Dragon Age: Inquisition runs at 900p on the Xbox One, 1080p on PS4
BioWare is on the home stretch right now for Dragon Age: Inquisition, with many details on the technical side of the game announced. We have had the developer confirm Dragon Age: Inquisition will be rendering at 900p on the Xbox One, while the PlayStation 4 version of the game will be rendered at 1080p.
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iBUYPOWER introduces the SBX Entertainment System
iBUYPOWER introduces its newest 'ultra-simplified' entertainment center: SBX Entertainment System. The team designed this new unit to make it reflect the aesthetics and physical characteristics of a game console, but with the raw power that only high-end desktop systems can provide.
"What we really wanted to do was make an impact in the living room. We wanted to really show the world that the power of desktop gaming machine can be experienced in the living room in a totally seamless way, " said Darren Su, Co-founder and VP of iBUYPOWER. "All preconceptions of what entertainment in the living room should and can be, are out the door."
SBX is made keeping Steam OS and Steam Big Picture in mind, but there are HTPC/entertainment based interface that you can choose from, including XMBC. The unit is available for pre-order and ship in three weeks. As far as core components are concerned, the unit uses AMD Athlon 740 CPU and AMD Radeon R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 with an on-board 802.11ac and Bluetooth combo. All units come with a 3-year standalone warranty service. The variants are as follows, along with the pricing:
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Apple remains the No. 1 most valuable brand in the world
Apple has been awarded the most valuable brand in the world for a second consecutive year, worth an estimated $119 billion, according to the Interbrands 2014 Best Global Brands list. There are four technology companies in the top 10 this year, though tech remains extremely fickle, forcing companies to try to adapt to changing customer demands.
Trailing behind Apple is Google ($107.4 billion), a 15 percent increase year-over-year, and Coca-Cola round out the top three - with IBM, Microsoft, General Electric, Samsung, Toyota, McDonald's, and Mercedes-Benz round out the top 10 overall most valued brands in the world. As an honorable mention, Facebook's value increased 86 percent, and the company jumped up to No. 29 on the list - and will likely continue to rise.
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No Halo: The Master Chief Collection for U.S. gamers anytime soon
Microsoft showed off its Halo: The Master Chief Collection white Xbox One game console bundle, which will be available in Brazil and other countries. Despite initial interest in the limited-time bundle, Microsoft currently has "no plans" to release it for U.S. consumers.
If the Master Chief bundle proves popular among international gamers, then it would be foolish for Microsoft to skip the U.S. market. However, interested gamers will be able to purchase a white Xbox One later this month, in a $399 Sunset Overdrive bundle.
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Smartphones, tablets in police custody being remotely wiped
New anti-theft technologies for smartphones and tablets allow owners to lock and remotely wipe their device, but these solutions are giving suspects the ability to secure seized devices. Several police agencies in the UK recently reported that devices previously seized as evidence were wiped, all of them while in police custody.
If this becomes a widespread problem, police need to change their practices, which should begin with putting all seized electronics in a radio-frequency shielded bag.
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Hackers post thousands of stolen Snapchat photos to 4chan
Hackers aren't only interested in embarrassing celebrities, as thousands of pictures and videos were stolen from Snapchat users and will be posted online. The online service was quick to confirm its servers weren't breached, however, users of third-party Snapchat apps were targeted - and will be posted online in a searchable database.
"We can confirm that Snapchat's servers were never breached and were not the source of these leaks," a Snapchat spokesperson recently said. "Snapchatters were victimized by their use of third-party apps to send and receive Snaps, a practice that we expressly prohibit in our Terms of Use precisely because they compromise our users' security. We vigilantly monitor the App Store and Google Play for illegal third-party apps and have succeeded in getting many of these removed."
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Xbox boss promises a more personal Xbox One going into the future
As it stands, the PlayStation 4 seems to be winning the 'next-gen' and now current-gen console war, with the Xbox One lagging behind. Microsoft obviously wants to change this, something that was pointed out in an interview with The Inner Circle Podcast, with the head of Xbox, Phil Spencer.
He wasn't willing to tell the world when these new themes, backgrounds and screenshot-taking abilities would be appearing, but he did say "people should know that they're in development".
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Telltale teases 'IRONWOODS' for its upcoming Game of Thrones game
The developer behind the successful, and very popular The Walking Dead game, Telltale Games, has teased its latest film-to-game adaption, Game of Thrones.
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EA giving away Dragon Age: Origins for free via Origin
EA is doing something good for PC gamers and it's something that a lot of people would appreciate. The company is giving away Dragon Age: Origins for free via Origin. The best part is that this does not come with any strings attached - no gameplay time limits, no restrictions such as minimum purchase/regular Origin user - just a free copy of DA: Origins for all.
You will have to claim the free copy of Dragon Age: Origins before October 14th and you will need an Origin account. The game can be claimed from here
This isn't the first time EA has been providing new games. Earlier, the company provided games like Battlefield 3, Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare and Dead Space for free under its 'On the House' campaign. Once the gamers have signed up for the offer, the game belongs to them. EA didn't bundle DLC with the game, but who knows! Maybe they will one fine day!
Dragon Age: Origins is available for PC, along with Xbox 360 and PlayStation at the time of launch. Dragon Age: Inquisition, the sequel of the game, is available for pre-order and it will be available for PC as online and physical disc copy, Xbox 360 and One & PlayStation 3 and 4.
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Assassin's Creed dev claims that industry is done with 60FPS standard
Earlier, we've reported that Ubisoft's upcoming game Assassin's Creed: Unity will be running at 30FPS at 900p for both consoles- Sony's PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. To justify the move, Ubisoft's Creative Director Alex Amancio said that selling the game with different levels of experience would be unfair.
He continued by saying that series like Rachet and Clank also dropped the 60FPS standard. Another reason is that its twice as hard as 30 fps, and its doesn't make it look good when the game is rendering. On the other hand, 30 FPS feels more 'cinematic' while 60 FPS is perfect for FPS and action-adventure genres.
In his own words: "If the game looks gorgeous, who cares about the number?"
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Lenovo's new 13-inch Yoga Tablet 2 Pro features built-in projector
Lenovo took the wraps off of its Broadwell-powered Yoga 3 Pro earlier today, but the company unveiled two other devices, with the second being the new Yoga Tablet 2 Pro.
How much will this bad boy set you back? $799? $999? Just $499... for a 13-inch tablet with a 2560x1440 display, 8-watt sound system, and built-in projector. Yikes, Apple/Samsung/Google/LG/HTC/Motorola/world.
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Tesla shows us the D, an AWD Model S with second motor and autopilot
Elon Musk has officially unveiled the new dual-motor equipped P85D, which is an all-wheel drive (AWD) version of its popular Model S. The top-of-the-line vehicle has a measured 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds, which should have performance fans pleased.
All of this is powered by 12 sensors that allow the AWD Model S to see around the car, but there's no details on how much these additions to the car will cost.
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Google releases an improved Hangouts app for the desktop
As an avid Hangouts user, the news of a new desktop version excites me. Google has announced a new Hangouts Chrome app for Chrome OS, as well as Windows, which brings a slew of improvements and changes.
Better yet, the new Hangouts app includes voice and video calling, which makes it a one-stop-shop for all things communication with Google. Google added: "We recently announced you can make phone calls to any number in the world (via Hangouts dialer) and now you can do this right from your desktop. If you use Google Voice, the app includes complete Google Voice support, so you can make and receive calls, and get your voicemails and SMS messages directly in Hangouts".
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AMD Radeon R9 290 and 290X price cuts are promo offers by GPU makers
It was reported earlier that AMD Radeon R9 290 and R9 290X GPUs are now available with a reduced price of $299 and #369 respectively. But as its turned out, the price cuts are made by AMD's AIB partners who manufacture these cards.
Though the timing of providing price cuts is considered to be a response to NVIDIA's Maxwell-based GTX 980 and GTX 970 GPUs that was launched not too long ago. Its unclear if AMD would be tempted to make these price cuts from their side irrespective of cards. AMD may even throw in a new Never Settle bundle along with it to sweeten the deal as they did before. As of now, GTX 970 can be purchased with a price tag as low as $329 to as high as $409 (for the Zotac GTX 970 AMP! Edition 4GB). R9 290X could be found for $369 to $399, and some AIB partners have bundled Star Citizen and Alien: Isolation as a limited offer.
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Mercedes to show off self-driving cars, new concept at CES 2015
It looks like Mercedes Benz will be shining the spotlight on self-driving cars at CES 2015 next year, with company CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche to deliver a keynote about autonomous vehicle technology, and its greater impact.
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1,000 workers walked off their jobs at Foxconn, are now on strike
Foxconn is in the headlines again, where it's being reported that around 1,000 workers at Foxconn's factory in southwest China walked off their jobs, to go on strike. The workers are demanding higher pay, after a recent increase in production, and reduction in overtime.
These claims are coming from the WSJ's source, who is a Foxconn employee who wishes to remain anonymous. With around 30,000 workers at its Chongqing factory, the 1,000 or so workers on strike only represents a small number of workers, but is still a large amount of people to be on strike at once.
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Lenovo unveils the Intel Core M-powered Yoga 3 Pro laptop
Lenovo has the best Windows notebook on the market, where I totally fell in love with, and still gloss over, the Yoga 2 Pro. The company has just unveiled its successor, the Yoga 3 Pro, which improves on the small amount of things the Y2P had problems with.
