Here today's reviews and articles, including Intel SSD 525 Review (240GB Review, MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review, Creative Sound Blaster Z Sound Card, WD My Net N900 Central Router Review, and Best CPU Cooler Roundup Review Feat. Corsair, Cooler Master, Noctua, Phanteks, Zalman



Intel SSD 525 Review (240GB) @ Anandtech

The mSATA SSD space has been heating up over the past year as Ultrabooks and other small form factor devices like Intels NUC have continued to grow in popularity. While mostly a placeholder until M.2 (formerly NGFF) SSDs show up on the market, mSATA drives are currently the only solution if you need a standardized small form factor 6Gbps SATA SSD. Due to physical limitations, the largest mSATA SSDs on the market today are still 240/256GB as theres only room for 4 NAND packages (8 x 8GB die per package). The transition to 128Gbit NAND die will double this to 480/512GB so Id expect that limit to be broken in the next quarter or two. Although there are capacity limitations, there are no real performance limitations to delivering an mSATA SSD. As we found in our review of Microns mSATA C400, you can deliver the same performance as a 2.5 SSD in the mSATA form factor. Its a pretty amazing thing to think about. You get more performance out of a tiny mSATA SSD than out of a stack of 10K RPM hard drives. Intel has been dabbling in the mSATA space for a while now. Until Monday the fastest mSATA SSD Intel made was based on Intels first controller technology, but earlier this week that all changed with the announcement of the Intel SSD 525. Read on for our full review of the 525!

Read more: Intel SSD 525 Review (240GB) @ Anandtech

MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review @ Techspot

Some time ago I had the opportunity to look at Maingear’s Titan 17 notebook, a system described as a high performance desktop replacement by the boutique PC builder. The portable certainly lived up to the hype as it decimated every benchmark we threw at it, chewing through games on its way to earning the title of the most powerful notebook we had ever reviewed.

The harsh reality, however, is that most people can’t afford to spend a few thousand on a notebook computer, even if it's on a solid gaming machine that doubles as a desktop replacement. To that end, today we'll be checking out a portable from MSI that aims to deliver a similarly solid gaming experience without breaking the bank.

Read more: MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review @ Techspot

Toshiba Satellite U945-S4390 Review @ TechReviewSource.com

The Toshiba Satellite U945-S4390 is a decent choice for anyone in the market for a reasonably priced Windows 8-equipped ultrabook. It doesn't shirk on overall performance or useful features like USB 3.0 connectivity, Intel's Wireless Display technology, and a full-size HDMI port. One noticeable flaw, however, is its lack of a touch screen, but it's still worth checking out.

Read more: Toshiba Satellite U945-S4390 Review @ TechReviewSource.com

Creative Sound Blaster Z Sound Card @ techPowerUp

Creative's long awaited new line of sound cards is here. Today, we take a thorough look at the new entry-level model called "Sound Blaster Z". The sound card comes equipped with the new Sound Core processor and Creative even bundles it with a decent microphone.

Read more: Creative Sound Blaster Z Sound Card @ techPowerUp

SteelSeries Flux Headset Review @ Hardware Secrets

With the cellphone being more and more a platform for digital entertainment (games and multimedia), it's just natural that the user would want a headset that is fit for gaming in a classic desktop/laptop configuration and also good for listening to music and making calls on a mobile device. Flux, the portable model from SteelSeries, is an answer to all those needs. It also features heavy rubber cables that don't tangle up, plus literally over a thousand choices of customization. The product is sold in a regular version as well as a luxury edition, with some accessories. We received the luxury edition for our test, but first we are going to review the headset itself, and then proceed to analyze its accessories and performance.

Read more: SteelSeries Flux Headset Review @ Hardware Secrets

WD My Net N900 Central Router Review @ ThinkComputers.org

There was a time when a wireless router did little more than, well, route. It took bits from the airwaves and put them on a wire, destined for the Internet or perhaps the local network. As the technology matured, product designers started adding things. At first, it was software like firewalls, quality of service controls, and port tunneling and forwarding controls. Then came the advanced things such as VPN and jffs-based file storage – sufficient for a small, static HTML site stored on a cordoned-off part of the routerâ€s unused flash ROM. Then came the hardware changes, most relevant to this review being the advent of USB ports. This opened a whole new world of possibilities, generally USB Mass Storage devices and printers. Then Western Digital joined the fray. It added a hard drive to the router. Thus, we have the My Net N900 Central, a 450Mbps x2 high-end wireless router ready act not only as a shuffler of bits, but also as a storer of bits; a router and simple NAS all in one compact device.

