Tech News
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Redragon Cobra M711 FPS @ TechPowerUp
I'm going to short cut my normal rant about poor product names and refer to the opening paragraph in the review over at TechPowerUp. (It is that good)
Redragon is the gaming peripheral brand of Eastern Times Technology Co., Ltd., which is based in China and was established in 1996. The Cobra M711 FPS is an upgraded version of the Cobra M711. While the right-handed ergonomic shape hasn't changed, the sensor has been updated to the PMW3360, which is one of PixArt's top-tier optical sensors. Furthermore, LK optical switches are used for the main buttons, which promises low button latency. Lastly, rich RGB lighting is included as well, which can further be customized in the software, along with many other settings.
~TechPowerUpThat alone should explain everything.
As a mousa (yes the Red Dragon Cobra is a mouse) it looks really good, has nice weight (kinda), a good shape and some good RGB accents. What I cannot place is where I have seen this design before. OR if the shape of a good mouse is following the car trend where that one shape just works so everyone uses it.
Either way check out the article.
BTW this bad boy is on Amazon for $22 Bux!!
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GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS XTREME Review @ Vortez
Not sure if I have ever mentioned this but, I really like the new Aorus product naming scheme. The names are clear and indicate a level of quality that anyone can understand. Of course, we won't mention how they were sampled from MSI and ASUS but, I can say that it worked for them and it is working for Aorus (Gigabyte)
Now, what is not working is having to flip through two pages of review documentation just to get a shot of the motherboard and in which case was not even the first photo in the review. #justsayin
And, this quote isn't really doing much fror me either.
The Z490 AORUS XTREME follows in the footsteps of other products using the XTREME moniker by offering the very best for overclockers and hardware enthusiasts. Across this motherboard there are an abundance of features regardless of which region is under consideration.
What I can say is that the Aorus X490 Xtreme is a pretty pimp motherboard with a full coverage shroud protecting our fragile eyes from the beauty, which is the PCB. On top of that a large section if it covers the critical M.2 drive slots while the CPU and memory are left hanging in the wind for everyone to see.
I guess those RGB M.2 drives won't be much use in a build using this board.
Gotta say, I'm a fan.
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Hardware Asylum and Lexar Fathers Day Giveaway Winners
I hope everyone had a wonderful Fathers Day. The winners have been picked and notification of prize will be sent via Gleam using your account information.
There was a really good turn out this time around and I wanted to personally thank everyone who entered!
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Kingston KC2000 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD @ TechPowerUp
The adoption of NVMe drives has been slow since they first started hitting shelves. Some of that can be attributed to low capacity while others might be related to performance. Now that drives are getting easier to buy the selection has grown.
Last year we found a bug in Kingston's SSD firmware, which inflicted a significant performance penalty. Now a software fix is publicly available, and it makes a big difference. The Kingston KC2000 is now the fastest SSD we ever tested, it even manages to beat the Samsung 970 Pro.
I hate to see things like this but that is the nature of the review business. Equally annoying are the instances where independent reviews don't match the advertised performance because there was a manufacturing variance added to accomidate for huge margins in performance.
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Lexar Announces Entry to DRAM Market with New Laptop and Desktop Memory Solutions
San Jose, USA, June 17, 2020 – Lexar has spent the last year producing its robust portfolio of SSD products and is excited to announce its entrance into the DRAM market. The two new DRAM offerings provide high-level performance to boost the speed of your laptop or desktop, respectively.
Key Features:
- Improve your computer’s performance
- High speed DDR4 memory – with speed of 2666 MT/s
- Easy to install
- Lifetime limited warranty
The Lexar® DDR4-2666 SODIMM Laptop Memory and Lexar® DDR4-2666 UDIMM Desktop Memory both offer speeds of 2666 MT/s so you can wake up your PC. This performance upgrade gives you faster startups, increased responsiveness, quicker application load times, and is an overall upgrade to your operating experience so you can multitask with ease.
Featuring a low voltage design of 1.2V, the new DRAM 2666 ensures stability under long-term and high-intensity applications making it ideal for the new smart home offices and classroom setups.