Inside, we have Intel's Broadwell-based Core M-70 processor running the show, backed up with up to 8GB of RAM (still no 16GB, Lenovo?), and up to 512GB of SSD. The company has fixed the Wi-Fi issue on the Y3P, baking in a new 5GHz 802.11ac chip into the Yoga 3 Pro. Lenovo has also improved the software inside of the Y3P, with something it calls "Harmony" that automatically adjusts settings to optimize whatever software you're using. If you were to be reading an e-book for example, Lenovo's Harmony software will "change the brightness and color temperature according to the environment lighting". If you are watching a movie, Harmony will automatically adjust the audio settings to give you a better sense of immersion.
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Western world wants to combat Islamic State on battlefield, Internet
As the battle against the Islamic State (IS) rages on in Iraq and Syria, government officials hope to begin battling the extremist group where they have excelled: the Internet. Unlike the Taliban and Al Qaida before it, IS has successfully used social media outlets to spread its message, while also reaching curious observers. Twitter and other social media networks are working to remove official IS accounts, but many other accounts have popped up.
In addition to spreading messages of jihad, the Islamic State has successfully recruited new members - and spread propaganda - largely catching intelligence officers unaware of the Internet strategy.
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China angry at United States, saying cyberattack figures are inflated
Chinese officials are angry at the United States for allegedly inflating the real-world cost of defending against cyberattacks blamed on China. The U.S. government and private sector companies are routinely targeted by foreign hackers, with the cost of data breaches sometimes in the billions of dollars, though Beijing not surprisingly rejects those claims.
FBI director James Comey recently said China is the top cyber threat to U.S. infrastructure, as state-sponsored hacking remains common place. Meanwhile, the Chinese military wants a larger emphasis put on domestic software development - and increased defenses to prevent cyberattacks - as computer-based computer espionage is a major threat to both countries.
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Report: Apple has reportedly delayed production of larger iPads
Apple suppliers will push back production of larger screen iPad tablets until early 2015, as they struggle to meet current demand for the larger screen iPhone 6 Plus smartphone. Mass production of the iPad was scheduled to start in December, but screen suppliers would be unable to ensure supply for both the iPhone and iPad until next year.
The new iPads are expected to launch during an Apple event on October 16, but that doesn't mean consumers should expect to see the devices anytime soon. Furthermore, tablet sales were predicted to slow down in 2014 - as many consumers hang on to older tablet devices - with companies instead focusing on smartphones.
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Edward Snowden will speak during UK festival this weekend
Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden will speak via video chat during the Observer Ideas festival this weekend in the UK. An Observer technology columnist will ask questions to Snowden regarding technology, privacy, and other issues - and will be the first time Snowden has answered questions or been invited to an event in England since revealing mass surveillance activities by the NSA.
As Snowden remains safely tucked away in Russia, the American whistleblower has become more vocal during media interviews and video-linked public appearances.
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Toshiba demos humanoid robot able to communicate with sign language
Toshiba recently showed off Aiko Chihira, the humanoid communication robot that is able to communicate via sign language. Dressed in a pink blouse and white skirt, the robot can lip sync to a recorded message while translating the message into Japanese sign language.
Toshiba received help from the Shonan Institute of Technology and Shibaura Institute of Technology, as both universities provided robot driving solutions and sensor-based motion-teaching technology. Japan remains a leader in humanoid robotics research, with universities and companies developing life-like technologies able to provide assistance in day-to-day activities.
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Microsoft knows gamers are upset about lack of backwards compatibility
The lack of backwards compatibility between the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Xbox One isn't lost among Microsoft designers, and will be something that could lead to a solution later down the road.
The problem is probably less significant for Sony with its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 owners - as the Japanese console dominates sales charts - and allows gamers to play older titles using PlayStation Now. The Wii U supports backwards compatibility but hasn't been as popular among hardcore gamers.
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Sexting is commonplace for teenagers, further frightening parents
When it comes to teenagers and sexting, it doesn't matter if the teenagers are engaging in risky behavior, according to a new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Studying several years of data collected at local Texas high school students, sexting was seen as a general indicator of sexual activity - and not necessarily associated with risky behavior - as high schools and parents try to find ways to reduce the problem.
More than one in five teenage girls have sent nude or semi-nude photos, with 17 percent of sexters admitting they share images with other people. It's an issue that is getting students in trouble, while others are left embarrassed, as high school administrators and parents seem to be unable to slow the problem down further.
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Operation Predator mobile app helping crack down on child predators
The Operation Predator app is helping keep some child predators in check, and has led to several arrests, with more versions of the safety app now available. The app helps protect citizens by sending alerts of wanted predators, and people can submit tips via online form or phone tip line.
Sex offenders cunningly use technology to lure potential victims, and it's good to see technology help keep them in check. Since being introduced, the Operation Predator app has been downloaded more than 93,000 times. In addition to an Apple iOS and Google Android version of the app, designers hope a Spanish language version helps create additional interest.
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SanDisk Extreme UHS I and Extreme Plus microSDXC U3 Memory Card Review
The SanDisk Extreme carries marketing numbers featuring read and write speeds up to 45 MB/s. This card carries both the UHS-I and Speed Class 10 designations and is focused towards users of advanced cameras and HD camcorders.
The SanDisk Extreme Plus 64GB microSDXC, on the other hand, carries both UHS I Class 3 and Speed Class 10 and is marketed for action cameras and shooting 4K video. The Extreme Plus carries marketing specifications of 80 MB/s read and 50 MB/s write.
MSRP of the SanDisk Extreme in the 64GB flavour is listed at $49.99 with a lifetime warranty. The Extreme Plus microSDXC in the 64GB capacity is set at $159.99, also with a lifetime warranty.
The SanDisk Extreme 64GB SDXC did quite well in our testing, we were able to exceed marketing by a very slim margin with reads at 47 MB/s and writes at 44 MB/s.
Build quality of the card was good, no issues were present during the time I spent with the card, and with it being marketed towards advanced photography and HD recording, I feel this card would have no issues with either of those.
Moving over to the SanDisk Extreme Plus microSDXC, I was quite surprised by the amount of performance held in this tiny package. Of course, carrying the U3 designation we knew going in it would be a quick memory card, but 95 MB/s reads are very quick and should do quite well in its intended segment, action cameras. In fact, this may be a great card for those of you like me, which use the Mobius HD Action Cam on your quadcopter.
PRICING: You can find the SanDisk memory cards we reviewed for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The SanDisk Extreme Plus 64GB MicroSDXC UHS-I Memory Card retails for $114.54 at Amazon, and the SanDisk 64GB Extreme U3/UHS-I SDXC Memory Card retails for $54.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The SanDisk 64GB Extreme U3/UHS-I SDXC Memory Card retails for CDN$117.41 at Amazon Canada.
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Scythe Mugen Max SCMGD-1000 CPU Cooler Review
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
This being the fifth version of the Mugen tower cooler, Scythe should really have it perfected now. This newest Mugen features nickel-plating on the pipes and the base, and there is a new top plate on this cooler that also receives nickel-plating. This time, the nickel plating is less about its anti-oxidation quality, and more about the "bling," and ease of cleaning. Scythe has also followed some other trends we have noticed in recent submissions from other manufacturers, while still being a top-tier, high-efficiency offering.
We will be covering every little detail of this cooler soon enough, but first let's get through the formal introductions. Today we will be reviewing the latest cooler from Scythe to hit the market, the Mugen Max CPU cooler. You will soon see for yourself that Scythe proves they can successfully revamp an old design, and stretch more performance from the Mugen Series coolers. Scythe also proves they have a keen eye on the market, and can offer something more 2014, and less lipstick-on-an-old-renamed-pig like we have seen other companies do over the years. So, let's just jump right in with both feet, and find out what the Scythe Mugen Max is all about.
At the top of the chart provided by Scythe, we see that this CPU cooler is in fact the Mugen Max, and carries the SCMGD-1000 model number. The chart notes that compatibility on the Intel side runs from LGA775 through LGA2011, and mentions square ILM, not to be confused with the rectangular ILM that most server style systems require. For AMD, it seems any socket following, and including AM2 is covered, but there is a note that installation requires the stock backplate. The mounting kit contains everything needed for Intel installations, and sans the backplate, on the top of the board, the full kit is provided for you as well. Depending on the AMD motherboard used, orientation can be an issue if you want it installed vertically.
To cool this assembly of copper and aluminum, Scythe chose the GlideStream 140 PWM fan with the model number SY1425HB12M-P. Keep in mind that by adding this fan to the cooler, the overall depth increases to 111mm, and would further increase to 136mm wide if you added a pair of fans to fit the four fan clips provided. At its maximum, this fan boasts a 30.7 dBA noise level rating, it can also push 97.18 CFM, and 1.02 mmH20 of static pressure. The GlideStream fan does of this while only spinning at 1300 RPM on the sleeved bearing, with the four-pin fan connection plugged into the CPU header.
As we search around to find the Scythe Mugen Max on e-tailer's shelves, we are slightly disappointed by the availability. Sadly, inside of the U.S., it seems only two locations are currently offering this cooler. We found a listing on Amazon with a $53.99 price tag, and shipping was another $9. The interesting thing here is that the seller is actually FrozenCPU. If we go directly through FrozenCPU, we find a listing of $52.99, but the minimum transit cost is another $11 on top of that. While it does not make a whole lot of sense, the better deal is to save $2, and buy this cooler from Amazon, even though it all sources from FrozenCPU.com. All told, with shipping included, you are looking at right around $63 on average to obtain the Scythe Mugen Max. When you see our charts today, you will recognize the real value in that price point.
PRICING: You can find the Scythe Mugen Max CPU cooler for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Scythe Mugen Max retails for $53.99 at Amazon.
