Tech News
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EVGA X299 Micro Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers
Sometimes you have to "think" about computers to actually really get into them. And by getting into them I'm talking about what makes a motherboard something you really want to buy.
EVGA always has three motherboards for each series they release, typically we see an E-ATX board, ATX board, and Micro-ATX board. Their X299 line is no different and today we are going to be checking out the X299 Micro, which is EVGA’s Micro-ATX X299 board. Considering how powerful the X299 platform is you could really build as pretty amazing smaller form factor system perfect for LAN parties. This board supports 2-way SLI, has M.2 support, USB 3.1 support, 802.11ac WiFi, and even RGB header support. If you are looking to build a small, but powerful X299 system this could be the perfect board for you! Let’s take a look and see what it is all about!
When it comes to motherboards EVGA is playing the market really smart. They offer three high-end boards that capture all of the major segments of the market. No need to have 50 SKU's, no need to cater to what China wants. Simply build a board with the right features and people will buy them.
The X299 Micro is a pretty good board built on the Micro ATX form factor. It supports all of the X299 features and allows you to put all of that into a rather small package. (don't tell the SO
)Be sure to check out our review of the EVGA X299 Micro, you know to see what either of us might have missed.
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Samsung 860 Evo SSD Review @ Vortez
I would have to agree that Samsung seems to have the performance corner in the SSD market. Of course being that I grew up in Micron's back yard I tend to have a soft spot for the local talent but, in a world where you can make more money selling components over complete products there isn't much to argue about.
Samsung is, without doubt, one of the largest figures in the ever-growing SSD scene, offering some of the fastest and most reliable solutions currently available to the average consumer; that dominance doesn’t prevent them from pushing the envelope, however. Today we look at the latest Samsung 860 Evo, a drive designed for mainstream users within a PC or laptop.
I will admit I am a Samsung fan, performance is there, price is there and in terms of availability you can have that too. The drive featured in this review is a standard SSD so it will have the SATA limitations but is still plenty fast over any rotational drive on the market.
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G.SKILL Releases World's Fastest DDR4-4700MHz Trident Z RGB Memory Kit
Taipei, Taiwan (5 February 2018) – G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world’s leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is thrilled to announce the world’s fastest Trident Z RGB memory kit at an extreme speed of DDR4-4700MHz CL19-19-19-39 1.45V 16GB (2x8GB). Not only is this kit the first retail DDR4 memory kit to reach DDR4-4700MHz, it’s also the first RGB-enabled kit to reach this extremely high level of frequency speed. This ultimate memory kit is achieved with highly-screened, high-performance Samsung DDR4 B-die ICs and validated on the MSI Z370I GAMING PRO CARBON AC motherboard and Intel® Core™ i7-8700K processor.
Reaching the World’s Fastest Memory Frequency with RGB
Ever since the first release announcement of the G.SKILL Trident Z RGB series at the end of 2016, DDR4-4266MHz had reigned as the highest frequency speed for an RGB memory kit. Over the past year, the G.SKILL R&D team has been dedicated to break through this technology bottleneck and aimed to provide an even higher speed RGB memory to PC enthusiasts. Today, all the hard work is finally paying off. G.SKILL successfully developed the world’s fastest RGB memory kit at a blistering DDR4-4700MHz, while maintaining ultra-low timings at CL19-19-19-39.Engineered for Reliability
Designed for high-stability, this Trident Z RGB DDR4-4700MHz memory kit has proven itself through stress-testing on the MSI Z370I GAMING PRO CARBON AC motherboard and Intel® Core™ i7-8700K processor.XMP 2.0 Support & Availability
This ultra-fast G.SKILL Trident Z RGB memory kit is equipped with the latest Intel XMP 2.0 profile for easy one-click memory overclocking, and will be available from authorized G.SKILL distribution partners in 2018 Q2. -
8 Years Later: Does the GeForce GTX 580 Still Have Game in 2018?
This seemed like a pretty good title. We all know about the GTX 580 and how it has been around for awhile and at the time it was a pretty powerful GPU. EVGA also released what some would call the BEST overclocking video card using the GTX 580 GPU and it stands today as the only card with a fully unlocked BIOS. I will also admit that one of the only 4-way SLI systems I have ever run was with GTX 580 cards. Two reference cards and two MSI Lightning cards.
Despite having to use two 1200w power supplies and some crazy big fans to ensure cool air was getting into the coolers it was pretty damn fun.
Today we're turning our clocks all the way back to November 2010 to revisit the once mighty GeForce GTX 580, a card that marked the transition from 55nm to 40nm for Nvidia's high-end GPUs and helped the company sweep its Fermi-based GeForce GTX 480 under the rug.
