Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including Gigabyte U24T-CF1 Review, Asrock Vision HT 420D Review, ADATA DashDrive HV620 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Review, ToughArmor 6x2.5" SATA HDD Hot Swap Mobile Rack, and Angelbird SSD2Go Pro Mobile SSD Review (640GB)



Gigabyte U24T-CF1 Review @ TechReviewSource.com

With the Gigabyte U24T-CF1 ultrabook you get Intel's latest processor technology, solid-state and traditional storage drives, and game-worthy graphics in a slim 14-inch ultrabook form factor. There's nothing particularly special about the U24T's design, and its 10-point touch screen, while responsive, tops out at a measly 1,366 by 768 pixels.

Read more: Gigabyte U24T-CF1 Review @ TechReviewSource.com

Asrock Vision HT 420D Review @ Techspot

It's been a few years since we published an enthusiastic review of Asrock's pricey yet powerful Vision 3D HTPC. The company has since kept our attention with annual updates, now on its fourth generation, the Vision HT 420D has received a proper upgrade to Intel's Haswell architecture as well as other improvements that contribute to the system's respectable list of features, making it one of the most impressive HTPCs to date.

Although the Vision HT 420D has largely picked up where the Ivy Bridge-based Vision HT 300 left off, the newest range isn't quite as diverse . The HT 300 series included models with Core i3 and i5 processors, while some were complete builds and others were barebones options that let you customize your memory and storage. For now, Asrock's latest Vision offerings are limited to two models: the 400D and the 420D.

The former is powered by a Core i3-4000M, has 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive, while the latter (which we're reviewing) boasts the i5-4200M, 4GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Pricing has been one of our main concerns with previous Asrock Mini-PCs, and at $660, the 420D isn't exactly cheap. That figure excludes an operating system, though that's probably for the best considering the divide between Windows 7 and 8.

Read more: Asrock Vision HT 420D Review @ Techspot

ROCCAT Ryos MK Glow Keyboard Review @ Hardware Asylum

ROCCAT has really upped the ante with the release of a new line of mechanical gaming keyboards for 2014. The new lineup includes the full size Ryos MK Pro, //MK Glow and two compact ten key less versions called the Ryos TLK Pro and Ryos TKL. Today we will be looking at the Ryos //MK Glow Illuminated Gaming Keyboard. The Ryos is marketed as the most advanced, most customizable gaming keyboard and that’s a lot to live up to.

The Ryos MK Glow is a 133 key mechanical keyboard built around the industry leading CherryMX switches and is currently only offered in the CherryMX Black style. Measuring in at about 20 x 9.25 inches (50.8 x 23.4 cm) across the Ryos MK Glow is slightly longer than a typical 101 key with the integrated wrist rest adding about three extra inches.

Read more: ROCCAT Ryos MK Glow Keyboard Review @ Hardware Asylum

VisionTek 26 Piece PC Tool Kit @ PureOverclock

When building a PC, any old average set of tools (as long as they contain at least a philips screwdriver) will do you in a pinch, but it's best not to use Dad's rusty-old screwdriver because it could get rust flakes and who knows what other kinds of dirt and grime all over your new PC hardware. Thankfully there are tool kits designed specifically with system building in mind, and VisionTek has a fairly comprehensive kit of their own, which we will review for you today. Their kit comes with 26 pieces of surprisingly versatile, yet simple tools.

Read more: VisionTek 26 Piece PC Tool Kit @ PureOverclock

OCZ Vector 150 120GB SSD Review @ HiTech Legion

Improvements and upgrades come in many forms. Some are imperceptible. In technology, some are simply vaporware and an excuse to tempt you to make a purchase. Some expect you to spend money to relocate a headphone jack to the bottom of a phone. But, oddly, everyone expects upgrades to be performance related, even though there are many circumstances where it is not warranted or even slightly the goal of the manufacturer. Many items are worthy of a separate product designation or “New & Improved” tag with no perceptible difference in everyday usage. There are always other factors to consider.

