Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

AMD FX-6300 vs. Intel Core i3 4330: Budget Gaming CPU Deathmatch
AMD FX-8350 & FX-6300: Real world power to performance testing
Apples iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones reviewed
ASUS X99-A Motherboard Review
Asus Z97 Pro (Wi-Fi ac) Socket 1150 Motherboard Review
Asustor AS7004T Review
Code Keyboard 104 key and TKL models
COUGAR 700K Review
ECS Z97 Machine Motherboard Review
Hands-on review: BlackBerry Classic
HP Stream 11 Review: A New Take On Low Cost Computing
KGUARD MARS Home MH-4140 NVR Security System Review
Lexar Workflow DD512 USB 3.0 Solid State Drive Review
Lian Li PC-O5SX
Looking into the future: Samsung Gear VR review
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB
Roccat Tyon Gaming Mouse Review
Sapphire Radeon R9 295X2 XF vs The WaterForce
Seasonic Snow Silent 1050W PSU Review (XP3)
The Best Oculus Rift Experiences You Can Enjoy Right Now
Thermalright Macho 90 CPU Cooler Review
ThinkComputers Holiday 2014 Staff Wish List

AMD FX-6300 vs. Intel Core i3 4330: Budget Gaming CPU Deathmatch

Willing to spend around 100 euros on a processor? Choosing for AMD will get you the hexa-core FX-6300, whereas Intel has the dual-core i3-4330 on offer. Which of these two is the correct choice for an affordable gaming PC?
It's a discussion that has been ongoing for about two years now, in the comments on our online Budget Gaming PC Advice: what is the best CPU? We have been recommending an AMD FX-6300 processor during this entire period, over an almost identically priced Core i3.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

AMD FX-8350 & FX-6300: Real world power to performance testing

Intel has been beating AMD on every front but price for a couple of generations now as the Bulldozer microarchitecture and its descendants have had an unpleasant uphill climb. Power consumption, performance per clock, it all takes its toll. However, we took a couple of AMD’s most popular chips for a test drive and found that things aren’t anywhere near as bad as benchmarks might lead you to believe. Quite the opposite, actually.

Read full article @ Techspot

Apples iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones reviewed

Yes, we've finally focused our full attention on reviewing a smartphone in depth. What better place to start than the new iPhones?

Read full article @ The Tech Report

ASUS X99-A Motherboard Review

The Intel X99 chipset is the current flagship line from Intel, being that it is the flagship the components are typically more expensive. Today Legit Reviews has the opportunity to look at a top tier board that isn't going to break the bank! The ASUS X99-A Intel X99 motherboard is currently going for only $246.99. At only $246.99 it's a board that's packed with features, but not one that is going to break the bank.

Read full article @ Legit Reviews

Asus Z97 Pro (Wi-Fi ac) Socket 1150 Motherboard Review

Now that Intel's newest LGA 1150 motherboard chipset is out in full force, numerous enthusiast-class boards abound. We've already taken a look at five Z97 motherboards from Gigabyte, EVGA, and MSI, and this time around we're reviewing the Asus Z97-Pro (Wi-Fi ac). This board is one of Asus' mid-range offerings in the $200 price range and is interesting on the storage front as it includes both M.2 and SATA Express, so its as future proof as it gets when it comes to storage options--at least for today. This board also comes in a non-Wi-Fi version, dubbed simply "Pro," as well as versions that are more expensive and less expensive, but all share the same aesthetic and general feature set, so in a way this review is for several motherboards, not just one...

Read full article @ HotHardware.com

Asustor AS7004T Review

Today we are taking a look at the most powerful 4-bay NAS we have ever seen. Built using the Intel Core i3-4330 processor and C226 platform controller hub, the Asustor AS7004T takes it to the competition. Designed for both multi-media and business applications the AS7004T can handle whatever you have in store...

The Asustor product family has continued to grow as the company has added a number of new products recently, most of which have been high-end models.

