Reviews 52118 Published by

Here a roundup of todays reviews and articles:

ASUS GTX 780 STRIX OC 6GB Review
ASUS PB287Q review: ASUS goes Ultra HD
ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q GSYNC game monitor review
Cooler Master Nepton 140XL Liquid Cooler Review
Corsair Force LX 256GB SSD Review
Lenovo Yoga 10 HD+ Android Tablet Review
MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC Motherboard Review
MSI Z97 MPower Overclocking Motherboard Review
The TR Podcast 158: Planet of the Shield Tablets



ASUS GTX 780 STRIX OC 6GB Review

NVIDIA’s GTX 780 may not be the newest card on the block but from a price / performance standpoint it is still one of the best options available. ASUS is aiming to capitalize upon the affordability factor by introducing a product family into the GTX 780 lineup dubbed the STRIX.

Alongside the DirectCU II, Matrix, Striker, Poseidon, MARS and a number of other products, ASUS’ product lineup has begun to look increasingly unwieldy as of late. However, like its siblings, the STRIX nameplate has been created in an effort to put a name to some new technology. In this case ASUS is billing the GTX 780 STRIX OC as one of the first truly “silent” high end graphics cards on the market, in some scenarios at least. That’s right; due to the advanced cooling design being used the STRIX has the capability to completely shut off its fans provided the core remains below a 65°C temperature threshold. As you can imagine that has some serious implications for any gamers looking for a quiet rig.

Read full article @ Hardware Canucks

ASUS PB287Q review: ASUS goes Ultra HD

In march we had our first look at an Ultra HD monitor, the Samsung U28D590D c:us}Samsung U28D590D{/c:us}, which combined surprisingly good performance with a rather affordable price tag. Today we will have a look at one of Samsung's competitors, the ASUS PB287Q. 

While the PB287Q might look very similar to the PB278Q they are very different monitors with completely different panels. The latter is the ASUS WQHD monitor with a 2560x1440 resolution PLS-panel.

Read full article @ Hardware.Info

ASUS ROG Swift PG278Q GSYNC game monitor review

Join us as we review the ASUS Republic Of Gamers Swift PG278Q GSYNC gaming monitor. NVIDIA has announced GSync but 3rd party monitors with that GSYNC module have been hard to get. ASUS however now outs their second GSYNC compatible monitor, this round they do it with a nice 27-inch WQHD display that can handle a 144 Hz refresh rate and has 1ms response time. The downside, it is a TN screen.

The PG278Q targeted at a very specific gaming crowd who want fluid visuals on this little beast with its 144 Hz refresh rate 1 ms response time. You, yes the end-user can even select your preferred refresh rates, with a Turbo key for one-click switching between 60 Hz, 120 Hz or 144 Hz display modes. Albeit one does need to wonder, who cares about 144 Hz if you got GSYNC enabled ? G-Sync eliminates the problems that come with VSYNC both on and off. Meaning no more Sync stuttering and that dreaded demon of them all, Screen tearing. G-Sync basically is a technology made compatible with a G-Sync module and software. And that symbiosis honestly is a touch of magic. We have taken for granted many years, screen-tearing and VSYNC stutters. For that you will need to dig a bit into your wallet though as you will need a compatible Geforce graphics card and a compatible monitor that has been equipped with an Nvidia G-Sync module. But once you have established that combination, you'll be nothing other then impressed -- that much we can guarantee. G-Sync, a technology that is named to be a game changer, yes G-Sync eliminates the problems that come with VSYNC (both on and off) versus what is displayed on your monitor. See, in recent years we all have been driven by the knowledge that on a 60 Hz monitor you preferably need 60 FPS rendered by your graphics card. This was for a very specific reason, you want the two as close as possible to each other as that offers you not only the best gaming experience, but also the best visual experience. Running 35 FPS on a 60/120/144 Hz screen with VSYNC on would be great, but you'd still see a hint of what I like to name "soft vsync stuttering". Then the hardcore FPS gamer obviously wants extremely high FPS, and for these frag-masters the alternative is simply disabling VSYNC. However if you have that same 35 FPS framerate on 60 Hz, you'd see visible screen tearing. Heck, this is why framerate limiters are so popular as you try to sync each rendered frame in line with your monitor refresh rate. But yeah, these are the main reasons for screen anomalies, and ever since the start of the 3d graphics revolutions (all hail 3dfx), we simply got used to these sync stutters and/or screen tearing. To compensate we have been purchasing extremely fast dedicated graphics cards to be to be able to match that screen refresh rate as close as possible.

Read full article @ Guru3D

Cooler Master Nepton 140XL Liquid Cooler Review

As an established manufacturer Cooler Master has already proved several times their experience in many product areas.
For some time now, Cooler Master produces AIO water cooling systems and we have already tested their powerful Eisberg Prestige 240L cooler.
The latest water cooler model is the Cooler Master Nepton 140XL, at which we will take a closer look today.

Read full article @ OcInside.de

Corsair Force LX 256GB SSD Review

Corsair has developed another great product in the name of the LX 256GB SSD, which has a very accessible price point and offers very decent performances all over the board. Regarding the internal construction, we could remind the Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller, 128MB of DDR3 buffer, but also 8 MLC NAND Flash chips with 32GB capacity each.

Read full article @ Madshrimps

Lenovo Yoga 10 HD+ Android Tablet Review

Last fall Benchmark Reviews examined the predecessor to the Lenovo Yoga 10 HD+ tablet, and found that it represented an excellent value for the money. This time around, Lenovo ups the ante with a dramatically improved screen, faster quad-core Snapdragon processor, and double the memory of the earlier model. Add its unique design and construction and the Lenovo Yoga tablet becomes on of the more intriguing Android devices available

Read full article @ Benchmark Reviews

MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC Motherboard Review

Flagship parts on a mainstream platform can cause confusion for motherboard vendors. Do they go all-out, offering 4-way SLI and CrossFire via a PLX chip, with the knowledge that many people inclined for such configurations will use a HEDT platform instead? Or do they put that expenditure into a full-blooded feature set, accepting the potential hit in graphics and overclocking capabilities?

Read full article @ KitGuru

MSI Z97 MPower Overclocking Motherboard Review

Overclocking motherboards comes in many different formats and while many boards will come with some ability to overclock. What really distinguishes "a board that can overclock" from an "actual overclocking motherboard" is the extended support and specialized features. MSI is a name synonymous with overclocking and is famous for their Afterburner software and extremely popular Lightning edition video cards. These cards are highly sought after by overclockers and high-end gamers for the superior construction and faster default clock. While video cards might be what MSI is known for in the enthusiast community they do offer some solid motherboard solutions that span from your basic OEM style to high end overclockers supporting LN2 and multiple graphics cards.

In this review we will be looking at the Z97 MPower motherboard from MSI. This is an entry level motherboard in their overclocking line and is designed for LGA 1150 processors from Intel. As the name suggests this board is based on the Z97 chipset and features a specialized layout for overclocking.

Read full article @ Hardware Asylum

The TR Podcast 158: Planet of the Shield Tablets

This is a great one. Short, sweet, and to the point. Give it a shot.

Read full article @ The Tech Report