Here today's reviews and articles, including NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost Roundup, Cougar Challenger Midi Tower Review, Reinventing BlackBerry: BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone Review, HP Envy X2 11-G010NR Review, and Toshiba THNSNH 512 GB SSD



NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost Roundup @ Hardware Canucks

NVIDIA’s GTX 650 Ti Boost quite literally came out of nowhere and turned the mid-range market on its head. This was done through the Boost’s introduction alongside some strategic price juggling on the GTX 650 Ti and GTX 660. As a result, NVIDIA has been able to achieve near-dominance in several segments without all that much effort.

With the $170 GTX 650 Ti Boost quickly becoming the go-to card for gamers who want excellent performance without spending an arm and a leg, it’s only natural that board partners would be quick to respond with their own versions. Indeed, there has been a literal flood of choices hitting the market and unlike previous generations, all of them tack a mere $10 or less onto the GTX 650 Ti Boost’s reference price. In this article, we are taking a look at five examples from premier board partners like ASUS, EVGA, Galaxy, Gigabyte and MSI, all of which are widely available from retailers.

Read more: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost Roundup @ Hardware Canucks


Cougar Challenger Midi Tower Review @ NikKTech

Choosing the right PC Case for both my test rigs or for the systems i sometimes build for close friends is really the very last thing on my mind since naturally i need to have all the hardware components laid out in front of me prior to that (when you have an for example an very long GPU like the GeForce GTX 690 or an XL-ATX mainboard you can't/shouldn't squeeze them inside a small/midi tower). Now for good or bad the market is currently filled with all sorts of PC cases ment to cover all tastes and requirements (space and features wise) so the possibility of not finding a suitable one is almost nonexistent something which i can't say for even just a decade ago. Personally as some of you know i always like to use full tower PC Cases because they offer enough interior space to mount even the largest hardware components without having to spend much time in the process and that's why i can't wait until the latest Obsidian 900D by Corsair reaches our doorstep in a couple of weeks. However for people who care not about having a PC case with lots of interior space and are not willing to spend much cash for one the latest Challenger Midi Tower by Cougar might just be the ideal solution.

Read more: Cougar Challenger Midi Tower Review @ NikKTech

Gigabyte GV-R779OC-1GD Review @ Neoseeker

There is little doubt that AMD's 7000 series has left its mark on the graphics card market. With that in mind it is no surprise to see AMD has decided to introduce a new GPU codenamed Bonaire. The HD7790 is indeed a new addition to the 7000 series lineup with one major difference that sets it apart from its siblings; it features a new 28nm Graphics Core Next (GCN) ASIC design, while retaining features first introduced with the launch of the HD7970.

AMD's HD7790 GPU will close the gap in the 7000 series product stack, allowing AMD to better compete with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 650 at the $149 price point. Up until now the GTX 650 has been setting comfortably in this zone by itself, but that is all about to change. The HD7790 has been designed to offer best-in-class performance at the 1080p resolution which is the standard for today's games. Taking full advantage of the DirectX 11_1 feature set and offering excellent performance with both AA and AF enabled, the HD7790 should give the entry level graphics card segment a refreshing shakeup.

Read more: Gigabyte GV-R779OC-1GD Review @ Neoseeker

Reinventing BlackBerry: BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone Review @ HotHardware.com

The smartphone market has changed quite a bit over the past few years. Once a major competitor in the smartphone market, BlackBerry has lost much of its market share as many former BlackBerry users have switched to iOS and Android. Despite its troubled history, the company remains and is fighting to regain its stronghold in the smartphone market. Whether you've stayed loyal to BlackBerry through the years or are simply considering all smartphones on the market today, BlackBerry's new Z10 may catch your eye.

Read more: Reinventing BlackBerry: BlackBerry Z10 Smartphone Review @ HotHardware.com

In Win G7 Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

The G7 is the latest mid-tower case from In Win, coming with a very attractive price tag: USD 70. Let's see what this case has to offer.

