8GB and 16GB standard height Mini-RDIMMs, all of which comply with JEDEC 288-pin form factor and pin-out standards. Today, Mini-DIMMs are widely used across many application segments including networking, telecom, industrial, computing and storage by OEMs who are looking to save board space or source as an alternative to SO-DIMMs. The attractiveness of Mini-DIMMs is that they are versatile; it's a small form factor offered in high densities operating at high data transfer rates. For OEMs currently using DDR3 Mini-DIMMs, SMART is pleased to offer a migration path to DDR4.

Western Digital Announces Financial Results For Second Quarter Fiscal 2015

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) today reported revenue of $3.9 billion and net income of $460 million, or $1.93 per share, for its second fiscal quarter ended Jan. 2, 2015. On a non-GAAP basis, net income was $539 million or $2.26 per share. In the year-ago quarter, the company reported revenue of $4.0 billion and net income of $430 million, or $1.77 per share. Non-GAAP net income in the year-ago quarter was $532 million, or $2.19 per share.

The company generated $243 million in cash from operations during the December quarter, net of the Seagate arbitration award payment of $773 million, ending with total cash and cash equivalents of $4.9 billion. During the December quarter, the company utilized $309 million to repurchase 3.2 million shares of common stock. On Nov. 4, the company declared a $0.40 per common-share dividend, which was paid on Jan. 15.

NVIDIA to Tune GTX 970 Resource Allocation with Driver Update

NVIDIA plans to release a fix for the GeForce GTX 970 memory allocation issue. In an informal statement to users of the GeForce Forums, an NVIDIA employee said that the company is working on a driver update that "will tune what's allocated where in memory to further improve performance." The employee also stressed that the GTX 970 is still the best performing graphics card at its price-point, and if current owners are not satisfied with their purchase, they should return it for a refund or exchange.
Tuesday, January 27th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Memory
Motherboards
NAS
Processors
SSD
Storage
In Win D-Frame Mini Review

In Win D-Frame Mini Review

The In Win D-Frame Mini is a smaller, updated version of the original D-Frame. It actually improves on the compatibility, comes fully assembled, and looks sleeker than the original. Forget looking at the price - the D-Frame Mini is not a sensible buy. Look at it from a design perspective as that is where it really shines.

Apple Reports Record First Quarter Results

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 first quarter ended December 27, 2014. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $74.6 billion and record quarterly net profit of $18 billion, or $3.06 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $57.6 billion and net profit of $13.1 billion, or $2.07 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.9 percent compared to 37.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 65 percent of the quarter's revenue.

The results were fueled by all-time record revenue from iPhone and Mac sales as well as record performance of the App Store. iPhone unit sales of 74.5 million also set a new record.

Introducing SilentiumPC Supremo M1 Gold 550W PSU

Developed with maximum reliability and rock stable power delivery in mind new SilentiumPC Supremo M1 Gold 550W PSU is built using only premium-grade components. Advanced layout includes Japanese main capacitor, Taiwanese solid-state capacitors as well as DC-DC converters. The unit is capable of reaching phenomenal efficiency up to 91% fulfilling 80PLUSGold Certificate requirements.

With single +12V line capable of delivering stunning 45.9A (550W) it remains whisper-quiet with 135 mm fan spinning below 1000 rpm at full-load. Semi-modular black flat cables mean simple and clean builds. Supremo M1 Gold 550W is backed with 5-year warranty for end-users upon registering the unit within 30 days from purchase.

Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 Memory Now Available

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the availability of Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory. Designed to enhance high-performance gaming environments and push performance limits, the new modules deliver introductory speeds starting at 2666 MT/s, and allow users to radically increase bandwidth to 21 GB/s. Ballistix DDR4 memory also delivers up to 40 percent better power efficiency than standard DDR3 memory.*

Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory is optimized for the latest Intel X99 platforms with support for XMP 2.0 profiles, and features a custom-designed black PCB and anodized aluminum heat spreaders for improved heat dissipation. Supported by the exclusive Ballistix Memory Overview Display (M.O.D.) utility, which provides the ability to read information from the module, including real-time temperature from the integrated thermal sensor, voltages and more, all to aid overclocking efforts.

GTX 970 Memory Drama: Plot Thickens, NVIDIA has to Revise Specs

It looks like NVIDIA's first response to the GeForce GTX 970 memory allocation controversy clearly came from engineers who were pulled out of their weekend plans, and hence was too ambiguously technical (even for us). It's only on Monday that NVIDIA PR swung into action, offering a more user-friendly explanation on what the GTX 970 issue is, and how exactly did they carve the GM204 up, when creating the card.

According to an Anandtech report, which cites that easy explanation from NVIDIA, the company was not truthful about specs of GTX 970, at launch. For example, the non-public document NVIDIA gave out to reviewers (which gives them detailed tech-specs), had clearly mentioned ROP count of the GTX 970 to be 64. Reviewers used that count in their reviews. TechPowerUp GPU-Z shows ROP count as reported by the driver, but it has no way of telling just how many of those "enabled" ROPs are "active." The media reviewing the card were hence led to believe that the GTX 970 was carved out by simply disabling three out of sixteen streaming multiprocessors (SMMs), the basic indivisible subunits of the GM204 chip, with no mention of other components like the ROP count, and L2 cache amount being changed from the GTX 980 (a full-fledged implementation of this silicon).

ASUSTOR Adds 4 New Tower Models to 50T/51T Enterprise-Class

ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, has announced the launch of 4 new NAS devices primarily aimed at prosumers and small to medium business users. These new high capacity tower models consist of the AS5008T, AS5010T, AS5108T and AS5110T. All new models feature flexible hardware expandability, the ability to quickly upgrade the built-in memory to a maximum of 8GB and are equipped with 4 high speed gigabit Ethernet ports which allow business users to conveniently adjust their network bandwidth usage. Additionally, all models come equipped with 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports and 2 eSATA ports allowing users to maximize the use of peripheral equipment and providing users with a cost-effective and reliable enterprise-class cloud storage server.

The AS5008T and AS5010T models are powered by the latest Intel Celeron 2.41GHz dual-core processors and 1GB of SO-DIMM DDR3L memory while the AS5108T and AS5110T models come equipped with the latest Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz quad-core processors and 2GB of SO-DIMM DDR3L memory. All models also support hard drive hot swapping and the creation of RAID volumes (Single, JBOD, RAID 1/5/6/10 + Hot Spare) providing secure protection for all system data. The AS5108T and AS5110T also feature LCD panels with configuration keys that allow users to execute system initialization and quickly view basic system information. Additionally, the AS5108T and AS5110T feature disk tray locks in order to help users avoid accidentally pushing disk tray buttons and releasing hard disks during operation. The lock's flat-head design ensures that users will not need any special keys or tools to unlock it, only a simple flat-head screw driver. Users can now rest assured with this additional layer of security for their data.

Top Three Graphics Card Vendors Net 12 Million in Shipments, in 2014

According to stats put out by Taiwan-based industry observer DigiTimes, the top three graphics card vendors by shipments were ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI (in that order), 2014. ASUS leads the pack with over 5 million graphics cards shipped in the year. Gigabyte comes in second, with over 3.6 million cards shipped. MSI is third, with between 2.8 and 3 million cards shipped in the year. The three sell both AMD Radeon and NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards. 2014 overall, has seen graphics card shipments drop by 10 percent, owing to a pop in the bubble created by crypto-coin miners in 2013. Other notables from the report include a rise in shipments from PRC-based vendors such as Colorful and Onda.

Introducing the EVGA TORQ X5 & X3 Gaming Mice

Introducing the EVGA TORQ X5 and X3 gaming mice. Each of these mice was designed from the ground up to satisfy the needs of the hardcore gamer with high quality sensors and Omron switches. The EVGA TORQ X5/X3 mice support fully programmable buttons, onboard storage for saving up to 5 profiles and more.

The EVGA TORQ gaming mouse comes complete with a full software package that allows complete control over the mouse. Customize the color, button settings, DPI and profiles. The EVGA Unleash software also has an OSD (On Screen Display) that makes it easy to see what profile or DPI setting you are using.

Cooler Master Announces the Silencio FP Series Fans

Cooler Master, a leading creator, innovator, and manufacturer of desktop components and peripherals, today announced the Silencio FP Series, featuring brand new fans with Cooler Master's latest pressure optimized silent performance fan technology.

The Silencio FP Series brings in some new 120mm fan models to the Cooler Master lineup, all focused on quiet performance. These fans utilize Cooler Master's newest fan technology to bring quality airflow at extremely low noise levels. The Silencio FP Series use Loop Dynamic Bearing technology to push life expectancy up to an outstanding 160,000 hours. Next to that an all new patented driver IC on the fans provides both less vibrations to reduce noise and uses ultra-low current to save on power consumption. The driver is also more precise, providing more accurate RPM feedback for better fan management. The SmartFan engine backs up the driver with a low starting voltage and polarity proofing for less headaches when hooking up. The Silencio FP fans also come with protections against fan jams and an auto-resume function after any blade obstructions are cleared to help protect the blades and motor.
Monday, January 26th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Gaming PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
Processors
SSD
MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC (Intel LGA 1150) Review

MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC (Intel LGA 1150) Review

Another dragon flies ashore! MSI's "high-end" Intel Z97 motherboard, the MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC, swoops down onto my testbench after a long trip to me. The MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC is MSI's answer for the ultra-dollar gamer, but does it breathe fire or just puff smoke out its nose?

Colorful Announces its GeForce GTX 960 Lineup

Colorful Technology, the biggest NVIDIA AIC in China, announced the latest GTX960 series graphics cards. Four different models had been released this time, including Colorful GTX960 CH with reference design for entry users, Colorful GTX960 i-Cafe for System Integrators, iGame GTX960 Ymir-U for general users and iGame GTX960 Ymir-X for enthusiasts. Colorful GTX960 CH uses reference design and runs at reference Clock, with 1127 MHz of core and 7010 MHz of memory.

Colorful GTX960 i-Cafe has longer PCB than reference design but runs the same clock with Colorful GTX960 CH. The i-Cafe series provide better stability and longer lifespan, with the efficient cooler and high quality electronic component, ensure that it could be steadily working long term in high ambient temperature in the computer case. iGame GTX960 Ymir-U is designed for general users and gamers and it provides two different clocks models. In power efficiency model, it runs at 1127/7010 MHz; and in performance efficiency model, the clock is set at 1203/7010 MHz.

First Core i7 Powered Intel NUC Incoming

Intel's revolutionary NUC (next unit of computing) ultra-compact desktop, which set out to offer performance rivaling desktops ten times its size, was traditionally limited to Core i5 chips at the top-end. Intel wants to change that, and is giving final touches to the first NUC to feature a Core i7 processor, and one based on its 5th generation Core "Broadwell" technology, at that. Bearing a model number of "NUC5i7RYH," this NUC will be driven by a Core i7-5557U dual-core processor (2 cores, 4 threads, 3.40 GHz clocks, 4 MB L3 cache, dual-channel DDR3L-1866 IMC), with Intel Iris-6100 graphics. That could make it the first Steambox-ready NUC to lack NVIDIA or AMD graphics. Intel could use a fan-heatsink to cool the 28W TDP chip.

MSI First to Support NVM Express Storage on all X99/Z97/H97 Motherboards

MSI, world leading in motherboards, is the world's first motherboard brand to fully support the next generation in storage control, NVM Express. All MSI motherboards sporting Intel 9 series chipsets including X99, Z97 and H97 are now supported. MSI has prepared BIOS updates which are now available for download. NVM Express is the next generation PCI Express storage standard introducing lower latency and lower power consumption but increased transfer speeds compared to the legacy AHCI controller.

MSI's R&D fine-tuned the BIOS to fully unleash all the power NVMe has to offer while supporting the majority of devices available on the market without any hassle. With the latest BIOS, MSI X99/Z97/H97 motherboards can support NVMe devices as primary storage under Windows 7 64-bit and Windows 8.1 64-bit and fully support NVMe booting. The BIOS updates can now be downloaded from the company website. The table below describes all supported models and BIOS version.

Sapphire Announces Radeon R9 290X 8GB Tri-X with Higher Clocks

Following the successful introduction of the industry's first 8GB R9 290X graphics card with its Vapor-X model, SAPPHIRE Technology has just announced another 8GB card sporting the highly acclaimed SAPPHIRE exclusive Tri-X triple fan cooler, enhanced clocks and dual BIOS, making the large frame buffer option available at a slightly lower cost.

The SAPPHIRE R9 290X Tri-X 8GB features the latest GCN (graphics core next) architecture from AMD with 2816 stream processing units and an enhanced engine clock of up to 1020 MHz. It is equipped with 8 GB of the latest high performance GDDR5 memory on a 512-bit interface and now clocked at 1375 MHz (5.5GHz effective) delivering higher bandwidth than earlier models. Built on a SAPPHIRE original pcb, the layout incorporates a 6-phase power design delivering up to 240 watts (40 watts per phase) for maximum performance. Two 8-pin power connectors ensure adequate system power is available (up to 375 Watts total including PCI-Express power).

BIOSTAR Announces TA70U3-LSP Socket FM2+ Motherboard

BIOSTAR has released the latest mainboard, based on the exclusive A70M chipset from AMD, the TA70U3-LSP, which offers LAN Surge Protection built directly into the board. The TA70U3-LSP supports FM2+ APUs, USB 3.0 and SATA3. AMD A70M chipset (exclusive from BIOSTAR) supports USD 3.0 and SATA3, it becomes the best upgrade option of current entry level A58 chipset boards.

The TA70U3-LSP is based on the AMD FM2+ socket design that will support AMD Multi-Core (x4, x2) socket FM2+/FM2 processors AMD A-series/ E2-series processors all in a full-sized ATX form factor. It has 3 PCI slots and 2 DIMM slots supporting up to 32Gb of DDR3 ram and uses the newest SATA 6Gb/s bus which is twice the speed of current SATA 3G connections with 6 SATA connectors along with USB 3.0. There is also support for AMD Dual Graphics Technology, as well as support for full HDMI 3D 1080p.

NVIDIA Responds to GTX 970 Memory Allocation 'Bug' Controversy

The GeForce GTX 970 memory allocation bug discovery, made towards last Friday, wrecked some NVIDIA engineers' weekends, who composed a response to what they tell is a non-issue. A bug was discovered in the way GeForce GTX 970 was allocating its 4 GB of video memory, giving some power-users the impression that the GPU isn't addressing the last 700-500 MB of its memory. NVIDIA, in its response, explained that the GPU is fully capable of addressing its 4 GB, but does so in an unusual way. Without further ado, the statement.
The GeForce GTX 970 is equipped with 4GB of dedicated graphics memory. However the 970 has a different configuration of SMs than the 980, and fewer crossbar resources to the memory system. To optimally manage memory traffic in this configuration, we segment graphics memory into a 3.5GB section and a 0.5GB section. The GPU has higher priority access to the 3.5GB section. When a game needs less than 3.5GB of video memory per draw command then it will only access the first partition, and 3rd party applications that measure memory usage will report 3.5GB of memory in use on GTX 970, but may report more for GTX 980 if there is more memory used by other commands. When a game requires more than 3.5GB of memory then we use both segments.
Continued
Friday, January 23rd 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Memory
Motherboards

GeForce GTX 970 Design Flaw Caps Video Memory Usage to 3.3 GB: Report

It may be the most popular performance-segment graphics card of the season, and offer unreal levels of performance for its $329.99 price, but the GeForce GTX 970 suffers from a design flaw, according to an investigation by power-users. GPU memory benchmarks run on GeForce GTX 970 show that the GPU is not able to address the last 700 MB of its 4 GB of memory.

The "GTX 970 memory bug," as it's now being called on tech forums, is being attributed to user-reports of micro-stutter noticed on GTX 970 setups, in VRAM-intensive gaming scenarios. The GeForce GTX 980, on the other hand, isn't showing signs of this bug, the card is able to address its entire 4 GB. When flooded with posts about the investigation on OCN, a forum moderator on the official NVIDIA forums responded: "we are still looking into this and will have an update as soon as possible."
Thursday, January 22nd 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Mouse
PSUs
SSD
Storage
Palit GTX 960 Super JetStream 2 GB Review

Palit GTX 960 Super JetStream 2 GB Review

Palit's GTX 960 Super JetStream is the highest-clocked GTX 960 we are reviewing today. It also comes with an overclock on the memory for that little bit of extra speed. The card is cooled by a dual-fan, triple-slot cooler that stops the fans in idle and light gaming.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 SLI Review

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 SLI Review

With a single GTX 960 threatening to shake up the mid-range the way its bigger siblings did, the question on everyone's mind is whether two GTX 960 cards can measure up to single, bigger GTX 900 series cards, and on the cheap.
EVGA GTX 960 SSC 2 GB Review

EVGA GTX 960 SSC 2 GB Review

EVGA's GTX 960 SSC is built upon the company's famous ACX Cooler for extremely low noise levels, and it turns itself off completely while idling. The card is also overclocked out of the box with a sizable overclock that helps it gain 5% performance over the NVIDIA reference design.
MSI GTX 960 Gaming OC 2 GB Review

MSI GTX 960 Gaming OC 2 GB Review

MSI's new GeForce GTX 960 Gaming comes overclocked out of the box. Just like previous MSI Gaming cards, the board runs extremely quiet, emitting almost no noise while gaming, and it also turns off its fans in idle. With a price of $200, MSI has chosen to go with NVIDIA's reference-design pricing.
ASUS GTX 960 STRIX OC 2 GB Review

ASUS GTX 960 STRIX OC 2 GB Review

The ASUS GTX 960 STRIX OC is a custom variant of the GTX 960 that comes with an overclock out of the box on both GPU and memory. It is also the only card that features a backplate. Like all other boards, it will completely turn off its fans in idle and light gaming for the perfect noise-free experience.

Inno3D Announces its GeForce GTX 960 Lineup

Inno3D is thrilled to finally announce the highly anticipated iChill and Inno3D GeForce GTX 960, that delivers incredible performance, power efficiency, and cutting-edge gaming technologies that only NVIDIA Maxwell technology can offer.

This is the perfect upgrade to advanced gaming, letting you dominate the competition with 60% faster performance and twice the power efficiency than previous generation cards. Unleash its massive overclocking potential and push your performance even further. Plus, it features VXGI for realistic lighting, support for smooth, tear-free NVIDIA G-SYNC technology, and Dynamic Super Resolution that enables 4K gaming on 1080p displays.

PNY Announces Reference Design GeForce GTX 960

PNY rolled out a reference-design NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 graphics card, for those who want a plain vanilla card at NVIDIA's baseline $199.99 pricing. The card features the company's default NVTTM (NVIDIA Time to Market) cooling solution, which has been widely used on the company's performance-segment and mid-range products, such as the GTX 760, GTX 670, GTX 660 Ti, and GTX 660. It sticks to reference clock speeds of 1128 MHz core, 1178 MHz GPU Boost, and 7.00 GHz memory. Based on the 28 nm "GM206" silicon, the GTX 960 offers 1024 CUDA cores, 64 TMUs, 32 ROPs, and a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, holding 2 GB of memory.

GALAX Announces its GeForce GTX 960 Lineup

GALAX, a leading manufacturer of premium graphics hardware, today announced the launch of an entire new lineup of custom performance tuned and overclocked GTX 960 Series graphics cards. Three new models will be available, each with unique advantages to satisfy the precise needs of discerning enthusiasts. The GTX 960 SOC leads the pack in pure performance, featuring the highest overclock and an extended PCB with powerful triple fan cooler and anodized aluminum backplate.

The GTX 960 OC focuses on maximizing speed in minimal space with a super compact design ideal for Mini ITX and HTPCs. Finally, the GTX 960 EXOC combines the best of both worlds for an impressive balance of power, efficiency and cooling capacity. The 960 OC and 960 EXOC are also the first to feature GALAX exclusive Silence Extreme Plus technology, which disengages both fans at idle for true zero decibel operation.

QNAP Announces New Energy-efficient TS-x31+ Turbo NAS

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the TS-x31+ series Turbo NAS for small and home offices. Embedded with a dual-core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A15 CPU, the TS-x31+ series provides a powerful yet energy-efficient solution for file storage, sharing and data backup with hardware-accelerated encryption, coupled with the easy-to-use cloud-based Notes Station 2.0, various multimedia applications and more.

"For home & small businesses, a powerful, secure yet affordable cloud storage solution is becoming a key investment for improving everyday business workflow," said Jason Hsu, product manager of QNAP. "With the TS-x31+ series, users can build a cost-efficient private cloud with ensured security and comprehensive business applications, " added Hsu.