Read full article @ Legion Hardware

Code Keyboard 104 key and TKL models

So the story behind todays review is that Weyman Kwong of WASD Keyboards and Jeff Atwood got together because they couldn’t find a simple and clean mechanical keyboard that they truly loved. I can see where they are coming from, as someone who has developed a love for Mechs over the years if you don’t like the gaming styling you really are limited to just a few keyboard. It gets even worse if you are like me and still like having backlighting. After working with WASD Keyboards on our Keyboard Customization article they offered to send over a Code keyboard to check out. I only had one problem, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to check out another TKL that I love for test bench and LAN use or if I would look at the Code as a potential replacement for my main keyboard where I need a full number pad. Lucky for me they completely understood and sent over one of each, giving me a chance to check out both and to check out both of the keyswitch options.

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

COUGAR 700K Review

A few months ago we had the pleasure of reviewing COUGAR’s 700M gaming mouse and we were rather impressed by their efforts. COUGAR has been channelling all of their efforts into their gaming peripheral product ranges and today we’re looking at a mechanical gaming keyboard which hopes to accompany its gaming counter-part.

700K is COUGAR’s top of the line mechanical gaming keyboard which comes equipped with Cherry MX black, brown, blue or red switches. COUGAR has furnished this keyboard with a sturdy aluminium panel and armed it with a multitude of customisable features including additional keys, LED backlighting, and N-key rollover.

Read full article @ Vortez

ECS Z97 Machine Motherboard Review

Tagged in their L337 Gaming series, ECS recently released a Z97 motherboard with a tasty design, good features and a very good price. ECS took the Z97 chipset and made a nice dark looking motherboard that has SLI/Crossfire support and tweaking features. It also comes with a custom audio solution. Join us in a the Z97 Machine, a product that will please the budget PC gamer with the hunger for a high-end PC.

Intel released their series 9 chipsets, among them will be low-end and high-end desktop solutions. For the consumers and readers of Guru3D, H97 and Z97 should be the two most interesting ones. For the HTPC end of things H97 is the most appealing as tweaking options are stripped away with a lower price-tag. For the more hardcore gamers and PC aficionados, the Z97 is the most interesting. Z97 by itself as a chipset is nothing special. HOWEVER, we have plenty to look at as the motherboard manufacturers went totally nuts and started redesigning their motherboards, added new features and made them extraordinarily cool. You'll spot new redesigns build on the DNA of Z87 yet improved massively. Cool looks, features like AC WIFI, M2 SSDs and Sata Express will bring some very interesting features onto the market. So if (at the time) you didn't upgrade to Z87, now might be a good time.

Now back to ECS, the machine series really is supposed to be the mainstream model but I'd tag this in the somewhat high-end class alright, you can fit even Devils Canyon processor on it (Core i7 4970K). This Intel Z97 based motherboard will come with nice PC options like 8-pin EPS connectors, a 6-phase VRM design for the processor, two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x8 when two cards and x16 with one card).

Read full article @ Guru3D

Hands-on review: BlackBerry Classic

BlackBerry has launched not one, but two flagships products this year and the BlackBerry Classic takes a bold step into the Canadian firm's past in the hope of reigniting the success of its former glories. Following on from the oddly proportioned BlackBerry Passport, the Classic was first announced at MWC 2014 in February but it's taken some time to get to market. The Classic forms the third phone in BlackBerry's trio of devices with it and the Passport joining the fully touch BlackBerry Z30. Anyone familiar with the brand's past handsets will notice the striking similarities the BlackBerry Classic shares with the incredibly popular BlackBerry Bold 9900 - and it's some of the key features fron that device which users have been begging the firm to bring back.

Read full article @ Techradar

HP Stream 11 Review: A New Take On Low Cost Computing

The low cost Windows laptop world has been a rather frustrating experience over the last several years. Manufacturers created big, bulky designs packed with low resolution TN displays and some of the slowest components they could dig up. We are still at a point where the average consumer thinks more is better, so low cost laptops would always have low performance mechanical hard drives. If you wanted a traditional clamshell laptop running Windows, it was just accepted that it would be large, heavy, have poor battery life, and generally come with an unattractive design. HP has the task of changing our perception of what a low cost Windows laptop can be, but is the Stream 11 enough or does it simply bring back memories of past netbooks? Read on for the full review.

