Rosewill RK-9000BR Mechanical Keyboard
Having used and reviewed quite a few mechanical keyboards in the last year I have now tried out almost every type of Cherry MX switch out there except the Cherry MX Brown and Clear switches. Thankfully, in this during this review of the Rosewill RK-9000BR I was able to knock yet another switch off my list. The Cherry MX Brown switches used on the Rosewill RK-9000BR provide would be customers with the best of both Cherry MX Black, and Blue switches without the negatives of each. Benchmark Reviews will be evaluating the Rosewill RK-9000BR to see how these switches hold up to daily use and what they are like to use for an extended amount of time when compared to their red, black, and blue counterparts.
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CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD
Suzhou CoreRise Electronics Corporation is new to the industry, but they're starting off big. As the 91st manufacturer to join the Solid State Drive industry, CoreRise introduced themselves into the market back in 2010 with an Indilinx-based SSD, and have returned to expand their product family using LSI-SandForce technology for the new Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD. Designed for the SATA 6 GB/s interface, Venus Pro 3 features 555 MB/s reads and 525 MB/s writes of compressed data. CoreRise advertises the Comay Venus Pro 3 to produce 4KB random read IOPS up to 40,000, and write up to 85,000 IOPS. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD against the fastest storage devices available.
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Icron USB Ranger 2211 Range Extender
Everything from Rocket Launchers to Dancing Clowns are available as a USB peripheral these days. Most of us keep our USB devices within arm's length, but there are times where a little more distance is desirable. That's the case for the average consumer; the commercial or industrial user has a tougher life. They have Rocket Launchers and Dancing Clowns too, but they're the full-sized versions. You can bet the computers which control them are located more than 5 meters away. That's the reason for today's article; what to do when your USB device is 300 feet away from your PC? You find a device like the Icron USB Ranger 2211, and a big spool of Cat 5 Ethernet cable, and you hook it up, no problem! Just so you can be sure that there won't be any problems, Benchmark Reviews put the latest USB extender from Icron Technologies on the test bench. We also look under the hood, and show you the technology that's inside.
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Cooler Master ARC Macbook and iPad Stand
Most enthusiasts think of Cooler Master primarily as a case and CPU cooler vendor, although they've long since branched out into other product lines, like gaming peripherals and accessories for notebook computers and mobile devices. Benchmarch Reviews takes a look at one of their newest products, the Cooler Master ARC Macbook Pro and iPad stand.
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G-Cube V-Track 310 Wireless Mouse
Wireless mice are becoming the de facto standard along with macro software that further enhances productivity, while at the same time, decreasing repetitive clicking. The G-Cube V-Track 310 boasts sixteen macro Gestures for the right button, with a multitude of actions per gesture, two options for vertical and horizontal scrolling, four DPI settings, three report rates, and it's wireless. It also comes in four colors, Red, Blue, Green, and Black. In the continuing spirit of bringing you the latest and sometimes the greatest, Benchmark Reviews will analyze the new G-Cube V-Track 310 2.4Hz Wireless Mouse.
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HIS HD7850 IceQ X Turbo X 2GB Video Card
Many are still waiting for NVIDIA to release the rest of their 28nm line-up, and AMD have already shown their full hand. The question is; do you buy now or wait to see if you can get a better deal? Waiting is a vicious cycle and there will always be something better released after you make a purchase. Don't wait too long to make your choice, there is plenty to choose from without waiting. In this article we take a look at the HIS Radeon HD7850 IceQ X Turbo X 2GB 'GHz Edition' video card armed with AMD's Pitcairn 28nm GPU Core. This is the fastest HD7850 that HIS produce and we intend to overclock it some more to see how much faster it will run. Benchmark Reviews aims to provide you with an unbiased review of the HIS Radeon HD7850 IceQ X Turbo X 2GB video card (model H785QNX2G2M) and report back our findings, keeping you informed on the latest technologies available on the market today.
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G.Skill Ares 16GB 1866Mhz DDR3 Memory Kit
Some people want or even need the most memory that they possibly can get into a system, for those users a simple 16GB of RAM may not be enough. Thankfully, due to rapidly dropping prices having as much RAM as servers of yesteryear is neither overly expensive, nor that unreasonable to have. Benchmark Reviews will be looking at the G.Skill Ares 1866MHz 2 x 8GB kit designed specifically with those people in mind. Named after the Greek god of war the G.Skill Ares kit looks like it is ready for war with its heat sinks glistening in the sun but is it really the warrior it claims to be or a just imposter with nice armor. Benchmark Reviews will evaluate the merit of the Ares name and determine if this kit is truly worth of the name it has been given.
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Intel DZ77GA-70K Motherboard Components
Intel always sends reviewers their top-end motherboards when new CPUs are introduced. Called Extreme Boards , these motherboards are designed for extreme performance and festooned with skulls. The past Intel Extreme Boards I've looked at came with early, buggy BIOSes; performed relatively poorly, and had very few additional features other than those provided by the CPU and chipset. So I wasn't expecting much from the Intel DZ77GA-70K Z77 Express motherboard, but was amazed to find that this time, Intel might have a winner on its hands. Join me as Benchmark Reviews takes a look at Intel's new Z77 Express standard bearer.
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 Video Card Tests
NVIDIA Have enjoyed the fruits of their labors with the recent launch of Kepler, their latest ultra-efficient desktop GPU architecture. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 seized the crown for graphics performance, but also has a price tag fit for kings. Now NVIDIA are back to address the needs of performance gamers with GeForce GTX 670, using the same GK104 GPU found in GTX 680 along with 2GB of GDDR5 memory running at the same clock speeds. For around $399 the GeForce GTX 670 matches price to the AMD Radeon HD 7950, yet performs to the level of Radeon HD 7970. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 video card against the leading competition, including the GeForce GTX 570 that it replaces.
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Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion Beta
Sins of a Solar Empire is one of those Real Time Strategy games that you won't be able to tear yourself away from easily. Sins is one of those addictive experiences that you start to gauge other games by. Very few space-based RTS games come close to perfection, and Sins is one of them. After playing Sins, you'll be daydreaming about it while trying to play other RTS titles. In this article, Benchmark Reviews offers our opinion of the Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion expansion pack.
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Intel DZ77GA-70K Benchmark Performance
I've sometimes thought that Intel tries too hard with its enthusiast level motherboards. The Extreme series, which is what Intel seeds reviewers with when new CPUs are introduced, tend to shout with prominent skull logos, POST code readouts, POST sequence LEDs, and other bling, but in my experience they fall down badly on features and performance. So you can understand that I wasn't expecting too much from the DZ77GA-70K motherboard. But I was in for a surprise.
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HIS Radeon HD 7770 iCooler Video Card
If the you have read the reviews of the AMD Radeon HD 79xx series of video cards here at benchmark reviews you will know that owning the fastest single GPU video card will hurt your wallet. While we can all aspire to (or dream of) owning one or more of these high end video cards, the simple fact is that not everyone can afford such luxuries. In this article we take a look at the more moderately priced HIS Radeon HD 7770 iCooler 1GB video card armed with AMD's Cape Verde 28nm GPU Core. Sure enough it won't run your favorite games maxed out at 1080p but with an msrp of $129.99 you might be pleasantly surprised at its power to weight ratio. Benchmark Reviews aims to provide you with an unbiased review of the HIS Radeon HD 7770 iCooler 1GB video card (model H777F1G2M) and report back our findings, keeping you informed on the latest technologies available on the market today.
