Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including Surface Pro 2, iLuv Aurora Illusion & Flightfit Gaudi iPhone 5/5s Cases Review, HP Chromebook 11 Review, Google Nexus 5 Super Fast Android Phone Challenges iPhone 5s In Benchmarks, and Gigabyte GTX 780 GHz Edition 3GB Graphics Card Review



Surface Pro 2 notebook/tablet computer Review @ Silicon Republic

Before you read this review, take a second to realise that Microsoft is in the tablet computer game for the long haul. In fact it invented it. Now, with the launch of Surface Pro 2, it means business.

Back in 2002 as the debris of the dot.com downturn continued to rain, clank and ring in my ears, I accepted an invitation from HP to look at its take on what was to be one of the first tablet computers in the world. What I saw was interesting, but not encouraging.

Read more: Surface Pro 2 notebook/tablet computer Review @ Silicon Republic

iLuv Aurora Illusion & Flightfit Gaudi iPhone 5/5s Cases Review @ ThinkComputers.org

When we purchase a new phone the next thing we need to get is a case to protect it, especially if it is an iPhone. I bet you can name a few friends who have cracked iPhones, it just happens if you don't have a case. Today we are taking a look at two different cases for your brand new iPhone 5/5s. The cases are from iLuv and are the Aurora Illusion and the FlightFit Gaudi. Both of these cases will provide protection for your iPhone, look great and even an added bonus they glow in the dark! Let's take a look!

Read more: iLuv Aurora Illusion & Flightfit Gaudi iPhone 5/5s Cases Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Tt eSPORTS Level 10M Headset Review @ KitGuru

Today we are going to take a look at the Tt eSPORTS Level 10M headset from Thermaltake which is the latest product in their Level 10 portfolio. This range has been developed with iconic design and optimum functionality in mind, aiming to push the Tt eSPORTS brand into the premium end of the market.

Read more: Tt eSPORTS Level 10M Headset Review @ KitGuru

Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 550W CM Semi-Modular Power Supply Review @ eTeknix

Be Quiet’s reputation as a premium brand has gone from strength to strength in the PC hardware industry. Be Quiet perhaps became famous for their Dark Rock series of CPU coolers but alongside those they have had huge successes with their Shadow Rock CPU coolers, Silent Wings fans and their power supplies. Be Quiet have an extensive range of power supplies that span all different market segments starting with Dark Power Pro, then Straight Power, then Pure Power, then SFX Power, then TFX Power and then System Power. These roughly follow in order of “how good” they are with Dark Power Pro being the most premium series and System Power being the most basic.

Today we are looking at Be Quiet’s “third tier” of power supplies as we examine the Pure Power L8 CM 730W semi modular power supply from Be Quiet. This power supply some all the premium features we’d expect to see from Be Quiet but at a more affordable price point compared to the higher tier power supplies by sacrificing a higher 80 Plus Gold/Platinum Efficiency standard for the Bronze standard. Despite that the particular unit that we have today is more than capable of powering a whole variety of enthusiast class systems with 1-3 GPUs and even heavy power consuming platforms like Intel’s High End Desktop X79 platform.

Read more: Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 550W CM Semi-Modular Power Supply Review @ eTeknix

HP Chromebook 11 Review @ MakeUseOf

Is your life spent on Facebook, YouTube and writing a few documents? It might be time to adjust your computing requirements and you may be pleasantly surprised to find a Chromebook provides everything you need. The HP Chromebook 11 is the latest offering, a partnership between HP and Google with an 11-inch screen and 6-hour battery.

Read more: HP Chromebook 11 Review @ MakeUseOf

Cougar PowerX 550 W Power Supply Unit Review @ Tech ARP

COUGAR was established in 2007 by a group of PC hardware enthusiasts in Germany, who wanted more than the typical PC cases and PSUs that had the same boring looks for umpteen years and internal layouts with endlessly uncreative cosmetic variations and poor quality.

So COUGAR was formed to provide gamers more stylish product concepts with the strictest quality requirements. Today, COUGAR is a global brand manufacturer that focuses on high-quality PC cases and PSUs.

Today, we are going to take a look at the COUGAR PowerX 80 PLUS Bronze power supply. It comes in two models - with power outputs of 700 W and 550 W. We will be looking at the 550 W model specifically.

