Gigabyte Z97X-SOC FORCE Motherboard Review

Motherboards/Intel S1150 by leeghoofd @ 2014-07-22 read/post comments()

Gigabyte continues to release new products in their orange themed overclocking motherboard series. The first of the OC series was the immaculate X58 OC motherboard, a trimmed down on features board, however purely designed to provide the ultimate overclocking experience. Sadly the X58 OC board arrived just a tad too late on the market to become a major selling product. Nevertheless a trend was set: deliver affordable, yet customized for maximum tweaking potential motherboard series. Other brands had similar overclocking friendly boards yet retailing at far more elevated prices. The predecessor, the Z87X-OC was one of the most utilized overclocking boards during the last year according statistics expert Massman from HWBot.org. Gigabyte had to live up to its name and… read more

Synology DS414j Budget-friendly 4-bay NAS Server Review

Storage/NAS by stefan @ 2014-07-21 read/post comments()

Synology has updated their low-end 4-bay model with the release of the DS414j which retains the old version chassis and at its core we will find the 1.2GHz MindSpeed Comcerto dual-core ARM processor, which is paired with 512MB of RAM. As the more expensive models, DSM 5.0 is installed on the unit which adds great value and ease of use. read more

HIS R9 280 IceQ X2 OC 3GB GDDR5 Video Card Review

Videocards/VGA Reviews by stefan @ 2014-07-21 read/post comments()

With the R9 280 GPU (rebadged Radeon HD 7970), HIS have released a new card which features the proven 5-heatpipe two-slot cooling system; the product comes with a mild overclock but retains a very good overclocking potential, being able to reach and even surpass cards based on the 7970 GHz Edition. The card can handle most games at Full-HD resolutions, with or without filtering, while at 2560x1440 or 2560x1600 we may often need to adjust the detail levels. read more

Cooler Master Quick Fire Rapid-i Mechanical Keyboard Review

Others/Mice & Keyboards by stefan @ 2014-07-18 read/post comments()

Cooler Master has re-built the Quick Fire series with the Rapid-I model, which features fully-customizable backlighting, but also some preset catchy modes, which sport the ActivLite marketing name. More modes will be introduced in the near future via firmware flash and the tenkeyless design saves a lot of space while making the product lighter for going to LAN parties. read more

Shuttle Barebone DS81 Review

Others/All-in-one PC by stefan @ 2014-07-17 read/post comments(0)

The Slim PC chassis from been reincarnated in the shape of the DS81 which supports the latest Haswell processors with a TDP up to 65W and supports 4K video output thanks to the DirectX 11.1 IGP. The DS81 chassis features a 1.3-liter slim design with a thickness of only 43mm, so it is suitable for many commercial applications; a VESA mount is also included as a bundle in order to mount the device behind the monitor. read more

TP-LINK AC1750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem Router Review

Others/Networking Gear by stefan @ 2014-07-14 read/post comments(0)

The latest D7 ADSL2+ Modem Router from TP-LINK sports simultaneous 2.4GHz 450Mbps and 5GHz 1300Mbps dual band, features a LAN/WAN combo port and comes with two USB 2.0 interfaces for connecting printers and/or storage devices. The web GUI is still based on the old design but most of the settings can be saved and modified right away, without the need of a software reboot. read more

Samsung's leaked Galaxy Alpha looks like a smaller, prettier S5

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Many have assumed that Samsung's fabled metal smartphone would be a very high-end device, but some new leaks hint that it could be considerably more modest. Both SamMobile and Tinhte have posted photos of the Galaxy Alpha (shown on the… Go To Full Article

Raidmax Scorpio V Review @ OCC

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

"The Scorpio has a few redeemable features that save it from being completely forgettable. The first two are standard for a decent gaming chassis: having support for graphic cards over 280mm (11") gives the ability to provide a future-proof chassis,… Go To Full Article

Intel Pentium Anniversary Edition Review & Overclocking Build Guide

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

For more than a decade tech-savvy users on a budget would commonly buy a sub-$100 CPU and achieve performance comparable to $200-$300 chips by overclocking. These days Intel locks down its lower end parts, but to mark the 20th anniversary… Go To Full Article

