Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

Aerocool Strike-X Cube White Edition Case Review
AORUS Thunder K7 Gaming Keyboard Review
Apple iPad Air 2 Review: Should You Upgrade?
ASUS Gladius Review
Call of Duty Advanced Warfare VGA graphics performance
CM Storm Devastator Gaming Gear Combo Review
COUGAR 700M Aluminium Gaming Mouse Review
Crucial Desktop DDR4 Review
DeepCool Maelstrom 240 (AIO Liquid Cooler) Review
Dual boot: Windows 7 and CentOS 7 - Tutorial
Enermax Liqtech 240 AIO Water Cooler Review
In depth: TV Buying Guide 2014: everything you need to know before buying a TV
IN WIN D-Frame Mini ITX Computer Enclosure Review
MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G Review
Netgear Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 Smart WiFi Router Review
Palit GeForce GTX 980 Super JetStream Review
Philips 48PFT5509 review
Reveen Okeanos
Samsung Chromebook 2 Review
Swiftech H240-X Open Loop 280mm CPU Cooler Review
Thermaltake NiC L32 CPU Cooler Review
Tt eSPORTS Ventus Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse Review
Ubiquiti Unifi access points review

Aerocool Strike-X Cube White Edition Case Review

Today we are going to take a look at one of the latest cases form Aerocool, the Strike-X Cube. This is one of the latest models in their range and is directed at those users looking to build a powerful system within a compact case. It offers support for a micro-ATX motherboard, taking up less space than a full-size ATX motherboard.

Read full article @ KitGuru

AORUS Thunder K7 Gaming Keyboard Review

Ever heard of the brand AORUS? I hadn’t until this review, but I bet you’ve heard of the parent company, Gigabyte. That’s right, AORUS is Gigabyte’s gaming brand. The company currently makes a gaming keyboard, gaming mouse, some gaming laptops, and accessories such as the B7 gaming backpack. But don’t let the relatively new company name “AORUS” fool you, these products carry the Gigabyte quality we’ve all come to know and appreciate. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Gigabyte AORUS Thunder K7 cherry mechanical keyboard with detachable macro pad.

Read full article @ Benchmark Reviews

Apple iPad Air 2 Review: Should You Upgrade?

Most are in agreement that Apple's iPad Air 2 is one of the finest tablets ever produced, if not the best out there, period. Certainly, it's not difficult to make that case -- after all, the latest 9.7-inch iPad is thinner than its predecessor at just 6.1mm thick, wicked fast with its custom A8X System-on-Chip (SoC), and incredibly light at just under a pound. Toss in a gorgeous display and a set of ancillary features that have been upgraded for this latest release, and even the most stringent critics can't help but pile on the praise.

That's the easy part. What's a bit more difficult to address is whether or not you should upgrade to the iPad Air 2. Obviously the answer depends in part on which tablet, if any, you currently own. But there's also the question of what you intend to do with it...

Read full article @ HotHardware.com

ASUS Gladius Review

Recently ASUS launched a mouse which is designed to go the extra mile or many extra clicks in fact. Today we check it out in our ASUS Gladius Review.

Read full article @ HardwareHeaven

Call of Duty Advanced Warfare VGA graphics performance

It is that time of the year again, we take out a dozen or so graphics cards and benchmark Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Join us in this article where many graphics cards are being tested with the new Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. We have a look at DX11 performance with the newest graphics cards and technologies. The new and popular title is looking great from a graphics point of view. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the debut mainline Call of Duty title from Sledgehammer Games. It will focus on a private military company (PMC) that has turned rogue, attacking the US government. Set some time in the future, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will feature futuristic tech such as cloaked vehicles and special climbing gloves that will allow the player to climb vertical surfaces.