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Intel DZ77GA-70K Motherboard Overview
Intel has tried to sell motherboards into the enthusiast market in the past, with little success. Even though their top-end motherboards are labeled Extreme Boards and have prominent skull logos (everyone knows skulls are good), the features and performance have been notably lacking, especially in comparison to the best of the third party motherboards. I've not been impressed by any of the previous Intel Extreme Boards I've reviewed, but the Intel DZ77GA-70K was a revelation. Benchmark Reviews takes a look at the features of Intel's first motherboard that's actually competitive with the big boys.
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 Benchmark Performance
Back on 22 March 2012, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 video card made headlines and became the best-performing single-GPU graphics card on the market. Only six weeks later NVIDIA engineers have successfully combined two 28nm GK104 GPUs together to create their new GeForce GTX 690. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests game performance with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, a double-slot graphics card equipped with a pair of Kepler GPUs. Featuring NVIDIA's cutting-edge GPU Boost technology, the GeForce GTX 690 video card can dynamically adjust power and clock speeds based on real-time application demands. Using EVGA Precision-X, the GeForce GTX 690 has both GPUs overclocked beyond 1200 GHz to produce ultimate graphical performance in PC video games.
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 Video Card Features
It didn't take long for the engineers at NVIDIA to find the right combination of speed and power before they could successfully fit two 28nm GK104 Kepler GPUs onto the same printed circuit board. The GeForce GTX 690 is built for the ultra-performance hardware enthusiast and hard-core gamer wanting to play PC video games at their maximum graphics quality settings with the highest screen resolution possible. It's a small niche market that few can claim, but also one that every gamer dreams of enjoying. In this article Benchmark Reviews inspects the features available on the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, a double-slot graphics card equipped with a pair of Kepler GPUs.
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ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe Features Overview
Vendors strive to distinguish their products on the market in a number of ways. With motherboards, where in most cases the stock performance will be very similar across all motherboards using the same processor and supporting chipset, the only real ways to make your product stand out are price and extra features. ASUS is adept at exploiting the features aspect of their motherboards, including everything from custom ASICs and sophisticated power circuitry to full-blown add-ons like WiFi Go! Their Deluxe level motherboard ladle on so many features it's hard to keep track, but Benchmark Reviews will give it a try with our features overview of the ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe motherboard.
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HIS HD7950 IceQ Turbo 3GB Video Card
We have now seen round three of the AMD HD7000 series video card launch cycle and still NVIDIA have yet to fully show their hand, and until they do these new video cards are going to cost an arm and a leg. In this article we take a look at the more moderately priced (compared with the HD 7970) HIS Radeon HD7950 IceQ Turbo 3GB video card armed with AMD's Tahiti 28nm GPU Core. Sure enough it will run your favorite games with high settings at 1080p but with an msrp of $459.99 you might want to check your finances before you click that buy button. Benchmark Reviews aims to provide you with an unbiased review of the HIS Radeon HD7950 IceQ Turbo 3GB video card (model H795QT3G2M) and report back our findings, keeping you informed on the latest technologies available on the market today.
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Cooler Master HAF XM Computer Case
At Benchmark Reviews, we have established that the main three items to look for in a computer case are price, functionality, and style. All three of these are vitality important for a case that will be taking up space in your home or office for the foreseeable future. None of them should be overlooked. As a gamer, I take a special interest in Full Tower cases because of the functionality they offer. But sometimes Full Tower cases are just too big to fit comfortably where they need to. Mid-Tower cases can provide a lot of the functionality of a Full Tower case but with the style that might be preferred, depending on the circumstance. It's the balance of providing that functionality that often gets case manufacturers into trouble. Benchmark Reviews has Cooler Master's new HAF XM case on hand and this article is dedicated to discovering if the famous HAF-X's little brother holds true to the family tree.
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ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe Motherboard Components
The introduction of the first member of the new Cougar Point chipset family, the Z77 Express, happened several weeks before the availability of the Sandy Bridge CPUs they were designed for, so we've seen a number of these motherboards become available at retail recently. ASUS has provided Benchmark Reviews with a sample of their top-end P8Z77-V Deluxe LGA1155 motherboard, which may well set a new high-water marks for most features crammed onto a motherboard.
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ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe Benchmark Performance
The introduction of the first member of the new Cougar Point chipset family, the Z77 Express, happened several weeks before the availability of the Sandy Bridge CPUs they were designed for. This led to review sites having to test new chipsets with older Sandy Bridge processors. While Z77 motherboards are perfectly capable of running Sandy Bridge CPUs, they're really designed to showcase Ivy Bridge. Now that Benchmark Reviews actually has a Core i7-3770K CPU in hand, we can show you how it performs in ASUS' new P8Z77-V Deluxe motherboard, a top-of-the-line product with so many features it's hard to keep track of them all.
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Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge Processor
Intel sticks to their tick-tock CPU development cycle, where the ticks represent new CPU architectures and the tocks represent process refinement. Sandy Bridge CPUs were the tick , and the new Ivy Bridge CPUs are the tock . Fabricated on a 22nm process with Intel's new low-leakage 3D transistors, Ivy Bridge represents a fabrication breakthrough if nothing else. But how does it compare against the immensely popular and powerful Sandy Bridge CPUs? Benchmark Reviews dives into the fray to let you know.
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Corsair Vengeance M90 Laser Gaming Mouse
With fifteen buttons, a 5700 DPI laser sensor, a solid aluminum core, and onboard memory the Corsair Vengeance M90 can be customized to fit almost every users need. However, button counts, high DPI sensors, and unique designs do not automatically guarantee a great product and so each product must be evaluated on its usefulness as a tool and not just raw numbers. So please join Benchmark Reviews as we review the Corsair M90 and evaluate if it is worthy of the legendary Corsair name or if it is simply marketing hype with no substance to back it up.
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Corsair Vengeance K90 Mechanical Keyboard
Having reviewed many keyboards it suprised me how excited I was to review the Corsair Vengeance K90. With its unique design, Cherry MX Red switches, and as Corsairs first foray into the keyboard market I found the K90 to be a interesting prospect in a world filled with rather ordinary keyboard designs. Join Benchmark Reviews as we look at the K90 and evaluate if its unique design merits the $129.99 asking price that is it being given.
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Corsair Vengeance M60 Laser Gaming Mouse
The Vengeance M60 FPS laser mouse is Corsair's latest addition to its line of products. The M60 has 8 configurable buttons aimed at maximizing the FPS gaming performance. The dedicated sniper button is one of its most interesting features with the promise to help accurate aiming. Benchmark Reviews will be testing out the Vengeance M60 and see if it's a worthy buy.
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Corsair Vengeance K60 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
The Vengeance K60 FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is one of Corsair's latest introductions. This keyboard is a rare cherry MX red keyboard (similar to cherry MX blacks), offering very light resistance to key presses, and no tactile click during presses, perfect for quick successive key presses like double taps. Benchmark Reviews will review this keyboard for its FPS gaming capabilities as well as general usage.
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MSI Z77A-GD65 LGA1155 Motherboard
It's time for a new Intel chipset: the Z77 Express chipset replaces last year's Z68 chipset and its predecessor P67 chipset. Aside from the support for what MSI calls third generation Intel Core processors , the Z77 brings some enhanced features like native SuperSpeed USB 3.0. MSI's not satisfied with letting the Z77 stand on its own, though, and adds its own unique features to their MSI Z77A-GD65 board. Benchmark Reviews tests this new motherboard and compares its performance and features against a top-end Z68 motherboard. Is an upgrade for your rig warranted? Read on...
