IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 6/5/2013

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 6/5/2013

TweakTown

BitFenix enter the audio game with their new Flo headsets
Computex Taipei 2013 - BitFenix have just entered the audio headset market with their new Flo headsets, which come in five different colors. BitFenix state that they are made from precision-tuned acoustic chambers, feature 40mm Neodymium drivers for excellent sound, and more.

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There's a self-adjusting headband, detachable microphone, in-line volume and mute controls, and BitFenix's famous SofTouch Surface Treatment. We donned the headset for some Lady Gaga tunes, and I must say, I was impressed. They didn't sound washed out with too much bass like most 'gaming' branded headsets, nor did they feel too cheap for a company who is completely new to audio products.

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Corsair launches new Vengeance Pro Series of DDR3 RAM at Computex Taipei 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - If you've caught the theme, there are a lot of new products debuting at Computex. Corsair isn't being left out and has introduced a new line of Vengeance Pro DDR3 RAM for extreme overclockers and pro users around the world.

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The new RAM ranges in speed and capacity from 1600MHz to 2933MHz and from 8GB (2x4GB) to 64GB (8x8GB). The Vengeance Pro RAM supports Intel's XMP 1.3 and comes in a range of colors, seen above and below.

According to Corsair, the RAM ICs are "specifically selected for speed and overclocking headroom." They come with a limited lifetime warranty. Pricing and availability have not been divulged as of yet.

RumorTT: Is this a leaked picture of iOS 7's flat redesign?
A picture reportedly portraying the home screen of an early build of iOS 7 has been posted online by iDownloadBlog. The picture reportedly shows off the rumored "flat" redesign that is said to be happening under the watch of Jony Ive. The photo is rather low quality, but could end up being legitimate.

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9to5mac tweeted a similar picture, but adds that many things have changed since it was taken. The image is most likely of an early alpha build of iOS 7. We don't have to wait too much longer to see if this is the real deal as it is widely expected that Apple will unveil iOS 7 at WWDC next week.
Other hints of changes to come can possibly be seen in the recently released WWDC app. It features a much "flatter" design than previous versions, but it could mimic what we will see with iOS 7.

BitFenix goes Prodigy 2.0 with the new Prodigy M which supports microATX motherboards
Computex Taipei 2013 - We are big fans of BitFenix's Prodigy here at TweakTown and we went to their offices a couple of days ago to go over some new products, one of which was the next-generation Prodigy M.

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The Prodigy M, from the outside at least, has remained unchanged from its predecessor, but inside, things are a little different. First and foremost, the Prodigy M supports microATX motherboards, and has moved the power supply location from the back of the chassis, to the front - an odd, but great placing of the PSU. There are some new storage mounts, of which we have some pictures, and you can expect more in the coming days from BitFenix and their unveiling of products at Computex 2013.

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Corsair debuts two new cases at Computex Taipei 2013, say hello to the Carbide Air 540 and Carbide 330R
Computex Taipei 2013 - Corsair has debuted two new and exciting cases at this year's Computex. Both cases are mid-towers, which makes them perfect for most users' needs. The Carbide Series Air 540 is "optimized for cooling" and the Carbide Series 330R is said to be "designed for quiet operation."

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The Carbide 330R, seen above, is a slick looking case. It's designed for low-noise operation and features noise-dampening side panels and front door, which helps to keep the noise inside the PC. It features support for Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, and e-ATX motherbaords. Tool-free 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch bays make working with the system extremely easy.

The Carbide Air 540, seen above, is a massive beast designed to keep your system running as cool as possible. It features the same motherboard support as the Carbide 330R, but comes with support for six 120mm fans or a 240/280mm radiator up top and a 360.280.240mm radiator up front. The two 5.25-inch bays, hot-swap 3.5-inch bays, and four 2.5-inch bays are all tool-free.
Both cases are available at major online retailers. The Air 540 will set you back $139.99 and the Carbide 330R is just $89.99.

RumorTT: Apple to debut refreshed MacBook models at WWDC next week
Another day, another Apple rumor. According to 9to5mac, Apple will likely unveil refreshed MacBooks during this year's WWDC Keynote address on June 10. Leaked codes seem to indicate that a refresh is likely. Also adding fuel to the fire, inventory for current MacBooks is reportedly constrained.

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MD711LL/A - Better - USA
MD712LL/A - Best - USA
MD760LL/A - Better - USA
MD761LL/A - Best - USA

These numbers would correspond with refreshed models with two different screen sizes. The "better" and "best" would correspond to different configurations within the screen size. It's somewhat likely that Apple will debut refreshed MacBooks at WWDC, however, this is just a rumor for now. But I would place this rumor towards the "likely" end of the spectrum.

Hulu Plus for Android gets higher quality playback on some devices
Hulu, currently amid buyout rumors and offers, has updated their Android app to provide higher quality playback for Plus users on some devices. The new high-quality playback is available on Samsung's Galaxy S4, HTC's One, and HTC's Droid DNA.

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According to Hulu's release notes, "You'll feel like you have bionic retina implants minus the deductible and waiting for its invention."
The higher quality playback is available for those devices that feature a 1080p display, hence the short list above. Another minor change included in this version is your standard bug fixes, specifically playback issues for certain LG phones and other devices. The updated app is available from the Google Play Store.

GIGABYTE reveals a slew of new gaming notebooks, Ultrabooks and more
Computex Taipei 2013 - GIGABYTE have come out swinging lately, with some great new motherboards and a beautiful new-look BIOS, and now we have a bunch of Ultrabook's and laptops to talk about. First up, we have the GIGABYTE Ultrablade gaming laptops, of which there are two models, the P35K and P34G.

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The GIGABYTE Ultrablade P35K is a 15.6-inch gaming laptop that features Intel's fourth-generation Core i7 "Haswell" processor and is "designed for true mobility". The P35K is just 21mm thin and weighs around 2.2kg and features NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 765M for some true on-the-go gaming. Storage hasn't been left out, with the P35K featuring no less than 3TB of storage space thanks to its 'quad-storage' system. There's also a swappable DVD-ROM/HDD slot on the P35K, complimenting its 1920x1080 (Full HD) IPS-based display.

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The little brother to the P35K is the Ultrablade P34G, which is a 14-inch laptop with a GTX 760M. The P34G weighs around 1.7kg and is 21mm thin, featuring a 256GB mSATA SSD and a 1TB HDD for storage. The P34G also features a 1080p display, which is great to see.

