Tech News

  • World’s First Fully RGB DDR4 Memory with ASUS ROG Certification

    GeIL EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory Supports ASUS AURA Lighting

    Automatic Performance Boost Enabled

    Taipei, Taiwan — Sept. 22nd, 2017 -- GeIL – Golden Emperor International Ltd. – one of the world's leading PC components & peripheral manufacturers announced EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory. As world’s first fully RGB illuminated DDR4 memory module with an ASUS ROG certification, EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory combines a significant performance boost with RGB lighting effects to give enthusiasts an excellent overclocking and gaming experience.

    Pairing with ASUS ROG motherboards –Extraordinary performance boost
    ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) is recognized as the leader in PC gaming and overclocking performance with a record for delivering the most innovative hardcore hardware for gamers and enthusiasts. GeIL is proud to work with ASUS ROG to provide gamers the most innovative gaming memory, GeIL EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory. When paired with certain ASUS ROG motherboards, an automatic performance boost will be enabled for a better overclocking experience.

    Supports ASUS AURA for seamlessly synchronized RGB LED illumination

    GeIL EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory perfectly supports ASUS AURA lighting control app, simply by connecting it to the 4-pin RGB header on ASUS ROG motherboards. The fully customizable RGB lighting module found on the GeIL EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory will synchronize with ASUS ROG motherboard, graphics card and other RGB UI compatible components giving users a seamless illumination experience.

    Specifically designed color theme of the heat spreader
    GeIL EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory comes with specifically designed gray heat spreader with black Sliding Hot Switch. The brand logos on the Sliding Hot Switch are translucent and will shine once the memory lighting has been enabled by ASUS AURA. The built-in Sliding Hot Switch supports manual real-time control of the RGB illumination, even on motherboards without RGB support.

    Connecting the GeIL EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory to the motherboard fan connector enables the “Sliding Hot Switch”, providing up to Four (4) breathing RGB illumination modes:256-color Cycle,

    • Select color from 256-color,
    • Select color from RGBW 4-color,
    • RGBW 4-color Cycle.

    Official Webpage: http://www.geil.com.tw/products/list/id/175

  • Phanteks Announces New Additions to its Glacier Fitting Series Lineup

    Walnut, California, September 15th, 2017 – Phanteks, has expanded their water cooling products. Designed to compliment and work seamlessly with their water blocks, Phanteks is excited to announce new additions to the Glacier Fittings Series. The new fittings include T-Splitters, GPU extenders, male to male extenders, and 16mm hard tube adapters. These new fittings brings more options for users to create their own custom water loops.



    The fittings are made from premium materials according to the finest standards of craftsmanship from Phanteks. The Glacier Fittings are CNC-machined from solid brass and precisely engineered to create a high flow design for extreme water cooling performance. VITON sealing from the Automotive and Aerospace Industries ensure the best reliability and longevity.

    The new fittings are available in September, 2017 with two color options: Satin Black and Mirror Chrome finish

  • The Ultimate RGB Build: The Hardware @ ThinkComputers

    I think deciding the "Ultimate" RGB Build is a little subjective but I'll go along with it for now.

    So I’ve been using the same PC as my main gaming / video editing rig for what seems like forever. When I built it not much thought really went into it, it was just available parts that I had laying around. The system itself has a Core i7-3970X, ASRock X79 Extreme4-M motherboard, 16GB of DDR3, a GTX 580, which was updated to a GTX 1080 recently, and a few SSDs. All of this was inside the Thermaltake Supressor F31 case, not really much to look at when you walk into the office. To this day that PC still kicks ass and in most cases is more than sufficient, but now that we are doing a lot of 4K video editing I felt it was time for an upgrade. Also we wanted to build something that looked totally badass! That is when the idea for the Ultimate RGB Build was hatched. We’ve said 2017 is the year of RGB so why not build a system with all RGB components? So we’ve compiled a list of awesome components and are ready to get this build started! This is part 1 of the build where we will go over the hardware used and why we selected it.

    4K video editing eh?  I'm not gonna lie that does take more hardware that most people have available but when it comes down to it you don't see a slow down while editing so much as when you are rendering, and even that can be a fire and forget.