Gigabyte Announces Three New GeForce GTX 960 Graphics Cards

Gigabyte rolled out three new graphics cards based on NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, which look to be graded by fan count. All three are factory-overclocked. The series begins with the GV-N960IXOC-2GD, a compact model, featuring a single-fan heatsink cooling solution, and clock speeds of 1165/1228/7012 MHz (core/boost/memory), against reference speeds of 1127/1178/7012 MHz. This card also features a light display output configuration, with two DVI, and one each of HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2 connectors.

Next up, is the GV-N960WF2OC-2GD, featuring a slightly longer PCB, a dual-fan WindForce 2X cooling solution, and a higher factory-overclock of 1216/1279/7012 MHz. This card features a full-spec FlexDisplay configuration, a Gigabyte-exclusive consisting of two DVI, three DisplayPort 1.2, and one HDMI 2.0 connectors. Leading the pack, is the GV-N960G1 GAMING-2GD (GTX 960 G1.Gaming). Featuring the highest clocks on offer, with 1241/1304/7012 MHz, this card features a massive triple-fan WindForce 3X cooling solution, the same one that cools GTX 970 G1.Gaming, which stays silent until a temperature threshold is reached. Also featured here is FlexDisplay.

ASUS Announces Strix GeForce GTX 960

ASUS today announced Strix GTX 960, an all-new gaming graphics card packed with exclusive ASUS technologies, including DirectCU II for cooler, quieter and faster performance for incredible action gaming, and 0dB fan technology for totally-silent light gameplay. The new card features feature exclusive ASUS Super Alloy Power components for enhanced durability and cooling, and GPU Tweak with XSplit Gamecaster for overclocking and online streaming that's as simple as it is flexible. Strix GTX 960 comes equipped with a DisplayPort interface to support connections up to 4K/UHD (ultra-high definition) resolution.

Strix GTX 960 is factory-overclocked at 1291 MHz and has a 1317 MHz boost clock speed in OC Mode that delivers stunning gaming performance. Strix GTX 960 provides 12% faster gameplay in Assassin's Creed Unity and Battlefield 4, and runs the 3DMark 11 (Extreme) benchmark at 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution 6.5% faster than reference designs. It is fitted with 2 GB of high-speed GDDR5 video memory that races along at boosted speeds of up to 7200 MHz.

MSI Introduces GeForce GTX 960 Graphics Cards

MSI is pleased to announce the latest additions to its next generation GAMING graphics cards lineup. The new MSI GTX 960 graphics cards are powered by NVIDIA's latest GTX 960 Maxwell GPU. The MSI GTX 960 GAMING 2G builds on MSI's #1 position in gaming graphics cards. Featuring the well known Twin Frozr V with Zero Frozr technology and Torx Fan design, the new MSI GTX 960 GAMING 2G card boasts innovative award-winning cooling technology for silent and cool gaming graphics.

Besides the revered GAMING series, MSI also provides factory overclocked Classic models featuring an all new Black & White cooler design to fit the design of MSI's Krait series motherboards. As well as System Integrator OC Edition models with higher clock speeds and reference exhaust fans, catering to the needs of a wide audience.

Gainward Announces its GeForce GTX 960 Series

As the leading brand in enthusiastic graphics market, Gainward proudly presents the brand-new GeForce GTX graphics, base on the next generation MAXWELL architecture, GeForce GTX 960 series. With the great successful MAXWELL powered GPU, the new Gainward GeForce GTX 960 series hit the sweet spot of the most cost effective way to get a high-end gaming experience, such as 1080P gaming at 60 FPS.

Gainward GeForce GTX 960 series comes with 2048MB 7Gbps high speed GDDR5 memory. The memory architecture of MAXWELL provides 33% more efficient than previous generation. Along with the superior core architecture, the GeForce GTX 960 series give you twice the performance of previous-generation cards. The fastest edition of Gainward GeForce GTX 960 series is GTX 960 Phantom "Golden Sample - Goes Like Hell", which is factory over-clocked at 1279MHz base clock (1342MHz boost clock) and 3600MHz memory clock speed, performs up to 12% more than NV's GTX 960 reference clock speed under games and benchmark score.

Palit Announces its GeForce GTX 960 Series

Palit Microsystems Ltd, the leading graphics card manufacturer, is pleased to announce its next generation JetStream, the GeForce GTX 960 Series, a new graphics card in GTX 900 line-up. The revolutionary Palit JetStream風 series of graphics cards features advanced innovative cooling and an optimized product design to deliver gamers the ultimate gaming experience. As the latest and the next generation NVIDIA Maxwell architecture, the Palit GeForce GTX 960 JetStream series guarantees gamers the perfect upgrade to the advanced performance, power efficiency and realistic gameplay gaming experience.

Continue the Glory of Palit JetStream series, Palit GeForce GTX 960 JetStream provide the extremely overclocking performance, Quiet and Cool thermal systems and plus the next generation NVIDIA Maxwell architecture, Palit GTX 960 JetStream is able to let gamers to enjoy gaming experience at 60ftps with 1080p monitors. Today, Palit releases GeForce GTX 960 Super JetStream, GTX 960 JetStream and GTX 960 OC edition to the market to fulfill all gamers' need. Palit GTX 960 Super JetStream is with 1024 cores, 2048MB GDDR5 7Gbps fast speed memory and boost clocked at 1342MHz, making it 164MHz higher than the stock 1178MHz of NVIDIA's reference design. With the new 0-dB Tech features, there is zero noise while you are at general workload, such as internet or multi-media application. Stay Quiet, Stay Cool and Enjoy the High gaming performance with Palit JetStream.

Point of View Announces the GeForce GTX 960 TROOPER

Trooper Gaming - an initiative of NVIDIA graphics partner Point of View - launches today a new Trooper card: the GTX 960. The latest addition to the Maxwell family, the GeForce GTX 960 is the perfect upgrade for anyone who wants to experience next-generation Maxwell gaming.

Enjoy advanced gaming that's 60% faster and twice as power efficient as a previous-generation card. Unleash the massive overclocking potential of this GPU and push your performance even further. Plus, the GTX 960 features MFAA anti-aliasing for the smoothest, clearest images.

Introducing the EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SuperSC ACX 2.0+

The EVGA GeForce GTX 960 delivers incredible performance, power efficiency, and gaming technologies that only NVIDIA Maxwell technology can offer. This is the perfect upgrade, offering 60% faster performance and twice the power efficiency of previous-generation cards*. Plus, it features VXGI for realistic lighting, support for smooth, tear-free NVIDIA G-SYNC technology, and Dynamic Super Resolution for 4K-quality gaming on 1080P displays.

The new EVGA ACX 2.0+ cooler brings new features to the award winning EVGA ACX 2.0 cooling technology. A Memory MOSFET Cooling Plate (MMCP) reduces MOSFET temperatures up to 11°C, and optimized Straight Heat Pipes (SHP) reduce GPU temperature by an additional 5°C. ACX 2.0+ coolers also feature optimized Swept fan blades, double ball bearings and an extreme low power motor, delivering more air flow with less power, unlocking additional power for the GPU.

ZOTAC Freezes the GeForce GTX 960 Series Graphics Card

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and manufacturer of graphic cards and mini-PCs, today renders the virtual world with the new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 960 and ZOTAC GeForce GTX 960 AMP! Edition. The quietly efficient next generation graphics card is based on Nvidia's Maxwell architecture, and made more powerful and more efficient using ZOTAC technology.

We have listened and made remarkable improvements on the reference card to tailor it to users who are looking for a quieter experience without compromising gaming performance. The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 960 series does exactly this," says Tong Wong, CEO, ZOTAC International.

NVIDIA Releases the GeForce 347.25 WHQL Game Ready Driver

Alongside the GeForce GTX 960 launch, NVIDIA rolled out its latest Game Ready drivers, the GeForce 347.25 WHQL. The driver adds support for the GTX 960, and is "game ready" for Dying Light, a new zombie apocalypse first-person game, from the people who are good at it - Techland (Dead Island). It adds SLI profiles for Black Desert, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, and Nosgoth. Grab the driver from the links below.

DOWNLOAD: GeForce 347.25 WHQL Game Ready Driver

NVIDIA Announces the GeForce GTX 960

NVIDIA's "Maxwell" GPU architecture reached the money-spinning mid-range of the market, with the GeForce GTX 960. Based on NVIDIA's new GM206 silicon, with 2.9 billion transistors, and 294 mm² die-area, and a narrower 128-bit wide memory bus, translating to just four memory chips on card to achieve its 2 GB, the GTX 960 is built to cost, and will give NVIDIA a vast amount of headroom for price-cuts.

The GeForce GTX 960 features 1,024 CUDA cores, 64 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, exactly half those of the GeForce GTX 980. It even has half the TDP, rated at just 120W. Cards based on this chip draw power from a single 6-pin PCIe power connector, which is a single 8-pin at best, for factory-overclocked ones. The core is clocked at 1127 MHz, with 1178 MHz GPU Boost, and 7.00 GHz memory (GDDR5-effective). NVIDIA's new memory bandwidth management tech gives it a 20 percent effective bandwidth uplift. Prices start at US $199.99, $50 lower than what the GTX 760 started out at.

AMD to Launch New GPUs and APUs Only After March: CEO

In its an investor conference-call following its Q4-2014 and FY-2014 results, AMD stated that it will release new GPU and APU products starting Q2-2015, or only after March. "Going into the second quarter and the second half of the year with our new product launches, I think we feel very good about where we are positioned there," said Lisa Su, chief executive officer.

Q2-2015 will start off with the company's "Carrizo" line of all-in-one and notebook APUs. These chips will integrate the company's new "Excavator" CPU cores, with an integrated graphics core based on Graphics CoreNext 1.2 architecture (the same one AMD built its "Tonga" GPU on). Around the same time, AMD will launch new Opteron "Seattle" enterprise CPUs, which integrate up to eight ARM Cortex A-57 64-bit cores, targeting the ultra-dense server market. In Q2-2015, AMD will launch its latest Radeon Rx 300 series graphics processors. Its performance-segment part, the R9 380, will feature 4,096 GCN 1.2 cores, double that of its predecessor, and 4 GB of stacked HBM (high-bandwidth memory). Its mid-range chip, codenamed "Trinidad" will succeed "Curacao," and offer performance competitive to the $200-ish price-point.

Windows 10: A New Generation of Windows

Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday unveiled a new generation of Windows, with a wide range of experiences designed to usher in a new era of more personal computing, as well as two new devices designed to extend the Windows experience from large screens to no screens. Windows 10 will be delivered as a service to offer a safer, innovative and updated experience for the supported lifetime of the device. A free upgrade1 for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1, who upgrade in the first year.

"Windows 10 marks the beginning of the more personal computing era in the mobile-first, cloud-first world," said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. "Our ambition is for the 1.5 billion people who are using Windows today to fall in love with Windows 10 and for billions more to decide to make Windows home."

Windows 10 marks the beginning of the more personal computing era, where technology disappears and people are at the center. In this era, the mobility of the experience matters, not the mobility of the device, and experiences should work in a seamless, familiar way across devices. People should be able to naturally interact with technology as they interact with other people - with voice, gestures and gaze. Protecting privacy plays a pivotal role in delivering trustworthy experiences that put people in control of their experience.
Wednesday, January 21st 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Motherboards
Mouse
Notebooks
PSUs
SSD
Reeven Steropes Review

Reeven Steropes Review

Reeven looks to impress with their small-form-factor friendly Steropes low-profile CPU cooler. At just 60 mm tall, this diminutive cooler may lack size, but it certainly doesn't lack style. Offering solid performance and low noise, it might be just what you need for a SFF or HTPC.

Lenovo Gets Back to School with New ThinkPad 11e Laptops

Lenovo today announced at the Bett learning technology event the latest ThinkPad 11e series available as a traditional laptop or Lenovo's innovative YOGA multimode form with its four iconic modes - Laptop, Stand, Tent and Tablet. Purposely designed to address the needs of school administrators, educators and students in K-12 classrooms, the ThinkPad 11e series with Windows provides the trusted and ruggedized build of Think-branded products paired with upgraded technical specifications such as a more efficient fan blade and latest generation processors. For an enhanced user experience, the ThinkPad 11e series is also available with an optional ActivePen which accurately mimics a user's actual handwriting on paper.

ActivePen delivers the familiarity and simplicity of using pen and paper into a digital environment. Improved pen accuracy and pressure sensitivity results in a more natural feel and buttons allow for easy access to frequently used functions. In addition to Intel's pre-loaded Education Software, which offers tools and applications tailored for a better 21st century learning experience, the ThinkPad 11e series now comes with Lenovo WRITEit and REACHit software, improving collaboration and productivity for students and educators. This powerful combination of innovative hardware and software will make taking notes, sending homework assignments and conducting group projects easier for students and teachers, equating to a more productive learning experience inside and outside the classroom.

ADATA XPG Z1 DDR4-3333 Overclocking Memory Breaks New Record - 4255 MHz

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, is honored to announce that its XPG Z1 DDR4 3333 Gold Edition computer memory is able to clock up to 4255MHz CL17 when used with an ASUS ROG Rampage V Extreme motherboard cooled with liquid nitrogen. This creates a new overclocking world record for production line DDR4 memory.

In cooperation with motherboard manufacturers, ADATA strives to achieve the best performance in DDR4 memory compliant with the Intel X99 architecture. The XPG Z1 DDR4 3333 Gold Edition breaks the record with extremely high clock frequency of 4255MHz CL17, impressing both gamers and standard CPU clock users alike with outstanding sustained performance, cooling and stability! XPG Z1 DDR4 3333 overclocking memory keeps stable supply to fulfill the market demand, enabling every overclocker, gamer or enthusiast to pursue the ultimate in performance.

SanDisk Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2014 Results

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 28, 2014. Fourth quarter revenue of $1.74 billion was slightly higher on a year-over-year basis and decreased 1 percent sequentially. Total revenue for fiscal 2014 was a record $6.63 billion, a 7 percent increase from $6.17 billion in fiscal 2013.

On a GAAP basis, fourth quarter net income was $202 million, or $0.86 per share, compared to net income of $338 million, or $1.45 per share, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 and $263 million, or $1.09 per share, in the third quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income for fiscal 2014 was $1.01 billion, or $4.23 per share, compared to $1.04 billion, or $4.34 per share, in fiscal 2013.

MSI Launches New All-in-One PCs based on AMD Beema Platform

MSI is excited to announce the launch of three new All-in-One PC's equipped with AMD's latest energy efficient Beema APU platform. The Adora20 5M and AE200 5M include a 19.5" anti-glare display featuring MSI Anti-Flicker & Less Blue Light Technology, to effectively reduce eyestrain and eye fatigue during long working hours. The new AE220 5M features a similar display with a 21.5" size and a compact design which blends seamlessly into modern interiors. With an ultra-slim casing (only 23mm at its thinnest point), the MSI Adora20 5M brings a new level of perfect home PC experience.

The new All-in-One PC's feature the latest E2-6110 and A4-6210 Quad Core APUs of AMD's Beema platform with a 28nm production process and SoC (System on Chip) APU processor technology. Evolved from AMD's previous Kabini platform design, the latest AMD Beema platform provides higher performance while power consumption is reduced up to 20%. The AMD Beema APUs are fitted with new AMD Radeon R2 and R3 built-in graphics, increasing exceptional rendering performance by 10% for a big boost in multimedia and 3D performance compared to previous generations. Users can now enjoy high performance and quality from a discrete graphics card without the need for a dedicated graphics solution.

Windows 10 to be Free Upgrade for Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 Users

In what could be a fundamental shift in how Microsoft monetizes its flagship product, the Windows operating system, the company decided to offer its upcoming Windows 10 as a free upgrade for existing users of Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. This offer will be applicable only for the first year following Windows 10 launch (after which, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 users will have to pay to upgrade to Windows 10). Windows 10 will see the return of the Start Menu, a productive Desktop environment, and cutting-edge new API features such as DirectX 12.

TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.8.1 Released

TechPowerUp released the latest version of GPU-Z, the popular graphics information, monitoring, and diagnostic utility. Version 0.8.1 adds support for new and upcoming GPUs, improves support for existing ones, and fixes a number of bugs. It adds full support for NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, GTX 980M, and GTX 970M, among others; and AMD Radeon R7 255 and FirePro W7100, among others. It also adds preliminary support for NVIDIA GM200 silicon, and Intel "Broadwell" integrated graphics. Several detection improvements were added, and application stability improved.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.8.1 | GPU-Z 0.8.1 ASUS ROG Themed

The change-log follows.

AMD Reports 2014 Fourth Quarter and Annual Results

AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced revenue for the fourth quarter of 2014 of $1.24 billion, operating loss of $330 million and net loss of $364 million, or $0.47 per share. Non-GAAP(1) operating income was $36 million, non-GAAP(1) net income of $2 million and breakeven non-GAAP(1) earnings per share.

"We made progress diversifying our business, ramping design wins and improving our balance sheet this past year despite challenges in our PC business," said Dr. Lisa Su, AMD president and CEO. "Annual Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom segment revenue increased over 50% as customer demand for products powered by our high-performance compute and rich visualization solutions was strong. We continue to address channel headwinds in the Computing and Graphics segment and are taking steps to return it to a healthy trajectory beginning in the second quarter of 2015."

Koolance Releases Compact Chiller EXC-450

Koolance released the Compact Chiller EXC-450, a device that combines a pump, a 1 liter reservoir, and a radiator (chiller) into a single portable unit, which is ideal for open-air benches. This coolant chilling unit works much like a refrigerator or water-cooler, chilling your coolant below room temperature. You simply plumb this unit to your water blocks. At 25°C ambient, the chiller's capacity is 450W, or 1,535 BTU/hr. Temperature options include liquid set-point (1 to 50°C), external thermocouple set-point (1 to 149°C), liquid and ambient delta-T (-50 to 50°C). Drawing power from an external 24VDC power source, the unit draws about 250W of power. Available now, the Compact Chiller EXC-450 is priced at US $1,499.

Synology Introduces RackStation RS815+, RS815RP+, and DiskStation DS2415+

Synology Inc. today launched the new RackStation RS815+, RS815RP+, and DiskStation DS2415+. Those powerful NAS servers are designed to provide speedy encryption performance, scalability on the fly, and high return on investment for growing small medium and businesses. "RS815+, RS815RP+, and DS2415+ are three great additions to Synology's lineup. Their scalability and encrypted performance allow our professional customers to centralize file sharing, data backup, and application serving within an encrypted, unified, and virtualization-ready storage," said Michael Wang, product manager at Synology Inc.

The three models feature a 2.4GHz quad-core processor with AES New Instructions encryption engine, a RAM module expandable to 6 GB, four Gigabit LAN ports supporting Link Aggregation and failover. This powerful hardware translates into reading speeds exceeding 389 MB/s for the RS815+/RS815RP+ and 451 MB/s for the DS2415+, making them capable of handling requests from a great number of users simultaneously. For encrypted files, RS815+/RS815RP+ delivers 388 MB/s (11 times faster than the previous generation) while DS2415+ reaches 451 MB/s (13 times faster than its predecessor) in reading speed.

SilverStone Announces SX500-LG Power Supply

For small form factor enthusiasts, the standard SFX power supply form factor has excellent combination of size, power, and affordability. At 100mm deep, however, the standard SFX PSU is also limited in fan size to 80mm. While advances in engineering and components have made modern high-end SFX PSUs quieter than ever, there is still inherent limitation with 80mm fan's ability to dissipate heat at maximum loading conditions while maintaining satisfactory noise profile for users sensitive to higher-pitch sounds. With this in mind, SilverStone has released a "lengthened" variation of the SFX form factor called, SFX-L. With 30mm of added depth, a SFX-L power supply has enough room to fit a 120mm fan, thus its maximum load noise can be not only lower in intensity (via slower fan speed), but also lower in pitch (due to larger fan size).

The first model to debut in the SFX-L will be the SX500-LG, a 500W model that includes all features available from top of the line SFX SilverStone PSUs such as 80 PLUS Gold efficiency, modular flexible flat cables, and semi-fanless capability. An ATX adapter bracket is included as well to enable users to install this PSU into any small or even larger cases that do not have SFX mounting holes.

QNAP Launches TVS-x71U Turbo vNAS eith Intel Core i7 Quad-core CPU

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the release of the new 10GbE-ready TVS-x71U series Turbo vNAS, including the TVS-871U-RP and TVS-1271U-RP. Delivering high performance, scalability options and a wide array of business applications, these models easily fulfill mission-critical storage needs, with persistent throughput to balance resource-demanding applications. The TVS-x71U series supports QvPC Technology that enables users to directly access stored data, monitor live surveillance feeds, play multimedia content, and much more with an HDMI display.