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Next up we have GIGABYTE's gaming notebooks, where we have two models once more; the P25W and P27K. Starting with the P25W, which is a "reloaded version" of its predecessor, the P2542G. The P25W features a chrome yellow with silver trim chassis, which is sure to turn heads. It features discrete graphics which arrives in the form of the GTX 770M with 3GB of GDDR5 memory, and has a backlit keyboard. Storage wise, we have the ability to install two 256GB mSATA SSD's and a 1TB HDD. It also comes with a Blu-ray RW, and a 4.1-speaker audio system.

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The bigger brother of this range, the P27K, delivers higher graphics performance thanks to its GTX 765M GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 memory and a backlit keyboard. It does do something special, though, giving you the ability to upgrade the memory to an insane 24GB. It too has the space to handle a 256GB mSATA SSD, and a 2TB drive. The P27K includes Sound Blaster sound quality optimization technology, and comes in two colors - automotive orange or moonless black. Both the P25W and P27K have Full HD 1080p displays and a bunch of connectivity options.

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Moving on, we have the GIGABYTE Invincible U35F which features the fourth-generation Core "Haswell" processor and in pursuit of the ultimate excellence and perfection, the GIGABYTE R&D team designed the Invincible U35F with a dedicated GT 750M GPU with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and the awesome quad-storage system that supports up to two 512GB mSATA SSD's and two 1TB HDD's. We have the swappable DVD-ROM/HDD slot on the 1080p Full HD display and Sound Blaster sound quality optimization technology.

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The U24F is designed with an 'elegant shuttle streamlined design' that crams everything into a device weighing just 1.69kg and has a sleek form factor tapered body from 18.5-21mm. It features a GeForce GT 750M discrete GPU, is capable of taking a 256GB mSATA SSD and 1TB of storage into its super-slim body>

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GIGABYTE's U24T stands out from the crowd by featuring a multi-touchscreen, as well as a GT 750M GPU. We have a 256GB mSATA SSD and 1TB drive for storage all in a 20.5mm thick and lightweight body.

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The next product from GIGABYTE is interesting, and is a "convertible laptop", which is the U21M. GIGABYTE's U21M is 20mm thin and weighs just 1.49kg, as well as featuring a 180-degree swivel 11.6-inch touchscreen. We also have a 256GB mSATA SSD and a 1TB drive for storage.
Next up we have the S1185, which is an 11.6-inch device GIGABYTE are calling the Padbook. The Padbook is a detachable tablet running Windows 8 and features a Full HD IPS-based display. There's a kickstand on offer which makes the Padbook great for hands-off use, like watching movies or reading. It features fixed standard VGA & HDMI ports, a magnetically attached keyboard kit, and multi-directional mouse pointer joystick and mouse buttons.

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Then we have the S10A, which is powered by AMD's latest Temash A4-1200 processor, which also features Windows 8, USB 3.0 and 14 hours of productivity. The GIGABYTE S10A also includes Office Home 2013 which is perfect for people who need business on-the-go. The S10A has great versatility, and can double as a light notebook with the keyboard kit, or even as an entertainment center with the D1080 multimedia docking station.
The final two products GIGABYTE have unveiled are the Q2546N and the Q2556N, which feature angular diamond lines in quality matte black textured finish, which gives them a beautiful look. The Q series from GIGABYTE is an "affordable device" which is designed to "satisfy all needs for work and play". They feature NVIDIA's GT 740M and the dual-storage system, backed up by Sound Blaster Cinema sound quality optimization technology.
The Q2556N sports a swappable ODD/HDD slot and packs Intel's fourth-generation Core "Haswell" processor while the Q2546N features Intel's third-generation Core processor.

BitFenix debuts new Ronin mid-tower case at Computex Taipei 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - BitFenix, the makers of the hugely popular Prodigy case, have debuted a new mid-tower case at Computex. Known as Ronin, this mid-tower is constructed from steel and plastic and features the normal motherboard support you would expect from a mid-tower.

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It features three 5.25-inch bays, eight 3.5-inch bays (one being external), and one 2.5-inch bay by using an adapter. It supports up to six 120mm fans distributed throughout the case. If watercooling is your thing, the Ronin supports 240mm radiators. The front panel features two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and HD audio.
Pricing and availability have yet to be made public by the company.

GIGABYTE adds new LGA1150 motherboard to Sniper line of gaming motherboards
Computex Taipei 2013 - GIGABYTE has added a new LGA 1150-based motherboard to its gaming line of motherboards. The G1.Sniper 5 is designed for gamers making use of Intel's latest Core CPUs. Sniper series motherboards come with features that gamers care about.

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The new G1.Sniper 5 comes with the Killer E2200 Series gaming networking platform, providing the best possible network connection for gamers who need that extra few milliseconds. The G1.Sniper 5 also comes with a front headphone jack amplifier for gamers using a headset plugged into the front audio jack.
The G1.Sniper 5 features four PCIe-x16 expansion slots, spaced every other expansion slot. The remaining expansion slots are all PCIe-x1, perfect for that sound card or other expansion device. The G1.Sniper can easily support four-way SLI and Crossfire thanks to the layout of its expansion ports.
Pricing and availability for the motherboard are not currently available, but we should learn more in the coming days and weeks.

Zynga laying off 520 employees, or 18%, in order to save costs
Zynga is laying off 18 percent of its workforce--some 520 employees--in an effort to save money. As part of this layoff, Zynga will be refocusing on mobile. The move is estimated to save Zynga around $80 million in staff costs. Offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas will be closed as well.

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These additional infrastructure savings will boost that $80 million in savings figure, likely by quite a bit. Offices in San Francisco, Beijing, Bangalore, and various other small office locations will remain open and staffed. Zynga has confirmed that all of the staff affected by this will be laid off by August.
Zynga has struggled to adapt to the massive changes to its core revenue source. Started as a web game company, the onslaught of smartphones and mobile gaming has damaged their bottom line.

GIGABYTE's new Z87X-OC LGA 1150 motherboard designed with overclocking in mind
Computex Taipei 2013 - GIGABYTE has debuted a new Z87-based motherboard for Intel's new Haswell line of processors. The Z87X-OC, as its known, is GIGABYTE's offering to the overclocking community. The board has been designed for overclockers, by overclockers.

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As you can see above, the board carries an orange and black theme, deviating from GIGABYTE's older blue theme. Next to the four RAM DIMM slots is the OC Touch, an exclusive GIGABYTE feature. OC Touch offers up buttons to make overclocking easy and "enjoyable."
The Z87X-OC features four PCIe-x16 expansion slots and supports up to four-way Crossfire and SLI. The arrangement of the PCIe expansion slots makes it easy to install four high-powered GPUs as they are spaced every other expansion slot, leaving room for dual-slot coolers.
It features six USB 3.0/2.0 ports and two exclusively USB 2.0 ports. Gigabit Ethernet is provided through an Intel networking chip. The board also features 8 channel audio thanks to an ALC892 audio controller. Pricing and availability is not currently known.

