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Thursday, November 30th 2017
Cougar Conquer Review
The Cougar Conquer is not your everyday chassis. It does not aim for a sensible high-end price tag due to unique features and functions. But delivers on looks first and foremost, with an excellent quality mix and a simple, yet well-rounded and functional feature set second.
Arozzi Verona V2 Gaming Chair Review
The Arozzi Verona V2 gaming chair comes in seven different color combinations, includes basic ergonomics, features a typical sports-bucket-seat design, and is priced at an affordable $299 in the US and €259 in Europe, which makes it a good choice for users on a tight budget.
Time to Get Tactical in Arma 3's Latest Mission Pack DLC
Bohemia Interactive today released the brand new Arma 3 Tac-Ops DLC Mission Pack. Delivering a true boots on the ground experience on a large-scale battlefield, players will be taking part in three distinct single player military operations. In Arma 3 Tac-Ops Mission Pack, players are tasked to lead an infantry, mechanized infantry, and/or special forces unit across an unrestricted warzone, often with multiple objectives to accomplish. The keys to success are thoughtful mission preparation, careful movement and positioning, skillful shooting, as well as patience.
Altogether, the missions should take at least 8+ hours to complete, which soon becomes more depending on playstyle and difficulty settings. Additionally, players can replay selected missions from the perspective of another unit. This, in turn, rewards them with a greater understanding of the military operation as a whole. Furthermore, people can watch special After Action Report (AAR) videos, which are presented by one of Bohemia Interactive's military consultants, and offer mission-specific insights on military tactics and combat.
Altogether, the missions should take at least 8+ hours to complete, which soon becomes more depending on playstyle and difficulty settings. Additionally, players can replay selected missions from the perspective of another unit. This, in turn, rewards them with a greater understanding of the military operation as a whole. Furthermore, people can watch special After Action Report (AAR) videos, which are presented by one of Bohemia Interactive's military consultants, and offer mission-specific insights on military tactics and combat.
Thrustmaster Pays Homage to Ferrari with Wood-Crafted 250 GTO Wheel Add-On
With Ferrari celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2017, Thrustmaster's goal was to launch exceptional racing wheels reflecting the history and style of the famed 'Prancing Horse' automaker. The first piece is a limited edition of a particularly iconic model: the timeless 250 GTO wheel, more beautiful than ever even at 55 years young.
Charm meets a strong, richly symbolic history
The Ferrari 250 GTO Wheel Add-On, for PC, is an official Ferrari-licensed 8:10 scale replica (at 13 inches/33 cm in diameter) of the wheel of the Ferrari 250 GTO - one of the most legendary cars ever created, and three-time consecutive GT world champion from 1962 through 1964. Thrustmaster's model proudly sports all of the original wheel's features, first and foremost in terms of materials. The Ferrari 250 GTO Wheel Add-On boasts a metal faceplate and internal structure, an authentic chrome logo plate in the center, plus genuine high-quality wood covering the wheel's entire circumference with a black ring running through the middle: the resulting design is understated and sleek. All of these carefully-reproduced details transport the user right back to the 1960s. One only needs to test out the Ferrari 250 GTO in the game Assetto Corsa (available as part of the Ferrari 70th Anniversary DLC Pack), for example, to find oneself fully immersed in real vintage car racing sensations, with their inimitable panache.
Charm meets a strong, richly symbolic history
The Ferrari 250 GTO Wheel Add-On, for PC, is an official Ferrari-licensed 8:10 scale replica (at 13 inches/33 cm in diameter) of the wheel of the Ferrari 250 GTO - one of the most legendary cars ever created, and three-time consecutive GT world champion from 1962 through 1964. Thrustmaster's model proudly sports all of the original wheel's features, first and foremost in terms of materials. The Ferrari 250 GTO Wheel Add-On boasts a metal faceplate and internal structure, an authentic chrome logo plate in the center, plus genuine high-quality wood covering the wheel's entire circumference with a black ring running through the middle: the resulting design is understated and sleek. All of these carefully-reproduced details transport the user right back to the 1960s. One only needs to test out the Ferrari 250 GTO in the game Assetto Corsa (available as part of the Ferrari 70th Anniversary DLC Pack), for example, to find oneself fully immersed in real vintage car racing sensations, with their inimitable panache.
Razer Rolls Out SK Telecom T1 Licensed Peripherals
Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, and SK Telecom T1's (SKT T1), the most decorated "League of Legends" professional team, today celebrated the team's recent runner-up performance at the 2017 League of Legends World Championships with the launch of licensed peripherals. SKT T1 is the only team in history to have reached the League of Legends World Championships finals four times, winning three of the four tournaments. The SKT T1 peripherals include the team's preferred mouse and mouse mat combo, the Razer DeathAdder Elite and the Razer Goliathus. Both peripherals are skinned in true SKT T1 fashion.
"SKT T1 is the most decorated League of Legends team of all time and we are proud to have them with Team Razer," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. "These players have consistently delivered championships & runner-up performances, faced some incredible challenges and persevered to show us their determination and skill. They are a true inspiration to gamers everywhere."
"SKT T1 is the most decorated League of Legends team of all time and we are proud to have them with Team Razer," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder and CEO. "These players have consistently delivered championships & runner-up performances, faced some incredible challenges and persevered to show us their determination and skill. They are a true inspiration to gamers everywhere."
Empire Divided DLC Takes Players Back to the Third Century in Total War: ROME II
SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced the launch of the new campaign DLC Empire Divided for Total War: ROME II. Empire Divided plunges players into the crisis of the third century, a do-or-die era for the Roman Empire. Players can embrace challenge of unifying the disparate Roman factions in glory - or playing as one of Rome's enemies, and dealing the killing blow.
Empire Divided breathes new life into ROME II, with 10 different playable factions, new victory conditions and new campaign features for players to contend with such as plagues, cults and banditry. Empire Divided also has a big narrative focus, as it chronicles the journeys of the characters and powers involved in this turbulent and fascinating time.
Empire Divided breathes new life into ROME II, with 10 different playable factions, new victory conditions and new campaign features for players to contend with such as plagues, cults and banditry. Empire Divided also has a big narrative focus, as it chronicles the journeys of the characters and powers involved in this turbulent and fascinating time.
Varjo's Ultra-High Resolution Alpha Prototype VR Headset to Start Shipping Soon
Varjo ("shadow" in Finnish, pronounced "Var-yo") Technologies today brought unprecedented levels of Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality (VR/XR) realism a step closer for professional markets through its new development partner program. The company's first public technology demonstration occurred at one of the world's leading startup events - Slush. Global brands including 20th Century Fox, Airbus, Audi, BMW, Technicolor and Volkswagen will now be collaborating with Varjo to optimize the company's human-eye resolution VR/XR Bionic Display for their respective business sectors. The company's recent $8.2m Series A round, led by EQT Ventures (with new, additional funding of $6.7m from Tekes, the Finnish funding agency for innovation) has enabled Varjo to begin the early access program for its partners as well as ramp up R&D capabilities.
Varjo will start shipping Alpha Prototypes to its first technology partners before the end of the year. Beta Prototypes will begin shipping to existing and new partners in the design, engineering, simulation and entertainment sectors during Q1 2018, allowing the next wave of VR/XR innovators to join the 'Resolution Revolution'. The partners will provide feedback on product experience, features and usability, and combine their industry insights and expertise with Varjo's product development.
Varjo will start shipping Alpha Prototypes to its first technology partners before the end of the year. Beta Prototypes will begin shipping to existing and new partners in the design, engineering, simulation and entertainment sectors during Q1 2018, allowing the next wave of VR/XR innovators to join the 'Resolution Revolution'. The partners will provide feedback on product experience, features and usability, and combine their industry insights and expertise with Varjo's product development.
Activision and Bungie Bring Amazon Alexa Skill to Destiny 2
Bungie and Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), announced the introduction of the Destiny 2 Ghost Skill for Alexa, giving players of one of the best-selling video games of 2017 to date the first-ever Alexa voice integration in a live game experience. Revealed on stage by Tom Taylor, senior vice president, Amazon Alexa and Byron Beede, Activision's senior vice president of Product Management for Destiny at the AWS re:Invent 2017 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Destiny 2 Ghost Skill, voiced by the in-game Ghost's voice actor Nolan North, is available now for Alexa customers to enable, free of charge, through the Alexa app.
The Destiny 2 Ghost Skill serves as a premier companion for Destiny 2 players, creating brand-new ways to interact with the game, players can say, "Alexa, ask Ghost to…" with a variety of utterances - from "…tell me which friends are online," to asking "…what should I do next?" giving recommendations for what to play next based on players' real-time current progress, to "…call for back up," which offers an easy way to interact with friends in their clan to enhance the social experience of Destiny 2, to "… equip my Raid loadout," equipping players' favorite weapons and armor for a number of different gameplay activities, to learning more about the world and characters of Destiny 2 with a request like, "…tell me who are the Red Legion?"
The Destiny 2 Ghost Skill serves as a premier companion for Destiny 2 players, creating brand-new ways to interact with the game, players can say, "Alexa, ask Ghost to…" with a variety of utterances - from "…tell me which friends are online," to asking "…what should I do next?" giving recommendations for what to play next based on players' real-time current progress, to "…call for back up," which offers an easy way to interact with friends in their clan to enhance the social experience of Destiny 2, to "… equip my Raid loadout," equipping players' favorite weapons and armor for a number of different gameplay activities, to learning more about the world and characters of Destiny 2 with a request like, "…tell me who are the Red Legion?"
NVIDIA Releases GeForce 388.43 Game Ready Drivers
NVIDIA today released its latest GeForce "Game Ready" drivers. Version 388.43 WHQL drivers feature optimization for "Doom VFR," the virtual-reality iteration of the 2016 "Doom" reboot. It also adds 3DVision profiles for "Escape from Tarkov" and "Claybook." Some game-crashes related to "Wolfenstein: The New Colossus" on notebooks GPUs were addressed. NV Tray (tray icon) has been restored with this release, on popular demand. Grab the drivers from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 388.43 WHQL
AMD Announces Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition
AMD today announced the brand title of its 2017-yearender driver release, Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition, which is named after the Adrenalin Rose. Scheduled to release some time in mid-December, under version number 17.12 WHQL, the drivers are expected to introduce performance enhancements across the board for GPUs based on the "Polaris" and "Vega" graphics architectures (Radeon RX 400 series, RX 500 series, and RX Vega series), while introducing new features.
AMD today posted a video presentation announcing the new drivers.
AMD today posted a video presentation announcing the new drivers.
Western Digital To Leverage RISC-V For Big Data And Fast Data Environments
Western Digital Corp. announced today at the 7th RISC-V Workshop that the company intends to lead the industry transition toward open, purpose-built compute architectures to meet the increasingly diverse application needs of a data-centric world. In his keynote address, Western Digital's Chief Technology Officer Martin Fink expressed the company's commitment to help lead the advancement of data-centric compute environments through the work of the RISC-V Foundation. RISC-V is an open and scalable compute architecture that will enable the diversity of Big Data and Fast Data applications and workloads proliferating in core cloud data centers and in remote and mobile systems at the edge. Western Digital's leadership role in the RISC-V initiative is significant in that it aims to accelerate the advancement of the technology and the surrounding ecosystem by transitioning its own consumption of processors - over one billion cores per year - to RISC-V.
Intel, Warner Bros. Aim to Develop In-Cabin Experiences for Autonomous Cars
So much of the discussion around autonomous driving has naturally focused on the car as a mode of transportation, but as driverless cars become a reality, we must start thinking of the automobile as a new type of consumer space. In fact, we have barely scratched the surface in thinking about the way cars will be designed, the interaction among passengers, and how passengers will spend time while they are riding and not driving. In this respect, autonomous driving is today's biggest game changer, offering a new platform for innovation from in-cabin design and entertainment to life-saving safety systems.
Advancing what's possible in autonomous driving, today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Intel announced a collaboration with entertainment company Warner Bros.* to develop in-cabin, immersive experiences in autonomous vehicle (AV) settings. Called the AV Entertainment Experience, we are creating a first-of-its-kind proof-of-concept car to demonstrate what entertainment in the vehicle could look like in the future. As a member of the Intel 100-car test fleet, the vehicle will showcase the potential for entertainment in an autonomous driving world.
Advancing what's possible in autonomous driving, today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Intel announced a collaboration with entertainment company Warner Bros.* to develop in-cabin, immersive experiences in autonomous vehicle (AV) settings. Called the AV Entertainment Experience, we are creating a first-of-its-kind proof-of-concept car to demonstrate what entertainment in the vehicle could look like in the future. As a member of the Intel 100-car test fleet, the vehicle will showcase the potential for entertainment in an autonomous driving world.
Web Cryptocurrency Mining Evolves: Now Keeps Running After Closing Browser
Well, after users think they've closed their browsers, more specifically. Researchers form anti-malware provider Malwarebytes have discovered a new form of web-based cryptocurrency mining that has a stealth-like approach to running mining code, which might cause less attentive users' machines to keep mining even after their web browsers have been closed. This is done via an utterly simple method, really: upon opening a malicious web page that has been coded to make users' machines mine cryptocurrency, the web page opens a pop-up window that is minimized behind the Windows Taskbar's clock. It's ingeniously simple - but could be surprisingly hard to detect, and could mean that the mining process will actually keep on using CPU cycles and mining crypto indefinitely until the next system reboot.
Thermaltake Announces Core P90 Tempered Glass Edition Chassis
Thermaltake once again surprises the casemod and DIY community with the new Core P90 Tempered Glass Edition Mid-tower Chassis. The new member boasts a unique chassis design that divides the case into three compartments for graphic card, PSU and other cooling components. The triangular corners and two 5mm thick tempered glass side panels give the Core P90 a hexagonal prism shape. Along with its 3-way placement layouts (wall-mountable, horizontal laying and vertical standing), the Core P90 TG delivers high installation flexibility for a revolutionary system display from every angle.
The interior space for custom cooling loop is maximised thanks to its "3+2" HDD mounts inside the right side panel and two 3.5"/2.5" HDD compatible brackets behind the M/B tray. With supports for up to three 140mm fans, one 480mm radiator and for the latest PC hardware, AIO and DIY liquid cooling solutions, the Core P90 TG permits users to enhance the aesthetics and provides limitless potential for system configuration.
The interior space for custom cooling loop is maximised thanks to its "3+2" HDD mounts inside the right side panel and two 3.5"/2.5" HDD compatible brackets behind the M/B tray. With supports for up to three 140mm fans, one 480mm radiator and for the latest PC hardware, AIO and DIY liquid cooling solutions, the Core P90 TG permits users to enhance the aesthetics and provides limitless potential for system configuration.
EA Bleeds $3.1 Billion in Stock Value Over Battlefront II Fiasco
Electronic Arts (EA) bled USD $3.1 billion (£2.3 billion) in stock value at the markets over the week, as the company scaled down its controversial loot-crate system deployed in "Star Wars: Battlefront II." The company is fighting a PR debacle as gamers complain of terrible pricing of the base-game, DLC, and an aggressive loot-crate system that's drawing the attention of government regulators around the world, who are threatening to impose gambling regulations against the game.
The concept of loot-crate is simple. You pay a seemingly small amount of money for a "mystery box" containing either something great (like weapon-attachments), or something of no tangible impact on gameplay (like skins). You're incentivized to buy more loot-crates in hope that you'll get something better. This becomes a gamble. In 2016, EA earned over $800 million in profits selling loot-crates among other micro-transactions, across various game franchises, such as Battlefield and Need for Speed. With EA scaling down several of its ancillary revenue models for the game, the studio's stock bled 8.5 percent month-to-date. Drew Crum, an analyst with investment firm Stifel also attributes underwhelming Black Friday sales of the game to EA's bear-hug.
The concept of loot-crate is simple. You pay a seemingly small amount of money for a "mystery box" containing either something great (like weapon-attachments), or something of no tangible impact on gameplay (like skins). You're incentivized to buy more loot-crates in hope that you'll get something better. This becomes a gamble. In 2016, EA earned over $800 million in profits selling loot-crates among other micro-transactions, across various game franchises, such as Battlefield and Need for Speed. With EA scaling down several of its ancillary revenue models for the game, the studio's stock bled 8.5 percent month-to-date. Drew Crum, an analyst with investment firm Stifel also attributes underwhelming Black Friday sales of the game to EA's bear-hug.
Toshiba Memory Corporation Unveils 2TB XG5-P NVMe SSD
Toshiba Memory Corporation, the world leader in memory solutions, has enhanced its line-up of client SSDs with the launch of premium models in its XG5-P series. The new NVM Express (NVMe) client SSDs improve on the performance of the current XG5 series models and double the maximum capacity to 2 TB. Sample shipments to OEM customers start today in limited quantities, and Toshiba Memory Corporation will gradually increase shipments from the first calendar quarter of 2018.
The XG5-P series also utilizes a PCI Express (PCIe) Gen3 x4 lane and NVM Express Revision 1.2.1 interface, and delivers performance of up to 3000 MB/s sequential read and 2200 MB/s sequential write, and up to 320,000 IOPS random read and 265,000 IOPS random write. Its random read/write performance in full access range is approximately 55% better than that of standard XG5 series products. At the same time, low power consumption is maintained at less than 60 mW during operation.
The XG5-P series also utilizes a PCI Express (PCIe) Gen3 x4 lane and NVM Express Revision 1.2.1 interface, and delivers performance of up to 3000 MB/s sequential read and 2200 MB/s sequential write, and up to 320,000 IOPS random read and 265,000 IOPS random write. Its random read/write performance in full access range is approximately 55% better than that of standard XG5 series products. At the same time, low power consumption is maintained at less than 60 mW during operation.
Wednesday, November 29th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Motherboards
Networking
Processors
Sound Cards
Cherry MX Board 6.0 Review
The Cherry MX Board 6.0 has a thick aluminum top, a technology called "RealKey" for extremely fast response times, high quality Cherry MX switches with low profile keycaps, and controllable red backlighting. Add in dedicated media control buttons and this is definitely a keyboard you want to read more about.
Intel Core i9-7900X 3.3 GHz Review
The Core i9-7900X is where Intel's new HEDT processor lineup truly begins, delivering on all the platform's three main goals - more cores, more memory channels, and more PCIe lanes. We pit it against the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X for what will be the pitched battle of the $1000 giants.
GIGABYTE Intros Aorus X299 Ultra Gaming Pro Motherboard
GIGABYTE today introduced the Aorus X299 Ultra Gaming Pro motherboard, a similar revision to the original X299 Ultra Gaming, as the recently announced X299 Gaming 7 Pro is to the original X299 Gaming 7. The board is nearly identical to the X299 Ultra Gaming, but comes with an added wireless networking module.
GIGABYTE deployed the Killer Wireless-AC 1535 module, which provides 802.11ac 2x2 (dual-band) Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. The wired networking is still handled by an Intel i219-V controller, with an included license to cFosSpeed, a traffic-shaping utility that you can use to improve online gaming latencies. The Aorus X299 Ultra Gaming Pro will be priced roughly 20% higher than the X299 Ultra Gaming.
GIGABYTE deployed the Killer Wireless-AC 1535 module, which provides 802.11ac 2x2 (dual-band) Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. The wired networking is still handled by an Intel i219-V controller, with an included license to cFosSpeed, a traffic-shaping utility that you can use to improve online gaming latencies. The Aorus X299 Ultra Gaming Pro will be priced roughly 20% higher than the X299 Ultra Gaming.
Team Group Announces C173 and C175 Pearl USB Drives
Continuously dedicated to satisfying the needs of our consumers in every respect, Team Group today announced the elegant and rounded C173/C175 Pearl USB drive. With black and white two colors to choose from, they look like mysterious, luxury black pearl and pure, flawless white pearl born from the deep ocean. The streamlined unibody of the Pearl USB drive is designed for easy grab and use, and able to offer users a well-rounded and comfortable hand held feeling.
Being in a mobile digital era, having an easy carry USB drive with solid build quality is a necessary tool whether you are at work or in school. The overall seamless design of Team Group C173/C175 Pearl USB drive is ingenuity and unique. It does not scratch hands or get dirty easily. The well-proportioned, rounded appearance and the ingenious, exquisite design make it look simple, sleek and yet elegant. Moreover, after thoughtfully considering the usage convenience, the C713/175 Pearl USB drive added a hidden latch to the design so consumers can plug cap to the back to avoid cap loss problem. Besides the convenience, the elegant and aesthetic overall design can also be maintained.
Being in a mobile digital era, having an easy carry USB drive with solid build quality is a necessary tool whether you are at work or in school. The overall seamless design of Team Group C173/C175 Pearl USB drive is ingenuity and unique. It does not scratch hands or get dirty easily. The well-proportioned, rounded appearance and the ingenious, exquisite design make it look simple, sleek and yet elegant. Moreover, after thoughtfully considering the usage convenience, the C713/175 Pearl USB drive added a hidden latch to the design so consumers can plug cap to the back to avoid cap loss problem. Besides the convenience, the elegant and aesthetic overall design can also be maintained.
EK is Releasing More Color Options for M.2 NVMe SSD Heatsinks
EK Water Blocks, the Slovenia-based premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is releasing new passive heatsinks for M.2 NVMe Next Generation Form Factor SSDs in multiple color options! The popularity of the existing Black and Nickel plated M.2 NVMe heatsinks clearly indicated the need for more color options, so here they are! It is not a secret that M.2 NVMe SSDs can overheat very easily and be affected by thermal throttling, thus losing performance. The EK-M.2 NVMe Heatsink can lower the SSDs operating temperature by 7 to 30°C.
The design of the heatsink ensures that it is easy to install, it is low profile, easily reusable and aesthetically non-intrusive. Simple clips ensure that the heatsink is very easy to install and to re-use if the SSD is upgraded. The ribbed surface of the heatsink acts as a very effective passive cooler, as well as aesthetic cover. Its simple design ensures a sleek, non-intrusive look that can be easily combined with any aesthetical requirement of the user. The compact design makes it highly compatible so that it does not interfere with other components. EK Water Blocks are offering the new EK-M.2 NVMe Heatsink in red, blue, green and purple variants. The gold variant will be available within two weeks of time.
The design of the heatsink ensures that it is easy to install, it is low profile, easily reusable and aesthetically non-intrusive. Simple clips ensure that the heatsink is very easy to install and to re-use if the SSD is upgraded. The ribbed surface of the heatsink acts as a very effective passive cooler, as well as aesthetic cover. Its simple design ensures a sleek, non-intrusive look that can be easily combined with any aesthetical requirement of the user. The compact design makes it highly compatible so that it does not interfere with other components. EK Water Blocks are offering the new EK-M.2 NVMe Heatsink in red, blue, green and purple variants. The gold variant will be available within two weeks of time.
AMD Releases Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.4 Drivers
AMD today put out its fourth Radeon Software release of the month, the Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.4 Beta. These drivers come with optimization for "Doom" VFR, and Oculus Dash Open Beta. The drivers fix an issue with certain levels of HBCC size adjustments causing system instability on machines with Radeon RX Vega series graphics cards. It also fixes a system hang noticed when switching display modes on "Star Wars Battlefront II" on CrossFire machines. Also fixed, are incorrect clock and power values being reported on some machines with RX Vega series graphics cards. Grab the drivers from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.4
ROCCAT's First-Ever VR Game Debuts on Steam at $8
At last, the long wait is over. The best Virtual Reality game of Gamescom 2017, according to Elite Gamer, is now available on Steam. Elevator… to the Moon! takes players on a wild ride in a dilapidated lunar elevator. Players are tasked to fix their odd space vehicle while off-kilter and loudmouthed president of the world, Doug-Slater Roccmeier yells at them for not following every instruction to the point. Take the trip to its end, where dark and horrible mysteries on the moon are just waiting to be uncovered. Elevator… to the Moon! is no one trick pony. After you've finished the storyline, there is a perplexing alternate ending to experience, many achievements to unlock and fun little secrets to be discovered. As you can see, there is enough action going on to satisfy your lust for entertainment for quite a while.
Atari Releases Speakerhat and Table Pong to Commemorate Pong's 45th Anniversary
Atari, one of the world's most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers, today proudly celebrates "Pong Day" on the 45th anniversary of the influential Pong arcade game that first debuted on November 29, 1972. A simple-but-challenging table tennis simulation, Pong was the first commercially successful video game and an immediate smash hit that effectively established the video game industry. To commemorate this groundbreaking birthday, the company has unveiled the all-new Pong Anniversary Limited-Edition Atari Speakerhat which is in stock and available now exclusively at AtariLife.com.
Pong was originally meant to be a simple training exercise, assigned to newly hired engineer Allan Alcorn by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, to acclimate him to creating games. Alcorn went above and beyond, adding appealing features such as segmented paddles that changed the angle of the "ball" and accelerating speeds as play went on. Alcorn also elected to retain a "glitch" that didn't allow the paddles to reach the top of the screen, which added to the game's difficulty. Lastly, Bushnell had Alcorn add cheering crowd noises and other sound effects. The game was so well-received that Bushnell and the team were able to rapidly grow Atari and an entire industry was born.
Pong was originally meant to be a simple training exercise, assigned to newly hired engineer Allan Alcorn by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, to acclimate him to creating games. Alcorn went above and beyond, adding appealing features such as segmented paddles that changed the angle of the "ball" and accelerating speeds as play went on. Alcorn also elected to retain a "glitch" that didn't allow the paddles to reach the top of the screen, which added to the game's difficulty. Lastly, Bushnell had Alcorn add cheering crowd noises and other sound effects. The game was so well-received that Bushnell and the team were able to rapidly grow Atari and an entire industry was born.
Latest Samsung 960 Pro Firmware Update Causes Application Freezes, Instability
Users of Samsung's 960 Pro SSD's that have updated to the latest firmware version (3B6QCXP7) have been reporting far, wide, and through a variety of outlets, the existence of problems that lead to application instability and OS freezes lasting for several seconds before the system resumes normal functions. Apparently, there's no hard-crashing involved as of yet, though the issue seems to be widespread enough that it's generating discussion in Samsung's forums, our own, and some other tech publication's. It seems the 960 Pro is getting stuck with 100% activity reports in the task manager with read and write speeds of 0. At the same time, some users are reporting performance degradation by sometimes up to 1,400 MB/s in read speeds when benchmarking the drives, which also doesn't bode well for the firmware's pedigree.
The issue has been replicated by users running Perfect Disk while running SSD Optimization modes. A Samsung representative in the Forums seems to be on top of the issue, asking users for information on their systems and configuration before escalating the situation and reporting, though so far, it seems that the problem is being dismissed as being not widespread enough to be considered a cause for alarm. Samsung''s 960 Pro firmware can't be rolled back by users to a previous version, though, so take this post as a heads-up and maybe wait for a newer firmware revision, just to play it safe. A statement from Samsung follows after the break.
The issue has been replicated by users running Perfect Disk while running SSD Optimization modes. A Samsung representative in the Forums seems to be on top of the issue, asking users for information on their systems and configuration before escalating the situation and reporting, though so far, it seems that the problem is being dismissed as being not widespread enough to be considered a cause for alarm. Samsung''s 960 Pro firmware can't be rolled back by users to a previous version, though, so take this post as a heads-up and maybe wait for a newer firmware revision, just to play it safe. A statement from Samsung follows after the break.
Battlezone II: Combat Commander Remaster Set to Deploy on Steam & GOG in 2018
After Rebellion 's TIGA Award-nominated remaster of Battlezone (1998), many fans of the pioneering FPS-RTS hybrid asked for its acclaimed sequel, Battlezone II: Combat Commander, to receive the same treatment. Developed by Big Boat Interactive and published by Rebellion, BATTLEZONE COMBAT COMMANDER remasters Battlezone II with slick new visuals, mod support for the game's two-decade old modding scene, cross-play online multiplayer between GOG & Steam for up to 14 players, achievements, cloud saves (only on Steam) and more.
A mysterious alien force threatens humanity itself. In this galaxy-wide war, you are in command of the resistance. Leading from the front, you take to the battlefield in thrilling first-person combat, piloting futuristic, customizable war machines including hover-tanks, colossal mech walkers, lightning-fast mortar-bikes and more. But you don't just fight from the front - you are in total command! A gripping single player campaign will test your mettle as you learn to plot strategy, construct bases, form your armies, deploy defenses and call in airstrikes. Achieving victory is no mean feat in this remarkable blend of classic real-time strategy and first-person action. To save humanity, you must prove yourself a true combat commander!
A mysterious alien force threatens humanity itself. In this galaxy-wide war, you are in command of the resistance. Leading from the front, you take to the battlefield in thrilling first-person combat, piloting futuristic, customizable war machines including hover-tanks, colossal mech walkers, lightning-fast mortar-bikes and more. But you don't just fight from the front - you are in total command! A gripping single player campaign will test your mettle as you learn to plot strategy, construct bases, form your armies, deploy defenses and call in airstrikes. Achieving victory is no mean feat in this remarkable blend of classic real-time strategy and first-person action. To save humanity, you must prove yourself a true combat commander!
Kobolds & Catacombs Expansion Brings New Excitement for Hearthstone Players
Starting December 8th, players can delve deep into an unexplored underground realm packed with malignant monsters, terrifying traps, and treasures beyond imagination in Hearthstone's newest expansion: Kobolds & Catacombs! To ensure that they're prepped for every peril, players can fill their bags with 50 Kobolds & Catacombs card packs for £44.99. Those who pre-purchase will also receive the gleaming FOR THE HOARD! card back for their collections. Gamers will receive their FOR THE HOARD! card back and packs as soon as their pre-purchase is processed, and will be able to break the seal on the card packs once Kobolds & Catacombs arrives.
Wekey Pocket 2's the World's Thinnest & Lightest Pocket-sized Keyboard Ever Made
Wekey Pocket 2 is a full 64 key Bluetooth keyboard that can be folded to fit in any pocket. With a standard QWERTY layout and typing feedback, the Wekey Pocket 2 allows for a more intuitive and efficient typing experience, especially for users who prefer a physical keyboard. It's compatible with all portable smart devices including smartphones & tablets. The keyboard measures just 3 mm thick, when opened, and weighs only 95 grams. With a foldable design, Wekey Pocket 2 is 176 mm in length when folded making it no longer than the palm of the hand. With one full charge, it can be used for over a month (average 1 hour continuous usage per day).
Wekey Pocket 2's core specifications are made possible by Woorin's patented wearable PCB technology. Wearable PCB technology allows for intricate circuit patterns to be printed on flexible films or fabrics without risk of structural damage. Beyond circuitry, Woorin also developed a Force Sensing Register (FSR) sensor to allow for tactile type-feel feedback to the fingers. This FSR technology is also applied to Wekey Pocket 2's new 3D touch pad. Control without ever touching the screen, with remote control capability up to 10 meters.
Wekey Pocket 2's core specifications are made possible by Woorin's patented wearable PCB technology. Wearable PCB technology allows for intricate circuit patterns to be printed on flexible films or fabrics without risk of structural damage. Beyond circuitry, Woorin also developed a Force Sensing Register (FSR) sensor to allow for tactile type-feel feedback to the fingers. This FSR technology is also applied to Wekey Pocket 2's new 3D touch pad. Control without ever touching the screen, with remote control capability up to 10 meters.
Philips Launches the 356M6QJAB/11 1080p, 35" FreeSync Monitor With Ambiglow Tech
Philips has launched the 356M6QJAB/11 monitor, a 35" affair that sports a somewhat anemic resolution of just 1080p for such a diagonal size. Besides being aesthetically pleasing - whose mileage may vary, as always - there's not much to gloat about regarding its features, except for one thing: this monitor sports Philips' proprietary Ambiglow technology.
Ambiglow marries image processing capabilities with RGB LEDs that add to the viewing experience by projecting the on-screen color shifts around the monitor's bezels towards a close-proximity wall. It's not clear from Philips' product page, but it seems that this monitor's Ambiglow tech is only available on the bottom of the monitor - if so, this seems to be a mistake, since usually, the top and sides are preferred areas for color display (this editor speaks as a user of a Lightpack PC solution.)
Ambiglow marries image processing capabilities with RGB LEDs that add to the viewing experience by projecting the on-screen color shifts around the monitor's bezels towards a close-proximity wall. It's not clear from Philips' product page, but it seems that this monitor's Ambiglow tech is only available on the bottom of the monitor - if so, this seems to be a mistake, since usually, the top and sides are preferred areas for color display (this editor speaks as a user of a Lightpack PC solution.)
Vivo Announces the CASE-V10G Mid-Tower ATX Case for $50
Vivo, a relative unknown in the case space, has announced their new offering, the CASE-V10G, which aims to bring premium features to an almost unheard of price of $50. The new CASE-V10G includes an all-black steel and plastic construction, with tempered glass front and side panels providing users the opportunity to peek at their hardware. The front tempered glass panel sits about an inch ahead of the included 3x Blue LED fans, guaranteeing enough air flow for proper component cooling.
For the company to achieve its list pricing, however, some corners had to be cut: there's no room for a proper watercooling setup, and the only exhaust fan (120 mm, the only support point for a radiator) is located on the back of the chassis - should users want top exhausts, they'll have to drill them in themselves. The CASE-V10G supports motherboards up to ATX in size, graphics cards up to 350 mm, tower coolers with up to 155 mm, and full size ATX power supplies. There are 7x expansion slots, and enough mounting locations for 2x 3.5" and 2x 2.5" hard drives. Front panel connectors include 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x USB 3.0 port, and HD audio jacks. The Vivo CASE-V10G is available now from retailers.
For the company to achieve its list pricing, however, some corners had to be cut: there's no room for a proper watercooling setup, and the only exhaust fan (120 mm, the only support point for a radiator) is located on the back of the chassis - should users want top exhausts, they'll have to drill them in themselves. The CASE-V10G supports motherboards up to ATX in size, graphics cards up to 350 mm, tower coolers with up to 155 mm, and full size ATX power supplies. There are 7x expansion slots, and enough mounting locations for 2x 3.5" and 2x 2.5" hard drives. Front panel connectors include 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x USB 3.0 port, and HD audio jacks. The Vivo CASE-V10G is available now from retailers.
Cooler Master Announces MasterLiquid ML120L and ML240L RGB with Splitters
Cooler Master, a leader in PC components and peripherals, introduces RGB enabled all-in-one liquid cooling: MasterLiquid ML240L RGB and MasterLiquid ML120L RGB. Both models have full RGB effects on both the fan and pump, which comes with a controller and RGB splitter cable for quick setup or alternatively sync seamlessly with ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte and ASRock motherboards.
The ML240L RGB and ML120L RGB comes with the dual chamber RGB pump for increased reliability and provide a perfect balance of low noise levels at optimal performance. The aesthetic design of the low resistance radiator shows premium build and attached is the MasterFan MF120R RGB (2 included for the M240L RGB). The double layer tubing with sleeved on the outside and FEP on the inside for robust usage.
The ML240L RGB and ML120L RGB comes with the dual chamber RGB pump for increased reliability and provide a perfect balance of low noise levels at optimal performance. The aesthetic design of the low resistance radiator shows premium build and attached is the MasterFan MF120R RGB (2 included for the M240L RGB). The double layer tubing with sleeved on the outside and FEP on the inside for robust usage.
Samsung Starts Mass Production of its 2nd Generation 10nm FinFET
Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that its Foundry Business has commenced mass production of System-on-Chip (SoC) products built on its second generation 10-nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology, 10LPP (Low Power Plus).
10LPP process technology allows up to 10-percent higher performance or 15-percent lower power consumption compared to its first generation 10nm process technology, 10LPE (Low Power Early). As this process is derived from the already proven 10LPE technology, it offers competitive advantages by greatly reducing turn-around time from development to mass production and by providing significantly higher initial manufacturing yield. SoCs designed with 10LPP process technology will be used in digital devices scheduled to launch early next year and are expected to become more widely available throughout the year.
10LPP process technology allows up to 10-percent higher performance or 15-percent lower power consumption compared to its first generation 10nm process technology, 10LPE (Low Power Early). As this process is derived from the already proven 10LPE technology, it offers competitive advantages by greatly reducing turn-around time from development to mass production and by providing significantly higher initial manufacturing yield. SoCs designed with 10LPP process technology will be used in digital devices scheduled to launch early next year and are expected to become more widely available throughout the year.
Toshiba Memory Unveils UFS Devices Utilizing 64-Layer 3D Flash
Toshiba Memory Corporation, the world leader in memory solutions, has today started sampling Universal Flash Storage (UFS) devices utilizing Toshiba Memory Corporation's cutting-edge 64-layer, BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory. The new UFS devices meet performance demands for applications that require high-speed read/write performance and low power consumption, including mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and augmented and virtual reality systems.
The new line-up will be available in four capacities: 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. All of the devices integrate flash memory and a controller in a single, JEDEC-standard 11.5 x 13 mm package. The controller performs error correction, wear leveling, logical-to-physical address translation and bad-block management, allowing users to simplify system development.
The new line-up will be available in four capacities: 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. All of the devices integrate flash memory and a controller in a single, JEDEC-standard 11.5 x 13 mm package. The controller performs error correction, wear leveling, logical-to-physical address translation and bad-block management, allowing users to simplify system development.
Tuesday, November 28th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Memory
Monitors
Motherboards
Processors
PSUs
Corsair ML120 PRO RGB Fan Review
Corsair finally added RGB lighting to their excellent ML fans, and with it added, we possibly have the best balance of performance, noise, and aesthetics. Featuring a magnetic levitation bearing, a fine-tuned rotor for high static pressure applications, and four addressable RGB LEDs.
GIGABYTE Launches Radeon RX Vega Gaming OC WindForce 2X Series
GIGABYTE has a custom-design Radeon RX Vega series after all, with the company announcing the RX Vega 64 WindForce 2X and RX Vega 56 WindForce 2X graphics cards. These cards combine a 100% custom-design PCB by GIGABYTE, with a large WindForce 2X cooling-solution that the company is debuting with these cards. The cooler features a split aluminium fin-stack heatsink to which heat drawn by 8 mm-thick copper heat-pipes is fed; ventilated by a pair of large 100 mm fans, which stay off when the GPU is idling. The heat-pipes make direct contact with the GPU and HBM2 stacks, while a base-plate conveys heat drawn from the VRM MOSFETs.
The back-plate has a copper center-plate and a flat heat-pipe of its own, drawing heat from the PCB via non-electrically-conductive thermal pads. The two fans blow air onto the heatsink, but one fan spins clockwise to do this, while the other spins counter-clockwise. The custom-design PCB features a 13-phase VRM, and draws power from a pair of 8-pin PCIe power connectors. Both cards come with factory-overclocked speeds, with the engine-clock boosting up to 1560 MHz, while the memory clock is left untouched. The card features an unusual display connector loadout, including three each of DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 ports, all located on the rear panel. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The back-plate has a copper center-plate and a flat heat-pipe of its own, drawing heat from the PCB via non-electrically-conductive thermal pads. The two fans blow air onto the heatsink, but one fan spins clockwise to do this, while the other spins counter-clockwise. The custom-design PCB features a 13-phase VRM, and draws power from a pair of 8-pin PCIe power connectors. Both cards come with factory-overclocked speeds, with the engine-clock boosting up to 1560 MHz, while the memory clock is left untouched. The card features an unusual display connector loadout, including three each of DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 ports, all located on the rear panel. The company didn't reveal pricing.
PowerColor Officially Launches Radeon RX Vega Red Devil Series
TUL Corporation, a leading and innovative manufacturer of AMD graphic cards since 1997, has launched a new PowerColor Red Devil RX VEGA 64 and Red Devil RX VEGA 56 and opened up a new generation of the graphics cards market. The VEGA series are for the extreme gamers looking for the highest resolutions, highest framerates in maximum video setting.
The PowerColor RX VEGA graphics are designed to deliver exhilarating performance in the latest DirectX 12 and Vulkan game titles. With a dedicated High-Bandwidth Cache, the VEGA utilizes HBM2, the latest in graphic memory technology, to provide incredible levels of power efficiency and memory performance. The Next-Gen Pixel Engine found in the Vega GPU is designed to boost shading performance more efficiently to bring the latest VR and extreme resolution games to life.
The PowerColor RX VEGA graphics are designed to deliver exhilarating performance in the latest DirectX 12 and Vulkan game titles. With a dedicated High-Bandwidth Cache, the VEGA utilizes HBM2, the latest in graphic memory technology, to provide incredible levels of power efficiency and memory performance. The Next-Gen Pixel Engine found in the Vega GPU is designed to boost shading performance more efficiently to bring the latest VR and extreme resolution games to life.
MSI Releases TXE 3.0 Vulnerability Fix for Intel LGA1151 Motherboards
In order to avoid severe security vulnerabilities for the platforms, MSI motherboards now support the latest Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) 3.0 for safer system protection. According to recent Intel comprehensive security review, security vulnerabilities are identified and could potentially allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to platforms features, secrets and 3rdparty secrets protected by Intel TXE. Therefore, Intel has validated and released Intel TXE 3.0 updates to address the encountered security situations.
Currently all MSI 100,200 and 300 series motherboards are supporting the newest Intel TXE 3.0 by updating to the latest BIOS and installing the latest software updates. MSI always places strong emphasis on security and anti-hack issues to makes sure all MSI motherboard users are operating under the most secure circumstances. MSI will continue to provide additional updates if necessary to ensure maximum platform security protection for users.
Currently all MSI 100,200 and 300 series motherboards are supporting the newest Intel TXE 3.0 by updating to the latest BIOS and installing the latest software updates. MSI always places strong emphasis on security and anti-hack issues to makes sure all MSI motherboard users are operating under the most secure circumstances. MSI will continue to provide additional updates if necessary to ensure maximum platform security protection for users.
Cherry Announces the MC 4900 Mouse with Fingerprint Reader
CHERRY, the specialist for computer input devices, introduces the MC 4900, a wired 3-button mouse with integrated fingerprint reader which allows easy logon and secure authentication. In particular, businesses and public institutions will benefit from this modern security feature. Ease of use and ergonomics are of the usual high CHERRY standards.
The main feature of the new CHERRY MC 4900 is the integrated Crossmatch TouchChip TCS2 sensor with capacitive sensing technology. This makes the mouse particularly suitable for workstations that are used by different users within a company, government agency or institution. The fingerprint is used for secure and fast authentication, whether through 'single sign-on' (one-time registration) or several log-in stages in the appropriate software.
The main feature of the new CHERRY MC 4900 is the integrated Crossmatch TouchChip TCS2 sensor with capacitive sensing technology. This makes the mouse particularly suitable for workstations that are used by different users within a company, government agency or institution. The fingerprint is used for secure and fast authentication, whether through 'single sign-on' (one-time registration) or several log-in stages in the appropriate software.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope Remastered in Glorious 4K
Travelers are invited to embark on a galactic adventure just in time for the holidays with STAR OCEAN - THE LAST HOPE - 4K & Full HD Remaster. The prequel to the franchise is now available for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system and STEAM. Developed in partnership with tri-Ace, the prequel to the original STAR OCEAN game has been remastered in full high-definition, with added 4K support* and PC keyboard/mouse and controller support. The action-packed role-playing game takes players on an epic journey across the universe in an immersive story of survival. Players can enjoy quintessential STAR OCEAN features, including strategic real-time combat.
HDMI 2.1 Specification Sets New Resolution Standard
HDMI Forum, Inc. today announced the release of Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification which is now available to all HDMI 2.0 adopters. This latest HDMI Specification supports a range of higher video resolutions and refresh rates including 8K60 and 4K120, and resolutions up to 10K. Dynamic HDR formats are also supported, and bandwidth capability is increased up to 48Gbps. Supporting the 48Gbps bandwidth is the new Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable. The cable ensures high- bandwidth dependent features are delivered including uncompressed 8K video with HDR. It features exceptionally low EMI (electro-magnetic interference) which reduces interference with nearby wireless devices. The cable is backwards compatible and can be used with the existing installed base of HDMI devices.
Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification is backward compatible with earlier versions of the specification, and was developed by the HDMI Forum's Technical Working Group whose members represent some of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, personal computers, mobile devices, cables and components.
Version 2.1 of the HDMI Specification is backward compatible with earlier versions of the specification, and was developed by the HDMI Forum's Technical Working Group whose members represent some of the world's leading manufacturers of consumer electronics, personal computers, mobile devices, cables and components.
Mionix's New Avior Optical Mouse is Available in Different Trendy Colors
Following the launch of the "Fresh Desk" collection in August 2017, Mionix is excited to introduce the AVIOR mouse. We think it is just fantastic!! The Avior features an improved form factor from the original, ambidextrous gaming mouse. Now with an all new-true 5000 DPI optical sensor with greater sensitivity and responsiveness. The mouse is available in the Fresh Desk colorways Frosting, French Fries, Ice Cream, Shark Fin or Black. The Avior's ambidextrous shape is perfect for either righties and lefties. The Avior is the go-to optical mouse for gamers and artists or anyone who wants to bring some freshness to their desk.
Civilization VI: Rise and Fall Expansion Pack Slated for February 2018 Launch
2K and Firaxis Games announced today that Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall, the expansion pack for the critically acclaimed and award-winning strategy title, will be available for Windows PC on February 8, 2018. Civilization VI: Rise and Fall brings new choices, strategies, and challenges for players as they guide a civilization through the ages. The expansion introduces new Great Ages, a new city loyalty system, and Governors while expanding existing Diplomacy and Government systems; and adds nine new leaders and eight new civilizations, a variety of new units, districts, wonders, buildings, and more. Players can now lead their empire into a Golden Age of prosperity or emerge triumphantly from a Dark Age into a memorable Heroic Age.
Black Mirror Out Now on PC & Consoles
The tragic story of the Gordon family gets a new chapter: Today, KING Art Games and THQ Nordic are releasing Black Mirror; a modern re-imagining of the acclaimed gothic-horror adventure series. The new protagonist, David Gordon, must deal with the mysteries of Black Mirror castle as well as trying to find out if there is an ongoing curse on his family.
Like in the original graphic adventure trilogy, the Gothic Horror genre and its unique atmosphere of madness and psychological distress remains at the heart of Black Mirror. The point-and-click gameplay of the original trilogy served as the basis for the re-imagined gameplay, which focuses on close-up investigation and interaction with nightmarish visions that plague the protagonist of the game David Gordon.
Like in the original graphic adventure trilogy, the Gothic Horror genre and its unique atmosphere of madness and psychological distress remains at the heart of Black Mirror. The point-and-click gameplay of the original trilogy served as the basis for the re-imagined gameplay, which focuses on close-up investigation and interaction with nightmarish visions that plague the protagonist of the game David Gordon.
Crucial 128 GB DDR4 LRDIMM Server Memory Now Available
Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the immediate availability of 128GB DDR4 LRDIMMs, a new offering in its server memory product portfolio. The 128GB DDR4 LRDIMM is the highest density server memory module that Crucial has offered to date, and with speeds starting at 2666 MT/s, the new DDR4 server memory modules increase the installed memory capacity per server to help maximize CPU and server hardware capabilities.
Memory-dependent server applications like virtualization, in-memory database computing, and high-performance computing (HPC) require massive amounts of available RAM. These new server modules support a number of memory-intensive computing applications, such as Microsoft SQL, Oracle, Microsoft Azure, VMware VDI, Cloudera, Hortonworks and SAP HANA. Additionally, each module is 100 percent component- and module-tested to mission-critical server standards, ensuring quality from start to finish through a 34-stage manufacturing process and more than 100 tests and verifications. For qualified customers, the 128 GB LRDIMM server modules are also backed by the Crucial Reliance Program.
Memory-dependent server applications like virtualization, in-memory database computing, and high-performance computing (HPC) require massive amounts of available RAM. These new server modules support a number of memory-intensive computing applications, such as Microsoft SQL, Oracle, Microsoft Azure, VMware VDI, Cloudera, Hortonworks and SAP HANA. Additionally, each module is 100 percent component- and module-tested to mission-critical server standards, ensuring quality from start to finish through a 34-stage manufacturing process and more than 100 tests and verifications. For qualified customers, the 128 GB LRDIMM server modules are also backed by the Crucial Reliance Program.
Biostar Debuts S150 Series Value SSD Lineup with a 120GB Model
Biostar quietly launched its new S150 series value SATA SSDs, with a 120 GB model. The S150 series succeeds the company's S100 series, and features higher sequential write speeds, and a slightly slimmer chassis. The drive offers sequential transfer speeds of up to 500 MB/s, with up to 430 MB/s writes. The drive is 6.8 mm thick, marginally slimmer than the 7 mm thickness of the S100. The company didn't put out other details such as controller, 4K random access speeds or NAND flash type. The drives could be sold at the same prices as the S100 120 GB.
CRYORIG Updates QF120 System Fans with LED Variants
First released together with the acclaimed H7 heatsink, the QF120 system fans series is now getting a LED upgrade. This new line of white LED based system fans is based on CRYORIG's innovative QF120 Series. Like the original QF120 it comes in three different models each with different RPM ranges, ranging from 200-1000 RPM in the QF120 LED Silent, 330-1600 RPM with the QF120 LED Balance, and 600-2200 RPM on the QF120 LED Performance.
Innovative features from the existing QF120 line are also onboard such as the moniker Quad Air Inlet system and integrated vibration absorbers. CRYORIG's proprietary Quad Air Inlet system uses four strategically placed air intakes line up the corners of the QF120 LED fan frame, allowing the static pressure optimized fan blades take in extra air from the sides of the fan frame increasing overall air output.
Innovative features from the existing QF120 line are also onboard such as the moniker Quad Air Inlet system and integrated vibration absorbers. CRYORIG's proprietary Quad Air Inlet system uses four strategically placed air intakes line up the corners of the QF120 LED fan frame, allowing the static pressure optimized fan blades take in extra air from the sides of the fan frame increasing overall air output.
Toshiba Announces 10TB Surveillance Hard Drive
Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., a committed technology leader, announces the MD06ACA-V, the latest addition to its SV Series line-up of 3.5-inch hard drives for surveillance applications. The new models are available in capacities up to 10 TB with a higher transfer rate compared to previous MD04ABA-V models, helping to enable support for up to 64 camera streams. Higher capacity and transfer rates enable support for higher resolution camera streams to meet changing compliance mandates for surveillance data.