Oh yes, the GTX 480, that was a monster of hottness and not the good kind. People joked that you could fry an egg on the heatsink and even posted pictures of it happening. Turn the cooling fan off on any GPU and you too could fry eggs.
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der8auer Skylake-X Direct Die Frame
Some of you may remember when regularly did competitive overclocking. While I didn't get famous from the exercise it was super fun and one of the many things I do to promote Hardware Asylum. (well, at the time, Ninjalane)
The LN2 container I used was designed and built by der8auer and was amply named "BEAST". It is a raw copper container with a short aluminum extension. It was "fast" and generally worked extremely well. Since then der8auer expanded his LN2 container designs and started working for CaseKing as a product developer.
His latest design, the Skylake-X Direct Die Frame, is a marvel of engennering and allows you to properly run your Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors without a lid.
We have all heard about delidding which is the process of removing the Intel heatspreader to replace the thermal compound. This can often lower processor temperatures and is a needed upgrade for LN2 overclocking.
With this device you can remove the lid completely and mount your heatsink directly on the die. This can lower processor temperatures by 5-10c over delidding alone and even more when you consider a stock LGA 2066.
Rumor is these will be sold on Amazon at some point but are currently available at CaseKing assuming you live in Europe.
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ENERMAX unveils powerful mining machine PSU and charming RGB gaming gear
Chino, CA – ENERMAX, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance PC hardware products, introduces new power supply units, CPU coolers, fans, and cases at CES 2018, one of the world's largest consumer technology shows.
With the introduction of the top-end MaxTytan PSU series in 2017, ENERMAX unveils a new mining version of MaxTytan 1250W power supply for hardcore mining rigs at the tech show. The full modular, 80PLUS® TITANIUM-rated 1250W power supply is equipped with Wattage Meter for users to monitor real-time power consumption; moreover, the mining 1250W PSU features a unique Turbo Switch, a boost button maximizing the PSU fan speed (up to 3100 RPM) to effectively dissipate the heat generated by the hardcore ICO mining machines.
ENERMAX demonstrates SABERAY, its flagship RGB-sync gaming case with amazing RGB lighting strips featuring ENERMAX LED Lighting technology. Users can control lighting brightness, modes and colors via the RGB-sync-ready motherboards or via the built-in control button on the top of the case. Designed with airflow in mind, the beautiful SABERAY will include two meshed panels and one acrylic panel, so users will be able to run all meshed or one meshed and one acrylic, depending on users’ configuration; the quick release front and top panels are interchangeable. The mid-tower RGB gaming castle can support 360 / 280 / 240mm radiators, providing users with greater flexibility in liquid cooling configuration.
At CES, ENERMAX debuts LIQTECH II, new all-in-one water coolers with TDP support up to 500W+ for Intel and AMD systems, using the same ENERMAX EF1 pump as found in the LIQTECH TR4 cooler that is tailor-made for AMD’s top-end Threadripper CPU. The EF1 pump’s flow rate is up to 450 L/h, which is 7 times powerful than its peers. Meanwhile, LIQTECH II is equipped with a water-block that supports RGB-sync lighting; the RGB lighting can be managed by RGB-sync-ready motherboards. LIQTECH II will be available in 3 radiator sizes: 240, 280, and 360mm.
In Q1 2018, ENERMAX will launch LIQFUSION, its first addressable RGB liquid CPU cooler for Intel and AMD platforms. This all-in-one liquid cooler has an exclusive RGB-sync water-block with patented flow indicator, which enables users to easily monitor the status of coolant flow. Together with visually appealing ENERMAX addressable RGB fans, this addressable RGB liquid cooler can create charming RGB lighting effects. LIQFUSION features a refillable design and will be available in 240mm radiator size.
For detailed information regarding ENERMAX new products, please visit our website (www.enermaxusa.com) or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/EnermaxUSA) for more updates.
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Patriot EVLVR Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD
Breakthrough tech powered by Phison’s E8 PCIe controller and features Thunderbolt™ 3 connectivity, available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, JANUARY 8, 2018 - PATRIOT, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals, and flash storage solutions today announced the new addition to their performance SSD line, The EVLVR Thunderbolt™ 3 Portable SSD, offering an evolution in SSD technology.
The EVLVR Thunderbolt™ 3 Portable SSD outpaces the speeds of traditional external SSDs by three-fold. With outstanding speed delivered by the Phison E8 PCIe controller and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, the EVLVR can reach up to 1500MB/s in sequential read and up to 1000MB/s in sequential write speeds. On top of being extremely fast, the EVLVR is also power efficient and does not require any external power supply. Thunderbolt™ 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at speeds up to 40 Gb/s, creating one compact port that does it all. With Thunderbolt 3 a single cable now revolutionizes connection technology – simultaneously supporting high-resolution displays and high-performance data devices while also supplying power.