For today's article will benchmark Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. Join us in this article where the latest graphics cards are being tested with the new Call of Duty. As such we'll take the more popular and modern graphics cards today and have a look at DX11 performance with the newest graphics cards and technologies. The new and popular title is looking great from a graphics point of view. The release of Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, just like Ghosts is weird, the fact that it is only 64-bit in fact eliminates a number of customers. A second requirement for the game is that you need to have at least 6 GB of memory. If you have 3 or 4 GB installed, the game will not startup. We actually monitored DDR3 RAM behavior in-game and the game does eat away just of 4 Gigs of memory if you apply heaps of image quality settings. The game engine itself is fairly equal to the prequel though and especially with all tricks and bells enabled, it does look okay if your graphics card can manage it of course. However, no matter how we benchmark the results remain a little unreliable. One test run will result on 40 FPS, the second 36 FPS and another 33 FPS. Then another factor is a challenge as well, some levels average out at say 40 FPS, yet there are a handful of scenes (with helicopters and such) where the frame rate will crumble down. Now 80% of the game plays with good playable framerates, but a handful of levels will just stall any graphics card whatsoever. These means that the results shown today are indicative, not a precise measurement by any standard.

Read full article @ Guru3D

CM Storm Devastator Gaming Gear Combo Review

Today I will be reviewing the Devastator Gaming Gear keyboard and mouse combo from Cooler Master. As someone who is an avid gamer and enjoys asthetics; choosing the right keyboard and mouse can be a difficult task. There are many options that one must decide between before commiting to a particular keyboard such as ergonomics, color, mechanical/membrane keys, shortcut keys, memory profiles and the list goes on! We want to find a keyboard that meets the demands and is comfortable to use for an extended period of time. Some mice a have a flatter back while other have a higher palm rest that postions the hand into a "C". Find out which style suits you and take your computing to the next level. Prices on a keyboard/mouse combo can range from $20 to hundreds of dollars, so do not over pay for features that you may never use.

Cooler Master's Devastator is a matching combo. There are three colors options to choose from. The design is sleek, comfortable to use, and gives off a very durable feel. The mouse has a nice weight to it for it being all plastic. The attention to detail on the keyboard and mouse stands out the minute you open the box. The simple straight forward design is one that a user can not go wrong with when using the Devastator. The backlight on both the keyboard and mouse are beautiful. The backlight areas have a nice uniform solid output. The lights are not overly bright which could be distracting.

Now let us see what this CM Storm Devastator Gaming Gear Combo is all about!

Read full article @ FunkyKit

COUGAR 700M Aluminium Gaming Mouse Review

COUGAR was established in 2007 by a group of PC hardware enthusiasts in Germany, who wanted more than the typical PC peripherals, so they established a team to create gaming peripherals of the highest quality and aesthetics. They started with PC cases and PSUs and have since moved to gaming mice and keyboards.

They started out with the COUGAR 200M and 600M gaming mice, which are conventional designs. The new COUGAR 700M changes that with a new innovative design that won the iF Product Design Award for 2014 - a tremendous achievement for such a young company.

They accomplished this by thinking outside the box. Instead of creating another variation of the typical mouse, they created the COUGAR 700M around a folded aluminium framing structure that is not only more rigid but also much lighter at just 110 g. The result was a futuristic-looking mouse that is truly a sight to behold.

Read full article @ Tech ARP

Crucial Desktop DDR4 Review

Some people will always be tempted by the biggest, the best, the fastest, the tastiest. These items inevitably come at an inflated price and quite often offer little 'real world' benefit over 'lesser' products. Others are more content with the basics, indeed supermarkets have their own basics brand which is testament to the need for a no frills, 'does exactly what it says on the tin' product. Look around you and you will find extravagance and basics. The Ferraris to the Dacia, the Heinz beans to Tesco basics. Both do the same thing but one product costs considerably more than the other.

So then why are we discussing this? Well the same can be applied to many computer components, no more so than the product we have for review today; the Crucial Desktop DDR4 kit. You won't find highly polished packaging, oversized heatsinks nor overclocked XMP profiling. What you get is a basic memory kit that performs as it should yet costing less than half that of more extravagant offerings. Servers don't need to look great, nor do enclosed PCs that don't have a window so who cares what it looks like as long as it runs as it should right? In today's market and unstable economy where appeal is driven not by indulgence but by value for money, we see if the Crucial Desktop DDR4 kit is a worthwhile proposition for a desktop environment. At just £149 it certainly appears to tick the right box but is value enough?

