Hardware Asylum CES 2025 Coverage
I would like to thank Yeyian Gaming for helping sponsor Hardware Asylum during CES 2025. The Consumer Electronics Show starts Jan 9th and runs through Jan 12th.
Yeyian Gaming offers an wide range of solutions for the PC gamer including pre-built PCs to fully customized gaming computers with an online configurator. Their builds feature the latest in computer hardware including Intel Ultra, AMD Ryzen 9 and the latest in Nvidia RTX.
Be sure to check them out at https://us.yeyiangaming.com and the Venetian Tower if you'll be attending CES 2025.
Tech News
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Running Slackware Linux on Hyper-V: Pro Tip
Over the past few weeks I've been working on a Linux project. My project isn’t complex just a new application server that will be running within a Hyper-V VM. Slackware is my distro of choice and I was happy to see that the latest versions supported Hyper-V.
As part of my testing I installed Slackware 14.0 on my server and installed and ran like a champ. Of course when Heartbleed got fixed I figured it was time to upgrade my project to Slackware-current (14.1) and that is when things got interesting.
I spent the better part of 8 hours trying to figure out why Slackware 14.1 would install on my Hyper-V machine but would not run after the initial install (eg first reboot) . The log showed a kernel panic and basically froze. As it would turn out the Hyper-V modules were not loading in the correct order and when the Kernel tried mounting /dev/sda2 (my root partition) saying it couldn't find it.
Turns out the fix is pretty simple and I'm here to pass along some information.
Some background on my setup:
Windows Server 2008 R2 running Hyper-V
Slackware 14.1
VM using two cores and 24GB virtual drive
I'm using XFS as my filesystem and have swap space at /dev/sda1The error I was getting was somewhat cryptic"kernel panic - not syncing : VFS: unable to mount root FS on unknown-block"
Basically the error is saying that the system cannot mount the root filesystem as indicated in Lilo. You could have a similar situation had this been a RAID or a new disk using a different filesystem. To resolve this issue I needed to create and load an Init Ramdisk (initrd.gz) that contained the driver modules needed to load the root FS.
Here is the process to follow:
- Boot the system using the install disk and login as root.
- Mount the target partition "mount -t xfs /dev/sda2 /mnt"
- Set /mnt to root "chroot /mnt"
- Change directory to "/boot"
- Make the initrd, There is a helper script to get you started but for Hyper-V it doesn't apply since you need to load the Hyper-V system bus and storage service (hv_vmbus hv_storvsc) to load the drive, use the following command "mkinitrd -c -f xfs -r /dev/sda2 -m hv_vmbus:hv_storvsc:mbcache:xfs -u -o /boot/initrd.gz"
- If your kernel version is different from your boot media add -k [kernel version] (ex '-k 5.4.38') to the build string.
- Add this to lilo.conf by adding "initrd = /boot/initrd.gz" right after the boot image line
- Run "lilo" to set the configuration
- Reboot
- Update (5/3/20): I was testing out Slackware64-Current (Slackware 15) and kept getting an memory allocation error when mounting the drives on boot. The fix was to change vmlinuz (symlink to -huge) to vmlinuz-generic in lilo.conf.
They say you can recompile the Kernel to include Hyper-V support however, considering that both vmlinuz-generic and vmlinuz-huge kernels include support as modules you shouldn't need to. The difference is that "huge" loads all of the drivers and is why I could install the OS on my VM. When the system rebooted it switched over to "generic" and just didn't load the modules in time.
Overall I'm just happy that I got it working and am still confused as to why Slackware 14.0 worked out of the box and why Slackware 14.1 failed.
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Roccat Easter Egg Hunt Contest
How would you like to wake up Wednesday morning as a winner of a brand new Kone Pure Optical gaming mouse, Siru gaming pad, and Ryos MK Glow keyboard? That would be awesome, right?!
The folks over at Roccat want to give you the shot to be one of three lucky individuals to win that prize. All you have to do is search Roccat's social media sites for the (not-so) hidden 24 letters, and then put the letters together to form the winning phrase and send your guess off to win@roccat.org. Contest ends on Tuesday the 22nd of April, so get hunting!
Links to the social pages are below:
Youtube Contest Rules & Details - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX3bcGjZVRk
Roccat Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ROCCAT
Team ROCCAT - https://www.facebook.com/TEAMROCCAT
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ROCCAT
Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/roccatst...Happy Easter!
