Tech News

  • ASRock Fatal1ty X99 Professional Gaming i7 @ techPowerUp

    Gaming i7?  Is Asrock attempting to dictate to me how to build "my" systems?

    Oh wait, you can't buy a LGA 2011 i5 I guess that makes sense the. happy smile

    ASRock's updated X99 board for gamers, the ASRock Fatal1ty X99 Professional Gaming i7, is fitted with all the latest goodies, including a bundled NVIDIA HB Bridge so you can get the most out of your pair of GTX 1070s or GTX 1080s. Dual M.2, dual Intel LAN, this board is all about gaming pairs!

    Personally I'm glad to see they are still building the Fatal1ty brand of gaming motherboards.  I never got to test one but on paper it seems like a really good match between gamer and hardware.

    A few things to note.

    1. This motherboard doesn't support 4-way SLI anymore (thanks NVidia sad smile)
    2. It is one of those "revision" boards that ASUS likes to release to keep their products fresh.
    3. They added the popular metal braces to the PCI Express slots (me:to anyone?)
    4. Great looking I/O shield

    Looks like I might have to hit them up for a sample.

  • The Corsair Glass Computer Case Launch Day

    Using tempered glass on computer cases isn't a new thing.  In fact it was pioneered professionally by InWin and done with Acrylic by casemodders for years.  Corsair has "finally" gotten on the bandwagon and released their interpretation of what a glass clad computer case should look like.

    Personally I'm a little "meh" over the design.  It is basiclaly a metal box with tempered glass panels attached to the outside.  stand-offs are used to hold the glass to the case which is a common method but also makes the case look like one of those office walls designed by an interior design hipster.  The only thing missing is faux wood veneer and 12v track style RGB lights.

    Web Reviews
    - Corsair Crystal 570X PC chassis review
    - Corsair Crystal 570X Tempered Glass Case Review @ Legit Reviews
    - Corsair Crystal Series 460X RGB @ techPowerUp

    Plenty of companies are on the tempered glass train including Cooler Master, Phanteks and InWin.  I'm sure there are others but, they don't seem to trust me to review their products.  #shameonthem

  • ADATA Launches the SD700 Durable External 3D NAND SSD

    First external 3D NAND SSD with IP68 dust/water proofing and military-grade shock proofing

    Taipei, Taiwan – Nov. 17, 2016 – ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today unveiled the SD700 durable external hard drive. The SD700 represents the first time 3D NAND SSD has achieved IP68 dust and water proof specifications in addition to military-grade shock proofing, all thanks to a tough protective enclosure and meticulous testing. The SD700 uses USB 3.1 Gen 1 to connect with Windows, Mac OS, and Android devices at up to 440MB/s read/write. In addition to being widely compatible, the SD700 is also very light, weighing just 100g for easy mobility.

    3D NAND external SSDs get tough
    The SD700 has been designed and tested to IEC IP68 standards. That means it is completely dust-tight to prevent particulate ingress and can operate normally even after submersion in 1.5m of water for 60 minutes. ADATA has also tested the SD700 to the popular US Army MIL-STD-810G516.6 shock and drop resistance standard, ensuring a high degree of shock proofing. With its multi-layered protective enclosure and obvious lack of moving parts as an SSD, the SD700 offers extremely survivable storage for extreme activities.

    Benefits of 3D NAND brought to a new segment
    ADATA has been transitioning more products to 3D NAND, which is faster, more reliable, and more power efficient than traditional 2D NAND. The SD700 arrives in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB at very competitive price points that deliver a better cost/performance ratio than older, non-3D NAND SSDs. For connectivity, the SD700 uses high throughput USB 3.1 Gen 1, more than enough to stream 4K content with no buffering or lag. Typical data speeds are 440MB/s read and write. The SD700 is plug and play compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Android devices to best serve global audiences.

    Strong but elegant
    Unlike durable HDDs, including those made by ADATA, the SD700 ushers a new era of even better mobility. It weighs just 100g, operates with complete silence, and does not build up any heat. Additionally, ADATA is offering the SD700 in two-tone black and yellow or all-black color schemes.

    Availability
    SD700 External SSD will be available at Amazon.com and Newegg.com.

