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Gigabyte Z77-HD4

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Gigabyte Z77-HD4 Review

" When writing a review, we go to great lengths to be unbiased in our analysis – I give no favor to branding on the box. An issue comes along when dealing with a sub $125 motherboard like the Z77-HD4 because we simply do not do enough in this price range. Is it a good price? I honestly do not know. There are a lot of motherboards in that price range and below, meaning that the Z77-HD4 will be a focus on two fronts – if you need a feature that Z77 provides that H7x, Q7x or B7x does not, and you want any of the digital IGP ports. "

AlienVibes EP02 Elite HD Noise Cancelling Headphones

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AlienVibes EP02 Elite HD Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

" I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with Ineo over the last few years, with them being a storage focused company and myself a storage reviewer and lover. To me storage is just like tools, you can never have enough and when you have enough you want more. So it was a bit striking for me to see a company such as Ineo, again focused on storage mediums to branch out into the world of Audio. When companies stretch their resources and branch into other markets it’s a very stressful time for everyone involved. Will their products be accepted into the market with joy and tons of fanfare, or will they flop and wipe the entire company out? On the surface it appears Ineo has taken a step back and really looked into the market as a whole, designing aesthetically pleasing audio systems that would have audiophiles drooling at the mouth, and even more they sound simply amazing. "

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook Review

" It shouldn't be surprising to know that AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel (especially Intel) will seed hardware amongst the tech reviewing industry. Most often it goes along with a product launch, but periodically it will be kit that they feel paints their product in a particularly good light. I don't think it's a secret that Ultrabooks and touchscreens have had a little bit of trouble getting off the ground. You could argue that the whole Ultrabook branding scheme, particularly after Intel expanded the definition, was more a way of renaming and redefining the notebook than anything. That it happens to be trademarked by Intel and thus AMD cannot have an Ultrabook is, I'm sure, just a coincidence. "

ASUS Radeon HD 7870 DirectCU II V2

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ASUS Radeon HD 7870 DirectCU II V2 Review

" ASUS has refreshed its AMD Radeon HD 7870 DirectCU II video card with DirectCU and DIGI+ VRM with Super Alloy Power, poised to give you a robust video card with an improved overclocking experience. We will see whether this new revision brings new value to the Radeon HD 7870 GPU and we will compare it to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti. "

Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3

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Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 preview

" Bigger than the Note but not as bright. Not saying anything. We wouldn't want to get this guy upset. So, careful with the F-word. And no, not phablet, obviously. Though at 8mm, the Samsung Galaxy Mega technically isn't fat. There has been no such thing as size limit for Samsung but is the Galaxy Mega 6.3 already pushing it too far? The massive 6.3" screen puts the bigger one of the Mega brothers well into the upper range of phablets and almost into tablet territory. "

Samsung Galaxy Fame

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Samsung Galaxy Fame review

" Samsung has always been keen on providing smartphones for the budget-conscious crowd and ever since Gingerbread came around we've been seeing a major push by its entry-level squad. Even though it runs on Jelly Bean, the Galaxy Fame is a bit of a blast from the past. The spec sheet has been duly upgraded but bits of it still feel as if plucked straight out of the Galaxy lineup from two years ago. "

Streacom F7C EVO HTPC Chassis

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Streacom F7C EVO HTPC Chassis Review

" Today I will be taking a look at the F7C Evo M-ITX chassis from Streacom, another entry to the competitive world of HTPC chassis and a part of the market that has seen something of a revival in the last couple of years with the rise in high performance M-ITX motherboards. I’ll admit, until I saw this chassis I had never even heard of Streacom, but they’re a relatively new company that formed in 2010 so it’s understandable that they’re still finding a name for them selves in some markets. "