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Cyberpower Inc. Becomes the Exclusive Distributor of V3 Components in North America
Cyberpower has announced that it will now offer an alternative to it's traditional water cooling builds. So for an enthusiast build, if coolant, pumps and radiators aren't your thing, and you're looking for a no-mess, compact alternative, Cyberpower may have a solution for you with a thermoelectric cooling option - the V3 Voltair.
“We are very happy to have Cyberpower Inc. as the exclusive distributor of our products in North America. Cyberpower Inc. offers the logistics capacity and market reach to help make our products available to a much wider audience than we would be able to on our own,” said Chuck Morris, Product Manager at V3 Components.
“Cyberpower Inc. has successful partnerships among both etailers and the retail channel that it will use to offer V3 Components products to customers.
In addition to distributing products from V3 Components, Cyberpower Inc. will also be making the V3 Voltair CPU cooler available in their custom-built PCs, said Eric Cheung, CEO of Cyberpower Inc. “This is the beginning of a strong partnership in which we can utilize the innovation of the V3 Components team and collaborate on future product innovations.”
As the ever-increasing curve of technology adds more power behind the chips being released, and as the ability to overclock becomes easier and more accessible for starting enthusists, it will be interesting to see how TEC technology continues to evolve to meet the increased demands asked of it. -
be quiet! Dark Rock 3 Review @ techPowerUp
Is it possible to have your cake, and eat it too? Can you have both a high performance heatsink that also runs whisper silent? The folks over at be quiet! sure thinks it's possible with the latest generation of Dark Rock tower coolers, the Dark Rock 3.
be quiet!'s Dark Rock 3 is a great single-tower cooler as it offers up stylish looks with the performance to back it up. Take into consideration its exceptional build quality and warranty and you have a cooler that might just be best in class.
While they do appear to have added a second set of clips for a dual fan option to address our primary critique of the Dark Rock 2, though the same mounting brackets do appear to be used in this iteration as well. -
DXRacer M-Series Game Chair @ LanOC Reviews
Ever want to feel like you are in a high-end sports car while playing your favorite video game? Well, that is what it will appear like if you sit in one of the DXRacer chairs.
I’ve spoken about it in a few previous reviews but it’s really important to remember that there are a few things beyond your PC itself that will really improve your gaming experience. A few of the obvious examples are your keyboard and mouse but there are others that you might not even consider. A perfect example of something that most people skimp on is their chair. The ironic thing is that your chair is used more than any other product at your desk. As someone who spends both their work and recreational time in front of a PC, a high quality chair is even more important. I have been using the same “racing” style office chair for nearly 10 years now, after being repaired multiple times the chair has seen better days. When I came across the chairs from a company called DXRacer they fit the bill perfectly. Let’s see if their M-Series Gaming Chair can keep me gaming for the next 10 years.
I have seen quite a few online gamers using similar chairs and while I prefer the elegance and style of a Herman Miller Aeron it just doesn't scream "I am a professional gamer" over Twitch.tv.
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GIGABYTE R9 290X OC and ASUS GTX 780 Ti DCUII Review @ [H]
The R9 290X might be a hard chip to find but it does a pretty good job and pushing pixels and flipping frames. [H]ard|OCP is looking at two graphic options first being a high-end factory mod from Asus followed by a custom cooled "tame racing driver" from Gigabyte.
Today we look at the GIGABYTE R9 290X 4GB OC and ASUS GeForce GTX 780 Ti DirectCU II OC video cards. Each of these video cards features a custom cooling system, and a factory overclock. We will push the overclock farther and put these two video cards head-to-head for a high-end performance comparison.
The points they look at in the review seem a little strange but it does a good job at giving you a side by side between the two chips.
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Thermaltake Urban T81 Full Tower @ NikKTech
I am going to start calling this case the "Turban".
In a market filled with all kinds of PC Cases by a huge number of manufacturers we all know how hard it is for someone to pick the right one for the job especially if price is of a concern. The reason i mentioned price should be quite obvious so if you're aiming to get one of the most expensive towers in the market then you currently only have a handful of choices to pick from by just a few of the leading manufacturers. On the other hand if you're on a budget things get tougher since most manufacturers out there aim for the masses and not enthusiasts, serious gamers and professionals so the number of available choices skyrockets. Primarily Thermaltake also seeks to win over the masses but from time to time they too release high quality and feature rich PC Cases aimed at serious consumers and the brand new Urban T81 Full Tower which has been with us for roughly a week now certainly wants to get in their ranks.
