Tech News
-
Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX Tempered Glass Edition Release @ TechX
Have I told everyone how much I love this case. I mean, ya Enthoo Evolv by itself is pretty good however adding tempered glass side panels and RGB lighting just put it over the top. Look for a mod of thiis case very soon.
Oh and check out our review of the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ATX Tempered Glass Edition for the real story.
Full glass panels, LED strip lighiting and a beautifully crafted frame of 3mm aluminum are just a few of the amazing features you are going to hear of today in our release of the Enthoo Evolv Tempered Glass Edition by Phanteks.
Such a short quote for such a great case. Its almost like they are tracking how many people click on their email links so they can embed alexa tracking cookies and pump up their rankings.
-
GIGABYTE Z170X-Ultra Gaming Review @ Vortez
I have been up to my elbows in motherboards lately and here is a new one from Gigabyte for the Skylake line of processors.
Don't let the name fool you, Ultra Gaming is like all about gaming in, umm Ultra RGB?, Ya, something like that.
It was at Computex 2016 (a matter of weeks ago), that GIGABYTE unveiled their new lineup of Intel Z170 motherboards bearing the names Designare and Ultra Gaming. Today, we’ll be taking a close look at the Z170X-Ultra Gaming – a sleek motherboard which packs in a multitude of features – including Ultra Durable components, a variety of storage solutions such as U.2 and dynamic lighting courtesy of ‘Ambient LED’. Although this board arrives with a strong feature-set, it still maintains the appealing price-tag of £139.99 GBP / $160 USD – over the subsequent pages we’ll be putting this new motherboard under a watchful eye. Let’s begin!
I know deep down that me not attending Computex this year wasn't a bad thing but, I did miss not attending. Not like PTSD or anything but pretty close.
-
Anidees AI8 Black Window Chassis Review @ Hardware Slave
Here is a case from a company I've not heard of before and their case concept is pretty interesting. Drives and PSU are located at the bottom, the front facing bays have been removed making the case look like a true tower.
You may have seen it all before, but if you haven’t, there are a lot of computer chassis out there, so which one do you pick. Firstly, you need to forget about your mates, or the flamers and trollers. For the latter groups, they are right about everything, so no matter what you do, it’s wrong. So where does this leave you? Requirements, including budget and style preferences.
Based on the photos the case is mostly air and I suspect the metal is thin which is not "modder" friendly but has a few options.
-
COUGAR ATTACK X3 @ techPowerUp
You ever notice that some products are just named wrong? For instance this keyboard sounds a lot like a pr0n title. Some of it is just the name of the company but, still.
The COUGAR ATTACK X3 is here for gamers who want a keyboard that is feature rich, but priced low. Fully configurable key functions, macro support, and Cherry MX switches all enable COUGAR to compete in a very lucrative market.
On a positive, it looks nice.
-
Official statement addressing OC mode on MSI GAMING X graphics cards
MSI Review samples and MSI retail cards are identical in terms of hardware and performance. Both have the exact same performance profiles available through the MSI Gaming App. All information about these performance profiles is clearly communicated and can be found on the respective product pages. (example: https://www.msi.com/Graphics-card/GEFORCE-GTX-1070-GAMING-X-8G.html)
Retail cards are set to ‘Gaming Mode’ by default, which offers the best Performance per Watt, while still giving close to ‘OC Mode’ in-game performance. In order to enjoy the best performance and all features of MSI GAMING products, we highly recommend to use the MSI Gaming App which is available for free on MSI.com and the driver CD. The MSI Gaming App allows you to apply one of three performance profiles with a single click, instantly giving you the desired performance.
As several reviewers have stated, software like the MSI Gaming App is often not used in reviews. This is why review samples of the MSI GeForce GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 GAMING X graphics cards are set to ‘OC Mode’ to ensure that reviews demonstrate the same performance available through the MSI Gaming App. The award winning TWIN FROZR VI cooling is designed to handle each performance profile flawlessly, giving you the lowest noise in the industry and consistent performance so gamers can focus on their gameplay.