Gmail for Android available, features slide-out navigation and new inbox
AndroidPolice have gotten their hands on the latest Gmail APK that will be rolling out to all Android users over the coming weeks. The APK, version 4.5-694836, features the new slide-out navigation and redesigned inbox. Take a look for yourself:

This update comes as part of Google's recently unveiled Gmail overhaul that introduced new tabs to help you become an e-mail power user. E-mail will automatically be sorted into various categories, including 'Social', 'Promotions', and 'Updates'. You can grab the APK from Source #1 below, or try Google Play. Don't be surprised if you don't have it quite yet--Google is slowly rolling it out over the next few weeks to all users.

EVGA debuts new Z87 Classified LGA 1150 motherboard at Computex Taipei 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - EVGA has debuted their Z87 Classified motherboard at Computex. The Z87 Classified is the perfect foundation for your new Haswell-based desktop. Graphics could be provided by EVGA's recently unveiled GTX 780 Classified GPU.

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The Z87 Classified motherboard utilizes Intel's Z87 chipset for the recently released Haswell line of processors. It features support for up to 4-way Crossfire or SLI, thanks to having five PCIe-x16 expansion slots. The layout of the expansion slots allows for four dual-slot graphics cards, meaning you could theoretically slot in four GTX 780 Classifieds.
The board, as seen above, is mainly black with a few red accents. EVGA has even go so far as to redesign the memory trace layout and PCI-E layout. According to EVGA, the board has been "engineered for overclocking." Pricing and availability are currently unknown.

EVGA debuts new ITX BOX at Computex Taipei 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - EVGA has debuted a new computer system at Computex. The ITX BOX, as it's called, is a small-form-factor system designed to be powerful and portable. This system features an integrated PSU capable of powering the latest GTX 780 and GTX Titan GPUs.

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It also features an integrated slot load drive to load up your new games and movies. Support for dual hard drives allows users to install multiple SSDs or HDDs in RAID, or an SSD and HDD for speed and mass storage. Details are slim, so price and availability are currently unknown. Look for more on this and a possible review once it launches.

ASUS debuts new Z87-A LGA 1150 motherboard at Computex Taipei 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - ASUS has debuted their new Z87 motherboard. Dubbed the Z87-A, the new motherboard is compatible with Intel's recently released fourth-generation line of Core processors. These new Haswell-powered processors bring many improvements to the table and so does ASUS' new board.

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As you can see above, the new Z87-A motherboard features a black and gold color scheme. The main features of the board include support for LGA 1150-based processors, which are the Haswell-powered processors debuted by Intel this year at Computex. It features 4 DIMM slots and a maximum of 32GB of memory running at speeds of 2933.
The motherboard comes with six SATA 3 6Gbps ports, providing plenty of SATA ports for your hard drives and solid state drives. Three PCIe-x16 expansion slots allow you to due tri-SLI or quad-SLI with two dual-GPU cards. Crossfire is also supported, with quad-Crossfire requiring dual-GPU cards as well.

NZXT unveils 5th addition to Phantom gaming chassis lineup
Computex Taipei 2013 - NZXT has just unveiled the fifth iteration of its flagship Phantom series of PC cases. The Phantom 530 is a full-tower chassis with space for dual 200mm fans on top.

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Like the other cases in the Phantom line, the 530 features a front door covering the optical bays and power buttons. While the exterior is pretty much identical to other Phantoms in the series, the real differences begin to shine through when the side panels come off.

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The Phantom 520 features space for up to six 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch hard drives with an additional space for a single 2.5-inch SSD behind the motherboard tray. Room for a 360mm liquid cooling radiator is open up top with the 200mm fans, as well as space for a 240mm radiator down below.

Microsoft now offers per-minute billing on Windows Azure
Microsoft has debuted new per-minute billing for its Windows Azure cloud computing network. This new rate is just one of several billing-related changes implemented by Microsoft and detailed in a blog post earlier this morning. Other changes include not charging for stopped virtual machines.

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No charge for stopped VMs
Pay by the minute billing
MSDN use rights now supported on Windows Azure
Discounted MSDN dev/test rates
MSDN monetary credits
Added portal support for tracking MSDN monetary credit usage

Starting with the headlining change, Microsoft has introduced per-minute billing, a feature that Google already offers on its Google Compute Engine. Amazon Web Services charges by the hour, which is how Microsoft previously billed. This meant that a user would have to pay for the full hour, even if they used the system for just a few minutes.
Another change is Microsoft will no longer charge for stopped VMs, allowing developers to power off a VM over the weekend to save cash. Previously, developers would have been required to pay as Microsoft kept a reserved instance running, unless the deployment was explicitly deleted.

InWin unveils Tòu, a radically designed new ATX full-tower chassis
Computex Taipei 2013 - InWin has just unveiled a new radically designed full-tower PC chassis dubbed the TÃ²u that is skinned in transparent 3M Safety Glass. That's right, an aluminum-framed, glass-skinned full-tower!

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The TÃ²u features a full aluminum frame that is covered in 3mm thick safety glass that is skinned in a Specular film that leaves the surface mirror-like when powered down and clear as crystal when the machine is powered on.

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Other features include support for a 360mm liquid cooling radiator and four sets of 120mm fans for optimal cooling performance. There is room for three 3.5-inch hard drives and two 2.5-inch solid state drives as well as enough room to fit GPUs up to 380mm long.
[Editor's note: The entire TweakTown team agrees: "Shut up and take our money!"]

InWin shows off Serenity 900W PSU at Computex 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - InWin has just shown off its latest PSU, the Serenity 900W, at Computex 2013. The new 80+ Platinum certified PSU is Intel Haswell compatible and is said to deliver at least 92 percent efficiency at 50 percent load.

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The brushed metal Serenity 900W features a modular design and supports the latest ATX12V V2.4 & EPS12V V2.92 standards. A single 12-volt rail is present to provide maximum power to the CPU and GPU output lines.

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Equipped with high quality, long-life Japanese capacitors and a Super Ferrite Choke, hte PSU's DC-DC design ensure this PSU will have a long and stable life even for the extreme overclocker. The Serenity 900W also features a double ball bearing Super Silent 120mm fan with active fan speed control.

