Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

10 Awesome GNOME Apps that Didn’t Come With Your Distro
AMD's Wraith CPU cooler reviewed
ASUS 970 PRO GAMING/AURA Review
Beelink MX64 TV Box @ PC Review News
BoomCloud 360’s BoomStick Review - Futuristic Listening Experience
Crucial BX200 (960GB) Review
Dell XPS 12 Review
Dell XPS 13 Review: The best Windows laptop, updated
Fedora 23 & Nvidia - Are we gonna have a good time?
G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3400 16GB Memory Review
Jonsbo UMX1 Plus Windowed Review
Lexar Professional 2000x 128GB SDXC UHS-II/U3 Review
Mike Cumby of OCZ talks to KitGuru TV
Patriot Viper V760 Keyboard Review
Phanteks Eclipse P400 Chassis Review
Phanteks Eclipse P400 Computer Case Review
Scythe Ninja 4 SCNH-4000 Heatsink Review
SteelSeries Nimbus MFi Wireless iOS Controller Review
SuperMicro C7Z170-OCE (LGA1151) Motherboard Review
Undervolting AMD's Radeon R9 Fury For Better Efficiency

10 Awesome GNOME Apps that Didn’t Come With Your Distro

The GNOME desktop is one of the most complete and accessible desktop environments in the Linux ecosystem. Its the default experience in popular distributions like Fedora and Debian, and its one of the primary options available in most others. Regardless of which distribution you choose, when you fire up a GNOME desktop, the default applications tend to be the same. You will likely see Firefox and LibreOffice alongside GNOME-specific applications like Gedit, Nautilus, Cheese, Calculator, Clocks, and Terminal.

Read full article @ MakeUseOf

AMD's Wraith CPU cooler reviewed

AMD's Wraith cooler purports to offer much-improved noise levels compared to the stock heatsink the company includes with many of its CPUs. We put the Wraith to the test to see whether it lives up to those claims.

Read full article @ The Tech Report

ASUS 970 PRO GAMING/AURA Review

ASUS need no introduction, but the AM3+ platform may require a memory refresh for our younger readers. The AM3 platform was released way back in 2009 as AMD started to ship their Phenom II CPUs with a DDR2/3 memory controller. Come 2011 AMD were ready to release their Bulldozer based CPUs with the natural progression to the AM3+ socket. This socket was very similar to the AM3 socket, so much so that motherboards with good enough power regulation could support AM3+ CPUs with a BIOS update... give or take a refreshed CPU here or there, this is where the high end AMD platform, still, currently remains.

Though it is too early to say of the future, there has been interesting news from AMD about their plans and it would seem that the AM4 platform is on its way, unifying both APU and CPU platforms into one, along with interesting news about future CPU/APUs.

Back on topic, here we find another example of ASUS creating for the sake of creating, and never to let their product line lag too far behind, the 970 PRO GAMING/ AURA, is part of the AURA series that features customisable RGB LED lighting. 2015 seems like a prelude to 2016 in regards to RGB lighting and this is the first glimpse of that glorious spectral delight shining down on AMD. ASUS didn't stop there, they have added 2x USB 3.1 ports, having twice the standard bandwidth of USB 3.0 and geared this motherboard towards enthusiast gamers by including support for AMD's CrossFireX and NVIDIA's SLI.

Read full article @ Vortez

Beelink MX64 TV Box @ PC Review News

This month we have been handed the MX64 Android streaming box to take a look at. These new devices are designed for connecting to your TV at home and streaming content from external hard drives, home NAS systems, SD cards and online. The MX64 is essentially a stripped-down HTPC for watching media and utilising various applications on the Android platform. The hardware includes HDMI 2.0 support, an x64 CPU and H.265 GPU decoding.

Read the review here:
http://pcreview.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7cab8f90ba035d40ae23be725&id=b9ecbbaa41&e=fcde3ce08f

Read full article @ =?utf-8?Q?PC=20Review=20News?=

BoomCloud 360’s BoomStick Review - Futuristic Listening Experience

Looking for a new pair of jogging earbuds? Maybe a new speaker set for your vehicle? Well instead of possibly confusing yourself with all the choices on the market look no further. BoomCloud 360 has developed a product that turns any device with a 3.5mm jack into an entirely superior version of its past self, convincing anyone that they are listening to a completely different product altogether. We are proud to introduce you to the BoomStick.

Read full article @ TechnologyX

Crucial BX200 (960GB) Review

We evaluate whether a TLC-based SSD makes sense in early 2016. The solid-state drive (SSD) market is now a hard place to play. An ever-decreasing cost of NAND chips and fierce competition between players has resulted in 240GB drives available for under £50. Going bigger, up to 1TB, costs less than £200. Ouch.

But not all drives are created equal, though to the uninformed it may appear this way. For example, almost every modern SSD is able to saturate the real-world SATA 6Gbps limit of approximately 550MB/s on both reads and writes.

A better indication is to look at the performance when examining the total operations per second, but the real acid test occurs when the SSD is in a well-used state - most consumers don't reinstall the operating system every week, leaving the drive's behind-the-scenes magic to keep performance at high levels.