Read more: In Win G7 Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

Synology DiskStation DS213+ NAS Server Review @ NikKTech

As things are right now consumers are divided into two separate categories, the ones who support that building your own server from old or new computer parts is the way to go if you want power and the ones who'd rather purchase an standalone NAS server and be done without having to go the extra mile. Personally i think that each solution has both pros and cons with NAS servers getting slightly ahead not only because they are ready to use right from the box with all the applications anyone could wish for pre-installed but also due to their small size and very low power consumption. Of course for people who also want to use the server for games it goes without saying that a normal PC/HTPC is suited for the task. Now for the past 12 months we've covered quite a few NAS server solutions by both QNAP and Thecus but today we will be covering an NAS server from Synology a name we haven't seen in a while and since we have managed to secure a brand new DiskStation DS213+ for our giveaway it only makes sense for us to show all of you what will end up in the hands of our lucky winner.

Read more: Synology DiskStation DS213+ NAS Server Review @ NikKTech

Cooler Master Centurion 6 @ techPowerUp

After the Centurion 5 in 2004, Cooler Master is rebooting the Centurion series with the 6th edition of the chassis. The series has always been known for offering excellent quality and good features for a small price. Will the Centurion 6 make its predecessors proud, or will it just in cash on the name?

Read more: Cooler Master Centurion 6 @ techPowerUp

Spire Diablo PC Case @ DreamWare Computers

As we have seen lately, theres quite an interesting trend happening in the enthusiast PC cases market. Most definitely you can get a premium case with great features and awesome design for $100. But when it comes to low cost cases in the range of $30-$35, it used to be that the options available were not impressive… not at all.

The moment I saw the press release from Spire for the new Diablo SP1059B-R entry level PC case, I hurried to reply back and ask for sample. I was sure that vendor like Spire will definitely be looking to amaze their fans with the design and quality, but the new Diablo goes a few steps further.

Read more: Spire Diablo PC Case @ DreamWare Computers

Fractal Design Define R4 Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Fractal Design is definitely making a name for themselves not only in the power supply market, but in the case market as well. Their cases have been popular with gamers and enthusiasts alike a we can see why. It has been a while since we have taken a look at a larger case from Fractal Design and today we are taking a look at the Define R4, which of course the successor to the extremely popular Define R3. This case features room for up to 10 hard drives, two included fans with a fan speed controller, USB 3.0 support and more than enough room inside to work with. This case also has many sound dampening features to keep your system nice and quiet. Read on as we take a look...

Read more: Fractal Design Define R4 Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

OCZ Vertex 3.20 20nm 240GB SSD Review @ Legit Reviews

The Vertex line from OCZ has a long tradition of strong performance and helped to vault OCZ to one of the leaders in the SSD arena. So it's no surprise that they've soldiered on with the Vertex line by updating the third generation equipped with the SF-2281 controller to work in tandem with 20nm NAND. Thus, the Vertex 3.20 is born and we then try to beat it to death on our test bench.

OCZ is certainly getting a lot of mileage from the Vertex moniker. First introduced way back in early 2009, it seems a lot longer than just four years ago. They have good reason to perpetuate the name as the Vertex drives have been one of if not the best selling line of SSDs ever. Back in 2011, we first had a look at the Vertex 3 drives featuring the then new SandForce SF-2281 controller. At the time, it featured 25nm -34nm (keep reading!) MLC NAND and set the bar for enthusiast level SSD performance. Fast forward to 2013 and OCZ has quietly released the latest Vertex 3 incarnation with a .20 mantissa tacked on to represent the 20nm MLC NAND contained within...

Read more: OCZ Vertex 3.20 20nm 240GB SSD Review @ Legit Reviews

HP Envy X2 11-G010NR Review @ TechReviewSource.com

The HP Envy x2 has a beautiful thin, brushed-silver design that really makes it stand-out from the crowd. But in terms of performance, it could be better as the Intel Atom Z2760 and 2GB of RAM only provide adequate power.