Read full article @ Vortez

DeepCool Maelstrom 240 (AIO Liquid Cooler) Review

A large and powerful whirpool sounds best. Maelstrom 240 is a self-contained (AIO) CPU cooling unit based on liquid cooling. It does not require much setup installation. With a pump and radiator ship pressure tested, pre-filled, and sealed directly from the factory to provide maintenance-free operation for years. This ease of use extends to its support of the latest Intel and AMD sockets; including the latest Intel LGA 1155/1156/2011 and AMD FM2 sockets. The Maelstrom series is equipped with 0.2 mm high-density water micro channel and cooper block to offer an efficient thermal conduct along with 120 mm X 27 mm Aluminum fin to maximize its cooling performance. Fan replacement is available with the standard built-in mounting holes. However, as stated the market is fierce and competitive, will the Maelstrom 240 be able to offer enough cooling performance ?

Read full article @ Guru3D

Dual boot: Windows 7 and CentOS 7 - Tutorial

You will most definitely love today's article. It's an extensive, step-by-step tutorial to installing and configuring Windows 7 and CentOS 7 64-bit Linux distribution with the KDE desktop in a dual-boot, side-by-side configuration on a real, production machine - Lenovo T400 laptop with SSD, including preliminary reading and preparation steps, Windows 7 installation, CentOS 7 installation, disk and partition layout change, GRUB2 bootloader setup during and after the installation, post-install tweaks, how to work with NTFS partitions from CentOS, tests in both operating systems, other tips and tricks, and more. Enjoy.

Read full article @ Dedoimedo

Enermax Liqtech 240 AIO Water Cooler Review

The company Enermax is mainly well known for their high-performance power supplies and their fans.
For some time Enermax is offering CPU coolers and even AIO water cooling systems, as we can see in this review.
We will see in this review, if the big hit is successful with the Enermax Liqtech 240 and if they prevail against the established competition.

Read full article @ OcInside.de

In depth: TV Buying Guide 2014: everything you need to know before buying a TV

It's been a tumultuous year for TVs. Technologies like 4K, curved screens and OLED have hit big, while old favourites have faded away.In this article, we'll look back at how the TV landscape has changed in the last 12 months, discuss all the key technologies you need to consider before buying, offer shopping tips and name the best TVs of the year.One thing's for sure, new technologies have dramatically increased the types and shapes of TVs consumers can choose from this year, prices have plummeted again, and our approach to TV content has undergone nothing short of a revolution.Naturally this has made buying a TV even more challenging for consumers. But it's also put severe pressure on the big TV brands to not only keep up with the pace of change without letting standards drop, but also find new ways to stand out from the crowd.Before getting into the new TV stuff, though, let's first pause to mourn the passing of a 'golden oldie'.

Read full article @ Techradar

IN WIN D-Frame Mini ITX Computer Enclosure Review

IN WIN Development has been far more than just a name the last couple years. We’ve seen some impressive computer enclosure designs catering to the eclectic gamers including the GT1 or Mana, conservative professionals who appreciate the 900 Series and extreme enthusiasts showing off their systems in the amazingly creative Open Frame series which includes the S-Frame, D-Frame and now the D-Frame Mini, which we had a special sneak peek at back in May of 2014, during COMPUTEX. We have in the lab, and so far, there doesn’t seem to be a more portable, impressive low maintenance enthusiast’ computer enclosure.

Read full article @ Futurelooks

MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G Review

After seeing what the reference GTX 980 was capable of in our launch review, I was really looking forward to working on the non-reference designs. That wait was worth it considering the clock speeds attained by simply pushing the sliders to the right in MSI's own Afterburner application. To reach the maximum clock speeds that this card would deliver on air, I set the power limit to the max level and started pushing the clock speeds. It's really as simple as bumping the speeds and then testing stability with a significant 3D load. I use a combination of looping Unigine's Heaven 4.0 test with the maximum settings at 1920x1080, then following up with some 3DMark testing. Using this slimmed down approach, I was able to bump the core clock speed turbo boost speed to 1525MHz, or about 75MHz higher than the reference card's overclock on both the memory and GPU core. Thanks to MSI's custom build and component selection, we get even higher clock speeds capable if you push the limits, and with cooler temperatures. By overclocking this card, I saw a nice 800+ point boost in 3DMark's Fire Strike Extreme test.