Top tier SSD drives come close to fully utilizing the SATA 3 interface to its fullest capacity. This doesn’t mean that SSD manufacturers should stand pat and wait around for interface upgrades. 4k performance needs to be addressed. In many controller/NAND combinations write speeds need to be made faster. But one thing that all combinations can always use more of is endurance. Flash memory does not have unlimited life, there are only so many times each cell can be written to. When OCZ set out to upgrade what is arguably the fastest SSD on the market, this was their goal; make the top performing drive perform at the top for longer. What could possibly be better for the consumer?

Read more: OCZ Vector 150 120GB SSD Review @ HiTech Legion

ADATA DashDrive HV620 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Review @ APH Networks

My Engineering Economics professor once said people are basically illogical when it comes to the value of money. For example, while most people will be willing to go half a mile to a nearby store to save $5 on a $10 box of chocolate, the same person will not bother heading next door to save $5 on a $2000 piece of furniture. Yes, the first scenario indicates a massive 50% variance, while the latter represents a miniscule 0.25% savings -- but what difference does it make, considering the fact you are saving $5 in both cases regardless? Five dollars is five dollars, no matter what it is relative to. In my opinion, this logical fallacy not only applies to money, but to many other things as well. Recently, I got down to 350GB of free space on my file server, and immediately began to panic. "I'm running out of space!", I thought to myself. But how about the time when my entire hard drive was only 320GB? As we become bigger and bigger consumers of digital storage, the significance of each gigabyte becomes smaller and smaller. Back in 2006, having a 5GB pocket USB hard drive was simply jaw dropping, and a 100GB 2.5" external HDD is something you can impress girls with... kind of. In today's world, with 64GB USB flash drives like the ADATA DashDrive Elite UE700 we have reviewed a few months ago hitting the mainstream, how does 2.5" USB 3.0 hard drives such as ADATA's DashDrive HV620 1TB stack up for people who want to strike a balance between portability and capacity? Count on us here at APH Networks to do the dirty work for you.

Read more: ADATA DashDrive HV620 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Review @ APH Networks

ROCCAT Ryos MK Glow Mechanical Keyboard Review @ Neoseeker

It seems not so long ago when mechanical keyboards were closer tied to the most entrenched computer enthusiasts or typists. Nowadays with the popularity of Cherry MX mechanical switches, mechanical keyboards reach all kinds of audiences and are popping up from a variety of peripheral manufacturers. Unlike the buckling spring keyboards of the past, Cherry MX key switches are available in several options with regards to audible and tactile feedback. For example, linear switches on Cherry Reds and Blacks cater more to gamers, while those looking for a typist's switch may instead opt for Cherry Blues or Browns.

Today we are looking at the ROCCAT Ryos MK Glow, an illuminated mechanical gaming keyboard featuring Cherry MX Black switches. Based in Germany, ROCCAT focuses on producing gaming peripherals that emphasize style as well as performance though its track record varies depending on the type of product in question. Some have been outstanding and innovative, as we've seen with the ROCCAT Kone Pure laser mouse and more recently, the ROCCAT Tusko Monitor Bag. Others, such as the ROCCAT Isku FX, put too much of a emphasis on appearance and flash and not enough on the final build quality. The ROCCAT Ryos MK Glow looks to correct the wrongs of the non-mechanical Isku line while maintaining the innovations it sought after.

What we get here is a smudge-proof finish, proven Cherry MX Black mechanical key switches, dedicated macro and thumbster keys, N-Key Rollover, ROCCAT Talk, and a powerful 32-bit ARM Cortex processor. Back in traditional ROCCAT fashion is Easy-Shift[+], essentially a button that now enables secondary functions across every key on the Ryos MK Glow. This all comes together in a package that also features LED illumination under each of its 113 keys plus the same trademark integrated wrist rest from the original ROCCAT Isku and Isku FX.

