Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

Alienware m15 R2 Review
ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 Motherboard Review
ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi) Review
Asus RX 5700 Strix Review
Asustor Nimbustor 4 (AS5304T) Review
ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 AS5304T 2.5G NAS Server Review
Ballistix Elite DDR4-4000 2x8GB DDR4 RAM Review
Cooler Master Wraith Ripper TR4 Cooler Review
DeepCool Macube 550 PC Case Review
EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G5 Power Supply Review
Logitech G Pro X keyboard Review
MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GAMING X TRIO Review
New Android zero-day affects millions of devices
Patriot Memory P200 512GB 2.5" SSD Review
Philips UpBeat SHB2505 Wireless Earbuds Review
Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Already has Mods Planned
Rockstar Announces Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Release, Launches November 5
SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Headset Review
What the heck is Windows 10X anyway?

Alienware m15 R2 Review

Yet another one of Alienware’s spaceships has landed, in the form of the Alienware m15 R2, a sleek update to its mainstream gaming laptop. It’s adopted the more refined design we first saw with the Alienware Area-51m, making for a sleek machine. Inside, our review unit packs an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q and Intel Core i7-9750H, making for a powerful rig, though its design doesn’t allow for much in the way of upgrades later on.

Read full article @ Tom's Hardware

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7 Motherboard Review

The battle between Intel and AMD fighting over market share is hotter than it has ever been. With each of the two colossal chip makers doing battle for brand supremacy, weve seen two primary desktop chipsets set the standard in the world of desktop motherboards; the Z390 and X570 chipsets. While the Z390 market is now mature, ASRock launched two new motherboards into its Intel Z390 product stack, and today we are taking a look at one of them, the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 7. With a feature set spearheaded by a 2.5 GbE port, it sits between the ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 and Z390 Phantom Gaming 6, aiming for a more mid-range user.

Read full article @ Anandtech

ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi) Review

Another high-end X570 board, this time from ASUS! The ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII HERO (WiFi) boasts a massive VRM and loads of overclocking aids. In such a competitive price bracket, this X570 board will have to bring something special to the table, so can it deliver?

Read full article @ TechPowerUp

Asus RX 5700 Strix Review

When I took a look at both the AMD RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT at their launch I was extremely impressed with their performance and the price point that AMD was aiming for. While I normally like blower coolers, the reference/blower cooling on both of the RX 5700 cards had a really hard time keeping up with thermals causing both heat and noise issues. Because of that, I have been excited to get my hands on aftermarket cards to see how they could potentially improve on things. Well today's the day, Asus sent over their RX 5700 Strix and today I’m going to check out what the card has to offer in both features and performance. So let’s dive in and see what sets it apart from the reference design!

Read full article @ LanOC Reviews

Asustor Nimbustor 4 (AS5304T) Review

Don't mind the gaming credentials, this is a solid four-bay NAS. The gamification of all manner of tech product tends to be frowned upon, and for good reason, as Gaming Edition variants typically offer little more than garish aesthetics and superfluous RGB lights. It stands to reason that when the gaming-ready Asustor Nimbustor 4 NAS arrived at our doorstep, we had our reservations.

Fortunately, there are plenty of gamer products out there that make a good deal of sense, and this just so happens to be one of them. Rather than focus on unnecessary additions, the Nimbustor 4 AS5304T, priced at £440, is all about speed and performance, and you don't need to be a gamer to appreciate fast network storage.

Read full article @ Hexus

ASUSTOR Nimbustor 4 AS5304T 2.5G NAS Server Review

The very first dual 2.5G NAS aimed towards gamers is officially here and its name is the Nimbustor 4 AS5304T by ASUSTOR. Network attached storage devices (NAS servers as we like to call them) have always offered a cost-effective solution not only for both local and remote file sharing but also for a plethora of functions including web hosting, system backup, media playback and sharing (video, audio and pictures), network video recording (surveillance), file download, web browsing and more. Even though however due to the large number of possible functions network attached storage devices are able to cover every segment of the market (from regular consumers to enthusiasts and professionals) no manufacturer has ever tried to aim them towards gamers, at least until now. ASUSTOR is the very first to do that and today we'll be thoroughly testing their brand new AS5304T model (also referred to as Nimbustor 4).

