Tech News
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BeQuiet Dark Rock TF Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
Frostytech brings up a good point in the introduction of their review in that the PC cooling system does require maintenance and traditional aircoolers, heatpipe or otherwise, tend to last longer than any liquid cooler, AIO or otherwise.
On the test bench today we have BeQuiet's Dark Rock TF heatsink - a top-down dual tower heatsink which features a pair of BeQuiet SilentWings fans and stands 130mm tall. The Dark Rock TF heatsink is built around six 6mm diameter heatpipes which link a large primary aluminum fin stack and smaller secondary set of aluminum cooling fins to a chunky copper heatspreader below. The 135mm PWM fans are arranged in a push-pull configuration, exhausting downwards so related motherboard CPU VRM components benefit from the cooling air flow.
I was able to review the beQuiet! Dark Rock TF recently and despite my normal grumblings about the installation method and tight clearances the cooler is actually really good.
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GTX 980 SLI Testing @ LanOC Reviews
To buy or not to buy, THAT is the question. For the money a single GTX 980 is more than enough for modern game titles, especially at "reasonable" resolutions. But, in the hardware world its not about "reasonable" or "enough" and more about pushing the limits and exploring the unknown.
After taking a look at the Titan X last week it really got me thinking. Currently you can pick up two GTX 980s for the price of one Titan X. That leaves me wondering how well two GTX 980s would perform in SLI compared to the Titan X. Well it just so happens I had two GTX 980’s in use in the office so I put them to the test. Today I’m going to take a quick look at their performance and see if they are a better buy than a single Titan X.
So, what does happen when you run a GTX 980 in SLI? In a way I kinda wish I would have tested that myself.
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Deepcool Tristellar @ techPowerUp
This was the case shown at the CyberPowerPC suite during CES and quickly became the talk of the show. I am interested to hear the story behind "why" TechPowerUp has a review sample since I was under the impression that DeepCool built it for CyberPowerPC.
Either way, it is still a great looking chassis.
In 100 years we will look back at our meager existence and when someone quietly asks the question "how did Skynet get started?", the answer could very well go like this: "Once, there was this chassis, the Tristellar...". Deepcool has created a crazy looking chassis which weighs more empty than most ITX systems as a whole. All this with the goal to be a showcase of design & function at the same time.
With any luck I'll get to see this case again at Computex.
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Falcon Northwest Tiki 18-core micro PC Review @ PC World
Overkill seems to be such a harsh word but, is so appropriate.
Remember: The Tiki does packs all that firepower into a chassis 4-inches wide, 13.25-inches tall and 13-inches deep. Impossible! After all, you’re thinking, you can’t get an LGA2011-V3 CPU into such a small machine, much less an 18-core Xeon.
That may have been true last year, but this spring Asrock released its crazy X99E-ITX/AC motherboard, which did what others told me was impossible: Put a massive LGA2011-V3 socket into a tiny Mini ITX motherboard. You see, the X99 chipset and its big-boy CPUs feature quad-channel memory controllers, and that means you need four pieces of RAM.I have my reservations about the Asrock X99 Mini ITX motherboard in that it wastes the main reason to own a LGA 2011v3 processor. The board only has a single PCI Express slot and only supports two memory channels instead of the customary four. Of course, with that being said the Tiki uses this as an excuse to get creative. The system comes with an 18 core Xeon processor and Titan X making it extremely powerful. On top of that the case is super small and can be custom painted to whatever color you desire giving the entire system a footprint close to a first gen Xbox360 and a wow factor beyond no other.
In fact, the only thing more impressive than the raw computing power is the price. > 9k USD.
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CM Storm Mizar Gaming Mouse @ techPowerUp
Now, here is a name we haven't heard in a long time. CM or Cooler Master has a new gaming mouse and it looks like a cross between an old Logitech design and a Razor?
CM Storm's newest gaming mouse is put to the test. Like previous high-end models from CM Storm, the Mizar features the 8200 DPI Avago ADNS-9800 laser sensor. The Mizar's design looks to harken back to the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0, which is a good thing. We take it for a spin to see how it compares to recent high-end gaming mice.