    I guess the point is, RGB makes 4K video editing faster so why not add more RGB cause... that makes..  ugg  wink smile

  • G.SKILL Releases New AMD Compatible Trident Z RGB kits

    Taipei, Taiwan (22 September 2017) – G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world’s leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, announces a new lineup of Trident Z RGB DDR4 memory kits with enhanced compatibility on the latest AMD platforms. Specifically designed for AMD Ryzen™ and Ryzen™ Threadripper™ platforms, now there are vibrant options up to the popular DDR4-3200MHz CL14 or the massive 128GB (8x16GB) kits at up to 2933MHz. For a full range of memory kit capacity options, the new Trident Z RGB memory kit models are available at DDR4-2400MHz in 2-, 4-, and 8-module kit configurations with 8GB and 16GB modules, which allows for 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB memory kits for your AMD system.

    Trident Z RGB Memory Kits on AMD Platforms
    AMD currently has two platform offerings, where Ryzen supports dual-channel with 2 or 4 memory modules and Threadripper supports quad-channel memory with 4 or 8 memory modules. To give a boost in memory performance to AMD number-crunching workstations and high-end graphic rendering systems, G.SKILL offers several selections for each AMD platform, including memory speeds of up to DDR4-2933MHz or ultra-high capacity at 128GB (8x16GB). For details on specifications and compatibility support of the new Trident Z RGB kits, please refer to the following table:

    TZR"X" - The New Line-up
    To differentiate between the new AMD-optimized Trident Z RGB kits from the original, look for the "X" at the end of the Trident Z RGB model numbers.

    OC Profile Support & Availability
    These new Trident Z RGB models support OC profile support on compatible motherboards, just simply enable the OC profile in BIOS to achieve these high performance DDR4 memory speeds. These new models are scheduled for release via G.SKILL authorized distribution partners in October 2017.

  • EVGA EPOWER V - 12+2 Phase Extreme Power VRM

    September 18th, 2017 - The EVGA "Untouchables" EPOWER V card is a standalone VRM board that provides additional power for target devices, such as graphics cards or motherboards. The board is designed to provide two fully-independent voltage outputs, and features a built-in EVBot MKII to allow voltage control on the fly. Take your benching experience to the very limits of your hardware's capability with the EVGA EPOWER V.

    The EPOWER V board is powered by the three 6-pin PCI-E power connectors. The input is fed through a 12+2 phase design to provide substantially more VCORE and VMEM to your graphics card, allowing it to break through any limits holding it back.

    Features

    • Onboard VCORE and VMEM LED Display - The EPOWER V features a LED Display readout to show your VCORE and VMEM in real-time.
    • VMEM - Voltage adjustment range 600mV to 2300mV. Rated capacity is 80A. Maximum peak capacity - 90A at 1.9V output voltage.
    • VCORE - Voltage adjustment range is 600mV to 2000mV. Rated capacity is 600A. Maximum peak capacity - 620A at 1.85V output voltage.
    • Onboard VCORE and VMEM LED Display - The EPOWER V features a LED Display readout to show your VCORE and VMEM in real-time.
    • Control the EPOWER V via using the integrated EVBot MKII - Use the built-in EVBOT MKII buttons to conveniently adjust your voltages on the fly, or upgrade your firmware and connect your EVBot to control the graphics card remotely.
    • USB 3.1 Type-C and Software Controls - The EPOWER V gives you even more flexibility to control your voltages. Use the USB 3.1 Type-C port to connect to a PC and use software to control the EPOWER V board.
    • Droop, Force, and Offset Voltage Switches - To further customize your EPOWER V, use the available DIP switches to use remote sense to control for VDROOP, Force your overclock voltages, and/or Offset your voltages for the ultimate in stability choices.
    • ProbeIT - ProbeIT connectors are among the easiest ways to hook up a device to a multimeter to painlessly read voltages on-demand to give you the most accurate readings whenever you need them.
    • Fan Headers - The EPOWER V board brings the voltage, and gives you easy access to fan connectors so you can also keep it cool. Use one or two 12v fans to keep your system rock solid during even your longest benching sessions.