Read full article @ Hexus

Dell XPS 12 Review

Thanks to Microsoft, you can't talk about Windows 10 tablets without mentioning the Surface Pro 4. It's easily one of the best looking slates and it's as powerful as a traditional laptop. Given the Surface series' success, it's no surprise PC makers have come up with similar devices, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Miix 700 and HP Spectre x2.The Dell XPS 12, however, is one of the most divergent Windows tablets to come out in years. Rather than relying on a kickstand or flimsy, magnetic keyboard, this 12.5-inch slate docks into a rigid keyboard base that does away with the hinge while offering a tactile typing experience on par with a business-grade laptop.

Read full article @ Techradar

Dell XPS 13 Review: The best Windows laptop, updated

The revamped Dell XPS 13 includes just a handful of improvements: a new Skylake CPU, a USB Type-C port that supports Thunderbolt 3, and the option to get the laptop in gold. But considering the Broadwell-based Dell XPS 13 was my favorite laptop of 2015, I just had to get in the new model and see if it’s still a class-leading device.

Read full article @ Techspot

Fedora 23 & Nvidia - Are we gonna have a good time?

I've written a short article and guide on how to install the Nvidia proprietary drivers in Fedora 23 Gnome using easyLife, including installation and setup, some real and bogus errors, successful configuration, post-install resource utilization, other observations, and more. Have fun.

Read full article @ Dedoimedo

G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3400 16GB Memory Review

G.Skill's Trident Z F4-3400C16D-GTZ modules are from top to bottom a high quality set of memory. Let's start with the stock performance. In every test run, the Trident Z modules finished first in every test but three. In those three tests the performance gap was minimal at best between the top two sets of high speed DDR4 modules. When overclocked, the Trident Z modules followed the Patriot modules in only three tests. Again with margins small enough that you could call it a draw. All in all a very impressive performance from this set of memory from G.Skill.

Read full article @ OCC

Jonsbo UMX1 Plus Windowed Review

The UMX1 Plus Windowed is an elegant and classy case from Jonsbo. In order to also make mini-ITX users happy, Jonsbo to introduce yet another UMX case, since the UMX3 and UMX2 are compatible with mATX and ATX motherboards. The UMX1 is made from aluminum and the case is compatible with ATX PSU as well as mid-range graphics cards. Apart from that this case is available in black or silver and with or without a side window made from smoked acrylic glass.

Read full article @ ocaholic

Lexar Professional 2000x 128GB SDXC UHS-II/U3 Review

Anyone that uses a high end DSLR or HD video camera knows that two factors that can mess up your day are the size and speed of the memory card. The last thing you want to do is have a shoot spoiled because the camera cannot get a burst of pictures onto a card or waste countless hours waiting to import the latest shoot. Now that 4K and 8K video are becoming the new standards a 32GB or 64GB card just will not do. Lexar worked hard to address both issues in the Professional 2000x 128GB DSXC UHS-II memory card...

Read full article @ Legit Reviews

Mike Cumby of OCZ talks to KitGuru TV

Mike Cumby, UK Country Manager for OCZ spoke with Leo Waldock of KitGuru about the SSD market in 2016. Hot on the heels of CES, OCZ has launched Trion 150 which is a 15nm die shrink of Trion 100. Mike didn’t have a Trion 150 with him as it was brand new and if you look closely at the table you will spot he actually brought along a Trion 100.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Patriot Viper V760 Keyboard Review

The Viper V760 is Patriot's first shot at a gaming keyboard, first previewed at Computex 2015. Utilizing Kailh brown mechanical RGB switches, the Patriot V760 has fully backlit keys with variable multi-color per-key lighting of up to 16.8 million colors. Kailh brown switches like their Cherry MX brown counterpart, offers a tactile non-clicking actuation with replaceable keycap covers.

Read full article @ Modders-Inc

Phanteks Eclipse P400 Chassis Review

Phanteks has introduced its new Eclipse P400 with a price that starts just above £50. In the world of enthusiast cases that is amazingly cheap. The basic Eclipse P400 is available in black or grey at £52, or you can pay a £3 premium for this white version. Add another £8 for the P400S (Silent) that comes with sound deadening panels, a 3-speed fan controller and extra ventilation in the top cover. And you can choose whether or not you have a window on the main panel.

There is a clear cosmetic similarity between Eclipse P400 and the more expensive Enthoo Evolv models in the Phanteks range, and Phanteks has also carried over a number of features from its previous models to this budget Eclipse P400.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Phanteks Eclipse P400 Computer Case Review

I am sure we all had experience in creating a budget. I know as a student, I have to budget carefully, as I only work during the summer months. Here in Alberta, when a new party was voted in last year, one of the first things people looked at was the budget. It determined if what the party promised the people will come to fruition, or if they are just spending money on themselves. This is especially important, since it is people’s tax money -- and we all sure do love taxes. The same thing happens at a federal level, and the budget has to be approved before they can move on to everything else they can debate on. I have always been interested in computers, but I was only able to buy one and build it last summer. Again, it took some budgeting and some time to figure out the best price to performance choices, especially with the video card. With most builds that are not overkill builds, one could always save some money in areas that does not directly affect the performance of the machine. One area I saved some money on was the case, but I ended up returning it, and buying a better one on sale instead. I mean, what more do you really need in a case than to hold all your components? I quickly figured out that was not the only thing a case did. I have discovered the hard way your computer chassis is actually an important component. Today, we have the Phanteks Eclipse P400, which, with a price tag of $69.99 USD, is ranked as a relatively budget case. Will it sacrifice stuff like build quality or easy cable management to keep the price low? Read on to find out how Phanteks was able to achieve this price, and if there were any compromises along the way.

