Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including Intel gets serious about graphics for gaming, Everything You Need to know about Google Keep, 3DMark for Android, Seagate Constellation ES.3 4TB Hard Drive Review, and AMD Releases Open-Source UVD Video Support



Intel gets serious about graphics for gaming @ The Tech Report

Last week at GDC, Intel held a press event to showcase the latest developments related to its integrated HD Graphics solutions. That fact alone may not be remarkable, but what followed was a break with the past in many ways.

Read more: Intel gets serious about graphics for gaming @ The Tech Report

Everything You Need to know about Google Keep @ ThinkComputers.org

For many mobile users, note-taking apps and services are an indispensable tool to keep track of their schedule and tasks. In fact, Apple mobile users have long been enjoying the built-in Note feature on their devices for creating basic to-do list, while others refer to Evernote and Workflowy for more elaborate note-taking tasks. Fortunately, Google is jumping into the bandwagon. With what appears as a long overdue reply to Evernote and Apples built-in Note feature, Google has just unveiled its own note-taking service app called Keep, giving Android phone users a faster way to make and save reminders and notes.

Read more: Everything You Need to know about Google Keep @ ThinkComputers.org

Gigabyte S1082 Windows 8 Slate Tablet at Modders-Inc @ Modders-Inc

Overall I feel the Gigabyte S1082 Windows 8 Slate is a very solid device. For the usage testing I replaced my aging laptop with the S1082. It performed as well if not better than an older Core2 quad laptop in my daily tasks most of which include Internet browsing, email, and office applications such as Word and Excel.

Read more: Gigabyte S1082 Windows 8 Slate Tablet at Modders-Inc @ Modders-Inc

Cyberpower Fangbook X7-200 Gaming Notebook Review @ Legit Reviews

The fine folks at Cyberpower PC have sent us over one of their latest creations, and truth be told, I'm looking forward to this one! What we have today is the Cyberpower Fangbook X7-200 gaming notebook. The entire Fangbook series features a massive 17.3" screen (1920x1080 HD LED-Backlit), Intel Core i7-3630QM quad-core processors (to start), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and GTX 680M graphics. To say that these things are beasts doesn't do them justice. The Fangbook has the different versions to it, each with slightly different specifications and price points. The Fangbook X7-200 that we have in our hands today starts out at $1549...

Read more: Cyberpower Fangbook X7-200 Gaming Notebook Review @ Legit Reviews

3DMark for Android @ HardwareHeaven.com

Today Futuremark are releasing, for free, a version of 3DMark which runs on Android (3.0 and above). This is their next step in allowing us to compare the latest mobile devices to each other with iOS support to follow soon. We have had some time with the new Android edition of 3DMark and today we have a selection of benchmark results from various devices as well as some information on the software itself.

Read more: 3DMark for Android @ HardwareHeaven.com

3DMark for Android: Performance Preview @ Anandtech

As I mentioned in our coverage of GL/DXBenchmark 2.7, with the arrival of Windows RT/8 we'd finally see our first truly cross-platform benchmarks. Kishonti was first out of the gate, although Futuremark was first to announce its cross platform benchmark simply called 3DMark.

Currently available for x86 Windows 8 machines, Futuremark has Android, iOS and Windows RT versions of 3DMark nearing release. Today the embargo lifts on the Android version of 3DMark, with iOS and Windows RT to follow shortly.

Read more: 3DMark for Android: Performance Preview @ Anandtech

Gelid The Black Edition CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets

"The Black Edition" is a CPU cooler from Gelid. It has two tower heatsinks, two 120 mm fans, and seven U-shaped heatpipes. Let's test it.

Read more: Gelid The Black Edition CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets

Examining Intel's Solid State Drive 525 Series @ HotHardware.com

It has been quite a while since we last put an mSATA solid state drive (SSD) under the microscope. It's actually only been about two years, and if you care to jump into our time machine, you can see what we had to say about Intel's 310 Series mSATA SSD in 80GB form. The idea then was the same as it is now -- to offer full-size SSD features and performance in a smaller form factor that can wiggle into increasingly thinner Ultrabooks and mini PCs like Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC). Your typical 2.5-inch desktop or notebook SSD measures 7mm or 9.5mm thick and comes housed in a metal or plastic chassis, whereas mSATA SSDs are much smaller (about one-eighth the size) and run around naked, traits that allow them to fit into tight spaces and embedded applications.

Read more: Examining Intel's Solid State Drive 525 Series @ HotHardware.com

The Great Equalizer Part 2: Surface Pro vs. Android Devices in 3DMark @ Anandtech

While we're still waiting for Windows RT and iOS versions of the latest 3DMark, there is one cross-platform comparison we can make: Ivy Bridge/Clover Trail to the Android devices we just tested in 3DMark.