Read more: HP Envy X2 11-G010NR Review @ TechReviewSource.com

OCZ Vertex 3.20 120GB Solid State Drive Review @ KitGuru

OCZ Technology have been at the forefront of Solid State designs now for many years. They released their Vertex 3 drives which featured the Sandforce 2281 controller back in 2011. This was a popular drive among the enthusiast audience as it offered excellent performance characteristics at a competitive price point. The Vertex 3.20 is a re-engineering of the original design, now incorporating 20nm Synchronous Multi Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash. OCZ’s goal is to deliver higher performance in 2013, while driving down the price.

Read more: OCZ Vertex 3.20 120GB Solid State Drive Review @ KitGuru

Noctua NF-S12A FLX, ULN and PWM Case Fan Reviews @ KitGuru

OCZ Technology have been at the forefront of Solid State designs now for many years. They released their Vertex 3 drives which featured the Sandforce 2281 controller back in 2011. This was a popular drive among the enthusiast audience as it offered excellent performance characteristics at a competitive price point. The Vertex 3.20 is a re-engineering of the original design, now incorporating 20nm Synchronous Multi Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash. OCZ's goal is to deliver higher performance in 2013, while driving down the price.

Read more: Noctua NF-S12A FLX, ULN and PWM Case Fan Reviews @ KitGuru

Cooler Master Seidon 240M review @ Guru3D

The All in One Liquid Cooling kit market is getting saturated fast, mostly these kits have Asetek as the ODM as they apparantly patented maybe even a little too much, however Cooler Master recently updated their Seidon series with a slightly different approach yet offering the very same principles and ideas.

Cooler Master basically announced new Seidon models to the liquid cooling market; the Seidon 120XL and the Seidon 240M will be the most common ones. Seidon 120XL and 240M are designed from the ground up to be small solutions which are accessible and affordable for most of you guys.

The Seidon series liquid coolers have a performance waterblock that is machined out of a single block of copper with special Micro Channels that maximize heat dissipation. The integrated pump / waterblock combo assists in saving valuable space around the CPU socket while providing performance and reliability that is similar to air-based CPU coolers. Operating between 600 and 2400RPM, the included 120mm PWM fan(s) ensures that there will be plenty of options for balancing performance versus noise levels.

Read more: Cooler Master Seidon 240M review @ Guru3D

Toshiba THNSNH 512 GB SSD @ techPowerUp

Toshiba recently released new solid-state-drives based on their own 19 nm flash chips and a rebranded Marvell controller. In our testing we see amazing real-life performance results that easily beat drives from other well known vendors like Samsung, Corsair and OCZ.

Read more: Toshiba THNSNH 512 GB SSD @ techPowerUp

Gigabyte AiVia Osmium Keyboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Most gaming keyboards over the $100 range are now Cherry MX-based mechanical input devices that have a considerably longer lifespan compared to membrane-based keyboards. The market for mechanical gaming keyboards has also become significantly more competitive in the last two years with big names in PC peripherals jumping in to the bandwagon and offering their own line. Although more well-known for their motherboards than their peripheral line, Gigabyte was actually ahead of the curve and released the K8000 keyboard back in 2008, equipped with Cherry MX switch keys and macro functionality. Improving upon this initially design, Gigabyte has a new line of AiVia gaming peripherals that fit the needs of the modern gamer.

The Gigabyte Osmium is the latest addition to the AiVia gaming peripheral series. The Gigabyte Osmium is available in either Cherry MX red switch variant with blue LED backlighting or Cherry MX brown switch version with white LED backlighting. Since the Gigabyte Osmium is designed for gaming, it is capable of accepting up to 64 simultaneous keystrokes at the same time via USB 2.0 and is equipped with a bank of five macro keys on top of the function keys. Through the Gigabyte GHOST utility available for download from Gigabyte’s website, up to five profiles can be stored on the Osmium keyboard and can be toggled through by pressing the LED AiVia logo above the num keys. The Gigabyte AiVia Osmium keyboard also features a USB 2.0 and 3.0 hub as well as 3.5mm pass-through connectors for the headphone and microphone jacks. The Gigabyte AiVia Osmium mechanical keyboard measures 454mm long, 257mm wide and 45mm tall and carries a two-year warranty.

Read more: Gigabyte AiVia Osmium Keyboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion