Here today's reviews and articles, including Asus Z87 Motherboard Line-up, Synology DiskStation DS713+ Review, Defiance Review: Resistance is Not Futile, WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Portable Storage Drive Review, and ADATA DashDrive Air AE400 Wireless Storage Reader and Power Bank Review



Asus Z87 Motherboard Line-up: Debutant Models Within @ KitGuru

With Intels fourth generation chips knocking on the door of release day, KitGuru was invited to a technical seminar held by Asus to outline the company's products, features and plans for its range of Z87 motherboards.

Read more: Asus Z87 Motherboard Line-up: Debutant Models Within @ KitGuru

Synology DiskStation DS713+ Review @ TestFreaks

As the world becomes more digitally based, data management and protection is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Network Attached Devices are a great way to manage and backup personal or business data since they can act as central repositories. Over the past several years we at TestFreaks have reviewed numerous such devices.

Synology is one such brand that markets NAS servers designed for home offices ranging up to large scale businesses. From our experience they have proven to be one of if not the best designers of network attached storage devices. While their hardware is top notch its their interface – DiskStation Manager (DSM) the OS of their NAS servers that makes these boxes special.

Read more: Synology DiskStation DS713+ Review @ TestFreaks

Asus shows off Z87-based Haswell motherboards @ The Tech Report

A few weeks ago, we got an early preview of Asus' upcoming Haswell motherboards. We can now tell you what's in store for the next generation.

Read more: Asus shows off Z87-based Haswell motherboards @ The Tech Report

Brace Yourselves: An Onslaught of ASUS Z87 Motherboards is Coming @ Techgage

Whenever a new CPU architecture hits the block, one thing’s certain: it’s going to result in a massive collection of motherboards from a variety of vendors. Where ASUS is concerned, it’ll have at least 12 boards available at launch, and we’re sure that number will grow during Haswell’s lifespan.

This time around, we see a significant color scheme change to ASUS’ mainstream motherboards, a brand-new model called GRYPHON, and the expected evolution of its SABERTOOTH and Republic of Gamers series.

We’re going to be taking a brief look at all of ASUS’ boards that will launch alongside Haswell, but first, let’s tackle the simplest change of them all: the color scheme of the mainstream (as in, not gamer or enthusiast-oriented) line-up.

Read more: Brace Yourselves: An Onslaught of ASUS Z87 Motherboards is Coming @ Techgage

Defiance Review: Resistance is Not Futile @ Techgage

What do you get when you take one part sci-fi TV show and one part MMOG and toss them both into a blender? A strange way to open a review of Defiance, that’s what.

From the folks who brought us Rift and End of Nations comes an MMO that takes place in the not-so-distant future on the planet we all call home (that’s earth for those not paying close enough attention). Although we enter the game in the year 2030, the story begins in the present day. As you’d expect from a sci-fi themed game, aliens are involved.

Votans, the primary alien species in Defiance, came to earth in 2013 after their home star system suffered a stellar collision. While they believed that the planet was uninhabited, it obviously wasn’t, and before long, they were greeted with hostility. After ten long years and right on the verge of a peace treaty being completed between the two species, a human supremacist assassinated the Votan’s UN ambassador. Over the course of the next seven years, the Pale Wars tore the planet apart.

Read more: Defiance Review: Resistance is Not Futile @ Techgage

Thermaltake SMART Series SP-750M PSU Review @ Hi Tech Legion

A PSU is the heart of a system, providing power and circulating it to the other system components. If the PSU is inefficient, not only does it cost more money to run the system, but there is also the chance that a system will be unstable. Using a quality power supply is the start of a stable system, especially when overclocking is considered. Thankfully, we have the 80 Plus standards that provide an easy way to tell what type of efficiency an power supply is rated for. The 80 Plus organization performs extensive testing against power supplies and certifies them based on how well they perform.

The Thermaltake Smart-M 750 Watt SP-750M PSU is a semi-modular power supply. The hard wired cables for the Thermaltake SP-750M include the 24 Pin ATX and 4+4 Pin CPU connector. Modular connectors are provided for the four PCI-E (6+2 pin), nine SATA, six 4-pin Molex, and one 4-pin Molex to FDD converter. All of the modular cables are flat for easy routing and the hard wired cables are sleeved in mesh to keep them neat. The single +12V rail is used in the SP-750M and produces up to 62A of power. The PSU's 80 Plus Bronze rating means that the PSU meets the standard of running with a minimum of 82% efficiency. Cooling is provided by a 140mm variable speed fan to ensure that the PSU maintains silence and the proper temperature. Other features include a MTBF of over 100,000 hours, a five year warranty, and a full suite of power protection circuits.

