General Gaming Article |
- This Week's Hottest Reviews on TechRadar
- Comic Con 2013: Pictures (Day One)
- Comic Con 2013: Download the Walking Dead Chop Shop Car App
- Steam Summer Sale: Day 8
- Mid-Tower Mini-Roundup
- How to get your hands on the world’s first 5GHz CPU
- Intel May Axe Atom Brand, Pentium and Celeron Names Live On
- Microsoft's Surface Team Reportedly Turns Attention to Smart Watch Design
- Cooler Master Unveils Triple Tower V8 GTS Air Cooler
- Vote for "Free Tattoo Friday" and Other Funny Legislation on Saints Row IV Government Website
| This Week's Hottest Reviews on TechRadar Posted: 19 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT Love the HTC One's construction, but think it's a little too big? Then the HTC One Mini was built with you in mind. There are some compromises, of course, like a dual-core processor and just 16GB of storage, but that sleek aluminum body and snappy Sense software is all there. Read on for our hands on with One Mini and more. TechRadar's hottest reviews
Would we recommend the HTC One Mini to a friend? Of course not - it's not out yet. But we would urge anyone looking to spend around £25-£30 ($40) a month on a phone contract (that's a rough estimate, as we don't have final pricing for the HTC One Mini) to wait and check out this phone, when it's launched in August. If you're not a fan of the HTC One for price alone, then the One Mini is definitely going to fill your needs. It seems a little expensive given the compromises on offer - we'd have preferred to see this phone coming in at £20-£25 ($30) a month to be truly attractive - but there's no doubt that it's got all the bits it needs to be a winner, and if users can get on board with the lack of external storage (why, HTC, WHY?) then we can see a real winner on the shelves of your local phone emporium in the weeks to come. In fact, it makes us wonder whether Samsung will think about refreshing the Galaxy S4 Mini in the meantime, as it's now very likely to be second best to this little nugget - and even Apple's cheaper iPhone, which is likely coming later this year, will have more of a fight on its hands than it would have previously been expected to encounter. Hands on: HTC One Mini review
We really wanted to like the Ouya. Honest we did. The system's open philosophy and low price are admirable, especially after all the Xbox One DRM craziness that dominated E3 2013. But the Ouya hasn't delivered a stable product, enough compelling games or controller that works to an acceptable degree.
That's not to say that the Ouya team can't right the ship. We'll be watching the Ouya to see how things improve, and will gladly update this review if new titles and stabilization make the Ouya less of sketchy investment.
Ironically, we're still playing one of its best games, Knightmare Tower, but on our laptop, in a browser. The Ouya has turned us on to some great games, we'd just prefer not to play them on the Ouya. The E-P5 is one of the most fun cameras we've used recently, but that doesn't stop it from also being one of the most impressively performing. Image quality is superb, while handling, on the whole, is sensible and intuitive. It helps that the camera has some pretty stylish looks too, drawing more than a pinch of inspiration from the original analogue PEN camera, too. At this point in time, the camera is a little on the expensive side – but you do get a lot for your money. Consider functions such as 5 axis image stabilisation, 1/8000 second shutter speed and that superb screen and you can see where your money is going. It'd be nice if the price dropped a little though. We'd be tempted to recommend dropping the kit lens when purchasing this, especially if you already have, or intend to purchase, different optics at some point. As well as the standard 14-42mm kit package, the E-P5 is available as a kit with a 17mm pancake lens, which offers the equivalent of 34mm making it an ideal carry around lens for street work – that would be the one we'd go for. If you can stretch, to it, we'd also highly recommend the excellent VF-4 external viewfinder too.
