The Corsair Graphite 780T is the successor to the 760T, a chassis that has been on the market for quite some time. It features the same new bold design we have seen on the 380T, but allows you to install a fully sized ATX board and features a lot more expandability.
The DeepCool Steam Castle aims to take steampunk to the main stream. Available in four different colors with elaborate looks, will it manage to deliver hip looks right out of the box while remaining functional at a competitive price point, or is it a hip shell with a boring interior?
Corsair just introduced the new HXi series, comprised of members with Platinum efficiency and full compatibility with the Corsair Link software. Today, we will take a look at the second-strongest unit of the line with 1 kW capacity, ideal for a power-hungry system with up to four VGAs.
Crucial's new MX100 SSD is super affordable, yet provides excellent performance that can easily compete with the big boys. It uses brand-new 16 nanometer flash chips from Micron, paired with a proven Marvell controller. Hands down the best SSD you can get!
Aerocool's Dead Silence series of cases aims to be quiet, but flashy, thanks to its various bright color choices. With the DS Cube, the company is offering a compact mATX chassis having the ability to hold potent components, which allows you to build a hip gaming rig.
Today, AMD launches the Radeon R9 285 based on their brand-new Tonga GPU, which replaces Tahiti, promising to be faster and more power efficient. Sapphire's board comes with a custom cooler and is overclocked out of the box for some extra performance.
EVGA recently introduced their new flagship SuperNOVA unit with 1600 W capacity and 80 Plus Gold efficiency. According to their description, this PSU is the ultimate tool for any highly overclocked system, and in this review, we plan to push it beyond its limits to see how it fares.
Corsair is aiming to take the Graphite series on the road with the Graphite 380T. A compact Mini-ITX chassis with a solid grip and sweet looks, it certainly has the specs to be an awesome LAN-gaming rig. But all this comes at a fairly high price - will the Graphite 380T manage to make each cent count?
Another new Intel debut is upon us, and you just can't miss it if you use multiple monitors and videocards. Today, we take our first look at Intel's X99 Express platform with MSI's X99S GAMING 7 to show us what's in store. Including SATA Express, M.2, DDR4, and support for Intel's new Haswell-E CPUs, the MSI X99S GAMING 7 might just be what you're looking for.
Corsair's RM series includes some of the quietest PSUs available on the market. Today, we take a detailed look at the strongest member of this series, the RM1000. It promises good performance and ultra-silent operation, a rare feature for a 1 kW unit.
Intel released the Intel Core i7-4790K, which created quite the stir with Intel Core i7-4770K owners. Does the Intel Core i7-4790K outperform the Intel Core i7-4770K in every way or does it fall a little flat? If you already own a 4770K, is the upgrade worth it?
ASUS marked their entry into the high-end sound card market with the Xonar Essence ST some years ago. Today, we will take a good look at the new STX II. The STX II brings new op-amps and a more precise clock generator to the table; the latter should lower jitter. The STX II also bolsters 7.1 outputs through a small break-out card.
When it comes to all-in-one liquid CPU coolers, the Reserator 3 Max Dual sets itself apart. If you want unique looks, solid performance, and have a love for blue LEDs, Zalman has you covered. There is nothing quite like the Reserator 3 Max Dual with its unique radiator design.
The In Win 901 is a smaller version of the 904, intended for use with a Mini-ITX board instead. Even so, it still offers enough space for an optical drive and a long GPU. Will the smaller brother impress us as much as the 904?
Along with their Platinum units, Seasonic also revamped their Gold-certified line-up, and the fresh X-1050 and X-1250 now get to add "XM2" to their model numbers. In this review, we will evaluate the X-1250 -- its promise is to deliver high efficiency and top performance at an honest price.
Today, AMD enters the SSD market with their Radeon R7 SSD, which is built using OCZ technology. Using a Barefoot 3 controller and Toshiba 19 nanometer flash chips, the drive is designed for consumers and gamers alike. AMD has also extended the warranty of their R7 SSD to four years.
Angelbird is a young solid-state drive manufacturer from Austria. Their new SSD, wrk, is built on the Silicon Motion SM2246 controller which delivers good real-life performance in our testing. While a price of $300 for 512 GB won't shock the market these days, the drive is affordable overall.
