Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

20 of the Worst PC Setups - March 2018
2018 Acer Nitro 5 With 8th Gen Intel Core CPU Revealed
AMD already working on Zen 5
ASRock AB350 Gaming K4 Motherboard Review
Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Card Review
ASUS ROG STRIX B360-F Gaming Review
Extinction Review - A Giant Troll
Extinction Review: Shadow of the colossal disappointment
G.Skill Sniper X 16GB DDR4-3600 C19 Kit Review
Investigation finds Intel Kaby Lake-G is more Polaris than Vega
Jackrabbot: The Robot That Learns From Human Behaviour
Kinesis Gaming Freestyle Edge Keyboard Review
MSI Vigor GK80 Gaming Keyboard Review
Neverwinter DPS Companions Guide
Raijintek Pallas Compact CPU Cooler Review
Rapoo VPRO V500S Review
Thermaltake Premium X1 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review
Vega 7nm is not a GPU

20 of the Worst PC Setups - March 2018

I’m sure at some point you’ve had a bad PC setup. Maybe moving into a new place, waiting for a new desk to arrive or you just ran out of room. I can remember my horrible PC setups from when I was living at the dorms in college. If you have ever ventured over to the Shitty Battlestations sub-reddit you will find a lot of horrible PC setups. We will are going to pick 20 each month and feature them as 20 of the Worst PC setups for that month. Here are some of the bad ones from March.

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

2018 Acer Nitro 5 With 8th Gen Intel Core CPU Revealed

Powered by up to the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7 and Intel Core i7+ processors, the 2018 Acer Nitro 5 offers improved speed and multi-threading efficiency for better gaming performance. Check it out here!

Read full article @ TechARP

AMD already working on Zen 5

We are just 10 days before Zen+ officially reaches the market, but AMD is clearly not stopping here. So far, we only knew about Zen 2 and Zen 3, both 7nm architectures. The Zen 5, which is an internal codename (subject to change) would be a fifth installment in the x86 Zen microarchitecture (that’s because Zen 4 has never been mentioned and Zen+ took the spot of second-generation Zen).

As a side note, manufacturers often skip 4 due to its meaning in Chinese culture. It’s an unlucky number because it’s homophonous to the word ‘death’. Something that AMD surely does not want to be associated with Zen architecture.

Based on a current roadmap, which lists Zen 3 for 2020, Zen 5 should not be expected sooner than 2021.

Read full article @ VideoCardz.com

ASRock AB350 Gaming K4 Motherboard Review

A low-cost alternative for Ryzen systems to the high-calibre but higher-cost motherboards is the B350 range. Today we are testing the ASRock AB350 Gaming K4 motherboard, coming in under the radar just below $100. It offers almost everything its bigger cousins provide except SLI, but single GPU users can find a home with a motherboard like this one. Our aim today is to ascertain whether the ASRock AB350 Gaming K4 can be a top value proposition with the B350 chipset in play.

With the ASRock AB350 Gaming K4, as the name seems to imply, ASRock wants it two ways: a competitive gaming motherboard in the B350 chipset space. No idea why it is called the 'AB350', that's just something ASRock seems to do, but the goal of the board here is to target the gaming crowd. That means having a relatively fully black PCB, a set of red aluminium heatsinks, and a full-length PCIe slot for graphics that has extra reinforcement to take the toughest pixel pushing PCIe powerhouses. The top full-length slot runs in PCIe x16 mode from the CPU, while the second slot also from the CPU, but is limited to PCIe x4, and shares bandwidth with one of the M.2 slots.

Read full article @ Anandtech

Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Card Review

Today we will be taking a quick look at the Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Card. It’s a full length x16 PCIE add-on/expansion card that features 4 internal x M.2 connectors, and if you have a X299 motherboard it offers supports Intel’s VROC (virtual RAID).

The PCB is covered with a large but high quality heat sink with 4 strips of thermal pad for the M.2 SSDs. The entire card then is cooled by an internal fan. This PCIE expansion card is ideal for workstation users and content creators who don’t have any M.2 connectors on their motherboard, or just want to simply manage their SSD storage via a single x16 PCIE slot.

Read full article @ FunkyKit

ASUS ROG STRIX B360-F Gaming Review

Compared to the H370 chipset you'll forfeit another few PCIe lanes and well, that's pretty much it really. If you do not need tweaking options, pair it with the new Core i5 8600 (non-K), and you'll have the ability to create a beast of a gaming rig with the right graphics card. With a B360 chipset you get many of the features and functionality from that H370 and Z370 platform, yet scrap the tweaking and overclocking functions. This effectively means that K model processors are not something you should spend your money on as you cannot OC them easily anyway. Any B360 chipset based motherboard, however, offers plenty of features for both internal and external connectivity. For example, you will spot things like an HDMI port, USB 3.1 ports, six SATA3 ports, and even a full speed M.2 slots. There is a Gigabit Ethernet, 8-channel HD audio.