For those who prefer not to use the MSI Gaming App but still want to enjoy the same ‘OC Mode’ performance by default, we have released an alternative vBIOS with ‘OC Mode’ enabled by default.Download the BIOS images
MSI GeForce GTX 1080 GAMING X 8G OC Mode vBIOS
MSI GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING X 8G OC Mode vBIOS
Learn more about the MSI Gaming App here: https://gaming.msi.com/article/msi-gaming-app-article -
ASRock Z170M OC Formula (Intel LGA-1151) @ techPowerUp
ASRock has been a very popular overclocking platform for many years and I'm glad to see that the tradition continues with the Z170M OC Formula. This is a Micro ATX motherboard and promises to deliver over the top overclocking and be the fastest board on the market.
Or so it says right on the motherboard.
ASRock is back in the overclocking game with a purpose-built Z170M OC Formula mATX motherboard ready to take your Skylake CPU and DDR4 memory to the absolute limit. Rated to support DDR4-4500+ and built with ASRock's Hyper OC Engine, this OC-centric Z170M OC Formula board has the highest rating for memory speeds on the market today.
There could be some truth behind the claims as they have some of the top overclockers pushing their boards to limits behind reason. Which gets me thinking, what happened to their gaming line? wasn't that supposed to be the best of the best by association?
-
BIOSTAR Shows-off Ultra Gaming Machines
BIOSTAR Teams Up with Apacer and Thermaltake to showcase high-end gaming machines
June 20th, 2016, Taipei, Taiwan – BIOSTAR is proud to announce its ultra gaming machines in partnership with Apacer and Thermaltake. Built around a BIOSTAR RACING Z170GT7 motherboard, these systems are built for the latest games and feature high-performance components all brought together by BIOSTAR motherboards.
Basing on the new Super 5 Design Concept, the RACING Z170GT7 flaunts the best of the entire BIOSTAR RACING series with its latest motherboard design features. This includes the all new RACING IO armor, carbon-fiber design treatment on the heatsink, checkered flag PCB print on a matte black surface treatment and Titanium-color RACING audio shielding.
The BIOSTAR RACING Z170GT7 motherboard features BIOSTAR’s VIVID LED DJ which allows users to customize the lighting on the board’s heatsinks and PCB to reflect their personal style. Allowing multiple custom effects, gamers can configure their BIOSTAR RACING motherboard with custom lighting effects such as permanent (static), breathe, shine or shine & music (sound-reactive) to give their gaming machines a unique personality. For convenience, the BIOSTAR RACING Z170GT7 also features GT Touch functionality, onboard buttons that allowing switching between the built-in modes to the motherboard featuring their own lighting profile.
Built for makers, the Thermaltake Core P5 is designed for people who want to stand-out. With a unique design, this chassis showcases each and every components of the system and keeps it all secured in its well-built frame. Its fully-modular design also allows builders to take advantage of infinite possibilities to configure the system and style it their own way without affecting performance of the actual system.APACER BLADE, PANTHER and COMMANDO
Apacer joins in making the ultimate gaming machine with their line of high-performance memory modules.
The Apacer BLADE is capable of reaching speeds of up to DDR4-3300 and features unique signature heatspreaders which aim to provide an aggressive look as well as aggressive performance for the most discerning gamers. The Apacer COMMANDO features a tactical heatspreader as well as support for high-frequencies while the new Apacer PANTHER features a new heatspreader design with illumination for a superior looking machine that embody the true beast within.
For more information, visit the official website: http://www.biostar.com.tw
For more information about Thermaltake visit their website: http://www.thermaltakeusa.com
For more information about Apacer visit their website: http://ap.apacer.comAPACER BLADE, PANTHER and COMMANDO
Apacer joins in making the ultimate gaming machine with their line of high-performance memory modules.