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TweakTown's Complete SSD Toolbox Software Roundup
Introduction
We can point our finger at several reason why SSDs have become so cheap over the last two years. Lithography shrinks have reduced the cost of flash, higher adaption rates are also a factor. Another reason is a good 'ol price war between FabCos (Fab Companies: SSD makers that also produce NAND flash - Crucial, Intel, Samsung, SanDisk and Toshiba/OCZ Storage Solutions) with guaranteed access to flash pulled the pin on the grenade and steadily decreased the cost of consumer SSDs.
Lower retail prices also mean lower margins per retail product sold. Accessories like desktop adapter brackets, screws and other accessories made by third-parties and bundled with SSDs have a fixed price and that adds to the overall cost of SSDs. For the last year, we've seen the extravagant bundles replaced by software bundles. In many cases, the software is built-in house and distributed for free as a value add-on with all SSDs from a manufacturer. The initial cost of the development is the only major cost and it doesn't multiply with the number of products sold, as is the case with hardware accessories.
In our consumer SSD product reviews, we usually mention if a product has a software package and gloss over the features without a lot of detail. In reality though, the SSD Toolbox / Dashboard / Magician software is very detailed, with multiple functions, features and packed with useful information.
Today we're taking a deep dive into the major software releases from SSD manufacturers. We're going to roll through them in alphabetical order and see what each company has to offer.
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EK Supremacy EVO Clean CSQ CPU Water Block Review
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
Quite a bit of time has passed since we last tested one of EKWB's CPU water blocks; it was back on the older i7 2600K based system. From what we recall of our testing of that original Supremacy block, it was able to take over, and stay at the top of our charts for some time. Our avid readers know we have been finding more and more companies willing to send us water cooling products as of this past year. So, now not only does EKWB have Swiftech to go up against, but we also have a few other kits from European makers to give us a much better feel for what EKWB is delivering this time around.
The cooler you are about to see is one of EK's latest and greatest CPU water blocks. It is indeed an "evolution" of the last block we saw from them, which is why it sports the name: Supremacy EVO. We were given the Clear CSQ copper/Plexi, which means it keeps the ring logo we have been seeing lately, but rather than sporting a matte finish, the clear top has been polished and the multitude of rings are removed from the top. It also means that we have an un-plated base, where it is left in its natural state.
There are many versions of this block, with various colors of Plexi tops. There are even full metal versions, and versions with solid black or white Acetal tops. So, even if the more vanilla version of the EKWB Supremacy EVO Clear CSQ copper/Plexi water block gets your attention, but you are looking for a bit more flavor, EK has you covered. Now let's see what the EVO brings forth in CPU water blocks, and find out exactly what EKWB is doing with the Supremacy EVO.
In the box, we find the Supremacy EVO water block. In our instance, the base is left in its natural copper form, all of the top mounting plates are black painted steel, and the top is polished clear Plexi. As we said earlier, there are thirteen variations of the Supremacy EVO to appeal to anyone's aesthetic choices, including the older CSQ ring design.
Along with all of the hardware, and the optional mounting plates, we are also supplied with a 1.5 gram tube of Gelid GC-Extreme thermal grease. The last couple of facts to cover here are that it comes threaded with G1/4 threads, so fittings, barbs, or any adapters will fit without issue. Also, since the top is still made of clear Plexi in our version, there are a pair of 3mm holes in one edge of the block to easily slide in some LEDs to enhance the appearance and match your system theme.
Finding any version of the Supremacy EVO water block is really simple. You have the option to buy directly from EK, where they have the version we are testing listed at €62.95, including VAT. For those on this side of the pond, that is roughly $80 USD. As we look at a few of the major water cooling e-tailers that are located, and will definitely ship these block to anywhere in the U.S., we are not shocked to see the listed prices. As for the Supremacy EVO we are testing, we see it is listed for just less than $75. If you plan to dress up the options package with nickel-plating, a colored clear top, or a solid black or white top, expect to pay just slightly over $80 for any of those versions. Considering most relevant water blocks run in the range of $50 to $110 to obtain, we feel that this EKWB solution is right in the average range for cost, so we are already off to a really good start.
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Netgear ReadyNAS RN716X 10GbE NAS Review
Introduction
Most pedestal style NAS products ship with Atom, Pentium, or Core i3 dual-core processors, and paired with 2GB to 4GB of DRAM. It's a cookie cutter mold; companies tell you what you need, and then make your needs fit into this mold. Some even offer 10GbE capability, but stick with the base platform that can limit performance. If you want to gain more performance, then companies try to push you into large rackmount products that increase exponentially in price, and provide features that everyone may not need, like redundant power supplies, and more drive bays.
Earlier this year Netgear, the largest NAS shipper on the market, broke the mold. The Netgear ReadyNAS RN716X is a small pedestal NAS with six drive bays, a high performance Intel Xeon E3-1265L v2 (L for low power) processor, and a massive 16GB of ECC DRAM. The increased processing power is necessary because the RN716X includes dual 10GbE connectivity as a standard feature, right out of the box.
With disk drive capacity increasing, now up to 10TB in a 3.5" form factor, SMB NAS products no longer need to fit into a 19" rack space to have sufficient capacity. The Netgear ReadyNAS RN716X specifications sheet lists capacity up to 24TB with the six drive bays, but when it was made, the new larger 8TB and 10TB drives were not announced. Netgear also makes a pedestal expansion unit that increases disk capacity, and you can stack the units.
Hardware Specifications and Pricing
Modern NAS servers have moved beyond data storage through a wire network. In order to get the most out of a NAS, you need to look at the extra I/O hardware, and the mountain of potential software features.
The core of the system is the Intel Xeon Ivy Bridge E3-1265K v2 quad-core processor with a clock speed of 2.5GHz and a Turbo speed of 3.5GHz. The 16GB of ECC DRAM feeding the processor is four times the standard for pedestal NAS products on the market today.
The processing power specifications may seem like overkill, but the RN716X needs the power to effectively use the dual 10GBase-T network communication ports that are responsible for I/O to and from the system. The system also has two additional gigabit Ethernet ports for failover, or to run this system as the central storage for four networks at the same time.
Three eSATA ports on the back of the ReadyNAS RN716X increase storage capacity potential. The system also has two USB 3.0 ports on the back, and a single USB port on the front for quick, removable storage like thumb drives. The system also has a HDMI port on the back.
The ReadyNAS RN716X isn't your everyday NAS, so don't expect an everyday NAS price. At the time of writing we were able to find the RN716X for $2885.99. That is squarely in rackmount NAS territory, but not rackmount units with this much processing power or this density of DRAM. Newegg lists the ReadyNAS 716X with a three-year warranty, but end users can purchase additional coverage from Netgear.
PRICING: You can find the Netgear ReadyNAS RN716X for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Netgear ReadyNAS RN716X retails for $3,481.23 at Amazon.
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Apotop S3C 256GB Low-Cost SSD Review
Introduction
Apotop recently reached out to us to take a look at the S3C, a low-cost consumer SSD that's available at Newegg. The S3C 256GB is currently available for just $109.99, which makes it one of the lowest priced 256GB SSDs on the market today. For that price, you also get a full accessory package, not just a drive stuffed in a box with some cheap plastic surrounding it.
Specifications, Pricing, and Availability
Apotop quotes the 256GB S3C at 490 MB/s sequential read, and 275 MB/s sequential write speeds. The specification sheet doesn't quote random performance, but does go into details regarding operating temperatures, shock resistance, and so forth.
The Apotop S3C comes with a three-year warranty. The drive also ships with an accessory package that includes a desktop adapter bracket, 7mm to 9mm adapter, and screws for piecing it all together.
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Lenovo ThinkStation P300 Tower Workstation Review
Introduction
Designing systems that are well balanced in component selection, offer high performance, serviceability, installation options, and allow for expansions later on, is no easy task. Budgets are also very tight these days, so these machines need to be competitively priced, and offer value to the workspace.
To take this design challenge head on, Lenovo came up with the ThinkStation P300 Tower Workstation. The P300 comes in a tower form factor; alternatively, there is a small form factor design available.
The P300 workstation we have in the lab today is a tower form factor, outfitted to higher-end specifications. Let's get to unboxing and exploring the new P300 from Lenovo.
Packaging
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Evercool Venti HPQ-12025 CPU Cooler Review
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
What we have today is a single tower cooler that comes with a single fan to cool the tower of fins. We also know up front that this is an economically considerate solution, intended as a stock replacement with headroom still left over for a fair bit of overclocking. While most coolers in this category are very plain and have little to offer aesthetically, and typically offer push-pin style mounting, that is not what we see in this latest sample. Here, you are given a decent looking cooler, with good styling, and an embossed company name in the fins. It also comes with some very secure and easy to use hardware, so you can get the best out of this direct touch cooler with some ease.
Today we will be looking at Evercool's latest cooler to come to market, the Evercool Venti HPQ-12025 CPU cooler. Since we are going to be covering all of the specification soon enough, we will jump right to the point here: along with the Hyper 212 coolers, the Brocken ECO, the Enermax ETS-N30, and other budget friendly solutions, this cooler is a new contender to the throne. Now, let's see what the Venti is all about.
The chart provided by Evercool on their product page is, to be honest, kind of lame. We do get the overall dimensions of the cooler; we see it stands 160mm tall, only 125mm in width, and is a mere 68mm thick with the fan on the cooler, as the fin stack is 43mm in thickness. That is everything about the cooler, except for the weight of 588 grams shown at the bottom, and again, this is a measurement including the fan.