Read more: Thermaltake SMART Series SP-750M PSU Review @ Hi Tech Legion

WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Portable Storage Drive Review @ Legit Reviews

WD today released the My Passport Ultra line of portable hard drives aimed at consumers that want the safest and easiest way to protect their digital content while traveling. We have the 1 TB WD My Passport Ultra portable hard drive with WD SmartWare Pro backup software with Dropbox integration and put it to the test.

Western Digital has been focusing on cloud integration and this is the first My Passport drive to come with new standalone WD SmartWare Pro app that just came out in 2013. Before the WD My Passport and accompanying WD SmartWare software would automatically back up file changes to the My Passport local drive on the fly, but now you can schedule backups to both the drive and a Dropbox account. This is the major new selling point for the WD My Passport Ultra and shows that WD is fully embracing the cloud movement that is taking place right now worldwide...

Read more: WD My Passport Ultra 1TB Portable Storage Drive Review @ Legit Reviews

Asoka PlugLink PL9760-Q2 500Mbps Dual Ethernet Powerline Adapter @ NikKTech

For the past 10 years or so most newly build houses, office buildings and even some apartment complexes are network-ready meaning they have shielded (most of the times anyways) CAT5/6 Ethernet cables installed in the walls coupled with at least one network plug in each room. This is without doubt the ideal solution for people who want and prefer the speeds offered by Ethernet connectivity over WiFi but unfortunately most houses (including my own) are way older than just 10 years. Powerline adapters have been in the market for many years and are pretty much the best choice for use with older buildings since they use the electrical wiring (power lines) to create a local network. Strangely enough however although this technology allows for much greater speeds than typical WiFi connections (especially over long distances) and also provides a much higher level of security not many consumers actually make use of them (on the other hand Office/Business sales are flourishing). Still our job is to thoroughly test the ones available in the market and so todays review is about the latest PlugLink AV 500Mbps Adapter by Asoka, the PL-9670-Q2.

Read more: Asoka PlugLink PL9760-Q2 500Mbps Dual Ethernet Powerline Adapter @ NikKTech

EVERCOOL Venti CPU Cooler Reviewed @ OCC

Don't take it the wrong way, there's nothing really wrong with the Venti; it just doesn't seem to have a place on the market. If money is an issue, there are better and quieter coolers for around a similar price, and there are smaller coolers that better fit into tiny builds that perform better as well. This one gets a pretty resounding pass in my book; look elsewhere unless you really can't spare a couple dollars for a vastly superior cooler.

Read more: EVERCOOL Venti CPU Cooler Reviewed @ OCC

Phanteks PH-TC12DX @ techPowerUp

Phanteks seeks to beat the heat with the PH-TC12DX. Comprised of two fin stacks, each made up of 49 anodized aluminum cooling fins, and paired with a nickel-plated copper base and heatpipes, This U-type cooler might just have what it takes.

Read more: Phanteks PH-TC12DX @ techPowerUp

Metro Last Light VGA performance benchmark review @ Guru3D

In this benchmark review we'll look at Metro: Last Light VGA Graphics benchmark performance with 18 graphics cards. The new title is looking interesting from a graphics point of view. But as a result how will it perform on a selection of different graphics cards ? This review will cover all these basics and then more so you know what choice to make either graphics card or in-game settings wise.

Metro: Last Light (formerly Metro 2034) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ukrainian studio 4A Games and published by Deep Silve. It was released in May 2013. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world and features action-oriented gameplay with a combination of survival horror elements. Previously announced as Metro 2034, the game is a sequel to Metro 2033, and although author Dmitry Glukhovsky has apparently been working with the developers, it bears no relation to the book Metro 2034. Initially, the game was to be published under THQ and expected to be released in the middle of 2012; it was announced on February 2, 2012, that the game would be delayed until the first quarter of 2013, in March 1 2013 the game was delayed again until May. Following THQ's closure in January 2013, the intellectual property was acquired by video game publisher Deep Silver.

Read more: Metro Last Light VGA performance benchmark review @ Guru3D

AZZA Silentium 920 Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

When it comes to building a quiet PC system it ultimately comes down to the case. You want a case with sound-dampening properties and quiet fans. There are quite a few out there but today we are going to be checking out AZZAs take on a quiet case. The AZZA Silentium 920 which is available in both white and black versions features thick sound dampening material on both side panels, two 120mm included fans and a sleek elegant design. Is this case the next one for your quiet system build? Read on as we take a look

Read more: AZZA Silentium 920 Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

ADATA DashDrive Air AE400 Wireless Storage Reader and Power Bank Review @ Madshrimps

For users on the go, ADATA has created a new multifunctional device which acts as a wireless AP, USB storage drive or card reader and as an extra it also functions as a power bank, to recharge the tablet/mobile phone when we need it most.

Read more: ADATA DashDrive Air AE400 Wireless Storage Reader and Power Bank Review @ Madshrimps