The Apacer BLADE is capable of reaching speeds of up to DDR4-3300 and features unique signature heatspreaders which aim to provide an aggressive look as well as aggressive performance for the most discerning gamers. The Apacer COMMANDO features a tactical heatspreader as well as support for high-frequencies while the new Apacer PANTHER features a new heatspreader design with illumination for a superior looking machine that embody the true beast within. -
Thermaltake Core X5 Cube Chassis Review @ Legit Reviews
Das Kube!
I find it interesting that people like "cube" style cases, and not the cool ones like the Corsair (shudder) 540 or the older, and much better, ones from days gone by but cubes that take up too much space. Of course my view into "too much space" is skewed considering that the Cooler Master HAF XB and Corsair 540 were basically the same case. One was rotated, and was awesome, while the other was more like a bench platform without the bench.
The Core X5 is basically a bigger HAF XB with "Core" mesh and the TT promise that it wasn't copied from anything.
. Seriously though, not a fan of these designs despite who makes them.At CES 2015, Thermaltake introduced us to their Core X line which included three models, X1, X2 and X9. Each of them was designed for different size of motherboards but maintained the ability for the end user to customize the chassis to fit their specific need The Thermaltake Core X5 is one of their latest cube chassis, designed to support up to an E-ATX motherboard, and support a wide range of cooling options. Read on to learn more about it and see how our build went.
I will admit I do like the modular approach that ThermalTake has taken with the entire Core line-up and I find it novel that you can combine cubes to make a massive tower of PC chassis. However, from a practical standpoint I just cannot approve.
That isn't to say I wouldn't review one but don't expect me to be first in queue to drop cash on one, that would just be silly.
-
My Entry into the Gigabyte Mod2Win 30th Anniversary Case Modding Contest
Last week I posted a press release announcing the Gigabyte 30th anniversary modding contest and was very impressed with what Gigabyte had planned. Of course the grand prize is the most appealing for whoever wins but I'm also impressed with the commitment Gigabyte has put forth to gather interest.
Much like with the Overclocking competitions hosted at HWBot there are a few partner sites involved including Modders-Inc and PCPartPicker (I'm still trying to figure out why?) and they will be handling certain aspects of the competition and making sure everyone does what they should.
To help get things started Gigabyte is offering a build package for those who submit modding concepts and I finished mine last week.
The mod is using the Cooler Master Mastercase 5 (because I had one already) and will feature Automotive paint, Custom radiator mounting, Hardline watercooling and an Overclocking component.
At the top of the case you will find an exposed copper plate that will act as a connection to super chill the coolant. This can be something simple like a TEC and aircooler or something more dramatic like an LN2 container or Phase head. The idea will be to supercool the fluid and allow more overclocking headroom and when the chill is gone it will revert back to the built in radiator.
Given my background in overclocking, watercooling and casemodding I think this is a perfect meld of everything.
Be sure to check out my build thread over at Modders-Inc and watch the Hardware Asylum Facebook Fan page for more information.
-
Asylum Review Block: GeForce Pascal GTX 1080 and GTX 1070 Goodness
The hot news right now is the new 1000 series launch from NVIDIA, namely the GTX 1080 and GTX 1070. The launch event happened last month and over the past few weeks we have started seeing more and more GPU related launches from the various board partners.
And, a few reviews too.
Web Reviews
- ASUS GTX 1080 Strix Gaming 8 GB @ techPowerUp
- ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 review @ Guru3D
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 On Linux: Testing With OpenGL, OpenCL, CUDA & Vulkan @ Phoronix
- Gigabyte GTX 1080 G1 Gaming 8 GB @ techPowerUp
- EVGA Nvidia GTX 1080 Founders Edition Review @ HWSlave
- ASUS STRIX GTX 1080 Review @ Vortez
- GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition Overclocking Review @ [H]
- Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 G1 GAMING review @ Guru3D
- MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X 8 GB @ techPowerUp
- MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Gaming X review @ Guru3D
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB @ techPowerUpLots of content from some familar names and maybe even more in the /dev/null folder I missed.
