Here a roundup of the latest reviews and articles, including Nexus vs. Surface vs. iPad, Toshiba STOR.E SLIM 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Review, HIS Radeon HD 7950 HIS IceQ X2 review, New Entry Level Gaming Case from Spire and Samsung's ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T convertible tablet reviewed



Tablets of 2013: Nexus vs. Surface vs. iPad @ Techspot

The tablet market doesn’t look very different than it did a year ago from the perspective of who’s doing well and who’s not. And yet quite a bit has changed in the last twelve months. Apple is still the undisputed leader with an astounding 58 million iPads sold in 2012, but in that timeframe we’ve also seen a handful of smartphone and computer makers who dipped their toes in the market take a step to the side and reconsider their strategy.

You can count HTC and BlackBerry in that group -- neither of which has a tablet in shelves right now but have openly admitted an interest in the market. HP, on the other hand, is jumping back with an inexpensive Android device for the first time since the TouchPad / webOS fiasco. Others like Toshiba, Motorola and Lenovo have stuck around with shy efforts to remain in the game and similarly minor results.

Read more: Tablets of 2013: Nexus vs. Surface vs. iPad @ Techspot

Toshiba STOR.E SLIM 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Review @ NikKTech

As most of you know due to the somewhat recent HDD price drops and the continuous increase in storage capacity needs lately we've been focusing on storage related reviews from internal HDDs (consumer and enterprise grade) and up to external HDDs (both 3.5" and 2.5"). However it's important that don't lose sight of what's really important and that is to cover all our readers out there with our reviews and so although we've tested quite a few external 2.5" drives lately most of them were large capacity ones with rugged enclosures. Still although having an external HDD with a rugged housing is never a bad thing because of their size and design it's somewhat difficult to carry them around in your back pocket. Well luckily Toshiba has that covered with their brand new STOR.E SLIM 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive.

Read more: Toshiba STOR.E SLIM 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Review @ NikKTech

Roccat Isku FX Gaming Keyboard review @ KitGuru

Roccat have been making a name for themselves recently, releasing a series of award winning products for the gaming community. We reviewed the Kone XTD 8200 DPI mouse (http://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/mouse/luke-hill/roccat-kone-xtd-8200-dpi-gaming-mouse-review/) back in November and the Kone Pure (http://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/mouse/luke-hill/roccat-kone-pure-gaming-mouse-review-w-hiro-gaming-surface/) in December. Today we are looking at their latest Isku FX Gaming keyboard with full backlighting system.

Read more: Roccat Isku FX Gaming Keyboard review @ KitGuru

HIS Radeon HD 7950 HIS IceQ X2 review @ Guru3D

In this article we test and review the a HIS Radeon HD 7950 IceQ X² Boost Clock 3GB, this 31CM sized beast is one heck of a graphics card. Announced a while now, but finally available in the stores this card is impressive.

Custom PCB, custom cooling, it is a low noise card and a factory faster clocked card series as it clocks in at 950 MHz. Oh and in terms of tweakability, it will not disappoint either as 1100-1150 MHz is a target you can achieve without too much effort. And that brings this card close to Radeon HD 7970 regular and 7970 GHz performance. We test the product with the hottest games like Crysis 3, Battlefield 3, Sleeping Dogs, Far Cry 3, Medal of Honor Warfighter, Hitman Absolution and many more.

Now you have seen the word 'Boost' a couple of times already, but what is up with that ? Well as you guys know AMD released the 7970 GHz edition, all of the sudden it came with turbo slash boost functionality. Basically depending on power load the GPU core clock frequency can clock up and down in a dynamic fashion. The function is not new and was introduced by NVIDIA on the series 600 cards, it's the very same principle really. That means that if your graphics card is allowed to use up-to 150 Watt the core frequency will be increased up-to a certain threshold until that 150 Watt margin has been reached, that means much more flexibility and where allowed, a little performance boost.

Read more: HIS Radeon HD 7950 HIS IceQ X2 review @ Guru3D

ZOTAC ZBOX AD06 Plus @ techPowerUp

The Zotac ZBOX AD06 utilizes the newest generation of AMD APUs, while the Plus model comes fully configured with a 320 GB hard drive and pre-installed memory.

Read more: ZOTAC ZBOX AD06 Plus @ techPowerUp

Vantec NexStar WiFi Hard Drive Dock Review @ Techgage

External hard drive enclosures are a dime a dozen, but those that build in wireless functionality are not. So I had great interest when I discovered Vantec’s just-launched NexStar WiFi dock, one that supports both WiFi access and a high-performance USB 3.0 connection. Does this jack-of-all-trades enclosure prove its skill with both of these features? Let’s dig in and find out.

