Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including Windows 8.1 Battery Life Investigation, GAMDIAS ZEUS GMS1100 Laser Gaming Mouse Review, Assassin's Creed III 1-Year Later Review, Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 2, and Call of Duty Ghosts VGA graphics performance benchmark review



Windows 8.1 Battery Life Investigation: 1080p Video Playback @ Anandtech

A couple weeks back, I posted a short article on battery life with Windows 8.1 looking at whether or not it had changed compared to Windows 8. The short summary is that no, it did not change appreciably, though at least one of the tests I ran showed worse battery life with Windows 8.1 compared to Windows 8. There are quite a few variables, and we try to minimize the impact of other elements on battery life, but since I cant easily go back and retest the original Windows 8 results its difficult to say for certain if the drop is consistent among laptops or something specific to the Sony VAIO Pro 13.

Read more: Windows 8.1 Battery Life Investigation: 1080p Video Playback @ Anandtech

Turtle Beach Ear Force Spectre (Call of Duty: Ghosts Edition) Gaming Headset Review @ KitGuru

With action games remaining as popular as ever, many gamers are looking to one-up their adversaries in online confrontations. Whether its improved player performance or a more immersive audio experience you're after, Turtle Beach's limited edition Call of Duty: Ghosts Spectre headset aims to cater for your needs.

Read more: Turtle Beach Ear Force Spectre (Call of Duty: Ghosts Edition) Gaming Headset Review @ KitGuru

GAMDIAS Hermes Ultimate Review @ Vortez

We’ve taken a look at some of the biggest peripheral brands recently, but it’s always good to take a step back and check out some of the less well known in the chance of discovering a hidden gem or bargain. Is Taiwan-based GAMDIAS one of these? We’re here to find out.

Although relatively new to the market having been established only in 2012, lesser known brand GAMDIAS already boast a wide selection of unique peripheral designs in the keyboard, mouse and headset arenas. What they lack in depth within a range they make up for with an often quirky aesthetic and an innovative take on solving specific problems in established designs. The Hermes Ultimate is typical of this approach.

Read more: GAMDIAS Hermes Ultimate Review @ Vortez

GAMDIAS ZEUS GMS1100 Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Benchmark Reviews

The relatively unknown gaming peripheral company GAMDIAS has set some lofty goals, planning on being a serious contender in the near future among the established companies out there. One of its initial entries into the marketplace, the GAMDIAS ZEUS GMS1100 E-Sport Edition Laser Gaming Mouse, has a unique look to it and has plenty of features. Benchmark Reviews recently had an opportunity to take a closer look at this new gaming mouse and, on paper, it looks like it is ready for prime time, but can it compete with gaming mice from the likes of Razer and Logitech?

Read more: GAMDIAS ZEUS GMS1100 Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Benchmark Reviews

Corsair Graphite Series 230T Compact Mid-Tower Review @ HardOCP

Corsair has been known for RAM for well over a decade now, but it has become a big player in the computer case market in the last few years. The Corsair Graphite Series 230T ATX case is designed for "fast and straightforward system building, by design." Its list of features is impressive, so let's see how it hold up under pressure.

Read more: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Compact Mid-Tower Review @ HardOCP

Gigabyte Stealth Force K7 Gaming Keyboard @ Bjorn3D

Gamers often prefer clicky feeling of the mechanical keyboard. But no matter how good a mechanical keyboard is, it is still rather expensive and the clicky noise can be somewhat bothersome for those who are used to the membrane type keyboard. Even the quietest mechanical that uses Black switches is noticeably louder.

If you work primarily with laptops (as many do), and just occasionally play games on your PC, then you may find the noise on the mechanical keyboard too loud for you. If this is you, then you may want to check out the the Gigabyte Stealth Force K7 keyboard that we gt here today.

Read more: Gigabyte Stealth Force K7 Gaming Keyboard @ Bjorn3D

MeCam Personal HD Camera Review @ TestFreaks

Our lives have become very social oriented and we’ve got cameras with us all the time anymore and we seem to be recording just about everything and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not personally. Today for review I’ve got the MeCam which resembles a big button that you might wear on your shirt or coat, but it’s really a 720p HD mini video camera so you can record life as you live it. The MeCam also has a 5mp still camera built-in along with infrared LEDs so it can work in low light situations and uses a standard microSD card for storage. The camera can be purchased in varying storage capacities and there are several different colors to pick from. Read on..

Read more: MeCam Personal HD Camera Review @ TestFreaks

Tt eSPORTS THERON Infrared Gaming Mouse Review @ Neoseeker

It's sometimes hard to believe how far we've come when it comes to computer mice. What started with a simple two-button design has evolved to become an intricate market saturated with models containing all kinds of sensor types, button counts, and LED lighting. Software-wise, macro support and customizability has become the norm rather than the exception, especially when it comes to mice catered specifically to gamers.

