General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Ask the Doctor: Wireless Uploads, Case Upgrade, and More!

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 12:42 PM PDT

The doctor tackles Wireless Uploads, Case Upgrade, Water-Cooling LAN Box, and more

Leaving the USB Cable Behind

I'd like a better way to transfer photos from my phone to my computer. Right now, I connect my device to the computer via USB and use the "drag-and-drop" method. I know I could also use AirDroid on my phone to transfer the files via Wi-Fi. The third option is to use Dropbox's instant upload feature to transfer the file (full size, highest quality) to my Dropbox account. It is then automatically downloaded to my PC via Dropbox.

dropbox

Is sending files through Dropbox optimal?

The AirDroid and Dropbox methods are incredibly convenient and I find myself wanting to leave behind the hassle of connecting via USB. I am reluctant to change methods, though, because I don't want any data errors or quality erosion. Research I did a few years ago gave me the impression that data errors can happen when a file is sent wirelessly. Is there a reasonable risk of data loss using AirDroid or Dropbox, or has technology advanced enough that I can safely leave behind the USB cable?

- Dan Tiefenbach

The Doctor Responds:

Any transmission technique has potential for data errors, but that's why all data transmission techniques include error correction. From USB 3.0 to Wi-Fi to TCP/IP, the data correction algorithms are there to prevent errors from creeping into your data. The Doc has never had a digital file corrupted or distorted when transmitting it wirelessly.

You can test this yourself if you'd like. Take a picture from your phone and copy it to your computer via USB. Email a copy to yourself from your phone and upload another copy via Dropbox. They'll all end up exactly the same. You can test this by using a free tool to compare the files at the bit level.

The Doc took an image shot last week using a phone camera and emailed it. The file went from the phone through Verizon's network to the Internet to the work Exchange server, over the work LAN to the PC's RAM, then CPU, then hard drive. The same image, uploaded through Dropbox, went from the phone through Verizon's network to the Internet to Dropbox's servers to the work LAN and so forth to the PC. That's a long hop for any file and it's across a wireless carrier's data network, not just the Internet. Both WinMerge (free, www.winmerge.org) and the MD5 File Comparison tool (http://bit.ly/jKhpjR) agreed that the files were identical, bit for bit.

You should see absolutely no difference between the two files if everything is working correctly. If you are seeing differences between files, it's likely due to a hardware corruption issue, but such a problem would likely produce errors while you're running your OS, too. If it can't read or copy a simple image or Word file, it's probably going to also cough up a hairball opening a binary file. The Doc would not worry about data corruption, but if you're moving a lot of files, USB will almost always be faster. We say "almost" because certain cameras/phones transfer via USB at pretty atrocious speeds.

In general, though, unless you're transferring a lot of stuff at once, you're fine leaving the USB cable at home.

PCIe x8 SLI?

I recently built a video editing/gaming PC on the Asus P8Z77-V PRO motherboard. It's a great piece of hardware, but it only does SLI in dual x8 mode. When I install another GTX 670 next to my current one and connect the SLI bridge, am I going to see performance worthy of spending another $300? How does it compare to SLI in x16 mode?

- Alex Dalton

The Doctor Responds:

You should see nearly double the performance of a single GTX 670 when you have two in SLI, regardless of whether they're in x16 or x8 mode. You won't see any slowdown even though you're in x8 mode; PCIe 3.0 x8 is more than enough to max out two 670s.

HDMI Out to DisplayPort In?

I've seen discussions about connecting a graphics card DisplayPort output to a video display's HDMI input port. Cables and adapters exist to make the physical connection. However, I'm wondering if the standards for the DisplayPort and HDMI ports allow for successful connection of a graphic card's HDMI output port to a video display's DisplayPort input. The physical connection is possible by all appearances, but will it function properly?

