Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including Transcend MSA720 128GB mSATA SSD Review, Pivos XIOS DS Media Play Android Media Player Review, Gigabyte Aivia Osmium (MX Brown) Gaming Keyboard Review, Gigabyte P2742G-CF1 Review, and AMD Releases Latest Generation of G-Series Embedded Products



Transcend MSA720 128GB mSATA SSD Review @ Legit Reviews

We've had a look at a few different mSATA drives lately and coincidentally, all have been SandForce SF-2281 based. Now we have a turn at Transcends latest line of mSATA drives which also feature the SF-2281 controller. This sets up a nice comparison for us to perform our evaluation so have a look at what we found in our latest storage review.

Transcend has a nice mSATA product on their hands with the MSA720 although it could easily get lost in the shuffle of the numerous SF-2281 mSATA drives popping up all over. It doesn't appear to be as widely available at retailers as some other brands. Performance overall was very good and where it should be based on our experience with this controller/NAND configuration. We saw max read/writes at nearly 560MB/s and 525MB/s respectively and the predictable dip in performance when subjected to incompressible data...

Read more: Transcend MSA720 128GB mSATA SSD Review @ Legit Reviews

Wicked Audio EVAC Headphones Review @ TestFreaks

Up for review today I have headphones, not just any headphones, but the new EVAC from Wicked Audio. The EVAC headphones are budget priced yes, but they sound pretty good overall. The headphones are made well, they’re lightweight and they comes with nicely padded earpieces and headband so you can wear them comfortably for long periods of time. The headphones can are also collapsible so you can easily take them with you if you need be. So read on to learn more…

The Wicked Audio EVAC headphones come in sort of a double box, well it’s cover on the actual box.

Read more: Wicked Audio EVAC Headphones Review @ TestFreaks

Pivos XIOS DS Media Play Android Media Player Review @ ThinkComputers.org

We live in a word where media is at our fingertips, we can instantly stream and watch content with ease. With that many different media players have emerged to make this process much easier, especially in a living room setting. Today we are taking a look at not only a media player, but a full on Android box. Pivos says the XIOS is “The marriage between digital home entertainment and the powerful Android platform” and it really is. You can use it as a media player, you can download games to play on it, you can also use it to be productive. The options are really endless as there are so many applications available for the Android operating system. Read on as we take a look

Read more: Pivos XIOS DS Media Play Android Media Player Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Corsair Obsidian 350D Review @ Guru3D

We review a new chassis from Corsair, it's Obsidian 350D. It is the mini-me version of the new Obsidian 900D chassis. Not mid, not full, mini and this intended for small form factor PCs. Now the product might be tagged as mini, the details and features however are grand. Armed with a price much better then the 900D this might be the product a lot of you are on the lookout for.

Obsidian - back in the Roman Empire, if a person discovered some sort of mineral they would call him Obsius, it nearly forms the name of today's tested product. So when the Obsius found a, usually black or banded, hard volcanic glass that displays shiny, curved surfaces when fractured and is formed by rapid cooling of lava -- it was called... Obsidian.

So the 900D is tagged as Super Tower chassis, and that means that it can even swallow HPTX form factor motherboards. This 350D however is has a more compact design. Don't let the looks fool you though.

Read more: Corsair Obsidian 350D Review @ Guru3D

Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews

On 9/9/1999, a company started in California with the goal of creating "fantastic equipment...with the sole purpose of enhancing the experience of playing a great game, rather than diminishing it." Soon after, the original Func sUrface 1030 launched, winning awards from many different sites and magazines. In 2013, Func has introduced their first-ever gaming mouse. A result of hundreds of hours of study, the Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse sports an ergonomic shape and purposefully placed buttons - all to enhance your game and provide the greatest advantage possible. Have they succeeded on their first try? At Benchmark Reviews, we intend to find out.

It is only fitting that Func's first gaming mouse arrived with the refresh of the original Func pad - the 1030 (XL). Consistency is the key to accuracy, and there is no better way to ensure your mouse has a consistant surface than to put a high-grade pad under it. Made of a polycarbonate material, the Func 1030 XL has two surfaces with either a rough or smooth finish to match your preference.

