AMD undoubtedly earned its place again in the history of computer graphics when they introduced the first graphics card with a 28nm GPU, the HD7970, in December of last year. Engineered with AMD’s ground breaking GCN (Graphics Core Next) Architecture, it brought features such as PCIe 3.0, advanced power management, Eyefinity 2.0, and most importantly, unparalleled performance.

Of course, as expected of cutting edge, high end computer hardware, you’ll have to expect to pay a premium. A reference design 7970 these days will set you back $550, which isn’t exactly chump change. So what about the people who don’t need all the muscle or simply don’t have the dough, but still want access to some of the features the new silicone brings? This is where the 7700 series comes in.

Code named Cape Verde XT, the 7700 series was designed for lower powered PCs but still retains the features of the GCN. Manufactured using the same 28nm manufacturing process used for the 7900 series, the 7700 series is designed to be a more budget friendly line of graphics cards yet still powerful enough to suit the needs of most casual gamers. For more information about the AMD HD 7700 series, check out our review of the HIS HD7750 iCooler graphics card.

Today we’ll be taking a look at the Sapphire HD 7770 GHz Edition Vapor-X graphics card. Aside from being overclocked 10% higher than the reference design, this card also comes with the Vapor-X cooler. Ever since its introduction a couple years back, Sapphire has been hard at work refining the Vapor-X to perfection. The Vapor-X cooler we’ll be looking at today is the newest iteration which should provide even better performance.

Specifications

Sapphire HD7770 GHz Edition Vapor-X Review - Custom PC Review

That said, the main changes from the Llano to Trinity is the switch to Piledriver x86 module which is derived from the desktop based Bulldozer CPUs. This means higher clock speeds starting at a base clock of 2.3GHz and turbo up to 3.2GHz. We’ll also see a drop in TDP which will put the dual core Trinity APUs at 17W and the quad core chips at 35W. AMD is also promising a 28% CPU and 58% GPU performance leap from the last generation Llano processors. Additionally, AMD is also claiming an improvement in GPU performance along with the inclusion of some additional media related features such as AMD’s HD Media Accelerator suite.

• AMD Perfect Picture HD: The first step in that transparent user experience is automatic video processing, which will make fine adjustments to image quality on the fly.
• AMD Quickstream: Most of us spend a fair bit of time watching videos on the web, and have run into the dreaded buffering bar. Quickstream aims to handle bandwidth intelligently: when the PC detects that an application or website is hitting the GPU, Quickstream will assign it a higher priority, theoretically ensuring a smoother experience.
• AMD Video Converter: Dedicated hardware-based encoding lets Trinity transcode media files faster and more efficiently. The technology also enables full-HD, multi-person video conferencing. AMD is working with companies like Polycom to develop software intended to make this work.
• AMD Steady Video: We’ve seen Steady Video before. It was introduced with Llano and its purpose is to stabilize shaky recorded video. It’s currently supported by Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Windows Media Player — Trinity adds support for VLC as well, in an upcoming software update.
• AMD Eyefinity: Eyefinity isn’t new, but Trinity will be able to support the multi-display technology without needing a discrete GPU: this means ultrathin laptops that can potentially output to three displays — not including their native monitor.

For more info you can visit the AMD webiste or feel free to start a discussion on our forums. For now, only the mobile edition of the Trinity APUs designed for ultra sleek and slim notebooks will start to become available with the desktop versions following suit in the coming months.

Source: AMD

AMD Officially Releases Trinity Second Generation APUs - Custom PC Review

The long awaited 22nm Ivy Bridge has just become available for sale for a relatively short period of time and reports/rumors on the next generation chips have already been popping up around the web. Some of the reports have confirmed the development of the anticipated 14nm Haswell chips, which are planned to ship out next year, but it seems like Intel is already planning the move towards 10nm, 7nm and 5nm technologies.

A recent post on Xbitlabs shows that Intel is currently equipping the Oregon, Arizona and Ireland fabs with capability for production of 14nm in the near future; however taking a look at the slide with details of Intel’s R&D pipeline, also included is 10nm, 7nm and 5nm technology which is planned for “2015+”.

According to Intel CEO Paul Otellini,  ”Our research and development is quite deep, I talk about ten years” and from the looks of it, he’s quite serious. For those wondering why Intel seems to always be able to pull something new out of their hat, this is probably why. Intel plans stuff out a decade in advance so as each year passes, a brand new chip equipped with brand new technologies will be waiting for us.

Source: Xbitlabs

Intel Planning Move to 5nm Technology - Custom PC Review

Unlike games of the past where large, high budget games were beta tested by only a handful of beta testers at best, newer high budget games these days run open betas which allow anyone willing to participate a chance to get in on the action. This allows companies to fully stress test their equipment prior to a game launch and give prospective buyers of a certain game a bit of time to try it out and get a feel for the game mechanics.

According to a recent Activision earnings call, Blizzard president Michael Morhaime stated that the Diablo 3 Open Beta, which was open to the public, had in excess of over 2,000,000 participants worldwide.

“We recently conducted an open beta stress test for Diablo 3, where anyone could download and try out the game. The response we got was huge, with more than two million people worldwide participating in the open beta.” A lot of the testing, Morhaime said on the call, was beneficial to Diablo 3‘s development – particularly to the Auction House feature.