Samsung Galaxy S4 Smartphone

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Smartphone Review

" Over the last few generations of phones Samsung have got a lot right in terms of hardware and marketing. They really began to get some real traction in the Android marketplace with the S2 and by the time the S3 was ready for release they were a real force to be reckoned with in the smartphone market. When they then announced the S4 in March the event was massive, a singing, dancing presentation covering many of the handsets key features and a massive step on from their previous launch events. As HTC have found keeping the lead in such a fast paced industry is hard and despite Samsungs recent success and massive launch event if a product doesn't live up to expectations things can go very wrong very quickly on the sales front. So what of the S4, is it enough of an upgrade from the S3 to entice current users? Can it compete with the impressive build quality offered by the HTC One? Today we take a look at the new model to see how it fairs in the current market. "

Noctua NH-U14S

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Noctua NH-U14S Review

" Noctua are a mainstay in the cooling segment and are highly regarded as cooling specialists in their field. Having already reviewed many of their products we are already accustomed to the quality that are associated to the brand name. Today however, we are looking at a new product to join the U-Series. The NH-U14S is a step-up from the notorious NH-U12P. The U14S utilises a single tower design which has been engineered for maximum memory clearance and is the first cooler within the U-Series to feature a 140mm cooling fan. It’s been a while since we have seen a new addition to this series and so we are enthusiastic to what lies ahead. "

Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK CPU Heatsink

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Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BK CPU Heatsink Review

" Phanteks products continue to grow in popularity, as they off a wide range of heatsinks that utilize advanced technologies to improve the thermal properties, high performance fans with massive airflow capabilities and they also offer their heatsinks in multiple colors. Of course the last feature doesn’t improve the thermal performance of a heatsink, but having the option to buy a cooler in white, black, blue, or red allows the consumer to control the color scheme inside their case, which has been come a popular trend over the last few years. The heatsink we are examining from Phanteks is their PH-TC12DX, which is a U-Type dual tower heat-sink with four 6mm heat-pipes and technologies Phanteks calls P.A.T.S and C.P.S.C. These technologies are both designed to offer better heat dissipation and heat transfers, but they do need some explaining in order to understand just what they do, so Let’s break these two acronyms down, staring with P.A.T.S. "

Logitech G700s Rechargable Gaming Mouse

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Logitech G700s Rechargable Gaming Mouse Review

" When thinking about gaming peripherals there are few manufacturers who can claim to have been at the forefront of the market for as long as Logitech. In fact we would imagine that whether it is in an office environment, through receiving a device with a pre-built PC over the years or through the more traditional purchase process any serious PC user will have had access to one of their products over the years. Thinking back through our own PC history there are a number of products which stand out such as the MX500 series, the MX Revolution and interestingly the G700 from 2010. The market moves on though and Logitech are now releasing an updated version of their award winning G700, the G700s which vastly changes the chassis material as well as the sensor used. Today we have this new hybrid wired/wireless model on our test bench to review. "

Corsair M95 Gaming Mouse

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Corsair M95 Gaming Mouse Video Review

" Today Kaeyi Dream gets her hands on the latest Vengeance Gaming Series mouse from Corsair the M95. Check it out below and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay on top of all our latest video reviews. "

MSI Radeon HD 7790 TurboDuo OC

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MSI Radeon HD 7790 TurboDuo OC review

" We test and review the MSI Radeon HD 7790 OC edition, also known under SKU code R7790-1GD5-OC incl FCAT Frametimes. The new graphics card is intended to boost a little more performance into entry-level gaming. The MSI HD7790 OC clocks in at 1050 MHz on the boost engine, packed with custom cooling and two heat pipe direct touch technology. "

Phanteks PH-TC12DX

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Phanteks PH-TC12DX Review

" Phanteks is a newcomer to the world of CPU coolers, but that is not stopping them from turning heads. They are continuing to push their way into the market with exceptional products. Their offering of unique, anodized aluminum coolers in a multitude of different colors is making enthusiasts take notice, and the fantastic warranty they offer gives them another advantage over some of their competitors. The Netherlands-based company's big claim to fame came with the PH-TC14PE. It immediately became a challenger of Noctua's famous NH-D14 after its release, and Phanteks didn't dawdle after that initial success "

