Tech News
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The Best PC Games @ Gamespot
Coming up with a list of the best PC games can be really difficult and for every "best" one you call out there is maybe 10 more that really should be in that spot. Gamespot is attempting to tackle the list and has come up with quite a few.
PC gamers have always had a huge selection of titles--both old and new--to choose from, so trying to figure out which ones to dedicate your precious time to can prove to be a daunting experience. But never fear, GameSpot is here to give you some suggestions on the best PC game experiences you can play right now. Since the history of PC games is both long and varied, we've focused on some of the best games released in recent years,
I also noticed that instead of limiting the list to "the top X" they simply listed all of the popular titles with a short description. For me I think picking the "best" games should be based on legacy and what games changed the modern landscape or influenced a generation. If you don't do that then your list is simply the high school of games.
For instance the first Doom and Wolfenstein are good examples of games that spawned the modern FPS movement and laid the framework for every game that came after. Sure they changed the formula but that is what makes the genre so fun.
And, of course there are more and plenty outside of the FPS world..
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LEPA LV12 Review @ Vortez
LEPA's just took their first step into active processor cooling with the LV12, a slim-design single tower cooler. With many motherboards sporting the black pcb look lately, I see the matte black LV12 really matching the aesthetic. But looks are one thing, ultimately the question will come down to how well it can keep that chip cool.
LV12 is LEPA’s first CPU cooler and it certainly arrives in style. Available in matte black or matte white, this cooler is stunning in its visual appearance and comes with a three-mode adjustable 120mm cooling fan - allowing the user to choose specific speed zones and finding that balance of silence or performance.
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Tt eSPORTS METALCAPS – Harden your keyboard for battle!
Fresh press release from Tt eSports, introducing Metalcaps, replacement zinc-alloy mechanical keyboard keys. All humor aside about chromed keyboards being so late last century, I have to admit it's an interesting concept. Take the most trafficked, prone to rub and wear keys in a gamers arsenal, and replace them with a material that will last as long as the switches underneath. My only concern lookng at the photos, would be if your mech keyboard has any backlight effects. Looking at the underside of the caps, they do not appear to be built to let light pass through to illuminate the lettering.
Press Release:
Tt eSPORTS METALCAPS – Harden your keyboard for battle!
Taipei, Taiwan – July 7th, 2014 – Tt eSPORTS, the leading expert in professional e-Sports gaming peripherals is releasing the new METALCAPS keyboard accessory. Tt eSPORTS wants to come to the aid of the mechanical keyboard community, by putting the METALCAPS in store shelves and on premium e-tailer websites to offer users a convenient way to mod their mechanical keyboards. The METALCAPS are made with a Zinc alloy for overall durability and a solid feel while typing.
The Tt eSPORTS METALCAPS will come in four varieties, as follows:
- W A S D + Esc key
- Q W E R + Esc key
- ↑↓←→ + Esc key
- 38 keys combination (letters, punctiation, ↑↓←→, and Esc key)
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ASUS Maximus VII Gene Review @ Vortez
We continue to see more and more manufacturers release micro'd versions of their flagship lineups. The newest of these comes from ASUS, with the Maximus VII Gene. The Gene is a Z97 board, and is ready out of the box for Intel's 4th or 5th generation processors.
Maximus VII Gene is packed with style, innovation and premium components. Although this motherboard is generally aimed at the gamer, it should appeal to other groups including enthusiasts and system builders. Will the size of this motherboard hinder its performance and overall verdict?
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ROCCAT Ryos MK Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard - BCCHardware
The faster, bolder, brighter brother to the Ryos MK Glow we reviewed, the MK Pro definitely adds to the list of already impressive features bundled with the Glow. Adding a second 32-bit ARM processor to add more special lighting effects, different available key switches to suit everyones tastes, and even the USB ports we were hoping for on the Glow, to name just a few.
This is a solid product that definitely deserves more than a cursory glance if you are in the market for an absolutely fantastic gaming keyboard. While it does have more options that you’ll probably use, I do believe that this is the best keyboard I’ve ever used. If anyone has a keyboard that can rival the Ryos MK Pro in terms of flash, substance, quality and performance, I’ve yet to see it.