- Dennis Frill

The Doctor Responds:

Nope. It's possible to go from a DP output to HDMI (or DVI, or VGA) but it doesn't work the other way. According to the DisplayPort FAQ (www.displayport.org/faq), there's "no cost effective way" of going from HDMI out to DP in. However, it's likely that HDMI isn't your GPU's only output, nor DisplayPort your monitor's only input. If the monitor has a DVI input, just use the DVI connector on your GPU. If your video card doesn't have DVI out, and is truly HDMI-only, use an HDMI-to-DVI adapter cable—you can get one from Amazon for seven bucks. You'll miss out on audio over HDMI, but at least you'll have a picture.

Upgrading an Old Case

I have an old Lian Li PC-62 aluminum case that has been serving me very well for quite a number of years. I've upgraded the internal hardware a couple of times over the years, and will soon be upgrading again. The case is equipped with USB 2.0 ports on the front. If I upgrade to a new motherboard with USB 3.0 headers, I'd like to be able to get USB 3.0 from the front I/O ports. How different is the USB 3.0 connector from USB 2.0? Is it just a matter of connecting the port to the right header on the motherboard, or do I have to replace the entire port? Do they even sell replacement ports for the case, or do I have to go with an accessory to go into a spare 5.25- or 3.5-inch drive bay?

- Bob Berno

The Doctor Responds:

The USB 3.0 internal header is very different from the USB 2.0 header, and is not compatible with the earlier ports. The USB 3.0 header has roughly twice as many pins. Lian Li's website has a page that lists the USB 3.0 upgrade kits for its models (www.lian-li.com/v2/cable/cable.html), but it doesn't look like the PC-62 is one of them.

silverstone

Silverstone's 3.5-inch drive bay adapter with two USB 3.0 ports

The good news is that you can get a 3.5-inch drive bay adapter with two USB 3.0 ports and an internal header for $20. Silverstone makes one we like, and it comes in both black (FP36B) and silver (FP36S), so you should be able to get one that matches your case.

Too Many PCIe Flavors

With the arrival of Windows 8, I upgraded my HP Pavilion Elite f9550—originally a Vista machine, later upgraded to Windows 7—ASAP. It has its original ATI graphics card for the PCIe 2.0 slot. AMD has dropped the card into legacy support, and while the driver seems to work in Win8, it gives an odd dialog box on shutdown. So I'm wondering if I can get a new card with support. Can I put a PCIe 3.0 card in my PCIe 2.0 slot, running at a slower bus speed? And what are my options for upgrading? I'd love to have a card that allows programming for more than graphics output.

- William Biesty

The Doctor Responds:

Yes, you can put a PCIe 3.0 card into a PCIe 2.0 slot and it will run at PCIe 2.0 speeds. When PCIe 2.0 bandwidth truly starts being a limiting factor in graphics cards (it really isn't yet), you will have to upgrade to a newer motherboard, one with a chipset or CPU that supports PCIe 3.0 or later. But by then, you'll certainly have gotten your money's worth from your current machine.

Dude, Where's My Boot Drive?

I installed a Corsair Neutron SSD on my PC and copied my system partition from a Western Digital hard drive to the SSD using Acronis's disk clone feature. The SSD is bootable via F8 key during startup. However, when I attempted to alter the boot priority in the BIOS, the BIOS editor lists only the old WD hard drive among the options for boot priority. My motherboard is an Asus P6T. I would like to know how to get the BIOS to recognize all of my bootable drives and allow me to boot from the SSD without hitting F8 every time.

- Wayne Godsey

The Doctor Responds:

There are two separate fields in the BIOS that impact boot priority. The first one is the one that determines whether you'll boot from USB, CD, or HDD, and the second one, called "HDD Boot Priority," or "Hard Drive BBS priority" determines which hard drive will show up in the boot priority list. Make sure the SSD is the top priority in the "Hard Drive BBS Priority" field and you should boot into it automatically from now on.

