Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including Holiday Gift Guide 2013, Gigabyte GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition Review, AMD issues statement on R9 290X speed variability, press samples, Toshiba PX02SS 12Gbps SAS Enterprise SSD Review (400GB), and Xbox One: Comprehensive launch review



Holiday Gift Guide 2013 @ Tom's Hardware

Are you looking for that perfect geek gift for someone in your life who already has everything? We're here to help. The Tom's Hardware staff put together their own rather eclectic wish list for the holidays. Truly, it has a little something for everyone.

Read more: Holiday Gift Guide 2013 @ Tom's Hardware

Brawling my way through Batman: Arkham Origins @ The Tech Report

In his latest blog post, TR's Geoff Gasior dives into Batman: Arkham Origins to see if the latest chapter in the franchise lives up to its predecessors.

Read more: Brawling my way through Batman: Arkham Origins @ The Tech Report

Heavyweight rematch: Gigabyte X79-UP4 vs. MSI X79A-GD45 Plus @ The Tech Report

Ivy Bridge-E is here, and X79 motherboards are ready for it. We look at a couple of offerings from Gigabyte and MSI to see how they compare.

Read more: Heavyweight rematch: Gigabyte X79-UP4 vs. MSI X79A-GD45 Plus @ The Tech Report

Gigabyte GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition Review @ Hardware Canucks

Nearly a month after its much-publicized launch, the GTX 780 Ti may selling quite well but custom designed cards from NVIDIA’s board partners are hard to come by. Things are about to change as the likes of Gigabyte, ASUS, MSI and others follow in the footsteps of EVGA’s ACX Superclocked by introducing their own personalized solutions in mid-December. Among what promises to be a deluge of great cards Gigabyte will be front and center with the aptly named GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition.

In direct contradiction to some of their competitors’ upcoming cards which take a slightly more pedestrian approach, Gigabyte is going for the highest possible clock speeds this time around. How high? We’re talking about a Base Clock of 1085MHz and an average Boost frequency of 1150MHz. To give you some idea of where this stands, EVGA’s Superclocked is rated at 1006 / 1072 and the reference card boasts a paltry 875 / 928 ratio. To say Gigabyte is pushing things is an understatement of epic proportions considering the slower Superclocked was nearly able to compete against a GTX 690.

Read more: Gigabyte GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition Review @ Hardware Canucks

ADATA UE700 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ HiTech Legion

Time is money. I have heard this throughout my entire life. It was not until my teenage years when I got my first real job that I realized how true it was. We are literally paid in cash for hours of our lives. Even credit is effectively a loan on the hours one is presumed to have left. I personally find it a bit humorous, though I admit I couldn’t think of a better way to do things. Because of this fact, anything that can save us time is extremely valuable to society as a whole. Yet, I am still not allowed to drive as fast as I want.

As the processing power of computers grows, so too does the need to be able to keep a computer “fed” with information for it to compute. I hear a lot about “bottle necks”, especially in gaming circles, but I think it is the user who is the bottleneck. We are the ones who have to stop and think what to type next. We have to create the information to input it into the computer. Isn’t someone working on direct brain to computer interface? I am not sure I am ready to go full cyborg yet. In the meantime, companies like ADATA are making it easier to input information into a PC faster and easier.

Read more: ADATA UE700 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ HiTech Legion

Mad Catz Tritton Kunai Headset for iOS @ PureOverclock

Mad Catz makes multiple versions of the Tritton Kunai headset for different devices. Today we have the opportunity to review the version compatible with various iOS devices. Officially certified to meet Apple's standards, these are said to deliver a comfortable, high-quality audio experience for mobile gaming, phones, and tablets. The Tritton Kunai features 40mm drivers and swiveling ear pads with provided memory foam padding. The in-line controls are supposed to make on the fly volume adjustments, answering calls and controlling music from the attached media device easy. Available in Blue, Green, Orange and Black, will this Apple compliant headset gain the attention of computer enthusiasts? Read on to find out.