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Intel X79 Motherboard Overclocking Guide
This Intel X79 Motherboard Overclocking Guide is meant to assist and outline aspects of overclocking parameters as well as the experience of overclocking on the ASUS X79 series of motherboards. I have detailed our recommendations to maximize the overclocking potential / scaling on ASUS' X79 series of motherboards. This guide has been developed after extensive internal testing across multiple boards, multiple UEFI builds and a high sampling rate of C0 CPUs and limited sampling of C1 stepping CPUs. While this guide is not definitive and will not contain every possible overclocking combination or guarantee results, the information detailed has been consistently duplicated and yielded repeatable results in our testing. Of course the quality of the CPU and cooling is very important but overall we think the results on our boards should exceed those of others at like settings.
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ASUS Rampage IV Formula Gene Motherboard
The ASUS Republic of Gamers Rampage series of motherboards usually comes in three varieties, the Extreme, Formula, and Gene. Benchmark Reviews recently brought you an in-depth review of the ASUS Rampage IV Formula motherboard. Now it's time for a look at the Formula's little brother, the ASUS Rampage IV Gene. Built on the Intel X79 Express chipset, the Rampage IV Gene represents the low-end of the ASUS Republic of Gamers X79 motherboards. Follow along inside as Benchmark Reviews examines the ASUS Rampage IV Gene X79 Express motherboard.
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HIS Radeon HD 7870 IceQ Turbo 2GB
It's round three of the AMD HD7000 series video card launch cycle and still NVIDIA have yet to fully show their hand, and until they do these new video cards are going to cost an arm and a leg. In this article we take a look at the more moderately priced (compared with the 79XX series) HIS Radeon HD7870 IceQ Turbo 2GB 'GHz Edition' video card armed with AMD's Pitcairn 28nm GPU Core. Sure enough it will run your favorite games with high settings at 1080p but with an msrp of $379.99 you might want to check your finances before you click that buy button. Benchmark Reviews aims to provide you with an unbiased review of the HIS Radeon HD7870 IceQ Turbo 2GB video card (model H787QT2G2M) and report back our findings, keeping you informed on the latest technologies available on the market today.
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Antec P280 ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
For many enthusiasts want a quiet system, with room to spare, and a beautiful exterior the Antec P280 is exactly what they are looking for. The Antec P280 is a Super Mid Tower designed as an addition to venerable Performance One series. This refresh comes with a redesigned interior, exterior, and an updated port selection. These updates came without Antec disrupting the Performance One series goal of Quiet Computing , using materials with different acoustic qualities to help minimize the amount of sound leakage. Benchmark Reviews will evaluate if the noise characteristics and build quality of the Antec P280 are worthy of the Performance One moniker that it has been given.
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ASUS EA-N66U Wireless-N450 Ethernet Adapter
Devout followers of the technology industry may have seen a sneak preview of ASUS' latest dabble in networking hardware back in January when it was announced at CES 2012. Maybe you only read an information starved press release after the event, either way there hasn't been much information regarding the ASUS EA-N66 3-in-1 Dual Band Wireless N450 Ethernet Adapter until now. Benchmark Reviews recently reviewed the ASUS RT-N66U Dual Band Wireless N900 Router and USB-N53 Dual-Band Wireless N300 USB Adapter, and now the EA-N66 3-in-1 Ethernet adapter completes the trio. There are a few Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridges available on the market as well as dedicated Wi-Fi repeaters and Access Points, but never before have all three functions been combined into one device, and never has a piece of networking hardware ever looked so interesting. Speed is the name of the game here, the EA-N66 3-in-1 Dual Band Wireless N Ethernet Adapter has a 10/100/1000 Base-T compliant RJ45 interface and can operate on 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless N frequencies at speeds up to 450Mb/s.
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Arctic MC001-BD HTPC Media Center
Home entertainment is quickly changing, and computer techology has become integrated with the personal space. Data storage and playback is becoming more diverse and streamlined by the second. More and more entertainment can be found on the Internet; TV shows, movies, music... the list goes on. To keep up with the demand for instant entertainment, manufacturers such as ARCTIC are designing devices that are ever more sleek and quiet, usually with an array of features to keep the consumer content in their own personal empire. If you are looking to update your home theater with personal entertainment devices, or simplify your leisure time, there are many new Windows Media Center devices emerging on the market. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the Arctic MC001-BD Entertainment Center with Blu-ray player to see if this Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium HTPC can combine the benefits of personal computer with multimedia streamer.
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QNAP TS-879U-RP 10GbE NAS Server
There is a glass ceiling in the world of NAS devices, and like all glass ceilings it's not that obvious until you bang your head against it a few times. The standard-issue network interface in the IT world is a one Gigabit Ethernet connection. Convert bits to bytes and you end up with a less impressive sounding 125 MB/s interface. The ceiling comes into play quickly, because even a single 3TB HDD can push 160 MB/s through its SATA 6 Gb/s interface, when it's running hard. I was a little frustrated when I did an extensive review of the QNAP TS-879U-RP Turbo NAS server last month, because I didn't have a network environment that could unleash its full performance. Now that I do, let's take a look at what it takes to get this corporate animal up to full speed.
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Genius DeathTaker USB Laser Gaming Mouse
Taiwan-based Genius may not be a well known brand when compared with other established companies such as Steelseries and Razer, but they have been around for a long time. They were credited for shipping the first mouse with a scroll-wheel, and currently manufacture products for other brand-name companies. The GX Gaming series is their first stab at entering the gaming peripherals market under their own brand. Benchmark Reviews has on its hands the Genius DeathTaker MMO/RTS gaming mouse. We will be testing this premium 9-button, weight-adjustable gaming mouse to see whether this late-comer can take the spotlight.
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ASUS Rampage IV Formula X79 Motherboard
Within the world of personal computing, there is a group of people referred to as enthusiasts. This generalization can be a little confusing, so let's explore it. An enthusiast is someone who uses their computer for much more than the average user. An enthusiast can usually be further categorized as one of two types of people; a gamer or a performance tuner. For enthusiasts, the middle-of-the road just doesn't cut it. They want the best that manufacturers can provide. It is with enthusiasts in mind that ASUS created the Republic of Gamers line of products. The ASUS Rampage IV Formula LGA 2011 motherboard is one of the latest releases in the Republic of Gamers line. Here at Benchmark Reviews, we've gotten our hands on an ASUS Rampage IV Fomula Battlefield 3 Edition motherboard and we are taking you piece by piece as we explore this enthusiast inspired piece of hardware.
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ASUS RT-N66U Dual Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router
Building on the success of the RT-N56 Dual Band WiFi router, ASUS has been hard at work trying to create the next 'next-best' wireless router. Today, Benchmark Reviews brings you the ASUS RT-N66U Dual Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router. As you will see in the images that follow, the ASUS RT-N66U certainly looks the part and is different in that way from 99% of routers on offer today. The RT-N66U has three high power external antenna to allow simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals to run at up to 450Mb/s concurrently, this allows you to stream HD content to your media devices (5GHz) while you enjoy uninterrupted wireless internet (2.4GHz). On the box ASUS claim that the RT-N66U has Leading giga-level throughput over 900Mb/s but as with most claims this doesn't always come true, our testing threw out some good numbers but nowhere near ASUS' claims. The ASUS RT-N66U has two built in USB 2.0 ports that allow you to share printers and USB storage over LAN and WAN, and also allows you to share a 3G/4G internet connection.
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ASUS USB-N53 Dual Band Wireless-N300 USB Adapter
Built on the same design slate as the black diamond series, comes the ASUS USB-N53 Dual Band Wireless-N300 USB Adapter. The USB-N53 has two built in antennae and can operate on 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals at up to 300Mb/s. On the box ASUS claim that the USB-N53 has a Superior antenna design for extensive wireless coverage more than 150% and this does show through in our tests, our testing threw out some good numbers but nowhere near 300Mb/s which is understandable to a certain extent. The ASUS USB-N53 comes bundled with an adjustable USB cable that allows you to position the adapter for a better wireless connection. If you are eager to find out more jump on in and see if the USB-N53 is right for you.
