Here today's reviews and articles with 9 Alternatives To Skype For VoIP And Video Chat, Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse Review, Seagate Constellation ES.3 4TB Review, Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse and Surface 1030 XL Mouse mat reviewed, and Buying Guide: Mac RAID drives: 6 reviewed and rated



9 Alternatives To Skype For VoIP And Video Chat @ ThinkComputers.org

There’s no single provider that can match Skype's service feature for feature. Still, it’s possible to find companies that excel at offering great VoIP or video calling as individual services. For both benefits plus tons of extras stick with Skype, but if you’re ready to bail because you’re worried about the implications of Microsoft buying Skype you can check out the alternatives listed below.

Read more: 9 Alternatives To Skype For VoIP And Video Chat @ ThinkComputers.org

Enermax NAXN ADV 650 W @ techPowerUp

The Enermax NAXN series is one of the few models Enermax doesn't produce themselves. This is done for cost-reduction reasons. In this review, we will check on the performance of the strongest member of the NAXN 82+ ADV line. It has a capacity of 650 W, features a non-modular design, and is 80 Plus Bronze certified.

Read more: Enermax NAXN ADV 650 W @ techPowerUp

XFX Radeon HD 7790 Black Edition 1GB Video Card Review @ Madshrimps

The latest AMD Radeon HD 7790 GPUs feature a revised AMD PowerTune Technology implementation, with 8 states, more shader units compared to the versions and higher frequencies. The XFX Black Edition implementation comes with raised speeds from the factory and an enhanced Double Dissipation cooling system for a good efficiency, while maintaining low noise levels.

Read more: XFX Radeon HD 7790 Black Edition 1GB Video Card Review @ Madshrimps

Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Techgage

We recently tested the least-expensive member of Logitech’s new G line, the G100s, and it impressed us enough to earn one of our Editor’s Choice awards. Today, we have a look at the higher-tiered G500s. It’s an altogether different animal compared to its less-pricey sister, so let’s find out if it impresses just the same.

Read more: Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Techgage

VisionTek Data Fusion PCI-Express 240GB @ PureOverclock

Today we're looking at another SandForce SSD, but this one is very special as it's essentially two drives in one that feature a RAID 0 configuration. The name of this little juggernaut is the VisionTek Data Fusion 240GB PCI-Express. It acts like a drive but looks like a card since it plugs directly into the motherboard, bringing a whole new level of speed into the
mix. The Data Fusion drive is bootable, and with claims of 800MB/s and 100,000 IOPS, such speed is typically expensive, but this PCI-E SSD currently retails for only $380 for the 240GB version. Sounds very tempting to us.

Read more: VisionTek Data Fusion PCI-Express 240GB @ PureOverclock

NZXT Phantom 630 Full Tower Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Over the couple of years following that, the Replacements evolved dramatically. While the high energy and brilliant songwriting remained, the delivery became much more refined and at the same time more complex. Bob Stinson and his drunken antics were gone from the band and live performances became cohesive and polished. The band went from a brilliant rough idea, to being a polished product that managed to retain the spark that made them special in the first place. Strangely, of all things, the NZXT Phantom series seems to have taken the same route. A brilliant concept with odd looks and more quirks than you could count has evolved into one of the most polished finished products to date, all while retaining the individuality and stellar performance that got it noticed in the first place. However, I have been assured that the new Phantom 630 will not have any songs appearing on movie soundtracks in the near future.

With the Phantom 630, NZXT has evolved the line in a very natural way with some very unexpected results. While many cases naturally favor air or liquid cooling, the Full Tower NZXT Phantom 630 actually manages to be an incredibly well engineered performance case for both. A unique modular HDD cage system allows the user to configure for optimal airflow, and also allows for components to be built around. Radiator mounts for 240/280mm in the front and bottom, 140mm in the rear and 240/280/360 on the top give liquid coolers vast flexibility. 200mm fans on the front, side and top coupled with a 140mm in the rear give air coolers all the flow they need, while and the modular cages allow for direct flow configurations. The three HDD cages can hold a maximum of six HDD, while two 2.5” SSD can be mounted on the rear of the MB tray. The cages are broken down to 3,2 and 1 capacity, and can be hung from the optical bays, stacked from the floor, moved back to accommodate tubing and/or improve airflow. A split level MB tray adds to the already spacious cable routing, and winged doors help to make installation easier. Niceties abound on the outside of the Phantom 630 as well, with gunmetal, black and white color choices all with meticulous finish and a side window in the left panel. The front I/O sports two each USB 2.0 and 3.0, front audio, three speed 30 watt fan controller and an on/off switch for rear I/O lighting. Four 5.25” optical drives can be mounted behind the Phantom 630’s front door, with a built in SD card reader positioned above them.