We hope that Blizzard is prepared to host the millions of fans that will take to Sanctuary on 5/15/2012, and that the initial stress test from the beta test gave them adequate data to analyze and improve the game.

For a full list of known issues in Diablo 3 as of 5/14/12, please check out the official Diablo 3 forums here. Happy hunting!

Source: Joystiq

Diablo 3 Open Beta Hosts 2,000,000+ Participants - Custom PC Review

5-10 years ago, NZXT cases weren’t well known at all. They had some innovative, but seriously crazy looking case designs such as the NZXT Guardian Green, which (may be due in part to its craziness) to this day is still a case I remember from the days when I was still in high school.

Over recent years, it seems like NZXT has gone a tad bit more conservative in their designs, but are still bringing plenty of innovation to the table. These days, NZXT is considered a top brand among PC builders with well many well known products such as the NZXT Phantom, the NZXT Sentry, and many more.

Today we’ll be taking a look at one of NZXT’s newest cases to hit the market – the Switch 810. Instead of pursuing eyebrow-raising designs with this case, NZXT went with a more traditional, more modest look. With no crazy front covers, crazily carved vent holes, light shows, or an exotic paint job, the Switch 810 is just looking to get the job done. Marketed as a “Hybrid” case (hence why it’s named the “Switch”), the Switch 810 is optimized for water cooling, high air flow, or silence. At first glance, you’ll probably only notice the huge side panel window. Seriously. Look at the box art. Looks like a plain white case right? Well, yeah you’d be right, but take a look on the inside and you’d be very pleasantly surprised.

Specifications

NZXT Switch 810 Gunmetal Hybrid Tower Case Review - Custom PC Review

Budget: $2,500-$3,000

CPU – Intel Core i7 3930K

For an enthusiast machine designed for both tons of video editing and tons of gaming in mind, we’ll need a powerful processor to handle all the work and it’s hard to think of anything better than the i7 3930K. Armed with a hyper threaded hexacore processor, the 3930K offers a total of 12 threads, making it one of the fastest consumer oriented processors out on the market today. At a price of $569.99, it’s also nearly $500 cheaper than the Intel Core i7 3960X, but only marginally slower – especially when overclocked.

Being a Sandy Bridge-E (E is for Extreme) processor, the i7 3930K runs off the LGA2011 platform providing users with access to quad channel memory, PCIe 3.0, and easy expandability to over 64GB of memory.

Memory – Corsair Low Profile Vengeance 16GB Quad Channel

Coming in at a very reasonable $97.99 for a full 16GB of DDR3 1600MHz memory, the Corsair Vengeance Low Profile is one of my top picks for a video editing system. Since this is an X79 based system, those preferring to go with a 32GB configuration will be able to do so as well especially since the X79 platform will offer support for up to 8 DIMMs of memory – plenty for most users out there. Additionally, low profile modules are stressed here as well to accommodate larger air coolers.

Motherboard - MSI X79A- GD65 (8D)

One inescapable fact about the LGA 2011 or X79 platform is that the motherboards will end up on the pricey side, but the MSI X79A-GD65 (8D) represents one of the few when it comes to affordable yet powerful X79 motherboards. As expected of this high end motherboard, the GD65 (8D) comes with plenty of USB 3.0, plenty of SATA 3 6Gb/s, and plenty of PCIe 3.0 as well. As usual MSI has included some of their signature features as well, including MSI’s Military Class III components, the sexy blue and black color scheme, as well as their Click Bios II UEFI interface.

There’s also a $20 rebate currently going on so make sure to get in on it while it lasts!

Case – Corsair Graphite 600t White Edition

I realize that this case has been featured on the site many times, but when it comes to computer cases, there really are only a few that can match the elegance of the Corsair Graphite 600T. With its sleek high gloss plastic accents, the 600T gives off that “wow” feeling, making it worthy of any enthusiast system. As usual with Corsair cases, they’ve done a terrific job at maximizing space in the case as well, so you should have no trouble getting everything to fit nicely. Corsair has always been masters of innovative cable management design as well and on the 600T, you’ll see nothing less.

GPU – Galaxy GeForce GTX 670 2GB GDDR5

For those not familiar with the trend in the graphics card market these days, the newly released GTX 670 is a top contender when it comes to price, performance, and energy efficiency. Coming in at only $399.99, this graphics card is able to match the performance of a more expensive AMD HD 7970 in many benchmarks and do it with lower power consumption.

The only problem is finding one in stock… If that’s a huge problem, a HD 7950 can be substituted at the same cost; however, won’t be as fast or as power efficient as the GTX 670.

Boot Drive – Crucial M4 256GB SSD

For your boot drive, you’ll definitely want an SSD. With transfer rates upwards of 400x faster than a traditional hard drive, an SSD is guaranteed to change your PC experience. One of the best drives to get you there? The Crucial m4. Not only is this drive one of the fastest and most reliable drives out there, it also comes at an extremely reasonable price that’s currently <$1/GB.

Storage Drive – Seagate Barracuda 2TB

Remember when it was difficult to find a 1TB hard drive for under $150 just a couple months ago? Well, today you can easily get a 2TB Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM hard drive for only $119.99. While it’s still a tad bit above pre Thailand flood prices, the prices have gone down significantly enough that a 2TB hard drive may be a consideration for a high end video editing build. After all, storing tons of uncompressed video will require tons of hard drive space. That’s a fact.