Founded in 2011, ASUSTOR Inc. was established via direct investment from ASUSTeK Computer Inc. The ASUSTOR brand name was created as a portmanteau of “ASUS” and “Storage”. ASUSTOR is a leading innovator and provider of private cloud storage (network attached storage) and video surveillance (network video recorder) solutions, also specializing in the development and integration of related firmware, hardware and applications. We are devoted to providing the world with an unparalleled user experience and the most complete set of network storage solutions possible.

Read full article @ NikKTech

Ballistix Elite DDR4-4000 2x8GB DDR4 RAM Review

With the right aspects of excellent performance, overclocking headroom, and a lifetime warranty, the Ballistix Elite DDR4-4000 2x8GB is an appetizing exceptional memory kit.

Read full article @ APH Networks

Cooler Master Wraith Ripper TR4 Cooler Review

With the likely release of 3rd Generation Threadripper just around the corner, here at KitGuru we thought it would be an ideal opportunity to look at some potential cooling solutions for the new socket TR4 CPUs.

Cooler Master and AMD exclusively collaborated during the design of the Wraith Ripper, so it’s labelled as the official cooler for 2nd generation Threadripper. With a rating of up to 250W TDP, it should be capable of keeping the HEDT Threadripper temperatures under control.

Read full article @ KitGuru

DeepCool Macube 550 PC Case Review

DeepCool is one of the fastest-growing names in the PC market. Of course, theyre already one of the biggest names in the East. However, the last few years have seen them pushing into Western markets in a big way. Now, theyre back once again with their latest PC case.

Durable build quality is one thing. However, the Macube 550 is well equipped in many other areas too. It comes with support for plenty of storage drives, ATX motherboards, vertical GPU mounting, a PSU shroud, tool-free side panels, and much more. It’s a good size too, ensuring the latest high-end graphics cards, high-performance coolers, etc, all fit with ease.

Read full article @ eTeknix

EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G5 Power Supply Review

The EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G5 has a daunting task, to replace the 1000 G3 model which is among the best PSUs in the 1000W category.

The SuperNOVA 1000 G5 costs about the same as the similar-capacity G3 model that it is destined to replace in EVGA's portfolio. Unfortunately, its performance is not up to the G3 unit's levels and to make matters worse, the overall noise output exceeds 43 dB(A), so this is not the ideal power supply for silent operating systems. U.S. tariffs put an end to EVGA's close cooperation with Super Flower, so EVGA turned to FSP which is a good OEM with reliable products, but it cannot meet the performance levels of the Leadex platforms, used in the G3 models.

Read full article @ Tom's Hardware

Logitech G Pro X keyboard Review

While the keyboard is available in clicky, tactile, and linear GX switches, it doesn’t have to stay that way. Using an included tool, you can yank out any of the micro switches on this keyboard and drop in a new one of the same variety or either of the other two options.

Smaller outfits have offered this before, but Logitech is a massive, mainstream peripheral company. That should tell us that there’s some demand here and that the tech is mature enough to make it appealing for a company focused on “user experience” like Logitech.

Read full article @ The Tech Report

MSI GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GAMING X TRIO Review

NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER launched back on July 2 along with the 2060 SUPER, bringing a significant performance increase to the RTX 2070; replacing that GPU and its $499 starting price in the GeForce lineup.

With performance just a few percentage points behind the original RTX 2080 (since replaced with its own SUPER version, though with much less of a performance upgrade), the GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER instantly became one of the best values in graphics cards (if anything that costs $499 USD can ever be called a “value”).

Read full article @ PC Perspective

New Android zero-day affects millions of devices

Google's Project Zero has discovered a new zero-day exploit in Android capable of allowing an attacker to gain root access. The vulnerability was found in the kernel of the Android operating system and can be utilized by an attacker to gain root access to a device.

