Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including ASUS Z87 ROG Motherboard Roundup, Anidees A14 Review, Asus Xonar Phoebus Solo Review - 7.1 Gaming Soundcard Review, All AMD FX CPU Models, and Western Digital My Cloud – Easy to Deploy Personal Cloud Storage For Everyone (Video)



ASUS Z87 ROG Motherboard Roundup: Enter Maximus VI @ HotHardware

ASUS, like the other major motherboard manufacturers, has an extensive lineup of boards that now support Intel's 4th-generation Haswell processors and come packing the Z87 chipset. There are motherboards in ASUS' quiver that run the gamut from gaming boards to workstation boards to consumer-focused boards and beyond, but the company seems proudest of its Republic Of Gamers (ROG) line.

There are multiple Z87-based ROG boards in the series, and we took a look at three of them that represent a nice variety of form factors and features--the Maximus VI Impact, Maximus VI Gene, and the Maximus VI Formula--and also look at the work that the company has put into developing a robust gaming platform...

Read more: ASUS Z87 ROG Motherboard Roundup: Enter Maximus VI @ HotHardware

Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 Case Review @ KitGuru

Today we are going to take a look at the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 case which is the predecessor to the Deep Silence 2 which we looked at a few weeks back. This was only released around a year ago, though, so is still fairly current and is actually a more expensive product than the Deep Silence 2.

Read more: Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 Case Review @ KitGuru

Anidees A14 Review @ Vortez

Anidees are a new player in the computer case department, having just two products in their portfolio. Their availability in many areas of the world may be limited at this time but over here in Europe access to Anidees products is good.

Today we are to look at Anidees first attempt at bringing to market a Micro ATX computer chassis. From the outside, AI4 looks very similar to its bigger brother, the AI6. A brushed aluminium external construction is appealing to the eye and noise damping material should help to keep those noise levels down to a minimum.

Read more: Anidees A14 Review @ Vortez

Sony VAIO Pro 13 Touch Ultrabook Review - Pre-Configured SATA PCIe SSD Far From Ideal @ The SSD Review

Something not many people are aware of is that there are actually two physically different Sony VAIO Pro 13 ultrabook configurations being distributed, those that have been constructed for pre-configured sales and those for custom build. Pre-configured configurations may use a SATA based PCIe SSD, while all custom builds use a much higher performing native PCIe SSD. We were a bit confused as Sony was clearly advertising PCIe solid state drive in its configurations worldwide, and even stating that the PCIe booted-up faster, launched apps at lightning speeds and enjoy snappier overall performance capabilities versus a traditional mSATA SSD drive In the case of pre-configured SATA PCIe SSD systems, this marketing is incorrect.

Read more: Sony VAIO Pro 13 Touch Ultrabook Review - Pre-Configured SATA PCIe SSD Far From Ideal @ The SSD Review

Asus Xonar Phoebus Solo Review - 7.1 Gaming Soundcard Review @ HCW

We’ve harped on it many times in our motherboard reviews. If your speakers or headphones are any better than ‘decent’ you are really doing yourself a disservice using the typical integrated audio setup. Most motherboard manufacturers have improved things with features like software bundles that enhance audio, improved onboard components, opamps, headphone amps, etc. But the vast majority of even relatively high end hardware is just not that great. No offense to THE CRAB~!, but Realtek audio serves as a commodity audio component, without offering too much to PC gamers.

Therefore it’s up to companies like Asus and and Creative Labs to come up with audio products that serve our needs directly. That’s why today, we’re looking at the Asus Xonar Phoebus Solo, a 7.1 channel gaming soundcard.

Read more: Asus Xonar Phoebus Solo Review - 7.1 Gaming Soundcard Review @ HCW

Lian Li PC-D8000 @ techPowerUp

The Lian Li PC-D8000 is easily the biggest Lian Li chassis we have ever had on our test bench. With the ability to swallow HPTX motherboards, up to twenty 3.5" hard drives and loads of cooling fans, along with the biggest components money can buy, we ask it to open its mouth wide and say "ahh".

Read more: Lian Li PC-D8000 @ techPowerUp

Zalman Reserator 3 MAX Nanofluid AIO Liquid CPU Cooler Review @ Benchmark Reviews

Zalman has always had a unique approach to CPU cooling. Focusing on quiet performance, they’ve once again returned with their distinctive circular design to…wait, what’s this? An all-in-one water cooler with a round radiator?? Well…from a company known for “Cool Innovations,” I guess we shouldn’t be surprised to see such a unique contribution to the All-In-One CPU cooler market. When you first see it in person, it isn’t difficult to see why the Zalman Reserator 3 MAX AIO liquid CPU cooler was given the Innovation award from the Consumer Electronics Show at the beginning of 2013. Complete with an infusion of nanofluids and a claimed 400W of cooling power, does the Reserator 3 MAX have the performance to back up the looks? Benchmark Reviews is ready to place this unique AIO nanofluid cooler on an overclocked FX processor to see what the Reserator 3 MAX is capable of.

Read more: Zalman Reserator 3 MAX Nanofluid AIO Liquid CPU Cooler Review @ Benchmark Reviews

Seagate Business Storage 1-Bay 3TB NAS @ NikKTech

If you are currently using a NAS server then you are definitely aware of the countless options available in the market as we speak from the low end single bay models designed for home use and up to the massive ultra-high end 24 bay models aimed at large businesses. What you may not be aware however is that no matter how good a NAS server is most if not all of these options come without any preinstalled drives in their bays and although some distributors take it upon themselves to equip them with their favorite drive models in the end the result is not what I'd call a plug and play AIO solution. Seagate is amongst the very few manufacturers that actually took steps to correct this by designing their very own NAS models and pairing them with their own drives in order to simplify the entire procedure and offer consumers the easy way out. Today we will be taking a look at the base model by Seagate the Business Storage 1-Bay 3TB.