The MD06ACA-V Series is designed for 24/7 streaming operation scenarios, and is typically used for surveillance digital video recorders (SDVR), surveillance network video recorders (SNVR) and Hybrid SDVR. The MD06ACA-V Series features 7,200 rpm access performance, and the new 10 TB model delivers a 58 percent increase in maximum sustained transfer rate when compared to Toshiba's prior MD04ABA-V series, pushing it to 237 MiB/s. Available in 6 TB, 8 TB and 10 TB capacities, the new models provide a SATA 6 Gbit/s interface, with a 256 MiB dynamic buffer. Additionally, the MD06ACA-V models support Advanced Format (512e) technology for compatibility with legacy applications and operating environments.
The MD06ACA-V Series is designed for 24/7 streaming operation scenarios, and is typically used for surveillance digital video recorders (SDVR), surveillance network video recorders (SNVR) and Hybrid SDVR. The MD06ACA-V Series features 7,200 rpm access performance, and the new 10 TB model delivers a 58 percent increase in maximum sustained transfer rate when compared to Toshiba's prior MD04ABA-V series, pushing it to 237 MiB/s. Available in 6 TB, 8 TB and 10 TB capacities, the new models provide a SATA 6 Gbit/s interface, with a 256 MiB dynamic buffer. Additionally, the MD06ACA-V models support Advanced Format (512e) technology for compatibility with legacy applications and operating environments.
ASUS Intros WS C422 PRO SE Motherboard
ASUS expanded its socket LGA2066 workstation-class motherboard lineup with the WS C422 Pro SE. The board is physically identical to the WS X299 Pro SE, but is based on the Intel C422 chipset. Designed for single-socket Intel Xeon W ("Skylake-W") processors, this board is targeted at workstation builders who require ECC memory support.
"Skylake-W" is an enterprise variant of the "Skylake-X" silicon, with support for up to 512 GB of ECC quad-channel DDR4 memory. It features up to 18 CPU cores, and is different from the Xeon Scalable "Skylake-SP" silicon. The board supports up to 512 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory with support for ECC, over its eight memory slots. The rest of its feature-set is identical to that of the WS X299 Pro SE.
"Skylake-W" is an enterprise variant of the "Skylake-X" silicon, with support for up to 512 GB of ECC quad-channel DDR4 memory. It features up to 18 CPU cores, and is different from the Xeon Scalable "Skylake-SP" silicon. The board supports up to 512 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory with support for ECC, over its eight memory slots. The rest of its feature-set is identical to that of the WS X299 Pro SE.
Monday, November 27th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Networking
ADATA XPG SPECTRIX D40 DDR4 RGB Memory Review
ADATA brings to market yet another set of RGB DDR4 sticks with their ADATA SPECTRIX D40 RGB memory, and we take them for a spin on Intel's X299 platform. With ASUS AURA SYNC compatibility, these sticks have a fresh look right out of the box, yet with a default 2666 JEDEC profile, these are a perfect match for all of Intel's latest CPUs, especially the HEDT ones.
SilverStone Intros the Primera PM02 Case
SilverStone today introduced the Primera PM02 mid-tower case. The case is characterized by a front-panel vent design that's halfway between minimalist and brutalist, with accents of red concealed behind matte-black overalls, or gray with matte-white overalls. A tinted-black tempered-glass panel covers the left side. Inside the case has a contemporary horizontal partitioned layout, with room for graphics cards up to 41.5 cm in length, CPU coolers up to 16.7 cm in height, and PSUs up to 19 cm in length.
The bottom compartment houses three 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive trays. You can mount an additional three 2.5-inch drives behind the motherboard tray. The cooling system of this case includes three 140 mm / 120 mm front intakes, two 140 mm / 120 mm top exhausts, and a 140 mm rear exhaust. Front panel connectivity includes three USB 3.0/3.1 type-A ports, one USB 3.0/3.1 type-C port (two 2-port standard headers), and HDA jacks. The case measures 220 mm x 456 mm x 491 mm (WxDxH). The company didn't reveal pricing.
The bottom compartment houses three 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive trays. You can mount an additional three 2.5-inch drives behind the motherboard tray. The cooling system of this case includes three 140 mm / 120 mm front intakes, two 140 mm / 120 mm top exhausts, and a 140 mm rear exhaust. Front panel connectivity includes three USB 3.0/3.1 type-A ports, one USB 3.0/3.1 type-C port (two 2-port standard headers), and HDA jacks. The case measures 220 mm x 456 mm x 491 mm (WxDxH). The company didn't reveal pricing.
We Need a Lost Cryptocurrency Crawler: 4 Million Bitcoins Lost in the Ether
Cryptocurrencies as they currently are implemented are one of the most divisive subjects among the tech and economic communities in recent years. No, really; it's reached a kind of "Hayek vs Keynes" level of argument in the later. But one thing can't be denied: some early adopters of the technology have cashed in thoroughly and profoundly on the leading cryptocurrencies. The fact that Bitcoin has appreciated some 340% in the last six months (around $7,300 value increase in a single coin of the cryptocurrency) means many people more will see unbelievable surges in their net worth. Today, a single Bitcoin is trading for around $9,530 - and this is a cryptocurrency that, in its infancy, was being used to trade at rates of thousands of Bitcoin per pizza.
However, as with every currency, there's inevitable losses; paper money has seen its fair share of that, and galleons and caravels filled with gold up to the mast used to sink in oceans all around the world. But cryptocurrency is a digital currency; it's impossible for it to deteriorate away, to be lost with your wallet, or any other exceedingly sad case of lost value. Right? Well, not so; it's encryption algorithm ensures that for users to be able to access the contents of their digital wallets, they have to know the password. And many passwords have been lost and forgotten. Some users have even thrown away HDDs with wallets containing thousands of Bitcoin, and some have even lost their hardware wallets.
However, as with every currency, there's inevitable losses; paper money has seen its fair share of that, and galleons and caravels filled with gold up to the mast used to sink in oceans all around the world. But cryptocurrency is a digital currency; it's impossible for it to deteriorate away, to be lost with your wallet, or any other exceedingly sad case of lost value. Right? Well, not so; it's encryption algorithm ensures that for users to be able to access the contents of their digital wallets, they have to know the password. And many passwords have been lost and forgotten. Some users have even thrown away HDDs with wallets containing thousands of Bitcoin, and some have even lost their hardware wallets.
Bungie's Destiny 2 Dynamically Scaled Earned XP - In Detriment of the Player
Bungie's Destiny 2 was one of the hottest PC releases of the year - and in most regards, it has delivered a tight, rewarding FPS experience. It has brought to the PC space the same satisfying FPS experience its developers have been honing ever since Halo. However, if there's one facet Bungie still has a lot to work on is its relationship to its player base, the way it chooses to communicate, and basically, how not to do things in order to increase attractiveness of its microtransactions, as some players have been putting it.
Case in point: the Destiny community has erupted over the past few days in regards to a (visually and mathematically proven) reduction in received XP as reward for some in-game actions (such as shooting bad moon wizards, completing public events, and so on). It was proven by users that earned XP during activities could be reduced by up to 95% (through activity repetition) over the base experience for that action. Yet nothing in the game ever pointed toward reduced experience in these scenarios. In fact, the XP numbers added to the XP bar with each action really didn't change at all - the XP scaler was working behind the scenes and oblivious to the player. Bungie confirmed the findings, saying it was "not performing the way we'd like it to" since the games' inception, and were "working on a fix".
Case in point: the Destiny community has erupted over the past few days in regards to a (visually and mathematically proven) reduction in received XP as reward for some in-game actions (such as shooting bad moon wizards, completing public events, and so on). It was proven by users that earned XP during activities could be reduced by up to 95% (through activity repetition) over the base experience for that action. Yet nothing in the game ever pointed toward reduced experience in these scenarios. In fact, the XP numbers added to the XP bar with each action really didn't change at all - the XP scaler was working behind the scenes and oblivious to the player. Bungie confirmed the findings, saying it was "not performing the way we'd like it to" since the games' inception, and were "working on a fix".
AMD Releases Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.3 Hotfix
AMD today released the Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.3 hotfix. The drivers specifically address an intermittent crash issue with Radeon RX Vega graphics cards. If you're a RX Vega owner, it is highly recommended that you update to this version. As with all driver releases, some known issues remained unfixed. These include the game-related crashes in titles like Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and OverWatch.
DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.3
Massive Leak Reveals New Information on Devil May Cry 5
A user by the name of 'Son of Sparda' posted a huge leak about Hideaki Itsuno's upcoming Devil May Cry 5 game for Capcom. The thread was created on the ResetEra forums yesterday and contains a lot of intriguing details and potential spoilers about the game. As Devil May Cry fans might know, this marks the fifth installment in the popular hack and slash franchise. Internally, the developers have bauztized the project as "Devil May Cry V". It appears that Capcom will drop the standard numeric system in favor of Roman numerals. We witnessed a similar trend with the Metal Gear Solid series when the fifth game was released as Metal Gear Solid V instead of Metal Gear Solid 5 like the previous four installments.
Industry Leaders and Experts Join Forces to Fight Against Loot Crates
As a result of the increasing external pressure for reform and regulation on the games industry, a group of industry leaders and experts has agreed to come together in a more permanent way, forming the National Committee for Games Policy (NCGP). We made this decision in response to the current crisis regarding the expansion of loot crate economies and concerns about unregulated online gambling, but also as an acceptance of a long in coming decision that we knew would eventually become necessary. Games are not represented or understood in the modern political and judicial world, and that needs to change.
Unlike the IGDA, we are not an association of game developers. We are a coalition of high level industry experts and influencers. Membership in the NCGP is by invite only. We will work on the behalf of games industry professionals of all political leanings. In order to do this, the NCGP has appointed a steering committee with significant political experience on both ends of the spectrum. Where video games, politics, and law intersect, you will be sure to find the NCGP.
Unlike the IGDA, we are not an association of game developers. We are a coalition of high level industry experts and influencers. Membership in the NCGP is by invite only. We will work on the behalf of games industry professionals of all political leanings. In order to do this, the NCGP has appointed a steering committee with significant political experience on both ends of the spectrum. Where video games, politics, and law intersect, you will be sure to find the NCGP.
ASUS Launches ROG STRIX XG258Q Monitor: 24.5" TN, 1080p, 1ms, 240 Hz FreeSync
ASUS has added yet another monitor to its already long list of display solutions for customers. The ROG STRIX XG258Q monitor, as the "Strix" name implies, has been designed with gamers in mind, and is one of ASUS' eSports-designed offerings, promising unmatched fluidity in fast frame-rate titles with its 240 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time. To add even more smoothness to the picture, ASUS has also fitted this Strix monitor with FreeSync support (in the 48 Hz to 240 Hz range), which means there is now another high refresh-rate solution for AMD users.
To achieve this kind of refresh rate speeds, ASUS has made use of a 1080p, TN-based panel, which will deliver better gaming performance at the cost of viewing angles and (usually) color accuracy and contrast when compared to other technologies (contrast is set at 1000:1 and the panel is a 6-bit type with FRC). Added technologies include ASUS' ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur), as well as ASUS' Aura RGB lighting effects on the back of the monitor, with an added red ROG logo being projected on to the users' desk from the base of the display. Brightness is being touted at a higher than average 400 nits, but there's no mention of HDR support. Connectivity includes 1x HDMI 1.4 (refresh rates up to 140 Hz), 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q is available for $449, which is slightly more than $50 cheaper than the current market price of the ROG Swift PG258Q, which substitutes FreeSync for NVIDIA's G-Sync.
To achieve this kind of refresh rate speeds, ASUS has made use of a 1080p, TN-based panel, which will deliver better gaming performance at the cost of viewing angles and (usually) color accuracy and contrast when compared to other technologies (contrast is set at 1000:1 and the panel is a 6-bit type with FRC). Added technologies include ASUS' ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur), as well as ASUS' Aura RGB lighting effects on the back of the monitor, with an added red ROG logo being projected on to the users' desk from the base of the display. Brightness is being touted at a higher than average 400 nits, but there's no mention of HDR support. Connectivity includes 1x HDMI 1.4 (refresh rates up to 140 Hz), 1x HDMI 2.0, and 1x DisplayPort 1.2. The ASUS ROG Strix XG258Q is available for $449, which is slightly more than $50 cheaper than the current market price of the ROG Swift PG258Q, which substitutes FreeSync for NVIDIA's G-Sync.
LiteOn Intros MUX Series M.2 NVMe SSDs with Toshiba BiCS3 Flash
LiteOn today introduced the MUX line of "entry-level" M.2 PCI-Express SSDs in the M.2-2280 form-factor. Available in 128 GB and 256 GB capacities, the drives feature PCI-Express 3.0 x2 host interface, and take advantage of the NVMe protocol. They combine Phison PS5008-E8 controllers with Toshiba BiCS3 3D-TLC NAND flash memory.
The 128 GB variant offers sequential transfer rates of up to 1500 MB/s reads, with up to 450 MB/s writes; up to 91,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 110,000 IOPS 4K random writes; while the 256 GB variant is slightly faster, offering up to 1600 MB/s sequential reads, up to 850 MB/s sequential writes, up to 145,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 140,000 IOPS 4K random writes. Both variants are backed by 3-year warranties.
The 128 GB variant offers sequential transfer rates of up to 1500 MB/s reads, with up to 450 MB/s writes; up to 91,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 110,000 IOPS 4K random writes; while the 256 GB variant is slightly faster, offering up to 1600 MB/s sequential reads, up to 850 MB/s sequential writes, up to 145,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 140,000 IOPS 4K random writes. Both variants are backed by 3-year warranties.
Samsung to Showcase its First MicroLED Display Implementation at CES
If 2015 was all about OLED, and 2016-17 about quantum-dot (QLED), Samsung will herald the MicroLED display panel era in 2018, with its first implementation, a massive 150-inch television, which will be showcased at the 2018 International CES. A MicroLED panel uses solid-state LED elements etched onto a silicon-substrate, that are less than 100 µm in size, each, which act as individual pixels. If you're familiar with microscopic transistors that make up modern semiconductor chips, imagine if LEDs were built on that scale. That's MicroLED.
With further development, MicroLED panels will achieve higher pixel densities, and won't suffer form "burn-in" problems that OLED (organic LED) panels suffer from displaying the same image over extended periods of time. It also offers significantly lower power-draw compared to OLED. The 150-inch MicroLED TV prototype Samsung is showing off at CES will come with 4K Ultra HD resolution. Samsung's next implementation of the MicroLED tech could be smartphone display panels. The company's main rival in this area, Apple, is already working with TSMC to develop MicroLED panels of its own.
With further development, MicroLED panels will achieve higher pixel densities, and won't suffer form "burn-in" problems that OLED (organic LED) panels suffer from displaying the same image over extended periods of time. It also offers significantly lower power-draw compared to OLED. The 150-inch MicroLED TV prototype Samsung is showing off at CES will come with 4K Ultra HD resolution. Samsung's next implementation of the MicroLED tech could be smartphone display panels. The company's main rival in this area, Apple, is already working with TSMC to develop MicroLED panels of its own.
Microsoft Office Makes it to Chromebooks, Still Eludes Other Linux Distros
Microsoft released one of its key software products, Microsoft Office, to all Chromebooks. Office for Android is now available on all Google Play-enabled Chromebooks. Chrome OS is derived from Android, which itself is a Linux-based operating system. Like the rest of the Android software ecosystem, Office for Android eludes other desktop Linux distributions, due to lack of the required APIs and other quasi-proprietary dependencies exclusively found on Android and Chrome OS.
Microsoft Office is one of the "killer apps" that keep Windows popular. It's been available on the Apple Mac platform for over a decade, and made its long march to the Android platform with the decline of Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform. It should finally make premium chromebooks, such as the Google Pixelbook (pictured below), worth the buy to business professionals on the move.
Microsoft Office is one of the "killer apps" that keep Windows popular. It's been available on the Apple Mac platform for over a decade, and made its long march to the Android platform with the decline of Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform. It should finally make premium chromebooks, such as the Google Pixelbook (pictured below), worth the buy to business professionals on the move.
GIGABYTE Outs Security Measures Against Intel ME and TXE Vulnerabilities
GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has implemented safety measures aligned with Intel's response to the Intel Management Engine (ME) and Intel Trusted Execution Engine (TXE) security vulnerabilities, so customers can be reassured their motherboards are fully protected. For all customers who have purchased GIGABYTE motherboards for Intel platforms, please visit the official website to download the latest BIOS versions as well as ME and TXE drivers.
The updates for the motherboards will be released starting with the Z370, 200 series and then previous generation motherboards. For more information on the Intel ME and TXE security vulnerabilities, please visit this page. GIGABYTE is committed to ensuring the quality and service of our motherboards. Any issues that affect the user's experience with our products will be addressed with the utmost concern.
The updates for the motherboards will be released starting with the Z370, 200 series and then previous generation motherboards. For more information on the Intel ME and TXE security vulnerabilities, please visit this page. GIGABYTE is committed to ensuring the quality and service of our motherboards. Any issues that affect the user's experience with our products will be addressed with the utmost concern.
Synology Announces Virtual Machine Manager and Virtual DSM
Synology Inc. announced the official release of Virtual Machine Manager. It provides the ability to install and run multiple virtual machines, including Windows, Linux, and Virtual DSM on Synology NAS. Hardware resources can be allocated more flexibly with Virtual Machine Manager. Virtual machines can even be moved without interruption to running hosts.
According to a 2016 study made by market authority Gartner, up to 80% of x86 server workloads have been virtualized. Virtual Machine Manager attracted more than 60,000 users during its 6-month beta program. The results also show that server virtualization is definitely a trend of IT industry. Virtual Machine Manager not only provides virtualized system resources, but it also combines the powerful advantages of the Btrfs next-generation file system. This provides users with the ability to complete virtual machine snapshots and replication in just seconds.
According to a 2016 study made by market authority Gartner, up to 80% of x86 server workloads have been virtualized. Virtual Machine Manager attracted more than 60,000 users during its 6-month beta program. The results also show that server virtualization is definitely a trend of IT industry. Virtual Machine Manager not only provides virtualized system resources, but it also combines the powerful advantages of the Btrfs next-generation file system. This provides users with the ability to complete virtual machine snapshots and replication in just seconds.
GE Healthcare Partners with Intel to Accelerate Imaging from Edge to Cloud
GE Healthcare today announced an expanded partnership with Intel that aims to enhance patient care and reduce costs for hospitals and health systems using digital imaging solutions, deployed via edge and cloud. Together, the companies anticipate their solutions will offer greater hospital efficiency through increased asset performance, reduced patient risk and dosage exposure - with faster image processing - and expedited time to diagnosis and treatment.
Through the expanded partnership, GE Healthcare will use the new Intel Xeon Scalable platform with an aim towards lowering the total cost of ownership for imaging devices by up to 25 percent. Paired with GE Healthcare's imaging solutions, the Intel Xeon Scalable platform may improve radiologists' reading productivity compared to the prior generation by reducing first image display down to under 2 seconds and full study load times down to under 8 seconds.
"Radiologist workdays can be enhanced by use of real-time data analytics and increased performance," said Jonathan Ballon, vice president Internet of Things Group at Intel. "The combination of innovative imaging solutions from GE Healthcare with the breakthrough speed of Intel processors promises great advances in imaging that could make a real difference in patient care."
Through the expanded partnership, GE Healthcare will use the new Intel Xeon Scalable platform with an aim towards lowering the total cost of ownership for imaging devices by up to 25 percent. Paired with GE Healthcare's imaging solutions, the Intel Xeon Scalable platform may improve radiologists' reading productivity compared to the prior generation by reducing first image display down to under 2 seconds and full study load times down to under 8 seconds.
"Radiologist workdays can be enhanced by use of real-time data analytics and increased performance," said Jonathan Ballon, vice president Internet of Things Group at Intel. "The combination of innovative imaging solutions from GE Healthcare with the breakthrough speed of Intel processors promises great advances in imaging that could make a real difference in patient care."
GE and NVIDIA Join Forces to Accelerate AI Adoption in Healthcare
GE Healthcare and NVIDIA today announced they will deepen their 10-year partnership to bring the most sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) to GE Healthcare's 500,000 imaging devices globally and accelerate the speed at which healthcare data can be processed.
The scope of the partnership, detailed today at the 103rd annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), includes the announcement of the new NVIDIA-powered Revolution Frontier CT, advancements to the Vivid E95 4D Ultrasound and development of GE Healthcare's Applied Intelligence analytics platform.
The new CT system in the Revolution Family is two times faster in imaging processing than its predecessor, due to its use of NVIDIA's AI computing platform. The Revolution Frontier is FDA cleared and expected to deliver better clinical outcomes in liver lesion detection and kidney lesion characterization because of its speed - potentially reducing the need for unnecessary follow-ups, benefitting patients with compromised renal function and reducing non-interpretable scans with Gemstone Spectral Imaging Metal Artefact Reduction (GSI MAR).
The scope of the partnership, detailed today at the 103rd annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), includes the announcement of the new NVIDIA-powered Revolution Frontier CT, advancements to the Vivid E95 4D Ultrasound and development of GE Healthcare's Applied Intelligence analytics platform.
The new CT system in the Revolution Family is two times faster in imaging processing than its predecessor, due to its use of NVIDIA's AI computing platform. The Revolution Frontier is FDA cleared and expected to deliver better clinical outcomes in liver lesion detection and kidney lesion characterization because of its speed - potentially reducing the need for unnecessary follow-ups, benefitting patients with compromised renal function and reducing non-interpretable scans with Gemstone Spectral Imaging Metal Artefact Reduction (GSI MAR).
Sunday, November 26th 2017
EK Water Blocks Announces Availability of the EK-MLC Phoenix
EK-MLC Phoenix is a Modular Liquid Cooling line of products and the next generation of improved All-In-One water cooling solutions. It is a new lineup of pre-filled products for liquid cooling, the 2nd generation of improved EK All-In-One products. Created for the market segment of customers who are unwilling to assemble a full custom loop or don't have enough time for maintenance of their PCs, but still insist on a high-end cooling solution. The most important feature of EK-MLC is the modular design and the ability to add multiple pre-filled water blocks in any order.
Modular Liquid Cooling line of products is designed around Quick Disconnect Couplings and it brings a modular approach to connecting and expanding the loop, giving you the freedom to decide which components you want to cool down. CPU cooling module and GPU cooling module can be connected to the radiator core module in any order, separately or together.
Modular Liquid Cooling line of products is designed around Quick Disconnect Couplings and it brings a modular approach to connecting and expanding the loop, giving you the freedom to decide which components you want to cool down. CPU cooling module and GPU cooling module can be connected to the radiator core module in any order, separately or together.
FinalWire Releases AIDA64 v5.95 (Stable)
FinalWire Ltd. today announced the immediate availability of AIDA64 Extreme 5.95 software, a streamlined diagnostic and benchmarking tool for home users; the immediate availability of AIDA64 Engineer 5.95 software, a professional diagnostic and benchmarking solution for corporate IT technicians and engineers; the immediate availability of AIDA64 Business 5.95 software, an essential network management solution for small and medium scale enterprises; and the immediate availability of AIDA64 Network Audit 5.95 software, a dedicated network audit toolset to collect and manage corporate network inventories.
The new AIDA64 update introduces monitoring of sensor values on Asus ROG RGB LED keyboards and mice, implements several improvements related to the 2017 AMD and Intel CPU platforms, and supports the latest graphics and GPGPU computing technologies by both AMD and NVIDIA.
DOWNLOADS: FinalWire AIDA64 v5.95
The new AIDA64 update introduces monitoring of sensor values on Asus ROG RGB LED keyboards and mice, implements several improvements related to the 2017 AMD and Intel CPU platforms, and supports the latest graphics and GPGPU computing technologies by both AMD and NVIDIA.
Intel Extends the Core i9 Brand to the Mobile Platform
Intel created the Core i9 brand to differentiate two key groups of Core X series HEDT (high-end desktop) processors, with the Core i7 X-series parts featuring 28-lane or 16-lane PCIe interfaces, while the Core i9 X-series parts featuring the full 44-lane interfaces present on the "Skylake-X" silicon. The Core i9 brand also earned a degree of exclusivity as it allows Intel to ask upwards of $999 for these client-segment parts, with the top-end i9-7980XE scraping the $2,000-mark. Intel sees the potential for a similar segmentation for its mobile processor lineup, even if not on grounds of PCIe lane budget or core-counts.
The Core i9 mobile processor family could bring the highest-levels of 6-core "Coffee Lake" desktop processor performance to the notebook platform. Intel is giving final touches to the Core i9-8000 series "Coffee Lake-H" processor lineup, which could feature the full 6-core/12-thread configuration of the "Coffee Lake" silicon, alongside 12 MB L3 cache. The first SKU in the lineup could be the Core i9-8950HK, sniffed out from the change-log of the latest FinalWire AIDA64. These chips could enable large (>17-inch) gaming notebooks with one or more high-end graphics cards, the latest advancements in cooling, 4K UHD or curved displays, etc.
The Core i9 mobile processor family could bring the highest-levels of 6-core "Coffee Lake" desktop processor performance to the notebook platform. Intel is giving final touches to the Core i9-8000 series "Coffee Lake-H" processor lineup, which could feature the full 6-core/12-thread configuration of the "Coffee Lake" silicon, alongside 12 MB L3 cache. The first SKU in the lineup could be the Core i9-8950HK, sniffed out from the change-log of the latest FinalWire AIDA64. These chips could enable large (>17-inch) gaming notebooks with one or more high-end graphics cards, the latest advancements in cooling, 4K UHD or curved displays, etc.
Friday, November 24th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Monitors
Motherboards
NAS
Notebooks
EVGA GTX 1070 Ti FTW2 iCX 8 GB Review
The EVGA GTX 1070 Ti FTW2 features the company's iCX technology, which provides a total of nine thermal sensors located at important positions to always have an overview over your card's temperatures. EVGA also upgraded the VRM circuitry to 10+2 phases with two 8-pin power inputs.
SpellForce 3 Arrives On GOG for Free Preview Weekend
SpellForce 3 returns to the roots of the SpellForce saga. Taking place before the acclaimed SpellForce: The Order of Dawn, players will unravel a deep and epic story in the SpellForce universe with over 30 hours of a single-player campaign, that is also playable in Coop. Additional multiplayer modes offer competitive battles for up to six players. Create your own heroes, develop your skillset and build your own army to fight in legendary battles with gameplay that expertly blends the RTS and top-down RPG genres together.
SpellForce 3 is launching on December 7, 2017 on PC and will be available with English and German Voice Over plus full text localization in French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian and Simplified Chinese.
SpellForce 3 is launching on December 7, 2017 on PC and will be available with English and German Voice Over plus full text localization in French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian and Simplified Chinese.
XFX Launches Custom RX Vega 56 and Vega 64 Double Edition Graphics Cards
After teasing us with a somewhat bold design for their custom RX Vega graphics cards, XFX has officially taken the lid of their finalized design for their RX Vega graphics cards. These have been a long time coming, for sure; and the design is definitely bold enough to be divisive, promising to be a "hate it or love it" affair. XFX has taken their brand-recognition-fueled X and applied that design to the graphics cards' shroud, with a recess in the middle of the graphics cards that separates the two air cooling fans giving the card an X-shaped design. This design quirk has been put to other uses than just aesthetic considerations, though, with the card's 2x 8-pin power connectors being slotted smack in the middle of the graphics card, which might be good (or bad) according to your cases' routing ability, though it should, in theory, allow for somewhat decreased length of the graphics card. The backplate on the XFX custom cards also looks great (black, gray and red are almost impossible to get wrong).
AMD Offers Prey, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus on RX Vega Purchases
AMD has started a new offer on its RX Vega 56 and RX Vega 64 graphics cards, which brings users two of this year's most interesting FPS titles: Arkane's Prey, and Machine Games' Wolfenstein: The New Colossus. The offer is good from November 24th through December 31st, or until the stock for game codes is gone, so that should give users plenty of time to take advantage of the offer. Keep in mind this is retailer-dependent, with not every sales point partaking in the offer, so be sure to check first whether or not your purchase spot of choice is offering this promotion.
The AMD Unique ID which grants you access to both game codes must be redeemed within two (2) months of the end of the Campaign Period (February 28, 2018) to obtain Application downloads. After this deadline, the AMD Unique ID is void, so users won't be able to redeem their games anymore. The offer is valid for RX Vega 64 Liquid and Air cooled graphics cards, and RX Vega 56. AMD AIB partner cards (such as Gigabyte, Sapphire, XFX, and so on) should be eligible, but you should take some time to confirm this. best Buy, for example, seems to only be applying this dual game code promotion to XFX Vega graphics cards. For now, this promotion seems to only be applied to reference design graphics cards, though this might change according to retailer.
The AMD Unique ID which grants you access to both game codes must be redeemed within two (2) months of the end of the Campaign Period (February 28, 2018) to obtain Application downloads. After this deadline, the AMD Unique ID is void, so users won't be able to redeem their games anymore. The offer is valid for RX Vega 64 Liquid and Air cooled graphics cards, and RX Vega 56. AMD AIB partner cards (such as Gigabyte, Sapphire, XFX, and so on) should be eligible, but you should take some time to confirm this. best Buy, for example, seems to only be applying this dual game code promotion to XFX Vega graphics cards. For now, this promotion seems to only be applied to reference design graphics cards, though this might change according to retailer.
Atari Team Teases Us with Photos of Upcoming Ataribox Controller
Initially the Ataribox team wanted to wait until the console's launch to officially reveal the controller's design. But they just couldn't help themselves and decided to share a few photos of the controller on their Facebook page. As expected, the Ataribox's controller maintains a squared design with a familiar layout similar to the original Atari 2600's controller. There's a single joystick in the middle and a big fire button in the corner of the controller. The joystick appears to sit on a translucent, glossy black surface with LED lighting. However, we're not 100% sure on the lighting as it could have been a result of the camera's flash at the angle of which the photo was taken. We will just have to wait until launch day to verify. What's worth noting, though, is that the modern iteration of the controller is accompanied by home and back buttons, which weren't present on the original design.
8th and 9th Gen Intel Core Processor Model Names Revealed
Intel 9th generation Core processors could hit the shelves some time in 2018, after Intel has ironed out supply issues of its current 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" lineup, and figured out what to do with the unsold 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" inventory. It has been rumored that the company could increase core-counts across the board again, with the introduction of an eight-core part in the mainstream-desktop lineup, probably to better segment the Core i7 series from the Core i5 series. It's not implausible to expect the next-generation Core i7 MSDT parts to be 8-core/16-thread, and Core i5 MSDT 6-core/12-thread, with 4-core/4-thread or 8-thread Core i3 parts making up the entry-level, which would bring Intel's MSDT lineup on core/thread-count parity with AMD.
The change-log of the latest FinalWire AIDA64 version spells out several 9th generation Core processor model numbers, at least the Core i5 and Core i3 SKUs. The Core i5 lineup includes the i5-9600K, followed by the i5-9600, i5-9500, i5-9400, i5-9400T, i3-9300, i3-9300T, i3-9100, i3-9100T, i3-9000, and i3-9000T, with the "T" extension denoting lower TDP, probably at 35W, while the rest of the lineup has its TDP rated at 65W. The change-log also speaks about Intel's second-wave of Core "Coffee Lake" parts, which launch early-2018, alongside its other 300-series chipset for the platform, such as the H370, B360, and H310.
The change-log of the latest FinalWire AIDA64 version spells out several 9th generation Core processor model numbers, at least the Core i5 and Core i3 SKUs. The Core i5 lineup includes the i5-9600K, followed by the i5-9600, i5-9500, i5-9400, i5-9400T, i3-9300, i3-9300T, i3-9100, i3-9100T, i3-9000, and i3-9000T, with the "T" extension denoting lower TDP, probably at 35W, while the rest of the lineup has its TDP rated at 65W. The change-log also speaks about Intel's second-wave of Core "Coffee Lake" parts, which launch early-2018, alongside its other 300-series chipset for the platform, such as the H370, B360, and H310.
Total War: ARENA is Free for a Week Starting From Today
Total War: ARENA will be hosting an open week that grants players full access to all the epic-scale 10-vs-10 multiplayer action they can handle. Starting today, November 24 12:00 UTC until December 4 09.00 UTC, anyone can sign up to lead the Romans, Barbarians or Greeks into battle and provide valuable feedback. Those that answer the call by December 4 will automatically be granted permanent access to the closed beta to continue the fight, and will receive three special Premium units as a gift, to find new ways to fight and speed up in-game progress: Tier 4 Auxiliary Cavalry, a Roman spear cavalry unit; Tier 4 Bloodsworn, a Barbarian sword unit; and Tier 4 Telesillas Argives, a Greek spear unit. There will also be a range of boosts and mission rewards available to all players during the open week.
New Warhammer 40,000 Game is On its Way to Steam
Slitherine and Games Workshop renew their relationship to offer a fresh approach to the Warhammer 40,000 universe - planetary 4X. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius incorporates the dark, gothic, far future science-fantasy setting in ways never tried before. A brand new, deep storyline has been created to combine elements of 4X gameplay with a combat-focused system. The evolution of technology, construction of infrastructures and exploration of an unknown world, goes hand in hand with the management of military resources, including heroes with special abilities and mighty war machines.
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius has been designed to give four totally different gameplay experiences, depending on which factions players choose. Space Marines, Astra Militarum (aka Imperial Guard), Orks and Necrons each have dramatically different characteristics, both in how they develop and expand and in the way they interact with allies and enemies. This gives the game virtually endless replay value and players the chance to play out the same experience in totally divergent ways.
Warhammer 40,000: Gladius has been designed to give four totally different gameplay experiences, depending on which factions players choose. Space Marines, Astra Militarum (aka Imperial Guard), Orks and Necrons each have dramatically different characteristics, both in how they develop and expand and in the way they interact with allies and enemies. This gives the game virtually endless replay value and players the chance to play out the same experience in totally divergent ways.
G.SKILL Releases Ultra Low Latency CL17 Trident Z RGB DDR4-4266MHz Kits
G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is thrilled to announce new ultra-low latency additions to the Trident Z RGB series memory kits, starting from DDR4-4000MHz CL17-17-17-37 up to DDR4-4266MHz CL17-18-18-38 32GB (4x8GB). This is the first time in tech history that DDR4 memory kits above DDR4-4000MHz speed is available at the low CL17 timing, and with lower timings, memory kits can utilize high frequency to its fullest potential with improved memory performance. To achieve the ultra-low latency of CL17, these new memory kits are made with rigorously hand-binned, high-performance Samsung B-die DDR4 IC components.
As the leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory, G.SKILL is always improving and reaching higher levels of performance than ever before. The fastest selection from the new Trident Z RGB lineup is available at DDR4-4266MHz CL17-18-18-38 32GB (4x8GB) at 1.45V. The following screenshot shows this new memory kit running on the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO motherboard with the Intel Core i7-8700K processor.
As the leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory, G.SKILL is always improving and reaching higher levels of performance than ever before. The fastest selection from the new Trident Z RGB lineup is available at DDR4-4266MHz CL17-18-18-38 32GB (4x8GB) at 1.45V. The following screenshot shows this new memory kit running on the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO motherboard with the Intel Core i7-8700K processor.
Vega 8 Mobile GPU Seemingly Ditches HBM2 Memory, Makes Use of System DDR4 Pool
Update: Industry sources are saying that the 256 MB dedicated system memory to graphics card tasks is currently a firmware limitation, and should be expanded in future firmware revisions to 512 MB and even 1 GB of fully-addressable system DDR4 memory.
AMD's mobile APUs are expected to come with a range of graphics solutions, one of which is the titular Vega 8. Vega 8 isn't supposed to be a high-performance, desktop-class GPU implementation. Instead, it's AMD's counter to NVIDIA's recently announced MX 110 and MX 130 discrete GPUs, which usually deliver relatively low gains (as much as manufacturers want to tout them as extraordinary) when compared to Intel integrated solutions, by far the most widespread IGP. It's expected that Vega 8 performance will slot somewhere around MX110-MX130 levels; and being the low-performance, low cost solution that it's aiming to be, Vega 8 has been made almost unrecognizable from the Vegas we know.
AMD's mobile APUs are expected to come with a range of graphics solutions, one of which is the titular Vega 8. Vega 8 isn't supposed to be a high-performance, desktop-class GPU implementation. Instead, it's AMD's counter to NVIDIA's recently announced MX 110 and MX 130 discrete GPUs, which usually deliver relatively low gains (as much as manufacturers want to tout them as extraordinary) when compared to Intel integrated solutions, by far the most widespread IGP. It's expected that Vega 8 performance will slot somewhere around MX110-MX130 levels; and being the low-performance, low cost solution that it's aiming to be, Vega 8 has been made almost unrecognizable from the Vegas we know.
TechPowerUp and GeIL EpicGear Thanksgiving Giveaway: The Winners
TechPowerUp and GeIL Thanksgiving Giveaway draws to a close on the heels of Thanksgiving Weekend. The Giveaway puts some of GeIL's best creations of the year, including EpicGear gaming peripherals, and SuperLuce series DDR4 memory kits, in the hands of three lucky winners from around the world. The fist winner gets an EpicGear peripherals set, which includes an EpicGear Gekkota gaming mouse, EpicGear GryphuZ Pro gaming mouse pad, and an EpicGear Melodiouz gaming headset. The second winner gets a Super LUCE RGB Sync 2x 8 GB DDR4-2400 memory kit. The third lucky winner gets a GeIL Super LUCE RGB Lite 2x 4 GB DDR4-2400 memory kit. Without further ado, the winners.
- Jonathan from the United States, wins EpicGear Gaming Peripherals Set
- Manuel from Spain, wins GeIL Super LUCE RGB Sync 2x 8GB DDR4-2400 Kit
- Łukasz from Poland, wins GeIL Super LUCE RGB Lite 2x 4 GB DDR4-2400 memory kit
AMD Radeon Graphics Cards Trump NVIDIA Alternatives in VRMark Cyan Room
Benchmarking company Futuremark has recently introduced a new benchmark to its VRMark suite, the Cyan Room, which brings the latest in rendering technologies to the VR world. Futuremark expects this test to leverage the latest hardware and software developments in DX12 to better utilize today's GPUs still somewhat untapped power. In something of a plot twist, AMD's Radeon architectures (in the form of Polaris 20-based RX 580 and Vega-based RX Vega 56 and RX Vega 64) trump NVIDIA's equivalent offerings in pure performance numbers.
Testing was performed by pairing a Ryzen 7 1800X CPU with a selection of graphics cards from both AMD and NVIDIA, supported by 16GB of DDR4-2933 system memory, and Windows 10 x64. In a post on Radeon gaming, Scott Wasson said that "The Cyan Room (...) highlights AMD's continued performance leadership on this (VR) front," adding that "the Radeon GPUs we tested have clear leads over their direct competition. What's more, all the Radeon GPUs are meeting the key requirement for today's VR headsets by delivering at least 90 frames per second in this test."
Testing was performed by pairing a Ryzen 7 1800X CPU with a selection of graphics cards from both AMD and NVIDIA, supported by 16GB of DDR4-2933 system memory, and Windows 10 x64. In a post on Radeon gaming, Scott Wasson said that "The Cyan Room (...) highlights AMD's continued performance leadership on this (VR) front," adding that "the Radeon GPUs we tested have clear leads over their direct competition. What's more, all the Radeon GPUs are meeting the key requirement for today's VR headsets by delivering at least 90 frames per second in this test."
Thursday, November 23rd 2017
Today's Reviews
Accessories
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Memory
Motherboards
Corsair LL120 RGB Fan Review
Corsair decided that having 12 RGB LEDs on a fan was not enough, and with the LL RGB fans, we get 16 addressable ones split into two light loops. Featuring software control via the Lighting Node PRO, these are all about maxing out on the bling factor.
LiteOn Intros EPX Series M.2 NVMe SSDs
LiteOn today introduced the EPX series enterprise-grade, high-performance SSDs in the M.2-22110 (110 mm long) form-factor, featuring PCI-Express 3.0 x4 interface, and taking advantage of the NVMe 1.2 protocol. The drive comes in 960 GB and 1920 GB capacities, and features an active power-loss protection mechanism. A bank of capacitors on the drive holds just enough charge for the drive to "park" by completing outstanding write operations, and turning off the drive, to mitigate data-loss.
The 960 GB variant offers sequential transfer rates of up to 1700 MB/s reads, with up to 670 MB/s writes; and random access throughput of up to 300,000 IOPS reads, with up to 30,000 IOPS writes. The 1920 GB variant, on the other hand, puts out sequential transfers of up to 1800 MB/s reads, with up to 800 MB/s writes, up to 330,000 IOPS random reads, and up to 30,000 IOPS random writes. Both drives are rated for 2 million hours MTBF, and 1 DWPD for 3 years. The drives are backed by 3-year warranties.
The 960 GB variant offers sequential transfer rates of up to 1700 MB/s reads, with up to 670 MB/s writes; and random access throughput of up to 300,000 IOPS reads, with up to 30,000 IOPS writes. The 1920 GB variant, on the other hand, puts out sequential transfers of up to 1800 MB/s reads, with up to 800 MB/s writes, up to 330,000 IOPS random reads, and up to 30,000 IOPS random writes. Both drives are rated for 2 million hours MTBF, and 1 DWPD for 3 years. The drives are backed by 3-year warranties.
Newegg Black Friday Deals 2017
Black Friday is indisputably the best time of the year for any computer enthusiasts because we can get new toys for cheaper prices. Whether it be computer hardware or consumer electronics, Newegg has become the preferred place for many enthusiasts. We here at TechPowerUp have put together a list of the amazing deals currently available at the online retailer. The promotions are grouped into different categories for your viewing convenience. If you've been eyeing a particular piece of hardware or gadget, come take a look at our list. Who knows? Maybe you can save yourself a few hard-earned dollars. Don't forget to come back periodically to check for new deals!
AMD EPYC 7601 Processors Set Two New World Records on SPEC CPU Benchmarks
AMD today announced that the new Hewlett Packard Enterprise ProLiant DL385 Gen10 server, powered by AMD EPYC processors set world records in both SPECrate2017_fp_base and SPECfp_rate2006. The secure and flexible 2P 2U HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 Server joins the HPE Cloudline CL3150 server in featuring AMD EPYC processors. With designs ranging from 8-core to 32-core, AMD EPYC delivers industry-leading memory bandwidth across the HPE line-up, with eight channels of memory and unprecedented support for integrated, high-speed I/O with 128 lanes of PCIe 3 on every EPYC processor.
"HPE is joining with AMD today to extend the world's most secure industry standard server portfolio to include the AMD EPYC processor. We now give customers another option to optimize performance and security for today's virtualized workloads," said Justin Hotard, vice president and GM, Volume Global Business Unit, HPE. "The HPE ProLiant DL385 featuring the AMD EPYC processor is the result of a long-standing technology engagement with AMD and a shared belief in continuing innovation."
"HPE is joining with AMD today to extend the world's most secure industry standard server portfolio to include the AMD EPYC processor. We now give customers another option to optimize performance and security for today's virtualized workloads," said Justin Hotard, vice president and GM, Volume Global Business Unit, HPE. "The HPE ProLiant DL385 featuring the AMD EPYC processor is the result of a long-standing technology engagement with AMD and a shared belief in continuing innovation."
GIGABYTE Unveils Their Latest X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro Motherboard
GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has unveiled the new X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro motherboard. With support for the new Intel 18-Core i9 7980XE processor, the new motherboard is ready to elevate performance to the next level. Featuring an updated VRM design paired with Smart Fan 5 technology to satiate the power demands of the new 18-core processor while keeping the system icy cool, the new X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro is the definitive motherboard of choice for users who value performance first and foremost.
"The X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro motherboard is designed to fully support Intel's newest Core i9 7980XE processor." said Vincent Liu, Senior Associate Vice President of GIGABYTE's Motherboard Business Unit. "With our tried-and-true approach and seasoned experience, we have designed a motherboard that truly fulfills enthusiasts' highest expectations."
"The X299 AORUS Gaming 7 Pro motherboard is designed to fully support Intel's newest Core i9 7980XE processor." said Vincent Liu, Senior Associate Vice President of GIGABYTE's Motherboard Business Unit. "With our tried-and-true approach and seasoned experience, we have designed a motherboard that truly fulfills enthusiasts' highest expectations."
Try Project CARS 2 for Free & Save Up to 40% on Steam
Two months have passed since the release of Project CARS 2 and the community is racing hard and growing bigger day by day. Now, for those who haven't yet had the opportunity to be part of the Ultimate Driver Journey, Slightly Mad Studios and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment are proud to announce the Official Project CARS 2 Demo. The demo is scheduled for release on 23rd November, 2017 for PlayStation4, Xbox One and PC.
The Official Project CARS 2 Demo was designed and created to allow players to get a taste of the racing action on offer in the full game. Experience why Project CARS 2 is one of the highest rated multi-platform racing games of the year. Jump into a Ferrari 488 GT3, Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4, and Formula Renault 3.5 and race at the laser-scanned Red Bull Ring. Furthermore, the demo showcases the Xbox One X and PlayStation4 Pro enhancements that will be rolled out in an imminent update, as well as the extensive virtual reality support in the PC version of Project CARS 2.
The Official Project CARS 2 Demo was designed and created to allow players to get a taste of the racing action on offer in the full game. Experience why Project CARS 2 is one of the highest rated multi-platform racing games of the year. Jump into a Ferrari 488 GT3, Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4, and Formula Renault 3.5 and race at the laser-scanned Red Bull Ring. Furthermore, the demo showcases the Xbox One X and PlayStation4 Pro enhancements that will be rolled out in an imminent update, as well as the extensive virtual reality support in the PC version of Project CARS 2.
Ubisoft Promises Another Year of New Content for Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
After naming ENCE the champions of the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Season 3 Pro League Final that took place in Sao Paulo from November 17th - 19th, Ubisoft announced Year 3 of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, continuing to bring exciting and thrilling challenges to its fans.
Year 3 will be structured into four Seasons including:
Year 3 will be structured into four Seasons including:
- 8 new operators from the world's highly performing CTUs
- 2 brand new maps set in Italy and Morocco
- 1 existing map make over with a new level design and art direction
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Gets Free Trial & 50% Discount on Steam
Haven't had a chance to jump into Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus yet? Starting today you can download the free trial on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC and play through the entire first level of the game. Should you choose to upgrade to the full version of the game, all of your save data will carry over. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus launched on October 27 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, to widespread praise from the critics and community. Wolfenstein II has also been nominated in several categories for The Game Awards, including Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Action Game and Best Performance (Brian Bloom as BJ Blazkowicz). You can vote now for the winners, and be sure to tune into the live awards show on Thursday, December 7.
AMD Ryzen 7 1800X Slashed to $319 on Newegg
US retailer Newegg put AMD's flagship socket AM4 processor, the Ryzen 7 1800X, at a flash-sale price of USD $319.99, a staggering 36% discount from its list price of $499. The retailer has the second-fastest Ryzen 7 1700X priced at $279.99 (list price $399). The limited-period prices make the two chips extremely competitive against the Core i7-8700K, which has spotty availability, and is being sold above its list price, at $414 (MSRP: $359), while the Core i5-8700 (non-K) goes for $359 (MSRP: $303), and the Core i5-8600K (out of stock) at $299 (MSRP: $257). Prices of Intel's 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" processors are inflated across the board, on account on supply issues, and its performance leadership over AMD Ryzen series.
ASUS BIOS Change-log Reveals New Ryzen Processors Incoming
ASUS recently released BIOS updates for its socket AM4 motherboards based on AMD X370 and B350 chipsets, which implement AGESA 1.0.0.7, which as you'll recall, paves the way for implementing support for upcoming processors, based on AMD's Vega-infused "Raven Ridge" APU silicon, and the 12 nm refreshed Ryzen "Pinnacle Ridge" silicon due for February 2018. ASUS published, and later withdrew the BIOS updates as the media got whiff of them.
The next parts for AMD's mainstream-desktop socket AM4 platform will be Ryzen "Raven Ridge" APUs, which let you finally use the HDMI and DisplayPorts on your motherboards. "Raven Ridge" combines a quad-core "Zen" CPU with a 640-stream processor integrated graphics based on the "Vega" graphics architecture. The "late-2017 or early-2018" time-line for these chips still appears to stand. RedGamingTech suggests that AMD's answer to Intel "Coffee Lake" processors, the 12 nm Ryzen "Pinnacle Ridge" processors, could be out by as early (or late) as February 2018. These chips could be previewed or teased at the company's events held on the sidelines of the 2018 International CES.
The next parts for AMD's mainstream-desktop socket AM4 platform will be Ryzen "Raven Ridge" APUs, which let you finally use the HDMI and DisplayPorts on your motherboards. "Raven Ridge" combines a quad-core "Zen" CPU with a 640-stream processor integrated graphics based on the "Vega" graphics architecture. The "late-2017 or early-2018" time-line for these chips still appears to stand. RedGamingTech suggests that AMD's answer to Intel "Coffee Lake" processors, the 12 nm Ryzen "Pinnacle Ridge" processors, could be out by as early (or late) as February 2018. These chips could be previewed or teased at the company's events held on the sidelines of the 2018 International CES.
FSP Releases a Powerful 2000W Dedicated Mining Power Supply
The topic of Bitcoin mining continues trending. Some countries even acknowledge payment with digital currency such as Bitcoin as legal payment methods. In order to keep up with this trend, high specification dedicated mining equipment is continually released by the industry. ASUS and ASRock have released mining dedicated motherboards, and high-end graphics cards from major manufacturers such as nVIDIA and AMD, etc. have all been sold out.
With the upgrading of this equipment, the power needed for overall operation of computers also needs to be increased in response to the power needed for the heavy operation during the mining process. However, currently there are very few power supplies on the market dedicated for mining. FSP power fully understands the needs of miners, and became the first to release the FSP2000-A0AGPBI 2000-watt super high powered power supply to prevent power malfunctions during the mining process when the processor/graphics card is operating at full speed and the power is at full-load 24 hours a day.