Read more: The Great Equalizer Part 2: Surface Pro vs. Android Devices in 3DMark @ Anandtech

Liquid Image Ego HD + Wi-Fi Review @ Techradar

When you mention action cameras, everyone automatically thinks of GoPro. And while the GoPro Hero 3 is no slouch, the silver edition is a whopping $299.99. The higher end Black Edition is a jaw-dropping $399.99! Enter Liquid Image and their diminutive Ego HD action camera. With an MSRP of $179.99 (you can even find it for much less with some digging), the Ego HD makes for a fine alternative to the more trendy and costly GoPro Hero 3.

Read more: Liquid Image Ego HD + Wi-Fi Review @ Techradar

Frame Rating: GeForce GTX 660 Ti and Radeon HD 7950 @ PC Perspective

Because of the complexity and sheer amount of data we have gathered using our Frame Rating performance methodology, we are breaking it up into several articles that each feature different GPU comparisons. Here is the schedule:

3/27: Frame Rating Dissected: Full Details on Capture-based Graphics Performance Testing
3/27: Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition vs GeForce GTX 680 (Single and Dual GPU)
3/30: AMD Radeon HD 7990 vs GeForce GTX 690 vs GeForce GTX Titan
4/2: Radeon HD 7950 vs GeForce GTX 660 Ti (Single and Dual GPU)
4/4: Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition vs GeForce GTX 660 (Single and Dual GPU)
4/6: Radeon HD 7850 vs Radeon HD 7790 vs GeForce GTX 650 Ti vs GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST

We are back again with another edition of our continued reveal of data from the capture-based Frame Rating GPU performance methods. In this third segment we are moving on down the product stack to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti and the AMD Radeon HD 7950 - both cards that fall into a similar price range.

Read more: Frame Rating: GeForce GTX 660 Ti and Radeon HD 7950 @ PC Perspective

Seagate Wireless Plus Storage for Android, iPhone and iPad @ MEGATech

The Seagate Wireless Plus was launched as a solution for wireless streaming with modern devices. With more and more people these days leaving their laptops at home and relying on their mobile devices, the issue of storage has become a legitimate concern. As mobile manufacturers gouge charge more for increased storage capacity in smartphones and tablets, it makes sense to have an option which gives you access to a larger library of your files, like music, videos and pictures. Fortunately for users with heavy storage requirements, the Seagate Wireless Plus addresses these factors.

Rather than relying on cloud based storage or Internet access, the Seagate Wireless Plus creates its own wireless network, allowing you to connect the drive to your device, enabling access to all your files. With 1TB of storage, there’s virtually no limit to what you can put on the drive, from HD videos and full music libraries to photo collections and more. With free apps for both iOS and Android, connectivity is only an app store visit away. Connectivity through a computer’s browser allows additional access points and simplifies uploading files to the Wireless Plus.

Read more: Seagate Wireless Plus Storage for Android, iPhone and iPad @ MEGATech

Seagate's Laptop Thin SSHD 500GB hybrid drive reviewed @ The Tech Report

Seagate's latest hybrid drive combines a thin 7-mm form factor with high-density mechanical storage and dual-mode NAND. This so-called SSHD is Seagate's first to be capable of caching both read and write requests, and we've taken a closer look at how it measures up.

Read more: Seagate's Laptop Thin SSHD 500GB hybrid drive reviewed @ The Tech Report

Seagate Constellation ES.3 4TB Hard Drive Review @ Hardware Canucks

One of the best known and respected manufacturers of enterprise grade storage hard drive is Seagate. They not only helped create this marketplace but have kept their prominent position via timely new releases which set the standard, routinely outpacing their competitors.. The latest addition to Seagate’s enterprise storage division is a series of seemingly benign 7200 RPM drives dubbed the Constellation ES.3 series which are available in capacities up to the 4TB SAS version we’re reviewing today. Also take note that Seagate has recently simplified their nomenclature, leading to this drive being called the "Enterprise Capacity 3.5 HDD V.3".

The ES.3 series’ goals aren’t solely focused upon performance but rather they’re designed to deliver a combination of elements specifically targeted towards the enterprise market. Longevity, efficiency and data retention capabilities have all been fine tuned in an effort to outstrip the offerings from the likes of Hitachi, Western Digital and others. Remember, efficiency may not matter when one, two or three drives are being used in parallel but when running arrays of several dozen HDDs, power savings really begin to pile up.

