Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

Amazon returns 20 percent of GTX 970 price
AMD at ISSCC 2015: Carrizo and Excavator Details
AMD Carrizo APU Preview; Efficiency Forward
ASUSTOR AS7010T NAS Server Review
Cooler Master Nepton 240M Closed Loop Water Cooler Review
Corsair H110i GT Liquid CPU Cooler Review
Cougar 200K gaming keyboard Review
COUGAR 600K Mechanical Keyboard Review
Cougar 700K Mechanical Keyboard & 700M Gaming Mouse Review
Gigabyte revision issue: new developments, yet no official response
Guru3D Rig of the Month - February 2015
Inateck BTSP-10 Plus Bluetooth Speaker Review
Intel NUC NUC5i5RYK Running HyperX Impact 1600MHz & 1866MHz
Lenovo B50 All-In-One 23-Inch Multi-Touch Desktop PC Review
Mac OS X And iOS Top Report Of Most Vulnerable Operating Systems
Reeven Justice (RC-1204) CPU Cooler Review
Shuttle releases Broadwell-based fanless SFF box
Thermalright Silver Arrow ITX
TP-Link Archer C9 Review
Vivitek Qumi Q5-RD Review

Amazon returns 20 percent of GTX 970 price

A lot of users made a big deal about the fact that Geforce GTX 970 has 3.5 GB fast memory and 0.5 GB slow memory, which resulted in false advertising claims.
One of the end users went to Amazon and complained to the company about the card claiming the false advertising. The card was sold as 4GB and the Amazon Prime customer claimed that this is a 3.5 + 0.5GB card.
It was a small victory for "thomas" as Amazon decided to refund 20 percent of the price and he managed to keep the card. to mark his own words he "cannot go without a GPU".
Nvidia is also facing a class action lawsuit as a few angry customers are going against Gigabyte and Nvidia making its case against the fact that Nvidia advertised the card as GeForce GTX 970 with 4GB of RAM, 64 ROPs, and 2048 KB of L2 Cache. In reality, the GTX 970 has 56 ROPs and 1792KB of L2 Cache as well as 3.5GB fast memory and 0.5 GB slower memory.
It all started with Ryan Smith at Anandtech, who penned an in-depth article about the card and proved that the specification advertised by Nvidia was a bit off.

Read full article @ Fudzilla

AMD at ISSCC 2015: Carrizo and Excavator Details

AMD is using the International Solid-State Circuits Conference this week to present a paper and announce some interesting developments regarding the next iteration of the Bulldozer architecture, codenamed ‘Excavator’, as well as other details regarding the CPU range that it will be placed in called ‘Carrizo’.

At the tail end of 2014 we reported on Carrizo and AMD’s announcement for its next generation of APUs, and more recently the discussion surrounding Carrizo not coming to desktop. In those announcements AMD revealed that Carrizo will be aimed at the laptop and notebook community first and foremost, a first for the company as previous APU designs have been aimed at both the desktop and mobile markets.

From a hardware standpoint, Carrizo will be combining a number of Excavator modules, AMD’s R-Series GCN GPUs, and the chipset/Fusion Controller Hub into a single package, bringing with it full HSA compatibility, TrueAudio, and ARM Trustzone compatibility. As with Kaveri before it, Carrizo will be built on Global Foundries’ 28nm Super High Performance (28SHP) node, making Carrizo a pure architecture upgrade without any manufacturing changes. Today’s ISSCC paper in turn builds on these revelations, showing some of the data from AMD’s internal silicon testing.

Read full article @ Anandtech

AMD Carrizo APU Preview; Efficiency Forward

Unlike Kaveri, Richland and Trinity, Carrizo represents a significant departure from the way AMD used to design APUs. In many ways it is a ground-up redesign that is supposed to boost overall APU efficiency while also helping AMD’s bottom line by leveraging existing technologies to achieve design goals normally set aside for drastic manufacturing process shrinks. Carrizo and the improvements built into its silicon can be considered the first phase in AMD’s goal of achieving a 25x improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.

While there’s only a minimal of details about what makes Carrizo tick (we’ll get into a few of those below), we do know these new APUs will be available in two different segments. The standard performance-oriented processors are the subject of this article and will effectively replace Kaveri in the second half of this year, the Carrizo-L series will take over from Beema in low voltage scenarios. Both will share the same socket infrastructure even though Carrizo-L utilizes an updated version of the Puma architecture while Carrizo packs new Excavator x86 processing cores. Meanwhile, Mullins will be left to fend for itself in the ultra low voltage segment.