Years ago, the benefit of wireless storage may not have been too obvious, but today, many of us have smartphones, tablets, media players, smart TVs, video game consoles and so forth – all equipped with WiFi. But WiFi is just half of the equation – storage is the other. A smart TV might have no internal storage, but with an enclosure like this, that problem is remedied fast.

Vantec’s goal with its WiFi dock is to give those equipped with UPnP devices an easy way to either manage files, or stream them. Aside from mobile devices, any PC with wireless can be connected to the dock so that the files can be managed via the OS file manager.

Read more: Vantec NexStar WiFi Hard Drive Dock Review @ Techgage

DeepCool M3 Notebook Cooling Pad @ Benchmark Reviews

It is a fact that laptops can get very hot and, depending on where it is placed, it can get mighty uncomfortable. The advent of laptop coolers has provided a way to help reduce the heat for the comfort of both the computer and the user. Beijing DeepCool Industries Co., Ltd are introducing a line of laptop coolers into the North American Market and Benchmark Reviews has obtained M3 Audio Cooling Pad for review and testing.

The DeepCool M3 Audio Cooling Pad is a mainly plastic unit that has a 140 mm fan, 2.1 stereo speakers and is offered in 5 different colors.

The cooling pad will be tested by conducting a system stress test using two different Laptops, and noting the effect of the cooling pad on the CPU temperatures. Sound reproduction will be tested by playing different genres of music and noting the quality of the sound and distortion level of the speakers.

Read more: DeepCool M3 Notebook Cooling Pad @ Benchmark Reviews

Samsung's ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T convertible tablet reviewed @ The Tech Report

This Windows 8 convertible has x86 ultrabook guts, an 11.6" 1080p display, and speedy solid-state storage. Attach it to the bundled keyboard dock, and it turns into a quasi-ultrabook. Is this the ultimate Windows 8 mobile machine, and is it worth the nearly $1,200 asking price?

Read more: Samsung's ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T convertible tablet reviewed @ The Tech Report

Antec SP1 Review @ Techradar

Portable speakers fill a very specific gap in the audio market. You want portable music that you can share, so headphones won't do, and you want personal audio in a small room, like a study or bedroom, but your budget won't stretch to something bigger, and arguably better.

Read more: Antec SP1 Review @ Techradar

Asus P8Z77-V LK Motherboard Review @ KitGuru

With the company's solid set of options in the Z77 motherboard market, Asus is aiming to conquer the intermediate segment that lies between the entry-level and mid-range price categories. Enter the P8Z77-V LK motherboard.

Read more: Asus P8Z77-V LK Motherboard Review @ KitGuru

New Entry Level Gaming Case from Spire @ Warp2Search

The Spire Diablo pc case is a versatile ATX chassis with a modest gamer look. This tower structure is contemporary and cost effective. The meshed aluminum front panel allows unrestricted fresh air intake which is mandatory for today’s extremely hot Micro-processors, Graphic cards and Data Drives. The internal design provides enough room for hardware assembly, supports up to six (6) 3.5-inch & three (3) 5.25-inch drive devices. The 5.25 bezels are tool-free and easy to remove. You can also install a 3.5 inch device such as a multifunctional card-reader. The chassis structure is all black and prepared for decent cooling, there is space for 1* 92mm fan at the rear and 1* 80mm fan on the side panel for additional VGA cooling.

Read more: New Entry Level Gaming Case from Spire @ Warp2Search

Jaybird BlueBuds X Bluetooth Headphones Review @ Custom PC Review

Ahhh… it’s almost spring time! The season of allergies and working off all the weight we’ve gained over the winter. While I’d love to talk about both subjects, I don’t think I’m all that qualified to talk about allergies, so let’s talk a new piece of tech that’ll help us get that much harder, better, and faster.

Today we’ll be reviewing the Jaybird BlueBuds X. The BlueBuds X is Jaybird’s latest and greatest pair of Bluetooth headphones, and in line with many of Jaybird’s previous offerings, the BlueBuds X is aimed at those with active lifestyles. Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t use the BlueBuds X while sitting in front of your TV, but Jaybird does include a number of features that primarily benefit those looking for a new pair of headphones for the gym.

Ready to see what the BlueBuds X has to offer? Let’s take a look!

Read more: Jaybird BlueBuds X Bluetooth Headphones Review @ Custom PC Review

Fractal Design Define R4 Review @ LanOC

When it comes to cases there are two different types. The first is the flashy cases that are meant to grab everyones attention and show off all the cool hardware inside. The second is the sleek professional looking case that is all about style and function. When it comes to Fractal Design I always seem to place them in this second category. They don’t make anything flashy or over the top, but their cases are always functional, cool, spacious, and what I like to call business sexy. Their Define cases have always been a perfect example of this, today we are going to take a look at the Define R4, their lastest version.