NZXT Kraken X31-X41-X61 AIO Water Cooler Roundup @ PureOverclock

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

“Today we find a lot of AIO units flooding the market, and selecting the right one can be a hard choice with so many different styles and types readily available. We are putting three new water cooling units on the… Go To Full Article

Samsung Introduces New External Optical Disc Drives for Ultrabooks

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in digital media and convergence technologies, announced today its newest ultra-slim portable DVD writers, the SE-218GN and SE-208GB optical disc drives (ODDs) with a sleeker design and mobile size for Ultrabook users on-the-go. Go To Full Article

The new $350 Oculus Rift virtual reality headset is now shipping

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

We were expecting to see the new iteration of the Oculus Rift arrive on developer's doorsteps earlier this month, but unfortunately it hit a couple of delays. Road to VR points out a Reddit thread where pre-orderers confirmed their credit… Go To Full Article

PS4 will add Blu-ray 3D support soon

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

That was fast. After Microsoft announced the Xbox One is going to get Blu-ray 3D support in an update soon, Sony's PlayStation Europe arm has responded by finally revealing the same feature is coming to the PS4. There's no word… Go To Full Article

PS4 will add Blu-ray 3D support soon

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

That was fast. After Microsoft announced the Xbox One is going to get Blu-ray 3D support in an update soon, Sony's PlayStation Europe arm has responded by finally revealing the same feature is coming to the PS4. There's no word… Go To Full Article

Sony's $15 million PSN hacking settlement pays out in free games

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Way back in 2011, PlayStation Network services and websites went dark due to "an external intrusion." Anonymous claimed responsibility, names, passwords and possible payment information was lost in a data breach, and everybody in general had a bad... … Go To Full Article

Core i7-4790K 'Devil's Canyon' overclocking revisited

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Our first attempt at overclocking one of Intel's new "Devil's Canyon" processors was, frankly, a little bit underwhelming. Intel had pitched these new processors as especially good for high clock speeds, thanks to some changes to the heat-transfer and power-delivery… Go To Full Article

Fractal Design Core 3300 Mid Tower Case Review @ Neoseeker

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

"Designed as a low cost solution, the Core 3300 comes with a lot of advantages: a wide body design to allow for great cable management, multiple radiator support, room to install up to seven 140mm case fans (two are included),… Go To Full Article

ADATA Launches the UV130 USB Flash Drive

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, today launches the UV130 USB Flash Drive. Featuring the high-quality titanium appearance with solid zinc-alloy materials, and a race car spoiler-inspired strap hole, the UV130 not… Go To Full Article

Uber's back on Windows Phone minus some key features

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

If you've hailed an Uber ride on a Windows Phone handset, you're aware that the you were beamed to the service's mobile site rather via a full-fledged app. That changed today, as the taxi outfit returns to Microsoft's mobile OS… Go To Full Article

Gigabyte Z97-D3H Motherboard

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

The fellas over at Modders Inc. have taken the Gigabyte Z97-D3H motherboard around the block a few times to see what it is made of. Here's a quote from the full review: Overall, for $118 it is a very solid… Go To Full Article

Valve's Steam Controller now has a thumbstick

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

It seems like every time we see Valve's Steam Controller, it gets a little more traditional. First the company abandoned the gamepad's ambitious touchscreen for eight buttons (a makeshift d-pad and the standard X, Y, B and A toggles) --… Go To Full Article

LG wants you to play games through your phone case

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Are you an impulsive gamer? So impulsive that you can't even wait to unlock your phone before you start playing? If so, LG is entirely willing to cater to that (frankly disconcerting) behavior. The company has just launched Puppy Pop,… Go To Full Article

GPU-Accelerated Virtual Desktops: The Future of Computing?