Bang My Bucks

Doc, I'm currently running an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ in an Asus M3N-HD/HDMI mobo. I have 8GB of DDR2/800 RAM, a GeForce GTX 560 Ti, and a 1TB WD Caviar Green hard drive. I use my PC primarily for gaming. I'm not worried about upgrading the hard drive since I still have a lot of space left, and while I understand that an SSD would speed up start and program loading, it's not something I care enough about to spend money on at the moment. My video card seems to be good enough for now, also. I am thinking about upgrading my CPU/mobo/RAM, though. I'm hoping to spend around $750. I think by checking different sites for deals I would be able to grab the CPU/mobo/RAM you have in your magazine on the Performance build list (Blueprint). Would that be the best bang for my buck, or should I look for something different?

- Jess Harrington

The Doctor Responds:

For a performance-oriented upgrade on a gaming box, our budget pick is the Core i5-3570K part. It's a quad-core without Hyper-Threading and overclocks nicely for the money. The issue with that CPU and the entire LGA1155 platform is that it is at the end of the line. With Intel's fourth-generation Core i7 chip (code-named Haswell) and its LGA1150 socket just around the corner, buying into LGA1155 doesn't give you many upgrade options. That said, unless you're the kind of user who likes to drop in new CPUs every 12 months, you'll be fine with that CPU for a long time—and like we said, the midrange 3570K part is a great gaming CPU.

If you are the type that likes to upgrade your CPU regularly, you should consider building on the LGA2011 platform with a Core i7-3820 chip. It's a bit pricier when you're done, but the upgrade path is better in the long run.

There is one more route, as well. If you game primarily at 1080p resolution and your games are not CPU-intensive (and most aren't), you could do an incremental CPU upgrade by going to a Phenom II X4 965. They go for a mere $85, overclock nicely, and give you upgraded cores, as well as two more of them. Asus's website indicates that your motherboard supports Phenom IIs up to X6 parts with the latest BIOS. With your remaining $650, you can invest in an SSD (an absolute must-have on a modern PC) and a faster GPU (and maybe a new PSU to support them). The Doc would normally recommend a second 560 Ti in SLI, but it's not clear if that board actually supports anything beyond Hybrid SLI. The nForce 750a chipset your board uses does support SLI, but we're unsure about the board itself. Your manual should be able to tell you. If it does support SLI, a second 560 Ti would likely help frame rates more than moving to Ivy Bridge would. If the board does not support SLI, sell your 560 Ti SLI and replace it with a GeForce GTX 670, which is a serious step up over the 560 Ti SLI. In the meantime, you'll have enough CPU to hold you over until Intel's Haswell arrives sometime this summer.

Keep in mind, the Doctor is recommending the last route only if you are primarily a gamer and the games you play are not known to be CPU-bound. If you do any CPU-intensive tasks such as photo or video work, a move to the 3570K or 3820 would be a gigantic leap forward in performance for you.

Water-Cooling LAN Box?

I'm looking to get into water cooling, but I regularly attend private LANs. I can't find a decent water-cooling case that has a handle. I prefer the handle because of an old injury. Is there a good case you could suggest? My computer is regularly moved but I still prefer it over the laptop, for the performance over the convenience.

The CM Storm Scout 2 is a mid-tower case that can hold an SLI gaming rig. And it has a sturdy handle, for lugging it to LAN parties.

The CM Storm Scout 2 is a mid-tower case that can hold an SLI gaming rig. And it has a sturdy handle, for lugging it to LAN parties.

Form factor isn't an issue—I have a mid-tower but a full-tower isn't out of the running. I just want something that has decent room for water and for a Sandy Bridge/SLI setup.

- Joey Chatterton

The Doctor Responds:

Water-cooling and LAN cases normally don't go together, Joey, because a custom water-cooling setup can easily add 20 pounds to your rig. If you move your rig around frequently, you're better off with air-cooling or a sealed liquid-cooling unit—you're less likely to damage your system by subjecting a water-cooling loop to frequent bumps and jars.

That said, the Cooler Master Storm Stryker sounds like exactly what you're looking for. It's a full-tower case with a sturdy carrying handle that can accommodate a full, multi-GPU water-cooling loop. Again, though, you'll probably be topping 50 pounds with that kind of setup, so carrying it by the handle probably isn't going to be great for you.