NZXT unveils yet another addition to its Hale82 V2 series of power supplies, this time in 700W form
Computex Taipei 2013 - NZXT has just unveiled another new addition to its Hale82 line of power supplies. The Hale82 V2 700W, features the same exterior and cooling fan as its smaller brother, the 550W V2 Hale82.

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NZXT's Hale82 V2 series is 80+ Bronze certified which operates at a high level of efficiency and is Intel Haswell compatible. This means the units are powerful and reliable enough for the most demanding gaming PC needs.

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Like its little brother, the Hale82 V2 700W incorporates 100 percent Japanese capacitors and dual eight-pin connectors designed for high-end motherboards with extreme overclocking in mind. The Hale82 V2 700W also features a single 12-volt rail to ensure your GPUs and CPU get all the power they need.

Dell debuts convertible XPS 11, looks and acts like Lenovo's Yoga
Computex Taipei 2013 - Dell has debuted a new XPS 11 notebook/tablet convertible that functions just like Lenovo's Yoga. The new notebook has debuted at this year's Computex in Taipei, which is currently taking place if you hadn't noticed from all of the news. The XPS 11 features an 11.6-inch screen that folds all the way around to turn into a tablet.

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When the screen goes beyond 180 degrees, the system disables the built-in keyboard. Simply flip it over and you have a functional tablet. Dell has said that the convertible won't be available until this holiday season, meaning you still have a few months to wait to get your hands on one.
Dell hasn't specified the exact processor, RAM, or other features as it is still early on. However, Dell has confirmed that this 11.6-inch device will be packing a 2,560x1,440 IPS display. We'll have more information closer to its launch.

VANTEC debuts NexStar Wi-Fi Hard Drive Dock at Computex 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - VANTEC has just unveiled the latest product in their NexStar line of hard drive docks. The NexStar Wi-Fi Hard Drive Dock is a complete and easy way to add Wi-Fi-based storage to your home network.

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The Wi-Fi Hard Drive Dock will fit both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch hard drives and is able to connect to your 802.11 B/G/N wireless home network. It will allow you to access it from any Wi-Fi connected device including iOS and Android devices. This is possible through the use of VANTEC's NexStar Wi-Fi App that is available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Unfortunately, the NexStar will only allow simultaneous connections of up to three devices.
Additionally, the NexStar Wi-Fi Hard Drive Dock contains a USB 3.0 port for those times when you need a higher data transfer rate than what is available over Wi-Fi. The dock is capable of transfer speeds of up to 150MB/s, supports WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption, and can handle hard drives up to 3TB in capacity.

Tt eSports DRACCO CAPTAIN Gaming headset spotted at Computex 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - Tt eSports is known for their professional gamer-inspired gear and one of their most prevalent designs is the DRACCO CAPTAIN gaming headset which is targeted at the casual-to-professional gaming demographic.

Featuring an exceptionally low bass response, the DRACCO CAPTAIN headset comes tuned for the highs, mids, and lows that the serious gamer requires to be effective on the battlefield. The headset's drivers feature high-output neodymium magnets that provide powerful sound effects with crystal-clear position definitions.

Additionally, the oversize microphone boom with a rigid body structure ensures that you will always have the proper microphone-to-mouth placement. The full-size ear cups ensures fatigue-free use over extended gaming sessions and the ultra-soft airbag covers block out excessive ambient noise.
The DRACCO CAPTAIN features a removable 3.5mm audio cable that can be locked into the headset to prevent in-game mishaps. This headset was co-designed and is endorsed by famous StarCraft II player AlekSey "White-Ra" Krupnyk. Tt eSports says that the DRACCO CAPTAIN headset retails at an MSRP of $89.99 at major online retailers.

Tt eSports shows off Combat White CRONOS gaming headset at Computex 2013
Computex Taipei 2013 - Tt eSports, a division of Thermaltake, is demoing their mid-level CRONOS gaming headset that is aimed at PC and mobile users.

The CRONOS is able to function as a PC gaming headset in addition to working with your mobile device via swappable audio cables. The headset features a LYCRA head-pad that reduces pressure on the users head to allow for a longer fatigue-free gaming session. Additionally, the CRONOS features a bendable and pivotable microphone as well as LED-lit Battle Dragon Logos.

Gold-plated 3.5mm connections and an in-line user-friendly control box is present on each of the audio cables. The CRONOS is responsive in the 20Hz to 20kHz audio range and feature 40mm neodymium magnets for the drivers. The CRONOS retails at an MSRP of $69.99 at all major online retailers.

PQI Air Card 4GB Wi-Fi SDHC Review

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PQI has recently released their Air Series, and we here at TweakTown have had the distinct pleasure of reviewing each of these products in various configurations. Today though we are finishing up the series with the PQI Air Card in its 4GB configuration.
On the surface the Air Card looks like a great product. It offers another option to consumers that like the thought of Wi-Fi and Secure Digital together in one device. However, the Air Card changes things up a bit, allowing you to choose and upgrade the amount and speed of storage you want. If we got down to the fine details, this would classify the Air Card as more of an SD to micro SD adapter, more than it is an actual memory card.
As I stated previously, we received the Air Card in its 4GB configuration which comes with a 4GB Class 4 microSD card. Specifications of the actual adapter allow for 4GB to 32GB cards to be installed, and being aimed at mobile users, the Air Card has downloadable apps on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Warranty is listed at one year.

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The packaging for the PQI Air Card details its capabilities to transform your camera into a Wi-Fi capable device. However, with these types of cards, they follow a very strict camera compatibility list, which includes only modern DSLR cameras.

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Removing the packaging contents we found ourselves with the adapter with 4GB card installed, along with the user manual.

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Above we see the adapter and included 4GB microSD memory card.

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The back of each card has the standard SD connections.

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Moving on we installed the Air Card mobile app onto our HP Touchpad, with the splash screen being rather attractive.

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Diving into the settings we find there is the ability to add security to the card, along with adding up to three hotspots for the card to connect to, each with their own password.

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Along the bottom of the app you will find different tabs that correspond to the type of media you want to view. Here we have landed on the image tab showing some of the preinstalled images on the card.

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The music tab allows for playback of any MP3 files you may have on the Air Card. We loaded a number of albums onto the card, but it would only load a single folder.

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In trying to figure out what was causing the Air Card to run so sluggish, I started poking around in the settings an found that it would only connect at 1Mbps, even after upgrading the firmware to 1.47.

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One thing that truly affects my position on cards such as these is the quality of the application, whether it be Android or iOS based. The Air Card app, as we see above, had many issues eventually force closing every time I would load it.