Available in 8 and 12-bay rackmount models, the TVS-x71U series is powered by Intel Haswell CPU with options including Pentium, Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors for users to flexibly choose based on their demands. These processors deliver high performance with over 3,300 MB/s throughput and 162,000 IOPS for CPU-consuming tasks such as running Virtualization Station, serving large numbers of simultaneous connections, and 4K video playback and transcoding. The TVS-x71U series also supports two on-board internal cache ports for users to install mSATA flash modules to further enhance NAS performance for IOPS-demanding applications. With a scalable design, users can gradually expand their total storage up to 1PB raw capacity (depending on model) on demand by connecting multiple QNAP RAID expansion enclosures (REXP-1600U-RP and REXP-1200U-RP). With this flexibility, businesses can be confident that these models will suit their storage requirements both now and in the future.

Super Flower 1600W Platinum and Titanium PSUs Available in Europe

The first 1600W power supplies listed from the multi-award winning Super Flower, featuring the latest "Titanium" and "Platinum" Rated efficiency, bringing a new standard to power supplies, are now available. Super Flower, one of the worlds leading power supply manufacturers have added the Leadex 1600W to their range, offering up to 94% efficiency with class leading features, as well as offering a huge 1600W capacity, one of the highest wattage with multiple certifications in the market..

The Super Flower Leadex 1600W Power Supply features a fully modular design, 140mm silent DBB Fan, full Japanese 105°C capacitors, ECO Intelligent Thermal control system, a huge amount of connectors and single rail design. The 1600W comes in the Titanium, Platinum and Gold certification. As always with the Leadex models, the power supplies are fully modular for easy cable management, and so you don't use more cables than you need to. The connectors include the popular patented Install Crystal Clear Cube Connectors with LED.
Tuesday, January 20th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Input Devices
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Notebooks
PSUs
SSD
Storage
SilverStone Raven RV05 Review

SilverStone Raven RV05 Review

The SilverStone RV05 is the latest Raven mid-tower chassis with a 90°-turned internal layout. Sporting the same elaborate looks as all other cases in the family, it aims to please the mainstream with its compact size and interesting price tag. Will the RV05 capture our heart or instill fear?

EKWB Indigo Xtreme ETI and Supremacy EVO Elite Now for LGA-2011-3

EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is proud to introduce new Indigo Xtreme Engineered Thermal Interface for the latest 5th generation Intel Socket LGA-2011-3 series CPU as well as Supremacy EVO Elite CPU water block + Indigo Xtreme ETI bundle.

EK-TIM Indigo Xtreme represents the latest generation Engineered Thermal Interface (ETI) and fits neatly between a CPU lid and water block (or heat sink) to keep CPUs cooler. Unlike greases, metallic thermal interface pads or liquid metal alloys, Indigo XS is a self-contained and sealed structure, deploying a Phase Change Metallic Alloy (PCMA) which reflows and fills surface asperities on the CPU lid and heat sink.

Tesoro Partners with Infused, Launches Mousepad Line

Tesoro Technology USA Inc., a manufacturer of high-tech gaming products announces an extended contract with Team Infused, a global eSports professional gaming team. Tesoro is pleased to become a main sponsor for Team Infused and is looking forward to an exciting partnership that leads to team branded products that enhance the look and gaming ability of the team and the fans alike. The first Infused branded product that is being announced is the Infused Mouse Pad.

The Tesoro/Infused partnership is sure to being many new themed products to thrill hard core eSports fans and general gaming enthusiast alike. The new mouse pad is just the beginning; there are soon to be released products too exciting to be mentioned here. Team Infused and Tesoro have been working together since 2014 and this new enhanced partnership is designed to enhance both brands worldwide.

Cooler Master Announces ErgoStand III Notebook Cooler

Cooler Master, a leading creator, innovator, and manufacturer of desktop components and peripherals as well as mobile accessories and more, today announced the ErgoStand III, the next member of the highly successful ErgoStand series.

The Cooler Master ErgoStand III is a cooling stand and docking station for up to 17" laptops and mobile tablets. Equipped with a massive 230mm ultra silent fan featuring Cooler Master's new Loop Dynamic Bearing technology, the ErgoStand III is able to provide 72 cubic feet per minute of airflow at only 21 dBA, which is equivalent to the volume of a rustling leaf in a light breeze. The fan's new Loop Dynamic Bearing and Cooler Master's exclusive fan blade design provides this exceptional performance with a longer lifespan than ever seen before while being controlled by a built-in, high quality aluminum fan speed controller.

Antec Officially Announces P380 Flagship Chassis

Antec, Inc., California-based manufacturer of high-performance computer cases, power supplies and mobile accessories, announced today the availability of the P380, the latest addition to Antec's award-winning Performance One series. The new Quiet Computing flagship is now commercially available from 209 € (MSRP including VAT).

The P380 is a fusion of stylish design and a sophisticated cooling system, with the proven Quiet Computing features of Antec's Performance One series. Like all models in the series, the P380 is specially equipped to dampen system noise to the point that the computer is almost inaudible when the fans spin at a higher speed.
Monday, January 19th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Headphones
Keyboards
Monitors
Mouse
Notebooks
SSD
ECS LIVA-X Mini PC (Intel N2808) Review

ECS LIVA-X Mini PC (Intel N2808) Review

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.

QNAP Launches TVS-x71 Series Turbo vNAS

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the release of the business-class TVS-x71 series Turbo vNAS that supports 10GbE networks and provides a high-efficiency storage solution for 4K video playback, transcoding and on-the-fly editing.

Besides incorporating comprehensive business-demanding applications and advanced virtualization features, the TVS-x71 series features the exclusive QvPC Technology that allows the NAS to be used as a cost-effective PC by allowing users to directly access stored data, monitor live surveillance feeds, enjoy digital entertainment, and much more.

COUGAR Launches 200K Gaming Keyboard

The 200K is the best choice of its segment due to its compact and durable design, that also offers a quality feeling unseen until now in non-mechanical keyboards. Its anti-ghosting technology, implemented in the 19 keys that are most vital for gaming, ensures perfect accuracy when gaming, and the implemented extra functions (media controls, brightness adjustment and more) are implemented in a non-intrusive way. This means the 200K is able to maintain the standard keyboard layout, altering it in only two keys, one for backlight control and another one to activate the secondary functions for keys.

In what is another extra specially designed for gamers, the 200K allows to switch the functionality of the WASD keys and the direction keys, which is especially useful for left handed users or for those who for any other reason might want to adjust in this way the keyboard layout. Finally, the possibility of adjusting the repeat rate will become helpful when facing games that require repeatedly pressing a specific key. The final touch comes from its durable and sturdy build: The 200K's weight and its anti-slip rubber feet ensure it stays stable and give it a quality feel that sets it apart from the light weight and instability of most membrane and scissor switch keyboards of the market.

ID-Cooling Releases Vapor Chamber CPU Cooler for Mini-ITX Systems

ID-COOLING, a cooling solution provider focusing on thermal dissipation and fan technology research and production for over 10 years, releases a newly developed Vapor Chamber CPU Cooler for Mini-ITX system: IS-VC45.

When small PC systems get more and more power hungry and house much more top-tier hardware including the CPU, effective CPU cooling is in demand. With a vapor chamber base to draw heat immediately from the processor, IS-VC45 is able to handle TDP 130W CPUs. Measuring 94×92×45mm, this cooler can fit into Mini-ITX systems easily.
Sunday, January 18th 2015

X2 Presents the Trajan Small Gamer Enclosure

An accompaniment for all the computer gamers, X2 presents the TRAJAN chassis, item number: X2-A902B-CE/R-U3. Build from durable lightweight metal, a simple yet sophisticated design which are not just cool but also dust- proof due to the fan intake grills. Not only are the designs well thought out, the features are also something to look into. Multi compatible with ITX motherboards, Micro-ATX and standard ATX boards as well as standard ATX power supply units. Support for the high-end VGA cards (for example, Titan and GTX780) and water-cooling systems.

Three USB3.0 ports on the front side of the case including HD AUDIO ports for the connection of your gamer headset. The TRAJAN case is one that you can actually carry to the events you wish to show off your gaming skills. There is no need for huge and heavy towers, the TRAJAN from X2 gets the job done and at half the size and weight. The new X2 TRAJAN case is looking superb and is ready to be challenged your gaming power and skills.

Cooltek Announces the X4 Chassis

With the X4 we present another noise-insulated midi-tower case, after the X3 has been received so well since its launch in July 2014. As with the X3, the focus of this newest model rests also on a functional and attractive exterior as well as an efficient noise reduction. The lower part of the plastic front of the compact case has been designed to look like brushed aluminum, giving the X4 a trivalent appearance. In the upper part, two external 5.25 inch drive bays for the installation of optical drives are located.

A main feature of the attractive mid-tower is without doubt the soundproofing, which is a rare feature in this price range. Side panels and top cover are lined with sound-absorbing foam. Another feature of the X4 is the possibility to install up to five 3.5 inch drives, despite its compact measurements. As with the X3, an 80 mm fan is located at the rear of the case, which removes the heated air from the case interior. Externally 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0 and HD Audio ports are available.

First PCB Shots of GeForce GTX TITAN-X Surface

Here are the first PCB shots of NVIDIA's next-gen flagship graphics card, the GeForce GTX TITAN-X. At the heart of this beast is the swanky new 28 nm GM200 silicon, which is rumored to feature 3072 CUDA cores based on the "Maxwell" architecture, a 384-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, with NVIDIA's latest memory bandwidth management mojo, a staggering 96 ROPs, and 12 GB of memory. The design goal is probably 4K to 5K gaming with a single card, at reasonably high settings. The GM200 silicon appears slightly bigger than the GK110, NVIDIA's previous big chip.

The display I/O of this card looks identical to that of the GTX 980. We're not sure if the DVI connector will make it to the final design. There are no shots of the VRM, although given this architecture's track-record, we don't expect the TITAN-X to have any heavier power requirements than the GTX 780 Ti (6-pin + 8-pin power inputs). NVIDIA is expected to launch the GTX TITAN-X within this quarter. Don't hold off on your GTX 980 purchases just yet, because NVIDIA tends to overprice its "TITAN" branded graphics cards.
Friday, January 16th 2015

Today's Reviews

CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
Memory
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
PSUs
SSD
Storage

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 G1.Gaming Pictured

Here are the first pictures of Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 960 G1.Gaming graphics card. This factory-overclocked card is designed to woo mid-range graphics card buyers with a hefty, high-end looking package. To begin with, Gigabyte deployed its large WindForce 3X cooling solution on this 120W TDP chip, the same one it used on the GTX 970 and GTX 980 G1.Gaming products. This cooler may seem overkill, but Gigabyte may set a temperature-activated fan profile, which keeps the fans off until the GPU hits a temperature threshold, which we imagine will be very high, given this chip's thermals, and the size of this cooler's heatsink.

The GTX 960 G1.Gaming from Gigabyte will also be different from other offerings based on this chip, due to its display I/O. While most other GTX 960 cards will feature two dual-link DVI and one each of HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2, this card features an I/O that looks identical to Gigabyte's GTX 980 G1.Gaming, with two dual-link DVI, three DisplayPort 1.2, and one HDMI 2.0 connectors. NVIDIA will launch the GeForce GTX 960 on the 22nd of January, 2015. Looks like some stores are already stocked-up.

GeForce GTX 960 3DMark Numbers Emerge

Ahead of its January 22nd launch, Chinese PC community PCEVA members leaked performance figures of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 960. The card was installed on a test-bed driven by a Core i7-4770K overclocked to 4.50 GHz. The card itself appears to be factory-overclocked, if these specs are to believed. The card scored P9960 and X3321 in the performance and extreme presets of 3DMark 11, respectively. On standard 3DMark FireStrike, the card scored 6636 points. With some manual overclocking thrown in, it managed to score 7509 points in the same test. 3DMark Extreme (1440p) was harsh on this card, it scored 3438 points. 3DMark Ultra was too much for the card to chew, and it could only manage 1087 points. Looking at these numbers, the GTX 960 could be an interesting offering for Full HD (1920 x 1080) gaming, not a pixel more.

ECS Launches LIVA-X Mini PC

Elitegroup Computer System (ECS) is proud to introduce the latest mini PC - LIVA X, a fan-less design, quiet and low power consumption small-size computer. Adopting Intel Bay-Trail M SOC and 15W ultra-low power design; supporting Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Linux, and Ubuntu operating systems, as well. LIVA X supports USB 3.0 port, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth wireless connection technology. End users can upgrade storage capacity via mSATA SSD. Most importantly is the size of LIVA X ringing in at only half a liter! LIVA X Mini PC brings a whole new PC experience to the world.

The LIVA X features a no noise thermal design, providing a real silent Mini-PC. Enjoy it without any noise. Thanks to Intel new Bay Trail-M SOC 22nm processor. LIVA X features ultra-low power consumption, only 1/10 traditional desktop usage.
Thursday, January 15th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Harddisks
Headphones
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
Speakers
SSD
Storage

Latest Intel Graphics Drivers Enhanced for 4th gen and 5th gen Core Processors

Intel released a new driver with support for Intel 5th Generation Intel Core processors with HD Graphics 5500, HD Graphics 6000, and Iris Graphics 6100 and key enhancements for Intel 4th Generation Intel Core Processors. Benefits of updating to this driver include addition of partial hardware acceleration for the VP9 video format (for Chrome video playback, Google Hangouts), GPU accelerated decode of HEVC video format (for 4K Ultra HD video playback) and expanded Open CL and Open GL extension support.

This new driver is timed with the newly released 5th Generation Intel Core processor which has up to 34% faster 3D graphics, faster CPU performance, up to 50% better faster video conversion, and more than 1.5 hours longer battery life compared to previous generation.

DOWNLOAD: Intel Graphics Drivers 15.36 for Windows 8/7/Vista 64-bit | Windows 8/7/Vista 32-bit

ZOWIE EC1-A and EC2-A Gaming Mice Now Available

Announcing the introduction of the new ZOWIE EC series of mice. The ZOWIE EC1-A and EC2-A has advanced from the original series utilising the superior Avago 3310 sensor, with no acceleration or prediction giving the user full precision under mouse control, the same sensor is used in the award winning FK series.

Keeping the same shape and size, the materials have been revamped utilising new and refreshing materials. ZOWIE GEAR listened to the competitive gamers and casual gamers feedback on the coating of the mouse, and the EC1-A and the EC2-A now use the same premium coating as the FK and the EC eVo CL series which is the gamers prefered choice.

G.SKILL Releases Extremely High End DDR4 Memory Kit at 3400MHz

G.SKILL International Co. Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid-state storage, is proud to release the Ripjaws 4 DDR4 3400MHz 16GB (4GBx4) memory kit at CL 16-16-16-36, and a new Ripjaws 4 DDR4 3200MHz 16GB (4GBx4) memory kit with a faster CL15 timing. These extremely high end memory kits also come with awesome Turbulence III memory fans.

The new Ripjaws 4 DDR4 3400MHz 16GB (4GBx4) memory kit is made from hand-picked IC and G.SKILL's highly-selective binning process. It has also been tested for compatibility on the Asus Rampage V Extreme and Gigabyte X99-SOC Champion motherboards, shown in screenshots below.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Specs Confirmed

Here's what NVIDIA's upcoming performance-segment GPU, the GeForce GTX 960, could look like under the hood. Key slides from its press-deck were leaked to the web, revealing its specs. To begin with, the card is based on NVIDIA's 28 nm GM206 silicon. It packs 1,024 CUDA cores based on the "Maxwell" architecture, 64 TMUs, and possibly 32 ROPs, despite its 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, which holds on to 2 GB of memory. The bus may seem narrow, but NVIDIA is using a lossless texture compression tech, that will effectively improve bandwidth utilization.

The core is clocked at 1127 MHz, with 1178 MHz GPU Boost, and the memory at 7.00 GHz (112 GB/s real bandwidth). Counting its texture compression mojo, NVIDIA is beginning to mention an "effective bandwidth" figure of 9.3 GHz. The card draws power from a single 6-pin PCIe power connector, the chip's TDP is rated at just 120W. Display outputs will include two dual-link DVI, and one each of HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2. In its slides, NVIDIA claims that the card will be an "overclocker's dream" in its segment, and will offer close to double the performance over the GTX 660. NVIDIA will launch the GTX 960 on the 22nd of January, 2015.

Samsung Starts Mass Producing Industry's First 8 Gb GDDR5 Memory

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it has begun mass producing the industry's first 8 gigabit (Gb) GDDR5 DRAM, based on the company's leading-edge 20-nanometer (nm) process technology. GDDR5 is the most widely used discrete graphics memory in the world.

Designed for use in graphics cards for PCs and supercomputing applications, and on-board graphics memory for game consoles and notebook PCs, discrete graphics DRAM provides an extensive amount of bandwidth to process large high quality graphically-oriented data streams. With the rising popularity of 3-D games and UHD video content soon to be widespread, the need for high-performance, high-bandwidth graphics memory has begun to rapidly increase.

Arctic Announces P614 & P614 BT Headphones

Do you love music? Then don't let mediocre headphones destroy your favorite tracks! The earplugs that are supplied with Smartphones & co. fulfil their purpose but don't bring out the best in your music. With ARCTIC's new headphones P614 and P614 BT you can experience sound as it should be.

Enhanced neodymium drivers capture even the slightest nuances and play back your songs as crystal clear and richly faceted as possible. Thanks to the soft ear cushions and a leatherette headband these headphones keeps you comfortable hour by hour. Why take them off anyway? An in-line microphone ensures that you don't miss a call and enables a quick and easy switch between your favorite songs and incoming phone calls.
Wednesday, January 14th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Keyboards
Motherboards
Mouse
Notebooks
PSUs
SSD
Storage

NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X To Feature Tweakable Idle Fan-off Mode

Taking advantage of the low TDP of GeForce GTX 970 and GTX 980, several NVIDIA add-in card (AIC) partners such as ASUS, MSI, and Palit, innovated their VGA cooling solutions to feature idle fan-off. Such a feature lets the card turn its fans completely off, when the GPU is idling, or is below a temperature threshold, making the card completely silent when not gaming. NVIDIA plans to standardize this with its next-generation GeForce GTX TITAN X graphics card.

Given that its TITAN family of super high-end graphics cards never get to be custom-designed by AICs, NVIDIA has decided to standardize an idle fan-off feature of its own. Unlike AICs, who have used specialized fan-controller chips that take auxiliary temperature input to decide when to turn the fan off, NVIDIA's approach will be more driver-based. Future drivers accompanying the GTX TITAN X will offer a new feature, which when enabled, lets you choose between a non-linear fan curve that keeps the fan off; and one that runs it at low speeds. This should let the driver power the fan of a GTX TITAN X completely off, until it reaches a temperature threshold, and only then begin to ramp up speeds. It could help not just idle (desktop), but also light-gaming scenarios (think League of Legends).

Silverstone Shows Off Sugo SG12 SFF Case

Silverstone showed off the latest addition to its Sugo line of compact cases, the SG12. This small form-factor case can seat a micro-ATX motherboard. It features a steel frame, with aluminium panels. Breaking from tradition, Silverstone added a bright color applique to the front-bezel, to liven things up. There's a full-size 5.25-inch drive bay, sitting above a couple of USB 3.0 front-panel ports, and standard HDA jacks.

Internally, the SG12 seats a micro-ATX motherboard, with room for two fairly long graphics cards. A standard ATX PSU bay hovers over the motherboard tray, so tall fin-stack heatsinks may not make it to your build. There are three 3.5-inch, and nine 2.5-inch drive bays internally. Fans include a 120 mm intake, and two 80 mm. The case measures 270 mm x 212 mm x 393 mm (WxHxD).

KFA2 Readies Three GeForce GTX 960 Graphics Cards

KFA2 is readying as many as three graphics cards based on NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce GTX 960 GPU. The first one is a vanilla NVIDIA reference design board, featuring the same cooling solution found on the GTX 760, and several older cards. This card will stick to reference clock speeds, and will be the cheapest. The next card is the GTX 960 OC, which retains the NVIDIA reference PCB, but tops it off with a factory-overclock, and a custom, compact dual-fan cooling solution.

The third, and topmost variant is the GTX 960 EXOC, which is based on a custom-design PCB that draws power from a single 8-pin PCIe power connector, with a meatier VRM to support even higher factory OC, a bigger dual-fan cooling solution, and a back-plate to cool memory chips on the reverse side of the PCB. The three will launch on the GPU's expected launch date, that's 22nd January, 2015.
More pictures follow.
Tuesday, January 13th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Headphones
Memory
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
Notebooks
Processors
PSUs
Sound Cards
Speakers
SSD

Antec Unveils 750W EDGE Silence Defined PSU

Antec expanded its super-quiet EDGE Silence Defined line of power supplies, which made its debut in September with 550W and 650W model, with a series-topping 750W one, aimed with gaming PC builds with up to two high-end graphics cards. The unit is characterized by a 135 mm FDB fan that stays off until the unit kicks a load/temperature threshold; and rubber grommets and bands that dampen whatever little vibration slips out of the fan.

