Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

Asus Maximus VIII Impact (Z170) Motherboard Review
ASUS ROG G752 Review
AZZA Nova 8000 Review
be quiet! Dark Rock TF CPU Cooler Review
BenQ XR3501 Curved 35" 144Hz Monitor Review
Corsair Carbide 400Q Silent Mid-Tower Case Review
Crucial BX200 960GB Review
Elegiant Virtual Reality 3D VR Glasses Review
Elephone Explorer 4K Review
G.Skill Ripjaws MX780 RGB Laser Mouse Review
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming Windforce Review
Gigabyte P34W v5 Review: Affordable 14-inch gaming laptop
Intel 750 PCIe SSD (1.2TB) Review - Unprecedented Performance for Under $1 Per GB!
New GIGABYTE Server Motherboards Show Xeon D Round 2
Noctua NH-D9L Dual-Tower CPU Cooler Review
Rantopad MXX
Razer Orichi Mobile Bluetooth and Wired Hybrid Gaming Mouse Review
Synology Router RT1900ac High-Speed Wireless Router Review
Thermaltake Frio Silent 14 CPU Cooler Review
Tt eSPORTS Theron Plus Smart Gaming Mouse Review

Asus Maximus VIII Impact (Z170) Motherboard Review

Right now, the mini-ITX scene is extremely popular for gamers and enthusiasts. A combined effort by component manufacturers has seen greater emphasis being put on innovative mini-ITX cases, short graphics cards, and more confined cooling solutions. And let’s not forget the system builders deploying small form-factor (SFF) offerings such as steam machines.
With installation space and expansion options being in short supply, the motherboard features are critical to the success of a SFF build. Asus aims to pack the features that enthusiasts and gamers will desire into the company’s flagship mini-ITX motherboard – the Republic of Gamers Maximus VIII Impact.

Read full article @ KitGuru

ASUS ROG G752 Review

With the advent of powerful mobile processors, gaming on-the-go has become an ever increasing leisure activity. Desktop computers certainly have their value but are generally awkward and cumbersome to transport between locations. Delivering the latest technology and hardware specifications is crucial for the manufacturers of such mobile units as they battle it out in a fiercely competitive market.

In the spotlight today is a new gaming notebook from ASUS Republic of Gamers. The ROG G752 is a brawny Skylake-powered gaming unit which also includes NVIDIA’s GTX 970M. Not only do the visuals make G752 stand out from the crowd but ASUS have engineered this gaming notebook to utilise G-SYNC technology to synchronise refresh rates to the GPU – thus delivering a significant enhancement to the gaming experience.

Read full article @ Vortez

AZZA Nova 8000 Review

The fit and finish of this case is top notch. All the panels lined up and fit together nicely. The top I/O panel gives you two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, which is fairly standard on a case this size, and the colorful LEDs break up the monotony you find with many cases that use single-color LEDs. And while I am talking about LEDs, the gentle orange glow from the front fan adds a nice touch. The only thing I didn't like about the I/O panel is how close the reset button is to the power button. I usually prefer to see the reset and power buttons a little further apart to avoid accidental restarts. And finally, one fan filter is all you get and it is for the PSU, which is fine, but it would be nice to see a front filter panel and one for the case floor to help keep dust intrusion to a minimum. But really, these are minor concerns. If you like a case with a little flair, unconventional style, and quick hard drive access, then you should take a look at the Nova 8000.

Read full article @ OCC

be quiet! Dark Rock TF CPU Cooler Review

Be quiet’s Dark Rock line of CPU coolers are their high-performance line meant to handle the most extreme processors and thermal loads out there. While most of the coolers in the line are tower coolers there is one that is different, it is the Dark Rock TF. The Dark Rock TF or Dark Rock Top-Flow is a C-type cooler that features two powerful nickel-plated aluminum heat sinks and two 135 mm SilentWings cooling fans. Be quiet calls this cooler a compact cooler, but it is one of the larger C-type coolers that we’ve seen. It is supposed to offer one of the best performance-to-noise ratios in its class. Let’s get it installed and see what it can do!

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

BenQ XR3501 Curved 35" 144Hz Monitor Review

Massive curved gaming monitors seem to be the flavor of the day and BenQ's XR3501 may be one of the most insane. It boasts a 35" curved MVA panel with a 144Hz refresh rate.

