Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

AMD A8-7650K APU and A68H chipset Review
ASUS X99-A Motherboard Review
BE QUIET! Silent Base 800 Case
Corsair Hydro H100i GTX Liquid CPU Cooler Review
Creative Sound Blaster E3 USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier
Creative Sound Blaster X7 Deskop DAC & Amplifier Review
Crysis and Crysis Warhead 7+ Years Later Review
Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse Review: A worthy successor to the MX Performance
Patriot Ignite 480GB
Razer Blade 14 inch (2015) Review
SilverStone Kublai KL05B-Q Case Review
Sunferno Flintstone 5000mAh Solar Charger Review
Tesoro Excalibur Spectrum Gaming Keyboard Review
Windows 10 Preview Build 10041 - Take a look
ZOTAC GTX 970 AMP! EXTREME & CORE Review

AMD A8-7650K APU and A68H chipset Review

Today we review the new A8-7650K APU from AMD in combo with a new A68H motherboard from ASUS. The kit is intended for system-integrators who want to offer a nice balance in-between performance and energy consumption. The 7600 series APU is based on AMD's Kaveri architecture bringing the CPU and the GPU even closer together. Kaveri aims at several segments in the processor business like notebooks, desktops, embedded and even server solutions. Armed with a good 2.41 Billion transistors and based on a 28nm fabrication process, let's have a look at what it can do.

With improved efficiency levels the APUs can be considered a low-end to mainstream product. With a CPU and integrated GPU combined, together they offer a nice amount of processor performance, especially with OpenCL and GPU assisted applications AMD is very strong opposed to Intel. The A8-7650K as reviewed today is based on the Kaveri design, these APUs offer up to 12 usable compute cores in total, the reality here is that AMD adds 4 x CPU cores with 8 x GPU cores to get to this figure.

I always add a few lines on the definition of an APU, as Intel simply sticks to processor, and AMD is very keen to call their processors APU these days. So here we go again. APUs are able to combine the potential of the processor and GPU together to enable a new class of compute performance in today’s PCs. Back in 2012 AMD introduced a series of AMD A10 "Trinity" APUs as mobile and notebook solutions. Trinity APUs where the successors of the AMD A4, A6 and A8 Llano-processors. AMD then marched onwards with Richland, basically a re-spin of Trinity. And as such we now have arrived at Kaveri with a Steamroller CPU core architecture and Radeon 7000 GCN series graphics. Make no mistake though, A10 and A8 APU processors remain entry level to mid-range targeted processors, please do understand that very clearly. So with the CPU and the GPU now pretty much being merged together we now understand why this architecture was called Kaveri, Kaveri is a large Indian river in which multiple streams of water flow together and is emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths. Kaveri is the euphemism here with both the CPU and GPU merging together.

Read full article @ Guru3D

ASUS X99-A Motherboard Review

What is really crazy though is how often you need to more from a basic feature package to an expensive luxury package. This can be really frustrating since more often than not I only want one specific upgrade. I know one of the reasons they set the models up in this way is so that they only have to setup a certain number of configurations at the factory. The thing that is hard to comprehend is how expensive it can be to get that one specific feature can be.

Read full article @ HiTech Legion

BE QUIET! Silent Base 800 Case

People often think the PSU is the most overlooked computer piece in a build, but the case is far easier to overlook than you might think. Sure, you need to have plenty of wattage to future proof upgrades, but nothing can cramp that custom loop dream quicker than a case that didn’t have quite enough room to fit the radiator above your motherboard. BE QUIET! decided it was time to try and break into the computer chassis market while staying true to their values of silent computing. While the Silent Base 800 already appears to have the proper design to help reduce noise, the real question is whether this case will be able to offer room for high end computer parts combined with advanced cooling. We’ll dive right in here in a sec, but before we do that, let’s take a closer look at the company behind the Silent Base 800.

Read full article @ PureOverclock

Corsair Hydro H100i GTX Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Today we are going to take a look at one of the latest all-in-one water cooling units from Corsair, the Hydro H100i GTX. This model has been designed to build on the success of the existing Corsair H100i which has proved a massive hit with gamers and enthusiasts worldwide.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Creative Sound Blaster E3 USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

Have you ever had the experience where you thought you purchased a great set of headphones, only to be sorely disappointed when you plugged them into your smartphone for your morning jog? You might think that the headphones are to blame here, but that may not necessarily be the case. They just might need a little boost from a device like the Creative Sound Blaster E3, a Bluetooth-enabled headphone amplifier and USB DAC that unlocks the true audio potential of your chosen headset

Read full article @ MEGATech

Creative Sound Blaster X7 Deskop DAC & Amplifier Review

A lot of attention gets put on high-end displays and graphics, but while technology has made great advances in pushing graphics to 4K monitors, 3D displays, and all kinds of other cool stuff, I see a lot of people neglecting their audio experience, be that as part of their home cinema setup, or their desktop audio. While I must admit that motherboard technology has made huge advances, with many brands such as MSI and Gigabyte for example, putting high-end audio hardware directly onto their motherboards, I have yet to hear one that was comparable to a standalone unit.

Read full article @ eTeknix

Crysis and Crysis Warhead 7+ Years Later Review

"Can it play Crysis?" is a question that is still asked at times, even eight years after the game released. The reasoning behind the question is that at the time of release, Crysis could bring the best PCs to their proverbial knees on its highest settings. Of course, there is more to a game than its graphics and performance, and all of it impacts if this is still a game worth playing.