Read more: Mad Catz Tritton Kunai Headset for iOS @ PureOverclock

CMstorm Devastator Gaming Gear Combo @ Rbmods

Today we are taking a look at gaming products from CMstorm. They have sent us their Devastator kit which is a combination of a mouse and keyboard. The mouse looks quite standard but the keyboard has some mechanical like switches where you are supposed to get more feedback when you push the buttons

Read more: CMstorm Devastator Gaming Gear Combo @ Rbmods

AMD issues statement on R9 290X speed variability, press samples @ The Tech Report

In the wake of our investigation into whether retail Radeon R9 290X cards are slower than press samples, AMD has issued a statement on these matters.

Read more: AMD issues statement on R9 290X speed variability, press samples @ The Tech Report

Fighter Within XBOX ONE Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

Today Kaeyi Dream reviews Fighter Within for the XBOX One from Ubisoft. Players go head to head with precision movement tracking with Kinect for XBOX One.

Read more: Fighter Within XBOX ONE Video Review @ HardwareHeaven.com

IN WIN 904 Review @ Vortez

904 is a mid-tower computer chassis which uses a combination of aluminium, thick tempered glass and a unique feature-set enabling it to break out of the mould of traditional computer case design. IN WIN have made bold moves in the past, how will 904 shape up?

Read more: IN WIN 904 Review @ Vortez

Corsair Vengeance 1400 Gaming Headset Review @ Legit Reviews

Corsair has been busy the past year improving its peripheral lineup. We previously reviewed both Vengeance mechanical keyboards and noticed that the biggest changes to those products over their predecessors were implemented from community response. We were impressed at how well Corsair was able to adapt to all the feedback and improve already likable keyboards. However, those aren't the only gaming peripherals Corsair has worked on. We're about to take a look at all of Corsair’s new headsets for 2013 in a series of reviews starting with the Vengeance 1400.

Read more: Corsair Vengeance 1400 Gaming Headset Review @ Legit Reviews

Toshiba PX02SS 12Gbps SAS Enterprise SSD Review (400GB) @ The SSD Review

Toshiba is a world leader in many different technologies and applications. In the NAND market, for instance, they supply components for some of our favorite SSDs. But, they haven't really been known as a major player in turn-key storage products. While they have an impressive offering of mechanical drives, especially for automotive and industrial uses, they are dwarfed by the duopoly that is Western Digital and Seagate. For SSDs, they are a major OEM supplier, but don't have a major presence in the consumer market. Toshiba is a member of a select group that produces their own NAND. This puts them in the enviable position where they get to pay cost for the most expensive and important SSD component. They have the technology and manufacturing capabilities to put them on par with the Samsungs of the world in the SSD market, but that has't seemed to be a priority for them.

Read more: Toshiba PX02SS 12Gbps SAS Enterprise SSD Review (400GB) @ The SSD Review

ASUS A88X-PRO Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets

The ASUS A88X-PRO is a socket FM2+ motherboard, based on the A88X, the most high-end chipset for this platform, targeted to the forthcoming FM2+ APUs, but it is also compatible with socket FM2 processors. Let’s take a good look at it.

Read more: ASUS A88X-PRO Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets

Func KB-460 Gaming Keyboard @ techPowerUp

Func's brand new KB-460 gaming keyboard gets put to the test. The keyboard features Cherry MX switches, macro capability and plenty more game oriented features. Despite being a hardcore gaming keyboard it also includes convenient features such as USB hub and wrist rest.

Read more: Func KB-460 Gaming Keyboard @ techPowerUp

Xbox One Review @ Neowin.net

Microsoft's Xbox One is a $500 bet on the future of the living room set-top box and game console, but is it a worthwhile purchase at this time for both gamers and TV fans?

Read more: Xbox One Review @ Neowin.net

Xbox One: Comprehensive launch review @ WP Central

Eight long years after the Xbox 360 debuted in 2005, its successor console the Xbox One has finally arrived. The new console brings more than just increased horsepower to the table; it also sports an assortment of unique multimedia features and a new Kinect camera/microphone array that kind of works properly this time. Before we got to this point, the Xbox One suffered through limp reveal events and E3 presentations as well as widespread controversy revolving around initial plans for the console to require an internet connection to function. Since then, Microsoft wisely reversed course on the online requirement and brought its messaging more in line with gamer tastes. How does the Xbox One stack up to those tastes, the Xbox 360, and its direct competitor the Playstation 4? Find out all that and more in our lengthy and all-encompassing launch review!     