Optical Drive - OEM DVD Drive or OEM Blu Ray Drive (Any Manufacturer)

PSU – Corsair AX650

One thing you’ll never want to do with your new build is cheap out on the power supply and the Corsair AX650 is the epitome of NOT cheaping out. This is one of the highest quality power supplies and thanks to the power efficiency of the GTX 670 graphics card, the AX650 will do the job perfectly and still allow plenty of room for expansion. Armed with 80+ gold certification, a 7 year warranty, and has a fully modular interface, the AX series power supplies are truly in their own class.

For those opting for SLI systems, it’s recommended to grab an AX750 to be on the safe side. After all, capacitor degradation and future expansion are things you’ll want to think about.

Cooler – Phanteks PH-TC14PE (Blue)

Any performance system needs a performance cooler and in our case we went with the “big daddy cooler” aka the Phanteks PH-TC14PE. This ultra air cooler has enough “oomph” behind it to compete against all in one water coolers such as the Corsair H100, and is capable of operating more silently due to its massive 140mm fans.

OS – Windows 7 Home Premium

For those intending to use more than 16GB of memory, Windows 7 Professional or above is necessary. Otherwise, Windows 7 Home Edition works as well, but will be limited to 16GB of memory. Remember, you do have the option of upgrading from Home to Ultimate, so you don’t have to spend the money right now.

The total current price for this system (including Windows 7) on Amazon is $2,652.13 which doesn’t include tax or shipping. Fortunately, Amazon doesn’t charge either for most residents of the USA, so it doesn’t matter either.

For those looking for even better systems, you can definitely upgrade to a GTX 680 if you happen to find any in stock. Unfortunately, you probably won’t find any in stock. Hopefully production on these new 28nm Kepler chips will ramp up soon enough. Memory can be upgraded to 32GB by picking up another 16GB kit if necessary for those of you hardcore video editors/graphic designers and/or the processor can be upgraded to an Intel Core i7 3960X as well. You’ll definitely need to shell out some dough to make it happen though.

Remember that if you have any questions, need some help, or need to fit the build into your budget feel free to visit the forums at http://forums.custompcreview.com. Myself, or the community here will be more than happy to help you out with your own custom build or answer any computer questions you may have. If this build doesn’t fit your needs, feel free to drop by our Computer Builds section to find more computer builds.

Also, be sure to join us on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, or YouTube. Be updated on the latest news, reviews, tutorials, custom computer builds, and more!

Best High End Video Editing/Gaming PC Build [May 2012] - Custom PC Review

Press Release

NZXT. Announces Switch 810 Special Edition on May 14th, 2012

High-end Liquid Cooling. Extreme Airflow. Silent Performance.

NZXT constantly pursues innovative ways to manufacture the best cases possible in the market. During the development of Switch 810, a lot of passion went into the design phase of this chassis and many bold decisions were made. We incorporated more than 16 features in our chassis while keeping an attractive price point consumers would find highly valuable.

We wanted to ensure that our chassis is not only a great case for you now, but can evolve with technological advances and remain up-to-date for many years to come.

Without our community’s valuable feedback and criticisms, our products would not be as unique as they are today. We always aim to maintain customer satisfaction through providing high quality products at great prices, which is why we decided to release the Special Edition to feature two of the most demanded color palettes from our loyal fans: Matte Black and Gunmetal. The community voiced their opinion and we responded. This is our way of showing that NZXT cares.

The Switch 810 Special Edition is now available in Matte Black and Gunmetal priced at $179.99 MSRP. Click here for a demo video in HD and visit www.nzxt.com for more information.

NZXT Announces Switch 810 Special Edition - Custom PC Review

“Today, it became the most pre-ordered PC game of all-time on Amazon.com – even exceeding pre-orders for Blizzard’s own StarCraft II and World of Warcraft: Cataclysm,”

- Amazon Rep.

According to the numbers from VGChartz.com for the week ending May 5, 2012, Diablo III currently has 764,529 pre orders which is currently more than double the total amount of pre-orders for the number two top pre-ordered game in the USA, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for the Xbox360.

Diablo 3 is currently available for pre-order and launch day delivery on Amazon. Got yours yet?

Source: Joystiq / VGChartz

Diablo 3 Most Pre-Ordered PC Game Ever on Amazon.com - Custom PC Review

For those who enjoy Street Fighter X Tekken, Capcom will be releasing a patch that will fix some imbalance issues such as cheap infinite combos. Games whose victories were cruelly snatched away by an opponent who cornered their character and began to spam an infinite combo will rejoice that this injustice will end soon. Fans will be able to download the patch starting May 16.

Check the list below for a full list of game fixes.

• Kazuya: Restand glitch infinite combo has been removed.
• Kuro: cr.MP infinite has been removed.
• Xiaoyu: QCB MP infinite has been removed.
• Pacman: Hit back on LP and LK has been changed so infinite has been removed.
• Jin: Chop Kick Glitch on mid air opponents has been fixed.
• When first hit of Kazama Style 6 Hit Combo is a counter hit, Jin is at +2F now.
• Ogre: Damage properties of cr.HP have been changed so follow ups are now not possible.
• Juri: Senpusha’s frames on block have been changed to below:
• L ver. stand block -5F
• M ver. stand block -10F
• M ver. crouch block -10F
• Shikusen causes opponents to be pushed back less far when blocked.
• Rufus: Falcon Kick (dive kick) properties have been changed:
• Hurt box added to his feet and the move no longer crosses up easily.
• Frames on block have been modified to -4F
• Zangief: Last hit of Quick Double Lariat (3rd hit) will no longer hit crouching opponents.
• M.Bison: 5th hit of his Super Art (Knee Press Nightmare) can now be blocked normally.
• Jump/lever input bug: Addresed issue where diagonal inputs/jumps did not come out properly.
• Throw/Character: Change glitch Fixed a bug for certain characters that allowed for them to get thrown when initiating a character switch.
• Quick Combo: Priority of command inputs has been changed so glitches that came from activating quick combos in the air have been removed.