Some of you may be wondering why this review is covering both Crysis and Crysis Warhead, which is a separate title. My reasons for writing a combination review are that there are many ways that the two titles are more alike than different. Graphics are all but the same; the story of Warhead takes place within the story of Crysis; and gameplay is very similar, although Warhead has definitely been tweaked. I should also mention that I was playing the 64-bit, DirectX 10 versions of both games.

Both titles are first-person shooter games with very linear gameplay, and the playable character is wearing a Nanosuit with advanced capabilities. In Crysis you play as Nomad and in Warhead you play as Psycho; both members of Raptor Team. Initially the team is sent to the Lingshan Islands to rescue scientists that have been taken hostage by North Korean forces. Before long you realize there is much more going on and it involves forces never seen before.

Read full article @ OCC

Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse Review: A worthy successor to the MX Performance

The original MX Performance was announced back in August of 2009 as Logitech's answer to Microsoft's 'BlueTrack' mouse sensor technology. For $100, it was a pretty good deal back back then, being the first mouse from Logitech feature its Darkfield laser and Unifying USB micro-receiver. Now six years later, Logitech wants to recapture the magic of its MX Performance with the 'MX Master', which is aimed at those who want a high-end mouse that isn't designed for gaming.

Read full article @ Techspot

Patriot Ignite 480GB

Even after our LAN this weekend I’m not burnt out on all of the storage talk, so it is only fitting that I continue our streak of SSD reviews. Today I have a drive from Patriot in the office. Specifically their new Ignite in a 480GB capacity. The Ignite is one of three recently introduced drives from Patriot with this being their flagship drive. The Ignite features the same Phison's quad-core, eight-channel PS3110-S10 controller that we also saw on the Mushkin Striker last week so we know just how well it can perform. This is fitting because both Patriot and Mushkin focus on bringing the best possible performance at the best possible price. So today I’m going to run the Ignite though our benchmark suite and see how it compares to everything I have tested recently and then see how good of a deal the drive is as well. Could this be the SSD for your next build? Let’s find out.

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

Razer Blade 14 inch (2015) Review

Gaming laptops have a huge audience, but not everyone wants to lug around a 17 inch behemoth weighing more than 5KG. Razer have enjoyed success in recent years with their Blade range of laptops … even if the price has been prohibitive for many. Today we take a look at the latest 2015 model which features a powerful combination of Intel Quad Core Core i7 processor with Nvidia GTX970m discrete graphics. It also features a super high resolution IGZO 3K touch screen.

Read full article @ KitGuru

SilverStone Kublai KL05B-Q Case Review

SilverStone is at it again, but this time they are looking to mix things up by venturing into unprecedented areas. Lately, it seems that the competition has shaken the sub-$100 case market, and SilverStone is not willing to stand down. Mostly known for their premium cases and their innovative ideas, SilverStone has taken a different approach this time from their top notch designs and instead released the SilverStone Kublai KL05B-Q Mid-Tower case, which Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at today.

Read full article @ Benchmark Reviews

Sunferno Flintstone 5000mAh Solar Charger Review

Going green is popular and has been but that doesn’t have to mean going without power when you need it. Solar chargers are becoming more popular and as technology improves so do they. Today for review I have the Sunferno Flintstone 5000mAh Solar Charger which is basically what it sounds like, a battery powered by the sun to charge your devices. The Flintstone has two USB ports so you can charge two devices at the same time and the 5000mAh battery should provide several charges for one device or charge a couple devices once. How many charges you get will depend on your devices and the battery that is inside of them of course. The Flintstone is certified to be water and dust proof and it’s ruggedly made so you can take it with you camping or hiking and it will be just fine no matter the weather conditions. I’ve sent some time with it and I’ve found it to be a decent little charger that for the most part I can recommend if you’re in the market for something like this. Read on to learn more…

Read full article @ Technogog

Tesoro Excalibur Spectrum Gaming Keyboard Review

Tesoro is a new company to us here at ThinkComputers. Founded in 2011 the company primarily focuses on gaming peripherals and devices. I would say they are most known for their gaming keyboards and today we are going to be taking a look at one of their latest, the Excalibur Spectrum. The Excalibur Spectrum has a very simple keyboard design, but it jam-packed with features. First you have mechanical key switches (Kailh), you can choose between browns, reds or blues. The keyboard is also fully backlit with RGB backlighting so you can really mess around with the colors and customize it how you want. Tesoro also has some awesome lighting effects that you can use to show off the keyboard. On top of that the keyboard has full N-key rollover, built-in memory to store up to 200 macros and 2000 keystrokes in 5 gaming profiles, multimedia keys and a very solid design. Let’s jump in and see what this keyboard can do!

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Windows 10 Preview Build 10041 - Take a look

If you haven't had enough Windows 10, then here's some more. I've written another long, thorough review of Windows 10 Technical Preview, this time Build 10041, including fast-track updates, desktop look & feel, new icons, changes in Cortana and generic search, Store, Xbox, performance, battery life, minor customization, various problems, and more. Have fun.

Read full article @ Dedoimedo

ZOTAC GTX 970 AMP! EXTREME & CORE Review

It's been quite a while since we had a ZOTAC graphics card on our test bed at Vortez and like buses, two come along at once. Both of today's samples are based on NVIDIA's GTX 970 Maxwell core and from the specifications do not appear that different from each other. Indeed, ZOTAC have not two, not even three but six of the GTX 970 in their massive product line up. We would say this is overkill but you cannot fault ZOTAC for giving the buyer the option to choose exactly what they want, not only from a graphics card but from a specific core!

Read full article @ Vortez