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Thecus N2310
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AMD Radeon R9 285
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OCZ ARC 100 240GB
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Silverstone Fortress FT05
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out Silverstone’s latest 90-degree stacked computer case, the Fortress FT05. This striking case has been constructed exclusively using aluminum for all the panels and comes in either a silver or black finish with the option of a case window. Performance has been the focus of this case in both terms of cooling performance and operating volume...

For the extra money you do get a more elegant computer case that almost does away with plastic entirely, a change many will welcome from the RV05 plastic monster. In terms of features the case is more compact but other than that, little has changed. So if you are looking for an ultra-high performance computer case that makes little noise, looks sleek and can be had for a reasonable price, than put the Silverstone Fortress FT05 at the top of your list.

10/23/2014
Thecus N2310
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we have a 2-bay home NAS server called the N2310 from Thecus and they say it is best-in-class for value. Built strictly as a budget focused NAS there aren’t any bells and whistles found on the N2310, instead it is a very basic device designed to provide the convenience of having a home NAS without the typically high price tag...

From a performance vs. price perspective the Thecus N2310 is a real winner. Its primary competitor is still the Synology DS214se which costs a little over 20% more at $160. The DS214se also comes loaded with an 800MHz SoC, the tried and true Marvell Armada 370. However the DS214se features half as much memory with just 256MB to play with, and USB 3.0 support is missing entirely.

10/15/2014
In Win D-Frame Mini
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out In Win’s latest creation the D-Frame Mini, a Mini-ITX gaming case with a twist. Like the original what we have here is a very fancy open air-chassis unlike no other. The design has been somewhat improved from the original and so too has the price. That said at $350 the D-Frame Mini is still mighty expensive, but is it worth it? Let’s find out...

In Win’s attention to detail is excellent all around, having included all black sleeved cables as well as some clamps for cable management. The enclosure’s cable management setup is first class, providing practical means of routing excess wires, while there is plenty of clearance for components such as the power supply, CPU cooler and high-end graphics cards.

10/14/2014
Synology DiskStation DS415+
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out Synology’s latest 4-bay NAS server, the DS415+. Designed for small to medium businesses the DS415+ is said to deliver Xeon like performance in an affordable package. Synology has achieved this by implementing Intel’s ‘Rangeley’, a server grade SoC capable of supporting up to eight cores...

Performance wise the DS415+ is a beast, providing the strongest upload performance we have seen to-date from a sub $1500 NAS. In terms of performance the DS415+ showed no weaknesses and we aren’t just talking about throughput either. The power consumption was first rate, as the DS415+ consumed just 37 watts under full load when armed with four 3TB hard drives.

10/07/2014
QNAP TS-653 Pro
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the 6-bay model from the latest NAS series from QNAP. The TS-x53 Pro series is powered by an Intel Bay Trail-D quad-core processor and can be purchased in an 8GB configuration. Designed for mission-critical business applications the TS-x53 Pro series is available in 2, 4, 6 and 8-bay models...

QNAP has hit the ground running with their TS-x53 Pro series offering 2, 4, 6 and 8-bay models. The 6-bay TS-653 Pro that we looked at costs $1150 (8GB model) while a cheaper $1000 2GB model also exists. Given the specifications and more importantly the performance we have just seen, the 8GB model at $1150 is a great buy.

10/01/2014
Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 970 & GTX 980
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today Nvidia is launching its latest GeForce 900 series with the introduction of the GTX 980 and GTX 970. These new Maxwell GPU’s promise dramatically improved efficiency over Kepler along with a number of other exciting new features. For testing we have the new Gigabyte G1 Gaming graphics cards which are equipped with the latest revision of their iconic WindForce X3 cooler...

So in terms of power consumption the GeForce GTX 980 is unbeatable right now but only slightly better than its predecessor. The question is, how many gamers want to pay a price premium to save up to 25% power when gaming compared to the Radeon R9 290X? We suspect not many. Still, the power savings have other advantages such as cooler running GPUs which can lead to better overclocking GPUs. The 600w WindForce cooler found on the G1 Gaming GTX 980 kept the card at 57 degrees under load, which allowed us to achieve a 17% core overclock netting around 10% more performance.