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Intel Core i7-3820 Extreme Edition CPU
Not quite a year after Intel released Sandy Bridge with the new LGA-1155 platform they upped the performance bar again. This time around, the Sandy Bridge-E LGA-2011 platform is bigger, faster, and represents the top-of-the-line for consumer computing. Intel Extreme Edition processors have always brought out the best that the company has to offer, but the Extreme moniker isn't limited to the performance. The price of Extreme Edition CPUs generally matches, with the highest end of these clocking in near $1000. The LGA-2011 platform offers a lot in terms of performance computing, besides just the Extreme Edition CPUs, though. You also get a full 40 PCI-E lanes and quad-channel memory compatibility. So what about those of us that don't need a $1000 CPU, but we still want to use three or four GPUs to their full potential? For that, we have the Intel i7-3820 3.6GHz CPU. In this article, Benchmark Reviews goes under the hood of the littlest Sandy Bridge-E processor.
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CM Storm Quickfire Rapid Keyboard
Although mechanical keyboards have been making a comeback in recent years many of the design are quite bulky in comparison to their rubber dome counter parts. Looking to fill this area of the market Cooler Master designed the Storm QuickFire Rapid mechanical keyboard using the venerable Cherry MX Blue switches, fit into a comfortable 14 x 5 design. This makes the QuickFire Rapid perfect for LAN parties or mobile workers who may want a better typing experience than their laptops are able to offer. Benchmark Reviews will evaluate if the Cooler Master QuickFire Rapid is the perfect pint size keyboard or if corners were cut in order to meet size and price goals.
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Accell USB Micro-B MHL to HDMI Smartphone Adapter
The personal computer continuously evolves, enabling technology to change the way we interact with one another. Laptop computers used to be a thing of the future, until they surpassed desktop computer systems to become the industry standard. Similarly, cellular telephones have progressed beyond a simple communication tool into the convenient SmartPhone devices we enjoy today. It won't be long before the SmartPhone (or UltraPhone if you're bleeding edge) becomes the standard, and various consumer electronic devices find themselves obsolete. In this Product Spotlight article, Benchmark Reviews examines the Accell USB Micro-B MHL to HDMI Adapter, a device the connects Smartphones and Tablets to any HDMI projector, monitor, or HDTV.
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Epic Gear Meduza Gaming Mouse and Hybrid Pad
What features make the best gaming mouse? Laser or Optical? High or low sensitivity? Epic Gear has released a new technology to make it so you don't have to choose. The new Meduza Gaming Mouse uses Hybrid Dual Sensor Technology (HDST) to combine the best of both paradigms. Along with their Hybrid Mouse pad they have benchmarked high mouse performance. In this article, Benchmark Reviews evaluates the Meduza (model EGMA1H-OB) and Hybrid Pad (model EGHP1-OB-M) in preparation for their upcoming release.
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OCZ Octane SATA 6 Gb/s Indilinx Everest SSD
Nearly one year since acquiring well-known flash controller manufacturer Indilinx, OCZ has debuted their first storage product based on the Indilinx infused Everest platform with NDurance technology: welcome OCZ's Octane SSD. Offered in 1-terabyte capacities, the OCT1-25SAT3 series is designed to deliver optimized performance for mainstream users wanting to capitalize on near-instant solid state response times. OCZ Octane SSDs are good for up to 480MB/s read speeds over the latest SATA 6 Gb/s interface, and yield up to 35,000 Random Read IOPS. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests these specifications, and compares the OCZ Octane solid state drive to the leading competition.
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HIS Radeon HD 7750 iCooler Video Card
If the you have read the reviews of the AMD Radeon HD 79xx series of video cards here at benchmark reviews you will know that owning the fastest single GPU video card will hurt your wallet. While we can all aspire to (or dream of) owning one or more of these high end video cards, the simple fact is that not everyone can afford such luxuries. In this article we take a look at the more moderately priced HIS Radeon HD 7750 iCooler 1GB video card armed with AMD's Cape Verde 28nm GPU Core. Sure enough it won't run your favorite games maxed out at 1080p but with an msrp of $129.99 you might be pleasantly surprised at its power to weight ratio. Benchmark Reviews aims to provide you with an unbiased review of the HIS Radeon HD 7750 iCooler 1GB video card (model H775F1GD) and report back our findings, keeping you informed on the latest technologies available on the market today.
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XFX Radeon R7770 Black Edition Video Card
Benchmark Reviews has reviewed the XFX versions of AMD's new Tahiti-based Radeon 7970 and 7950 video cards. They provided ground-breaking single-GPU performance (both were faster overall than the NVIDIA GTX 580), but at very high prices. While these cards do a good job of supporting the very high end video card market, many more users will gravitate towards less expensive options. The Cape Verde GPUs represent the low end of AMD's new Graphics Core Next GPU line and today we have the XFX R7770 Black Super Overclocked Edition card to test.
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QNAP TS-879U-RP NAS Network Storage Rack Server
How much is too much? For those who tend to answer ...it's never enough! there is the QNAP TS-879U-RP Turbo NAS. With eight 3.5 drive bays available, there is a potential for 24TB of storage and transfer rates of more than 10 Gb/s. That's ten times more data than any home PC can pump through its ubiquitous GbE network interface, and twenty times faster than what the latest generation of SSDs can muster. This is for people who have serious data appetites and deep pockets. The cost to fill this unit up with HDDs, in the early days of 2012, is enough to give some people pause; for most business owners, it's a small and necessary cost.
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NZXT Switch 810 Full-Tower Computer Case
What is it that you should look for in a computer case, exactly? The market is full of many different styles with plenty of different features and the prices range from next-to-nothing to arm-and-a-leg. When deciding on a computer case, those are the three areas you want to focus on; price, functionality, and style. Computer case manufacturers are constantly trying to find a balance between those three items by giving customers everything they want at a price they can afford and in a style that they'll like. NZXT is a company that tries hard to please gamers and enthusiasts and their products reflect that. At CES 2012, NZXT announced a completely new case design that offers a lot of functionality for its price. In this article, Benchmark Reviews is exploring the NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower Computer Chassis to help you find out where it fits for you within those three categories.
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Intel SSD 520 Series Solid State Drive
For the past several years, consumers searching through the available selection of Solid State Drive (SSD) storage devices have noticed that capacity continues to favor the hard disk drive counterpart. While it could be a few more years before any SSD matches terabyte capacity with the HDD, Intel's NAND Flash produced at 20nm is closing that gap in terms of price and storage space. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Intel SSD 520 Series Solid State Drive against the leading competition to see if it's capable of delivering SATA 6 Gb/s speeds up to 550 MB/s and 80,000 maximum 4K random write IOPS.
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XFX Radeon R7950 Black Edition Video Card
Benchmark Reviews recently took a look at XFX's R7970 Black Edition Double Dissipation version of AMD's new top-end Tahiti-based video cards. It's the fastest single-GPU video card we've ever tested, but the $600.00 price was a little hard to take, especially with NVIDIA's GTX580 widely available for more than $100 less. Today XFX has supplied us with the next step down the Tahiti line, the R7950 Black Edition Double Dissipation.
