Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

AOC U3477PQU WQHD 34 inch LCD Monitor Review
ASUS Maximus VII Hero LGA 1150 Motherboard
Asus USB 3.1 Hands-on Preview
Cooler Master Storm Mizar
Fractal Design Node 804 Case Review
HyperX Predator DDR4 3000Mhz CL15 Quad Channel Memory Review
Kingston HyperX Fury DDR4 32GB 2400MHz, Harness The Fury
OCZ Challenge update: 2nd ARC 100 drive dies at 352TB
Patriot FUEL iON Kit Review
PCI Express Scaling Game Performance Analysis Review
Phanteks PH-TC14S Dual-Tower Review: Conflict-free CPU Cooling?
Plextor M6e Black Edition PCIe 256GB Review
Samsung Portable SSD T1 Review: Blazing Fast External Storage
Silverstone Sugo SG13
The TR Podcast 170: What the kids put in their PCIe slots these days
Thecus N4310
ThinkPad X1 Carbon review: A fine heir to the ThinkPad name

AOC U3477PQU WQHD 34 inch LCD Monitor Review

Right now 4k 2160p UHD resolution is what 2k 1080p Full HD resolution was roughly 5-6 years ago so naturally every single LCD/TFT manufacturer out there is launching models that support 4k. Just like with 1080p all LCDs and TFTs that support the new 4k 2160p resolution are obviously not created equal and thus consumers should really do their homework prior to finalizing their choice especially since 4k is relatively new in the market. On top of that we all feel that the minimum inches required to really appreciate and experience 4k in all its glory is 27 with 30+ being the ideal scenario so this is also something consumers need to take into consideration. AOC recently send us their 28 inch 4k solution which was quite good although far from being excellent mainly due to input lag during testing. Well today with us we have the latest 34 inch solution by AOC the U3477PQU WQHD Ultra High Resolution monitor.

AOC is one of the global top brands in the display market. High quality, first-rate service, an attractive design as well as environmentally friendly and innovative products at competitive prices are the reasons why more and more consumers and distribution partners trust in AOC. The exceptionally broad product range of computer displays has won numerous awards. AOC is a subsidiary of TPV Technology Limited, the world’s largest LCD manufacturer. AOC serves the Western European, Middle East and African markets from its headquarters in Amsterdam. The Eastern European and CIS markets are served by a local office in Prague. Through its network of local sales teams AOC works with all major IT distributors and resellers.

The U3477PQU 21:9 WQHD Ultra High Resolution monitor is the latest member in the Pro-Line by AOC and although it doesn't support 4k like the TN panel of the U2868PQU still its IPS panel with its 1440p resolution should be more than enough for its aspect ratio not to mention better in some/most areas (noticeably viewing angles, color reproduction and crispness). To get more into detail the U3477PQU actually uses an 10bit (8bit native + 2bit FRC dithering) AH-IPS panel (Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching) with a WLED backlight rated at 320 cd/m2, 40M:1 contrast ratio, 5ms grey to grey (GTG) response time and a refresh rate of 60Hz. Now i have to admit that with all the GSync/FreeSync compatible monitors out there i too (at least at first) had my concerns regarding that last part but experience has taught me that it always comes down to just how good the monitor is overall (for example i never had that issue working with the 3090WQXi2 by NEC) so we'll see if this really affects gaming at all later on.

Read full article @ NikKTech

ASUS Maximus VII Hero LGA 1150 Motherboard

If a motherboard upgrade is in your future, make sure you read our evaluation of the ASUS Maximus VII Hero. Trust us when we say this is the best LGA 1150 motherboard we have reviewed to date.

The Maximus VII represents ASUS' latest value entry into the Republic of Gamers series of motherboards. There have been many entries into the Maximus ROG series, each of these has been exceptional. The Maximus VII Hero has a lot to live up to, especially at the $215 price point.