The innards of the 750W EDGE Silence Defined are made by Seasonic, featuring a single +12V rail design, APFC, Haswell C7 state support, and all modern electrical protection mechanisms. The unit features fully modular cabling, with enough juice and straws to go around, for a build with two high-end graphics cards.

Antec Shows Off P380 Flagship Chassis

Antec showed off its next flagship PC chassis, targeting enthusiasts, the P380. This full-tower can house E-ATX, SSI-CEB, HPTX, and XL-ATX motherboard types, apart from standard ATX and micro-ATX. It features 9 expansion slots. The frame is made of SECC-Steel, but the case features high-density polycarbonate panels, which look good (faux-aluminium), and work to absorb vibrations.

Drive bays on the P380 include two 5.25-inch, and eight 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive trays, split between two cages, with the bottom 6-tray one being detachable, to free up 465 mm of room for some really long graphics cards (350 mm with the cage in place). Cooling system includes room for a 360 mm x 120 mm top radiator, and another one along the front panel, and a 120 mm rear exhaust. Front panel connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and standard HDA audio jacks.

Antec Also Shows Off the P70

It may not be a 2-compartment breadbox like its sibling, the P50, but the new P70 retains its design language, with its brushed, faux-aluminium front, high-density polycarbonate panels that work to dampen vibrations, and its motherlode of front panel USB ports (six USB 2.0/1.1 and two USB 3.0), next to standard HDA jacks. This mid-tower can house standard ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX motherboards.

Drive bays on the P70 include three 5.25-inch, and an interior 3.5-inch drive cage with four bays, that can be detached to free up room for graphics cards as long as 380 mm (300 mm with the cage in place). Three 120 mm fans are included, a front intake, a rear exhaust, and a top exhaust. There's provision for a 120 mm front intake, a 120 mm rear exhaust, and two 120 mm top exhausts, that can hold on to a 240 mm x 120 mm radiator.

Antec Goes 2-Compartment with the P50

Antec showed off one of its first two-compartment cases, the P50. This micro-ATX case features a vertical partition, à la Corsair Carbide Air 240. Its front is decked with a brushed faux-aluminium panel, with a single 5.25-inch drive bay that's along the plane of the base, rather than vertical. Front panel connectivity includes six USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and two USB 3.0 ones, apart from 3.5 mm HDA jacks. The top vent tucks in a large 200 mm spinner, which swaps out for room for a 240 x 120 mm radiator.

The left-side compartment holds the motherboard tray, with no obstacles for graphics cards as long as 300 mm, and CPU coolers as tall as 160 mm. This compartment has two 80 mm rear exhausts. The right-side compartments holds the PSU bay with a 140 mm intake, and two ventilated drive bay stacks, with three 3.5-inch, and two 2.5-inch drive bays, in all. In all, the case has room for eight fans. All panels feature high-density polycarbonate, which works to reduce noise.

Next AMD Flagship Single-GPU Card to Feature HBM

AMD's next flagship single-GPU graphics card, codenamed "Fiji," could feature High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM). The technology allows for increased memory bandwidth using stacked DRAM, while reducing the pin-count of the GPU, needed to achieve that bandwidth, possibly reducing die-size and TDP. Despite this, "Fiji" could feature TDP hovering the 300W mark, because AMD will cram in all the pixel-crunching muscle it can, at the expense of efficiency from other components, such as memory. AMD is expected to launch new GPUs in 2015, despite slow progress from foundry partner TSMC to introduce newer silicon fabs; as the company's lineup is fast losing competitiveness to NVIDIA's GeForce "Maxwell" family.

Aorus X5 Gaming Notebook Offers Ultra HD in a 15.6-inch Package

Aorus X5 is the company's latest gaming notebook, featuring one of the industry's sharpest displays, based on the IGZO technology. This 15.6-incher offers Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) display resolution. Driving the display is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M SLI setup, with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory per GPU. Based on the GM204 silicon, the GTX 965M features 1024 CUDA cores running at 945 MHz, and a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus, running at 5.00 GHz. Our educated guess is that GTX 965M SLI should offer performance comparable to a single, overclocked GTX 980, if not more. By Aorus' own benchmarks, this notebook yields P12000 in 3DMark 11. Other chops of the Aorus X5 include a Core i7 CPU, up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory, M.2 SSD storage, 2.29 cm thickness with the lid closed, and just under 2.5 kg of weight.

AMD Bleeds Three Top Execs

In its latest 8-K filing form, AMD mentions a vastly different top-brass, indicating that three of its top executives left the company, in what is the biggest corporate shakeups in the ailing company's history. These include John Bryne, GM of Computing and Graphics Business Group (the person overseeing the company's core CPU and GPU businesses); Colette LaForce, Chief Marketing Officer; and Raj Naik, Chief Strategy Officer.

The most notable departure is that of Bryne, who was promoted to his post from being Chief Sales Officer just 7 months ago. LaForce was hired to her post in 2012, she held the same position in Dell before joining AMD. Naik joined the company around the same time as LaForce. AMD announced these changes, stating: "These changes, including the additions of Forrest Norrod and James Clifford to our management team last quarter, collectively are part of implementing an optimal organization design and leadership team to further sharpen our execution and position AMD for growth."

Synology Introduces DiskStation DS115

Synology Inc. today launched the new DiskStation DS115. Featuring a dual-core processor and compact design, this 1-bay NAS server allows homes and small businesses to take advantage of centralized data storage, borderless file sharing, easy cloud synchronization, multimedia streaming, home surveillance, and much more.

"DS115 makes it easy to work, play, and share files from anywhere. With its speedy performance, intuitive interface, and diverse ecosystem of add-on packages, DS115 is a great NAS server for homes or small businesses - especially for people who still rely on external hard drives, flash drives, or cloud services to swap and share files," said Jonathan Wang, product manager at Synology Inc.

NZXT Unveils DOKO PC Streaming Service

DOKO is a PC streaming device that connects to your network and allows you to easily use your PC in the comfort of your living room. Run office software, stream limitless media content and play PC exclusive titles - do anything and everything your PC can do, anywhere in your home.

The current problem with modern PC streaming technologies and set-top boxes is that they all come with their own pre-defined limitations. TV boxes are restricted to their own set of media channels, file formats and limited applications. PC game streaming and screen mirroring devices are all restricted by their own platforms, proprietary technologies or latency issues.

PC Leaders Continue Growth And Share Gains As Market Remains Slow: IDC

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 80.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2014 (4Q14), a year-on-year decline of -2.4%, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. Total shipments were slightly above expectations of -4.8% growth, but the market still contracted both year on year and in comparison to the third quarter. Although the holiday quarter saw shipment volume inch above 80 million for the first time in 2014, the final quarter nonetheless marked the end of yet another difficult year - the third consecutive year with overall volumes declining. On an annual basis, 2014 shipments totaled 308.6 million units, down -2.1% from the prior year.

Although the U.S. and Europe remained stronger than other markets, growth in these mature regions slowed from earlier in the year. Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan)(APeJ) continued to strengthen, seeing only a very slight increase in volume as a number of public projects and improving consumer demand helped stabilize the market. Similarly, commercial demand, which boosted growth earlier in the year, has slowed while consumer demand is gradually coming back. Nevertheless, the market progress has been fueled by low-priced systems, including growth of Chromebooks and promotion of Windows 8 + Bing. Constraints on Bing promotions, such as limits on larger-sized devices, could remove a key market driver while some fourth quarter production was attributed to getting ahead of holiday-related production constraints in Asia in the first quarter, effectively shifting volume from early 2015 into the end of 2014.
Monday, January 12th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Game Controllers
Gaming PC
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Input Devices
Keyboards
Memory
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
Networking
Notebooks
Processors
PSUs
SSD
SilentiumPC Grandis XE1236 Review

SilentiumPC Grandis XE1236 Review

SilentiumPC hits it out of the park with the Grandis XE1236, bringing top-tier performance and low noise levels to an unheard-of budget friendly price. With the ability to improve performance even further using a third fan, this heavy-weight CPU cooler towers over its competition.

G.SKILL Breaks Fastest DDR4 Memory Frequency Overclock at 4255MHz

G.SKILL International Co. Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid-state storage, is extremely excited to announce a new memory record for fastest DDR4 memory frequency, set at 4255MHz CL18-18-18! This amazing achievement was attained on the Asus Rampage V Extreme motherboard (X99 chipset) and with the Intel i7-5960X processor, all under sub-zero liquid nitrogen cooling. Below is a screenshot of the record validation by CPU-Z (validation).

Shuttle Presents New Fanless All-in-One PC Barebone X50V4 with a Touchscreen

Shuttle today rolls out its new All-in-One PC Barebone X50V4. Passive cooling promises whisper-quiet operation with lower maintenance requirements, a frugal Intel Celeron processor ensures even better performance. Now entering the fourth generation since its original launch in 2009, Shuttle's X50 All-in-One PC series features the proven 15.6 inch (39.6 cm) format, which is especially requested by the B2B sector of the market. As well as offering maximum expandability, it is also particularly quiet and durable thanks to the machine's fanless design.

In contrast to its Atom-based predecessor models, the X50V4 now comes fitted with an Intel Celeron 2957U dual-core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz per core. The processor cores are extremely frugal with a thermal design power of just 15 W. With a depth of 42 mm, the case provides space for a 2.5" hard disk or SSD and an mSATA module, and is for the first time able to accommodate up to 8 GB of DDR3L SO-DIMM memory. With a suitable SSD installed, the X50V4 is approved for continuous operation.

CRYORIG Releases the Compact H7 CPU Cooler

CRYORIG, innovator of PC thermal peripherals has released the H7. The next step in CRYORIG's H series heatsink, the H7 holds an even smaller footprint while keeping an extremely high performance efficiency. Keeping almost all award winning features from the larger H5 Universal, the H7 packs great value in it's small size. Featuring series moniker HiveFin technology for better air management and also CRYORIG's much renowned Zero RAM Interference design among many others, the H7 will also feature CRYORIG's brand new QF120 Balanced 120 mm 330~1.600 RPM PWM fan with Quad Air Inlet technology.

The CRYORIG H7 is the next piece in CRYORIG's quest for PC thermal solution dominance. Targeted at entry and mainstream systems, the H7 brings affordability and CRYORIG innovation to the masses. With a total height of only 145 mm, the H7 is almost certain to fit 99% of all mainstream mid-tower cases. While Zero RAM Interference allow users to use any RAM of choice, with no compatibility issues period.

CRYORIG Announces New QF120 Fan Line

CRYORIG, innovator of PC thermal solutions is releasing it's new QF120 line of 120 mm PWM system fans. The new QF120 line features CRYORIG's proprietary Quad Air Inlet system. Four strategically placed air intakes line up the corners of the QF120 fan frame, allowing the static pressure optimized fan blades take in extra air from the sides of the fan frame increasing overall air output. HPLN High Precision Low Noise bearing from the XF140 line makes a return in the QF120 Series for low noise performance. The fans will cover a wide RPM spectrum with PWM control, allowing users to fine tune it to their liking individually. Integrated rubber Vibration Absorbers also come preinstalled to absorb excess vibration.

The QF120 will initially be released in three different models, QF120 Silent, QF120 Balanced and QF120 Performance. The QF120 Balanced features a moderate fan speed range from 330 to 1,600 RPM in order to offer good balance between performance, RPM and noise. The range is low enough for low noise use, and powerful enough for high load computing. The QF120 Silent features ultra low RPM speeds of 200 to 1.000 RPM with the minimum noise level of 5 dBA, virtually inaudible inside a PC chassis, while still pushing good airflow. The perfect solution for those who need near silence but still want their system cool and stable.

Cooler Master Announces Case Mod World Series 2015

Cooler Master announces once again the biggest modding event of the year with the Case Mod World Series by inviting all modders to show-off their creativity and push the limits of PC case design. This year's panel of judges includes an impressive line-up of modders from around the world making it one of the most prestigious modding competition ever. And thanks to the support of Dremel, Intel, Asus, OCZ and GeIL, we have over US$20,000 in cash and hardware prizes up for grabs. Contest begins January 7th, full details available here.

There will be two categories 'Tower Mod' and 'Scratch Build'. The judging will be limited to only the the judge panel, which includes: Richard 'Darthbeavis' Surroz, Peter 'L3P' Brands, Brian 'BOD MODS' Carter, Ronnie Hara, Mathieu 'Sassanou' Heredia, Richard Kiers, Antony Leather and the sponsors. A newly created award 'Rising Star' will be also determined by this panel to identify the future star to watch for in the modding scene. Also, a 'People's Choice' will be chosen based solely on public voting.

Kingston Also Shows off HyperX Predator DDR4 and HyperX Fury DDR4 Memory

Kingston showed off its newest DDR4 memory modules, the HyperX Predator DDR4, and the HyperX Fury DDR4. Having first made its debut at PAX Prime, last August, the HyperX Predator DDR4 will be Kingston's flagship desktop memory module, with its tall compound aluminium heatsinks, chunky 10-layer PCBs with thick heat-dissipating copper layers, and some of the tightest memory timings, to go with some of the highest DRAM clock profiles, packed into their XMP profiles.

The HyperX Fury, on the other hand, will be Kingston's performance-value kit, coming in several sub-3000 MHz points. With a heatspreader that doesn't stick up beyond a standard module height, the HyperX Fury is targeted at high-end gaming PC builds, while the HyperX Predator targets enthusiasts and overclockers. Kingston set up a demo rig with a Core i7 "Haswell-E" processor, eight HyperX Predator modules running at DDR4-3000 speeds with around 64 GB/s of reads, 48 GB/s writes, and 67 GB/s mem-copy speeds, measured using AIDA64, with timings of 15-16-16-39-CR2T, and under stress from an FHD video playback.

Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 and HyperX Savage SSDs Pictured

Kingston showed off its first M.2 PCIe 2.0 x4 SSD, the HyperX Predator. Based on Marvell's 88SS9293 controller, the same one that drives the likes of Plextor M7e, the drive uses 19 nm MLC NAND flash chips, and takes advantage of PCI-Express 2.0 x4 bandwidth, to offer transfer rates in excess of 1.4 GB/s. It will be sold both as bare-drive, and part of a PC upgrade kit, which includes a half-height M.2 riser add-on card. Capacities offered will include 240 GB, 480 GB, and 960 GB.

The other big SSD from Kingston's stable is the HyperX Savage. Built in the 7 mm-thick 2.5-inch form-factor, these drives take advantage of SATA 6 Gb/s. Based on Phison S10 series platform, and wired to 19 nm MLC NAND flash, these drives will be Kingston's fastest in its class, offering sequential reads of up to 560 MB/s, with up to 540 MB/s up to writes. This drive will come in capacities of 240 GB, 480 GB, and 960 GB. The HyperX Predator M.2 should launch in February, while the HyperX Savage launches a month later.

SteelSeries Sentry Eye-Tracker Spices Up Streams

You always watched them make those quick and winning moves, without quite knowing the key element behind them - their eyesight. Looking at the right portion of your game screen is the most important part of gaming, and the Sentry eye-tracker lets game-streamers highlight portions of the screen they're looking at. The tracker is a thin black strip that you tuck under your monitor, with optical sensors facing you.

These sensors track your eye movements at 50 frames per second. While it may not be a tracking-device in itself, it lets you place a highlighting overlay, or a PIP inlay window within your stream, which lets viewers see exactly what you're looking at. For those not streaming, the device gives you insights to your gameplay style, letting you improve your reflexes. A live-demo of Sentry was put up at CES, and we can tell you that it works! Available now, the Sentry is priced at 199€.

SteelSeries Siberia V3 Prism and Elite Prism Dazzle

A headset that glows, in any color you want. Not that it would help your hearing in any way, but gameshow goers looking for that added spunk, without having to cheap out on audio quality. The Siberia V3 Prism from SteelSeries, is the company's flagship gaming headset. It plugs into your PC over USB, and lets you tweak not just its onboard DAC, but also an RGB LED array, letting you pick glow color, and glow effects (eg: strobing, breathing, etc.). For those who want even more (bigger drivers, better insulation, and a solid round LED strip), there's the sexier Siberia V3 Elite Prism.

Phanteks Enthoo Mini XL Lets You Run Two Systems Out of One Box

To cater to a growing class of enthusiasts with more than one system making up a main system, Phanteks rolled out he Enthoo Mini XL. This full-tower chassis has room for two motherboards, an ATX, and a mini-ITX. With three 5.25-inch drive bays, and two stacks of 4-tray 3.5-inch/2.5-inch bays, that can be detached to free up room for a tall radiator, the case can house two full-fledged systems, that are interconnected over network and KVM. There are two power supply bays, one that's standard ATX, and another that's SFX. Phanteks set up what's one of many build ideas for you to buy this case for.

Phanteks Unveils Enthoo EVOLV ITX Chassis

Phanteks covered all its bases of its Enthoo EVOLV series, with one for the budding mini-ITX form-factor, the Enthoo EVOLV ITX. Retaining the design of its bigger siblings, this case seats a mini-ITX motherboard in a standard perpendicular tray, with two expansion slots.

Inside, it's partitioned into two halves, the bottom one holding the PSU tray and a few drive bays, while the upper one is almost exclusively a motherboard tray, with several clever fan-mounting features. For example, the case can hold three 120 mm fans on its top, and a tray holding those, slides out. There's no dearth of room, and you can install CPU coolers as tall, and graphics cards as long, as you would on a conventional ATX tower.

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Classified K|NGP|N Edition and GTX 970 FTW Pictured

Ahead of its launch, and after teasing it early last week, EVGA showed off its flagship single-GPU graphics card, the GeForce GTX 980 Classified Kingpin Edition. Based on a meatier version of the company's ACX 2.0 cooling solution, the card features clear acrylic cutouts around its shroud, rather than a frosty translucent one, featured on its GTX 780 Ti based predecessor.

It features a massive 10-phase VRM that draws power from two 8-pin and one 6-pin PCIe power connectors, which in addition to stabilizing your record-seeking overclock, power a defrosting circuit that keeps key areas of the PCB warm enough to prevent frosting, when cooling with subzero solutions, such as liquid nitrogen. The other big card is the GeForce GTX 970 FTW, the company's top-tier card based on NVIDIA's second fastest GPU. The card features a strong VRM that draws power from a combination of 6-pin and 8-pin connectors. It features a standard-size ACX 2.0 cooler, and a back-plate cools memory chips on that side.

EVGA GeForce GTX 980 HydroCopper Pictured

With the GeForce GTX 980 HydroCopper, EVGA changed the "HydroCopper" brand. In earlier generations, HydroCopper denoted a factory-overclocked reference PCB, with a factory-fitted, full-coverage water-block, which you added to a liquid-cooling loop of your own. The new card comes with its very own closed-loop cooler, much like AMD's reference Radeon R9 295X2.

The card's cooler features a metal base-plate which conveys heat drawn from the memory and VRM, in part to the centrally located pump-block, and in part to an aluminium fin stack. A common lateral-flow blower ventilates the two. The central pump-block looks typical Asetek fare, with a pair of tubes driving coolant to and from the reservoir+radiator assembly, which is ventilated by a single 120 mm fan. The underlying PCB appears to be reference NVIDIA.

Cherry Unveils MX Board 6.0

Cherry, the company that revolutionized the gaming keyboard industry with its noiseless mechanical switches, announced the latest keyboard under its own brand, the MX Board 6.0. Featuring its latest, most refined switches, this keyboard features what the company calls RealKey Technology.

In addition to 100% N-key rollover, the RealKey technology relies on high bandwidth provided by USB 3.0, to reduce latency, making the key presses register quicker. The keyboard itself is aimed at professional typists, software devs, and gamers. With a standard 102-keyset, with macros and red key illumination, the MX Board 6.0 features an ingot-shaped metal body, to which an included palm-rest can be magnetically attached. Available starting this Spring, and backed by a 3-year warranty, the MX Board 6.0 will sell at US $219.
Sunday, January 11th 2015

Plextor M7e M.2 PCIe SSD Tested, Over 1.3 GB/s On Tap

Plextor showed off its upcoming M7e PCI-Express SSD in the M.2 form-factor, at CES. A successor to the M6e, which was designed to offer 770 MB/s sequential reads, with up to 580 MB/s sequential writes; the new M7e offers double the performance. Although Plextor didn't put out its own manufacturer-rated numbers, the drive was put through CrystalDiskMark on a live-demo, and compared to its nearest market rival, Samsung XP941.