With the upgrading of this equipment, the power needed for overall operation of computers also needs to be increased in response to the power needed for the heavy operation during the mining process. However, currently there are very few power supplies on the market dedicated for mining. FSP power fully understands the needs of miners, and became the first to release the FSP2000-A0AGPBI 2000-watt super high powered power supply to prevent power malfunctions during the mining process when the processor/graphics card is operating at full speed and the power is at full-load 24 hours a day.
Wednesday, November 22nd 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Motherboards
Wooting One Keyboard Review
The Wooting One is a long-anticipated keyboard that promised a lot and delivers on every single item. It features analog control over travel distance for two different optical switch designs, per-key RGB backlighting, a software driver allowing customization of digital and analog profiles that are saved onboard, and good build quality with thick ABS plastic and an aluminum top-plate construction.
Japan Opens Prototype Quantum Computing System for Public, Worldwide Use
Japan's Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company (NTT) is opening up its prototype quantum computing system for public use over the internet, giving users around the world access to one of the most elusive pieces of tech that this world has yet seem. Maybe we haven't seen it, though; observation does change the outcome, and these quantum physics really are as finicky as they come. Starting Nov. 27, Japan joins China and the U.S. in the race to develop the world's most advanced computers - and Japan has chosen the free, quantum-democratizing approach.
The NTT quantum computing solution is a state-sponsored research project, developed in conjunction with the National Institute of Informatics, Osaka university, and other partners. It has taken a different technical approach from other quantum computing developers, in that this particular computing system is exploiting the properties of light. Widely (un)known as Linear Optics Quantum Computation (LOQC), this particular approach foregoes qubits (which are extremely difficult to keep from decohering, and usually require very exotic cooling techniques to increase the qubits' stability. LOQC abandons qubits and uses photons to represent them as information carriers through linear optical elements (such as beam splitters, phase shifters, and mirrors). This allows the machine to process quantum information, using photon detectors and quantum memories to detect and store quantum information.
The NTT quantum computing solution is a state-sponsored research project, developed in conjunction with the National Institute of Informatics, Osaka university, and other partners. It has taken a different technical approach from other quantum computing developers, in that this particular computing system is exploiting the properties of light. Widely (un)known as Linear Optics Quantum Computation (LOQC), this particular approach foregoes qubits (which are extremely difficult to keep from decohering, and usually require very exotic cooling techniques to increase the qubits' stability. LOQC abandons qubits and uses photons to represent them as information carriers through linear optical elements (such as beam splitters, phase shifters, and mirrors). This allows the machine to process quantum information, using photon detectors and quantum memories to detect and store quantum information.
The Steam Autumn Sale is On - Get Yours While You Can, Stock is Unlimited
The title reads most of this news post's content: the Steam Autumn sale is currently on, with green price tags abound around the virtual Steam store. The sale goes from today (November 22nd for our most distracted readers) through November 28th. You can also take this opportunity to participate in the Steam Awards, nominating your favorite games across 12 different categories. Help your favorite games and developers through to fame and recognition, and vote on the experiences that you yourself deem worthy.
Neverwinter Nights Gets Remastered by Beamdog for Upcoming Steam Release
The Beamdog team is very excited to announce the return of a classic! Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition will be available for pre-order on Beamdog on November 21 at 12pm PST and will be coming soon to Steam. On November 21, we will begin inviting pre-order owners into a Head Start program, allowing players to try an early version of the game, import modules, and prepare persistent world servers.
We are incredibly proud of the work the team has done so far on Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, and with the community's feedback, we will continue fixing bugs and adding features for launch. We've added an improved display that looks great on modern 4k monitors, UI elements now adjust in size based on chosen resolution, and post-processing effects make for crisper, cleaner visuals. Save games, modules, and mods from the original Neverwinter Nights work in the Enhanced Edition.
We are incredibly proud of the work the team has done so far on Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition, and with the community's feedback, we will continue fixing bugs and adding features for launch. We've added an improved display that looks great on modern 4k monitors, UI elements now adjust in size based on chosen resolution, and post-processing effects make for crisper, cleaner visuals. Save games, modules, and mods from the original Neverwinter Nights work in the Enhanced Edition.
Sharkoon Prepares to Launch Their S1000 and S1000 Window Micro-ATX Cases
With the compact S1000 and S1000 Window, Sharkoon introduces two new micro-ATX cases with an integrated tunnel for power supplies and hard drives. As a result, the power supply and hard drives are installed discreetly to the case bottom and out of sight. The S1000 Window version also offers an acrylic side window and a pre-installed 120mm blue LED fan on the rear panel.
Fresh air is supplied through the side air intakes of the front panel, behind which a detachable dust filter is also provided. Another removable dust filter is located on the bottom of the case. Both case versions include a pre-installed 120 mm fan in the front. Suitable mounting holes are also provided for additional fans. Alternatively, despite the compact design, a 240 mm radiator can be installed with a total height of 5.9 cm including fan. To facilitate the installation of 280 mm radiators, the 5.25" drive bay is modular and, if necessary, easily removed. Located on the top of the front panel are the audio connectors for the microphone and headphone as well as two USB 3.0 ports. These are incorporated directly into the body of the case, thus allowing the front panel to be cableless removed. On the top panel of the S1000 Window is an additional, pre-installed dust filter, which is secured by magnetic fasteners, plus it is also possible to install up to three 120 fans or two 140 mm fans. With the S1000, the top panel is closed and a 120 mm fan is pre-installed on the rear panel, but without LED illumination. Another optional 120 mm fan can be installed to the side panel.
Fresh air is supplied through the side air intakes of the front panel, behind which a detachable dust filter is also provided. Another removable dust filter is located on the bottom of the case. Both case versions include a pre-installed 120 mm fan in the front. Suitable mounting holes are also provided for additional fans. Alternatively, despite the compact design, a 240 mm radiator can be installed with a total height of 5.9 cm including fan. To facilitate the installation of 280 mm radiators, the 5.25" drive bay is modular and, if necessary, easily removed. Located on the top of the front panel are the audio connectors for the microphone and headphone as well as two USB 3.0 ports. These are incorporated directly into the body of the case, thus allowing the front panel to be cableless removed. On the top panel of the S1000 Window is an additional, pre-installed dust filter, which is secured by magnetic fasteners, plus it is also possible to install up to three 120 fans or two 140 mm fans. With the S1000, the top panel is closed and a 120 mm fan is pre-installed on the rear panel, but without LED illumination. Another optional 120 mm fan can be installed to the side panel.
Latest Need for Speed Payback Update Accelerates Progression System
Following the launch of Need for Speed Payback, we've been working on addressing feedback by making changes to the progression system and other aspects of the game. These range from decreasing the amount of time for parts to refresh within the tune-up shops to the way events, bait crates and roaming racers work. Players in Ranked Speedlists will also notice an increased amount of parts being paid out. Win the Speedlist and you're guaranteed a new part, while simply participating means you get more chances of receiving an item of your own. We've already pushed a number of these updates live and will continue to listen to our players to make Need for Speed Payback the best experience possible.
Soon players will see a client-side patch going live and will benefit from a range of updates including improved game performance, multiple fixes to improve stability and tune-up shops stocking a higher quality selection of parts.
Soon players will see a client-side patch going live and will benefit from a range of updates including improved game performance, multiple fixes to improve stability and tune-up shops stocking a higher quality selection of parts.
The Halos CatDrive Might Be the Most Secure Wireless External HDD Ever Built
Halos AI Inc. unveiled its flagship product "CatDrive" which will be crowdfunding on Indiegogo on 21st Nov. As the most secure wireless external hard drive, CatDrive is safer than the cloud and even smarter than mobile hard drives. It astonishingly allows users to be masters of their own data and to store and share digital content safely and freely.
In addition to functions such as centralized storage and on-the-go access, CatDrive also lets provides you with safe and easy storage.
In addition to functions such as centralized storage and on-the-go access, CatDrive also lets provides you with safe and easy storage.
- 5 advanced technologies: Local-storage, shockproof HDD, independent accounts with private spaces and auto backup.
- Multiple users: Each user has their own account and space which is invisible to others.
- Private share circle: Members of CatDrive can share files without limits, receive real-time notifications, and the shared content will never expire.
- Photo Roll: Organize and display photos in a stunning way.
Ethereum Startup Confido Vanishes, Scams Users in $375K After ICO
ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) are one of the most important facets of Ethereum, responsible for propelling the cryptocurrency's value to its values of today. These are the cryptocurrency equivalents of community-backed investments and startups - not unlike Kickstarter, but based solely in the crypto world. Demand for Ethereum usually sees vast increases in volume after a promising ICO goes live (or in preparation for it), and is one of the premier channels for value to be chained towards this cryptocurrency. However, as is usually the case - and one needs only look towards Kickstarter as an example of this - there are both success and disaster stories to be met in this space.
Case in point of a disaster, Ethereum startup Confido has recently made headlines both for its $375K ICO, and after it surfaced that the entire initial coin offering was nothing more than a scam. Confido claimed to be a blockchain-based app for making payments and tracking shipments, and as is usual in ICOs, it sold digital tokens to investors over the Ethereum blockchain in an ICO that ran from November 6 to 8. Last Sunday, the company started erasing all marks of its short, profitable foray into the ICO world: it deleted its Twitter account and took down its website. A company representative posted a brief comment to the company's (now-private) subforum on Reddit as well as Medium, citing legal problems that prevent the Confido team from continuing their work.
Case in point of a disaster, Ethereum startup Confido has recently made headlines both for its $375K ICO, and after it surfaced that the entire initial coin offering was nothing more than a scam. Confido claimed to be a blockchain-based app for making payments and tracking shipments, and as is usual in ICOs, it sold digital tokens to investors over the Ethereum blockchain in an ICO that ran from November 6 to 8. Last Sunday, the company started erasing all marks of its short, profitable foray into the ICO world: it deleted its Twitter account and took down its website. A company representative posted a brief comment to the company's (now-private) subforum on Reddit as well as Medium, citing legal problems that prevent the Confido team from continuing their work.
Blizzard Black Friday Sale: Overwatch at Half Price & 35% off Destiny 2
The holiday season is almost here-get ready to spread some epic cheer! From now through November 27, 2017, we're offering some big savings around Black Friday on the following digital purchases for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, and Destiny 2-plus some Blizzard Gear Store goodies. Snag a little something for yourself, or send a gift to a friend.
Overwatch
Whether you're a soldier, scientist, adventurer, or oddity, you can jump into the fight for the future with savings of 50% on the digital versions of Overwatch and Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition for Windows PC.
Overwatch
Whether you're a soldier, scientist, adventurer, or oddity, you can jump into the fight for the future with savings of 50% on the digital versions of Overwatch and Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition for Windows PC.
- Overwatch includes 26 heroes, 21 different maps, and endless fun for just $19.99 (reg. $39.99).
- Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition includes all the excitement of Overwatch along with 10 Loot Boxes, five special hero skins, plus in-game goodies for Heroes of the Storm, World of Warcraft, Diablo III, and StarCraft II for $29.99 (reg. $59.99).
COLORFUL Releases New Plus Series Solid-State Drive
Colorful Technology Company Limited, professional manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and high-performance storage solutions, is thrilled to announce the release of a new series of SSD from COLORFUL: the new PLUS Series SSD. Available in capacities up to 640GB, the COLORFUL PLUS Series SSD offers the latest in 3D TLC NAND Flash technology along with a new SMI SM2258XT controller offering a new NAND Flash configuration while still offering competitive endurance, capacity and price.
The COLORFUL Plus Series SSD are expected to ship to distributor by November and will be available in three capacities: 160GB(SL300 Plus 160G), 320GB (SL500 Plus 320G) and 640GB (SL500 Plus 640G).
The COLORFUL Plus Series SSD are expected to ship to distributor by November and will be available in three capacities: 160GB(SL300 Plus 160G), 320GB (SL500 Plus 320G) and 640GB (SL500 Plus 640G).
KFA2 and GALAX Announce SNPR GTX 1060 External Graphics
GALAX and its EU-specific brand KFA2 announced the SNPR external graphics enclosure, with a factory-fitted GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB graphics card. Measuring 165 mm x 156.5 mm x 73 mm (WxDxH), and weighing in at 1.38 kg, the enclosure relies on an external power brick. Internally, it's a stack-up of three key components, the main-board which takes in power and Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) host connectivity, and puts out a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot; the extremely compact graphics card PCB, and the custom-design fan-heatsink cooler, which combines an aluminium fin-stack heatsink, with a pair of 70 mm spinners, to keep cool.
The enclosure is made of SECC steel, that's perforated along three sides. Display outputs from the card include one each of DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and dual-link DVI-D. The internal GTX 1060 6 GB graphics card ticks at factory-overclocked speeds of 1531 MHz core, 1746 MHz GPU Boost, and 8.00 GHz (GDDR5-effective) memory (against reference clocks of 1506/1709 MHz). An external 230W power-brick (included) supplies power to the unit. Available now, the KFA2/GALAX SNPR GTX 1060 6 GB is priced at 499€ in the EU, including taxes.
The enclosure is made of SECC steel, that's perforated along three sides. Display outputs from the card include one each of DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and dual-link DVI-D. The internal GTX 1060 6 GB graphics card ticks at factory-overclocked speeds of 1531 MHz core, 1746 MHz GPU Boost, and 8.00 GHz (GDDR5-effective) memory (against reference clocks of 1506/1709 MHz). An external 230W power-brick (included) supplies power to the unit. Available now, the KFA2/GALAX SNPR GTX 1060 6 GB is priced at 499€ in the EU, including taxes.
FSP Announces CMT110 and CMT120 Mid-Tower Cases
FSP just added 2 new members to their CMT series, CMT110 and CMT120. These 2 mid-tower cases each offers 2 options to fit users' preferences, a transparent side panel on the CMT110 and a solid side panel on the CMT120.Both versions adopted a clean cable management layout to allow users to easily route their cables for the motherboards and parts. The cases are able to fit a 160mm tall heat sink, a graphics card up to 340mm long, and an ATX form factor PSU to the case. Both cases come with a dust filer to protect your parts, and the top panel of the case is built with a magnetic dust filter for easy access.
These cases are designed with good airflow intake in mind, thus they are built with neat interior to help cool down the temperature inside. The PSU guard design creates an independent upper and lower wind channels for optimized cooling results. There are 6 fan mounts available for users who would like to upgrade their cases further, they can mount two additional 120mm fans on the front panel, one 1220mm fan on the top panel, two 120mm fans inside, and one 120mm fan on the back panel.
These cases are designed with good airflow intake in mind, thus they are built with neat interior to help cool down the temperature inside. The PSU guard design creates an independent upper and lower wind channels for optimized cooling results. There are 6 fan mounts available for users who would like to upgrade their cases further, they can mount two additional 120mm fans on the front panel, one 1220mm fan on the top panel, two 120mm fans inside, and one 120mm fan on the back panel.
JPR Q3-2017 Research on GPU Market: NVIDIA Grows Faster than AMD and Intel YoY
Comprised of pre and DIY built gaming computers, upgrades, and accessories such as input devices and audio/communication systems, the market exceeded $30 billion in 2016 and is forecast to grow at a 6% CAGR through 2019.
Due of an entrenched PC gaming culture, large population, and a lack of significant console traction, the Asia Pacific Region leads the world in both growth and market size with a forecasted 7% CAGR to 2019 from a TAM of almost $11.3 billion in 2016. However, North America and Western Europe both individually lead Asia Pacific for High-End hardware, albeit at lower growth rates of 5.78% and 6.63% vs. 9.61% respectively. The western appetite for PC gaming systems costing thousands of dollars is strong.
Due of an entrenched PC gaming culture, large population, and a lack of significant console traction, the Asia Pacific Region leads the world in both growth and market size with a forecasted 7% CAGR to 2019 from a TAM of almost $11.3 billion in 2016. However, North America and Western Europe both individually lead Asia Pacific for High-End hardware, albeit at lower growth rates of 5.78% and 6.63% vs. 9.61% respectively. The western appetite for PC gaming systems costing thousands of dollars is strong.
Tuesday, November 21st 2017
Today's Reviews
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Motherboards
Mouse
Networking
HyperX Cloud Alpha Review
The HyperX Cloud Alpha has the aesthetics and build quality of the Cloud Gaming II, the microphone and connectivity of the Cloud Gaming, but also a brand-new dual chamber speaker driver design. Thanks to its amazing audio performance, it's the new reference gaming headset in the $100 price bracket.
Uber Hackers Make Away with Data on 57M Riders, Company Bribes Them to Stay Mum
The world's most popular ride hailing app, Uber, was hit by a cyberattack late-2016, with the attackers making away with user-data on over 57 million riders registered with the service. The worst part? Uber allegedly bribed the hackers to keep the hack concealed from the public for a year. The company allegedly paid them over $100,000 to keep the hack hidden, and to "destroy the stolen data."
The cyber-attack compromised personal information such as "home" and "work" physical addresses (which you may have saved with Uber), e-mail addresses, full-names, and phone numbers of over 57 million Uber riders; and even more detailed information, such as driving license numbers, of the over 600,000 drivers worldwide, subscribed to the service. It's not known at this point, if the stolen data includes more sensitive details, such as credit-card numbers of the riders, or bank account details of the drivers.
The cyber-attack compromised personal information such as "home" and "work" physical addresses (which you may have saved with Uber), e-mail addresses, full-names, and phone numbers of over 57 million Uber riders; and even more detailed information, such as driving license numbers, of the over 600,000 drivers worldwide, subscribed to the service. It's not known at this point, if the stolen data includes more sensitive details, such as credit-card numbers of the riders, or bank account details of the drivers.
Researchers Find Glaring Intel ME Security Flaws, Company Outs Detection Tool
Security researchers have found glaring security flaws with Intel Management Engine, the on-chip micro SoC that, besides governing the functionality of the processor, provides on-chip management and security features. These security flaws render "potentially millions" of PCs and notebooks, based on Intel processors, according to the researchers. Intel on Monday released a Detection Tool application that lets you identify vulnerabilities in the Management Engine of your Intel processor-powered PC, and suggests updates to Intel Management Engine drivers, or points to BIOS updates from your PC manufacturer.
Updates to Intel ME are specific to TXE 3.0 (trusted execution engine version 3.0), which is featured on processors based on "Skylake," "Kaby Lake," and "Coffee Lake" micro-architectures, across client- and enterprise market segments, and Atom processors released in the past three years. Intel chronicled this security flaw further under Security Advisory 86, and released the SA-00086 Detection Tool.
Updates to Intel ME are specific to TXE 3.0 (trusted execution engine version 3.0), which is featured on processors based on "Skylake," "Kaby Lake," and "Coffee Lake" micro-architectures, across client- and enterprise market segments, and Atom processors released in the past three years. Intel chronicled this security flaw further under Security Advisory 86, and released the SA-00086 Detection Tool.
EVGA Z370 Micro Motherboard Starts Selling
EVGA's premium micro-ATX motherboard based on Intel Z370 chipset, the Z370 Micro, started selling at USD $179.99. The board was announced alongside the rest of the company's Z370 lineup, earlier this October. Designed for enthusiast-grade micro-ATX builds, the EVGA Z370 micro features a standard 240 mm x 240 mm PCB, but with cutouts for the angled 24-pin ATX and 6-pin PCIe power inputs. Besides the two, it draws power from an 8-pin EPS and 4-pin ATX power connectors, conditioning it for the CPU with a 10-phase VRM. The CPU socket features 150% higher gold content in the pins. The LGA1151 socket is wired to two reinforced DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory, and two reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC or x8/x8), with SLI support. An x4 slot makes for the rest of the expansion.
Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots (from which one is occupied with the WLAN card), and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Eight USB 3.0 ports, and a number of USB 2.0 ports make for the USB connectivity. Network connectivity includes an Intel-made WLAN card with 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1. The lone 1 GbE interface is driven by an Intel i219-V controller. A Realtek ALC1220 CODEC drives the 8-channel HD audio. Overclocker-friendly features include dual-BIOS with manual switching, POST debug 7-seg display, angled case-fan headers, onboard POST speaker, and power/reset buttons.
Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots (from which one is occupied with the WLAN card), and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Eight USB 3.0 ports, and a number of USB 2.0 ports make for the USB connectivity. Network connectivity includes an Intel-made WLAN card with 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1. The lone 1 GbE interface is driven by an Intel i219-V controller. A Realtek ALC1220 CODEC drives the 8-channel HD audio. Overclocker-friendly features include dual-BIOS with manual switching, POST debug 7-seg display, angled case-fan headers, onboard POST speaker, and power/reset buttons.
MSI Intros Optix MAG24C Curved Gaming Monitor
MSI today introduced the Optix MAG24C, a 24-inch curved gaming-grade monitor, which could be the company's most affordable. Its Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution may not be much to write home about in 2017, but bolstering it gaming-grade credentials are its 144 Hz refresh-rate, and 1 ms (GTG) response-time, and support for AMD FreeSync technology. It also features OSD crosshairs, FPS counters, and display presets specific to game genres.
The Optix MAG24C is based on a VA (vertical-alignment) display panel, with 1800R curvature, 178°/178° viewing-angles, 110% sRGB coverage, 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, and 3,000:1 static contrast-ratio (with dynamic mega-contrast). A blue-light reduction mechanism, and flicker-free brightness control, complete its panel-specific features. The monitor takes input from DisplayPort 1.2a (needed for 144 Hz and FreeSync), HDMI 1.4a, and DVI. Its stand allows tilt and height adjustments. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The Optix MAG24C is based on a VA (vertical-alignment) display panel, with 1800R curvature, 178°/178° viewing-angles, 110% sRGB coverage, 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, and 3,000:1 static contrast-ratio (with dynamic mega-contrast). A blue-light reduction mechanism, and flicker-free brightness control, complete its panel-specific features. The monitor takes input from DisplayPort 1.2a (needed for 144 Hz and FreeSync), HDMI 1.4a, and DVI. Its stand allows tilt and height adjustments. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Promise's TD-300 is the Perfect Thunderbolt 3 Dock for Creative Professionals
Promise Technology Inc., a leading storage solutions provider for creative and IT applications, today announced the addition of a Thunderbolt 3 dock to its comprehensive lineup of solutions for rich media workflows. Through the new dock, users can add two 4K displays, charge devices, daisy-chain Thunderbolt 3 hard drives, connect USB devices, transfer SD card content, and more -- over a single connection. The new TD-300 brings it all together to expand the capabilities of Thunderbolt 3-enabled macOS and Windows 10 platforms. The TD-300 is also an ideal choice for small office/home office users.
An ideal complement to Promise's industry-leading Pegasus3 series of desktop RAID storage solutions, the TD-300 provides several connectivity options that set it apart from the competition, including five USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader and HDMI 2.0. It also features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and an audio in/out port. Creative professionals working with Windows workstations, iMac and MacBook Pro can now simply connect the TD-300's Thunderbolt 3 port to any Thunderbolt 3-enabled PC or Mac. There are no drivers to download or install, and no additional utility software is needed.
An ideal complement to Promise's industry-leading Pegasus3 series of desktop RAID storage solutions, the TD-300 provides several connectivity options that set it apart from the competition, including five USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader and HDMI 2.0. It also features two Thunderbolt 3 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and an audio in/out port. Creative professionals working with Windows workstations, iMac and MacBook Pro can now simply connect the TD-300's Thunderbolt 3 port to any Thunderbolt 3-enabled PC or Mac. There are no drivers to download or install, and no additional utility software is needed.
Battlefield 1 Turning Tides Expansion to Drop on December 11
Players will soon be able to experience battles on land, in the air, and at sea on the newest front with Battlefield 1 Turning Tides, the third expansion pack available for Battlefield 1. Battlefield 1 Turning Tides will be released in two waves - the first wave is coming on December 11th for Battlefield 1 Premium Pass owners. Players will be able to fight across a duo of epic maps, including Cape Helles and Achi Baba. In a new Operation set on these maps, players can take part in the 1915 British amphibious assault of the Gallipoli peninsula. There will be a new Infiltrator Elite Class, six weapons and two melee weapons added to your arsenal, and you'll get to rule the waves with the L-Class Destroyer. The second wave, coming January 2018, puts players in the North Sea to tackle two other unique maps: Zeebrugge and Heligoland Blight, with the chance to charge into battle with the new Royal Marines and spawn on the C-Class Airship.
Aquantia Black Friday Deals: AQtion 5G NIC for $59 and 10G NIC for $69
Aquantia Corp., a leader in high-speed, Multi-Gigabit Ethernet connectivity solutions, today announced its plan to help PC gamers and hardware enthusiasts squeeze new levels of performance out of their systems. Today, Aquantia announced a special holiday promotion with international distribution partners Arrow, WPGA and WPI, to deliver the industry's fastest Ethernet adapters - Aquantia AQtion Network Interface Cards (NICs) - to gamers and performance PC users at a giftworthy price point for a limited time. The Aquantia AQtion AQN-108 5G NIC is now available for $59.00 and the Aquantia AQtion AQN-107 10G NIC is available for an unprecedented $69.00.
The super-low latency and in-game advantage that AQtion Multi-Gigabit NICs deliver make them the perfect holiday surprise for any hardware enthusiast. The performance PC user - whether a gamer, video editing enthusiast, designer, engineer or just a tried and true geek - wants the ability to move huge volumes of digital life data seamlessly and quickly. In a home or office, that seamless capability requires a 5G or even a 10G NIC card.
The super-low latency and in-game advantage that AQtion Multi-Gigabit NICs deliver make them the perfect holiday surprise for any hardware enthusiast. The performance PC user - whether a gamer, video editing enthusiast, designer, engineer or just a tried and true geek - wants the ability to move huge volumes of digital life data seamlessly and quickly. In a home or office, that seamless capability requires a 5G or even a 10G NIC card.
Gold and Platinum Editions for the Drobo 5N2 and 5D3 Make Their Debut
Today, Drobo announced two new special editions for the 5N2 and the 5D3 to bring performance and peace of mind to power users. Power users among creative professionals, SMBs and connected homes require increased speeds, data recovery protection, and extended support for their data-intensive workflows. These special editions are best-in-class complements to Drobo's stellar history of delivering award-winning simple, safe, and smart storage solutions.
All Gold Edition Drobos include a premium DroboCare warranty for five years, replacing the standard two-year coverage for uninterrupted protection on Drobo products. Additionally, the Gold Editions include a 128GB mSATA SSD for up to 30% faster access to frequently used files. The Platinum packages also include one instance of a data recovery service within a five year period. This partnership is an industry first and a direct result of our power users' desire to ensure their data will never be compromised. DriveSavers has the highest recovery rate for mechanical, water and fire damage, file corruption, and more on hard drives and all data storage devices. Drobo has an exclusive partnership with DriveSavers for this level of service, potentially saving customers thousands of dollars in recovery fees.
All Gold Edition Drobos include a premium DroboCare warranty for five years, replacing the standard two-year coverage for uninterrupted protection on Drobo products. Additionally, the Gold Editions include a 128GB mSATA SSD for up to 30% faster access to frequently used files. The Platinum packages also include one instance of a data recovery service within a five year period. This partnership is an industry first and a direct result of our power users' desire to ensure their data will never be compromised. DriveSavers has the highest recovery rate for mechanical, water and fire damage, file corruption, and more on hard drives and all data storage devices. Drobo has an exclusive partnership with DriveSavers for this level of service, potentially saving customers thousands of dollars in recovery fees.
SteelSeries Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals 2017
SteelSeries, leader and innovator in gaming peripherals, kicks off the holiday season with massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions and the SteelSeries Holiday Gift-a-thon. SteelSeries is celebrating the holiday season with big sales on its most popular products and the first-ever "SteelSeries Gift-a-thon," a giveaway in which more and more prizes are added as more people enter. Prizes include new SteelSeries gear, exclusive in-game codes, Apple TVs, custom-built PCs, and "SteelSeries for life" - a program where winners will receive one new product in each category every year for life!
The Gift-a-thon starts on November 21 and ends on November 30. Participants can enter at steelseries.com. Participants will also receive 50 additional giveaway entries with any purchase on SteelSeries.com (limit one per customer).
The Gift-a-thon starts on November 21 and ends on November 30. Participants can enter at steelseries.com. Participants will also receive 50 additional giveaway entries with any purchase on SteelSeries.com (limit one per customer).
EVGA Intros GeForce GTX 1080 Ti K|NGP|N Hydro Copper
EVGA today introduced its flagship graphics card, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti K|ngp|n Hydro Copper (model: 11G-P4-6799), tuned by the legendary overclocker Vince "K|ngp|n" Lucido himself. The card features the choicest VRM components, binned "GP102" ASIC and GDDR5X memory chips, to support not just the highest overclocking headroom among EVGA's lineup, but also its highest factory-overclocked speeds of 1582 MHz core, 1695 MHz GPU Boost, and 11.00 GHz (GDDR5X-effective) memory clocks.
The card is intended to be plumbed to your own liquid-cooling loop, and comes with an all-copper, full-coverage water-block. You also get EVGA's iCX technology, which puts 9 thermal sensors across various points in the card. Available now (in limited stocks), exclusively through EVGA's own online store, the card is priced at USD $1,249.
The card is intended to be plumbed to your own liquid-cooling loop, and comes with an all-copper, full-coverage water-block. You also get EVGA's iCX technology, which puts 9 thermal sensors across various points in the card. Available now (in limited stocks), exclusively through EVGA's own online store, the card is priced at USD $1,249.
SilverStone Intros Essential Series 450W PSU
SilverStone today introduced its Essential series 450W power-supply (model: SST-ET450-B), which covers all the basics for first-time builders. The Essential series made its debut earlier this year, with larger 550W and 650W models. The standard-ATX PSU is 14 cm long, and features fixed cabling. It has enough juice and straws for a premium mainstream-desktop build with one high-end graphics card. The PSU offers 80 Plus Bronze switching efficiency. Under the hood, it features a single +12V rail design, with a single 34A rail.
Other under-the-hood features include active-PFC, and protections against over/under-voltage, overload, and short-circuit. A low-noise optimized 120 mm fan keeps the unit cool, with noise output as low as 18 dBA. Connectors include a 24-pin ATX, one 4+4-pin EPS, two 6+2-pin PCIe power, four SATA power, three 4-pin Molex, and one 4-pin Berg. Backed by a 3-year warranty, it is priced at USD $59.99.
Other under-the-hood features include active-PFC, and protections against over/under-voltage, overload, and short-circuit. A low-noise optimized 120 mm fan keeps the unit cool, with noise output as low as 18 dBA. Connectors include a 24-pin ATX, one 4+4-pin EPS, two 6+2-pin PCIe power, four SATA power, three 4-pin Molex, and one 4-pin Berg. Backed by a 3-year warranty, it is priced at USD $59.99.
Cooler Master Announces MasterKeys MK750 Keyboard
Cooler Master, a global leader in designing and manufacturing computer components and peripherals, today announces its new performance focused mechanical gaming keyboard, the MasterKeys MK750. The new addition to its award winning lineup of gaming peripherals boasts a removable magnetic wristrest, four dedicated media keys, full RGB backlighting with an illuminating light bar, USB Type-C removable Cable and of course Cherry MX Mechanical Switches mounted to an anodized aluminum body. It's a pro-grade gaming keyboard perfect for the aspiring gamer looking for a pro-gaming experience.
"We wanted to further raise the bar so we designed a keyboard that harbors all of the fantastic existing features of our MasterKeys Pro line except now we added more elements that are needed for a competitive gaming set up such as dedicated media keys and removable wristrest for comfort," says Bram Rongen, Peripheral Sr. Product Marketing Manager.
"We wanted to further raise the bar so we designed a keyboard that harbors all of the fantastic existing features of our MasterKeys Pro line except now we added more elements that are needed for a competitive gaming set up such as dedicated media keys and removable wristrest for comfort," says Bram Rongen, Peripheral Sr. Product Marketing Manager.
Microsoft Xbox One X Falls Short of Expectations in Japan - Again
Cracking Japan's console market has always been a tough - read: almost impossible - feat for Microsoft. For generations now, Microsoft has failed to achieve any kind of market penetration in that country. To put things in perspective, Xbox One's sales in japan have been so low that retailers in Japan started marketing and selling the consoles as Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray readers, not as gaming consoles. For Microsoft, that would have been fine - a sale is a sale is a sale, and the Xbox One never was sold at a loss like previous hardware generations - but it just goes to show that the Japanese market doesn't really care much for the typical games Microsoft offers with its console. The relative abundance of JRPGs and other typical games for which the Japanese crowds usually lean towards the most are relatively absent from Microsoft's staples of exclusives, which probably justifies this cold stance towards Microsoft's console. But to be fair, japan is one of the foremost mobile gaming countries in the world, so that definitely has something to do with it as well.
According to Japanese Famitsu, the Xbox One X managed to move... 1,639 units at launch. This means that the Xbox One X was outsold by virtually all consoles - The PS4 (23,613 units), PS4 Pro (6,028 units), Nintendo Switch (84,593 units), and was even outsold by the PS Vita, 3DS, and 2DS XL. It only snagged wins against previous-generation hardware (like the PS3 and Wii U) or Microsoft's own other console - The Xbox One S. A bittersweet victory, to say the least. The fact that the Xbox One X did get sold-out in Japan is telling - but that did happen because of the low orders Japanese retailers put in for the new console. Some 4 consoles later, they know that barring a black swan, Microsoft isn't setting a foothold in Japanese gamers' living rooms.
According to Japanese Famitsu, the Xbox One X managed to move... 1,639 units at launch. This means that the Xbox One X was outsold by virtually all consoles - The PS4 (23,613 units), PS4 Pro (6,028 units), Nintendo Switch (84,593 units), and was even outsold by the PS Vita, 3DS, and 2DS XL. It only snagged wins against previous-generation hardware (like the PS3 and Wii U) or Microsoft's own other console - The Xbox One S. A bittersweet victory, to say the least. The fact that the Xbox One X did get sold-out in Japan is telling - but that did happen because of the low orders Japanese retailers put in for the new console. Some 4 consoles later, they know that barring a black swan, Microsoft isn't setting a foothold in Japanese gamers' living rooms.
Toshiba to Enable 14 TB, PMR HDDs as Soon as 2018
Toshiba has announced they will begin commercializing HDDs based on Showa Denko K.K.'s (SDK) 9th generation perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) platter technology. This latest technology brings about improved storage areal densities in both the 2.5" and 3.5" platters, increasing storage capacities without having to resort to Shingled Magnetic Recording 8SMR), which typically reduces performance. The increased areal density of the new generation technology enables 1 TB 2.5" platters and up to 1.8 TB 3.5" platters, opening the door for PMR HDDs with up to 14 TB capacity sometime in 2018.
The first Toshiba drive to make use of this technology is aimed at ultra-portable laptops that require lots of storage space: the MQ04ABF Series features 5,400 RPM spindle speeds, 1TB of data storage capacity in an ultra-compact 2.5-inch 7.0 mm height form factor. This news is particularly interesting for enterprise-class solutions, however. Today's top-of-the-range enterprise-class 3.5" HDDs can store up to 12 TB of data (14 TB solutions have to make use of SMR). These 12 TB HDDs are based on 8x 8th generation PMR platters featuring ~1.5 TB capacities. With the arrival of the 9th gen PMR platters in 2018, hard drive makers will be able to increase capacities of 8x platter models to 14 TB, while designs with 7x platters can go up to 12 TB.
The first Toshiba drive to make use of this technology is aimed at ultra-portable laptops that require lots of storage space: the MQ04ABF Series features 5,400 RPM spindle speeds, 1TB of data storage capacity in an ultra-compact 2.5-inch 7.0 mm height form factor. This news is particularly interesting for enterprise-class solutions, however. Today's top-of-the-range enterprise-class 3.5" HDDs can store up to 12 TB of data (14 TB solutions have to make use of SMR). These 12 TB HDDs are based on 8x 8th generation PMR platters featuring ~1.5 TB capacities. With the arrival of the 9th gen PMR platters in 2018, hard drive makers will be able to increase capacities of 8x platter models to 14 TB, while designs with 7x platters can go up to 12 TB.
PowerColor Radeon RX Vega 64 Red Devil Available Soon, Overclocked, £590
It seems our wait for custom editions of AMD's RX Vega graphics cards is coming to an end. "Better late than never" is what they always say; however, AMD and its AIB partners have to know that this kind of wait can sap customer enthusiasm for a product. It's not enough that customers waited around two years for Vega to come to fruition; we've also had to wait some additional months (not weeks), for an actual custom-design graphics card. Vega's exotic design with HBM2 memory means that these graphics cards' availability would fall prey not only to Vega GPU yields, but also to HBM2 memory availability.
Additionally, Vega has been vulnerable to packaging of HBM2 and the GPU as well, with various factories providing different levels of quality in the finished product. This introduced some unexpected variance in the finished products - making the creation of cooling designs that could cope with all the design discrepancies more difficult.
Additionally, Vega has been vulnerable to packaging of HBM2 and the GPU as well, with various factories providing different levels of quality in the finished product. This introduced some unexpected variance in the finished products - making the creation of cooling designs that could cope with all the design discrepancies more difficult.
ADATA Releases the XPG STORM RGB M.2 2280 Active-Cooled Heatsink
ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today launched the XPG STORM heatsink add-on for M.2 2280 drives. STORM features an aluminum heatsink and with a fan. It can be easily affixed to any compatible SSD to provide powerful cooling. Lower SSD temperatures promote more stable storage and system performance, in addition to the XPG-styled STORM heatsink with its colorful RGB lighting contributing to attractive, gaming-themed PC setups.
Lower temperatures complement high speeds
While M.2 2280 PCIe SSDs are currently the fastest on the market, their high data rates also mean considerable heat buildup. Without a heatsink, accumulating heat can compromise performance and accelerate SSD aging. STORM includes an aluminum heatsink that fits on any M.2 SSD without causing overhead issues. Together with the heatsink, STORM uses a fan to circulate cool air and reduces temperature by at least 25% when compared with bare M.2 SSDs.
Lower temperatures complement high speeds
While M.2 2280 PCIe SSDs are currently the fastest on the market, their high data rates also mean considerable heat buildup. Without a heatsink, accumulating heat can compromise performance and accelerate SSD aging. STORM includes an aluminum heatsink that fits on any M.2 SSD without causing overhead issues. Together with the heatsink, STORM uses a fan to circulate cool air and reduces temperature by at least 25% when compared with bare M.2 SSDs.
Monday, November 20th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Headphones
Keyboards
Monitors
Mouse
Networking
Notebooks
Processors
DarkSide Gentle Typhoon 1450 RPM Black Edition Fan Review
The Gentle Typhoon made a comeback recently under the DarkSide brand, and in an all-black color scheme too. It was the fan of choice for PC DIY enthusiasts only a few years ago, and in this review, we will see how it holds up against newer fans and features alike.
be quiet! Dark Base 700 Review
The be quiet! Dark Base 700 is the brand's first RGB-equipped chassis. It keeps the design elements of the previous be quiet! cases and, as it is part of the Dark Base family, is intended for the high-end enthusiast who may love the larger Dark Base 900, but is looking for a more compact choice.
"Summit" Supercomputer to Propel US Back to Number 1 in Top 500 by 2018
China has been increasingly - and steadily - gaining relevance in the supercomputing world, with most of the top-500 entries being controlled by that country. In fact, China can boast of having the number one supercomputer in the world, the Sunway TaihuLight, which can deliver 93 PetaFLOPS of computing power - just 3x more computational power than the second most powerful machine, China's own Tianhe-2). However, supercomputing, and the amount of money that's earned by selling processing slices of these supercomputers for private or state contractors, i a very attractive pull - especially considering the increasingly more expensive computational needs of the modern world.
The Summit is to be the United State's call to fame in that regard, bringing the country back to number one in raw, top-of-the-line single-machine supercomputing power. Summit is promising to more than double the PetaFLOPS of China's TaihuLight, to over 200 PetaFLOPs. That amounts to around 11x more processing grunt than its predecessor, the Titan, in a much smaller footprint - the Titan's 18,688 processing nodes will be condensed to just ~4,600 nodes on the Summit, with each node achieving around 40 TeraFLOPS of computing power. The hardware? IBM and NVIDIA, married in water-cooled nodes with the powerful GV100 accelerator that's still eluding us enthusiasts - but that's a question for another day.
The Summit is to be the United State's call to fame in that regard, bringing the country back to number one in raw, top-of-the-line single-machine supercomputing power. Summit is promising to more than double the PetaFLOPS of China's TaihuLight, to over 200 PetaFLOPs. That amounts to around 11x more processing grunt than its predecessor, the Titan, in a much smaller footprint - the Titan's 18,688 processing nodes will be condensed to just ~4,600 nodes on the Summit, with each node achieving around 40 TeraFLOPS of computing power. The hardware? IBM and NVIDIA, married in water-cooled nodes with the powerful GV100 accelerator that's still eluding us enthusiasts - but that's a question for another day.
ASUS Launches World's First Ryzen 7-Powered Laptop - The ROG Strix GL702ZC
AMD's Ryzen CPUs have come out of the gates swinging, and have maintained that momentum still. Besides democratizing core-counts and SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading), these AMD chips brought about a revolution of sorts for AMD's CPU power efficiency, with Ryzen frequently going up against Intel's solutions - and even besting them frequently in this area. As such, that the Zen architecture would make its way to laptops was only a matter of engineering, design and testing - which usually translate to time. Ever since we reported ASUS was working on a Ryzen 7-powered laptop, the folks at ASUS have been working on it. And now, they've finally introduced the ROG STRIX GL702ZC.
The ROG STRIX GL702ZC is the world's first Ryzen 7-powered laptop, and marks the beginning of the end for AMD as the "budget" option when it comes to mobile solutions, with lower ASP of products based on AMD's platform justifying sometimes horrendous specs and configurations. The ROG STRIX GL702ZC features a 17.3" FHD IPS anti-glare display with FreeSync, driven by a Ryzen 7 1700 CPU paired with AMD Radeon RX580 graphics (the 4GB VRAM version) and 16 GB of DDR4 memory (expandable up to 32GB). The system can be further configured with an M.2 SSD (up to 256 GB) and/or an up to 1 TB , 5,400 RPM HDD.
The ROG STRIX GL702ZC is the world's first Ryzen 7-powered laptop, and marks the beginning of the end for AMD as the "budget" option when it comes to mobile solutions, with lower ASP of products based on AMD's platform justifying sometimes horrendous specs and configurations. The ROG STRIX GL702ZC features a 17.3" FHD IPS anti-glare display with FreeSync, driven by a Ryzen 7 1700 CPU paired with AMD Radeon RX580 graphics (the 4GB VRAM version) and 16 GB of DDR4 memory (expandable up to 32GB). The system can be further configured with an M.2 SSD (up to 256 GB) and/or an up to 1 TB , 5,400 RPM HDD.
Giant Chipmaker Marvell Technology Devours Smaller Rival Cavium for $6 Billion
Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and Cavium, Inc. today announced a definitive agreement, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, under which Marvell will acquire all outstanding shares of Cavium common stock in exchange for consideration of $40.00 per share in cash and 2.1757 Marvell common shares for each Cavium share. Upon completion of the transaction, Marvell will become a leader in infrastructure solutions with approximately $3.4 billion in annual revenue.
The transaction combines Marvell's portfolio of leading HDD and SSD storage controllers, networking solutions and high-performance wireless connectivity products with Cavium's portfolio of leading multi-core processing, networking communications, storage connectivity and security solutions. The combined product portfolios provide the scale and breadth to deliver comprehensive end-to-end solutions for customers across the cloud data center, enterprise and service provider markets, and expands Marvell's serviceable addressable market to more than $16 billion. This transaction also creates an R&D innovation engine to accelerate product development, positioning the company to meet today's massive and growing demand for data storage, heterogeneous computing and high-speed connectivity.
The transaction combines Marvell's portfolio of leading HDD and SSD storage controllers, networking solutions and high-performance wireless connectivity products with Cavium's portfolio of leading multi-core processing, networking communications, storage connectivity and security solutions. The combined product portfolios provide the scale and breadth to deliver comprehensive end-to-end solutions for customers across the cloud data center, enterprise and service provider markets, and expands Marvell's serviceable addressable market to more than $16 billion. This transaction also creates an R&D innovation engine to accelerate product development, positioning the company to meet today's massive and growing demand for data storage, heterogeneous computing and high-speed connectivity.
Patriot Launches New VIPER LED Series DDR4 Performance Memory
PATRIOT, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals and flash storage solutions today announced its new VIPER LED Series Performance DDR4 Memory. A remarkable LED-lit top decorative lighting and stylish aluminum heat shield design, VIPER LED Series DDR4 Memory is optimized for maximum performance on the Intel 100/200/300 series and AMD 300 series motherboards. VIPER LED Series available in both red and white LED model which light up gaming rig with bright integrated lighting designed to make the gaming rig look as good as it performs.
The modern gaming PC is exposed with many featuring large windows and tempered glass side panels. A perfect complement to these systems is a well-placed lighting scheme which includes LED lights on all of the major components. VIPER LED Series DDR4 Memory is available in both red and white LED lighting configurations with a decorative style and fantastic brightness.
The modern gaming PC is exposed with many featuring large windows and tempered glass side panels. A perfect complement to these systems is a well-placed lighting scheme which includes LED lights on all of the major components. VIPER LED Series DDR4 Memory is available in both red and white LED lighting configurations with a decorative style and fantastic brightness.
D-Link Launches Trio of Next Generation DGS-3630 Switches
D-Link today announced its new generation of Layer 3 Managed Gigabit Switches - the DGS-3630 Series. The series now offers PoE models DGS-3630-28PC with 24 PoE ports and DGS-3630-52PC with 48 PoE ports to provide a complete Layer 3 fully managed switch portfolio. The DGS-3630 Series switches deliver scalable software management and software image upgrades to access additional advanced features according to network requirements. The Switch Resource Management (SRM) feature allows the hardware table size to be changed so that switch functions can be optimized based on different applications.
Working at wire-speed performance, the switches can aggregate all the traffic in the network. Built-in 10 Gigabit uplink ports and stacking technology allow the switches to easily accommodate larger enterprise networks. Full Layer 3 protocol support, OAM features, and advanced QoS offer scalable and efficient network operation, administration and maintenance, even in stressful metro Ethernet infrastructures.
Working at wire-speed performance, the switches can aggregate all the traffic in the network. Built-in 10 Gigabit uplink ports and stacking technology allow the switches to easily accommodate larger enterprise networks. Full Layer 3 protocol support, OAM features, and advanced QoS offer scalable and efficient network operation, administration and maintenance, even in stressful metro Ethernet infrastructures.
Riotoro Intros CR500 Mid-tower Chassis
Riotoro today introduced the CR500 ATX mid-tower chassis. The case is characterized by a slightly protruding and perforated front-panel for better air intake, with a full-coverage tempered glass making up the side panel. The case features a contemporary horizontal partition layout. The top compartment houses an ATX/micro-ATX/mini-ITX motherboard with room for graphics cards as long as 40 cm, and CPU coolers as tall as 18 cm.
The bottom compartment of the CR500, accessible from the right side panel, houses two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive bays, two additional 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive mounts, and the PSU compartment. The cooling system includes three 120 mm or two 140 mm top exhausts, two 140 mm/120 mm front intakes, a 120 mm bottom intake, and a 120 mm rear exhaust. Front panel connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and HDA jacks. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The bottom compartment of the CR500, accessible from the right side panel, houses two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive bays, two additional 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive mounts, and the PSU compartment. The cooling system includes three 120 mm or two 140 mm top exhausts, two 140 mm/120 mm front intakes, a 120 mm bottom intake, and a 120 mm rear exhaust. Front panel connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and HDA jacks. The company didn't reveal pricing.
GIGABYTE Intros Aorus K9 Optical Gaming Keyboard
GIGABYTE introduced the Aorus K9 Optical gaming keyboard. As its name suggests, this is a variant of the Aorus K9 mechanical keyboard, featuring optical switches. These switches, made by Flaretech, enable debounce times as low as 0.03 ms, and come with an endurance of over 100 million keystrokes per key. The keyboard is also splash-proof, chatter-proof, and feature a floating key design, in which the keys aren't entrenched into the frame, making them tougher to clean. The electronics provide N-key rollover and anti-ghosting. The keyboard features 16.8 million-color RGB multi-color back-lighting, which can be controlled with GIGABYTE RGB Fusion software. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Plantronics Announces Global Availability for Their Dolby Atmos Gaming Headsets
Plantronics, an audio pioneer and communications technology leader, today announced the worldwide availability of its new RIG LX family of gaming headphones featuring Dolby Atmos. This special audio enhancement for Xbox One and Windows 10 lets gamers hear sounds with three-dimensional clarity - from above and below, in front and behind - giving them increased advantage in nearly any gaming scenario. Dolby Atmos for Headphones activation is available with Plantronics RIG 400LX, RIG 600LX and the wireless RIG 800LX, which was recently revealed to be a CES 2018 Innovation Award Honoree in the gaming category.
This is the tenth consecutive year that Plantronics has been recognized by the Consumer Technology Association for its innovative audio solutions. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge consumer electronics products across 28 product categories.
This is the tenth consecutive year that Plantronics has been recognized by the Consumer Technology Association for its innovative audio solutions. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge consumer electronics products across 28 product categories.
Axiomtek Introduces New Palm-sized eBOX560-512-FL Fanless Embedded System
Axiomtek, one of the world's leading design and manufacturing companies of innovative, high performance and reliable PC-based industrial computer products, is proud to announce the launch of the eBOX560-512-FL, an embedded system powered by Intel Core i5-7300U or Celeron 3965U processors. The ultra-compact computer is packed with features in its small IP40 aluminum and steel enclosure. It offers scalable computing performance; rich graphical capabilities that support dual independent display of up to 4K resolution; flexible communication options; and thoughtful design that offers versatility and values for Industrial Internet of Things use. The system is made for smart factory automation, digital signage and smart retail applications or any applications that require a good balance of a high performance industrial-grade computer and a good price point - with space-serving design and rich features.