09/18/2014
Synology DiskStaion DS115j
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out a new and very affordable single bay NAS product from Synology known as the DiskStation DS115j. This NAS device is ideal for those that want the convenience of network attached storage without the typically high price tag that goes along with it. Providing the same functionality as the bigger more expensive models, the DS115j certainly has a lot to offer...

Perhaps the best thing about the DS115j is that it is backed by the latest DSM 5.0 software, providing it with many of the powerful features found on the much more expensive 4, 5 and 8-bay models. Overall the Synology DS115j is an impressive device that should help convince home users on the fence about investing in a NAS server take the plunge. Finally we have found a $100 NAS you actually want...

09/09/2014
AMD Radeon R9 285
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today AMD is debuting its Tonga architecture with a mid-range GPU dubbed the Radeon R9 285 that is designed to deliver mainstream performance at a competitive price. The "Tonga" GPU is essentially a newer, cheaper to produce version of the tried and true "Tahiti" GPU, with features such as DirectX 12 support and next-gen CrossFire...

AMD’s new $249 graphics card doesn’t exactly redefine the landscape, rather it’s slightly faster than a graphics card that was slightly faster than the competition. With the Radeon R9 285 gamers stand to gain just 4% more performance on average when compared to the R9 280, even if you take away the big loss in Tomb Raider, which could possibly be driver related, the R9 285 is still just 6% faster.

09/02/2014
Synology DiskStation DS415play
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the Synology DS415play, a purpose built NAS designed for home multimedia applications. This is Synology’s second generation ‘play’ device and the first 4-bay model. The key feature of this NAS is dedicated hardware acceleration, specifically for video transcoding which is provided by the Intel Atom CE5335 SoC..

Other strengths of the DS415play include that sleek black chassis design with the glossy hot-swap bay cover that looks so much better than virtually every other NAS device on the market. Complementing the looks is the tool-less tray design, which means users don’t need any tools at all to setup and use the DS415play, making the entire process quick and easy.

08/27/2014
OCZ ARC 100 240GB
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the latest SSD from OCZ and it is a budget offering. Unlike their performance focused Vector 150 and Vertex 460 the new ARC 100 series is designed to deliver the best bang for you buck by offering the companies lowest cost per gigabyte to date...

From a company that previously gave us Vector’s, Vertex’s and was occasionally high on Octane for Agility we now have the ARC 100, an SSD that sounds like something that would be used to fuse metals together. As a welder the OCZ ARC 100 is pretty useless, but as a budget focused SSD it has potential.

08/12/2014
Netgear ReadyNAS 516
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out one of the most powerful desktop ReadyNAS solutions from Netgear. Supporting up to 84TB of storage, three eSATA ports and up to 250 concurrent users, the ReadyNAS 516 is designed for business applications. Powering the 516 is an Intel Core i3 "Ivy Bridge" desktop processor which is supported by 4GB of memory...

Those seeking a high performance desktop NAS need look no further than the Netgear ReadyNAS 516. Priced at $1100 the RN516 isn’t just fast it’s also very cheap when compared to the competition. As we mentioned earlier, the QNAP’s 4-bay QNAP TS-470 Pro boasts the same processor but just half the memory and two less drive bays, yet commands a price tag over $1200.

08/04/2014
Synology Embedded DataStation EDS14
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we have a Synology NAS device for testing and it’s not a new 4-bay, 2-bay or even 1-bay device, in fact there are no bays. Instead what we have is the EDS14 which is an Embedded DataStation featuring no internal storage, rather it relies on SD cards and external USB devices...

The EDS14 at its current retail price is very much a niche product. It is a very good product, but it is a product that will only attract a small audience, though we are willing to bet Synology knew that going into it. Overall if the EDS14 sounds like something you have been looking for then we highly recommend it, you surely won’t be disappointed.

07/28/2014
AMD Radeon R9 280X Round-up
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out five of the very best Radeon R9 280X graphics cards the market has to offer. Arguably the best value mid-range graphics card the R9 280X provides plenty of performance at the $300 price point. The question which AMD board partner offers the best package, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, HIS or Sapphire?