Read full article @ Hardware Canucks

Corsair Carbide 400Q Silent Mid-Tower Case Review

Just scant weeks ago we took a look at Corsairs new Carbide 600C full tower case and as a follow-up, Corsair sent us what at first blush appeared to be a mid-tower version of this with arrival of the Carbide 400C/Q. This was promising to be a good case as the 600C turned out to be excellent. Upon closer inspection, it quickly became obvious that this was no scaled down version, but rather a close sibling featuring a number of differences that sets the two model lines apart. Read on to learn more about the Corsair Carbide 400Q!

Read full article @ Legit Reviews

Crucial BX200 960GB Review

It should not come as a surprise that all of the SSDs launched this year uses 3D NAND or TLC as oppose to MLC. The move to the 3D NAND and TLC NAND allows the manufacturers to reduce cost but at the same time increase the storage capacity of the SSDs. This translates to lower price and even better gigabyte per dollar ratio that really gives you no reason for not upgrade to an SSD.

The Crucial BX200 is the first drive from the company that features TLC NAND. It is the successor to the popular mainstream/budget SSD, the BX100. While the BX100 paired Micron MLC with the Silicon Motion SM2246 controller, the BX200 gets an upgrade to the newer Silicon Motion SM 2256 controller and Micron’s own 128Gb 16nm TLC NAND. The transition to the TLC means that there are 50% more pages on the NAND flash than the MLC so that manufacturers can pack even more data onto the same die space. As a result, the highest capacity drive for the BX200 is 960GB. Of course having more bits packed so tightly does come with a few costs. TLC drives need a finer voltage control over the how the data is programmed, more complicated error correction mechanism to ensure data reliability, and higher power consumption.

Read full article @ Bjorn3D

Elegiant Virtual Reality 3D VR Glasses Review

Virtual reality glasses are popular and you’ve got many choices when looking for a pair for you, they’re essentially Google Cardboard but just better and usually not made of cardboard. Today for review I’ve got one of the nicest pairs I’ve reviewed from a company called Elegiant which are actually the VR Shinecon, these are very well made and they’ve got numerous adjustment knobs so you can adjust them to your prescription if you wear glasses. The only complaint I could have about these is that they have no magnetic button to use in apps and games so you’ll need a controller to get full use out of them. Read on to learn more..

Read full article @ Technogog

Elephone Explorer 4K Review

With Explorer 4K, Elephone offers an entry-level action cam, which is also capable of recording with 4K resolution. The small and compact product from Elephone also offers a WiFi connectivity, which allows you to remote control your cam. Apart from that there is a 2-in TFT display that also allows you to control all the different settings. What probably make this came most interesting is the attractive price.

Read full article @ ocaholic

G.Skill Ripjaws MX780 RGB Laser Mouse Review

On first glance, you might look at me and say, "Aaron would never watch anime". I grew up watching more Arthur and Sesame Street than Pokémon or Digimon. I was also one of the few kids to not watch an episode of Dragon Ball Z until I was twenty years old. Even when all my friends in junior high were watching Naruto and One Piece, I was the odd one out, cheering on the Calgary Flames and watching live hockey. It was not until senior high when my friend introduced me to Case Closed. It did not take much convincing, but once I started watching, I could not stop. Since then, I have watched about six hundred sixty episodes of Case Closed; ranging from the standard half hour segments to the longer two hour shows. I should mention they are still producing more episodes, with over eight hundred and counting. In addition, I have now gone through my fair share of other Japanese animations, all of them being less intense, slice-of-life series. The real point I am trying to say here is that change can happen to anyone. Even though they may not have a history of doing so, it does not always take a lot for people to make a shift. Today, we have a company doing just as such, with G.Skill being the next manufacturer to throw their hat into the PC peripheral ring. At Computex 2015, they announced their lineup of headsets, keyboards, and mice. Today, we have the G.Skill Ripjaws MX780 RGB laser mouse on our table today. Will we leave the desk thinking G.Skill is now a competitor in this area, or should they stick to their already established memory sector? Hopefully this review will clear up these questions and more!