Source: CVG / Capcom

Street Fighter X Tekken Patch Coming May 16 - Custom PC Review

Back in 2006 when Sony launched their highly anticipated next generation console, the PlayStation 3, Sony needed a good starting lineup of games – especially if they wanted to compete with the other successful next generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. Among the high budget launch titles was Heavenly Sword from developer Ninja Theory. Was this launch title a good enough to justify spending the pricy $500 original PS3 price? For me, it was. In fact, Heavenly Sword was the first PS3 titles in my collection and it’s still one of my favorites as well.

The story focuses on prophecy of a warrior who wielded a “Heavenly Sword” and fought to save the world from King Bohan. To achieve the goal of world domination, King Bohan is convinced that he will need the Heavenly Sword, a powerful weapon which gives the wielder incredible power. As such, the game will follow the struggles of the main character, Nariko, who is entrusted to protect the Heavenly Sword.

Picking up the game, the first thing you’ll notice is that game play is very fast paced and gamers will have an easy time learning how to play the game. Everything from the large cinematic combos to the quick time events, gamers familiar with hack and slash games like God of War and Devil May Cry will feel right at home. The Heavenly Sword allows players to switch between three different stances to maximize the whupping that anything standing in its way would receive. There’s a ranged attack, a fast attack and a heavy attack. These different moves are used to dispatch a variety of enemies and can be tailored for a persons individual play style. As the player dispatches the minions of Bohan’s armies, a combo gage will begin to fill up. Once it is filled the player will be rewarded with a finisher. These super violent finishers were fun to watch specially those focused in inflicting much pain around the male crotch area.

Sixaxis implementation was also a big feature in the game, and it’s something Ninja Theory did a fantastic job with. To this day, I still think Heavenly Sword has the best implementation of this technology, which was quite fun. Seeing the possibilities with Sixaxis, it’s too bad most game studios these days have abandoned development with Sixaxis controls. In Heavenly Sword, the Sixaxis controls allowed the player to hold a button and guide anything that could be thrown. I had great fun killing a soldier, picking up the dead body and then guiding it straight into a mob of soldiers trying to rush you. Not convinced yet? Well it gets better! In certain parts of the game, the player was allowed to either mount a canon or shoot using a cross bow. These projectiles could be guided by Sixaxis controls and be made to defy the laws of gravity for some amazing results. Imagine the thrill I received after releasing my first arrow and seeing it fly around in slow motion as I guided it straight into the butt of a fleeing soldier.

Complaints with this game are few and far between, but one of the most major complaints is that the game is rather short. Yeah, the game is great. In fact, it was so good that I was glued to the controller for six hours straight to find that I beat the entire thing in a single sitting. Royally sucks when you paid the original $60 for it, but with the game going for only $35 nowdays, I’d say it’s a must buy… or at least worth a rent.

Heavenly Sword was a Ps3 launch title that did the new system justice. This was the first time I ever saw hundreds of enemies rushing my character in HD and it seemed like a great start for the new system. The story was engaging and the gameplay was awesome. To this day, this title has integrated the use of the Sixaxis technology the best. For those who missed this game on launch day, it’s definitely worth a look.

Heavenly Sword is currently available on Amazon.

Retro Review: Heavenly Sword (PS3) - Custom PC Review

Image Source: LanOC

Benchmark Reviews

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 Video Card Tests @ Benchmark Reviews
• CM Storm Sentinel Advance II Laser Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews
• Intel DZ77GA-70K Motherboard Benchmark Tests @ Benchmark Reviews
• Intel DZ77GA-70K Motherboard Features Overview @ Benchmark Reviews
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 Benchmark Performance @ Benchmark Reviews
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 Video Card Features @ Benchmark Reviews
• HIS HD7950 IceQ Turbo 3GB Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews

The SSD Review

• Intel 910 Series 800GB PCIe Review @The SSD Review
• OWC Mercury Accelsior 480GB PCIe SSD Review @The SSD Review
• Current SSD Projects On The Go @The SSD Review
• Plextor M3P 256GB SATA 3 SSD Review @The SSD Review
• Intel 330 Series 120GB SATA 3 SSD Review @The SSD Review
• TCS Galatea Ultra-Rugged 240GB SLC SSD Review @The SSD Review

HiTechLegion

• NZXT Cryo E40 Notebook Cooler Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• ASUS P8Z77-V LGA1155 Motherboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Corsair Force GT 180GB SATA III SandForce SF-2282 SSD Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• CM Storm Sentinel Advanced 2 Gaming Mouse w/ Speed RX Mouse Pad Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Enermax DreamBass Genie AP001 USB Audio Adapter Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Cooler Master TPC 812 CPU Cooler Review @ Hi Tech Legion