The name “EVLVR” is an abbreviation for “evolver”, and the technology itself presents a major evolution in SSD technology. According to Les Henry, Vice President of Engineering at Patriot, “We are pleased to add the Patriot EVLVR Portable SSD to our SSD line, and our team is especially proud of implementing Thunderbolt™ 3 which allows Patriot to build high-speed and high-quality portable storage solutions.”“We are happy to be able to collaborate with Patriot in bringing a high-performance and power efficient external SSD experience to the Thunderbolt™ 3 eco-system,” said KS Pua, Chairman and CEO of Phison. “We believe the Thunderbolt™ 3 device market will experience a healthy growth in the coming years.”
The Patriot EVLVR will be available to the public for purchase in March 2017 via the Patriot website, select e-tailers, and various retailers. Prices will be as follows: 256GB/$199.99; 512GB/$289.99; and 1TB/$489.99. -
ReKTGlobal Acquires Steve Aoki Co-owned Esports Powerhouse Rogue
Esports infrastructure services company ReKTGlobal acquires top Las Vegas-based esports organization.
LAS VEGAS – January 17, 2018 – ReKTGlobal, the fastest-growing business authority in esports and competitive gaming, today announced its acquisition of the Las Vegas-based esports organization Rogue.
ReKTGlobal is an esports infrastructure company that bridges the gap between the multi-billion-dollar business of traditional sports and the burgeoning business of esports and competitive gaming. The company connects professional sports and entertainment businesses – from teams and venues to brands and media companies – with esports leaders, aiming to bring the esports industry to its full potential.
Rogue, known for yielding champions in multiple games—including Overwatch, CS:GO and H1Z1--was founded in May of 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company quickly became a top esports organization in North America, with a global presence in several of the world’s most popular games. Over the past year and a half, Rogue has strategically expanded its roster to include teams in CS:GO, Rocket League, H1Z1, Vainglory and Rainbow Six Siege.
Rogue’s rapid success and growth attracted an early investment from Grammy-nominated producer, DJ and EDM entrepreneur Steve Aoki. Also a Las Vegas local, Aoki took an active role in promoting Rogue’s teams and brand locally as well as internationally. His massive social media reach and cultural influence helped Rogue continue its upward trajectory and quickly expand its industry footprint, leading to additional investment from the sports, media and technology worlds.
Rogue will now be joining ReKTGlobal, which will provide the necessary resources and infrastructure for Rogue to take its expansion to a new level. The acquisition has already attracted new investors, sponsors and other global strategic partners looking for the right opportunity to invest in esports as it grows into a $1-billion industry. ReKTGlobal will retain all current Rogue employees and staff, and focus on expanding the esports organization’s scope. ReKTGlobal aims to upgrade current teams with top players, enter new games and pursue Overwatch and League of Legends franchises in the future. The organization will expand and share offices from Las Vegas to New York City.
“ReKTGlobal will take Rogue to the next level,” said Rogue co-owner, Steve Aoki. “We share the same passion and vision, and we’re going to continue to build Rogue as an esports powerhouse through new sponsors, partners and by most importantly, winning.”
“The combination of Rogue and ReKTGlobal is unstoppable. We have all the right elements to dominate the industry: a champion esports team, a passionate fan base, exciting and genuine content, events and activations, deep roots in both esports and traditional sports, connections to the right sponsors and partners, and the best management in the industry,” said ReKTGlobal founder Amish Shah.
"Rogue is still a young company, and with all the growth we've experienced over the past year and a half, maintaining a solid infrastructure for the organization will be crucial. ReKTGlobal will provide the resources and opportunities Rogue needs to support what we have already built and expand in the ways we have always wanted,” said Rogue CEO and Cofounder Derek Nelson.
“This is a very exciting moment in the history of Rogue,” said Rogue President and Co-founder Frank Villarreal, an esports veteran who has built championship teams in multiple organizations across every genre of esports.
“Frank Villarreal is known as the ‘moneyball’ guru of esports,” said ReKTGlobal Vice President of Esports Kevin Knocke. “He has a special power and the right formula for creating and sustaining championship teams. Together with ReKTGlobal, there will be no stopping Rogue.”
“With such cohesive teams that have competed at the highest level and won for so long in multiple games, Rogue is the ‘plug-and-play’ opportunity for brands, partners and others looking to enter or broaden their support and involvement in esports,” said ReKTGlobal CEO and Co-founder Dave Bialek. “ReKTGlobal and Rogue offer a dynamic 360-degree solution.”
