Tech News
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ASRock X79 Extreme11 Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers
Published: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 | By: DennisThe Intel X79 platform may not hold the overclocking world record but it is the only modern platform supporting the 6 core LGA 2011 and plenty of PCI Express bandwidth. You can buy quad core editions of this CPU but that just seems silly.
If you are planning on a new system build and need/want the most power you can get then X79 is clearly the way to go. The next question is, what board will you pick?
Even with the flood of Ivy Bridge processors and Z77 motherboards out there many people (especially gamers) that still prefer Sandy Bridge-E processors and X79 motherboards. This is because of the increased L3 cache on Sandy Bridge-E processors and the availability of more PCIe lanes. So until there is official word when we will see Ivy Bridge-E processors X79 still remains the high-end when it comes to desktop systems. Today we are taking a look at probably the most feature packed Z79 motherboard we have seen and that is available today. It is the X79 Extreme11 from ASRock and it features 7 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, 14 SATA ports, 8 USB 3.0 ports and much, much more. ASRock is marketing this board as the “Ultimate X79 Motherboard” and we are going to see if it is! Read on as we taking a look at the ASRock X79 Extreme11 Motherboard.
ASRock seems like an attractive solution but I might suggest checking out a few reviews.
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Usability expert slams Windows 8
Published: Monday, November 19, 2012 | By: DennisYou don't have to be a usability expert to know that Windows 8 sucks to use, but your experience often depends on how you use your computer. Non power users looking to check email and play movies may totally enjoy Windows 8 while developers, coders and designers will find the different interface limiting.
Of course there are some power users who insist on touching their computer monitor to the disgust of their co-workers will find Windows 8 most disturbing, especially when they discover that touching does stuff now.
Back in June, I called Windows 8 a "design disaster." As much as I like the speed and performance gains that the new operating system brings -- and despite being rock-solid, snappy and responsive -- as a platform to do real-world work, Windows 8 feels utterly unusable. There's too much mystery meat navigation, and the last thing I want is for my PC to force me into playing "hunt the app" every time I want to get something done.
There are ways around Windows 8, the obvious is to "NOT" use it or simply learn how it operates. Sadly it is here to stay which is making OSX all that more inviting.
*shudder*
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NL: Review Block - Mark of the weekend
Published: Friday, November 16, 2012 | By: DennisTurkey day is almost here followed by holiday shopping, If you haven't checked out our latest podcast we talk about our plans for the shopping season.
Video Cards
- ASUS Matrix HD 7970 Platinum Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews
- ASUS HD 7970 3GB Matrix Platinum Edition Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Sapphire HD 7770 FleX Video Card Product Review at TechwareLabs
Cases
- Corsair Carbide 200R Case Review @ Hardware Secrets
- Cooler Master Silencio 650 PC Chassis Review @ oc Inside
- Cooler Master HAF XB Chassis @ PureOverclock
- CM Storm Scout II Mid-tower Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion
- Cooler Master Scout 2 Mid-Tower Case Review @ Bigbruin
- Fractal Design Node 605 Case Review @ Hardware SecretsSpeaking of podcast, look for a new episode next week
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CoD Black Ops II: Millions of Copies Sold - Suckers!
Published: Friday, November 16, 2012 | By: DennisIt would seem that people love Call Of Duty, call it a success story, but I call it a sham.
GameStop Corp. (GME), the video-game retailer, sold more than 1 million copies of “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” yesterday, positioning the new title from Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) to break sales records.
“‘Black Ops II’ is shaping up to be our biggest game launch of all time,” Tony Bartel, president of the Grapevine, Texas-based chain, said yesterday in an e-mail. “GameStop sold more than 1 million units worldwide during our midnight launch period.”I do find it ironic that the previous Call of Duty sold like $400 Million in 24 hours and reports this time around say $500 Million. That might be true but you have to wonder if they are fudging the numbers.
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Cooler Master HAF XB Launch Day - Need A Bench?
Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 | By: DennisBe sure to check out our review of the HAF XB, I found it to be pretty cool though was missing a few key "must haves" for any high-end system.
Cooler Master HAF XB Case Review @ Ninjalane
Web Reviews
- Cooler Master HAF XB @ LanOC Reviews
- Cooler Master HAF XB Case Review @ Hardware Secrets
- Cooler Master HAF XB Review @ Pro-Clockers
- Cooler Master HAF XB Lan Box and Test Bench Case Review @ Legit Reviews
- Cooler Master HAF XB Review @ Hardware Canucks -
Can Call of Duty Black Ops II top CoD's record sales streak?
Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 | By: DennisThis story at c|net has me wondering. Do games sell based on "what" they are or based on what they "were"?? Its true that the last few Call of Duty games made a mint and set back to back sales records but were the games any good??
Some, myself included, say no. Call of Duty Black Ops was nothing more than a FPS "movie" that involved shooting and walking down a path. In fact you could get thru one of the first missions without firing a single shot until the game made you fire to continue. I'm going to blame the console market for this one since a "real" FPS would be too complex for your average 10 year old to operate with a trigger and two thumb sticks but does that excuse game developers from actually trying to make a good game?
Over the last several years, each Call of Duty game has set a new entertainment sales record. Last year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 generated over $400 million in revenue during its first 24 hours on store shelves. That game followed the $360 million Call of Duty: Black Ops made in its first day. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 posted $310 million in launch-day sales.
Given that trajectory, it would appear that Black Ops II will beat out last year's Call of Duty game. Just yesterday, Amazon announced that Black Ops II broke its record for most pre-ordered game. The e-retailer didn't say how many customers pre-ordered the device, but its announcement portends to a major launch.I for one will be boycotting this game and will do whatever I can NOT to buy it. Of course if someone gives me a steam key that is a different story but for now I'll just hold on to my $60US.
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NL: Review Block - Coolers and Cards - Twice the C w/ half the belt buckle
Published: Monday, November 12, 2012 | By: DennisNot much to say here, we have a list of cool CPU chillers and a few HIS brand video cards.
Coolers
- Cooler Master Seidon 120M Liquid CPU Cooler @ PureOverclock
- Thermaltake Water 2.0 Performer Liquid Cooling Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
- Zalman CNPS9900DF Silent CPU Cooler Review @ Hi Tech Legion
- Thermalright True Spirit 120M CPU Air Cooler Review @ [H]
- Thermalright HR-02 Macho 120 CPU Cooler Review on Technic3D
Cards
- HIS 7950 IceQ X2 @ PureOverclock
- HIS Radeon HD 7750 IceQ X Turbo 1 GB @ techPowerUp
- HIS HD7970 IceQX Turbo & HIS HD7950 IceQ ReviewOf course more to come, or is there
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Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 Motherboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion
Published: Monday, November 12, 2012 | By: DennisOh Trinity, why do you spite me so?
The Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 Motherboard isn't a misfortune to anyone. The GA-F2A85X-UP4 sits with the top AMD Trinity motherboards. The Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 uses the latest FM2 CPU socked and AMD A85X chipset. This chipset supports up to 64 GB of 1866MHz DDR3 memory. It also supports AMD Memory Profiles and XMP modules. Audio is controlled by a Realtek ALC892 codec and networking is done with a Realtek 8111E Gigabit LAN chip. Storage interface includes seven SATA 6Gb/s connectors and 1 eSATA 6Gb/s connection. Peripheral interface is done with up to 6 USB 3.0, up to 10 USB 2.0, and a PS/2 keyboard/mouse port. Two of the USB 3.0 ports are controlled by an Etron EJ168 chip. Internal expansion is done with 3 PCI Express x16 slots (x16, x8, x4), 3 PCI Express x1 slots, and 1 PCI slot. Features include Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 5 technology, Digital Power Engine, 3D BIOS, Dual UEFI BIOS, and 333 onboard acceleration. The Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 also includes Lucid Virtu MVP support.
That is pretty much the review, enjoy
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Fall 2012 GPU and Driver Comparison Roundup @ HardOCP
Published: Monday, November 12, 2012 | By: DennisWe all know that your choice in video drivers can have a profound impact on gaming and benchmark performance. The question is, how do you know which ones to use? Video cards mfgs will tell you "download the latest", which is a good rule of thumb but, will that give you what you are looking for?
With the recent release of new beta drivers from both AMD and NVIDIA, and the upping of clocks by AMD, significant performance gains have been claimed by both parties for current generation video cards. We will investigate with a 6-way roundup comparison to see if we can crown a champion.
Seems legit,
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Super-Earth next door could be habitable
Published: Friday, November 9, 2012 | By: DennisEarth-like planet and only 42 light years away?? I'd say sign me up but I'd rather keep my feet planted right here.
It's only 42 light years away, it could have liquid water, and it's more than seven times bigger than our planet (in mass). So once we destroy this one, we're all set.
This latest super-Earth is called HD 40307g. It may sound like a tax form, but it's almost guaranteed to be paradise. It's right in a sweet spot orbit around HD 40307, a smaller star than the sun in the constellation of Pictor, where liquid water is possible. And the IRS can't reach you.If you check out this story be sure to read the comments, some are to die for
