Tech News
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NVIDIA GTX 960 Launch Day
Maxwell, the new GPU core from NVIDIA has been making headlines over the past several months from amazing gaming accolades to record overclocks above 2Ghz. And, why not, the GPU is fast, power efficent and does 4k with ease.
NVIDIA claims that the 60-series cards (GTX 660, GTX 760) embody the "sweet spot" when it comes to gaming GPUs. The new GTX 960 should serve as the new performance leader in mainstream gaming once again giving gamers a reason to upgrade..
Web Reviews
- SLI review: ASUS GeForce GTX 960 Strix @ Guru3D
- nVidia Geforce GTX 960 @ HardwareSpot
- Zotac GTX 960 AMP!-edition @ Bjorn3d
- ASUS STRIX GTX 960 Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews
- MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING Video Card Review @ HardOCP
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 Review With EVGA And ASUS @ HotHardware
- EVGA GTX 960 SSC 2 GB @ techPowerUp
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960: A Great $200 GPU For Linux Gamers @ Phoronix
- GIGABYTE GTX 960 G1 Gaming Review @ Vortez
- Asus GTX 960 Strix @ LanOC Reviews
- Nvidia's GeForce GTX 960 graphics card reviewed @ TechReport
- NVIDIA GTX 960 Performance Review @ Hardware Canucks
- ASUS Strix Edition GeForce GTX 960 Graphics Card Review @ TechgageBe sure to check out our own review of the EVGA GTX 960
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Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR4-2400 Memory Review
I'm not sure if the marketing department at Crucial watches this site like they used to but, if they are. "Hi guys, I'm still local
, the team and I need to come visit you one of these days"TechnologyX has a quick review posted of the new 2400Mhz DDR4 Ballistix Sport memory modules and they look decent!
In the world of computer components, RAM is rarely ever a hot-topic, unlike processors and graphics cards that see new products come to market every couple of months, with new product generations every year. RAM is essentially always RAM; not much changes very often. Having said that, the last few months have been historic, as computer memory is more exciting than ever. Why? Next-generation DDR4 memory standard has reached mass-market availability and consumers want to know what, if anything has changed.
Well, today we’re going to try to answer some of your questions as we get the pleasure of reviewing Crucial’s Ballistix Sport DDR4-2400 32GB quad-channel memory kit.I personally haven't used a Crucial memory module in years however, I still have some of the first gen DDR modules with the awesome activity lights across the top and they still bring a smile to my face. Oh, the memories.
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New Podcast and Capture System Build
It has been a couple weeks since CES 2015 concluded and things are just now getting back to normal. I do regret not visiting more people during the show but as I have mentioned before the CES show is more about relationship building than the tech. At least in how it pertains to Hardware Asylum.
The first order of business post CES was the building of a specialized PC for the Hardware Asylum Podcast. This box will replace my aging Asus Slate as the primary recording machine and will open up a variety of new directions we can take. The new machine is a simple box consisting of "extra" parts I had laying around the Hardware Asylum Labs and while it may be a little overkill for recording audio that won't be its only purpose.
The System
Core i7 4770k
MSI Z97i Gaming
Corsair Dominator Platinum 8GB
Samsung 120GB SSD
Toshiba 1TB HDD
Avermedia Game Broadcaster HD
InWin BP655 MiniITX ChassisSome of you may remember this build from my MSI MOA qualifier where I attempted to broadcast my overclocking runs on Twitch.TV. Sadly the internet here in the lab isn't all that great so instead I messed around with OBS and recorded some things.
Well, the system has been repurposed and with any luck will help bring some variety to the Podcast and my rare overclocking runs.
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Gigabyte Raptor Gaming Mouse @ PureOverclock
Raptor gaming mouse you say? Why yes, this is a mouse named for a very cool bird, that eats rodents.
Gigabyte is targeting a rather specific crowd in the gaming peripheral world: those who want a claw-style mouse. We don’t see many of these, and the Gigabyte Raptor gaming mouse looks sleek and comes with a few interesting features. Not only is it a claw mouse, but it’s also nearly ambidextrous. Interesting, to be sure. But will it alienate mainstream users, or zero in on those who want something special? Let’s take a closer look at the Gigabyte Raptor and make the call.
I do like the colors but can never seem to get past the crazy squared off edges.
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G.SKILL Breaks Fastest DDR4 Memory Frequency Overclock at 4255MHz!
Taipei, Taiwan – 13 January 2015 – G.SKILL International Co. Ltd., the world’s leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid-state storage, is extremely excited to announce a new memory record for fastest DDR4 memory frequency, set at 4255MHz CL18-18-18!