Read more: Seagate Constellation ES.3 4TB Hard Drive Review @ Hardware Canucks

Noctua 140mm/150mm Case Fan Roundup Review @ OCC

Keep in mind that while the test results aren't overwhelmingly spectacular, consumers are offered more options depending on what they're looking for. The Noctua NF-P14 was a "convertible" fan. It had 120mm hole spacings with 140mm extensions with a round frame, so it could fit 120mm or 140mm mounts However, like a real convertible with the top down, it's a bit louder. Round framed fans in general perform much better on air cooling radiators, but square framed fans in general perform better on watercooling radiators. Thus, you now have the option to choose between a variety of 140mm (and 150mm) fans from Noctua. Whether you're looking for the most optimal silent solution with the NF-A14 ULN, or a quieter replacement to the NF-P14 with the NF-A14 FLX that still does a great job with the U.L.N.A. adapter. The NF-P14 is still a solid performer and the NF-A15 PWM is a great replacement for 120mm fans where size isn't a factor. Decisions, decisions!

Read more: Noctua 140mm/150mm Case Fan Roundup Review @ OCC

EonNAS 850X NAS Network Storage Server @ Benchmark Reviews

All digital storage technologies: CD, DVD, Blu-ray, HDD, SSD, NAND, are susceptible to data rot. Just ask the multimedia giant Pixar, who watched dozens of critical files disappear before their eyes during the production of the movie "Toy Story". Oh, and their backup process had failed, in the background... NASA has already lost data from its moon missions, the same way. Modern hard drives are remarkably reliable devices, but most have an average uncorrectable read error rate of 10^14. Statistically, that means one read failure for every 12TB of data. The drive doesn't "crash"; it just gives you corrupted data every now and then. Benchmark Reviews recently highlighted the reliability issues that SSD users are experiencing, and although the failure modes for those devices usually produce what is known as a "brick", the large number of flash memory failures in these devices has been an eye-opening experience for consumers. We can instinctively comprehend how a hard drive crashes, but we're not so clear on how electrons disappear.

Fortunately, the people who create, deploy, and maintain large data centers have been aware of this issue for a long time, and they prompted device manufacturers to devise ways of dealing with it. Now, for the first time, those techniques are being made available to the general consumer, with some innovative new products from Infortrend. The key to maintaining a consistently high level of data integrity is found in the ZFS file system employed in the EonNAS Pro series. ZFS features an extensive hierarchical checksum strategy, which eliminates what is often called "silent" data corruption with self-healing storage algorithms. Operating way down at the file system level, ZFS attacks data rot where it starts, at the bit, byte, and block level.

Read more: EonNAS 850X NAS Network Storage Server @ Benchmark Reviews

Pivos Xios DS Media Player Review @ Hi Tech Legion

These kind of draconian restrictions are ridiculous and counter to the spirit of today’s multimedia accessibility. For that price, I would also be better off purchasing a current generation media player that not only will give me superior wireless-N functionality but also provide a host of features that are not available on my smart TV. Pivos, as one of the world’s leading media peripheral manufacturers, has smart TV companion solutions that will fit my price range, including their new Android-based media player: Xios DS.

Read more: Pivos Xios DS Media Player Review @ Hi Tech Legion

AMD Releases Open-Source UVD Video Support @ Phoronix

Within the next few hours AMD will be publishing open-source driver code that exposes their Unified Video Decoder (UVD) engine on modern Radeon HD graphics cards. This will finally allow open-source graphics drivers to take advantage of hardware-accelerated video decoding. Read more details in this Phoronix exclusive.

For many years, AMD Linux users have wanted open-source UVD/video-acceleration support to go along with their open-source OpenGL driver. However, it never came until now -- many years after UVD first arrived back in the ATI days. The official reasoning for years was that it's complicated to get any public documentation or open-source code since documenting UVD/UVD2 in the public domain could potentially compromise the Digital Rights Management abilities of their Catalyst driver on other operating systems. Obviously it's in AMD's best business interest to cater towards the much larger Windows market where Digital Rights Management for protected video content is critical, so it's been a sticky and drawn out situation getting open-source UVD support.

Read more: AMD Releases Open-Source UVD Video Support @ Phoronix

Samsung XE500T1C Tablet @ DreamWare Computers

With the XE500T1C you don't need to have a laptop for your desk and a tablet for on the go. The XE500T1C is a tablet with a nice big 11.6” HD LED display for on the go, and when you need to get some serious work done at the comfort of a desk then you can dock it into a comfortable (and locking) keyboard and trackpad dock. Ready to travel? The dock locks safely onto the tablet and can be collapsed just like a laptop!

Read more: Samsung XE500T1C Tablet @ DreamWare Computers