If you're willing to forgo the water-cooling this time, we'd suggest the CM Storm Scout 2. It's a smaller and lighter case that can still hold an SLI setup, and has plenty of fan mounts—though you'll need to add several fans; it only comes with one. It's around $100, too—$70 cheaper than the Stryker.

One final tip you may not know about are the GearGrip line of products from CaseAce that are designed for LAN gaming. The GearGrip system harnesses are sturdy and can accommodate many different case shapes and sizes as well as your monitor and keyboard, too. Check them out at GearGrip.com.

Acer Iconia W700-6465 Review

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 11:22 AM PDT

It's a laptop. No, it's a tablet…

When it comes to tablets, we'd wager that most Maximum PC readers lean toward the x86 variety—in theory, at least. Right? It's the more capable, more flexible option—the natural fit for computer nerds. In fact, with specs that rival an Ultrabook's, an x86 tablet promises to serve as the ultimate production/consumption device, leveraging Windows 8's dual persona to optimum effect. We haven't had face-time with Microsoft's x86-based Surface Pro standard-bearer—ironically, the company seems uninterested in getting its product in front of these power users—but we do have the Acer W700, an extreme tablet in its own right and a worthy representative of what this new tablet category has to offer.

With its included cradle and Bluetooth keyboard, the W700-6465 tablet can almost pass as a laptop—but not quite.

With its included cradle and Bluetooth keyboard, the W700-6465 tablet can almost pass as a laptop—but not quite.

Acer sent us its W700-6465, a high-end model that comes with a cradle, a Bluetooth keyboard, and a faux-leather carrying case. The full assortment weighs a whopping six pounds, 6.25 ounces. You could minimize the load and carry just the tablet with its protective case and the keyboard, but that's still weightier than many Ultrabooks at nearly four pounds. The 11.6-inch tablet all on its lonesome weighs a skosh north of two pounds. No matter how you slice it, it's not a dainty package.

But, obviously, the flipside of this relative heft is the W700's relative performance muscle. This model features a 1.7GHz Core i5-3317U processor, which can Turbo up to 2.6GHz; a 128GB SSD; 4GB of RAM; and the full version of Windows 8. You can literally run any program on this tablet that you can on a laptop—rightly so, since this device costs $1,000. And while the W700 lagged behind our Intel reference Ultrabook in all the benchmarks, save battery life, it still performed in the neighborhood of every Ultrabook we've tested in the last six months.

We're much more put off by the impracticality of this tablet for desktop chores. The 11.6-inch IPS screen sports nice color, sufficient brightness, and wide viewing angles, but its 1920x1080 resolution makes everything on the desktop really small. Small enough that selecting items via touch will having you spewing more rage than Gordon Mah Ung. Why not use the Bluetooth keyboard's integrated trackpad? It doesn't bloody have one! (A capacitive stylus pen, for more precise action, can be purchased as an accessory for an additional $20.) We were also annoyed that the protective cover we received didn't house the keyboard—you'd have to tote that separately—but Acer tells us that new covers do.

In tablet mode, the W700 works as expected. Navigating through the Modern UI is smooth and responsive, and content looks nice on the HD IPS screen. The .5-inch, 2.1 pound aluminum body feels good in the hands, albeit slightly heavy, and the device gets warm during use, but never uncomfortably so. We were pleasantly surprised by the W700's battery life. Five hours of HD movie playback before conking out might fall short of an ARM tablet's battery life, but it's a good deal longer-lasting than a similarly spec'd Ultrabook.

In the final tally, though, we're not convinced that this is the ultimate dual-purpose device. Instead it seems like it's trying to be too much, and falling short in both of its purposes in the process.

