Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including Computex 2013 Preview, ASUS Sabertooth Z87 motherboard review, SteelSeries WOW Wireless MMO mouse, Installing Nginx With PHP5 (And PHP-FPM) And MySQL Support (LEMP) On Debian Wheezy, and Adaptec (by PMC) ASR-72405 RAID Controller (X2) Review - 1M IOPS & 12GB/s Thru 24 SMART Optimus SSDs



ASUS Sabertooth Z87 motherboard review @ Guru3D

We review, test and benchmark the ASUS Sabertooth Z87 series motherboard. The Z87 TUF themed mainboard is intended for Intel's 22nm Haswell processors on that all new Socket LGA1150. It is a mainstream to high-end segmented product amongst the ASUS Sabertooth series that comes with some nice features and decent overclock potential.

TUF, short fot The Ultimate Force - you know in the 2nd revision of the TUF motherboard series I figured, naah, that plastic shield is not going to work out. In the 3nd revision ASUS even left it out likely due to comments from the media. Just like the Z77 release, it's back though and in full effect as both the top and bottom side are now shielded. This is the Intel Z87 chipset based TUF (The Ultimate Force) motherboard from ASUS and yeah it's a handsome motherboard alright, if its your taste of course. Z87 is the Intel chipset predominantly released for Haswell based processors, generation 4 of the Core processors. The accompanying motherboards will have a slightly altered feature set. Next to processor support the changes for Z87 primarily can be found in more native USB 3.0 support as well as an upgrade towards PCie gen 3 PCIe x16 slots and multiple SATA 6 Gbps ports. The end result is an extraordinary motherboard on a black and green ceramic design whilst being armed some nice features.

Read more: ASUS Sabertooth Z87 motherboard review @ Guru3D

Noctua NH-U12S @ techPowerUp

Noctua seems to have a mantra of silence, quality, and excellent support, and this mantra is enjoyed by enthusiasts the world over. Today, we put this mantra to the test again as we review their latest cooler the NH-U12S. This single tower design offers ultra low noise levels and 100% RAM compatibility.

Read more: Noctua NH-U12S @ techPowerUp

Intel Haswell 4th Generation CPU: i5-4670K and i7-4770K Review @ Madshrimps

Intel keeps on pushing their technology to the max. Even while being the performance leader in most hardware segments, their engineers are driven to (re)design new architectures to satisfy the end-user's desire for more speed. However the focus with this CPU generation is not purely based on raw speed; this 4th generation main objective is to reduce the power consumption to the max, to gain grounds in the portable market. Rumor that Intel was pulling out of the desktop market has partially become reality. Not leaving the desktop market for what it is, as they will continue to develop the chipsets and processors. With Haswell we see the last releases of Intel's own motherboard branch. The market share of notebooks, ultrabooks, tablets and mini enclosures are steadily taking over the market share of the desktop. Enhanced battery life, a result of a reduced power consumption, an enhanced onboard graphic chip and the reduction of required motherboard components are the major trademarks of Intel's 4th generation processors. Time to put both K skews to the test.

Read more: Intel Haswell 4th Generation CPU: i5-4670K and i7-4770K Review @ Madshrimps

Intel's Core i7-4770K and 4950HQ 'Haswell' processors reviewed @ The Tech Report

Haswell is here, and we've somehow produced more words and graphs about it than the chip has transistors. We have frame latency-focused gaming tests for the eDRAM-enhanced Iris Pro integrated graphics and performance comparisons to over 30 different CPUs dating back to the Pentium 4.

Read more: Intel's Core i7-4770K and 4950HQ 'Haswell' processors reviewed @ The Tech Report

Gigabyte GTX 780 WindForce OC 3GB Video Card Review @ Madshrimps

With the coming of the GTX Titan derivation named GTX 780, we have very good performances available at a lower price point. Gigabyte is one of the companies which offer a highly overclocked variant and a custom, compact cooling system which is enough silent when the card is placed in a well ventilated computer case.

Read more: Gigabyte GTX 780 WindForce OC 3GB Video Card Review @ Madshrimps

MSI Z87 MPower MAX Motherboard Review @ Benchmark Reviews

The desktop computer market is in decline: with reports of a 12-percent drop in sales over the last year (on top of previous declines), and total PC sales reportedly at their lowest point since 2006, the days of the computers that a Dilbert strip referred to as "grandpa boxes" (in August of 2011!) are definitely numbered. I, for one, welcome our new tablet, ultrabook, and smartphone masters.

That doesn't mean that we desktop enthusiasts can't go out with a bang, though, and companies like Micro Star International, aka MSI, are taking the opportunity presented by the release of Intel's new Haswell platform and its new LGA1150 socket and Z87-Express chipset to refresh their motherboard lines.

Read more: MSI Z87 MPower MAX Motherboard Review @ Benchmark Reviews

Z87 Motherboard Round-Up @ HiTech Legion

Along with a major launch of this magnitude, there should be no doubt that this new generation of processors, will undoubtedly need some new advancements in supportive hardware to maximize its true potential, as the entire HTL Review Staff evaluates a total of nine of the latest mainboards from Intel, MSI, ASUS, and *Gigabyte with the new Intel 4770K. One can expect to see, the in-depth content along with careful evaluation on hardware one is likely to use, such as 16GB memory, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 or GTX 770, and of course a suitable power supply that is totally compatible with the new advanced power saving system that this new architecture brings.