Corsair has steered clear of the tiny cube chassis, while other companies like BitFenix, Xigmatek, or Aerocool have been duking it out, trying to get the attention of gamers who want a compact chassis with the ability to hold potent hardware. Well, the Carbide Air 240 is about to step into the ring and manages to impress.
Shuttle's DS81 is a Haswell supporting barebone system, optimized to minimize space while still providing good performance. With its VESA mount it can easily be installed on the back of a monitor. Thanks to native 4K output you could even use it as media PC for your new UHD TV.
The Enthoo Pro is the most affordable chassis of the Enthoo family by Phanteks. Featuring the same frame as the Luxe, but a slightly simpler approach, we will dive in deep to see if the chassis, while not as luxurious, is still professional enough.
Swiftech's new H220-X is a fully customizable and expandable all-in-one liquid CPU cooler with nothing but high-end components to offer enthusiasts the very best in terms of quality. As such, class-leading performance was a given, but with low noise levels and a plethora of fantastic features, it could also stand alone at the very top.
Toshiba's new HG6 Series is an incremental update over the HG5d Series and claims the performance throne in our new real-life SSD benchmarking suite. Toshiba's latest model is also cheaper than the predecessor, which even makes it an excellent choice for value-oriented buyers.
Cooler Master decided to upgrade their VS(M) series and added a new model with 750 W capacity and nothing but Japanese capacitors, which play a key role in its increased reliability. Today, the VSM750 will be put to the test to prove it is worthy of your money.
There are plenty of cube cases out there, but many lack real innovation. Cooltek aims to take cube gaming enclosures to the next level with the W1. Featuring a smart combination of aluminum and steel and a choice between a windowed or solid side panel.
The NAS market grows day by day and all companies thrive to introduce more and more innovative products. In today’s review, we will take a good look at one of these products, the Synology DS414slim, a compact NAS with a huge feature list.
Another member joined EVGA’s SuperNOVA family. The new P2-1200 with a capacity of 1200 W and Platinum efficiency promises up to 94% efficiency with 220 V input and features a fully modular design with Japanese capacitors to ensure it is incredibly reliable and stable.
Palit's GeForce GTX 750 Ti KalmX is the first completely fanless NVIDIA graphics card in a long time to offers performance that doesn't suck. Thanks to its fanless design, there is no noise from the card itself, which is important for media PC systems or quiet office PCs.
Looking for a decent board to push that shiny new Pentium G3258 in an HTPC? Biostar has what you need in the Hi-Fi Z97WE, an affordable option that offers great audio and a high-level feature set you'd not expect for so cheap.
Seasonic recently added a new high-end model to their arsenal, a 1200 W unit with Platinum efficiency, extraordinary performance, semi-passive operation, and a fully modular cabling design. This PSU is one of the best we ever tested and teaches manufacturers a lesson in how to push analog circuits to their limits.
The Streacom NC1 is one of the more intricate NUC enclosures available since it offers a modular approach, allowing for easy installation and upgradability. The NC1 is also an excellent compact alternative to Intel's retail NUC chassis.
Sapphire's R9 290 Vapor-X comes highly overclocked out of the box, matching the R9 290X in performance. The card's triple-fan, triple-slot cooler manages temperatures very well and offers a unique feature: you decide whether the card idles with one or three fans running, which lets you focus on temperature or noise.
Rosewill built up a solid reputation over the last few years, especially for PSUs, where things are tough because of the strong competition. In this review, we will evaluate the Capstone series' flagship model. It features 1 kW capacity, a semi-modular design, and a nice price tag. Our expectations are high because the unit is based on a Super Flower platform.
Thermaltake is shaking things up with their non-interference line of CPU coolers which includes the NiC C5. This single-tower, dual-fan offering not only beats the heat, it also offers unobstructed access to all DIMM slots. So if you like stylish memory kits with tall heatsinks, Thermaltake's NiC C5 has you covered.
The Enthoo Primo was Phantek's first entry into the case market, and the company is now throwing the line's smaller brother into the frey: the Luxe. It features the same look, an interesting feature set, and comes in either black or white, along with some nifty lighting element.
