Tech News
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Samsung 850 EVO 4TB SSD @ Custom PC Review
I am not sure what is more impressive. The fact that this drive is a Samsung 850 EVO or that it is 4TB. Yes, Four Terra Bites, Four slaps from Terramorphous and four tires on the ground for proper RAID control. (that last one I made up)
At Flash Memory Summit earlier this year, Samsung announced their new 48-layer 3D V-NAND and along with that they announced that they’ll be using the new NAND in their 850 EVO SSD, pushing capacities up to a staggering 4TB. Considering 1TB was the largest capacity just 4-5 years ago, a 4TB drive designed
SSDs are getting to be almost too good for consumer use. For instance I have a 4TB RAID on my development server that is using three 2TB rotational drives. This single SSD could backup the entire array and is likely about the same speed.
Kray kray when you think about it.
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Silent Loop: be quiet! introduces innovative All-in-One water cooling system
Glinde, 27 September 2016 - be quiet!, the market leader in PC power supplies in Germany for ten consecutive years*, today introduces its line of Silent Loop All-in-One water cooling systems. Through the use of an innovative decoupled reverse-flow pump, Silent Loop delivers high-performance cooling at a minimal sound level, guaranteeing quiet, efficient cooling for overclocked and high TDP CPUs in high-power computer systems. To ensure compatibility with all types of performance-heavy PCs, be quiet! offers three different Silent Loop models.
Innovative reverse-flow cooling cycle for silent and vibration-free operation
be quiet! equips its Silent Loop All-in-One water cooling system with a decoupled pump designed to reverse the cooling circuit. Liquid is drawn in from the outside over the cold plate, then transported through a second layer on the inside of the radiator. This innovative solution operates the pump at a low 2,200 revolutions per minute, noticeably generating less vibration and noise than other conventional AIO coolers.
Optimum selection of materials for long life and high cooling efficiency
To achieve the best cooling performance, be quiet! equips Silent Loop with a black-coated, full copper radiator. The base is made of copper as well, preventing electrochemical corrosion when exposed to liquid and guaranteeing durability. Additionally, the cold plate of the cooling unit is nickel-plated. This facilitates the usage of liquid metal instead of regular thermal grease as a heat conductor between the cooler and CPU. Lastly, be quiet! integrates a refill port for proper coolant leveling after prolonged use, preserving continuous performance and low noise levels.
Maximum performance with two Pure Wings 2 PWM-fans
All three models of the Silent Loop All-in-One water cooling system combine a copper radiator with a pair of the be quiet!’s own Pure Wings 2 fans. The PWM fans offer high static pressure at extremely low-noise operation, while fan speed is optimized and regulated based on load. The unique combination of the Pure Wings 2 fans, the radiator, and the cooling unit with its copper base and reverse-flow pump guarantees Silent Loop’s high cooling performance.
Easy handling due to flexible tubes and convenient mounting
Thanks to flexible bend-protecting tubes, the Silent Loop All-in-One water cooling system is easy to handle. Even in smaller or compact enclosures the installation is effortless. This is also accomplished by a well-designed mounting kit.
Three versions with different radiators for all possible demands
In order to provide the best possible performance for high-power and silent systems of various sizes, be quiet! offers Silent Loop in three models that differ in size and cooling performance. The Silent Loop 280mm and Silent Loop 240mm accommodate two side-by-side mounted 140-millimeter and 120-millimeter Pure Wings 2 fans, respectively, while the Silent Loop 120mm uses two 120-millimeter Pure Wings 2 fans in a push-pull configuration. All models are compatible with the latest Intel® and AMD™ sockets.
The innovative Silent Loop All-in-One water cooling system is available now for an MSRP of €109.90 / £94.99 (Silent Loop 120mm), €129.90 / £109.99 (Silent Loop 240mm) or €149.90 / £129.99 (Silent Loop 280mm), and each unit includes a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty. -
Be Quiet! Silent Loop 280 review @ Guru3D
Wait! What is this? An AIO cooler from the company dedicated to keeping things silent?
Yep, dual fan goodness and not an Asetek design either.
be quiet ! today launches their first ever liquid cooling system kit. We jump right on it and review the Silent Loop 280, an All-in-One Liquid cooling kit that is decent in performance with a 280mm rad and two Pure Wings 2 fans. These liquid cooling kits are pre-fitted with a single loop and ready to install straight out of the box. Armed with pretty nice looks and an attractive price, be quiet! offers a competitive model in the massive LCS kit arena.
I suspect this is a rebrand cooler but still exciting to see be quiet! putting their name on it. I'm not a fan of the hoses though.
