Reviews 51949 Published by

Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

ASRock Z170 Extreme 6 Review
Asus R9 390X STRIX DC3 OC 8GB Review
ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 Z580CA Intel-Powered Premium Android Tablet Review
Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 1000W Power Supply Unit Review
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 550W Power Supply Review
CM Storm Quick Fire XTi Mechanical Keyboard Review
Cooler Master V Series 550W PSU Review
CoolerMaster GeminII S524 Ver.2 Review
Corsair Gaming VOID RGB Wireless headset review
Epson PictureMate PM-400 Review
EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SSC 4GB Video Card Review
Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming G1 Review
In Win 707 Full Tower Case Review
In Win 805 Case Review
RainMachine's Touch HD 12 Irrigation Sprinkler Controller Review
System Guide: September 2015 edition
The Apple iOS 9 Review



ASRock Z170 Extreme 6 Review

A fine balance between price and features? The Intel Skylake platform was released over a month ago. Bringing minor gains in CPU performance but offering a whole host of extra features on the chipset, such as additional bandwidth and explicit support for NVMe, upgrading to the Z170 platform makes a lot of sense for users looking for a new system in mid-2015.

Championing the chipset is ASRock, who has no fewer than 17 Z170-based motherboards in its arsenal. Sitting near the top of the stack is the Z170 Extreme 6 that's priced at around £150. ASRock goes above and beyond the base chipset specification by adding a number of extra features that, it says, are primed for the enthusiast, so let's take a look.

Read full article @ Hexus

Asus R9 390X STRIX DC3 OC 8GB Review

AMD released the R9 390X GPU three months ago and the custom-cooled board partner offerings are available in strength. Today we are taking a look at Asus’ STRIX DC3 OC version of the R9 390X which utilises the company’s triple-fan DirectCU III cooler and an automated production process.

Read full article @ KitGuru

ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 Z580CA Intel-Powered Premium Android Tablet Review

Competing with Apple in the mobile space isn't rocket science, it's just a matter of sticking to a proven formula for success -- build a premium device with superior specs than the one Apple is selling, inject it with Android, and then undercut the iWhatever in price. That's not to say Apple is the only premium device target of opportunity but we'd surmise Apple would consider it the sincerest for of flattery anyway.

Incidentally, we've just described the ASUS ZenPad S 8.0. It's a well designed Android tablet with Intel inside, boasts better specs than the iPad mini 3 and a gorgeous 2048X1536 display.

Read full article @ HotHardware

Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 1000W Power Supply Unit Review

The recent introduction of the new GeForce GTX 980 Ti graphics cards by NVIDIA and the Radeon R9 Fury graphics cards by AMD has "pushed" enthusiasts and serious gamers all around the world to also upgrade other parts of their systems most notably their power supply units. True these two card models are not the most power hungry ones in the market currently but they do require a good amount of power especially at load (roughly 300W for the GTX 980 Ti and 400W for the R9 Fury) and let's face it if you have enough money to get one or more of these cards you should also invest in a good power supply unit just for your peace of mind (that is if you don't already own one). Be Quiet! recently also updated their product catalog with their flagship Dark Power Pro 11 line of power supply units and for the past 2 weeks we've been using the 1000W model with exemplary results.

be quiet! is a premium brand manufacturer of power supplies and cooling solutions for your desktop PC. be quiet! products are convincing which is proved by reaching and defending the market leadership in PSU business in Germany for five consecutive years *. This is validated and accompanied by numerous awards for both power supplies and cooling solutions. be quiet! is awarded for five times in a row as manufacturer of the year in the power supply category by the readers of the well-known German hardware magazine PC Games Hardware. Another first and second rank in the categories “fans” and “cooler” underline the high acceptance of our products. be quiet! sticks to its name: Ten years’ experience in the field of noise reduction and silence make be quiet! products probably the most silent one on the market. Undoubted fans have a large impact of the noise levels of be quiet! products. Due we are using our specially developed Silent Wings fans in nearly all of our range. They are equipped with various noise reducing features. Thanks to these we ensure a really silent operation - our products reach the best balance between cooling performance and a virtually inaudible operation. If you choose be quiet! you can be sure to get premium quality and second to none silent operation from the quietness experts.

We've pretty much reviewed every PSU line be quiet! has released to date but the Dark Power Pro 11 1000W (peak output of almost 1170W) is in a class of its own since aside the 80 Plus Platinum efficiency certification it also features four +12V rails (2x32A & 2x40A) capable of delivering up to 996W, strong minor rails with a total output of 150W, overclocking key (can convert the four +12V rails onto a single +12V rail) 135mm SilentWings 3 PWM Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan, ErP 2014 support, EPS v2.92 support, ATX v2.4 support (Intel Haswell ready), Energy Star v6 support and a full set of electrical protections (OCP/OVP/UVP/SCP/OTP/OPP). Unfortunately the Dark Power Pro 11 doesn't feature a fully modular design like the Power Zone line of PSUs again by be quiet! but since fully modular models are known to perform slightly below their semi-modular brothers I’m sure that's why they followed this path.