Read full article @ HardOCP

Asus USB 3.1 Hands-on Preview

The widespread introduction of USB 3.1-capable components is already under way. That roll-out is currently centred around motherboards providing support for the 10Gbps ports, but further devices will make use of the higher speed connector in coming months. We get an early hands-on look at one of Asus’ upcoming USB 3.1-equipped motherboards – the Z97-A/USB 3.1.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Cooler Master Storm Mizar

When it comes to gaming mice, you might see a lot of mice that you don’t like but in reality there is no wrong answer. Every person has different preferences when it comes to the shape, materials, button locations, quantity of buttons, and even the sensor. On top of that, you have to consider price points as well. That said there is one mouse from back in the day that is still popular within some circles. That mouse is Microsoft Intellimouse. A lot of you have used one and if you haven’t chances are you have used a mouse designed to be similar. Well Cooler Master is careful to point out that their new Mizar was inspired by “classic, right-handed, and ergonomic styles” but we know what is going on. So today, I’m going to take a look at the Mizar and see if following in the footsteps of other great mice is the way to go. Enjoy!

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

Fractal Design Node 804 Case Review

Another cubic Micro-ATX case has found its way into our labs. This time, the Node 804 from Fractal Design is hoping to combine thermal performance and versatility with a sleek and elegant appearance. Is it the ideal choice for gaming systems in a living room? We find out in this review.

Read full article @ Anandtech

HyperX Predator DDR4 3000Mhz CL15 Quad Channel Memory Review

Performance aside the Predator modules are quite stylish and while they lack fancy lights, multicolor heatspreaders and diagnostic ports they do come with some excellent looking heatspreaders that are extremely sturdy and carry a good weight.

Read full article @ Hardware Asylum

Kingston HyperX Fury DDR4 32GB 2400MHz, Harness The Fury

Kingston’s hit a home run with their HyperX Fury DDR4 32GB 2400MHz kit! Running in 4 colors, Black, Red, Blue and White you can color coordinate the screaming speed and dependability Kingston offers. In the past we’ve tested and proven more RAM is better and people will argue 32GB is a little over kill, DDR4 is relatively new on the market and bound to be the 2011v3 for some time to come, invest in to small a kit and get buyers remorse, or buy a 32GB kit and enjoy platform long security knowing your covered for anything that comes. Then there’s the Geek bragging rights bask in the admiration of Geeks everywhere.

Read full article @ Bjorn3D

OCZ Challenge update: 2nd ARC 100 drive dies at 352TB

The drives all passed the warranty figure of 300TB on 3rd February 2015 – one of them failed at 322TB (http://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/zardon/ocz-challenge-update-1x-arc-100-dies-at-322tb/) and today the second has kicked the bucket – reading 352TB.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Patriot FUEL iON Kit Review

If you own any type of mobile device you know keeping it charged is a pain. You lose the charging cable that came with the device, that cable breaks, or you lose the wall adapter. It just happens and it is annoying. Well Patriot who we typically know for their memory and solid state drives has an easy way for you to charge your devices that makes it much more convenient. The product I am talking about is the FUEL iON kit which is comprised of a phone case and charging stand. The thing that makes this kit different from other charging devices is that it features a magnetic power transfer pad that not only will charge your device without a “real” connection, but will also hold your device securely in place. Want to know more? Keep on reading!

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

PCI Express Scaling Game Performance Analysis Review

Many times in the past we have noticed end-users all cramped up about the fact that their graphics card runs ‘only’ on a PCI Express Gen 2.0 16x or even PCI Express Gen 1.1 16x whereas technology has evolved to PCIE GEN 3.0 already. Though pretty much any graphics card is backwards compatible, lots of you guys are also worried that with each generational difference the rendering output performance changes dramatically. A lot of consumers find this confusing, their graphics card works perfectly fine on that old PCIe Generation 1.1 slot but somehow quite a few are awake at night wondering if that upgrade to a Generation 3.0 compatible slot will boost the graphics card performance. And hey, to upgrade means investing on all Gen 3.0 compatible gear including the graphics card, processor and motherboard.

What is it about that PCI Express Gen 3.0 slot that makes it so different and appealing?

