Reviews 51911 Published by

Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

A Look At QD Vision's Color IQ And The Philips 276E6 Monitor: Quantom Dots for Wider Color Gamuts
Asus PG27AQ review: 4K gaming ready
Comparison List Update: All Skylake CPUs
Intel NUC Kit NUC5PGYH Braswell Mini PC Review
Jide Remix Mini First Look
LG V10
Lian Li PC-J60 Review
MSI Vortex G65 6QF SLI Review
Noctua NH-C14S Review
Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX Tempered Glass Edition Review
Razer Leviathan Mini Review
Rig of the Month - April 2016
Silverstone Argon AR06 CPU Cooler Review: Prioritizing Silence
Taming Plasma
Thermalright Macho 120 SBM CPU Cooler Review
Thermaltake Versa N21 Case Review
We take a seat on Turris' VR Chair



A Look At QD Vision's Color IQ And The Philips 276E6 Monitor: Quantom Dots for Wider Color Gamuts

At this years CES Josh and I sat down with representatives of QD Vision to discuss their quantum dot display technology, along with where they see the television and monitor market moving in the next few years. QD Vision offers a quantum dot solution for displays, which is branded as Color IQ. The interesting proposition that QD Vision brings to the table with their technology is that its not just usable in high end displays, but also in less expensive ones where it can be used to bring features that were traditionally limited to high end displays down to a lower price point.

After our meeting with QD Vision, we were informed that Philips would be launching a new line of monitors that use QD Visions Color IQ technology. Given that these are some of the first computer monitors to come to market with quantum dot technology, I was quite interested in taking a look at it. The monitor in question is the Philips 276E6 monitor, which has a 27" panel and claims to cover 99% of the Adobe RGB color gamut. Read on for more info about Color IQ, and to find out how well the Philips 276E6 performs.

Read full article @ Anandtech

Asus PG27AQ review: 4K gaming ready

This year both AMD and Nvidia will introduce new GPU architectures, that should be a giant leap forwards in terms of performance, partly because of the switch to a smaller production process. This means that 4K gaming, gaming at a resolution of 3840x2160, will be possible at higher frame rates meaning it is more interesting to play at this resolution. Asus already introduced a new monitor to be ready for this: the RoG Switft PG27AQ. An ultra hd monitor with an IPS-panel and support for G-sync. You can find our test results in this article.

For now, in order to game at 4K resolution with acceptable frame rates you need at least two of the fastest, most expensive, graphics cards available now; like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 Ti. Even then you will need to turn down the graphics settings in modern games in order to have a fluid experience. As there are not a lot of people that spend this much money on their graphics cards, it is safe to say that 4K gaming is more of a promise than a reality in this day and age.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

Comparison List Update: All Skylake CPUs

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 Intel's upcoming Skylake processors.

Read full article @ ocaholic

Intel NUC Kit NUC5PGYH Braswell Mini PC Review

Like the rest of Intel Atom systems, home theater PCs (HTPC) based on the CPU have come a long way over the last few years. The Intel NUC5PGYH offers hardware accelerated video decoding up to 4K (HDMI 1.4b output) via the quad-core Intel Braswell Pentium N3700. Now add in 7.1 multi-channel audio support, Windows 10 preinstalled, RC6 CIR (consumer infrared), 2GB DDR3L RAM, 32GB eMMC, and support for 2.5” storage expansion. This particular low power system has the makings of a serious media consumption device. And when considering that you can bring one home for $250/£220 ($280 SRP), even the price sounds too good to be true.

Read full article @ Missing Remote

Jide Remix Mini First Look

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Jide delivered a $70 barebones mini-PC to us. The selling point? It has a custom Android-based operating system developed specifically for desktop use.

Read full article @ Toms Hardware

LG V10

With LG’s main phone line being their G series it wouldn’t be a big surprise if you hadn’t heard of their V10. I have been testing the V10 for a while and every time someone asked what phone I had they had no idea what the V10 was. You might remember the LG commercials for it though with their focus being on the camera. That’s because the V10 added manual video controls as well as a vine like ability to stitch together short clips. Add to that there are two front facing cameras it’s clear that the V10 wanted to improve on the camera experience. Well after spending time with the phone I think there is a lot more to the V10 and I wanted to go over my experience with LGs premium smartphone. Read on to find out how things went.

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

Lian Li PC-J60 Review

The PC-J60 from Lian Li is the latest mid-tower for ATX motherboards from the taiwanese company. Made of brushed aluminum, this case offers space for watercooling solutions with radiators measuring up to 240 and 360mm as well as one high-end graphics cards. It is an elegant solution based on high-end materials as well as a classic design. If you are looking for a really clean and classy ATX case, you need to check this review.

Read full article @ ocaholic

MSI Vortex G65 6QF SLI Review

Unique, expensive, stylish, imperfect and bold. Meet MSI's take on the Mac Pro. One of the great things about PC gaming is the sheer amount of diversity. We're starting to hear rumours about games consoles considering tiered hardware specifications, but such choice has always been available on PC and the divergence extends well beyond performance alone. Pricing can range from under £500 to over £3,000, the list of accessories and peripherals is seemingly endless, and high-end gaming rigs come in all shapes and sizes.

There are obvious benefits to big machines touting lavish cooling, complete flexibility and simple upgrades, yet there's increased demand for small-form-factor solutions. Mini gaming rigs are a better fit for the living room, they bode well for LAN party transportation, and there's something perpetually satisfying about compact machines capable of dishing out full-tower levels of performance.

Factors such as heat, noise and price tend to make small-form factor gaming PCs a tough nut to crack, but MSI reckons it has a winner on its hands with the Vortex G65. Borrowing design cues from Apple's Mac Pro and applying a gaming twist, MSI's unusual desktop packs an Intel Core i7 processor and dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 GPUs into an eye-catching 6.5-litre cylinder.