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Fractal Design Define XL Computer Case
Long Live the Extra Large Full Tower PC Case? My last review at Benchmark Reviews left off praising the shrink factor of technology and the maturation of micro cases (Silverstone PS07b micro case (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=857 Itemid=61)). At the same time, Benchmark Reviews has been busy reviewing monster sized cases. One conclusion that can be derived from the size and options of PC cases is that the PC case is not nearly as dead as some surmise, be they large or small. Otherwise, we'd be getting less variety and more generic offerings, along with fewer manufacturers. So, let's get going and see how the Fractal Design Define XL Silent PC Full Tower Chassis measures up to a market awash in full tower cases.
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ASUS VG278H LCD Monitor 3D Vision-2 Kit
We live in a three-dimensional world, and display technology is finally catching up to how we see things. Games, movies, multimedia video, and even photos are now widely available in stereoscopic 3D. Packaged with a NVIDIA 3D Vision-2 glasses kit, the ASUS VG278H LCD Monitor gives you that big screen experience with vivid color, 120Hz high-definition 1080p picture quality, and added 3D special effects. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the ASUS VG278H 27 LED-backlight widescreen 120Hz monitor with NVIDIA 3D LightBoost technology and show off its built-in stereoscopic 3D Vision-2 functionality.
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ASUS P9X79 WS LGA2011 Workstation Motherboard
Generally when we here at Benchmark Reviews get a motherboard in to test, it's aimed at a specific market: it might be an enthusiast-oriented motherboard for gaming, or a micro-ATX motherboard designed for a HTPC, or even just an inexpensive motherboard for users on a budget. Today, though, we have one of ASUS' Workstation motherboards: the ASUS P9X79 WS. How does it differ from other X79 motherboards, what's the performance, and should this board be on your short list for your X79 rig?
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SilverStone SST-GD06B HTPC Chassis Enclosure
In this article Benchmark Reviews gets to evaluate a HTPC case from SilverStone's Grandia line; the GD06. With these smaller cases, space is always an issue. This is becoming increasingly critical as high definition content becomes ubiquitous. Not only do we want to view our new content in more pixels than our brain can even process, but we want to upscale the old content, or view it in 3D, and do it upside down, right side up and inside out. While you're at it give me dish, cable, recording, streaming, email, gaming and the kitchen sink. Oh...and it needs to fit in a single box on my entertainment system. Well, SilverStone is at least trying to provide the box, the rest is up to you. They've expanded on past models to fit even more powerful toys inside your HTPC. Read on to see how model SST-GD06B crams the performance you demand and puts it on your shelf.
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G.SKILL Ripjaws-Z 16GB DDR3-1600 Memory
Although the company was established in 1989, G.SKILL is still not as familiar a name in the memory market as are Corsair, Mushkin, Kingston, and others. But in the past few years they've built their portfolio of memory (and memory is almost all they do) to encompass a broad selection of price/performance points ensuring that system builders and enthusiasts can find virtually anything they need. Today Benchmark Reviews tests G.SKILL's mainstream DDR3-1600 16GB quad-channel memory kit for Intel's X79 platform.
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World of Tanks Optimized Competition Settings
World of Tanks (WoT) is a free-to-play MMO-action video game by Wargaming.net that is loosely based on World War II-era tanks from the Soviet Union, Germany, USA, China, Britain, France, and Japan. Players can open either a free or premium account, and earn their way up a tiered ladder by competing against other online players in random battles. World of Tanks is developed for the Microsoft Windows PC platform, and is designed to be played using a wide range of computer hardware: from portable laptops with integrated graphics to high-performance desktop computers with discrete graphics. Benchmark Reviews recently published our World of Tanks 3D Vision Game Review for enthusiast gamers wanting life-like realism and effects, but for this article we concentrate on the best video settings for competitive play and share helpful game play tactics.
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XFX R7970 Black Edition Radeon Video Card
AMD might have trouble keeping up with the competition in the CPU arena, but their acquisition of ATI allowed them to become a major player in the graphics world. AMD and NVIDIA regularly trade places in the fastest video card rankings, and while NVIDIA's been good holding down the title with its current high-end, the Fermi-based GTX 580, it looks as if AMD's new Tahiti-based Radeon HD 7970 will snatch the crown away...especially if it's a hot-rod, factory-overclocked video card like today's test subject: the XFX R7970 Black Edition Double Dissipation.
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SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 Wheel
Hardcore PC racing simulator enthusiasts would argue that there is no alternative to a force feedback wheel and pedals, and they might be right, but not everybody has $300+ to fork out on an expensive setup. At the same time not everyone is content either being a keyboard racer or having to make do with a sub-par wheel or console style game controller. This is where SteelSeries and Ignite Game Technologies come into play. Together they have developed the SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1 motion sensitive steering wheel. A wheel that bridges the gap between console style game controllers and high end wheel/pedal setups, and it is available now from the SteelSeries web shop for $119.99 MSRP. Out of the box it is setup to work with Ignite's 'Simraceway' online racing simulator for the PC, but SteelSeries state that it will work with just about any racing game designed for the PC. Here at Benchmark Reviews we take marketing claims at face value and we always leave our judgement to real world testing, but if looks are anything to go by then we are in for one hell of a treat.
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Cooler Master Cosmos II Computer Case
In computer cases, it's a constant battle between price, function, and style-- as the saying goes, Pick any two . There are any number of very serviceable cases available at $100 or less; if you have $150 in your case budget, you can choose from some excellent full tower cases; and if you have $250 to spend on a case, you can get almost any combination of function and style you could ever want. Beyond that are the super-premium cases, and Cooler Master's latest entry in this field is so special the company calls it an ultra tower . Benchmark Reviews takes a look to see if the Cooler Master Cosmos II case deserves this designation.
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SilverStone SST-PS07B mATX Computer Case
It's a fact that has proven itself over and again: technology shrinks. Even for performance oriented enthusiasts, it isn't always better to go big or go home. In fact, the more technology shrinks, the more useful it becomes. Consider that the first commercially available computer's CPU and memory was 14' x 8' x 8' and weighed 29, 000 LBS (UNIVAC I)! Sixty years later and your smart phone occupies just 3/8 x 3 x 2 of space, weighs just over 4 ozs, and runs at 1500Mhz. Today, and in the spirit of shrinking technology, Benchmark Reviews investigates the SilverStone SST-PS07B mATX mini-tower computer case.
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Kingston HyperX Genesis 16GB DDR3-1600
With the introduction of Intel's X79 Express chipset, enthusiasts must now consider quad-channel memory kits, and vendors like Kingston are rushing to assert themselves in this new market. This 1600MHz, 16GB kit runs fairly relaxed timings of 9-9-9-27 and at under $100 represents the lower end of Kingston's HyperX line of enthusiast memory. Benchmark Reviews tests it against lower-latency 1600MHz kits as well as Kingston's own ultra-high performance 2133MHz kit in this review.
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Batman Arkham City 3D Vision Game Review
Of all the superheroes, Batman is one of the few who does not possess any super-human power. Perhaps that is why so many people cheer for The Great Detective, and why so many gamers seek to wear his utility belt. Although the upcoming movie The Dark Knight Rises depicts the same character played in the Batman: Arkham City video game, both also share 3D special effects that offer a glimpse from behind Batman's cowl. Super-villain Joker always gets the last laugh, and uses dozens of other arch enemies to help make his punch line. In this article, Benchmark Reviews guides you through the criminal masterminds that inhabit Batman: Arkham City in this NVIDIA 3D Vision game review.
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Zabcat xplorer² File Management Software
This is a software review I've been wanting to do for a long time, and since Benchmark Reviews has decided the object of this review may be a nice addition to our readers arsenal of computing tools, that's exactly what I'm doing today. I've wanted to do this review because it's a piece of software that gives Windows users something that has been lacking since Windows 2.0-a good dual pane file manager utility. Good news too--there is also a free version. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Zabcat xplorer² File Management Software suite.