Read more: ROCCAT Ryos MK Glow Mechanical Keyboard Review @ Neoseeker

The Obligatory Super Hole VIII - The Uppity Armchair CD Edition @ The Tech Report

Jason Fox, our resident Mac blogger, spends his days in the advertising business, and he has a tradition of rating the Superbowl commercials each year. We've made a tradition of running his post here at TR, because why not? Read on to see what a true professional thinks of this year's crop of Superbowl ads.

Read more: The Obligatory Super Hole VIII - The Uppity Armchair CD Edition @ The Tech Report

ToughArmor 6x2.5" SATA HDD Hot Swap Mobile Rack @ LanOC Reviews

If you’re like me you like to back up files, install every game in your Steam library just because and record your favorite TV shows to your hard drive to enjoy them on your own time. This unfortunately takes up a lot of space and more often than not means you need more and more hard drives to sate your unhealthy obsession with storage but what happens when you run out of space to put your drives or even worse, your media PC is in a small mATX case? Icy Dock looks to come to the data hogs rescue with their ToughArmor 6x2.5" SATA HDD Hot Swap Mobile Rack which promises to give us a place to put 6 2.5” drives in a single 5.25” external bay. We’ll find out if this increase in storage is worth your time.

Read more: ToughArmor 6x2.5" SATA HDD Hot Swap Mobile Rack @ LanOC Reviews

be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 Review @ OCC

Be quiet! is one of Germany's top manufacturers of power supplies and is well known outside the US, but are merging into the US market with a full line of power supplies and high end air cooling solutions, including the Dark Rock and Shadow Rock product lines. Be quiet! has won the Manufacturer of the Year award six times in a row from the German hardware magazine PC Gamers Hardware. The German engineered Shadow Rock 2 is be quiet!'s single tower / single fan 180W TDP cooling solution that is a notch below the Dark Rock 2. The Shadow Rock 2 features four large diameter (8mm) shiny copper heat pipes and is designed for the latest CPUs.

If you are not familiar with the Shadow Rock series, be quiet! has the Shadow Rock Slim and the Shadow Rock TOPFLOW, which are both 160W TDP units. Today we will see just how well the latest model in the series, the Shadow Rock 2, handles the job. If you like to experiment with overclocking and push the thermal limits of your system, then you know the importance of a capable CPU cooler. And while water cooling has certainly become mainstream, air cooling is nothing to be shrugged off.

Read more: be quiet! Shadow Rock 2 Review @ OCC

MSI Gaming R9 280X OC Edition Review @ ocaholic

In the past few days we've published no less than three MSI Gaming Series graphics card reviews. Today we're having a closer look at MSI's R9 280X Gaming OC Edition graphics card and what it has to offer in details. A quick look reveals, there is a Twin Frozr IV cooler mounted on a reference PCB, which sounds like a combination that offers a very solid price/performance ratio.

Read more: MSI Gaming R9 280X OC Edition Review @ ocaholic

Angelbird SSD2Go Pro Mobile SSD Review (640GB) @ The SSD Review

As a bit of a personal example, we reviewed the Angelbird SSD2Go USB 3.0 External SSD last June and that SSD has since been around the world and back, and then some. Wherever my camera equipment goes, it goes. The first gen Angelbird SSD2Go wreaks of performance, great capacity, an amazing look and a build that is matched by very few products in the world today, as can be seen by the above shots. Having the newest Angelbird Pro SSD 2 Go in hand, we have to wonder if Angelbird can match their release of the SSD2Go. By specs alone, their seems to be enough change to make a step in that direction in any case.

Read more: Angelbird SSD2Go Pro Mobile SSD Review (640GB) @ The SSD Review

be quiet! Power Zone 850W Power Supply Review @ ThinkComputers.org

be quiet! has been the leading manufacturer of power supplies in Germany and over the past year we have introduced many of their products to the US audience. We have taken a look at their Dark Power Pro 10 and Pure Power L8 power supplies and now we have the Power Zone 850W unit on our test bench today. This power supply is categorized as a more of a mainstream power supply as it has an 80PLUS Bronze certification. be quiet! has loaded it with great features though, including a fully modular design, a single powerful 12V rail and a 135mm SilentWings fan. Is this the power supply for you? Read on as we find out.

