Reviews 51950 Published by

Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme 5200 Desktop Review, G.Skill Ripjaws X 2133Mhz DDR3 RAM, EVGA Bronze 500 W, The Nexus 7 (2013) Review, and System76 Gazelle Pro: An Intel Haswell Laptop With Ubuntu Linux



CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme 5200 Desktop Review @ Anandtech
The CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme 5200 system comes with this generation's best and brightest in a shiny new Intel Core i7-4770K and an AMD Radeon HD 7990. So why were we left a little cold?
Read more: CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme 5200 Desktop Review @ Anandtech

Thermaltake Meka G-Unit Illuminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @ Legit Reviews
Thermaltake is constantly looking at the market and developing products that exceed expectations. The Meka G-Unit mechanical keyboard line has been around for several years; however, that doesnt stop Thermaltake from expanding the line and making refinements. The G-Unit line has integrated dedicated macro keys, Cherry Black switches, N-key anti-ghosting capability, and media keys. Thermaltake has added another keyboard to the line, the Meka G-Unit Illuminated edition. As the name indicates, it is illuminated, so it has LED backlighting.

Read more: Thermaltake Meka G-Unit Illuminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @ Legit Reviews

G.Skill Ripjaws X 2133Mhz DDR3 RAM @ Modders-Inc
Overall, I am very impressed with the Ripjaws X 2133Mhz RAM. They retail for $73 (2 x 4Gb kit) and are also available in larger 2 x 8Gb kits not to mention the wide variety of Ripjaws of different speeds and timings to allow you to find the RAM that perfectly suits your needs.

Read more: G.Skill Ripjaws X 2133Mhz DDR3 RAM @ Modders-Inc

Bem Wireless Mobile Speaker Review @ TestFreaks
Yep we’re still on the back to school theme this week, but today I don’t have another bag for review I’ve got a portable speaker that would be great for a college dorm or great for any use really. The product is from Bēm Wireless and it’s just plainly named the Mobile Speaker. Yes no fancy or cute name, just Mobile Speaker and that’s exactly what it is. The Mobile Speaker is small and portable with a built-in battery that should last about six hours and it has Bluetooth for wireless audio and it even has a 3.5mm audio port so you can use it with devices that don’t have Bluetooth capability. That’s not all though, the speaker has a 3.5mm auxiliary out port too which allows you to connect another non-Bluetooth speaker to it and turn it into a wireless speaker. So it’s more than just a little speaker, read on to learn more…

Read more: Bem Wireless Mobile Speaker Review @ TestFreaks

EVGA Bronze 500 W @ techPowerUp
EVGA introduced the 500B, a mainstream unit featuring a non-modular design, compact dimensions, Bronze efficiency, and a very nice price tag of only $50, right at the same time as their new SuperNOVA units. We will put it through its paces to find out how it performs.

Read more: EVGA Bronze 500 W @ techPowerUp

The Nexus 7 (2013) Review @ Anandtech
Truth be told, Google has made (or at least directed the making of) some of the best tablets on the market today. The original Nexus 7 was groundbreaking in that it offered a totally usable platform, married to the latest version of Android, for $199. The Nexus 10 gave us a very quick, ultra high resolution 10-inch tablet for $100 less than the flagship iPad (and with more storage). Both were easily recommendable due to their value, but this year Google is stepping out of the shadow of value and into one of excellence. It starts with the new Nexus 7.

Read more: The Nexus 7 (2013) Review @ Anandtech

Cooler Master i700 @ PureOverclock
The power requirements of enthusiast and gaming PCs have increased dramatically over the last few years, due to the development of ever more powerful and sophisticated CPUs and graphics processors. During this time, the computer power supply unit has risen in stature from being an anonymous, unimportant component choice to become one of the most fundamentally important components in any modern PC.

While the general trend has been higher energy consumption, there are many consumers that don’t need a high end kilowatt power supply. There is a considerable market for mid-range units to power a single graphics card setup, somewhere around 600W to 700W of power.

Read more: Cooler Master i700 @ PureOverclock

Seagate 600 Pro 400GB SSD Review @ Hardware Canucks
The advent of SSDs and their eventual plunge into lower price brackets caught many traditional hard drive manufacturers by surprise. Seagate on the other hand had already invested heavily into solid state technology, utilizing it as an enhanced feature on some of their drives. Now, with the recently released $570 Seagate Pro 600 400GB they're taking the next logical step towards becoming a company that can offer the best of both worlds.