When it comes to mice I think there is a fine line between good design and innovative for the sake of innovation. Of course one of these is bad and the other is often riddled with copies of copies because the perfect mouse has already been created but for the sake of progress the company feels they need to try something new.
Check out the review and see what you think.
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Now it's even easier to watch questionable movie streams
In the Hardware Asylum Podcast Extra earlier this month Darren and I talked about two crazy things we found on the Internet, Popcorn Time and Massdrop.
Crazy Stuff on the Internet Popcorn Time and Massdrop
Popcorn Time is a fully enabled media streaming application/service that works much like Netflix and HBO GO but instead of using an approved pool of content it searches the Torrent network and will stream just about anything it finds. While watching streams from the Torrent network is largely illegal in the US that isn't the case once you head overseas. In fact in countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong and China pulling media from the Torrent network is the norm.
CNN has a story up about Popcorn Time and says pretty much what you would expect a large news organization to say.
Though not all torrents are illegal, Popcorn Time has had a reputation for disregarding copyrights. The first Popcorn Time website was shut down after the founders decided they were no longer interested in debating copyright infringement. The Popcorn Time app was removed from the Google (GOOGL, Tech30) Play store within 24 hours of its debut there in May 2014, though the app can still be loaded onto Android phones by bypassing the Play store.
Be sure to check out the CNN story and give the Hardware Asylum Podcast a listen to get our views on the service.
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Gigabyte GA-Z97N GAMING-5 Motherboard Review @ Hardware Slave
X99 might be the prized motherboard to have but Z97 rules gaming performance. Match that chipset with a proper set of onboard components and you can expand your gaming experence to 11 while still fitting in a Size 1.
We are big fans of mITX motherboards, though only in recent years. They have come a long way from their beige roots and now will tickle the geekiness of many gamers around the world. For us it’s the fact that we don’t need another big chassis in the office or in our homes, we generally have a few mITX rigs around, as daily drivers and as test machines.
Most motherboard vendors follow the same formula so the deciding factor usually comes down to price and form factor.
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Kingston HyperX FURY Pro Gaming Mouse Pad @ LanOC Reviews
I have always loved big mouse pads like this and with my professional training in Architecture they often remind me of those huge digitizer pads I learned AutoCAD on. Strangely enough digitizers are a thing of the past leaving mousepads to be the next "big" thing.
So to speak.
I’m not sure if everyone else has been watching, but Kingston has been slowly expanding their product lines a little. They are obviously known for their memory and later their SSDs and flash drives. But they have also been dabbling in headsets with their HyperX brand. They started out by partnering with other manufactures but recently they have introduced their own headsets and they have been very popular from what I have seen. Well around that time they also quietly introduced a line of mouse pads. I guess they figure that a HyperX fan might be interested in keeping the HyperX trend going with a mouse pad. So today I’m going to take a quick look at the HyperX FURY Pro Gaming Mouse Pad and see what they have going on.
Mousing accessories are a difficult thing to review on a hardware site but, in a way, are one of the most important components of a modern PC that Microsoft is trying to take away from us.
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Optoma Reintroduces NuForce Primo8
Optoma Reintroduces NuForce Primo8 In-Ear Headphones with Breakthrough Quad Balanced Armature Speaker Design
Primo8 in-ear headphones provide stellar bass, captivating mids and delicate highs to envelop the listener in musical textures almost real enough to touch
Fremont, Calif. – May 6, 2015 - Optoma, a leading international projector and audio brand, announces the reintroduction of the NuForce Primo8 headphones, its flagship audiophile-quality in-ear headphones. The Primo8 unites the coherence and seamlessness of one-driver earphones with the detail and transient speed of balanced armature drivers delivering an extraordinarily natural, lifelike sound. The Primo8 excels in its ability to reproduce vocals unlike any other in-ear headphone on the market, today.
“Primo8 was so successful when it launched under the NuForce brand, it sold out of production in the first three months, said Jon Grodem, Senior Director of Product Management of Optoma. “When we acquired NuForce, our top priority was to maintain the standards and legacy of great sound quality while improving production efficiencies so that premium products like Primo8 can withstand market demands. The reintroduction of Primo8 is the perfect next step for us.”
