Deepcool Assassin II Review
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MSI Z170A Gaming M7 Review
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Official Mod Tools Arrive for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Gamers everywhere have been enjoying The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt over the last several months, with CD Projekt RED's stellar RPG keeping many people entertained for hours on end. If you want a little more to your game, however, and need something beyond what CDP has already provided with the free DLC, perhaps some mods will strike your fancy? Earlier today, CD Projekt announced the Witcher 3 Modkit and a suite of modding tools to give you a little more with your game. The Modkit allows for texture import and export to change up how items look in the world, new meshes can be inserted to completely replace in-game models, and scripts can be implemented to change up existing files or bring in whole new ones. Want to change up some item stats? Now you can!
The Modkit can be downloaded from the Witcher 3 Nexus page, along with four mods to give a taste of what the tools can do. These sample mods are all bundled in one download and are based off the official modding guide CDP released. One replaces Geralt's starting outfit, another changes up Roach's appearance, the third changes up some scripts for bombs, and the final one covers scripts for an equipment set. The Nexus has also updated its Mod Manager to version 0.56, but because of how it is set up with the game folders, it will only work with mods made through the Modkit. Older mods and mods made without the Modkit will still work, of course, just not with the Nexus Mod Manager.
One thing that CDP does not intend to release anytime soon is a full Redkit for The Witcher 3 to allow modders to change up everything in the game. Maybe someday that tune will change, but for now, the Modkit will be it.
Sources: GOG, Nexus, and Twitter
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Hardware Roundup: Friday, August 14, 2015, Edition
We have arrived at the end of the week, with a couple of items to welcome in the weekend. There is a new case mod focused on an Intel X99 build, but with a completely made from scratch case that has to be seen. Huge resevoirs flank either side of the hardware on the inside, with a white lighting and dye theme to give it a strong appearance. We also have a new podcast covering the latest news and reviews from the past week.
Miscellany
Case Mod Friday: L3Pipe @ ThinkComputers
Podcast #362 @ PC Perspective
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New Catalyst Discovered for Converting Carbon Dioxide to Liquid Fuel
Finding ways to utilize waste products is always a good idea, as it can reduce the amount of other resources we rely on. Carbon dioxide is no different than any other waste product in this way, and teams across the planet have been looking for new ways to use it. Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have recently discovered a new catalyst that could make converting CO2 into methanol easier than it ever has been.
Carbon dioxide is made by a large number of chemical processes, including the combustion of fuels, so the idea of converting it back into a fuel is especially tantalizing. Currently catalysts of copper, zinc oxide, and aluminum oxide help the gas be converted into methanol, but they have a limited number of binding sites, which requires the CO2 is put under pressure. Putting the gas under pressure takes a lot of energy, but this new catalyst, a copper tetramer has all of its binding sites open, allowing it to work at lower pressures. A tetramer is a cluster of four atoms, in this case copper atoms that are on top of a thin film of aluminum oxide.
By not requiring the CO2 to be pressurized, the energy required to convert it to methanol is significantly reduced, and while this research demonstrates the potential of this new catalyst, there is still a lot of work to do. It is possible that the tetramers break down over time, in an industrial setting, and producing them at industrial scales may prove very difficult. Naturally more research is required, but the researchers are also looking to find other catalysts that may perform even better.
Source: Argonne National Laboratory
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13-Inch Professional Chromebook Launched by Dell
Dell has announced that it has officially launched a professional Chromebook solution, known as the Chromebook 13, which is marketed directly at mobile users who require a machine that fits today’s on-the-go lifestyle. The latest Chromebook offers consumers with a 13.3-inch high definition IPS display that includes the Corning Gorilla Glass NBT touch solution, a backlit keyboard, a precision touchpad, dual array microphones, and a 720p HD video webcam. The Dell Chromebook 13 is also configurable with up to a 5th generation Intel Core i5 processor alongside 8GB of system memory; battery life is rated for up to 12 hours. The chassis of the Chromebook 13 by Dell is comprised of high-quality materials, including a carbon fiber weave cover, magnesium alloy palm rest, and aluminum base, making it both lightweight and durable. The Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Client Solutions at Dell, Kirk Schell, noted that "Our latest Chromebook offering is designed for the mobile professional, and provides customers with an unrivalled Chrome experience which mixes the cost and simplicity benefits of Google's Chrome portfolio with Dell's commitment to design."
