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Here a roundup of the latest reviews and articles:

5 of the most popular Linux gaming distros
All-round Deluxe PC - May 2015
Case Mod Friday: Parvum Warfare
COUGAR GX-1050 V3 1050W Power Supply Unit Review
Fractal Design Define S Case with Kelvin S36 Cooler
GTA V PC Performance, 4K And 3 GeForces
Intel NUC Kit NUC5i7RYH Review
Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review
Raidmax Narwhal 920 Chassis Review
Toshiba MQ02ABF075 2.5" Mobile Thin HDD Review
TP-Link Archer C9 Review



5 of the most popular Linux gaming distros

A gaming distro, by definition, is host not only to a large variety of games, or software that allows one to play games, but it also has drivers and support for essential devices such as graphics cards and controllers.Unlike most other genres of Linux distributions, gaming distros aren't a thriving bunch. But this isn't because Linux users dislike games, instead it's due to the fact that this niche category is almost redundant thanks to most modern desktop distros. Almost all desktop distros are equipped nowadays with drivers for most modern graphics cards, which means that just about any distro can be turned into a gaming station. Despite this, some distros continue to churn out special gaming editions which provide hundreds of games right out of the gate, and the means to install even more with additional software such as Play on Linux, Wine and Steam.So without further ado, we'll highlight five of the best gaming distros.

Read full article @ Techradar

All-round Deluxe PC - May 2015

The all-round Deluxe PC will last you a few years without requiring any upgrades. It is a bit more expensive, but is very complete as well. Using the internet, gaming, business applications, photo and video editing - all of these are possible on a good all-round PC, and you should never feel that you are lacking in performance for any of those activities.

This means a good processor and graphics card from the upper mid-range segment. Fast, yet affordable. You also need enough RAM and storage space, not to mention an attractive chassis and reliable power supply that can last several years. Of course you need a quality monitor, mouse and keyboard, as these are used very frequently.

This PC will cost more than the standard all-round PC, but it is also more powerful and has higher-end components. If this exceeds your budget somewhat, then you can have a look at out standard All-round PC instead.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

Case Mod Friday: Parvum Warfare

Welcome to another Case Mod Friday showcase! This week we have James Walter's “Parvum Warfare” build. Here is what he had to say about it, "Here we go yet again! Here's my first of two builds this fall, another team up with Parvum Systems, this time for a highly customized Advanced Warfare themed mITX build. Originally I was set for a totally different theme but then last week at Gamescom Microsoft showed off their limited Advanced Warfare controller and console. I then switched themes and have decided to tread familiar ground in doing a build inspired by another Xbox One controller. I just couldn't help myself. I'm pretty inspired by the controllers color pallet, it's very unique and I think this build will turn out completely amazing with the plans I have."

Read full article @ ThinkComputers.org

COUGAR GX-1050 V3 1050W Power Supply Unit Review

Time and again we've pointed out the reasons behind why people always need to have a good CPU cooler especially during the hot summer months. However a CPU cooler is not the only hardware component of a system that needs to have a certain level of quality in order to keep that system running without issue even during the hottest possible days and leaving out the next obvious hardware component which is no other than the GPU cooler (which in most cases is ok as long as you don't push your card hard) there's just one other that needs special attention, the power supply unit. This of course doesn't necessarily mean that if you use a mainstream model it will burn out during the summer but generally speaking everything from the enclosure, cooling fan and interior components play a huge role in how long the device will keep going and what kind of performance you can expect from it. One of the somewhat "new" players in the market is COUGAR and since so far their products in general have performed on par with those of their much older rivals we decided to take a look at the latest GX-1050 V3 (G1050) 1050W power supply unit.

COUGAR products are designed by COUGAR GERMANY, a professional R&D engineering team and COUGAR is part of the “HEC/COMPUCASE” Group. The unique combination of the world-famous German skills of designing the best products worldwide and HEC/s power and long-time experience to produce the best high quality products created innovative masterpieces in PSU history. The PC upgrading and DIY market is changing rapidly and is growing more and more. Professional user are asking for more than only stable and silent PSU/s, they want efficient and energy saving products without compromises in quality. COUGAR GERMANY created such products! COUGAR GERMANY combines the features of innovation and evolution to create efficient, powerful and unique products like “COUGAR POWER”. The purpose of COUGAR GERMANY is the satisfaction of the customer, reaching it by creating most valuable, advanced products. COUGAR – YOUR POWER!

The new GX-1050 V3 is a semi-modular model that features an 80Plus Gold efficiency certification (offers up to 93% power efficiency), two powerful +12v 60A rails delivering roughly 96% of the units power output, flat modular cables for easier cable routing and increased airflow inside the case, ultra-quiet temperature controlled 140mm intake fan, high-quality Japanese capacitors and several electrical protections including OCP (Over current protection), OPP (Over power protection), OVP (Over voltage protection), OTP (Over Temperature Protection), UVP (Under voltage protection) and SCP (Short circuit protection). Still this is the most powerful power supply unit we've received to date by COUGAR so without further delay let's check it out.