The eBOX560-512-FL comes with many communications options such as four USB 3.0 ports, two RS-232/422/485 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one PCI Express Mini Card slot and two antenna. This tiny embedded PC offers two HDMI ports, a lockable 12 VDC power input with power protection feature and a user-friendly AT/ATX DIP switch for adjustments between automatic and manual operation control. The eBOX560-512-FL has 2.5" SATA HDD and one mSATA for data storage, and one 260-pin DDR4-2133 SO-DIMM socket with up to 16 GB system memory. It is compatible with Windows 10 IoT and supports Axiomtek's exclusive AXView 2.0 software for smart device monitoring and remote management for IoT applications. For flexible mounting options, this fanless rugged embedded platform is compatible with a wall mount, a VESA mount and a DIN-rail mount.
The eBOX560-512-FL comes with many communications options such as four USB 3.0 ports, two RS-232/422/485 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, one PCI Express Mini Card slot and two antenna. This tiny embedded PC offers two HDMI ports, a lockable 12 VDC power input with power protection feature and a user-friendly AT/ATX DIP switch for adjustments between automatic and manual operation control. The eBOX560-512-FL has 2.5" SATA HDD and one mSATA for data storage, and one 260-pin DDR4-2133 SO-DIMM socket with up to 16 GB system memory. It is compatible with Windows 10 IoT and supports Axiomtek's exclusive AXView 2.0 software for smart device monitoring and remote management for IoT applications. For flexible mounting options, this fanless rugged embedded platform is compatible with a wall mount, a VESA mount and a DIN-rail mount.
Samsung's Z-NAND to Compete Favorably With Intel's Optane
As big data usage is becoming ubiquitous, and workload data-sets increase in both size and complexity, new ways of connecting processing resources to storage are being developed. Intel and Micron's partnership in developing 3D XPoint memory came as a way for computer systems to reduce their bottlenecks in storing data for processing, with a particular emphasis on reducing latency. Samsung, however, has enough resources to try and provide alternatives for the emergent market needs, and being one of the most important players in the NAND industry, it seems the company is betting on the Z-NAND wagon.
For now, Z-NAND as it is being developed by Samsung, is expected to be a new rendition of SLC (Single-Level Cell) NAND, with increased controller tweaks and improvements to achieve greater IOPS in both random and sequential workloads. SLC has already been widely used in the SSD market, though in recent years it has been giving way to density-oriented technologies, such as MLC and, more recently, TLC NAND, in an effort to lower the $/GB equation. Z-NAND is a return to the SLC roots, with some very relevant tricks up its sleeve - while 3D XPoint's call to fame was sometimes up to 10x lower latency (in the order of 10/10μs), Z-NAND is also bringing latency to levels hitherto unknown to NAND memory - specifically, to the 12-20/16μs realms.
For now, Z-NAND as it is being developed by Samsung, is expected to be a new rendition of SLC (Single-Level Cell) NAND, with increased controller tweaks and improvements to achieve greater IOPS in both random and sequential workloads. SLC has already been widely used in the SSD market, though in recent years it has been giving way to density-oriented technologies, such as MLC and, more recently, TLC NAND, in an effort to lower the $/GB equation. Z-NAND is a return to the SLC roots, with some very relevant tricks up its sleeve - while 3D XPoint's call to fame was sometimes up to 10x lower latency (in the order of 10/10μs), Z-NAND is also bringing latency to levels hitherto unknown to NAND memory - specifically, to the 12-20/16μs realms.
Cooler Master MasterLiquid Maker 240 CPU Cooler Teased
Ahead of its launch, Cooler Master teased its upcoming high-end liquid CPU cooler, the MasterLiquid Maker 240. This cooler occupies the gray-area between closed-loop AIO coolers, and larger DIY kits that come in a knocked-down form, or which you buy piecemeal for the best combination. Some assembly is still required, but the kit is purpose-built for cooling one CPU out of the box. It comes with standard G 1/4 fittings, so you can expand it with a VGA block, or upgrade it with a bigger radiator later down the line.
The MasterLiquid Maker 240 features a CPU water-block, a 200 ml cylindrical reservoir+pump combo, a 240 mm x 120 mm copper radiator, two MasterFan Pro RGB 120 mm fans, coolant, and clear tubing. The cooler is purported to offer better performance than 240 mm AIO CLCs, and is yet expected to sell at a sub-$200 price-point.
The MasterLiquid Maker 240 features a CPU water-block, a 200 ml cylindrical reservoir+pump combo, a 240 mm x 120 mm copper radiator, two MasterFan Pro RGB 120 mm fans, coolant, and clear tubing. The cooler is purported to offer better performance than 240 mm AIO CLCs, and is yet expected to sell at a sub-$200 price-point.
Intel to Remove Legacy BIOS Support from Motherboard UEFI in 2020
Intel is guiding its motherboard partners to remove legacy BIOS support from their UEFI firmware by 2020. The company's client- and enterprise-platforms that come out in 2020 will lack CSM (compatibility support module), a component which lets UEFI-unaware operating systems and bootable devices run on newer machines with UEFI. Devices featuring this CSM-devoid runtime will be graded "UEFI Class 3," as the runtime only exposes UEFI or UEFI PI interfaces.
This practically marks the end of 32-bit operating systems on the newer machines, as 32-bit Windows and desktop Linux distributions require CSM. You'll still be able to use 32-bit software running on 64-bit Windows through WoW64 translation layers. The lack of CSM will also affect devices with 16-bit OpROM, such as older network adapters, and older RAID HBAs. You'll have to depend on OS-based programs to configure those devices. Newer versions of Windows Secure Boot will require UEFI Class 3 devices to function. This also affects booting with your main display plugged into graphics cards older than 4 years (launched roughly before 2013), which lack UEFI-ready video BIOS.
This practically marks the end of 32-bit operating systems on the newer machines, as 32-bit Windows and desktop Linux distributions require CSM. You'll still be able to use 32-bit software running on 64-bit Windows through WoW64 translation layers. The lack of CSM will also affect devices with 16-bit OpROM, such as older network adapters, and older RAID HBAs. You'll have to depend on OS-based programs to configure those devices. Newer versions of Windows Secure Boot will require UEFI Class 3 devices to function. This also affects booting with your main display plugged into graphics cards older than 4 years (launched roughly before 2013), which lack UEFI-ready video BIOS.
Friday, November 17th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Desktop PC
Headphones
Motherboards
Processors
Secretlab Titan Chair Review
The Titan chair is Secretlab's latest release, a chair for users of up to 130 kg (287 lbs). This chair promises to be comfortable after even long periods of use. It also packs some nice features you won't even find in much more expensive models.
Next Major AMD Driver Release, ReLive Redux, to Include Performance OSD
Every year, AMD regales its users with a new major version of their driver suite, with added features and, usually, increased performance. In 2015, AMD introduced the Radeon Crimson driver release, which included a hefty performance package for some major titles, the new Radeon Settings design interface, and increased stability over the previous mega-release, Catalyst Omega. Last year, we were treated to the introduction of the ReLive, LiquidVR, and Radeon Chill features. AMD is keeping up with its annual overhauls, even after former RTG head, Raja Koduri, left the company for bluer pastures.
Twitter user Blaze #BlazeK_AMDRT shared some screenshots over Twitter which show that the new driver release will, among other things, include an OSD for performance metrics - not unlike what NVIDIA is offering with its GeForce Experience suite. However, AMD will likely keep ringing the "no registration necessary" bell to increase attractiveness of its software suite over NVIDIA's. From the screenshots, however, it seems that AMD's suite will offer more registers than NVIDIA, to polls like VRAM, CPU usage, among others. AMD's track record with software and drivers has been much improved since Raja Koduri took the helms of RTG, with a much steadier driver release schedule, and pre-emptive releases introducing support for the latest and greatest games. It's at least comforting to see that there's no sign of that reverting after he left the company.
Twitter user Blaze #BlazeK_AMDRT shared some screenshots over Twitter which show that the new driver release will, among other things, include an OSD for performance metrics - not unlike what NVIDIA is offering with its GeForce Experience suite. However, AMD will likely keep ringing the "no registration necessary" bell to increase attractiveness of its software suite over NVIDIA's. From the screenshots, however, it seems that AMD's suite will offer more registers than NVIDIA, to polls like VRAM, CPU usage, among others. AMD's track record with software and drivers has been much improved since Raja Koduri took the helms of RTG, with a much steadier driver release schedule, and pre-emptive releases introducing support for the latest and greatest games. It's at least comforting to see that there's no sign of that reverting after he left the company.
Intel to Bring Additional Assembly Online to Improve Supply of Coffee Lake CPUs
There were some rumors regarding an expected low availability of Intel's latest, 8th Gen "Coffee Lake" CPUs. Then, in a new report, those rumors were sort of confirmed by Newegg. Now, we have it straight from the blue giant themselves, as Intel has announced that they're adding another facility to their 8th Gen Coffee Lake production and certification facilities. Stock of Intel 8th Gen CPUs has been spotty, to say the least, and pricing of the lineup's unlocked CPUs (8600K and 8700K, which are the most interesting for enthusiasts) have been particularly affected. If current output isn't enough to satisfy demand, the oldest trick in the book is to simply improve output. And Intel is doing it.
While Intel has been mainly using its assembly and test facilities based in Malaysia, the company is adding a new, certified assembly to the list: one in Chengdu, China. That shouldn't send alarms ringing, however; Intel's assembly and test facilities are a part of Intel's Copy Exactly! (CE!) program. This means that in order to be certified, all facilities must have identical methodologies and process technologies across different production sites throughout the world - there should be no quantifiable difference in quality. Intel's customers will begin to receive the aforementioned processors assembled in China starting from December 15. There is no real way to know exactly how much difference the new assembly facility will make on the worldwide supply of Intel 8h Gen CPUs - but it should only improve.
While Intel has been mainly using its assembly and test facilities based in Malaysia, the company is adding a new, certified assembly to the list: one in Chengdu, China. That shouldn't send alarms ringing, however; Intel's assembly and test facilities are a part of Intel's Copy Exactly! (CE!) program. This means that in order to be certified, all facilities must have identical methodologies and process technologies across different production sites throughout the world - there should be no quantifiable difference in quality. Intel's customers will begin to receive the aforementioned processors assembled in China starting from December 15. There is no real way to know exactly how much difference the new assembly facility will make on the worldwide supply of Intel 8h Gen CPUs - but it should only improve.
ASUS Intros ROG Strix XG35VQ 21:9, UWQHD Monitor With 100 Hz FreeSync
ASUS has introduced a new ROG Strix monitor to its lineup, the XG35VQ, which brings with it UWQHD resolution (3440 x 1440) in a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 35" diagonal. It's a curved affair - 1800R at that - and ASUS says the VA panel offers 100% sRGB coverage, plus 2500:1 contrast and 300 cd/m2 brightness. Viewing angles stand at an almost perfect 178° - a standard spec in recent times.
The most interesting selling point for this monitor, however, is that it can deliver a 100 Hz refresh rate, with FreeSync support up to that frequency. A 4 ms response time means reduced ghosting, and the panel also applies ASUS' version of Extreme Low Motion Blur mode, which strobes the LED backlight to lower persistence, much like a VR display. This mode uses a fixed refresh rate, so ASUS recommends it for fast-paced games where users can comfortably maintain high frame rates.
The most interesting selling point for this monitor, however, is that it can deliver a 100 Hz refresh rate, with FreeSync support up to that frequency. A 4 ms response time means reduced ghosting, and the panel also applies ASUS' version of Extreme Low Motion Blur mode, which strobes the LED backlight to lower persistence, much like a VR display. This mode uses a fixed refresh rate, so ASUS recommends it for fast-paced games where users can comfortably maintain high frame rates.
Thermaltake Reveals Two New Gaming Chairs Made from Real Leather
Thermaltake Gaming Tt eSPORTS, the energetic and powerful challenger is delighted to announce the launch of the X FIT & X COMFORT Real Leather Edition Professional Gaming Chair. The X FIT & X COMFORT Real Leather gaming chair comes in a stunning all-black genuine leather covering found in top-level sport vehicles, coupled with elegant upholstery, the latest in ergonomic design, and use of top-notch materials for maximum durability, optimal form-fit and ultimate comfort. Make the X FIT & X COMFORT Real Leather gaming chair the best seat in your house with premium craftsmanship and luxury.
MADE FROM REAL LEATHER
The X FIT & X COMFORT Real Leather Edition gaming chair is fully covered in genuine leather for both the entire seat and contact areas; and is extremely durable, easy to clean, UV, aging, and temperature resistant for maximum longevity and use. The steel frame is surrounded by high-class cold foam that keeps its shape even after prolonged usage and is responsible for the chair's ergonomic upholstery, which ensures an upright and simultaneously comfortable sitting posture that provides the X FIT & X COMFORT real leather gaming chair with the perfect mix of form, function, and durability desired by gamers.
MADE FROM REAL LEATHER
The X FIT & X COMFORT Real Leather Edition gaming chair is fully covered in genuine leather for both the entire seat and contact areas; and is extremely durable, easy to clean, UV, aging, and temperature resistant for maximum longevity and use. The steel frame is surrounded by high-class cold foam that keeps its shape even after prolonged usage and is responsible for the chair's ergonomic upholstery, which ensures an upright and simultaneously comfortable sitting posture that provides the X FIT & X COMFORT real leather gaming chair with the perfect mix of form, function, and durability desired by gamers.
Under Fire, EA Backs Down on Star Wars Battlefront II Microtransactions
In an announcement on EA's website, Oskar Gabrielson, General Manager at DICE, came forward to respond in no uncertain terms to the issues looming over Star Wars Battlefront 2. In the post, Gabrielson vows that EA and Dice have "(...) an ongoing commitment to constantly listen, tune and evolve the experience as it grows. But as we approach the worldwide launch, it's clear that many of you feel there are still challenges in the design. We've heard the concerns about potentially giving players unfair advantages. And we've heard that this is overshadowing an otherwise great game. This was never our intention. Sorry we didn't get this right."
This culminates on a decision to abandon all microtransactions as they were coded into the final version of the game, or, as Gabrielson puts it: "(...) we're turning off all in-game purchases. We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we've made changes to the game." So, it's not a total, definitive cut as it is; it's more of a "back to the drawing board" kind of approach. which only makes sense, as EA has been loud and clear in saying that they consider these microtransactions as essential components of a given games' development.
This culminates on a decision to abandon all microtransactions as they were coded into the final version of the game, or, as Gabrielson puts it: "(...) we're turning off all in-game purchases. We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing and tuning. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay. The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we've made changes to the game." So, it's not a total, definitive cut as it is; it's more of a "back to the drawing board" kind of approach. which only makes sense, as EA has been loud and clear in saying that they consider these microtransactions as essential components of a given games' development.
Razer Adds Two New Members to Their Hammerhead Gaming Earphone Family
Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, has announced two new additions to the Razer Hammerhead in-ear headset family. The new earphones feature a digital connection regardless of Android or iOS - no 3.5 mm connection, a highly durable aluminum chassis, flat cables and bi-flange ear tips for passive noise isolation. They also come with inline remotes to provide quick control for audio fidelity from the 10 mm dynamic drivers. The Razer Hammerhead USB-C is the perfect companion for the Razer Phone and other devices without 3.5 mm audio jacks, while the Razer Hammerhead for iOS Mercury Edition blends with iPhone colors.
CaseLabs' Popular Magnum SMA8 Case Undergoes Transformation
Premium custom PC case maker CaseLabs announced today a new revision to the Magnum SMA8 case which is easily the company's most popular and best-selling case. The original Magnum SMA8 was released two years ago, and it has become the preferred case for many water-cooling aficionados. The Magnum SMA8 A Revision (SMA8-A) has been refined to make the build process even more enjoyable, and more personalized than ever before! The new revision will be available for pre-order soon.
Vivendi Puts Off Decision on Ubisoft Hostile Takeover for Now
French media conglomerate Vivendi has been amassing Ubisoft shares over a course of two years. The company is the biggest shareholder at the moment owning approximately 26% of Ubisoft's shares. By French accounting law, Vivendi is obligated to make a mandatory bid once their shareholder percentage surpasses the 30% mark. Earlier this year, the French giant made it clear that the hostile takeover would happen before the year ends. It won't be their first rodeo, since they took over Gameloft not so long ago. The gaming sector is the second largest in the content industry after all, so you can't hardly blame Vivendi for wanting a bigger piece of the pie. However, business plans do change over time. According to Vivendi's recent third-quarter financial report, the company has postponed the Ubisoft takeover for at least another six months.
AVerMedia Debuts SonicBlast Gaming Soundbars
AVerMedia Technologies, Inc. today introduced a brand new line of gaming audio solutions called SonicBlast. The opening lineup includes two soundbar variations -- the SonicBlast Soundbar GS331 and GS333, both of which deliver crisp and clear sound for a variety of occasions. Both soundbars are optionally complemented by the GS335 Subwoofer, a dedicated add-on that brings powerful bass and groundbreaking performance.
Featuring three EQ modes for games, movies, and music, the SonicBlast GS331 is a 2.0 channel soundbar that delivers 40W of rich sound and connects wirelessly via Bluetooth. Meanwhile, the SonicBlast GS333 is a straight audio beast with 60W of roof-raising audio, built-in subwoofer for heavier tones, three EQ modes, and Bluetooth connectivity. For the bass hounds out there seeking an extra dose of thunder during their bombastic gaming sessions, there's the SonicBlast GS335 that features 70W of in-your-face bass, a simple wireless setup, and intuitive on-board volume controls. The GS335 Subwoofer can be paired seamlessly with the GS331 and GS333 soundbars.
Featuring three EQ modes for games, movies, and music, the SonicBlast GS331 is a 2.0 channel soundbar that delivers 40W of rich sound and connects wirelessly via Bluetooth. Meanwhile, the SonicBlast GS333 is a straight audio beast with 60W of roof-raising audio, built-in subwoofer for heavier tones, three EQ modes, and Bluetooth connectivity. For the bass hounds out there seeking an extra dose of thunder during their bombastic gaming sessions, there's the SonicBlast GS335 that features 70W of in-your-face bass, a simple wireless setup, and intuitive on-board volume controls. The GS335 Subwoofer can be paired seamlessly with the GS331 and GS333 soundbars.
Intel Set to Launch Their New 5G Modems in 2019
Intel today announced substantial advances in its wireless product roadmap to accelerate the adoption of 5G. Highlights include the introduction of the Intel XMM 8000 series, Intel's first family of 5G new radio (5G NR) multi-mode commercial modems, and Intel's latest LTE modem, the Intel XMM 7660. Intel also announced it has successfully completed a full end-to-end 5G call based on its early 5G silicon, the Intel 5G Modem - a key milestone in its development. Finally, the Intel XMM 7560 modem unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2017 has achieved gigabit-class speeds.
"Intel is committed to delivering leading 5G multi-mode modem technology and making sure the transition to 5G is smooth," said Dr. Cormac Conroy, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the Communication and Devices Group. "Our investments in a full portfolio of modem technologies and products are critical to achieving the vision of seamless 5G connectivity."
"Intel is committed to delivering leading 5G multi-mode modem technology and making sure the transition to 5G is smooth," said Dr. Cormac Conroy, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the Communication and Devices Group. "Our investments in a full portfolio of modem technologies and products are critical to achieving the vision of seamless 5G connectivity."
The Creative Assembly Announces Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia
The Creative Assembly, one of the foremost developers of Real Time Strategy (RTS) experiences, has announced a spin-off series based on the award-winning Total War series. Saga starts a series of spin-offs for the Total War game series, with The Creative Assembly saying that this series focuses on "exciting pivotal moments in history rather than whole historical eras."
Thrones of Britannia already has a Steam page, which points towards a 2018 release. Exploration of key flashpoints and distinct locations throughout history is the focus of these, with Total War series director Mike Simpson saying that "Unlike our era-spanning titles, we're putting defined geographical areas under the microscope, building super-detailed campaign maps with a strong cultural focus and flavor that players can dive into," Simpson said in a news release. "This will complement our broader-scope titles perfectly."
Thrones of Britannia already has a Steam page, which points towards a 2018 release. Exploration of key flashpoints and distinct locations throughout history is the focus of these, with Total War series director Mike Simpson saying that "Unlike our era-spanning titles, we're putting defined geographical areas under the microscope, building super-detailed campaign maps with a strong cultural focus and flavor that players can dive into," Simpson said in a news release. "This will complement our broader-scope titles perfectly."
G.Skill Announces Trident Z DDR4-4400 32GB CL19 Kit
G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is thrilled to announce the never-seen-before 32GB (4x8GB) Trident Z memory kit at an extremely blistering DDR4-4400MHz CL19-19-19-39. This new DDR4 Trident Z dual-channel memory kit upgrades the four-DIMM configuration to the next level as the world's fastest 32GB (4x8GB) memory kit in the world. These extremely high-speed desktop modules are manufactured with rigorously tested and binned ultra-performance Samsung B-die DDR4 ICs.
After the launch of the 8th Gen Intel Core processors and Z370 chipset motherboards, G.SKILL has been constantly pushing DDR4 speeds faster than ever before to higher levels with various capacity configurations. With the availability of the ASUS OptiMem technology, which complements the T-Toplogy layout that uses equalized trace lengths, four-DIMM memory configuration has improved stability and memory overclocking performance. G.SKILL Trident Z memory once again achieves the world's fastest 32GB memory kit at the ultra-high DDR4-4400MHz speed, with an exceptionally aggressive timing of CL19-19-19-39 in 32GB (4x8GB) at 1.5V. Below is the screenshot of the memory kit being stress tested and demonstrating its stability on the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO (WI-FI AC) motherboard with the Intel Core i7-8700K processor.
After the launch of the 8th Gen Intel Core processors and Z370 chipset motherboards, G.SKILL has been constantly pushing DDR4 speeds faster than ever before to higher levels with various capacity configurations. With the availability of the ASUS OptiMem technology, which complements the T-Toplogy layout that uses equalized trace lengths, four-DIMM memory configuration has improved stability and memory overclocking performance. G.SKILL Trident Z memory once again achieves the world's fastest 32GB memory kit at the ultra-high DDR4-4400MHz speed, with an exceptionally aggressive timing of CL19-19-19-39 in 32GB (4x8GB) at 1.5V. Below is the screenshot of the memory kit being stress tested and demonstrating its stability on the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO (WI-FI AC) motherboard with the Intel Core i7-8700K processor.
PowerColor Radeon RX Vega Red Devil Teased
PowerColor teased its first Radeon RX Vega series graphics card, under its flagship Red Devil branding. The company could use this common board design for both RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56 SKUs. It combines a custom-design, triple-slot, triple-fan cooling solution, with a semi-custom design PCB. The cooler is an upscale of the company's RX 580 Red Devil, with a massive 2.5-slot thick aluminum fin-stack heatsink, which draws heat from the "Vega 10" GPU and a base-plate conveying heat from the VRM MOSFETs surrounding it, ventilated by a trio of 100 mm fans.
PowerColor's PCB for this card is a variation of AMD's reference "Vega 10" board, in that it's slightly taller towards the front. The company went with two each of DisplayPort and HDMI connectors, instead of the standard three DP + one HDMI layout. The VRM is the same 12-phase setup from the reference-design PCB, with PowerColor sticking to International Rectifier IR6894 and IR6211DirectFETs, and IR3598 phase-doublers, while customizing the chokes. The PCB is enlarged height-wise to give easy access to the BIOS switch. Two inverted 8-pin PCIe power inputs are located toward the end. Given how heavily this board is based on the reference PCB, it remains to be seen if fan idle-power off is featured. PowerColor is expected to launch the RX Vega 64 Red Devil and RX Vega 56 Red Devil before Holiday.
PowerColor's PCB for this card is a variation of AMD's reference "Vega 10" board, in that it's slightly taller towards the front. The company went with two each of DisplayPort and HDMI connectors, instead of the standard three DP + one HDMI layout. The VRM is the same 12-phase setup from the reference-design PCB, with PowerColor sticking to International Rectifier IR6894 and IR6211DirectFETs, and IR3598 phase-doublers, while customizing the chokes. The PCB is enlarged height-wise to give easy access to the BIOS switch. Two inverted 8-pin PCIe power inputs are located toward the end. Given how heavily this board is based on the reference PCB, it remains to be seen if fan idle-power off is featured. PowerColor is expected to launch the RX Vega 64 Red Devil and RX Vega 56 Red Devil before Holiday.
Thursday, November 16th 2017
Today's Reviews
Accessories
Cases
CPU Coolers
Headphones
Motherboards
Crucial MX300 2 TB Review
The Crucial MX300 2 TB is the biggest SSD in the company's lineup. It provides a staggering 2050 GB of capacity, which should be plenty for everyone. Thanks to its good performance and outstanding price of 27 cents per GB, this is the drive you want if you need tons of fast storage.
Jonsbo Intros the PC-701 Top-flow CPU Cooler
Jonsbo today introduced the PC-701 top-flow CPU cooler. The cooler features a "C-type" aluminium fin-stack which propagates along the plane of the motherboard. Heat drawn by five 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat-pipes making direct contact with the CPU at the base, is conveyed along five points of the aluminium fin-stack, which is then ventilated by a 120 mm fan. Measuring 120 mm x 125 mm x 75 mm (WxDxH), and weighing 570 g, the cooler is designed to handle thermal loads of up to 135W.
The included 120 mm fan is the same one Jonsbo bundles with the CR-601 cooler. Taking in 4-pin PWM input, it spins between 500 to 1,500 RPM, with a noise output ranging between 19.5 to 29.2 dBA. This fan features RGB LED lighting projected onto its impeller. The cooler supports most mainstream-desktop CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA115x, and LGA775. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The included 120 mm fan is the same one Jonsbo bundles with the CR-601 cooler. Taking in 4-pin PWM input, it spins between 500 to 1,500 RPM, with a noise output ranging between 19.5 to 29.2 dBA. This fan features RGB LED lighting projected onto its impeller. The cooler supports most mainstream-desktop CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA115x, and LGA775. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Intel to Redeem 2.95% Junior Subordinated Convertible Debentures Due 2035
Intel announced today that it has issued a notice of redemption to redeem on December 18, 2017 all of its outstanding 2.95% Junior Subordinated Convertible Debentures due 2035 (CUSIP Number 458140AC4) (the "Securities"). As of November 15, 2017, approximately $1.6 billion of the Securities was outstanding.
The Securities called for redemption will be redeemed at a stated redemption price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of such Securities, plus accrued and unpaid interest to (but excluding) the redemption date.
The conversion rate of the Securities as of November 16, 2017 is 37.1860 shares of Intel common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Securities, which is equivalent to a conversion price of $26.89 per share of common stock. The Securities called for redemption may be converted at any time before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 15, 2017, the business day immediately preceding the redemption date. Intel has elected to settle the conversion obligation with respect to the Securities in cash.
The Securities called for redemption will be redeemed at a stated redemption price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of such Securities, plus accrued and unpaid interest to (but excluding) the redemption date.
The conversion rate of the Securities as of November 16, 2017 is 37.1860 shares of Intel common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Securities, which is equivalent to a conversion price of $26.89 per share of common stock. The Securities called for redemption may be converted at any time before 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 15, 2017, the business day immediately preceding the redemption date. Intel has elected to settle the conversion obligation with respect to the Securities in cash.
EVGA DG-7 Series Gaming Case Available on Pre-order
The mid-tower is the ideal form factor that is well balanced between usable space and overall footprint. DG-7 is a case designed with aesthetics and function in mind, and is the perfect mid-tower solution. DG-7 features convenient and easy cable management, wide range of radiator support, and a durable steel frame. The tempered glass side panel is perfect to show off your system, no matter if you go with traditional GPU mount or vertical GPU mount.
AMD Releases Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.2
AMD today released the Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.2 beta software. The drivers come with launch-day optimization for "Star Wars: Battlefront II." The drivers also fix a handful issues related to Radeon ReLive game video capture/streaming software, in which chroma artifacts would show up on the screen, and an issue which caused recording to fail when switching between borderless fullscreen and fullscreen modes. The drivers also address WattMan issues, in which undervolted values wouldn't correctly apply on some "Polaris" (RX 400 and RX 500 series) GPUs, and underclocked GPU memory values not reflecting in the user-interface. Grab the drivers from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.2
The change-log follows.
The change-log follows.
Overwatch, Star Wars Battlefront II Loot Crates Under Gambling Scrutiny
According to Belgium's VTM Nieuws, the Chancellor Commission from that country has opened an investigation into both Overwatch and Star Wars Battlefront II loot crates, so as to rule whether or not these constitute gambling. Loot boxes being compared to gambling isn't a new debate, but up until now, a clear ruling that characterizes loot crates as such still hasn't made its way onto the courts or commissions that have been looking into these issues. That loot crates and other microtransactions are resounding successes in ever increasing monetization of game experiences is no secret: Digital River has released a report that stated microtransactions and the whole "Games as a Service" model has tripled the industry's value.
EA has been receiving a lot of flak for the way they implemented their loot boxing mechanics in Star Wars Battlefront II, which has led to repeated cycles of posturing, bullying, and ultimately some small steps backward for the company, regarding its initial stance on Battlefront II's specific implementation. Already has the company decreased costs for unlocking characters in-game, though some are reporting that for players to unlock everything the $60 game supposedly offers, they'd have to play it for at least 4,528 hours - or pony-up $2,100 to unlock all the base content.
EA has been receiving a lot of flak for the way they implemented their loot boxing mechanics in Star Wars Battlefront II, which has led to repeated cycles of posturing, bullying, and ultimately some small steps backward for the company, regarding its initial stance on Battlefront II's specific implementation. Already has the company decreased costs for unlocking characters in-game, though some are reporting that for players to unlock everything the $60 game supposedly offers, they'd have to play it for at least 4,528 hours - or pony-up $2,100 to unlock all the base content.
Free DLCs Coming to Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Before the Year Ends
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced various free content updates and features coming this year to Middle-earth: Shadow of War, providing players with new ways to continue the battle for Mordor and capture every epic moment. Upcoming free downloadable content (DLC) updates and features include:
- Endless Siege - Defend your fortresses against Sauron's forces as the Dark Lord tries to reclaim Mordor in the Endless Siege. (Available 21st Nov)
- Rebellion - Crush the rebel Ologs and Uruks in your forces as they seek to undermine the Bright Lord. (Available 21st Nov)
- Enhanced Photo Mode - Capture every battle and siege and apply new filters, frames and textures with the Enhanced Photo Mode update. (Available 21st Nov)
- Online Fight Pits - Challenge another player's Orc follower, Overlord vs. Overlord, to a fight to the death in the arena to earn powerful rewards and upgrades. (Available 5th Dec)
- Brutal Difficulty - A new higher difficulty level even more challenging than Nemesis with no last chances. (Available 12th Dec)
Razer Lifts the Curtain on New Wolverine Tournament Edition Gaming Controller
Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled the Razer Wolverine Tournament Edition, an addition to its Razer Wolverine XBOX controller line designed specifically for professional gamers. The new controller retains the ergonomic design and highly praised features of Wolverine Ultimate. Tested and validated by many of the world's best professional esports athletes, the Razer Wolverine Tournament Edition ensures the highest levels of performance and comfort.
"Razer has been great to work with throughout the development of the Wolverine Tournament Edition, taking direct feedback from our professional players and implementing it into the controller," says Alex Gonzalez, Head of Red Reserve's North American Operations. "This process has helped guarantee that the wolverine gives our players the biggest edge over the rest of the competitive scene.
"Razer has been great to work with throughout the development of the Wolverine Tournament Edition, taking direct feedback from our professional players and implementing it into the controller," says Alex Gonzalez, Head of Red Reserve's North American Operations. "This process has helped guarantee that the wolverine gives our players the biggest edge over the rest of the competitive scene.
Get SpellForce 2 - Anniversary Edition for Free Over at GameSessions
GameSessions, the company pioneering game giveaways and trials, today announces a new giveaway of SpellForce 2: Anniversary Edition. The GameSessions Giveaways service has been delivering for users over the past few months and is back with another giveaway. To celebrate the upcoming release of SpellForce 3, SpellForce 2: Anniversary Edition is being given away for free by the online games retailer. GameSessions works in collaboration with brand partners to deliver a great game to users, for free. The unique reach and engagement of GameSessions Giveaways allows partners to talk to gamers directly whilst gamers get to add a new game to their collection.
Live the CES 2018 Experience Like a VIP and Meet Intel CEO Brian Krzanich
Today, Intel launched a fundraising effort on Charitybuzz to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The company is auctioning a VIP experience at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas including travel, deluxe lodging and a backstage meet and greet with Intel CEO Brian Krzanich before his opening keynote on Jan. 8, 2018.
"CES is an incredible show for anyone interested in the future of technology, and I'm really excited to share a VIP CES experience while raising money for a great cause," Krzanich said. "The top bidder will be my guest at the show and get exclusive access to our opening keynote, exhibit space and more."
"CES is an incredible show for anyone interested in the future of technology, and I'm really excited to share a VIP CES experience while raising money for a great cause," Krzanich said. "The top bidder will be my guest at the show and get exclusive access to our opening keynote, exhibit space and more."
Final Audio Launches E3000 and E2000 Earphones with Dynamic Drivers
Swapping the traditional balanced armature drivers for dynamic drivers for the first time, whilst still retaining a high-quality sound in a simple and user-friendly design, the new Final E series models are designed to deliver signature Final quality in an affordable package. Final have aimed to create a series of products that will set the bar for consumer in-ears for years to come. Integrating the results of their latest acoustic engineering Final have designed the E-Series to produce a level of detail in the listeners music traditionally only heard in products twice their price.
Dynasty Warriors 9 Gets Launch Date: February 13, 2018
KOEI TECMO America eased fans' anticipation today by announcing that Omega Force's upcoming open-world epic, DYNASTY WARRIORS 9, will be released across the western regions on February 13, 2018 for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC via Steam. DYNASTY WARRIORS 9 will venture into new territory as the classic, time-tested "one versus thousands" action, iconic to the Warriors series, is expanded to its first true open world installment.
KOEI TECMO America has put together an exciting bundle of bonus content for gamers opting to pick up the physical or standard digital version. Comprised of seven costumes for fan-favorite characters, the bundle includes an imposing Beijing opera-style costume for Zhao Yun and six costumes inspired by traditional Chinese undergarment styles - one each for Guan Yinping, Diaochan, Sun Shangxiang, Lu Lingqi, Wang Yi, and Wang Yuanji.
KOEI TECMO America has put together an exciting bundle of bonus content for gamers opting to pick up the physical or standard digital version. Comprised of seven costumes for fan-favorite characters, the bundle includes an imposing Beijing opera-style costume for Zhao Yun and six costumes inspired by traditional Chinese undergarment styles - one each for Guan Yinping, Diaochan, Sun Shangxiang, Lu Lingqi, Wang Yi, and Wang Yuanji.
New Studies Reveal MOBA Gamers Having Higher IQs Than FPS Gamers
Researchers at the University of York have discovered a link between young people's ability to perform well at two popular video games and high levels of intelligence. Studies carried out at the Digital Creativity Labs (DC Labs) at York found that some action strategy video games can act like IQ tests. The researchers' findings are published today in the journal PLOS ONE.
The York researchers stress the studies have no bearing on questions such as whether playing computer games makes young people smarter or otherwise. They simply establish a correlation between skill at certain online games of strategy and intelligence. The researchers focused on 'Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas' (MOBAs) - action strategy games that typically involve two opposing teams of five individuals - as well as multiplayer 'First Person Shooter' games. These types of games are hugely popular with hundreds of millions of players worldwide.
The York researchers stress the studies have no bearing on questions such as whether playing computer games makes young people smarter or otherwise. They simply establish a correlation between skill at certain online games of strategy and intelligence. The researchers focused on 'Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas' (MOBAs) - action strategy games that typically involve two opposing teams of five individuals - as well as multiplayer 'First Person Shooter' games. These types of games are hugely popular with hundreds of millions of players worldwide.
CORSAIR Launches New Range of Magnetic Levitation ML PRO RGB Fans
CORSAIR, a world leader in enthusiast memory, high-performance gaming hardware and PC components and today announced the launch of the new ML PRO RGB range of PC cooling fans. Building on the success of CORSAIR ML Series fans, which are equipped with magnetic levitation bearings to deliver almost frictionless operation, CORSAIR ML PRO RGB fans add four individually controlled RGB LEDs on the fan's center hub, creating a vivid 360° blast of light and color. Enhanced by frosted fan blades and customizable with near-limitless options in CORSAIR LINK software, ML PRO RGB fans create a bright circle of custom-color-lighting that makes any PC standout from the crowd.
Behind the lighting, ML PRO RGB fans retain the quality and performance that's made ML Series fans a staple of high-end PCs and the most ambitious builds, with a magnetic levitation fan bearing that physically levitates the fan rotor to almost entirely eliminate bearing friction. The custom-designed fan rotor delivers the perfect balance between high static pressure and high airflow, while a low-noise tuned PWM control range means that, even at full speed, ML PRO RGB fans are incredibly quiet.
Behind the lighting, ML PRO RGB fans retain the quality and performance that's made ML Series fans a staple of high-end PCs and the most ambitious builds, with a magnetic levitation fan bearing that physically levitates the fan rotor to almost entirely eliminate bearing friction. The custom-designed fan rotor delivers the perfect balance between high static pressure and high airflow, while a low-noise tuned PWM control range means that, even at full speed, ML PRO RGB fans are incredibly quiet.
CORSAIR Launches HS50 Stereo Gaming Headset
CORSAIR, a world leader in enthusiast memory, PC components and high-performance gaming hardware, today announced the latest addition to its line-up of award-winning peripherals, the HS50 Stereo Gaming Headset. With adjustable plush ear cups and aluminum construction, the HS50 provides exceptional comfort for hours of gameplay and legendary CORSAIR build quality, ensuring long-term durability.
Precision-tuned 50mm neodymium speaker drivers deliver superior sound quality with wide range and accuracy, while a fully detachable Discord-certified microphone and on-ear volume and mute controls make on-the-fly adjustments easy without pulling you out of your game. Connecting via a 3.5mm connector for wide compatibility and available in carbon black, green or blue trim, the HS50 brings award-winning CORSAIR quality audio to all gamers, whether they play on PC, console or mobile.
Precision-tuned 50mm neodymium speaker drivers deliver superior sound quality with wide range and accuracy, while a fully detachable Discord-certified microphone and on-ear volume and mute controls make on-the-fly adjustments easy without pulling you out of your game. Connecting via a 3.5mm connector for wide compatibility and available in carbon black, green or blue trim, the HS50 brings award-winning CORSAIR quality audio to all gamers, whether they play on PC, console or mobile.
MSI Announces Infinite X Desktops with 8th Gen Core Processors
MSI, world's leading manufacturer of true gaming hardware is proudly expanding its Infinite Gaming Desktop series with the first Gaming Desktop featuring the Intel 8th generation processors, the MSI Infinite X. The Infinite X is built for gamers with a never-ending desire to game and want endless possibilities to game the way they want. This desktop is delivering the best gaming performance by equipping MSI's renowned graphics cards to give gamers just that little bit more in-game advantage.
Together with the newest unlocked processor generation from Intel it will give the speed and performance gamers require, even pushing the limits with the ability to overclock. To keep a system with all this power cool, the Infinite X uses MSI's exclusive Silent Storm Cooling 3 thermal design, making its cooling efficiency unmatched and as quiet as an assassin.
Together with the newest unlocked processor generation from Intel it will give the speed and performance gamers require, even pushing the limits with the ability to overclock. To keep a system with all this power cool, the Infinite X uses MSI's exclusive Silent Storm Cooling 3 thermal design, making its cooling efficiency unmatched and as quiet as an assassin.
EK Announces Monoblock for ASRock X299 Motherboards
EK Water Blocks, the Slovenia-based premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer is releasing its very first monoblock for X299 based ASRock motherboards. The EK-FB ASRock X299 RGB Monoblock has an integrated 4-pin RGB LED strips which make them compatible with ASRock RGB LED, thus offering a full lighting customization experience.
A complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solutions for several ASRock Intel X299 Chipset based motherboards that support new Intel Core X-series LGA-2066 socket processors. This monoblock is compatible with the following ASRock motherboards:
A complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solutions for several ASRock Intel X299 Chipset based motherboards that support new Intel Core X-series LGA-2066 socket processors. This monoblock is compatible with the following ASRock motherboards:
- ASRock X299 OC Formula
- ASRock X299 Taichi
- ASRock Fatal1ty X299 Professional Gaming i9
- ASRock X299 Killer SLI/ac
- ASRock Fatal1ty X299 Gaming K6
Gigabyte Releases New GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Model - Windforce 2X
Gigabyte has added a new custom option to its GeForce GTX 1070 Ti line-up - this time, a dual-fan solution under the "WindForce 2X" moniker (SKU code GV -N107TWF2-8GD). This graphics card takes very much after its slightly less beefy cousin, the GTX 1070 WindForce 2X, in that it features a simpler, more compact WindForce 2X cooling solution than the WindForce 3X, with a twin aluminum-fin stack heatsink ventilated by a pair of 90 mm fans, which stay off when the card is idling. Power is taken from both the PCIe slot and 1x 8-pin power connector.
Like other GTX 1070 Ti solutions before it, the Gigabyte GTX 1070 Ti WindForce 2X graphics card features a software toggle that activates a "Software OC Mode", which essentially activates a factory overclock that Gigabyte (like all other NVIDIA AIB partners) can't ship their GTX 1070 Ti with. The Core clock under "Gaming Mode" is 1,607 MHz base and 1,683 MHz boost, which are slightly brought up to 1,632 MHz base and 1,721 MHz boost under the "Software OC Mode". Memory clock stands at 8GB GDDR5 running at 8 GHz through a 256-bit bus. Display outputs are 1x Dual Link DVI-D, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort.
Like other GTX 1070 Ti solutions before it, the Gigabyte GTX 1070 Ti WindForce 2X graphics card features a software toggle that activates a "Software OC Mode", which essentially activates a factory overclock that Gigabyte (like all other NVIDIA AIB partners) can't ship their GTX 1070 Ti with. The Core clock under "Gaming Mode" is 1,607 MHz base and 1,683 MHz boost, which are slightly brought up to 1,632 MHz base and 1,721 MHz boost under the "Software OC Mode". Memory clock stands at 8GB GDDR5 running at 8 GHz through a 256-bit bus. Display outputs are 1x Dual Link DVI-D, 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort.
Futuremark Introduces "Cyan Room" DX12 VR Benchmark to VRMark
Adding to its staple of benchmarking suites, Futuremark has announced the upcoming release of their latest benchmark, dubbed "Cyan Room". this is a Bioshock-esque benchmark that was made for DX12-powered, VR-enabled workloads, and should let users know just how much processing grunt they have at their disposal. It uses a pure DirectX 12 engine built in-house and optimized for VR, besides featuring "a large, complex environment and many eye-catching effects."
The Cyan Room can be explored at the users' leisure through its "Experience Mode"; it's a benchmarking experience where users can actually change the rendering resolution and other settings to make the scene more or less demanding, on the fly. This should allow users to truly gauge the difference in experience according to achieved performance in the benchmark - the company says "using Experience mode with a VR headset is a great way to see how system performance affects your VR experience." With its massive 5K rendering resolution and spectacular volumetric lighting effects, the company says it sets a high bar for future hardware generations. Cyan Room will be released on November 22 as a free update for VRMark Advanced Edition and VRMark Professional Edition.
The Cyan Room can be explored at the users' leisure through its "Experience Mode"; it's a benchmarking experience where users can actually change the rendering resolution and other settings to make the scene more or less demanding, on the fly. This should allow users to truly gauge the difference in experience according to achieved performance in the benchmark - the company says "using Experience mode with a VR headset is a great way to see how system performance affects your VR experience." With its massive 5K rendering resolution and spectacular volumetric lighting effects, the company says it sets a high bar for future hardware generations. Cyan Room will be released on November 22 as a free update for VRMark Advanced Edition and VRMark Professional Edition.
SilverStone Announces Availability of RedLine RL07 Cases
SilverStone today announced availability of its RedLine RL07 series ATX mid-tower cases. The cases were first unveiled at the 2017 Computex expo. They are characterized by the asymmetric front-panel design in which one half slopes downward, and the other one upward, with the gaps between them being studded with LEDs. The case comes in two principal variants - white with blue LED lighting, and black with red LED lighting. A tempered glass panel forms the left side panel. Under the hood, it features a contemporary horizontally partitioned layout.
The top compartment has room for an ATX/micro-ATX motherboard, with add-on cards up to 41.5 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 16.7 cm in height. The bottom compartment houses a PSU up to 19 cm in length, and three 3.5-inch drive bays (which each support 2.5-inch drives). Three additional 2.5-inch drive mounts are located behind the motherboard tray. Fan mounts include three 120 mm front intakes (which convert to 2x 140 mm), and a 140 mm rear exhaust. You can mount either a 360 mm x 120 mm radiator along the front-panel, or a 280 mm x 140 mm radiator there (besides smaller radiators). Front panel connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and HDA jacks. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The top compartment has room for an ATX/micro-ATX motherboard, with add-on cards up to 41.5 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 16.7 cm in height. The bottom compartment houses a PSU up to 19 cm in length, and three 3.5-inch drive bays (which each support 2.5-inch drives). Three additional 2.5-inch drive mounts are located behind the motherboard tray. Fan mounts include three 120 mm front intakes (which convert to 2x 140 mm), and a 140 mm rear exhaust. You can mount either a 360 mm x 120 mm radiator along the front-panel, or a 280 mm x 140 mm radiator there (besides smaller radiators). Front panel connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and HDA jacks. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Wednesday, November 15th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Gaming PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Motherboards
TechPowerUp and GeIL Announce Thanksgiving Giveaway
TechPowerUp and GeIL announce the Thanksgiving Giveaway. Open to contestants from all over the world (where legal), from November 15 thru November 23, 2017, the giveaway lets you bag gaming peripherals from GeIL's EpicGear brand, or its SuperLUCE DDR4 gaming memory. The first lucky winner gets an EpicGear set that includes EpicGear Gekkota gaming mouse, EpicGear GryphuZ Pro gaming mouse pad, and an EpicGear Melodiouz gaming headset. The second lucky winner gets a GeIL Super LUCE RGB Sync 2x 8 GB DDR4-2400 memory kit. The third lucky winner gets a GeIl Super LUCE RGB Lite 2x 4 GB DDR4-2400 memory kit. To stand a chance to win, all you have to do it fill up a short form that lets us get back to you if you've won.
For more information, and to participate, visit this page. Good Luck!
NVIDIA Quietly Rolls Out GeForce MX130 and MX110 Notebook GPUs
NVIDIA quietly rolled out two entry-level notebook graphics processors, the GeForce MX130 and GeForce MX110. The two continue to be based on the "Maxwell" GPU architecture, and from the looks of it, appear to be based on the "GM108" silicon. With a core-configuration of 384 CUDA cores, 16 TMUs, and 8 ROPs, and GDDR5 memory, and mentioned that the MX130 is "2.5x" as fast as Intel UHD 620 graphics, while the MX110 is "1.5x" as fast, with slower DDR3 memory. Both support NVIDIA Optimus technology, besides the feature-set of the "Maxwell" architecture, and complete the MX100-series entry-level notebook GPU family led by the GP108-based MX150, which offers 4x UHD 620 performance.
EK Water Blocks Parts Ways with Top Management
In what is an unexpected piece of news, TechPowerUp learned from multiple sources both inside and out of the company that EK Water Blocks have had an estrangement from the majority of their top management including their CEO of over four years. This is an extremely important personnel change that can affect the landscape of the PC DIY water cooling market given the brand presence that EKWB has. We contacted said group including Mark Tanko, the CEO, Niko Tivadar, the CTO, and Andrej P. Škraba, the Head of Marketing, who confirmed they are all no longer affiliated with EKWB and they provided a statement seen below. We were also able to confirm this directly from the owner/founder of the company who is currently acting in the CEO role, and who has also provided a statement as seen past the break.
NVIDIA Releases GeForce 388.31 WHQL Game Ready Drivers
NVIDIA today has released the latest version of their GeForce Game Ready Graphics Driver. The new 388.31 drivers are optimized for the latest AAA games, "Star Wars Battlefront II," and "Injustice 2". NVIDIA has also added the corresponding 3D Vision profiles for both titles. In addition, they've included SLI profiles for Star Wars: Battlefront II and EVE Valkyrie - Warzone as well. According to them, the 388.31 drivers improve Destiny 2 performance by up to a staggering 53%. However, the more notable fixes include the micro-stuttering issue when using GPU monitoring tools to monitor GPU power and the driver not picking up GeForce GTX 1080 on the Alienware Amplifier.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 388.31 WHQL
Bitfenix Reveals Enso Case and Alchemy 3.0 Addressable RGB Magnetic LED Strips
BitFenix presented Aurora, Shogun and Alchemy 2.0 RGB Magnetic LED Strips co-developing AURA SYNC technology with Asus bringing in the comprehensive neat RGB LED concept for PC build. Today BitFenix present the BitFenix ENSO and the Alchemy 3.0 Addressable RGB Magnetic LED
Strips, again co-developing with Asus, supporting the latest ASUS AURA SYNC 3-pin technology for addressable RGB illumination.
Sleek Design With Metallic Front & Enhanced AURA SYNC 3 Pin Addressable RGB illumination
With the ENSO, BitFenix is launching the long awaited case shown at Taipei's Computex 2017, available in black and white. The clean design concept is well balanced between a perfectly organized interior structure and a sleek exterior design. It is complemented by a 4mm see-through-tinted tempered glass panel on the side and addressable RGB illumination surrounding the metallic front. It comes with a pre-installed controller, compatible to both, BitFenix Alchemy 2.0, static, and BitFenix 3.0, addressable, RGB products.
