General Gaming Article

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• iBuyPower Adds Ivy Bridge-E Processor Options to Desktop Systems
• Intel Announces New Quark SOC
• Overclocking Team Builds an SSD Tree, Sets Benchmarking Record
• Here We Go Again: Microsoft Set to Debut Surface 2 on September 23
• EVGA Hadron Air is a Mini ITX Case Built for Enthusiasts
• Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 14-inch Core i5 VivoBook, Razer Naga 17-Button Mouse, and More!

iBuyPower Adds Ivy Bridge-E Processor Options to Desktop Systems Posted: 10 Sep 2013 12:07 PM PDT Boutique builder crosses Ivy Bridge-E Intel has finally made available its Ivy Bridge-E processor line, and as expected, boutique system builders are quick to point out that you can configure systems built around these new CPUs. One of those system builders is iBuyPower, which is carrying Intel's full line of unlocked Ivy Bridge-E parts, including the Core i7 4960X Extreme Edition, Core i7 4930K, and Core i7 4820K. You can opt for one of these processors in any of iBuyPower's X79-based setups (socket 2011), including its Signature Erebus rig. Processor specs break down as follows; Intel Core i7 4960X: 3.6GHz (4GHz Turbo), 6 cores, 15MB L3 cache, quad-channel DDR3-1866, 130W TDP Intel Core i7 4930K: 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo), 6 cores, 15MB L3 cache, quad-channel DDR3-1866, 130W TDP Intel Core i7 4820K: 3.7GHz (3.9GHz Turbo), 4 cores, 15MB L3 cache, quad-channel DDR3-1866, 130W TDP "We're building systems we want to use ourselves, so carrying the latest gear is important for us and our customers. Intel's new line of Core i7 Extreme Edition processors represent the upper echelons of performance," said Darren Su, Vice President of iBuyPower. "The new processors are definitely not for the faint of heart!" Wondering how Ivy Bridge-E performs on the top end? Be sure to read our review of the Core i7 4960X. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Intel Announces New Quark SOC Posted: 10 Sep 2013 11:04 AM PDT Rumored x86-based processor will be super tiny and power efficient Intel showed off what it claims is the smallest system on chip with a new line of Quark chips that are 1/5th the size of Atom SOCs and will use 1/10 the power. The company didn't reveal too many details of the new SOC, but said it would be open architecture, offer industry standard software support and be fully synthesizeable. The chip is presumably x86-based but because it is fully synthesizable customers would be able to customize the design with their own intellectual property. Fully synthesizable chips also allow the chips to be fab-agnostic and could technically be made by competing foundry companies such as TSMC or even Global Foundries. New Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said while Quarks could be made elsewhere, the company expects the first chips to be  produced on Intel's fabs. Krzanich also clarified that while customers can customize the SOC, they won't have direct access to core itself. Additional hardware to the SOC would be done through traditional connectivity fabrics built into the Quark. Quark SOC's appear to be the company's response to the increasing interest in wearable computing as well as embedded computing. Both are areas where Intel's arch rival ARM as well as even dumber and lower cost smart controllers rule the roost.