Read more: Fractal Design Define R4 Review @ LanOC

Evercool Silent Shark CPU Cooler @ BCC Hardware

It has been well over a year since I've had an Evercool CPU cooler on the BCCHardware test bench. The last couple products we reviewed from Evercool (Evercool Buffalo and Evercool HPL-815 Low Profile cooler) were both aimed at the budget consumer and didn't really offer much too high end enthusiast users in terms of performance. This time around we are going to look at the new Evercool Silent Shark CPU cooler which offers a high performance cooler with little different take on the ever-popular "heatpipe tower" cooler design.


The Silent Shark looks very similar to other coolers we've looked at in the past, but the one feature that really sets it apart is an adjustable 2nd fan which can be positioned to cool components like your memory more effectively. This adjustable fan allows you to adjust how much air is directly towards the memory on your motherboard, while still directing some air towards the heatsink. This is a feature that I have not seen anywhere else and it will be very interesting to see how it works.

Let's take a closer look at the Silent Shark from Evercool.

Read more: Evercool Silent Shark CPU Cooler @ BCC Hardware

Club3D Radeon HD 7970 royalAce Review @ ChipLoco

AMD launched the Radeon HD 7970 GHz edition, their current flagship single GPU, in mid of 2012; exactly 6 months after the launch of the Radeon HD 7970. They said it to be a celebration gift of the HD 7970′s half-year birthday but it was clearly an answer to NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 680. With the new card, AMD did not change anything in terms of hardware. The change was in card’s clocks and some BIOS features. The original HD 7970 comes with 925 MHz core clock while the GHz edition has a full 1 GHz clock on the core. Memory clock is also bumped from 5.5 GHz to 6 GHz. Moreover, AMD introduced their PowerTune Boost feature with the HD 7970 GHz. Once again, it is their answer to NVIDIA’s GPU Boost feature. It is a combination of BIOS and Catalyst driver changes that allows the software to overclock the GPU when conditions permit, and can be done without any hardware changes.

Club3D has prepared a custom graphics card based on Radeon HD 7970 GHz edition. Technically, it’s a reference card with higher clocks and custom cooler. It even has the reference PCB design. Club3D calls in Radeon HD 7970 royalAce edition. It has a base clock of 1050 MHz (50 MHz higher than the reference card) which goes up to 1100 MHz with the help of the new PowerTune Boost technology. However, memory clock is same 6 GHz as the reference HD 7970 GHz edition. The cooler of HD 7970 royalAce is company’s exclusive design. It has two 92mm fans with three heatpipes and two decks of aluminum fins. This custom graphics card by Club3D is not available at any major US retailer; however it is readily available in European region for £370 (around $560). This puts it above most of the Radeon HD 7970 graphics cards in terms of price.

Read more: Club3D Radeon HD 7970 royalAce Review @ ChipLoco

NZXT HALE90 1000W Modular Power Supply @ BCC Hardware

t has been quite a while since we've looked at an NZXT power supply and today we are looking at the newly minted HALE90. The HALE90 V2 series power supplies come in 850W, 1000W and 1200W flavors and appear to be shipping only in white. There are a few differences between the HALE90 and the HALE90 V2, but the biggest physical difference is that the HALE90 V2 is fully modular where the original HALE90 was mostly modular. There are a few differences as well - and we'll get into those as we dive into the review.

Read more: NZXT HALE90 1000W Modular Power Supply @ BCC Hardware

Thecus announces First Intel Atom SoC CE5315 Embedded NAS @ Warp2Search

The latest 2 and 4 bay NAS are designed to offer a revolutionary experience to the NAS industry. It utilizes the latest Intel Atom processor with 1GB RAM (N2520) and 2GB RAM (N4520). In addition, superspeed USB 3.0 fosters quick transfers, HDMI output is convenient for multimedia playback and McAfee Antivirus protection is to keep your NAS operating smoothly. The past proves merit; innovative technologies have been utilized to develop the new N2520/N4520 NAS to serve one single purpose: improve user experience and satisfaction.

Thecus announces First Intel Atom SoC CE5315 Embedded NAS @ Warp2Search

Club3D HD 7870 XT jokerCard Review @ Techradar

Last month saw me going a little giddy over Sapphire's take on AMD's new, slightly cut down Tahiti LE GPU. It was an incredibly pacey card, for just under £200, and offered the sort of performance that you'd struggle to hit with a £300 card. And now I've got the jokerCard version of this great card from Club3D. Somehow you can pick up the Club3D version for an insanely low £172. The distributors are selling the cards into retail for only a little less than that, so anyone dishing them out at that price is barely making anything on them. To be honest though, I couldn't care less about their profit.

Read more: Club3D HD 7870 XT jokerCard Review @ Techradar