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In our DiskBench testing we found the PQI Air Card struggling to meet Class 4 specifications. RAW image write ended up giving us 3.8MB/s, while JPEG and AVCHD peaked at 3.35MB/s and 3.51MB/s, respectively.
I personally like the concept of the PQI Air Card. The adapter functionality adds another dimension for the end-user supporting up to 32GB of capacity. However, there are a pile of issues with the application, which tends to be a proverbial turn off, when it comes to the full user experience.
Performance of the card in the configuration we received was subpar and left me wanting more, with the card reaching just shy of 4MB/s. Wireless performance was equally disappointing, and even sitting my Touchpad right next to the card offered no resolve.
Availability of the PQI Air Card is almost non-existent in the United States, as I was only able to find it on eBay. Pricing of the Air Card in the 4GB configuration we tested is set at $45.99.

What do TweakTown awards and ratings mean? Click!

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TweakTown Blue Prodigy PC breaks PCMark Storage World Record at Computex 2013

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Awards and Winners

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TweakTown has gone out big at Computex Taipei 2013. After all, it is our 14th successive time at the event, so we thought it was high time to do something to 'wow' the crowds, and you, our fabulous readers here on the web.
Not only do we have our Best of Computex Taipei 2013 awards for the best products in certain categories at the show, we also teamed up with BitFenix and other tech companies to build the TweakTown Blue Prodigy PC. We are delighted to announce that it is the current PCMark Vantage world record holder in the storage suite test.
It was during the lead up to Computex that BitFenix announced the release of the blue version of its hugely successful Prodigy computer case, and one that we are fans of around here. That got us thinking - how could we get involved with BitFenix to build some sort of PC based around it? After giving it some thought, we decided to approach the folks at BitFenix to build a system that would break the Futuremark PCMark Vantage world record, right at the show, on the show floor, for everyone to see.
After a few email exchanges, BitFenix were in on the project. We then hit up Intel and ASRock to support us on the CPU and motherboard front - it had to be Haswell and Z87, mini-ITX of course for the Prodigy case. Next up the ever reliable Corsair joined the party and shipped over unreleased RAM, cooling, PSU and some awesome gaming gear (keyboard, mouse and gaming surface). The full specs list is below:

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CPU-Z validation is right here. How were we going to break the PCMark Vantage HDD world record, though? That above is an impressive collection of hardware on its own, but it wasn't going to get us to the top. Luckily Chris Ramseyer, our senior consumer storage editor, happened to just have in his lab 16 (yes, sixteen!) Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB SSD drives and a new Areca RAID controller perfect for the job. Total storage capacity is 3.8TB. Naturally, some overclocking and tweaking was also applied to the system to get us to the world record goal.

Enough of the talk, right? OK, so let's move onto the main course. We were able to set a new PCMark Vantage HDD world record with a score of 592754.

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If you want to get a closer look at the TweakTown Blue Prodigy PC, head on over to the BitFenix booth at Computex at the Nangang Exhibition Hall J0409a. The folks at BitFenix are friendly and will be more than happy to talk to you.
We would like to thank Intel, ASRock, Corsair, BitFenix, Mushkin and Futuremark for supporting us on this project. You guys rock! We hope you all enjoyed this article and the system we built - gotta love those amazing performance numbers!
Now... what do we do for Computex 2014 to top this? We'll get back to you on that.
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TweakTown's "Best of Computex 2013" Awards and Winners

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Awards and Winners

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TweakTown attended Computex 2013, the biggest tech trade show in Asia held annually in Taipei, Taiwan for the 13th time in a row this year. We thought it was high time we celebrated the popular trade show with our very own TweakTown "Best of Computex 2013" awards.
In an ideal world, we would have select dozens of award categories, but since this is our first time running this award, we had to limit the categories. Below you'll find the categories TweakTown editors judged for new products at Computex.

CPU

SSD

Memory Kit

Motherboard

Video Card

Case

Cooler

Laptop / Tablet

Gadget

Technology

We started accepting product submissions at the start of May and we are happy to announce we received many in that time since now. We are announcing several winners today, however, since some companies are more tightly lipped than others regarding releasing product information and data before launch, not every category winner will be announced today. Throughout this week of Computex, we will be updating this article with the winners once we are 100% certain that we have seen all new products we need to see, hence enabling us to properly judge a winner. If a category winner has not yet been decided, you'll see "TBA" (To Be Announced) listed for now.
Several TweakTown editors are involved in picking winners for the categories - each editor is handling the category they handle for their regular product reviews here at TweakTown, since each editor is best informed on each of the products belonging to those categories. Starting us off Shawn Baker, he took care of our GPU, GPU, Memory Kit, Motherboard and Video Card awards. Chris Ramseyer being our consumer storage expert selected the SSD winner. Chad Sebring as our chassis and cooling expert handled our Case and Cooler awards. Anthony Garreffa handled our Laptop / Tablet award as our Mobile Devices editor. As a group we collectively decided on the Gadget and Technology awards.
Without further ado, let's begin!

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - CPU

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Shawn Baker writes: We select the Core i7 4770K by Intel as the winner of the CPU category. The CPU category was one of the easiest categories to pick as Intel launched the 4th Generation Intel Core processor just before Computex 2013. With four cores and eight threads via Hyper Threading, the 3.4GHz CPU from Intel can be boosted as high as 3.9GHz via Turbo Boost Technology.
While carrying the new Intel HD 4600 graphics integrated into the CPU offering strong improvements over the current HD 4000 graphics seen on the Intel Core i7 3770K, most people opting for the higher-end CPU will no doubt be choosing a dedicated video card. With more performance, less power draw and more overclocking ability, the next generation Intel chip is no doubt going to be making its way into many high-end PC systems in the coming weeks and months.

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Notable Mentions: While AMD are indeed launching some more APUs during Computex 2013, it feels like the notable mention still has to go to Intel with the Core i5 4670K. Coming in just 100MHz slower than its big brother the Core i7 4770k and lacking Hyper Threading, the unlocked i5 4670K will offer excellent performance, at a more aggressive price point. While in those more CPU intensive tasks that can make full use of the eight threads, the i7 4770K will come out performing stronger, when it comes to tasks like gaming, we'll see both processors perform similar to each other.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - SSD

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Chris Ramseyer writes: The SanDisk Extreme II is the company's latest flagship SSD and the winner of our Best of Computex 2013 SSD award. Featuring the Marvell 88SS9187 controller and SanDisk's own 19nm ABL NAND Flash with nCache, the Extreme II brings an entirely new experience to power users. nCache technology reduces MLC latency to SLC levels. With each die shrink write latency increases and nCache is SanDisk's home grown solution for fighting back against this trend.
Available in three capacity sizes, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB, the Extreme II increases performance over the Extreme SSD and does it with both compressible and incompressible data. Priced well for a flagship SSD, the Extreme II is a superior next generation product that actually manages to increase performance at a time when others are falling back.