This amazing achievement was attained on the Asus Rampage V Extreme motherboard (X99 chipset) and with the Intel i7-5960X processor, all under sub-zero liquid nitrogen cooling. Below is a screenshot of the record validation by CPU-Z. (Source: http://valid.canardpc.com/zqe93e)About G.SKILL
Established in 1989 by PC hardware enthusiasts, G.SKILL specializes in high performance memory and SSD products, designed for PC gamers and enthusiasts around the world. Combining technical innovation and rock solid quality through our in-house testing lab and talented R&D team, G.SKILL continues to create record-breaking memory for each generation of hardware and hold the no. 1 brand title in overclocking memory. -
Asus Rampage V Extreme Motherboard Review @ Hardware Slave
I have always been a fan of Asus motherboards, they are red and usually pretty badass. The Rampage V was on display quite often at CES and likely the availability and ease of use played a big factor in that.
Hardware Slave has a review posted and you might give it a look.
With the advent of the X99 Chipset from Intel, a bunch of new motherboards are needed to support this. Intel also released a revised Intel i7 CPUs to support this. Not only that but with the chipset and CPU releases, a new CPU socket was released at this same time; the LGA 2011-v3. While most manufacturers have the elite line of high kit, there is probably no better known range than the Rampage series.
The LGA 2011-v3 socket and X99 chipset release means you need to buy a new CPU, your old X79 CPUs will not fit, and not only that, you will need some DDR4. You may be reading this for a lot of reasons, one may be about parting with your cash for a top of the line CPU, memory and motherboard. The Asus Rampage V Extreme is the top of the range at this time, and should be a consideration on anyone’s wish list for that full ATX SLI or Crossfire mother of all rigs.Eventually I might start reviewing Asus stuff again but, sadly some of that is out of my hands. So, unless I open the pocketbook it might remain that way for awhile.
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No Podcast This Month
Hate to make this a repeating thing but due to #CES2015 and various other scheduling conflicts there will not be a Hardware Asylum Podcast episode this month.
We should be back on schedule for February with an extended mainshow followed by the ever popular and un-edited "Extra"
Thanks for listening!!
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January Custom Case Giveaway
Hello Everyone, As was announced in the latest Hardware Asylum Podcast Extra I am hosting a custom case giveaway this month featuring the famed HAF Stacker and super cool Raven 4. Both cases are painted up in a tasteful shade of Automotive Pearl Orange and ready to go out the door.
Check out the contest page for more details on how to enter.
The contest ends on January 31st
Good Luck!
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The Best PC Cases of 2014 @ ThinkComputers
You know I have done an article like this before, it was called "The 4 Best X79 Motherboards - You will never see" and was basically looking at limited edition motherboards and how quickly the products get moved to EOL status, sometimes within weeks of their launch.
I can respect doing round-ups of review products and know that case reviews are few and far between but, ya, some of the cases on this list.
ThinkComputers is excited to bring you our own twist on the yearly list. For some people who are putting together a system their PC case is not high on the priority list, but for serious system builders and enthusiasts a PC case is extremely important. Your PC case of course holds your hardware, but it is also something to show off that hardware. We have reviewed quite a few different PC cases this year, I think out of all products we review cases the most. So we present to you 2014’s Best PC Cases as reviewed by ThinkComputers.
Lets see if I was to compile a list.
Most over the top: InWin S-Frame
Best SFF: Azza-Z
Best Case of 2014: Silverstone Raven 5 -
Func MS-2 Gaming Mouse @ PureOverclock
As I sit here struggling with a soon to be broken button my loyal trusty Logitech G5 I have started looking at gaming mice. Sure, there have been plenty of mouse reviews on Hardware Asylum but they have all been done by other reviewers leaving me with an idea as to what I want but nothing really to try out.
I'm pretty sure the Func MS-2 isn't going to be on "my" list but maybe it will work out for you.
We’ve recently seen a few new products Func, a company that has been making a push further into the gaming peripheral market. The lastest is the MS-2 gaming mouse, with premium features but an affordable price tag. However, the MS-2 sits right in the midst of a highly competitive mouse market dominated by several very popular products, backed by industry stalwarts that have ruled the roost for quite some time. That may change, however, as the MS-2 looks to battle the competition with bold claims of better features and solid ergonomics. Can the Func MS-2 capture our attention and live up to expectations? Let’s find out.
As they say, there is a lot of mice in the sea, go catch you some.
