Tech News
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Gigabyte Aivia M8600 @ LanOC Reviews
Published: Monday, July 11, 2011 | By: DennisThis is actually a really good mouse. It comes with good optics, wireless with a replacement battery back, option to run wired, and rubberized grip for comfort.
In the moments before I sat down in the office to write this review, Wes and I wrestled with the web of cords that we hide behind the monitor. Given the opportunity, I think any user would jump on the chance to eliminate even one from that mess. Attractive of a thought as that is, wireless peripherals aren't always the friendliest, in cost or performance. We visited Gigabyte's Ghost engine last year with the M8000Xtreme, and today we sit down with the newest addition, one that is designed to cut down the clutter of cables.
Be sure to check out our review of the Aivia M8600 gaming mouse. You may need to get used to the shape but depending on your preferences it may not be an issue.
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NL: Review Block - Mobos and Cases, together at last
Published: Friday, July 8, 2011 | By: DennisThese are the peanut butter cups of the computer world.
Motherboards
- Gigabyte X58A-OC Review @ ocaholic
- ASUS Maximus IV Extreme P67 Motherboard @ Pro-Clockers
- ASUS Republic of Gamers Maximus IV Gene-Z Motherboard Review @ HardwareHeaven
- MSI Big Bang Marshal (Intel P67 Express) Motherboard Review
Cases
- SilverStone Raven RV03 @ Phoronix
- Silverstone's Raven RV03 case @ TR
- Silverstone Raven RV03 Case Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Lamptron Fan Controller Touch @ techPowerUp -
BMW MPower level 10 PC a Mod project @ XtremeComputing
Published: Friday, July 8, 2011 | By: DennisMods like this really give me the itch to start modding again. No total conversions like what is popular now but just a wholesome down-to-earth mod to personalize a chassis.
This all started one day when I spotted the thermaltake level 10 case sitting at show, I thought wow that looks very unique. I had been planning for a little while to do a car themed mod and with the level 10 being designed by one of BMW’s design houses, I thought now was a good a time as any to actually do a BMW 3 series Mpower theme, so the concept was born. Now bear in mind this concept started way back last year
Of course I don't think I would have the balls to mod such an expensive chassis, though after learning that most review sites that were lucky enough to review the Level 10 simply gave them away it might not be so difficult.
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NVIDIA NF200 x16/x16 vs. Intel x8/x8 P67 Performance Analysis
Published: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 | By: DennisWhat an interesting article, the TweakTown guys are looking at the latest Asus Maximus IV Extreme motherboard (ROG Sandy Bridge mobo) and trying to figure out if running their video cards in the Native 8x / 8x PCI Express layout was better than running them in 16x / 16x mode on the NF200 chip.
The results might surprise you. (or not)
"Unlike most performance motherboards that by default carry only an x8 / x8 setup when SLI or CrossFire X is used, the ASUS Maximus IV Extreme offers us the NF200 chip to add more PCI-E lanes to the board. Over the last few years we've seen companies implement the chip to boards to help move the default SLI or CrossFire X setup from x8 / x8 which is offered via the Intel chipset, to x16 / x16 via the NF200 chip.
When you move away from a two card setup and into a three card one, boards without the NF200 chip would run x8 / x8 / x4, while with the NF200 we're able to achieve x16 / x8 / x8 which when having so much power on hand, is extremely appreciated. ASUS do it a little differently, though, and they do it in a way that has confused people. On the Maximus IV Extreme and Extreme-Z, their P67 and Z68 boards, by default they offer x8 / x8 via the Intel chipset. It isn't until you add a third card into the mix that the NF200 chip comes in handy, because in that situation we get a x8 / x16 / x16 setup."'I don't want to ruin the suspense but given the research I have done for the Ninjalane Multi GPU Index I can already predict the outcome.
The overclocking community claims there is a latency added when you use a NF200 chip. Of course if you are running 3D bench after 3D bench looking for that glitch score that will land you a gold cup you will see the latency. It takes a long time to run a 3D bench so I can understand why most overclockers would request a dual mode motherboard. However, in regular games or everyday computing it is clearly not a contributing factor to overall performance.
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NL: Review Block - Return of the Case Kings
Published: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 | By: DennisSome case reviews from the news box.
- Coolermaster Storm Enforcer gaming case @ Madshrimps
- Sentey GS-6000 Optimus Mid Tower Case Review @ Legit Reviews
- Thermaltake Chaser Gaming Case Review @ XtremeComputing
- Corsair Obsidian Series 650D Mid Tower Case Review @ ThinkComputers
- Cooler Master Elite 310 Case Review @ OCModShop
- Cubitek Tattoo Pro Chassis Review @ OCIA
- Cubitek XL Tank Computer Case Review @ APH Networks
- Coolermaster Silencio 550 Review - XSReviews
- Fractal Designs Define R3 Chassis Review @ MissingRemote
- NZXT Source 210 Elite @ PureOverclock
- NZXT Source 210 Elite @ techPowerUp
- 3R System L-900 V.REX F8 PC Case Review @ Real World Labs
- Thermaltake Level 10 GT Full-Tower Chassis Review @ TechgageTechgage is doing something special with their Level 10 GT, be sure to check it out.