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Thermaltake New Pacific CL Copper Radiators Series
Deliver the Ultimate Performance for Your Liquid Cooling Gaming PCs
Las Vegas, United States-January 10th, 2018-Thermaltake, a leading brand in PC cooling solutions, today released the latest copper radiator lineup – Pacific CL360, Pacific CL420 and Pacific CL480 along with 7 most advanced liquid cooling products at CES 2018,located at the Venetian Hotel Veronese 2402 Suite from January 9 th (Tue) to 12 th (Fri). Avaliable in 360mm, 420mm and 480mm, the Pacific CL Series ultilize an extremely thick radiator with copper, brass fins, and stainless steel made side panels to reduce the weight and assure the best cooling capacity and durability. The integrated G1/4" threads are optimized for easy installation while rigid connections ensure leak-resistant measures are in place. The following are 7 new cooling products displayed at the booth. The Pacific C-PRO 16mm OD Compression Fitting is custom made to simplify the installation of PETG tubing, and is available in 6 different colors. The Tt Premium Ice Blue UV Concentrate Coolant is a ready-to-mix and UV reactive blue dye for Thermaltake C1000 series coolants. The Pacific M4 RGB CPU Water Block is a 256-color RGB waterblock designed for the ASUS X299 TUF MARK I/MARK II motherboards and ASUS Aura Sync, along with three water cooling kits – Pacific M360 Plus Liquid Cooling Kit, Pacific M360 Liquid Cooling Kit and Pacific M240 Liquid Cooling Kit.
All the products will be available on TT Premium online shops soon. The product availability and price vary by country and region.
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Crucial Announces MX500 Solid State Drive
The next-generation drive is built on quality, speed, and security
Tech Specs:
- Micron® 2nd Generation 64-layer 3D TLC NAND
- Sequential reads/writes up to 560/510 MB/s
- Random reads/writes up to 95K/90K IOPS
- Capacities up to 2TB
- 2.5-inch and M.2 Type 2280 form factors
- 5-year limited warranty
Key Highlights:
- Great price/performance ratio and superior reliability
- 45 times more energy efficient than a typical hard drive
- Dynamic Write Acceleration delivers faster saves and file transfers
- Integrated Power Loss Immunity preserves saved work in the event of an unexpected power loss
- AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption keeps data safe and secure from hackers and thieves
- Exclusive Data Defense guards against data corruption
- Adaptive Thermal Protection limits temperatures within the drive
- Compatible with the Crucial® Storage Executive tool for easy drive maintenance
- Easy installation with a step-by-step guide at crucial.com/ssd-install
- Free Acronis® True Image™ HD software included for easy data migration
Boise, ID – JANUARY 9, 2018 - Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the availability of the Crucial® MX500 SSD. The new drive features second generation Micron® 3D NAND technology and is 45 times more energy efficient than a typical hard drive. Available in capacities up to 2TB in the 2.5-inch form factor and up to 1TB in the M.2 form factor, the MX500 has sequential reads/writes up to 560/510 MB/s and random reads/writes up to 95K/90K IOPS.
“This next generation MX500 SSD features a stackable 64-layer, 256-gigabit component. Micron’s floating gate NAND is designed with CMOS Under the Array (CUA), which allows us to minimize the footprint of the die. At 59 square millimeters, it’s among the world’s smallest 256-gigabit die,” said Jon Tanguy, Crucial Senior SSD Product Engineer. “Our engineering team has incorporated this leading-edge NAND technology in an SSD that includes all the advanced features Crucial customers have come to expect to keep their data safe.”
Crucial also directly addresses two of the scariest issues for first-time SSD buyers: moving files and installation. Upgrading from a traditional hard drive is easy with the MX500 thanks to the data migration and cloning software included with each drive. And the Crucial SSD Install Guide helps new installers with directions for every step of the process.
“We’re excited about our next generation of SSD drives and the near-instant performance and lasting reliability that comes with them,” said Jonathan Weech, Crucial Senior SSD Product Manager. “Users can rest assured that their data, family videos, travel photos, music, and other important documents are stored safely on the MX500.”
The MX500 advanced features include:
- Dynamic Write Acceleration for faster saves and file transfers.
- Hardware-based encryption tokeep personal files and confidential data secure.
- Integrated Power Loss Immunity to avoid unintended data loss when the power unexpectedly goes out.
- Exclusive Data Defense to prevent files from becoming corrupted and unusable.
- Redundant Array of Independent NAND to protect data at the component level.
Crucial SSDs have been established, proven, and tested for over seven generations of drives. The MX500 is backed by a five-year limited warranty3 and supported by the Crucial® Storage Executive software tool for easy drive maintenance. The 2.5-inch version of the MX500 is available for immediate purchase at Crucial.com or through our global channel partners, while the MX500 M.2 version will be available in Q1’18. For more information about the whole Crucial SSD portfolio, visit crucial.com/ssd.
