Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

2 TB Portable External HDD Duel: Seagate Backup Plus Slim vs. WD My Passport Ultra
500-550 watt power supplies review: 40 models tested
Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z
ASUS STRIX Tactic Pro gaming keyboard Review
Asus X99-A Review
Complete Guide to Windows Phone 8.1.1 + Lumia Denim
Kingston HyperX Savage HX324C11SRK2/16 2x8GB DDR3 RAM Review
Lenovo Y70 Touch Gaming Notebook Review
Microsoft Are Crowd Sourcing Ideas – Top Requests For Windows 10
Nikon D700 FX 12.1MP Digital SLR Camera Review
Notes from TR's next-gen storage testing
Nvidia Grid Review: Cloud Gaming at its Finest
Pivos XIOS XS Media Player Review
Razer Taipan Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse Review
Samsung Magician 4.5 – RAPID Mode Benchmarked and Works
Silicon Power Marvel M70 USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review
Silverstone MS06 2.5" USB3 Enclosure with Docking Static Review
Tt eSPORTS Talon Blu Gaming Mouse Review
ViewSonic PLED-W800 Review

2 TB Portable External HDD Duel: Seagate Backup Plus Slim vs. WD My Passport Ultra

Users are always damanding more and more storage space, not only inside their computers, but also as portable external hard disk drives. Nowadays, 2 TB portable external drives are becoming popular, and we will test two models: the Seagate 2 TB Backup Plus Slim and the Western Digital 2 TB My Passport Ultra. They are both compact drives and make use of the USB 3.0 interface. Let's check for the results!

Read full article @ Hardware Secrets

500-550 watt power supplies review: 40 models tested

AMD is lagging behind a little, but Intel and Nvidia clearly show what the latest trend is: better performance at a lower level of power consumption. As a result, even a 500 watt power supply is more than enough for a PC with a powerful processor and graphics card. The price of such a PSU might be as low as three tenners, or as high as 140 euros. We tested 40 individual models in order to identify the differences.

Although Intel's fourth generation "Haswell" Core processors only offered a modest increase in performance, they did boast substantially improved performance per watt. Similarly, Nvidia's latest Maxwell-based graphics cards demonstrate that you can achieve a high level of graphics performance without having to take out a loan to pay your energy bills. Intel's flagship Core i7 model for Socket 1150 has a TDP of 88 watts, and Nvidia's GTX 980 has a TDP of 165 watts. Even after including some tens of watts for memory, storage, and motherboard, you'll barely be exceeding 300 watts. As such, a 500-550 watt power supply is more than capable of powering such a high-end gaming system nowadays, even though we would've suggested that a 600-650 watt model would have been the better choice a year ago.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z

Due to Intel releasing new chipsets often a lot of people might think that the motherboard market has a big focus on Intel boards. As I have seen in the past on our forums, our Facebook, and even at our events there is still a large AMD following that is hungry for the latest and greatest to support their preferred vender as well. Well when looking to lock in a board for future AM3+ testing I ended up with the Asus Crosshair V Formula in my hands. Today I’m going to dig into it and see what makes it Asus’s flagship AMD board.

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

ASUS STRIX Tactic Pro gaming keyboard Review

Getting yourself the right gaming keyboard can be a very personal experience. Chances are you want mechanical, even if you have not used one before. Switch choice is important, backlighting too - and you might want some macro buttons for good measure. If you want all that and love the colour orange, then maybe the ASUS STRIX Tactic Pro is what you are looking for?

Featuring replaceable keycaps, near limitless simultaneous key presses and a ton of orange accenting, the Tactic Pro is hoping to drag its STRIX brand into the spotlight and give ASUS fans a different styling choice than its traditional ROG range.

Is it good enough to stand on its own? Can it compete with boards of a similar price? That is what we are here to find out.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Asus X99-A Review

The perfect sub-£200 X99 board? It is customary for Intel to release a trio of processors for the ultra-high-end PC desktop market. The Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge and Haswell architectures have all been recipients of the 'Extreme' makeover in recent years. This time around, the Haswell iteration debuts with DDR4 memory and more cores and threads than ever before.

