Catalyst 15.9 Drivers Now Available
AMD has announced the release of its latest Catalyst video drivers, Catalyst 15.9 Beta version 15.201.1151. At the center of the update are optimizations for the Star Wars: Battlefront Beta and Fable Legends DX12 benchmark. AMD has fixed an issue where users were unable to download driver updates from within the Catalyst Control Center. The update also addresses some issues with BenQ 144Hz monitors, though there is a flickering issue with the Star Wars: Battlefront Beta in Crossfire.
Source: Anandtech
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ARCTIC Announces First Semi Passive Cooler
ARCTIC has designed a smaller and lighter follow up to the i30/A30 cooler with the i32/A32 semi passive CPU cooler. A newly designed fan controller enables the semi passive operation, where the fan remains off during normal computer operations and gradually increases in speed as the temperature rises. The result is quieter overall operation and increased fan lifespan due to reduced run time. It is available now for both Intel and AMD CPUs at an MSRP of $49.99.
Source: Press Release
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Fusion Power May Be Closer Than You Think
For decades the promise of nuclear fusion has been great amounts of energy with almost no waste. This promise has yet to be fulfilled though due to the difficulty of triggering nuclear fusion, maintaining the reaction, and doing all of this with less energy than the process releases. While work continues on large reactors around the world, researchers at the University of Gothenburg instead suggest building smaller reactors with a significantly different design that come with certain benefits.
Nuclear fusion is the process of combining smaller atomic nuclei into larger ones, which releases a great amount of energy. One byproduct of the process in the experimental reactors around the world is the release of neutrons. Neutrons are large, uncharged particles that are hard to stop and can do significant damage to materials and organisms. The smaller reactors the researchers suggest though would produce far fewer neutrons, and instead release muons, which are like electrons but possess significantly more energy. This means the reactor could instantly create electricity and would be safer because muons are short-lived and quickly decay into electrons, or similar particles.
The new reactor design would use deuterium, or heavy hydrogen for its fuel, but not tritium, which also contributes to its safety as tritium is radioactive, and allows the reactor to be built with thinner shielding. Also this method of nuclear fusion has already been shown to produce more energy than is needed for ignition, making this design look even better.
Source: University of Gothenburg
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Corsair Announces the RMx Series of Power Supplies
Power supplies are one thing not to skimp on when building a PC, as they can make or break your system. Corsair, a leader in many different hardware categories, has a new line of power supplies that can keep you running for ages. The RMx Series is a new line of 80 Plus Gold PSUs that can help drive high-end rigs for years on end, while keeping the price down. Offered in 550, 650, 750, 850, and 1000W models, the RMx Series is sure to have something in the size you need. Each PSU is equipped with a Zero-RPM fan mode that offers silent operation at low and medium loads before the 140mm spins up, which can go a long way for those desiring a silent PC. The fully modular cable design means you only need to hook up the cables your system requires, and you can even grab Corsair's selection of cable accessories to match a specific color scheme.
Source: Press Release
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Logitech Introduces the G410 Atlas Spectrum TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Logitech, one of the leaders in computer peripherals, has a new entry in its Gaming series of keyboard that's a little smaller than other models. The Logitech G410 Atlas Spectrum TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard features a tenkeyless design to take up less space on your desk and offer more portability for LANs. The G410 makes use of Logitech's Romer-G mechanical switches that are said to register a key press 25% faster than other switches, which it achieves by a 1.5mm actuation point. The switches are also good for 70 million keystrokes, a 40% improvement over others. As for the G410 itself, it has that tenkeyless design that eliminates the numpad for a smaller footprint and less wasted space while typing/gaming. It features full RGB backlighting you can customize by key, with 16.8 million colors at your disposal. Add to that Logitech's Arx Control Integration that lets you drop in an Android or iOS device into the dock and display in-game information by way of the Arx Control app.
Source: Press Release
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Explore the Story and Scale of Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
The wasteland is calling to you once again, as the Wasteland 2: Director's Cut arrives in just about two weeks. This revamped edition of last year's stellar RPG brings with it new content, voiceovers, Perks, Quirks, and an update to the Unity 5 engine for impressive visuals. As for the game itself, you'll be presented with different choices throughout your journey, with your decisions shaping how the quests play out, which ones are available to you, and how much help the Citadel receives from potential allies. InXile's Brian Fargo narrates a new video to help show you some of the choices you can make in Wasteland 2, and just what the consequences can be based on those decisions. All these choices mean no gameplay experience is going to be the same for each player, and especially with your playthroughs, as you'll no doubt be tempted to change it up each time you play.
Source: YouTube
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Hardware Roundup: Tuesday, September 29, 2015, Edition
The last Tuesday of September is here, but it features plenty of items for you to check out. We have a review of the MSI R9 390 Gaming 8G video card, with its custom cooler and factory overclock, to see how it compares. The Antec GX505 Window SC mid-tower case features a unique style and a built-in fan controller to make this budget case stand out from others. There are a couple looks at the Corsair RMx power supply series, with both the 750W and 850W models tested. We also have a review on the Samsung Portable T1 SSD, so if you need a lot of storage on the go, this may be for you. ROCCAT's Nyth Gaming Mouse gets tested to see how this modular mouse can help your gaming. Wrapping things up is an iPhone case from B2C and a dos and don'ts guide to water cooling.
Video Cards
MSI R9 390 Gaming 8G @ LanOC Reviews
Cases
Antec GX505 Window SC @ Benchmark Reviews
Power Supplies
Corsair RM750x 750W Power Supply @ ThinkComputers
Corsair RMx Series Fully Modular 850W Power Supply @ PC Perspective
Storage/Hard Drives
Samsung Portable SSD T1 @ Bjorn3D
Keyboards/Mice
ROCCAT Nyth Gaming Mouse @ Madshrimps
Miscellany
B2C Telecom Premium Custom Bookstyle Case for iPhone @ Madshrimps
The Dos and Dont's of Water Cooling @ TechSpot
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Making Lightning Rods from Lasers
It is hard to fathom just how many lives and how much property has been saved thanks to lightning rods diverting the dangerous current safely away. Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod some 250 years ago, and it may be getting an interesting update in the foreseeable future. As reported by the Optical Society, researchers at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found a way to extend the lifespan of a laser-created plasma channel, which could one day be used as a lightning rod.
When a powerful laser beam moves through the air, it ionizes the molecules creating a plasma channel that can conduct electricity. Currently a laser pulse just 100 femtosecond long (0.000,000,000,000,1 seconds) can create a plasma stream just 100 microns wide and one meter long that lasts about 3 nanoseconds. Once those nanoseconds pass, the plasma will cool off, but the researchers found that by firing 10-nanosecond bursts from a secondary laser, they can pump enough energy into the plasma to keep it hot for ten times longer. By using more a powerful laser or adding more beams, it may be possible to extend the lifetime even more.
The researchers also, in other work, devised a way to lengthen the plasma channel. Normally one laser beam will create numerous channels that spread out in random directions along the beam. By controlling the optics of the beam with lenses though, the laser can be focused to create three plasma channels that line up end-to-end, building a three-meter-long channel. With more powerful lasers and the right optical setup, it should be possible to extend this even further. The next step is to combine these two methods to have length and lifetime.
Source: The Optical Society
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Available Tags:Catalyst , Fusion , Logitech , Gaming , Keyboard , Hardware ,
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