Read full article @ NikKTech

Fractal Design Define S Case with Kelvin S36 Cooler

Fractal Design has taken an innovative approach with the Define S. This ATX case bears a strong resemblance to the Define R5 but when you take a look inside you find … nothing. It is almost entirely empty apart from a 140mm fan at the front and another 140mm fan at the rear. At first glance there are no storage drive bays and certainly there is no optical drive bay on the front of the case, and while the design looks clean and tidy it appears to be missing something or other.

Read full article @ KitGuru

GTA V PC Performance, 4K And 3 GeForces

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series has been wildly successful for many years now, offering some of the edgiest story lines, game play tactics and objectives the gaming industry has ever seen. With psychopathic main characters, you are left in the depraved communities of Los Santos and Blaine County, to walk a path few would dare choose in real life, committing nefarious acts, robbing and pillaging to complete your objectives.

... And it's rather entertaining of course, that you're tasked with leaving a virtual world worse off than you found it, consequences be damned.

Today, we're aiming to give you quick taste of what GTA V can play and look like with an over-the-top system config at super-tight 4K resolution.

What does it take to run GTA V at 4K? We'll give you a view of that, as well as how it scales over multiple NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 GPUs, in the pages ahead, along with some screen shots for just a bit of eye candy as well...

Read full article @ HotHardware

Intel NUC Kit NUC5i7RYH Review

The Intel Next Unit of Computing (NUC) was released in 2012 to little fanfare, but Legit Reviews quickly fell in love with the tiny little PC and thought that there was potential in the potent little systems after the first time we used one. Over the past several years Intel has devoted more time and resources to the NUC team and despite increasing sales and millions in profit, the Intel NUC was never blessed with the opportunity to house an Intel Core i7 processor. All that changed with the introduction of the Intel NUC Kit NUC5i7RYH that is powered by the Intel Core i7-5557U processor!

Read full article @ Legit Reviews

Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review

This NHL season has been one of the most interesting seasons. Personally I saw my beloved team, the Calgary Flames, make the post-season after a six year hiatus. There was also an increased interest in advanced statistics. For example, one of the newer metrics is Corsi. This refers to the number of shots on goal, the number of missed shots, and the number of blocked shots. This can be applied to a team or to a specific player. As such, there is a Corsi for and a Corsi against. For comparison's sake, the Corsi percentage is the positive Corsi for a team or a player over the total Corsi. On paper, a stat like this makes a ton of sense. More shots, and more blocked shots compared to the competition, will result in a generally better goal differential, and therefore more wins. On the ice, however, the stats do not always line up. This season, the Calgary Flames ended the season with a Corsi percentage of 44.3%, ranking 28th in a league of thirty teams. Yet, they headed into the playoffs, while twelve other teams with better Corsi ratings sent their players golfing. The fact is these statistics do not take into regard the intangibles, like attitude or heart. The Flames played with a "never quit" mentality at all times, and truly believed they could win. They got timely goals when it mattered. In the end, it shows you can have all the statistics on your side, but the real metric to measure is performance in a classical manner. Today's review is of the Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 256GB, a USB 3.0 flash drive with speedy numbers. It does not take advanced math to understand Patriot boasts read and write speeds of up to 400MB/s and 300MB/s. However as we have read, statistics only matter if they can translate into actual results. Will this USB flash drive actually outmatch the competition? Are there other factors to consider than just the speed? Let us read on to find out if it really delivers supersonic speed to become the new rage among enthusiasts!

Read full article @ APH Networks

Raidmax Narwhal 920 Chassis Review

Today I will be reviewing the Narwhal 920 from Raidmax. The Narwhal aesthetics are nowhere near as extraordinary as the Viper GX II. Raidmax went with a more traditional look and is closer to their usual builds that Raidmax is known for. I love the look of the 920, and fans of Raidmax will definitely love this tower. Unlike my wife, who fell in love with the design of the Viper GX II, I tend to enjoy the old school traditional look of towers. Offering the capabilities and features that I and most gamers have come to love makes the Narwhal 920 an interesting chassis.
 
Raidmax's Narwhal 920 measures 498(H)X245(W)X518(D) mm. Which is a pretty decent size for a mid-tower. The Narwhal 920 has a stylish front panel, specially designed side panels, I/O port coverings, can holds up to 6 fans, and up to a 280mm water cooler. As you can see, there is an awful a lot of features to love! With the price only being 85 USD, I am anxious to see how well the 920 Stacks up!

Read full article @ FunkyKit

Toshiba MQ02ABF075 2.5" Mobile Thin HDD Review

The MQ02ABF075 drive from Toshiba exhibits good performances for a 5400RPM drive and comes with two platters and four heads on a 7mm form factor. This drive is mostly meant for ultrabooks and high-end multimedia devices, which do not need very high read/write performances but more storage space at a low price, while conserving battery life.

Read full article @ Madshrimps

TP-Link Archer C9 Review

TP-LINK's high end AC1900 router gets tested. TP-LINK go with very familiar styling on their packaging which gives us a nice clear view of the router along with listing many of the key features and specifications. Inside the box the router is protected by two layers of plastic and suspended in a cardboard tray. Bundled with the router we get product documentation, mains adapter, network cable and three antenna.

Read full article @ HardwareHeaven