Read more: NZXT Phantom 630 Full Tower Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Seagate Constellation ES.3 4TB Review @ OCC

Comparing the Constellation ES.3 to a pair of consumer mechanical drives shows the performance advantage of this drive in just about every test. RAID 0 performance scaled nicely, driving throughput of the Constellation drives to a level on par with some earlier solid state drives. Speed and capacity are what the Constellation drives bring to the table. Surely the 128MB of onboard cache helps the performance along with the 7200RPM spindle speed. As an enterprise class drive it is meant to spend its lifespan of 1.4 million hours dutifully answering data calls.

Read more: Seagate Constellation ES.3 4TB Review @ OCC

Ineo AlienVibes W601 Speaker System @ Benchmark Reviews

There are times when you just have to let the music roar and headphones are not an option. So what do you do? One option is a high end sound system or you could just get a couple of cheap powered speakers and attach them to your PC? Both options will work but how about a compact speaker system with great bass performance and quite a bit of power at a very decent price. Benchmark Reviews has put the Ineo Alienvibes W601 Subwoofer Speaker System (with remote control) to the test and we were impressed with how it performed. Crank up the volume and it has a big punch and wall shaking bass. This may be the sound system you are looking for.

Read more: Ineo AlienVibes W601 Speaker System @ Benchmark Reviews

Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse and Surface 1030 XL Mouse mat reviewed @ Metku.net

Func is probably a bit less known computer accessory manufacturer. After a few years of silence Func published MS-3 high-end mouse and Surface 1030 XL mouse mat and we just had to get them to a review!

Read more: Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse and Surface 1030 XL Mouse mat reviewed @ Metku.net

ASRock Z87 Motherboard Series Detailed @ techPowerUp

ASRock is serious about breaking the 1 million motherboards-shipped mark for this year. The company is going into the emerging Intel Z87 chipset-based socket LGA1150 motherboard market with an extremely strong lineup covering a wide range of price-points. The company is preparing as many as three OC series models, two Fatal1ty series ones, and six Extreme series models. A defining feature of ASRock's lineup is the introduction of onboard 802.11 ac WLAN controllers on select models. The "/ac" brand extension denotes this feature.

Three of the company's top models based on the Z87 Express chipset include the Z87 Extreme11, Z87 Fatal1ty Professional, and Z87 OC Formula. The Z87 Extreme11, available with the /ac option, is the company's flagship socket LGA1150 motherboard, maxing out the platform's feature-set, and augmenting it with an additional PCI-Express lane budget, Thunderbolt, 802.11 ac, and a plethora of connectivity options. The Extreme series targets consumers who want the most connectivity. Other models in the series include the Z87 Extreme 9(/ac), Z87 Extreme6(/ac), Z87 Extreme 4, and the micro-ATX Z87M Extreme4.

Read more: ASRock Z87 Motherboard Series Detailed @ techPowerUp

Buying Guide: Mac RAID drives: 6 reviewed and rated @ Techradar

Backing up your data every now and again is not enough. Using an online back-up service such as Crash Plan or Mozy isn't enough (although off-site back-up should be part of your overall strategy). If your internet connection goes down at the same time as your hard drive fails or you inadvertently wipe that important file, no online back-up will save you.A scheduled local back-up routine is critical. And for that, you'll need a backup destination you can trust to look after your data. You could use any old hard drive, but in the unlikely event the drive fails just when you need to restore from it, you'll have a problem. A mirrored RAID drive massively reduces that problem. These drives, which house multiple disks, copy your data in its entirety to more than one disk. In the case of the drives we have tested here, each has two disks and each disk has identical data. Thus, if one disk fails, your data is safely stored on the other. Wh

Read more: Buying Guide: Mac RAID drives: 6 reviewed and rated @ Techradar