LanOC Reviews

• Nvidia GTX 670 @ LanOC Reviews
• IOSafe Rugged Portable @LanOC Reviews
• Cooler Master Storm Trigger @LanOC Reviews
• Cooler Master HAF XM @LanOC Reviews
• Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H @LanOC Reviews
• Intel DZ77GA-70K @LanOC Reviews
• Intel i7-3770K Ivy Bridge @LanOC Reviews

Affiliate Reviews Roundup – May 11, 2012 - Custom PC Review

NVIDIA Kepler Juggernaut Rolls On With Launch Of GeForce GTX 670

NVIDIA today launched the third GPU based on its next-generation Kepler™ graphics architecture, the GeForce^® GTX 670, which brings dramatically improved levels of price-performance, power efficiency and whisper-quiet operation for PC gamers, starting at $399 USD.

Engineered from the same DNA as the recently announced GTX 680 – NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line, single-GPU — the GTX 670 packs a mean punch in its lithe 9.5-inch-long frame. It outpaces the closest competitive product in gaming performance by upwards of 45 percent,⁽¹⁾ while consuming approximately 18 percent less power.⁽²⁾

Plus, the GeForce GTX 670 ties the competition’s much higher-priced flagship product on 25 of the world’s most popular games and benchmarks, a testament to the overall performance efficiency of the Kepler architecture.

The GTX 670 is built using NVIDIA’s 28-nanometer Kepler architecture, as are the GTX 680 and dual-GPU GTX 690, which were introduced in March and April, respectively.

Availability
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 GPU is available now from the world’s leading add-in card suppliers, including ASL, ASUS, Colorful, ECS, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, Jetway, Leadtek, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, Sparkle and Zotac.

More information about the GeForce GTX 670 is available from www.GeForce.com. For more NVIDIA news, company and product information, videos, images and other information, please visit the NVIDIA newsroom. You can also access GTX 670 product photos from the NVIDIA Flickr page located at: www.flickr.com/nvidia

Nvidia Officially Launches the GeForce GTX 670 - Custom PC Review

Since then, the mass introduction of all-in-one water cooling CPU coolers from companies such as Corsair, Antec and Coolit have greatly increased the popularity of water cooling – so much so that tons of companies have joined in on the action. One of the newest companies joining in on the action is Thermaltake who has recently announced their long awaited Water 2.0 series. Like other all in one water cooling systems, the Water 2.0 Series coolers are all self contained all-in-one water cooling systems. (water block, tubing, pump and radiator) The liquid is pre-filled and because of the special tubing, it will not evaporate.

Thermaltake is planning to introduces three coolers in the Water 2.0 series, each meant to cater to a different kind of user.

Water 2.0 Performer

This is the entry level cooler for those who are just starting out. The Performer will feature a 25mm x 120mm radiator along with two high powered PWM fans (1200rpm~2000rpm) for a push/pull configuration to get the best performance out of the cooler. Thermaltake is also using a highly efficient yet quiet low profile pump to ensure the best possible performance without waking your neighbors in the middle of the night.

Water 2.0 Pro

This is the mid range cooler that appears quite identical to the Performer except for the fact that the radiator is nearly twice the thickness at 49mm x 120mm. This extra surface area will allow for much better heat dissipation. Included with the Water 2.0 Pro is the same two PWM fans which can be used in a push/pull configuration.

Water 2.0 Extreme

The Water 2.0 Extreme cooler is the enthusiast class liquid cooling system featuring a massive 240mm x 25mm radiator that can accommodate up to four fans in a push/pull configuration. In addition, Thermaltake has included “Smart Control” software so users can monitor temperatures, fan speeds and other data.

The Water 2.0 Performer and Pro are immediately available at a MSRP of $69.99 and $99.99 respectively. The Extreme on the other hand will arrive in July and will carry a MSRP of $129.99.

Thermaltake Announces All-in-One Water 2.0 CPU Coolers - Custom PC Review

We’ve reviewed a lot of products here at Custom PC Review, many of which simply pursue functionality and skimp on design. Is this a bad thing? Nope, not at all. At the end of the day, it’s almost always about how well products work that really counts. However, sometimes you just want something fancier – something that will make anyone who looks at your desk say “Hey, that’s a really cool gadget, where can I find one?”

Today we’ll be checking out a couple such products – the Cooler Master CM Storm Sentinel Advance II along with the Speed RX mouse pad.

At first glance, the Sentinel Advance II doesn’t look so different from the Sentinel Advance, which is the previous generation model its built on. So why the different name? A closer examination of the box reveals that the Advance II received a sensor update to the new Avago ADNS-9800 laser sensor along with a bit more onboard memory as well. Aside from that, the Sentinel Advance II kept all of the features of its older sibling – the mini LCD screen, the meshed palm rest with a LEDs underneath, 8 programmable buttons, etc. The mousepad we’re taking a look at today is the Speed RX mousepad which uses a synthetic mesh that’s comprised of nano fibers to increase compatibility with high-grade optical and laser sensors. The mousepad is composed of 100% natural rubber that Cooler Master claims will ”improve ergonomics and endurance”.