 $1,000, www.acer.com

CrashPlan vs. Backblaze

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 10:51 AM PDT

CrashPlan vs. Backblaze: Two cloud storage backup applications go head-to-head

We all know how useful cloud storage is for easy access to all your files from any Internet-enabled location, but there's also an equally killer service known as cloud backup. It lets you back up files to a remote server for retrieval after a disaster strikes, such as a failed hard drive, Hurricane Sandy, an apartment fire, or any other calamity that leaves your PC's local storage permanently damaged. It's in these scenarios that the mirrored RAID inside your home PC or sitting on your desktop will be about as valuable as Jack Squat. When your home PC, or town, goes bye-bye, you need offsite backup, so this month we've taken a look at two of the most popular services that offer unlimited backups for a modest sum. May the best cloud win.

Round 1: Features

Both Backblaze and CrashPlan let you install their software, then point to a source directory/drive and have the data sent to an offsite data center for backup, so both contenders cover the basics quite well. However, CrashPlan then goes a few levels beyond the basics, by not only letting you select individual folders on a volume instead of just the entire volume as Backblaze does, but by also letting you send backups to a friend's PC for free, and letting your friend back up to you, as well. The whole process is as easy as typing the friend's email address into a box and having them accept your invitation. All backups are encrypted, so you don't have to worry about peeping Toms. Neither service lets you back up NAS drives.

CrashPlan lets you handle all backup and restore options in an easy-to-use desktop application.

CrashPlan lets you handle all backup and restore options in an easy-to-use desktop application.

Winner: CrashPlan

Round 2: Pricing

Both services are very close in pricing, but for a single PC the win narrowly goes to Backblaze, as its one-year unlimited data plan is $4.17 per month and CrashPlan's is $5 per month. Even at two years purchased in advance the nod goes to Backblaze, which charges $3.96 a month, compared to CrashPlan's $4.79. However, if you opt to buy four years of CrashPlan—Backblaze limits you to two years of backup at a time—you can secure an exactly comparable $3.96 per month rate, making it a tie.

backblaze

Both companies also offer a family plan, with CrashPlan coming out on top, as Backblaze charges $5 per month per computer, whereas CrashPlan lets you back up 10 computers for just $12.50 per month. Since each solution has a win here, this one's a very close tie.

Winner: Tie

Round 3:  Support

This category is a very clear win for CrashPlan, which offers numerous support options, while Backblaze primarily uses an antiquated ticketing system we all know and hate. CrashPlan offers all the standard FAQs and documentation plus a YouTube channel, but more importantly, it offers live chat, email support, and phone support. There's also a user discussion forum, but it's mostly bereft of content. Furthermore, CrashPlan is on Twitter, Facebook, G+, and has a blog. Backblaze, on the other hand, only offers a support ticketing system, and lacks live chat or phone support, both of which could be very helpful in situations involving data loss. Backblaze is also on Facebook, Twitter, G+, YouTube, and has a blog, but loses this round due to its limited direct-contact options.

Winner: CrashPlan

Round 4: Restore Options

This is a tough category to call because both services offer a unique proposition. Backblaze keeps up to four weeks of file versions, while CrashPlan keeps your files forever, or until you cancel your account, so the advantage goes to CrashPlan for older file-version retrieval. If and when a drive failure or similar cataclysm causes you to need all your files, CrashPlan simply lets you download whatever it has, one file at a time, for no charge. We love "free" and all, but that could take months for a few terabytes of storage. Backblaze will copy the files to a 32GB or 64GB flash drive for $99, or burn them to a USB drive as large as 3TB for $189, which is pricey but time-saving, and we love it. Backblaze lets you download any files for free as well. Since it offers terabyte restores via physical storage, Backblaze gets the nod.

Backblaze's desktop application is as bare-bones as they come, but does provide a slew of helpful configuration tweaks.