With its first offering just released, Lexar is already poised to develop other high-performing quality DRAM solutions later this year, staying true to its innovative roots.
“We are very excited to introduce DRAM memory to our product portfolio. Given our extensive offerings of memory card and USB drive solutions, we enter the DRAM market, pairing our fast-growing SSD lines to offer users a full suite of high-performance solutions to expedite their workflow from camera to computer. While remote office and anywhere learning are on the rise, our goal is to continue offering products that deliver superior quality and performance, so that you can build a Smart Workroom or a Smart Classroom for the best user experience. Lexar looks to continue advancing our DRAM offerings, with additional high performing models to launch later this year.” said Mike Chen, General Manager.
Lexar® DDR4-2666 SODIMM Laptop Memory is available this month at an MSRP of $19.99 USD (4 GB- 2666MHz), $29.99 USD (8 GB – 2666MHz), and $64.99 USD (16 GB – 2666MHz) $159.99 USD (32 GB – 2666MHz).
Lexar® DDR4-2666 UDIMM Desktop Memory is available this month at Platinum Micro at an MSRP of $32.99 USD (8 GB – 2666MHz), and $64.99 USD (16 GB – 2666MHz) $149.99 USD (32 GB – 2666MHz). (Global)
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Funky Kit Review - Cougar Vantar MX Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
I always get a chuckle when "these" reviews come in. It is not that they are bad products but the company name is.. ya. ok moving on.
The Cougar Vantar MX is a keyboard that offers great quality and performance for a respectable price tag. The Cougar UIX allows you to customize your keyboard as you wish and works flawlessly.
This is a great quote and from a design standpoint this keyboard looks very similar to the AZIO boards we reviewed a couple years ago. Sure there are a few design changes and when it comes to keyboards you can't fiddle with the layhout too much or you get people freaking otu and mitypimf th2ngsa.
Ask me how I know, thanks Microsoft.
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Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W Power Supply Review @ APH Networks
Question: when is a white PSU not actually white?
Answer: When it is the famed Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 power supply.
You know some time ago I reviewed a MWE PSU, the MWE Gold 750 and I found it to be a really good modular PSU, Gold rated and supported up to 6 PCI Express and two 12v CPU power connections. The wattage was right for 98% of all builds and the price was right.
The question is, why is the PSU in this review "White"? Could it be the lowest 80 Plus rating?
The Cooler Master MWE 650 White V2 650W is primarily a budget power supply for a budget build.
I'm not sure the description is all that helpful so, you'll just have to check out the review yourself. Or, check out my review of the MWE 750 Gold and pick one up for yourself.
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Stand-Alone D5 With a Quantum Top from EK
EK® Water Blocks, the world-renowned premium liquid cooling manufacturer, is releasing the EK-Quantum Inertia D5 PWM D-RGB standalone pump units. These standalone pumps are an evolution of the very popular and successful EK-XTOP Revo D5 PWM pumps, now available with sophisticated D-RGB LED lighting and an updated design aligning with the EK Quantum Line.
EK-Quantum Inertia D5 PWM D-RGB is a high-performance liquid cooling pump, built around the market-proven genuine D5 pump and the new Quantum Inertia top with an advanced vibration-reducing mounting clamp.
The D5 pump is equipped with an electronically commutated spherical motor. In a pump with a spherical motor, the only moving part is a spherically shaped rotor which in this pump is held in place by a bearing ball made of ultra-hard and wear-resistant ceramic. The Revo D5 pump volute/body system features a fully rounded design thus offering greater usability, allowing installation at any angle within 360° of rotation. A special rubber shock absorber is used to de-couple the main pump body from the mounting clip for silent operation, free of vibration-induced noise. Additionally, horizontal and vertical positioning is supported for easier tube routing possibilities.
Inertia standalone pumps come in two different models, with either a CNC-machined black POM acetal or CNC-machined cast-acrylic. Both the 50cm long power cable and 60cm long PWM signal cable are equipped with black sleeving.
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AMD Ryzen B550 Launch Day
AMD Ryzen fans rejoice! The B550 is here, I repeat, the B550 is HERE. Err, I don't have one cause: reasons but you get the gist. So, the point of the story is that the AMD B550 Chipset based motherboards have been released and everyone is going nutz over them.