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

While we've long moved away from the early days of the mainframe and thin clients, there are some areas of computing where we're seeing a push back to similar architectures. We'll take a look at some of the more common… Go To Full Article

The Nostalgia Machine takes you back to the music of your youth

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

It's easy to get sucked into a nostalgic listening session, but tracking down the songs of your youth can be tougher than you think -- and "best of" medleys on YouTube will only do so much to scratch the itch.… Go To Full Article

Sony Xperia Z3 specs leak points at extremely minor upgrade over Xperia Z2

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Sony’s biyearly flagship launch schedule might result in the company’s next flagship being a very minor upgrade over its predecessor. Pictures claiming to show the Sony Xperia Z3 have leaked quite a few times in recent weeks, and now a… Go To Full Article

Adesso Launches SlimTouch 1200 Wireless Stainless Steel Keyboard-Mouse Combo

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Adesso Inc., a leading manufacturer of computer input peripherals, has unveiled the Adesso SlimTouch 1200, the 2.4 GHz RF Wireless Stainless Steel Keyboard & Mouse Combo. Also known as WKB-1200UB, this multi- featured combo is sleek, portable, slim, and wireless,… Go To Full Article

The top 12 tablets you can buy right now

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Whether you're looking to replace your laptop or just find something to keep you entertained, there's a tablet out there to suit you. But with an ever-increasing array of slates crowding the market, narrowing down the list can be a… Go To Full Article

Dead Rising 3 PC Comes With 4 Add-On Packs

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

This is a nice little bonus for those of you planning on buying the PC version of Dead Rising 3. This link also offers you 10% off for pre-ordering. We are excited today to announce that the upcoming Dead Rising… Go To Full Article

GTX 780 OC 6GB vs. R9 290X 4GB Overclocked at 4K

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

If you have your sights set on 4K gaming, and you need to know which graphics cards can get the job done, make sure you read our GTX 780 OC 6GB vs. R9 290X 4GB Overclocked at 4K article. We… Go To Full Article

SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD (480GB) Review | Hardware Heaven

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

"Recently SanDisk launched their latest range of SSDs, the Extreme Pro range. Today we take a look at the 480GB version and compare it to the best the competition has to offer." Go To Full Article

SanDisk Completes Acquisition of Fusion-io

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Fusion-io, a leading developer of flash-based PCIe hardware and software solutions that enhance application performance in enterprise and hyperscale… Go To Full Article

Delays strike Battlefield: Hardline, Dragon Age: Inquisition

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Battlefield fans will have to make do without a new chapter this year. Hardline, the cops 'n criminals take on the franchise, has been delayed until "early 2015." According to DICE VP Karl Magnus Troedsson, the delay… Go To Full Article

It's official: Microsoft will consolidate Windows development

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

On the heels of its quarterly results announcement yesterday, Microsoft announced a plan to unify the creation of disparate Windows versions for phones, tablets, and consoles. According to Seeking Alpha's transcript of the quarterly earnings call, Microsoft… Go To Full Article

GTX 780 OC 6GB vs. R9 290X 4GB Overclocked at 4K

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

We take the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 OC 6GB video card and run two in SLI and overclock both of these at 4K resolutions to find the ultimate gameplay performance with 6GB of VRAM. We will also compare these to… Go To Full Article

Gigabyte Z97-D3H Motherboard Review @ Modders-Inc

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Overall, for $118 it is a very solid offering considering it manages to provide M.2 and SATA Express options for an entry level Z97 board while having an excellent overclocking-oriented UEFI albeit non-noob friendly with its lack of warning or… Go To Full Article

Dropbox for Business lets you limit your coworkers' access to shared files

@ 2014/07/24 read/post comments(0)

Dropbox for Business is good for collaborating on files stored in the cloud, but it hasn't had fine-grained permission control -- not great if you have a sensitive project you'd rather not share with the folks in Accounts Receivable. You'll… Go To Full Article

Cases & PSU/Cases	SilentiumPC Aquarius X90 Mid-Tower Case Review	by leeghoofd @ 2014-07-10
Storage/Other	KingFast Encrypted USB Flash Drive Review	by stefan @ 2014-07-09
Motherboards/Intel S1150	BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Z97WE LGA1150 Motherboard Review	by stefan @ 2014-07-07
Others/Mice & Keyboards	SteelSeries Sensei Wireless Gaming Mouse Review	by stefan @ 2014-07-02
Videocards/VGA Reviews	HIS R7 260X iCooler 2GB GDDR5 Video Card Review	by stefan @ 2014-06-26

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