Built around a Marvell 88SS9293 controller, with PCI-Express 2.0 x4 bus interface, the drive features Toshiba A19 MLC NAND flash chips. The drive was tested to offer 1411 MB/s sequential reads, with 1028 MB/s writes; compared to the 1136 MB/s reads and 928 MB/s writes, put out by the Samsung XP941. With these numbers, the drive is targeted at PC enthusiasts. It will be sold both as a bare drive, and with a PCI-Express 2.0 x4 add-on card, with an M.2 riser.

RAIDON Announces Stardom Thunderbolt2 ST4-TB Thunderbolt Dock

The fastest, most versatile I/O in any desktop of any size, Up To 25x Faster than firewire800, Thunderbolt 2 technology in ST4-TB is phenomenally fast. The two Thunderbolt 2 ports on ST4-TB features dual 20-Gbps channels for data transfer and that's up to four times faster than USB 3. But beyond speed, Thunderbolt gives you unprecedented expansion capabilities. You can daisy-chain as many as six Thunderbolt devices to a single port. And since Thunderbolt is based on Display Port technology, Mini Display Port devices like Apple LED Cinema Display can plugs right in, too.

For field editing applications, the ST4-TB can be made portable as it comes with a grip handle, which you can choose to install for making creative contents mobile convenient and less bulky. With two optional storage modes, user can choose between RAID 0 and independent mode. In RAID 0 mode, the enclosed four drives will be striped and combined into one large volume for storage to enhance the data transfer speed performance. Under the Independent mode, the enclosed drives are seen as four separate volumes instead of one single volume.
Friday, January 9th 2015

MSI Z97A Gaming 6 its First Motherboard to Feature USB 3.1 Type-C

MSI showed off the Z97A Gaming 6, the company's first motherboard to feature a USB 3.1 port, with the new Type-C connector. This board is essentially a Z97 Gaming 5, with a USB 3.1 controller, and the Type-C port on its rear panel. The board features an 8-phase CPU VRM, three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x4/x4 when all three are populated), an M.2 slot, SATA-Express, Killer gigabit Ethernet controller, and the company's Audio Boost onboard audio, with ground-layer isolation. Expect this board to sell around the $160 mark.

OCZ JetExpress SSD Controller is its Newest and Fastest

In a bid to stay current, with the advent of M.2, PCI-Express, and NVMe, OCZ announced its newest homebrew SSD controller. Called JetExpress, this controller has the potential to be the industry's fastest, rivaled only by Samsung, and its SM951 drives. The controller features a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 host interface, with 4 GB/s of bandwidth per direction, 8 GB/s in total. The controller supports 8-16 ONFI channels, 1-2 GB of DDR3 DRAM cache, and power loss protection circuits. It supports three popular form-factors, including M.2, 2.5-inch (likely SATA-Express), and SFF-8639. M.2 PCIe prototypes were put up for our lenses. The company plans to make both PC enthusiast and enterprise products using this controller.

OCZ Unveils Vector 180 Performance SSD

OCZ unveiled its flagship 2.5-inch SATA SSD, the Vector 180. Built to offer both performance and high write-endurance, the Vector 180 is based on the company's new Barefoot 3 M00 controller, in its highest performance turning. This controller is wired to Toshiba A19 MLC NAND flash chips, with 50 GB/day write endurance rating.

The Vector 180 comes in capacities of 240 GB, 480 GB, and 960 GB; offering sequential transfer rates of up to 550 MB/s reads, with up to 530 MB/s writes; and up to 100,000 IOPS 4K random reads, with up to 95,000 IOPS 4K random writes. Other features include power failure management, and the company's flexible 5-year ShieldPlus warranty.

ADATA UC360 Offers Type-C with USB 3.0 Backward Compatibility

ADATA UC360 is a unique new flash drive spotted at CES, which embraces the new USB Type-C connector for fast connectivity with newer generations of smartphones, tablets, and ultra-portables; and a standard Type-A connector on its other end, for backwards compatibility with older USB standards. The two connectors slide out from the drive's ends. Although featuring a Type-C connector, the drive only supports USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1, and so its transfer rates are well under 5 Gb/s. It comes in capacities ranging between 16 GB and 64 GB.

ADATA SE700 Offer Scorching Fast Transfers, Mobility

With the SE700 portable SSD, ADATA is one of the first adopters of USB 3.1 host interface, and its new Type-C connector standard. This isn't just a blind compliance upgrade, but one that comes with genuine benefits. To begin with, the drive offers sequential transfer rates of up to 819 MB/s, with up to 839 MB/s writes, which show that the drive clearly takes advantage of the 10 Gb/s interface bandwidth. Internally, the SE700 is a host-transparent RAID 0 array of two SSDs. The drive itself is roughly as big as a 2.5-inch internal SSD, featuring a piano black body with chrome accents. USB 3.1 and its Type-C connector are the flavor of the season, and so expect ADATA to launch this drive very soon.

ADATA Shows Off Premier Pro SP320 SSD

ADATA showed off its upcoming mainstream SSD, which it plans to feed the growing market with, the Premier Pro SP320. These drives are based on Silicon Motion's SM2256 controller, wired to 3 bit MLC NAND flash. The drive comes in capacities of 120 GB, 240 GB, 480 GB, and 960 GB, with the latter being exhibited at CES. Built in the 7 mm thick 2.5-inch form-factor, with SATA 6 Gb/s interface, the drive offers sequential transfer rates of up to 560 MB/s reads, with up to 510 MB/s writes. ADATA says these drives will be competitively priced.

ADATA Also Shows Off SR1010 Enterprise SSD

ADATA also showed off its second attempt at an enterprise SSD, in the 2.5-inch SATA form-factor, the SR1010. Based on a platform originally developed by Seagate (its subsididary SandForce), the drive features the SandForce SF-2581 controller, wired to up to 480 GB of synchronous MLC NAND flash (high-endurance chips, which are branded "ADATA,") and features such as power loss protection, native AES-256 encryption engine, sequential speeds of up to 550 MB/s reads with up to 520 MB/s writes, and an MTBF rated at 2 million hours.

ADATA Shows Off XPG V3 DDR3 Memory

ADATA showed off its third-generation XPG DDR3 memory module. A departure from its pointy gold heatsink design of the XPG Z1 series, the XPG V3 features a more conventional, 2-tone aluminium heatsink design, with three layers of fins projecting upward. The outer fins dissipate heat drawn from the DRAM chips, while the inner, colored ones (red, blue, green, gold, and orange), dissipate heat drawn a heat-spreading copper layer in the module's PCB. The module on display at CES featured a red inner heatsink, with an XMP 1.3 profile for DDR3-3100 MHz, with a 1600 MHz failsafe JEDEC profile.

Plextor Announces M6e Black Edition PCI-Express SSD

Plextor launched its flagship SSD for PC enthusiasts, the M6e Black Edition. Clearly intended for enthusiast PC builds, miles away from an enterprise environment, this drive features a focus on product design, with its matte black PCB, full-length metal shroud, and a racy red aluminium heatsink popping out from a cutout in that shroud. This heatsink cools the controller and NAND flash chips. The drive comes in three capacities - 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB.

Under the hood, the M6e Black Edition is essentially an M.2 riser with PCI-Express 2.0 x4 wiring. The drive sitting on its M.2 slot is driven by a Marvell 88SS9183 controller, wired to Toshiba-made 19 nm Toggle NAND flash, and 1 GB of DRAM cache. The drive offers sequential transfer rates of up to 770 MB/s reads, with up to 625 MB/s writes; with up to 105,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 100,000 IOPS 4K random writes. In addition to PCIe bus power, the drive requires power from a SATA power connector. Features include PlexTurbo 2.0 technology that shuttles hot data to system memory, TRIM, NCQ, and NVMe. The drive is bootable.

EVGA Teases GeForce GTX 980 Classified K|ngp|n Edition

EVGA teased its upcoming flagship graphics card, the GeForce GTX 980 Classified K|ngp|n Edition. Designed by the famed overclocker associated with the company, this card combines the best overclocking GTX 980 chips, with the fastest GDDR5 memory, and the strongest VRM in the industry, letting you chase overclocking and performance benchmark records. It retains the translucent cooler shroud theme from its predecessor based on the GTX 780 Ti, although the cooler appears to be a beefier ACX 2.0.

The card draws power from a combination of two 8-pin, and one 6-pin PCIe power connectors, giving you an idea of just how much juice the card can take in, to keep your overclock stable. The card is prepped for liquid cooling, and has electricals to negate cold-bugs, and an active electrical trace that keeps the PCB heated, to prevent frosting. EVGA also gave us a glimpse of the card's abilities with a jaw-dropping 3DMark FireStrike score of 20,816 pts. There's no idea on when the company plans to launch this card, or if it even will, especially given that NVIDIA's next-generation GTX TITAN is just around the corner. Maybe EVGA is betting on NVIDIA keeping that card vanilla (preventing AICs from coming up with custom-design cards).

NVIDIA GM206-300 Silicon Pictured

Here's the first picture of NVIDIA next chip based on its "Maxwell" architecture, GM206-300. Powering the upcoming GeForce GTX 960 graphics card, the silicon appears to have half the die-size of the company's current flagship GM204, which powers the GTX 980 and GTX 970. The package itself is smaller, with its much lower pin-count, owing to half the memory bus width to the GM204, at 128-bit, and fewer power pins. No other specs are leaked, but we won't be surprised if its CUDA core count is about half that of the GTX 980. NVIDIA plans to launch the GeForce GTX 960 on the 22nd of January, 2015.
Thursday, January 8th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
Headphones
Keyboards
Mouse
Processors
PSUs
Speakers
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Review

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Review

The Phanteks Evolv aims to transform what a mATX chassis should be capable of. Catering to the liquid-cooling crowd without compromising on air-cooling capability, the Evolv comes with the great feature set we have come to expect from Phanteks - all while combining quality with an enticing price.

Mushkin Announces the STRIKER Line of Solid State Drives

Mushkin Enhanced MFG, an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance and mission-critical computer storage products, today announced at CES 2015 its new STRIKER series of solid state drives. Boasting top-tier performance specifications, the STRIKER 2.5" SSD is an important step forward for Mushkin to offer the most well-rounded SSD lineup - producing solutions for high value, performance, and capacity.

The STRIKER SSD provides sequential read and write throughput of up to 565 and 550MB/s respectively, with random performance of up to 90,000 4K IOPS. Launching in 240-960GB capacities, the new STRIKER SSD series will be available at retail channels in Q1 2015.

EVGA Announces the GeForce GTX 970 SSC Graphics Card

The new generation of EVGA GeForce GTX 970 has arrived with the SSC. This enhanced model offers improved cooling, double BIOS support, new display output configuration, and 6 power phases for robust overclocking support.

These new cards also feature EVGA ACX 2.0 cooling that features optimized swept fan blades, double ball bearings, and an extreme low power motor. The EVGA ACX 2.0 cooler offers more air flow, with less power, unlocking additional power for the GPU.
Wednesday, January 7th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
Game Controllers
Keyboards
Motherboards
Mouse
Processors
SSD
Fractal Design Kelvin S24 Review

Fractal Design Kelvin S24 Review

Fractal Design is breaking into the all-in-one liquid cooler market with the Kelvin S24. Featuring anti-kink coils for the tubing along with G 1/4" fitting support, this fully expandable pre-filled water cooler is shaking things up.

Toshiba Launches New Generation Solid State Hybrid Drives

Toshiba Corporation's Semiconductor & Storage Products Company announced the launch of its new solid state hybrid drive (SSHD) series, which is equipped with Toshiba's 19nm second-generation NAND flash memory. The new "MQ02ABD100H" SSHD offers 1TB capacity in a drive 9.5mm high, while the "MQ02ABF050H" offers a capacity of 500GB in a 7 mm high form factor. Sample shipments will begin from February.

SSHDs deliver better performance compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDD), because the drives feature NAND that is used as the secondary cache during operation. This means users see improvement to the drive's performance compared to traditional HDDs, while still maintaining the equivalent capacities of traditional HDDs. The "MQ02ABD100H" and "MQ02ABF050H" are suitable for high-performance PCs like mainstream and gaming PCs, while the "MQ02ABF050H"'s height of 7mm makes it suitable for ultra-thin and ultra-portable computing devices.

Toshiba Launches Industry's Largest Capacity 3TB 2.5-inch HDD

Toshiba Corporation's Semiconductor & Storage Products Company announced the launch of a 3TB 2.5-inch hard disk drive (HDD), the industry's largest capacity. Utilizing perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology, the "MQ03ABB300" is the industry's first 2.5-inch HDD to achieve 750GB per platter, using a total of 4 platters to achieve storage of 3TB. Suitable for external personal storage devices and space-constrained use cases requiring high storage capacity, the "MQ03ABB300" is small in size but large in storage capability. Sample shipments will begin in May.

The "MQ03ABB300" offers the best in energy consumption efficiency in the 2.5-inch form factor, with lower power consumption and 50 percent larger capacity compared to Toshiba's previous generation 4-platter 2TB "MQ01ABB200."

Toshiba to Showcase World's First PCI Express Single Package SSD

Toshiba Corporation's Semiconductor & Storage Products Company announced it will showcase a reference display of the world's first PCI Express (PCIe) single package SSD, integrating up to 256 GB in a single BGA package, at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), to be held from January 6 to January 9 in Las Vegas, U.S.A.

The "BG Series" SSDs on reference display will be products under development. Utilizing Toshiba's cutting-edge packaging technology applied in products like e・MMC, it is the world's first PCI Express single package SSD, available in capacities up to 256 GB in a 16 mm x 20 mm x 1.65 mm BGA package. Also to be showcased will be a reference display of the world's smallest removable module type SSD, which integrates the BGA single package SSD on a single-sided form factor.
Tuesday, January 6th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Headphones
Memory
Motherboards
Notebooks
PSUs

Intel CEO Outlines Future of Computing

Intel Corporation today announced a number of technology advancements and initiatives aimed at accelerating computing into the next dimension. The announcements include the Intel Curie module, a button-sized hardware product for wearable solutions; new applications for Intel RealSense cameras spanning robots, flying multi-copter drones and 3-D immersive experiences; and a broad, new Diversity in Technology initiative, which includes a $300 million investment to encourage more diversity at Intel and within the technology industry at large.

"The rise of new personal computing experiences, intelligent and connected devices, and the wearable revolution are redefining the relationship between consumers and technology," said Brian Krzanich, Intel CEO. "Our goal with Intel technology is to help solve real problems and enable experiences that are truly desired by people and businesses. In order to do this, we must also do more to lead the growth of diversity and inclusion within the technology industry. Women and under-represented minorities will continue to play a greater role as consumers, influencers, creators and leaders."

Samsung Mass-Producing SM951 PCIe M.2 SSDs

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it has begun mass producing a high-performance, low-powered PCIe solid state drive (SSD), the SM951, for use in ultra-slim notebook PCs and workstations. "We are helping to accelerate growth of the ultra-slim notebook PC market with the introduction of this energy-efficient, high-speed PCIe SSD," said Jeeho Baek, Senior Vice President of Memory Marketing at Samsung Electronics. He added that, "We will continue to introduce next-generation high-density SSDs with improved performance and increased differentiation, as we further strengthen our business competitiveness in global SSD market."

The SM951 boasts outstanding performance, supporting both PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 2.0 interfaces. For use in the latest ultra-slim notebooks, it can read and write sequentially at 1,600 MB/s (megabytes per second) and 1,350 MB/s respectively based on PCIe 2.0. This performance level is approximately three times faster than that of the latest SSD with a SATA interface and about 30 percent faster than that of the Samsung XP941, its predecessor. In addition, the new SSD's random read and write speeds reach up to 130,000 and 85,000 IOPS (inputs/outputs per second) respectively.

Velocity Micro Announces New Line of Custom Laptops

Velocity Micro, the premier builder of award winning enthusiast desktops, laptops, and peripherals, announces the launch of a new line of custom configurable laptops. Built with the same care and attention to detail that has won their desktops over 60 Editors' Choice awards, Velocity Micro's new laptops combine power, customization, and portability into something that's truly unique. Units will begin shipping later this month with prices starting around $1,099.

"Our goal with these new laptops was to create a product with the same level of customization and attention to detail that we've become known for with our desktops, but to do it with a lead time of three days and back it up with our 100% US-based tech support," said Randy Copeland, President and CEO of Velocity Micro. "We're extremely excited by this opportunity to bring the Velocity Micro Experience to a whole new level of customer via this thrilling line of products."

Be Quiet! Also Shows Off Dark Rock TF CPU Cooler

The Dark Rock LP isn't the only C-type heatsink on display by Be Quiet. The company's more performance-oriented Dark Rock TF is a bigger, chunkier sibling of the Dark Rock LP. What may look C-type at first-glance, is more like "G-type" on closer look. The heatsink is built up of three units, two aluminium fin-stacks, and the CPU base, connected to each other in a capital-G shape, by six 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes. The bigger top fin-stack holds both 135 mm Silent Wings PWM fans, in a push-pull fashion, which ends up being top-flow. The Dark Rock TF can handle thermal loads of up to 220W, which means it's game for even AMD's feisty FX-9000 series eight-core chips, and Intel's Core i7 "Haswell-E."

Be Quiet! Shows Off Dark Rock LP CPU Cooler

Be Quiet! showed off the Dark Rock LP, a C-type aluminium fin-stack heatsink cooler, which is designed for low-profile builds, as the "LP" in its name suggests. This cooler is designed to handle thermal loads of up to 130W, and supports all modern CPU socket types. Its design consists of a copper base that doubles up as a heatsink, from which four 6 mm thick copper heat-pipes emerge, conveying heat to a slim aluminium fin-stack that is arranged along the plane of the motherboard. A Pure Wings 2 120 mm PWM fan is included, and can be attached in a top-flow configuration. There doesn't appear to be enough room between the base and the fin-stack to slip in a normal 25 mm thick fan.

DisplayLink Shows 5K Display Connectivity over Single USB Cable

DisplayLink, the leading provider of USB graphics technology, will demonstrate the very latest commercially available Dell UltraSharp 5K monitors connected over a single, standard universal USB cable providing 5120x2880 resolution. The new solution to future-proof notebook expansion is being showcased at CES from January 6th ~ 9th 2015 at the DisplayLink booth #36258 in South Hall 4.

"DisplayLink is proud to demonstrate the scalability of its solutions with the highest commercially available monitor again at CES," said John Cummins, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing. "5K monitors with 5120x2880 resolutions were just released in Q4. DisplayLink is demonstrating dramatically simplified 5K connectivity to any PC, Notebook, or tablet using a single, completely standard, USB 3.0 cable, in comparison to dual DisplayPort cables currently required."

Kingston HyperX Launches High-Performance PCIe SSD

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the HyperX Predator PCIe SSD. Shipping in February, HyperX Predator PCIe SSD will be the highest-end SSD with the fastest speeds in the HyperX lineup.

HyperX Predator PCIe SSD offers large capacities (240GB, 480GB) and incredible speeds to take systems to the edge. A 960GB version will ship in later Q1/Q2. Faster than SATA-based SSDs, the generation 2.0 x4 interface delivers speeds up to 1400MB/s read and 1000MB/s write for ultra-responsive multitasking and an overall faster system. It is powered by the Marvell 88SS9293 controller. The M.2 form factor ensures next-generation platform support with an M.2 PCIe slot. An optional half-height, half-length (HHHL) adapter is also available for many existing motherboards without an M.2 socket. The HHHL adapter comes with both standard and low-profile brackets to fit in slim profile desktop builds.

"As enthusiast desktop users and datacenter customers seek greater performance to break through 6Gb/s SATA limitation, Marvell's X4-lane PCIe SSD Controller 88SS9293 provides lightning fast, next-generation SSD performance," said Mike Chen, director of product marketing, Storage BU, Marvell. "We are proud to work with the HyperX team to deliver higher bandwidth and throughput for client systems and datacenter customers seeking to maximize storage performance."

Kingston Digital Offers Automatic Cloud Backup to Personal Secure USB Flash

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the additional feature of cloud backup to the DataTraveler Locker+ G3 (DTLPG3) USB 3.0 Flash drive for personal security. DTLPG3 offers hardware encryption, password protection and fast USB 3.0 transfer speeds to keep one's personal data safe.

Consumers now have the option of automatically backing up a DataTraveler Locker+ G3 to their preferred cloud storage provider such as Google Drive, OneDrive (Microsoft), Amazon S3, Dropbox or Box via included ClevX USBtoCLOUD software. Kingston and ClevX first worked together in 2012 on an encrypted USB drive with a built-in anti-malware scan engine for enterprise customers. With the DTLPG3, consumers can rest assured that if the DTLPG3 is lost or misplaced, photos, personal documents and other files are still safely stored and accessible in the cloud.