With some luck all the fanbois and fangurrls will be juiced up to get a taste of the B550 goodness. If I remember correctly these are the boards you cannot overclock (or at least are not supposed to be able to overclock) making them pointless wastes of time, effort and silicon.
BUT...
The B550 is also one of the highest selling most'est profit making motherboard any company can release so, somewhere along the lines we have failed.
Web Reviews:
Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master @ Guru3D
MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk Review @ Vortez
Asus ROG Strix B550-I Gaming @ LanOC Reviews
Gigabyte B550I AORUS Pro AX @ TechPowerUp
Gigabyte B550 AORUS Pro @ TechPowerUp
ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F Gaming (WiFi) @ TechPowerUpIf you are in the market be sure to check them out.
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The ViewSonic ELITE XG270QC Curved Gaming Monitor Now Available
Brea, CA (May 20, 2020) – ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, announced that the ViewSonic ELITE XG270QC gaming monitor is now available. ViewSonic continues to expand its gaming line-up with products that deliver the ultimate experience for a variety of gaming environments. The XG270QC delivers a 165Hz refresh rate, 3ms (1ms MPRT) response time and AMD FreeSync™ Premium Pro technology to ensure a seamless gaming experience.
As part of its ELITE gaming portfolio, the ViewSonic® XG270QC is a 27-inch, curved gaming monitor that is capable of achieving a 1ms (MPRT) response time. This gaming monitor is designed with a 1500R curvature to provide lifelike visuals and immersive gaming. It features VESA DisplayHDR 400 that delivers an entry point into HDR gaming, as well as PureXP™ technology to drastically reduce motion blur. With native QHD (2560x1440) resolution, along with a 550 cd/m2 luminance and DCI-P3 90% color coverage, the XG270QC offers bright, sharp and detailed image quality.
ELITE XG270QC Gaming Monitor
- 27-inch gaming monitor with native 2560x1440 (QHD) resolution
- 1500R curvature for an immersive experience
- Certified for VESA DisplayHDR 400 for entry point into HDR gaming
- PureXP™ technology to reduce motion blur
- 165Hz refresh rate* and 3ms (1ms MPRT) response time
- AMD FreeSyncTM Premium Pro technology
- Brightness of 550 cd/m2 and wide DCI-P3 90% color coverage**
- Available now for an estimated street price of $460
“With the addition of the XG270QC, ViewSonic ELITE has finally established itself as the premiere enthusiast gaming monitor provider for the modern gamer,” said Kendall Miller, global marketing manager for Gaming for ViewSonic ELITE monitors. “We’re delivering a display that is capable of providing the speed and clarity that gamers have been searching for, this time with a curved screen to ensure maximum immersion. When developing practical design innovations like our built-in mouse bungee or ELITE RGB, we always keep the mainstream gamer in mind. We take our generation of gamers seriously.”
Blur Busters Approved ELITE XG270 Firmware Update
ViewSonic ELITE, in conjunction with Blur Busters, has updated its PureXP™ mode for improved motion blur reduction control. PureXP™ is a strobe backlight mode that provides the purest experience in display motion clarity. PureXP™ now provides four levels of optimized motion blur reduction. These new modes allow gamers to control the level of brightness and motion blur reduction based on individual gamer preference. With a 240 Hz refresh rate and fast 1ms IPS panel, the additional tuning by Blur Busters provides gamers with the most fluid and clear gaming experience possible. The new Blur Busters Approved firmware is automatically downloaded via the ViewSonic Elite Display Controller software.
ELITE Display Controller Software
The ELITE Display Controller software makes it easy to adjust monitor settings and ELITE RGB lighting, all in one application. Gamers can customize and quickly change between display modes, choose from a wide selection of native RGB settings and sync their RGB lighting with ELITE RGB Alliance partnered software, like Razer Chroma and TT RGB Plus by Thermaltake. The ELITE Display Controller fully supports the XG270QG, XG270 and XG270QC, allowing users to customize their in-room ambience with an updated static color customization menu, supporting more than one thousand different color choices.
Availability
The XG270QC launches in the EU, AU and ROW, June, 2020.