Backblaze's desktop application is as bare-bones as they come, but does provide a slew of helpful configuration tweaks

Winner: Backblaze

Round 5: Ease of Use

This is another close category, as both provide a simple, clean interface to manage the backup and restore process, but CrashPlan provides a lot more options and information, so it gets the nod. Specifically, CrashPlan lets you select which folders to back up via a folder tree, whereas Backblaze forces you to just select individual volumes. CrashPlan also shows you the file name being backed up, the current speed, time remaining, and more. More importantly, CrashPlan sent us emails letting us know the status of backups, while Backblaze does not. Both offer fine-tuning of the backup process, including file exclusions, schedules, and event logs, but CrashPlan is easier to use, simply because it gives the end user more control. Some might call that more confusing, but to us it equals peace of mind.

Winner: CrashPlan

And the Winner Is…

crashplan

This was another hard-fought head-to-head, with both sides trading blows in every category, but in the end, the winner is CrashPlan by the skin of its cloud. Both backup products get the job done easily and effectively, but it was CrashPlan's abundance of options, both for backups as well as support, that pushed it over the finish line first. We'd like to take a minute, though, to give kudos to both services for offering a very fair price for unlimited backups, which is a godsend for people like us with several terabytes of data to secure. Other services, like Mozy and Carbonite, are not set up to handle such large data sets in an affordable manner, so you can forget about sending them 4TB. Mozy charges $10 a month for 125GB, and $2 for every 20GB extra, so 4TB would cost you more than $400 a month. Carbonite is $100 per year unlimited, so it's still very expensive compared to the two programs featured here. Either way, you now know what the best cloud backup solution is—we hope you never have to use it.

MSI's Ultra Slim Adora24 All-in-One PC Sports a Flicker-Free Display to Reduce Eye Fatigue

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 10:07 AM PDT

MSI Adora24 AngledAn all-in-one that's easy on your eyeballs

MSI's new Adora24 all-in-one (AIO) PC is supposed to be a treat for your eyes in more ways than one. To start with, it's an ultra slim system that measures just 21mm at its thinnest point. It also makes use of "staggered lines" to make it look even slimmer, MSI says. Not only that, but the flowing lines down the side are supposed to enhance the feeling of "crisp speed." Yep, MSI's marketing gurus had a field day with this one.

Beyond its slim profile and tantalizing lines, the Adora24 takes it easy on your eyes with a flicker-free display. This is supposedly the first AIO ever to implement flicker-free display technology, according to MSI.

"MSI always provides the best visual experience and introduced the anti-glare display on its touch AIO PC. The technology is supported on non-touch models as well. For offices with serious glare problems, brightly-lit retail stores or the study at home, the anti-glare feature protects users' eye against reflections off the computer monitor," MSI explains. "The Flicker-free technology integrated into the Adora24 display stabilizes the power current and prevents flickering invisible to the naked eye under normal conditions. When used for extended periods of time, it effectively reduces eyestrain while also improving productivity and quality of life."

MSI Adora24

Moving on to the nitty-gritty details, the Adora24 features a 23.6-inch LED panel (1920x1080) with 10-point touch support, Intel Core i3 3120M (2.5GHz) or Core i5 3230M (2.6GHz) processor, up to 8GB of DDR3-1333/1600 RAM, Nvidia GeForce GT 740M graphics, 1TB hard drive (5400 RPM) or SSD (optional), DVD or Blu-ray writer, 3-in-1 memory card reader, 802.11n Wi-Fi, two 4W speakers, 2MP webcam, four USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI input, Windows 8, and a few other tidbits.

MSI didn't say when the Adora24 will be available to purchase or for how much.

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Overclocker Gooses AMD Richland Chip to 8.2GHz, Sets World Record

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 09:34 AM PDT

AMD Richland OverclockRichland reaches new heights

It's kind of ironic that AMD once pooh-pooh'd the whole MHz/GHz craze back when Intel was kicking tail with its Netburst architecture, because these days, the Sunnyvale chip designer is making headlines based on clockspeed. If you recall, AMD was quick to point out that its FX-9590 Piledrive part qualified as the world's first commercially available 5GHz processor (Turbo speed). Now just a couple of weeks later, an overclocker just set a record with AMD's A10 6800K processor.