Read full article @ Hardware Canucks

ASUSTOR AS7010T NAS Server Review

Network attached storage devices (or servers as we like to call them) have gained popularity not only because of their affordable prices and compact size but also because of their low electricity requirements and out of the box use thanks to their user friendly operating systems and list of available and absolutely free to use applications. Because of that we've been doing our best to keep up with the all the NAS servers introduced in the market almost on a monthly basis but in the end that number is so large that it makes it extremely hard for us to cover every single user out there from home and office and up to small business and enterprise ones. Still we always do our best so since last time we had a rather entry/mid-level NAS model by QNAP today we'll be taking a look at something aimed much higher towards small businesses and enterprises, the latest AS7010T NAS Server by our friends over at ASUSTOR.

Founded in 2011, ASUSTOR Inc., a subsidiary of ASUSTeK Computer Inc., is a leading innovator and provider of private cloud storage (network attached storage) and video surveillance (network video recorder) solutions. ASUSTOR is devoted to providing the world with unparalleled user experiences and the most complete set of network storage solutions possible.

As the name suggests the AS7010T is the larger brother of the very good AS7004T so aside the fact that it has room for up to 10 2.5/3.5" SATA III drives it features the same Intel Core i3-4330 CPU running at 3.5GHz (the Mesa DRI Intel(R) Haswell Desktop with OpenGL version 3.0 and Mesa version 10.0.0 take care of the video end) along with 2GB of SO-DIMM DDR3 RAM (expandable up to 16GB). Things are also identical in terms of connectivity since we also have 3 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 eSATA ports, HDMI v1.4a output, optical S/PDIF audio output and two Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet ports. 4k playback (max resolution of 2160p) is also a great feature of the AS7010T just like with the AS7004T and although as I’ve mentioned numerous times in the past it will be quite a while before such content becomes widely available still there's nothing wrong with investing in getting a unit that supports it especially if you don't plan on changing it anytime soon. So let's move forward and see what the desktop flagship NAS server by ASUSTOR is capable of.

Read full article @ NikKTech

Cooler Master Nepton 240M Closed Loop Water Cooler Review

In this day and age, the capability of computers and software design tools producing high quality visual effects are exponentially becoming more prominent. In addition, performance-driven hardware are also produced to be able to support the output of high end visuals. Such examples include the release of full HD, and subsequently, UHD or 4K videos with respective compatible (U)HDTVs and the likes. By this logic, one may assume that with each incremental increase in performance, we would expect that their respective hardware will be working harder, and unfortunately, often comes at the expense of heat. Ultimately, this begs the question for manufacturers to consider new alternatives to cool their products without hindering its performance. First and foremost, using fans to circulate hot and cold air is one of the easiest and cheapest forms for such a concept. With technology progressing at such an exponential rate, we quickly arrive at the solution of using heatsinks and liquid coolants for better thermal transfer in addition the traditional fan, which conveniently leads us to the topic of discussion for today. What we have at our APH Networks headquarters is yet another closed loop liquid cooling product designed for cooling CPUs: The Cooler Master Nepton 240M. Not too long ago, we have reviewed the Cooler Master Nepton 280L by Yours Truly, and found it holds up quite well, even for the high end CPUs. The Nepton 240M, as its name suggests, features a smaller radiator, but with other minor improved features over its predecessor. Will the Nepton 240M be just as great as the Nepton 280L? We cracked opened the box upon arrival to find out just that.

Read full article @ APH Networks

Corsair H110i GT Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Corsair has been selling all in one liquid coolers since these coolers first started hitting the market. In fact without them it’s possible this category would never have gotten off the ground. With such a broad line of AIO coolers keeping them busy, it’s been some time now since Corsair has made an addition to their 280mm category. Today we’re going to be taking a close look at the H110i GT. This dual 140mm unit boasts some fresh aesthetic designs as well as some really cool new technology. Follow along as we find out if this GT reboot is really a luxurious high performance cooler worthy of the GT moniker or just another AIO with a fancy looking name.

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Cougar 200K gaming keyboard Review

Mechanical switches are not the only option available for the enthusiast user. Along with the traditional membrane keyboard that everyone graduates from at some point, there is the middle ground. The scissor key, (which is used in almost all laptops due to how low profile it can be), offers an improved experience over a membrane board by shortening the travel distance of the key with a scissor like design. This is what Cougar has opted for with its 200K keyboard. It is built with gamers in mind, but is it any good?

Read full article @ KitGuru

COUGAR 600K Mechanical Keyboard Review

A while back I wrote an article about my switch to the world of mechanical keyboards for PC gaming. I liked what the mechanical keyboard had to offer, and definitely found more value in them over membrane keyboards with excessive features crammed in. We're almost a year on from that article, and it's now time to take a look around at what other keyboards are out there.