What we do see is a bunch of information on the EC12025H12EP fan included with the cooler. We find it spins on a patented EL bearing for longer life, expressed by the 60,000 hours of run time it is said to offer. We see this fan is capable of speeds from 800 RPM on the low-end, and up to 2200 RPM when maximum voltage is applied to them. We are also shown that at these speeds, airflow ranges from 35.05 to 75.13 CFM while delivering a maximum of 38.1 dBA of noise. What Evercool doesn't tell us is that the fan sports a black frame, it takes a four-pin connection for PWM control and speed sensing, and it has seven large, white blades to force air through the cooler's fin stack.
Finding the Evercool Venti on this side of the pond is a bit tough, as we only found four locations showing this cooler for sale. While Amazon.com does not currently stock this cooler, we were still able to ascertain its pricing. The best deal we found for the Venti HPQ-12025 just happens to be at Newegg.com, where it is listed for $29.99 with free shipping, which is very affordable.
This is a cooler that is easily within anyone's grasp, and we already know it does not take all that much to beat a stock cooler. So, now it's time to take a close look at the Evercool Venti HPQ12025 cooler, and put it through its paces to see just what sort of performance you should expect from this super economically friendly cooling option, and what we get for that investment.
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Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4-2400 32GB Quad-Channel Memory Kit Review
The G.Skill kit we looked at the other day was a great kit of memory that came in at an excellent price point. After testing the ADATA 2x 32GB kit, though, it felt like the sweet spot for people wanting a serious amount of RAM was at the 32GB level. It offered a solid amount of RAM, without the painful price tag that is associated with 64GB of DDR4.
When Crucial said they're launching their new line of DDR4 kits, taking a look at price and the general knowledge of the DDR4 market gained in the past few weeks since launch, it looked like I had found the perfect kit of RAM to test from the folks over at Crucial.
Taking a look below, you can see the new Crucial Ballistix Sport kit. The heat sink design here is really cool, as it's more a protector than anything else. If we've really learnt anything about RAM over the last few years, it's that the heat sink most companies use is more cosmetic than anything else. It's simply a plate that covers each side of the RAM kit with this particular one coming in grey.
Moving in a bit closer, you can see the sticker on the right that gives us the main speed and timings. You can see this particular kit is a 2400MHz DDR kit and comes with a 16-16-16-39-2T timing setup at 1.2v. As for the size of the kit, we're dealing with a 32GB one, which consists of four 8GB modules.
Coming in at 2400MHz DDR, we knew that when it came to running the kit at stock, we'd run into absolutely no problems. Taking a look below, you can see we indeed ended up in Windows at 2400MHz DDR with a 16-16-16-39-2T with the default 1.2v. You can also in the top left corner we're running a total of 32GB of DDR4 RAM across the four modules.
Still, with all that said, we were back in the BIOS and adjusting the memory divider, along with the voltage to 1.35v, which seems to be the sweet spot when it comes to maximum voltage on DDR4. Everything was going strong until we hit the 2800MHz DDR divider. At 2800MHz DDR, our system wouldn't boot, so we had to head back into the BIOS and move down to the next one.
With everything looking as it should, as always, I head back into the BIOS one more time to overclock our i7 5960X and see just how much performance we're able to get out of the kit. Due to the higher BCLK, I was a little limited when it came to the multiplier that could be reached. In the end, we stopped at 43x. Combined with the 105 BCLK, we ended up with a CPU clock of 4513MHz.
Finally, we finish up with our 32GB Crucial kit running at 2799MHz DDR and our CPU running at just over 4.5GHz. Taking a look at the HandBrake graph, you can see we see a fantastic increase in performance that sits the average encode FPS at almost 130.
While the 16GB G.Skill kit we looked at the other day was priced at the mid $200 mark, two kits of that to make up a total of 32GB was going to set you back around $500. The Crucial kit, on the other hand that we're looking at today, comes in at the mid $400 price point and also carries 32GB of RAM across four modules, instead of eight. While most likely not needed, the other benefit outside of the more aggressive price tag here is the fact that you can also expend with a second 32GB to give you a total of 64GB for under $1,000.
The cheaper price tag does come at the cost of slightly looser timings, but as you start to move to this level of RAM, you'll find more people prefer to have the larger amount verse the slightly more aggressive timings - especially if it gives them the ability to save some money in the process.
Moving from 2400MHz DDR to 2666MHz DDR, which is the next step up, you're seeing about an extra $150 added to the price tag for 32GB kits. Moving up higher and higher brings with it quite significant jumps as 2800MHz DDR kits are around $700 and 3000MHz DDR kits are around the $900 mark.
If you're looking for a solid 32GB kit of DDR4 RAM across four modules, this Crucial kit we're looking at today could be perfect. While the timings are a little more relaxed, the quality of the kit is awesome, and the overall price point it hits at is excellent. In the end, if you want some more MHz for free, you can always head into the BIOS and bump up the memory divider.
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WD Red 6TB NAS Enterprise HDD Review
Introduction
The features that make the Red attractive to NAS users also provide benefits in DAS RAID usage. One of the biggest challenges for professional users is to find value HDDs that are acceptable for RAID usage. Desktop drives suffer from numerous disadvantages when paired with onboard RAID, or even full-featured RAID controllers.
One of the keys for reliable RAID data storage is the ability to communicate HDD data errors to the controller. This prevents the drive itself from spending a lengthy time attempting to repair the error, which results in the RAID array dropping the entire drive from the array. Large capacity drives triggering an entire RAID rebuild process invoke a lengthy performance crippling process that places users in danger of losing all of their data in the event of an unrecoverable error. NAS drives avoid this process by communicating the error to the RAID code, which in turn rebuilds the affected data from parity.
The Red spins at 5,400 RPM, or Intellipower as WD refers to it, which reduces power consumption and noise. The WD Red Pro is designed for heavier workloads, and spins at 7,200 RPM. The 6TB Red also features a 10^14 UBER rating and one-million hour MTBF, which is on par for NAS HDDs. All the NAS drives in our test pool are rated for 600,000 load/unload cycles.
Initial revisions of the drive featured a firmware bug that slowed performance in heavy random workloads, but WD quickly issued a firmware fix for affected customers, and all drives currently shipping have the new firmware already installed.
NASware 3.0 improves resistance to vibration through a software implementation that detects vibration via head movements, and 3D Active Balance Plus dual-plane balance control steadies the platters during operation. The Red also improves reliability by completing all commands in process during a power loss event. WD has certified the Red series with a broad range of NAS manufacturers to ensure widespread compatibility.
The Red series offers a three-year warranty, and a 24/7 premium support phone line for users. The increased capacity and NASware 3.0 features make the Red a great choice for DAS RAID environments, and today we are testing the Red against the previous generation Red, and other RAID/NAS offerings. First, let's take a closer look at the hardware.
PRICING: You can find the WD Red Enterprise HDD for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The WD Red 6TB retails for $292.00 at Amazon, the WD Red 5TB retails for $244.00 at Amazon, the WD Red 4TB retails for $169.00 at Amazon, the WD Red 3TB retails for $121.99 at Amazon, the WD Red 2TB retails for $98.00 at Amazon, and the WD Red 1TB retails for $65.29 at Amazon.
Canada: The WD Red 6TB retails for CDN$375.48 at Amazon Canada, the WD Red 5TB retails for CDN$312.37 at Amazon Canada, the WD Red 4TB retails for CDN$203.16 at Amazon Canada, the WD Red 3TB retails for CDN$139.98 at Amazon Canada, the WD Red 2TB retails for CDN$119.99 at Amazon Canada, and the WD Red 1TB retails for CDN$74.98 at Amazon Canada.
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VisionTek mSATA mini to USB 3.0 Adapter Review
VisionTek may not be known for its storage prowess, most of us know them for being a vendor of AMD Radeon video cards. As of late, VisionTek has expanded and started offering competing solutions in the storage and memory spaces. One product they have begun offering is the mSATA to USB 3.0 adapter.
This adapter allows you to repurpose or build your own portable bus-powered storage solution by using a single mSATA SSD of your choice. Compatibility of the mSATA adapter extends to Windows XP and higher, OS X 10.4+ and Linux.
MSRP of the VisionTek mSATA Adapter is listed at $29.99 with a three-year warranty.
The VisionTek mSATA adapter is a great device for anyone wanting to repurpose an mSATA SSD or build a very portable storage solution. Build quality is great, with the enclosure made of metal adding durability, and it's remarkably easy to use.
Performance of the adapter was rather impressive, as I stated above, we almost maxed out USB 3.0 in read and write. Read performance topped out at 433 MB/s, while write performance fell just below 400 MB/s.
With an MSRP of just $29.99, the VisionTek mSATA adapter is one of the most cost effective solutions for adding portable storage to your arsenal, especially if you already have the mSATA drive.
PRICING: You can find the VisionTek Products 2.5-Inch mSATA Mini USB 3.0 Bus-Powered SSD Enclosure for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The VisionTek Products 2.5-Inch mSATA Mini USB 3.0 Bus-Powered SSD Enclosure retails for $29.17 at Amazon.
Canada: The VisionTek Products 2.5-Inch mSATA Mini USB 3.0 Bus-Powered SSD Enclosure retails for CDN$31.50 at Amazon Canada.
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Reeven Okeanos RC-1402 Dual-Tower CPU Cooler Review
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
As we just mentioned, our first experience with Reeven products was when we reviewed the Ouranos. Even though that design is prepped for two fans, it ships with a single fan, and its design is roughly based on the typical, tower style cooler design. While Reeven proves to hold their own in the standard tower cooler segment, they are also trying their hand at a dual-tower design. This means a few things right out of the gate. First, there are two fans in this kit, one to cool each tower. Secondly, the footprint increases as space and access around the cooler diminish. And lastly, one can only assume that with twice the fan, more surface area in total, we should also see a healthy performance jump over the Ouranos.