Read more: be quiet! Power Zone 850W Power Supply Review @ ThinkComputers.org

FUNC KB-460 Mechanical Keyboard Review @ TechwareLabs.com

Gamers require their gear to perform under some very stressful situations, such as a hacker in Battlefield 4, or lag in Call of Duty. Well today I have the honor to test the FUNC's KB-460 Mechanical Keyboard with Red Cherry Switches.

Some of the best keyboards from popular brands brake under the intensity of a gamer going at it on an online game/match. Well FUNC's KB-460 is a solution to all your needs for a sturdy, and seriously protected keyboard. FUNC introduced themselves into the computer peripherals market on September 9th, 1999 in California, US. They released their first product in 2000, the Mouse Pad known as the "surface 1030 Original", and from then on went on to release very many great products.

Read more: FUNC KB-460 Mechanical Keyboard Review @ TechwareLabs.com

XFX R9 290X Black OC Edition Graphics Card Review with Mantle @ HardwareHeaven.com

Today on our test bench we have a Radeon 290X from XFX, the R9-290X Black OC Double Dissipation. With custom design and expanded voltage tweaking it aims to exceed anything we have seen from a 290X to date. We will be putting it through a selection of real world tests to establish how it performs in the latest games... and taking a look at AMD Mantle too.

Read more: XFX R9 290X Black OC Edition Graphics Card Review with Mantle @ HardwareHeaven.com

ASUS TUF Z87 Gryphon Review @ Anandtech

The TUF range from ASUS is a different sort of blip on the motherboard radar they come with a five year warranty. ASUS will mention that the hardware is built around the idea of stability, using upgraded components in order to do so. I have rarely had the chance to look at the TUF range, but today we look at ASUS first micro-ATX TUF motherboard, the Z87 Gryphon.    

The TUF range is best described as a midway point between consumer and server grade systems. The point of a server system is that it has to do a specific job well and for a long time, whereas the consumer product has to be more flexible and cheaper and thus less testing goes into potential longevity (although every manufacturer will state that their consumer brand testing is sufficient for almost all home users). The TUF motherboards from ASUS aim to use that ‘server grade’ mentality by use of features to help manage the longevity of a system, coupled with a longer warranty. The only kickback might be the lack of a few features that might appear on a similarly priced mainstream/channel motherboard.

Read more: ASUS TUF Z87 Gryphon Review @ Anandtech

Toshiba Qosmio X70 Review @ Techradar

Toshiba's Qosmio gaming laptops have never been shy about showing off their high-end heritage, and that's certainly true of the new X70: it's got a ring of red metal around its base. The same material is used to circle the touchpad and the power button, and the keyboard is illuminated with the same bright colour.The bright, anodised borders contrast well with the aluminium used to create the rest of the 3.4kg Toshiba. The metal is dark, finished with a pattern made of small diamonds, and is used on the wrist-rest and lid. The Qosmio logo on the lid is large and metallic and lights up when the machine is turned on, and the chassis is 44mm thick ? which puts it into the top tier of gaming notebooks. The Qosmio has a suitably high-end specification to match the garish exterior. This gaming behemoth is powered by an Nvidia GeForce GTX 770M, which is one of Nvidia's most powerful mobile GPUs. It's supported by a Core i7-4700MQ processor and 16GB of RAM. A 256GB SSD is used as the boot drive, and there's a 1TB hard disk to house an extensive library of high-end games. The screen is standard fare in the realm of high-end gaming notebooks: a 17.3-inch panel with a Full HD resolution.

Read more: Toshiba Qosmio X70 Review @ Techradar