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Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB DDR3-1600
The introduction of Intel's X79 chipset with its quad-channel memory controller coincides nicely with historic lows in memory prices. Corsair's recently introduced Vengeance line of peripherals includes products as diverse as headphones, mice, and even memory. Representing a lower-cost alternative to their Dominator memory line, Vengeance memory is offered with both high and low profile heat spreaders and several different speeds and timings. Benchmark Reviews tests the 1600MHz C8 16GB quad-channel low profile Vengeance kit against an assortment of other memory in this test.
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Rosewill Ranger Mid-Tower Computer Case
A couple of months ago Rosewill sent us a full tower case for review, the THOR v2, and today they have sent Benchmark Reviews their new mid-tower case, the Ranger. Rosewill's Ranger mid-tower case is the latest in Rosewill's case lineup and enters perhaps the most competitive case class there is. With excellent mid-tower cases to be had for 70-80USD, such as the Cooler Master HAF series and the aging but venerable Storm Scout, among others, any manufacturer entering a case into this class is entering into pure case warfare. Even though Rosewill's THOR v2 was a knockoff with some Rosewill specific tweaking, it was a good case and I gave it high marks. Let's see if the Ranger can measures up to its intended market like its big brother did.
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World of Tanks 3D Vision Game Review
World of Tanks (WoT) is a free-to-play MMO-action video game loosely based on World War II-era tanks from the Soviet Union, Germany, USA, China, Britain, France, and Japan. Players can open either a free or premium account, and earn their way up a tiered ladder by competing against other online players in random battles. World of Tanks is developed for the Microsoft Windows PC platform, and is designed to be played using a wide range of computer hardware: from portable laptops with integrated graphics to high-performance desktop computers with discrete graphics. For those simply wanting to grind their way to the top almost any graphics platform will do, but it takes a powerful video card to deliver immersive high-quality graphics and beautifully detailed scenery. For the enthusiast gamer who wants life-like realism, NVIDIA 3D Vision technology adds depth and out-of-screen effects that help take World of Tanks beyond its flat 2D battleground.
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Rosewill Blackhawk-Ultra HPTX Computer Case
Desktop comptuters are seen by some pundits as a dying breed, and perhaps they are. Laptop and even tablet computers are now capable of fulfilling most people's needs, and even those who want or need a desktop machine could probably be satisfied with a micro-ATX motherboard in a small form factor case. Then there are those for whom even a full tower case is not enough: they need to accomodate a dozen hard drives, or an elaborate water cooling system, or perhaps an HPTX motherboard. For those select few, Rosewill offers the Blackhawk Ultra computer case, the largest case Benchmark Reviews has ever tested.
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Kingston HyperX Genesis 16GB DDR3-2133
With the introduction of Intel's X79 Express chipset, enthusiasts must now consider quad-channel memory kits, and vendors like Kingston are rushing to assert themselves in this new market. Pushing 4GB DDR3 modules to a very high 2133MHz frequency, Kingston's new KHX2133C11D3K4 kit offers 16GB of high-performance memory for your new LGA 2011 rig. Benchmark Reviews runs it through our test suite to see how it performs.
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Patriot Pyro SE Solid State Drive
Benchmark Reviews has previously tested the Patriot Pyro SE, a second-generation SandForce SF-2281 solid state drive, which is considered their standard-IOPS enthusiast storage solution. Now we return to test the Patriot Pyro SE, which pushes the throttle on synchronous NAND flash for the best operational performance possible. Patriot rates the Pyro SE to deliver SATA 6Gb/s read speeds up to 550 MB/s with 4K aligned operations reaching 85,000 IOPS. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the Patriot Pyro SE SSD, 240GB model PPSE240GS25SSDR, against the leading competitors to find out just how much speed and performance this new solid state drive really offers.
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Raidmax Seiran Mid-Tower Computer Case
In October, I wrote a review of the Raidmax Blade mid tower ultra budget case. Although it was a functional case and quite inexpensive, there were things left to desire, which is just the nature of ultra budget cases. Today at Benchmark Reviews, we have another offering in the Raidmax mid tower line-up, the Seiran. The Seiran is Raidmax's newest mid tower entry, and pricewise, clearly not a budget case. I'm interested in seeing what Raidmax's higher end mid tower case has to offer that budget mid tower's don't, and how it stacks up against other mid towers in its price range. So with that short intro, let's get started!
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SteelSeries Desmo Digital Eyewear
For those of us in the field of technology eyestrain is a constant threat to our ability to work. Whether it is headaches, dry eyes, or just general discomfort, eyestrain is the bane of tech people everywhere. Further exacerbating the problem, the same people who work on computers all day may enjoy relaxing by playing games on computers also. Here to help combat eyestrain is SteelSeries with its DESMO line of digital eyewear co-created with Gunnar to help reduce eye fatigue. During the length of this article, Benchmark Reviews will evaluate the SteelSeries DESMO and their effect on eyestrain and fatigue.
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Roccat Kova[+] Optical USB Gaming Mouse
Roccat is a European manufacturer of gaming products that's becoming increasingly popular in North America. Their sporty design and bright lighting makes it an ideal eye-candy for gaming setups. The Kova[+] is one of two gaming mice that Roccat has revamped lately, giving it increased functionality. Benchmark Reviews will be using the Roccat Kova[+] gaming mouse in games and everyday applications to see how well this fancy device handles the real test.
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EVGA GeForce GTX560Ti FTW 448-Core
This holiday season is gearing up to be a big one for computer gamers. A lot of big titles have been or will soon be released. Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Modern Warfare 3, and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are a few. Diablo 3 is expected early in 2012 as well. While this is great news for gamers, we don't have any expected releases of new GPU platforms. That's not terribly disheartening, as the current top-of-the-line GPUs will play even the most demanding of these titles. The problem is, those top end GPUs also cost an arm and a leg. NVIDIA is setting out to combat this problem for the holiday season 2011 by releasing a new and improved version of the GTX 560 Ti, the GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores. In this article, Benchmark Reviews is bringing you details on the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores FTW video card.
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Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid ST750LX003
Mechanical hard disk technology has been the traditional standard for decades, refined to the point where it can deliver massive storage capacity beyond 3TB. Recently introduced solid-state drive storage solutions have begun pecking away at the market share thanks to their tremendous speeds and operational performance. Each offers an advantage over the other, leading manufacturers to seek out a hybrid solution that delivers quick access and large data capacity. The original 500GB Seagate's Momentus XT hybrid had the right ingredients, just not enough polish. More than a year later, the Seagate Momentus XT 750GB solid state hybrid drive (SSHD) returns with a double-size 8GB SLC NAND flash SSD buffer fused onto a larger 7200-RPM hard drive. Seagate FAST Factor firmware and Adaptive Memory Technology negate the need for third-party software, and makes this an all-in-one hybrid SSD solution. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the Seagate Momentus XT (750GB model ST750LX003) in single and RAID-0 configurations against its predecessor, and several of the fastest notebook storage devices available.
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IOCELL NetDISK 351UNE Network Storage Device
The first thing that IOCELL wants you to know about the NetDISK 351UNE is that it is not a NAS. It is a network-direct-attached-storage (NDAS) device. It does not function as a server, and there are distinct benefits to that. For one: size, cost and complexity go way down. Two: it does not use TCP/IP to connect to your network, which eliminates all TCP/IP-based methods for hacking your data. Three: it's faster, since there's ess overhead to manage. Sometimes, less is more. Benchmark Reviews has tested several full-range NAS products in the last few months, now let's investigate what advantages a more tightly focused approach can provide.
