Here a roundup of today's reviews, including ASUS P9X79-E WS Review, ASUS Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II OC Review, VisionTek Data Fusion PCIe SSD 240GB Review, Asus Transformer Pad, and Hands-on review: Alienware Steam Machine review



ASUS P9X79-E WS Review: Xeon meets PLX for 7x @ Anandtech

Alongside their line of channel and ROG motherboards, ASUS also has business (B/Q chipset) and Workstation (WS) lines for professional markets. The goal of these products is compatibility and stability the desire to be a rock solid product in the face of any computational conundrum. Today we are reviewing hopefully the first of many ASUS WS motherboards the P9X79-E WS, for the socket 2011 / performance Xeon market. This is an upgrade over the P9X79 WS, featuring a PLX chip giving seven full length PCIe slots.

Read more: ASUS P9X79-E WS Review: Xeon meets PLX for 7x @ Anandtech

ASUS Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II OC Review @ ocaholic

Custom Radeon R9 290X graphics cards start to hit the web and stores and today we are going to have a look at the ASUS one, the Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II OC. The Radeon R9 290X version is no different from other high-end DirectCU II cards from the manufacturer, you don't change a formula that works. The R9 290X DirectCU II OC features a custom PCB with a beefed up power design and is chilled by the latest version of the DirectCU 2 cooler. Other than the obvious the card has a factory overclocking on both the core and memory as well as a BIOS DIP switch allowing users to choose between a silent or a performance operation.

Read more: ASUS Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II OC Review @ ocaholic

Razer Kraken Forged Edition Gaming Headset Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Today Kaeyi Dream tests out the Kraken Forged Edition gaming headset from Razer.

Read more: Razer Kraken Forged Edition Gaming Headset Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

VisionTek Data Fusion PCIe SSD 240GB Review @ Legit Reviews

It’s been quite some time since we had a look at a PCIe based SSD. In fact, it was all the way back in October of 2011 when we tested the OCZ RevoHybrid drive which was the last of a handful of PCIe drives from OCZ that we had on our benches. The PCIe trend is gaining steam, especially in enterprise applications, as the SATA III bandwidth gets maxed out. VisionTek, long known for their graphics cards, is using their PCIe expertise to get their footing in the SSD arena with their version of a PCIe SSD which is powered by a pair of SandForce SF-2281 controllers. They sent us over a 240GB version to scope out and we’re happy to do so. Although the product branding says Data Fusion drive, VisionTek let us know that the official drive name is simply called the VisionTek PCIe SSD so that’s how we’ll reference it in this article.

Read more: VisionTek Data Fusion PCIe SSD 240GB Review @ Legit Reviews

Asus Transformer Pad @ Techradar

Anyone who is familiar with Asus' products will be familiar with the Transformer concept. The new Asus Transfomer Pad is here to challenge the dominance of the iPad Air, as well as the Sony Xperia Tablet Z and Google Nexus 10.The key to the popularity of the Asus Transformer Pad series has been the keyboard docking station, and that's present here too - allowing it to double up as a mini-netbook.Microsoft has taken massive strides in this area with the Surface 2 coming with an extra keyboard case, so Asus really needs to up its game if it wants to keep up with the big boys.Taking a look at the new Transformer Pad you'd struggle to see anything different between it and its brethren. At 263 x 180.8 x 8.9mm it is only 0.4mm deeper than the Transformer Pad Infinity.

Read more: Asus Transformer Pad @ Techradar

Gigabyte G1.Sniper A88X review: AMD Kaveri motherboard @ Hardware.Info

Today we're taking a closer look at Gigabyte's G1.Sniper A88X, the first motherboard with Socket FM2+ processor socket that we've tested. That makes it compatible with the current generation of AMD A processors and, more importantly, the next generation called Kaveri, set for release next week. 

The G1.Sniper A88X is based on the AMD A88X chipset (Bolton) which, in its turn, is a new version of the existing A85X that now supports Kaveri.

Read more: Gigabyte G1.Sniper A88X review: AMD Kaveri motherboard @ Hardware.Info

A.M.P Pulse Wireless Mobile Headphones @ NikKTech

In a market where you can find headphones from incredibly low prices and up to a few thousands of dollars/Euros it's obviously not easy to choose the best model for your needs and that applies even more for people who are actually looking to get something special. Personally although I've used countless models from a large number of manufacturers i still can't say that I've found the holy grail of headphones and to be honest with all of you i don't really know if i ever will since naturally i can't use/test every single model out there. Of course the really good thing about headphones and headsets is that you can wear them pretty much everywhere so although proper testing may take time it's not really that hard (for example even while I'm typing these lines I'm also listening to my favorite songs) which means that we can squeeze in more models for testing. So today we will be taking a look at the latest offering by A.M.P (Antec Mobile Products) the Pulse Wireless Mobile Headphones.

Read more: A.M.P Pulse Wireless Mobile Headphones @ NikKTech

Hands-on review: SteelSeries Stratus @ Techradar

Although SteelSeries already has an iOS controller out on the market called the SteelSeries Free, it's out to improve and iterate on the design to introduce the Stratus.Like its predecessor, the Stratus is an incredible small controller compared to the other mobile controllers like the Samsung GamePad. Labeled as the first wireless controller for iOS 7 (sorry Android users) the Sratus is roughly the size of an iPhone 4S.Just right for GoldilocksEven with its diminutive size, the controller still feels beefy enough in our hands. The back is contoured with lines for our fingers to slip in and its overall shape is designed for grasping.Users with slightly larger hands will also be able to attach the plastic guard cover, normally on the front during travel, onto the back to make the controller feel more substantial.

Read more: Hands-on review: SteelSeries Stratus @ Techradar

Hands-on review: Alienware Steam Machine review @ Techradar

Alienware went through eight revisions over two years in collaboration with Valve before the gaming PC vendor came to its final Steam Machine. That's how serious Alienware claims to be about Valve's hardware initiative, and it shows in the design.This Steam box is more subdued than most of Alienware rigs, with the only lighting on the all-black box being on its glossy face. Naturally, the Alienware logo glows, but so does Valve's logo, which appears in a triangular cut into the bottom-left corner of the device. At the moment, the Alienware logo is a hard button that changes the lighting from blue to green to red and so on.Up front, the unit houses two standard USB ports. Around back, Alienware kept the I/O simple, with just two USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet and HDMI-out below two large vent outputs. (Intake lines the bottom edges of the unit.) Up top, the unit is coated in a soft touch finish.Honestly, after eight revisions, I would expect something more radical, but Alienware's Steam Machine is right up there with the PS4 in terms of size and style.

Read more: Hands-on review: Alienware Steam Machine review @ Techradar