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XFX R9 280 Black Edition OC Review @ Vortez
Aside from a very small boost in clockspeed (reference) and a redesigned cooler, the R9-280 is near identical to the HD7950 refreshed 'boost' edition. Not that this is a bad thing of course because when we tested the HD7950 we were thoroughly impressed. Time has since moved on but with a few driver tweaks and XFX's own speed boosts being that our review sample is the 'Black Edition OC' we hope to see some good figures.
Ignoring the obvious rebadge, the new card does boast some new modern updates to wring even everything it can from its chips. Making solid use of beefed up cooling componants, with monster heat spreaders and piping resting underneath dual fans, along with a factory overclock on the Tahiti GPU and memory that takes it close to the limits of the hardware to earn it's membership as a Black-edition card. This could be one seriously scrappy underdog contender for value buyers. -
Asylum Review Block: Audio Systems
In the past few months there have been a lot of new headsets and speaker systems coming out. So, following on the coat-tails of the Diamond Xtreme 7.1 External Card review, we thought it would be fun to give you a taste of what's new to plug into that new discrete card of your choosing.
Headsets
Attitude One Almaz Headset @ techPowerUp
Genius Zabius M Mobile Gaming Headset - BCCHardware
Mionix Nash 20 Headset Review @ HiTech Legion
Sennheiser G4ME ONE PC Headset Review - BCCHardware
BitFenix FLO Headset Review @ HiTech Legion
Speakers
Edifier Luna Eclipse 2.0 Speaker Set Review @ Madshrimps
UE BOOM Personalized Edition @ techPowerUp -
MSI GTX 780 Gaming 6 GB @ techPowerUp
Boasting a higher clock speed than the Titan, double the video RAM, and double the cooling fans from it's original release, MSI is releasing a new version of the GTX 780 to complete with the 780 Ti. "Add more RAM" has been a common mantra for years in the PC community for a cheap and easy performance boost, but does that same mantra apply to video cards as well?
MSI's new GTX 780 Gaming 6 GB doubles the available video RAM over the reference design, which has just 3 GB. With latest titles requiring 3 GB VRAM minimum for Ultra textures, this 6 GB card could help provide a performance advantage. We will investigate this claim using our brand-new VGA test suite.
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Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE Motherboard Review @HiTech Legion
Another Z97 motherboard spotlight for enthusiasts on a budget. Being a budget board, it appears at first glance to lack a lot of frills seen on flagship models, such as WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity, but will introduce you into the world of Intel's 9-series chips without busting the bank.
We have to take a look at the Biostar Hi-FI Z97WE motherboard as a basic motherboard that anyone can use. Especially when we consider that it is in the budget to mainstream price range what you get is expected.
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The Start menu will return in new Desktop-optimized version of Windows 8.2
Looks like I might finally make the switch to windows 8. In one of the early podcasts I talked about what I thought Windows 8 would be and how the Metro interface would be the tablet version while a desktop would still lurk under the covers. Sadly they nurfed the desktop and focused on touch and tablets.
Well, it has been over a year now and Microsoft finally understands what they did wrong. I'm still not happy with the visuals given that flat colors and large buttons are so '93 but, babysteps and all.
With Windows 8.1 out of the way, Microsoft has now begun work on Windows 8.2. According to sources close to the development Windows 8.2, dubbed Threshold, Microsoft will bring Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox One closer together — to the threshold, if you will, of being a fully unified OS. Furthermore, again according to insider sources, Windows 8.2 will introduce a “traditional desktop” SKU that is optimized for mouse-and-keyboard Desktop users and resurrects the original Start menu.
I'm all for unifying the platforms but you have to focus on the strengths of each. Tablets are for entertainment so touch is important. Desktops are for work and you need more precision and to maximize efficiency. The XBOX, ya, well that is a console so controllers are king unless you factor in the Kinect which is both good and bad.