    Product Webpage
    SD700 External SSD http://www.adata.com/en/ext-ssd/feature/441

    MSRP
    SD700 External SSD  256GB  US$ 109.99
    SD700 External SSD  512GB  US$ 189.99

  • Zalman ZM-K900M Keyboard @ techPowerUp

    Zalman is well known for.  Let’s see, back in the day they did some monster coolers and at one time they had a passively cooled computer case that connected your motherboard to teh chassis using a series of "tubes"

    Well heatpipes but "tubes" sounded more "internet"

    With this review at TechPowerUp it would seem that Zalman is getting into the keyboard game with some RGB lights just to keep things fresh.

    Zalman released their first high-end mechanical keyboard earlier this year with the ZM-K700M, and it was a good first attempt, but now, the brand-new ZM-K900M is here to try and impress us. It promises to be feature-packed, with multiple RGB lighting options and no software, which is a brave move!

    It has been awhile since any of us have seen any Zalman products hit the review sites.  I hope they are still doing well and keeping "cool" under the pressure.  Maybe the ZM-K9MillionM will break their resistance of "third party opinions" and convince them to start sending out product samples again.

    I will say the RGB effects are pretty cool.

  • Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard Review

    Ever think a keyboard can be Glorious?  How about Glorious and Modular?? 

    I'm like, how can a keyboard be modular?  sure, the keys can be considered modules that you press to get a pre-determined output but, those are keys, not modules.

    The Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard, or GMMK, is something special. It was announced on Instagram and a few keyboard forums, which qualifies for quite possibly the most niche and underground announcement I’ve ever seen. After 10 months of development, the GMMK is released, again announced in forums, and available.

    Well according to this little teaser the GMMK has been in development for a whole 10 months... weeee wink smile

    and that is it.

    I guess, check out the review?

  • HyperX Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @ Bigbruin

    Back in the day I reviewed a case from Rosewill (newegg) called the Wolf Alloy.  It really had no "alloy" on the chassis but the name was cool so I went along.  Interestingly enough when I saw this review over at Big Bruin the first thing that came to mind was "wolf alloy" even though it is a HyperX Alloy.

    Does it have any alloy? 

    HyperX used to be considered the gaming division of Kingston solely because their system memory and solid state drives offered the high performance that you needed to power a serious gaming computer. While those products are still what I would consider the core business of HyperX, they now offer other items that should also appeal to gamers. We have looked at a few of their gaming headsets in recent reviews, and this time around we will be looking at their first gaming keyboard.

    It is great to see so many companies getting behind the mechanical keyboard game and showing us how many different ways you can build a straight flat keyboard.  Eventually I'd like to see some ergo designs with gaming features.  That would be pretty darn metal.

  • Broadcom educational video on NVMe over Fabrics

    NVMe over Fabrics offers numerous benefits including providing greater enterprise storage scalability by extending the performance and low-latency of NVMe technology for SSDs across data centers. I wanted to reach out to you because Broadcom just released an educational video that explains how these systems can be deployed.

    This is a great video that tells the story in easy-to-understand language about how NVMe over Fabrics works, the options available, and how Broadcom’s Emulex NVMe over Fibre Channel technology delivers a new and more powerful solution for enterprise data centers.

    For the PC enthusiast this might be a little on the techincal side but can give you a pretty good idea at what the future holds for NVMe storage options and why Intel chipsets have so many PCI Express lanes.

  • Samsung 960 EVO M.2 1TB NVMe SSD Launch Day

    NVMe is what I would call the future of SSD drive technology that exchanges the flexibility of SATA for increased speed and direct PCI Express connectivity.  M.2 is a popular format for these drives but comes with a major size limitation to maintain the compact form factor.

    3D NAND has paved the way to increase SSD storage capacity and allow M.2 drives to reach the mythical 1 Terabyte capacity and still remain affordable. 

    Samsung has launched their 960 EVO drive today in all of its black chewing gum form factor goodness.

    Web Reviews
    - Samsung 960 EVO M.2 1 Terabyte NVMe SSD review @ Some 3D Site
    - Samsung SSD 960 EVO NVMe M.2 Review: Ultra Fast, Affordable Storage @ Sizzle Hardware
    - Samsung 960 EVO Review @ Vortez

    Be sure to check out the reviews, assuming you are willing to give up SATA SSD RAID for a single drive on the PCI Express bus train.