Thermaltake SMART Series SP-750M PSU

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Thermaltake SMART Series SP-750M PSU Review

" Efficiency is something that humans strive for with everything we do. This varies from how we handle paperwork at a job to how we put up a building. In particular, transportation is one issue where efficiency really comes into play. Whether that involves planning a bus route or the complicated task of arranging air traffic, the bottom line is that being inefficient will end up costing extra money and time. Eliminating inefficiency fits into everyone’s life and if you are good at it, then you are able to successfully plan anything. The same efficiency issues can be said for how data and electricity are transferred in the computing world. "

Cooler Master N200 Mini-Tower Case

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Cooler Master N200 Mini-Tower Case Review

" The life of a genie cannot possibly be wonderful. It isn’t so much the fact that he or she has to answer to the master’s every whim, but that a genie spends most of the time cramped inside a tiny bottle. Maybe it is like Dr. Who’s TARDIS inside where the interior is much more spacious than what the external appearance suggests. I extend that same sympathy to the small magical components I have on my system that obey my every whim with a stroke from a keyboard or a click from a mouse. Granted, they are enjoying spacious full-tower accommodations at the moment but I have always searched for a smaller solution so I can transport them easily. Unfortunately, most of the solutions I can find are far from cozy and cannot fit high-end components which are generally larger, especially video cards and CPU coolers. "

Fractal Design Tesla R2 1000W PSU

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Fractal Design Tesla R2 1000W PSU Review

" Today we are looking at the Fractal Design Tesla R2 1000W, a high output power supply which achieves a very competitive price point in the United Kingdom, around £130 inc vat. While this unit isn’t modular, it does achieve 80 Plus Gold Certification and has a full 3 year warranty. Is it worth the modest outlay? The Tesla R2 utilises a single +12V rail and has a large 135mm fan inside which is temperature controlled. There are three other models in the Tesla R2 range, a 500W, a 650W and a 800W unit. We looked at the Newton R3 1000W back in March, although it is more expensive, modular and 80 Plus Platinum certified. In the UK the Newton R3 1000W ships with a £35-£40 price premium over the Tesla R2 1000W. "

Edifier Predator 2.1 Speaker System

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Edifier Predator 2.1 Speaker System review

" Today we are going to take a look at the Edifier Predator 2.1 Speaker System which promises to combine a unique design with excellent sound quality characteristics. It uses a simple configuration which consists of a large subwoofer unit with a pair of front facing drives. This makes it ideal for those users who are looking to enjoy good sound quality but who aren’t concerned with having a surround sound system. Edifier aren’t a particularly well-known brand in enthusiast circles as their products are designed with the multimedia and lifestyle markets in mind. The Predator 2.1 is a slight diversion from their usual markets as it’s designed to appeal to the sci-fi crowd. The name ‘Predator’ describes the rather unusually shaped subwoofer unit which appears to have been modeled on a character from the film. "

XFX R7790 Black Edition 1GB Graphics Card

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XFX R7790 Black Edition 1GB Graphics Card Review

" Today we have the new XFX take on the HD7790 model with the R7790 Black Edition. As some of you may know, “Black Edition” means “overclocked” and a pretty awesome cooler as well, so let’s open this thing up and see what it can do. "

Crucial M500 480 GB

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Crucial M500 480 GB Review

" Crucial, a subsidiary of Micron who is a world leader in memory and flash production has established itself on the solid state storage market with their Crucial C300 and m4 SSDs. Now they've released the M500, which was demonstrated in a 1 TB variant using Micron's new 128 Gbit MLC NAND die at CES earlier this year. Today we are reviewing the 480 GB version of the Crucial M500, which is based on an updated Marvell 88SS9187-BLD2 controller and Micron 20 nm MLC flash. The new flash chips use a 128 Gbit die which increases page size from 8 KB to 16 KB, which increases sequential throughput and makes page management easier, since the controller needs to store data for each page and now has to worry only about half the number of pages. "