Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including System Builder Marathon Q4 2013: System Value Compared, HIS R9 280X IceQ x2 Turbo Review, iBuyPower Battalion M1771 (MSI GS70) Gaming Notebook Review, GIGABYTE Brix Projector Review @ Legit Reviews, and OCC 2013 Products of the Year



System Builder Marathon Q4 2013: System Value Compared @ Tom's Hardware

This quarter's System Builder Marathon was downright chaotic. We reallocated our budgets to boost gaming performance, and watched as the prices on AMD's highest-end cards shot through the roof. When the dust settles, whose system offers the most value?

Read more: System Builder Marathon Q4 2013: System Value Compared @ Tom's Hardware

CM Storm Pulse-R Headset, Reaper Mouse and Mech Keyboard Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Today DaveChaos takes a look at the latest products from CM Storm - the new aluminium styled gaming peripherals including Pulse-R headset, Reaper mouse and Mech keyboard.

Read more: CM Storm Pulse-R Headset, Reaper Mouse and Mech Keyboard Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

FSP AURUM S 600W Power Supply Review @ APH Networks

When it comes to sequels and continuations, they usually go to one extreme or the other when it comes to quality. At times, you will see sequels that get praise and acclaim greater than the original, and other times you will see sequels that are said to not even deserving to be named after the original. For me, this is one of those statements I look at almost on a regular basis when it comes to both my personal life and my professional life. For me in my personal time, I spend quite a bit of it watching anime. One such anime I have been watching lately is the second season of a series called Little Busters!: Refrain. I have mentioned the original Little Busters! anime a while back, since it was produced by JC Staff, and is a well known adaptation of a very popular visual novel from Visual Art's Key. Refrain is the conclusion of the whole visual novel, and is by far the most climactic; it is similar to what Afterstory was to Clannad. So far, I would have to say that the current season of Little Busters!: Refrain is far surpassing the original series in every way possible; ranging from the music placement, animation quality, to the pacing of the story. Not only does this apply in what I read and watch, but this can very well also apply in our product evaluations as well. There are times when we see that a company has taken the right steps towards making a better product, while at times they also choose to take a different direction that may hamper the outcome. Well today, we will be taking a look at the FSP AURUM S 600W from FSP, which is another PSU in their well regarded AURUM line of power supplies. Is this power supply worthy of its name? Let's dig right in, and see how this compares to the FSP AURUM Gold 600W we have looked at a couple of years back.

Read more: FSP AURUM S 600W Power Supply Review @ APH Networks

HIS R9 280X IceQ x2 Turbo Review @ Vortez

We've sampled a couple of AMD's R9 280X models so far and neither products have blown us away. Being that they are essentially a re-badged HD7970, the flagship Radeon card from the previous generation, it is hard to be impressed. Nonetheless, the HD7970, sorry, R9 280X has more than enough grunt to compete with the best cards out there. There are a few minor tweaks to the architecture but none that make the 280X as ground breaking as its bigger brother, the 290X. In short with the R9 280X you are getting a HD7970 GHz edition with a few extra bells and whistles. Whether these additions present any tangible benefits we will leave for you to decide.

Read more: HIS R9 280X IceQ x2 Turbo Review @ Vortez

BitFenix Ronin Midi-Tower Computer Case Review @ Madshrimps

A warrior with no master. A case with no equal. Ronin combines a dark, stealthy design with enhanced hardware compatibility for a chassis built for vengeance, a small extract of what BitFenix has to say about today's reviewed Ronin mid tower case. Very aggressive PR material, but that's the way we got used too. Strong and bold claims, however the case has to live up to the hype created around it. Let us pop the box and discover what the Ronin is really made of...

Read more: BitFenix Ronin Midi-Tower Computer Case Review @ Madshrimps

iBuyPower Battalion M1771 (MSI GS70) Gaming Notebook Review @ Anandtech

MSI is taking a page out of Razer's design playbook (in turn cribbing liberally from Apple's), but as it turns out, they may have beaten Razer at their own game and produced both a more desirable and more affordable Blade. iBuyPower sent over their version of MSI's GS70, dubbed the Battalion M1771, and it's an almost surprisingly fantastic piece of gaming kit.    

Read more: iBuyPower Battalion M1771 (MSI GS70) Gaming Notebook Review @ Anandtech

GIGABYTE Brix Projector Review @ Legit Reviews

The GIGABYTE Brix Mini-PC from GIGABYTE has several different versions each with different specifications. The defining difference between each of these units is the processor, well with the exception of the GB-BXPi3-4010. The GB-BXPi3-4010 has a feature quite unlike the others, a built-in WVGA projector that is capable of a 864 x 480 screen resolution! Each of these units is a barebones system, so keep that in mind. You will have to add a mSATA drive and memory to the GIGABYTE Brix of your choice. Read on as we take the Gigabyte Brix Projector for a test drive!

Read more: GIGABYTE Brix Projector Review @ Legit Reviews

Comparison List Update: All AMD APU CPU Models @ ocaholic

Over time CPU manufacturers like Intel and AMD release numerous processors and it is very likely to lose track of all the models out there. Furthermore it is difficult to find complete comparison tables where you find all CPUs and their features listed. Following you find such a list regarding AMD's APU processors.

Read more: Comparison List Update: All AMD APU CPU Models @ ocaholic

OCC 2013 Products of the Year @ OCC

This year's winner is MSI's Dragon themed Z87-GD65 GAMING motherboard. MSI put together a solid product that will appeal to gamers and enthusiasts alike, all at a very reasonable MSRP of $189. While having great looks with a black and red color theme, this motherboard is built to meet or exceed the MIL-STD-810G standards, which is reflected in the parts used such as Super Ferrite Chokes that run at up to 35 °C lower temperatures, have a 30% higher current handling capacity, and a 20% improvement in power efficiency; Tantalum filled Hi-C Caps that are up to 93% efficient; and "Dark Capacitors" that feature Lower ESR and a ten-year lifespan all tied into a PCB with improved temperature and humidity protections. The experience with MSI's Click BIOS was painless and the abundance of fine-tuning settings allowed for great overclocking results of 4.7GHz on the CPU and 2600MHz on the RAM.

Read more: OCC 2013 Products of the Year @ OCC

NZXT Phantom 530 Full Tower Case Review @ HiTech Legion

The push into retro styling has been a real case of hit or miss. We have seen it mainly in automobiles, and the results have been widely varied. Dodge/Chrysler can be credited for starting the movement and they have also been the most successful. The PT Cruiser was a huge success, even with the burden of having the mechanicals of a Neon lurking under the body. The Prowler was a great critical success, and the Charger has become an incredibly popular vehicle in many different sectors. Ford’s retooling of the Mustang to recall its late 60s models brought sales way up, while the retreatment of the Camaro resurrected the line from the dead. Other attempts, however, like the Chevy SSR, did not capture buyers’ attention quite as well.

Read more: NZXT Phantom 530 Full Tower Case Review @ HiTech Legion