What makes this recent launch all the more interesting is the fact that the cheapest Haswell Extreme CPU, Core i7-5820K, is largely the same as the mid-pack Core i7-5930K. Both share the same six cores and 12 threads, increase frequency to almost the same levels, and are only differentiated, in a meaningful sense, by a difference in PCIe lanes - 28 vs. 40.

Such commonality is a boon for the enthusiast looking for premium performance on the relatively cheap. Said Core i7-5820K is priced at sub-£300, so the next part of the value-for-money jigsaw rests with motherboard and DDR4 vendors. Top-tier motherboard manufacturers have realised the sales potential of pairing a value-focussed X99 board with the Core i7-5820K, leading to a number of boards priced at well below £200.

Read full article @ Hexus

Complete Guide to Windows Phone 8.1.1 + Lumia Denim

Everything you need to know, all in one place. With Windows Phone 8.1.1 now rolling out to handsets around the world, it's time to step back and examine what it is we're getting in this important update. There are lots of new features, and if you're using a Microsoft/Nokia Lumia handset—as over 90 percent of Windows Phone users are—there are some additional benefits over the stock OS upgrade too. So here's a complete guide to everything I've written about Windows Phone 8.1.1 and Lumia Denim, with more to come.

Read full article @ WinSupersite

Kingston HyperX Savage HX324C11SRK2/16 2x8GB DDR3 RAM Review

Nowadays, prescription eyeglasses only does it serve the practical purpose of letting you see clearly, but it is also a fashion accessory that affects the way you look. However, I would like to make the assertion that, unless you make a drastic change in the type and shape of frame you wear, not many people will notice it when you get new ones. Recently, I got a new pair of glasses, and most people did not even realize until I told them about it. On the day I received them, I asked my dad if I looked any different. "Did you get a haircut?", my dad replied. Two days later, I met up with a friend, and I asked her the same question. Ironically, her first reaction was the same as my dad. (Just in case you are wondering, I did not get a haircut.) Later on, in a conversation with another friend, she explained how it looked almost the same as my last pair -- "semi thick metal frames, similar shaped lens". But was it really similar? I went from something that was half frame to full frame with clearly bigger lens, but that is beside the point. Unless I start wearing those hipster big thick acetate frames that is making a comeback from the 1980s, most people will easily overlook the differences in light of the similarities. I think the same goes for the RAM in your computer. They serve an important function and purpose in your computer, but unless you lack capacity or take them out altogether, most people will not notice it from one model to the next. But for those who do pay attention, and chances are you are one of them, you can definitely tell the difference once you put them through the tests. Today, we will take a look at the HyperX Savage HX324C11SRK2/16 2x8GB, the latest DDR3-2400 dual channel kit from Kingston's performance arm. How will it stack up? Let us dig in to the benchmarks to find out the distinguishing characteristics!

Read full article @ APH Networks

Lenovo Y70 Touch Gaming Notebook Review

Over the past several years, Lenovo has been aggressively targeting PC gamers, who are known both for their willingness to drop serious cash on hardware and for their skepticism of mainstream brands. Lenovo inherited some of IBM’s corporate image when it took over the company’s laptop business, but winners like the Yoga line got Lenovo tons of exposure with mainstream consumers too. Along the way, the entertainment-friendly Y series of laptops became Lenovo’s gaming line: a suite of affordable systems that brought Lenovo’s understated design sense to bear in a market awash in garish colors, lights, and gimmicks. The Y70 Touch is Lenovo’s flagship mobile gaming PC, so we took it out for a spin...

http://hothardware.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=efc4c507c2cf964fc2462caca&id=d1f660fa69&e=0c004f9c13]Read full article @ HotHardware.com[/url]

Microsoft Are Crowd Sourcing Ideas – Top Requests For Windows 10

Microsoft have been taking requests from users on what they want to see in Windows 10 and weve compiled some of the top suggestions theyve received. If you want to add your own idea or vote on others, be sure to read our guide on how to suggest and vote within the Windows portal, powered by a tool called UserVoice. Until then, read on to see what features other users are crying out to see in the latest operating system release from Microsoft.

Read full article @ MakeUseOf

Nikon D700 FX 12.1MP Digital SLR Camera Review

It was back around 2009 that I had the chance at reviewing Nikon's D300 digital SLR. The D300 was a professional grade DX format camera and was Nikon's highest performing DX camera in their lineup, and remains in that same position today in 2012, though with a updated moniker, called the D300S.

