Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

ASUS Announces Haswell-E Workstation Motherboards: X99-E WS (1P) and Z10PE-D8 WS (2P)
Brando Nexus 7 II Protective Accessories Presentation
Crucial DDR4-2133 32GB Memory Kit Review
Gaming monitors review: on overdone overdrive
Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Canon 7D Mark II
Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Canon PowerShot G7 X
Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Panasonic Lumix GM5
Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Panasonic LX100
Nokia Lumia 830 hands-on review
NZXT Kraken All-In-One CPU Cooler Roundup Review
QNAP TS-451
Sandberg Credit Card 850mAh Powerbank Review
SanDisk Ultra II SSD Review (240GB)
Thecus N2310 2-bay NAS Review

ASUS Announces Haswell-E Workstation Motherboards: X99-E WS (1P) and Z10PE-D8 WS (2P)

The normal route for workstation level motherboards is from the server business unit of a motherboard manufacturer, which then works its way into full systems rather than being sold separately. The other, less used alternative is for the mainstream end-user motherboard business units to develop their own and sell directly to end-users building their own workstation. While some of the motherboard manufacturers are slowly jumping on this bandwagon, ASUS has been at it for a number of generations now, with enough success to continue into their new Haswell-E designs which have just been announced.

Read full article @ Anandtech

Brando Nexus 7 II Protective Accessories Presentation

Brando has made available to Nexus 7 (2013) a lot of protective cases, screens and various accessories in order to use the product optimally while keeping it in mint conditions. All these are offered at low prices when compared to established brands and their quality has been increased quite a lot since our latest check-up.

Read full article @ Madshrimps

Crucial DDR4-2133 32GB Memory Kit Review

Intel recently launched their Haswell-E HEDT (high-end desktop) processors and accompanying X99 chipset. With that came the introduction of DDR4 memory to the consumer market. DDR4 memory has been used in server implementations, but the X99 chipset is the first consumer platform to support DDR4 memory. DDR4 brings with it faster data rates (2133 MHz standard), higher capacity levels and improved efficiency over DD3. Today we will be taking a look at our first DDR4 memory kit and it comes from Crucial. We are taking a look at their 32 GB (4x8GB) DDR4-2133 Kit (CT4K8G4DFD8213). This is Crucial’s JEDEC kit so it is not fancy at all and does not come with a XMP profile. The kit runs at 2133 MHz with timings of 15-15-15-36 at 1.2V.

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Gaming monitors review: on overdone overdrive

When considering gaming monitors, their response time is probably the first thing that comes to mind. While this is an important characteristic, a good monitor offers more than just rapid colour changes. Hardware.Info tested 12 gaming monitors, studied the principles behind overdrive, and demonstrates that a display which isn't as fast can still be of interest to gamers.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Canon 7D Mark II

As the Canon 7D was launched way back in 2009, its update is somewhat overdue and there have been rumours of a Mark II version for quite some time. Now at last the Canon 7D Mark II has been revealed and can take its place as the manufacturer's flagship APS-C format camera. Canon is claiming that it will produce 'best in class' image quality.Although the new camera has a 20.2-million-pixel sensor like the Canon 70D, we are told that it is a new device. The micro lenses have also been redesigned for improved efficiency (i.e. light transmission) and this should contribute to an improvement in image quality.What's more, this sensor is coupled with Dual Digic 6 processing engines to make the camera faster and more responsive. This enables a maximum continuous shooting speed of 10 frames per second (fps) for 31 raw files or until the card is full with JPEGs; and a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-16,000 with expansion settings taking it up to ISO 51,200.

Read full article @ Techradar

Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Canon PowerShot G7 X

In the past, Canon has had a lot of success with its PowerShot G-series and PowerShot S-series of compact cameras, but in recent times models like the 12.2Mp Canon G16 have started to seem a bit too bulky and ugly. Both it and the sexier PowerShot S120 (which has the same sensor) lack in the sensor size department when compared with the likes of the Sony RX100 II and Sony RX100 III. The new Canon PowerShot G7 X gives photographers an alternative option when looking for a small camera as back-up to their SLR. Inside its sleek exterior, which is a pretty close match for the S120's, is a new 20.2-million-pixel, 1-inch sensor and a Digic 6 processing engine. This puts it above the G16 and S120, but below the Canon G1 X Mark II (which has a 1.5-inch type or 18.7x14.0mm sensor) in the PowerShot range.

Read full article @ Techradar

Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Panasonic Lumix GM5

In October 2013 the Panasonic GM1 launched a new line of super-small compact system cameras for Panasonic. It's biggest selling point is that despite its very small size it houses the same 16-million-pixel Four Thirds sensor as is in the excellent Panasonic GX7. It also has the Micro Four Thirds mount so it can accept a wide range of interchangeable lenses.Now Panasonic is expanding the GM line with the addition of the GM5. This uses the same 16-Mp sensor and Venus processing engine as the GM1 (and GX7), but it also has a 1.166,000-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) to make image composition and review easier in bright light. There's also a hot-shoe to allow external flashguns to be mounted on the camera for extra illumination, and the camera comes bundled with a tiny flash. Both of these features are designed to make the GM5 more attractive to experienced photographers looking for a super-small camera capable of producing high quality images.