Silverstone has been offering fanless PSUs for quite some time; however, they hadn’t released a relevant product for some years now, which changed recently as their Nightjar fanless series now includes the NJ520 with Platinum efficiency, a fully modular cabling design, and a promise of total silence.
Black is really an absence of color, or light, all there was before time began. Now, there is the Z97X-GAMING G1 WIFI-BK, Gigabyte's top-tiered Black Edition board. So powerful it can create black holes itself, the Gigabyte Z97X-GAMING G1 WIFI-BK is here to take your gaming experience to a whole new level.
Deepcool is jumping into the sea of all-in-one liquid CPU coolers with the release of the Maelstrom 240. Featuring stunning looks, solid performance, and high quality fans, it has the specs and features that enthusiasts not only expect, but demand.
The In Win S-Frame is what you get when a case designer has fun and faces nearly no limitations. Constructed of a single 4 mm thick aluminum sheet that was hand-folded 15 times, the chassis weighs in at nearly 18 kg and 800 US dollars. With all these attributes, the question of whether the S-Frame can pull off looking like a star when equipped with hardware has to be put to the test.
We are testing the smallest member of the Antec HCP family with 850 W capacity and Platinum efficiency. The unit promises very high build quality, top-notch performance, and high efficiency, so stay tuned to find out more.
The new ASUS GTX 780 STRIX introduces a completely passive operation while the card is idling, which provides a noise-free experience. The GTX 780 STRIX 6 GB also features twice the memory capacity of the regular GTX 780 and a large overclock out of the box.
Today, we will evaluate another slim-PC by Shuttle. The DS437 is for applications like digital signage, POS, education, etc., and its fanless design makes it incredibly reliable and completely silent. It uses a dual-core Intel Celeron CPU with an embedded Intel HD Graphics solution and comes with a large number of I/O ports.
ASUS pushes the limits with its ROG branding by unleashing yet another HERO onto the battlefield to save the day. Built with ASUS ROG technology from top to bottom, the ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO just might be that new flashy board you buy.
MSI's new GTX 780 Gaming 6 GB doubles the available video RAM over the reference design, which just has 3 GB. With the latest titles requiring 3 GB VRAM minimum for textures at Ultra, this 6 GB card could help provide a performance advantage. We will investigate this claim by using our brand-new VGA test suite.
Another high-end Platinum PSU, this time by Deepcool, the DQ Series 1250 W unit uses a high-end platform with incredible performance, Platinum efficiency, and low noise output. Especially the latter is something not often seen in such a strong PSU, so stay tuned if you want to learn more about this product.
Attitude One is a new player on the gaming scene, and today, we take a close look at their first headset, the Almaz. The Almaz can be configured to act as either a headphone or headset because of its detachable microphone and multiple cables.
If you're looking for a miniature board to toss into a portable LAN box, MSI has the board for you! The Z97I GAMING AC we are looking at today is a GAMING-centric mITX board, equipped with everything you need to blast your enemies into GAMING nirvana.
The Gamer Storm Lucifer from Deepcool is an affordable CPU cooler that packs a punch. Featuring six Ø6 mm heatpipes, a 140 mm fan, and its single monolithic tower design, this cooler is quiet and performs extremely well.
The UE BOOM was one of the first bluetooth speakers that wowed us. Today, we take a look at the newest revision of the BOOM. It features much improved firmware, allows you to customize its start-up sound, and comes with a bigger bundle.
We already tested its smaller brother, and it performed incredibly well, so it is nigh time for the SuperNOVA G2-850 to be put to the test, to show what EVGA has in store for this very hot market segment. Like all other G2 units, this one is based on Super Flower's Leadex platform, offers Gold efficiency, and comes with a fully modular cabling design.
With the NH-D15, Noctua once again takes their place, leading our charts. This cooler offers unprecedented cooling performance that makes all-in-one liquid coolers seem weak, especially considering that it does so while remaining whisper quiet.