Strips, again co-developing with Asus, supporting the latest ASUS AURA SYNC 3-pin technology for addressable RGB illumination.
Sleek Design With Metallic Front & Enhanced AURA SYNC 3 Pin Addressable RGB illumination
With the ENSO, BitFenix is launching the long awaited case shown at Taipei's Computex 2017, available in black and white. The clean design concept is well balanced between a perfectly organized interior structure and a sleek exterior design. It is complemented by a 4mm see-through-tinted tempered glass panel on the side and addressable RGB illumination surrounding the metallic front. It comes with a pre-installed controller, compatible to both, BitFenix Alchemy 2.0, static, and BitFenix 3.0, addressable, RGB products.
Club 3D Expands its Product Portfolio with New MST Hubs and HDMI Cables
Club 3D as the pioneer of Multi Stream Transport Hubs strengthen our presence in this segment with the announcement of the following products to complement our already established MST Hubs. Since our first introduction back in 2013, we are reaching a maturity level on these product lines and therefore we are introducing a lighter version packed in a polybag and powered solely with USB power. Compared to our further continued CSV-5XXX line of MST Hubs the new items will differ in some major points:
- all models are powered by USB only, no power supply needed
- different packaging: polybag instead of retail box
- no reset button on the product, for repeating digital handshake just plug the MST Hub on/off from the Display Port.
- no MiniDP to DP Adapter included in the box.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege Goes Free to Play for the Weekend
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege will be available to play for free from November 16th to November 19th, 2017. Interested players can join the more than 20 million player Rainbow Six Siege community on PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One and Windows PC via Uplay and Steam. The game will be on sale up to 50% off from November 16th to November 27th, 2017. Players who try the game during the free weekend can carry over their progress and continue to play uninterrupted.
The latest content from Year 2 Season 4, Operation White Noise, will deploy on the Technical Test Server (PC) on November 20th, 2017. Operation White Noise features a new map set in a sky high observation tower above Seoul's skyline in South Korea. Three new operators are joining the fray, including two members of South Korea's 707th Special Mission Battalion and a new Operator from Poland's GROM.
The latest content from Year 2 Season 4, Operation White Noise, will deploy on the Technical Test Server (PC) on November 20th, 2017. Operation White Noise features a new map set in a sky high observation tower above Seoul's skyline in South Korea. Three new operators are joining the fray, including two members of South Korea's 707th Special Mission Battalion and a new Operator from Poland's GROM.
Killing Floor: Incursion Brings the Horror and Gore to the HTC Vive
Tripwire Interactive, developers of the award-winning Red Orchestra and Killing Floor franchises, announced today that Killing Floor: Incursion is now available for HTC VIVE and is available for purchase on Steam for $39.99 USD. In addition to today's launch on Steam, a new downloadable content update is now available to current owners of Killing Floor: Incursion on Oculus Rift. The update highlights include a new Hardcore difficulty setting, Katana weapon, leaderboards, achievements, and the exciting new "Holdout" game mode, which finds players defending a random location in one of the game's maps against increasingly deadly hordes of Zeds in a frenetic, arcade-like action experience.
In Killing Floor: Incursion, players must take on the role of an elite Horzine Security Forces soldier as they team up with allies to fend off the horrific Zed hordes using an array of weapons including guns, blades and more. Players will be able to freely explore as they move throughout the environment, scavenging for weapons and ammo while searching for the best locations to fight the monster onslaught. Battle in diverse environments from creepy farmhouses to high-tech facilities through Horzine Security Forces missions and unlock the secrets of the Zeds' origins.
In Killing Floor: Incursion, players must take on the role of an elite Horzine Security Forces soldier as they team up with allies to fend off the horrific Zed hordes using an array of weapons including guns, blades and more. Players will be able to freely explore as they move throughout the environment, scavenging for weapons and ammo while searching for the best locations to fight the monster onslaught. Battle in diverse environments from creepy farmhouses to high-tech facilities through Horzine Security Forces missions and unlock the secrets of the Zeds' origins.
Injustice 2 Available for $50 on Steam and Windows Store
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced that the top-selling and critically acclaimed videogame Injustice2 is available now for PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. Originally developed by NetherRealm Studios, Injustice2 has been adapted for PC by QLOC and will allow PC players to experience the super-powered hit game featuring Justice League characters Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg, as well as other iconic DC characters such as Harley Quinn and Green Arrow.
All DLC currently available for Injustice2 on consoles (Red Hood, Sub Zero, Starfire, Black Manta, and Raiden) are available now for the PC version through the PC Injustice 2 Ultimate Edition, Injustice 2 Ultimate Pack, or Fighter Pack #1 and Fighter Pack #2. The latest Hellboy DLC, released today for PlayStation4, Xbox One X, and Xbox One, will be available at a later date.
All DLC currently available for Injustice2 on consoles (Red Hood, Sub Zero, Starfire, Black Manta, and Raiden) are available now for the PC version through the PC Injustice 2 Ultimate Edition, Injustice 2 Ultimate Pack, or Fighter Pack #1 and Fighter Pack #2. The latest Hellboy DLC, released today for PlayStation4, Xbox One X, and Xbox One, will be available at a later date.
OriginPC Announces Gaming Laptops Powered by Core i7-8700K
ORIGIN PC launched upgraded models of their award-winning EON15-X, EON17-X, and EON17-SLX high-performance gaming laptops and their ORIGIN ND-17, NS-17 and NS-15 professional high-performance laptops today. Gamers, enthusiasts, and professionals all over the world can unleash mobile dominance with ORIGIN PC's new EON, ND and NS laptops featuring Intel's latest 8th generation "Coffee Lake" desktop processors up to an Intel Core i7 8700K and with ORIGIN PC's benchmark-breaking professional CPU overclocking.
Thanks to ORIGIN PC's CPU overclocking and Intel's 8th generation Core processors you can easily live stream your gameplay experiences, record gameplay, edit clips, and post your epic highlights faster than ever on the go! The new EON, ND and NS laptops also feature support for up to DUAL NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, up to 64GB of DDR4 Memory, PCIe NVMe m.2 drives in RAID, and optional 1080p 120Hz displays or 4K displays; both with NVIDIA G-SYNC support.
Thanks to ORIGIN PC's CPU overclocking and Intel's 8th generation Core processors you can easily live stream your gameplay experiences, record gameplay, edit clips, and post your epic highlights faster than ever on the go! The new EON, ND and NS laptops also feature support for up to DUAL NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, up to 64GB of DDR4 Memory, PCIe NVMe m.2 drives in RAID, and optional 1080p 120Hz displays or 4K displays; both with NVIDIA G-SYNC support.
Sharkoon Announces SKILLER MECH SGK3 Keyboard
Sharkoon expands the lineup within their SKILLER series and introduces another keyboard with mechanical switches from Kailh: The Sharkoon SKILLER MECH SGK3 is the big brother of the recently released SGK2, which came without a number block. The new SGK3 is just as robust and offers, in addition to a number block, customizable RGB illumination with up to 16.8 million colors for the keys plus a gaming software with included macro manager.
Typical for the SKILLER MECH, the SGK3 utilizes the proven switches from Kailh. As usual, customers have the choice between blue, brown and red switches. The blue switches are tactile and provide acoustic as well as detectable feedback. The brown switches are just as tactile, while also offering a detectable switching point but no acoustic feedback. For those desiring both an undetectable switching point and click point, the linear red switches are for you. All three offer the same operating force of 50 grams as well as a 1.9 mm distance to actuation point. The operation life cycle of the keys is at least 50 million keystrokes. Visually, the SKILLER MECH SGK3 wows with its customizable RGB illumination with up to 16.8 million colors.
Typical for the SKILLER MECH, the SGK3 utilizes the proven switches from Kailh. As usual, customers have the choice between blue, brown and red switches. The blue switches are tactile and provide acoustic as well as detectable feedback. The brown switches are just as tactile, while also offering a detectable switching point but no acoustic feedback. For those desiring both an undetectable switching point and click point, the linear red switches are for you. All three offer the same operating force of 50 grams as well as a 1.9 mm distance to actuation point. The operation life cycle of the keys is at least 50 million keystrokes. Visually, the SKILLER MECH SGK3 wows with its customizable RGB illumination with up to 16.8 million colors.
First Intel Z390 Chipset Motherboard Spotted in SANDRA Database
The first socket LGA1151 motherboard based on Intel's upcoming Z390 Express chipset was spotted on SiSoft SANDRA database. The board is SuperMicro C7Z390-PGW, a client-segment motherboard by SuperMicro under its SuperO brand. Intel is slating launch of the Z390 Express chipset for some time in the second half of 2018, following the early-2018 launches of H370 Express, B360 Express, and H310 Express.
The Z390 Express chipset adds to the feature-set of the platform, with an integrated Programmable Quad-Core Audio DSP, SoundWire digital audio interface, an integrated 10 Gbps USB 3.1 controller, integrated 802.11ac WLAN controller (with external PHY), an integrated SDIO controller (for card readers), and support for newer generation "Titan Ridge" Thunderbolt 3.0 controller.
The Z390 Express chipset adds to the feature-set of the platform, with an integrated Programmable Quad-Core Audio DSP, SoundWire digital audio interface, an integrated 10 Gbps USB 3.1 controller, integrated 802.11ac WLAN controller (with external PHY), an integrated SDIO controller (for card readers), and support for newer generation "Titan Ridge" Thunderbolt 3.0 controller.
VIA Announces VIA ARTiGO A630 Enterprise IoT Gateway System
VIA Technologies, Inc., today announced the launch of the VIA ARTiGO A630, an ultra-slim fanless gateway system with flexible customization options for a broad spectrum of commercial M2M and IoT applications. Featuring a high-performance 1.0GHz VIA Cortex-A9 dual-core SoC, multiple network connectivity options, and a rich combination of I/O, the VIA ARTiGO A630 adds a cost-effective solution to the growing range of VIA Enterprise IoT gateway devices designed to manage the connection and control for a wide spectrum of connected HMI and automation applications.
"The VIA ARTiGO A630 bolsters our already diverse range of ARTiGO Series M2M and IoT gateway systems," said Richard Brown, VP International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Providing a rich mix of connectivity and performance in an ultra-compact design that can be rapidly customized, will help customers speed time-to-market and unlock the full potential of their IoT deployments."
"The VIA ARTiGO A630 bolsters our already diverse range of ARTiGO Series M2M and IoT gateway systems," said Richard Brown, VP International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Providing a rich mix of connectivity and performance in an ultra-compact design that can be rapidly customized, will help customers speed time-to-market and unlock the full potential of their IoT deployments."
Player Unknown's Battlegrounds Records 2.5 Million Concurrent Players
Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) is 2017's unexpected gaming success. The hero-arena shooter sold 20 million copies, earning its developer Bluehole an impressive $600 million in sales. Earlier this week, PUBG achieved the rare feat of the highest number of live gaming sessions, with 2.5 million concurrent players. That's 2.5 million people playing the game online at the same time.
This sets the record for most concurrent players for Steam, the DRM service distributing PUBG. Adding to that, PUBG is a PC-exclusive, with ports of the game to consoles only hitting the shelves in December. The Xbox One version will be released on December 12. The game is such a big commercial success that its developer Bluehole reincorporated itself as PUBG Corp.
This sets the record for most concurrent players for Steam, the DRM service distributing PUBG. Adding to that, PUBG is a PC-exclusive, with ports of the game to consoles only hitting the shelves in December. The Xbox One version will be released on December 12. The game is such a big commercial success that its developer Bluehole reincorporated itself as PUBG Corp.
FSP Announces CMT510 Tempered Glass Gaming Case
FSP, one of the leading manufacturers of power supplies in the world is pleased to announce its new high-end gaming case, the CMT510. The new CMT510 mid-tower is the best case for gaming to come out of the FSP labs. Featuring three "galaxy dark" tempered glass panels, the strong, streamlined looks of the CMT510 accentuate the black coated interior and exterior.
The CMT510 follows the growing trend of RGB lighting and combines the quest for a cool PC with no less than four 120mm RGB fans that come pre-installed. The CMT510 has been created to optimize internal component layout, for instance, it can fit graphics cards up to 400mm in length as well as ATX motherboards, additionally, it fits large CPU coolers like the new FSP Windale 6, with a height of 165 mm, a quality not found in many PC cases of this size.
The CMT510 follows the growing trend of RGB lighting and combines the quest for a cool PC with no less than four 120mm RGB fans that come pre-installed. The CMT510 has been created to optimize internal component layout, for instance, it can fit graphics cards up to 400mm in length as well as ATX motherboards, additionally, it fits large CPU coolers like the new FSP Windale 6, with a height of 165 mm, a quality not found in many PC cases of this size.
Tuesday, November 14th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
NAS
Networking
PSUs
Speakers
ASRock X299 OC Formula Review
ASRock's fabled X299 OC Formula is here! It's that board that can push 4600 MHz memory or crack the OC ceiling on Intel's HCC CPUs, and all that other good stuff a board carrying the "OC Formula" name has always been capable of; this time with less yellow!
Intel Readies Optane DIMM Roll-out for 2018
Intel has reportedly slated launch of its Optane DIMM for the second half of 2018. The Optane DIMM marks the biggest change in computer memory in over two decades, and heralds the era of "persistent memory," which combines the best characteristics of DRAM and NAND flash, in that it has the speed and low-latency of DRAM, but the persistence (ability to store data in the absence of power) of NAND flash. Combining the two will be made possible with improvements to the speed and latency of 3D XPoint memory. Intel is currently selling consumer SSDs based on the technology, and has increased production of 3D XPoint chips.
Intel presented the Optane DIMM at the 2017 USB Global Technology Conference. It described Optane DIMM as a primary storage device that will function as a memory-mapped device, but with much higher storage densities than what's possible with current DDR4 DRAM. The enterprise segment, as usual, will have the first take of the technology, with Intel targeting the exascale computing (supercomputers nearing ExaFLOP/s compute throughput) industry, trickling down to other enterprise segments, before finally making its way to the client/consumer segments. This development is also a polite nudge to the DRAM industry to get its act together, and either bring down prices or scale up densities, or miss the bus of change.
Intel presented the Optane DIMM at the 2017 USB Global Technology Conference. It described Optane DIMM as a primary storage device that will function as a memory-mapped device, but with much higher storage densities than what's possible with current DDR4 DRAM. The enterprise segment, as usual, will have the first take of the technology, with Intel targeting the exascale computing (supercomputers nearing ExaFLOP/s compute throughput) industry, trickling down to other enterprise segments, before finally making its way to the client/consumer segments. This development is also a polite nudge to the DRAM industry to get its act together, and either bring down prices or scale up densities, or miss the bus of change.
QNAP Unveils QBoat Sunny Single-Board IoT Mini Server
QNAP today launched the all-new QBoat Sunny, a small and powerful single-board Internet of Things (IoT) mini server for IoT developers. QBoat Sunny can connect to versatile IoT development boards, devices and applications, and be used as a server for small-scale/private IoT applications, or a fog computing node/gateway in large-scale/public IoT environments. The high-performance QBoat Sunny can save significant bandwidth fees and cloud computing costs for developers, and integrate into various usage scenarios.
QBoat Sunny provides unprecedented processing and storage performance with its Annapurna Labs AL-314 processor, 2 GB RAM and two M.2 SATA SSD slots (2260 and 2280 lengths). In addition, QBoat Sunny is equipped with three 1000BASE-T ports, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A ports, and a M.2 slot for wireless module installation (2230 length). QBoat Sunny utilizes QTS Lite, a lightweight version of QNAP's award-winning QTS operating system. QTS Lite not only preserves core functionality of QTS (including File Station, Storage Manager, Network & Virtual Switch and App Center) but also provides Container Station and QIoT Suite Lite for IoT developers. QBoat Sunny offers great hardware/software performance and expandability for building versatile IoT scenarios to streamline development and make IoT more accessible and fun for everyone.
QBoat Sunny provides unprecedented processing and storage performance with its Annapurna Labs AL-314 processor, 2 GB RAM and two M.2 SATA SSD slots (2260 and 2280 lengths). In addition, QBoat Sunny is equipped with three 1000BASE-T ports, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A ports, and a M.2 slot for wireless module installation (2230 length). QBoat Sunny utilizes QTS Lite, a lightweight version of QNAP's award-winning QTS operating system. QTS Lite not only preserves core functionality of QTS (including File Station, Storage Manager, Network & Virtual Switch and App Center) but also provides Container Station and QIoT Suite Lite for IoT developers. QBoat Sunny offers great hardware/software performance and expandability for building versatile IoT scenarios to streamline development and make IoT more accessible and fun for everyone.
Q4 2017 300 mm Silicon Wafer Pricing to Increase 20% YoY in DRAM-like Squeeze
Silicon wafers are definitely the best kind of wafers for us tech enthusiasts, but as we all know, required financial resources for the development and production of these is among the most intensive in development costs and R&D. It's not just about the cost of employing enough (and crucially, good enough) engineers that can employ the right tools and knowledge to design the processing miracles that are etched onto wafers; there's also the cost of good, old production as well. Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Systems that are used for the production of silicon wafers are about the size of a city bus, and typically cost more than 100 million euros ($115.3 million) each. ASML, a Dutch company that specializes in this kind of equipment, announced this year it was expecting to see a 25% revenue growth for 2017. Increased demand for these systems - and added cost of development of ever increasingly small and complex etchings in wafers - means this sector is seeing strong growth. But where there is strong growth, there is usually high demand, and high demand means higher strain on supply, which may sometimes not be able to keep up with the market's needs.
This is seemingly the case for wafer pricing; as demand for wafer production has been increasing, so to are prices. Faced with increased demand, companies are usually faced with a tough question to answer in regards to the correct course of action. Usually, it goes like this: higher demand at the same supply level means higher pricing. However, if supply isn't enough to satisfy demand, manufacturers are losing out on potential increased sales. This leads most companies to increase supply relative to demand, but always with lower projected output than demand requires, so they can bask in both increased ASP (Average Sale Price) and higher number of sales. This has been the case with DRAM memory production for some time now: and is happening with 300 mm silicon wafers as well.
This is seemingly the case for wafer pricing; as demand for wafer production has been increasing, so to are prices. Faced with increased demand, companies are usually faced with a tough question to answer in regards to the correct course of action. Usually, it goes like this: higher demand at the same supply level means higher pricing. However, if supply isn't enough to satisfy demand, manufacturers are losing out on potential increased sales. This leads most companies to increase supply relative to demand, but always with lower projected output than demand requires, so they can bask in both increased ASP (Average Sale Price) and higher number of sales. This has been the case with DRAM memory production for some time now: and is happening with 300 mm silicon wafers as well.
VESA Rolls Out DisplayID Version 2.0
The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) today announced a major update to its Display Identification Data (DisplayID) standard. The new version 2.0 of this universal display standard simplifies connecting and configuring modern display products, including PC monitors, consumer TVs and embedded displays (e.g., display panels within laptop and all-in-one systems). The result is a best-in-class plug-and-play experience. Advanced capabilities supported include 4K-and-higher resolutions, high dynamic range (HDR), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and refresh rates of 120 Hz and above.
The DisplayID standard was originally launched in 2009 to enable the widely adopted Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) standard to keep up with newer-generation display technologies. However, with the EDID standard nearing the end of its effectiveness, a standard with new standalone structures, unencumbered by legacy architecture, is needed to properly and efficiently communicate modern display capabilities, thus ensuring an optimal user experience for future display technologies.
The DisplayID standard was originally launched in 2009 to enable the widely adopted Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) standard to keep up with newer-generation display technologies. However, with the EDID standard nearing the end of its effectiveness, a standard with new standalone structures, unencumbered by legacy architecture, is needed to properly and efficiently communicate modern display capabilities, thus ensuring an optimal user experience for future display technologies.
HTC Reveals Vive Focus Standalone VR Headset and Vive Wave VR Open Platform
HTC, a pioneer in innovative, smart mobile and virtual reality (VR) technologies, today held its VIVE Developer Conference 2017 (VDC2017), where it announced VIVE WAVE, a VR open platform and toolset that will open up the path to easy mobile VR content development and high-performance device optimization for third-party partners. 12 hardware partners, namely 360QIKU, Baofengmojing, Coocaa, EmdoorVR, Idealens, iQIYI, Juhaokan, Nubia, Pico, Pimax, Quanta and Thundercomm, announced their support for the integration of Vive Wave as well as the VIVEPORT VR content platform into their future products. Vive Wave is a clear step forward in bringing together the highly fragmented mobile VR market that has growth up in China the last several years. It saves tremendous efforts by allowing developers to create content for a common platform and storefront across disparate hardware vendors. Over 35 Chinese and global content developers have already built VR content optimized for Vive Wave, with 14 showing live demos at the event. Vive also unveiled the VIVE FOCUS, its highly anticipated premium standalone VR headset for the China market that is also based on the Vive Wave VR open platform.
Razer Upgrades the BlackWidow Ultimate with Water and Dust Resistant Features
Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, introduced a newly improved Razer BlackWidow Ultimate mechanical gaming keyboard to its best-selling keyboard line-up today. Augmented with water and dust resistant features, the latest Razer BlackWidow Ultimate is redesigned to be the most resilient gaming keyboard to date. With an IP54 rating, the keyboard has been tested to protect against accidental water spillage and harmful dust particles.
"We've never stopped making improvements to our gaming keyboards," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, and CEO. "The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate is now more durable than ever and our first mechanical keyboard to incorporate water and dust resistant features."
"We've never stopped making improvements to our gaming keyboards," says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, and CEO. "The Razer BlackWidow Ultimate is now more durable than ever and our first mechanical keyboard to incorporate water and dust resistant features."
Mozilla Announces Firefox Quantum Web-browser
Mozilla today released the Firefox Quantum web-browser for PCs. Technically version 57.0 of Firefox, Quantum comes with an overhauled user-interface, a more evolved multi-process sandbox than Google Chrome, and is geared for both performance and lower memory footprint. Mozilla claims that web-rendering performance has been doubled over the previous version (Firefox 56.0), making it play in a league above Google Chrome. It's also designed to have up to 30% smaller memory footprint than Chrome.
Firefox Quantum takes advantage of the very latest CPU instruction sets, and GPU features, to accelerate web-rendering, with a focus on keeping the interface as smooth as possible, without losing out on the quality of rendering. It also adds WebVR and and WASM support in-built, broadening its feature-set for browser-based gaming. Grab Firefox from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: Mozilla Firefox Quantum
Firefox Quantum takes advantage of the very latest CPU instruction sets, and GPU features, to accelerate web-rendering, with a focus on keeping the interface as smooth as possible, without losing out on the quality of rendering. It also adds WebVR and and WASM support in-built, broadening its feature-set for browser-based gaming. Grab Firefox from the link below.
GIGABYTE Partners with Cavium to Deliver New ARM Server Solutions
GIGABYTE Technology, a leading producer of high-performance server hardware, and Cavium, Inc., a leading provider of semiconductor products that enable intelligent processing for enterprise, data center, cloud, wired and wireless networking, today announced production availability of GIGABYTE's Arm server platforms, based on ThunderX2 SoC product family.
GIGABYTE, with its award-winning product portfolio, has long been recognized in the industry as a leader in design and innovation. With a broad offering of commercially-available Arm-based server solutions, GIGABYTE continues to demonstrate engineering expertise in system-level integration. Through its world-wide presence, GIGABYTE is uniquely positioned to accelerate the adoption and deployment of ThunderX2-based systems into the cloud and hyperscale data center applications.
GIGABYTE, with its award-winning product portfolio, has long been recognized in the industry as a leader in design and innovation. With a broad offering of commercially-available Arm-based server solutions, GIGABYTE continues to demonstrate engineering expertise in system-level integration. Through its world-wide presence, GIGABYTE is uniquely positioned to accelerate the adoption and deployment of ThunderX2-based systems into the cloud and hyperscale data center applications.
Synaptics's AudioSmart USB-C Codec Earns THX Certification
Synaptics Incorporated, the leading developer of human interface solutions, today announced its AudioSmart CX21988-THX is the industry's first USB-C audio codec solution to achieve THX Approval. By offering a THX Approved USB-C audio codec, Synaptics can supply OEMs with an important building block that affords a significant head start in the development of THX Certified headphones and headsets, mobile gaming devices and other personal audio devices. THX, founded by filmmaker George Lucas in 1983, is a globally recognized assurance of uncompromising quality, consistency and performance.
"The key to developing a great sounding set of headphones, especially ones capable of accurately reproducing the engineered sound field of a mix, is utilizing a winning combination of professional-grade components," said Peter Vasay, Senior Vice President, Technology and Operations, THX. "The Synaptics AudioSmart CX21988-THX USB-C codec impressed us, as it supports high-resolution audio with best-in-class headphone performance, and boasts ultra-low distortion, and tuning options to greatly improve the performance of connected transducers. We believe it to be the ideal foundation for the development of THX Certified headphones."
"The key to developing a great sounding set of headphones, especially ones capable of accurately reproducing the engineered sound field of a mix, is utilizing a winning combination of professional-grade components," said Peter Vasay, Senior Vice President, Technology and Operations, THX. "The Synaptics AudioSmart CX21988-THX USB-C codec impressed us, as it supports high-resolution audio with best-in-class headphone performance, and boasts ultra-low distortion, and tuning options to greatly improve the performance of connected transducers. We believe it to be the ideal foundation for the development of THX Certified headphones."
TDK Launches SD and MicroSD Memory Cards with SLC/pSLC NAND Flash
Today TDK Corporation (President: Shigenao Ishiguro) announced the gradual launch of SD Memory cards (MMRD4 series) and microSD Memory cards (MURD4 series) from January 2018. Both series support UHS-I for industrial application. The rapid progression of IoT has increased demand for smaller SD/microSD Memory cards with low power consumption for the storage of sensor information. However, as SD/microSD Memory cards for general use adopt TLC and MLC type flash memory to reduce costs, they are largely unsuitable for industrial application in terms of durability and reliability.
The MMRD4 and MURD4 series consist of highly reliable SD/microSD Memory cards equipped with very durable SLC/pSLC flash memory as well as the newly developed SD controller, TDK GBDriverRD4. In addition to data retention capacity and durability, the cards feature robust data security in the event of power interruption, ensuring safe usage in IoT devices that are often turned off to conserve power.
The MMRD4 and MURD4 series consist of highly reliable SD/microSD Memory cards equipped with very durable SLC/pSLC flash memory as well as the newly developed SD controller, TDK GBDriverRD4. In addition to data retention capacity and durability, the cards feature robust data security in the event of power interruption, ensuring safe usage in IoT devices that are often turned off to conserve power.
ROCCAT Celebrates Ten Year Kone Anniversary with Special Kone AIMO Mouse
ROCCAT Studios proudly announces the worldwide availability of the eagerly anticipated Kone AIMO. The release of the new mouse marks ten years since the original Kone took the gaming scene by storm with the introduction of RGB illumination for peripherals. Building on the combined success of its predecessors as well as extensive gamer feedback, the Kone AIMO celebrates its legacy with an exciting feature suite.
The mouse debuts AIMO - the eco-system for ROCCAT's new RGBA lighting engine - with additional products to follow. AIMO adds to ROCCAT's existing illumination technologies, vividly bringing light to life with a first-to-market system that reacts fluidly and organically, and grows based on your gaming behavior and compatible connected devices. Eliminating the need for configuration, it presents state-of-the-art illumination scenarios right out of the box.
The mouse debuts AIMO - the eco-system for ROCCAT's new RGBA lighting engine - with additional products to follow. AIMO adds to ROCCAT's existing illumination technologies, vividly bringing light to life with a first-to-market system that reacts fluidly and organically, and grows based on your gaming behavior and compatible connected devices. Eliminating the need for configuration, it presents state-of-the-art illumination scenarios right out of the box.
EA Makes it Tougher to Cancel Battlefront 2 Pre-orders
EA is under fire for predatory pricing of DLC and add-ons for its upcoming "Star Wars: Battlefront 2" release. Gamers complain of the company effectively pricing it above $80 just to play as Darth Vader, and giving game reviewers a faster in-game content unlock progression, compared to paying gamers, misrepresenting the product. Pre-orders of the game can be cancelled and so gamers took to Reddit, and other forums, to distribute links to the pages on EA's website that let you easily cancel your pre-order. With pre-order cancellations gaining traction, EA pulled out its bag of dirty tricks.
The publisher has reportedly changed the way you cancel pre-orders. Instead of simply clicking on a web-based form to cancel your pre-order and get the reference number to your refund, you now have to speak with a sales agent via chat to cancel your order. Trouble is, that the process is bogged down by too many people trying to cancel their orders (due to a finite number of agents), and thus EA has effectively made it impossible for everyone who pre-ordered to cancel. Only those who can endure the long agent waiting queue to chat with an agent, can cancel their pre-orders, as the November 17 release-date (beyond which you can't cancel pre-orders), looms closer.
The publisher has reportedly changed the way you cancel pre-orders. Instead of simply clicking on a web-based form to cancel your pre-order and get the reference number to your refund, you now have to speak with a sales agent via chat to cancel your order. Trouble is, that the process is bogged down by too many people trying to cancel their orders (due to a finite number of agents), and thus EA has effectively made it impossible for everyone who pre-ordered to cancel. Only those who can endure the long agent waiting queue to chat with an agent, can cancel their pre-orders, as the November 17 release-date (beyond which you can't cancel pre-orders), looms closer.
Apacer Announces AD100 and AD300 SATA to USB 3.1 Enclosures
Do your hard drives become idle when you upgraded your computer? Instead of having them retired, with Apacer AD100 and AD300 external enclosures, they can serve new purposes! Equipped with SATA III and USB 3.1 Gen 1 high speed interface with UASP, both models come with enhanced transmission speeds that are up to 400 MB per second. AD100 is built with high-strength steel and plastic for better protection. AD300, on the other hand, is crafted with aluminum alloy, complete with especially designed cooling holes for better heat dissipation. Both enclosures are built with tool-free designs for fast installation, easily turning the unused hard drives into external storage solutions.
The brand new AD100 and AD300 external enclosures are designed especially for 9.5mm and 7mm 2.5-inch HDD/SSD. The SATA III and USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface with UASP significantly improve the transmission performance which is test proven to reach 400 MB/s when operating with a SSD, representing a 73% increase in read speed compared to an enclosure without UASP. Also, the read speed can reach 100 MB/s when operated with a conventional hard drive. AD100 and AD300 make your unused hard drives become high-speed portable storage solutions.
The brand new AD100 and AD300 external enclosures are designed especially for 9.5mm and 7mm 2.5-inch HDD/SSD. The SATA III and USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface with UASP significantly improve the transmission performance which is test proven to reach 400 MB/s when operating with a SSD, representing a 73% increase in read speed compared to an enclosure without UASP. Also, the read speed can reach 100 MB/s when operated with a conventional hard drive. AD100 and AD300 make your unused hard drives become high-speed portable storage solutions.
LiteOn Intros CV6 Series Value SATA SSDs
Following up on its CA3 NVMe SSD series launch from earlier this month, LiteOn introduced the new CV6 line of value SSDs featuring the SATA 6 Gbps interface. The drives come in 7 mm-thick 2.5-inch, and M.2-2280 form-factors (M-key), taking advantage of SATA 6 Gbps interface. The drives combine a Marvell 88SS1074 controller with Toshiba-made 3D TLC NAND flash memory. The controller features LDPC gen 3 error correction, and SLC caching, a feature with which it treats a small portion of the TLC NAND flash as SLC, juggling hot data in and out of it for more performance.
The 2.5-inch CV6 series is available in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB capacities, while the M.2 variant comes in 128 GB and 256 GB. All variants offer sequential transfer rates of up to 520 MB/s reads, with up to 450 MB/s writes. The 256 GB and 512 GB variants offer 4K random read performance of up to 85,000 IOPS, while the 128 GB variant offers 58,000 IOPS. 4K random write performance is rated at 28,000 IOPS for the 2.5-inch 128 GB variant, 30,000 IOPS for the M.2 128 GB variant; and up to 45,000 IOPS for both the 256 GB and 512 GB variants. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The 2.5-inch CV6 series is available in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB capacities, while the M.2 variant comes in 128 GB and 256 GB. All variants offer sequential transfer rates of up to 520 MB/s reads, with up to 450 MB/s writes. The 256 GB and 512 GB variants offer 4K random read performance of up to 85,000 IOPS, while the 128 GB variant offers 58,000 IOPS. 4K random write performance is rated at 28,000 IOPS for the 2.5-inch 128 GB variant, 30,000 IOPS for the M.2 128 GB variant; and up to 45,000 IOPS for both the 256 GB and 512 GB variants. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Be Quiet Announces Availability of Dark Base 700 Chassis
Be Quiet!, the market leader in PC power supplies in Germany for eleven consecutive years, introduces its new premium mid-tower PC chassis, Dark Base 700. Smaller than its full-tower siblings, Dark Base 900 and Dark Base Pro 900, Dark Base 700 aims to satisfy additional target groups, including enthusiasts and high-end system builders, with its use of premium materials and a versatile, modular design.
Dark Base 700's flexible modular design boasts repositionable HDD slots and an invertible motherboard tray, offering system builders numerous placement options. Unused HDD slot openings are fitted with cable management covers designed to conveniently hide cable routing. These same covers are height-adjustable and can be closed completely to present a system's clean interior. The back of the motherboard tray offers mounting options for up to three SSDs, while two of the three included HDD cages can be positioned underneath Dark Base 700's modular PSU shroud.
Dark Base 700's flexible modular design boasts repositionable HDD slots and an invertible motherboard tray, offering system builders numerous placement options. Unused HDD slot openings are fitted with cable management covers designed to conveniently hide cable routing. These same covers are height-adjustable and can be closed completely to present a system's clean interior. The back of the motherboard tray offers mounting options for up to three SSDs, while two of the three included HDD cages can be positioned underneath Dark Base 700's modular PSU shroud.
NVIDIA Announces SaturnV AI Supercomputer Powered by "Volta"
NVIDIA at the Supercomputing 2017 conference announced a major upgrade of its new SaturnV AI supercomputer, which when complete, the company claims, will be not just one of the world's top-10 AI supercomputers in terms of raw compute power; but will also the world's most energy-efficient. The SaturnV will be a cluster supercomputer with 660 NVIDIA DGX-1 nodes. Each such node packs eight NVIDIA GV100 GPUs, which takes the machine's total GPU count to a staggering 5,280 (that's GPUs, not CUDA cores). They add up to an FP16 performance that's scraping the ExaFLOP (1,000-petaFLOP or 10^18 FLOP/s) barrier; while its FP64 (double-precision) compute performance nears 40 petaFLOP/s (40,000 TFLOP/s).
SaturnV should beat Summit, a supercomputer being co-developed by NVIDIA and IBM, which in turn should unseat Sunway TaihuLight, that's currently the world's fastest supercomputer. This feat gains prominence as NVIDIA SaturnV and NVIDIA+IBM Summit are both machines built by the American private-sector, which are trying to beat a supercomputing leader backed by the mighty Chinese exchequer. The other claim to fame of SaturnV is its energy-efficiency. Before its upgrade, SaturnV achieved an energy-efficiency of a staggering 15.1 GFLOP/s per Watt, which was already the fourth "greenest." NVIDIA expects the upgraded SaturnV to take the number-one spot.
SaturnV should beat Summit, a supercomputer being co-developed by NVIDIA and IBM, which in turn should unseat Sunway TaihuLight, that's currently the world's fastest supercomputer. This feat gains prominence as NVIDIA SaturnV and NVIDIA+IBM Summit are both machines built by the American private-sector, which are trying to beat a supercomputing leader backed by the mighty Chinese exchequer. The other claim to fame of SaturnV is its energy-efficiency. Before its upgrade, SaturnV achieved an energy-efficiency of a staggering 15.1 GFLOP/s per Watt, which was already the fourth "greenest." NVIDIA expects the upgraded SaturnV to take the number-one spot.
China Pulls Ahead of U.S. in Latest TOP500 List
The fiftieth TOP500 list of the fastest supercomputers in the world has China overtaking the US in the total number of ranked systems by a margin of 202 to 143. It is the largest number of supercomputers China has ever claimed on the TOP500 ranking, with the US presence shrinking to its lowest level since the list's inception 25 years ago.
Just six months ago, the US led with 169 systems, with China coming in at 160. Despite the reversal of fortunes, the 143 systems claimed by the US gives them a solid second place finish, with Japan in third place with 35, followed by Germany with 20, France with 18, and the UK with 15.
Just six months ago, the US led with 169 systems, with China coming in at 160. Despite the reversal of fortunes, the 143 systems claimed by the US gives them a solid second place finish, with Japan in third place with 35, followed by Germany with 20, France with 18, and the UK with 15.
AMD Expands EPYC Availability, Introduces ROCm 1.7 With Tensor Flow Support
AMD has been steadily increasing output and availability of their latest take on the server market with their EPYC CPUs. These are 32-core, 64-thread monsters that excel in delivering a better feature set in 1P configuration than even some of Intel's 2P setups, and reception for these AMD processors has been pretty warm as a result. The usage of an MCM design to create a 4-way cluster of small 8-core processor packages has allowed AMD to improve yields with minimum retooling and changes to its manufacturing lines, which in turn, has increased yields and profits for a company that sorely needed a a breakout product.
Monday, November 13th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
Networking
Notebooks
Processors
Speakers
HyperX Alloy Elite Keyboard Review
The Alloy Elite from HyperX takes the older Alloy FPS as a base and builds on it by adding dedicated media and lighting-control buttons, floating keycaps on a steel frame, a lightbar for further customization, and a wrist rest. It is better-suited for those looking for a full "battlestation" experience rather than portability.
Jonsbo NC-1 Heatspreader Lets You Add RGB Bling to Your Basic Memory Modules
With DDR4 memory prices on the boil, an increasing number of users could be drawn to some of the more basic DDR4 memory kits that not only lack any form of RGB LED lighting, but even heatspreaders to begin with. Such basic kits could end up being 20-30 percent cheaper than those with premium RGB-studded heatspreaders. This is where companies like Jonsbo step in, with the NC-1 series DIMM heatspreaders.
Available in two key variants - black and red, the NC-1 is an aluminium heatspreader, with a 256-color RGB multi-color LED element, which puts out its lighting through a diffuser for softer color transitions. You sandwich your memory module between two haleves of the heatspreader kit, with thermal pads between the metal and the DRAM chips. The LED element draws power from a 3-pin header. Jonsbo didn't reveal pricing, but mentioned that pairing the NC-1 with basic memory modules will be more economical than buying premium memory with RGB lighting.
Available in two key variants - black and red, the NC-1 is an aluminium heatspreader, with a 256-color RGB multi-color LED element, which puts out its lighting through a diffuser for softer color transitions. You sandwich your memory module between two haleves of the heatspreader kit, with thermal pads between the metal and the DRAM chips. The LED element draws power from a 3-pin header. Jonsbo didn't reveal pricing, but mentioned that pairing the NC-1 with basic memory modules will be more economical than buying premium memory with RGB lighting.
ECS Intros LIVA Z Plus ZE Mini-PC with Legacy Connectivity
ECS today rolled out the LIVA Z Plus ZE mini-PC featuring legacy connectivity, combined with otherwise modern hardware, which puts its applications halfway between retail/POS (point of sale) and educational/robotics. The mini-PC features four RS232 serial COM ports, so you can directly plug in POS peripherals such as barcode/RFID scanners, receipt printers, credit card POS machines, electronic weighing scales, etc. It comes with rather powerful 7th generation "Kaby Lake" SoC options, including Celeron 3965U, Core i3-7100U, Core i5-7200U, and i5-7500U, bolstered by Intel vPro.
Besides factory-fitted SoCs, the LIVA Z Plus ZE comes with two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory, and one M.2-2242 slot with both PCI-Express 3.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring. Besides the four RS232 ports, it features four USB 3.0 ports (three type-A, one type-C), two 1 GbE wired network interfaces, 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0 WLAN, stereo HD audio, and display outputs that include one each of HDMI 1.4 and miniDisplayPort. Measuring 117 mm x 128 mm x 51 mm (WxDxH), it supports VESA mounting, which lets you tuck it away behind your monitor. It draws power from an external 65W power brick.
Besides factory-fitted SoCs, the LIVA Z Plus ZE comes with two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory, and one M.2-2242 slot with both PCI-Express 3.0 x4 and SATA 6 Gbps wiring. Besides the four RS232 ports, it features four USB 3.0 ports (three type-A, one type-C), two 1 GbE wired network interfaces, 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0 WLAN, stereo HD audio, and display outputs that include one each of HDMI 1.4 and miniDisplayPort. Measuring 117 mm x 128 mm x 51 mm (WxDxH), it supports VESA mounting, which lets you tuck it away behind your monitor. It draws power from an external 65W power brick.
SilentiumPC Intros Navis Pro Series AIO Liquid CPU Coolers
SilentiumPC today introduced the Navis Pro series all-in-one, closed-loop liquid CPU coolers. These coolers are available in two models based on radiator size, the Navis Pro 120 (120 mm x 120 mm radiator), and the Navis Pro 240 (240 mm x 120 mm radiator). What sets this cooler apart is a unique 9-pole pump motor that keeps the noise output of the pump-block under 15 dBA at all times.
The included Sigma HPE fans come with fluid-dynamic bearings for high endurance, and spin between 800 to 2,300 RPM, pushing up to 74 CFM of air, with a noise output as low as 22 dBA, each. The pump-block has a rated MTBF of 80,000 hours. Most common CPU socket types are supported, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2066, LGA2011(v3), and LGA115x. Backed by 5-year warranties, the Navis Pro 120 is priced at 55€, and the Navis Pro 240 at 75€.
The included Sigma HPE fans come with fluid-dynamic bearings for high endurance, and spin between 800 to 2,300 RPM, pushing up to 74 CFM of air, with a noise output as low as 22 dBA, each. The pump-block has a rated MTBF of 80,000 hours. Most common CPU socket types are supported, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2066, LGA2011(v3), and LGA115x. Backed by 5-year warranties, the Navis Pro 120 is priced at 55€, and the Navis Pro 240 at 75€.
Intel, Micron Increase 3D XPoint Manufacturing Capacity Through Fab Expansion
Today, Intel and Micron announced the completion of an expansion to Building 60 (B60) at the IM Flash facilities in Lehi, Utah. The expanded fab will produce 3D XPoint memory media, a building block of Intel Optane technology that includes Intel Optane memory for clients, the recently announced Intel Optane SSD 900P Series and new capacities and form factors of the Intel Optane SSD DC P4800X Series. A ribbon-cutting was held at the facility with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, employees of the facility and representatives from Intel and Micron.
The IM Flash joint venture was created in 2006 to manufacture non-volatile memory for both Intel and Micron, starting with NAND for use in SSDs, phones, tablets and more. In 2015, IM Flash began manufacturing 3D XPoint technology, the first entirely new memory media in 25 years. The technology was developed to meet the quickly expanding data needs for all types of customers. 3D XPoint technology uses a crosspoint structure to deliver a cell and array architecture that can switch states significantly faster than NAND.
The IM Flash joint venture was created in 2006 to manufacture non-volatile memory for both Intel and Micron, starting with NAND for use in SSDs, phones, tablets and more. In 2015, IM Flash began manufacturing 3D XPoint technology, the first entirely new memory media in 25 years. The technology was developed to meet the quickly expanding data needs for all types of customers. 3D XPoint technology uses a crosspoint structure to deliver a cell and array architecture that can switch states significantly faster than NAND.
Sapphire Radeon RX Vega 64 Nitro Custom Model Pictured, Tested
It's likely that we'll (relatively) soon start to see custom models of AMD's latest high-end graphics cards based on the Vega micro-architecture. The launch and availability of AMD's latest poster child has been target of continued debate and rumors of problems, ranging from low GPU yields, to low packaging yields, and manufacturing discrepancies making AMD's AIB partners' job in creating and delivering fully custom models ever more difficult. However, the end for market absence of true custom models may be nigh, since the guys over at HWBattle have managed to snag themselves a sample of Sapphire's RX Vega 64 Nitro, and the card really is a sight to behold.
Latest LG Patent Reveals UltraGear VR Headset Splitting in Two
LG demonstrated their prototype VR headset at the Game Developer Conference earlier this year. It was widely known as the LG VR HMD, since it lacked a proper name at the time. Mobiel Kopen, a very popular Dutch publication, later discovered a LG filed patent revealing the device's name to be the UltraGear. LG's UltraGear headset, just like the HTC Vive, employs Valve's SteamVR tracking technology. Both headsets even share a similar controller design. However, LG has implemented two 3.64" OLED displays into the UltraGear, which features a 1440 x 1280 resolution and an impressive 90 Hz refresh rate to beat out both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift headsets. But LG's innovative flip-up design is the real differentiating factor here. The concept is to give users the option to lift the front of the headset when they want to exit the VR world.
DiRT Rally is Coming to MacOS on November 16
Feral Interactive announced today that DiRT Rally, the acclaimed rally simulation game, will be released for macOS via Steam on November 16th. The Mac App Store version will be arriving shortly afterwards. Developed and published by Codemasters for Windows and consoles, DiRT Rally has been praised for its realistic handling and pure focus on rally driving. DiRT Rally will support Metal 2, Apple's latest graphics API.
DiRT Rally is the most authentic rally game ever made, with a highly sophisticated handling model that perfectly captures the exhilaration of driving cars at the edge of control while tearing along treacherous, undulating tracks at breakneck speed. Its high-risk, high-reward gameplay challenges players to learn and master three different disciplines: the point-to-point races of Rally, the tight circuits of Rallycross, and the legendary slopes of Hillclimb.
DiRT Rally is the most authentic rally game ever made, with a highly sophisticated handling model that perfectly captures the exhilaration of driving cars at the edge of control while tearing along treacherous, undulating tracks at breakneck speed. Its high-risk, high-reward gameplay challenges players to learn and master three different disciplines: the point-to-point races of Rally, the tight circuits of Rallycross, and the legendary slopes of Hillclimb.
Qualcomm Says No Thank You to Broadcom's $105 Billion Buyout Bid
Qualcomm today announced that its Board of Directors unanimously rejected the unsolicited proposal announced by Broadcom Limited ("Broadcom") on November 6, 2017. "It is the Board's unanimous belief that Broadcom's proposal significantly undervalues Qualcomm relative to the Company's leadership position in mobile technology and our future growth prospects," said Paul Jacobs, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Qualcomm Incorporated.
"No company is better positioned in mobile, IoT, automotive, edge computing and networking within the semiconductor industry. We are confident in our ability to create significant additional value for our stockholders as we continue our growth in these attractive segments and lead the transition to 5G," said Steve Mollenkopf, Chief Executive Officer of Qualcomm Incorporated.
"No company is better positioned in mobile, IoT, automotive, edge computing and networking within the semiconductor industry. We are confident in our ability to create significant additional value for our stockholders as we continue our growth in these attractive segments and lead the transition to 5G," said Steve Mollenkopf, Chief Executive Officer of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Micron Shows Off Their 32GB DDR4 NVDIMM-N Modules at SuperComputing 2017 Event
At the SC17 show, Micron Technology, Inc., today announced a new 32GB NVDIMM-N offering twice the capacity of existing NVDIMMs, providing system designers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with new flexibility to work with larger data sets in fast persistent memory. The solution is architected to support the increasing performance, energy efficiency and uptime requirements of data analytics and online transaction processing applications. Compared to server configurations using traditional far storage, deploying NVDIMMs can deliver up to 400 percent performance benefits.
As data center storage volumes grow, database queries increasingly need key datasets to be retained in-memory to improve access speeds due to the rising business requirement for higher availability. Many businesses are seeing increased value in placing fast memory near the processor to reduce the need to transfer data from far storage.
As data center storage volumes grow, database queries increasingly need key datasets to be retained in-memory to improve access speeds due to the rising business requirement for higher availability. Many businesses are seeing increased value in placing fast memory near the processor to reduce the need to transfer data from far storage.
Fujitsu Refreshes LIFEBOOK Notebook Line with New Thin, Value-Focused Models
Fujitsu unveils a new generation of its best-selling notebook, the Fujitsu Notebook LIFEBOOK E5 and LIFEBOOK E4 series. A refreshed, slimmer design gives the business notebook line a contemporary look. Under the skin, the fully featured LIFEBOOK E5 is based on the latest Intel processors and is packed with connectivity options, ensuring secure, convenient access to corporate networks via cable, wireless or mobile networks.
All new LIFEBOOK E4 and LIFEBOOK E5 series models feature the new area type fingerprint sensor that responds instantly to provide one-touch login and system unlock. Also focusing on ease-of-use, Fujitsu introduces a precision touchpad that is more accurate, with support for three-finger gestures as featured in the latest version of Microsoft Windows 10, and a sculpted, ergonomic palm rest.
All new LIFEBOOK E4 and LIFEBOOK E5 series models feature the new area type fingerprint sensor that responds instantly to provide one-touch login and system unlock. Also focusing on ease-of-use, Fujitsu introduces a precision touchpad that is more accurate, with support for three-finger gestures as featured in the latest version of Microsoft Windows 10, and a sculpted, ergonomic palm rest.
Futuremark Rolls Out PCMark 10 v1.0.1403 Update
Futuremark today rolled out a minor update to PCMark 10. Version 1.0.1403 does not affect comparability to benchmark scores from previous versions of PCMark 10. It includes an updated SystemInfo to version 5.3.629 with support for newer hardware, and three bug fixes. To begin with, a bug that prevents the Web-browsing video workload test from starting in some cases, was addressed. A bug that prevented the Web-browsing test series to start on some machines with proxy-server configuration, has been fixed. Data-logging for App Start-up, Spreadsheets, Writing, and Web Browsing workloads, has been improved. Grab the update from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: Futuremark PCMark 10 v1.0.1403
Kingmax Announces the Zeus Dragon DDR4 Memory Series
Kingmax, a memory expert, released Zeus Dragon DDR4 on November 13, 2017. This is made for gamers and DIY enthusiasts. The innovative design is integrated with aesthetics and functions which amazes everyone. Gamers can enjoy its appearance and function.