Oddly enough, the vulnerability was patched back in December of 2017 in Android kernel versions 3.18, 4.14, 4.4 and 4.9, though newer versions of Android were found to be vulnerable.

Read full article @ Techradar

Patriot Memory P200 512GB 2.5" SSD Review

The P200 drive from Patriot was built for mainstream computers in mind, without breaking any performance records, considering that it is built on the SATA III interface as well. Since we are dealing with a TLC NAND drive, we will observe drops in write performance after the SLC buffer has been filled up, but this will only happen if we do write very large files at once onto it. The SSD drives, especially the 2.5’’ form factors are really cheap nowadays and if 512GB is not enough for the current tasks, we can go ahead and choose either the 1TB or 2TB versions of the product.

Read full article @ Mad Shrimps

Philips UpBeat SHB2505 Wireless Earbuds Review

As more cell phone manufacturers opt to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack that’s been present ever since the 2.5mm line was rendered obsolete by a more uniform standard, Bluetooth devices have become more of a requirement. Let’s be honest, no one wants to wire in their headphones into a cumbersome dongle just to listen to whatever their daily motivation happens to be. Consumer audio has been a field that Philips has fit into for as long as I can remember and they’re now on their second rendition of in-ear Bluetooth earbuds with the Philips UpBeat SHB2505 Bluetooth Headphones.

Out of the box, the Philips UpBeat Bluetooth Headphones has a decent sound profile but lacked the punchy bass that I’ve enjoyed from other in-ear monitors while on my Samsung Galaxy S10+. During my usual chillout sessions of writing along to those lo-fi beats that dominate my YouTube rotation, I found the treble to be tweaked a little too high while the bass had a muddied layer beneath the rest of the music. Oh, how much of a difference just a quick check into the sound settings on the Galaxy to enable Dolby Atmos and Adapt sound makes. Even on the standard Equalizer, the clarity that should’ve been there to begin with shone through on the Philips UpBeats and instantly elevated their status as a worthy replacement for my Galaxy Buds. They still don’t quite have the skull-shaking bass that some may desire from their headphones, but when you’re working with 6mm drivers, some sacrifices need to be made for the form factor.

Read full article @ Wccftech

Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Already has Mods Planned

That’s right, mods! The team behind FiveM is already working on a similar mod. The multiplayer is aiming for a December 2019 release. So yeah, they’re not mucking around. They are hoping that the game is mod-friendly to some extent and that the DRM isn’t a big hurdle. However, these days, PC modders can usually get around both those issues with haste.

I can’t imagine the source code is too different from that of the GTA games. So, hopefully the modders will have a head start when it comes to tinkering with the game. Either way, bring it on modders, we want to see the ultimate PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2!

Read full article @ eTeknix

Rockstar Announces Red Dead Redemption 2 PC Release, Launches November 5

Perhaps the best thing about this announcement is that the actual release is only a month away: November 5. On that day, the game will be available on Epic Game Store, Greenman Gaming, and Humble Store. Steam is clearly being treated as a third-class citizen here, and will have the game launch there in December.

But wait… there’s another store we’ve yet to mention: Rockstar’s own. Because the world doesn’t have enough launchers as it is, and Rockstar Social Club has been so highly regarded, the company wants to create its own. Knowing that not everyone is going to jump at the opportunity to install a new launcher, Rockstar is offering a free copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas between now and October 9.

Read full article @ Techgage

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless Headset Review

In today's busy world, there's just not enough time to ensure that you have the best possible headset for any possible scenario. SteelSeries has revamped their popular Arctis 1 headset into a wireless variant that's able to quickly adapt to any situation that you might encounter. Due to the versatility, the Arctis 1 Wireless just might be the best budget headset of all time.

Read full article @ MMORPG

What the heck is Windows 10X anyway?

Among the many hardware reveals at this weeks Surface event, one of the software-focused elements was the unveiling of Windows 10X. But what is Windows 10X?

Read full article @ The Tech Report