Reviews 52123 Published by

Here a roundup of today's reviews and articles:

Corsair HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset Review
Fitbit Versa Smart Fitness Watch Review
Gigabyte AORUS AX370-Gaming K5 Review
Guru3D Rig of the Month - May 2018
HyperX Cloud Alpha Gold Gaming Headset Review
HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB 32GB 2933MHz Memory Kit Review
Intel Core i3-8300 3.7 GHz Review
MSI Infinite X (8700K & 1080 Ti) System Review
Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon XR1 Platform For Standalone Augmented And Virtual Reality Headsets
System Guide: Summer 2018 Edition
Team Group Delta RGB SSD Review
The Supermicro X11SRA Motherboard Review: C422 based Workstation for Xeon-W
Windows 10 Pro is a dead end for enterprises
Wizard of Legend Xbox One Review



Corsair HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset Review

Today we will be introducing the HS70 brought to us by Corsair. Building upon the success of the CORSAIR HS60 headset, we are pleased to introduce the latest addition to the CORSAIR headset family, the HS70 Wireless Gaming Headset. The HS70 now offers gamer wireless connectivity, outstanding comfort, audio quality and durability at more accessible price points without sacrificing the performance and quality CORSAIR products are known for. Well lets not wait any longer and get to the good stuff!

A low cost, yet high quality headset may seem like a contradiction, but CORSAIR engineers have struck the perfect balance between performance and price allowing more PC and console gamers the opportunity to experience CORSAIR audio products. HS70 WIRELESS offers gamers a high-quality wireless headset solution without compromising on comfort, audio and mic quality. The sturdy yet lightweight design features slim profile oval ear cups with on-ear controls and internal memory foam. On the outside, accent stitching on the headband, premium soft touch materials, real metal grills and concealed audio wiring in the yokes are just some of the many details that make HS70 WIRELESS look as good as it sounds.

Read full article @ FunkyKit

Fitbit Versa Smart Fitness Watch Review

Like the Ionic, Versa features a reasonable 2.5GB of onboard flash for local music storage, but the decision to double down on the same, infuriating transfer process makes the feature practically worthless. If an awkward combination of using the Fitbit app and Wi-Fi to sync the files wasn't bad enough, the process is slow, often stops repeatedly and often downright failed to connect. I really hope that Fitbit can find a way to make it work a little easier in future (perhaps a simple drag and drop USB transfer?) because at this point it doesn't. I understand that streaming via the Pandora app makes for a much better experience, but since the station ceased operating in Australia and New Zealand and I don't have a Deezer account, I can't confirm this for myself.

Despite all the tech, make no mistake - this is a fitness watch first and a smartwatch second. Fitness is at the core of everything that Ionic does. Herein lies the fundamental difference between Apple and Fitbit's approach to a smartwatch. Compared to Apple, Versa's apps all serve to support the core fitness functionalities - not the other way around. If you want a personal computer on your watch, this clearly isn't the choice for you.

Read full article @ TweakTown

Gigabyte AORUS AX370-Gaming K5 Review

Gigabyte has released a number of X370 motherboards to support AMD’s Ryzen processors, and one of the early boards to see a release was the AORUS AX370-Gaming K5. As of this writing, this ATX motherboard has a BIOS (Version F23d) that makes it a viable option for any AM4-based processor, including Bristol Ridge (Excavator), Summit Ridge (Zen), Raven Ridge (Zen APUs), and AMD’s upcoming Pinnacle Ridge (Zen+) processors.

If Gigabyte’s naming scheme has you scratching your head, you’re not alone. This motherboard is similar to the AORUS AX370-Gaming 5, but it lacks the dual Ethernet ports (the Killer E2500 NIC is the one not found on our board), there are fewer USB 3.1 ports, and slightly fewer memory and CPU overclocking options. A close look at the VRM also reveals that the K5 version we’re looking at here has a less robust voltage regulation subsystem, but these relatively minor sacrifices get you an X370 motherboard with a solid feature set for roughly $30 less than the Gigabyte AX370-Gaming 5. The big thing this board has going for it compared to the Gaming 5 is the all-black shrouds, which look much more at home on the all-black PCB. To see if this board will make a worthy platform for your next AMD-based system, read on.