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What to do when you hate Windows 10 @ PC World
I am often reminded of something Joshua realized at the end of War Games. (the movie)
"The only winning move is not to play"
I think the same can be said for Windows 10, while it is very good as an operating system there are still plenty of things wrong with it.
I usually start this column with “so and so needed something done to their PC,” but if I were to include the names of all the people who have written me about how unhappy they are with their Windows 10 “upgrade” the file would be so large the server that hosts this page would need a new hard drive. I’ve been inundated with unhappy Windows 10 users for the past two months, and my heart goes out to these folks. A lot of them were upgraded unsuspectingly, and Microsoft deserves a ton of scorn for its malware-like Windows 10 upgrade tactics. That said, now that you have Windows 10 on your PC and you’re not happy, here’s what you can do about it.
Personally I have made a few tweaks to my Windows 10 installs however when it comes to benchmarking I am not a fan. Random lockups and inconsistent results are not fun to deal with.
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GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1080 Xtreme Gaming Premium @ [H]
I have been meaning to post this review for several days now but, with the shortage of GTX 1080 cards and rumors that GTX 1080 Ti will be released "soon" I just haven't gotten around to it.
Until Now!
GIGABYTE’s GeForce GTX 1080 Xtreme Gaming Premium Pack is one premium package of goodness. Not only have we got one of the fastest GeForce GTX 1080 video cards, but GIGABYTE has thrown in the kitchen sink in this Premium Package with enthusiast oriented gaming as the focus.
You know the only thing that would make Extreme Gaming even more Xtreme? Cheese yes, that's right adding a dusting of cheese not only smells good but has been fueling Extreme Sports junkies for years. The next time you bring a new GTX 1080 home do yourself a favor and add some cheese. It will help welcome your new hardware into the family and will give your games that little extra "kick" it needs.
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ECS LIVA One Mini-PC @ techPowerUp
ECS? now there is a name I haven't heard in a long time.
Back in the day ECS was a rather popular motherboard brand in my area. It seemed that every computer shop stocked their motherboards and everyone was happy because they were inexpensive and the only thing you could buy.
At least now, in modern times, you can hit up online stores like Newegg and find something better.
Speaking of better, Did you know ECS is making ultra small PCs now? Ya neither did I
Here's another $400 option for ultra-small PCs, this time based on Intel's 35W Skylake CPU, the Core i3-6100T. The ECS LIVA One ups the performance a notch compared to past LIVA units, but the ECS LIVA One also ups the size a fair bit.
The Core i3 means it won't be all that powerful but should work well for Email and Facebook. Assuming you are into that sort of thing.
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Thermaltake CaseMOD Invitational Season 2
Thirteen of the WorldTop Modders Compete to Win
Taipei, Taiwan-September 22nd , 2016-Thermaltake, a leading brand in CaseMOD community, together with its premium partner Newegg Inc., bring back the largest international modding event of the year, the 2016 Thermaltake CaseMOD Invitational Season 2. The event takes place in the Tt Community starting from today, and features thirteen of the world’s most excellent casemodders from the United States, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Germany, France, Poland, Russia, China, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. Especially to mention is that modders from five new countries join this time to make the competition more exciting. Constants will use Thermaltake liquid cooling components and the Toughpower DPS G RGB 1250W Titanium smart power supply to transform the Core X71 Full Tower Chassis or the Core X5 ATX Cube Chassis into their own creation!
This season Thermaltake added voting function to the Tt MOD App. Now people can use either the desk version of Tt Community or the mobile app to vote for their favorite modders. The Prediction Voting Event begins from September 26th and ends on November 18th. The Final Voting Event will start from December 15th and end on December 29th. Everyone is welcome to register and vote on Tt Community. Voters will have the opportunity to win incredible prizes from Thermaltake, TT Premium, Tt eSPORTS, LUXA2 and other sponsors, including Newegg, Intel, ASUS, and AVEXIR. Thermaltake also offers up to $15,000USD cash prizes in total for the top 3 winners. The winners will be revealed next January.