When we received the Ouranos from Reeven, we also received the cooler we will be testing today, the Okeanos RC-1402. While we covered most of the standout features offered in this cooler already, like the two bright yellow fans, a dual tower design, and its larger foot print, the Okeanos still has a couple of things left in its feature set. For instance, while the Okeanos is definitely not the same cooler as the Ouranos, the relationship between the designs is apparent in the trim and aesthetics.
Enough talking about the Okeanos though. Why don't we just get right into the specifications, so we know exactly what we are dealing with? Let's get a good look at the Okeanos RC-1402, and see what Reeven is offering this time around.
What Reeven doesn't mention is that both towers are topped with a one millimeter thick, brushed aluminum plate sporting the Reeven name. Reeven also doesn't tell us that these stacks consist of fifty-seven aluminum fins, which are 0.3mm in thickness, and are pressed onto the heat pipes. Here we are given some information on the heat pipes; the chart states that we get four 6mm heat pipes, and two 8mm heat pipes in the center. Of course, these are made of copper, but are also nickel-plated to add aesthetic appeal, and to help fight corrosion. The two-part base is also made of copper, and is nickel-plated along with the pipes; after they have been soldered in place, of course.
There is quite a bit of information to read about Reeven's choice of fans. In the box, you will find the 120mm, RM1225S18B-P, sleeve bearing fan used as the front fan. This fan is specified to spin in a speed range of 300 to 1800 RPM, delivering 92.5 CFM. As for the air pressure, we think we may have a handle on the information given. If our math and concept are correct, after converting the 0.098 inches to millimeters by multiplying it with 25.4, the 120mm fan should have 2.48 mmH2O. The 140mm fan for the middle of the towers is the RM1425S17B-P. This fan will spin in the range of 300 to 1700 RPMs, delivering 92.4 CFM of air flow. With that same math in play, our figures come up to 2.31 mmH2O of static pressure, making both fans almost a dead match outside of their dimensions.
Similar to what we saw with the Ouranos, finding the Okeanos cooler inside of the U.S. is nearly impossible, they just are not listed unless you happen upon a review sample on eBay, or similar websites. In our email correspondence with Reeven, we received the projected pricing for when the Reeven coolers do arrive on our soil. We are lead to believe that the Okeanos RC-1402 will sell in the range of $75 to $80. Think about that for a moment, and consider the release pricing of other dual-tower coolers. Just looking back at coolers like the Noctua NH-D14 and D15, or the likes of the Dark Rock Pro 3 and Assassin, these are all coolers that will cost much closer to the $100 range. If this Reeven is able to keep pace with the other dual-towers, that near $20 in savings will send the bang for the buck value of the Okeanos through the roof.
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Top 10 TweakTown Content from the past week [06 October 2014]
Here are our top 10 articles, reviews and guides from the past week!
- 4K Showdown - Intel X79 vs. X99 with ASUS GeForce GTX 980 4GB Quad SLI
- 4K Showdown - ASUS GTX 980 4GB in Single, SLI, 3-Way SLI and 4-Way SLI
- Supermicro X10DRC-T4+ (Intel C612) Server Motherboard Review
- SanDisk Ultra 128GB SDXC and 64GB microSDXC Memory Cards Review
- Toshiba Canvio AeroMobile Wireless External SSD Review
- Cougar 700M Black Edition Laser Gaming Mouse Review
- G.Skill Ripjaws4 DDR4-2400 16GB Quad-Channel Memory Kit Review
- Quanta MESOS CB220 Continuous Availability NAS Review
- Samsung SE-218GN Slim External DVD Writer Review
- Tt eSPORTS Ventus Ambidextrous Laser Gaming Mouse Review
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Angelbird SSD wrk 512GB SSD Review
Introduction
Angelbird has secured accounts with North American e-tailers NCIX and B&H. While not exactly Tiger or Newegg, it's a place to start. I remember when Noctua went through the same growing pains, and now every e-tailer wants to carry the Noctua brand. Angelbird has also collaborated with our favorite SSD proprietor in Australia as well, Rod from RamCity, to carry the Angelbird product line.
Today we're looking at the Angelbird SSD wrk. This is the company's first large-scale, worldwide release; so far, everything is going really well. Angelbird sent several review samples out at the same time, and the company already has ten glowing awards on the official product page. We are probably the last to publish a review for this product, and for good reason.
Our first experience with a 512GB Silicon Motion SM2246EN controlled SSD started at Computex in June. The drive was a Fujitsu F100 we ran some early tests on. Just a few weeks back, we published a review of the Corsair Force LX 512GB, another SM2246EN controlled SSD. In between, we tested several 256GB models with the same controller. The stack of SM2246EN drives all performed really well in our notebook battery life test, so good in fact that they compare well to Samsung's power sipping SSDs.
The Angelbird SSD wrk was the exception. We fiddled, poked, and prodded before reaching out to Angelbird, and within a bit of time the company disclosed a small firmware issue that effects notebook battery life. A new firmware is in the "wrks" (I had to use that somewhere in this review) and should be available soon. Instead of holding our review for another month, we're going to go ahead and let this one fly as is, and then circle back with an update on power when the new firmware lands in our inbox.
Specifications, Pricing and Availability
Several companies make SSDs with the Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller, but no one makes them as pretty as Angelbird. The SSD wrk comes in a black, brushed aluminum housing with cream-colored accents on the top and bottom sides of the drive.
Angelbird prides itself on quality, and nothing backs that claim up better than a nice long warranty. The company backs the SSD wrk with a five-year warranty, which is the longest warranty that we know of for a value based SSD using a Silicon Motion controller today. Speaking of value, the 128GB model costs just $99.99 at B&H at the time of writing. The 256GB model is $159.99, and the 512GB model we're testing today is just $299.99.
At first, it doesn't seem like the retail SSD wrk includes an accessory package at all. Inside of the box, you get the retail drive and a code on a card. However, the code allows you to download three pieces of software from Angelbird's website, including System Reflection, a back-up software; Parallels Desktop, a virtualization suite; and Pure Mix, a video tutorial software.
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Reeven Ouranos RC-1401 CPU Cooler Review
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
Finally, after a few months of waiting, we received a package that was quite heavy. As it turned out, the heftiness of the box was due to the fact that Reeven sent along not just one cooler, but two. Reeven sent us both a single tower cooler, and a dual tower cooler, so we could get a feel for the full lineup that they are bringing forth.
With nothing to base any sort of expectations off of, all we have in the beginning of things is our initial impressions of the packaging. Here, we can say that Reeven does a great job with some unique packaging that highlights the cooler. Like any marketing should, it definitely made us want to tear open the box and see just how well this cooler would keep up with all of the more well-known brands and coolers already in our charts.
While we will get to the testing phase soon enough, we should first get a look at what Reeven is all about, and just what sort of a product they are offering in the Ouranos RC-1401 CPU cooler that we have for you now. We love it when a newer company steps up to the plate and attempts to take on the mighty titans of the industry. We like it even more when they perform admirably, and show that they are not just some fly by night operation, but rather one that is built from the ground up with intelligent people making good decisions. We all know that a newcomer to the market has some big shoes to fill, and if they can't they will soon disappear, but from what we have gathered, Reeven will be around for a long time to come.
What the chart doesn't tell you is that this cooler has a two piece copper base that has been milled on the bottom to a near mirror polish. It does show there are four 6mm diameter pipes used along with a pair of 8mm diameter pipes, but it does not mention they are copper, nor does it mention the pipes have been Nickel plated for aesthetic and anti-oxidation reasons, just as the base had been. Reeven does not mention the V-configuration in which the pipes pass through the aluminum fins. They also do not mention that there are fifty-five, 0.4mm thick, natural aluminum fins, or that there is a one millimeter thick, brushed aluminum top plate with the Reeven name engraved into it.
We also see that the fan that comes with the cooler is 140mm in diameter, but Reeven makes no mention of the RM1425S17B-P model name. They state this fan will run at speeds from 300 to 1700 RPM, and is capable of delivering 92.4 CFM of air flow. The static pressure rating is all sorts of confusing, and is in inches of water moved, and what does the 14cm have to do with it? As for the noise level produced, with full power supplied through the four-pin PWM connection, the noise produced is 36.4 dBA. They also do not mention that this cooler's supplied fan may have a standard black frame, but the blades on these Reeven fans are bright yellow.
While there are older Reeven designs available on this side of the pond in places like Amazon and eBay, finding anything from Reeven is a challenge to be honest. News from early this summer pointed to Reeven shipping these coolers in late June or early July. But who knows? Maybe the container is stuck in customs, but for the readers out there that will like this cooler, and there will be a lot of you, we are still playing the waiting game.
In our email correspondence with Reeven, we were given the projected pricing, but with the information we were given, we can assume the MSRP wasn't exactly set in stone yet. For the Ouranos RC-1401, we were told to expect pricing to fall in the $55 to $58 range. Right around $60 seems to be a good, average cost for air coolers; other top-tier coolers out there demand much more.
Now it's time to check out the packaging, find out everything there is to know about the Ouranos, and get it installed and tested. This way we can prove to you without a shadow of a doubt that not only has Reeven come up with a good looking and very solid feeling CPU cooler, but also that you can be the new kid on the block, and play just as hard as the well-paid first string lineup.
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GOTTA WYSIWYG Boost Portable Chargers Review
Introduction, Specifications, & Pricing
I received a package from GOTTA around a month ago, but with my busy home life schedule (having two kids under four chews up some serious time), and travelling to the U.S., I only got around to reviewing these chargers recently. GOTTA is a new to me, and most likely new to you as well, so let's introduce the company before we dive into the review.