     Learn More:

  • 7th Gen Core Kaby Lake Won't Work on 300-series Chipset Motherboards

    It is pretty amazing that while we mfgs are just now releasing LGA 2011 v3 and Threadripper boards that the new generation of consumer chips is in the wings waiting for their day to say "buy me"

    As many of us know Intel did away with the Tick Tock processor cycle so they can concentrate on releasing their "i" line of disposable processors and motherboards.  I say disposable because you can no longer buy a motherboard and expect to get two processors of use out of it.  In fact if current rumors hold true the new 300 Series chipsets designed for Coffee Lake will no longer be backwards compatible despite having the same LGA 1151 socket.

    The upcoming Intel 300-series chipset, and LGA1151 socket continues to be a source of chaos for PC builders. While the 100-series and 200-series chipset based motherboards support both 6th generation Core "Skylake," and 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors, they will not support the upcoming 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" chips. What's more, the upcoming 300-series chipset motherboards, which were earlier believed to feature backwards-compatibility for "Skylake" and "Kaby Lake" chips, will not support them, according to a Hardware.info report.

    Who knows if this is actually what will happen.  Maybe there will be a BIOS flash to allow reverse compatibility or maybe they will do a LGA 1151 v3 socket like they did with X99.  You know, just to be confusing.

  • SteelSeries Announces Partnership with FC Copenhagen, Nordisk Film and Their Top-Ranked Counter-Strike Team, North

    Three of the Most Successful Danish Brands Team up to Accomplish Global Esports Prominence

    CHICAGO / COPENHAGEN – September 8, 2017 - SteelSeries and the top-ranked Danish Counter-Strike team, North, today announced their sponsorship and collaborative partnership.  In addition to the monetary support, SteelSeries and North will work together as partners in innovative product design and in elevating both brands in gaming and esports. Founded by FC Copenhagen and Nordisk Film, North is a part of the greater trend in the crossover of traditional sports and a new generation of electronic sports.

    “SteelSeries has played a crucial role in driving the esports industry forward. Our partnerships with players and organizations that compete at the highest levels, and that embody the fundamentals on which our brand was built are what set our standards higher than others. They drive our need for constant innovation and inspire our award-winning products,” says Ehtisham Rabbani, SteelSeries CEO. “Counter-Strike is where our brand began; it’s at our core. We are incredibly happy and proud to announce our partnership with North.”

    "The partnership with SteelSeries is such an incredible opportunity to bring together two international, Danish brand leaders with the goal to not just to win, but to make our mark in esports. We have a talented and dedicated roster of players whom we train and nurture as world-class athletes, and we aim to take the top rankings, not just in Denmark, but in the world. We believe our partnership with SteelSeries is the final piece that will aid in achieving that,” says Christian Sørensen, North CEO.

    This weekend, North heads to Dreamhack Open Montreal to compete for the top spot. Immediately after Montreal, the players head to ELEAGUE Premier in Atlanta where they play for the $1M prize purse.

    Fans and followers across SteelSeries and North’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook will be able to see even more about the team, tournaments from the players’ perspectives and inside the collaboration with SteelSeries, as the partnership continues to unfold in the coming months.

    # # #

    About North
    North is a premier esports organization, founded in 2017 by Danish soccer champions F.C. Copenhagen and Nordisk Film, leading producer and distributor of films in the Nordic countries. North has one of the best Counter-Strike Global Offensive teams in the world and are training out of F.C. Copenhagen’s stadium, Telia Parken, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

    About F.C. Copenhagen
    F.C. Copenhagen is the biggest football (soccer) club in Scandinavia. It was founded in 1992 and have won 12 Danish Championships and 9 Cups since. In 2017 F.C. Copenhagen won the Danish championship and is participating in its 11th European Club Football groupstage in 12 years. The club owns its own stadium, Telia Parken, with a capacity of 38,000 and is a part of the company PARKEN Sport & Entertainment which also owns the FitnessDK and Lalandia.

    About Nordisk Film
    Nordisk Film is the leading producer and distributor of films in the Nordic countries and operates the biggest cinema chain in Denmark and Norway. Nordisk Film owns a variety of digital businesses and is the distributor of PlayStation in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Nordisk Film is part of Egmont – Denmark’s biggest media group with 6,600 employees and activities in 30 countries.

