Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

Ashes Of The Singularity Beta: Async Compute, Multi-Adapter & Power
Corsair Void Surround Gaming Headset Review
Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 External Gaming Audio DAC Review
Dell XPS 12 (2016) Review: Core m-Powered 2-in-1 Laptop Convertible
G.Skill Ripjaws SV710 7.1 surround sound gaming headset review
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980Ti Xtreme Gaming Graphics Card Review
MSI Nightblade X2 Review
Patriot Supersonic Magnum 2 USB 3.1 Flash Drive Review
Qnap TS-251+ Review
Razer Kraken Mobile Review
Rig of the Month - February 2016
Roccat Kova Gaming Mouse Review
Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview updated to support Raspberry Pi 3

Ashes Of The Singularity Beta: Async Compute, Multi-Adapter & Power

DirectX 12 has been available since Windows 10, but there aren't any games for it yet, so we're using the Ashes of the Singularity beta to examine DX12 performance.

Read full article @ Toms Hardware

Corsair Void Surround Gaming Headset Review

Corsair is a name that stands tall in the PC gaming space, expanding their horizons from the days where they only made memory modules that everyone liked to brag about because of the slick heat shields and faster timings. Today the company also produces a slew of enthusiast hardware including keyboards, mice and headsets. Today we're looking at the VOID Surround, s a variable input headset that is compatible with consoles, PC and even mobile platforms.

Read full article @ Neoseeker

Creative Sound BlasterX G5 7.1 External Gaming Audio DAC Review

Sound cards come in many shapes and sizes and have changed quite a bit since the early days of computing. These days just about every motherboard comes with a sound card onboard and many design their audio solution as a selling point with exotic components, high-end software or both. For the casual gamer rocking a custom PC the onboard solution is usually good enough, assuming they have a supporting speaker system.

For those lacking a full surround sound system an easy solution is to use a high quality set of headphones. By nature all headphones are designed to be stereo, we only have two ears afterall, so there is a challenge to simulate surround sound. One solution is to use multiple drivers but these can have issues interfacing with your computer or come with an attached audio controller and can only be used on a PC.

In this review I’ll be looking at an ingenious audio solution from Creative called the Sound BlasterX G5. The G5 is an external sound card and headphone amplifier that can be used on a variety of different systems including the PC, Mac, Android, iOS, PS4 and Xbox One.

Read full article @ Hardware Asylum

Dell XPS 12 (2016) Review: Core m-Powered 2-in-1 Laptop Convertible

The 2-in-1 and convertible PC space has changed significantly over the past couple of years. What was once a cluttered mess of kludges is now a well-defined market segment packed with refinement, power, and plenty of options. You could partially credit Microsoft's Surface line for making 2-in-1s an object of desire, but it's also products like the Dell XPS 12 that make today's line-up of convertible devices so much more interesting.

Dell's XPS 12, which was first announced last fall, is just as capable as a laptop as it is a tablet.

Read full article @ HotHardware

G.Skill Ripjaws SV710 7.1 surround sound gaming headset review

Fitting a surround sound speaker set up in your home is never easy, which is why headphone solutions are so popular. Not everyone has that space or spare cash so G.Skill is looking to tap into a new market with the Ripjaws SV710 7.1 surround sound gaming headset – the entry level one.

With its more budget-conscious focus, the SV710 does not offer the same true-surround sound as with the SR910 7.1 headset we reviewed previously (http://goo.gl/bQYRIT) . However that does not mean that this one is feature-lite. It has leatherette cushions; that same solid aluminum frame, along with virtual surround sound capabilities.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980Ti Xtreme Gaming Graphics Card Review

NVIDIA’s cogent strategy to launch the Titan X at $999 and subsequently release the GTX 980Ti with similar performance at a significantly reduced price was a master stroke. This made the 980Ti compelling value and a great choice for high-end consumers wanting the best possible experience at demanding resolutions. Admittedly, there isn’t a GPU on the market capable of driving a 4K panel at maximum details but you can attain 60 frames-per-second with reduced settings. Evidently, the 980Ti has proved to be a popular choice especially when you take into consideration that factory overclocked models can easily pull away from NVIDIA’s flagship graphics card. While there is some competition from the Fury X, it’s not enough to dethrone custom-cooled 980Ti models.

Some users might argue that the upcoming Pascal architecture built on the 16nm manufacturing process and utilizing HBM2 ultra fast memory is reason enough to hold off buying a top-tier Maxwell solution. However, the current estimate suggests Pascal won’t launch until Q2 this year, and there’s no indication regarding pricing. As always, any new product has a price premium and I expect enthusiast Pascal cards to retail at a high price point. This means purchasing a Maxwell-based GPU right now isn’t a terrible option unless you require additional power to enjoy 4K gaming and have deep pockets. One of the best custom-designed GTX 980Ti cards on the market is the Gigabyte G1 Gaming. This particular GPU rapidly gained a reputation for its overclocking ability and superb Windforce triple fan cooling hardware.