Zeus Dragon DDR4 uses aluminum alloy heat sink to effectively emit heat, therefore protecting memory and extending the service life. Zeus Dragon uses the dragon symbol blending both Eastern and Western style. The luxurious etchings present the superiority of the dragon and display the assertiveness and dignity of royalty. The dragon is above all other creatures and has extraordinary power and stunning speed. Besides its shiny scales, its powerful magic is neck and neck when it fights against Zeus, the ruler of all gods, in order to protect treasure.
Zeus Dragon DDR4 uses aluminum alloy heat sink to effectively emit heat, therefore protecting memory and extending the service life. Zeus Dragon uses the dragon symbol blending both Eastern and Western style. The luxurious etchings present the superiority of the dragon and display the assertiveness and dignity of royalty. The dragon is above all other creatures and has extraordinary power and stunning speed. Besides its shiny scales, its powerful magic is neck and neck when it fights against Zeus, the ruler of all gods, in order to protect treasure.
Thermaltake Announces X Comfort Air Gaming Chair With Active Cooling
So yes, Thermaltake is paying attention to consumers from tropical and desert climates all over the world with its latest gaming chair. The X Comfort Air is a new gaming chair that sports active cooling, whether your environment requires it, or you're just going through a really aberrant, hot day. The cooling system leverages four high-pressure fans, embedded in the base of the chair (perforated faux-leather that permits airflow from the three-speed fans.) Thermaltake claimed that the system can cool the seat by between 0.6ºC and 1.5ºC. The noise level of the fans is stated as 32 DB(A), but Thermaltake didn't specify the correlating fan speed for this.
NVIDIA "Volta" Architecture Successor Codenamed "Ampere," Expected GTC 2018
NVIDIA has reportedly codenamed the GPU architecture that succeeds its upcoming "Volta" architecture after the 18th century French physicist who is one of the pioneers of electromagnetism, André-Marie Ampère, after whom the popular unit of measuring current is named. The new NVIDIA "Ampere" GPU architecture, which succeeds "Volta," will make its debut at the 2018 Graphics Technology Conference (GTC), hosted by NVIDIA. As with GPU architecture launches by the company in recent times, one can expect an unveiling of the architecture, followed by preliminary technical presentations by NVIDIA engineers, with actual products launching a little later, and consumer-grade GeForce product launching much later.
NVIDIA is yet to launch GeForce products based on its upcoming "Volta" architecture as its current "Pascal" architecture turns 18 months old in the consumer graphics space. Should NVIDIA continue on the four-digit model number scheme of its GeForce 10-series "Pascal" family, one can expect those based on "Volta" to follow the GeForce 20-series, and "Ampere" GeForce 30-series. NVIDIA is yet to disclose the defining features of the "Ampere" architecture. We'll probably have to wait until March 2018 to find out.
NVIDIA is yet to launch GeForce products based on its upcoming "Volta" architecture as its current "Pascal" architecture turns 18 months old in the consumer graphics space. Should NVIDIA continue on the four-digit model number scheme of its GeForce 10-series "Pascal" family, one can expect those based on "Volta" to follow the GeForce 20-series, and "Ampere" GeForce 30-series. NVIDIA is yet to disclose the defining features of the "Ampere" architecture. We'll probably have to wait until March 2018 to find out.
Sunday, November 12th 2017
ASUS Also Intros ROG Strix XG32VQ 32-inch Curved Gaming Monitor
ASUS over the weekent, also introduced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix XG32VQ 32-inch curved gaming monitor. The monitor features an 1800R curved VA panel with WQHD (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution, bolstered further by 144 Hz refresh-rate, 4 ms (GTG) response time, and AMD FreeSync technology. The panel boasts of 125 percent coverage of the sRGB palette, and features 300 cd/m² maximum brightness, with 178°/178° viewing angles.
The monitor features ASUS GameFirst, a set of nifty features such as OSD crosshairs, frame-rate counters, and display presets optimized for the various game genres. An RGB LED ornament is positioned behind the panel, around the stand mount, with the signature laser projected ROG emblem below the stand. Display inputs include DisplayPort 1.2, mini-DisplayPort 1.2, and HDMI 1.4a. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The monitor features ASUS GameFirst, a set of nifty features such as OSD crosshairs, frame-rate counters, and display presets optimized for the various game genres. An RGB LED ornament is positioned behind the panel, around the stand mount, with the signature laser projected ROG emblem below the stand. Display inputs include DisplayPort 1.2, mini-DisplayPort 1.2, and HDMI 1.4a. The company didn't reveal pricing.
ASUS Intros the WS X299 SAGE Motherboard
ASUS today introduced the WS X299 SAGE motherboard, a socket LGA2066 motherboard designed for Intel Core X "Skylake-X" processors, in the SSI-CEB form-factor. This board is targeted at the same quasi-workstation crowd that the company's WS X299 Pro and WS X299 Pro SE are designed for, but unlike the latter, it lacks an iKVM remote-management chip. Those looking for more serious workstation builds involving something from Intel's Xeon stable or even 2P setups, should consider the larger WS C621E SAGE. The WS X299 SAGE is targeted at those who need the massive PCIe loadout of the C621E SAGE, but can make do with 1P Core X processors.
The ASUS WS X299 SAGE draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and a 6-pin PCIe power. An 8-phase VRM powers the CPU, and is rated to power 16-core and 18-core CPU models. The CPU socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory; and seven PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. Storage connectivity includes eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and two each of 32 Gb/s M.2 slots and 32 Gb/s U.2 ports. Four USB 3.1 gen 2 ports, two 1 GbE interfaces, and a dozen USB 3.0 ports make for the rest of it. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The ASUS WS X299 SAGE draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and a 6-pin PCIe power. An 8-phase VRM powers the CPU, and is rated to power 16-core and 18-core CPU models. The CPU socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory; and seven PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. Storage connectivity includes eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and two each of 32 Gb/s M.2 slots and 32 Gb/s U.2 ports. Four USB 3.1 gen 2 ports, two 1 GbE interfaces, and a dozen USB 3.0 ports make for the rest of it. The company didn't reveal pricing.
MyDigitalSSD Announces SBX Series M.2 NVMe SSDs
MyDigitalSSD today announces the SBX-series, the consumer grade MyDigitalSSD Super Boot eXpress (SBX) PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe SSDs featuring the Phison E8 (PS5008-E8) controller. The follow-up to MyDigitalSSD's award-winning enterprise BPX series, SBX NVMe SSDs offer a cost-competitive upgrade option to SATA SSDs with max sequential speeds of 1.60 GB/s read and 1.30 GB/s write.
Designed with best-in-class price, performance, and endurance in mind, SBX pairs Toshiba TLC 3D NAND with NVMe technology to maximize bandwidth while lowering latency for guaranteed peak performance under heavy workloads for near-instant responsiveness when used as either a boot or storage device in Z97 / X99 / X199 / X299 / Z170 based motherboards and more.
Designed with best-in-class price, performance, and endurance in mind, SBX pairs Toshiba TLC 3D NAND with NVMe technology to maximize bandwidth while lowering latency for guaranteed peak performance under heavy workloads for near-instant responsiveness when used as either a boot or storage device in Z97 / X99 / X199 / X299 / Z170 based motherboards and more.
Friday, November 10th 2017
Today's Reviews
CPU Coolers
Game Controllers
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
ADATA SU900 512 GB SSD Review
The ADATA SU900 sticks to proven MLC flash chips in a market where most of the budget drives are TLC, with low sustained write performance and low endurance. In our review, we see good performance results that are on par with competing drives from Samsung and Crucial.
Rosewill Cullinan MX Review
The Rosewill Cullinan MX represents the evolutionary next step in the series of the original Cullinan. With its RGB controls and an updated feature set, all while pushing the envelope in terms of compatibility and storage, it is one of the best cases we ever reviewed.
MINIX Creator Andrew Tanenbaum Sends Open Letter to Intel Over MINIX Drama
We recently reported about MINIX, the hidden Unix-like OS that Intel was secretly shipping in all of their modern processors. This came as a shock to most of us and to MINIX creator Andrew Tanenbaum as well. Although Andrew wasn't completely surprised by the news, since Intel approached him couple years back asking him to make a few changes to the MINIX system. He stated in the open letter that he wasn't looking for economic remuneration, but it would have been nice if Intel had told him about their plans to distribute his operating system in their processors.
Razer Reveals D.Va Inspired Gaming Peripherals for Overwatch Fans
Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the officially licensed D.Va peripheral suite for Overwatch, the record-breaking, team-based game by Blizzard Entertainment, developer and publisher of some of the world's most epic games.
The gamer-inspired set of peripherals emulate the in-game persona of former professional StarCraft II player Hana Song (aka "D.Va"). The line includes D.Va's iconic MEKA headset brought to life as a brand new Razer analog on-ear headset with integrated mic; a tournament-grade D.Va Razer Abyssus Elite gaming mouse; and an esports-preferred D.Va Razer Goliathus Medium Speed mouse mat.
The gamer-inspired set of peripherals emulate the in-game persona of former professional StarCraft II player Hana Song (aka "D.Va"). The line includes D.Va's iconic MEKA headset brought to life as a brand new Razer analog on-ear headset with integrated mic; a tournament-grade D.Va Razer Abyssus Elite gaming mouse; and an esports-preferred D.Va Razer Goliathus Medium Speed mouse mat.
Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE Launches on Steam with 10% Discount
Croteam and Devolver Digital have launched Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE to complete an unbelievable run of premiere VR releases this year including Serious Sam VR and The Talos Principle VR. The VR remaster of Croteam's best-selling shooter is available on Steam with a 10 percent discount for all users plus an additional 10 percent off for users that own the standard Serious Sam 3 [store.steampowered.com/app/567670/].
Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE is a virtual reality action shooter, a glorious throwback to the golden age of first-person with true VR locomotion support, online cooperative mode, and versus deathmatch. Serving as a prequel to the original indie and Game of the Year sensation, Serious Sam: The First Encounter, Serious Sam VR 3: BFE takes place during the Earth's final struggle against Mental's invading legions of beasts and mercenaries.
Serious Sam 3 VR: BFE is a virtual reality action shooter, a glorious throwback to the golden age of first-person with true VR locomotion support, online cooperative mode, and versus deathmatch. Serving as a prequel to the original indie and Game of the Year sensation, Serious Sam: The First Encounter, Serious Sam VR 3: BFE takes place during the Earth's final struggle against Mental's invading legions of beasts and mercenaries.
Need For Speed Payback Now Available Worldwide
Today, Ghost Games and Electronic Arts Inc. announced Need for Speed Payback, one of the world's bestselling video game franchises, is available worldwide on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Origin for PC. With deeper customization, a diverse open world and blockbuster action moments never-before seen in the franchise, Need for Speed Payback delivers an edge-of-your-seat experience that will have players living out their ultimate action driving fantasy.
"Two years ago, we reinvigorated the franchise by listening to what our fans wanted and built a game that returned to the Need for Speed core tenets- fast cars, deep customization, and epic cop chases. With Need for Speed Payback, we've raised the bar by adding Hollywood-style, adrenaline-fueled action, a huge open world, even more customization options, and a narrative that drives gameplay forward," said Executive Producer Marcus Nilsson. "We're excited to deliver a new driving experience that not only delivers everything our players love about the series but also pushes the boundaries of what they've come to expect from the genre."
"Two years ago, we reinvigorated the franchise by listening to what our fans wanted and built a game that returned to the Need for Speed core tenets- fast cars, deep customization, and epic cop chases. With Need for Speed Payback, we've raised the bar by adding Hollywood-style, adrenaline-fueled action, a huge open world, even more customization options, and a narrative that drives gameplay forward," said Executive Producer Marcus Nilsson. "We're excited to deliver a new driving experience that not only delivers everything our players love about the series but also pushes the boundaries of what they've come to expect from the genre."
Samsung Announces New GDDR6 Memory, 8 TB NGSFF SSD
Samsung managed to snag 36 CES 2018 Design and Innovation awards, and the company took to a press release to acknowledge the honors, and shed some light on some of its upcoming products and technologies. Of particular interest to us enthusiasts is the presence of GDDR6 memory, which Samsung says is "(...) The fastest and lowest-power DRAM for next generation, graphics-intensive applications." this new memory is expected to process images and video at 16 Gbps with 64GB/s data I/O bandwidth, which is capable of up to 5 GB/s speeds. Additionally, Samsung said the new DRAM can operate at 1.35 V, offering increased power efficiency over today's graphics memory (which typically requires 1.5 V).
Samsung also announced a NGSFF (Next-Generation Form-Factor) SSD solution, which "dramatically improves the storage capacity and performance of 1U rack servers," which allows for I/O speeds at 0.5 petabytes per second. Measuring only 30.5mm x 110mm x 4.38mm, the drive also improves space utilization and scaling options in hyper-scale datacenter servers.
Samsung also announced a NGSFF (Next-Generation Form-Factor) SSD solution, which "dramatically improves the storage capacity and performance of 1U rack servers," which allows for I/O speeds at 0.5 petabytes per second. Measuring only 30.5mm x 110mm x 4.38mm, the drive also improves space utilization and scaling options in hyper-scale datacenter servers.
Cooler Master Launches New 120, 140 mm RGB Fans, C10L Fan Controller
Cooler Master has quietly added to their product pages three new 120 mm Fan models, and two additional renditions of the same fans in 140 mm size. The new 120 mm fan models all belong to the MasterFan Pro product line, but are available with three different design philosophies according to users' particular needs: there's an AirFlow model, an AirPressure one, and a Air Balanced one. The names are pretty explicit as to the specific use cases easch fan has been designed for. All of these fan models come equipped with a Red, Blue, or RGB toggle built-in, so users get some measure of choice without acquiring the new C10L fan controller the company has also launched. There's also support for ASUS' Aura Sync, MSI's Mystic Light, ASRock's RGB, and Gigabyte's RGB Fusion software suites on select motherboards.
CORSAIR Builds the World's Fastest 32GB 4x8GB DDR4 Memory Kit
CORSAIR, a world leader in PC components high-performance gaming hardware and enthusiast memory, today unveiled its fastest ever kit of dual-channel 32GB DDR4 memory, running at a world-first 4,333MHz.
The new CORSAIR VENGEANCE LPX CMK32GX4M4K4333C19 kit, running in dual-channel on an Asus ROG MAXIMUS X Hero motherboard and alongside an Intel Core i5-8600K CPU, sets a new precedent for 4x8GB 32GB DDR4 speed on the Intel Z370 motherboard platform. Typically, the fastest DDR4 memory kits are limited to low-capacity kits, but with this kit CORSAIR has combined ultra-high frequency, with high capacity, validating in MemTest at an effective frequency of 4,333MHz, a record for this configuration.
Built with hand-sorted and extensively binned Samsung B-die ICs, the kit runs with aggressive CL19-26-26-46 timings at 1.5V and is fully XMP 2.0 compliant, making enabling this record-setting performance as easy as a single BIOS setting.
The new CORSAIR VENGEANCE LPX CMK32GX4M4K4333C19 kit, running in dual-channel on an Asus ROG MAXIMUS X Hero motherboard and alongside an Intel Core i5-8600K CPU, sets a new precedent for 4x8GB 32GB DDR4 speed on the Intel Z370 motherboard platform. Typically, the fastest DDR4 memory kits are limited to low-capacity kits, but with this kit CORSAIR has combined ultra-high frequency, with high capacity, validating in MemTest at an effective frequency of 4,333MHz, a record for this configuration.
Built with hand-sorted and extensively binned Samsung B-die ICs, the kit runs with aggressive CL19-26-26-46 timings at 1.5V and is fully XMP 2.0 compliant, making enabling this record-setting performance as easy as a single BIOS setting.
EA Acquires Titanfall, Titanfall 2 Developer Respawn Entertainment for $455M
Publisher EA has just announced that they are acquiring Titanfall and Titanfall 2 development studio Respawn Entertainment. The deal, which includes cash, equity, and performance milestone payments valued at $455M, will add one more studio to the publisher's wing, just weeks after EA announced the shuttering of Visceral Studios and the end of its single-player, linear, story-driven Star Wars game. EA fought for this acquisition, outbidding South Korean publisher Nexon, who also had their eyes on Respawn.
"We've had success as an independent company but as we look to how we want to compete in the future, and the challenges that face us in a rapidly changing landscape, now is the time for us to combine forces with a global industry leader like EA," said Vince Zampella, Respawn Entertainment's CEO in a blog post on Respawn's website. "EA will provide us with more resources, access to new technologies, and expertise that we can tap into to that will help us make better games, and Respawn will retain the same creative freedom and culture we've always had," he added. "We've been talking closely with the leadership at EA and we share their values and vision for the future of being a developer-focused company that puts the players first."
"We've had success as an independent company but as we look to how we want to compete in the future, and the challenges that face us in a rapidly changing landscape, now is the time for us to combine forces with a global industry leader like EA," said Vince Zampella, Respawn Entertainment's CEO in a blog post on Respawn's website. "EA will provide us with more resources, access to new technologies, and expertise that we can tap into to that will help us make better games, and Respawn will retain the same creative freedom and culture we've always had," he added. "We've been talking closely with the leadership at EA and we share their values and vision for the future of being a developer-focused company that puts the players first."
Mixcder Introduces its Premium MS301 Bluetooth Headphones with AptX
American global audio specialist Mixcder, is today pleased to announce the UK availability of its latest headphone, the MS301. The MS301 wireless headphone is available from Amazon for just £69.99 and offers premium sound and customer service at a truly affordable price.
The Mixcder MS301 headphones are designed and built utilising all of the company's knowledge and experience gained in the audio sector. The headphones feature an aluminium alloy shell with a smooth glossy metal finish on the outer ear cups to avoid unnecessary vibrations. The adjustable headband is made of stainless steel for strong durability and is padded headband for extreme comfort. The headphones are also foldable for easy transportation.
The Mixcder MS301 headphones are designed and built utilising all of the company's knowledge and experience gained in the audio sector. The headphones feature an aluminium alloy shell with a smooth glossy metal finish on the outer ear cups to avoid unnecessary vibrations. The adjustable headband is made of stainless steel for strong durability and is padded headband for extreme comfort. The headphones are also foldable for easy transportation.
NVIDIA Announces Financial Results for Third Quarter Fiscal 2018
NVIDIA today reported record revenue for the third quarter ended October 29, 2017, of $2.64 billion, up 32 percent from $2.00 billion a year earlier, and up 18 percent from $2.23 billion in the previous quarter, with growth across all its platforms.
GAAP earnings per diluted share for the quarter were a record $1.33, up 60 percent from $0.83 a year ago and up 45 percent from $0.92 in the previous quarter. Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $1.33, also a record, up 41 percent from $0.94 a year earlier and up 32 percent from $1.01 in the previous quarter.
"We had a great quarter across all of our growth drivers," said Jensen Huang, founder and chief executive officer of NVIDIA. "Industries across the world are accelerating their adoption of AI.
GAAP earnings per diluted share for the quarter were a record $1.33, up 60 percent from $0.83 a year ago and up 45 percent from $0.92 in the previous quarter. Non-GAAP earnings per diluted share were $1.33, also a record, up 41 percent from $0.94 a year earlier and up 32 percent from $1.01 in the previous quarter.
"We had a great quarter across all of our growth drivers," said Jensen Huang, founder and chief executive officer of NVIDIA. "Industries across the world are accelerating their adoption of AI.
Intel NUC Based on Intel+Vega MCM Leaked
The first product based on Intel's ambitious "Kaby Lake-G" multi-chip module, which combines a quad-core "Kaby Lake-H" die with a graphics die based on AMD "Vega" architecture, will be a NUC (next unit of computing), and likely the spiritual successor to Intel's "Skull Canyon" NUC. The first picture of the motherboard of this NUC was leaked to the web, revealing a board that's only slightly smaller than the mini-ITX form-factor.
The board draws power from an external power brick, and appears to feature two distinct VRM areas for the CPU and GPU components of the "Kaby Lake-G" MCM SoC. The board feature two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots which are populated with dual-channel memory, and an M.2 NVMe slot, holding an SSD. There are two additional SATA 6 Gb/s ports, besides a plethora of other connectivity options.
The board draws power from an external power brick, and appears to feature two distinct VRM areas for the CPU and GPU components of the "Kaby Lake-G" MCM SoC. The board feature two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots which are populated with dual-channel memory, and an M.2 NVMe slot, holding an SSD. There are two additional SATA 6 Gb/s ports, besides a plethora of other connectivity options.
Thursday, November 9th 2017
Today's Reviews
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Motherboards
Mouse
Notebooks
Sound Cards
HAVIT HV-KB390L Keyboard Review
The HAVIT HV-KB390L is a new low profile mechanical keyboard based off the 87-key TKL form factor. It uses Kailh's new Choc PG1350 low profile switches, has an aluminum alloy frame/plate, a lightweight software driver, and customizable backlighting; all at a great price point.
FSP Hydro PTM 750 W Review
The FSP Hydro PTM 750 W is a high-end PSU featuring good overall performance, a silent operation, and a truckload of connectors, including a pair of EPS and six PCIe connectors. This makes it a prime choice for a strong gaming system equipped with an AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPU.
Intel Doubles Capacity of World's Most Responsive Data Center SSD
Today, Intel announced the Intel Optane SSD DC P4800X Series, the world's most responsive data center solid state drive, is now available in a new 750GB capacity in both half-height, half-length add-in card and a hot-swappable 2.5-inch U.2 form factor. Both form factors and capacities will be broadly available this month.
Increased capacity and multiple form factors expand data center implementation options and deliver both solution-level and total cost of ownership flexibility for customers. Intel Optane technology for data centers combines the attributes of memory and storage with low latency, high endurance, outstanding quality of service and high throughput, creating a new data tier that increases scale per server and reduces transaction costs.
Increased capacity and multiple form factors expand data center implementation options and deliver both solution-level and total cost of ownership flexibility for customers. Intel Optane technology for data centers combines the attributes of memory and storage with low latency, high endurance, outstanding quality of service and high throughput, creating a new data tier that increases scale per server and reduces transaction costs.
Which Future Starts with NVIDIA's Titan "Star Wars" Collector's Edition ?
NVIDIA has recently introduced a pair of special edition graphics cards of its fastest consumer GPU available at the moment: the GeForce GTX Titan Xp. The new cards, as you all know, have a Star Wars theme, ahead of the franchise's Episode VIII: The Last Jedi premiere in December. It would appear that these new designs - the Jedi Order and Galactic Empire editions - are simply re-skins of the already existing Titan Xp product, with added Red or Green LED colors according to your particular lean when it comes to The Force.
While these graphics cards certainly look the part - I'd say that the Galactic Empire edition is the better looking of the two, but that's neither here nor there - they likely signal the beginning of a trend. A trend where special edition graphics cards may move in to fill the void left by the absence of new products, while also allowing companies to re-purpose hitherto unsold inventory of a given graphics card.
While these graphics cards certainly look the part - I'd say that the Galactic Empire edition is the better looking of the two, but that's neither here nor there - they likely signal the beginning of a trend. A trend where special edition graphics cards may move in to fill the void left by the absence of new products, while also allowing companies to re-purpose hitherto unsold inventory of a given graphics card.
Intel Discontinues Broadwell-E Processors
All things must come to an end, and Intel has decided that it's time to retire their Broadwell-E line of processors. The Broadwell-E family is comprised of four models: the Intel Core i7-6800K, 6850K, 6900K and 6950X. According to the Product Change Notification (PCN) document, Intel is still accepting orders until May 25, 2018, while the last shipment is scheduled for November 9 of the same year. So, there is still sufficient time left for those who plan to acquire one of the aforementioned models. However, we don't see any reason to do so now considering that there are far better options on the market.
Broadwell-E processors debuted last year and were received with mixed reactions. With just one year under their belt, they were eventually replaced by the more powerful Skylake-X models. Intel is probably getting rid of their unsold inventory of Broadwell-E models. Who knows? Maybe we'll even see some price cuts in the not-so-near future.
Broadwell-E processors debuted last year and were received with mixed reactions. With just one year under their belt, they were eventually replaced by the more powerful Skylake-X models. Intel is probably getting rid of their unsold inventory of Broadwell-E models. Who knows? Maybe we'll even see some price cuts in the not-so-near future.
The eGFX Breakaway Puck Turns Your Ordinary Laptop Into a High-End Gaming PC
Sonnet Technologies today introduced an all-new paradigm in Thunderbolt connected external GPU (eGPU) devices with the eGFX Breakaway Puck, an extremely portable, high-performance, all-in-one eGPU for Thunderbolt 3 computers that delivers accelerated graphics, and provides multidisplay connectivity leveraging AMD's Eyefinity technology. With a Puck connected, a user's computer can deliver dramatically accelerated frame rates in popular graphics-intensive games, and boosted GPU acceleration for pro video applications anytime and anywhere it is needed.
Sonnet will offer two Puck models, the eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 560 and eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 570, enabling users to select the device best suited to their needs. Each Puck model measures a mere 6 inches wide by 5.1 inches deep by 2 inches tall; features one Thunderbolt 3 port, three DisplayPort ports and one HDMI port; and supports up to four 4K displays in multimonitor mode.
Sonnet will offer two Puck models, the eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 560 and eGFX Breakaway Puck Radeon RX 570, enabling users to select the device best suited to their needs. Each Puck model measures a mere 6 inches wide by 5.1 inches deep by 2 inches tall; features one Thunderbolt 3 port, three DisplayPort ports and one HDMI port; and supports up to four 4K displays in multimonitor mode.
Qualcomm Starts Shipping 48-Core Centriq 2400 Processors
At a press conference held today in San Jose, Calif., Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), officially announced commercial shipment of the world's first and only 10 nanometer server processor series: the Qualcomm Centriq 2400 processor family. The Qualcomm Centriq 2400 processor family is the first high-performance Arm-based processor series designed to offer groundbreaking throughput performance for cloud workloads running in today's datacenters. Purpose built for cloud, the Qualcomm Centriq 2400 server processor family delivers exceptional performance-per-watt and performance-per dollar.
"Today's announcement is an important achievement and the culmination of more than four years of intense design, development and ecosystem enablement effort," said Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager, Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies, Inc. "We have designed the most advanced Arm-based server processor in the world that delivers high performance coupled with the highest energy efficiency, enabling our customers to realize significant cost savings."
"Today's announcement is an important achievement and the culmination of more than four years of intense design, development and ecosystem enablement effort," said Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager, Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies, Inc. "We have designed the most advanced Arm-based server processor in the world that delivers high performance coupled with the highest energy efficiency, enabling our customers to realize significant cost savings."
Compulab Launches Miniature Fitlet2 PC with Apollo Lake CPU For $153
Compulab announces immediate availability of fitlet2. Based on Intel Atom x7-E3950 Processor (Apollo-Lake) with up to 16 GB RAM and storage options ranging from eMMC to 2.5" SSD, fitlet2 is one of the most versatile miniature PCs for IoT. fitlet2 functionality can be further extended with Compulab 2nd generation Function and Connectivity Extension T-Cards (FACET Cards). Like all other Compulab mini-PCs, fitlet2 is completely fanless, available at wide temperature range and is sold with 5 year warranty.
Miniature fanless design
fitlet2 measures only 112 mm by 84 mm, making it one of the smallest full-featured PCs on the market. An all-metal die-cast housing is used for fanless passive heat dissipation. There are several optional versions of the housing including low-profile 25mm and an industrial top cover for direct-mounting.
Miniature fanless design
fitlet2 measures only 112 mm by 84 mm, making it one of the smallest full-featured PCs on the market. An all-metal die-cast housing is used for fanless passive heat dissipation. There are several optional versions of the housing including low-profile 25mm and an industrial top cover for direct-mounting.
Asetek Announces Acer as New Data Center OEM Partner
Asetek today announced Acer as a new data center OEM partner. Acer will incorporate Asetek liquid cooling technology into its Altos dual Skylake high performance servers (W2200h-W670h F4). Asetek will be displaying an example of an Acer server with liquid cooling at its booth (#1625) at SC17 in Denver, CO November 13-16th, 2017.
"Given their engineering and design expertise, we are pleased to have been selected by Acer as they incorporate liquid cooling into their next generation of high density and high wattage server designs," said John Hamill, Asetek Chief Operating Officer. "Partnerships with OEMs such as Acer are a key component of our strategy to develop the emerging data center market."
"Given their engineering and design expertise, we are pleased to have been selected by Acer as they incorporate liquid cooling into their next generation of high density and high wattage server designs," said John Hamill, Asetek Chief Operating Officer. "Partnerships with OEMs such as Acer are a key component of our strategy to develop the emerging data center market."
ECS Intros Liva Q, its Smallest 4K Capable Mini PC
Elitegroup Computer System (ECS), the global leading motherboard, Mini-PC, Notebooks and mobile device manufacturer, is proud to announce the new LIVA Q, pocket-sized mini-pc featuring Intel Apollo Lake SOC processors, along with 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC storage and HDMI 2.0; this little monster is capable of handling 4K content playback with ease.
The new LIVA Q pocket-sized mini-pc allows you to stay connected with dual network options, a standard RJ45 LAN connector for more stabilized connection and 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.1 for wireless connections. There's also a MicroSD card slot that support up to 128GB memory cards for those who seeks more storage and x2 USB slots for peripherals.
The new LIVA Q pocket-sized mini-pc allows you to stay connected with dual network options, a standard RJ45 LAN connector for more stabilized connection and 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.1 for wireless connections. There's also a MicroSD card slot that support up to 128GB memory cards for those who seeks more storage and x2 USB slots for peripherals.
EK Launches Giganormous 420mm and 560mm CoolStream Slim Radiators
Following the recent release of EK-CoolStream SE 140 and EK-CoolStream SE 280 slim radiators, EK Water Blocks the market leader in high-end liquid cooling for PC products is releasing two new slim radiators. EK-CoolStream SE 420 and EK-CoolStream SE 560 will complete the slim radiator lineup in the 140mm fan format where high-performance and high-compatibility thin radiators are needed. With case manufacturers putting more and more emphasis on the 140mm fan form factor, these new CoolStream SE radiators will surely set an example in their category.
While most radiators on the market overhang on the side, and are actually bigger than the fans they use, these two new radiators are champions of compatibility in their class. Measuring exactly 140mm in width (the same as the classic 140mm fan) and being only 28mm thick, they will surely fit where some other radiators can't.
While most radiators on the market overhang on the side, and are actually bigger than the fans they use, these two new radiators are champions of compatibility in their class. Measuring exactly 140mm in width (the same as the classic 140mm fan) and being only 28mm thick, they will surely fit where some other radiators can't.
WDC Announces Successful Repricing of $2.963 Billion of USD Term B Loans
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) ("Western Digital" or the "company") today announced that it has successfully priced $2.963 billion of new U.S. dollar-denominated term B-3 loans at an interest rate of LIBOR + 2.00%, which priced 75 basis points lower than its previous term B-2 loans issued in March 2017.
This new financing marks the company's third successful repricing of U.S. dollar-denominated term B loans since issuing its original term B loans in connection with its acquisition of SanDisk Corporation in May 2016. In connection with this transaction, Western Digital settled the previous U.S. dollar-denominated term B-2 loans with the proceeds of this new loan. The new financing is expected to generate annual cash interest savings of approximately $22 million beginning on Nov. 8, 2017, resulting from the 75 basis point reduction in interest spread.
The new term loans have the same remaining tenor as the previous U.S. dollar-denominated term B loans and mature on April 29, 2023.
This new financing marks the company's third successful repricing of U.S. dollar-denominated term B loans since issuing its original term B loans in connection with its acquisition of SanDisk Corporation in May 2016. In connection with this transaction, Western Digital settled the previous U.S. dollar-denominated term B-2 loans with the proceeds of this new loan. The new financing is expected to generate annual cash interest savings of approximately $22 million beginning on Nov. 8, 2017, resulting from the 75 basis point reduction in interest spread.
The new term loans have the same remaining tenor as the previous U.S. dollar-denominated term B loans and mature on April 29, 2023.
Silicon Power Announces the Metal Portable Hard Drive Armor A75
Silicon Power adds to its Armor series with the A75, a slim portable hard drive encased in aviation-grade aluminum. By wrapping the A75 in a 1.22m drop tested aluminum casing, it is the world's thinnest in this category and is revolutionizing PHD construction as we know it. Silicon Power's Armor series continues its legacy of safe and durable data storage in the A75, while showing off its appealing and aircraft inspired design.
Available in 1 and 2 terabyte options, the A75 is shockproof up to 1.22m (MIL-STD 810G 516.7 Procedure IV transit drop test), and is made with lightweight materials. It's both temperature and impact-resistant. The stylish yet rugged ridges strengthen the drive's structure which reduces impact and scratch damage, making it ready for any accidental blow, any time.
Available in 1 and 2 terabyte options, the A75 is shockproof up to 1.22m (MIL-STD 810G 516.7 Procedure IV transit drop test), and is made with lightweight materials. It's both temperature and impact-resistant. The stylish yet rugged ridges strengthen the drive's structure which reduces impact and scratch damage, making it ready for any accidental blow, any time.
Wednesday, November 8th 2017
Today's Reviews
Accessories
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Motherboards
Mouse
Processors
Fractal Design Celsius S24 Review
Fractal Design continues their tradition of expandable all-in-one liquid coolers with the Celsius S24. Bucking the RGB trend, they have instead gone for a more professional and sleek design that offers usable features instead of flashy LEDs. With good performance and noise levels, it manages to stands out in a crowded market.
Cryptojacking: Over 2,500 Websites Out There to Steal Your CPU Time
Cryptojacking is a new phenomenon, which was popularized by ThePirateBay embedding its website with a Javascript-based crypto-currency miner. It quickly sprung up the debate on whether crypto-currency miners hidden into web-pages could become the revenue model of the future, replacing online advertising or paid subscriptions. Some commentators argue that it's fine as long as users are made sufficiently aware that a website is embedding a miner, and is presented with a choice between ads and the miner. Others were steadfast against the idea as heavy Internet browsing (across multiple tabs), could bring down computers to a crawl, and have a more than tangible impact on electricity bills.
According to an ArsTechnica report, there could be at least 2,500 websites out there, with embedded crypto-currency miners that are hidden from the users. Willem de Groot, an independent cybersecurity researcher told the publication that he estimates JS miners may have proliferated to 2,496 websites, and its adoption is on the rise. Some dishonest websites embed miners as a revenue source in addition to ads and sponsored content. At the heart of the controversy is Coinhive. This company sells easy-to-integrate crypto-currency miners that can be embedded into websites as a revenue source. The company is on a marketing overdrive, writing to siteops and bloggers to spread their miners.
According to an ArsTechnica report, there could be at least 2,500 websites out there, with embedded crypto-currency miners that are hidden from the users. Willem de Groot, an independent cybersecurity researcher told the publication that he estimates JS miners may have proliferated to 2,496 websites, and its adoption is on the rise. Some dishonest websites embed miners as a revenue source in addition to ads and sponsored content. At the heart of the controversy is Coinhive. This company sells easy-to-integrate crypto-currency miners that can be embedded into websites as a revenue source. The company is on a marketing overdrive, writing to siteops and bloggers to spread their miners.
Intel Hires Raja Koduri, to Develop Discrete GPUs, This Time for Real
Intel hired Raja Koduri, who resigned as head of AMD's Radeon Technologies Group (RTG), earlier this week. Koduri has been made Senior Vice President and Chief Architect of Intel's future discrete GPUs. That's right, Intel has renewed its dreams to power high-end graphics cards that compete with AMD and NVIDIA. Intel's last attempt at a discrete GPU was "Larrabee," which evolved into a super-scalar multi-core processor for HPC applications under the Xeon Phi line.
This development heralds two major theories. One, that Intel's collaboration with AMD RTG on graphics IP could only go further from here, and what is a multi-chip module of Intel and AMD IP now, could in the future become a true heterogeneous die of Intel's and AMD's IP. Two, that the consolidation of AMD's graphics assets and IP into a monolithic entity as RTG, could make it easier to sell it lock, stock, and barrel, possibly to Intel.
This development heralds two major theories. One, that Intel's collaboration with AMD RTG on graphics IP could only go further from here, and what is a multi-chip module of Intel and AMD IP now, could in the future become a true heterogeneous die of Intel's and AMD's IP. Two, that the consolidation of AMD's graphics assets and IP into a monolithic entity as RTG, could make it easier to sell it lock, stock, and barrel, possibly to Intel.
PNY Showcased Their Impressive PREVAILPRO Mobile Workstation with Quadro P4000
At GTC DC 2017, PNY Technologies showcased the PREVAILPRO P4000 Mobile Workstation which premiered last month at SIGGRAPH and received great reviews from customers, partners and the media. With their NVIDIA Max-Q design (P4000), these innovative systems are designed from the Quadro GPU out, to deliver capabilities, compute performance, spectacular simultaneous 4K four-display screen real estate, and immersive VR, to drive next generation digital workflows for design, visualization, and Virtual Reality, from any location.
"Despite ever increasing mobility, creative professionals require workstation class performance and features from their mobile laptops to accomplish their best work, from any location," says Bob Pette, Vice President, NVIDIA Professional Visualization. "With our new Max-Q design and powered by Quadro P4000 and P3000 mobile GPUs, PNY's new PREVAILPRO lineup offers incredibly light and thin, no compromise, powerful and versatile mobile workstations."
"Despite ever increasing mobility, creative professionals require workstation class performance and features from their mobile laptops to accomplish their best work, from any location," says Bob Pette, Vice President, NVIDIA Professional Visualization. "With our new Max-Q design and powered by Quadro P4000 and P3000 mobile GPUs, PNY's new PREVAILPRO lineup offers incredibly light and thin, no compromise, powerful and versatile mobile workstations."
Futuremark Celebrates Newegg Partnership with Huge Discounts - $5 for 3DMark
Futuremark, the developer of the world's most widely used benchmarking software, today announced a new partnership with Newegg, the leading tech-focused e-retailer in North America. The partnership sees Newegg complement its comprehensive selection of PC components and complete systems with Futuremark's popular 3DMark, VRMark and PCMark 10 benchmarks. It's a winning combination: everything you need to build and benchmark a new PC in one place.
Newegg has long been the preferred destination for tech-savvy PC users when buying or building a new PC or upgrading individual components. Futuremark benchmark tests have helped millions of people test, compare and understand PC performance. Now for the first time, PC enthusiasts can buy Futuremark benchmarks from the same place they buy their components and accessories.
Newegg has long been the preferred destination for tech-savvy PC users when buying or building a new PC or upgrading individual components. Futuremark benchmark tests have helped millions of people test, compare and understand PC performance. Now for the first time, PC enthusiasts can buy Futuremark benchmarks from the same place they buy their components and accessories.
TPCAST Wireless VR Adapter Up for Preorder at $299
TPCAST, the first to market a wireless Virtual Reality (VR) solution for Head-Mounted Display (HMD) announces the launch of its Consumer Edition Wireless VR Adapter supporting the HTC VIVE. The TPCAST adapter will be available for pre-order through the primary web and retail stores throughout the US and Canada.
The TPCAST wireless adapter is a breakthrough in the field of VR, solving one of the most significant physical obstacles - the cumbersome wiring between the PC and the headset. The wireless adapter is a small device attached to the top of the Vive HMD replacing the cables connecting the PC video and USB to the headset. The adapter provides users an immersive VR experience including full-range motion capabilities without any impact on video quality and resolution. The adapter works perfectly with graphics intensive applications and with user extreme movement, without adding delay or affecting the experience quality. The Adapter includes a battery that powers the HMD, allowing up to 5 hours of operation.
The TPCAST wireless adapter is a breakthrough in the field of VR, solving one of the most significant physical obstacles - the cumbersome wiring between the PC and the headset. The wireless adapter is a small device attached to the top of the Vive HMD replacing the cables connecting the PC video and USB to the headset. The adapter provides users an immersive VR experience including full-range motion capabilities without any impact on video quality and resolution. The adapter works perfectly with graphics intensive applications and with user extreme movement, without adding delay or affecting the experience quality. The Adapter includes a battery that powers the HMD, allowing up to 5 hours of operation.
Logitech Tells Harmony Link Owners to Bid Their Devices Goodbye (Updated)
The Harmony Link, a device that made its introduction back in 2011, basically turns your iPad, iPhone, or Android smartphone into a remote control. With the help of the corresponding Logitech app, users can control up to eight different home theater devices scattered around the house. Harmony Link owners probably woke up today to some very disgusting news. In a short email sent by Logitech to their customers, the company announced its plan to drop support for the device completely in March 16, 2018. This is outright wrong considering customers bought the Harmony Link as a device and not a subscription service.
There's no other way around it though. Many Harmony Link devices are likely to end up in the garbage bin come March of next year. Logitech is currently offering a 35% discount on the new Harmony Hub to soften the blow. However, we doubt their customers will return given the mistreatment. Besides, there's no guarantee that this won't happen again when the company decides to replace the Harmony Hub with the next best thing.
There's no other way around it though. Many Harmony Link devices are likely to end up in the garbage bin come March of next year. Logitech is currently offering a 35% discount on the new Harmony Hub to soften the blow. However, we doubt their customers will return given the mistreatment. Besides, there's no guarantee that this won't happen again when the company decides to replace the Harmony Hub with the next best thing.
Nioh: Complete Edition Now Available on Steam for $49.99
Today KOEI TECMO America announced the highly-anticipated return of the blond-haired swordsman with the release of Nioh: Complete Edition on Windows PC via Steam. Following the critically-acclaimed console debut earlier in 2017, Team NINJAs dark fantasy action-RPG re-emerges from the shadows, jam-packed with hours of additional DLC and new secrets to reveal, on an all new platform. As a special thank you to adventurers, the studio is offering the brand-new Dharmachakra Kabuto helmet as an exclusive piece of free content redeemable through the game. Nioh: Complete Edition is currently available for Windows PC via Steam for the price of $49.99.
Nioh: Complete Edition includes all three DLC expansions: Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor and Bloodshed's End - adding even more challenges and assorted ways to play, and die! With this edition, players will have access to all seven weapon types, ninjutsu and onmyo magics from the beginning, while progressing through the main story will eventually unlock features like the Dual Guardian Spirit.
Nioh: Complete Edition includes all three DLC expansions: Dragon of the North, Defiant Honor and Bloodshed's End - adding even more challenges and assorted ways to play, and die! With this edition, players will have access to all seven weapon types, ninjutsu and onmyo magics from the beginning, while progressing through the main story will eventually unlock features like the Dual Guardian Spirit.
OFM Launches New RESPAWN Line of Gaming Chairs
OFM, a leading workplace furniture company, today announced the launch of a new gaming furniture brand, RESPAWN. With decades of experience in ergonomics, OFM created RESPAWN to deliver quality, accessible gaming furniture without sacrificing comfort or performance. The first RESPAWN products to market are a lineup of eight race car-style PC gaming chairs that are designed to suit a range of gamers' needs, including a range of adjustable seat depth, tilt, and arms, ergonomic comfort, and a variety of personalized colors and materials selection.
"Gamers have specific ergonomic and aesthetic needs that aren't met by standard office chairs, and many of the seating options out there are outrageously priced or offer features that don't provide comfort in a stylish way," said Blake Zalcberg, CEO of OFM, Inc. "We knew that there was a need in the market that we could fulfill based on our 20 years of experience at OFM, and decided to create the RESPAWN brand. RESPAWN delivers an affordable and durable product designed specifically for gamers."
"Gamers have specific ergonomic and aesthetic needs that aren't met by standard office chairs, and many of the seating options out there are outrageously priced or offer features that don't provide comfort in a stylish way," said Blake Zalcberg, CEO of OFM, Inc. "We knew that there was a need in the market that we could fulfill based on our 20 years of experience at OFM, and decided to create the RESPAWN brand. RESPAWN delivers an affordable and durable product designed specifically for gamers."
Call of Duty: WWII Scores Over Half a Billion Dollar Opening Weekend
Activision's Call of Duty: WWII has surpassed more than $500 million in sell-through worldwide in its first three days of release, topping popular theatrical box office openings Thor: Ragnarok and Wonder Woman combined, according to company estimates. On PlayStation4, Call of Duty: WWII set a record as the best-selling digital full game by units sold on its first day of availability. Overall unit sales at launch doubled year-over-year globally.
The gripping, personal narrative, boots-on-the-ground multiplayer and terrifying Nazi Zombies mode attracted players worldwide resulting in the highest total connected users on current generation consoles and PC in Call of Duty history. "We challenged our players to get their squads back together and they answered the call, with the highest number of players we've ever seen on current gen consoles and PC," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision.
The gripping, personal narrative, boots-on-the-ground multiplayer and terrifying Nazi Zombies mode attracted players worldwide resulting in the highest total connected users on current generation consoles and PC in Call of Duty history. "We challenged our players to get their squads back together and they answered the call, with the highest number of players we've ever seen on current gen consoles and PC," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision.
BioWare Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary of Mass Effect with #ten7 Event
BioWare today is reflecting on both the story and history of the Mass Effect franchise, through an event entitled #ten7. Fire-started by the celebration of ten years since release of the original Mass Effect, BioWare's celebration includes a throwback trailer, an invite for users to perusal The Archive with their in-game choices, and a suite of streaming events for all of the franchise entries, from the original Mass Effect all the way to the latest Mass Effect: Andromeda.
While this celebration of BioWare's IP accomplishments is a welcome sight, it doesn't exactly put to rest fears of an "iced" IP, which has been reported to be the case regarding the Mass Effect franchise. It's a shame that a publisher's pressures towards meeting launch deadlines sometimes goes ahead even at the cost of final product quality. Mass Effect: Andromeda is a perfect example of a good game that died, through massive effect, by word of mouth and a thousand cuts. Let's see where the future takes us in this universe, though I for one am eagerly awaiting for a new installment in this sci-fi setting. You can head over to the source link and scroll to the bottom of the page to take a look at a uber-resolution collage of what BioWare considers the Mass Effect franchise's best moments. You can also check out a 7-minute video, after the break.
While this celebration of BioWare's IP accomplishments is a welcome sight, it doesn't exactly put to rest fears of an "iced" IP, which has been reported to be the case regarding the Mass Effect franchise. It's a shame that a publisher's pressures towards meeting launch deadlines sometimes goes ahead even at the cost of final product quality. Mass Effect: Andromeda is a perfect example of a good game that died, through massive effect, by word of mouth and a thousand cuts. Let's see where the future takes us in this universe, though I for one am eagerly awaiting for a new installment in this sci-fi setting. You can head over to the source link and scroll to the bottom of the page to take a look at a uber-resolution collage of what BioWare considers the Mass Effect franchise's best moments. You can also check out a 7-minute video, after the break.
Ubisoft's Microtransactions Surpass Digital Games Sales in Earnings
Ubisoft has announced on its latest Q2 financials that earnings from microtransactions have exceeded proceeds from digital game sales. Digital revenue increased by a very respectable 69%, but Ubisoft says that Player Recurring Investment (PRI), or the sale of in-game items, DLC, season passes, and subscriptions, increased by a staggering 83% year-over-year, being responsible for €175 million (~$202.6 million) earned during the first two quarters of the year. This amounts to a cool 51% of total digital income, which means that actual digital games sales earned less than DLCs and microtransactions.
Total sales across both Q1 and Q2 came in at €466.2 million (~$539.9 million), up 60% year-over-year, but that's hardly the key point to this story. The key point here is that while a company that heavily focuses on linear, story-driven, single player games has just announced a 25% reduction in its workforce, Ubisoft has just announced tremendous games seemingly on the back of microtransactions and DLC, or, as the company puts it, Player Recurring Investment. We can say what we will regarding the chronicle of an announced death for story-driven single player games, but one fact remains: players love microtransactions, even as there's a universal understanding of loathing towards them.
Total sales across both Q1 and Q2 came in at €466.2 million (~$539.9 million), up 60% year-over-year, but that's hardly the key point to this story. The key point here is that while a company that heavily focuses on linear, story-driven, single player games has just announced a 25% reduction in its workforce, Ubisoft has just announced tremendous games seemingly on the back of microtransactions and DLC, or, as the company puts it, Player Recurring Investment. We can say what we will regarding the chronicle of an announced death for story-driven single player games, but one fact remains: players love microtransactions, even as there's a universal understanding of loathing towards them.
Telltale Games Restructuring, Letting go of 90 Staff Members
Telltale Games, best known for its episodic series of videogames focused on single-player experiences, has announced a restructuring within its organization. The move, which aims to "make the company more competitive as a developer and publisher of groundbreaking story-driven gaming experiences with an emphasis on high quality in the years ahead," will see the laying off of 90 staff members (around 25% of its workforce,) effective immediately. Luckily for us gamers, it appears that the restructuring won't affect any previously announced projects, which include a second season for breakout game The Wolf Among Us.
"Our industry has shifted in tremendous ways over the past few years. The realities of the environment we face moving forward demand we evolve, as well, reorienting our organization with a focus on delivering fewer, better games with a smaller team," said Telltale Games CEO Pete Hawley. "I'd like to express our respect for all the contributions that these incredibly talented artists, storytellers and more have made to this company, and that this decision is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of their work, " he added. "We have made available our full career assistance services to help our affected colleagues and friends - and their families - navigate this difficult transition as quickly as possible."
"Our industry has shifted in tremendous ways over the past few years. The realities of the environment we face moving forward demand we evolve, as well, reorienting our organization with a focus on delivering fewer, better games with a smaller team," said Telltale Games CEO Pete Hawley. "I'd like to express our respect for all the contributions that these incredibly talented artists, storytellers and more have made to this company, and that this decision is in no way a reflection on the quality or dedication of their work, " he added. "We have made available our full career assistance services to help our affected colleagues and friends - and their families - navigate this difficult transition as quickly as possible."