When it comes to pricing, GOTTA is pricing the batteries at a little above average, but we'll find out later in the review if we think they're worth that slight premium. The Boost 2600, Boost 4500, and Boost 5500 have MSRPs of $29.99, $39.99, and $49.99, respectively.
Taking a Look Around the GOTTA Boost Batteries
Let's start with the Boost 2600, which I think is the best looking of all of the GOTTA chargers we have here today. The Boost 2600 features a beautiful black, gloss front, with a touch control for on/off abilities, and a battery indicator to the left. It's also super slim, coming in at just 9mm thick.
The GOTTA Boost 4500 cranks things up a notch, offering a 4500mAh internal li-polymer battery, two USB outputs (1A and 2A), and an LED flashlight function. The look of the Boost 4500 is unique with the checkerboard style design on the front, which is really unique for a portable battery.
Finally, we have the Boost 5500, which looks like its sibling, the Boost 2600. I'm loving the black gloss look, and even though it has a much-increased li-polymer battery, it is only 13mm thick. The touch control makes an appearance again, and two USB outputs are available for charging two devices at once.
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Mpow Mbox Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review
Introduction
I get a handful of portable speakers sent to me every month, and half of them come from companies that I've never heard of before; and most of the time, that's a good thing. It's good, because I am introduced to companies that I might have never worked with otherwise. I am also introduced to products that I had no idea existed, and that I actually like, and love to review.
Specifications, Pricing, and Availability
Mpow has put together an extremely stylish mobile speaker with mid-range specs. The Mbox features a 1500mAh internal lithium-ion battery that powers the Mbox for around ten hours, of which I was able to experience nine or so hours in my testing. The Mbox also uses Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.Inside of the product packaging, we find the Mbox speaker, a USB charging cable, 3.5mm audio cable, and a user manual. In terms of Warranty, Mpow covers you for 18 months, with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
The Mpow currently sells on Amazon for $49.99, which is a great value for this type of speaker.
A Closer Look
Now we're going to take a closer look at the Mpow Mbox speaker, beginning with the front of the product.
Design
At first glance, the Mbox looks like something Apple would design, which isn't a bad thing. The beautiful aluminum frame lends a big hand here, with the perforated white grid style on the front being very eye-catching.The Mbox doesn't just look good; it also feels great in the hand. Unfortunately, there's only one color option, and with this design, it would've been great to see various color options. The perforated front would look great in every color: blue, red, green; and even interchangeable covers for the front would've been a nice change in pace.
PRICING: You can find the Mpow Mbox for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Mbox retails for $49.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Mbox retails for CDN$55.99 at Amazon Canada.
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Tt eSPORTS Ventus Ambidextrous Laser Gaming Mouse Review
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
Team DK has dished above average paint out to Thermaltake products, and has been a great influence in the shaping, layout, and feel of these gaming mice. Thermaltake has really produced some great gaming mice for gamers, by gamers. What we don't typically see in many gaming mice are enough options for left hand users, either dedicated, or ambidextrous. The mouse we are reviewing today is ambidextrous in design, and even as a right hand user, the feel is still great. Like the Level 10M, this mouse also offers the Air-Through Ventilation design, so long hours of gaming are much cooler, and it will be much harder to lose your grip on this mouse, with either hand.
Because the Air-Through Ventilation is such a huge influence on the overall design of this latest gaming mouse from Thermaltake, the name of the mouse is Ventus, reflecting the well ventilated design. The mouse also boasts a full gaming feature set. These features include three LED zones on the mouse, seven programmable buttons, five profiles, and software to take full control of the Ventus for any occasion. Along with the Ventus Ambidextrous Gaming mouse, we were also sent the Draconem aluminum mouse pad to test alongside the Ventus. So, after a couple of weeks on the desk, we are finally able to tell you exactly what the Ventus and Draconem bring to today's gamers.
The Draconem aluminum mouse pad is, of course, based on a cut slap of aluminum that is 2mm in thickness. The aluminum base features a brushed finish, and two usable surfaces, one on either side of the pad. The red and black surface is very aggressive in texture to provide superior accuracy for finite movements. On the reverse side is a black surface that is much smoother, which makes gliding across the Draconem much easier, and still offers a great deal of accuracy and sensitivity. Two other bonuses to this design is that the four corners offer removable covers that act as feet. If the Draconem decides it wants to move around during use, make sure to use the black rubber covers on the corners. The second bonus to this pad is that there is also a two piece cord bungee included in the box. So, not only do we get one of the biggest aluminum pads on the market, but it is also one of the most feature rich designs we have ever seen.
As we were writing this, we took the time to visit all the usual haunts to find listings for these products. However, when it comes to the Ventus and the Draconem, stock is not showing up for sale anywhere, and site search engines are coming up blank. We couldn't even locate a pre-order listing anywhere. Thankfully, Thermaltake always lists the MSRP of their products on their respective webpages, so you can cross reference before you add anything to the cart. On the Thermaltake Ventus product page, we saw that the Ventus mouse has an MSRP of only $49.99. As for the Draconem, it is a tad pricey in comparison to cloth mouse pads, but we feel the MSRP of $39.99 is more than fair for the quality and extras it offers.
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OCZ Intrepid 3600 Enterprise SSD Review
Introduction
The Intrepid series consists of the 3600 and 3800 models that are available to OEMs or retail markets. Server-side flash is a booming business and the entrance of the fabs into this segment has upset the old model of deploying client-side SSDs into read-centric applications. Fab-enabled companies can provide enterprise features and firmware at very competitive prices.
The Intrepid SSDs are geared for use in appliances and server-side flash deployments. The 800GB Intrepid 3800 features up to 7.48 PB of endurance for write-intensive applications. The 800GB Intrepid 3600 has up to 1.5 PB of endurance and is geared for read-intensive applications, such as web search, media streaming, indexing, and other general-purpose server-side flash deployments. The primary differentiator between the two SSDs lies in the NAND. Both use Toshiba 19nm Toggle, but the higher-endurance 3800 utilizes eMLC to provide more endurance, while the 3600 utilizes standard MLC.
OCZ has provided enterprise storage solutions in the past with their SandForce-powered Intrepid and Deneva offerings. However, the amount of control OCZ exerted over the firmware was limited. For the new Intrepid series, OCZ utilizes the Marvell SS9187 with OCZ's own proprietary enterprise firmware. This gives OCZ the flexibility required to add more enterprise-centric features and functionality. OCZ also offers the drive with locked firmware, ensuring wide compatibility and intense verification, an important consideration for OEM use.
OCZ has custom controller silicon in use in client applications, and validation and qualification cycles are likely already underway for the enterprise segment. OCZ's Everest 2 platform leverages the hardened Marvell 9187 with organic firmware in their inaugural SSD. The Intrepid offers end-to-end full data path protection via CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) as the data traverses the internal buffers and caches. OCZ ensures data integrity with advanced ECC algorithms. The Intrepid also features another layer of protection with an integrated RAID-like parity scheme. These techniques provide a 1 per 10E17 UBER rating.
Power loss protection (PLP) is an expected characteristic of any enterprise-class offering, and the Intrepid series offers PLP with a unique design. The large AVX supercapacitor offers enough capacitance to flush any data in-flight to the NAND in the event of host power loss. MTBF weighs in at 2,000,000 hours and the drive is 256-bit AES-compliant to fulfill encryption requirements.
OCZ focused on providing exceptional performance and consistent latency for the Intrepid 3000 Series. OCZ's performance consistency focus is important; it delivers big dividends in application performance and RAID environments. The Intrepid is five time faster than the previous-generation Deneva in random write and twice as fast in random read workloads.
Enhanced SMART attributes offer temperature logging and monitoring along with other enterprise-specific attributes. The Intrepid is backed by a five-year warranty with dedicated FAE support. OCZ also offers the StoragePeak 1000 software for management. Let's see how the Intrepid 3600 stacks up against the competition.
PRICING: You can find the OCZ Intrepid 3600 400GB SSD for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The OCZ Intrepid 3600 400GB SSD retails for $533.00 at Amazon.
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Quanta MESOS CB220 Continuous Availability NAS Review
Introduction
QCT's product stack consists of enterprise servers, storage, and networking products. QCT also uses the products in full rack solutions like Rackgo X, a product inspired by the Open Compute Project. This is an important aspect to consider when making a purchasing decision. QCT not only builds, but also uses their products. I can't count the number of times I've used a product and wondered why the final design came as it did. By using their products before sending them to market, QCT should eliminate those moments.
Hardware Specifications
Other differences between the two product SKUs reside in the SAS controller system and network options. The Performance SKU uses a LSI 927108i HA-DAS controller in each node for hardware RAID, and LSI Syncro CS technology. The Value model ships with a LSI 9211-8i HBA in each node, and uses Windows Storage Spaces for RAID. The performance model also has a dual 10GbE SFP+ option for network connectivity. Both models ship with dual Intel I350 one gigabit ports with an option for Intel's X540 10GBE RJ45 ports, again per node.
An Intel I350AM1 offers SerDes communication between each node. This adds to the continuous availability by allowing communication to the other node should a communications cable be lost, or a failure occur in the network infrastructure.
Twelve 3.5" hot-plug SAS drive sleds are shared between the two nodes. The drive sleds support both 2.5" and 3.5" drives. Our system shipped with Seagate 2TB 3.5" SAS drives. We have the performance SKU in for testing, and verified the LSI 9271-81 cards support CacheCade SSD caching, but our system didn't ship with any solid state drives.
The system uses two 1100w high efficiency redundant power supplies to power the system.
Expansion
QCT offers two 4U JBOD expansion enclosures for use with the MESOS CB220 system.
