Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

ASUS Echelon Keyboard Review
be quiet! Straight Power 10 CM 800 W
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2666MHZ 16GB Quad Channel Memory Kit
DeepCool GamerStorm GF120 Review
Deepcool GF120 Cooling Fan Review
Fractal Core 3300 ATX Mid Tower Case Review
How To Install OS X Yosemite & Save The Installer
iPhone 6 Plus vs Note 4
Low-cost CPU Duel: Sempron 2650 vs. Celeron J1800 Review
OCUK Cherry MX Keycaps and Rubber O-Ring Mod Review
Preview: ASUS G751 Gaming Notebook Powered By NVIDIA's Maxwell Mobile GeForce GTX 980M Rips Through Benchmarks
SanDisk Extreme Pro 480GB Solid State Drive Review
Small Form Factor the new world order
Sony QX30 Review
Ten years of Ubuntu: How Linux’s beloved newcomer became its criticized king
Tt eSPORTS Captain Dracco Gaming Headset Review
Ubuntu 14.10 XMir System Compositor Benchmarks

ASUS Echelon Keyboard Review

ASUS are perhaps more widely known for their commitment in the components sector but as with most other brands nowadays they have branched out into other departments in a bid to equip both the enthusiast and gamer with ASUS-specific products. Although ASUS now has their STRIX/ROG brands for all things peripheral related, prior to this ASUS used their Echelon brand to introduce a range of gaming peripherals and today we’re to take a look at once such product.

The Echelon is a mechanical gaming keyboard which uses Cherry MX black switches. It also comes with LED backlit keys which offer up to four levels of brightness. We’ve reviewed a number of mechanical keyboards recently, can Echelon match their quality/features?

Read full article @ Vortez

be quiet! Straight Power 10 CM 800 W

Be quiet! is well known for their low-noise products. Today we will test a member of their fresh Straight Power 10 series. It is nearly inaudible thanks to its SilentWings fan, can deliver up to 800 W of power, and features a semi-modular cabling design in which only the main ATX cable is fixed.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2666MHZ 16GB Quad Channel Memory Kit

Corsair has been a long known player in the memory game and even after branching out into many other products they still deliver some great memory products very consistently

Now that we have come upon DDR4 Corsair was the first to get us some hands on time with DIMMS in the kit you see in front of you today. This kit is one of Corsairs newest Vengeance LPX models which is actually the companies mainstream line with Dominator platinums to service the high-end enthusiasts crowd. DDR4 has JEDEC or default speeds of 2133 so to see that Corsair is planning to release 2666MHz (Which is the kit we have today) as their minimum per their FAQ statement says a lot about their ambition to really push the performance on the new platform.

Read full article @ Bjorn3D

DeepCool GamerStorm GF120 Review

Deepcool has been introducing coolers, cases and fans nonstop. Now in Deepcool’s new Gamer Storm brand they bring us a whole new generation of fannage; the Deepcool GF120. It has an MSRP of $19.99/€19.99 but is it worth such a cost?

The Deepcool Gamer Storm GF120 is a 120mm PWM fan with a nine-bladed removable impeller. Despite the impeller being removable, the GF120 is waterproof, dust-proof and proof against oil leakage. The GF120 comes with a speed-reducing adapter and a set of four vibration isolators. The retail box and interior packing are cardboard, and fully recyclable.

Read full article @ Vortez

Deepcool GF120 Cooling Fan Review

Many people hear the phrase "the bigger, the better" thrown around quite a bit, but is it true in all scenarios? On the contrary, sometimes, "big things come in small packages." Which phrase would be deemed true? Many people would give the usual answer, "Well, it depends on the situation or scenario." Here at APH Networks, we have reviewed quite a number of fans, ranging from as small as 80mm to as large as 180mm, each having their merits and cons. Depending on the user's preference when custom building a computer, the design of a fan, whether it is its size, build quality, or other features are very important factors to consider to build a perfect system. Generally speaking, larger fans are able to move more air, and are quieter at a given speed compared to a smaller fan. However, motor build quality, fan blade design, and vibration dampening features may also affect the amount of air moved and noise levels. What we have here today is a 120mm fan from Deepcool, namely the GF120. Looking at the specifications list, it is able to deliver low and high rotational speeds, ranging from 500rpm to 1800rpm, with a soft rubberized cover for vibration dampening to boot. Will the Deepcool GF120 be the next best fan in the market for consumers and enthusiasts alike? We have cracked open a unit today to find out.