CRYORIG Enters Case Market With the Taku Monitor Stand ITX Case
After first announcing the Taku in Computex 2016, PC Cooling and peripherals innovator CRYORIG is releasing the Taku PC monitor stand ITX case. The Taku has been in development for over 2 Years in house, with over 1 year of co-development with manufacturing partner Lian Li. The Taku is finally releasing after a brief appearance on Kickstart during the Summer. Although unsuccessful as a Kickstarter project the Taku gained enough popularity and initial backers for CRYORIG to continue developing the Taku and push for a product launch. The Taku will first be released in the USA, Japan and Taiwan beginning in December. All original Kickstarter backers will be given the option to pre-order and are guaranteed to receive a unit before the end of December including a free CRYORIG C7.
The Taku is a hybrid between a PC Monitor Stand and a high-end ITX form factor PC case. The benefit of this design is that the monitor, keyboard and the full PC system is arranged vertically on top of each other. Meaning the total footprint is lowered, and valuable desk space is made available. The Taku is compatible with GPU's up to 280 mm, ITX form factor mainboards, SFX or SFX-L power supplies, fully capable of housing a high-end Gaming PC. Taku's storage space is also well taken care of. The Taku can also fit 1x 3.5" HDD, two 2.5" SSD/HDD.
The Taku is a hybrid between a PC Monitor Stand and a high-end ITX form factor PC case. The benefit of this design is that the monitor, keyboard and the full PC system is arranged vertically on top of each other. Meaning the total footprint is lowered, and valuable desk space is made available. The Taku is compatible with GPU's up to 280 mm, ITX form factor mainboards, SFX or SFX-L power supplies, fully capable of housing a high-end Gaming PC. Taku's storage space is also well taken care of. The Taku can also fit 1x 3.5" HDD, two 2.5" SSD/HDD.
Latest Intel Graphics Driver Enables Netflix HDR
Intel today released its latest Graphics Driver for Windows (GDW). Version 15.60 WHQL (15.60.0.4849), which is applicable for integrated graphics embedded into 6th generation "Skylake," 7th generation "Kaby Lake," and 8th generation "Coffee Lake" processors. The drivers are WDDM 2.3 compliant (Windows 10 Fall Creators Update), and add support for Netflix HDR and YouTube HDR on Windows 10. The drivers also add support for 10-bpc (1.07 billion colors) displays over HDMI, and adds video decode hardware acceleration for several formats introduced after DirectX 12.
For those with beefier Iris Pro graphics, Intel GDW 15.60 adds optimization for "Middle-earth: Shadow of War," "Pro Evolution Soccer 2018," "Call of Duty: WWII," "Destiny 2," and "Divinity: Original Sin." As a WDDM 2.3 compliant driver, version 15.60 enables Windows Mixed Reality headsets plugged into the integrated graphics connectors. Download the driver from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: Intel Graphics Driver for Windows 15.60
For those with beefier Iris Pro graphics, Intel GDW 15.60 adds optimization for "Middle-earth: Shadow of War," "Pro Evolution Soccer 2018," "Call of Duty: WWII," "Destiny 2," and "Divinity: Original Sin." As a WDDM 2.3 compliant driver, version 15.60 enables Windows Mixed Reality headsets plugged into the integrated graphics connectors. Download the driver from the link below.
Tuesday, November 7th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Motherboards
Cougar Revenger Review
The Cougar Revenger is Cougar's upgrade from the Cougar 550m. We take a closer look at the mouse, which promises to deliver top-notch performance at a friendly price. Thanks to the PixArt PMW3360 sensor, tracking is perfect, with sensitivity adjustable from 100 to 12,000 DPI.
XSPC RayStorm Neo CPU Water Block Review
The RayStorm Neo is XSPC taking their flagship RayStorm Pro block and applying a new look to it. Featuring a polished acrylic top, chrome-plated aluminum brackets, and included RGB LEDs with controller, the Neo offers an option to those who want more than a matte/metal top block. Add in a precise installation mechanism and good performance alike and this is a block well worthy of consideration in the sub-$80 market.
AMD Confirms Raja Koduri's Departure, CEO Lisa Su Interim RTG Head
AMD late Tuesday confirmed the departure of Raja Koduri as head of the company's Radeon Technologies Group (RTG). Koduri had been on a "sabbatical" since September. Company CEO Lisa Su, who has been directly heading RTG, will continue to do so, until a replacement is found. AMD in its statement confirming Koduri's departure, assured all concerned (particularly investors), that there will be no change in the group's plans and the strategic direction in which it's heading.
"Earlier today, we announced two unrelated updates for our Radeon Technologies Group: 1) Raja Koduri has decided to leave AMD and 2) we are taking the next steps in our work to strengthen RTG by further focusing the organization on key growth areas," said Drew Prairie from corporate communications at AMD. "I wanted to also make sure you understood these updates do not impact our plans or the strategic direction we are driving our graphics business," he continued.
"Earlier today, we announced two unrelated updates for our Radeon Technologies Group: 1) Raja Koduri has decided to leave AMD and 2) we are taking the next steps in our work to strengthen RTG by further focusing the organization on key growth areas," said Drew Prairie from corporate communications at AMD. "I wanted to also make sure you understood these updates do not impact our plans or the strategic direction we are driving our graphics business," he continued.
Colorful Intros Unique C.J1900A-BTC PLUS V20 Mining Motherboard
Colorful today introduced the uniquely designed C.J1900A-BTC PLUS V20 motherboard for mining rigs. This odd-ball form-factor board is designed for makeshift racks, and removes the need for PCIe riser cables. The board itself is a large PCB with nine PCI-Express x16 slots with 1-slot spacing, of which eight can be used for installing your mining graphics cards (x1 wiring), while the slot on the middle (blue), isn't really a PCI-Express slot.
The blue slot has custom wiring for the business end of the motherboard, a riser card which houses the Celeron J1900 SoC, a DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, an mSATA 6 Gb/s slot for your SSD, and the board's main connectivity, which includes two USB 2.0 ports, two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, and an HDMI display output. If you have trouble finding an mSATA SSD in 2017, there's also a standard SATA 6 Gb/s port. The riser draws power from a 4-pin ATX input. The main PCB has eight 6-pin PCIe power inputs, which wire out to 6-pin PCIe outputs near each black slot. This is more of a cable-management feature, smaller (20 cm long) male-to-male 6-pin PCIe cables connect the outputs to the graphics cards.
The blue slot has custom wiring for the business end of the motherboard, a riser card which houses the Celeron J1900 SoC, a DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, an mSATA 6 Gb/s slot for your SSD, and the board's main connectivity, which includes two USB 2.0 ports, two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, and an HDMI display output. If you have trouble finding an mSATA SSD in 2017, there's also a standard SATA 6 Gb/s port. The riser draws power from a 4-pin ATX input. The main PCB has eight 6-pin PCIe power inputs, which wire out to 6-pin PCIe outputs near each black slot. This is more of a cable-management feature, smaller (20 cm long) male-to-male 6-pin PCIe cables connect the outputs to the graphics cards.
AMD Radeon Boss Raja Koduri Jumps Ship
As we reported back in September, Raja Koduri took a sabbatical leave from AMD's Radeon Technologies Group (RTG) to find himself. AMD CEO Lisa Su was left in charge during this time as Raja wasn't expected to return until December. However, our friends over at Hexus got their hands on a memo that Raja left to this team revealing his intentions to leave the company for good.
Acer Prepares Aspire A615-51G with i7-8550U and GeForce MX150 for January Launch
Acer's new Aspire A615-51G laptop is set to launch on January 8th. The A615-51G is 19.95 mm thick and sports a sleek and sturdy all-metal body. The IPS display measures 15.6 inches and has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. There are two models planned so far. The standard model comes with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor and a 256GB SSD, while the higher-end model features the more powerful Intel Core i7-8550U processor, 128GB SSD, and a 1TB HDD for additional storage.
However, the two models do have some characteristics in common. Both will come with 8GB of RAM and employ NVIDIA's GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2GB GDDR5 memory. The standard model will cost $825 approximately, and the high-end model will set you back $1000.
However, the two models do have some characteristics in common. Both will come with 8GB of RAM and employ NVIDIA's GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2GB GDDR5 memory. The standard model will cost $825 approximately, and the high-end model will set you back $1000.
Ubisoft Giving Away Free PC Copies of Watch Dogs
If you've always wanted to play Watch Dogs but didn't feel like buying it, your prayers have been answered. Ubisoft is feeling festive for the holidays and decided to give away free copies of the game. The offer is valid for the PC version and runs from November 7, 2017 7:00 AM to November 13, 2017 10:00 AM. To claim your copy, go to this page and sign in with your Ubisoft account. The game will be added to your library. Enjoy the freebie!
Intel Xeon Scalable Processors Supercharge Amazon Web Services
Intel Xeon Scalable processors are deployed by today's cloud service providers to deliver disruptive performance efficiency across a diverse range of cloud workloads. Today, Intel announced Amazon Web Services' (AWS) public cloud customers can now harness the workload-optimized performance that the Intel Xeon Scalable platform delivers in Amazon's latest cloud instance. Available now, the Amazon EC2 C5 instances are AWS' latest generation, most powerful compute-optimized instances with the best price-to-compute performance.
Intel Xeon Scalable processors are highly agile, high-performance compute engines that allow public cloud environments to seamlessly transition among general purpose compute, high-performance computing (HPC) and AI/deep learning compute. This agility provides public cloud users a wide range of options for their target workloads. Intel Xeon Scalable processors are uniquely architected for today's evolving cloud data center infrastructure, offering energy efficiency and system-level performance that average 1.65x higher performance over the prior generation Xeon processors.
Intel Xeon Scalable processors are highly agile, high-performance compute engines that allow public cloud environments to seamlessly transition among general purpose compute, high-performance computing (HPC) and AI/deep learning compute. This agility provides public cloud users a wide range of options for their target workloads. Intel Xeon Scalable processors are uniquely architected for today's evolving cloud data center infrastructure, offering energy efficiency and system-level performance that average 1.65x higher performance over the prior generation Xeon processors.
Molex Introduces New Micro-Fit 3.0 Connectors
Molex's Micro-Fit 3.0 Connector Systems, available in multiple circuit sizes and cable lengths for power applications, offer a 3.00mm pitch, a 10.0A maximum current rating and many design options such as a terminal position assurance, blind-mating and compliant pin features. The Molex's Micro-Fit Connector Family offers 10.0A with a 3.00mm pitch, delivering power in a compact package in wire-to-wire and wire-to-board configurations. OEMs often need power connectors in space-constrained applications.
Micro-Fit 3.0 BMI Connectors are designed for blind-mating applications. They allow mating misalignment (per product drawing). In hard-to-reach applications, such as drawers or fan assembly trays, connectors need to be mated and unmated without being seen. Doing so can cause damage to the connector and/or terminal and consume valuable labor time.
Micro-Fit 3.0 BMI Connectors are designed for blind-mating applications. They allow mating misalignment (per product drawing). In hard-to-reach applications, such as drawers or fan assembly trays, connectors need to be mated and unmated without being seen. Doing so can cause damage to the connector and/or terminal and consume valuable labor time.
Kontron Releases the KBox C-102-4 with Four PCIe Slots
Kontron, a leading global provider of Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), introduces a new member of its high-end industrial computer platforms for control cabinet environments - the Kontron KBox C-102-4. The new model allows the integration of up to four PCIe expansions slots and is thus ideally suited for users requiring a large number of additional interfaces, industrial I/Os, or fieldbuses.
The KBox C-102 series is now available in four alternative design variants: the compact KBox C-102-0 without additional expansion slots, the KBox C-102-1 and KBox C-102-2 with one or two PCI(e) expansion slots respectively, and the new KBox C-102-4 with four PCI(e) expansion slots. The industrial computers are used mainly for control, visualization, and inspection in the production process.
The KBox C-102 series is now available in four alternative design variants: the compact KBox C-102-0 without additional expansion slots, the KBox C-102-1 and KBox C-102-2 with one or two PCI(e) expansion slots respectively, and the new KBox C-102-4 with four PCI(e) expansion slots. The industrial computers are used mainly for control, visualization, and inspection in the production process.
NVIDIA Announces the TITAN Xp Star Wars Collectable Editions
NVIDIA has announced two new collector's edition NVIDIA TITAN Xp GPUs created for the ultimate Star Wars fan. The new Jedi Order and Galactic Empire editions of the NVIDIA TITAN Xp have been crafted to reflect the look and feel of the Star Wars galaxy.
These new Star Wars collector's edition GPUs pay homage to the light side/dark side dichotomy, and contain hints of the Star Wars galaxy, such as the hilt of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and light panels reminiscent of the Death Star.
The Jedi Order GPU simulates the wear and tear and battle-worn finish of many items used by the Rebel Alliance, resulting from its diecast aluminum cover being subjected to an extensive, corrosive salt spray. Conversely, the Galactic Empire GPU's finish features simple, clean lines, emulating the high-end, orderly nature of the resource-rich Empire. Both versions have multiple windowed areas to showcase internals and lighting, evoking each faction's lightsabers, green and red, respectively. The finishes of both versions took over a year to perfect.
These new Star Wars collector's edition GPUs pay homage to the light side/dark side dichotomy, and contain hints of the Star Wars galaxy, such as the hilt of Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and light panels reminiscent of the Death Star.
The Jedi Order GPU simulates the wear and tear and battle-worn finish of many items used by the Rebel Alliance, resulting from its diecast aluminum cover being subjected to an extensive, corrosive salt spray. Conversely, the Galactic Empire GPU's finish features simple, clean lines, emulating the high-end, orderly nature of the resource-rich Empire. Both versions have multiple windowed areas to showcase internals and lighting, evoking each faction's lightsabers, green and red, respectively. The finishes of both versions took over a year to perfect.
QNAP Collaborates with Vinpower Digital for TVS-882BR Blu-ray NAS
QNAP Systems, Inc. partnered with Vinpower Digital, a leading supplier in Optical Disc hardware and media solutions, to integrate Vinpower's industrial-grade blu-ray optical disc drive for the TVS-882BR Blu-ray NAS series, allowing users to write NAS-based content directly onto CD, DVD, or Blu-ray optical discs as an additional back-up solution.
The TVS-882BR series provides an excellent solution for storing large amount of digital contents and allows for easy sharing through a network. However, it's always recommended to follow a "3-2-1" rule when storing digital content. The "3-2-1" rule represents having at least three copies of your data, of which two should be stored on two different media and one backup copy should be kept offsite. This rule is specifically designated for protecting against natural disasters that could potentially destroy all property and data stored in an affected region. That is why QNAP had the foresight to also include a Blu-ray writer drive onto theTVS-882BR Blu-ray NAS series.
The TVS-882BR series provides an excellent solution for storing large amount of digital contents and allows for easy sharing through a network. However, it's always recommended to follow a "3-2-1" rule when storing digital content. The "3-2-1" rule represents having at least three copies of your data, of which two should be stored on two different media and one backup copy should be kept offsite. This rule is specifically designated for protecting against natural disasters that could potentially destroy all property and data stored in an affected region. That is why QNAP had the foresight to also include a Blu-ray writer drive onto theTVS-882BR Blu-ray NAS series.
ADATA Releases the Special Edition UV100FU SB Flash Drive
ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of highperformance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today launchedthe UV100F special edition USB Flash drive, designed especially for the upcoming holiday season. The USB 2.0 drive has 16GB/32GB capacities and features a red/white design highlighting Christmas icons. Perfect as a gift to friends, family, and team members, the UV100F ships in a custom red retail box to further accentuate its special edition status. The UV100F joins a long tradition of ADATA special edition USB Flash drives that have gone on to become much-sought collectible items.
From its Santa Claus-emblazoned packaging and inwards, the UV100F beams with festive cheer. The drive itself has Frosty the Snowman (16GB) and Santa with his sleigh (32GB), painted in white on a compact red drive body. In addition to the usual utility of USB, the UV100F presents an excellent gift for all, as virtually everyone could use more storage space: it packs 16GB and 32GB, which is always useful.
From its Santa Claus-emblazoned packaging and inwards, the UV100F beams with festive cheer. The drive itself has Frosty the Snowman (16GB) and Santa with his sleigh (32GB), painted in white on a compact red drive body. In addition to the usual utility of USB, the UV100F presents an excellent gift for all, as virtually everyone could use more storage space: it packs 16GB and 32GB, which is always useful.
SteelSeries Announces New Arctis 3 Bluetooth Headset
SteelSeries introduced a new Arctis gaming headset to the award-winning line-up, the Arctis 3 Bluetooth. This addition of Bluetooth allows users to hear audio from both Bluetooth sources and wired connections at the same time. Arctis 3 Bluetooth is designed for everywhere you game, with remarkable sound, comfort and style on all gaming platforms, including PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, VR and mobile.
Arctis 3 Bluetooth is now even more ideal for Nintendo Switch. Gamers can connect to their phones via Bluetooth to use the Nintendo Switch Online chat mobile app, while using the wired connection to hear game audio from their Nintendo Switch. This is the first headset with this type of compatibility for the Nintendo Switch.
Arctis 3 Bluetooth is now even more ideal for Nintendo Switch. Gamers can connect to their phones via Bluetooth to use the Nintendo Switch Online chat mobile app, while using the wired connection to hear game audio from their Nintendo Switch. This is the first headset with this type of compatibility for the Nintendo Switch.
Broadcom's Latest Qualcomm Buyout Bid is $105 Billion
Broadcom Monday made its latest bid for the acquisition of Qualcomm, with its offer standing at a staggering USD 105 billion, which is a mixture of cash and stock. The Broadcom+Qualcomm combine would become the world's third largest chipmaker, behind Intel and Samsung Electronics. Besides an undisclosed proportion of the bid being in cash, the company offered stock at $70 per share, which is a 28 percent premium over the stock's closing price on Monday. If it goes through, the Broadcom+Qualcomm deal would be the largest tech acquisition, dwarfing the $67 billion acquisition of EMC by Dell, in 2015.
Monday, November 6th 2017
Today's Reviews
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Headphones
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Eizo Foris FS2735 144 Hz Review
The Eizo Foris FS2735 is a feature-packed 27" 1440p gaming monitor that comes with a refresh rate of 144 Hz and FreeSync support. Its price tag is hefty, but it performs well enough to be used by eSports professionals, both in terms of in-game responsiveness and picture quality.
ASUS Intros WS X299 Pro SE Motherboard
ASUS today introduced the WS X299 Pro SE motherboard, a variant of the recently announced WS X299 Pro. The new Pro SE comes with an ASUS ASMB9-iKVM IPMI 2.0 compliant remote management chip, which is physically an ASPEED AST2500, but with custom firmware and software by ASUS. This chip provides a host of remote-management features, including iKVM, remote BIOS update, BSOD screen capture, and screen video recording, remote data wipe, etc., all adding to the board's enterprise credentials. The chip is tucked away underneath the secondary VRM heatsink next to the expansion slot area of the motherboard, and dissipates its heat to this heatsink via a thermal pad. The board is otherwise identical to the WS X299 Pro. We expect the WS X299 Pro SE to sell at a premium over the WS X299 Pro.
LiteOn Intros CA3 Series M.2 NVMe SSDs
LiteOn rolled out the CA3 line of NVMe SSDs in the M.2-2280 form-factor. Available in 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB capacities, the drives combine a Marvell 88SS1092 controller with Toshiba-made TLC NAND flash memory. The drive takes advantage of PCI-Express 3.0 x4 and the NVMe protocol, to put of sequential read speeds of up to 2100 MB/s for the 256 GB variant, and 2900 MB/s for the 512 GB and 1 TB variants; and sequential write speeds of up to 600 MB/s, 1200 MB/s, and 1700 MB/s for the three variants, respectively.
Random access speeds of the LiteOn CA3 series drives are up to 150K/150K IOPS (read/write) for the 256 GB variant; up to 260K/260K IOPS for the 512 GB variant, and up to 380K/260K IOPS for the 1 TB variant. The controller supports 3rd generation LPDC error correction, NVMe deallocate, TCG-OPAL 2.0 native encryption, and 256-bit AES native encryption. The company didn't put out endurance numbers, but stated that its MTBF is rated at 1.5 million hours. The drives are backed by 3-year warranties. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Random access speeds of the LiteOn CA3 series drives are up to 150K/150K IOPS (read/write) for the 256 GB variant; up to 260K/260K IOPS for the 512 GB variant, and up to 380K/260K IOPS for the 1 TB variant. The controller supports 3rd generation LPDC error correction, NVMe deallocate, TCG-OPAL 2.0 native encryption, and 256-bit AES native encryption. The company didn't put out endurance numbers, but stated that its MTBF is rated at 1.5 million hours. The drives are backed by 3-year warranties. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Intel, AMD MCM Core i7 Design Specs, Benchmarks Leaked
Following today's surprise announcement of an Intel-AMD collaboration (of which NVIDIA seems to be the only company left in a somewhat more fragile position), there have already been a number of benchmark leaks for the new Intel + AMD devices. While Intel's original announcement was cryptic enough - to be expected, given the nature of the product and the ETA before its arrival to market - some details are already pouring out into the world wide web.
The new Intel products are expected to carry the "Kaby Lake G" codename, where the G goes hand in hand with the much increased graphics power of these solutions compared to other less exotic ones - meaning, not packing AMD Radeon graphics. For now, the known product names point to one Intel Core i7-8705G and Intel Core i7-8809G. Board names for these are 694E:C0 and 694C:C0, respectively.
The new Intel products are expected to carry the "Kaby Lake G" codename, where the G goes hand in hand with the much increased graphics power of these solutions compared to other less exotic ones - meaning, not packing AMD Radeon graphics. For now, the known product names point to one Intel Core i7-8705G and Intel Core i7-8809G. Board names for these are 694E:C0 and 694C:C0, respectively.
MantisTek GK2 Mechanical Keyboard Comes with Free Keylogger (Updated)
The MantisTek GK2 is a popular 104-key mechanical keyboard that costs around $49.99. It has all the bells and whistles that you would expect from a keyboard aimed at gamers. It even comes with a keylogger, free of charge. Our colleagues from Tom's Hardware reported a rather disturbing story around this particular model. With the amount of stuff you can do on gaming keyboards nowadays, the majority comes with some kind of software for user customization. The MantisTek GK2 is no different. However, there have been multiple reports from owners claiming that the keyboard's software is actually a front to steal your valuable information.
Apparently, the keyboard's "Cloud Driver" is the culprit responsible for sending user information to a pair of IP addresses linked to Alibaba servers. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean Alibaba is stealing your data. Since the company also sells cloud services, it's quite possible that someone is using Alibaba servers to pull off the heist. After analyzing the software's online activity, users have discovered that the data being sent also included key presses. If you're one of the unlucky owners, it's recommended that you uninstall the software entirely. Make sure you block the CMS.exe executable and MantisTek Cloud Driver with your firewall as well.
Apparently, the keyboard's "Cloud Driver" is the culprit responsible for sending user information to a pair of IP addresses linked to Alibaba servers. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean Alibaba is stealing your data. Since the company also sells cloud services, it's quite possible that someone is using Alibaba servers to pull off the heist. After analyzing the software's online activity, users have discovered that the data being sent also included key presses. If you're one of the unlucky owners, it's recommended that you uninstall the software entirely. Make sure you block the CMS.exe executable and MantisTek Cloud Driver with your firewall as well.
Raijintek is PC Building Simulator's Newest Hardware Partner
The UK based independent game publisher, The Irregular Corporation, is pleased to announce that RAIJINTEK, PC hardware manufacturer, have joined the PC Building Simulator project as a partner. At launch, players will have the option to build PCs in-game using RAIJINTEK's popular range of air and liquid coolers plus an assortment of cases, all, lovingly recreated using 3D graphics and fully functional within the simulation.
Mr. Steve Shih, GM of Raijintek Co. Ltd in Taiwan at RAIJINTEK said "We're delighted that players will be able to experiment with Raijintek components in PC Building Simulator! This will be a great tool for people who are keen to build their own PC, but unsure where to start.".
Mr. Steve Shih, GM of Raijintek Co. Ltd in Taiwan at RAIJINTEK said "We're delighted that players will be able to experiment with Raijintek components in PC Building Simulator! This will be a great tool for people who are keen to build their own PC, but unsure where to start.".
Logitech Develops Bridge SDK to Bring Keyboards Into Virtual Reality
The keyboard is one of the most basic and most used input devices that exist. It's also very useful in the virtual reality realm, since many applications require user input. For this same reason, Logitech has been working alongside HTC to develop a virtual keyboard for VR users. Their efforts have given fruits, and Logitech has officially announced their Bridge SDK. Users are required to purchase a Bridge developers kit which costs $150. The kit comes with a Logitech G gaming keyboard, a small accessory to attach the Vive Tracker to the keyboard, and the necessary software. As you may notice, the Vive Tracker is purchased separately, so that will set you back another $99.
Once everything is hooked up, the Bridge software will position a virtual keyboard over the physical one. Users can then see their hands and type on the keyboard without having to take off their VR headset. The only catch is that you must use the Logitech keyboard as models from other manufacturers aren't supported. However, Logitech does allow users to customize the virtual keyboard to some extent. They can change the keyboard's appearance, the font's size and colors, or highlight and hide the different keys.
Once everything is hooked up, the Bridge software will position a virtual keyboard over the physical one. Users can then see their hands and type on the keyboard without having to take off their VR headset. The only catch is that you must use the Logitech keyboard as models from other manufacturers aren't supported. However, Logitech does allow users to customize the virtual keyboard to some extent. They can change the keyboard's appearance, the font's size and colors, or highlight and hide the different keys.
TechPowerUp Releases GPU-Z v2.5.0
TechPowerUp today released the latest version of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, the graphics subsystem information, monitor, and diagnostic tool for PC enthusiasts and gamers. Version 2.5.0 introduces a slew of new features, support for new graphics cards, under the hood improvements, and bug fixes. To begin with, we've re-done the main tab to show graphics driver date and WHQL status in new fields. A refresh button is added, so you can manually refresh graphics card information, after a driver update for example. The BIOS string for NVIDIA BIOSes are now consistently cased, and driver version name titled "NVIDIA" instead of the retired "ForceWare" brand.
TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.5.0 adds support for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, with its new WDDM 2.3 driver model, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, GTX 1050 Ti Mobile (GP106), Quadro GP100, and Quadro M620; from the AMD stable, support is added for Radeon RX Vega 64 Liquid Edition, and FirePro M4150; from Intel, support for Intel UHD 600-series "Coffee Lake" graphics was added. Among the new sensors added are Vega SOC Clock, VR SOC and VR Mem. The internal NVFlash module used to extract video BIOS, has been updated. A crash associated with failed BIOS uploads to our database, has been fixed. Grab TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.5.0 from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.5.0
The change-log follows.
TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.5.0 adds support for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, with its new WDDM 2.3 driver model, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, GTX 1050 Ti Mobile (GP106), Quadro GP100, and Quadro M620; from the AMD stable, support is added for Radeon RX Vega 64 Liquid Edition, and FirePro M4150; from Intel, support for Intel UHD 600-series "Coffee Lake" graphics was added. Among the new sensors added are Vega SOC Clock, VR SOC and VR Mem. The internal NVFlash module used to extract video BIOS, has been updated. A crash associated with failed BIOS uploads to our database, has been fixed. Grab TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.5.0 from the link below.
DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z v2.5.0
Ultrafast Magnetic Reversal Leads the Way for Speedy, Energy-Efficient Memory
Researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Riverside have developed a new, ultrafast method for electrically controlling magnetism in certain metals, a breakthrough that could lead to greatly increased performance and more energy-efficient computer memory and processing technologies. The findings of the group, led by Berkeley electrical engineering and computer sciences (EECS) professor Jeffrey Bokor, are published in a pair of articles in the journals Science Advances (Vol. 3, No. 49, Nov. 3, 2017) and Applied Physics Letters (Vol. III, No. 4, July 24, 2017).
Computers use different kinds of memory technologies to store data. Long-term memory, typically a hard disk or flash drive, needs to be dense in order to store as much data as possible. But the central processing unit (CPU) - the hardware that enables computers to compute - requires its own memory for short-term storage of information while operations are executed. Random Access Memory (RAM) is one example of such short-term memory.
Computers use different kinds of memory technologies to store data. Long-term memory, typically a hard disk or flash drive, needs to be dense in order to store as much data as possible. But the central processing unit (CPU) - the hardware that enables computers to compute - requires its own memory for short-term storage of information while operations are executed. Random Access Memory (RAM) is one example of such short-term memory.
Elgato 4K60 Pro Capture Card Lets You Record 4K Footage at 60 FPS Flawlessly
Elgato Gaming today announced that Game Capture 4K60 Pro, a first-of-its-kind capture card capable of flawlessly capturing 4K footage at 60 frames per second, will be available on November 22, 2017. Originally teased at Gamescom 2017, Game Capture 4K60 Pro will be the first consumer-ready 4K capture card to hit the market. Game Capture 4K60 Pro is ideal for capturing Ultra HD footage from a PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, PC, or any other unencrypted HDMI device. Pre-Orders for Game Capture 4K60 Pro are available from Elgato and Amazon for an MSRP of £359.95 GBP.
"4K content is here to stay and demand is booming. Content creators shouldn't be limited by the constraints of their capture hardware," said Julian Fest, General Manager of Elgato Gaming. "Game Capture 4K60 Pro gives creators the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve and give their audiences nothing less than the best."
"4K content is here to stay and demand is booming. Content creators shouldn't be limited by the constraints of their capture hardware," said Julian Fest, General Manager of Elgato Gaming. "Game Capture 4K60 Pro gives creators the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve and give their audiences nothing less than the best."
Intel Announces "Coffee Lake" + AMD "Vega" Multi-chip Modules
Rumors of the unthinkable silicon collaboration between Intel and AMD are true, as Intel announced its first multi-chip module (MCM), which combines a 14 nm Core "Coffee Lake-H" CPU die, with a specialized 14 nm GPU die by AMD, based on the "Vega" architecture. This GPU die has its own HBM2 memory stack over a 1024-bit wide memory bus. Unlike on the AMD "Vega 10" and "Fiji" MCMs, in which a silicon interposer is used to connect the GPU die to the memory stacks, Intel deployed the Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB), a high-density substrate-level wiring. The CPU and GPU dies talk to each other over PCI-Express gen 3.0, wired through the package substrate.
This multi-chip module, with a tiny Z-height, significantly reduces the board footprint of the CPU + discrete graphics implementation, when compared to having separate CPU and GPU packages with the GPU having discrete GDDR memory chips, and enables a new breed of ultra portable notebooks that pack a solid graphics muscle. The MCM should enable devices as thin as 11 mm. The specifications of the CPU and dGPU dies remain under the wraps. The first devices with these MCMs will launch by Q1 2018.
A video presentation follows.
This multi-chip module, with a tiny Z-height, significantly reduces the board footprint of the CPU + discrete graphics implementation, when compared to having separate CPU and GPU packages with the GPU having discrete GDDR memory chips, and enables a new breed of ultra portable notebooks that pack a solid graphics muscle. The MCM should enable devices as thin as 11 mm. The specifications of the CPU and dGPU dies remain under the wraps. The first devices with these MCMs will launch by Q1 2018.
MSI Adds GP62M World of Tanks Edition to Gaming Laptop Repertoire
MSI had launched the MSI GP62M World of Tanks Edition not long ago and we are excited to share with you about this special edition, which became a hit in the market. Although, MSI feels a bit of sorry for whom are waiting for a shortfall of this attractive gaming laptop. We understand that you've been waiting and we're so glad to be able to announce that we've stepped up the production in the shortest possible time to supply the various regions and fulfill the demand of WOT gamers and military enthusiasts. Do you wanna know why this gorgeous model could be so popular? Let's unveil the success factors.
MSI spent a lot of time to study the various tanks in World of tanks and try to find out one could be the key that helps gamers win the battle. As a result, the rare tank IS-2 is gloriously embedded on the top-cover and the palm rest, forging an impregnable appeal with IS-2's commanding presence. For this reason, you will become the center of attention on certain occasions.
MSI spent a lot of time to study the various tanks in World of tanks and try to find out one could be the key that helps gamers win the battle. As a result, the rare tank IS-2 is gloriously embedded on the top-cover and the palm rest, forging an impregnable appeal with IS-2's commanding presence. For this reason, you will become the center of attention on certain occasions.
Xigmatek Intros Glare 7A Tempered Glass Chassis
Xigmatek today rolled out the Glare 7A, an ATX mid-tower chassis featuring tempered glass chassis along the front and left side panel, characterized by its rounded-rectangle front glass panel. The case features a contemporary horizontal dual-compartment layout, with the upper compartment housing the motherboard tray with room for graphics cards up to 39 cm in length, and CPU coolers up to 16 cm in height. There's also room in this compartment for two 2.5-inch drives along the partition.
The bottom compartment of the Xigmatek Glare 7A houses the PSU, and two 3.5-inch drive trays (which can each hold 2.5-inch drives). Cooling includes three 120 mm front intakes, three 120 mm top exhausts, and a 120 mm rear exhaust. Xigmatek includes four red LED lit fans, three factory-fitted along the front intakes, and one along the rear exhaust. The four are plugged into the case's very own multi-channel fan-controller. The case measures 200 mm x 452 mm x 495 mm (WxDxH). Front panel connectivity includes two each of type-A USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and HDA audio jacks. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The bottom compartment of the Xigmatek Glare 7A houses the PSU, and two 3.5-inch drive trays (which can each hold 2.5-inch drives). Cooling includes three 120 mm front intakes, three 120 mm top exhausts, and a 120 mm rear exhaust. Xigmatek includes four red LED lit fans, three factory-fitted along the front intakes, and one along the rear exhaust. The four are plugged into the case's very own multi-channel fan-controller. The case measures 200 mm x 452 mm x 495 mm (WxDxH). Front panel connectivity includes two each of type-A USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and HDA audio jacks. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Lian Li Alpha Series Cases Now Available
Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd is pleased to announce the all-new Alpha series of PC cases. Where Lian Li has traditionally crafted unique, high-quality aluminium PC cases with unique design elements, the Alpha series combines that unique approach to compartmented PC chassis design and combines it with the traditional mono-space PC case. This has created a unique series of mainstream PC cases that feature Lian Li's inspiring tempered glass panels and liquid cooling potential while preserving the layout of traditional PC builds.
The quality still defies industry standards with 1 mm thick SECC steel and 4 mm thick tempered glass panels. But, a true tempered glass case is traditionally hard on cable management, that's why cable management in the Alpha series, with glass panels all-around, is a priority. With cable blinders available all-around, a PSU shroud and two-level transparency glass panels, amazingly clean builds can be made, from mini-ITX to 8-slot Extended ATX motherboards with vertical GPUs. The Lian Li Alpha series are a fresh, new performance and design direction in the PC design industry, with a minimum of protrusions and plastic in order to create a new beacon of light and sleek design in a sea of "gaming" inspired cases.
The quality still defies industry standards with 1 mm thick SECC steel and 4 mm thick tempered glass panels. But, a true tempered glass case is traditionally hard on cable management, that's why cable management in the Alpha series, with glass panels all-around, is a priority. With cable blinders available all-around, a PSU shroud and two-level transparency glass panels, amazingly clean builds can be made, from mini-ITX to 8-slot Extended ATX motherboards with vertical GPUs. The Lian Li Alpha series are a fresh, new performance and design direction in the PC design industry, with a minimum of protrusions and plastic in order to create a new beacon of light and sleek design in a sea of "gaming" inspired cases.
Driven by Chinese PUBG Players, Windows 7 Now Most Popular OS on Steam
Steam's October survey has brought with it some interesting tidbits and reversals regarding the state of the world's OS shares. The latest such survey from the company shows Windows 10 lose its crown as the most popular OS for gamers, shadowed by a resurgence of Windows 7. Microsoft may be looking for increased Windows 10 market share throughout the world, but there's one country that has been the most troubling for the company's efforts: China. Remember that Microsoft had to introduce its own China Government edition of Windows 10 to the Chinese government, or otherwise risk the country not to transition to its new OS. However, it seems that that fact has led Chinese people's trust in the Microsoft OS to decrease even more; and absent of access to the China Government edition for regular customers, they're simply choosing to stay within the confines of Windows 7.
All of this seems pretty academic, so let's get some numbers here: Windows 10 shed 17.38% points in October, down to a 28.6 percent share, with the 64-bit version accounting for 28.23% of that share. At the same time, Windows 7 has gained 21.47% points in the same month, climbing to 65.46% of share (63.60 percent for the 64-bit build, and 1.86 percent for the 32-bit edition). Where's the connection to Chinese users here though? Well, take a look at the Steam OS language stats for the same month: simplified Chinese rose by 26.83% up to 56.37%, against a decrease in practically all other languages, and a very considerable 13.4% drop in English.
All of this seems pretty academic, so let's get some numbers here: Windows 10 shed 17.38% points in October, down to a 28.6 percent share, with the 64-bit version accounting for 28.23% of that share. At the same time, Windows 7 has gained 21.47% points in the same month, climbing to 65.46% of share (63.60 percent for the 64-bit build, and 1.86 percent for the 32-bit edition). Where's the connection to Chinese users here though? Well, take a look at the Steam OS language stats for the same month: simplified Chinese rose by 26.83% up to 56.37%, against a decrease in practically all other languages, and a very considerable 13.4% drop in English.
Sunday, November 5th 2017
Intel CPU On-chip Management Engine Runs on MINIX
With the transition to multi-core processors, and multi-core processors with integrated core-logic (chipset), the need arose for a low-level SoC embedded into the processor with just enough compute power to make sure all the components you pay for start-up and function as advertised. Enter the Intel ME (management engine). This is a full-fledged computer within your Intel processor, which isn't exposed to you. It runs on its very own tiny x86 CPU core that isn't exposed, and its software is driven on an infinitesimally small ROM and RAM. Since you can't have software without some sort of operating-system, Intel chose MINIX for the job.
MINIX is a Unix-like OS with an extremely small memory footprint. The OS was designed by Andrew Tanenbaum, originally as an educational tool to demonstrate that machines can still be built with extremely tiny code. If you're familiar with the "ring-level" system of hardware-access privilege by software, ring 0 would designate the "highest" level of access. A software with ring 0 access can erase your disk, flash your system BIOS, and even make your CPU run at any C-state. The OS kernel needs these privileges, and hence is a ring 0 software. Most user software, like the web-browser you're reading this on, runs at ring 3 (with the browser's own sandbox, the user-level, and API level forming inner levels). Intel ME runs at ring -3 (negative 3), and your OS has no power over it. Most system BIOS updates for Intel motherboards include a ROM update for ME. ME governs the functioning of the rest of the processor, its start-up, and booting. It also governs silicon-level security and management features that can't be compromised by malware.
MINIX is a Unix-like OS with an extremely small memory footprint. The OS was designed by Andrew Tanenbaum, originally as an educational tool to demonstrate that machines can still be built with extremely tiny code. If you're familiar with the "ring-level" system of hardware-access privilege by software, ring 0 would designate the "highest" level of access. A software with ring 0 access can erase your disk, flash your system BIOS, and even make your CPU run at any C-state. The OS kernel needs these privileges, and hence is a ring 0 software. Most user software, like the web-browser you're reading this on, runs at ring 3 (with the browser's own sandbox, the user-level, and API level forming inner levels). Intel ME runs at ring -3 (negative 3), and your OS has no power over it. Most system BIOS updates for Intel motherboards include a ROM update for ME. ME governs the functioning of the rest of the processor, its start-up, and booting. It also governs silicon-level security and management features that can't be compromised by malware.
Jonsbo Intros CR-601 RGB CPU Cooler
Jonsbo introduced the CR-601 RGB tower-type CPU cooler. Featuring a slim, yet conventional tower-type design, the cooler is characterized by 256-color RGB LED illumination on both its included fan, and the fin-stack cover, through a diffuser. Its design involves an aluminium base, from which four 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes pass, making direct contact with the CPU, conveying heat through the aluminium fin-stack, which is then ventilated by a 120 mm fan.
The included fan features an air-flow boosting impeller design, which lets its designers keep fan-speeds lower to achieve the desired air-flow. Taking in 4-pin PWM input, the fan spins between 800 and 1,500 RPM, with its noise output proportionately ranging between 17.5 and 31.2 dBA. The cooler can handle thermal loads of up to 130W. It supports most mainstream-desktop CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA115x, and LGA775. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The included fan features an air-flow boosting impeller design, which lets its designers keep fan-speeds lower to achieve the desired air-flow. Taking in 4-pin PWM input, the fan spins between 800 and 1,500 RPM, with its noise output proportionately ranging between 17.5 and 31.2 dBA. The cooler can handle thermal loads of up to 130W. It supports most mainstream-desktop CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA115x, and LGA775. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Marvell Looks to Acquire Cavium
Stocks of both Marvell and Cavium rallied over the weekend as reports emerged of Marvell entering talks to acquire the network equipment SoC giant. Cavium specializes in network infrastructure equipment SoCs, such as the famed ThunderX processor, while Marvell holds IP in networking and storage. There are no details as to the value of the acquisition. Shares of Marvell rose 5 percent, and those of Cavium by a staggering 17 percent, as reports of the deal emerged. Tech stocks could rally big on Monday, if Marvell and Cavium close the deal, and Broadcom inches closer to close its $100 billion bid to acquire Qualcomm.
Broadcom Looks to Buy Qualcomm for $100B, Creating a Silicon Monster
Broadcom, makers of networking equipment, is exploring a deal to acquire mobile technology giant Qualcomm in a USD $100 billion deal, which could be the largest ever acquisition value of a chip-maker. The resulting company could be the world's largest chipmaker, combining Broadcom's IP with networking PHYs and IoT infrastructure, and Qualcomm's SoCs powering IoT devices besides smartphones, tablets, and ultra-portable notebooks. Broadcom is looking to raise a cash+stock bid consisting of shares valued at $70/share. Besides networking infrastructure equipment, Broadcom made its fortunes on the back of Apple iPhone's success, as it supplies its networking chips.
ASRock Formally Launches the X299 Taichi XE and X299 Professional Gaming i9 XE
ASRock formally launched the XE (extreme edition) variants of its X299 Taichi and X299 Professional Gaming i9 motherboards, denoted by the "XE" suffix in their model names. The boards are identical to the models they're derived from, but come with heavier CPU VRM heatsinks, increased voltage limits across several power domains, and are targeted at enthusiasts with Core i9-7980XE and i9-7960X HEDT processors. On both boards, the CPU VRM heatsinks have been extended from the main heatsink to a secondary heatsink over the rear I/O area, connected by a heat pipe, while getting rid of the rear I/O shroud. The two could sell at a slight premium over the models they're based on.
ASRock Rack Intros C3758D4I-4L Mini-ITX Motherboard with Atom 8-core SoC
ASRock Rack, a new division of ASRock which deals with enterprise-grade motherboards, introduced the C3758D4I-4L, a mini-ITX motherboard based on the Atom C3758 "Denverton" SoC that embeds an 8-core CPU clocked at 2.20 GHz, 16 MB of cache, and a dual-channel DDR4 integrated memory controller supporting up to 256 GB of ECC memory, topped off with a 25W TDP. These specs lend Denverton quasi-enterprise credentials. The C3758D4I-4L can be used for low-cost rack-mount web-servers, or even high-end DIY NAS or home-server builds.
The C3758D4I-4L comes with a factory-fitted fan-heatsink cooling the pre-installed Atom C3758 BGA SoC. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors (including a 4-pin connector for external 12V). The SoC is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 128 GB of dual-channel ECC memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x8 slot. Storage connectivity includes a staggering 13 SATA 6 Gbps ports, five on board, eight via two mini SAS connectors. An ASPeed AST2500 provides display, legacy I/O, and remote management. The board features a staggering five 1 GbE connections with teaming, PXE, and NCSI support. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The C3758D4I-4L comes with a factory-fitted fan-heatsink cooling the pre-installed Atom C3758 BGA SoC. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors (including a 4-pin connector for external 12V). The SoC is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 128 GB of dual-channel ECC memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x8 slot. Storage connectivity includes a staggering 13 SATA 6 Gbps ports, five on board, eight via two mini SAS connectors. An ASPeed AST2500 provides display, legacy I/O, and remote management. The board features a staggering five 1 GbE connections with teaming, PXE, and NCSI support. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Compulab Intros the fitlet2 Mini PC
Compulab launched its most compact mini PC, the fitlet2. Designed to be more of an IoT hub than a low-power desktop, the fitlet2 measures 112 mm x 84 mm (LxD), with the lower-power models being just 25 mm in height, while the higher-powered models, with slightly faster processors, being 34 mm tall thanks to the aluminium top panel that doubles up as heatsink for the SoC underneath.
The fitlet2 is powered by either Intel Atom x5-E3930 (6W TDP), x7-E3950 (12W TDP), or Celeron J3455 (10W TDP). There's one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, letting you add up to 16 GB of memory, and an M.2-2260 slot with PCIe x2 and SATA wiring. Connectivity options include 802.11ac + BT 4.1 WLAN, up to two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and mini-DP display outputs. Compulab is also developing a new generation of MintBox (fitlets with pre-loaded Linux Mint), based on the fitlet2.
The fitlet2 is powered by either Intel Atom x5-E3930 (6W TDP), x7-E3950 (12W TDP), or Celeron J3455 (10W TDP). There's one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, letting you add up to 16 GB of memory, and an M.2-2260 slot with PCIe x2 and SATA wiring. Connectivity options include 802.11ac + BT 4.1 WLAN, up to two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and mini-DP display outputs. Compulab is also developing a new generation of MintBox (fitlets with pre-loaded Linux Mint), based on the fitlet2.
Saturday, November 4th 2017
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
ASUS GTX 1070 Ti STRIX 8 GB Review
The ASUS GTX 1070 Ti Strix is the company's premium model, featuring the same large triple-slot, triple-fan cooler as on the GTX 1080 Ti Strix. In our testing, this is the quietest GTX 1070 Ti, and it has the best temperatures too.
Vortex ViBE Keyboard Review
The Vortex ViBE uses an all-new 78% form factor with a Num Pad that can easily be turned into an arrow key cluster to give you the best of both worlds. It also features new PBT/dye-sub/SA profile stock keycaps, choice of eight Cherry MX switches, a thick metal case with no bezel, and extensive onboard controls and programming options.
Blizzard Announces Upcoming 'Battle for Azeroth' Expansion for World of Warcraft
The battle against the Legion has left the world broken-but the shattered trust between the Alliance and the Horde could prove the hardest wound to mend. Blizzard Entertainment today unveiled plans for World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, a new expansion to the company's acclaimed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that will test players' resolve as they champion their faction's cause in a devastating new war.
In Battle for Azeroth, the fall of the Burning Legion has set off a series of disastrous incidents that reignites the furious rivalry between the noble Alliance and the mighty Horde. As a new age of warfare begins, Azeroth's heroes must set out on a harrowing journey in search of new allies, race to claim the world's mightiest resources to turn the tides of war, and fight on several fronts to determine which side will lead Azeroth into its uncertain future.
In Battle for Azeroth, the fall of the Burning Legion has set off a series of disastrous incidents that reignites the furious rivalry between the noble Alliance and the mighty Horde. As a new age of warfare begins, Azeroth's heroes must set out on a harrowing journey in search of new allies, race to claim the world's mightiest resources to turn the tides of war, and fight on several fronts to determine which side will lead Azeroth into its uncertain future.
Friday, November 3rd 2017
Today's Reviews
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
- ASUS ROG Strix RX Vega 64 FunkyKit
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti ComputerBase (de)
- Inno3D iChill GTX 1070 Ti X3 Cowcotland (fr)
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti Guru3D
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti SLI-HB Guru3D
- Palit GTX 1070 Ti Super JetStream Guru3D
- MSI GTX 1070 Ti Gaming Guru3D
- Inno3D iChill GTX 1070 Ti X3 Hardware-Mag (de)
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti Hardwarecanucks
- Inno3D iChill GTX 1070 Ti X3 Hexus.net
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti HotHardware
- MSI GTX 1070 Ti Gaming KitGuru
- Palit GTX 1070 Ti Super JetStream KitGuru
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti Legit Reviews
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti TechGage
- Colorful iGame GTX 1070 Ti Vulcan X TOP 8 GB TechPowerUp
- MSI GTX 1070 Ti Gaming TechSpot
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti Tom's Hardware
- NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti Tweaktown
Motherboards
Mouse
SSD
Call of Duty WWII: Benchmark Performance Analysis
Call of Duty: WWII takes you back to a time without fancy fighting tech; you had to rely on your rifle and team mates. Sledgehammer's engine received optimizations in both graphics quality and performance, and there are plenty of settings to play with. We tested at up to 4K resolution, using 15 graphics cards, including the brand-new GTX 1070 Ti.
Colorful iGame GTX 1070 Ti Vulcan X TOP 8 GB Review
Colorful is one of the biggest graphics card manufacturers in Asia. We have on our review test bench today their iGame GTX 1070 Ti Vulcan X TOP, which comes with a large triple-slot, triple-fan cooler. It also includes the idle fan stop feature many people consider essential these days.
StarCraft 2 Becomes Free-to-Play Starting November 14
The interstellar battle between the terran, zerg, and protoss is about to consume even more of the galaxy, as Blizzard Entertainment today announced that the ultimate real-time strategy game will soon be free to play.
Beginning November 14, players around the world will get free access to the full award-winning Wings of Liberty campaign and the elite multiplayer competition of StarCraft II's ranked ladder, including all the latest units and balance updates through the latest release in the series, Legacy of the Void. Players will also enjoy expanded access to StarCraft II's highly popular co-op mode, with all Co-op Commanders playable for free.
Beginning November 14, players around the world will get free access to the full award-winning Wings of Liberty campaign and the elite multiplayer competition of StarCraft II's ranked ladder, including all the latest units and balance updates through the latest release in the series, Legacy of the Void. Players will also enjoy expanded access to StarCraft II's highly popular co-op mode, with all Co-op Commanders playable for free.
Thrustmaster Launches New Y-350CPX 7.1 Powered Gaming Headset
Y-350CPX 7.1 Powered, the latest and greatest in Thrustmaster's range of gaming headsets, has been specially designed with the brand's two main goals in mind: it's a high-end headset, and features extended compatibility to meet the needs of all gamers - whatever their favorite next-generation platform.
