Tech News
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Energy Comission Threatens Pre-Built Gaming Computers
When I was growing up watching game shows in the afternoon there was a familiar saying whenever a car was being offered as a prize.
"California Emissions"
At the time I didn't know what that ment however when I entered High School and started working on my own cars my research turned up different car configurations for 49 State and California. As it would turn out for cars to be sold in in California they must meet strict emissions standards which often ment tweaking with the car to make it more efficent and in most cases robbing it of power. (eg. less fuel = less emissions)
It would seem that with the past history of rolling power outages in California they have decided that stuff needs to get efficient quick and they are targeting the standard desktop PC.
The CEC is said to have conducted wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders in the industry, to formulate regulations that make certain kinds of computers energy-efficient, while not creating the kind of regulation that prevent certain other kind of computers from being sold altogether (eg: gaming desktops and workstations). For example, it's realistic to sell a desktop PC for Internet and office productivity apps that draws under 100W, but it's not realistic to make one for 4K Ultra HD gaming, or even industrial CAD. These kinds of computers will be governed by a separate set of rules, and as you'll find out, some of these rules are very arbitrary, and not very well thought out.
The article at TechPowerUp covers many of the details associated with the new regulations including 80 PLUS certifications and minimum levels of performance with the end goal being that the systems draw less power.
Of course this doesn't threaten folks who build their own PCs from scratch but will have a HUGE impact on boutique builders like CyberPowerPC who assemble custom machines and operate out of City of Industry in California.
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Registration required for Nvidia’s latest GeForce Experience Client
Way to go NVIDIA! I'm pretty sure this is what happens when you have a company who has run out of things to do and has no competition in the space they operate.
This article over at Digital Trends goes over the recent GFE (*not girl friend experience) update which includes a redesigned layout and forced registration. From what I can tell you can still decide if you want to install GeForce Experience and if it is installed they are not forcing you to use it.
HOWEVER, if you prefer to have someone else control how your games should be played and share your gaming habits with NVIDIA (likely to also include pirated games) then you'll need to register. In a way this is good for NVIDIA since they will no longer have to rely on Steam stats to understand that people still game on 1080p even if they spent the $700 bones on a GTX 1080.
Overall, GeForce Experience 3.0 appears to focus on simplicity, providing a toolbar that includes a “Home” button for the default window when the program launches, and a “Drivers” button to grab the latest GeForce Game Ready Driver. This toolbar also shoves a “Share” button, a “Settings” button, and a “Profile” button over to the right of the client, the latter of which contains a drop-down menu for accessing the user’s account and an option to log out.
On an unrelated note I tried to install the latest GeForce driver on my test rig and discovered that it would not install. I was running a fresh install of Windows 10 and it would fail claiming my OS wasn't supported. Figuring they somehow are getting kickbacks from Microsoft I installed a fresh copy of Windows 10 Anniversary Edition and wouldn't you know it. The driver installed correctly. Seems to install the latest drivers you must also have your PC updated with the latest patches.
Grrr
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Thermalright Le Grand Macho RT @ techPowerUp
A cooler this size has no practical use in a modern PC despite some very distinct advantages like passively cooling a 130w CPU and being virtually silent when paired with a properly cooled chassis.
Virtually silent and properly cooled usually translate into "big huge case" and not something you would want to use in an environment where things need to be quiet. At least without lowering performance expectations.
Thermalright's Le Grand Macho RT is massive in size, weighing in at 1060g with the fan. Capable of being used passively, it offers users a near-silent operation and top-tier performance when paired with the TY-147B fan. The competition should take note as Thermalright looks to steal the air-cooling crown.
No, the real reason I posted this news story is because of the name. "Le Grand Macho RT" That just rolls off the tongue and really describes this massive cooler that only a handful of people may actually want.
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Crucial MX300 750GB SSD, Now Packing Micron 3D TLC NAND @ Custom PC Review
It is Crucial that SSDs get big. (see what I did there?)
For over two years, Samsung has been the only mass manufacturer of 3D NAND and being the first to market SSDs with the new technology, they’ve reaped some serious rewards. In a recent report by analyst firm TrendFocus, Samsung owns a staggering 40.8% share of total SSDs shipped and their 3D NAND.
