MSI's Z77IA-E53 Mini-ITX motherboard reviewed and more

MSI's Z77-based Mini-ITX board has a unique mix of features, including VGA connectivity, an open Mini PCIe/mSATA slot, and smartphone-based tweaking software. We take a closer look to see how it fits into the mini Ivy landscape.

Memory legend OCZ wasn’t always on a mission to build the best SSD that money could buy. Sometimes their focus seemed incredibly unclear from the outside, with memory skus coming and going faster than any other company I can recall, forays into PSUs leading to mixed results and the release of one of the best dollar-for-dollar CPU coolers ever to grace the market never followed up on. But, with the onset of commercially viable SSDs, all bets were off and OCZ took a firm focus that has paid off in huge fashion not only for them, but for the consumer as well. Now OCZ is releasing their first totally in-house top tier controller design with the Indilinx Barefoot 3 inside of the new Vector SSD, which OCZ’s ad campaign justly describes as “groundbreaking”.

The 256GB OCZ Vector SSD is being introduced with some of the fastest factory ratings we have ever seen, with 550/530 MB/s sequential read and write speeds to go along with incredible 100,000/95,000 4k IOPS. The all new Barefoot 3 controller in the OCZ Vector is paired with 25nm IMFT MLC NAND, and has been extensively tested and endured a lengthy validation cycle prior to release to ensure the utmost in reliability and endurance. OCZ is so confident in the Vector’s testing that they are offering an industry leading 5-Year or 36.5TB of Writes (whichever comes first) to back it. The Vector’s Barefoot 3 controller also features TRIM support and enhanced proprietary garbage collection which delivers sustained top-end performance rather than dropping off after several minutes as we have seen from most drives. For the ultrabook user the OCZ Vector sports a 7mm form factor with low power consumption topping out at only 2.25W at full activity, and sitting at 0.9W idle. The Vector comes packaged with all you need out of the box, with Acronis HD cloning software registration as well as a 3.5” desktop adapter. For a limited time the 256GB and 512GB Vectors will come with a free activation code for newly released Far Cry 3, making for an unbeatable bundle.

Commander Shepard has been given his (or her) toughest assignment yet; shore leave. Admiral Hackett has ordered Shepard and his crew to head to the Citadel for a mandatory refit of the Normandy systems and get some well-deserved R&R. Admiral Anderson has graciously provided Shepard his apartment on the Citadel, which is located in the lower wards, with a new area ripe for exploration.

Shepard is asked by a fellow ship mate to have dinner at an authentic French sushi restaurant, but it doesn’t take long for everything to go straight to hell. Under enemy fire and with civilians at risk, Shepard needs to combat his aggressors quickly and with extreme prejudice. A new ally joins your ranks, Lieutenant Brooks – an analyst for the Alliance – and has noticed the Commander’s personal information is being hacked, but cannot ascertain what the hacker is looking for.

Choosing a gaming mouse nowadays can be rather difficult. Especially with the many compelling options and special features offered by multiple manufacturers. Above everything, a gaming mouse must be comfortable, durable, have programmable buttons, and a reasonable dpi range. Most modern mice come with extra features such as wireless functionality, adjustable weight, customizable lighting, and even onboard memory for button profiles.That being said, a particular model may tick all the boxes, and still be imperfect. There is a certain X factor when it comes to mice and other gaming peripherals; it just has to suit the individual using it. As a result, this article will necessarily be somewhat subjective. The mouse under inspection is one of the few offered from AZiO. the GM533U appears to have ticked many of the boxes but should you pick this one over the many other alternatives from reputable gaming brands? Benchmark Reviews takes the Levetron GM533U for a spin to find out.

With the immense amount of gaming mice on the market, There's is a constant challenge among manufacturers to offer new features and make their product unique and special. The GM533U has an interesting design that is unlike most other gaming mice: it is visually appealing with it's red accents and lights. Priced at $40, the GM533U jumps into a crowded ring with contenders from Razer, Corsair, and Logitech such as the DeathAdder, the M60, and the G400. It will have to put up a good fight to stand a chance against the heavyweights.

What about the basic bundle; should you spend the money for it? If you read my Beat Hazard Ultra review you already know my answer to that question is 'yes!' That game alone makes the bundle worth getting at any price. If you already have a copy then maybe the bundle is not worth any price to you, but I can strongly recommend Dynamite Jack for its Android experience and Solar 2 for its PC experience. NightSky HD left me unimpressed for either platform, but is still a good game and is worth playing if you purchase the bundle, but do not feel bad if you play it last.

Samsung has beefed up their previously released Galaxy Note 10.1 by adding in Verizon's LTE chip. But, will adding LTE be enough to make this a top tier and highly recommended tablet?