Specifications

CM Storm Sentinel Advance II

CM Storm Speed-RX Mousepad

Cooler Master CM Storm Sentinel Advance II Gaming Mouse and Speed RX Mousepad Review - Custom PC Review

According to a recent report by DigiTimes, Nvidia has scored priority supply for 28nm chip production by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). If you’ve never heard of TSMC, these are the guys who produce semiconductors for companies such as AMD and Nvidia, and while the exact reason for Nvidia’s Kepler delays are unknown, it’s more than likely that TSMC’s 28nm production difficulties were a large part of the problem. Despite Nvidia releasing their 28nm GTX 680 Kepler GPU behind schedule well over a month ago, they’re still exceedingly difficult to find at this time which as you can imagine is probably very bad business for Nvidia.

According to the rumormill, Nvidia’s dissatisfaction with TSMC has caused them to seek out other chip manufacturers such as Samsung and Globalfoundries; therefore, in order to sooth relationships between the two companies, TSMC is giving Nvidia priority supply for 28nm chips which should help increase availability of currently released Nvidia 28nm Kepler GPUs and help Nvidia release their upcoming GPUs on schedule.

Additionally noted in the article is that both Qualcomm and Nvidia chips are being priorized by TSMC, which leaves us wondering… what about AMD?

Source: DigiTimes

Nvidia Unsatisfied with TSMC, TSMC Gives Nvidia 28nm Priority - Custom PC Review

Press Release

Aperion Audio Introduces Hi-Fi via Wi-Fi for Windows

Aperion ARIS™ Wireless Speaker for Windows lets music enthusiasts listen anywhere in their homes

Redmond, WA – (May 8, 2012) – Aperion Audio, a direct-to-consumer maker of award-winning home theater speaker systems, today gives Microsoft employees a sneak preview of its newest wireless speaker. The Aperion ARIS  lets digital music lovers listen to their tunes from any room in their home. They simply place the speaker where they want it and connect via wireless or Ethernet to their home network using the Windows 7 and/or Windows 8 Consumer Preview operating systems.

Most people today store their music on a variety of digital devices, including desktops, laptops, notebook PCs, network storage drives, tablets and smartphones. These devices are usually on the home network, but users can listen to music only on a device that is physically plugged into a powered speaker or stereo system. The ARIS wireless speaker eliminates the need to move music files between devices or plug and unplug cables to hear specific tracks. Using the Windows 7 “Play To” feature, music lovers can send music from any device on the network to an ARIS speaker located where they want to listen.

“The ARIS Wireless Speaker combines our experience in making wireless speaker systems with the media capabilities of the Windows operating system,” says Mike Hopkins, Product Development Manager at Aperion Audio. “The result is effortless listening from any room. Plus, with the new ARIS app, smartphone users can choose music from any device on their network and instantly send it to any connected ARIS speaker.”

ARIS connects to a home network at the push of a button using Wi-Fi Protected Setup. The all-in-one ARIS speaker system includes six internal drivers  and four amplifiers that provide a total of 100 W RMS power. The brushed aluminum enclosure, measuring 6.5 inches high by 14.75 inches wide, increases rigidity to fill most rooms with full-range, distortion-free stereo sound.

“We’re excited to see the launch of a product that combines Aperion’s experience in building high-quality wireless audio with the built-in music streaming capabilities in Windows,” says Aidan Marcuss, Sr. Director, Windows Core Marketing and Ecosystem, Microsoft Corp. ” The ARIS products have earned the Compatible with Windows 7 logo, ensuring a seamless install experience.”

Key Features of the Aperion ARIS Connected Speaker for Windows:

• Single-piece brushed aluminum enclosure
• Adjustable and removable steel base
• 100 W RMS total power
• Six internal speakers (four powered drivers, two passive radiators)
• Three sound modes: natural, bass boost and enhanced stereo
• Push-button connection to home network using Wi-Fi Protected Setup
• Compatible with Windows 7 (Compatible with Windows 8 pending)
• DLNA® certified

Pricing, Availability and Warranty:

The Aperion ARIS Speaker with ARIS Wireless Card for Windows is priced at $499. Pre-orders will be accepted starting May 8, 2012, and the system is expected to ship mid-June 2012. The one (1)-year limited warranty covers all defects in material and workmanship.

Aperion Audio Introduces the ARIS Wireless Speaker for Windows - Custom PC Review

Above we’ve got a GPU-Z screenshot from the new graphics card. As you can see, spec-wise the GTX 670 is quite similar to the GTX 680 with 2GB of GDDR5, a 256 bit bus width and 32 ROPs. However, it will come at clocked at a lower 915MHz (Boost 994MHz) and only 1355 Unified Shaders, down from 1536 Unified Shaders on the GTX 680. Other information about the card has been blocked out to protect the manufacturer who aided TweakTown in this leak.

While TweakTown has quite a couple benchmarks up for you to take a look at, here’s a quick look at the 3D Mark 11 benchmark. As you can see, the GTX 670 performs quite similar (and ultimately defeats) AMD’s flagship Radeon HD7970 graphics card. Most other benchmarks show a similar result as well with the GTX 670 defeating the Radeon HD 7970.

Unfortunately pricing and availability is still unconfirmed at this time; however, if these benchmarks are accurate, the GTX 670 should be a beast of a graphics card to say the least. For more information, hop over to the link below!