Thermaltake is one company that is no stranger to gamer-centric products, having released peripherals ranging from keyboards and mice, to headsets. The Taiwanese company has gone as far as create a separate brand focused solely on eSports, aptly named Tt eSPORTS. Competitive gaming is becoming exponentially more popular all around the world (did you see the scale of the League of Legends World Championship?) and Tt eSPORTS is capitalizing on this by creating products solely for that market. Not too long ago, we reviewed the Tt eSPORTS VOLOS, a gaming mouse featuring numerous side buttons designed for massively-multiplayer and other macro-heavy games. Unfortunately, issues in software implementation significantly limited its potential as a useful gaming mouse. Today, we are taking a look at another mouse in the Tt eSPORTS lineup, dubbed the Tt eSPORTS THERON Infrared. Designed more for RTSs, shooters, and other titles favoring twitch gameplay, it features a 4000DPI Infrared optical sensor, OMRON button switches, 128kB of internal storage, a customizable weight system, multiple game profiles, and a "Battle Mode" LED lighting scheme.

Does the Tt eSPORTS THERON Infrared have what it takes to do what the VOLOS couldn't? That's what we will be examining in our in-depth review.

Read more: Tt eSPORTS THERON Infrared Gaming Mouse Review @ Neoseeker

XSPC RayStorm D5 Photon AX360 WaterCooling Kit Review @ TechnologyX

So you're ready to take the dive into a full custom liquid-cooling setup awesome. Where to start now? What radiator should I get? What reservoir? What pump? What tubing and fittings? What fans? Yes, there is a lot to learn in the world of PC water cooling and if it's your first time getting your CPU wet it can be very intimidating. Luckily XSPC has you covered with their new RayStorm D5 Photon AX360 WaterCooling Kit. The kit comes with everything you need to setup a complete liquid system in one box. XSPC was kind enough to send us over the Raystorm/D5/Photon/AX360 kit to review so let's get to it!

Read more: XSPC RayStorm D5 Photon AX360 WaterCooling Kit Review @ TechnologyX

Assassin's Creed III 1-Year Later Review @ OCC

Is Connor's cause worth fighting for, or is this one memory that can be forgotten? Personally, I would vote for the latter, or I am at least leaning to that side far more than the other. I enjoyed the previous games in the franchise, but this one does not live up to them. The graphics do not show what five years of advancement can achieve, the story is subpar, and the gameplay outside of the campaign is poorly executed, while the campaign suffers from that subpar story. I would not recommend Assassin's Creed III to someone with new interest in the franchise. I would not even recommend it to everyone who has been interested in the franchise for some time, but has been waiting to play this one. If you see it at an absolutely amazing sale price, or are dying to know what happens next in the Assassin's Creed story, and want to experience it instead of just reading about it, maybe you should get this. Otherwise, go ahead and skip this game.

Read more: Assassin's Creed III 1-Year Later Review @ OCC

Assassin's Creed Revelations 2-Years Later Review @ OCC

Are the lessons from the Assassins of old worth learning, or are some things best left unrevealed? In my opinion, the former. Assassin's Creed Revelations is a very well made game with many outstanding qualities, including a great story and solid gameplay. It definitely succeeds its predecessors in all of the important ways, making it an easy game to recommend to anyone interested in the franchise. Though it would be nice if the main campaign were longer. The only possible qualification I can think of is that so much of the story references the previous games that playing it without knowing what happened before could be confusing. At the same time though, it presents multiple story points that are important for understanding what is happening in the other games, before and after Revelations. Basically, if you want to experience the story of the Assassin's Creed franchise, this is a must play.

Read more: Assassin's Creed Revelations 2-Years Later Review @ OCC

EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1000 W @ techPowerUp

EVGA shook the PSU market with top-performing G2 units and is doing it again with the SuperNOVA P2 1000 W model released recently. Many features in common with the G2s, it uses the same Super Flower platform, but comes with extras, like Platinum efficiency and a selectable semi-passive operation.

Read more: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 1000 W @ techPowerUp

Enermax Ostrog Limited Edition Mid-Tower Chassis Review @ eTeknix

today we take a look at the limited edition release of the wonderful Enermax Ostrog. I’ve always been a fan of this case so I’m happy to see Enermax haven’t given up on it yet. The product originally came to market about a year ago now and what better way to spark some new life into the range than to bring it out in a new colour, because it never hurts to have more choice when your on the market for a new chassis.

The big difference here is that the limited edition release is pink, not your typical colour choice for a limited edition and while I’m sure many won’t be interested in such a product, I bet there are plenty out there that will. Many will be thinking “ahh a case for girls” but nope, not really, lets not be stereotypical about the colour pink here, well not too much anyway!