Although not the unlocked chip most of us are waiting for, the Intel Core i7-4790 is the new kid on the block, sporting a fancy 4.0 GHz boost clock right out of the box. I put it through the paces to see what's what only to come to the same conclusions as most other sites. But here's my take on the Intel Core i7-4790 anyway.
We evaluate the XTR-650 of XFX’s fully modular XTR series in today's review. This PSU is Haswell compatible and comes with Gold-certified efficiency, and its hybrid fan operation has it operate quietly. Using quality components, it also promises to perform incredibly well while being very reliable.
Computex Taiwan is the leading computer tradeshow in the year. Thanks to its asian location the booths are full of hot show girls in short skirts. TechPowerUp brings you the complete collection with 130 girls - including high-res images.
Today, we take a look at ECS's LIVA Mini PC Kit, a small and affordable PC with very low power consumption, a small price, and lightweight computing capabilities. With a sub-US$200 price tag, expecting top-notch performance would be ill advised, yet what can you get for $200 that fits in the palm of your hand? An ECS LIVA Mini PC Kit, of course.
be quiet! released their new flagship cooler, the Dark Rock Pro 3. Improving upon its predecessor, it is quieter, lighter, and just as stylish. With solid cooling performance and the best noise profile to date for a high-end air cooler, the Dark Rock Pro 3 sets the bar when it comes to performance versus noise.
Hide your childrens, hide your wives! A KILLER is here! ASRock's Fatal1ty Z97X KILLER is on my test bench, after arriving in a plain white box. The only true Fatal1ty here is hopefully the one in the name, or this red and black gamer had better go back to training camp!
Thecus has recently released a SMB NAS server, the N7710-G. This unit is equipped with strong components that easily support the needs of a business environment. Among others, it supports RAID 50 and has a 10GbE Ethernet port through which very high network transfer speeds can be achieved, given you have the right network structure in place.
We have none other than the Z97-DELUXE (WLC & NFC), ASUS's expensive high-end Intel Z97 product, with us today. Packing everything you expect and perhaps a few things you do not, the ASUS Z97-DELUXE (WLC & NFC) has everything Intel's latest platform has to offer, all wrapped into a classy new esthetic.
Corsair is first to release an 80 Plus Titanium-certified PSU, which is the flagship of their top-notch AXi line. The AX1500i is the best PSU we ever tested, and at 1.5 kW, it is strong enough for an incredibly powerful system with a four-way SLI or Crossfire configuration.
MSI's Radeon R9 280X Gaming 6 GB comes with twice the video memory of the reference design. We will test multiple resolutions, including EyeFinity and 4K, to see whether it really makes a difference. Another highlight of the card is that it's really quiet, quieter than any other R9 280X we've tested before.
The Antec GX500 aims to mix things up in the entry level market, offering three fans and fan controllers right out of the box, it jumps into the fight with its fists flying. Do those inclusions come at a sacrifice in quality, or will the GX500 be able to come out on top as the featherweight champion?
HiFiMAN's latest high-end headphone just got put to the test. The new HE-560 features improvements across the board, both in terms of sound and comfort. Design-wise, it is a long departure from the older HE headphones since it features a suspended headband design and wooden cups.
I called out for some help in fighting the never-ending stream of motherboards that come my way, and G.Skill sent none other than the god of war kit, ARES F3-2400C11D-8GAB, to fight beside me. Can these G.Skil ARES F3-2400C11D-8GAB sticks turn the tide in the battle for top-level memory performance for a good price?
The Corsair Hydro Series H105 has redefined what one can expect from an AIO liquid CPU cooler. Making use of a thicker 38 mm radiator and Corsair's own SP fans designed to deliver high static pressure, this well-engineered cooler makes quick work of the competition.
Seasonic decided to silently update their G-550 model to add Haswell support. The company did not change the model number, but did add a Haswell-ready badge to the box. The G-550 is an affordable product for users on a tight budget who, want a reliable PSU with great performance for a mid-level system.
CRYORIG and their R1 Universal have redefined what makes a high-end air cooler. Packing some serious features and never before seen memory clearance on a cooler of this size, it not only performs like a champ, it could make the competition appear obsolete in comparison.