"We are excited to offer cloud backup to our existing fast and secure consumer level USB Flash drive," said Ken Campbell, Flash Business Manager, Kingston. "The DataTraveler Locker+ G3 is easy to use, durable and ensures consumers' personal documents are safe and also always available to them."

Kingston Releases Ultra-High Speed microSD for 4K and HD Video Capture

Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the microSD UHS-I Speed Class 3 90MB/s read, 80MB/s write card (SDCA3). The card far exceeds the SD Association's latest specification release, UHS-1 U3 (Ultra High-Speed Bus, Speed Class 3) rated for 30MB/s read/write.

The 90-80MB/s read-write speeds allow sports/adventure enthusiasts and users alike to capture cinema-quality Full HD (1080p), Ultra HD (2160p), 3D and 4K2K videos on high performance small form factor devices such as smartphones and cameras used by adventure and thrill seekers. Additionally, video playback at all resolutions up to 4K2K can be played without stutter or interruption. Fast speeds also translate to faster file uploads for computer editing, especially when using USB 3.0 card readers such as the Kingston MobileLite G4 or USB 3.0 Media Reader.

With the emergence of tough and rugged performance cameras, users can rely on the SDCA3 card for its durability and reliability. It is the perfect companion card when capturing a downhill ski run, surfboarding and hang-gliding as the card is water-, shock/vibration-, X-ray- and temperature-proof.

TRENDnet Announces the AC750 Wireless Travel Router

TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, today announces the AC750 Wireless Travel Router, model TEW-817DTR -- the first WiFi AC travel router with interchangeable power plugs which ensures operability on every continent.

TRENDnet's AC750 Wireless Travel Router, model TEW-817DTR, is a powerful travel router with concurrent 433 Mbps WiFi AC and 300 Mbps WiFi N bands, for on the go professionals. Users quickly convert a single wired or wireless internet connection into a shared WiFi network for all Wireless AC and Wireless N devices.

ASUSTOR Unveils Trendsetting NAS 4K Multimedia Solutions

ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, will be showcasing its innovative NAS products for four straight days starting from today, at CES 2015 at the Trump International Hotel. ASUSTOR will be exhibiting its cutting-edge 70, 51 and 50 series NAS devices and exclusive ADM 2.3 operating system featuring all new functionality including multimedia, surveillance, business management and data protection applications. ASUSTOR's 70 series devices come with powerful high performance processors combined with ASUSTOR's multimedia technology that make it the only NAS devices in the industry capable of outputting 4K ultra high definition videos directly from the NAS.

From inception, ASUSTOR's revolutionary design concepts, have allowed it to launch the ASUSTOR Data Master (ADM) NAS operating system. ADM is the first NAS OS designed around the use of Apps. It offers users an easy and intuitive experience along with the ability to expand functionality via add-on Apps. At their convenience users can browse through and download any Apps that peak their interest from App Central, exploring the unlimited potential of ASUSTOR NAS devices while creating a personalized NAS device for themselves.

Corsair Releases Neutron Series XT, its Fastest and Highest-Capacity SSDs

Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance PC hardware, today announced the release of the Neutron Series XT SSDs. Available in 240GB, 480GB or massive 960GB capacities, the Neutron XT boasts phenomenal performance for those who accept no compromises when it comes to their storage.

With SSDs becoming an essential addition to any enthusiast PC build, the Neutron XT takes things one step further, combining amazing data performance with a range of capacities to suit even the most data hungry. Equipped with a state-of-the-art quad-core Phison SSD controller and advanced MLC NAND for superior reliability and endurance, the Neutron XT is able to deliver sequential read speeds of 560MB/sec and sequential write speeds of 540MB/sec, pushing the SATA 6Gb/s interface to its limits. The sheer speed advantage versus standard hard disk drives and low-end SSDs is enormous-operating systems are more responsive, programs open quicker and games load faster, improving the whole experience of using your PC.

Corsair Launches New High-Performance USB 3.0 Flash Drives

Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance PC hardware, today announced the immediate availability of new USB 3.0 flash drive families - Flash Voyager Slider X1 and Flash Voyager Slider X2. Corsair also unveiled a rugged new look for the ultra-performance Flash Voyager GS and Flash Voyager GTX families with the addition of a 512GB size for Flash Voyager GS. Equipped with new bold styling and offering a wide range of performance and capacities to suite any budget, these new drives bring the Flash Voyager line up-to-date and ready for the demands of 2015.

Corsair Debuts Hydro Series H110i GT Liquid CPU Cooler and HG10 N780 Bracket

Corsair, a world leader in high-performance PC hardware, today announced the all-in-one Hydro Series H110i GT , the company's most advanced liquid CPU cooler, and a new Hydro Series HG10 N780 Edition GPU cooling bracket for NVIDIA GeForce 700 Series graphics cards.

The Hydro Series H110i GT liquid CPU cooler pairs two 140mm fans with a 140x322 millimeter radiator to deliver extreme CPU cooling in the most processor-intensive applications or quiet operation when the PC is idle. The H110i GT also features a new generation, high-efficiency cooling block with a striking new look with logo inserts on the block and radiator. Integrated Corsair Link support provides monitoring and customization of built-in logo lighting, fan speed, pump speed. As with all Hydro Series CPU coolers, the H110i GT is completely self-contained, requires no maintenance or filling.

Corsair Launches the HX1200i Power Supply

Corsair, the most awarded PC power supply brand in the world1, today announced a new addition to award winning line of HXi Series of PC power supplies-the HX1200i.

Retaining the ultra-efficient design that has made Corsair's HXi series of award winning PSUs with technology reviewers around the world, the HX1200i ups the ante by offering up to a massive 1200W of 80 Plus Platinum efficient power. Able to drive even demanding three and four card Nvidia SLI or AMD CrossFire multi-GPU systems, the HX1200i delivers 92% or better energy efficiency, ensuring that the minimum of electricity is wasted and that your system runs as coolly and quietly as possible.

Corsair Announces the Carbide 100R Case

Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance PC hardware, today announced the Carbide Series 100R and Carbide Series 100R Silent mid-tower PC cases. Priced at $49 and $59 and offering features designed to make PC building incredibly quick and easy, the 100R cases make it possible for users to build a serious PC that looks as good it performs.

The Carbide Series 100R and Carbide Series 100R Silent are among Corsair's lowest-cost cases, yet avoids the look of many low-cost PC cases, instead offering an elegant aesthetic that will appeal to gamers, hobbyist PC builders, and system integrators. The cases include innovative, builder-friendly features that make Corsair cases popular with PC users, such as built-in SSD mounts, front-panel USB 3.0 ports, intelligent cable routing, and tool-free drive mounts. And with up to five fan mounting locations (two fans included), tool-free support for four 3.5" drives and four 2.5" SSDs, and support for long graphics cards, the cases easily support high-end GPUs, liquid coolers, massive storage, and PSUs.

Roccat Announces New Gaming Peripherals

Leading German manufacturer of high quality gaming peripherals, ROCCAT, hits glitzy Las Vegas for CES 2015 with an expanded range of connected devices. The ROCCAT Phobo concept made its debut in 2012, as a gaming keyboard with a slot-integrated smartphone. ROCCAT is proud to announce that this concept has been reborn as the Ryos Phobo, refined and perfected by our creative design engineers to reflect ROCCAT's Future Ready philosophy.

"When concepting Phobo, we knew we had a strong vision," explains René Korte, CEO and Founder of ROCCAT. "Still, we brought it back to the drawing board to expand and perfect the design." The changes are there, but the heart remains the same; combine an amazing gaming keyboard with smartphone tech, injecting it with software that gives amazing gaming horsepower. Smartphones of all brands and sizes rest in a wireless Ipuri setup, connected to your Ryos Phobo via two Bluetooth channels. This allows gamers to place their smartphone anywhere on the gaming surface for optimal play. Cherry MX Switch Mechanical keys, two USB ports and a tenkeyless design make the Ryos Phobo a powerful but compact gaming keyboard, with ROCCAT's new unified Swarm Driver Software built in. ROCCAT is also bolstering its strong mechanical keyboard lineup with the Ryos MK FX and, Ryos TKL FX, both with Cherry MX Switches and RGB LEDs.

Lite-On Introduces World's First TLC NAND-Based SSD With Advanced LDPC Tech

Lite-On Storage, a leading developer of enterprise flash storage technology, today introduced its CV2 family of solid-state drives during a press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Solid-state drives are faster and more affordable than ever. Lite-On also improves their reliability with its CV2 family armed with next-generation low-density parity-check (LDPC) technology.

Lite-On's CV2 is the first SSD powered by Marvell's four-channel 88SS1074 controller, enabling support for 256-bit AES encryption, an ultra-low-power DEVSLP state for extended battery life in mobile devices, and the latest flash memory interfaces. Lite-On's firmware engineers take that cutting-edge feature set and tune it, optimizing every aspect of the storage platform.

The 88SS1074 is matched up to triple-level-cell Toshiba A19 NAND in capacities of 128, 256, and 512GB. By implementing the controller's LDPC error-correcting technology, Lite-On extends the CV2's endurance as much as 33%, hitting reliability levels previously only attainable with MLC flash. The result is an SSD rated for 2,000 program-erase cycles and protected by a three-year warranty.

Patriot Launches New High Performing/High Capacity Ignite SSD

Patriot, a leading manufacturer of computer memory, USB/flash, SSDs and mobile accessories, today launched its latest addition to the solid-state drive (SSD) market, the Patriot Ignite SATA III SSD. One of the fastest drives available, the Ignite has record shattering speeds and impressive capacities to boost PC performance at a cost efficient value.

Boasting Patriot's largest capacity SSD yet, the Ignite will be available to consumers in capacities of 480GB and 960GB meeting an ever-growing demand for larger and faster storage solutions. The Patriot Ignite is a first-rate option for content creators, gamers and performance enthusiasts looking to upgrade their system response time without spending thousands of dollars on a new computer.

Patriot Launches Second Generation of Supersonic Magnum and Rage USB Flash Drive

Patriot, a leading manufacturer in mobile accessories, computer and USB/flash memory, today released the Supersonic Magnum 2 and Supersonic Rage 2, 3.0 USB Flash Drive. Leading the industry in capacity and speed, Patriot has set the new standard in the flash memory world boasting record speeds of up to 400MB/s and 300MB/s read and write times.

Living up to its name sake, the Patriot Supersonic Magnum 2 will be available in extreme capacities of 256GB and 512GB making the frustration of not having enough room to store data virtually non-existent. With impressive maximum read and write speeds reaching 400MB/s and 300MB/s it's the fastest high capacity/high performance USB flash drive on the market. Designed with a sturdy matte black, industrial grade metal housing that enables shock resistance up to 15Gs to protect stored data and laser etched, the Magnum 2 doesn't compromise appearance and class for safety. A detachable cap covers the USB connector to prevent damage and debris from entering the port.

Crucial Introduces Next Generation Solid State Drives

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced two new solid state drives (SSDs): the Crucial MX200, built to deliver leading speeds and features, and the Crucial BX100, designed to offer substantial yet affordable performance gains compared to a hard drive.

Crucial MX200 SSD: Available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities with respective MSRPs of £107.99, £191.99, and £360.99, the new Crucial MX200 delivers sequential reads and write up to 555MB/s and 500MB/s, along with random reads and writes up to 100k and 87k IOPS on all file types. Additionally, with an endurance rating up to 320 TBW (total bytes written) on the 1TB model, the Crucial MX200 delivers up to five times more endurance than a typical client SSD.

Lexar Increases Speeds of USB 3.0 Flash Drive Line

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory products, today announced performance enhancements to its JumpDrive USB 3.0 flash drives, which include the Lexar JumpDrive P20, JumpDrive S75, JumpDrive S55, JumpDrive S35, and JumpDrive S25 flash drives. Enhancements include increased read and write speeds for faster transferring of photos, videos, and files, as well as EncryptStick Lite software to help protect essential files by providing the option to keep these files in a password protected vault.

"Flash drives are no longer just used to bring term papers to the library. More often, people are relying on these devices to store movies, transfer photos, and back up important documents. And they want to do all that quickly and securely," said Aaron Lee, director of product marketing, Lexar. "The enhanced JumpDrive USB 3.0 line offers the best of both worlds: increased speed and heightened security."

Lexar Announces New Professional 1000x microSD UHS-II Cards

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory products, today announced the new Lexar Professional 1000x microSDHC and microSDXC UHS-II cards, offering read transfer speeds up to 150MB per second. Designed for sports camcorders, tablets, and smartphones, the new microSD cards leverage Ultra High Speed II (U3) to provide faster capture, play back, and transfer of photo and video files. The cards are also an excellent choice for photographers needing multiple memory cards for extended use to capture aerial content with a quadcopter.

Available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities, Professional 1000x microSD UHS-II cards can quickly capture, play back, and transfer extended lengths of the highest quality 1080p full-HD, 3D, and 4K video, making it easy to preserve more than 15 hours of your greatest moments and then relive the action. As with all Lexar Professional cards, a lifetime copy of Image Rescue software is included to recover any lost or deleted files, and each card is backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Crucial Introduces New Ballistix Sport and Tactical DDR4 Gaming Memory

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced new Crucial Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 memory and new Ballistix Tactical DDR4 memory. The new modules offer a combination of sleek design, DDR4 performance, and proven reliability for gamers to own the competition.

Designed for mainstream users who simply want to get more performance out of their systems, Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 memory delivers fast speeds and increased bandwidth. A new addition to the current Ballistix Sport DDR4 lineup, Sport LT modules feature a covert digital camo design and integrated heat spreader. Whether gamers want plug-and-play installation or Intel XMP 2.0 profiles to achieve DDR4 speeds of 2400 MT/s, Ballistix Sport LT memory delivers seamless, affordable performance.

Crucial Launches DDR4 SO-DIMM Memory

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced new Crucial DDR4 SODIMMs, designed to enhance next-generation laptop performance. The new DDR4 modules are more than 30 percent faster than their DDR3 equivalents with speeds of 2133 MT/s, enabling systems to load applications faster and run demanding programs without lag.

Operating at 1.2V compared to 1.5V for standard DDR3 memory, Crucial DDR4 SODIMMs consume 20 percent less voltage than standard DDR3 technology. The reduction in voltage combined with other DDR4 efficiency features leads to an overall power reduction of up to 40 percent, which helps extend battery life. Additionally, Crucial DDR4 SODIMMs increase memory bandwidth by more than 30 percent, allowing systems to handle more data at once.

Turtle Beach Introduces New Gaming Headsets, Accessories and Partnerships at CES

Turtle Beach, the leading audio brand in the video games industry, today announced new gaming products and partnerships at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The company will showcase new gaming headsets, including the Elite 800X, XO SEVEN Pro, and XO FOUR Stealth; partnerships with exciting new titles like Call of Duty Online; and a new line of PC gaming accessories, including keyboards, mice and mousepads. Turtle Beach will also be showcasing Turtle Beach Corporation's HyperSound virtual reality audio solutions at CES from January 6 to 9 in the South Hall, Booth 21030. Turtle Beach is the gaming audio brand of Turtle Beach Corporation.

G-Technology Takes On The Next Big Adventure And Goes Rugged

G-Technology, a leader in delivering premium storage solutions, today announced new rugged storage solutions that help keep content safe in virtually all environments. Compatible with the Evolution Series family of external hard drives, the new G-DRIVE ev ATC with Thunderbolt, the G-DRIVE ev ATC with USB 3.0, and the G-DRIVE ev RaW solutions marry rugged good looks with G-Technology's known quality, performance and reliability. G-Technology also announced new Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 all-terrain cases for turning the original G-DRIVE ev, G-DRIVE ev RaW or G-DRIVE ev SSD into a rugged, all-terrain storage solution.

Whether it's the professional photographer on a shoot in Peru, the established executive traveling across the globe with important company files or the young student running across campus to print out their term paper, everyone can use a sturdy and high-functioning portable hard drive. G-Technology's new rugged series is designed to withstand daily wear and tear and even more serious conditions as well, with features like a watertight drive compartment, which floats when dropped in water, and drop-resistance so they hold up to adventures, or accidents, big and small. Like all G-Technology external drives, the new rugged storage solutions come with a three-year limited warranty for even more peace of mind.

Creative Unveils Sound Blaster X7 Limited Edition

Creative Technology Ltd today unveiled a limited edition of its latest Sound Blaster X7 at CES 2015. Recently named a double 2015 CES Innovations Awards Honoree in both the 'Home Audio/Video Components and Accessories' and 'Computer Hardware and Components' categories, the feature-packed Sound Blaster X7 which is an ultra high-resolution external USB DAC and powerful audio amplifier now comes in an exclusive pearl white color, includes a 144W power adapter that is capable of delivering up to 100W output to passive speakers, and has a very low headphone amplifier output impedance of 1 ohm to effortlessly drive even the more sensitive in-ear monitors (IEMs) on the market.

The Sound Blaster X7, showcasing at the 2015 International CES, is designed to connect with a range of gaming and entertainment systems as an ultra high-end external Sound Blaster audio solution with an impressive 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution 127dB digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and a powerful 100W audio amplifier. It provides a superior, pure and lossless listening experience for games, music and movies -- meeting the most discerning demands of audiophile listeners and enthusiast gamers alike.

Mad Catz Ships TRITTON Swarm Wireless Mobile Headset

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced today the shipping of the TRITTON Swarm Wireless Mobile Headset. Compatible with mobile and smart devices as well as wired connections to PC, Mac and the latest generation video game consoles, the TRITTON Swarm delivers discrete yet powerful Bluetooth technology hidden behind striking aesthetics. With a choice of four metallic iridescent finishes, the TRITTON Swarm combines fashion with technology, designed to blend seamlessly with the lives of the modern gamer. Behind the eye-catching looks, the TRITTON Swarm features a host of powerful technologies which provide optimized audio and control, regardless of audio source.

Capable of pairing with two devices simultaneously, the Swarm is ideal for gaming, yet able to automatically switch to the users' smart phone when an important call comes in. Advanced aptX technology eliminates lip sync issues common to Bluetooth headsets, making the Swarm the perfect companion for late night movie watching. Advanced wireless surround sound allows mobile gamers to pinpoint enemy movements and team mate positions with unrivalled accuracy. Based upon the same virtual surround technology used in mission critical missile warning systems by an F-16 Falcon jet fighter, AM3D Audio can convert any standard stereo audio signal into highly realistic military-grade 3D sound.

Mad Catz Announces the R.A.T. PROX Gaming Mouse

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced today the R.A.T. PROX, the next-generation of the Company's popular series of R.A.T. gaming mice. Conceived to be the most advanced gaming mouse in the world, the R.A.T. PROX includes a magnesium alloy chassis to reduce weight and enhance strength and a completely reinvented Scroll Wheel system delivering new ways to play.

With numerous patents pending, the R.A.T. PROX is compatible with PC and expected to ship spring 2015. Designed to offer a future proof upgradable solution, the R.A.T. PROX is capable of growing with the gamer, incorporating Modular Sensor Units (MSU), allowing gamers to swap out the sensor of their R.A.T. PROX to suit individual styles of play or when new sensors become available.

Toshiba Unveils Canvio Connect II Portable Hard Drive

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the Canvio Connect II portable hard drive, a device that takes portable storage to the next level. Available with up to 3TB of storage capacity, remote access capabilities, local and cloud backup and the ability to share and stream content, the Canvio Connect II portable hard drive is an all-in-one portable storage solution.

The Canvio Connect II portable hard drive makes it simple to back up not just files and folders, but a complete system-or customize backups to your exact needs and specifications. Users can secure backups with user defined password protection, or cloud storage. With the ability to schedule backups to run automatically, the Canvio Connect II portable hard drive will take care of the rest.

Toshiba Unveils Premium 2-in-1 Detachable PC with Pen Input

Toshiba's Business Solutions Division (BSD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the Portégé Z20t, a versatile premium 2-in-1 detachable PC with high-precision pen input designed for a wide range of uses. An Ultrabook and tablet in one, the device features a 12.5-inch Full HD IPS detachable display, a sleek thin-and-light design and a reversible keyboard dock that offers users the flexibility to use it in any situation, enabling new productivity possibilities. Powered by Intel's Core M processor and pen technologies by Wacom, the Portégé Z20t delivers the performance users need plus up to a 17.4-hour battery life rating.

"The Portégé Z20t is slim and lightweight, yet extremely durable and powerful with amazing battery life. With its multiple modes and high-precision pen input, the device is instantly adaptable to any scenario whether it is insurance adjusters filing claims, educators and students in the classroom, pharmaceutical sales reps on the road or meetings in the office," said Carl Pinto, vice president of marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Business Solutions Division. "We have engineered this premium device to be the ultimate mobile companion, while still satisfying the security and management requirements critical to IT departments."