Pricing
We asked QCT about pricing, and a representative came through. The CB220 Value SKU with 48TB of disk storage (12x 4TB SAS) came in at $18,610. The Performance SKU with the same 48TB of disk storage paired with Syncro CS hardware RAID is $25,163.After researching online, we found that Serversdirect.com sells the Value SKU without disks, or the 10GbE mezzanine card, for just $9,225. The SFP+ dual 10GbE NIC add-on will set you back $315, and the X540 dual port 10GbE RJ45 NIC sells for $318. Servers Direct quotes a three-year warranty period.
PRICING: You can find the Quanta MESOS CB220 (Value SKU) for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Quanta MESOS CB220 (Value SKU) retails for $9,491.00 at Amazon.
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G.Skill Ripjaws4 DDR4-2400 16GB Quad-Channel Memory Kit Review
As weird as it is to say, the kit we're looking at from G.Skill is one of the more value orientated ones that we've seen so far. We've taken a look at a number of DDR4 kits since the launch of the Intel X99 platform, but we must say the first Ripjaws4 kit we looked at from G.Skill, which carried a 3000MHz DDR clock speed, really impressed us. Bringing with it some strong performance at quite an aggressive price point, we saw a kit from G.Skill that really stood out from the large amount of DDR4 that launched at the same time.
Today, taking a look at the kit below, you can see the overall design is pretty much identical to the 3000MHz DDR kit we looked at recently from G.Skill. You can see we've got the same red heat sink design and against the black PCB, we end up with a kit of RAM that really looks great.
The big difference between the two kits is this one comes with a stock clock speed of 2400MHz DDR. The lower clock speed also means that the memory doesn't require the same 1.35v, instead it comes in at 1.2v. This also impacts the price a fair bit - we'll take a closer look at that towards the end, though.
When it came to installing the kit, we knew that we wouldn't run into any problems. Installing the kit into our ASUS ROG RAMPAGE V EXTREME, we headed straight into the BIOS and set the XMP profile to 1. As we expected, our system booted without a single problem and got into Windows.
Back in the BIOS, the best way to figure out what type of clock speed we're able to get is by moving the memory divider up one notch at a time till it no longer boots. Along with that, we also move the memory voltage to 1.35v, as we know that it's still plenty safe enough on the kits we've tested so far.
Finally, the last thing we do is head back into the BIOS and increase our CPU multiplier to get results with our G.Skill Ripjaws4 DDR4 kit running at its highest overclocked speed, along with our highest overclocked CPU speed. Taking a look below, you can see in our graphs the final result was a 45x multiplier, which when combined with the 103 BCLK, resulted in a final clock speed of 4634MHz on our Core i7 5960X.
As we move to 2883MHz DDR, though, you see some big movement in the read and copy results. This increase in performance also helps separate it from the massive ADATA kit that managed to sneak slightly ahead. When we throw CPU overclocking into the mix, you can see there's no real difference when it comes to RAM bandwidth. This is something that has been consistent with the last few generations of Intel chipsets.
As we start to increase the clock speeds, we start to see more movement, especially as our CPU clock increases. Moving from our CPU and RAM running at stock to both running at their maximum overclock, you can see an increase of around 30% here. Of course, most of the gains are thanks to the strong increase in CPU clock speed.
The Ripjaws4 DDR4 kit from G.Skill really stands out. While the 3000MHz DDR kit from them came in at around the $400 mark, this 2400MHz DDR kit comes in at the mid $200 price point. Thanks to the strong overclocking potential of the kit, this is a fantastic option for people who are looking for something that's strong and won't break the bank.
2400MHz DDR is the next step up from the standard 2133MHz DDR kit and a fantastic option for people who are looking to get a bit more performance when compared to the default clock speed. Thanks to the lower voltage, we've also got a fair bit of head room as we can move to 1.35v.
If you're looking for a well-priced 16GB kit that offers some added performance out of the box over the default 2133MHz rated kits, this is a nice option. If you then want to see if you can get even more performance out of the kit via overclocking, you've got the ability, as you can increase that default voltage from 1.2 to 1.35v.
Not everyone needs a massive 64GB of DDR4, nor do they need a kit that runs at over 3000MHz. If you're looking for something that isn't too expensive and yet offers some fantastic performance, this 2400MHz DDR4 Ripjaws4 kit from G.Skill is a kit you should be looking at. If you're looking for a bit more RAM, though, the 32GB version of the kit that comes in at a little over $500, and is also a great option to consider.
PRICING: You can find the 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4 2400MHz PC4-19200 CL15 Quad Channel kit (4x4GB) for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4 2400MHz PC4-19200 CL15 Quad Channel kit (4x4GB) retails for $306.94 at Amazon.
Canada: The 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4 2400MHz PC4-19200 CL15 Quad Channel kit (4x4GB) retails for CDN$375.85 at Amazon Canada.
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Cougar 700M Black Edition Laser Gaming Mouse Review
Introduction, Specifications and Pricing
We are here today to get our first look at any Cougar peripherals, and it just so happens to be Cougar's flagship entry to the market. Without giving too much away up front, this mouse we are about to see from Cougar packs quite a bit onto a compact package. Of course, it comes with awesome software, offers Macros and profiles, full RGB color options for the front facing LED, a unique shape, style, and layout. Also, from what we have seen, this mouse is built to last, and take on both palm grip and claw grip users with a few good tricks in the trunk.
Today we will be looking at the Cougar 700M Black Edition mouse, and as you will see, this mouse rivals mice as elite as those in the Level 10M series. The Cougar 700M has an aluminum frame and offers the buttons creatively placed in an atypical layout. Because of the layout, the 700M will take some time to get used to, but once you gain full control of what it offers, you will surely be impressed. Cougar sure set the bar extremely high for their first sample sent to us, and there is even more capability that we were unable to test still left in their bag of tricks. This is truly one of those designs that will do things that will make most users' heads spin.
The provided chart is very thorough, and affords all of the information a knowledgeable buyer would want to know about the product prior to purchasing it. Of course, we already knew this is the Cougar 700M mouse, but we were given the Black Edition, and there is a sister mouse called the Silver Edition. The Silver Edition has an orange frame, where ours is left in the natural state. Both 700M mice are based on the Avago ADNS A9800 laser sensor for all of the sensing and tracking, with a DPUI range of 50 to 8200 DPI in 50 DPI increments of fine tuning.
Let's move right into the Cougar UIX System, which is the GIU that brings the options on the 700M to a level above what most mice have to offer. This is where you gain access to the DPIU, the 1ms polling rate, lighting options, and all other forms of programmability. We also see that Cougar includes Omron switches in this design to extend the life of the 700M. The rest of the chart continues with the laser tolerances and capabilities, tells us there is a gold plated USB 2.0 connection at the end of the 1.8 meters of cable, and that they pack all of this into a mouse that is 127mm from front to back, only 83mm wide from wing tip to wing tip, and only stands 38mm in height. This mouse initially weighs in at 130 grams, but there is a spot to add four additional weights for a total weight of 148 grams.
Cougar's website has no MSRP to base our shopping experience off of, but we were easily able to locate stock of the Black Edition 700M almost anywhere. The Silver Edition is a bit tougher to find, but it is out there in the wild too. While we do find the Black Edition of the 700M that we are testing at Amazon for a price of $79.99, we can assure you that it is not the best deal to be had when shopping e-tailers. Not only can I find the 700M with a price that is $10 less elsewhere, but it is also listed with free shipping.
As for our review, as any smart shopper would do, we are basing this review off the more affordable $69.99 pricing that can be had almost anywhere in the U.S.. We have to add here that this is a good price for the average offering in gaming mice, the 700M isn't your average offering. Once you see everything that the Cougar 700M is capable of at this price, it will really make you think deeply about getting one for yourself.
PRICING: You can find the Cougar 700M for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Cougar 700M Black Edition retails for $79.00 at Amazon, and the Cougar 700M Silver Edition retails for $79.99 at Amazon.
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Toshiba Canvio AeroMobile Wireless External SSD Review
The Canvio AeroMobile storage solution is Toshiba's take on wireless storage. This solution features 128GB of solid state storage accessible via 802.11n or USB 3.0. In addition to the on-board storage, the AeroMobile features an SD slot, giving users the ability to add capacity if needed or insert their memory cards from other devices and share that data with their smartphones and tablets. Compatibility is listed for iOS and Android devices, along with standard PCs via USB 3.0.
MSRP of the Toshiba Canvio AeroMobile in the 128GB capacity is listed at $149.99 (till September 30, 2014 at the time of writing) with a one-year warranty.
The Canvio AeroMobile is quite possibly the most put together mobile storage solution we have seen come through the lab. The 128GB of capacity gives the end-user a great amount of storage for videos, photos and whatever additional data they would like to store on the device. The build quality is clean, plastics fit together tight, and with the solid state storage, adds a bit of durability to the overall package.
Performance of the Canvio over USB 3.0 was rather good. We reached nearly 200 MB/s read and write and utilizing the app for iOS, we were able to do a complete backup of our iPhone 5s. The additional capability to add a SD card to the unit is a welcomed feature and really adds to the value of the kit.
PRICING: You can find the Toshiba Canvio AeroMobile Wireless SSD (HDTQ112XCWF1) for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Toshiba Canvio AeroMobile Wireless SSD (HDTQ112XCWF1) retails for $129.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Toshiba Canvio AeroMobile Wireless SSD (HDTQ112XCWF1) retails for CDN$199.87 at Amazon Canada.