Read full article @ Anandtech

KGUARD MARS Home MH-4140 NVR Security System Review

Do you and your family feel safe nowadays? This is a question i find asking myself very often lately and judging by what's happening around me i don't really feel very confident. I mean last year alone where i live we've had 4 armed robberies and although I’m certain that in some places this is nothing still where i live we haven't had anything similar for well over 3 decades so this feels extremely weird to all of us. That being said doing nothing is obviously not the way to go so people seem to pay much more attention now when it comes to their safety so more and more where i live have chosen to install security systems such as home alarms and cameras kits over the past year or so. Today we will be focusing this review around one of the latest NVR Security Systems by KGUARD, the MARS Home Series MH-4140.

Established in 2003, KGUARD Security is a daughter company of KWorld Computer Group, a leading corporation in the worldwide digital entertainment industry. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan with a strong and innovative R&D team, KGUARD’s cutting-edge security products are well-received by customers from more than 60 countries. We offer a wide range of video surveillance solutions, such as DIY Home Security ComboKits, standalone DVRs, CCTV cameras, other surveillance software and our unique KView Series for remote monitoring. With a unique focus on product compatibility and stability, KGUARD has shown a tremendous success in US, EMEA, Latin America, Australia and Southeast Asia.

The MARS Home Series MH-4140 NVR Security System consists out of one compact 4-channel, single-drive (SATA up to 4TB in capacity) PoC (Power Over Cable) network video recorder and 4 high definition 1280x720p (720p) IP66 certified (enclosure protects the interior against dust and water) IP cameras. Since the recorder bundled with the kit is an NVR model that means aside the typical HDMI and VGA video outputs (Full HD 1080p) which you can use with your TV and TFT screens you can also connect it with your local network via RJ45 Ethernet connection. All 4 bundled cameras feature 1/3 CMOS sensors with IR cut filters but are not identical since for good or bad KGUARD decided on using two different pair models in order to cover different needs. So although the two primary models feature 3.6mm fixed lens with a horizontal viewing angle of 75 degrees, built-in microphones and a night vision LED range of 20m the other two wear 6mm fixed lens that give them a horizontal viewing angle of 45 degrees and a night vision LED range of 30m (no microphone is present on the 2nd camera type). We too are a bit skeptical regarding their choice of IP cameras I’m not about to lie to all of you but what we care mostly is the end result so let’s see if the MARS Home MH-4140 NVR Security Kit can help you sleep a little bit better at night.

Read full article @ NikKTech

Lexar Workflow DD512 USB 3.0 Solid State Drive Review

Not all external storage drives are equally suited for every scenario and there are a lot of different drives on the market. Most of these are branded for the ultra durability or portability. There is a third kind of external storage drives, those that need to be practical as well as universal in their everyday usage.

Lexar has created a unique line of mobile storage products dubbed the Professional Workflow series and is based on the USB 3.0 connectors. The series consists of several card readers that support the newest and fastest memory cards, as well as storage drives with either 256GB or 512GB storage capacity. Today I’m taking a look at the Professional Workflow DD512 USB 3.0 storage drive with a capacity of 512GB.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Lian Li PC-O5SX

The Lian Li PC-O5SX is for those who want to show off their hardware in an elegant way, while using their system for more than just media playback. With an intricate interior that can house powerful enthusiast-grade hardware, a great mixture of materials, and an industrial look, the PC-O5SX aims to combine the best of both worlds - design and function.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

Looking into the future: Samsung Gear VR review

You can finally buy a virtual reality headset and use it in your home. Right now -- today -- that is possible. It doesn't cost $10,000 and it doesn't come with caveats like, "This is made for developers." Samsung is officially the first to market with an accessible, impressive virtual reality headset, all powered by software from Facebook's recently acquired Oculus VR team. That alone is very exciting: We are standing at the precipice of a new medium, finally technologically possible. Wireless, consumer-grade virtual reality! In your home! Today!

Samsung's Gear VR is both an astounding feat and an illuminating vision into our near future; it's the closest anyone's come to making virtual reality into a palatable consumer experience, and a stark example of how far we still have to go before that dream is completely realized.