Read more: Xbox One: Comprehensive launch review @ WP Central

19 500-550W power supplies group test @ Hardware.Info

It's been a while since we did a group test of PC power supplies, so today we'll take a closer look at 19 PSUs in the 500-550 watt segment.

While 500 watts might sound low in the ears of most hardware enthusiasts, for the vast majority of PCs it's more than enough. The TDP, or Thermal Design Point, of most current processors is between 65 and 95 watts. Only Intel's high-end Socket 2011 models and certain AMD processors use up to 130 watts. The most high-end cards use up to 250 watts, but typically much less. The motherboard and RAM modules use a few dozen watts more, along with a few watts for the casefans.

For example, a PC with an Intel Core i7 4770K processor and a GeForce GTX 770 graphics card will never need more than 350 watts. With a Core i7 4960X and a GeForce GTX 780 Ti that would be around 450 watts. That means a power supply of 500-600 watts is enough for a very powerful, state of the art PC. Only if you want to overclock or add a second video card do you need a more heavy duty PSU.

Read more: 19 500-550W power supplies group test @ Hardware.Info

Cooler Master G550M 550 W @ techPowerUp

Cooler Master has lately been revamping their PSU lines with units that feature innovative platforms and killer price/performance ratios. Today, we will take a look at the G550M PSU, a mid-level product that, although its affordable price promises high performance, comes with a five year warranty!

Read more: Cooler Master G550M 550 W @ techPowerUp

Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SSD Review @ KitGuru

In the run up to Christmas there is no better time to treat yourself to a new bit of kit. How about a new Solid State Drive? How about one that can handle your operating system and all your files and games as well? Today we revisit the Samsung EVO 1TB which is available now for less than £450 inc vat.

Read more: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SSD Review @ KitGuru

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition Review @ ocaholic

With the release of the new Geforce GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition, Gigabyte managed to beat other Nvidia AIC partners and it is actually the first custom GTX 780 Ti graphics card that we had a chance to play with. The new Gigabyte GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition is, at least currently, the fastest GTX 780 Ti graphics card on the market. Gigabyte pretty much used the same PCB as
well as the same Windforce 3X 450W cooler as on its earlier released GTX 780 GHz Edition. As it did a great job back then we will find out if it is enough for the GTX 780 Ti as well.

Read more: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti GHz Edition Review @ ocaholic

Avira Antivirus Suite 2014 Review @ gHacks.net

Microsoft has done quite a bit to improve the overall security of the Windows operating system. Some of the company efforts on the other hand fall short.

Microsoft Security Essentials for example adds protection against some viruses and other malicious software, but does not provide Windows systems with the same level of protection that top of the class products offer.

Read more: Avira Antivirus Suite 2014 Review @ gHacks.net

Gainward GTX 780 Ti Phantom reviewed @ Fudzilla

The GTX 780 Ti is Nvidia’s new flagship graphics card and we all know AIBs like to show off when it comes to flagship products. Gainward is no exception and its GTX 780 Ti Phantom card which comes with a factory overclock and custom Phantom cooler. Last week we shared our first thoughts with our readers and at that time we could not find the Phantom card listed in online shops. In the meantime Gainward’s marketing team went into action and now we can find the card listed in at least 50 shops. Gainward’s plain GTX 780 Ti, based on the reference design, is widely available for 585 euro, while the Phantom card usually costs 40 to 50 euro more.

Gainward decided to use the 980MHz for the base GPU clock, which is significantly higher than 875MHz reference clock. According to Gainward, this was enough to make the GTX 780 Ti Phantom one of the fastest single-GPU graphics card on the market as it ends up to 10% faster than the reference GTX 780 Ti. Off course we will take a closer look at this claim.

Read more: Gainward GTX 780 Ti Phantom reviewed @ Fudzilla