    Egmont is a commercial foundation that generates revenue amounting to EUR 1.6 billion and donate over EUR 10 million a year to help improve the lives of children and young people.

    About SteelSeries
    SteelSeries is a leader in gaming peripherals focused on quality, innovation and functionality, and the fastest growing major PC gaming headset brand in the US*. Founded in 2001, SteelSeries aims at improving performance through first-to-market innovations and technologies that helps gamers play harder, train longer, and rise to the challenge. SteelSeries supports the growth of competitive gaming tournaments and eSports with the goal of connecting gamers to each other and fostering a sense of community and purpose. SteelSeries’ team of professional and gaming enthusiasts help design and craft every single accessory, and are the driving force behind the company.

    To learn more about SteelSeries’ products and esports partnerships, visit http://SteelSeries.com or follow us on social media for the latest updates at http://facebook.com/steelseries and be a part of the conversation on Twitter @SteelSeries.

    *Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service/ PC Headset-PC Microphone/Dec. 2016 vs. Dec. 2015/dollar sales/”major” is defined as any PC Headset manufacturer selling over 25K units”

  • Two PCIe NVMe SSDs Tested On Six Motherboards By Intel and AMD @ Legit Reviews

    I do love these kinds of articles and based on historical traffic numbers it would seem that many users agree.  "How To" is the way to go, provided that the information is easy to read and is understandable.

    In this article Legit Reviews asks the question "Will One SSD Perform The Same on Six Different Motherboards?"

    I could tell you that the answer is yes and for the same reason that certain memory modules will work on certain motherboards and not on others.  There is a qualification process to make hardware work and wouldn't you know it, there are no real standards.

    When Corsair sent us their new Neutron NX500 400GB NVMe PCIe AIC SSD to review we weren’t impressed by what we were seeing from Corsair’s new flagship storage drive. We tried the AIC in all available PCIe slots and saw no change. We 1024K aligned the drive per instructions from Corsair and saw no change. We tried different secure erase methods and again there was no change.  So, we changed platforms and saw performance more than double in some areas... Read on to see what happens when we try this drive and another in six different motherboards from Intel and AMD.

    I really tried to read through this article and kinda got lost in the sea of charts.  There are a bunch and all of them aliased BADLY when they were uploaded to the website.  As a web designer that is the 24th rule in the book. always render images at their final size. 

  • MSI X399 Gaming Pro Carbon AC review @ Guru3D

    I will be the first to admit that Threadripper and me have not really ever seen eye to eye which might be a little lack of interest on my side combined with a "phsck, do I have to buy ANOTHER thousand dollar processor??"

    Now, I realize that AMD fans feel that Threadripper is the best thing since Athlon64 and I'm here to tell you that, yes it very well might be and don't let that fancy installation guide convince you otherwise.

    Of couse, with that out of the way lets take a look at a MSI motherboard from the MSI pimps over at Guru3D.  If it says MSI, they will have undoubtably done a review.

    Let's check out another Ryzen Threadripper motherboard. We review the one from MSI as they have released their X399 Gaming Pro Carbon AC. The board is stylish, comes with very subtle LED effects and obviously offers everything you need from quadruple x16 PCI-Express slots, triple M2 SSD slots, quad-channel memory and some really supreme AC WIFI.

    Gotta say, damn slick, damn slick.

  • ASRock X299 Gaming i9 @ techPowerUp

    There was a time when custom motherboards designed for high-end gaming and/or overclocking was a highly sought after commodity.  Unfortunately we have lost some of that allure.  First it was a hardcore focus on Overclocking that faded to a generic attempt to make everything gaming compatible.

    Motherboards like the ASRock X299 Gaming i9 are a good example of gaming motherboards taken to the extreme.

    Like any other platform, ASRock has given Intel's X299 the Fatal1ty treatment, in the form of the X299 Gaming i9. This isn't a value-oriented board product; this one comes straight out of ASRock's Professional Series and has a much higher price tag than the Taichi we looked at earlier.

    Funny how they use ASRock and "value oriented" in the same paragraph without even thinking twice.  :)  I shouldn't diss, ASRock makes some pretty good ASUS clone hardware. wink smile