COUGAR first intrigued me with the announcement of their 600k, a simplified version of the popular 700k gaming keyboard. The 600k was to sport the same quality of construction, but eschew most of the additional function keys of the 700k. Seeing as I'm an FPS player, and can't remember the last time I used a macro, I definitely wanted to take a look at the COUGAR 600k.

Read full article @ Futurelooks

Cougar 700K Mechanical Keyboard & 700M Gaming Mouse Review

Cougar was founded in Germany over seven years ago, with an initial focus on computer power supplies and cases. More recently, the company has diversified into the gaming peripherals market and today we have a combo review of the 700K and the 700M, their best mechanical keyboard and gaming mouse, respectively. We all know that this market segment is saturated, so what new do these products bring? Read on to find out.

Read full article @ Anandtech

Gigabyte revision issue: new developments, yet no official response

In late December, we posted an article on Hardware.Info in which we detailed how motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte develops newer revisions of existing motherboards that offer less functionality and/or worse performance, despite being sold using the exact same product codes and EAN codes (bar codes). Because we live in a world where orders between webshops, distributors, importers, and manufacturers are automatically linked, this might very well result in you receiving a product that's different...

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

Guru3D Rig of the Month - February 2015

We just adore hardware. And sometimes some you guys really make a PC that really stands out. We ask you to answer a few simple questions and send in photo's of your rig. Each month we'll have a look at the entries and perhaps pick you and post your PC with photo's and everything here at Guru3D.com Here you can find out what you need to do and win a nice prize package courtesy of Corsair.

Read full article @ Guru3D

Inateck BTSP-10 Plus Bluetooth Speaker Review

If you want an awesome speaker that is simple to use and provides excellent sound and clarity of sound, the Inateck BTSP-10 Plus Bluetooth Speaker is hard to pass up.

Read full article @ WinSuperSite

Intel NUC NUC5i5RYK Running HyperX Impact 1600MHz & 1866MHz

Earlier this month when we published our review on the Intel NUC NUC5i5RYK we tested using a 1600MHz DDR3L 1.35V memory kit. We found the new Intel Core i5-5250U Broadwell-U processor was a very capable processor with a standard 1600MHz kit, but a number of readers were quick to ask about the performance gains that could be gained from using faster clocked memory. It turns out that right now there is no price difference between a Kingston HyperX Impact Black 8GB 1600MHz CL9 memory kit versus a Kingston HyperX Impact Black 8GB 1866MHz CL10 memory kit. Since both DDR3L SODIMM kits are the same price we have a feeling that most people are going to want to go with the 1866MHz kit despite the slightly looser CL10 timings. Read on to see how the NUC performs with both 1600MHz and 1866MHz memory kits!

Read full article @ Legit Reviews

Lenovo B50 All-In-One 23-Inch Multi-Touch Desktop PC Review

All in one systems are all about balance. Attempting to cram an entire PC’s worth of components into the back of what amounts to a slightly wider-than-normal display can be an iffy proposition. Pare down the specifications too much and you wind up with a limp machine that’s obsolete by the time you get it. Jam in too many high-performance components and the price skyrockets to a point that you wonder if a different form factor might have been a better option, not to mention the additional thermal and acoustic concerns.

Lenovo’s B Series all in one systems are decidedly mid-range in both name and performance. You can opt for the low end in the C Series, which come with either a Celeron or Core i5 CPU. Or you can jump to the front of the pack with the A Series, which leads the way with more powerful components, including a 2.8GHz Core i7 CPU and a 27-inch screen. The B Series is situated right in the middle of the two...

http://hothardware.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=efc4c507c2cf964fc2462caca&id=7dee26126f&e=0c004f9c13]Read full article @ HotHardware.com[/url]

Mac OS X And iOS Top Report Of Most Vulnerable Operating Systems

Conventional wisdom in years past was that hackers didn't bother to exploit Apple's OS X operating system because its relatively insignificant market share didn't warrant wasting resources to attack it. The reasoning was, why bother with OS X when Windows was pushing over 90 percent of the worldwide OS market? However, in recent years, Apple has seen an uptick and now pretty much dominates, when it comes to notebooks priced over $1,000.

The higher sales profile for Macs running OS X also means more attention from hackers and malware.