Read full article @ OCC

Netgear Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 Smart WiFi Router Review

While most of us are always looking for the best possible PC hardware including CPUs, memory modules, graphics cards and solid state drives there are others who are struggling to find the best possible WiFi router to complete or to expand their home or work wireless network. Personally I’ll try to always use wired connection for my home and work network but there's no denying that wireless connectivity is also important especially if you want to use it at work (for example at a cafe) or if you just happen to own a tablet and you want access to the internet via the local network. In the 25 years I’ve been using and working with computers Netgear has been one of the 3 names in the network industry that I’ve learned to trust and respect not only because i consider their products of being top notch both in terms of quality and performance but also because their support has been exemplary the few times I’ve had to ask for their help. Today with us we have one of their latest routers to hit the market the Nighthawk R7000 AC1900 Smart WiFi Router.

NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy to use home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of big IT. The company also supplies top service providers with retail-proven, mobile broadband solutions for their customers on the go. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and Powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in approximately 44,000 retail locations around the globe, and through approximately 37,000 value-added resellers. The company's headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in over 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR® partner.

The Nighthawk R7000 may not be the first AC1900 compatible router to reach our hands but it's certainly better looking compared to the Linksys EA6900 and true to the name Netgear has given it since the exterior does remind us of the F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft by Lockheed (Janes A.T.F anyone?). As for the why did Netgear choose to name the R7000 after a stealth attack aircraft well the answer is power and features. So aside the Broadcom BCM4708A chipset the R7000 Nighthawk is powered by a Cortex A9 dual-core 1GHz processor (making it one of the fastest 802.11ac routers currently in the market) paired with 256MB of RAM and 128MB of flash memory. Other important features include beamforming technology (focuses the transmission of the wireless signal where detected devices are located), TurboQAM technology (boosts 802.11n 2.4GHz speeds to 600Mbps from the typical 450Mbps), Time Machine backup-ready (works with external storage devices), built-in OpenVPN server and support for third-party firmware. Of course as we've pointed out many times in the past much like with the EA6900 and the previous AC1750 routers the R7000 doesn't really offer 1900Mbps of total WiFi speed but a combination of 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band (802.11ac) and 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band (802.11n). Still since on paper this looks like the most advanced router to have reached our lab let's not spend any more time in the introduction page.

Read full article @ Nikktech

Palit GeForce GTX 980 Super JetStream Review

Silent when idle, quiet under load, plus overclocked on both core and memory. Which is the best graphics card on the market today? As you might imagine, opinions vary depending on who you ask, but if it's a single-GPU solution you're after and money is no obstacle, few would argue against the GeForce GTX 980. For PC gaming enthusiasts, Nvidia's high-end GPU is rightly considered king of the hill.

The question for said enthusiasts, then, is not should I buy a GeForce GTX 980, but rather, which GeForce GTX 980 should I buy? HEXUS has already examined offerings from the likes of Gigabyte, Asus, MSI and Galax, and today we turn our attention to one of the other big-name vendors, Palit, who presents the GeForce GTX 980 Super JetStream.

Read full article @ Hexus

Philips 48PFT5509 review

The Philips brand active in the UK TV market this year is a very different beast from the one we've become accustomed to seeing. Gone are the extravagantly powerful, hugely feature-rich high-end models that have been in the brand's DNA for so many TV generations (though such models are still around if you happen to be popping over to certain other European territories, like the Nordics!). What we've got instead is a new leaner, meaner Philips that's all about rebuilding brand awareness – and retail channels – through value and sales volumes. A new philosophy that couldn't be articulated any more clearly than it is by the 48PFT5509: a 48-inch full HD TV that's yours for just £530. The 48PFT5509 doesn't look like a particularly cheap TV. Its super-slim frame wouldn't appear out of place on a TV costing twice as much, while the stand it sits on is startlingly well built and attractive – especially as it reinforces the striking minimalism of the screen by using a 'barely there' open-framed rather than solid metallic design.

Read full article @ Techradar

Reveen Okeanos

Reveen might be a relatively unknown manufacturer, but their Okeanos has proven to be a true contender. Offering bold looks and exceptional performance, it rivals some of the best high-end air coolers on the market today. Then again, such is not surprising considering it features dual-cooling towers, two fans, and six heatpipes.