Ohh 3D NAND!?! now this should be interesting, not so much from if the drive will be fast but from a cost standpoint. Will going vertical save money? and will those cost savings trickle down to the college kids on a beer budget or retired folks on a fixed income.
You know, cause normal people shouldn't care so much about cost. #justsayin
It is Crucial that people know this. (there did it again)
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Lexar Portable SSD 512GB Storage Review @ Hardware Slave
Lexar is a Micron company and they have been heavily invested in flash memory for quite some time. Despite this their branded SSDs aren't seen very much in the online shops however I suspect the chips make it into many of the drives you already have.
Well, it seems they are going portable now too.
We reviewed the Lexar Professional Workflow DD512 last year and it got a Recommended award from us. We liked its speed, size and price, and all from a USB external SSD aimed at the professional consumer, hence the name Workflow. Fast forward a few months and Lexar release a new portable SSD, and it’s actually just called the Portable SSD.
It is too bad I can't portable one out of the local Crucial office. I do drive by it on a daily basis. All in due time I suppose.
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SilverStone Primera PM01 Computer Case Review @ APH Networks
I'm not sure how best to describe this case. It is quite tall and features a grill full of fans for massive cooling. Some may call it agressive however, I simply cannot see why.
The SilverStone Primera PM01 is an aggressive looking case filled with features and advanced cooling performance for the enthusiast.
The internals seem to be inspired by a Phanteks design with no internal structure for drives and surface mount everything. I have one of them in the lab for evaluation so be sure to check back for a full review.
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Corsair Carbide Air 740 Case Review @ Legit Reviews
Meh
Corsair has a long history of making some of the highest quality computer components available. They are constantly watching the market and developing new products to meet new demands. Since CES 2016, their computer case division has been silently working on some new designs. Today, we are looking at one of these new designs, in the Carbide Air 740, the follow-up to one of their most popular cases, the Air 540, which we took a look at back in 2013!
It would seem Corsair is having too many green party meetings on the 50 yard line to try and relive old memories.
Seriously though, I understood the concept of the Air 540 and actually felt that was a good case. The Air 740 is just kinda ugly but, the YouTube guys seem to like it so I guess Corsair gave samples to the right people.
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Plextor M8Pe 512GB M2 NVMe SSD Review @ Somewhere
NVMe is the future of SSD performance and I will admit I feel the adoption rate is extremely slow. Not so much from consumers but from companies making the drives. On the flip side we have every mobo maker in existence pushing M.2 and U.2 connectivity and a real lack of drives to take advantage.
Until now, kinda.
In this review we test the super fast Plextor M8Pe 512GB Series M.2 SSDs, a product that reads well over 2GB/sec and writes over 1 GB/sec. These new M.2 units use the NVM express (NVME) protocol and that means storage technology at terrific speeds while remaining competitive in pricing. Will Plextor be able to deliver a unit that manages to shock and awe?
There is a real chance this is a Samsung drive with a Plextor heat spreader so don't get to juicy just yet.
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MSI GTX 1060 Gaming X 3 GB @ techPowerUp
What is this? hardware enthusiasts are trying to save money?!?
I'm all for getting something on the cheap, I have done it but, I also realize that certain things just cost a certain amount and while I may try finding the best price that doesn't mean I am afraid of spending money. Case in point the GTX 1060 is supposed to come with 6GB of memory so why are companies making 3GB versions?
MSI's GTX 1060 Gaming X 3 GB might come with half the memory amount only, but still brings the big guns in form of the large dual-fan TwinFrozr cooler. Our review will test whether 3 GB is a viable alternative to 6 GB if you are trying to save some money.
Oh, I know why. because consumers are cheap and really have no idea what they are buying. Shop owners are also taking advantage of this and will eventually only stock the cheap version and raise the price.
Seems like a good idea.
Well, if you are curious about how badly a 3GB version of the GTX 1060 will perform then check out this review. Be warned though it will be..... *snip*
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Happy Labor Day
For those of you living in the US I wanted to extend you a Happy Labor day. While most would assoicate this holiday with a day off and backyard BBQ that isn't always the case.
For those of you working or not, take it easy!