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Notable Mentions: First shown at CES in January, the OCZ Vector PCIe won't hit the market till 3Q, but it's easily one of the most exciting SSD products on display at Computex 2013. It's easy to lust after products you don't own, but Vector PCIe is like a super model with all of the specifications you could love.
One of the most interesting aspects of Vector PCIe is the new VCA 2.0 architecture. VCA 2.0 brings SMART and more importantly, TRIM to the (RAID) array on card. This is a feature lacking on competitors' products on the market, and a feature enthusiasts need to keep performance at near fresh out of box levels.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - MEMORY KIT

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Shawn Baker writes: We select Vengeance Pro CMY16GX3M4A2933C12R by Corsair as the winner of the Memory Kit category. Showing us that you don't have to sacrifice speed for quantity, the CMY16GX3M4A2933C12R kit carries a massive 2933MHz DDR out of the box across four modules at 4GB each giving us a total of 16 GB of memory.
Built with the new Haswell platform in mind, the kit comes with a 12-14-14-36 setup with 1.65v requirement. 2933MHz DDR in itself is a task, but to offer that across a 16GB kit and four modules is a great accomplishment from Corsair. This is not only the RAM we'll be using in our launch coverage of the new Intel Z87 and Haswell platform, but will be used in future motherboard reviews carrying that chipset.

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Notable Mentions: Of all the RAM kits that are due to hit in the coming weeks, we can't forget the latest TridentX kit from G.Skill. While carrying the same 2933MHz DDR clock and timings that are ever so slightly more aggressive with a 12-14-14-35 setup (which requires 1.65v) than the Corsair Vengeance Pro RAM, the F3-2933C12-8GTXDG kit carries with it a total of 8GB of memory across two modules.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - MOTHERBOARD

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Shawn Baker writes: We select the Z87 OC FORMULA/ac by ASRock as the winner of the Motherboard category. Last year at Computex we got a chance to have a look at Nick Shih's very first motherboard, the ASRock Z77 OC FORMULA and found ourselves extremely impressed with what was on offer. In typical ASRock fashion, they brought together performance and price to create a truly fantastic motherboard that became the center of our testbed for everything RAM related.
The Z87 OC FORMULA/ac brings with it even more than before with four PCIe x16 slots, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth V4.0, 12 Phase Power Design, Premium Alloy Choke, 8 Layer PCB, Nick Shih's OC Profiles, multiple thermal sensors and one of the more interesting features, Waterproofing by Conformal Coating, so even the most extreme overclockers don't have to worry about damaging their motherboard during the most intense extreme benching.

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Notable Mentions: Another motherboard that has got our attention that we find ourselves looking forward to testing is the new G1.Sniper 5 from GIGABYTE. The Killer line of boards from GIGABYTE have always impressed us, but with the latest AMP-UP Audio feature being offered, GIGABYTE have helped create a motherboard that we're extremely looking forward to testing, but there can only be one winner.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - VIDEO CARD

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Shawn Baker writes: We select the GeForce GTX 780 3GB Classified by EVGA as the winner of the Video Card category. Recently we got a chance to look at the EVGA GTX 780 3GB SuperClocked and found ourselves quite happy with what EVGA was offering, especially when it came to the new dual fan ACX Cooling solution, which did a wonderful job of keeping the GPU running at a very good temperature.
The custom designed "Classified" version beings with it a 14 + 3 Power Phases design, Dual BIOS support along with an upgrade to a dual 8-pin PCIe power connector setup. Together this all helps provide the ability to achieve higher clocks than just your standard reference designed version. Combined with the ACX Cooling solution, EVGA have one of the strongest valued single GPU solutions for anyone wanting some serious 3D gaming power.

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Notable Mentions: A video card that has grabbed our attention is the upcoming Atomic Radeon HD 7990 from Sapphire. With its own water cooling system and three 8-pin PCIe power connectors to run this beat, the upcoming model from Sapphire is sure to offer some serious gaming performance. No doubt one of the biggest impacts of the model, though, will be on your wallet. If you're on the hunt for a seriously powerful dual GPU video card, this is no doubt going to be one product you should keep an eye out for soon.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - CASE

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Chad Sebring writes: I would like to award Steiger Dynamics with the Best of Computex 2013 chassis segment. If you have yet to lay your eyes on the LEET chassis from them, I strongly suggest you do so. Steiger Dynamics in my mind has made one of the sexiest and feature rich chassis to come to market in quite some time. While the chassis is going to set you back with a starting price of $789, you will be hard pressed to find anything this sleek and sexy, while it still tends to every need of a system builder.
In this chassis, the LEET only uses aluminum components, and the front and sides are made from one piece of extruded aluminum to help leave the chassis with great structural integrity. You have the choice to grab one of these in black or in a natural silver, both are brushed in their finish, and both offer a FingerVU 700M touch-display that measures 88mm by 480mm centered in the front. The LEET can also house anything up to an E-ATX motherboard; it fits 11-inch video cards, allows for plenty of drive bays, has a removable motherboard tray, and even accommodates water cooling inside of the unit. There is also a full list of optional equipment to go along with the LEET chassis.
Considering the overall design is based more for the HTPC market, I see this as more of an elegant and sophisticated CM HAF XB, it also offers a top panel window, and we all know an HTPC doesn't need this nor would it likely ever be seen. For those that want to spruce up the build Steiger Dynamics offers choice of a gold or silver logo, the window is optional, LED lighting, PSUs, cabling, ton of cooling options including loop components that are made specifically to fit in this chassis, optional front I/O panel, parts, and a remote control. In my opinion Steiger Dynamics and their LEET chassis is unstoppable, and will likely flood the web soon with plenty of mods.