Other reviews on TechRadar this week:Cameras Hands on: Lytro Light Field Camera review
Hands on: Olypmus PEN E-P5 review Desktops Lenovo IdeaCentre B540p review Laptops Lenovo IdeaPad U410 Touch Review Phones Hands on: Nokia Lumia 1020 review Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini review Software Tablets TVs Misc. |
| Comic Con 2013: Pictures (Day One) Posted: 18 Jul 2013 07:07 PM PDT 100 pictures that include cosplays, toys, and Yvonne Strahovski!Day one of Comic Con 2013 in San Diego just ended and the super-crowded event produced some of the best cosplay costumes we've ever seen. There was something for everyone, whether you were into comics, sci-fi, movies, or television. In addition to interesting outfits, we saw some crazy cool toys and gadgets, and even met Yvonne Strahovski! Check out our gallery of 100 pictures below and let us know what your favorite outfit is. In addition, we weren't entirely sure who everyone in the pics are supposed to be, so if you know, please sound off in the comments and we'll do our best to give you credit in the edits! |
| Comic Con 2013: Download the Walking Dead Chop Shop Car App Posted: 18 Jul 2013 01:25 PM PDT Design your own kick-ass zombie-killing rig today!Zombies are cool, but do you know what's even cooler? Killing zombies! That's why Maximum PC and Future US have partnered up with Hyundai and the Walking Dead at Comic Con 2013 to create the ultimate kick-ass zombie killing machine!
Presenting the most kick-ass zombie-killing machine The custom Hyundai Veloster Turbo 2013 is equipped with front-mounted spikes, side blades, and enough guns to mow down a gigantic lawn full of zombies. Click the play button for a live presentation of the vehicle at Comic Con 2013 If you think you can design an even badder zombie-killing machine, head on over to http://walkingdeadchopshop.com/ to downlad the official Walking Dead Chop Shop app where you'll be able to personalize your own zombie-killing machine. Once you're done with your digital construction, the app will give you a survivability score. The best community-made cars will be entered into a contest to see which vehicle will be built into a real-life construction. Furthermore, the creator of the winning entry will be flown out to New York Comic Con in October where the vehicle will be unveiled to meet Robert Kirkman, the creator of the Walking Dead, himself! For more information on the contest, click here. Click the play button to get a quick demo of Walking Dead Chop Shop app. Note: The app will be available for Android users in August. |
| Posted: 18 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT
The Steam sales continueSteam Summer Sale deals for today include strategy game XCOM: Enemy Unknown for $10 (normally $40), Magicka for $2.49 (normally $10), indie RPG Torchlight II for $5 (normally $20), and graphically intense Far Cry 3 for $24 (normally $40). Flash deals for today include Resident Evil 6 for $20 (normally $40), Binding of Isaac for $1.24 (normally $5), Port Royale 3 for $10 (normally $40), and Sang Froid: Tales of Werewolves for $5 (normally $15). The current community choice is Risen 2: Dark Waters for $5 (normally $20). Games that are up for community voting include ARMA II, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and Unreal Tournament III. |
| Posted: 18 Jul 2013 10:32 AM PDT Two go in, one comes outTwo cases enter, one case leaves: That's the gist of our mini-roundup this month. We're still amazed sometimes at the disparity in production quality between cases. Sometimes, it's as if manufacturers really don't even bother giving the case a quick run-through before sending it off to retailers. Other times, it feels as if manufacturers go over their cases with a fine-toothed comb, checking every detail and nuance to eliminate even the smallest of possible annoyances. We've done our own version of the latter. Up for battle this month are Rosewill's Armor Evolution and NZXT's Phantom 630. Which case will take the prize? Rosewill Armor EvolutionWe want to like Rosewill's Armor Evolution chassis; we really do. It's even a credit to the company that some of the case's major flaws are elements that Rosewill actually recognizes as problems—or has received plenty of angry emails about—and is actively working to fix with a new revision of the case and/or a promise to send customers parts to patch up the first-generation chassis.