The very best audio for all gamers
Thrustmaster has used its extensive audio and gaming expertise to develop a headset that delivers the same outstanding level of performance with all the latest systems - including the different versions of the PS4 and Xbox One consoles, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac, and even VR headsets, smartphones and tablets!
The very best audio for all gamers
Thrustmaster has used its extensive audio and gaming expertise to develop a headset that delivers the same outstanding level of performance with all the latest systems - including the different versions of the PS4 and Xbox One consoles, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac, and even VR headsets, smartphones and tablets!
Razer Introduces the Naga Trinity Gaming Mouse and Tartarus V2 Gaming Keypad
Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Naga Trinity gaming mouse and Razer Tartarus V2 gaming keypad. The customizable mouse and keypad can adapt to a wide range of games and playstyles, particularly Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) and Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games.
The Razer Naga Trinity, the ninth iteration of the best-selling Razer Naga family, is a modular mouse featuring three interchangeable side plates. Users can opt for the iconic original 12-button thumb grid of the Razer Naga Chroma designed for MMO games like "World of Warcraft", or the seven-button thumb wheel of the Razer Naga Hex V2 for MOBA and hack-and-slash titles like "Heroes of the Storm" and "Diablo III." A new two-button configuration completes the trifecta, sporting a minimalistic feel that is perfect for general use.
The Razer Naga Trinity, the ninth iteration of the best-selling Razer Naga family, is a modular mouse featuring three interchangeable side plates. Users can opt for the iconic original 12-button thumb grid of the Razer Naga Chroma designed for MMO games like "World of Warcraft", or the seven-button thumb wheel of the Razer Naga Hex V2 for MOBA and hack-and-slash titles like "Heroes of the Storm" and "Diablo III." A new two-button configuration completes the trifecta, sporting a minimalistic feel that is perfect for general use.
Sparc Coming Later This Month to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive
CCP Games today announced that Sparc, the energetic competitive virtual reality game currently available on PlayStationVR, is coming to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets on PC on November 16th. Sparc's unique full-body experience is only possible in virtual reality, where players' VR equipment becomes their sports gear.
Players on PlayStation 4 and PCs will be able to compete against each other seamlessly. In Sparc, players connect online to compete in fast-paced and physical one-on-one gameplay, using motion controllers to throw projectiles across the court at their opponent while dodging, blocking or deflecting incoming shots.
Players on PlayStation 4 and PCs will be able to compete against each other seamlessly. In Sparc, players connect online to compete in fast-paced and physical one-on-one gameplay, using motion controllers to throw projectiles across the court at their opponent while dodging, blocking or deflecting incoming shots.
Lenovo Acquires Majority Stake in Fujitsu's PC Unit
Fujitsu Limited ("Fujitsu") (TSE: 6702), Lenovo Group Limited ("Lenovo") (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) and Development Bank of Japan Inc. ("DBJ") today announced a strategic collaboration that creates a joint venture between the three companies. The joint venture will focus on the research, development, design, manufacturing and sales of Client Computing Devices (CCD) for the global PC market.
Fujitsu will sell a 51% stake in its wholly owned subsidiary Fujitsu Client Computing Limited ("FCCL") to Lenovo and a 5% stake to DBJ. After the transaction, FCCL will become a joint venture company ("JV") owned by Fujitsu, Lenovo and DBJ and will continue to be known as Fujitsu Client Computing Limited.
Fujitsu will sell a 51% stake in its wholly owned subsidiary Fujitsu Client Computing Limited ("FCCL") to Lenovo and a 5% stake to DBJ. After the transaction, FCCL will become a joint venture company ("JV") owned by Fujitsu, Lenovo and DBJ and will continue to be known as Fujitsu Client Computing Limited.
QNAP's QTS 4.3.4 Beta Brings Major Changes for x86-based NAS
Following the release of the QTS 4.3.4 beta for ARM-based NAS, QNAP Systems, Inc. today released the QTS 4.3.4 beta for x86-based NAS and additional ARM-based NAS models with an industry-leading, feature-packed update.
The most eye-catching advantage of QTS 4.3.4 is reducing the memory requirements for snapshots to 1GB RAM. With many more improvements and refinements, QTS 4.3.4 helps deliver an all-inclusive storage solution for optimized system performance, data management, synchronization, backup, archiving, and multimedia applications to enable users to achieve more in their business and home life.
The most eye-catching advantage of QTS 4.3.4 is reducing the memory requirements for snapshots to 1GB RAM. With many more improvements and refinements, QTS 4.3.4 helps deliver an all-inclusive storage solution for optimized system performance, data management, synchronization, backup, archiving, and multimedia applications to enable users to achieve more in their business and home life.
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation Receives V2.6 Update
Today, Stardock released a v2.6 update for its massive-scale RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. In addition to the new tutorials, the update includes several improvements, a new Quantum Upgrade, a rework of air production for the Substrate faction, adjustments to the way players repair their forces, and more.
"My biggest goal for this update was accessibility," said Callum McCole, lead designer for Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. "Our old tutorial wasn't great at introducing new players to the basics and showing them how to play effectively, so we made it into a set and changed it to be more targeted and easier to follow."
"My biggest goal for this update was accessibility," said Callum McCole, lead designer for Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation. "Our old tutorial wasn't great at introducing new players to the basics and showing them how to play effectively, so we made it into a set and changed it to be more targeted and easier to follow."
"Scene Groups Have Figured Out Denuvo", Piracy Group Declares
Denuvo's fall from grace - and current thread of obsolescence waters - has been a long time coming for scene crackers and pirates. One of the only anti-tamper mechanisms to actually deter pirates in their cracking efforts as of late, Denuvo ushered in an era of unmitigated success upon the first months after its launch, by any measure. Marketed as a "best in class" solution, Denuvo's makers were smart enough to know that any kind of protection they made would be eventually surpassed by pirates' efforts - which is why they simply said that Denuvo's mission was to " (...) provide the longest crack-free release window compared to competitors." Looking to guarantee developers and publishers the arguably most important time-frame for new game releases and sales, Denuvo's sales and marketing director Thomas Goebl said that their aim was "to help publishers to secure the initial sales windows of their games, hence delaying piracy."
NVIDIA Teases Titan X Collector's Edition Graphics Card
NVIDIA has been doing a great job maintaining its leadership position in the discrete, high-performance graphics segment with its Pascal graphics cards. Rival AMD delivered a somewhat unconvincing effort with its RX Vega graphics cards - to which NVIDIA has already answered the most interesting AMD graphics card in that lineup, the Vega 56, with its own GTX 1070 Ti. As such, corporate bottom lines and profit maximization likely mean that the company is in no rush to introduce its Volta architecture to the gaming market. However, the company's recent tease either marks the first iteration of a halo product based on the company's Volta architecture to the market, or, more likely, a limited edition Titan X graphics card still based on the Pascal architecture - as if the Titan Xp wasn't limited and premium enough, naturally, but I digress.
The short teaser, posted by NVIDIA on its GeForce Facebook page under the "It's coming...a Collector's Edition" tagline, shows a distinguished-looking cooler shroud, which borrows design elements from the company's iconic Founders Edition graphics card, but with some added geometry and detail touches. The card will apparently incorporate RGB elements, seeing as the teaser shows both green and red colors. There's some speculation that this Collector's Edition Titan graphics card could be the first consumer graphics card to leverage GDDR6 memory, upping the ante from today's top of the technological crop, GDDR5X. Time - NVIDIA - will tell.
The short teaser, posted by NVIDIA on its GeForce Facebook page under the "It's coming...a Collector's Edition" tagline, shows a distinguished-looking cooler shroud, which borrows design elements from the company's iconic Founders Edition graphics card, but with some added geometry and detail touches. The card will apparently incorporate RGB elements, seeing as the teaser shows both green and red colors. There's some speculation that this Collector's Edition Titan graphics card could be the first consumer graphics card to leverage GDDR6 memory, upping the ante from today's top of the technological crop, GDDR5X. Time - NVIDIA - will tell.
LucidSound Redefines eSport Audio with LS25 eSports Gaming Headset
LucidSound, one of the fastest growing brands in gaming audio, announced today the LS25 eSports Gaming Headset is shipping to retail. The LS25 has been developed to appeal to the eSports and competitive PC gaming community, concentrating on the features essential to provide superior performance during tournament play.
"eSports players need the best equipment to compete at tournament level. That's why we have been working with eSports teams to deliver the best possible product in the LS25," said Chris Von Huben, CEO of LucidSound. "The LS25 is engineered to win with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a focus on the core features players are looking for in an eSports headset."
"eSports players need the best equipment to compete at tournament level. That's why we have been working with eSports teams to deliver the best possible product in the LS25," said Chris Von Huben, CEO of LucidSound. "The LS25 is engineered to win with an uncompromising commitment to quality and a focus on the core features players are looking for in an eSports headset."
Microsoft: Demand for Xbox One X Defies Expectations
Microsoft has said that demand for its upcoming Xbox One X games console is meeting expectations, and then some. Panos Panay, corporate vice president of devices, told CNBC that he wouldn't be able to talk about specific numbers, but that demand was, quote, "super high". He added that "I won't compare it to other consoles. What I'll say is the demand for Xbox One X right now is exactly where we anticipated, even more so when you see that excitement for the product... this is something that resonates with gamers."
The demand is so high, in fact, that there have been numerous reports of shortages, which means supply isn't even being able to sustain demand for the new Xbox, 4K-enabled console that launches on November 7th. Whether this stems from the fact that demand really is "super high", or limited production, or a mix of those two, is always up for debate. However, one only has to consider the amount of hardware that's being crammed in such a tiny box to glimpse the massive effort in engineering that was needed for this console - it's a mass of custom hardware, 60% smaller than the Original Xbox One, while delivering almost 5x the performance. It's likely this demand is fueled by the total of 130 games (and counting) that have already been confirmed to receive Xbox One X compatibility patches. The presence of a UHD Blu-Ray solution also doesn't hurt its media pedigree either, though the $499 cost of entry is somewhat steep by console standards. Here though, it's definitely well deserved - at least when one takes into account the hardware.
The demand is so high, in fact, that there have been numerous reports of shortages, which means supply isn't even being able to sustain demand for the new Xbox, 4K-enabled console that launches on November 7th. Whether this stems from the fact that demand really is "super high", or limited production, or a mix of those two, is always up for debate. However, one only has to consider the amount of hardware that's being crammed in such a tiny box to glimpse the massive effort in engineering that was needed for this console - it's a mass of custom hardware, 60% smaller than the Original Xbox One, while delivering almost 5x the performance. It's likely this demand is fueled by the total of 130 games (and counting) that have already been confirmed to receive Xbox One X compatibility patches. The presence of a UHD Blu-Ray solution also doesn't hurt its media pedigree either, though the $499 cost of entry is somewhat steep by console standards. Here though, it's definitely well deserved - at least when one takes into account the hardware.
HTC Bundle: Vive VR, GeForce GTX 1070, Fallout 4 VR for $799
HTC has launched a VR gaming bundle which aims to bring incredible value for gamers that want to dip their feet in the VR world without the hassle of buying individual components. The bundle, which includes a Vive VR room scale solution (with the headset and a pair of controllers), a Founder's Edition NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, and a copy of Fallout 4 VR, is being sold for $799. It's a "while supplies last" type of bundle - and unfortunately for the rest of the world, will only be available in the U.S. market.
This is an extremely interesting bundle for the price HTC is asking - the company is quoting a $999 retail value for the bundle ($599 for the Vive room scale solution, and around $400 for the GTX 1070), which amounts to $200 savings. Add to the fact that this is as plug and play a solution as it gets, and the fact that the GTX 1070 is a very competent card in VR workloads, and this really does translate as an interesting, inspired take on expanding the market for VR. A shame it's only available for U.S. residents, though. The rest of the world feels left out.
This is an extremely interesting bundle for the price HTC is asking - the company is quoting a $999 retail value for the bundle ($599 for the Vive room scale solution, and around $400 for the GTX 1070), which amounts to $200 savings. Add to the fact that this is as plug and play a solution as it gets, and the fact that the GTX 1070 is a very competent card in VR workloads, and this really does translate as an interesting, inspired take on expanding the market for VR. A shame it's only available for U.S. residents, though. The rest of the world feels left out.
AMD Releases Radeon Crimson ReLive 17.11.1 Beta Drivers
AMD has released another driver suite for their Radeon graphics cards, in the form of the 17.11.1 Beta drivers. These bring support, and the best experience, for Call of Duty: WWII, with up to 5% faster performance on Radeon RX Vega64 (8 GB) graphics than with Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition 17.10.3 at 2560x1440.
Additionally, this driver brings AMD XConnect technology improvements for Vega 56. XConnect is AMD's technology that allows seamless plug and play ability for eGPU enclosures, and with this update, AMD is increasing the number of eGPU solutions that support AMD's RX Vega 56 graphics cards in this configuration. There's also an extensive list of fixes (including a particularly nasty bug where system devices such as printers could be removed during Radeon Software uninstallation) and known issues, which you can catch after the break. As always, you can download your drivers right here, on the best website of the known universe. Just follow the link below.
DOWNLOAD: AMD Radeon Software Crimson ReLive 17.11.1 Beta
Additionally, this driver brings AMD XConnect technology improvements for Vega 56. XConnect is AMD's technology that allows seamless plug and play ability for eGPU enclosures, and with this update, AMD is increasing the number of eGPU solutions that support AMD's RX Vega 56 graphics cards in this configuration. There's also an extensive list of fixes (including a particularly nasty bug where system devices such as printers could be removed during Radeon Software uninstallation) and known issues, which you can catch after the break. As always, you can download your drivers right here, on the best website of the known universe. Just follow the link below.
XFX Teases Bold-looking Custom RX Vega Graphics Card
XFX is known for its audacious graphics card designs. The company even adds uniqueness to the design of its retail boxes, with the signature X-shaped cartons. It looks like the company is finally getting its design mojo back, with a boldly-styled custom-design Radeon RX Vega series graphics card, which it teased in three pictures released to social media. The design of this card involves a tall aluminium fin-stack cooler, which consists of two dense fin-stacks, to which heat drawn from the GPU is fed by a series of copper heat pipes, along their ends.
These fin-stacks are ventilated by large (100-120 mm) fans. The gap between these fans cuts out to the shape of an "X" with the PCIe power connectors being located bang in the middle. From the looks of it, XFX's custom-design PCB for the RX Vega is just 3/5 the length of the card, taking advantage of AMD's compact multi-chip module approach for the "Vega 10" silicon, about the length of the reference R9 Fury PCB. Carbon fiber finish, and a glowing XFX logo on top finishes off the design. XFX and other AMD add-in board (AIB) partners could launch custom-design RX Vega series graphics cards before Holiday 2017. XFX could use this board design for both RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56.
These fin-stacks are ventilated by large (100-120 mm) fans. The gap between these fans cuts out to the shape of an "X" with the PCIe power connectors being located bang in the middle. From the looks of it, XFX's custom-design PCB for the RX Vega is just 3/5 the length of the card, taking advantage of AMD's compact multi-chip module approach for the "Vega 10" silicon, about the length of the reference R9 Fury PCB. Carbon fiber finish, and a glowing XFX logo on top finishes off the design. XFX and other AMD add-in board (AIB) partners could launch custom-design RX Vega series graphics cards before Holiday 2017. XFX could use this board design for both RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56.
Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results
Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2017 fourth quarter ended September 30, 2017. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $52.6 billion, an increase of 12 percent from the year-ago quarter, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $2.07, up 24 percent. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter's revenue.
"We're happy to report a very strong finish to a great fiscal 2017, with record fourth quarter revenue, year-over-year growth for all our product categories, and our best quarter ever for Services," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "With fantastic new products including iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple TV 4K joining our product lineup, we're looking forward to a great holiday season, and with the launch of iPhone X getting underway right now, we couldn't be more excited as we begin to deliver our vision for the future with this stunning device."
"Apple's year-over-year revenue growth rate accelerated for the fourth consecutive quarter and drove EPS growth of 24 percent in the September quarter," said Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO. "We also generated strong operating cash flow of $15.7 billion and returned $11 billion to investors through our capital return program."
"We're happy to report a very strong finish to a great fiscal 2017, with record fourth quarter revenue, year-over-year growth for all our product categories, and our best quarter ever for Services," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "With fantastic new products including iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple TV 4K joining our product lineup, we're looking forward to a great holiday season, and with the launch of iPhone X getting underway right now, we couldn't be more excited as we begin to deliver our vision for the future with this stunning device."
"Apple's year-over-year revenue growth rate accelerated for the fourth consecutive quarter and drove EPS growth of 24 percent in the September quarter," said Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO. "We also generated strong operating cash flow of $15.7 billion and returned $11 billion to investors through our capital return program."
Thursday, November 2nd 2017
Today's Reviews
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Keyboards
Motherboards
Notebooks
Palit GTX 1070 Ti Super JetStream 8 GB Review
Palit's GTX 1070 Ti Super JetStream doesn't come with an overclock out of the box due to NVIDIA regulations, but it offers a large triple-slot thermal solution that delivers excellent temperatures and fan noise.
MSI GTX 1070 Ti Gaming 8 GB Review
MSI's GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Gaming comes with the company's signature TwinFrozr thermal solution, which delivers outstanding noise levels and adds the crucial idle-fan-off feature that's so important these days for enjoyable noise levels during desktop work, Internet browsing, and light gaming.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Founders Edition 8 GB Review
NVIDIA Pascal's year-long free run in the high-end segment was finally challenged by the AMD RX Vega series, with the RX Vega 56 capitalizing on the gap between the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080. NVIDIA attempts to fill it with the new GTX 1070 Ti priced at $450.
BitFenix Formula Gold 750 W Review
The BitFenix Formula Gold 750 W is one of the quietest PSUs in the sub-$100 category, and it performs very well in all other areas. Its fixed cables are the only compromise - you clearly cannot have it all at such an affordable price.
BitFenix Releases the Formula Gold Power Supply Series
(Editor's Note: You can read TPU's review of the BitFenix Formula Gold 750 W power supply here. The press release follows.)
BitFenix is proud to announce its latest series of power supply units, the Formula Gold Series that boasts of extreme quality and world's best performance with 80+ Gold efficiency and up to 92% efficiency at typical loading.
The new BitFenix Formula Gold power supply line up comes with a wide range of power options starting with 450W all the way up to 750W incrementing by 100W. Therefore, BitFenix Formula Gold is perfect for everything from energy efficient gaming PCs to Dual GPU system or heavily overclocked Platforms.
BitFenix is proud to announce its latest series of power supply units, the Formula Gold Series that boasts of extreme quality and world's best performance with 80+ Gold efficiency and up to 92% efficiency at typical loading.
The new BitFenix Formula Gold power supply line up comes with a wide range of power options starting with 450W all the way up to 750W incrementing by 100W. Therefore, BitFenix Formula Gold is perfect for everything from energy efficient gaming PCs to Dual GPU system or heavily overclocked Platforms.
Edifier Launches Their Elegant S2000 Pro Speakers
Edifier, a leading global designer and manufacturer of award-winning audio systems has brought cutting edge sound technology to a classic style with its latest 2.0 speaker. Edifier's S2000 Pro pays tribute to speakers from the past with its elegant wood side panelling, however the components inside are state-of-the-art high-end audio. From new electro-acoustic technology to a specialty tweeter and woofer, and four on-board equalizer settings the S2000 Pro elevates the listening experience across all music genres.
The S2000 Pro features a rich low-distorted flat diaphragm tweeter. This flat diaphragm provides a fast response rate that gives benefits such as excellent high frequencies that lower tiered bookshelf speakers do not provide. An aluminium cone woofer with Digital Sound Processing digital electronic crossover makes sounds unique and clear with high-strength, low-distortion and achieves incredibly loud and heavy bass.
The S2000 Pro features a rich low-distorted flat diaphragm tweeter. This flat diaphragm provides a fast response rate that gives benefits such as excellent high frequencies that lower tiered bookshelf speakers do not provide. An aluminium cone woofer with Digital Sound Processing digital electronic crossover makes sounds unique and clear with high-strength, low-distortion and achieves incredibly loud and heavy bass.
HP and Intel Become Official Overwatch League Sponsors
Tech leaders HP Inc. and Intel today joined forces with Blizzard Entertainment in major Overwatch League sponsorship deals that represent an extended investment in the groundbreaking professional league. As part of the multiyear agreements, Intel will sponsor future Overwatch competitive events in addition to the Overwatch League. Players taking part in these events will be equipped with cutting-edge gaming hardware from both HP and Intel. HP, and more specifically, its OMEN by HP gaming PCs and displays will be used exclusively for Overwatch League games, with PCs powered by Intel Core i7 processors.
"We're thrilled to be joining forces with HP and Intel to ensure that the teams competing professionally in Overwatch are equipped with top-end technology," said Pete Vlastelica, president & CEO of Blizzard Entertainment's Major League Gaming division. "Multiyear collaborations such as this illustrate the momentum behind the Overwatch League as well as a long-term commitment by us and our partners in what we see as the future of esports."
"We're thrilled to be joining forces with HP and Intel to ensure that the teams competing professionally in Overwatch are equipped with top-end technology," said Pete Vlastelica, president & CEO of Blizzard Entertainment's Major League Gaming division. "Multiyear collaborations such as this illustrate the momentum behind the Overwatch League as well as a long-term commitment by us and our partners in what we see as the future of esports."
Amazon Registers Three New Domains Related to Cryptocurrency
Reports are coming in that Amazon registered three new domains on Tuesday. Normally, this wouldn't raise any eyebrows at all. However, the domain names are quite unique as they're related to cryptocurrency apparently. The domains are amazonethereum.com, amazoncryptocurrency.com, and amazoncryptocurrencies.com. According to the registration information taken from the Whois database, all three are registered to Amazon Technologies, Inc., which we all know is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.
At the moment of this article, we're not sure what is the reasoning behind Amazon's move. Speculations are saying that maybe the tech giant is finally getting into the cryptocurrency business. Or perhaps it's simply a marketing strategy to protect the Amazon brand similar to when the company registered amazonbitcoin.com back in 2013, which redirects users to the Amazon front page. Some are considering it an indication that Amazon might start accepting cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin despite Amazon Pay's VP Patrick Gauthier telling CNBC last month that there were no immediate plans to accept cryptocurrency.
At the moment of this article, we're not sure what is the reasoning behind Amazon's move. Speculations are saying that maybe the tech giant is finally getting into the cryptocurrency business. Or perhaps it's simply a marketing strategy to protect the Amazon brand similar to when the company registered amazonbitcoin.com back in 2013, which redirects users to the Amazon front page. Some are considering it an indication that Amazon might start accepting cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin despite Amazon Pay's VP Patrick Gauthier telling CNBC last month that there were no immediate plans to accept cryptocurrency.
Lian-Li Adds RGB to Its Lineup With the Alpha 550 E-ATX Chassis
Lian-li, who had so far prided themselves on the RGB craze being absent from their cases, offering clean, all-aluminum designs, has caved in and thrown in the towel; by popular demand, they're selling an RGB-enabled PC case in the form of the Alpha 550. The E-ATX motherboard support on this mid-tower form-factor means you should have all the space you need for your PC's innards to not need to spill out, and there's still the Lian-Li aesthetic of aluminum, steel and tempered glass - which covers the front, top, left and right sides of the chassis.
Granted, there's really not that much RGB lighting here: the chassis is fitted with three Bora 120 RGB fans at the front. Lighting is programmable via a control unit, which synchronizes illumination and allows users to enact changes to the lighting emanations from their Lian-Li Alpha 550. There's vertical GPU installation support (for dual-slot graphics cards), though you'll need to acquire a riser for that particular effort.
Granted, there's really not that much RGB lighting here: the chassis is fitted with three Bora 120 RGB fans at the front. Lighting is programmable via a control unit, which synchronizes illumination and allows users to enact changes to the lighting emanations from their Lian-Li Alpha 550. There's vertical GPU installation support (for dual-slot graphics cards), though you'll need to acquire a riser for that particular effort.
Metacritic Spammed With Fake Positive Reviews of Assassin's Creed Origins
Metacritic has been invaded by a veritable flood of what appear to be semi-sentient robots, spamming the website with favorable Assassin's Creed Origins reviews. This isn't a common occurrence, but isn't unheard of either - there have been a number of scandals regarding fake reviews on Metacritic and other review score aggregators, with some publishers having even been brought to the center of the discussion.
The semi-sentient part derives from the fact that usernames are obviously a mashing-up of keyboard keys, and no amount of effort has been put towards hiding the fact that these are fake scores. The wording is practically the same, as sometimes even the English in these is of dubious quality. This type of actions usually hurt more a games' reception than help it, if done badly, as these reviews are. So if the idea is to improves Assassin's Creed Origins in the eyes of potential buyers, certainly the fact that these are clearly fake reviews will affect perception negatively. This reminds this editor of those Chinese review farms that were reported some time ago, where entire companies were created that devoted employees towards simply posting positive reviews for apps and programs, while being paid to do so.
The semi-sentient part derives from the fact that usernames are obviously a mashing-up of keyboard keys, and no amount of effort has been put towards hiding the fact that these are fake scores. The wording is practically the same, as sometimes even the English in these is of dubious quality. This type of actions usually hurt more a games' reception than help it, if done badly, as these reviews are. So if the idea is to improves Assassin's Creed Origins in the eyes of potential buyers, certainly the fact that these are clearly fake reviews will affect perception negatively. This reminds this editor of those Chinese review farms that were reported some time ago, where entire companies were created that devoted employees towards simply posting positive reviews for apps and programs, while being paid to do so.
Manli Announces its GeForce GTX 1070 Ti Series
Manli Technology Group Limited, the major Graphics Cards and other components manufacturer, today announced the brand new GTX 10 series graphics solution - Manli GeForce GTX 1070 Ti with Blower Fan and Triple Cooler version.
Powered by the latest NVIDIA Pascal architecture, it built-in 2,432 CUDA Cores, with core frequency is at 1607MHz, base clock that can boost up to 1683 MHz, plus high-bandwidth memory 8 GB GDDR5 technologies, and support DirectX 12 features to deliver the fastest, smoothest, and most power-efficient gaming experiences.
Powered by the latest NVIDIA Pascal architecture, it built-in 2,432 CUDA Cores, with core frequency is at 1607MHz, base clock that can boost up to 1683 MHz, plus high-bandwidth memory 8 GB GDDR5 technologies, and support DirectX 12 features to deliver the fastest, smoothest, and most power-efficient gaming experiences.
ID-Cooling Intros SE-214RGB CPU Cooler
ID-Cooling today introduced the SE-214RGB, a variant of the SE-214C launched last year. The new model features an all-black aluminium fin-stack, and an RGB multi-color LED-illuminated fan. It also bears striking resemblance to the recently launched Ben Nevis Advanced RGB, which reveals that ID-Cooling is Alpenföhn's OEM for the cooler. The cooler retains the design of the original SE-214C, in featuring an offset aluminium fin-stack to which heat drawn from the CPU by four 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes making direct contact, us fed along various points, while a spinal rod that passes through the center of the stack adds stability.
The off-center fin-stack design enhanced clearance near the memory area of your motherboard. The included 130 mm fan features four RGB diodes embedded into the inner walls of the frame, and a white impeller, which acts as a diffuser. It takes in 4-pin PWM input, spins between 500 to 1,800 RPM, pushing up to 69.5 CFM of air, with a noise output ranging between 14.2 to 30.6 dBA. Measuring 130 mm x 74 mm x 159 mm (WxDxH), the cooler weighs about 680 g (including fan). It supports most modern CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2066, LGA2011(v3), and LGA115x. The company didn't reveal pricing.
The off-center fin-stack design enhanced clearance near the memory area of your motherboard. The included 130 mm fan features four RGB diodes embedded into the inner walls of the frame, and a white impeller, which acts as a diffuser. It takes in 4-pin PWM input, spins between 500 to 1,800 RPM, pushing up to 69.5 CFM of air, with a noise output ranging between 14.2 to 30.6 dBA. Measuring 130 mm x 74 mm x 159 mm (WxDxH), the cooler weighs about 680 g (including fan). It supports most modern CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2066, LGA2011(v3), and LGA115x. The company didn't reveal pricing.
Wednesday, November 1st 2017
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Razer Phone Unveiled, First Smartphone with 120 Hz Display
Razer today unveiled the Razer Phone, an Android smartphone with groundbreaking audiovisual technologies and processing muscle that takes personal entertainment to the next level. The first device from Razer's mobile division, the Razer Phone comes with a phenomenal display, cinematic audio and enough power to last a user all day, all in the palm of his or her hand.
The Razer Phone is equipped with the world's first 120 Hz UltraMotion display that delivers the fastest refresh rates and smoothest graphics among today's smartphones. UltraMotion's adaptive refresh technology synchronizes the GPU and display to remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage. The 5.72-inch display - a Quad HD IGZO LCD - delivers vibrant and sharp images with a wide color gamut.
The Razer Phone is equipped with the world's first 120 Hz UltraMotion display that delivers the fastest refresh rates and smoothest graphics among today's smartphones. UltraMotion's adaptive refresh technology synchronizes the GPU and display to remove image tearing or lag while driving efficient power usage. The 5.72-inch display - a Quad HD IGZO LCD - delivers vibrant and sharp images with a wide color gamut.
Dell Announces Biggest Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals Ahead of Time
Dell is rolling out Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on its largest selection of personal, business and gaming PCs, monitors and other electronics, helping shoppers find the best tech gifts at an amazing value.
Launching now, Dell is offering early access to its select Black Friday deals for the next 48 hours; deals run again from Nov. 15 - 24. Rolling Black Friday doorbusters¹ will be available to the public Nov. 23 - 24 and to Dell Financial Service customers Nov. 13 - 14. Dell Advantage Loyalty Rewards, Dell Member Purchase Program and Small Business customers can access the doorbusters from Nov. 15 - 22. Cyber Week deals will be available starting Nov. 26, and rolling Cyber Monday doorbusters¹ will launch Nov. 27 at 8 a.m. ET with new deals posting hourly until 8 p.m. ET. (see below for a detailed timeline)
Launching now, Dell is offering early access to its select Black Friday deals for the next 48 hours; deals run again from Nov. 15 - 24. Rolling Black Friday doorbusters¹ will be available to the public Nov. 23 - 24 and to Dell Financial Service customers Nov. 13 - 14. Dell Advantage Loyalty Rewards, Dell Member Purchase Program and Small Business customers can access the doorbusters from Nov. 15 - 22. Cyber Week deals will be available starting Nov. 26, and rolling Cyber Monday doorbusters¹ will launch Nov. 27 at 8 a.m. ET with new deals posting hourly until 8 p.m. ET. (see below for a detailed timeline)
be quiet! Dark Base 700 Mid-Tower Case Teased
be quiet!, renowned manufacturers of PC hardware cases, cooling solutions, and other varied hardware parts, have recently teased their new PC Case, the Dark Base 700. The Dark Base series is the flagship offering of the company, with the only other products on the series currently being the Dark Base 900 case and related accessories.
The Dark Base 700 will apparently fall in on the Mid-Tower case genre, with its seven expansion slots on the back fo the case. Radiator support should be guaranteed for a 120 mm radiator on the back of the case as well, but other details still remain somewhat obscure. A PSU shroud will be part of the design, with its advantages and disadvantages (it's unclear whether this shroud will be removable or not, but considering the flagship series status of the case, this wouldn't be remiss). There's also support for a riser-extended graphics card with dual-slot display outputs, and the natural side panel for your hardware oggling pleasure. The launch date for the be quiet! Dark Base 700 has been set for November 14th.
The Dark Base 700 will apparently fall in on the Mid-Tower case genre, with its seven expansion slots on the back fo the case. Radiator support should be guaranteed for a 120 mm radiator on the back of the case as well, but other details still remain somewhat obscure. A PSU shroud will be part of the design, with its advantages and disadvantages (it's unclear whether this shroud will be removable or not, but considering the flagship series status of the case, this wouldn't be remiss). There's also support for a riser-extended graphics card with dual-slot display outputs, and the natural side panel for your hardware oggling pleasure. The launch date for the be quiet! Dark Base 700 has been set for November 14th.
Heatkiller IV Waterblocks for AMD Threadripper CPUs Go Up for Preorder
Watercool started development on their waterblocks for AMD Threadripper processors back in August. The brand made an announcement today on their Facebook stating that waterblocks are ready to come out of the oven. The Heatkiller IV waterblocks will come in three variants: copper, nickel, and nickel/black. All three models are available for preorder tomorrow. If you're quick enough to pull the trigger, you can also net yourself a nice 10% preorder discount. According to Watercool, the copper model ships on November 10th, while the other two remaining nickel models will start shipping on November 24th.
The full copper model is a waterblock aimed at copper lovers. It comes with an unique, huge Threadripper cooling plate made entirely of copper. The massive top is milled out of one solid block of copper. On the other hand, the nickel block caters to those who prefer a more glossy look. Both the huge cold plater and top are milled out of solid copper; then consequently nickel plated. Lastly, Watercool calls the nickel/black model the jack of all trades. The copper cold plate is nickel plated, while the top is manufactured from acrylic (Plexiglas GS) and comes with a black anodized aluminum cover. RGB lighting is present thanks to the preinstalled RGB LED strip which connects to the RGB LED headers on X399 motherboards through a black, paracord sleeved cable.
The full copper model is a waterblock aimed at copper lovers. It comes with an unique, huge Threadripper cooling plate made entirely of copper. The massive top is milled out of one solid block of copper. On the other hand, the nickel block caters to those who prefer a more glossy look. Both the huge cold plater and top are milled out of solid copper; then consequently nickel plated. Lastly, Watercool calls the nickel/black model the jack of all trades. The copper cold plate is nickel plated, while the top is manufactured from acrylic (Plexiglas GS) and comes with a black anodized aluminum cover. RGB lighting is present thanks to the preinstalled RGB LED strip which connects to the RGB LED headers on X399 motherboards through a black, paracord sleeved cable.
Your PC Will Soon be Able to Become Local Server for Halo 5: Guardians
Microsoft has announced that a Windows UWP app will soon enable your PC to become a local server for your Halo 5: Guardians local LAN parties. this announcement comes ahead of its November 2nd release of the "Overtime" content and fix drop for Halo 5: Guardians that brings with it a plethora of fixes and 4K support for its latest XBOX One X console.
Dubbed the "Halo 5: Guardians Local Server" app, the piece of software will be available for download through the Windows store, turning your computer into a local server so XBOX One consoles in the same network can experience "easy, low-latency Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer matches." The app will also bring support for custom games loading on your server, including those created on your PC through Halo 5: Forge, which arrived on Windows 10 PCs last year. The Local Server app "provides a method for tournament organizers to set up their own events in a scenario that mirrors the environment used for professional matches. With these new options, you can create a local server similar to those used for the Halo Championship Series events, providing an ideal proving ground for everything from professional and amateur competitive teams to friendly tournaments."
Dubbed the "Halo 5: Guardians Local Server" app, the piece of software will be available for download through the Windows store, turning your computer into a local server so XBOX One consoles in the same network can experience "easy, low-latency Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer matches." The app will also bring support for custom games loading on your server, including those created on your PC through Halo 5: Forge, which arrived on Windows 10 PCs last year. The Local Server app "provides a method for tournament organizers to set up their own events in a scenario that mirrors the environment used for professional matches. With these new options, you can create a local server similar to those used for the Halo Championship Series events, providing an ideal proving ground for everything from professional and amateur competitive teams to friendly tournaments."
Western Digital Now Ships up to 14 TB UltraStar HS14 HDDs
As computing systems advance and performance is increased, there is also increased need for sufficient storage space to store the results of data processing. Emerging trends and developments in storage technology have seen the promise of new, magnetic-based technologies such as Western Digital's own MAMR technology, which is expected to bring up to 40 TB HDDs in the near future. Until those days are with us, however, improvements on current platter-based technologies are consistent and dependable, with increasing storage space capacities and densities having been delivered by companies in the last few years.
Western Digital has now begun shipping up to 14 TB HDDs, on their UltraStar HS14 family of Enterprise drives, which bring storage areal density up to a staggering 1034 Gb/in². This level of areal storage density was achieved with recourse to SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology, though, which means performance in rewriting already written-to sectors will be somewhat decreased when compared to other HDDs that don't employ this particular technology. These helium-filled HDDs have a 7200 RPM spindle speed and a 512 MB cache to aid offsetting this performance penalty, though. The UltraStar HS14 HDDs also offer numerous technologies to increase reliability and durability of the drive, which, with its Enterprise classification, promise to deliver 2.5 million hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) accompanied by a five-year warranty. Available interfaces are SATA 6 Gb/s and SAS 12 Gb/s, with the drives being able to sustain transfer rates in the order of 233 MB/s.
Western Digital has now begun shipping up to 14 TB HDDs, on their UltraStar HS14 family of Enterprise drives, which bring storage areal density up to a staggering 1034 Gb/in². This level of areal storage density was achieved with recourse to SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology, though, which means performance in rewriting already written-to sectors will be somewhat decreased when compared to other HDDs that don't employ this particular technology. These helium-filled HDDs have a 7200 RPM spindle speed and a 512 MB cache to aid offsetting this performance penalty, though. The UltraStar HS14 HDDs also offer numerous technologies to increase reliability and durability of the drive, which, with its Enterprise classification, promise to deliver 2.5 million hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) accompanied by a five-year warranty. Available interfaces are SATA 6 Gb/s and SAS 12 Gb/s, with the drives being able to sustain transfer rates in the order of 233 MB/s.
Samsung Electronics Announces Third Quarter 2017 Results
Samsung Electronics today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017. Samsung's revenue for the quarter was KRW 62.05 trillion, an increase of KRW 14.23 trillion YoY, while operating profit for the quarter posted a record KRW 14.53 trillion, an increase of KRW 9.33 trillion YoY.
In the third quarter, strong demand for high-performance memory chipsets for servers and flagship mobile devices was a contributing factor to the company's overall robust performance. The Semiconductor Business registered significant earnings growth both YoY and QoQ, and the System LSI added to the earnings rally through increased sales of DDIs and image sensors. The display panel segment posted an earnings decline despite the expanded sales of flexible OLED panels for premium smartphones. The Mobile Business saw strong shipments thanks to the launch of Galaxy Note 8 and solid sales of the new Galaxy J series, but its earnings declined QoQ due to the higher sales proportion of mass-market smartphones.
In the third quarter, strong demand for high-performance memory chipsets for servers and flagship mobile devices was a contributing factor to the company's overall robust performance. The Semiconductor Business registered significant earnings growth both YoY and QoQ, and the System LSI added to the earnings rally through increased sales of DDIs and image sensors. The display panel segment posted an earnings decline despite the expanded sales of flexible OLED panels for premium smartphones. The Mobile Business saw strong shipments thanks to the launch of Galaxy Note 8 and solid sales of the new Galaxy J series, but its earnings declined QoQ due to the higher sales proportion of mass-market smartphones.
ZOTAC Avoids NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti Factory Overclocking Restrictions via OC Profile
NVIDIA's decision to prohibit AIB partners from factory overclocking their GTX 1070 Ti graphics is a decision that may not sit well with hardware enthusiasts, but it's one that makes the most sense from a business perspective. As it is, it's expected that overclocked versions of the GTX 1070 Ti graphics cards, which have come to offer a more compelling NVIDIA option against AMD's Vega 56 graphics card, will offer performance that is by all accounts comparable to that offered by its more expensive (and older) GTX 1080 graphics cards. So NVIDIA is just ensuring that its introduction of the GTX 1070 Ti with its $459 MSRP doesn't cannibalize sales of their higher tier graphics card through higher out-of-the-box performance via factory overclocking.
HP Buys Out Samsung Printer Business for $1.05 Billion
HP Inc., the world leader in printing, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s printer business in a deal valued at $1.05 billion.
A3 represents HP's largest growth opportunity in business printing. The combination with Samsung expands HP's portfolio, accelerates its ability to disrupt the $55B A3 copier segment with superior multifunction printing technology, and strengthens its leading A4 laser printing business. Samsung also brings compelling intellectual property of more than 6,500 print patents and a world-class workforce of nearly 1,300 researchers and engineers with expertise in laser technology, imaging electronics and supplies and accessories.
A3 represents HP's largest growth opportunity in business printing. The combination with Samsung expands HP's portfolio, accelerates its ability to disrupt the $55B A3 copier segment with superior multifunction printing technology, and strengthens its leading A4 laser printing business. Samsung also brings compelling intellectual property of more than 6,500 print patents and a world-class workforce of nearly 1,300 researchers and engineers with expertise in laser technology, imaging electronics and supplies and accessories.
HP Launches New 24-inch DesignJet T830 Multifunction Printer
HP Inc. today announced the new HP DesignJet T830 24-Inch Multifunction Printer, an ultra-compact, versatile large format printing solution for architects, engineers and construction teams to seamlessly collaborate onsite and across sites by printing, copying, scanning and sharing plans with a single device. The 24-inch T830 printer joins the HP DesignJet T830 Multifunction Printer Series creating a portfolio that can handle any size project, yet offering the same HP DesignJet quality and reliability in what is now the most compact MFP device available in the market.
"HP multifunction printers open new ways to help professional teams communicate and collaborate using a single device. Our customers are increasingly demanding solutions that enable them to share easily, including agile transitions from digital to hard copy and back," said Guayente Sanmartín, General Manager and Global Head, HP Large Format Design Printing, HP Inc. " It's amazing to bring the most advanced HP printing technologies to support the teamwork of architects and engineers designing and building the future."
"HP multifunction printers open new ways to help professional teams communicate and collaborate using a single device. Our customers are increasingly demanding solutions that enable them to share easily, including agile transitions from digital to hard copy and back," said Guayente Sanmartín, General Manager and Global Head, HP Large Format Design Printing, HP Inc. " It's amazing to bring the most advanced HP printing technologies to support the teamwork of architects and engineers designing and building the future."
Raijintek Releases Three Beautiful Tempered Glass Cases
Raijintek have just release three new cases for their tempered glass series: the Coeus Elite, Coeus Evo, and Paen M. The Paean M is Raijintek's first watercooled open bench case. All three cases feature up to four individual panes of 4.0 mm tempered glass giving a great view to their new range of LED fans. In addition to the three new cases, Raijintek have also announced the PAXX conversion kit consisting of a riser card extender cable and a special PCI slot bracket.
CPUs Bear Brunt of Ubisoft Deploying VMProtect Above Denuvo for AC:O
It's been extensively reported that Denuvo has failed as an effective DRM solution for games, as some of the newer releases such as "Assassin's Creed: Origins," were cracked by pirates less than 48 hours into the market release. For those who bought the game, Denuvo adds its own CPU and memory footprint. In an effort to stem further piracy of "Assassin's Creed: Origins" (because hey, there are limited stocks of pirated copies on the Internet), Ubisoft added an additional DRM layer on top of Denuvo, made by VMProtect. The implementation is so shoddy, that paying customers who didn't spend a fortune on their PC builds (most PC gamers) complain of abnormally high CPU usage, which is in some cases, even reducing performance to unplayable levels.
Ubisoft deployed VMProtect as a concentric DRM layer to Denuvo. Genuine user authentication has to now be performed by two separate pieces of software with their own PIDs, CPU-, and memory-footprints, not to mention user data falling into more hands. Gamers such as this one took to Steam Forums to complain about abnormally high CPU usage, which is traced back to VMProtect. Gamers complain that the game now hits 100% CPU usage, resulting in frame-drops, stuttering, and even unplayable frame-rates. As gaming prophet Gabe Newell once said, the only way to beat piracy is to offer a better service than the pirates. Right now the pirates offer better frame-rates, at an introductory price of $0, while stocks last.
Ubisoft deployed VMProtect as a concentric DRM layer to Denuvo. Genuine user authentication has to now be performed by two separate pieces of software with their own PIDs, CPU-, and memory-footprints, not to mention user data falling into more hands. Gamers such as this one took to Steam Forums to complain about abnormally high CPU usage, which is traced back to VMProtect. Gamers complain that the game now hits 100% CPU usage, resulting in frame-drops, stuttering, and even unplayable frame-rates. As gaming prophet Gabe Newell once said, the only way to beat piracy is to offer a better service than the pirates. Right now the pirates offer better frame-rates, at an introductory price of $0, while stocks last.
ATP Releases DDR4-2666 for the latest Intel Xeon Scalable and 8th Gen Intel Core
ATP Electronics, a leading manufacturer of high-performance cost-effective DRAM modules, announces the release of fast, low-power DDR4 solutions for the latest Intel Xeon Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Scalable processors and 8th-generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processors. ATP's latest DDR4 solutions are ideal for high-performance computing (HPC) applications requiring high density, low power, great scalability and efficiency, such as telecommunication infrastructures, networking storage systems, network-attached storage (NAS) servers, micro/cloud servers, and embedded systems like industrial PCs.
Built-in enterprise-level density dramatically increases the capabilities of growing embedded and cloud computing environments to meet large-scale, memory-intensive workloads. The 1.2V low power design delivers optimal savings, keeping systems cool without escalating power bills. The latest Intel Xeon Scalable processors provide native support for six memory channels that can operate at the same speed even at full load, so ATP's DDR4-2666 modules ensure a big boost in performance and productivity with their fast 2666 MT/s data rate. The increased interface speed from 2400/MTs to 2666 MT/s amplifies theoretical peak performance by 15%.
Built-in enterprise-level density dramatically increases the capabilities of growing embedded and cloud computing environments to meet large-scale, memory-intensive workloads. The 1.2V low power design delivers optimal savings, keeping systems cool without escalating power bills. The latest Intel Xeon Scalable processors provide native support for six memory channels that can operate at the same speed even at full load, so ATP's DDR4-2666 modules ensure a big boost in performance and productivity with their fast 2666 MT/s data rate. The increased interface speed from 2400/MTs to 2666 MT/s amplifies theoretical peak performance by 15%.
QNAP Ships TS-x77 Business NAS Powered by AMD Ryzen 7 1700
QNAP Systems, Inc. has joined forces with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) to roll out the world's first Ryzen-based NAS - the high-end business TS-x77 series (available in 6 , 8 , and 12 -bay models). Featuring processors with up to 8-cores/16-threads (with Turbo Core up to 3.7 GHz), SSD caching, and with support for graphics cards, the TS-x77 delivers incredible processing power for driving resource-demanding applications such as VDI, server virtualization, private cloud, and 4K video playback/transcoding.
The TS-x77 series includes models with AMD Ryzen 7 1700 (8-cores/16-threads) and AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (6-cores/12-threads) processors that support AES-NI encryption acceleration and up to 64 GB DDR4 RAM. Two M.2 SATA 6 GB/s SSD slots are provided for cache acceleration or high-performance storage pools. Every model in the series provides USB 3.1 Gen2 10Gbps Type-A and Type-C ports, and three PCIe slots for incredible expansion potential. Supported PCIe devices include a graphics card, 10GbE/40GbE NICs, PCIe NVMe SSD, USB 3.1 expansion cards, and QM2 cards (that add additional M.2 SSDs or 10GbE connectivity). Incorporating incredible performance, reliability and scalability, the TS-x77 series provides an exceptional storage solution for diverse business IT environments.
The TS-x77 series includes models with AMD Ryzen 7 1700 (8-cores/16-threads) and AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (6-cores/12-threads) processors that support AES-NI encryption acceleration and up to 64 GB DDR4 RAM. Two M.2 SATA 6 GB/s SSD slots are provided for cache acceleration or high-performance storage pools. Every model in the series provides USB 3.1 Gen2 10Gbps Type-A and Type-C ports, and three PCIe slots for incredible expansion potential. Supported PCIe devices include a graphics card, 10GbE/40GbE NICs, PCIe NVMe SSD, USB 3.1 expansion cards, and QM2 cards (that add additional M.2 SSDs or 10GbE connectivity). Incorporating incredible performance, reliability and scalability, the TS-x77 series provides an exceptional storage solution for diverse business IT environments.
TechPowerUp and Rosewill Nebula Headset Giveaway: The Winners
TechPowerUp and Rosewill brought you the Nebula headset giveaway, with nine lucky winners standing to one of the company's best gaming headsets, each. The Nebula GX10 and Nebula GX30 feature ergonomic and lightweight designs, and pack drivers that have been perfectly tuned for gaming. Up for grabs were five GX30 headsets, and four GX10. Without further ado, the winners:
Nebula GX10:
Nebula GX10:
- Marco from Italy
- Peter from Sweden
- Joseph from the United States
- Ivo from Bosnia and Herzegovina
- micropage7 from Indonesia
- David from the United States
- Arrakis+9 from the United States
- Do from Vietnam
- Cecelia from Mexico
Samsung Electronics to Increase its DRAM Output
Samsung Electronics, one of the largest manufacturers of DRAM and NAND flash memory, is poised to increase its production of DRAM. The company is bolstered by expansion of two of its DRAM manufacturing plants, located in Hwasung and Pyeongtaek, South Korea. The company is re-purposing a portion of its 2D NAND flash line at its Hwasung plant to produce DRAM. The new production line will begin its output from Q1-2018. The Pyeongtaek plant has been seeing similar activity where DRAM manufacturing clean-rooms are being built on the plant's second floor.
It's only in the second half of 2018 when end-users could expect Samsung's increased DRAM output to have any effect on prices of PC memory. The PC industry is not the only consumer of DRAM, as a larger share of it is consumed by the mobile industry (smartphones, tablets). DRAM inventories have been under tremendous strain over the past three quarters, which have forced PC memory prices to surge by 80-100 percent and beyond.
It's only in the second half of 2018 when end-users could expect Samsung's increased DRAM output to have any effect on prices of PC memory. The PC industry is not the only consumer of DRAM, as a larger share of it is consumed by the mobile industry (smartphones, tablets). DRAM inventories have been under tremendous strain over the past three quarters, which have forced PC memory prices to surge by 80-100 percent and beyond.
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