The latest addition to Gigabyte’s graphics range is the GTX 980Ti Xtreme Gaming sporting a 1216MHz core clock, 1317MHz boost, and memory running at 7200MHz. One major improvement is the use of illuminated RGB rings behind the fans which creates a very unusual, and stylish appearance. Gigabyte’s GPU Gauntlet is a binning process which selects the best performing chips with impressive overclocking headroom. Once discovered, the top chips are incorporated into the Xtreme Gaming series, and G1 Gaming. By default, the Xtreme Gaming is bundled with a hefty overclock and should offer sensational performance. Although I expect to see some further gains due to the excellent cooling and stringent binning procedure. Could this be the best 980Ti on the market thus far?

Read full article @ eTeknix

MSI Nightblade X2 Review

Prolific in the motherboard and graphics card arena, MSI are also well-known for their passion in other fields too and more specifically the prebuilt system division. In the last 18 months they’ve made a big impact within gaming communities with the introduction of the Nightblade Series. Nightblade in the past has involved a barebones configuration with the user having to supply various components but MSI has now made steps in presenting gamers with a complete system which includes core components such as the CPU, memory and graphics card.

Another important point to make is that the Nightblade series involves small form factor (SFF) mini-PCs. Momentum with SFF has been gradually increasing – so much so that other brands are now following in MSI’s footsteps too as more and more users demand a portable gaming unit which is able to play the latest gaming titles. Today we are to take a look at the most powerful Nightblade units that MSI has to offer – the Nightblade X2.

Nightblade X2 is powered by Skylake and as such, features the Intel Core i7-6700K. Also arriving with this quad-core process is 16GB DDR4 and NVIDIA’s GTX 970. Along with these components there are also many features which gamers and enthusiasts are likely to find useful. On paper Nightblade X2 sounds like a capable machine but will it be able to handle everything we throw at it?

Read full article @ Vortez

Patriot Supersonic Magnum 2 USB 3.1 Flash Drive Review

When Intel Z170 motherboards came out we were introduced to USB 3.1. USB 3.1 doubles the speed of USB 3.0 from 5 gbps to 10 gbps! With all of these new motherboards offering USB 3.1 connectivity we are starting to see many new USB 3.1 devices. Today we are taking a look at Patriot’s latest USB 3.1 flash drive, the Supersonic Magnum 2. This drive has advertised read and write speeds of 400 MB/s and 300 MB/s respectively, making it one of the fastest flash drives currently available. Today we will be taking a look at the 256GB version, which happens to be the lowest capacity that Patriot offers. Let’s take a look and see just how fast it is!

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Qnap TS-251+ Review

A powerful two-bay NAS for home or office prosumers. We liked the idea of Qnap's living-room-friendly NAS, the HS-251+, when it went under the review microscope last year, but the product was by no means perfect. A lack of native multimedia apps for the likes of Netflix and Amazon Video detracted from the overall package, and the thought of NAS storage without active cooling seemed somewhat counterintuitive.

The HS-251+'s other ingredients made a lot of sense, mind, so wouldn't it be nice if the same combination was available in a more traditional form factor? You're in luck, because that's exactly what's on offer from the new TS-251+.

Read full article @ Hexus

Razer Kraken Mobile Review

Razer move in to take care of the needs of the casual music listener and gamer on the iOS platforms with a selection of neon coloured Kraken headsets that will ensure head turning style. They are fitted with 40mm neodymium magnets that will provide powerful bass and is made from durable, lightweight plastics that are suitable for a busy lifestyle. Android users can get in too with the optional cable made for Android users allowing that will enable various controls such as volume controls and track skipping.

Much of the styling and design is similar to other Kraken headsets with the biggest change being the detachable 4 pole cable with an inline remote that has been made specifically for either iOS or Android.

Read full article @ Vortez

Rig of the Month - February 2016

We just adore PC related hardware & think you do too. And sometimes you guys really make a PC that really stands out. We ask you to answer a few simple questions and send in photos of your rig. Each month we'll have a look at the entries and perhaps pick you and post your PC with photos and everything here at Guru3D.com. Here you can find out what you need to do and win a nice prize courtesy of Corsair.

Read full article @ Guru3D

Roccat Kova Gaming Mouse Review

Anyone searching for a new gaming mouse has a bewildering array of options. The market is flooded with models for every grip under the sun, with different weights and feels and cables and lifts. Yet despite the overwhelming choice, one segment of the market remains under-served: ambidextrous mice. While some mice are available in left-handed designs, a true ambidextrous mouse with the latest innovations is still a rarity. Today we're looking at the Roccat Kova 2016, a $49 mouse that aims to satisfy the ambidextrous market.

Read full article @ Hardware Canucks

Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview updated to support Raspberry Pi 3

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the new $35 Raspberry Pi 3 board, Microsoft has issued an update for the Windows 10 IoT Core Insider Preview.

Read full article @ Windows Central