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SilverStone SST-EC03 USB 3.0 PCI-E Card
Getting access to the gigabytes of data on your external storage devices is excruciatingly slow as it trickles thru the USB 2.0 port, or at least, that's how it feels these days. USB 2.0 just can't get the job done fast enough. USB 3.0 at least for now is the answer for our external access speed requirements. The EC03 card from SilverStone installs into a single lane PCI-E gen 2.0 slot and gives you two internal USB 3.0 ports. So how fast is it? Benchmark Reviews takes the EC03 thru the paces, let's take a look.
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X79 Express Motherboard Performance Comparison
As part of the Sandy Bridge Extreme CPU launch, Benchmark Reviews received several new X79 Express motherboards to test. Each motherboard's aimed at a different audience and has different features. In this article I'll compare the stock and overclocked performance of each motherboard to see if there are any significant differences.
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Antec Eleven Hundred Computer Case
Due to the popularity of Antec's Nine Hundred and Twelve Hundred gaming cases, Antec has released the anticipated Eleven Hundred. As an extended mid-tower case it fills a small void between mid and full sized gaming cases and has room to grow with the individual as well as the industry. It complements the expanding variety of gaming configurations by providing greater range of options for things like motherboard size and fan placement. In this article, Benchmark Reviews will give an intimate look at the features and performance of the Eleven Hundred and score it against the competition.
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ASUS P9X79 Pro Motherboard
Designed to support second-generation Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processors for the LGA2011 socket, Intel's Sandy Bridge Extreme X79 Express motherboards raise the standard for performance computers. ASUSTek, the largest of Intel's partners, is using this occasion to debut some impressive technology of their own: the ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard. Nearly identical to the premium P9X79 Deluxe motherboard, the Pro model also offers standard features such as SuperSpeed USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, Bluetooth, and PCI-Express 3.0 compatibility. Complete with quad-channel DDR3 2200MHz system memory support, ASUS enables SSD caching and RAM-disk opportunities for high-demand tasks. A fresh new UEFI BIOS allows risk-free USB flashback, while digital power regulators now control every voltage on the system. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the ASUS P9X79 Pro motherboard with Intel's Core i7-3960X CPU and compare differences to the ASUS P9X79 Deluxe.
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EVGA GeForce GTX 580 Classified: Overclocked
The EVGA GTX 580 Classified is one of the most powerful single card solutions on the market. With a 14+3 VRM design, a new cooler and the Classified logo many users want to know How far can the EVGA GTX 580 Classified go? Benchmark Reviews is here to answer this question armed with the Beta EVTUNE software to allow us to really push the voltage and is yearning to see how far this card can go. So please join us as Benchmark Reviews overclocks and benchmarks the EVGA GTX 580 Classified.
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ASUS Sabertooth X79 TUF Motherboard
TUF: The Ultimate Force. ASUS' most stable and reliable motherboard is backed by the industry's best five-year warranty. To attain this honor, the ASUS Sabertooth X79 motherboard endures extreme critical environmental testing that covers low to high chamber room temperatures up to 55°C at 90% humidity. TUF Thermal Armor combined with US mil-spec electronic components ensures this motherboard will remain mission-ready regardless of how extreme an overclocking experiment gets. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the ASUS Sabertooth X79 TUF motherboard with Intel's Core i7 3960X Extreme Edition CPU (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=826 Itemid=63).
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ASUS P9X79 Deluxe Motherboard
Designed to support second-generation Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processors for the LGA2011 socket, Intel's Sandy Bridge Extreme X79 Express motherboards raise the standard for performance computers. ASUSTek, the largest of Intel's partners, is using this occasion to debut some impressive technology of their own: the ASUS P9X79 Deluxe motherboard. Standard are features such as SuperSpeed USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, Bluetooth 3.0, and PCI-Express 3.0 compatibility. Complete with quad-channel DDR3 2200MHz system memory support, ASUS enables SSD caching and RAM-disk opportunities for high-demand tasks. A fresh new UEFI BIOS allows risk-free USB flashback, while digital power regulators now control every voltage on the system. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the ASUS P9X79 Deluxe motherboard with Intel's Core i7-3960X CPU.
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Intel DX79SI LGA2011 Desktop Motherboard
It's that time again: a new Intel processor line, along with the requisite new chipset and new motherboards. Intel's Sandy Bridge Extreme line of processors requires the massive new LGA2011 socket, which in turn is supported by the new X79 chipset. Intel provided a prototype of their top-end DX79SI motherboard with a Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge E processor for us to test, and Benchmark Reviews will put it through its paces in this review.
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Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition CPU
Intel's Extreme Edition CPUs have always represented the company's top consumer offerings. Typically priced in the $1,000 range, they have unlocked multipliers, lots of cache, and lots of cores. But until now, Intel's top Extreme Edition offering, the Core i7-990X CPU, was based on the older Gulftown architecture, and the performance gap between this CPU and the newer Sandy Bridge architecture Core i7-2600K and 2700K is pretty damn narrow, especially considering that the latter costs less than a third the price of the former. But now Intel's made a Sandy Bridge Extreme Edition, with six physical cores and a staggering 15 megabytes of cache. Benchmark Reviews takes the new Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition CPU around the benchmark course, testing it against the best CPUs Intel and AMD have to offer.
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HIS Radeon HD 6870 IceQ Video Card
The holiday season is fast approaching and there is still no official word on the next generation 28nm GPU's other than TSMC starting volume production. What does that mean? Well, it looks like we will be waiting until next year before any more new video cards from either camp are released. This stop gap between generations gives AIB partners a chance to tweak and perfect their designs and introduce some different models to keep the market active. Today Benchmark Reviews will be looking at the HIS Radeon HD6870 IceQ 1GB, a modern video card with a classic HIS design. As aftermarket designs go, this looks like a real beast of a card but there is no factory overclock on this model. The cooler is a mixture of the HIS IceQ X fin array and a shroud that looks similar to a reference card shroud with a twist. HIS have dubbed the radial fan a 'Black Hole Impeller' because it is able to draw in air from both sides as it is raised slightly from the PCB. The main question is what difference will this make to operating temperatures and overclocking potential; and that is exactly what we intend to find out.
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RAGE the PC Game by id Software
At Benchmark reviews, we thought it might be interesting to offer a light hearted article on the new PC version FPS/RPG hybrid game RAGE, from id software, the creators of DOOM. I've played a lot of PC games since I started using computers. I'm not saying I'm a gamer, because I'm not. But, I have a good feel for how games have matured since DOOM, which was my first PC game. I've been luke warm with the entire genre of FPSs, MMOGs, and RTSs for a long time, with few exceptions. RAGE is one of those exceptions. Aside from video driver troubles early on, RAGE has a lot to offer and seems like a game inside of a game, inside of a game. This isn't a review, but more of a personal musing on the game itself. So, take off your armor and come on in for some fun.
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SteelSeries Sensei Pro Laser Gaming Mouse
Danish company SteelSeries has designed products to compete against the likes of Razer, Logitech, and Microsoft in the competitive gaming peripherals market. Their newest product the Sensei aims to decimate the competition with its 32-bit ARM processor, 5700 DPI sensor, on-board memory, and advanced software that allows users to control almost every function imaginable. Benchmark Reviews will evaluate if the Sensei is the master by which every mouse should be compared, or if it is the student still learning from those that came before it.