Read full article @ NikKTech

be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 550W Power Supply Review

be quiet! are regarded as one of the best brands in the business, from their high-end CPU coolers, system fans and of course their power supplies, many of which are regarded as some of the coolest, quietest and best make products available today. Obviously, the quiet part is a given, with a name like be quiet!, if they made noisy products, it would be quite a disappointment. To achieve quiet performance, be quiet! uses high-quality components, premium grade build quality and design, so it’s no surprise that they’ve won many awards in the past; will we see a repeat performance today?

The Dark Power Pro 11 is the latest entry in their popular Dark Power Pro series. There are a few notable features to this power supply that make it stand out from the competition. First we’ve got the new SilentWings 3 135mm fan which features the new 6-pole motor, a redesigned bearing, the lowest startup rotational speed in the market (under 250FPM) and more; promising virtually inaudible performance and improved cooling. Of course, power delivery is improved too, with high-quality PFC capacitors, higher efficiency, improved voltage stability, regulation and more!

Read full article @ eTeknix

CM Storm Quick Fire XTi Mechanical Keyboard Review

The gaming division of legendary component manufacturer Coolermaster, CM Storm, has made some great peripherals over the years. Their gaming keyboards are certainly worthy of your attention, not only because of their smart designs and flawless performance but also because of their incredibly durable build quality. It’s with this in mind that I’m very excited about our latest product review, the brand new Quick Fire XTi mechanical keyboard, which comes packed full of cool features that are no doubt going to appeal to a lot of people.

The new keyboard features genuine Cherry MX switches, so you know you’re getting great quality right there; we have MX Greens at our disposal today. The keys feature a rather funky lighting system too, which has both red and blue backlights, so while not full RGB, you do still get a range of 35 colours per key. On top of the lighting colours, you can use ActivLite per key illumination, with a range of presets, 4 profiles and brightness options, giving you plenty of fun customisation options. There’s also macros, repeat rate adjustments, NKRO, 1000Hz/1ms polling and more!

Read full article @ eTeknix

Cooler Master V Series 550W PSU Review

Cooler Master are set to release three new power supplies in October and today we look at the entry level capacity model - the V550. This compact 550 watt supply is a pure modular unit featuring 80 Plus Gold certification and thanks to the incorporation of a Silencio FP fan, noise levels are said to be very low indeed.

Read full article @ KitGuru

CoolerMaster GeminII S524 Ver.2 Review

Today we are taking a look at another product from CoolerMaster, the GeminII S524 Ver.2 CPU cooler. Available now on Amazon the GeminII S524 Ver.2 offers flagship level design and construction at a good value. Designed to accommodate newer generation RAM we see generous clearance. The top-down, X-Vents and Air-Guide design promotes cooling of your RAM and motherboard which is a nice bonus. For the CPU we get 5 Continuous Direct Contact copper heat pipes that flow into high grade aluminum shaped fins ready to keep your precious CPU investment cool and healthy. The included fan is a Silencio FP 120 specifically designed for high static pressures to move heat fast and effectively. Let’s dive in and check it out.

Read full article @ Bjorn3D

Corsair Gaming VOID RGB Wireless headset review

We review the new Corsair Gaming VOID RGB wireless headset. The Dolby 7.1 certified VOID RGB is the successor model to the Vengeance series and works through a USB transmitter on the 2.4 GHz Wireless band. One charge will get you hours of wireless headset gaming over two quality 50mm drivers.

Over the years Corsair has moved from being a memory company towards a much more diverse entity targeted at gamers. Memory, SSDs, power supplies, chassis', keyboards, mouses, cooling and sure, audio products as well. On the audio front Corsair has now moved products to their professional gaming line called 'Corsair gaming'. Being all wireless and with nice big 50mm (not sure but likely Neodyne) drivers this headset connects wirelessly to your USB port with the help of a receiver and transmitter USB dongle. The new headset has support for Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. Windows 10 is obviously supported as well, you will need to download the latest driver for the full Corsair Utility Engine software suite which allows you to tweak audio to your audiophile preference. The new model name is the Gaming VOID RGB Wireless 7.1 Gaming Headset which proclaims to be a 7.1 surround wireless gaming headset that brings in realistic multi-channel-like gaming audio. The battery charge can bring you the comfort of 16 hours of usage (according to Corsair). The VOID RGB works through a USB transmitter (surround-sound headset) and comes with nice big 50mm drivers and a trick or two.

The headset supports Dolby surround sound, albeit we found that disabling that feature sounded much better overall. The new headset is capable of offering a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response. The product will carry a 2 year warranty ensuring that the Corsair Gaming VOID RGB will love you long time. The RGB system basically consists of configurable LEDs housed in both earpads, armed with the Corsair Utility Engine you can apply a varyity of colors and/or animations and even programm things yourself. Anyway, let's read on-wards and find out how the new wireless Corsair Gaming VOID RGB headset works and sounds. But have a peek at that new look, and then hit the next page please.