More details about the event can be found at: http://casemod.thermaltake.com/2016s2
2016 Thermaltake CaseMOD Invitational Season 2 Highlights
CaseMOD with Core X71Full Tower Chassis
Thermaltake’s first chamber concept full tower chassis, the Core X71 delivers a streamlined experience that makes it easier for PC makers and hobbyists to put together high-end systems. With its groundbreaking interior design and the adjustable installation of HDD cage, the Core X71 offers full assembly capacity and expandability for enthusiasts to create massive liquid cooling systems. Moreover, the enlarged side panel window allows users to show off their dedication and skill sets. For more details on the Thermaltake Core X71 Full Tower Chassis, please visit: http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002790
CaseMOD with Core X5ATX Cube Chassis
The Core X5, the new ATX chassis that completes the Core X Series case line, is a cube case offering endless stackable capacity and expandability for enthusiasts to create massive liquid cooling systems for a single system, file server, or even dual systems. Users can customize the chassis for the best viewing presentation with an interchangeable window and I/O panel design. The Core X5 delivers outstanding cooling performance with compatibility for extensive DIY/AIO LCS and overclocking components, further enhancing the reputation that the air-cooling units in this series has become renowned for. It is guaranteed to be an immensely powerful system!
For more details on Thermaltake Core X5 ATX Cube Chassis, please visit:
http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002806
CaseMOD with Toughpower DPS G RGB 1250W Titanium Smart Power Supply
The Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G RGB 1250W Titanium is the world’s first PSU pre-installed with a patented 256 colors RGB fan that incorporate various high-tech components, leading technology and Eco-friendly commendations. Featuring 80 PLUS Titanium certification with individually sleeved cable and flat cable, Toughpower DPS G RGB Titanium Series adopts the highest quality components and fully modular design that always accommodate any mainstream build under any circumstance. The combination of Toughpower DPS G RGB Titanium and Smart Power Management (SPM) Platform helps users not just monitor smart power supply units, but also save the energy, reduce CO2 emission, and eventually protect the Earth.
For more details on the Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G RGB 1250W Titanium, please visit: http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002785
Smart Power Management (SPM) Platform – http://dps.thermaltake.com
Intro to SPM – http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002578#tab1
SPM Guided Tours – https://dps.thermaltake.com/en/video
Meet the Modders
Jon Hansz from the United States, alsoknown as PennyWise, has been a PC game for many years, but it was only around 7 years ago through casemodding he started to combine his passion for PC and art together.
Andrés Sebastián Barés, a modder from Argentina, has transformed several cases since he was 17 years old. He likes to build a case which is not only functional, but also aesthetic. Most of his projects are made for his clients or modding competitions.
Maciel Barreto is a Brazilian modder. He always seeks a chance to create something that is not only innovative and unique, but also can reflect his own style. 80% of his builds are handmade.
Simon Zambrano from Ecuador has done several modding projects since 4 years ago. Some of his builds have been displayed by GIGABYTE and Intel.
Stefan Ulrich is a 30 years old artist from Germany, and established RandomDesign with his wife in 2013. Since 2014, he has already completed many PC modding projects. To him, casemod is more than a hobby, it is a passion.
Bertrand Cucmag has been part of the French modding community for 5 years. His first mod inspired him a lot. The techniques he learned from the build allow him to apply to his future projects, and create cases that have a theme and tell a story.
Michal Lamtych, a programmer from Poland, is passionate about PC modding, and has been involved in this field for14 years.
Anton Popovich from Russia is famous with his casemods for Project Armata and League of Legends. He is also the founder of Godlike Machine that is a community for those who are interested in music, games and PC modding.
Stephen Hoad is a 29 years-old Australian modder from Oz Mods. He has always had a knack and passion for building and creating new things, so PC modding is such a natural fit to him. The Far Cry Primal build is his representative work.
Yu Han is an excellent Chinese modder. He has been engaged in casemod for 6 years. Initially, he just transformed cases for fun, but now he is fully dedicated to this field.
Siwasak Sirisomboon is a professional modder from Thailand. Most of his projects are done by handcraft. To him, casemod is the combination of innovation and creativity.
Irie Ahmad, nicknamed Iren Modz, is from Malaysia, and is doing community works related to IT and PC modding to promote the fun of DIY and PC modding. He believes that modding is an art infused with tech, and most people can do it if they have interest and passion.
Rakesh Sharma is not only a high reputation PC modder in India, but he is also the founder of a review blog site called PCTekindia.com. Recently, one of his builds “HAF X APM Case” received “Cooler Master Maker Challenge” award.
How to Vote and Voting Rules
A weekly voting event will be held on the Tt Community forum and prizes will be given out to members who vote. People can choose to vote via the desktop version or Tt MOD App. The total percentage of the score allocated to Community voting is approximately 25%, with 25% by Thermaltake, 25% by professional modders, and 25% by Newegg.
The Tt Community platform (http://community.thermaltake.com/) is open to all users. We welcome you to join us by interacting and sharing valuable information and experiences with one another. Most importantly, your opinions and ideas will help us better understand your desires and expectations of our products and services. Don’t hesitate; come register and vote for your favorite modder right away!