Read more: Seagate Business Storage 1-Bay 3TB NAS @ NikKTech

All AMD FX CPU Models @ Hardware Secrets

The AMD FX is the mid-range and high-end CPU family from AMD, using either the "Bulldozer" or the "Piledriver" microarchitectures. Let's take a look at the main specifications of all models released so far.

Read more: All AMD FX CPU Models @ Hardware Secrets

Raijintek Themis Heatsink Review @ Frostytech

Raijintek's Themis heatsink stands 158mm tall and weighs 448 grams. It's designed for Intel socket LGA2011/1366/115x/775 processors and AMD socket AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2 CPUs - should any still be in existance. The heatsink design is your bog-standard, three-8mm-heatpipe-exposed-base-tower-cooler we've all seen countless times before. The 120mm PWM fan operates at 1800-1250RPM and moves upwards of 78CFM according to the manufacturers specs. Noise output is modest to audible.

Read more: Raijintek Themis Heatsink Review @ Frostytech

Silverstone AR03 CPU Air Cooler Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

We continue that refresh of our cooler reviews today with a look at one of SilverStones latest models. We last looked at one of their liquid coolers a couple of months ago in the form of the TD03 and were pretty impressed so let's see what the AR03 has to offer...

Read more: Silverstone AR03 CPU Air Cooler Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Western Digital My Cloud – Easy to Deploy Personal Cloud Storage For Everyone (Video) @ Futurelooks

At a private event in New York, Futurelooks witnessed the launch of the Western Digital My Cloud Personal Cloud Storage Device. Unlike conventional NAS style devices, servers, or even the company’s previous My Book Live product, this product was re-engineered from the ground up to be as easy to use as possible and was created to augment, or even take over, cloud storage services such as DropBox, SkyDrive and Google Drive, just to name a few. Because it sits at home completely under your control, the device adds a level of privacy that gives a bit more peace of mind.

In order to get a clearer picture of how this device fits into the marketplace, along with a look at some of the more notable features and specifications, we had a chance to interview some key people from Western Digital about this new product family…

Read more: Western Digital My Cloud – Easy to Deploy Personal Cloud Storage For Everyone (Video) @ Futurelooks

Antec High Current Platinum HCP-850 850W PSU Review @ Legit Reviews

Today we will be having a close look at the 850W version of the High Current Pro series, the HCP-850. The HCP-850 is a modular power supply with a very long list of features and a seven year long warranty. As all of the High Current Pro products, the HCP-850 also comes with an 80Plus Platinum certification, the highest currently available on a retail product...

Read more: Antec High Current Platinum HCP-850 850W PSU Review @ Legit Reviews

Patriot Viper 3 Series 8GB DDR3-2400 CL10 Memory Review @ Funky Kit

Memory is a crucial component in any personal computer whether built for everyday office tasking, content creation, or perhaps even for the enthusiast gamer. Today we will be taking the Patriot Viper 3 Series for a test spin to find out how it compares to other memory kits in a market filled with an abundant number of options.

This 8gb memory kit boasts a clock speed of 2400mhz with a CAS Latency of 10 at 1.65 volts! Today we will put this memory through our testing suite to find out whether this kit can reach or exceed the high bar set by previous Patriot Viper Series memory kits.

Read more: Patriot Viper 3 Series 8GB DDR3-2400 CL10 Memory Review @ Funky Kit

Cooler Master CM 690 III Review @ Guru3D

We review the Cooler Master CM 690 III chassis, a new upgrade over the popular CM 690 II mid-towers. The looks might be the same but are deceiving as every little mishap of the previous series has been upgraded and fixed. That is including the interior, as the HDD/SSD combo cage can be switched between 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch drives by adjustable trays without any screws. There's enough room for a 240mm liquid cooling radiator at the top or front, 120mm in the rear and it supports up to 9 fans, including 3 large 200mm fans for extreme airflow. And cleaning is hassle free thanks to the multiple dust filters at the bottom, top, and front.

Being labeled as the CM 690 II Advanced, the chassis was a makeover of the reputable CM 690 series. The updated design was to be a little more sturdy and came in an all black design with the latest gadgets and features a modern age chassis should have. The new updated model has an improved interior and a few other tweaks as well, improved capacity, superb cooling system and user-friendly design. There is a new front panel as well, this time around with USB 3.0, of course.

Read more: Cooler Master CM 690 III Review @ Guru3D

VTX3D VChamp HD7790 and HD7850 Review @ KitGuru

Today we look at two new video cards from VTX3D the HD7790 and HD7850 VChamp Edition. The VChamp cooler is the latest from the company, incorporating a Vapor Chamber for faster heat dissipation.

Are these models worthy of being shortlisted for a new system build?

Read more: VTX3D VChamp HD7790 and HD7850 Review @ KitGuru

AMD FX-9370 to Get PIB Packaging, Sub-$270 Pricing @ TechPowerUp

AMD FX-9370, which has been available only through the OEM channel, could soon be generally available in its PIB (processor-in-box) packaging. The chip will bear the retail SKU "FD9370FHW8KHK," and retail at a price point that's just under $270 (excl. taxes). There's no clarity on whether the PIB package will include a cooling solution, given that the chip retains the 220W TDP figures from other FX-9000 series parts, such as the FX-9590. Based on the 32 nm "Vishera" silicon, the FX-9370 is an eight-core socket AM3+ processor based on the "Piledriver" micro-architecture. It features out of the box clock speeds of 4.40 GHz, with 4.70 GHz maximum TurboCore frequency. It features 16 MB of total cache (L2 + L3).

Read more: AMD FX-9370 to Get PIB Packaging, Sub-$270 Pricing @ TechPowerUp