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SanDisk Ultra 128GB SDXC and 64GB microSDXC Memory Cards Review
In the lab today, we have a high capacity solution from SanDisk, and while it isn't the 512GB monster, it does carry 128GB of capacity. The SanDisk Ultra portfolio of memory cards is catered to the average consumer. These cards work great with compact and mid-range point and shoot cameras and camcorders with read speeds up to 30 MB/s.
Switching gears, we move to the 64GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC. This card carries both UHS I and Speed Class 10 designations, and is marketed towards smartphone and tablet users. Performance of this solution is said to reach speed of 30 MB/s read/write.
MSRP of the SanDisk Ultra SDXC in the 128GB capacity is listed at $199.99 with a lifetime warranty. The 64GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC is listed at $99.99, also with a lifetime warranty.
The SanDisk Ultra line-up largely being focused towards average consumer with compact point and shoot cameras, smartphones and tablets, really depends on having a decent amount of capacity for the price. The Ultra 128GB surely takes this to another level, and while it doesn't have the highest performance, it carries plenty for the casual user. Price, on the other hand, is quite high at this point, largely due to its new to the market nature, and as most things should come down over time.
The SanDisk Ultra microSDXC solution, on the other hand, is priced about right for it price/performance ratio, and actually lands just above Samsung's EVO microSDXC in our charts.
Performance of both of these cards came in around the same numbers 47 MB/s read and 13 MB/s write. Build quality was good and being SD cards, they are temperature, shock and waterproof. Overall, the SanDisk Ultra SDXC and microSDXC solutions are great for the casual user, but I would look around for the best price when you're out shopping.
PRICING: You can find the SanDisk Ultra memory cards for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The SanDisk Ultra 128GB SDXC retails for $79.99 at Amazon, and the SanDisk 64GB Mobile Ultra MicroSDXC retails for $31.49 at Amazon
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Supermicro X10DRC-T4+ (Intel C612) Server Motherboard Review
Introduction
The X9DR7-TF+ is a fully loaded motherboard that is packed with features, and has top performance to boot. We really enjoyed everything the X9DR7-TF+ had to offer, so when we had a chance to review the Supermicro X10DRC-T4+, we were very excited to fire this board up and see what it could do.
Supermicro took the already powerful X9DR7-TF+ motherboard, and fully updated it to handle the new Haswell-EP E5-2600 v3 series processors and C612 chipset, plus they threw in a whole host of new features, to make the new X10DRC-T4+. The X10DRC-T4+ is a top-of-the-line Supermicro motherboard, able to take on many data center needs with ease.
The X10DRC-T4+ also fits into Supermicro's New Generation X10 Green Computing Solutions, with optimized performance and power efficiency. The key features of the X10DRC-T4+ are:
- Dual socket R3 (LGA 2011) supports Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 family; QPI up to 9.6GT/s
- Intel C612 chipset
- Up to 1.5TB reg. ECC DDR4 2133MHz; 24x DIMM sockets
- Two PCI-E 3.0 x16, three PCI-E 3.0 x8, and one PCI-E 2.0 x4 (in x8) slot
- Quad LAN w/ Intel X540 10GBase-T
- Ten SATA3 (6Gbps) ports w/ Intel C612 controller; RAID 0, 1, 5, 10
- Eight SAS3 (12Gbps) ports w/ LSI 3108 controller; RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60
- SuperCap option support. Integrated IPMI 2.0 and KVM with Dedicated LAN
- Three USB 3.0 (two rear, one Type A)
United States: The Supermicro X10DRC-T4+ retails for $1,039.95 at Amazon.
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Turtle Beach XO ONE Gaming Headset Now Available in Stores
Turtle Beach, the leading audio brand in the video games industry, today announced that the XO ONE gaming headset designed for the Xbox One console is now available in stores and at online retailers. The XO ONE, which has an MSRP of $79.95, includes a new proprietary Xbox One audio controller that features mic monitoring and other chat features that multiplayer gamers rely on. Turtle Beach is the gaming audio brand of Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR).
"Delivering the features that regular gamers want and expect in a headset is one of the things that makes Turtle Beach stand out as a brand," said Juergen Stark, chief executive officer of Turtle Beach. "We are very excited about the new Xbox One gaming headsets that we are bringing to stores this holiday season, starting with the XO ONE."
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Eurocom Launches M5 Pro Ultra HD Notebook
Eurocom is launching the thin and light, M5 Pro with a choice NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M and 970M graphics, 32 GB DDR3-1600 memory, 4 TB storage, a stunning 4k (3840x2160) 15.6" display and an Intel Core i7 4710HQ processor. If there was ever a laptop that could blur the lines between ultraportable and gaming it would be the EUROCOM M5 Pro, powerful enough to run current and future games at ultra with the weight, dimensions and battery life of an ultraportable.
The EUROCOM M5 Pro supports both NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M (4GB DDR5) or GTX 970M (3GB DDR5) graphics for unbeatable performance, raw power and great battery life.
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M's 1536 CUDA cores, running at 1038 MHz and 8 GB of GDDR5 memory running at 2500 MHz offers 50% faster performance than the previous generation NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M.
Experience great notebook graphics performance with next generation NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M and 970M Maxwell graphics for advanced performance, unmatched power efficiency and cutting edge features.
15.6-inch 4K Display
The EUROCOM M5 Pro supports a beautiful 15.6-inch 4K 3840-by-2160 display as well as a FHD 1920-by-1080 matte display. The high pixel density of the 4K display with 8,294,400 pixels provides extremely detailed images for true to life content. Eurocom also offers professional colour calibration services to ensure every one of those 8 million pixels are accurate as possible.
Aluminum Alloy Chassis
An Aluminum Alloy Chassis is used to offer a durable, rugged yet classy look while offering a very lightweight and strong 2.6 kg case that is just one inch thick. The Aluminum also provides heat sink qualities, which allowed Eurocom to put such high performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M and 970M graphics and other components inside the M5 Pro.
Storage
The EUROCOM M5 Pro supports four physical drives by way of two optional M.2 2280 SSDs and one 7.5 mm and one 9 mm storage bays, with RAID 0/1 support.
A fast and powerful M.2 2280 SSD is ideal for Intel's Smart Response SSD-caching and Intel Rapid Start technology. Intel Smart Response is an intelligent caching setup that monitors data reads and writes on your system drive and caches the most frequently accessed data to an SSD. This results in a significant speed boost, as the data is ready for when your system needs it. RAID 0/1is also supported for increased performance or redundancy. Intel Rapid Start Technology enables systems to quickly resume from deep sleep in about 6 seconds.
Intel Core i7 4710HQ Processor
The EUROCOM M5 Pro has an Intel HM87 Express Chipset running the Intel Core i7 4710HQ processor with 4 cores, 8 threads running at 2.5 GHz with integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600. Due to Hyperthreading, the four cores can handle up to eight threads in parallel leading to better overall utilization of the CPU. The i7-4710HQ is rated at a TDP of 47 W including video card and memory controller.
Memory
The EUROCOM M5 Pro has 4 memory slots ready for up to 32 GB of dual channel DDR3 1600MHz or 1866 MHz 204 pin SO-DIMM. With such massive amounts of RAM available, the M5 Pro becomes a flexible tool for virtualization and high performance computing. Being fully upgradeable the EUROCOM M5 Pro supports 8 GB, 16 GB, 24 GB and 32 GB of memory via 4 or 8 GB modules.
Full size backlit Keyboard
The EUROCOM M5 Pro comes with a full size backlit keyboard with separate numeric keypad. The adjustable white backlit keys help to increase usability in dim lighting conditions by ensuring users can see the keyboard in nearly any environment, while also hinting at the epic power under the hood.
Power and Battery
All features in the EUROCOM M5 Pro are powered by a 180W AC adapter so the M5 Pro is ready to handle any workload. With a removable 4-cell 60 WH Polymer battery, the M5 Pro can deliver up to 3.3 hours of full power battery life.
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Shuttle Announces High-resolution Triple-display Slim PC
Shuttle Inc. announced the launch of its latest slim PC, the XH97V, an all-around performance PC with some impressive key features fit for home theatre, small office, and industrial use. The device is just as suitable for low-noise home-media PC with support for 4K monitors as it is for digital signage applications with three independent displays. It's a compact, 3-liter barebone built on Intel's recently released H97 chipset and made to support the newest Intel processors with a LGA 1150 socket up to 65W. XH97V support the latest Haswell/Haswell Refresh processors with an integrated Intel HD Graphics series core and DirectX 11.1, delivering high-performance both at home and in the workplace.
Finally, the XH97V is built with quality materials and uses solid capacitors throughout its motherboard assembly. The system is sturdy and demonstrates reliably stable operation in 0-50 ⁰C ambient temperatures. Equipped with Shuttle's exclusive heat pipe plus smart fan technology, the device has ventilation on both the ride and left side of the chassis and runs reliably cool. The XH97V is 24/7 certified and is currently being distributed globally.
For more information, visit the product page.
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Top 10 TweakTown Press Releases from the past week [06 October 2014]
Here are our top 10 posted press releases from the past week!
- LSI SandForce Flash Controllers Demonstrate Breakthrough Real-World Performance and Endurance
- Sharkoon Announces Skiller PRO Gaming Keyboard
- Samsung Starts Producing 3.2-Terabyte NVMe SSD Based on 3D V-NAND
- Netgear Announces New Nighthawk X4 R7500 Smart Wi-Fi Router
- Lian Li Announces the PC-V1000L Full Tower Chassis
- Micron Debuts the M600 Solid State Drives
- Razer Goes Full Spectrum Color With All-New Chroma Feature
- SteelSeries Introduces the DeX Mousepad
- QNAP Now Shipping 4 GB Version of TS-x51 Series NAS
- Cooler Master Announces Novatouch TKL Keyboard
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