Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

Acer Predator X34 Review
BenQ BL2420U 24-inch 4K IPS CAD/CAM Display Review
CM Storm QuickFire XT Gaming Keyboard Review
Cooler Master Sentinel III Mouse Review
HTC Vive Pre Unboxing
Jabra STEALTH Bluetooth Headset Review
Logitech G900 CHAOS Spectrum Review
MSI Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon Motherboard Review
Ozone Argon Laser Mouse Review
Shuttle XPC Nano NC01U5 Review
Streacom F12C chassi
System Builder Marathon Q1 2016: $1275 Professional Workstation
The AMD Athlon X4 880K Review
The Oculus Rift Review
Tobiis EyeX eye-tracking controller reviewed
Top 10 Tech Pranks
Vertagear S-Line SL5000 Gaming Chair Review

Acer Predator X34 Review

Acer has gotten back into gaming in a big way with a whole new Predator line of laptops, desktop and now gaming monitors. The Predator X34 is a curved, ultrawide gaming monitor that boasts a 4K resolution of 3,440 x 1,440.And, as if that wasn't a mouthful already, this 21:9 screen also incorporates Nvidia's G-Sync technology to smooth out any errant graphical glitches. Throw in the fact that Acer has used an IPS panel, and the X34 sounds like it should be the ultimate display for gamers and media makers.

Read full article @ TechRadar

BenQ BL2420U 24-inch 4K IPS CAD/CAM Display Review

At 24 inches, BenQ’s latest IPS display has the smallest diagonal screen size of any 4K screen we’ve tested so far, which normally come in 27-inch or 32-inch sizes. With a price of around £400, that also makes it a lot more affordable than its competitors and the most reasonable 4K display we’ve seen. Hang on, 24 inches is way too small for 4K, isn’t it? Perhaps at native resolution – but with the scaling in Windows set to exactly 200%, everything looks just the right size, but with razor sharp text rendering, and overall excellent picture quality.

Read full article @ KitGuru

CM Storm QuickFire XT Gaming Keyboard Review

We’ve seen gaming keyboard's evolve over the past 5 years.  First it was mechanical key switches, then backlighting, and now we are seeing RGB backlighting.  While having lights and everything are cool and all if the keyboard itself is made poorly and does not perform well no one is going to be buying your keyboard anyways.  That brings us to the CM Storm QuickFire XT, which has actually been on the market since 2013.  Three years later the keyboard is still being sold and retains its retail value being sold for $92.17 at our favorite online retailer.  The QuickFire XT is a full 104-key mechanical gaming keyboard, and that is it.  No flashy lights, no crazy software, just a pure keyboard.  Our version of the keyboard (SGK-4030-GKCL1) comes with Cherry MX Blue mechanical key switches, but Cooler Master offers the keyboard in all Cherry MX flavors.  Let’s take a look and see why the QuickFire XT is still a top seller after 3 years.

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Cooler Master Sentinel III Mouse Review

Designed for palm grip gamers, the Cooler Master Sentinel III gaming mouse offers improved features and ergonomics over its predecessor. The body of the Sentinel III is coated with a matte UV coating to ensure long lasting durability. It comes with the 32-bit SONIX ARM Cortex-MO processor and 512KB of on-board memory for storing and playing back complicated macros. The Sentinel III also has high quality OMRON switches that are rated at 20 million clicks. The built-in Avago 3988 optical sensor is the same sensor used in the Corsair Sabre RGB optical mouse and the Razer Deathadder 2013. Cooler Master has also implemented RGB lighting into this mouse, giving gamers the ability to customize lighting effects to their desire. Here at Benchmark Reviews, we will take a look at the Cooler Master Sentinel III gaming mouse. Let’s dive in and take a quick look at an overview of this mouse.

Read full article @ Benchmark Reviews

HTC Vive Pre Unboxing

Ahead of the official release in April, KitGuru news editor Jon Martindale has been playing with the HTC Vive Pre to show you what you can expect to get inside all those boxes.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Jabra STEALTH Bluetooth Headset Review

Using a good hands free wireless headset either when at home or while on the road is something may people i know do but the vast majority seems to ignore the just how important this is. You see i first started using hands free wireless headsets while driving since not only it's what the law dictates but also because i do feel uncomfortable holding my smartphone with one hand and the wheel with the other (not to mention gear shifting since i never liked automatic cars). Since then however i also started using such headsets while at home mainly because i don't like the idea of RF radiation right next to my ear (really how many of you knew that smartphone manufacturers like Samsung recommend keeping a smartphone at least 1.5cm/15mm away from your body?) and although Bluetooth may not be exactly "harmless" (not many studies around however to be certain) i do believe that it's the lesser of two evils. Today's review is about one such hands free wireless Bluetooth headset the STEALTH by Jabra.