As a professional courtesy to the HiTech Legion fans and community on the HTL network, there was an announcement earlier this week, mentioning that this would be the major launch, with an abundance of content that folks have come to rely on when it comes to 'getting-the-goods as to what 's under the hood' when it comes to what one can expect from the hardware in the review, should they decide and have the same hardware in their very own rigs.

Read more: Z87 Motherboard Round-Up @ HiTech Legion

Attitude One Kamaz Wrist rest @ Rbmods

When you game your wrists tend to get tired after awhile, we know there are arm rests for keyboards in general but are there also useful ones for gaming? There is at least one from Attitude One, they have released the Kamaz wrist rest that is aimed towards the gamers; we are going to test this tonight so keep on reading.

Read more: Attitude One Kamaz Wrist rest @ Rbmods

MSI Z87-G45 Gaming vs. Gigabyte Z87-D3HP Motherboard Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Today we take a look at two boards which look to offer a value option in the Z87 market while maintaining as many features as possible from high end products. First up is Gigabytes Z87-D3HP and then we have the MSI Z87-G45 Gaming. Both will be tested in a selection of synthetic and real world tests which include Crysis 3, Grid 2 and the brand new PCMark 8… all with the i7-4770K on board.

Read more: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming vs. Gigabyte Z87-D3HP Motherboard Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

SteelSeries WOW Wireless MMO mouse @ NikKTech

If you enjoy playing all the latest PC game titles like we do you should be very well aware that pretty much all serious gaming mice in the market currently are corded ones with very few exceptions such as the R.A.T.9 wireless gaming mouse by Mad Catz. Still since more and more people are looking to ditch the limitations of that extra cable by purchasing a wireless gaming mouse it's only natural for gaming peripherals manufacturers to follow close and offer such products. SteelSeries hasn't really focused in wireless gaming mice in the past since their main target group is hardcore gamers and professionals who much like i prefer wired gaming mice over wireless ones. Still a manufacturer of their caliber couldn't stand back and watch from the sidelines so with their latest World of Warcraft wireless MMO mouse (mists of pandaria version) they are aiming at one of the largest segments of the market, Warcraft fans.

Read more: SteelSeries WOW Wireless MMO mouse @ NikKTech

Computex 2013 Preview: An AMD comeback, Windows 8.1 and More Tablets @ Hardware Canucks

What does the next year for computing hold? Well, in all likelihood you’ll find it at Computex. While January’s Consumer Electronics Show makes the case that the “big tent” expo is drifting out of relevancy, as manufacturers prefer the quiet of their own events to the cacophony of a shared space, Computex, in the heart of OEM country, remains relevant simply because of its long tail of releases.

It’s hard come up with a single announcement of release that defines Computex. The show is better known for introducing the broad themes that will drive the next year of computing. For the last two years these broad themes have been tablets, 3D technology and the evolution of Windows into a hardware agnostic platform.

Like the Computexes of years past, this year’s show is expected to focus on all things mobile. As IDC noted in April the PC sector is dying at the hands of the tablet, meaning that the winners of the next two to five years will be those that have the most robust mobile offerings.

Read more: Computex 2013 Preview: An AMD comeback, Windows 8.1 and More Tablets @ Hardware Canucks

GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Review @ Vortez

GIGABYTE are well-known for their passion in the hardcore overclocking department, they have a track-record for achieving some of the best results on Intel’s platforms. Just recently G.SKILL announced their intentions at Computex 2013 to break world records, along with GIGABYTE overclocking ambassadors HiCookie and Dinos22. Whether they achieve such victories remains unknown but today we will be looking at something which we are quite certain both our overclocking advocates will be utilising.

GIGABYTE’s OC motherboards have remained a premium selection for advanced users. Richard reviewed the X58A-OC some time ago now and absolutely loved it. As we outlined in that review, that particular model arrived late in the day – X58 was soon to be superseded. GIGABYTE have decided to start the Intel Z87 onslaught with a release of their much coveted OC motherboard and we are pleased to begin our venture into the world of Haswell with this very board today. Enter the Z87X-OC.

Z87X-OC has been intentionally designed for avid Overclockers. Its feature-set lends itself to bringing every conceivable feature right to the finger-tips of these hardcore tweakers. This motherboard is no ‘walk in the park’ it tackles each arena by diving straight into the deep end and brings with it Ultra Durable 5 Plus components which work hand-in-hand with extreme conditions such as overclocking.

Read more: GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Review @ Vortez

Asus Z87 Pro and Asus Z87 Plus @ LanOC Reviews

When trying to think of a name for our look at Asus’s new Z87 mainstream motherboard options I went through countless bad jokes and Bond Goldmember comments. I came to the conclusion that much like Asus I would let the boards speak for themselves. Today we are going to take a look at the Asus Z87 Pro and Z87 Plus, both what they call Channel boards. In other words this is Asus’s standard lineup. In the past I have been extremely impressed with what Asus had to offer in their standard lineup; hopefully they can keep that up. Let’s see what they have to offer.