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Notable Mentions: As for the runners up, Corsair came out with an interesting concept in the AIR540 chassis. While offering the typical square chassis, both the outside and inside are not what you would typically see. I like that they separate the motherboard tray and allow users to stock storage and optical drives behind it. While the chassis may be much wider than normal, you will find a much cleaner looking build from the front, while behind the scenes this full-ATX chassis will house a full system and allow users to hide everything in the back. Both the inside and the outside of the chassis are what I would consider outside the normal realm of cases, and is why Corsair gets an honorable mention.
The other case that I would like to give an honorable mention to is InWin and their D-Frame. I know we all saw this at CES, but I am sure it will be all over Computex with all of the various companies builds being showcased in them. The reason I believe that InWin has what it takes, is once they got over making the somewhat "childish" cases I always hammer them for in the past, when they think outside the box, boy do they go way out of the box. With a motorcycle inspired, tubular, open air chassis that looks so good and works so well, I just couldn't pass over a mention of this product.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - COOLER

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Chad Sebring writes: As many of you know, cooling has pretty much hit a wall of efficiency, and is really going to take a new leap in technology to be able to make me really sit back and say "wow, this is an amazing cooler!" What we do have around is some very large air coolers, AIO units, and even some super loud smaller towers that can do everything the "big boys" can. So, what drew me to award Thermaltake with the best cooler for Computex 2013 for their NiC C5 CPU cooler?
To me it is all in the details. Designed by an overclocker for overclockers, you can see where the personal touches all come into play. First Thermaltake start with an average sized single tower design that is super easy to mount to any motherboard. They then wrap the tower with a shroud to take advantage of all of the air flow the pair of accompanying fans produce. The pair of fans simply slide into the shroud to allow users easy access to swap fans on a whim, as well as being able to easily clean the fins after extended use.
Along with the NiC C5 placing in the top five of all air coolers I have ever tested, this cooler, by its namesake, 'No Interference Cooler', means that you have plenty of room for memory in all of the DIMM slots. You can get to all the surrounding screws and power plugs with ease, and it won't run into the video card or interfere with motherboard heat sinks, making the NiC C5 not only a great performer, but the feature set makes it one of the best air coolers money can buy that will fit on any motherboard without issue.

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Notable Mentions: Getting an honorable mention in cooling is Noctua. With the newest series of coolers to hit the market, Noctua took a different approach to getting to the top of the charts. Here again we have a single tower, but these coolers are shipped with only one fan. The NH-U14S more specifically shows that you don't have to make your ears bleed to get good performance in cooling.
Quite the opposite in reality as this cooler is easy to install, has some memory clearance issues, but once you put a second fan on this cooler, you get right behind the performance levels of the NiC C5, but with little more than a slight hum if these fans are drawing 12V, otherwise once the NH-U14S is in the chassis, you will be hard pressed to hear anything, and you just get to enjoy the silence and cool temperatures being reported.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - LAPTOP / TABLET

TBA - we expect the award to be announced here on June 6, 2013.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - GADGET

TBA - we expect the award to be announced here on June 6, 2013.

TweakTown Best of Computex 2013 Winner and Notable Mentions - TECHNOLOGY

TBA - we expect the award to be announced here on June 6, 2013.

A very big congratulations to all of the winners of our first annual Best of Computex awards! See you again in June 2014, likely with even more product categories.
Would have you judged the winning products differently? Tell us in the comments below - everyone is entitled to their opinion!
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SanDisk Extreme II 480GB SSD Review

Introduction

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Wrapping up our coverage of the new SanDisk Extreme II SSD launch, we finally have the largest capacity size offered, 480GB. An interesting study would be to ask SSD users what capacity size drives they use in their desktop and notebook. Without any scientific study, I would assume more large capacity SSD's make their way into notebooks more often than desktops. In a desktop environment where more than a single SATA port is present, it would seem logical to purchase a new high speed SSD and use a tiered storage model, adding a spinner (HDD) to hold media files. A majority of notebook users don't have the luxury of ten SATA ports available for tiered storage.
Adding a SSD to a notebook has many benefits. For the last year we've shown battery life improvements and for as long as affordable SSD's have been on the market, we've shown large performance gains over mechanical hard drives. The one area we rarely touch on is how a high performance SSD increases a notebook's overall lifespan. Most of us buy new notebooks when the old one gets slow. Even though I have four newer notebooks within ten feet from me, I'm typing this article on a Lenovo T61p. This unit is so old it only uses SATA - not SATA II or SATA III - the really old stuff. I've replaced the keyboard three times, the battery many more time, but even now it doesn't feel slow. The Rifleman's Creed says, "This is my rifle. There are many rifles like it, but this one is mine."
This is my weapon and the SSD inside keeps it shooting straight. Certainly the 1920x1200 screen resolution helps too, but even that wouldn't keep this notebook in use if I had to keep a slow spinner inside. The point is, a high capacity SSD in an aging notebook increases service life and the performance increase can actually make your old notebook respond faster than a majority of new notebooks with mechanical HDD's. Going large on the capacity means you can keep more of the files you want without lugging around external storage.
Right now let's move on and check out SanDisk's 480GB Extreme II and see how it fits into this picture.
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SanDisk Extreme II 240GB SSD Review

Introduction

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Today is a big day for SanDisk. We've already published an article that covers the Extreme II architecture and a full review of the 120GB capacity size drive. So far, so good - SanDisk's new enterprise SSD is a solid performer in what we're published already, but the easy test is now over, it's time to step into the big boy ring.
The 120GB capacity size was easy for SanDisk to steam roll competitor's products since SanDisk has the most advanced flash in a consumer SSDs on the market today. The 256GB class is another story though, more interleaving of the NAND and several products still around with 24nm/25nm means this capacity size is more street brawl than boxing match.
SanDisk's original Extreme is one of the big players in the 256GB class and its new $160 price point is amazing for such a good product. If I would have seen the price at Amazon, it would have won the Bang for your Buck - The Best 256GB Class SSDs under $200 award a few weeks ago. At the time the drive wasn't at Newegg, which I used to compare prices. In the same boat at OCZ's Vector, the Extreme uses older 2xnm flash and we know production has either stopped or been reduced. Extreme won't be around much longer at $160 or any price.
Enter SanDisk's new flagship SSD, Extreme II. Based on the latest Marvell 88SS9187, the same used in the Plextor M5 Pro / Xtreme and Crucial M500, the controller already has a solid reputation for stability, performance and the ability to scale to 1TB with new 128-bit NAND flash. The 9187 isn't a plug and play controller like the LSI SandForce SF-2281. If a company wants to use it, they need to either write firmware or hire an outside firm to do it. Working with a third-party means delays in the optimization cycle, because of that SanDisk is now building their own firmware, working on their own optimizations and promises to not have another TRIM event ever again.

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Having their own in-house firmware team also means the secret sauce doesn't need to leave the company HQ. First introduced on the mainstream Ultra Plus SSD, SanDisk's eX2 ABL 19nm flash for the Extreme II features a fairly unique technology called nCache. We covered nCache in detail in out Extreme II Introduction article (linked above) earlier today and it's worth the read if you like knowing all of the little tech details. If you just want to read about the performance, read on!
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Top 10 TweakTown Content from the past week [03 June 2013]
Here are our top 10 articles, reviews and guides from the past week!