Although all five Radon R9 280X graphics cards feature their own unique design, they are all very much the same in terms of gaming performance and cooling performance. Still there are subtle variations between the cards that do make one better than another in our opinion. When it comes to value the Asus R9 280X DirectCU II TOP, Gigabyte R9 280X WindForce 3X OC and MSI R9 280X Gaming 3GB (forget the silly 6GB model) cost $300. The HIS R9 280X iPower IceQ X² Turbo 3GB is a little less competitive at $330 and the Sapphire Vapor-X Tri-X OC R9 280X 3GB at $340.

07/21/2014
QNAP TS-451
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the 4-bay model from the latest NAS series from QNAP. The TS-x51 series is perhaps the most significant desktop NAS product released to date from QNAP, or anyone for that matter. This dual-core NAS offers on-the-fly & offline Full HD video transcoding that is significantly more powerful than anything we have seen before...

The TS-451 does a lot of new and exciting things and it seems to do them very well. However it hasn’t forgotten about the basics either. When it came to throughput performance the TS-451 delivered, providing some of the best results we have seen. The TS-451’s greatest rival in terms of performance is the DS414, and while the Synology NAS was slightly faster when downloading files, the TS-451 was able to best it in one of our upload tests.

07/10/2014
Logitech G502 Proteus Core Tunable
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out Logitech's latest and greatest gaming mouse, the G502 ‘Proteus Core’. It sounds pretty badass and well, it is. The G502 is also quite special in the sense that it’s the world’s first ever mouse to feature a sensor with a staggering 12,000 DPI rating. Yet it's not the super fast sensor that impressed us to most...

In the end the Logitech G502 is a sensational gaming mouse that is comfortable to use, well refined and pin point accurate. This looks like the mouse I have been waiting for and it might see me retire my trusty old workhorse, the Performance MX. That said, I do have my fingers crossed for a chunkier version in the future that is better suited to bigger hands, maybe the G702? :)

07/09/2014
Samsung SSD 850 Pro
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today Samsung is unveiling their latest SSD and successor to the mighty 840 Pro. Named the 850 Pro it is not only faster than the 840 Pro and possibly the fastest SATA SSD money can buy, but more importantly it is also one of the most reliable thanks to its use of V-NAND flash memory. For benchmaking we have the 512GB model on hand...

With the performance of the Samsung SSD 850 Pro series as good as SATA SSD’s get now, how do they fare in terms of value? Well don’t expect to see the same level of value as we did with the Crucial MX100 series because the cost per gigabyte is nowhere near $0.40. As it stands the 128GB model costs $130 or $1.00 per GB, the 256GB model is $230 or $0.89 per GB, the 512GB model that we tested costs $430 which equates to $0.83 per GB. Then finally there is the 1TB model which costs $730 at a price of $0.73 per GB.

06/30/2014
Devil's Canyon Intel Core i7-4790K
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Overclockers can rejoice as Intel’s hotly anticipated Devil’s Canyon processors have arrived and today we are taking a look at the flagship Core i7 model, the 4790K. When compared to underwhelming Haswell-refresh witnessed last month, Devil’s Canyon actually promises a few improvements on the CPU side of things.

The only good news for the Core i7-4790K is that it costs the same amount as the 4770K at $339 and it’s clearly faster. This then is also good news for consumers looking at purchasing a Core i7 processor as they now get a bit more bang for their buck. Those already rocking a 4770K processor can simply change their clock multiplier to x40 and receive 4790K performance.

06/24/2014
Cooler Master V1200 Platinum, V1000 & V850
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the newly released Cooler Master V1200 Platinum power supply, the crowning jewel of the enthusiast focused V series. This is the only Platinum certified power supply in the V series, but we will also be taking a look at the Gold certified V1000 and V850 power supply’s as well...

Finally, we have been very pleased with the Cooler Master V series, and believe that they would make a fine addition to any high-end gaming system. Enthusiasts will be able to invest their hard earned cash in a V Series power supply knowing it is backed by a full 5-year Cooler Master warranty, while the V1200 Platinum offers an industry leading 7 year warranty.

06/18/2014
NZXT H440 Mid-Tower Chassis
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Kick starting 2014 computer case maker NZXT was quick to release their latest mid-tower chassis, the H440. This new computer case had been designed from the ground up with a redesigned interior and next generation FN V2 case fans...

Still for just $120 we feel there are few mid-tower cases that can compare to what the NZXT H440 has to offer. The H440 is a seriously nice case to work with and allows inexperienced builders to come away with something that looks almost pre-built by a professional gaming system company.