Jabra is the brand of GN Netcom, a subsidiary of GN Store Nord A/S (GN) - listed on NASDAQ OMX. Jabra employs approximately 850 people worldwide and in 2011 produced an annual revenue which amounted to DKK 2,106 million. Jabra is a world leader in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of a broad range of hands-free communications solutions. With a reputation for innovation, reliability, and ease of use that goes back more than two decades, Jabra’s consumer and business divisions produce corded and wireless headsets, plus mobile and in-office speakerphones that empower individuals and businesses through increased freedom of movement, comfort, and functionality.

The STEALTH is a very compact hands free wireless headset (monophonic) that features Bluetooth v4.0 connectivity with a wide range of supported profiles including A2DP v1.2 (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile), HFP v1.6 (Hands Free Profile), HSP v1.2 (Headset Profile), NFC (Near Field Communications) and PBAP v1.0 (Phone Book Access Profile) and several supported modes such as EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), SCO (Synchronous Connection-Oriented), eSCO (Enhanced Synchronous Connection-Oriented) and sniff (power saving feature). The device also features a mono 11mm dynamic driver, dual 4mm Omni-directional noise cancelling microphones, 128 bit encryption and a rechargeable battery pack which gives it up to 6 full hours of talk time. So let's move on with our review and see just how all of the above translate in real world use.

Read full article @ NikKTech

Logitech G900 CHAOS Spectrum Review

Logitech are arguably one of the most established names in computing peripherals and it is big news when said established brand makes a statement such as 'Our best gaming mouse ever'. The professional grade wireless connection delivers a 1ms report rate which can outperform wireless and wired competitors. It also uses Delta Zero Technology along with the PWM 3366 sensor to provide highly responsive, zero smoothing, zero acceleration performance. Logitech have also used clock-tuning technology, to reduce the sensor power consumption, by doing so they have been able to create a wireless mouse that has 24 hours of battery life, or 32 hours if you switch the LED lighting off.

The internals certainly sound impressive, though the body of the mouse itself is painstakingly designed for universal comfort across all grip types, as well as being ambidextrous. This attention to detail falls down to even the mousewheel being hollowed out with a spoked design. The end result is a mouse that weighs just 107g, making it the lightest wireless gaming mouse available. It doesn't stop there, The mouse click buttons have been made using a pivot design to ensure a rapid, satisfying feedback no matter where you press.

Read full article @ Vortez

MSI Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon Motherboard Review

When choosing a motherboard, some users make their choice based on the extra features and overall look of the board while others choose boards based purely on speed and performance. However, the extra features and speed come at a cost; price. Over the last few years, MSI has released a slew of motherboards that hit both ends of the spectrum … Read more.

Read full article @ Modders-Inc

Ozone Argon Laser Mouse Review

Quite a few movies joke about the idea of if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. When the main character is having a bad day, they will say it could be worse, and on cue, it would start raining or snowing. Something will happen just to make things worse for the main character. Colloquially we sum up this experience as Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. If anyone has recently been following the DOTA 2 Shanghai Major, they will be fairly familiar with the application of Murphy's Law by now. For those who have not, it was a jumble of mistakes. After the first day, both the host of the show and the production company was fired. The group stages of the tournament was riddled with streams cutting out, games starting more than an hour late, microphones not working, or the volume setting for the microphones being way too low. Needless to say, Valve was not happy. For the main event itself, there were still more problems. Just as everything was in the process of being fixed, and with most things looking good by the end of the main event, Murphy's Law had to make another appearance. The day after the tournament, the players' practice rooms in the hotel they were residing in was cleared, and most of their peripherals were lost. One player's car keys was taken as well. It was revealed there was a miscommunication between the hotel and the tournament organizers, but what gives? Today we have an Ozone Argon, a performance ambidextrous mouse for competitive gamers. If you ever run into a scene of lost gear, will it serve as a worthy replacement, or will it be one more thing to go wrong? Read on to find out!