In fact, a new report shows that both of Apple's major operating systems sat atop the leaderboard when it came to the number of security vulnerabilities during 2014...

http://hothardware.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=efc4c507c2cf964fc2462caca&id=d7af6fd8f5&e=0c004f9c13]Read full article @ HotHardware[/url]

Reeven Justice (RC-1204) CPU Cooler Review

Reeven are still a fairly new company based in Asia that focus on cooling products and also fan controllers. It’s hard to find any Reeven products in the UK as they don’t seem to have any resellers over here, which is a real shame. The products really do look very nice and I think there is certainly a place for them here. It’s been a while since we have had any products from Reeven, almost 2 years, so it’s great to finally get some more to put on our bench and see how the company is evolving and expanding. We have been sent 3 of the latest coolers to come from them and we are going to look at the first one, the Reeven Justice, today.

The Justice is a mid-tier single tower CPU cooler made for 120mm fans. As you can see from the box the actual unit looks very nice, there are 6 heat pipes to take away the heat from the CPU to the tower and you also can get a sneak peak of the fan attachment clips which we will take a closer look at later. Also on the box you can see that the Reeven Justice will fit all of the popular Intel and AMD sockets.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Shuttle releases Broadwell-based fanless SFF box

The new Broadwell fifth-generation Core PC called DS57U and it also fits in the one-litre PC class. Best of all, it features a Broadwell Celeron 3205U, a dual-core with two threads clocked at 1.5GHz. It comes with a 15W TDP configurable down to 10W, which is enough for this one litre PC to remain fanless. We can imagine that it can get rather hot, but with its business-like chassis and good cooling system, it could keep going for a long time, as there are no moving parts.
Industry users love fanless PCs, as one of the most common things that break are fans, so fanless PCs promise to save money in the long run. The DS57U will not suck a lot of dust into the system and can potentially last longer, with fewer man-hours for maintenance.

Read full article @ Fudzilla

Thermalright Silver Arrow ITX

Thermalright is shaking things up with the Silver Arrow ITX. It features a tweaked design that offers better compatibility with Mini-ITX motherboards, especially the ASUS ROG line. With solid performance, exceptional style, and near-silent operation, the Silver Arrow ITX manages to hold its own against the competition.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

TP-Link Archer C9 Review

A stylish wireless AC router for speedy home networking. The TP-Link Archer C9 that we have in for testing today makes use of the AC1900 standard which entails 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 1,300Mbps on the 5GHz band. The dual-band AC1900 is only supplanted by tri-band AC2350 and AC3200 offerings that are reserved for speed-demon routers such as the ASUS RT-AC3200 and the Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200.

In practice, AC1900 is more than enough for even the most bandwidth-hungry home user and strikes up a more reasonable cost-to-performance balance. The extensive bandwidth on offer with increasingly powerful routers is squarely aimed at sizeable households with numerous devices where the additional bandwidth capability comes in useful. Most single devices, such as a laptop or tablet, cannot exploit all the available bandwidth, but add five or six devices together and the story is very different.

The TP-Link Archer C9 sports a dual-core 1GHz CPU to manage the Gigabit and WiFi processing as well as integrated functions such as traffic management and USB file-sharing. In feature terms the TP-Link Archer C9 is very similar to the ASUS RT-AC68U - the primary difference is the inclusion of two USB ports, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0, instead of a single USB 3.0 on the rival model.

Read full article @ Hexus

Vivitek Qumi Q5-RD Review

Vivitek has created a very easy-to-use, small, portable projector that is ideal for the minimalist office user or general consumer. The Qumi Q5-RD ($555, £360.88, AU$708.59) won't compete with the bigger dogs, like the Epson EX7235 Pro Projector ($599.99, £385.24, AU$738.45), or the Optima GT1080 ($1,399, £870, AU$1,600), but, if size is your only requirement, it might be a perfect choice.Unfortunately, the Qumi Q5-RD's greatest downfall is that it lacks in image quality, which should be your main concern when purchasing a projector. Specs For starters, the Qumi Q5-RD is super small and pretty light. It weighs 1.1 lbs (490 grams) and is only as big as 6.3 inches wide x 4.02 inches deep x 1.27 inches tall (160 x 102.4 x 32.3mm). The Q5-RD comes with a soft case, a remote, an HDMI cable, an MHL Cable to connect to mobile devices (specifically for an older gen iPod/iPads), a VGA Cable, and an AC Power cable. Pretty impressive for something that can fit into a briefcase. The native resolution for the Qumi Q5-RD is WXGA (1280 x 800) HD 720p and has a maximum output of UXGA (1600 x 1200) @60Hz. The image is just decent, even when set to its 500 lumens maximum. The image can also be projected as small as 1.55:1 feet (Distance/Width) and the projected image range can be expanded or contracted from 30 to 90 (0.8 to 2.3 yards).

Read full article @ Techradar