Read full article @ Techradar

Hands-on review: Photokina 2014: Panasonic LX100

Panasonic's LX series of compact cameras, such as the Panasonic LX7 have found favour in the past because of their high quality build, extensive array of controls (for a compact camera) and impressive image quality. However, the arrival of cameras like the Fuji X100S and Sony RX100 III raised questions about the small size of the sensor inside the Panasonic camera. Panasonic's answer is the LX100, which features a Four Thirds-type sensor instead of the 1/1.7-inch device in the LX7. That's going to give it an edge over the Fuji X30 announced recently.Further good news is that the sensor is the same 16-million pixel device as is used in the Panasonic GX7. However, as the LX100 uses Panasonic's Multi Aspect Ratio technology, images only ever use 12.8 million pixels.

Read full article @ Techradar

Nokia Lumia 830 hands-on review

Claimed to be the firm's thinnest and lightest high-end Windows Phone yet. In a bid to take on Samsung and Apple, Nokia released its Lumia 830 at IFA in Germany earlier this September, at its first event as part of Microsoft after the Redmond firm bought Nokia's devices division a year ago. The Lumia 830 adds to the firm's recently announced models such as the Nokia Lumia 530 and Nokia Lumia 630.

Read full article @ V3

NZXT Kraken All-In-One CPU Cooler Roundup Review

I’m a big fan of NZXT coolers, I personally use their Kraken X60 280mm all-in-one water cooler on my own CPU and I’m very happy with the performance it offers. So I’m eager to find out how well these new models perform and what new features NZXT have to offer.

The biggest change for the new Kraken coolers is the pump; they’re the first consumer model all-in-one coolers to features Aseteks new variable speed pump, something often associated with custom loop water cooling and yet another indication of how far all-in-one cooler technology has been progressing.

I’ve got three new models at my disposal today; the 120mm X31, the 140mm X41 and the 280mm X61 and I’ll be putting them all on the test bench to see how they stack up against each other and against the competition.

Read full article @ eTeknix

QNAP TS-451

QNAP released the TS-x51 series, which, although classified lower than the TS-x70 line, is comprised of high-performance members that feature the brand-new Intel Bay Trail SoC. Today, we will take a look at the TS-451. It not only features good performance but also looks great because of its white finish.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

Sandberg Credit Card 850mAh Powerbank Review

Can any of you even recall how many times your smartphones have ran out of battery while you're out having drinks far away from a power socket? Having a power socket is not even a solution since i bet many of you had your smartphones ran out of battery while attending a wedding or a meeting since you obviously don't carry the wall charger with you. Portable battery packs are a valid solution to such circumstances but you really can't carry one around with you at all times since although very small they are more than what you can fit in the pockets of your shirt or jeans. A couple of years back certain manufacturers came up with a very smart idea which basically involved using several flat battery cells inside a credit-card like enclosure which you would be able to carry around you at all times whether that would be inside one of your pockets or inside your wallet. However it wasn't until recently that we began to see such solutions that feature enough battery juice to recharge most smartphones up to a full time and so since we wanted to take a look and see how far this "innovation" has progressed today we will be testing the latest Credit Card 850mAh powerbank by Sandberg.

Sandberg stands for quality and user-friendliness. If it is important for you that accessories are high quality and easy to figure out how to use, then choose Sandberg. Our ideology "IT is for everybody" is part of everything we do. Since its inception in 1985, private consumers, institutions and companies have benefited from this simple philosophy. Distributors and dealers appreciate the availability, range, simple procedures and the exceptionally low failure rate. Every year over half a million Sandberg products find their way to users in more than 30 countries. Choosing Sandberg means choosing a safe and conscientious product that meets all applicable regulatory requirements. A product manufactured by subcontractors who are committed to following Sandberg's Code of Conduct to ensure decent working conditions and reduce the environmental impact of the production and waste disposal.

With most modern smartphones featuring battery packs in excess of 1500mAh the 850mAh the Credit Card powerbank has to offer may seem small but let's not forget that this is a product purely made for emergency situations and since it should provide well over 60m of talk time in the end it should come in more handy than most people may realize. This particular model makes use of a single 5V/1A microUSB connector to charge portable devices and a 5V/1A microUSB port for charging of its batteries something which can be done either by plugging it into a USB compatible wall charger or with your PC/MAC. Let’s take a closer look however and find out if it’s worth dedicating a spot inside your wallet for the Credit Card 850mAh powerbank by Sandberg.

Read full article @ NikKTech

SanDisk Ultra II SSD Review (240GB)

SanDisk is a world leading producer in NAND flash and NAND flash products. From consumer SD cards and USB drives to OEM flash storage, SanDisk is everywhere in this market. Just a few months ago, they released their highest end, enthusiast class SSD, the Extreme Pro. It came in the market and offered some of the best SATA 3 performance we have seen and an unprecedented 10 year warranty at the time. Now, SanDisk is focusing on the mainstream consumer market with the release of their Ultra II series SSD.

Read full article @ The SSD Review

Thecus N2310 2-bay NAS Review

Today we are going to look at one of the latest products in Thecus’ range of NAS servers – the N2310. This comes in at the bottom of their range, designed for home and small business users on a budget. We are interested to see where they have compromised on features to keep the price down.

Read full article @ KitGuru