Read full article @ Engadget

MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB

MSI's GTX 970 Gaming is probably the best GTX 970 on the market. It comes overclocked out of the box, with an amazing cooler that is noise-free during light gaming, and extremely quiet in even the most demanding titles. Temperatures are great, too, so you should definitely consider this card if you are in the market for a GTX 970.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

Roccat Tyon Gaming Mouse Review

First announced at Computex in June, Roccat’s newest gaming mouse has finally hit the market. Packing an 8200 DPI laser sensor, Roccat’s EasyShift[+] function, configurable LED lighting in two zones and 12 programmable buttons (16 programmable “actions” if scroll up/down, etc. is included) the Tyon appears to check all of the same boxes as many high-end gaming peripherals. Look a little closer though, and you’ll see that the Tyon adds a few boxes other mice can’t check: a “dorsal fin” switch and an analog paddle. Powered by Roccat’s Talk FX software suite, will these innovations change your game? Benchmark Reviews has received the black version of the Tyon (model ROC-11-850, also available in white) and we’re ready to run it through the gauntlet.

Read full article @ Benchmark Reviews

Sapphire Radeon R9 295X2 XF vs The WaterForce

Four R9 290X-class of GPUs go up against three GTX 980s. AMD took a modicum of umbrage at our review of the Gigabyte WaterForce graphics behemoth. Sure, three overclocked GeForce GTX 980 cards are undeniably fast and offer good gaming at the ultra-enthusiast 4K resolution, they said, but, priced at an eye-watering £2,499, WaterForce hardly represents value, right?

The value sentiment certainly rings true, especially as a trio of air-cooled GTX 980s can be purchased separately for under £1,300. Yet there's now reasonable value in this extreme segment from the AMD camp. Savage price cuts on the dual-GPU Radeon R9 295X2, now available for sub-£500, brings it very much into play. A single Radeon R9 295X2 puts up a good showing against the three-GPU WaterForce, we noted, so what could two do? A total of four R9 290X-like GPUs for under a grand is more like it, and AMD partner Sapphire obliged by seeding us a second card for four-way CrossFire shenanigans.

Read full article @ Hexus

Seasonic Snow Silent 1050W PSU Review (XP3)

Today we look at the latest power supply from Seasonic – just in time for Christmas! Their festive looking ‘Snow Silent’ power supply is fully modular, with 80 Plus Platinum certification. Seasonic have incorporated a new low noise fluid dynamic bearing fan along with a rather eye catching white paint job. They are in stock now at Overclockers UK for £209.95 – but is it worth the money?

Read full article @ KitGuru

The Best Oculus Rift Experiences You Can Enjoy Right Now

Oculus Rift is easily one of the coolest pieces of technology that I’ve ever owned. I personally own their DK2 headset, which is certainly not ready for general consumer consumption, but that doesn’t mean to say it can’t still be a lot of fun. I’m not the only early adopter out there and I’m sure I won’t be the last, especially given that the consumer model could be another year away from release.

Oculus demos, games and other types of software are steadily streaming onto the internet, many of them completely free of charge. Most developers haven’t even had their DK2 headset any longer than I have, but many of them have already produced some truly stunning experiences.

This article is obviously best suited for those who already own an Oculus Rift, or at least those who have ordered one and are eagerly awaiting its delivery. If you would love to know more about the technology, then you can check out our featured review here, or our game review/DK2 setup guide here.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Thermalright Macho 90 CPU Cooler Review

We've mentioned plenty of times in the past that CPU Coolers come in many sizes and designs but what happens if you take one of the top performance tower (U-type) models and shrink it just enough to fit virtually every PC case? Well we know that you will not have nearly the same cooling efficiency as the regular sized model but you should get better results compared always to a top-down (C-Type) CPU cooler. Noctua did this with their NH-U9S CPU Cooler which we reviewed a while back so it was really a matter of time before we came across other similar models by the leading manufacturers in the field and so just days after that review with us we have the brand new Macho 90 by our friends over at Thermalright.

Read full article @ NikKTech

ThinkComputers Holiday 2014 Staff Wish List

It is that time of year again, Holidays! We always ask our families for things we would like each year, but we don’t always get them. The staff here at ThinkComputers has compiled a list of products they would like this year for the Holiday. Even though we get the oppurtunity to review some pretty awesome products there are still some things we would like. Check out our wish lists for this year!

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org