SanDisk Extreme II 120GB SSD Review

Introduction

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If you are interested in a deeper look at the SanDisk Extreme II architecture we're already published an Architecture Deep Dive earlier today. This review will touch on some of the facts in that article, but we're going to expand on the NAND flash a bit more here.
Nearly a year ago we sat down with two SSD's at Computex for an early look at IMFT 20nm flash and Toshiba 19nm Toggle Flash. Both drives used identical LSI SandForce SF-2281 controllers and matching firmware. By the time we walked away, it was clear that 20nm ONFi flash had lost a lot of performance compared to 25nm ONFi, and that 19nm Toggle wasn't much different than 24nm Toggle when it came to performance. At the time we thought IMFT would get it together, but now that we have real products in hand, it's becoming clear that 20nm ONFi flash isn't very good for smaller capacity SSD's, like the 120GB capacity size.
Even though today's review is on the SanDisk Extreme II, I can't help myself from drawing attention to the 19nm vs. 20nm differences. The SanDisk Extreme II uses the Marvell 88SS9187 controller, the same as the Plextor M5 Pro / Xtreme and Crucial M500. Since we have all of these drives in the 128GB class size, we can see how NAND flash affects performance. A large portion of our Architecture Deep Dive linked above talks about SanDisk's new ALB flash with nCache.
Marvell doesn't deliver programming / firmware with their products so if you want to use a Marvell SSD controller, you need to build your own firmware, like SanDisk did. The other option is to go to a third party like LiteOn or MemoRight to have it made for you. When you use a third-party firmware, you need to work with them on fixing issues that may pop up. Working with a third-party means delays, something SanDisk wants to avoid after the original Extreme SSD issues.
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A look at SanDisk's Extreme II SSD Architecture

Introduction

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The SanDisk story is fascinating. One of three company founders, Dr. Eli Harari, is the father of flash. His work at Toshiba with Floating Gate EEPROM was dubbed 'Flash' because it was able to write data in a flash. After leaving Toshiba to start SunDisk with Sanjay Mehrotra (former Intel) and Jack Yuan (former Hughes Electronics), the three set out to develop non-volatile memory for digital cameras. Later renamed to SanDisk, the company is now involved in much more than the flash cards we associate with the SanDisk name.
SSD shipments grew 22% between 4Q 2012 and 1Q 2013 and in that time SanDisk moved into the number two spot by number of units shipped. Positioned just behind Samsung (31.3%), SanDisk's market share was 16.8% - not bad for a company that flew under our radar until the performance class Extreme SSD hit our labs in early 2012.
Today the company releases the follow up to the Extreme SSD, the Extreme II. More of a revolutionary than evolutionary part, Extreme II uses a new controller architecture and the most advanced NAND flash on the market today.
Rather than trying to lump all of this information into the three capacity size reviews of Extreme II today, let's cover the new architecture in this article and then look at the reviews of the three capacity sizes in review form throughout the day. That way we can keep each review to a coffee break size and still compare each capacity size to equal sized products.
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Top 10 TweakTown Press Releases from the past week [03 June 2013]
Here are our top 10 posted press releases from the past week!

OCZ Technology to Showcase its Leading Solid State Drives and Launch New Power Management Solutions at Computex 2013
SAN JOSE, CA-June 3, 2013-OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and power management solutions for computing devices and systems, will showcase the Company's comprehensive storage solutions for client and enterprise computing along with announcing its new line of Fatal1ty Series power supply products at Computex 2013 in Taipei, Taiwan June 4 through June 8. OCZ solutions can be viewed at the main show floor this year at the Nangang Exhibit Hall, Booth K0309a.

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Continuing to demonstrate its commitment to the enthusiast market, OCZ is unveiling the new Fatal1ty Gaming Series power supplies (PSUs) in updated 550W and 750W models designed to provide exceptional power solutions for gamers and enthusiasts, offering performance and reliability coupled with exciting new features. These latest PSUs feature premium components and heavy-duty protection circuitries with a fully modular cable management system to provide an organized case environment that maximizes airflow by eliminating unnecessary wiring, and utilizes specialized DC-to-DC converters for compatibility with Intel's Haswellâ„¢ platform. Both models also feature a single +12V rail for exceptional power distribution, 80-Plus Bronze rating for high energy efficiency up to 85% at typical loads, along with 135mm load-controlled fans with the Fatal1ty Series of trademark glowing red LEDs for stylish yet silent operation in high-end gaming rigs.
To kickoff the launch of the exciting new power supplies, Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel will compete against fellow gamer and former sparring partner Kyle "relic" Mims in a special shootout to be held June 6, 7-11pm at the SPARK venue in Taiwan's landmark Taipei 101 on June 6th. With a record of 12 World Titles in five different games, Wendel is one of the most successful and recognized professional gamers in history. In recent years Wendel has declined to compete professionally and instead stay focused on promoting video gaming globally in his role as a Gaming Ambassador, while concentrating on his Fatal1ty Gaming Gear enterprise which includes the latest OCZ power supplies. In this special event, press, partners, and invited attendees can get a firsthand look at the latest OCZ Fatal1ty Gaming Series power supplies, along with viewing the live head-to-head shootout between these two gamers.
For client storage, OCZ will demo its upcoming Vector PCIe SSD featuring exceptional IOPS, high bandwidth, and high capacities ideal for power users, content creation, and workstation applications. Residing directly on the PCI Express bus, the new Vector PCIe Series provides lower latency to data, faster file transfers and boot-ups, expanded storage capacities, and an even quicker, more responsive experience over the already blazing fast SATA III-based Vector SSDs. In addition, OCZ will showcase its current consumer SSD lineup with the recently launched Vertex 450 SATA III SSD Series which has already earned numerous accolades and praise from the global media for its high performance coupled with the latest 20nm flash geometry for mainstream computing applications.
OCZ will also be displaying its complete portfolio of enterprise storage solutions including the SATA based Deneva 2, Talos 2 SAS drive, and Z-Drive R4 PCIe SSD Series, featuring the newest ZD-XL SQL Accelerator that represents the convergence of enterprise hardware and software as one tightly integrated, optimized solution, ensuring that appropriate and readily available data is on SSD flash when a SQL Server needs it.
Join OCZ Technology on the Computex main show floor at theNangang Exhibit Hall, Booth K0309ato see the latest SSD and PSU products designed for enterprise and client applications demanding maximized productivity, performance, and total cost of ownership (TCO).

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