I talked about how the Nikon DX format represents a big chunk of Nikon’s DSLR camera sales in my D300 review. One of the simplest reasons that this still holds true today is because of the affordability factor. The current DSLR landscape is ultra competitive across all DSLR makers who are offering an entry-level offering, and there are so many to choose from that it's a difficult decision. It's a tricky situation because when you purchase a DSLR for the first time (you may have upgraded from a point and shoot), you are really investing in a system. That system could be from Nikon, Canon, Pentax, etc. This system involves accessories in the form of lenses, flash guns, and much more for your upgrade path. Some manufactures offer more than others, depending on how long they've been in the business of cameras, while others are just starting out and you may not have a large selection to choose from. Ultimately it's your decision whether you want to invest in a system, or maybe you have enough to try multiple offerings.

Another way the DSLR market has been competitive is by playing the mega-pixel game. Some folks have no clue what to look for, manufactures know this, and take advantage of playing this game. Some push the reasoning that if the mega-pixel count is higher, the camera must be better. This game is played endlessly even in the point and shoot arena where you see these tiny cameras that have 8, 10, 12, 14, or even 18 mega-pixels. Is really having 16 mega-pixels make a particular product better than the other?

Read full article @ ModSynergy.com

Notes from TR's next-gen storage testing

IN BETWEEN WORK on other projects, I've been running exploratory tests on PCIe SSDs to see how their performance characteristics differ from the SATA drives we've been reviewing for the past few years. This research is part of a larger effort to come up with a new collection of tests for our next-gen storage suite.

Our old suite dates back to 2011, and though it's been tweaked here and there, it's long overdue for a major overhaul. The tests we conceived three years ago aren't ideal for the latest SATA drives, let alone the coming wave of PCIe SSDs. So, I've been testing some newer drives to see what it takes to exploit their full potential.

Read full article @ The Tech Report

Nvidia Grid Review: Cloud Gaming at its Finest

The latest Nvidia Shield update launched recently, bringing the Tegra powered tablet up to version 2.0 and adding Google’s latest Android operating system, Lollipop 5.0. While there were many new features, tweaks and other improvements to the general operation of the tablet with these updates, the most important one for Nvidia was the addition of their GRID gaming service.

GRID has been available in an early Beta format for some time now, but with the servers based in California, lag time for me in the UK rendered the service unplayable. Now that Nvidia has brought their EU Beta servers online, all that has changed and Nvidia have been working hard to give the service an almighty speed boost.

What is GRID? It’s essentially Netflix for gaming. You pick the title you want to play and the Nvidia super computers remotely run the game for you. Nvidia do all the heavy graphics processing for you on their high-end graphics hardware, then stream the video to your device, just like you would stream a movie. When ever you press a button on your controller, they fire that information back to their servers and stream the data back to you. This all happens in milliseconds, assuming of course that your internet is up to par with such a technology. Nvidia recommends 10mbps internet with a ping time of around 30ms to their servers.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Pivos XIOS XS Media Player Review

A little over a year ago we took a look at Pivos’s XIOS DS Media Player. This was Pivos’s first media player and while it was a great machine, it was more of a DIY system as its more or less an Android box that you had to customize yourself. The newer Pivos XIOS XS has its own TOFU Media Center GUI, which is a Pivos-customized version of XBMC that runs on Android 4.2.2. This makes the XIOS XS more user-friendly as you can pretty much boot it up and be ready to go, much like the other major media / streaming players out there. Let’s take a look…

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Razer Taipan Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse Review

With nine macro enabled buttons (with Razer Synapse 2.0), ergonomic design, and a fast 8200dpi sensor, does the ambidextrous Taipan have a place in Razer’s lineup? In this Benchmark Reviews article, I will give an overview of this mouse, Razer’s Goliathus Control pad and Synapse 2.0 software before delivering my final verdict on the package.