Read more: Cougar PowerX 550 W Power Supply Unit Review @ Tech ARP

Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 3 @ LanOC Reviews

Now that you know a little more about all of the parts that are going into Lunchbox 3, today we are going to go over how well the installation went and then put it all to the test in a few benchmarks. This is where we can finally see how the part choices work out and talk about any regrets I might have with them. Of course I’m most excited to see how it all performs. Then this coming weekend I can finally put it to good use at a LAN.

Read more: Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 3 @ LanOC Reviews

Google Nexus 5 Super Fast Android Phone Challenges iPhone 5s In Benchmarks @ HotHardware

One of the hallmark features of Google's Nexus 5 flagship smartphone by LG isn't its bodaciously big and beautiful 5-inch HD display, its 8MP camera, or its "OK Google" voice command / personal assistant feature. Frankly, that's all been done before.

What does stand out about the Nexus 5 is Google's new Android 4.4 Kit Kat operating system and LG's smartphone SoC (System on Chip) processor of choice, namely Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 quad-core. Qualcomm is known for licensing ARM core technology and making it their own within their Krait architecture, and Qualcomm's latest Krait 400 with Adreno 330 GPU that comprises the Snapdragon 800, is a powerful beast.

We've had the Nexus 5 in house for a few days now and are preparing a full review. However, we thought it would be a good Friday tease to give you some benchmark numbers up front, while we're working on the full monty...

Read more: Google Nexus 5 Super Fast Android Phone Challenges iPhone 5s In Benchmarks @ HotHardware

Review: Nikon P7800 @ Techradar

The premium end of the compact camera market appears to be one sector that remains reasonably robust in what is generally a declining market. Offering full manual control for advanced photographers, they're often the first choice of both those looking to take a step up in image quality and control, and those wanting a less bulky camera to carry around when the DSLR is inconvenient.Nikon's P7XX range has always been Nikon's attempt to fulfill that need for Nikon photographers, taking on the incredibly popular and well established Canon G range. Canon recently refreshed its model, in the shape of the G16, so it's no surprise to see Nikon follow suit with the Nikon P7800, replacing last year's Nikon P7700. Featuring a 12 million-pixel resolution sensor, Nikon has chosen to keep the same physical size of 1/1.7 inch.

Read more: Review: Nikon P7800 @ Techradar

Canon G16 Review @ Techradar

The Canon GXX series has long been considered the natural back-up camera for DSLR users, especially those already familiar with the Canon brand.As such, the outward design of this range has changed little from its first incarnation. The Canon PowerShot G16 is no different, looking outwardly almost identical to the year-old Canon PowerShot G15 it replaces. But of course, inside there have been a few notable changes.First up is the sensor. While it remains the same pixel count, at 12.1MP, and physical size, at 1/1.7-inch, Canon says that the CMOS sensor is a completely new design, featuring back illumination.

Read more: Canon G16 Review @ Techradar

Sony Xperia Z Ultra Review @ Techradar

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is a phone that takes the best of the internet and lets it all fly across an impossibly large screen. With the best of Sony's technology inside, does the 6.4-inch screen put it out of reach for most people?Let us paint you a picture: a man walks into a bar. Pulls out his phone. It's got a five-inch screen. The jukebox grinds to a halt, glasses drop, smash on the floor and the crowd recoils in horror. If you could see that happening just two or three years ago, can you imagine the scene if you whipped the even bigger Xperia Z Ultra out in public? There'd be carnage. As it is, you'll certainly raise more than a few eyebrows.Sony's continuing its assault on the portability market ? indeed, it's continuing its assault on our senses too. The Xperia Z Ultra is a massive phone.

Read more: Sony Xperia Z Ultra Review @ Techradar

Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti Review @ Techradar

There's no getting away from it, this is the graphics card we've been waiting for since we first heard about Nvidia's Kepler GPU architecture. The GTX 780 Ti is simply the most powerful graphics card on the planet right now and the first to sport the real full-fat GK 110 graphics processor.When it unleashed the impressively efficient GK 104 chip, with the GTX 680 as the vanguard, we had our suspicions it wasn't the full fat Kepler chip Nvidia had been working on. And so when we heard about the Tesla K20 and K20X professional cards, with their massive GK 110 GPUs and frighteningly-fast floating point performance, inevitably we wanted one. But time, she passed, and there was no talk of the top Kepler chip ever making its way down into our gaming PCs. And we were sad.Luckily for us AMD pulled its finger out and delivered the HD 7970 GHz update and gave the GTX 680 a wee shoeing in the benchmarks. Nvidia had to hit back, and whether or not the GK 110 chip was ever meant to be dropped into a gaming card, it decided to bring its big guns to bear upon AMD's top graphics card.The GTX Titan then was Nvidia's shock-and-awe response to reclaim the single-GPU performance crown.