Our review unit arrived from California, USA via UPS Standard. From a sunny state to the cold north, everything arrived in good condition to the APH Networks offices here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with no complaints from me. The shipping box just had the name of the computer chassis and a black print of it on the front. The corners were a bit beat up, but other than that, everything was in order. Opening the box was kind of a struggle from all the tape they used to ensure it does not fall apart or open up itself unintentionally. Fortunately, there are not many problems a good pair of scissors cannot fix, so I got straight to work.

Read full article @ APH Networks

Scythe Ninja 4 SCNH-4000 Heatsink Review

While Scythe doesn't overtly market its heatsinks as "silent", the company has typically produced CPU coolers which do meet the quiet esthetic. In this review Frostytech will be testing out the new Scythe Ninja 4 heatsink - a 156mm tall boxy looking thermal solution which is designed for lower noise cooling. The Scythe Ninja 4 CPU cooler weighs ~900grams and has a footprint of around 145x130mm.

Read full article @ Frostytech

SteelSeries Nimbus MFi Wireless iOS Controller Review

Finding the right gaming controller for your device can be tricky. There are a lot of options on the market and that number is growing every month. There’s the cheap aftermarket options and there are premium grade specialist controllers, plus everything else in between; it can be a bit of a minefield to navigate. The issue is made ever more complicated when it comes to Apple devices, as you have to find something that is compatible too, as we all know how strict Apple can be with their regulations, not that this is a bad thing for the consumer though if it means you get a fully compliant product.

Steelseries are no stranger to mobile device controllers, as we’ve seen in the past with their Stratus iOS controller. However, the Stratus was small and it was pretty darn expensive too, so what does the new one have to offer that’s so special? Well for starters, it’s bigger, more akin to a console controller, so it should feel right at home for most gamers. Then there’s the other perk, it’s competitively priced, and that should make your wallet feel a little safer too. With support for Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, it should fulfill all your iOS gaming needs and more. Obviously, the main one here is Apple TV, as Apple continue to move into the living room market and when you’re kicking back on the couch to play a few games, the Nimbus looks set to be the perfect partner for Apple TV.

Read full article @ eTeknix

SuperMicro C7Z170-OCE (LGA1151) Motherboard Review

SuperMicro is one of the most respected names in the server industry and synonymous with unparalleled reliability. Whether you’re after a rackmount, blade server system or workstation motherboard, there’s nothing on the market which manages to enthuse such a sense of rock solid stability. Recently, the company has taken their server roots and impeccable reputation into enthusiast consumer motherboards. This allows them to retain the server framework while offering more ostentatious motherboard designs. Additionally, SuperMicro’s highly refined production line results in a low RMA rate and each product evokes such a premium feel. While their previous attempts have been a little rough around the edges, it’s clear to see the rapid progress in terms of motherboard layout and visual exuberance. Typically, motherboard manufacturers opt for the gaming themed red and black colour scheme because it caters towards the core demographic and maximize sales.

However, they have adopted a very different approach and launched the SuperMicro C7Z170-OCE, which utilizes a very striking green colour scheme. Not only that, the motherboard incorporates an impressive array of overclocking buttons to make manual tweaks without entering the BIOS. There’s also a high-quality speaker, and LED post readout to help with system diagnostics. The C7Z170-OCE’s electrical circuitry is designed with extreme overclocking in mind and able to push any Skylake CPU to its absolute limit. Yes, that means BCLK overclocking is possible even on a locked multiplier CPU. Although, given the Z170 chipset, this wouldn’t be a sensible choice.

Another key selling point is the embedded PLX PEX8747 chip capable of supporting 3-way SLI in a x16/x8/x8 configuration. If you require a 2-way setup, then the motherboard can easily accommodate this via a x16/x0/x16. Other notable features include a Realtek ALC1150 audio solution with dedicated PCB isolation, USB 3.1 Type-C connectivity, ample supply of fan headers and much more! As you can see, the motherboard sports an incredible specification and I expect it to perform superbly across CPU intensive tasks. In the past, I’ve experienced a few issues with our DDR4-2666MHz bench memory kit on SuperMicro products, so it will be interesting to see if compatibility has improved on this latest model.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Undervolting AMD's Radeon R9 Fury For Better Efficiency

AMD's Radeon R9 Fury has been called everything from a hot plate to a space heater. This doesn't have to be the case, though. We massively improved the card's efficiency by undervolting it.

Read full article @ Toms Hardware