Read full article @ Hexus

Noctua NH-C14S Review

The NH-C14S takes the already great design of the NH-C14 and refines it to a new level. What does the NH-C14S bring to the table? It gets the job done with a single, more powerful fan, and the new offset of the fin stack provides clearance for the first PCIe slot on your motherboard. The C-type design gives you a much lower profile that lets you build your system in most HTPC-style cases. You still get the options of using either Low Profile mode or High Clearance mode. And of course, all that air the NF-A14 moves through the cooler gets directed down across the RAM modules, VRM, and other motherboard components. That amounts to extra cooling for free. The SecuFirm2™ mounting system is just the greatest thing. Installing a cooler really can't be much easier. It really needs to be an industry standard in my opinion.

Read full article @ OCC

Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX Tempered Glass Edition Review

The Enthusiast PC Hardware world is full of niche areas that often get glossed over and while it is easy to say "this is an enthusiast grade motherboard" or "that a certain video card is good for overclocking" the lesser known segments such as case modding and watercooling are a little different. Choosing a case can have a similar effect given the plethora of factors that come into play like overall style, motherboard support, size, available pre-mods and personal preference. This is often compounded by the near endless supply of worthless cases dominating the low-end market followed by high-end cases that specialize in “that one thing” which can be both helpful and annoying.

Of course if you are a cooling enthusiast you’ll be adding another requirement to your list, support for watercooling gear.

In this review we will be looking at the Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX Tempered Glass Edition. This is a Mid-Tower case that is virtually identical to the original with the same great style and tempered glass side panels. Inside the case features a conservative layout that can be customized to match your needs. If that wasn’t enough the case also features a new RGB lighting control with 10 different colors, a breathing effect and color cycling mode that will move between all 10 colors automatically. The LED color control is also transferable to Phanteks LED lighting strips adding more style and versatility to your builds..

Read full article @ Hardware Asylum

Razer Leviathan Mini Review

Late summer last year, we had the chance to take a look at the Razer Leviathan, a gaming soundbar with virtual 5.1 surround rendering. Recently, we were informed that the Leviathan had babies in the form of a portable wireless speaker. Though I would have loved a name like 'Spawn of Leviathan', Razer felt that Leviathan Mini would suffice.

At just 550g, and dimensions of 54 x 185 x 55 mm (DxWxH), it is far more portable than the likes of say, the Creative ROAR. Though considering it is coming in at the same price with fewer features, the pair of 45mm drivers have a lot to live up to. Aiding those drivers to deliver a punch, Razer have also fitted 2x 40 x 70mm passive radiators. Supporting Bluetooth 4.0 devices that can be paired manually or via NFC, you can also connect devices through a more traditional 3.5mm jack. Bluetooth streaming supports A2DP/aptX as well as HFP1.5 hands free for mobile calls that will be supported by an integrated 4mm microphone featuring 'Clear Voice Capture Technology'.

One of the party pieces of the Razer Leviathan Mini is something that we would have loved to see implemented in the Creative Roar series (that is currently done so where there megastereo connection is supported), that is, wireless 'comboplay'. You can connect a pair of Leviathan Mini portable speakers wirelessly while connected to a Bluetooth source, amplifying your output and creating a true stereo experience.

Read full article @ Vortez

Rig of the Month - April 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

Silverstone Argon AR06 CPU Cooler Review: Prioritizing Silence

The Silverstone Argon series of heatsinks comprise of value-minded CPU air cooling solutions available in tower-style or heatpiped low-profile models. Of the three that use a low-profle design, the Argon AR06 is the more capable cooler equipped with four heatpipes compared to the dual-heatpiped AR05 and AR04. With a 92mm fan designed for quiet operation, the Argon AR06 fits well … Read more.

Read full article @ Modders-Inc

Taming Plasma

How does one go about taming Plasma? Well, that seems to be a recurring question I get asked in the emails. People are really interested to know about theme, font, icon, and window decoration management in Plasma, and how it compares to the good ole KDE4. A valid question. So let's answer it.

Read full article @ OCS-Mag

Thermalright Macho 120 SBM CPU Cooler Review

The brand new Macho 120 SBM CPU cooler by Thermalright lands right between the older Macho 120 Rev.A and the newer Macho Zero models in terms of size so it should offer a way out for consumers looking for a mid-sized model to fit in their rig.

Read full article @ NikKTech

Thermaltake Versa N21 Case Review

In this Review, we will be looking at the Thermaltake Versa N21 Mid-Tower case. As a side note, I actually asked to do a review of this case as it fit perfectly a theme for an upcoming build I have been wanting to complete.  I looked through almost a hundred cases before deciding on this case and I didn't decide this case for the price.  It had the look and feel of the Theme that I needed and I love doing case mods so I am really excited about this review and building in this case and it seems to be everything I needed for this particular build. The Thermaltake N21 has very classy lines and while the case is made for many different applications I found the case to be great for modding.  It is overbuilt on the Frame so this allows me as an Enthusiast to cut instead of adding portions to the case that I need.  This makes it easier to build in as I don't need to engineer parts to make my theme a reality.  The paint is well done in the Arctic White and the inner chassis is painted black with no overspray or under-spray.  This makes it easier for the builder also since we don't have to redo a paint job that should have been done correctly at the factory.

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

We take a seat on Turris' VR Chair

Praevidi's Turris VR Chair lets players navigate seated VR experiences by shifting their bodies, an approach that decouples head- and torso-position tracking to create a potentially more immersive experience in VR environments. Join us as we explore this device and its implications for the future of VR control.

Read full article @ The Tech Report