While the Armor Evolution is nicely adorned, we recommend waiting for the 2.0 version. Nevertheless, there are still a few unfixable design choices about this mid-tower chassis that leave us a bit bewildered. We definitely recommend skipping this case in its first iteration; as to how Rosewill will let its customers know whether they are purchasing a fixed version of this jet-black steel case, that's anyone's guess. The spacious case feels a bit stout when you pull it out of the box but, trust us, it's just short. The case's depth is hardly different than most mid-tower chassis you're used to and, to Rosewill's credit, the case's shorter height does little to impact its overall capacity. You get three free, screwless optical drive bays to play with, alongside seven hard drive bays—which still force you to screw the drives into removable trays, but at least you can do that outside of the case itself. To get to the bays, you have to confront Armor Evolution Problem Number One: The case's side panels can be a pain in the butt to remove, thanks to fairly flimsy locking tabs that bend out of place, break, or otherwise force you to exert more oomph than you ever would expect to get the panel off. The panels themselves are flimsy too, easily bulging in and out at the center with the lightest of touches. We don't like the hole motif of the left panel's grill (we get it; they're fan mounts. Lordy), nor do we like the very, very tight amount of space Rosewill puts between the rear of the motherboard tray and the case's right side panel. We would normally love the fact that Rosewill packs the Armor Evolution to the gills with fans—six in total, including a huge 23cm fan on the left side panel and two 12cm red LED fans on the case's front. This chassis is as cooled as cooled can be with air, and it doesn't explode your eardrums when you have all of the blades a-spinnin'. We don't particularly care for the tiny button that Rosewill puts on the underside of the case's front panel—the one that lets you toggle the case fans' lighting on and off. Unless you enjoy lifting your case each time you want to flip on the light show, this could not be any more annoying a setup. Until you hit the case's insides, that is: For whatever mystifying reason, Rosewill decided to make it so that you screw into rubber grommets for the case's two top fans. This makes both fans easy to jostle out of security with but a bump; we'd be absolutely terrified to attach a heavier radiator to the case's top, which makes its support for liquid cooling fairly nonexistent. Everything else about this chassis is fairly nondescript: two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports on the case's top, plenty of rubberized cable-management holes on the tray, a decent amount of screw-free upgradability. In other words, the case runs average-to-good if you take all of its critical flaws and push them aside. Assuming Rosewill does that by employing promised fixes, and cuts the $120 chassis' price a bit, the Armor Evolution would be worth a spot under your desk. Otherwise, aim for a less-sloppy, sub-$100 case like the Corsair Carbide 200R, to name one. Rosewill Armor Evolution Beyonce Spacious insides; semi-screwless case; lots of built-in cooling; good connectivity. Rihanna Side panels difficult to manipulate;worthless fan grommets;oddly located fan button.  $120, www.rosewill.com NZXT Phantom 630Someone's been watching a little too much Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. But in the case of NZXT's Phantom 630… er… case, that's a good thing. And when you really look at the tale of the tape, this case isn't all that much smaller than NZXT's Phantom 820—its bigger, louder cousin that comes with a few more eccentricities than the 630, but, to be honest, a few more headaches, as well. NZXT's really tightened the hatches to deliver a compelling experience with its "ultra tower" chassis—we'll forgive the silly description there. Though it's a wee bit pricey, this case definitely summons up a "wow" factor with its sleek, easily accessible design and captivating fan-control system. In fact, we don't really have any outright complaints with this chassis; suggestions and dreams, perhaps, but nothing about this case stands out in a negative light.