Read more: Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews

Noctua NF-S12A 120mm Fans Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Often times, the premium price is justified by the product’s longevity and durability. Premium products may cost more but are much more reliable on average and backed with confidence by the manufacturer compared to budget and mainstream products. Premium product manufacturers understand that users shouldn’t have to compromise when it comes to selection, even when it comes to fans.

Noctua's S12A 120mm fans is the 3rd generation Signature series line designed for case ventilation. The Noctua S12A is available in three versions: PWM, FLX and ULN. Both the FLX and PWM versions run at a maximum of 1200 RPM with an airflow rating of 107.5 m3/h while the ULN version runs at a lower 800 RPM with an airflow rating of 74.3 m3/h. Unlike the 2nd generation S12 series fan, the new S12A series are equipped with anti-stall knobs that reduce flow separation in medium to high impedance situations, increasing the fan’s versatility. Also part of Noctua’s Advanced Acoustical Optimization design are the inner surface microstructures as well as the stepped inlet design which improves airflow and minimizes noise during operation. All three Noctua S12A 120mm fans use Noctua's SSO2 bearings with a MTBF of 150,000 hours and carry a 6-year warranty.

Read more: Noctua NF-S12A 120mm Fans Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Evercool Venti HPQ-12025 Heatsink Review @ FrostyTech

Airflow is driven by a single 120mm PWM fan whose snow white 7-bladed impeller rotates at your basic 2200RPM to 800RPM. Noise output is moderate. Because computer enthusiasts tend to be picky bunch, Evercool have tossed in one extra set of wire fan clips.

Read more: Evercool Venti HPQ-12025 Heatsink Review @ FrostyTech

Gigabyte Aivia Osmium (MX Brown) Gaming Keyboard Review @ Hardware Secrets

Not long ago, we received the Aivia Osmium keyboard from Gigabyte for reviewing. Imagine our surprise when we received another Aivia Osmium with almost no difference in the presentation, aside from having white illumination instead of blue, and featuring Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches instead of the red model. The boxes have different visuals, but the consumer has to keep a keen eye to know which Osmium he or she is buying because there is no hint in their names (like "Osmium Brown" or "Osmium Red", for instance). Let's test this new Osmium and compare it to the one previously reviewed – the main thing here is to know the difference between those two types of mechanical switches.

Read more: Gigabyte Aivia Osmium (MX Brown) Gaming Keyboard Review @ Hardware Secrets

ZOTAC RAIDBOX USB 3.0 Dual mSATA Enclosure Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Looking to diversify their business even more ZOTAC recently released the RAIDBOX, a compact USB 3.0 enclosure which allows us to install two mSATA hard drives then RAID them for enhanced performance/data protection. Today we have a sample on our test bench, along with two high spec 256GB mSATA drives from ADATA.

Read more: ZOTAC RAIDBOX USB 3.0 Dual mSATA Enclosure Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Sony Xperia ZL Android Smartphone Review @ MEGATechNews

Sony recently announced the Xperia ZL, an Android-powered 5″ Superphone to compete in the lucrative world of high end Android smartphones. The Xperia ZL’s important specs of note are it’s 5" 1080p display (441ppi), a 1.5 GHz Snapdragon quad core processor, Adreno 320 GPU, 2GB RAM, and a microSD slot expandable to 64GB. The 2370 mAh battery is non-replaceable. The camera sports a 13 megapixel sensor with 1080p HD video recording.

Read more: Sony Xperia ZL Android Smartphone Review @ MEGATechNews

SECTOR Pilot Master R3273679025 Review @ NikKTech

Most of the people i know who wear wristwatches all the time have one or more favorite brands which they always trust when the time comes either to buy a new watch to add to their collection or as a replacement for an old one. Back in 2002 i was out for a stroll when i passed in front of a watch shop which had almost a 3 digit number of models on display (something that was a bit surprising since most watch shops have like 10-20 samples on display). However out of all these watches my eyes fell on a single bracelet one made by an unknown brand to me called SECTOR but due to its somewhat high price tag (at least for me back then) i skipped on buying it. Obviously back then i wasn't that much into watches (especially bracelet ones since it was the leather/rubber era for me) which pretty much explains my ignorance regarding a well-established watch manufacturer like SECTOR. Fast forward 11 years later and today on our test bench we have one of the latest Sector watches to hit the market the Pilot Master R3273679025 (R stands for Racing).