Read full article @ Guru3D

Epson PictureMate PM-400 Review

I was never much of a photo-taker. Most of the snaps I took were of important moments with family and friends, or vacation landscapes that I wanted to remember later. I usually just fired off a few pics, loaded them onto Facebook and returned to them from time to time, to reminisce. There was no real effort, no attention to detail and I didn't really think anything should happen to these images outside of their digital files. That all changed this past March when my wife and I had our first child – a baby girl we named Mila. Mila's birth didn't turn me into a shutterbug. I still use the automatic setting on my DSLR and I can't tell you the difference between my aperture and ISO settings. But having a baby made me want to take a million photos and turn them into something. Putting them on Facebook and forgetting them just didn't seem right. I wanted to print them, send them to family members, hang them on the walls and carry them around to show off. Unfortunately, most printers are tedious to use, especially if you're using them for work and play, which typically requires you to switch between paper types and sizes.

Read full article @ Techradar

EVGA GeForce GTX 960 SSC 4GB Video Card Review

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 has been a popular video card since it was released on January 22, 2015 as comes in at the rather affordable $199 price point. If you want to step up to the next card in the GeForce product stack, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, you are looking at spending $329. According to the August 2015 Steam Hardware Survey, most Windows PC gamers (34%) are playing games on displays sporting a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution with an astonishing 28% are playing at 1366 x 768. The good news for those using a 1920 x 1080 monitor for desktop gaming is that you don’t have to spend several hundred dollars on a video card as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 is more than capable of 1080P gaming and we’ve seen board partners selling GeForce GTX 960 2GB models priced as low as $155 after promotional rebate offers.

Read full article @ Legit Reviews

Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming G1 Review

To date, the Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming G1 is the most high-end Z170 motherboard available. It comes with a ton of features like for instance four full-size PCI Express slots, two M.2 x4 Gen 3 slots, and even a PLX PEX 8747 Chip. Apparently, we're curious to find out how this board does in our Review.

Read full article @ ocaholic

In Win 707 Full Tower Case Review

Simply put, there are a lot of case manufactures that are vying for your business. Some use "gimmicky" tactics to entice you to buy their case; only to find out later that the item does not work as intended for very long or you just do not use that specific function of the case. In my opinion, a case should … Read more.

Read full article @ Modders-Inc

In Win 805 Case Review

In Win is a company we’ve known for some really crazy PC case designs. They show off a special edition case every year at Computex and this year was no different. Many of their cases have features glass panels like the S-Frame or D-Frame, but these cases are not always what users are looking for and hold pretty high retail prices. There is where In Win comes in with the 805, a mid tower chassis that conforms to the typical “tower” case design, but is mostly made of glass. The front panel and both side panels are made of 3mm-thick tempered glass and the rest of the case is made of high-quality aluminum. All of this together makes for a very traditional, yet different looking case. This is also one of the first cases that we have seen that features a front-mounted USB 3.1 Type-C port. Let’s jump in and see what this case is all about!

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

RainMachine's Touch HD 12 Irrigation Sprinkler Controller Review

Hello Funkykit readers! Been awhile since my last review. Recharging myself was definitely something I needed, therefore, the family and I decided to go on a vacation and go off the grid. No facebook, twitter, emails or anything work/school related was allowed per the wife's rules. I found out that I really didn't need or miss all that stuff. Of course a vacation is just getting away and at some point you have to come back to your usual life. Returning from vacation can be very stressful. Your so far behind on things that you are basically busy trying to catch back up. However, the days leading up to vacations are 10 times worse!

A lot of preparation goes into a vacation. You have to pack your clothes, check on plane tickets, get a dog sitter, pay bills ( you never want to come home to one of you utilities cut-off), and even call the post office. Having one less thing to worry about helps tremendously! There are smart devices out now that gives you a set it and forget it mentality. Most of the smart devices allow you to control many different devices while you are away from home such as unlocking your house and car, setting your DVR, and even turning your sprinkler system on and off! This is where the product I am reviewing comes to the fold. I have received the touch HD 12 sprinkler Irrigation controller from RainMachine. I was lucky enough to receive the HD 12 a week before we left. Our old sprinkler controller was on its last leg, therefore, you could probably guess how ecstatic I was to test this baby out. The touch HD 12 supports up to 12 different zones, is weather aware through NOAA climate data, has a 6.5 ultra bright touch screen, 2.4 Ghz, wifi compatible, Android based software, and has Android and Apple applications.

Read full article @ FunkyKit

System Guide: September 2015 edition

In our first System Guide since Intel's Skylake CPUs hit the market, we examine the new chips' effects on every facet of the PC-building experience. We also propose some complete builds to go along with Intel's latest chips.

Read full article @ The Tech Report

The Apple iOS 9 Review

2015 has been a pretty big year for Apple as a company. Product launches this year included the Apple Watch, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the iPad Mini 4, the iPad Pro, and the new Apple TV. This month is a big month for their software launches, with today marking the release of iOS 9 as well as watchOS 2, and OS X El Capitan launching at the very end of the month. I hope to do some sort of review of the new features in watchOS 2, but todays article focuses strictly on iOS 9 and everything new that Apple is bringing to their biggest operating system for both users and developers. Read on for the AnandTech review of iOS 9.

Read full article @ Anandtech