The Dell Chromebook 13 starts at just $399 and is expected to be available to purchase in the United States and Canada beginning September 17. Upon purchase, businesses can even include Dell’s newest support service, ProSupport Plus, which offers businesses with priority access to expert support 24x7, repair for drops, spills, and other mishaps, and a Technical Account Manager for customers with more than 1,000 entitled systems.
Source: TechPowerUp
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Lenovo Once Again Stuffs Junkware On Its Computers; Tool Available to Remove It
Remember earlier this year when Lenovo found itself in hot water over the Superfish software pre-installed on its computers that could leave the system open to attack? And how a class-action lawsuit was then filed over the matter? Well, evidently Lenovo did not learn its lesson then, as a new piece of pre-installed software has been discovered in certain Lenovo computers. This software is a little more nasty, as it functions more like a rootkit in that it will install itself back onto your Lenovo computer despite removing it or even doing a clean install of Windows. The problem lies in the fact this item is in the BIOS on the computers, and then runs before the Windows executable starts. This item, called the Lenovo Service Engine (LSE), checks on every boot up if it's installed, and if not, begins a quick and quiet reinstall.
Annoying? Yes. Possibly hazardous and dangerous? You better believe it. This LSE exploits Microsoft's Windows Platform Binary Table (WPBT) feature in order to run on the firmware, which is typically used by manufacturers and corporate IT to ensure drivers, programs, and the like into Windows. When used properly, WPBT helps protect the OS from dangerous exploits, even during a fresh install of Windows. However, LSE has a buffer-overflow vulnerability that can be used to gain administrator-level privileges to the system. That could open you up to a whole new level of security headaches, and is something that goes wholly against the purpose of WPBT. Lenovo first learned of this "bug," if you want to call it that, back in April, but didn't remove it from its computers until June.
Both laptops and desktops had LSE installed on it, but not any Think-brand models. If you purchased a new ThinkPad, you're fine, but if you had just a regular Lenovo laptop or desktop running Windows 7 or above (Windows 8/8.1 for desktops), there's a chance your computer had LSE installed. Any computers built between October 23, 2014, and April 10, 2015, could potentially have LSE on it. Anything before or after those dates should be fine. Lenovo has published a list of laptops and desktops affected with LSE, so do be sure to check if you've purchased a new Lenovo computer. In order to remove LSE from your affected computer, simply navigate here for laptops and here for desktops. Run the program and you should be clean and free.
It remains to be seen what kind of trouble Lenovo will face this time with LSE, and whether or not a class-action lawsuit will pop up as a result. It will also be interesting to see if Microsoft responds to how WPBT was used by Lenovo, and whether any other manufacturers are doing something similar that can leave users vulnerable.
Sources: Y Combinator Hacker News, The Register, and Lenovo
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Discovery Opens Door to Even Better Quantum Computers
For most people, the world works in simple and understandable ways, but for those who have to consider quantum mechanics, the world becomes much more difficult to grasp. According to quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple places at the same time with the phenomenon called superposition. This is one of the critical phenomena to be used on the quantum bits in quantum computers, but now researchers at the University of Vienna have successfully put the logic gates into superposition as well.
Similar to electronic logic gates, quantum logic gates are a fundamental component to quantum computers and some operations require more of them than others. Typically qubits are run through the gates in a specific sequence, but it was recently theorized that the order photons travel through the gates could be in a superposition. The Vienna researchers put this theory into practice and were successful in having a photon go through two gates (A and B) in both possible orders (A then B, and B then A) at the same time. Analyzing the photon showed that it was impossible to determine which gate was applied first, which confirms they were able to superimpose the quantum gates.
This research is more than just a demonstration of an interest quantum mechanical quirk, as it allowed the researchers to characterize the gates with more efficiently than any previously known algorithm, and the efficiency should increase as gates are added. Potentially other algorithms could be more efficient when run by a system like this, and only more research will determine the applications.
Source: University of Vienna
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Verizon Successfully Tests 10Gbps Fiber Optic Network
Verizon has announced that its engineers have successfully completed lab and field testing of a new fiber optic network capable of reaching speeds up to 10Gbps. The test was completed from the Framingham, MA Verizon office to a FIOS customer three miles away, but future deployments should perform just the same as "fiber optic transmissions are limited only by the equipment on either end of a connection." The new technology is known as next generation passive optical network (NG-PON2) and offers the potential to increase speeds up to 80Gbps "by simply adding new colors of light onto the existing fiber, each color augmenting the capacity by 10Gbps." Verizon hasn't said when the service will be available or how much it will cost, but has said that it will benefit business and residential customers.
Source: Computer World
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NVIDIA Releases GeForce 355.60 WHQL Driver
NVIDIA has released the latest drivers for its video cards, the Game Ready GeForce 355.60 WHQL drivers. The drivers are listed as Game Ready for the upcoming preview edition of Ashes of the Singularity, a "massive-scale Real Time Strategy (RTS) game that was developed and published by Stardock." The new game takes advantage of improving technology and increasing computing power to increase the amount of units on screen, creating "a war across an entire world without abstraction." SLI profiles for Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition and Next Car Game: Wreckfest are also included in the update.
Source: Legit Reviews
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Hardware Roundup: Thursday, August 13, 2015, Edition
Another day has arrived, and with it comes some new items to check out. The AMD A10-7870K APU, a Kaveri refresh for the company's flagship APU line. To keep it cool, perhaps the SilverStone TD03-E liquid CPU cooler should be on your radar. Housing all of this gear could be the Fractal Design Node 202 case, which gets reviewed to see if it's the one for you. If you just want some classic PC games, we have an article looking at 17 of them that have aged well, and should definitely be ones to play if you never have. Finally we have a how-to guide on preparing a system image for your move to Windows 10.
CPUs
AMD A10-7870K @ LanOC Reviews
CPU Cooling
SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler @ ThinkComputers
Cases
Fractal Design Node 202 @ Madshrimps
Gaming
Gaming Classics: 17 PC games that have aged well @ TechSpot
Operating Systems
Preparing System Image for Windows 10 @ Benchmark Reviews
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Graphene Nanoribbons Grown on Germanium
After the electrical properties of graphene were discovered, many started working on ways to use the atom-thick material. While there are a tremendous number of possible applications, we have been struggling to find ways to grow enough graphene in the proper form to be useful. At least for some applications now, researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison have discovered a means to efficiently grow graphene on the semiconductor germanium.
For graphene to be useful in semiconductors applications, it has to be in the form of nanoribbons less than 10 nm wide, and have smooth armchair edges. Typical means of making graphene with this geometry though would involve either cutting apart sheets into the ribbons, leaving rough edges, or growing the ribbons on a metal substrate. The catch with the metal substrate is that the nanoribbons would be too short. The solution the Wisconsin researchers discovered is that when you grow graphene on a germanium substrate, its properties can be controlled by manipulating how much methane, the carbon source in the process, is used. The graphene growing on the germanium naturally forms long nanoribbons with the desirable armchair edges, and can be made less than 10 nm wide.
While this discovery indicates it path to the desired graphene nanoribbons, there is still more work to do as the nanoribbons grow at random spots on the substrate, and in random directions. The researchers are now working to control the growth and alignment of the nanoribbons.
Source: University of Wisconsin, Madison
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Three High-Performance Enterprise V-NAND SSDs Unveiled by Samsung
Samsung has officially unveiled three new high-performance SSDs for enterprise users, all of which boast three-dimensional Vertical NAND flash memory technology and are TCO-optimized. The fastest drive of the three is the PM1725, which comes in storage capacities of 3.2TB and 6.4TB, and offers random read speeds of up to 1,000,000 IOPS, random write speeds of up to 120,000 IOPS, and sequential writes of up to 1,800MB per second. The 6.4TB version of the PM1725 is also rated to handle 32TB of writes per day for a total of five years, making it incredibly reliable. The other two drives released alongside the beastly PM1725 are the PM1633 and PM953. The PM1633 happens to be a 2.5-inch 12Gb per second SAS SSD that is available in capacities that include 480GB, 960GB, 1.92TB, and 3.84TB, while the PM953 comes in 2.5-inch and M.2 form factors and is available in capacities up to 1.92TB.