Watch out for the super ultra paragraph spacing and look for the drive bay door, it should be epic.
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Cooler Master CM Storm Xornet Gaming Mouse Review @ Tweaknews
Gaming mice on the cheap? What is the world coming to.
CM Storm has proven once again that a quality gaming mouse doesn't have to carry a hefty price tag. For under $30 the Xornet provides the right amount of buttons, features, and quality parts to appeal to FPS gamers on a budget. If you prefer a claw-grip style of mouse and don't mind it being lightweight, the Xornet is an excellent choice.
The mouse looks like the old Cooler Master Storm Spawn Gaming Mouse that we reviewed. Of course the color is different and likely has better software but same non-the-less.
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Gigabyte G1.Sniper A88X Review @ Bjorn3D
Gonna let the Bjorn quote tell it all.
Gigabyte’s G1.Sniper has a long history of targeting toward gamers. The board is designed with features that gamers seek the most: better audio quality, better network performance, and better cooling for overclocking, Dating back to the first G1.Sniper, Gigabyte has released various models of the G1.Sniper series: 3, 5, and M5. What they all have in common is that they are all for Intel processors. The G1.Sniper A88X marks the first motherboard from Gigabyte that carries the G1.Sniper moniker for AMD APU. With Kaveri, AMD not only brings performance enhancement but also PCI Express 3.0 support along with other technologies such as TrueAudio, HSA, and hQ. As such, Gigabyte is betting that there are gamers who are looking to build a gaming PC without spending a lot of cash would be interested in pairing the AMD APU with their latest G1. Sniper A88X motherboard.
For the record we looked at this motherboard and found it to be really good. Sadly the only downfall of the board isn't the board but the lackluster APU which is why having good onboard components is key for the modern gaming PC.
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Noctua presents NH-D15 elite-class dual tower CPU cooler
Noctua today introduced its new flagship-model NH-D15. Built on the basis of the legendary NH-D14 and carrying on its quest for ultimate quiet cooling performance, the NH-D15 is an elite-class dual tower cooler for the highest demands.
"Having convinced tens of thousands of quiet cooling enthusiasts around the globe, our NH-D14 has become a reference for top-tier dual tower heatsinks", explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "In the end, it took us more than three years of continuous development, countless thermal simulations and over hundred samples to come up with a substantial improvement in efficiency. Staying true to our policy of not releasing anything we're not 100% satisfied with, we had to accept some delays in order to squeeze out the last few percent of performance, but now we're proud to finally release the NH-D15 as a worthy successor to the venerable D14."
Noctua's NH-D14 has received more than 350 awards and recommendations from leading international hardware websites and magazines, making it one of the most successful premium heatsinks ever built. With its expanded layout and dual NF-A15 fans, the NH-D15 further improves the D14's much acclaimed quiet cooling performance.
Compared to the NH-D14, the NH-D15's fin-stack has been widened from 140 to 150mm and its heatpipes are now spaced further apart, which allows for a more uniform heat distribution over a larger surface area and thus contributes to the NH-D15's superior efficiency. Thanks to its recessed lower fins, the NH-D15 provides 64mm clearance for tall memory heatsinks in single fan mode, making it compatible with most high end RAM modules on the market.
The NF-A15 premium fans supplied with the NH-D15 support PWM for convenient automatic speed control through the mainboard. In addition, the maximum fan speed can be reduced from 1500 to 1200rpm using the supplied Low-Noise Adaptor for even quieter operation.
Topped off with the trusted, pro-grade SecuFirm2™ multi-socket mounting system, Noctua's proven NT-H1 thermal compound and full 6 years manufacturer's warranty, the NH-D15 forms a complete premium quality solution that represents a deluxe choice for overclockers and silent-enthusiasts alike.Pricing and availability
The NH-D15 will be available by mid-April at suggested retail prices of EUR 89.90 / USD 99.90.
About Noctua
Designed in Austria, Noctua's premium cooling components are internationally renowned for their superb quietness, exceptional performance and thoroughgoing quality. Having received more than 3000 awards and recommendations from leading hardware websites and magazines, Noctua's fans and heatsinks are chosen by more than a hundred thousand satisfied customers around the globe.