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VisionTek Radeon HD 6850 Video Card
Most of us love to look at the latest reviews of the most hardcore PC components and keep apprised of what's going on up in the clouds, but when it comes down to it, we are going to end up buying something that is a little more affordable. So while reviews of those items are certainly interesting to read, it's nice to see something a little more mid-ranged. I'm talking about something that will play the latest video games, even though I might have to turn down some of the settings. In this article, Benchmark Reviews is taking a look at the VisionTek 900339 Radeon HD 6850 graphics card. The newest series of GPUs has been out for a while now, and we've seen the performance charts. We don't expect any surprises from the VisionTek 900339, but that's not going to stop us from putting it through its paces and overclocking it. We want to see where the VisionTek Radeon HD 6850 differs from other cards, especially since it sits near the top end of the price range for Radeon HD 6850s.
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Corsair Carbide 500R Computer Case
If you're looking for more than a normal mid-sized ATX case can offer, or if you are having a hard time finding all the features you want without breaking the bank, then you'll definitely be interested in the Corsair Carbide 500R. Benchmark Reviews recently showed you the 400R and its excellent capabilities. A step above that is the 500R. We looked at model CC9011012-WW which has an arsenal of features. Four stock fans for massive cooling, tool-less installation, modular/configurable drive bays, eight expansion slots. It's got everything you need, and nothing you don't. This is a great case for the expanding system; for users who want to step out of something small and start getting big on their performance.
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QNAP TS-419P II NAS Network Storage Server
The official category for the QNAP TS-419P II Turbo NAS is Network Attached Storage , but in today's environment, think of it as Connected Storage . By consolidating and providing direct access to your data via cloud services or on your mobile device, it's more about connectedness than the ability to serve up files over 1000BASE-T in your home or workspace. The TS-419P II is the next logical step up from a two-bay device and allows you to implement RAID 5 or 6; a four-bay device is really the bare minimum for a high availability NAS appliance. It's equipped with a faster Marvell CPU running at 2.0 GHz, a 25% increase in clock speed from previous models. Benchmark Reviews has tested several NAS units recently, let's take at look at how this latest unit compares.
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Seagate Barracuda 3TB Hard Drive ST3000DM001
Back on March 2011, Seagate debuted their original Barracuda XT 3TB hard drive, model ST33000651AS, which used five platters to supply 3000 gigabytes of capacity over a SATA 6Gb/s interface. Seven short months later, they've returned to introduce a replacement: the Seagate Barracuda 3TB hard drive ST3000DM001, which features the same 6 GB/s interface and 64MB cache buffer but now utilizes only three 1GB density platters. Seagate has also introduced a number of refined technologies to help improve overall hard drive performance, including: dual core 40nm processor technology, DDR2 DRAM buffer, and refined caching algorithms. By reducing disc platters from five to three, it prolongs servo motor life and reduces heat output. Benchmark Reviews compared these two hard drives, to see exactly what's been gained.
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Roccat ISKU Illuminated Gaming Keyboard
Roccat has shown us here at Benchmark Reviews that it has what it takes to compete successfully in the gaming mouse market. What we are going to find out today is whether they can follow that success with the Roccat ISKU Illuminated Gaming Keyboard. Like the KONE[+] gaming mouse, the ISKU gaming keyboard has EasyShift[+] and when these two devices are paired together they can communicate with each other using the Roccat Talk protocol. There are three EasyShift[+] zones featuring 28 easy-to-reach macro keys, 5 doubly-programmable dedicated M-keys and 3 doubly-programmable Thumbster T-Keys. It is possible to assign different pre-defined functions to the eight media keys and you can also re-assign the F-keys to be used as shortcut or application launch keys. The illuminated keys have five levels of brightness and will auto dim when the keyboard has been idle for a predefined amount of time. If this hasn't got you interested then I don't know what will, please read on to find out more.
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Roccat KONE[+] Gaming Mouse
In a market segment rife with choice, any manufacturer which wants to stand out must innovate their way past the rest of the crowd or use clever marketing techniques to dupe their target market. Fortunately for us here at Benchmark Reviews, Roccat chose to innovate when they created their KONE[+] Gaming Mouse. I honestly believed that there wasn't much more that could be done in the field of pointing and clicking mouse technology but I was wrong. Roccat has introduced three great features unique to the KONE[+] mouse and also equipped it with a 6000dpi Pro Aim laser for some extremely responsive pointing ability. Intrigued? Please read on to find out more.
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OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid PCI-E SSD RVDHY-FH-1T
That moment when solid state drive technology can offer the high capacity of large hard disk counterparts is nearly here. OCZ Technology, a pioneer in the SSD market, combines their experience with both SATA and PCI-Express SSDs to offer the OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid SSD. Based on OCZ Virtualized Controller Architecture technology, RevoDrive Hybrid uses Dataplex caching software to pair a 100GB SandForce SF-2281 SSD to a 1TB 7200RPM hard drive. The results are surprising: a bootable PCI-Express device with the speed of a solid state drive and the storage capacity of a hard disk drive. Join Benchmark Reviews as we test the OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid PCI-E SSD RVDHY-FH-1T.
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MSI 990FXA-GD80 AM3+ Motherboard
AMD's 900 series chipsets preceded the introduction of their Bulldozer processors by several months. While this chipset offers no additional functionality to non-Bulldozer CPUs, manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon anyway, perhaps because Bulldozer was expected a little sooner than it was actually released, and MSI was one of the first. Benchmark Reviews takes a look at how MSI's 990FX-GD80 motherboard works, and we even use a Bulldozer CPU.
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Thermaltake Overseer RX-I Computer Case
In a recent article here at Benchmark Reviews we took a look at a value-for-money offering from Thermaltake; the Spacecraft VF-I. Today we have its bigger brother; the Thermaltake Overseer RX-I, it demands a higher premium but at the same time packs in more goodies and features. In my previous article I asked what you want from a case and how much are you willing to spend, well today we have a case for those willing to splash a bit more cash in return for some great features. The Overseer has front panel USB 3.0, e-Sata, and a 2.5 /3.5 HDD/SSD dock all conveniently located whether your case is on the floor or on your desk. Inside the case you have room for tall CPU coolers (up to 177mm) and long video cards (up to 344mm), cable routing is catered for and HDD installation will look neat too. When you have all of your gear installed there will still be room to spare, Thermaltake has once again made provisions for a 120.2 (240mm) watercooling radiator and you won't be short of space to mount a pump and reservoir either.
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Configure Android Phone as Wi-Fi Internet Hotspot
Second only to sending text messages over a data plan, using the Android phone to share Internet connection with nearby devices and computers is one of the most desired functions. Fortunately, Google Android SmartPhones already have this feature built into the OS. In this article Benchmark Reviews walks you through a similar process to create a portable Wi-Fi Internet hotspot.
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Android USB Tethering Shared Internet Access
Believe it or not, Google engineers were thoughtful enough to include an easy way to tether your Android-based SmartPhone to a computer and share the Internet through your data plan. Most folks think you need a special app for that, but this free feature already resides on your Andoid phone. In this tutorial guide, Benchmark Reviews walks you through a few simple steps to use an Android SmartPhone to tether with a computer for shared Internet access using the USB cable.
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CM Storm Xornet Optical Gaming Mouse
When it comes to PC gaming, precision control begins with the mouse. You can have the best computer and display, but without a durable pointing device to transmit your intentions, the entire system becomes point-less. Cooler Master has a plan: pack only the most essential performance features into a solid gaming mouse, and sell it for less than any other. Behold, the CM Storm Xornet 2000 DPI Gaming Mouse, model SGM-2001-BLON1. In this article Benchmark Reviews compares the value-priced CM Storm Xornet to the more expensive Logitech G9x and previous CM Storm gaming peripherals.
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