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Some Good Hacks Over the Weekend
Published: Tuesday, July 5, 2011 | By: DennisIt would seem that hacking/cracking has once again gone mainstream with no indication that they will be letting up anytime soon.
The first hack that caught my eye was one featuring the president that actually gained some traction since it appeared to come from a trusted news source. News quickly spread and left agencies scrambling to fix their systems. The second hack has yet to be confirmed but has to do with gadget maker Apple and their iCloud service.
A couple of weeks ago a Pastebin post popped up claiming the group had hacked into gadget maker Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) iCloud service. The group writes:
You'll have to check out the Daily Tech posting for more details.
On a side note the iCloud hack is a precursor to the dangers of hosting things "in the cloud". A "cloud" is a series of virtual servers linked together to provide better accessibility and uptime over a single server solution. The only problem is items in the cloud are shared so once you gain access to the system there is virtually no security. Given the wealth of data people trust to these services I would fully expect to see more cloud breeches in the future, assuming they haven't already happened.
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An Overclocker Says Goodbye
Published: Friday, July 1, 2011 | By: DennisI noticed this story on Twitter this morning and wasn't able to fully read the commentary until now and I must say, they are both worth checking out. Overclocking is an expensive hobby/sport and unless you are independently wealthy or just have more money+time that you know what to do with you will often need to be subsidized to keep things going. If you are good enough those subsidies can come from mfgs and lower your overall operational costs.
If things go well then both parties can benefit, but as with any business relationship, that is not always the case.
All things must come to an end eventually
Could I return someday? Maybe. Unfortunately it won't be anytime soon. Life is calling, the family is calling, they want me back.
My long term goal was to work my ass ofg and end up with a job with one of the manufacturers, unfortunately the oppurtunity has not arrised so I need to find something else which at that point between the family and a job something has to go and overclocking is it.
- chew* via XS (source)HWBot posted a very long editorial response to what was said over at XS and I would urge everyone to read it start to finish.
The process works as follows. First you demonstrate your insight and knowledge on forums or overclocking rankings, then a company asks you if you’d be up for testing on of their products and provide exposure for it. Of course you agree (free gear!) and do what you’re asked. If the company thinks you did a good job, they might put you on their white-list and you might end up receiving more products in the future. In most cases, the first batch of products becomes yours when you receive them. However, over time it’s more likely that you’ll end up having to send them back for rotation (as you’re not the only one allowed to test the hardware).
The stories they tell are very true and apply to things beyond sponsored hardware testing. Before I started running NInjalane.com I wanted to be a hardware tester, I thought it would be fun. One thing that kept me from it was that I knew it would be a demanding job and often done without pay. In the end I'm glad I choose to do hardware reviews. Yes, I know I don't get to play with the latest and greatest hardware right off the assembly line but at least the stuff works.
- HWBot (source)
Good luck with your endeavors Brian, we'll see you around.
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Hackers who got real jobs, by hacking
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011 | By: DennisI always wondered if hacking could eventually pay off, or if it was like any other crime with an expiration date. It would seem that for a select few their hacking roots had paid off.
Hotz is clearly a smart man and Facebook was smart to hire him, and while an argument can certainly be made for hiring gray-hat hackers, where do you draw the line? Sophos security consultant Graham Cluley has been one enduring critic of hiring black-hat hackers and has blogged in the past about the negative precedent it sets for aspiring young tech mavens who may not know the difference.
The thing with hackers is that they become good because they are curious about how things work. This is a talent many high paid developers are not concerned with and that blindness is why we have exploits and a market to hire hackers to help make systems better.
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Women sexually attracted to Porsche-driving men
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011 | By: DennisWho knew you could get girls by just driving a fancy car?
In what may be one of the dumbest, most obvious studies in a long time, USATODAY.com's Your Life reports that researchers at three universities found men's conspicuous consumption is often driven by a desire to have uncommitted romantic flings.
-- snip --
This is the best part of the article, and so true on an infinite number of levels.
So we suspect the lesson here is buy the Porsche, have multiple flings based on your German-engineered sexual prowess, but if you find the right woman and want to make it permanent, you'd better buy a Buick.
Not sure a Buick is the best choice but ya you get what you pay for and in this case, the more you pay the more they will expect you to pay.
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k|ngp|n Cooling Liquid Nitrogen Containers @ techReaction
Published: Wednesday, June 29, 2011 | By: DennisNot a bad review, no real detail shots of the containers or how to install them but I guess they figure if you are reading it you know a little something about them already.
When k|ngp|n got started, one of the major hurdles was how to properly cool his components with LN2. Since devices did not exist with which he could accomplish thos, he started designing and building prototype LN2 containers (“pots”) which he could mount to the computer hardware in order to apply the LN2 to effectively cool the components.
I do like how most reviewers are very guarded in showing the particulars of each base and what makes each one different. If given the chance to do a review I might do the same, but only in fear of what the community would do.
Regardless I'll be trying my hand at LN2 this summer after I get a few other projects done and out of my way.