For more details on the 2016 Thermaltake CaseMod Invitational Season 2, please visit:
Official Website –http://casemod.thermaltake.com/2016s2
Modder Introduction Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKTJhr80UXg&feature=youtu.be -
ENERMAX Platimax D.F. PSU available now
July 19th, 2016, Taoyuan, Taiwan - ENERMAX new 80PLUS® Platinum certified power supply with up to 93% high efficiency, Platimax D.F. made its debut on CeBIT 2016 and is now available on the market with two models: 500W and 600W.
ENERMAX Patented Dust Free Rotation Technology
Platimax D.F. is the successor of ENERMAX awarding-winning series, Platimax, with full modular cable design. Platimax D.F. capitalizes on 2016 ENERMAX innovation, patented Dust Free Rotation (DFRTM) technology which enables the PSU fan to spin in reverse for 10 sec. upon startup to blow away the dust swiftly for self cleaning. The DFRTM technology can reduce the dust accumulated on the fan blades and around fan guard to provide a smooth intake airflow path without obstruction.
Exclusive SLEEMAX Cable Design
Platimax D.F. is full modular cable design and features a new stylish individual sleeved modular cable, named SLEEMAX, which is made with delicate and selected fabric. The texture of SLEEMAX is smoother and softer, making the cable a hassle-free choice for cable management.
Patented Twister Bearing Fan & 100% Japanese Electrolytic Capacitor
Platimax D.F. delivers a stable and silent performance. It is equipped with ENERMAX patented Twister Bearing fan, 100% 105°C Japanese electrolytic capacitors and DC to DC converter circuit for rock-solid voltage stability and higher efficiency. Platimax D.F. is also compliant with 2013 ErP Lot 6 standard for energy saving (<0.5W power consumption at standby mode).
Accessory Kit
Platimax D.F. comes with a decent black storage bag, velcro ties, cable ties and cord organizers with different sizes which provide a convenient way for users to manage the cables.
Quality first is always ENERMAX's philosophy in designing and producing solutions. Platimax D.F. provides an alternative for highly-efficient systems or graphics workstations. Multiple protection setting further makes Platimax D.F. a reliable PSU; the protection circuitry includes OVP, UVP, OPP, SCP, and SIP. For more information, please visit ENERMAX website www.enermax.com or YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Nms-kSyS8VU -
MSI X99A Gaming Pro Carbon Motherboard Review @ Guru3D
It is sometimes difficult to know which motherboard is the best. Do you look at performance or features to make that decision?
Well, one thing is for sure, Guru3D will be one of the only sites to bring you all of the MSI coverage including the elusive MSI video cards that seem to be in short supply.
We review the MSI X99A Gaming Pro Carbon, this motherboard from the Gaming series is among the best X99 chipset based motherboards we have tested to date. Not just that, it looks pretty awesome as well in an all dark design with carbon elements and a color configurable LED system. Obviously it is loaded with features so much more in regards to SLI/Crossfire support, SATA3 connectors, M.2., overclock features, a very nice audio solution and much more.
I do like the look of the new Carbon series boards and the LEDs are a nice addition.
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Specifications Leaked
I'm usually not one to fan the flames of speculation but if NVIDIA is planning to have 1080 Ti ready and launched by the holiday season then why not push and make it true.
As we all know the new 10 Series has been extremely popular since it was launched earlier this year. So much in fact that it is difficult to keep product on the shelves and mfgs are having an even harder time getting product to market. Adding another, more powerful GPU to the mix will only compound the problem unless they take the Titan X approach and make the GTX 1080 Ti an NVIDIA exclusive.
NVIDIA is giving finishing touches to its next enthusiast-segment graphics card based on the "Pascal" architecture, the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. Its specifications were allegedly screengrabbed by a keen-eyed enthusiast snooping around NVIDIA website, before being redacted. The specs-sheet reveals that the GTX 1080 Ti is based on the same GP102 silicon as the TITAN X Pascal, but is further cut-down from it. Given that the GTX 1080 is unflinching from its $599-$699 price-point, with some custom-design cards even being sold at over $800, the GTX 1080 Ti could either be positioned around the $850-mark, or be priced lower, disrupting currently overpriced custom GTX 1080 offerings. By pricing the TITAN X Pascal at $1200, NVIDIA appears to have given itself headroom to price the GTX 1080 Ti in a way that doesn't cannibalize premium GTX 1080 offerings.
Of course leaks being leaks this could be just something made up to increase traffic. Either way the specs listed are extremely realistic though I still question the launch date. Typically NVIDIA launches product in the spring making a holiday release a little aggressive.