The familiar looking ROG STRIX Gaming series is paired with a Core i7 8700K today, is a motherboard positioned in the affordable mainstream segment of the line-up. It very decent looks (even including some LED bling), offers features like higher-grade onboard audio, 2x M.2 SSD support (one with heatsink), GigE Ethernet interface (Intel), and a reinforced PCIe x16 slots. On the next few pages, I will take you guys a little deeper into the architecture and processor series that is Coffee Lake as well as the B360 chipset, followed by a hefty benchmark session to see how well this motherboard performs and what it has to offer.

Read full article @ The Guru of 3D

Extinction Review - A Giant Troll

Is Extinction the Attack on Titan game fans have been waiting for? It feels like the popular anime and manga franchise was specifically designed to inspire video games – it’s got action, tower defense, and massive bosses with implausibly specific weak spots – and yet we’ve yet to get that definitive AoT game. One or two decent ones, but nothing truly great.

Extinction developer Iron Galaxy (Divekick, Killer Instinct) insist their game and Attack on Titan are “quite different,” but the influence is clear. You play as a grappling-hook-wielding warrior who defends walled cities from giant monsters who happen to be vulnerable on the back of their necks. Come on. So, does Extinction do the giant-slaying thing right, or does the game deserve to be stomped out?

Read full article @ Wccftech

Extinction Review: Shadow of the colossal disappointment

Backing up a bit, Extinction is an action-platformer clearly influenced by Shadow of the Colossus, Devil May Cry, and especially the anime Attack on Titan. A medieval-fantasy world—of which we only catch shallow glimpses—is under siege by towering, teleporting ogres called “Ravenii” who can topple whole cities with ease. You play as a bland meatbrain who, as we learn through a handful of barely animated 2D cutscenes, is also a magical warrior called a Sentinel. The title grants him enough parkour powers to run up the speechless invaders and lop their heads off.

And lop heads he does. Constantly. Head lopping is pretty much Extinction’s only neat trick, though even that novelty crumbles faster than the settlements you’re meant to protect. It doesn’t take long at all to figure out how sloppy the process really is.

Read full article @ ArsTechnica

G.Skill Sniper X 16GB DDR4-3600 C19 Kit Review

One of several newly decorated models in the Sniper X line, G.Skill’s F4-3600C19D-16GSXF offers two 8GB DDR4-3600 modules at moderate cost. How does it stack up?

G.Skill’s game-themed memory line, Sniper X, is available in classic camo, urban camo and, just in case you’re trapped behind enemy lines in a simulation with nothing but a pair of heat spreaders for concealment, digital camo. Understanding that people with windowed cases often divert to showmanship before and after a tournament, G.Skill put the real tech underneath those pretty covers.

Read full article @ Tom's Hardware

Investigation finds Intel Kaby Lake-G is more Polaris than Vega

However the only major feature found to be found lacking so far is Rapid Packed Math. The news of Intel's Kaby Lake-G processors was one of the biggest revelations in the world of tech in late 2017. Last November Intel announced that it would combine its high performance CPU cores with a discrete AMD Radeon GPU and HBM2 graphics on a multi-chip-module. At CES 2018 the product was launched and it was revealed that the AMD Radeon graphics on board were custom designed, based upon a GCN 5th Generation Vega core with up to 24 CUs. This would offer a maximum of 1,536 RX Vega-class shaders connected to 4GB of HBM2 memory over the EMIB interface, we learned.

Read full article @ Hexus

Jackrabbot: The Robot That Learns From Human Behaviour

Noah Kravitz writes about Jackrabbot, a robot that learns by watching human behaviour. It is a great look at how neural task programming (NTP) may create intelligent robots that learn from human behaviour.