NZXT's Phantom 630 brings the wow factor Where to begin? The case's four 5.25-inch drive bays are completely screwless and don't require you to painstakingly pop off a front panel on the chassis in order to gain access. Just open up the case's magnetically attached front-panel cover, pop off one of the bay covers, and you're good to go—assuming you've already unscrewed and removed the 630's elegant-slash-lovely left side panel, of course. A note on that: We love the subtle, grilled treatment that NZXT gives to the side panel's attached 20cm fan, hiding it just enough that it's not a monster eyesore below the panel's smaller window. Slapping up to six hard drives in the case's available bays is a bit mix-and-match, but that's a good thing. The drives themselves use easily configurable trays that slide right into the three separate drive bay compartments, which are themselves removable and interchangeable, depending on your preferences, and need to accommodate longer video cards. You can even mount a 12cm fan directly on the side of one of the bays and pivot it to blast air across any part of your setup that needs it. The case comes with a considerable amount of cooling preinstalled. In addition to the aforementioned side-panel fan, you get one 20cm fan in the front (your mechanical hard drives will love you), one 20cm fan up top, and a single 14cm exhaust fan on the case's rear. They're all wired up to the 630's best feature—a built-in fan controller that you can operate from a switch and button setup directly on the front-top of the chassis. Pick from a low, medium, or high speed, and flick the case's included white lighting on and off at the press of a button—it's as easy as powering up your system. While it is a mild letdown that the 630 doesn't give you a switch for changing the internal lighting to any color you want, we love how the system's entire fan setup is powered by a single Molex connector. We had a bit of trouble getting the fan controller to work in the Phantom 820, so it's a joy and a relief to see a much easier setup in its "lesser" iteration. We're appreciative of the case's six major routing holes for cables, in addition to a large, cutout area on the motherboard tray for simplified aftermarket CPU cooler installation. There's plenty of room between the tray and the right side panel for your cables—even two 2.5-inch drives, if you're ambitious—and the tray itself comes with the motherboard standoffs preinstalled for your convenience. In other words, what's not to like about the NZXT Phantom 630? Spoiler: Nothing. We're always fans of more pizzazz but, as constructed, there's really nothing to dislike about this one. NZXT Phantom 630 Phantom of the Opera Screwless installation; plenty of fans; excellent fan controller; room for cable management; decent lighting. The Phantom Liquid cooling will be a wee bit of a fuss; but nothing fans of tubes and radiators aren't already familiar with;wee bit pricey.  $180, www.nzxt.com |
| How to get your hands on the world’s first 5GHz CPU Posted: 18 Jul 2013 10:29 AM PDT
There are a few ways to acquire AMD's new FX chipsA lot of DIY enthusiasts were surprised to hear AMD would be offering the first off-the-shelf 5GHz CPU recently, so naturally their thoughts turned to whether or not it would be possible to procure one of these rare CPUs in the near future. We had the same thought, so we did some investigating. Originally, we had heard the only way to get your grubby hands on the FX-9590 and FX-9370 would be to buy a pre-built system from vendors such as iBuypower, Stealth Machines, Maingear, and Falcon Northwest. However, several sites reported that the chips appeared briefly on Tiger Direct a few days ago, but by the time the story broke both chips were already out of stock. This also seemed to defy the reports that it would not be available as a retail part. So is it available as a standalone part, or what? The answer is, "yes, maybe." We found out that Canada Computers is selling the FX-9370 for $349, which is great for our northern companions but not so much for those of us stateside. Newegg, on the other hand, is selling the FX-9370 and FX-9590 in DIY bundles, so you don't have to buy a pre-built system but you'll have to buy the chips with other components including RAM, video card, CPU cooler, and motherboard. Bundles for the FX-9370 are $1,663 and $864 while the FX-9590 features bundles that are $2898 and $1609, respectively. So it does look like some shoppers will be able to get one of the new CPUs, but only if they're willing to spend a heck of a lot of money. For those who missed the announcement, the "new" FX-9000's are essentially binned versions of the FX-8350 Vishera CPU, highly overclocked with a TDP rating of 220 watts. For comparison, Intel's new Haswell Core i7-4770K is clocked at 3.5GHz with a TDP of 84 watts, while the $1,000 Core i7-3970X has a TDP of 150 watts. |
| Intel May Axe Atom Brand, Pentium and Celeron Names Live On Posted: 18 Jul 2013 09:42 AM PDT
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| Microsoft's Surface Team Reportedly Turns Attention to Smart Watch Design Posted: 18 Jul 2013 09:21 AM PDT
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| Cooler Master Unveils Triple Tower V8 GTS Air Cooler Posted: 18 Jul 2013 08:45 AM PDT
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| Vote for "Free Tattoo Friday" and Other Funny Legislation on Saints Row IV Government Website Posted: 18 Jul 2013 08:16 AM PDT
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Don't call a duck a duck if it isn't selling
Will the next battleground be your wrist?
A massive air cooler for high-end rigs
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