Read full article @ techPowerUp

Samsung Chromebook 2 Review

When Samsung announced its second Chromebook, it made my head turn. Rather than following the flock of Chromebooks with a cheap plastic bodies, Samsung opted to give it's new cloud-based laptop a leatherette finish on its lid, plus a 1080p display for the 13-inch model. It seemed liked the most interesting Chromebook since their inception. Unfortunately, Samsung unwisely saddled the laptop with its Exynos processor, meant primarily for tablets and smartphones. With a mobile chip at the heart of the Chromebook 2, it chugged heavily whenever met with any sort of multitasking.Now just less than five months later Samsung has given the smaller 11.6-inch Chromebook 2 an early refresh, which swaps the mobile processor for an freshly released Bay Trail Intel Celeron CPU. The refreshed notebook retains the same great styling and fanless design, so lets see if this quick fix has turned the Samsung Chromebook 2 11 into the winner it was meant to be. Cheap plastic and affordability almost come hand-in-hand when it comes to laptops and Samsung has gracefully sidestepped this problem. In fact the Chromebook 2 looks to be even more well engineered than many mid-range laptops.The back of the laptop lid is wrapped with a leather-like finish that reminiscent to the design of Samsung Galaxy S5 down to the faux stitching.

Read full article @ Techradar

Swiftech H240-X Open Loop 280mm CPU Cooler Review

It is often amazing just how quickly technology changes and advances. The jokes about the newest, hottest tech pieces being already a gen old by the time you get them home from the store really seems true at times. But, many times there is simply a new model number that actually holds no advances or performance gains. Oddly, this had happened in one of the hottest segments of tech, all-in-one liquid coolers. Except for the brief release of the Swiftech H220 (which as we all know was shut down in a patent issue), we had seen a segment absolutely void of any type of performance gain for a couple of years. We saw pumps on fans. We saw different color fan blades. We saw RGB LEDs….but we saw absolutely no improvements in performance. Unfortunately, for those looking at the numbers and not staring at the LEDs, this was not good news.

Read full article @ HiTech Legion

Thermaltake NiC L32 CPU Cooler Review

Whether you’re an overclocking enthusiast or a gamer looking for a cooler quieter solution to cooling your system, a good custom CPU cooler can be one of the most important components in your system. It can solve over-heating issues, noise issues and even make your system look cooler and more personalized.

In this report, we’ll be taking a look at the NiC L32 by Thermaltake which promises to not only solve all those issues, but do so without breaking the bank. Can this affordable, compact cooler provide sufficient cooling for even the most demanding overclocks? Let’s find out!

Read full article @ TechnologyX

Tt eSPORTS Ventus Ambidextrous Gaming Mouse Review

To all the Left-handed, Southpaws, wrong-handed individuals out there “I feel ya”, and so does Tt eSports. The Tt eSports “VENTUS” is build solid and professional for all left and right handed people. It’s a great feeling mouse that won’t take weeks to get a feel for it. It feels like a very common mouse and that is a plus in my book. The Vented body is more than just flash; it works for keeping your hand from getting hot on the mouse and helps to keep you gaming longer and faster overall and over time. The Tt eSports “Ventus” is built to last and is easy to travel with its own padded carry case. The programmable macros are easy to manipulate and understand and the speed of the mouse is shown when you change gears. Like a formula one race car it shows you what gear you are in.

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

Ubiquiti Unifi access points review

Just about every router and modem/router combo contains a wireless access point these days. This component is often of questionable quality, especially for modem/router combos that are handed out by providers. Access points can also offer a solution if you wish to extend your Wi-Fi network to a room in your house that is not covered by your "main router". Ubiquiti's Unifi series offers interesting, centrally manageable access points. Although primarily intended for the enterprise market, we hear that they are frequently considered for home use as well. We took a closer look at the UAP, the UAP-Pro, and the UAP-AC.

The boxes of all three access points mention that these devices are targeted at the so-called enterprise market, or in other words, at large companies. A number of things reflect this. First of all, they have the shape of a smoke detector, meaning that you're essentially forced to put them on a wall or on the ceiling. Furthermore, given that they're white, they blend in relatively well with your average enterprise environment, where the ceiling and walls are likely white as well.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info