Here is a roundup of today's reviews and articles, including a review on the FiiO WARMER R2R Tube Buffer DAC, which offers excellent sonic performance at an affordable price, and the LYNK+ GeForce RTX 5090 Modular AIO, which provides easy installation, great temperatures, and low noise levels. The portable display market is also getting attention, with the Magedok Mageflex-140A Dual OLED Portable Touch Monitor being praised for its vivid QHD resolution, touch support, and lightweight design. In the gaming world, EasySMX's X05 Pro controller stands out as a budget-friendly option with tri-mode connectivity, while Octopath Traveler II is receiving positive attention for its HD-2D visual style. Additionally, new motherboards, networking devices, and power supplies are being reviewed, including the MSI MEG Z890 ACE motherboard, ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 mesh system, and be quiet! Dark Power 14 1200W ATX v3.1 PSU.
Audio: FiiO's WARMER R2R Tube Buffer DAC hits all the musical notes at a great price
Cooling: LYNK+ GeForce RTX 5090 Modular AIO Review
Displays: Magedok Mageflex-140A Dual 14 Inch 2K OLED Portable Touch Monitor Review
Gaming: EasySMX X05 Pro Review: A $35 Budget Masterpiece, Octopath Traveler 0 Review in Progress – A Masterclass In Villany
Motherboards: MSI MEG Z890 ACE Review, MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk MAX Wifi PZ Review: Project Zero cleans up the cables, ASRock Phantom Gaming X870 Nova WiFi review - Delivering a solid core feature set
Networking: ASUS RT-BE58 Go Portable WiFi 7 Router Review, ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 review: Quad Band Mesh with Wi-Fi 7
Power: be quiet! Dark Power 14 1200W ATX v3.1 PSU Review
Audio:
Neowin: FiiO's WARMER R2R Tube Buffer DAC hits all the musical notes at a great price
It was not too long ago that I had the FiiO K13-R2R on my desk, praising its excellent sonic performance and general features. Today I am pleased to present the WARMER R2R, a fully balanced R2R DAC using quad vacuum tubes at the buffer output stage.
Cooling:
TechPowerUp: LYNK+ GeForce RTX 5090 Modular AIO Review
LYNK+ introduces a modular AIO for the RTX 5090 with a standout feature: drip-free quick-disconnect connectors that make installation and future upgrades effortless. The kit delivers excellent temperatures, great noise levels, and even helps NVIDIA's Boost algorithm ramp things up a little more.
Displays:
NikKTech: Magedok Mageflex-140A Dual 14 Inch 2K OLED Portable Touch Monitor Review
From coffee shops to client meetings, portable displays are becoming the modern worker’s secret weapon. The MageFlex-140A Dual OLED Portable Monitor takes that role seriously, offering vivid QHD resolution, touch and stylus support, and a lightweight build that makes multitasking effortless anywhere.
Magedok Mageflex-140A Dual 14 Inch 2K OLED Portable Touch Monitor Review
Gaming:
Wccftech: EasySMX X05 Pro Review: A $35 Budget Masterpiece
I have been a fan of EasySMX's budget controllers, but the S10 for Switch 2 didn't impress me much. Instead, I liked its entry-level X05 controller, which I tried last, which offers tri-mode connectivity, hall effect triggers, analog sticks, and wide compatibility. It's hard to see a decent controller for just $29, but the X05 remains one of my favorites for PC and consoles.
Wccftech: Octopath Traveler 0 Review in Progress – A Masterclass In Villany
Although its popularity doesn't reach the heights of other established series like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, the Octopath Traveler franchise is proving to be rather seminal for the JRPG genre as a whole, mainly thanks to its HD-2D visual style which has been employed to great success in other titles, including the tactical role-playing game Triangle Strategy, the upcoming action role-playing game The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, and remakes of classic games such as the first three entries in the Dragon Quest series and in Star Ocean: The Second Story R, remake of the second entry in the series created by tri-Ace.
Motherboards:
TechPowerUp: MSI MEG Z890 ACE Review
Yet another cut-price Z890 motherboard, this time it's MSI's high-end MEG ACE that's far more wallet-friendly. All while offering 10 Gbps Ethernet, dual PCIe Gen 5 M.2 SSD support, dual 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4, 60 W power over your case's Type-C port and a huge number of fast USB ports.
Tom's Hardware: MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk MAX Wifi PZ Review: Project Zero cleans up the cables
MSI’s Project Zero concept cleans up wiring by moving most connectivity to the rear
MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk MAX Wifi PZ Review: Project Zero cleans up the cables
TweakTown: ASRock Phantom Gaming X870 Nova WiFi review - Delivering a solid core feature set
ASRock's X870 Nova WiFi doesn't lack in any particular area, but there is a lot of appealing competition in its price range - including from ASRock itself.
Networking:
ServeTheHome: ASUS RT-BE58 Go Portable WiFi 7 Router Review
We take the ASUS RT-BE58 Go portable WiFi 7 router for a spin and see how this tiny gateway performs under high-end loads
The Guru of 3D: ASUS ZenWiFi BQ16 review: Quad Band Mesh with Wi-Fi 7
The Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro is one of those routers that feels like it’s built for the future. It’s a Wi-Fi 7 mesh system that focuses on speed, range, and flexibility. With two units in the box, you can cover up to 8,000 square feet with strong, consistent wireless signal. If you live in a smaller place, one unit will easily handle around 4,000 square feet on its own. Each node looks clean and modern, finished in white with smooth edges. There’s a small LED indicator on the front that tells you what’s happening—green when it’s starting up, blue when it’s ready for setup, white when everything’s working, and red if the internet connection drops. Around the back is where all the action is: two 10GbE ports (one for WAN or LAN use), a 1GbE WAN/LAN port, and two more 1GbE LAN ports. There’s also a USB 3.0 port you can use to share storage or connect a 4G/5G phone as a backup internet source. Honestly, having 2.5GbE ports instead of 1GbE would’ve made more sense for this price range, but the overall setup is still impressive. Performance-wise, the BQ16 Pro runs on the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, including two 6GHz radio bands for faster connections and less interference. That means smoother streaming, quicker downloads, and better support for multiple devices at once. Whether it’s gaming, video calls, or smart home gear, this mesh system handles it all with ease.
Power:
Hardware Busters: be quiet! Dark Power 14 1200W ATX v3.1 PSU Review
According to be quiet! its new Dark Power 14 series makes no compromises in silence and performance. Well, time to put this to the test and find out if it indeed stands. Read the full review to learn more about the flagship Dark Power 14 model with 1200W max power.
be quiet! Dark Power 14 1200W ATX v3.1 PSU Review - Hardware Busters