Source: Slashdot
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NVIDIA Offer Detailed Insight Into GameWorks Technology
Mentions of NVIDIA GameWorks have been popping up with increased frequency whether it is powering demos at Comic-Con or the graphics of the latest games, or even causing some friction with competitor AMD. NVIDIA has written an informative blog describing just what GameWorks represents. At the core of GameWorks is a number of technologies that help bring graphics to life and enhance existing software but NVIDIA describes it as "more than a collection of technologies. We have dedicated over 300 engineers to research and development of new technologies. They are more than just top notch computer scientists. They also work with game developers to integrate all this cool tech."
The most well known piece of GameWorks is PhysX, a software package that provides advanced physics effects to games in areas such as particles, destruction, and clothing. PhysX is integrated into a number of current and next-generation gaming engines including Unity and Unreal Engine 4. VisualFX has a goal of providing realistic effects using technology such as HairWorks, WaveWorks, and FlameWorks. To help with the spread of GameWorks, NVIDIA provides developers with a number of tools for integrating the technology in their software including AndroidWorks, Tegra Graphics Debugger, and Nsight Visual Studio Edition. Follow the link for more in-depth coverage of all the pieces of GameWorks.
Source: NVIDIA
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Thermaltake Announces Pacific Water Cooling Kits
Thermaltake has announced a pair of new DIY water cooling kits, the Pacific RL120 and RL140 D5. The kits each include a water block, pump/reservoir combo, radiator, fan, tubing, and fittings. Both kits use the Pacific W1 CPU block which combines copper and an anti-corrosive nickel plating compatible with all modern CPUs. The kits use 1/2" inner diameter, 3/4" outer diameter tubing and fittings filled with an "eco-friendly pre-mixed blue coolant." The kits are set apart with the pump combo, radiator, and fan. The RL120 uses a PR15 pump, 120mm radiator, and 120mm PWM Curve fan. The RL140 uses a PR15-D5 pump, 140mm radiator, and Luna 14 Blue LED fan.
Source: Press Release
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Start10 1.0 Launches and Brings the Start Menu Back to Windows 10
When Windows 8 launched, a lot of people were exceptionally displeased with the removal of the traditional Start menu. Now Windows 10 has brought it back, but not quite like it was in Windows 7 and prior versions of the OS, with the focus is more on apps, accessed by tiles. If you want the classic Start menu back though, there is an option thanks to Stardock and its now officially released Start10 application.
Start10 does what Start8 did before, and brings back the classic Start menu, along with a number of customizations. Folders are returned to the Start menu, so you can sort programs yourself instead of going through an alphabetical list, and the search function, shown on the Windows 10 Task bar, can be put back into the Start menu as well.
Start10 can be purchased for $4.99, but you can also try it for free for 30 days.
Source: Press Release and Stardock
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Hardware Roundup: Wednesday, August 12, 2015, Edition
The middle of another week has arrived, and with it comes some articles to help get you past the day. The Noctua NH-D9L 3U low noise CPU cooler gets tested to see how well it can handle the task. We also have the AZIO EXO1-K gaming mouse, which has an optical sensor, four adjustable DPI levels, and an affordable price. For another gaming mouse option, there's the ROCCAT NYTH, a modular mouse that can easily switch between FPS and MOBA game setups, and even MMOs. Finishing things off today is an article looking at how to unlock a God Mode in the news Windows 10 operating system.
CPU Cooling
Noctua NH-D9L 3U Low Profile @ Frostytech
Mice/Keyboards
AZIO EXO1-K Gaming Mouse @ Neoseeker
ROCCAT NYTH Modular Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews
Operating Systems
How to Unlock Windows 10 God Mode @ ThinkComputers
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Available Tags:MSI , Gaming , Hardware , Catalyst , Dell , Lenovo , NVIDIA , GeForce , WHQL , Driver , Samsung , Thermaltake , Windows ,
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