Read full article @ APH Networks

Fractal Core 3300 ATX Mid Tower Case Review

Sometime you just want a case that fits your needs that has a few extra touches and that it just simply works. Not everyone likes the big and flashy cases and with the trend going back towards the mid tower or smaller case you might find the Core 3300 to your liking.

Read full article @ Modders-Inc

How To Install OS X Yosemite & Save The Installer

Hot on the heels of iOS 8 and a couple of new iPhones comes Apples latest release of OS X 10.10, codename Yosemite. As if that wasnt enough, the company has also rewritten Christmas lists around the world by refreshing its iPad and iMac range too. OS X 10.10 Yosemite is free, comes with a brand new look, and is packed with features and security improvements over its predecessor, Mavericks. Heres how to install it right now, as well as a look at the latest changes in Cupertinos hardware line-up. OS X Yosemite Released Weve taken a look at why you should be salivating at the thought of Apples latest version...

Read full article @ MakeUseOf

iPhone 6 Plus vs Note 4

We check whether Apple's or Samsung's plus-sized smartphone has the best specs

Read full article @ V3

Low-cost CPU Duel: Sempron 2650 vs. Celeron J1800 Review

Both AMD and Intel recently released new families of low cost, low TDP desktop CPUs. AMD launched the AM1 platform with Sempron and Athlon "Kabini" processors, while Intel released the "Bay Trail-D" Celeron and Pentium CPUs, recognizable by the use of the letter "J" on the model naming. Among the lowest-end models of each family are, respectively, the AMD Sempron 2650, and the Intel Celeron J1800. Let's compare the performance of those CPUs and discover which one is the best buy in the low-end market segment.

Read full article @ Hardware Secrets

OCUK Cherry MX Keycaps and Rubber O-Ring Mod Review

Mechanical keyboards offer incredible performance and durability compared to membrane switch keyboards, and they’re loved by gamers and day-to-day PC users alike for their unique tactile feel. There’s more to your typical mechanical keyboard than just the feel and the sound of the switches, you can choose the type of switches you want in your keyboard, such as Cherry MX Blue, Brown, Black, Red, Green and of course the mechanical switches from competing brands such as Kailh. There are a lot of MX compatible keyboards that allow you to remove the key caps and replace them with aftermarket ones, and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing today.

Mechanical keyboards do have one downside vs a membrane switch, plunger or even scissor switch keys, in that they’re often louder, this can be a big distraction for some and while the noise levels vary from one switch type to the other, mechanical switches are almost always noisier than membrane keyboards. There is a solution to this problem, known as O-Ring modding, which is something I’ve known about for a while, but never really had the opportunity to put to the test; until today. So while I’ll be replacing the key caps on my keyboard today, I’ll also be installing a range of O-Ring mods to test how they can effect the overall acoustic performance of my keyboard.

For those of you who don’t know what O-Ring mods are, they’re simply little rubber hoops that can be put onto the stem on the inside of a mechanical keyboard key cap, this prevents the key from bottoming out (hitting the chassis of the keyboard or the switch) and as such, they can massively reduce the acoustic levels of your typing.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Preview: ASUS G751 Gaming Notebook Powered By NVIDIA's Maxwell Mobile GeForce GTX 980M Rips Through Benchmarks

ASUS quickly saw the benefits of NVIDIA's Maxwell mobile GPU and obviously had an early lead in engineering a new gaming notebook that employs NVIDIA's fastest mobile graphics core currently, known as the GeForce GTX 980M. In a revamp of their G750 series of ROG gaming notebooks, ASUS has jumped out of the gate first with Maxwell and their new G751 follow-on -- a 17-inch, big, bad and yes, beautiful flat black and red dragster-of-a DTR notebook.