Overclocking Team Builds an SSD Tree, Sets Benchmarking Record Posted: 10 Sep 2013 08:34 AM PDT Money doesn't grow on trees, but SSDs do Team OCaholic set new PCMark 7 and PCMark Vantage world records during an overclocking event in Glattfelden, Switzerland, and the team did it with a bit of help from Samsung, which provided them with the coolest looking tree we've ever seen. Instead of branches and leaves, Samsung's tree consisted of a dozen SSD 840 Pro 256GB solid state drives (SSDs) and cable connectors tucked almost completely out of sight. All 12 drives comprised a single, ginormous RAID 0 array using an Areca ARC-1882ix-24-4GB RAID controller. Other parts of the build included a liquid nitrogen cooled Intel Core i7 4770K processor running at 5.5GHz (stable) with an IGP clockspeed of 1,950MHz, Gigabyte Z87X-OC motherboard, 16GB of G.Skill F3-2400C11D RAM, Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 OC V2 graphics card, and a Seasonic SS-1000XP power supply. The setup posted a PCMark 7 score of 10,088 points, besting the previous record of 8,907 points by more than 13 percent. In PCMark Vantage, the SSD tree helped Team OCaholic score 59,593 points, topping the previous record of 55,340 points by more than 7 percent. More pictures are available at HWBot. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Here We Go Again: Microsoft Set to Debut Surface 2 on September 23 Posted: 10 Sep 2013 07:42 AM PDT "Mulligan!" Microsoft has put the past behind it and is nearly ready to introduce to the world its second generation Surface line later this month. The special unveiling is scheduled to take place on September 23, 2013 in New York City, according to invitations Microsoft has begun sending out to members of the press. At that time, the Redmond outfit will introduce its Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro products. There aren't any big reveals in the invitations being sent out, so we're stuck with the existing rumors and speculation. As a refresher, it's believed that Surface 2 will feature Nvidia's Tegra 4 platform, while Surface 2 Pro will come with Intel's Haswell architecture inside, likely a Core i5 processor. Both are said to sport a refined, two-position kickstand. Some have also speculated that Microsoft may launch a 7-inch or 8-inch version of Surface 2 to compete with the iPad mini, but again, nothing has yet been confirmed. Barring any solid leaks, we won't really know for about another two weeks. Image Credit: Microsoft via The Verge Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

EVGA Hadron Air is a Mini ITX Case Built for Enthusiasts Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:52 AM PDT Put big things in this small package Take a look around and you won't find many mini ITX computer cases designed specifically for power users. It's a tricky form factor when you're working with high-end parts, though not one that's impossible to work with, a point EVGA set out to prove by developing the Hadron Air. The Hadron Air is one of not many mini ITX cases for enthusiasts, measuring in at 305mm (12 inches) high by 169mm (6.65 inches) wide. It comes with an integrated high-performance 500W Gold rated power supply that delivers up to 40A on the +12V rail. While some on EVGA's Facebook page have voiced concern about using a 500W PSU in an enthusiast build, EVGA says it's been tested to run just fine with a GeForce GTX Titan graphics card. On a related note, the Hadron Air supports most full sized graphics cards (up to 267mm/10.51 inches, double slot). It also has a pair of USB 3.0 ports, two drive bays with support for either 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives, and support for a slim slot load optical drive (not included). If you're into water cooling, EVGA says it will have another version called the Hadron Hydro on the market soon. In the meantime, the Hadron Air is available now for $190. One more thing. EVGA is running a contest where it's offering up a complete Hadron DIY kit for just $0.99. All you have to do is fill out a short 5-question survey to be entered to win. The DIY kit consists of the Hadron Air case, Intel Core i7 4770K processor, 8GB of DDR3-1600 memory, 120GB solid state drive, GeForce GTX 780 ACX graphics card, and EVGA Z87 Stinger mITX motherboard. The total value is over $1,600. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 14-inch Core i5 VivoBook, Razer Naga 17-Button Mouse, and More! Posted: 10 Sep 2013 06:23 AM PDT Top Deal: It's a funny thing, once you get used to playing on a tablet, you may find yourself naturally wanting to tap your laptop in certain scenarios. If your laptop looks back at you dumbfounded, perhaps it's time to retire it in favor of a current generation Ultrabook with speedy parts and a receptive touchscreen. It just so happens that today's top deal is for an 14-inch Asus VivoBook for $669 with free shipping. In addition to touch navigation (and Windows 8, of course), it has an Intel Core i5 3337U processor, 6GB of RAM, 500GB HDD + 24GB SSD, and 1 year of accidental damage protection. Other Deals: Razer Naga Black 17 Buttons 1xWheel USB Wired Laser MMO Gaming Mouse for $65 with free shipping Toshiba 32GB Micro SDHC Flash Card Model for $18 with shipping for $1 (normally $20 - use coupon code: [BTSFLASH]) Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 2133 Desktop Memory for $216 with free shipping (normally $240 - use coupon code: [DOMTEN]) Dell S2340M Black 23" 7ms LED Backlight LCD Monitor for $145 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code: [GRTDLFTW01])

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