The Cougar MX500 is a mainstream chassis for mainstream gamers. Without any crazy bells and whistles, it offers everything you need for a clean, functional system. We dig right in to figure out whether it also has everything we would expect a chassis of its price-point to feature.
Fresh on the market in just the past few days is Intel's Z97, and I get to take my first look at MSI's new Z97 GAMING 5, built from the ground up for gamers looking for great features at a great price. Featuring a new esthetic design as well as a host of new features.
Rajintek's new Morpheus VGA cooler is compatible with the Radeon R9 290X and GTX 780/Ti. It provides excellent temperatures and whisper-quiet noise levels, which will be a godsend for users of the Radeon R9 290X reference design who are plagued by high temperatures and noise.
We end our look at mITX Z87/Haswell boards with none other than the ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT. After many requests from users all over the world for ASUS to make a tiny ROG board, those requests have finally been answered. Is the MAXIMUS VI IMPACT worth the wait?
Synology knows how to create good and affordable products like the DS214se we will evaluate today. Along with it, we will also take a detailed look at the company's new DSM 5.0 operating system that introduces many new, interesting features and upgrades over its predecessor.
Cooler Master decided to unleash a big beast onto the PSU market by again teaming up with Seasonic and releasing their V series flagship, the V1200. It not only comes with a high capacity, but also sports Platinum efficiency, a fully modular design, and a hybrid fan mode option that turns this unit into a silent beast at low loads.
Mionix's newest version of the NAOS and AVIOR designs get put to the test. Both feature the newest IR-LED sensor from Avago, the ADNS-3310. We take them for a spin to see how they perform in comparison to their previous versions!
Bitfenix decided to enter the PSU market, and today, we have the chance to look at the flagship of their Fury series. It has a capacity of 750 W, is 80 Plus Gold certified, and features individually sleeved cables of high quality and stunning looks.
Xigmatek's Nebula is a compact Mini-ITX chassis that utilizes an interesting mixture of materials and comes with the ability to hold a fully sized ATX PSU and dual-slot graphics card. But will it look as elaborate on the inside as it does on the outside, or is this Nebula not hiding any secrets of the universe?
New products from Intel are on their way, and today, we take our first look at what the next-gen Intel platforms have to offer, starting with MSI's Next-Gen GAMING 5. This 3rd-generation GAMING design by MSI takes all the best of past GAMING products and adds new features to solve some of the problems users ran into with past products, all with a new take on what motherboards have to offer.
SilentiumPC is a fresh Polish company that was established in 2007. Today, we will take a look at their first Platinum PSU, the Supremo M1-700 with high efficiency, semi-passive operation for lower noise output, and a semi-modular cabling design.
The $700 MSI R9 290X Lightning is MSI's latest flagship card geared toward overclockers and enthusiasts. It comes with a large overclock out of the box, higher than any other custom R9 290X available today. The board is cooled by a large triple-slot, triple-fan cooler that yields excellent temperatures.
BitFenix's first headset is a feature-packed, lightweight construction made for gaming. It features 40mm dynamic drivers, a detachable microphone, and a highly ergonomic design. We put it to the test to see how it fares against headsets from more established brands!
be quiet!'s Dark Rock 3 is a great single-tower cooler as it offers up stylish looks with the performance to back it up. Take into consideration its exceptional build quality and warranty and you have a cooler that might just be best in class.
The NZXT H440 aims to make the new and revamped H series part of the mid-tower market. Offering no external drive bay is either gutsy or naïve, but let us take a closer look to figure out whether NZXT managed to gun for the glory among silent mid-tower cases this time around.
Asustor is hard at work to establish itself as a good name on the NAS scene, and they are on the right track. Today, we will take a look at the AS-204TE, which Asustor says to be the best multimedia and storage-center solution for your home because it comes equipped with all typical NAS functions, an HDMI port, and XBMC support.
EVGA is expanding their high-end SuperNOVA G2 series by releasing two mid-capacity units with 750 W and 850 W maximum output power. Today, we will evaluate the G2-750 with Gold efficiency, a fully modular cabling design, and selectable semi-passive operation, which renders it totally inaudible at lower loads.