Read full article @ APH Networks

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming Windforce Review

Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 980 Ti Xtreme Gaming might just be the fastest single-GPU graphics card we've ever tested. It features a custom PCB, binned and overclocked processor, and robust cooling.

Read full article @ Toms Hardware

Gigabyte P34W v5 Review: Affordable 14-inch gaming laptop

The Gigabyte P34W v5 is a fairly typical gaming laptop, with a standard array of high-end hardware -- an Intel ‘Skylake’ Core i7-6700HQ CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M GPU -- a decent display, and a body that won’t be setting any records for slimness or lightness. The base model, available for $1,499, features a 14-inch 1080p display with 8 GB of RAM; while the top model reviewed here features a 14-inch 1440p display and 16 GB of RAM for $1,759.

Read full article @ TechSpot

Intel 750 PCIe SSD (1.2TB) Review - Unprecedented Performance for Under $1 Per GB!

The Consumer Electronic Show is now done and overwith for this year, but the technology showcased, especially in the storage division, extends much from the drive we have on hand today. We are going to take an in-depth look at the Intel 750, the world's first consumer drive featuring NVMe at 2.4 GB/s!

Read full article @ TechnologyX

New GIGABYTE Server Motherboards Show Xeon D Round 2

The Xeon D platform, as reviewed by Johan back in June, put together eight Broadwell cores, 24 PCIe 3.0 lanes, dual 10 Gbit Ethernet and USB/SATA control all into one SoC within a 45W TDP design. It almost sounded too good to be true (I’ve run some benchmarks my side, to be in a review later), as this is the only real way to get eight 14nm cores into a single die. Even at 2 GHz, Johan’s piece showed that the Xeon D based on Broadwell aims to fit between the Xeon E3 and Xeon E5 in terms of performance and power efficiency, and to quote Johan ‘Xeon D is probably the most awesome product Intel has delivered in years, even if it is slightly hidden away from the mainstream’. There is interest both server side and NAS side for this, and with the next wave of Xeon D parts being introduced GIGABYTE Server is one of the first to announce some new models.

Read full article @ Anandtech

Noctua NH-D9L Dual-Tower CPU Cooler Review

Despite the compact design, measuring just 111mm tall! The D9L features a dual tower design, yet still provides perfect clearance for RAM modules, as well as keeping clear of any PCIe expansion cards. It’s small enough to fit in a mini-ITX system build, but for the more professional hardware enthusiast, it’ll be perfect for 3U systems too. Noctua build quality is world-famous, and to support their confidence, the D9L comes with a whopping six-year warranty! That’s confidence in their products right there.

“The included NF-A9 premium fan supports automatic speed control via PWM for outstanding quietness of operation and a second, optional NF-A9 fan can be added for further improved performance in dual fan mode. Topped off with the trusted, pro-grade SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system, Noctua’s proven NT-H1 thermal compound and full 6 years manufacturer’s warranty, the NH-D9L forms a highly compact premium package for space-restricted applications.”

For a quick overview of the coolers features and design, check out this lovely product video from Noctua.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Rantopad MXX

Rantopad is a new player to the PC gaming peripherals market, and the MXX is their first tenkeyless keyboard. It comes with per-key backlighting and several other cool lighting effects. With a price tag of 79.99$, it is also one of the most affordable mechanical keyboards on the market.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

Razer Orichi Mobile Bluetooth and Wired Hybrid Gaming Mouse Review

Razer is one of the most recognisable gaming brands on the market, having a huge range of mice that are suited for virtually any kind of gaming environment. Their latest mouse, the Orichi, is certainly a bit different from the usual crop of Razer gaming mice, but that doesn’t mean we’re not expecting great things from it. The Orichi features a compact design, making it ideally suited for those who travel a lot. Having a huge gaming mouse isn’t always ideal when you’re playing on a notebook, or even if you just have limited space, or simply prefer a smaller mouse. The benefits are obvious, as a smaller mouse is lighter and much easier to store, but has the cut-down size affected the performance.

Bluetooth technology is great and virtually any modern laptop comes equipped with it, meaning you’re no doubt already capable of quickly connecting the Orichi and getting into the action. Of course, when it comes to gaming competitively, there are many who refuse to use wireless tech, but don’t worry, as the Orichi comes with a dual function and can be used in a wired mode for lightning fast response times.