Read full article @ Benchmark Reviews

Samsung Magician 4.5 – RAPID Mode Benchmarked and Works

Over the years, consumers have demanded and pushed manufacturers to develop SSD toolboxes to use when they install an SSD in their system. Offering a SSD toolbox has become almost a necessity in today’s SSD market. These toolboxes offer features such as drive health monitoring, feature activation, manual secure erase and TRIM triggers, as well as firmware update abilities and drive benchmarking. One such company that recognized this trend early on and helped shape the way toolboxes are today is Samsung; their software utility being the Samsung Magician. Something that sets Samsung Magician software apart from other toolboxes is its RAPID mode (Real-time Accelerated Processing of I/O Data), this having been introduced with the release of the Samsung 840 EVO.

Read full article @ The SSD Review

Silicon Power Marvel M70 USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review

The Marvel M70 USB 3.0 Flash Drive from Silicon Power has given us a pretty good impression regarding the transfer speeds and by using sandblasted zinc alloy and plastic, the overall look is quite professional.

Read full article @ Madshrimps

Silverstone MS06 2.5" USB3 Enclosure with Docking Static Review

Drive enclosures aren’t anything new and neither are hot-swap drive bays, but it is rare that we see the two combined in the way Silverstone has done with the MS06 2.5-inch USB 3.0 HDD/SSD enclosure with 3.5-inch hot-swap drive bay. Now that’s a really long name, so I’ll just refer to it as Silverstone MS06 from now on.

It is great to have a drive in an ejectable enclosure so you can take it with you on the go, but it isn’t everyone that has the same docking system. In fact, it will most likely be difficult to find anyone among your friends who uses the same system. At least this is the case when we talk traditional hot-swap bays. To combat this issue, Silverstone created their MS06 enclosure on a pure USB 3 basis that in return allows for full compatibility with almost any system. When you leave your home, you just press the eject button, grab the drive and the included USB3 cable and you ready to head out on your adventures.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Tt eSPORTS Talon Blu Gaming Mouse Review

On September 23rd, 2014, Tt eSPORTS announced the release of the TALON series of optical gaming mice. The Talon and Talon Blu are the two products in this series aimed at the budget conscious gamer, all while providing high performance and tracking using a quality sensor, buttons and switches designed to last, and an ambidextrous-friendly design.

The blue LED illumination of the TALON Blu gaming mouse (seen in the mouse wheel, dragon logo and sides) provides a touch of eye candy without being overpowering. Users have control over the illumination, as the LED can be configured to only shine when changing the DPI settings, to pulse consistently, or to remain fully on at all times.

Featuring the AVAGO 3050 optical sensor, the TALON Blu presents the user with five DPI settings ranging from 500 to 3000 at the click of the DPI button for optimal tracking and movement. The OMRON switches provide that exacting "click" for the casual/professional worker or gamer, boasting a life cycle of over 5 million clicks.

Read full article @ Neoseeker

ViewSonic PLED-W800 Review

If part of your job means giving PowerPoint presentations in unfamiliar surroundings, the LED projector market has you in its sights. They've been around a few years now, but ViewSonic's latest portable projector seeks to finally set a benchmark between portability and brightness. No-one is suggesting that you set up the PLED-W800 outside on a sunny day and try to give a lecture, but with a brightness of up to 800 lumens it might just be enough for reliable, bright projections inside. Just as crucial to its success is this device's sizing. So-called pocket projectors may be tiny, palm-sized gadgets, but their lack of all-important brightness means barely visible projections, which has seen their popularity wane.However, at 175 x 51.5 x 138mm and weighing 898g, the PLED-W800 is half the size of a netbook (remember them?), and actually ships with a laptop-style soft case. Zipped along three sides, it's stitched halfway across the middle to create one compartment for the PLED-W800 and another for the external (and quite bulky) power-pack and small remote control. It's a high quality case, although when packed-up the whole package does sag in the middle and isn't all that easy to cart around. Wi-Fi disappointmentFull HD-compatible though sporting a WXGA resolution (1,280 x 800 pixels), the PLED-W800 isn't designed to get every splash of detail from a Blu-ray disc. No, it's game is documents and multimedia – its rear boasts an SD Card slot, a USB slot, an MHL-ready HDMI input (for connecting DVD/Blu-ray players and also smartphones/tablets) and a VGA input for laptops. A Wi-Fi dongle (ViewSonic recommends its PJ-WPD-200) is purely optional, and brings Miracast and DLNA compatibility.

Read full article @ Techradar