ViewSonic Introduces New Visual Display Technology Solutions at CES 2015

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solution products, unveils its newest visual display technology solutions at CES 2015 in Las Vegas, at the Encore Hotel, January 6-9, 2015. The company's line-up of new products to be showcased at CES will include Ultra HD 4K monitors, newly redesigned and price-competitive digital projectors, comprehensive VDI endpoint solutions and commercial-grade digital signage. With the company's strong display product heritage, ViewSonic continues to lead the visual display industry with innovations such as touchscreen, interactivity, curved, and 5K displays as well as wireless connectivity, cloud and virtual-based technologies that meet today's demanding environments.

"At the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, we'll introduce new commercial-grade solutions that demonstrate our strength and leadership in the professional and consumer display market," said Al Giazzon, vice president of marketing at ViewSonic Americas. "With new products like our new brighter and smarter LightStream projectors and feature-rich 4K monitors, our product lines continue to deliver the highest level of commercial-grade quality to meet the challenges of any computing environment."

MSI Ushers in New Era of PC Gaming at CES 2015

MSI Computer Corp, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, blasts into 2015 with an award winning lineup of gaming solutions, including the GT80 Titan SLI, the world's first gaming laptop with an integrated mechanical keyboard; CES Innovation award recipient GS30 Shadow with Gaming Dock, GT72 Dominator Pro, AG240 4K All-In-One gaming PC, and X99A GAMING 9 ACK motherboard; along with a new and redesigned GE62 Apache for the next generation of MSI's GE Series gaming laptops and others.

"PC gaming is constantly evolving and our new lineup of battle machines are ready to take on any challenge," says Andy Tung, President of MSI Pan America. "We've thrown down the gauntlet with a selection of outstanding choices for every type of gamer."

Brand New ECS LIVA X Mini PC Unveiled at CES 2015

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) will debut its newest member of the LIVA family, the LIVA X at the 2015 CES. In a luxurious suite in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, you can witness the new computing experience offered by the LIVA X through its 0dB thermal design, ultra-low power consumption and tiny footprint. Thanks to the embedded 22nm Intel Bay Trail-M SoC CPU power consumption is reduced to well below the maximum of 15W whilst offering a complete PC experience, including Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and various Linux based operating systems such as Ubuntu.

At a size that is comparable to that of a can of cola it is a spacious marvel as it comes equipped with SuperSpeed USB 3.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet, dual monitor capabilities, and an mSATA slot for extra internal storage. With all this, the LIVA X sets a new standard for performance and expandability of the mini PC whilst reducing its footprint with the incorporated VESA mount.

Thermaltake Outs Toughpower Grand Series with a Fully Modular Design

Thermaltake, being an industry leader in computer chassis, thermal solutions, and power supply units, launches the latest power supply units from new "Toughpower" line. Rated between 650W to 1200W, Thermaltake's new Toughpower Grand Series Platinum (650W, 750W, 850W, 1050W and 1200W) is a high-end PC power supply unit with a fully modular design. The grandiose look with a classy black finish makes a clear statement through its sheer appearance.

The series is 80 PLUS Platinum-certified, so users not only get a guaranteed eco-friendly PSU but also superior performance with easy cable routing and increased airflow. The Toughpower Grand Platinum models are ideally suited for high-end gaming and enthusiast PCs powering multi-core processors in combination with multi-GPU setup.

GIGABYTE Launches New X99-SOC Champion Motherboard and New BRIX

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards is hosting a press conference today to launch two new products, the GIGABYTE X99-SOC Champion motherboard as well as a new GIGABYTE BRIX compact PC built around the new 5th Gen Intel Core processors. Held at the Neopolitan Ballroom of the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, USA, the press event also includes a live overclocking demonstration where the new motherboard will be put to the test by GIGABYTE's evangelist overclockers HiCookie, Sofos1990 and Dinos22. Currently holding the highest DDR4 memory frequency World Record, the GIGABYTE X99-SOC Champion will be overclocked on Liquid Nitrogen to see if a new world record can be achieved live at the event.

From January 6th until the 8th, GIGABYTE will be showcasing their latest hardware solutions at the Neopolitan Ballroom of the Caesars Palace including 10 custom made demo systems especially for CES by system builders such as Cyberpower, iBuypower, Origin PC, Maingear, XOTIC PC, Falcon NW and Digital Storm. A few case mods will also be on display from renowned case modders Richard Surroz, Bob Stewart and Larry Andersen.

MSI GeForce GTX 960 Graphics Cards Leaked

Here are some of the first pictures of MSI's upcoming GeForce GTX 960 graphics cards. Both variations of essentially the same card, the GTX 960 Gaming OC and GTX 960 100ME (100 million edition) cards are based on NVIDIA's new GM206 silicon. The only specs we have at hand are 2 GB of memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface, and a very low power footprint. These two cards feature a 4+1 phase VRM, which draws power from just a single 8-pin PCIe power connector. Reference cards may feature just a single 6-pin. Both cards feature a compacted variant of MSI's TwinFrozr V cooling solution, which debuted with the GeForce GTX 980/GTX 970 Gaming series. The two are expected to launch on the 22nd of January, 2015.

SYBER Announces Three New Vapor Series Desktops

SYBER, a new division of CyberPowerPC, is announcing three new Vapor Models at CES in Las Vegas, as part of Syber's open platform PC gaming console line, along with a new limited edition color model. "For gamers who want to break out of the bedroom and into the comfort of the living room, the Syber Vapor PC gaming console series offers the best performance at an affordable price," said Eric Cheung, CEO, CyberPowerPC.

Steam machines will run on SteamOS, an operating system based on Ubuntu Linux and produced by Valve. Steam machines will exist primarily to play Linux games that can be downloaded through SteamOS. What makes the Syber Vapor PC gaming console unique, however, is that it is coming out before the SteamOS is finished. The Vapor connects via HDMI to your HDTV, has 4K capabilities and uses Windows 8.1 that will launch gamers directly into Steam's Big Picture mode.
Monday, January 5th 2015

Today's Reviews

Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Headphones
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
Notebooks
Processors
Sound Cards
SSD
Storage
Gigabyte GTX 980 G1 Gaming 4 GB Review

Gigabyte GTX 980 G1 Gaming 4 GB Review

With 3x DP, 2x DVI and 1x HDMI, Gigabyte's GTX 980 G1 Gaming features the most complete output configuration. The card is also overclocked out of the box, and a powerful triple-fan thermal solution keeps it cool. In our testing, we also found Gigabyte to have massively increased the power limit, which overclockers and voltmodders will find beneficial.

Thermaltake Launches Core X1, X2, X9 Stackable Liquid Cooling Ready Cases

Thermaltake, an industry leader in computer chassis, thermal solutions, and power supply units, once again provides trendsetting impetus in liquid cooling technology to introduce the new Core X Cube Series (X1, X2, X9), iTX, M-ATX, E-ATX motherboards supported respectively; this series a continuation of Thermaltake's tradition of innovative design and edgy technology, particularly for liquid-cooling system cases. The New Core X Series models come with the exclusive Tt LCS Certified logo.

Applied only to products that pass the design standards of hardcore enthusiasts, the philosophy of the exclusive Tt LCS certified was created so users can know which chassis has been tested to be most compatible with extreme liquid cooling configurations to ensure the best performance, features, and fit. Featuring a cube design, the series offers endless stackable ability and expandability for enthusiasts to create massive liquid cooling systems for a single system, file server or even dual systems.

Lenovo YOGA Family Takes Flexibility and Interactivity Even Further

Lenovo today announced at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show its new lineup of YOGA convertibles and tablets with new technologies that take flexibility and interactivity to a new level. The family includes the thin and light YOGA 3 in 11-in and 14-in models (in a 13-in chassis) built especially for today's on-the-go and digitally-hungry consumers; the ThinkPad YOGA, optimized for businesses in a 12-in model, and a 14-in and 15-in model for pro-sumers with optional Intel RealSense 3D camera; and the 8-in YOGA Tablet 2 with Windows, featuring Lenovo AnyPen Technology, that turns nearly any pen into a tablet writing tool.

Samsung Introduces New Monitors Featuring High Resolution Displays

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today unveiled its 2015 monitor lineup, a series of premium products that offer outstanding viewing experiences for consumers and professionals alike. The new consumer models include the SE790C Curved Monitor, which provides an unparalleled, immersive experience as the world's first 3000R curved monitor with Ultra-Wide QHD resolution (3440x1440) and the UE590, a UHD monitor with an HDMI 2.0 port and extraordinary color detail perfect for editing and consuming multimedia and ideal for 60Hz PC gaming. Samsung is also launching the UE850 UHD and ECO-Friendly PLS SE650 monitors for creative and enterprise users. The new monitors will be on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Samsung's booth, 11906 in Central Hall, from January 6-9, 2015.

"Samsung is a longstanding leader in display technology, constantly innovating to create exceptional desktop viewing experiences," said Ron Gazzola, vice president of marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "We're proud to continue that legacy of innovation with the 2015 monitor line which offers truly remarkable and immersive visual experiences for all types of users."

PNY Launches New Solid State Drive Line-Up

PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY") today announced a new line-up of high-performance Solid State Drives (SSDs) for enterprise, client, and consumer storage solutions, while at Pepcom's Digital Experience! 2015 in Las Vegas, NV. The PNY EP7000 Series is designed for enterprise class workload, the PNY CL4000 Series is designed for client OEM business environments, and the CS2000 and CS1000 Series are both geared towards consumers -- gamer/enthusiast and entry-level value segments, respectively.

"PNY's new range of Solid State Drives is a result of the company's renewed focus on delivering innovative, high quality SSD products to address the growing needs of the storage market," said Vinny Girardi, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Storage Solutions & New Products group at PNY. "This new series of solid state drives are highly reliable, as they have gone through rigorous validation and testing, ensuring they meet the stringent requirements specific to the enterprise and client markets. This new line-up of SSDs will truly make life simple for our customer base!"

HP Introduces Industry's Thinnest and Lightest Workstation Ultrabooks

HP today introduced the industry's thinnest and lightest workstation Ultrabooks, the HP ZBook 14 and 15u. HP also announced its next-generation virtual workstation and enhancements to its Remote Graphics Software.

The new products:
  • HP ZBook 14 and 15u Workstation Ultrabooks: With an unprecedented sleek and stylish design, these customizable workstations deliver impressive professional 3D graphics, high-performance/breakthrough storage and outstanding performance even for the most demanding applications.
  • The HP DL380z Virtual Workstation: Providing a true workstation experience, combined with end-to-end security, optimized IT management, and access to applications from almost any endpoint device, from virtually anywhere.
  • HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS) 7.1: Delivering faster performance for workstation or server-based graphic-rich applications and collaboration remotely in real time from any PC, thin client or Windows tablet.

Samsung Electronics Debuts the Portable SSD T1

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today unveiled the Samsung Portable SSD T1, a stylish, external portable solid state drive (SSD) that represents a new standard of storage for today's digital life. Designed for speed and security without sacrificing style, the Portable SSD T1 is ideal for business travelers, creative professionals and content creators with a need for secure local storage they can take on-the-go and use to quickly transfer large amounts of data. Available in 250 gigabyte (GB), 500 GB and 1 terabyte (TB) storage capacities, the Portable SSD T1 will launch globally in 15 countries across the United States, European and Asian markets later this month.

Powered by Samsung's proprietary 3D Vertical NAND (V-NAND) technology, the Portable SSD T1 is a high-performance memory storage device recently chosen as an honoree for the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovation Awards. The new drive will be on display at the 2015 CES from January 6-9 at Samsung's booth, 11906, located in the Central Hall.

ASUS Announces the Transformer Book Chi Series

ASUS today announced Transformer Book Chi Series, a family of beautifully-engineered, razor-thin 2-in-1 Windows detachables, offering the unrivalled convenience of a powerful laptop that transforms seamlessly into a handy tablet whenever needed. Transformer Book Chi is fast but silent, featuring a fanless design powered by up to Intel Core M processors, for amazing performance that gives users the freedom to work and play with effortless mobility - anywhere, anytime.

Featuring some of the world's slimmest tablets, and with a gorgeous precision-crafted all-aluminum design, the Transformer Book Chi Series offers unprecedented sophistication and elegance in a 2-in-1. The Chi range comprises three models, headed by the flagship 12.5-inch T300 Chi - recipient of a 2015 CES Innovation Award - that is powered by the all-new Intel Core M processor for outstanding performance and power efficiency. T100 Chi is a compact 10.1-inch model with all-day battery life, and T90 is an incredibly-light 8.9-inch powerhouse for on-the-go productivity. All models have a bright, crisp and clear IPS display with up to WQHD 2560 x 1440 resolution for detailed and vivid visuals.

Patriot Announces New UHS-II EP PRO-II SDXC Card

Patriot, a leading manufacturer in mobile accessories, computer and USB/flash memory, today announced the release of its new EP PRO-II SDXC card, becoming one of few companies supporting UHS-II capable devices and adding to its robust line up of flash memory.

The new EP PRO-II SDXC is designed to support the latest generation of high-performing devices with high definition and ultra-high definition (UHD) capabilities. With a capacity ranging from 16GB to 64GB and a read/ write speed of up to 280 MB/s and 250 MB/s it can fulfill the need for storage and speed without delay. Capable of recoding video in 4K UHD and capturing pictures in the blink of an eye, the EP PRO-II SDXC meets consumer and professional requirements for high resolution needs.

QPAD Launches MK-90, High-end Mechanical Keyboard

QPAD, the world-renowned eSport and gaming gear company, expands its range of high-quality mechanical keyboards with its new top-of-the-line QPAD MK-90 featuring advanced RGB LED lighting and industry-leading technology.

Like QPADs existing range of keyboards, the MK-90 is built with the same superior quality, durability, well-conceived design and layout as its current line-up of innovative keyboards. But the MK-90 takes keyboard lighting a giant step forward. It features an exciting new RGB LED concept with a multitude of lighting options and a white plate built into a strengthened keyboard to enhance the clarity and impact of the lighting.

Origin PC Announces EON17-X and EON15-X Gaming Notebooks

ORIGIN PC announced today their new ORIGIN PC EON17-X and EON15-X high-performance laptops for gamers, artist, professionals and enthusiasts. The EON17-X and EON15-X feature blazing fast Intel desktop processors on the latest Z97 chipset while almost 40% thinner and 30% lighter than the previous generation. For unrivaled performance, the EON17-X and EON15-X support ORIGIN PC's award winning CPU overclocking to run today's processor hungry games and applications. Reinforced with NVIDIA's next-gen Maxwell-powered 970M or 980M graphics cards, the EON17-X and EON15-X deliver hyper-realistic gameplay with support for 4K resolutions at smooth frame rates on your favorite 4K external display.

ORIGIN PC has also announced an all-new EON15-S thin and light laptop for gamers and professionals. The new EON15-S is now 36% thinner and 25% lighter than its predecessor yet continues deliver incredible performance thanks to Intel's latest i7 mobile CPU's and NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 980M graphics card. Gone are the days where lugging around heavier and thicker laptops was the only option for mobile performance. Customize and upgrade to ORIGIN PC's latest EON thin and light laptops today.

5th Generation Intel Core Family of Processors Arrive

Today, Intel unveiled the 5th Generation Intel Core processor family. Built on Intel's cutting edge 14nm manufacturing process, the 5th Gen Intel Core processors deliver premium performance, stunning visuals and enables improved battery life to take computing to the next level. The performance also provides the foundation for more natural and interactive experiences with Intel RealSense technology, Intel Wireless Display (Intel WiDi) and voice assistants.

With the "Broadwell" microarchitecture expected to be the fastest mobile transition in company history, offering consumers a broad selection and availability of devices, the 5th Gen Intel Core processors are purpose-built for the next generation of compute devices offering a thin, light and more efficient experience across traditional notebooks, 2 in 1s, Ultrabook devices, Chromebooks, All-In-One desktop PCs and mini PCs.

HP Reinvents the Desktop PC for the Home

HP today announced the HP Pavilion Mini Desktop and the HP Stream Mini Desktop, powerful and smart desktop PCs boosting performance in a small, contemporary, and energy-efficient design that looks beautiful in any room in the home.

"The desktop tower PC continues to be a focal point in the home for sharing, creating, and entertaining," said Mike Nash, vice president, product management, Consumer Personal Systems, HP. "The HP Pavilion and HP Stream Mini Desktops deliver the benefits of a traditional desktop PC in a package that looks good sitting on a desk and is small enough to fit into an entertainment center."

TP-LINK Debuts 11ac Wave 2 Performance Routers

TP-LINK, a global provider of consumer and SMB networking products, today announced the Archer C2600 and Archer C3200 Wi-Fi routers utilizing advanced technologies to help meet the heavy networking demands of today's homes and small businesses. The Archer C2600 is ideal for supporting a large number of wireless devices simultaneously, while the Archer C3200 delivers the highest combined Wi-Fi speeds with two 5GHz bands for an optimized entertainment experience when gaming online or streaming 4K videos.

"There is a limit on what a simple increase in bandwidth can do to improve the performance of Wi-Fi routers in the home," said Lewis Wu, executive vice president of TP-LINK U.S. "To continue improving the speed, reliability, and overall quality of our routers we are utilizing advanced technologies that allow them to serve connected devices with far greater efficiency."

OCZ to Unveil Its Next-Generation State-of-the-Art SSD Controller at CES 2015

OCZ Storage Solutions, a Toshiba Group Company and the most awarded solid state drive (SSD) brand of all time, today announced plans to showcase the highly anticipated JetExpress SSD controller at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada to be held January 6 - 9, 2015.

Designed and developed in-house, JetExpress will be the heart and soul of OCZ's future product line. JetExpress silicon is native SATA and PCIe/NVMe and will support multiple form factors including M.2, 2.5-inch SATA, and SFF-8639 which enables PCI Express speeds in a compact 2.5-inch form factor. The flexible and advanced architecture of JetExpress is designed to offer superior flash endurance empowering SSDs to continue down the path to ubiquity in both mainstream notebooks and hyperscale data centers.

Patriot Launches New Extension of Viper DRAM Series

Patriot, a leading manufacturer of computer memory, USB/flash memory, SSDs, and mobile accessories, today extended their Viper series of memory with the new Viper 4 built for the latest Intel X99 DDR4 platform and Haswell-E processor.

The Viper 4 series is Patriot's latest addition to their Viper line of extreme performance memory built for the most demanding environments. Designed with enthusiast system builders, content creators, overclockers and hardcore gamers in mind, the Viper 4 will be offered in quad channel kits of 16 GB and 32 GB running at speeds ranging from 2400 MHz to 3000 MHz starting at 1.2 - 1.35 volts.

TRENDnet Announces a New WiFi Speed Category With the AC2600 Dual Band Wirele

TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, today announces the AC2600 Dual Band Wireless Router, model TEW-827DRU, a next generation WiFi router which marks a new AC2600 speed threshold.

This next generation dual band WiFi router features two concurrent wireless networks -- an ultra-performance 1,733 Mbps WiFi AC network and an extreme performance 800 Mbps WiFi N network. Quad-Stream architecture, on both the WiFi AC and WiFi N bands, produces the record breaking AC2600 category rating.

AMD Embedded G-Series SoC Accelerates New QNAP NAS System

2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) -- AMD today announced that the AMD Embedded G-Series system-on-chip (SoC) will be powering the new TVS-863+ and the TVS-x63 platform from QNAP, a leading provider of network attached storage (NAS) systems. The platform, designed for small to medium-sized business (SMB) and small office/home office (SOHO) customers, is a leader in its class. The TVS-x63+ series is also a very affordable option for 4/6/8-bay SMB NAS servers that feature10GbE support and hardware-accelerated encryption.

"The new QNAP NAS system based on the AMD Embedded G-Series SoC exemplifies AMD's continued dedication to innovation on embedded solutions," said Scott Aylor, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Embedded Solutions. "NAS is a great application for the AMD G-Series SoC, taking advantage of the strong compute, low-energy consumption, and integrated GPU for display and acceleration."

AMD and Technology Partners Showcase World's First Shipping FreeSync Displays

2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) - AMD today announced the expansion of the FreeSync ecosystem as technology partners including BenQ, LG Electronics, Nixeus, Samsung, and Viewsonic showcased their upcoming commercially available FreeSync-enabled displays at the 2015 International CES.