We're preparing our full review with detailed analysis but we took the machine for an early spin on YouTube to show folks what it's made of and how it handles in the corners and on the straights.

Strap in, hit play and have a look...

Read full article @ HotHardware

SanDisk Extreme Pro 480GB Solid State Drive Review

SanDisk is one of the oldest names in flash storage, they actually developed the first flash based SSD more than 20 years ago. Today I have the pleasure of having their Extreme PRO 480GB drive on the test bench, their newest SSD flagship for the consumer market.

This is not a drive that needs to hide anything when it comes to its specifications, as it has a lot to offer. So let’s dive right into mentioning the first thing that springs into our eyes from the packaging; the 10 Year Warranty. This really shows what trust SanDisk have in their drive, besides already calling it both Extreme and PRO, and is something not seen on any other drive in the consumer market. Yes it is true that the Samsung 850 Pro also has it, but that’s really another market segment alltogether and they came to market with it after SanDisk.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Small Form Factor the new world order

Those of you who come around often, will have most likely figured out that I have a thing for small form factor PCs. I have been building small PCs with big video cards for years, even before Mini-ITX became the norm. Trying to pack the fastest hardware into the smallest possible case is challenging, but also rewarding when you don’t have to break your back carrying a huge PC into LANs. I know a few of you have been catching on to this, I have been seeing LAN rigs showing up a lot on my Facebook and at the LAN. Well when Intel launched their NUC I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one, well my wife just happened to win one at a LAN. So today I’m going to check out what the NUC is all about and put it together with some cool hardware from Kingston and a Harmony Smart Keyboard from Logitech to help put it to use as an HTPC.

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

Sony QX30 Review

When Sony first introduced its concept for a lens camera, it seemed like an interesting solution to the problem of declining compact camera sales. It looks like a giant add-on lens for your smartphone, but it's actually a complete camera. The only role your smartphone plays is as an interface for controlling the camera, viewing your photos and, of course, sharing them via social media if you like. At the time Sony introduced the QX10, which had a sensor of a similar size to a standard compact camera, and the QX1, which featured the same one-inch sensor as in the RX1 premium compact camera. We can assume that the concept has proved reasonably successful for Sony, as it has now introduced two further models. The QX30 has a 30x optical zoom, as well as a sensor the size of that in a compact camera. The other new model, the Sony QX1, features a larger, APS-C sized sensor and interchangeable lenses. Sensor size explained The QX30's sensor is a 20.4 million pixel, 1/2.3 inch CMOS device. That 30x optical zoom gives an equivalent 35mm focal length of 24-750mm, which gives your smartphone (or tablet) much more flexibility than its built-in single focal length device. Also featured is a Bionz X processor, the same chip as found in the company's top of the line cameras, including the A7 full-frame compact system camera. This should mean that it has fast processing speeds and is capable of producing low-noise images in low-light shooting scenarios, though small sensors like this are more noisy in the first place.

Read full article @ Techradar

Ten years of Ubuntu: How Linux’s beloved newcomer became its criticized king

Ars looks back at the decade in Ubuntu, from Warty Warthog to 25 million users worldwide.

Read full article @ ArsTechnica

Tt eSPORTS Captain Dracco Gaming Headset Review

Tt eSPORTS, Thermaltake’s gaming brand has really set themselves up as a leader in the gaming space. They make some of the best gaming headsets, keyboards, mice and other gaming accessories. With this they have teamed up and collaborated with pro gamers to create some of their products. Aleksey “White-Ra” Krupnyk is one such pro gamers and we have already seen the Tt eSPORTS Saphira gaming mouse that he helped create. Now it is time for a headset, the Tt eSPORTS Captain Dracco. The stereo headset features 50 nm drivers, a long bendable microphone, a comfortable around-the-head design and of course Tt eSPORTS styling. Will this be your next gaming headset? Read on as we find out...

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Ubuntu 14.10 XMir System Compositor Benchmarks

With Ubuntu 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" due for release today, here's some benchmarks showing how the standard Unity 7 desktop on Ubuntu 14.10 is comparing to the still-experimental Unity System Compositor and using XMir for running traditional Linux OpenGL games.

Read full article @ Phoronix