Read full article @ Guru3D

Phanteks PH-TC14S Dual-Tower Review: Conflict-free CPU Cooling?

CPU Coolers come in various shapes and sizes but these variants are not all done purely for performance reasons. For instance, since memory manufacturers continue to use unnecessarily tall heat spreaders on their modules, CPU cooler makers have begun designing  heatsinks to maximize compatibility. Phanteks, specifically with their latest PH-TC14S CPU cooler, incorporates two main design ideas to ensure it … Read more.

Read full article @ Modders-Inc

Plextor M6e Black Edition PCIe 256GB Review

Today we look at the Plextor M6e Black Edition. This SSD product supports PCI Express Gen 2 x 2 and potentially delivers more performance than a simple SATA 3 capable Solid State Drive. Rated sequential speeds of the Plextor M6e Black Edition are said to hit 770MB/s. It uses the latest Marvell 88SS9183 controller alongside Toshiba synchronous Toggle NAND flash memory.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Samsung Portable SSD T1 Review: Blazing Fast External Storage

The bulk of high-capacity external storage devices still rely on mechanical drives with spinning platters and other delicate parts. That being the case, Samsung saw an opportunity to capitalize on a market segment that's seen very little action -- external SSDs.

To be clear, there are external storage devices that use SSDs, but Samsung's new Portable SSD T1 is more akin to a thumb drive, only wider and typically much faster. Utilizing Samsung's proprietary 3D Vertical NAND (V-NAND) technology and a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface, the Portable SSD T1 redlines at up to 450MB/s when reading or writing data sequentially, according to Samsung...

Read full article @ HotHardware.com

Silverstone Sugo SG13

Anyone contemplating the idea of building a Mini-ITX gaming system will want to check out Silverstone’s latest creation, the Sugo SG13. Somehow this tiny case manages to squeeze in a full length dual-slot graphics card, a standard ATX power supply and a 120mm radiator for an all-in-one liquid cooling system...

Silverstone is often at the top of our list when picking a new computer case thanks to past favourites such as the Raven RV02-E, Fortress FT02 and Temjin TJ07. One series that has delivered time and time again is Silverstone’s mobile gaming range, known as ‘Sugo’.

Silverstone first introduced the Sugo range back in 2005 with their SG01, a MicroATX case with a 22L capacity. This was somewhat different to the FT02’s massive 65L capacity and yet gamers could still squeeze an AMD or Nvidia flagship GPU inside.

Read full article @ Legion Hardware

The TR Podcast 170: What the kids put in their PCIe slots these days

This episode has it all: PC hardware pundits complaining about Samsung and the NSA, Cyril speculating on what's next for Nvidia, in-depth discussions of quartile displays, and a look at Intel's newest NUC. There's literally no reason you shouldn't listen. Like, no reason

Read full article @ The Tech Report

Thecus N4310

Thecus has lately paid some additional attention to mainstream NAS servers by offering solid products at very affordable prices. The N4310 falls into this category and provides users with a rich feature set at a highly competitive price.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

ThinkPad X1 Carbon review: A fine heir to the ThinkPad name

A great keyboard and a great TrackPoint make for a great machine. I think it was 2002 that I got my first-ever laptop: a ThinkPad. Still made by IBM in those days, my ThinkPad A30p was a monster. Coming in a hair under 8lbs, it had all the bells and whistles: a 1.2GHz Pentium III-M, a full 1GB of RAM, 48GB hard disk, a 15-inch 1600×1200 display paired with a 32MB ATI GPU, integrated CD-RW, 56K modem, 10/100 Ethernet.

For me, the ThinkPad came to represent the ideal laptop. The sleek elegance of the all-black body, the rich features, the fine keyboard with its TrackPoint red nipple; it was everything I wanted from a computer.

It wasn't cheap, of course. As the consummate business laptops, the ThinkPads were never cheap. But it was always a good value, with the build quality and extensive warranty options making it an eminently dependable workhorse.

Read full article @ ArsTechnica