    Until then I'll be on the phone with Samsung trying to get one for myself. happy smile

  • Lian Li Releases the PC-O10 Dual-Compartment Mid Tower: ATX Meets SFX

    Latest O-Series Case Strikes Perfect Balance in Size, Aesthetics, and Organization

    November 15, 2016, Keelung, Taiwan - Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd is eager to announce its next O-series case: the PC-O10 dual-compartment chassis. Like the PC-O9, this case is divided into two chambers for easy organization – users can create immaculate, picturesque builds without spending hours planning cable management.

    Full ATX Motherboards, Meet SFX PSUs
    By adopting the SFX/SFX-L PSU form factor, the PC-O10 has a much slimmer profile compared to the PC-O9 and PC-O8. Lian Li cut the proportions to match that of a conventional tower, while maintaining the attractive and functional half glass, half aluminum design. With power efficiency ever on the rise, and an increasing number of high-wattage SFX-L PSUs available, enthusiasts no longer need to encumber their cases with bulky traditional ATX PSUs.

    Dual Compartment Advantages with a Mid-Tower Balance
    In spite of its leaner dimensions, the PC-O10 still fits E-ATX and Full ATX as well as microATX motherboards. With seven expansion slots, it supports multi-GPU setups with VGA cards as large as 340mm: plenty of room for even the best gaming builds. It accommodates CPU coolers as tall as 130mm. The PSU compartment can store up to four 3.5” and two 2.5” drives, with space in the main glass compartment for an additional 2.5” SSD. The dual-compartment layout puts attractive components in the limelight, while keeping cables, drives, and other less desirable parts out of sight.

    Flexible Water and Air Cooling Possibilities
    The bottom panel has mounts for two 120mm or one 140mm intake fan, with space for two 120mm outtake fans on the top panel. The back panel can additionally mount two 80mm fans. All fan mounts include removable, washable mesh dust filters. Users can instead opt to install a 240mm radiator fitting 320mm x 120mm x 90mm on the top panel. Water cooling enthusiasts will appreciate a removable, dedicated pump plate in the glass compartment with grommeted pass-throughs between compartments for elaborate custom loops.

    Optional Accessories, Extras, and Inputs
    Users can purchase the optional O10-1 PCI riser accessory kit to show off a dual-slot VGA card vertically in the same manner as the PC-O7. The kit replaces the standard expansion slot panel and includes the latest generation riser cable. The PC-O10 includes two USB 3.0 and HD audio ports on its front panel.

    Win a PC-O10 or PC-Q37! Enter Lian Li’s Thanksgiving Giveaway!
    Lian Li is eager to give thanks to its fans by partnering with BitsPower for a Thanksgiving giveaway event. Lian Li is giving away exciting new cases, as well as high-end cooling equipment from Bitspower! Check out the multiple ways to enter here: http://www.lian-li.com/en/thanksgivinggiveaway

    Find out more about the prizes!
    PC-O10
    PC-Q37
    PE-750
    PC-K6s

    Learn more about BitsPower’s prizes!
    BP-WBV1080ARS-RGB5
    BP-DDCPLS
    BP-NLS240-F4PB
    BP-WBCPUIAC-CUMBKCL
    BP-CPF-CC5U
    BP-DDCTOPWT100AC
    BP-120WTMP-BK
    BP-PVCT1234CL-2M

    Find detailed specifications for the PC-O10 here

  • Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 Launch Day

    The neat thing about product reviews is not so much the product but watching to see what others thing of the same thing.

    Cooler Master has just released their MasterLiquid Pro 280 which is a self contained AIO watercooler using their new OptFlow technology and matched with a 280mm radiator.  (e.g. dual 140mm fan)

    Normally CM wouldn't double up cooler reviews given that we also reviewed their MasterLiquid Pro 240 but, they did a few tweaks to the product design and wanted to make sure everyone knew about them.

    Be sure to check out my review of the Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 Review on Hardware Asylum

    Web Reviews
    - Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 Liquid CPU Cooler Review @ ThinkComputers
    - Cooler Master MasterLiquid Pro 280 Review: The Strong, Silent Type @ Modders-Inc

    AIO cooling is really a gateway system to harder and more elaborate cooling systems so please AIO in moderation.