Today's roundup of hardware evaluations begins with cooling solutions, highlighting Noctua's latest 120 millimeter fan lineup alongside a flagship PCCooler air cooler featuring an integrated display. The computing segment explores Valve's new couch gaming console while also examining the compact GMKtec NucBox K16 mini computer, which packs dual Ethernet ports and robust Ryzen processing into a small metal chassis. Desktop builders can track performance benchmarks for MSI's affordable Z890 WiFi6E motherboard, while makers should check out the updated mechanics inside the Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo 3D printer. Together these articles provide a comprehensive snapshot of current market offerings across cooling, compact computing, and peripheral hardware.
Coolers: Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 chromax.black Series Review, PCCooler CPS RZ820 Display Review: a flagship-level CPU air cooler with an LCD screen
Computers: Valve Steam Machine review: Couch gaming unboxed, but not always at 4K, GMKtec NucBox K16 Review
Motherboards: MSI Z890 GAMING PLUS WiFi6E Motherboard Review
Printers: Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo 3D printer review: Evolution, not revolution
Coolers:
APH Networks: Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 chromax.black Series Review
Out of the five senses, I think the one I would least want to lose is my vision. As much as I like to bake and eat, I would rather lose my sense of smell or taste first. Ever since entering grade school, I have always worn glasses, so I do not really remember a time in my life when I did not have two pieces of refractive material in front of my face. Without the correction, everything just looks blurrier than usual, like a photo taken without proper focus. However, a couple of friends told me of times when they were seeing double and had to go to a doctor or ophthalmologist for tests. I think diplopia, the medical term for this condition, is a scary thing to encounter. To me, the only enjoyable time to see multiples is if you have multiple in front of you. Today, we have another series of fans from Noctua in the form of their NF-A12x25 G2 chromax.black. You might think we are suffering from diplopia, because we recently reviewed the closely named 140mm NF-A14x25 G2 chromax.black and the original NF-A12x25 G2 half a year back. Noctua has now completed the second-generation family with the 120mm offering in chromax.black. Better yet, they have sent us multiple models for us to judge and test, so I really am seeing much more than just two. Will we have double the fun or double trouble? Let us read on to find out!
Noctua NF-A12x25 G2 chromax.black Series Review (Page 1 of 4) | APH Networks
TweakTown: PCCooler CPS RZ820 Display Review: a flagship-level CPU air cooler with an LCD screen
While eight-pipe coolers are nothing new, PCCooler thinks they may have what it takes to be the next flagship cooler to beat in CPU air cooling.
Computers:
Tom's Hardware: Valve Steam Machine review: Couch gaming unboxed, but not always at 4K
The $1,049 starting price, while fair for comparable PC hardware, may limit its appeal to devoted Steam fans.
Valve Steam Machine review: Couch gaming unboxed, but not always at 4K
TechPowerUp: GMKtec NucBox K16 Review
The GMKtec NucBox K16 packs impressive features into a compact metal design, including dual 2.5G Ethernet, two dedicated M.2 slots, USB4, and OCuLink. Powered by a Ryzen 7 7735HS and Radeon 680M, it handles everyday tasks and light gaming well, though it faces stiff competition from newer, budget-friendly options.
Motherboards:
The FPS Review: MSI Z890 GAMING PLUS WiFi6E Motherboard Review
Is this budget-friendly entry-level MSI Z890 GAMING PLUS WiFi6E Z890 based motherboard a good deal? We test it, and find out how it performs.
Printers:
Tom's Hardware: Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo 3D printer review: Evolution, not revolution
Did the Kobra X do it better? Probably.
Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo 3D printer review: Evolution, not revolution