Read more: Asus Z87 Pro and Asus Z87 Plus @ LanOC Reviews

QNAP TurboNAS TS-221 NAS Server @ NikKTech

NAS (network attached storage) devices/servers have taken the market by storm these past few years, that pretty much is old news what however may come as a surprise to most people is that mid-end solutions aimed for office and SMB use are actually quite higher in sales around the world compared to both high-end Enterprise/SMB and entry-level home/SOHO solutions. The reasons for that are quite simple and so you can have a powerful NAS unit that's extremely easy to setup, has all the applications your heart desires right out of the box (ok almost since you may have to download extra ones) and of course is able to run 24/7/365 and not having to worry about stability issues and power consumption levels since the average one uses slightly over 20W while operating at full capacity. QNAP is trying to bridge the gap between entry level and mid-level NAS devices with their latest TurboNAS TS-X21 line and today we will be taking the TS-221 for a ride.

Read more: QNAP TurboNAS TS-221 NAS Server @ NikKTech

Why Google Reader Died: 4 Alternatives to RSS Readers @ Howtogeek

Google Reader will be dead soon, but it has been dying for a long time. A declining user base, lack of innovation, and lack of mass appeal doomed it. People are using other types of services to stay up-to-date with their favorite websites. None of this will convince the hardcore information-addict RSS users to switch, but most people dont want another inbox containing hundreds of headlines to dig through every day thats what really doomed Google Reader.    

Read more: Why Google Reader Died: 4 Alternatives to RSS Readers @ Howtogeek

Installing Nginx With PHP5 (And PHP-FPM) And MySQL Support (LEMP) On Debian Wheezy @ Howtoforge

Nginx (pronounced "engine x") is a free, open-source, high-performance HTTP server. Nginx is known for its stability, rich feature set, simple configuration, and low resource consumption. This tutorial shows how you can install Nginx on a Debian Wheezy server with PHP5 support (through PHP-FPM) and MySQL support (LEMP = Linux + nginx (pronounced "engine x") + MySQL + PHP).

Read more: Installing Nginx With PHP5 (And PHP-FPM) And MySQL Support (LEMP) On Debian Wheezy @ Howtoforge

Logitech G430 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review @ Techgage

Surround sound… done well and properly, it’s a treat to the ears. Done poorly, it’s an affront. Logitech’s new G430 promises to deliver 7.1 Dolby Headphone surround to satisfy your gaming and entertainment audio needs. How well does it come to hitting the mark? Read on and find out!

Read more: Logitech G430 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset Review @ Techgage

Azza Silentium 920B PC Case @ DreamWare Computers

The Silentium 920B and 920W (B for black and W for white), is minimalistic in design with a sleek appearance on the outside. It has 2 USB ports, a 3.0 & 2.0 as well as microphone & headphone jacks. On the inside it is equipped with sound dampening system to make it whisper quiet. This mid-tower case supports micro ATX and ATX motherboards.

AZZA makes all of its gaming cases out of Tamahagane. Tamahagane is the original steel used by Japanese sword smiths. Tamahagane takes 5 days to make. One day to build the walls (clay and sand), 3 day's to smelt and 1 day to remove the iron out of the tatara. In this 5 days process, they need about 13 tons of charcoal and 8 tons of satetsu (black sand) to produce 2 tons of iron and steel.

Read more: Azza Silentium 920B PC Case @ DreamWare Computers

Adaptec (by PMC) ASR-72405 RAID Controller (X2) Review - 1M IOPS & 12GB/s Thru 24 SMART Optimus SSDs @ The SSD Review

When we first caught wind of the Adaptec Series 7 RAID adapters late last year, we were itching for the chance to get it in our test bench. But, in order to do the review justice, we needed SSDs. We needed a LOT of SSDs. We needed 24 SSDs.

Unfortunately, sampling even 4 or 8 SSDs at one time is often difficult. That is why we jumped at the chance to test out the Adaptec ASR-72405 with 24 x SMART Optimus 200GB SAS SSDs. Before we get going lets get a quick refresher on the SMART Optimus SAS SSD.

Back in 2012, we reviewed the 400GB version of the SMART Optimus and came away very impressed.

Read more: Adaptec (by PMC) ASR-72405 RAID Controller (X2) Review - 1M IOPS & 12GB/s Thru 24 SMART Optimus SSDs @ The SSD Review

EVGA Z77 Stinger @ Techradar

There is something we find eminently pleasing about unwrapping a new mini-ITX motherboard, especially one that comes as highly specced as EVGA's Z77 Stinger. The board is a fine example of motherboard aesthetics, all black PCB and matte-finish component heatsinks. It's an impressive board for the enthusiast mini PC builder too, with on-board power and reset switches for easy testing. The most effective feature, though, is the digital display. Ordinarily, this is used for displaying POST codes for easy debugging of a build, but once the OS is successfully loaded, it becomes irrelevant.

Read more: EVGA Z77 Stinger @ Techradar