Read more: Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti Review @ Techradar

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Review @ HotHardware.com

Samsung recognizes that the way in which individuals use tablets varies considerably from one user to the next. As a result, Samsung's tablet portfolio is quite varied, offering something for everyone. Samsung's tablet portfolio includes models that range in size from 7-inch to 10.1-inch screens. The power and performance associated with the various Samsung Galaxy tablets also varies and includes high-end powerful tablets and models that are more basic and budget-friendly.

Today, we're going to take a hands-on look at the 8-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 3. This tablet sits in the middle of the Galaxy Tab 3 portfolio, and as a result you won't get the fastest, cutting-edge processors and other high-end specifications, but you won't get the high price tag either...

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 Review @ HotHardware.com

Gigabyte GTX 780 GHz Edition 3GB Graphics Card Review @ eTeknix

With AMD’s R9 290 coming in at a price point of $399 Nvidia’s GTX 780 has been put under pressure at its $499 price point since the R9 290 more or less beats it for 100 dollars less. Nvidia was already on the defensive from the release of the R9 290X, forced to drop the price of its GTX 780 down from $649 to $499, but with the release of the R9 290 at a much lower price than expected the GTX 780 is surely due another price cut? Well Gigabyte aren’t hanging around for that to happen and they are instead doing something a bit different by making a GTX 780 “GHz Edition”. Yes you heard that right, a GHz Edition – that notorious AMD phrase which AMD used on the HD 7970 GHz Edition and HD 7870 GHz Edition. Gigabyte’s interpretation of a GTX 780 “GHz Edition” is taking the GTX 780 GPU and overclocking it from the stock 863MHz on the core and 900MHz on the boost, to 1020MHz on the core and 1072MHz on the boost. That’s a whopping 19% overclock compared to a stock GTX 780!

Read more: Gigabyte GTX 780 GHz Edition 3GB Graphics Card Review @ eTeknix

CM Storm Pulse R Headset @ Rbmods

Coolermaster is finally out with some new products and today we taking a look at one of them. First out is the Pulse R gaming headset that is newly released!
We are going to compare them vs some awesome headsets we have tested in the past and just how comfortable they are after hours of gaming. So stick around for this review to find out the answers.

Read more: CM Storm Pulse R Headset @ Rbmods

ROCCAT Ryos MK Review @ Vortez

If a major peripheral manufacturer could justifiably be known as peripheral specialists ROCCAT would be on that very short list. Well known for their range of keyboards, mice and headsets, they also have a burgeoning reputation for innovation in cross-device comms which unlock even more potential in as wide a set of gaming titles as possible.

Our most recent ROCCAT review was for the ISKU FX, a membrane keyboard which featured ROCCAT’s Talk FX technology and was heavy in customisation for key bindings and lighting. At that time we mentioned that we were looking forward to the then-upcoming Ryos MK keyboards, which were to be their first release with mechanical switches, and that time is finally here.

Read more: ROCCAT Ryos MK Review @ Vortez

Argos MyTablet Review @ Techradar

It's all budget tablets in the UK market at the moment - with Tesco launching the Hudl tablet, Argos has undercut the supermarket giant and launched a sub-£100 device.It's not without charm either: compact, running a new-ish build of Android and a dual-core processor, we're seeing this price bracket finally spewing tablets that aren't total junk.Argos, with the help of Bush, has created its first home-brand tablet just in time for the Christmas rush. We mention Christmas because the press release was clear this is what its intention is, to attempt to crack the 75% of British households that don't have a tablet and need gift ideas. For a first foray into the over-saturated tablet world, Argos has gone the way of most budget tablets and produced something that's lacking in execution but wins on external functions. What do we mean by this? Well, the MyTablet looks really nice for a £99.99 tablet. It has a metal back and a white front that commands a more premium feel than the price would suggest. On top of that it has so many connections (HDMI, USB, DC, external memory slot) and a decent 8GB of on-board memory. But with the good must come the bad.

Read more: Argos MyTablet Review @ Techradar