Creative's new SoundBlasterAxx series is rapidly expanding. Today, we take a look at the 200 Axx which packs a lot of unique features and great sound quality to boot. Priced at $149, it should be very competitive.
Cooler Master is joining the fray of extra large cases, but is making things modular in the process. With that in mind, the HAF Stacker was born. Will it show others how it is done, although late to the game? We take the HAF Stacker and shuffle its parts around a few times to see what it has to offer over offerings by other brands.
The Leadex Platinum 1200 W will hit our test bench today. It features 80 Plus Platinum efficiency, a fully modular cabling design, and promises to perform wonderfully while producing hardly any noise by utilizing an excellent platform and a semi-passive operation user can swap to by flipping a switch.
Today, AMD is launching their Radeon R9 295X2, a dual-GPU card based on two fully unlocked, fully clocked Hawaii graphics processors. As a result, the card delivers impressive numbers in 4K and EyeFinity. But with a price of $1500, it is certainly not cheap, no matter how you look at it.
VidaBox's new media player, dubbed the OpenSqueeze, fills the gap left by Logitech's Squeezebox devices. The OpenSqueeze is powered by an open source OS and comes with the same functionality as the original Squeeze products.
Seasonic is one of the best PSU OEMs and has lately been trying to improve its presence in the mainstream and lower-end segments by releasing affordable products. Today, we will evaluate the S12G 450 W which is essentially a G series PSU without modular cables.
Crucial's new M550 SSD is based on an updated version of the Marvell controller, which means it no longer uses overprovisioning: you get to use the whole capacity. In our real-life testing we also see a slight performance improvement, which is great, especially considering the M550's competitive pricing.
The Obsidian 760T is essentially a 750D with a lot more "oh" and "ah". Flashier on the outside, it sports a more elaborate look, a choice of two colors, a huge window, and a bit more lighting. It even comes with a fan controller right out of the box.
We take our first look at AMD's FM2+ platform with a value-oriented product from Biostar that boasts some upgraded audio abilities. The Biostar Hi-Fi A88W 3D comes with the focus and feature set that has become Biostar's calling, as the company has its own take on entry-level enthusiast designs.
The Corsair 450D is the smallest of the Obsidian family, but it offers the same cool and clean look and a potent feature set at a price tag of 120 USD - which is 20 dollars less than the 550D, but 20 dollars more than the 350D. Is there enough room for the 450D to fill such a gap?
Silverstone offers many different PSUs and has lately enriched its portfolio with several new units, including two Strider Essential ones. We will put the ST60F-ESB to the test: It, in an effort to be as affordable as possible, is 80 Plus Bronze certified and comes with nothing but native cables that have mostly been left unsleeved.
NZXT has taken the body of the Phantom 530 and fused it with the more affordable Source line. With the same model number, the Source 530 aims to give the user all the functionality of the Phantom at a cheaper price point.
Cambridge Audio is a well-known brand in the world of HiFi. Today, we take a look at the newest addition to their extensive line-up of DACs and amplifiers. The new DacMagic XS is a matchbox-sized DAC/amp with plenty of power for normal headphones. We take it for a spin with several headphones to see how it performs.
be quiet! has gained a good reputation among noise-sensitive users who also treasure reliability and high performance. We will review the Power Zone 850 W: It is the second strongest of its line, offers a fully modular design, and sports Bronze efficiency. This PSU is also equipped with a high quality SilentWings fan.
SilentiumPC looks to shock and awe with the affordable Fera 2 HE1224 CPU cooler. Do not let its generic appearance fool you - it has much to offer. Featuring exceptional memory clearance and amazing performance, it sets the bar for what budget coolers should offer.
The In Win 904 is aiming to accomplish one thing: to make computers beautiful. And it does, strutting its mixture of thick aluminium and tempered glass around perfectly. Consider it the McLaren of cases: too tight for that family of four, senselessly expensive to most, but put it into a row with all the cases out there and people will look at it in awe.
Antec, a major player when it comes to PSUs, recently reinforced its flagship High Current Pro series with a new unit, the HCP-1300. The Bitcoin mining craze probably contributed to the release of this 1300 W PSU that is Platinum certified, fully modular, and backed by a seven year warranty.