Read full article @ Modders-Inc

Guru3D Rig of the Month - May 2018

We just adore PC related hardware & think you do too. And sometimes you guys really make a PC that really stands out. We ask you to answer a few simple questions and send in photos of your rig. Each month we'll have a look at the entries and perhaps pick you and post your PC with photos and everything here at Guru3D.com. Here you can find out what you need to do and win a nice prize courtesy of Corsair.

Each month one winner walks away with a cool prize. This month we give away a K70 LUX with red lighting. All keys are mechanical, in our case making use of Cherry Red MX switches. The idea behind mechanical switches is that they give a key press a more perceptible feel than the standard rubber membrane used in cheaper keyboards. Gamers seem to prefer mechy's very much over dome based keys and ever since the past year or two mechanical keyboards have been on the rise. The keyboard registers ALL keys pressed at once, as such this is a full key rollover. With virtually unlimited customization directly integrated into Corsair's legendary construction, the LUX line of gaming keyboards is the key to breaking through the competition. Express yourself with programmable advanced lighting control and large font keycaps, and transform your gameplay with on-the-fly macro programming. Loaded into a rugged aluminum body, Corsair LUX keyboards provide the ultimate experience for every situation.

Read full article @ The Guru of 3D

HyperX Cloud Alpha Gold Gaming Headset Review

In this review for Benchmark Reviews, we test the Gold Limited Edition 3.5mm analog multi-platform HyperX Cloud Alpha pro gaming headset by Kingston Technology for PC, PS4, Xbox One. Featuring a dual chamber design that separates bass tones from mid level and highs, the HyperX Cloud Alpha Gold headset promises more distinction and less distortion from gaming sounds. A detachable noise-cancelling microphone designed for Discord and TeamSpeak ensure easy integration without compatibility issues suffered from some headsets.

Read full article @ Benchmark Reviews

HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB 32GB 2933MHz Memory Kit Review

Legit Reviews has been reviewing HyperX memory for nearly 16 years, but today we are looking at our first HyperX memory kit that features RGB lighting. RGB RAM has been around for some time, so HyperX knew they had to bring something innovative to market this late in the game and that is exactly what they have done on the HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB series. HyperX engineers came up with HyperX Infrared Sync technology, which means the LED light bar atop each of these DDR4 memory modules will always stay in sync without any cabling required. Read on to see how this kit performs on our AMD Ryzen 2700 test platform.

Read full article @ Legit Reviews

Intel Core i3-8300 3.7 GHz Review

The Intel Core i3-8300 was released recently as part of Intel's second wave of Coffee Lake processors. Compared to the i3-8100 it adds 100 MHz CPU clock and 2 MB cache. It lacks the unlocked multiplier of Ryzen and its integrated graphics are not nearly as fast as those of Ryzen G models. Is it still a good option in the $150 CPU market?

Read full article @ TechPowerUp

MSI Infinite X (8700K & 1080 Ti) System Review

MSI Infinite X is a pre-built gaming PC that you can pick up locally, provided you live somewhere near a John Lewis department store. The hardware is a classic combination of Intel Core i7-8700K and Nvidia graphics and naturally enough both the motherboard and graphics card are manufactured by MSI.

There are three versions of the Infinite X on sale here in the UK that are differentiated by the choice of graphics card, which affects both price and performance. At the bottom end of the scale we have the 8RC at £1499 with GTX 1060 graphics. For an extra £200 you can step up to the 8RD at £1699 with a GTX 1070 GPU, or you can push the boat out the whole way and go for the 8RE at £2100 with GTX 1080 graphics.

So there are three models of Infinite X, however the sample we received came with a GTX 1080 Ti graphics card which means it is unique, and also means it is not representative of the Infinite X you might buy. Put it this way, the Infinite X we have here looks like the best case scenario for this family of PCs.

Read full article @ KitGuru

Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon XR1 Platform For Standalone Augmented And Virtual Reality Headsets

Qualcomm is looking to make Extended Reality (XR) the next big thing in mobile computing. XR is the term that Qualcomm has coined to describe the full gamut of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) experiences. With XR, Qualcomm is looking to provide a single platform that developers will be able to leverage for an array of different devices.