Read full article @ TechARP

Kinesis Gaming Freestyle Edge Keyboard Review

Kinesis, with over 25 years of experience in developing ergonomic peripherals, has brought to market the Freestyle Edge keyboard as part of their new gaming brand. With a split keyboard configuration, extensive customization options, and nothing but Cherry mechanical switches, the Freestyle Edge offers a new take on ergonomics for gamers and casual end users alike.

f the Kinesis name sounds familiar to you, it is perhaps because of Kinesis Corporation, Inc., which was formed over 25 years ago and had extensive research and development lead to ergonomic I/O devices. Perhaps the most popular from the company is the Advantage2 keyboard, which is priced out of budget for many users even today and was not easy for them to get the word out about. With the "gaming keyboard" market blooming in the recent past, Kinesis Gaming was formed in 2016 with the aim to provide PC peripherals that include their knowledge base on ergonomics and make for novel products that offer more—or at the very least different—options from the usual. A crowdfunding campaign followed soon after, and the Freestyle Edge we are taking a look at today has thus been brought to market recently.

Read full article @ TechPowerUp

MSI Vigor GK80 Gaming Keyboard Review

MSI launched the Vigor GK80 gaming keyboard back on February 28, 2018, a new addition to its Gaming Gear lineup of computer peripherals. Constructed using an anodized aluminum, the frame of the Vigor GK80 has a firm feel to provide the user with a positive response when pressing the keys which are mounted above the frame; this also makes the Vigor GK80 easy to clean.

Using MSI’s “Mystic Light” program, you can illuminate the keyboard with several preloaded LED lighting sequences or customize your own personalized lighting scheme down to each key. Included are replaceable keycaps: four have metal covered top surfaces (as shipped, these keycaps are already installed) and red-tinted translucent sides to use on highly repetitive keys to reduce surface wear, and twelve come with a rubber textured coating.

Read full article @ Neoseeker

Neverwinter DPS Companions Guide

Chultan Tiger: This is currently the Best in Slot summoned companion; it’s like an Archon combined with a Sellsword. Their Active Bonus provides 5% increased Damage and Run Speed at the beginning of Combat for 25 seconds, and they have a chance to apply a DoT Bleed, causing them to take 10% more damage. Tigers also have two ring slots, so they are easy to gear up. These are purchased on the Zen Market or the Auction House.

Read full article @ OCC

Raijintek Pallas Compact CPU Cooler Review

A compact cooler meant for small gaming rigs and HTPCs, the Raijintek Pallas gets the test treatment. How does it stand up?

We're always ready to add a low-profile CPU cooler to our review series, but months have passed since any were offered. Fortunately, the load of samples Raijintek sent us for testing just happened to include, among other things, a 68mm-tall downdraft-style CPU cooler made specifically for compact gaming rigs and ultra-slim HTPC systems. Enter the Raijintek Pallas.

Read full article @ Tom's Hardware

Rapoo VPRO V500S Review

This time we have on OCinside.de another mechanical keyboard to review. Namely the Rapoo VPRO V500S. As always, we hope you enjoy the review.

The keyboard is well-made, stands securely on the table thanks to its high weight and the software leaves nothing to be desired in the programming of the keys.

However, there is, as so often a downside of the coin, because accessories are not available and there are also compromises in terms of ergonomics: Although the height can be adjusted, a wrist rest would be highly recommended due to the height of the keyboard. Furthermore, many users will certainly miss the number pad in everyday use.

Read full article @ OCInside.de

Thermaltake Premium X1 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

Now that Thermaltake has the TT Premium brand, it appears that they are moving into other products besides cases and gaming chairs. We have seen peripherals from the Thermaltake brand in the past, as well as products from the Tt eSports moniker, but this is the first TT Premium branded keyboard we have seen.

Judging by the name of the brand alone, we would expect this line to offer the best of the best. Not something with the average set of features and capabilities, but something that should make buyers stop and take notice. Otherwise, why not just keep peripherals in the other two product lines, and call it a day? There are many features which will draw in the masses. Use of Cherry MX switches is a good start, and many adore exposed switch keyboards. Lighting is also a big hit, and the fact that this keyboard is RGB backlit makes it all that much better. The ability to customize not only the lighting but all aspects of the keyboard, delivering it in a solid frame, adding in a wrist rest and optional FPS keycaps, all of these are great to have too. Along with all of the things many companies are offering, this new TT Premium keyboard offers an app as well, but just for iPhones.

Read full article @ TweakTown

Vega 7nm is not a GPU

Vega 14nm failed to win the performance war against the Geforce 1080 TI and found itself fighting the Geforce 1080. The 7nm version of the chip should improve the odds, but AMD doesn’t plan to bring this into the light of day as a GPU.

Vega 7 - according to both Lisa Su and a few others at AMD’s January technology gig - was always presented as an instinct/artificial intelligence product. This is the main focus and some other people high up in the GPU hierarchy at AMD have repeatedly confirmed that Vega 7 nm is an AI chip and not a GPU.

Read full article @ Fudzilla