06/17/2014
HIS R9 290X iPower IceQ X² Turbo & R9 290 iPower IceQ X² OC
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are finally getting the chance to check out HIS’s take on the AMD Radeon R9 290 series, with their R9 290X iPower IceQ X² Turbo and R9 290 iPower IceQ X² OC graphics cards. The company has held off releasing their trademark iPower IceQ X² series for this range, likely due to the excessive pricing of R9 290 cards over the past 6 months or so...

They have given gamers the best foundation possible to extract the most MHz out of the R9 290 and R9 290X. By upgrading the power delivery system, adding dual 8-pin power connectors and developing their highly customizable yet easy to use iTurbo software, HIS is looking after overclockers.

06/11/2014
Netgear ReadyNAS RN312, RN314 & RN316
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we have the Atom powered Netgear Ready NAS RN31x series on hand for some benchmarking. The range supports 2-bay, 4-bay and 6-bay models. They come in a number of configurations using 1TB, 2TB and 3TB hard drives while they are also available in diskless form...

When compared to the ReadyNAS 102 and 104 that we reviewed last month we much prefer the Atom powered ReadyNAS 312, 314 and 316. The single-core 1.2GHz Marvell Armada 370 SoC just isn’t gutsy enough for use in modern NAS devices, no matter how low-end. The pairing of the gutless processor and performance robbing BTRFS file system was a bad combination for those budget NAS models.

06/02/2014
Cougar MX500 and PowerX 550w
[Posted by: Chris Ittensohn]
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Today we are reviewing Cougar's more recent addition to its mid-tower series aimed at the more affordable end of the market - the MX500. Released at the end of 2013, the MX500 almost looks to shape up as their attempt as a 'please-all' case - something with a little style and plenty of features, without breaking the bank. Cougar have managed to come out with a good looking, tame gamers case here - especially when comparing this to the likes of their AF-2 or Challenger models. While some appreciate the more extreme styling, it is great to see Cougar coming out with more subtle options. For those who want a little style, LED lighting is always a good option with a case like this.

While Cougar could have pushed the limit, and perhaps their budgets, by adding in just that extra step or two such as an extra fan(s) or LED lit fans like their webpage eludes to, or perhaps some sound damping, this case still definitely represents great value for money with striking looks. We look forward to seeing the next few evolutions from Cougar in the near future.

05/21/2014
Haswell Refresh: Intel's New Z97 Platform Explored
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the recently released Intel Haswell refresh which includes the 9-series chipsets and its accompanying motherboards. For testing we have motherboards from Asrock and Gigabyte which sport the flagship Intel Z97 chipset. Also along for the ride is the new Core i7-4790 quad-core processor...

In fact the biggest news to come from the Haswell-refresh is the Z97 chipset and its enhanced storage capabilities. The boards we received from Asrock and Gigabyte were seriously impressive and we can’t wait to test out the M.2 support in the coming weeks.

05/13/2014
Netgear ReadyNAS RN102 & RN104
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the Netgear ReadyNAS RN102 and RN104. Both are designed to provide home and small business users with a budget-friendly network attached storage (NAS) solution for efficient data backup and convenient file sharing...

This leaves the ReadyNAS 104 as an option for those that can really only afford to spend up to $250 on a 4-bay NAS. Had the 104 been at least twice as fast as it was in our upload tests then it would be a serious threat to all 4-bay NAS devices priced below $500. As it is, the ReadyNAS 104 is simply too slow to justify investing in, which is a shame.

05/04/2014
Synology DiskStation DS414j
[Posted by: Steven Walton]
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Today we are checking out the latest Synology product, the DiskStation DS414j which is powered by a dual-core CPU with a floating-point. The DS414j also receives USB 3.0 support which is a first for the budget orientated ‘j’ series. The budget-friendly 4-bay NAS server is specifically designed for small offices and home users, so let’s take it for a spin...

Given the fact that we would have picked the Synology DS413j over any other budget 4-bay NAS available right now, it’s a safe bet that the DS414j is our new favourite 4-bay budget NAS. On that note we are also very impressed with how well the MindSpeed Comcerto 2000 dual-core 1.2GHz processor performed given it features no form of cooling and operates at such a low frequency.

04/28/2014