In-Ear Audiophile-Quality Speaker System
Optoma has outfitted each Primo8 earpiece with four proprietary balanced armature speakers to form a 3-way design. The four balanced-armature drivers located in each earphone deliver smooth, extended response, explosive dynamic realism and fatigue-free sound. Two of the speakers operate as one for bass frequencies, with one speaker for midrange and one speaker for treble.
With two speakers working in tandem to reproduce the lowest frequency ranges, the listener will experience the purest, most natural bass possible. The Primo8’s fast, rock-solid bass operates as the foundation for dynamic sound reproduction previously available only in the most costly over-ear dynamic and electrostatic designs.
Ideal Balance and Accuracy
The graininess of other balanced armature earphone designs is often the result of crosstalk between drivers due to their crossover network’s inability to prevent excessive frequency overlap. To combat this, NuForce has created a patent-pending three-way phase-coherent crossover design that achieves linear phase performance. The result is a natural three-dimensional soundstage, lightning-fast transients and crystalline transparency.
The Primo8’s proprietary crossover design has the earphone’s four speakers singing together as one. The results of this technology are clearly audible. Plucked strings take on an amazingly life-like presence, vocalists sound as if they are there "in-the-flesh," percussion explodes in a truly three-dimensional sound stage. With the Primo8, the subtlest of details appear magical and the sound is never fatiguing.
Proprietary Cable Design
To achieve the Primo8's unprecedented sound, nothing less than the best audio cable will do. To be sure, there is more to the apparently smooth and lightweight cable than meets the eye. Inside this unique NuForce star-pattern Litz cable are several advanced technologies designed to achieve the most accurate sound reproduction possible.
For strain relief, typically a weak point of earphones, the Primo8’s cable is built around a core of Kevlar Silk. This core is then surrounded by a star pattern of seven silver wires. A layer of insulation envelops the silver wires, which in turn is surrounded by another star-pattern of nine bundles of fine gauge, seven-stranded, individually insulated OFC wires – a technique called Litz construction. The entire cable assembly is then jacketed in a pliable polymer to eliminate mechanical noise contamination. Taking cable design to its zenith, Primo8 employs independent left and right ground wiring to reduce inter-channel crosstalk and maximize channel separation.
Ultimate Sound and Value
Uniting advanced, proprietary design, with a chorus of uncompromising features has empowered the Primo8 Headphones to deliver true, industry-leading performance. We believe you will also find the Optoma innovation and dedication to changing the way we listen gives it the ultimate advantage… unparalleled value well above all others in its price-class - and beyond.
Pricing and Availability
The Primo8 is now available on Amazon.com for a suggested retail price of US $499. For more information, visit http://www.optomausa.com/soundproduct/Primo8.
About Optoma
Optoma is a world leading designer and manufacturer of projection and audio products for business, education, professional audio/video and home entertainment.
Optoma’s projection products combine superior image processing technologies with exceptional engineering and innovation to deliver stunning crystal clear images with ultimate reliability.
Optoma projectors use DLP® technology, pioneered by Texas Instruments. This uses millions of mirrors to produce high quality imagery which does not suffer color degradation over time, as sometimes experienced in other projector technologies.
The Optoma NuForce sound range is designed for people that care about audio. They are built from premium quality components to deliver sleek design and exceptional sound.
The Optoma Group has continental headquarters in the USA, Europe, and Asia.
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IN WIN 707 Gaming Version Full-Tower Case Review @ [H]
InWin makes some really iconic cases from the awesome S-Frame to the smaller D-Frame and elusive InWin 901 Mini. However with the elaborate comes the money makers, the cases that stand out above everyone and say, "this ain't bad".
HardOCP has their review of the InWin 707 posted and seems to like something about it.
The IN WIN 707 Gaming Version Full Tower case comes with a long list of features that reads to make it one of the best enthusiast hardware chassis you can buy. Tool-less design, spots for multiple radiators, E-ATX motherboard support, excellent CPU heatsink clearance, and designed for 10 fans. Does it measure up?
Be sure to check out Our Review of the InWin 707 for comparison.