The unveiling of new FreeSync-enabled displays demonstrates the industry's commitment to open standards-based technology that enables improved gaming by synchronizing dynamic refresh rates of the displays to the frame rate of AMD Radeon R-Series graphics cards and current generation APUs. The result greatly reduces input latency and helps reduce or eliminate visual defects during gaming and video playback. The new displays range in size between 24" to 34", supporting refresh rates of 30 to 144 Hz, and resolutions of 1080p up to Ultra HD, offering a variety of options for every gamer's needs and at virtually every price point.

AMD Brings the Future of Computing to Life at 2015 International CES

2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) - AMD and its technology partners are ready to wow attendees of the 2015 International CES with a wide range of new products and technology demonstrations that showcase AMD's view of the future of computing, and reinforce the company's surround computing leadership. The company will showcase an array of innovations powered by the latest AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), Radeon Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) technologies, and embedded designs that push the boundaries of modern computing.

"AMD is contributing to the excitement of CES 2015 with new graphics and computing technology that powers breakthrough consumer and commercial computing experiences of today and tomorrow," said John Byrne, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics business group, AMD. "This year, we continue to see inspiring developments in virtual reality, Ultra high Definition 4K resolution computing and beyond, computing form factor and intuitive user interface innovation. AMD is thrilled to power the best of these with new generations of our smart, innovative, and efficient technology."

TRENDnet Launches AC3200 Tri Band Wireless Router

TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, today announces the AC3200 Tri Band Wireless Router, model TEW-828DRU, a next generation WiFi router featuring three concurrent wireless networks -- two separate ultra-performance 1,300 Mbps WiFi AC networks and a 600 Mbps WiFi N network.

The average North American home has almost 10 WiFi-networked devices. Globally, there are currently 16 billion WiFi devices connected to the internet and that number is projected to more than double by 2020. TRENDnet's TEW-828DRU is designed to effortlessly and intelligently manage the tremendous growth of WiFi devices in the home.

SanDisk Unveils New, Improved USB Flash Drive for Android Smartphones

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0, a USB flash drive featuring both a micro-USB and a high-speed USB 3.0 connector for super-fast file transfers between On The Go (OTG)-enabled Android devices, PC and Mac computers.

Adding to its portfolio of innovative memory solutions, including SanDisk's current, extremely popular SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 2.0, the new SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0 enables mobile users to transfer files even faster, as well as free up space on their smartphones and tablets. The drive simply connects via micro-USB to a compatible Android device and gives users up to 64GB of extra storage instantly.

SanDisk Introduces New Affordable SSDs That Boost PC Performance

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash storage solutions, continues its momentum in the consumer SSD space by introducing two new offerings: the SanDisk SSD Plus, a 2.5" entry-level drive, and the SanDisk Ultra II mSATA SSD, a new form factor for the SanDisk Ultra II SSD product line. The SanDisk SSD Plus targets laptop and desktop PC users who want to significantly improve system performance. The SanDisk Ultra II mSATA SSD is for laptop and tablet users looking to increase the capacity and overall performance of their mSATA-enabled systems. The two new solutions are being unveiled at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies.

Building on SanDisk's impressive line-up of SSD offerings, these new drives are designed to bring all the benefits of flash memory technology-faster speeds, extended battery life and upgraded systems-to users at an affordable price. With speeds of up to 23x the performance of a typical hard drive, the SanDisk SSD Plus will deliver faster boot and load times as well as better overall system performance, eliminating the need to completely replace a slow laptop or desktop PC. The SanDisk Ultra II mSATA SSD delivers competitive performance, with read speeds of up to 550MB/s, while adding up to 512GB of capacity so users can get more out of their mSATA-enabled notebooks and tablets.

Toshiba Launches Industry's First TransferJet Adapter for iPhone, iPad, iPod

Toshiba Corporation today announced the launch of "TJM35420LT", the industry's first TransferJet adapter for iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPad and iPod that is compliant with TransferJet close proximity wireless transfer technology. Sales of the adapter by mass marketers and online stores are scheduled to start from spring 2015 in Japan, followed by Europe, the Americas and Asia.

TransferJet is a close proximity wireless transfer technology standard promoted by the TransferJet Consortium. The technology provides simple connections and ultra-high speed data transfers with low power consumption, and works simply by bringing the two devices in the transfer into close proximity. Maximum data throughput is 375 Mbps, and 100 MBytes of data can be transmitted in approximately three seconds.

Ultimate Ears Announces New UE MEGABOOM Speakers

Today Ultimate Ears is expanding its lineup of multi award-winning mobile speakers with UE MEGABOOM, the next-generation portable wireless speaker that delivers more power, more sound, more bass and more mayhem than you've ever experienced before in a portable speaker.

Similar to UE's first mobile speaker, UE BOOM, the next-generation UE MEGABOOM blasts freakishly amazing 360-degree sound with heart-pounding bass. With a waterproof - IPX7 certified - and stain-resistant acoustic skin, and a durable grab-and-go design, UE MEGABOOM makes your musical adventures both awesome and easy. Plus, UE MEGABOOM weighs less than two pounds, features a 20-hour rechargeable battery life and 100-foot wireless Bluetooth range, so you can keep the party going anywhere. You can also wirelessly Double Up with a second UE MEGABOOM, or UE BOOM, for twice the beats.

HP Debuts Virtual Reality Displays

HP today expanded its portfolio of computer monitors with an interactive virtual reality display, 4K and 5K ultra high-definition displays and curved displays for consumers and professionals. Designed to immerse users into a variety of digital experiences, the new products include:
  • HP Zvr Virtual Reality Display: Rotate, manipulate and navigate 3D images from the 23.6-inch diagonal interactive display. The HP Zvr will change how users think, work, and create with virtual-holographic 3D images.
  • HP Z27s and HP Z24s 4K Displays and the HP Z27q 5K Display: Ultra high-definition (UHD) solutions aimed to increase productivity by expanding the visual workspace and connecting to more devices.
  • HP Z34c, HP ENVY 34c, HP EliteDisplay S270c and HP Pavilion 27c Curved Displays: An immersive personal experience that will enhance visual perception and audio experiences.

NVIDIA Paves Way for Tomorrow's Cars With NVIDIA DRIVE Automotive Computers

Transporting the world closer to a future of auto-piloted cars that see and detect the world around them, NVIDIA today introduced NVIDIA DRIVE automotive computers -- equipped with powerful capabilities for computer vision, deep learning and advanced cockpit visualization. NVIDIA will offer two car computers: NVIDIA DRIVE PX, for developing auto-pilot capabilities, and NVIDIA DRIVE CX, for creating the most advanced digital cockpit systems. These automotive-grade in-vehicle computers are based on the same architecture used in today's most powerful supercomputers.

"Mobile supercomputing will be central to tomorrow's car," said Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO and co-founder, NVIDIA. "With vast arrays of cameras and displays, cars of the future will see and increasingly understand their surroundings. Whether finding their way back to you from a parking spot or using situational awareness to keep out of harm's way, future cars will do many amazing, seemingly intelligent things. Advances in computer vision, deep learning and graphics have finally put this dream within reach.
Sunday, January 4th 2015

Lenovo Unveils Latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon to Celebrate 100 Millionth ThinkPad

PC computing leader Lenovo today announced, at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, the cutting edge ThinkPad 2015 product portfolio. Featuring the latest generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the world's lightest 14-inch performance ultrabook, the iconic brand celebrates 100 million units shipped and continues to build on its unique heritage enjoyed by loyal and passionate fans around the world.

Lenovo also introduced the ThinkVision X24 monitor, bringing gorgeous ultra-thin IPS panel technology to the computing workspace, and ThinkPad Stack, a unique power bank that offers mix and match interlocking accessories to maximize productivity and minimize clutter.

Phanteks Announces Enthoo Mini XL Chassis

Phanteks announce the release of the Enthoo Mini XL, a super micro ATX. The Mini XL has been redesigned with optimal cooling in mind. Resembling the Enthoo Primo, it offers extensive water-cooling possibilities.

The Enthoo Mini XL, a compact and powerful structure with a sandblasted aluminum faceplates with matte finish. The Mini XL introduces a new form factor, super micro ATX. Unlike the Enthoo Primo, the Mini XL comes with a new RGB LED light system with mulitcolor control (10 colors) and supports dual motherboard configuration with the Mini XL ITX upgrade kit (PH-ITXKT_01).

MSI Releases Black & White X99S SLI Krait Edition Motherboard

MSI, world leading in motherboard technology, is proud to announce its X99S SLI Krait Edition motherboard. Introducing a newly designed fully black and white motherboard perfect for anyone looking for something different. The new MSI X99S SLI Krait Edition isn't just a good looking black & white motherboard, it also presents an arsenal of features and improvements. Offering reliable and fast Intel Gigabit LAN together with Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossFire support for enthusiasts looking to pair up multiple graphics cards.

Reward your ears with Audio Boost and all of its audio enhancing features. On-board Turbo M.2 with speeds up to 32 Gb/s makes sure users can enjoy blazing fast system boot up and loading of applications and games. A SATA Express port is also available. Guard-Pro and Military Class 4 provide all the stability you need through carefully selected and thoroughly tested components and materials.

We're Live from the 2015 International CES

TechPowerUp begins its year with the planet's hottest technology expo, the International CES, held in Las Vegas USA, each January. The 2015 International CES is expected to bring together some of the newest, strangest, and most out of the box creations in the world of tech, under one roof. We'll be out there, bringing you our latest finds! Stay live, and chat with us, on this page.

Eurocom Launches the P5 and P7 Pro High Performance Laptops

Eurocom is launching two high performance, fully upgradeable and configurable laptops, the 15.6" P5 Pro and 17.3" P7 Pro, powered by Intel Core i7-4700 Desktop Processor Series and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M graphics.

"Our customers can now combine the power of desktop Intel processors and high performance NVIDIA Graphics into a sleek and menacing laptop for massive performance and capability on the go." Mark Bialic, Eurocom President.

Seagate Announces the Wireless Portable Drive

Seagate Technology plc, the pioneer in wireless storage, continues to grow its family of wireless storage solutions with the debut of Seagate Wireless, a 500 GB portable wireless drive designed for streaming and offloading of media from mobile devices. The new Seagate Wireless offers more space to carry everything consumers want on their mobile devices and alleviates the challenge of running out of storage space on smartphones and tablets. Seagate Wireless provides a solution to stream your favorite HD video on your Android Tablet or Smartphone, iPad, iPhone, Kindle Fire, Windows 8 computers and Windows RT tablets.

The new Seagate Wireless drive comes in a range of vibrant colors. There is a color to coordinate with one's wardrobe, mood, or mobile accessories. Available Seagate Wireless color options include lime green, cool blue, slate grey, fire-engine red and white.

Seagate Launches the Seven Slim Portable Hard Drive

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today unveiled a high-design ultra-slim external drive that evokes the legacy form factor of 2.5-inch internal hard drives. The new Seagate Seven drive is the slimmest way to carry 500 GB of data, with the name representing the 7 mm depth of the 500 GB drive. The simplicity of the industrial design of the Seagate Seven pays tribute to the roots of computer storage while simultaneously celebrating the latest advancements in storage innovation. The premium all-metal enclosure highlights the essence of a bare hard drive, Seagate's core competency for over 35 years.

"Seagate has been providing the world with storage since the modern origins of computing history," said Mark Whitby, senior vice president of Seagate Branded Group. "Seagate Seven is designed to speak to this history, while looking forward to the future of where storage technology is headed. We believe that Seagate Seven will resonate with those who want the latest trend in mechanical design while inspiring the user to create great experiences and memories."

LaCie Also Unveils the Mirror Portable Hard Drive

Today, LaCie, the premium brand from Seagate Technology plc unveiled the LaCie Mirror portable hard drive wholly encased in scratch resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. This unique device is at once both a functional 1 TB hard drive and a striking piece of decor. The LaCie Mirror hard drive will adorn any desktop as it sits in its base made of a single piece of ebony wood from Makassar. This new signature piece for LaCie has been designed in collaboration with the acclaimed French designer, Pauline Deltour.

"You have to look twice to discover the LaCie Mirror's true ambition," said Deltour. "Covered by mirrored glass, it's first an elegant and functional object, and only on second glance is it revealed to be a slim high-performance hard drive."

LaCie Announces the Rugged RAID Mobile Drive

Today, LaCie, the premium brand from Seagate Technology plc, announced Rugged RAID, the latest product to join its line of iconic Rugged mobile hard drives. LaCie Rugged RAID features twice the speed and capacity of a standard mobile hard drive - all with the same Rugged portability and durability that enthusiasts have come to expect. It is also the only product in its class to feature hardware RAID 0 and 1, which lets professionals optimize the product for speed or data security according to their workflow - and use it on any Mac or PC.

When on a deadline, every second counts. The LaCie Rugged features Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 along with two internal hard drives that are preconfigured in hardware RAID 0 for sustained performance of up to 240 MB/s. With this speed, users can transfer 64 GB of content in less than five minutes, and even start to edit photos in the field with Adobe Lightroom. This time savings is key for field-based professionals who collect and move tons of data onto external storage.
Saturday, January 3rd 2015

SteelSeries Launches the Sentry Eye Tracker

For the first time ever, SteelSeries will bring the excitement of their CES experience to fans around the world via Twitch, the leading video platform for gamers. At this groundbreaking event, popular streamer personalities will show their global audiences the impact that the SteelSeries Sentry eye tracker can have on viewers with games like Counter-Strike: GO, DOTA 2, League of Legends, and more.

"Today, with our Sentry Eye Tracker, we are announcing an entirely new way for streamers and viewers to see the game," Ehtisham Rabbani, SteelSeries CEO. "This is just the tip of the innovation iceberg for Sentry, and we could not be more excited to realize all the possibilities that emerge when your game knows where your eyes are looking."

Acer Announces the XB270HU and XG270HU Gaming Monitors

Acer announces two new gaming monitors with some world first designs. The Acer XB270HU is the world's first NVIDIA G-SYNC gaming monitor equipped with IPS technology, and the Acer XG270HU is the world's first gaming monitor with an edge-to-edge frameless display. Both of these 27-inch displays come with WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution and a fast 144 Hz refresh rate to enhance in-gaming performance.

The XB270HU is the first NVIDIA G-SYNC-enabled gaming monitor to feature IPS technology, which provides consistently clear images from up to 178 degree wide viewing angles. NVIDIA G-SYNC technology ensures every frame rendered by the GPU is perfectly portrayed by synchronizing the monitor's refresh rates to the GPU in a GeForce GTX-powered PC. This breakthrough technology eliminates screen tearing and minimizes display stutter and input lag to deliver a smooth, fast and dynamic gaming experience for all the latest PC game titles. Scenes appear instantly, objects are visually sharp, and gameplay is more responsive to provide faster reaction times, giving gamers an advantage. Even in multi-monitor setups, the Acer XB270HU delivers crisp images from wide viewing angles to provide an excellent in-game experience. Furthermore, its multi-functional ErgoStand allows users to tilt, swivel and adjust the height to the most comfortable viewing position.

Acer Updates Its Aspire R 13 Convertible Notebook and Aspire S7 Ultrabook

Acer today announced it will be expanding support for 5th Generation Intel Core processors across its mobile lines, adding the CPU to its innovative line of Aspire R 13 convertible notebooks and award-winning Aspire S7 Ultrabooks. The Acer Aspire R 13 and S7 will incorporate the newest 802.11ac wireless specification for fast and more reliable Internet connections. The 5th Generation Intel Core processors have been designed to improve performance, graphics and battery life over previous versions. The ultrafast 802.11ac wireless networking standard is up to 3 times faster than the previous generation spec (802.11n) and increases network speed, range and reliability, enabling more people to use different wireless devices and simultaneously stream content with less interference.

The Aspire R 13 Series, S7 Ultrabook and previously announced Switch 12 2-in-1 notebook will be on display at Pepcom's Digital Experience! Event on Jan. 5th at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

Acer Bringing Intel RealSense 3D Camera to its Aspire V 17 Nitro Notebooks

Acer announced today it will introduce new Aspire V 17 Nitro notebooks that will feature the advanced Intel RealSense 3D camera. Because the camera can understand and respond to natural movement in three dimensions, Aspire V Nitro owners will be able to interact with games, open web pages or navigate applications without even touching the notebook's keyboard or mouse. It also enables 3D scanning, 3D model generating and then printing on a 3D printer or sharing on social media. Several intuitive apps introduce new ways to interact in gaming, entertainment, and content creation.

"Acer believes three dimensional computing offers unlimited potential for both professional and consumer uses," said Jerry Kao, President of Acer Notebook Business Group. "Business applications include 3D modeling, mapping and architectural design, while the most popular consumer uses will likely include augmented reality gaming, and simple PC navigation and control."

Acer Debuts Industry's First Chromebook with 15.6-inch Display

Acer today continues to lead the Chromebook space with the debut of the industry's first Chromebook with a 15.6-inch display. The new Acer Chromebook 15 delivers the ideal balance of large screen size, outstanding Chrome performance and sleek, portable design, making it an excellent primary computing device. The Acer Chromebook 15 is the company's first Chromebook that uses 5th Generation Intel Core i3 and next generation Intel Celeron processors based on Intel 5th Generation Core micro-architecture.

The new Acer Chromebook 15 will be on display at Pepcom's Digital Experience! Event on Jan. 5th at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

Western Digital to Demonstrate 4 TB Hybrid Drive at Storage Visions 2015

WD, a Western Digital company and world leader in storage solutions, will demonstrate the world's fastest 4 TB hybrid drive at the SATA-IO booth (#205) at Storage Visions 2015, January 4 to 5 in Las Vegas, NV. WD's prototype drive utilizes the SATA Express PCI-e interface, 4 TB 3.5-inch hybrid hard drive, and up to 128 GB solid state drive to deliver compelling performance and GB-per-dollar solutions for desktop and gaming applications.

The two WD SATA Express interface demonstrations at Storage Visions 2015 will include commercially available motherboards from WD partners ASRock and Gigabyte. These systems will demonstrate cabled SATA Express PCI-e interconnect flexibility and configuration options for single-volume caching and RAID.
Friday, January 2nd 2015
Cooltek C3 Review

Cooltek C3 Review

The Cooltek C3 aims to be an affordable, 100% aluminum chassis, attractive to both HTPC users and those looking for a compact chassis for fairly potent hardware. It also comes in two colors, and you can have your pick of a solid or windowed side panel.

ZOTAC to Show Off Three New Products at CES

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards and mini-PCs, today starts CES 2015 with a glimpse into the future of the ZBOX product family and demos of case mods featuring the latest ZOTAC GeForce GTX 980 and GTX 970 graphics cards at a private meeting suite at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nev. The upcoming ZOTAC ZBOX family includes an expanded ZBOX pico lineup, new E-series gaming, new passive C-series and quad display ready ZBOX mini-PCs.

"We launched major new ZBOX mini-PCs in 2014 with the passive C-series nano, gaming capable E-series and the pocketable pico series. This year we're refining the successful formula to add more features and performance while maintaining the award-winning form factors," says Tony Wong, CEO, ZOTAC International.

Possible NVIDIA GM200 Specs Surface

Somebody sent our GPU-Z validation database a curious looking entry. Labeled "NVIDIA Quadro M6000" (not to be confused with AMD FirePro M6000), with a device ID of 10DE - 17F0, this card is running on existing Forceware 347.09 drivers, and features a BIOS string that's unlike anything we've seen. Could this be the fabled GM200/GM210 silicon?

The specs certainly look plausible - 3,072 CUDA cores, 50 percent more than those on the GM204; a staggering 96 ROPs, and a 384-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, holding 12 GB of memory. The memory is clocked at 6.60 GHz (GDDR5-effective), belting out 317 GB/s of bandwidth. The usable bandwidth is higher than that, due to NVIDIA's new lossless texture compression algorithms. The core is running at gigahertz-scraping 988 MHz. The process node and die-size are values we manually program GPU-Z to show, since they're not things the drivers report (to GPU-Z). NVIDIA is planning to hold a presser on the 8th of January, along the sidelines of the 2015 International CES. We're expecting a big announcement (pun intended).
Thursday, January 1st 2015

NZXT Announces the S340 Color Edition Chassis

This Fall saw the S340 lead the way for NZXT in the entry-level case category, bringing premium quality and innovative design to the sub $70 space. Today we're pleased to announce the availability of the S340 in two new stylish colors: Matte Black paneling with either Gloss Blue or Gloss Red accents. Both colors will be widely available to all NZXT sales partners.

Forged from strong, cold-rolled steel, the S340 exudes an air of confidence that only the most durable of cases is capable of exhibiting. Axing the optical bays and relocating the HDDs to a lower position opens the case up like never before, making this one of the easiest cases to build in ever. A grommet-less cable management solution, alongside over twenty zip-tie locations and plenty of space behind the motherboard tray gives you unprecedented cable management options for a mid tower case.
Feb 1st, 2025 01:45 EST change timezone

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