Source: TweakTown

Edit: Overclocking performance has been posted over at TweakTown as well. Overall, it looks like the GTX 670 isn’t the best overclocker, but will ultimately be able to match or outperform the GTX 680 when overclocked. More information here.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 2GB Benchmarks Leaked - Custom PC Review

Paranoid of losing your precious data? Want to share large files across multiple computers? Windows shared folders not working out for you? Then a NAS unit is probably what you need. These days, NAS units are the epitome of share-ability and security, and have many other appealing characteristics such as low power consumption, easy to use software, and silent operation. Although they are often costly and look as appealing as a nail stuck on your desk, you’ll be glad you invested in one when your desktop hard drive decides to kick the bucket along with 3 years of your data.

That however, is not to say that NAS units can’t be both elegant and capable. In fact, some of them are. A prime example is the QNAP TS-419P II 4-Bay NAS. Engineered by the storage and server experts at QNAP, this tower 4 bay NAS unit is designed for both home and small office use. Under the hood it features a powerful 2GHz Marvell ARM CPU, 512MB of RAM, and a front LCD display for basic information. Not only does it look good on its spec sheet, its professional yet strangely tranquil appearance scores massive points in style as well.

As expected, this is only the beginning. There’s still much to be learned about the TS-419P II, so I invite you to find out more in the rest of our review!

Specifications

QNAP TS-419P II 4-Bay NAS Review - Custom PC Review

One of the major reasons why you haven’t experienced the amazing performance of SSD technology is simply because you still need the storage space available off a traditional hard drive. Whereas 1TB hard drives are practically the minimum these days, 1TB SSDs are still quite rare and those who need the capacity are left out in the dark.

Well, special thanks to OCZ, this is no longer a problem as they’re planning on making a 1TB Octane SSD available this month. The 1TB SSD will be powered by OCZ’s Indilinx controller and will feature maximum read and write speeds of up to 460MB/s and 330MB/s respectively. While this won’t be the fastest SSD on the block, it sure will be among the largest.

…and the other reason why you wouldn’t buy an SSD? According to Amazon, the 1TB Octane SSD is expected to be priced at $2,420. Not a problem? Put that pre-order in today!

OCZ 1TB Octane SSD Shipping Soon - Custom PC Review

In recent years, Corsair has managed to establish themselves in the PC cooling industry as a tier one company and to add onto their PC cooling product lineup, they’re introducing the AF120, AF140 and SP120 fans. As you can imagine from the product naming, the new fans are separated in two classes – one for increased airflow and the other for increased static pressure. This means those who want to buy case fans will go for the AF series whereas those who need higher static pressure pressure for their water cooling radiators will go for the SP series.

AF Series

The AF series fans feature 11 ultra thin, custom molded blades that offer a high amount of airflow in unrestricted spaces. The fans will come in both 120mm and 140mm sizes, and the 120mm fan will come in high performance and quiet oriented editions. The AF120 quiet edition fan will spin at 1,100RPMs while the high performance edition fan will spin at 1,650RPMs. The AF140 will spin at 1,150RPMs.

SP Series

The SP series is designed for high static pressure for radiators and heatsinks giving you the lowest temperatures possible. They will feature 7 ultra-wide, custom-molded blades along with a custom enclosure to ensure plenty of air can move even through the most restrictive of spaces. The SP series fans will also be available in both performance and quiet editions; however it will only be available in the 120mm size.

The AF120/SP120 series fans will be available for $16.99 while the AF140 series fans will be available for $18.99 and should be available immediately.

Source: Corsair

Corsair Adds Fans to their Cooling Lineup - Custom PC Review

All in one liquid CPU cooling solutions are all the rage these days with manufacturers such as Corsair, Antec, Zalman, and even Intel and AMD jumping into the mix with their own branded solutions. However, despite the popularity of these liquid CPU coolers, there aren’t really any at all in the all in one liquid GPU cooler market. Until now.

According to a recent press release by ARCTIC, the company plans to release their VGA Liquid Cooling Solution (LCS), the Accelero Hybrid, on the 29th of this month. ARCTIC is claiming that the new cooler will have “…200% cooling performance and will be 9 times quieter than the stock cooler.” Awesome.

The Accelero Hybrid is the first graphics card cooler with integrated air and liquid solution in the market. It offers an all-in-one solution with 200% cooling performance and 9 times quieter than the stock cooler. While existing VGA Liquid Cooling Solutions (LCS) are restricted to a specific graphics card, this cooler is compatible to a vast range of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards. It is also the first LCS to have an integrated active fan specifically designed to cool RAM and VR heatsinks. Moreover, it is simple to use, maintenance-free and excellent value-for-money. Computer enthusiasts and gamers will definitely not want to miss this state-of-the-art integrated cooling solution.

Source: ARCTIC

ARCTIC Releasing Accelero Hybrid – AIO GPU Water Cooler - Custom PC Review

With the recent release of Intel’s new 22nm Ivy Bridge CPUs, boutique computer manufactures such as Alienware, Digital Storm, Maingear and many others have updated to the new silicon and plunged in on to the opportunity to be the best on the block. As an update to the Sandy Bridge processors, the new Ivy Bridge processors boast lower power consumption, a die shrink, and higher performance.

The update will affect both laptops and desktops ranging from thin and light 11″ notebooks to high end gaming desktops. Interested in what the companies have to say about their updated products? More details in the following pages.

Boutique PC Manufacturers Update to Ivy Bridge - Custom PC Review

While Nvidia is still remaining silent on any future Kepler graphics cards, a leaked image of the MSI GeForce GTX 670 box has surfaced from Malaysian IT retailer, Cycom. According to the box, the GTX 670 will come with DirectX 11, 2GB DDR5, and will include support for Display Port.