This is how Qualcomm describes XR:
At some point in the future, we envision the convergence of the smartphone, mobile VR headset, and AR glasses into a single XR wearable. In this scenario, a single pair of XR glasses will primarily be used for AR, but will also occasionally be used for VR. XR could replace all the other screens in your life, like that big TV in your living room.

To power these XR experiences, Qualcomm is announcing a dedicated XR Platform, aptly dubbed Snapdragon XR1. According to the company, Snapdragon XR1 has been specifically optimized for AR and includes artificial intelligence (AI) hardware to improve overall efficiency and deliver a high quality experience.

Read full article @ HotHardware

System Guide: Summer 2018 Edition

Welcome to TR's Summer 2018 System Guide. This is where the TR staff picks out the créme de la créme of hardware components fit for the most price-effective builds around. We've tried to create builds across a wide range of price points with parts that provide the best performance possible for the money. However, we don't just ferret out the cheapest components possible or compromise configurations to hit arbitrary price points. Indeed, these are the systems we'd build for ourselves, given the money. From our cheapest build to our most expensive (or the second-most expensive, at least), you can rest easy knowing that we've done the hard work of balancing the need for performance against the curve of diminishing returns.

Read full article @ The Tech Report

Team Group Delta RGB SSD Review

Today we look at an RGB SSD, boasting a massive 5:3 luminous area which Team Group claim to be the largest on the market right now. The SSD is available in two different models, though the differences are small and purely cosmetic. The Magnificent version features different LED zones while the Simple version is illuminated with a single colour; the version you choose will depend on the RGB connection from your motherboard.

Read full article @ Vortez

The Supermicro X11SRA Motherboard Review: C422 based Workstation for Xeon-W

For many professionals, a consumer level board may not have the features needed to satisfy their needs. Typically these boards include additional network functions and can have more and different types of storage options such as U.2 ports or switches. The Supermicro X11SRA, the motherbaord in this review, is aimed at the workstation market that sometimes has non-consumer demands. The X11SRA works only with the Xeon-W family of CPUs, analagous to the Skylake-X Core CPUs but supporting RDIMMs and ECC for up to 512GB of memory. These systems are designed to deliver a lot of horsepower, up to 18 cores, as well as storage and other needs.

Earlier this year at CES 2018, the AnandTech team was able to stop by Supermicro's suite. One of the items on display was the X11SRA workstation motherboard, supporting Xeon W processors with ECC based DDR4 RAM and using the C422 chipset. This is a bit different to what most high-end desktop users are used to, such as X299 and non-ECC. In the past, Intel had the two families of products served by a single platform. However, they are now separated. Because of this more black and white delineation, users are seeing fewer and fewer professional-grade motherboards on the open market for the workstation processors, which leaves most sales coming from pre-built OEMs. Supermicro is one of those OEMs, but has put out the X11SRA (and its variants) on the consumer market.

Read full article @ Anandtech

Windows 10 Pro is a dead end for enterprises

A top Gartner analyst has said that Windows 10 Pro is a dead end for enterprises after the software king of the world posted changes to its support schedule.

Gartner research vice president Stephen Kleynhans predicts that based on the schedule, Vole will continue positioning Windows Pro as a release that is not appropriate for enterprises by reducing support and limiting access to enterprise management features.
But although Pro or Professional has a long history in business settings, Microsoft has made numerous decisions in its Windows 10 migration campaign to separate Pro and Enterprise even more, pushing them apart. In Kleynhans' view, the gap has become unbridgeable.

Read full article @ Fudzilla

Wizard of Legend Xbox One Review

Though it has strong roots, Wizard of Legend fails to truly blossom.

Named after the 1980 computer game Rogue, "roguelike games" feature procedurally-generated levels, challenging difficulty, and an emphasis on dying, only for the player to come back stronger. Wizard of Legend, a new title for Xbox One, is the latest roguelike to make its way onto Microsoft's console. Sadly, despite the fact that it's fun overall, Wizard of Legend rarely capitalizes on its potential due to a lack of variety in gameplay.

Read full article @ Windows Central