Admittedly, Seagate's move towards this point has been leisurely and without a hint of panic. They've thoroughly analyzed the market and have determined that at this point, focusing on the higher end professional market is the way to go. With that in mind, the 600 Pro is priced higher than most mainstream SSDs but incorporates protective technologies designed to keep your information safe.

Read more: Seagate 600 Pro 400GB SSD Review @ Hardware Canucks

Rosewill FBM-01 Mini-Tower Case Review @ HiTech Legion
The average weekly salary in the 1940s was around $32, which doesn’t sound like much these days but it was enough to support a family back then. Current petrol prices alone will set you back quite a bit and $32 will not even come close to filling your tank. Thankfully, not everything has gone up in price. With the sheer manufacturing power of China, many goods are available at a very affordable price point that normally would have cost twice as much or more. Increased production means there are also plenty to choose from, so when you have a limited budget, it now does not necessarily mean your only choice is to get a junk that will break down after a few months.

It is all about competition and while many companies are looking to build the next most expensive product, there are some like Rosewill who are looking into and expanding with products that are more encompassing and relatable to a non-enthusiast. Not that Rosewill has turned their back on the enthusiast crowd; on the contrary, their award-winning power supplies and cases have caught the attention of many hardcore PC builders. Rosewill however, has not overlooked other aspects of DIY PC system building such as budget and entry level builders, as illustrated with their FBM-01 micro-ATX case.

Read more: Rosewill FBM-01 Mini-Tower Case Review @ HiTech Legion

System76 Gazelle Pro: An Intel Haswell Laptop With Ubuntu Linux @ Phoronix
System76 recently sent over their Haswell-based Gazelle Professional laptop that sports HD Graphics 4600, a fancy Intel SSD, 8GB of system memory, and a beautiful HD display. This Haswell Linux laptop has already been used for testing within a few Phoronix articles while now is a full look at this Ubuntu laptop along with some comparison performance tests.

This laptop from System76, the Ubuntu-friendly desktop/server/laptop vendor based out of Colorado, recently introduced the Gazelle Professional revision with Intel Haswell processors. The Gazelle Professional features a 15.6-inch 1080p HD LED-backlit display, fast performance, a very large keyboard with keypad, a large touchpad, and a respectable build quality.

Read more: System76 Gazelle Pro: An Intel Haswell Laptop With Ubuntu Linux @ Phoronix

MSI Z87 - G45 GAMING Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps
Last time we had a look at MSI's flagship of the Z87series, the Z87 XPOWER. Targeted at the overclocking and the enthusiast audience, the XPOWER also carries a hefty price tag. Gamers however are usually more budget minded and might prefer to invest a bit more in the Graphics Card or the Processor. MSI has got two Gaming boards on offer, the G45 and GD65, both carry tailor made specifications for gamers. Multi GPU support, improved Audio and LAN function, all integrated in a professional and stunning looking Dragon-themed PCB. That high end and performance does not always have to carry a hefty price tag might become more clear during the review of this Z87-G45 Gaming motherboard.

Read more: MSI Z87 - G45 GAMING Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps

Thermaltake WATER3.0 Extreme Liquid CPU Cooler Review @ Techgage
For as long as I’ve known it to be an option, I’ve opted to go the liquid route for keeping my PCs cool. Versus air solutions, I’ve preferred liquid for its increased efficiency, generally lower noise, smaller footprint, and, if we’re going to get petty, the aesthetics.

Years ago, liquid cooling (or “water cooling”) was a do-it-yourself endeavor, and I did happen to dabble in it once. As much as I loved the results, though, I didn’t care too much for the overall cost, and especially the amount of research required to make sure that what you’re buying into is going to last you a while – and of course, not rot out before the end of that expected life cycle. When all-in-one solutions first hit the market, I knew that they were designed for people like me – those who prefer the perks over air as mentioned above, but don’t want to invest too much money and time into a proper DIY solution.

Read more: Thermaltake WATER3.0 Extreme Liquid CPU Cooler Review @ Techgage