Read full article @ APH Networks

Shuttle XPC Nano NC01U5 Review

Shuttle has been producing small form factor (SFF) PCs for over 30 years and are therefore regarded as specialists in this designated field. Their portfolio is packed with an abundance of products which span many Intel and AMD socket generations.

Demand for the humble mini-PC has risen in recent years as more and more consumers transform their living rooms into home-entertainment arenas. The Mini-PC is able to allow users to access view movies, play music, showcase photo slideshows and much more. Today, in our first outing with Shuttle we’re to examine a system which is based around Intel’s Broadwell architecture.

In the spotlight today is the Shuttle NC01U5 – a mini-PC which sits within the XPC Nano series. Not only is this system available in an assortment of CPUs but it also supports DDR3L, M.2 and SATA-based SSDs and wireless connectivity via 802.11ac. Is this the ideal companion for the home-entertainment space? Let’s find out!

Read full article @ Vortez

Streacom F12C chassi

Today it seems that the most popular cases are small mini- or mid-tower cases for mini-ITX or micro-ATX-motherboards. This is of course mirrored by companies offering mainly standing tower-type cases. If you want a “laying” case you usually have to look to smaller companies that still offers this older type of case, mainly for HTPC-builds.

Streacom is such a company that has a full range of cases for those who do not want or need a tower-case. Mostly those cases have been of the smaller variety for ITX-motherboards and for fanless solutions but today we are reviewing the Streacom F12C case, a case that can handle an ATX motherboard and comes with a innovating new system to mount both fans and storage drives. The case was supplied for the review by quietpc.com.

Read full article @ Bjorn3D

System Builder Marathon Q1 2016: $1275 Professional Workstation

This month I break the SBM mold by using a true workstation processor and graphics.

Read full article @ Toms Hardware

The AMD Athlon X4 880K Review

The last few years have been a challenge for AMD’s CPU division. The Bulldozer microarchitecture which defined their lineup for the last half decade (along with its Piledriver, Steamroller and Excavator updates) proved to be a disappointment, APUs haven’t gained a foothold in key markets and key ULV processors like Mullins never critical mass. This may sound like a doomsday-style intro but there’s been a number of recently-announced elements that may help redefine AMD’s image in the eyes of potential customers.

Even though they have been facing an uphill battle AMD is in the process of rolling out several updates in an effort to refresh their desktop lineup. Motherboards have been updated with new features, additional APUs are being introduced and even the venerable Athlons are receiving a much-needed injection of adrenalin. There’s also been some news about the highly anticipated AM4 socket alongside the Bristol Ridge and Summit Ridge platforms for the Zen microarchitecture. All of these things point towards a resurgence of AMD’s product stack in their efforts to better compete against the Intel juggernaut.

Read full article @ Hardware Canucks

The Oculus Rift Review

The Oculus Rift, the first high-end, consumer VR head-mounted display is now available, and it's poised to usher in a future of immersive experiences.

Read full article @ Toms Hardware

Tobiis EyeX eye-tracking controller reviewed

Tobii's EyeX eye-tracking controller promises to add more interactivity to some games by letting players take over certain in-game actions using nothing but the direction of their gaze. We spent some eyes-on time with the EyeX to see how it works.

Read full article @ The Tech Report

Top 10 Tech Pranks

Pranks are awesome. They are one of those few things in life that most people can unequivocally agree on being great. Pranks are in the same league with cat videos, candy, and free stuff - everyone loves 'em. You're a tech-savvy individual, and it's time that your pranks showed that. We've got some ideas...

Read full article @ TechSpot

Vertagear S-Line SL5000 Gaming Chair Review

After finding the most comfortable position for me I was able to fully enjoy the SL5000 from Vertagear. The faux leather covering held up well during my testing and the foam never got out of shape. Typically in a leather or PVC covered chairs I will sweat as the chair heats up during extended keyboard time. I found that was not the case with this chair. The included lumbar pillow and headrest are easy to attach and provide added flexibility to the equation to get the fit just right. The lift cylinder provides a fairly robust range to accommodate both shorter and taller users. This is the first chair I have used in a while where I was not sitting at the highest end of the lift range. That's a nice feeling that minimizes sway at the upper end of the cylinder's range of movement. Adjusting the fore and aft range on the seat back is just what you would expect while seated in your car. The spring loaded return mechanism allows the seat back to return forward with a minimal amount of assistance.

Read full article @ OCC