“Engineered with Bluetooth 4.0, the Razer Orochi is designed for portability and is the ideal companion for gamers who are always on the move. Switch conveniently to the wired mode to experience gaming-grade performance, control, and accuracy at a blistering 1 ms response time.”

Read full article @ eTeknix

Synology Router RT1900ac High-Speed Wireless Router Review

Synology has a long experience producing network attached storage and surveillance devices so it was just a matter of time before they expanded into more similar areas. They got the knowhow and the expertise to do so and today I’m taking a closer look at their first router, the Synology Router RT1900ac Wireless Gigabit Ethernet router.

Let us first have a look at the basic hardware specifications. The Synology RT1900ac is built around a powerful dual-core CPU with a 1GHz clock speed and it comes with 256MB DDR3 memory. The dual-band 802.11ac wireless router can transfer with up to 1300 Mbps on the 5GHz band and up to 600 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. It is equipped with three external and replaceable MIMO omni-directional high-gain dipole antennas with 3.5 dBi for the 2.4GHz band and 4.6 dBi for the 5GHz band.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Thermaltake Frio Silent 14 CPU Cooler Review

This time we review the Frio Silent 14 tower cooler from Thermaltake. This cooler uses a 14cm fan to achieve high air flow at low noise level. We will show you how this affects the cooling and whether this design is practicable in our detailed test.

Read full article @ OcInside.de

Tt eSPORTS Theron Plus Smart Gaming Mouse Review

A few years ago when someone spoke about smart electronic devices the best thing the market had to offer were refrigerators, ovens and air conditioners which consumers could turn on and off from afar via their GSM cellular phones. Well today much like everything else in the electronics industry things have changed quite a bit so now people can not only control most of their home appliances by far via their internet enabled smartphones but they also have a wide range of smart wearables to choose from such as watches, headphones, sensors and even VR headsets. Well the gaming peripherals industry couldn't sit this one out so lately we've seen many keyboards and mice with extra "smart" features including built-in sensors that can collect gaming performance data which in turn can be used by gamers to further improve their typing and reaction times. Tt eSPORTS released the Theron Plus Smart Gaming Mouse not long ago and today we're checking it out.

“Challenge is the game” highlights the philosophy to bring out gamers’ addiction in gaming and the ambition of reaching to the extreme. Tt eSPORTS, a gaming obsessed division from Thermaltake, is uniting gamers from all over the world in a unique & fascinating eSPORTS culture, inherited the spirits of Thermaltake, is an energetic, powerful, bold and intelligent challenger who never says “no” to the extreme competition. We do not only provide gamers the ultimate gaming gears but also fulfills the passion to achieve the ultimate success. Thermaltake has been a well-known brand in the gaming & DIY market for PC Chassis, Coolers and Power Supplies PSU for many years. The brand personality of unique, aggressive, vivid and stylish makes Thermaltake an expert in creating exciting things and fascinating environment for gamers and enthusiasts. Tt eSPORTS inherited the brand personality with unique and creative design by observing users’ behaviors and requirements. The fan cooling design on Tt eSPORTS Challenger keyboard demonstrate the brand spirit. It is the worldwide first keyboard with fan cooling function that could dry your hand sweats and blow tension away during cut-throat competition.

For their brand new Theron Plus Smart gaming mouse Tt eSPORTS has once again used the ADNS-9800 laser gaming sensor by Pixart (former Avago) one of the most popular and used ones in the market which features a resolution of up to 8200CPI, frame rate up to 12000FPS, high speed motion detection up to 150IPS and acceleration up to 30g. The Theron Plus Smart also features an ARM based 32Bit microcontroller, 128Kb of onboard memory (for the 5 available onboard profiles), RGB lighting system, adjustable weight system, 8 programmable buttons and primary switches made by OMRON. The Theron Plus Smart gaming mouse can also collect performance data and transmit them to compatible smartphones (providing the Tt eSPORTS+ iOS/Android app is installed and running) via Bluetooth v4.0 connectivity. After that via the Tt eSPORTS+ iOS/Android app you can go through them yourself and share them with others friends or gamers. This is indeed an interesting feature but before that we need to check and see just how good this mouse really is so let's do that.

Read full article @ NikKTech