Read more: WD My Net N900 Central Router Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Corsair H80i & H100i Review @ Hardware Canucks

All in one water coolers have rapidly been gaining popularity due to a number of factors. They are supposed to offer ease of installation coupled with cooling performance that should easily overcome air-based solutions. Unfortunately, that combination has rarely happened but Corsair's Hydro series have continually led the market from nearly every angle.

Very recently we witnessed first hand the performance enhancements Corsair's latest generation H60 brought to the table. The H60 2.0 was not only able to offer better cooling performance than previous iterations, but also had a straightforward installation procedure. However, the lack of fine grain control over the excellent stock fan coupled with the realities of relying upon a single height, standard thickness radiator did leave us wanting even more in the performance department.

Read more: Corsair H80i & H100i Review @ Hardware Canucks

Thermaltake Level 10M Gaming Mouse Review @ Hi Tech Legion

In computing terms, we have software tools as well as hardware tools. The hardware that we use all the time consists of our mouse and keyboard. There has been a lot of focus on mechanical keyboards to optimize the experience of gaming and typing on a machine, but what about the mouse? Many people jump on getting a quality keyboard first, but the mouse is just as important. Finding the right fit for your hand size, grip style, and the aesthetic look that you prefer can be a challenging experience. One thing seems to hold true for mouse designers, customizability is a key feature.

The Thermaltake Level 10M gaming mouse is designed as a partnership with DesignWorksUSA, a subsidiary of the BMW Group and Thermaltake. The idea behind the Level 10 series of components is to instill a sense of power from both the looks and functionality. Thermaltake added the Level 10M gaming mouse to the series, focusing on enthusiasts and e-sports. The Level 10M gaming mouse features an eye pleasing non-slip rubberized finish in Diamond Black, Iron White, Military Green, and Blazing Red. It has a total of seven buttons with a total of 11 programmable macros. Lighting effects are present with seven color choices to fit your mood. The Lvl 10M is built using a high sensitivity laser sensor that can have the sensitivity adjusted up to 8200dpi. The buttons, dpi settings, and lighting effects are all customizable using the included software.

Read more: Thermaltake Level 10M Gaming Mouse Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 Gaming Keyboard Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Today we will be taking Mad Catz new gaming keyboard, the S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 through its paces. The S.T.R.I.K.E. 7, like previous products from Mad Catz, such as the R.A.T. mice is a heavily customisable product that incorporates a touch screen display along with the more standard QWERTY keyboard we would expect.

Read more: Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 Gaming Keyboard Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Best CPU Cooler Roundup Review Feat. Corsair, Cooler Master, Noctua, Phanteks, Zalman @ Custom PC Review

Up until the release of Sandy Bridge processors back in early 2011, overclocking was something generally reserved for only the most hardcore gamers and enthusiasts who wanted to push their systems to the limits. Overclocking required countless hours of tinkering and testing, which was generally a bit too complicated for mainstream users.

With the release of Sandy Bridge however, the landscape of overclocking has really changed dramatically. Significant overclocks may now be had with simple motherboard overclocking buttons or 5 minute adjustments in the BIOS, which greatly simplified the once complicated and confusing task.

With overclocking however, there is one inescapable problem – heat. Unfortunately as voltages on processors are bumped up above original specifications, these powerful processors begin to get hot which tends to create instability issues or may damage the processors in the long term. To solve this issue, aftermarket CPU cooling solutions must be used which is why today we’ll be reviewing five of the top CPU coolers on the market.

Read more: Best CPU Cooler Roundup Review Feat. Corsair, Cooler Master, Noctua, Phanteks, Zalman @ Custom PC Review

Cooler Master Seidon 120M Liquid CPU Cooler Review (inc. Dual Fan Performance 2x Noctua NF-F12) @ KitGuru

Aiming to stamp their authority in a rapidly-growing market, the trio of ‘Seidon’ units represents Cooler Master’s first range of globally-available, new-generation all-in-one liquid CPU coolers. Can the mid-range Seidon 120M prove itself as a viable competitor to the likes of Corsair’s H60 and Antec’s Kuhler 620?

Read more: Cooler Master Seidon 120M Liquid CPU Cooler Review (inc. Dual Fan Performance 2x Noctua NF-F12) @ KitGuru