Read more: SECTOR Pilot Master R3273679025 Review @ NikKTech

Gigabyte P2742G-CF1 Review @ TechReviewSource.com

Looking for an affordable gaming laptop? The Gigabyte P2742G-CF1 might fit the bill. In a category where prices regularly register in the thousands, it's nice to see a gaming rig that costs less than a used car. It will get you on the gaming grid, but the overall package isn't the best, even at the affordable price.

Read more: Gigabyte P2742G-CF1 Review @ TechReviewSource.com

AMD Releases Latest Generation of G-Series Embedded Products @ PC Perspective

It has long been known that AMD has simply not had a lot of luck going head to head against Intel in the processor market. Some years back they worked on differentiating themselves, and in so doing have been able to stay afloat through hard times. The acquisitions that AMD has made in the past decade are starting to make a difference in the company, especially now that the PC market that they have relied upon for revenue and growth opportunities is suddenly contracting. This of course puts a cramp in AMD’s style, but with better than expected results in their previous quarter, things are not nearly as dim as some would expect.

Q1 was still pretty harsh for AMD, but they maintained their marketshare in both processors and graphics chips. One area that looks to get a boost is that of embedded processors. AMD has offered embedded processors for some time, but with the way the market is heading they look to really ramp up their offerings to fit in a variety of applications and SKUs. The last generation of G-series processors were based upon the Bobcat/Brazos platform. This two chip design (APU and media hub) came in a variety of wattages with good performance from both the CPU and GPU portion. While the setup looked pretty good on paper, it was not widely implemented because of the added complexity of a two chip design plus thermal concerns vs. performance.

Read more: AMD Releases Latest Generation of G-Series Embedded Products @ PC Perspective

Arion Foldable Bluetooth Headset @ LanOC

With mobile devices becoming more and more common it isn’t surprising that we are starting to see different devices pop up that have built in support for them. From keyboards to headsets, the most common type of interface used to connect these devices is Bluetooth. Eagle Tech has kindly shipped us one of their brand new foldable Bluetooth headsets to test with our mobile devices. The Bluetooth headset is in the Arion brand of products and features both Bluetooth audio and microphone. Join us as we take a look to explore the new device and find out how it holds up.

Read more: Arion Foldable Bluetooth Headset @ LanOC

Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 Review @ Hexus

If you're looking for a chassis that's simple, elegant, affordable and able to do most things well, Fractal Design is a brand that should be on your radar. Without really pushing the boat out, the Swedish manufacturer has repeatedly impressed with well-rounded, no-nonsense cases.

After battling with Corsair's gargantuan Obsidian Series 900D, small-and-simple is exactly what the doctor ordered, so we're taking a closer look at Fractal's latest mid-tower offering, the Arc Midi R2.

Read more: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 Review @ Hexus

Patriot Supersonic Rage XT 64GB Flash Drive Review @ Funky Kit

Patriot is mostly known for their impressive memory and SSDs. The components they have sent us over the years have been quite impressive and offered up a solid performance as well as a good bang for the buck. Well Patriot is back at it with their Supersonic line of USB flash drives. Gone are the days of slow speeds and long transfer times to back up files from a hard drive to a flash drive.

Read more: Patriot Supersonic Rage XT 64GB Flash Drive Review @ Funky Kit

Thecus N5550 Review @ Vortez

With many different companies releasing NAS (Network Attached Storage) products, it takes something special these days to catch the eye of the consumer. With many different offerings packed with features, brimming with style and now very affordable, how does a company differentiate themselves from the competition?

Thecus, who were founded in 2004, had the vision of becoming industry leaders in digital storage technology. Fast forward to today and Thecus are exactly that. In a sector with huge names that dominate the market, Thecus can be proud of what they have achieved over the past 9-10 years. One model in particular has caught the eye which has tons of features, oozes style and screams quality, but how will it do in our tests?

Read more: Thecus N5550 Review @ Vortez