The standard edition of the Ostrog comes in at just £45, a nice mid market price range and about in line with the competition when looking at specifications. The Limited Edition isn’t available at a lot of places just yet, but I wouldn’t expect to pay more than £50 for the pink model.

Read more: Enermax Ostrog Limited Edition Mid-Tower Chassis Review @ eTeknix

ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets

With the MAXIMUS VI IMPACT, ASUS proved that a Mini-ITX motherboard can be as powerful as high-end ATX motherboards. This tiny socket LGA1150 motherboard based on the Intel Z87 chipset is part of the ROG (Republic of Gamers) series and brings high-end audio interface, high-end voltage regulator circuit, and a lot of other features. Check it out!

Read more: ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets

250 Hard Drives Used To Make One Epic F1 Car @ Legit Reviews

What happens when you have an infinite supply of hard drive parts, 400 hours and a passion for hard drive and race cars? Rob Ryan, Western Digital (WD) Technologist, Advanced Concepts Team, and his family set out to create a WD F1 car unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Read more: 250 Hard Drives Used To Make One Epic F1 Car @ Legit Reviews

Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 2 @ LanOC Reviews

In my first article about our project build Lunchbox 3, I covered everything that controls how fast the build is. Today I will be following up with all of the parts that support. That includes the power supply, case, and cooling components. These are all critical parts to your PC, but things like the CPU, motherboard, and video card generally get all of the attention. Today we will find out all about why space was such a concern when picking our previous components. Let’s dig in and see the rest of what Lunchbox 3 will consist of.

Read more: Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 2 @ LanOC Reviews

Lian Li PC-10N Review @ Vortez

Forerunners of spectacular aluminium computer cases, Lian Li are recognised as the crème de la crème of case designers. We’re generally always excited and intrigued by their products and today is no exception. Back in August of this year Lian Li announced the PC-10N and today we have the pleasure of taking a look at it.

Lian Li’s PC-10N is an all-aluminium mid-tower which besides allowing for a 240mm radiator to be placed on a hinged bracket, relinquishes the traditional motherboard tray and instead makes use of a rail mount design. Will this alternate solution work in Lian Li’s favour? Read on to find out!

Read more: Lian Li PC-10N Review @ Vortez

Sound Blaster EVO ZxR Headset Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Dave Chaos reviews the EVO ZxR headset from Sound Blaster, featuring wireless operation, active noice cancelling, Bluetooth and NFC technology.

Read more: Sound Blaster EVO ZxR Headset Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Call of Duty Ghosts VGA graphics performance benchmark review @ Guru3D

For todays article will benchmark Call of Duty Ghosts. Join us in this preliminary article where close to 20 graphics cards are being tested with the new Call of Duty Ghosts. As such we'll take the more popular and modern graphics cards today and have a look at DX11 performance with the newest graphics cards and technologies. The new and popular title is looking great from a graphics point of view.

Read more: Call of Duty Ghosts VGA graphics performance benchmark review @ Guru3D

RHA SA950i Headphones Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Earlier this year we took a look at RHA's MA450i earphones and they proved to be a great valueand offered good performance. Today we are taking a look at RHA's SA950i's which unlike the MA450's they are an over-ear type of headphones. They are designed to be extremely light and easy to take with you but still provide professional quality audio. They also feature a detachable audio cable that has in-line volume controls and a microphone for taking calls. Will these be your next headset? Read on as we take a look...

Read more: RHA SA950i Headphones Review @ ThinkComputers.org

ASRock Z87E-ITX Review: Motherboard Juxtaposition @ Anandtech

In the office I am currently running through a series of smaller sized motherboards both micro-ATX and mini-ITX. Due to the size, there is plenty of scope to push towards something niche, something that works, or something that slips comically on a banana by missing the point entirely. Today we have in the ASRock Z87E-ITX, a $150 $140 motherboard that flew under my radar until it landed on my test bed.    

Read more: ASRock Z87E-ITX Review: Motherboard Juxtaposition @ Anandtech

21-inch Apple iMac Review @ Techradar

Less than a year after the chassis overhaul that gave the iMac its new slimline bodywork, Apple's innovative desktop computer enjoys another revision. This time, it's a minor refresh, bringing Haswell processors, better GPUs and faster WiFi, but retaining the form factor of the previous generation. It's an unsurprising move.Last year's update had already radically redesigned the all-in-one Mac, dropping the optical drive in favour of a new slimline design with better speakers, a revamped and less reflective screen construction, USB 3.0 ports and a second Thunderbolt port. The upgrades for this year's model are all internal. If you were hoping for a Retina display, you'll be disappointed.Naturally, the iMac isn't the only slimline all-in-one computer out there.

Read more: 21-inch Apple iMac Review @ Techradar