Also leaked is a spec/price sheet which shows the MSI GeForce GTX 670 with a 256-bit memory interface and a price of RM 1,380, which is about $455 USD. Unfortunately, this isn’t the price we were expecting for the GTX 670, but hopefully prices will be different when the GTX 670 is finally introduced stateside.

Source: Lowyat

MSI GeForce GTX 670 Box Leaked - Custom PC Review

Press Release

SEND EVIL BACK FROM WHENCE IT CAME
WITH THE RAZER NAGA HEX

 Razer launches the Razer Naga Hex – Wraith Red Edition to fuel your blood frenzy in hack n’ slash games

Carlsbad, Calif. – 1^st  May, 2012 – Razer, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, is excited to launch the Razer Naga Hex Wraith Red edition gaming mouse.  The best weapon to cut down hordes of monsters crawling out from the depths of evil is now available to gamers in an all-new blood red color.

Made especially for hack n’ slash, MOBA and Action RPG games, the Razer Naga Hex Wraith Red edition sports the same devastating 6 mechanical side buttons as the original Razer Naga Hex. Bind a hotbar of skills or inventory items to rapidly unleash hell on boss runs and maintain effective crowd control as enemies attack from all sides.  Having the 6 crucial commands so close to your thumb allows for rapid actuations and enemies dead faster than they can react.

The Razer Naga Hex’s mechanical buttons are also highly durable and responsive, capable of registering up to a staggering 250 clicks per minute – perfect for the frantic hyper-clicking of hack ‘n’ slash RPGs.

The Razer Naga Hex Wraith Red edition is available alongside the original Green edition and either will be your perfect companion for hack n’ slash victory.

About the Razer Naga Hex Gaming Mouse
The Razer Naga Hex is perfectly suited for pro-gamers and fans of the MOBA/action-RPG game genres.  It is primed with six mechanical thumb buttons for the exact number of controls necessary to suit the user interfaces of those games. Bind your skill-bar or inventory grid to the six buttons for faster, more comfortably efficient access to your full range of powers as you take the competition down.

Price: $79.99

Availability:
Razerzone.com – Available Now
USA – Available Now
Worldwide – Q2 2012

Product features:

• 6 MOBA/action-RPG optimized mechanical thumb buttons
• 11 total programmable buttons
• Special switches in buttons for up to 250 clicks per minute
• 10 million click life cycle
• Ergonomic curved design
• Razer Synapse 2.0
• 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G Laser Sensor

For more information on the new Razer Naga, please visit www.razerzone.com/hex

Razer Introduces the Naga Hex Wrath Red Edition Gaming Mouse - Custom PC Review

At the beginning of the game you will be given a choice to follow either Keats or Ellen along their journey through the mysterious island of Doolin. Even though the story lines do not change much there are subtle differences that provide a different perspective to the game. Anybody interested in experiencing everything that the game has to offer should definitely play both sides of the story.

Gameplay is a hybrid of RPG and action/adventure. You can experience the game in both night and day modes, which will be different. During the day, players will roam around Doolin acquiring clues for the mysteries as well as collecting mementos of the dead that will allow them to enter the nether realm at night. In the nether realm the game turns into a more action adventure game, where the player will have to traverse a linear path to face off against a final boss. What makes Folklore different from action adventure games like God of War and Devil May Cry is that the player will capture the “folk”, or creatures from the different realms and use them as attacks. Ellen calls upon the folk as summons to fight along her side, while Keats uses them as weapons. This duality allows the player to better stay engaged in the game since Ellen’s summons require more strategic planning while Keats weapons allow him to be more of a brawler.

There are many folk to be captured, making it quite reminiscent of the Pokemon games where you will fight against the folk and then try to capture them before their HP is depleted. To capture folk, the player will yank the Sixaxis controller upwards and capture the essence of the Folk in a very ghost busters like manner. This captured folk can then be equipped to the buttons of the D-Pad, giving the player four attacks at a time. The player can then map the different attacks to fit their strategy or liking.

One of the issues I noticed with the game is that every time you switch a different Folk in or out of your party, there will be a few seconds of lag time. It might seem insignificant when making strategic swaps before launching an attack, but if you require a change in the heat of battle, the lag might become a bit of a distraction. This tiny lag was bearable in my opinion and I was able to finish both sides of the story without any too much frustration.

Folklore also suffered another complaint from the fans, which is similar our other retro review of Heavenly Sword. Experienced gamers could finish one characters arc in about 4 hours, making the single player experience about 8 hours long. Folklore did pack some online game play that tried to extend the replayability of the game by allowing players to create their own maps and dungeons and download extra quests and costumes.

Overall, Folklore was a launch title that was quite strong in showing off the PS3’s graphical capabilities through Folklore’s fantasy worlds. The story is one big mystery that quickly draws the player in and doesn’t let go until the conclusion of the game. The night/day duality of the game was also a fun and innovative way to tell a story, which helped combine the RPG elements in an action adventure game. If it weren’t for the lag time during folk party switching and, more importantly, its short completion time, Folklore would have been a great hit with the masses. However even with these two small blemishes the game is still worth experiencing and stands as a hidden gem in my collection.

Folklore is currently available on Amazon.

Retro Review: Folklore (PS3) - Custom PC Review