He goes by the name "Stilt" and he currently holds the top spot on HWBot for the fastest CPU frequency for an A10 6800K APU. Stilt managed to clock the chip at 8,203MHz (8.2GHz), which is also the 19th fastest frequency recorded of any chip.

AMD Richland Overclock CPU-Z

According to his CPU-Z screenshot, he had to crank up the vCore to 1.976V. And of course he used exotic cooling -- liquid nitrogen -- to accomplish the record overclock. Other parts that contributed to the record overclock include a Radeon HD 7750 graphics card, Asus F2A85-V Pro motherboard, and 8GB of AMD RAM.

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HP, Walmart Tag Teaming a $99 Tablet for Back-to-School Shoppers

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 09:10 AM PDT

WalmartDon't expect a powerhouse slate in this price range

How low can tablet prices go? Apparently under a Benjamin. As tablet makers dance the low-price limbo, consumers benefit from a bevy of affordable slates to choose from, even from name brand vendors. In this case, it's Hewlett-Packard that reportedly plans to build and sell a $99 tablet at Walmart as back-to-school shoppers flood the stores preparing for another school year.

HP hasn't made an official announcement, and neither has Wally World, for that matter. However, Digitimes feels pretty confident that its "sources from the upstream supply chain" know what they're talking about. Those sources say the $99 tablet is being manufacturing by BYD, a Chinese company that has some history building tablets for HP.

The cheap tablet will be a 7-inch device powered by Intel's Medfield platform with a single-core processor. Other details are unknown at this time, though we're not expecting any groundbreaking features at this price point, at least not yet.

Asus Memo Pad HD 7

Perhaps in a year from now, a C-note will buy a respectable slate. As it stands, you don't have to spend much more than that to get a serviceable tablet. In fact, the original Memo Pad from Asus can be bought for less than $100 if you shop around, and the newer Memo Pad HD 7 slated to arrive next month starts at $150.

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Samsung 840 EVO 1TB Benchmarks

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:26 AM PDT

Fastest. SSD. Ever.

Samsung 840 EVO

The Samsung 840 Pro landed on our Best of the Best list when it was launched in December 2012, and it has remained at the top of the SSD pile ever since, thanks to its blistering speed, impeccable pedigree, and superb software. Shortly after the Pro launched, Samsung debuted a non-Pro drive, named simply "840," that was designed for those who wanted a less expensive drive with a smaller three-year warranty. This month Samsung is replacing the regular 840 with the 840 Evo, an all-new drive that slots in below the 840 Pro, thanks to its three-year warranty (the Pro's is five years) and more reasonable pricing.The Evo is also offered in a full range of capacities, from 120GB all the way up to 1TB, making it the first Samsung SSD available at this size and putting the 1TB Crucial M500 directly in its sights, although the Evo does costs $50 more at $650 MSRP. Here are prices for all the available capacities:

  • Samsung 840 EVO 120GB: $110
  • Samsung 840 EVO 250GB: $190
  • Samsung 840 EVO 500GB: $370
  • Samsung 840 EVO 750GB: $530
  • Samsung 840 EVO 1TB: $650

To create the Evo, Samsung added new 19nm MLC NAND, a new controller named MEX (previous one was called MDX), and new caching technology it calls TurboWrite. This caching situation treats a portion of the drive's MLC NAND as if it were far pricier and faster SLC NAND for buffered writes, allowing for a significant boost in speeds when utilized. The amount of NAND reserved for this varies according to the drive's size, and on the 1TB review sample we have it's 36GB, which becomes a 12GB "SLC" buffer—3-bit MLC converted to 1-bit SLC NAND.

In addition to the TurboWrite thing, Samsung has also added a Rapid Mode, enabled in the Samsung Magician software, that uses the host system's DRAM and CPU for caching purposes. It caches frequently used files in system memory and can dramatically increase read and write speeds. Rapid Mode can be switched on and off in the software, and requires just 50MB of RAM and an 840 Evo SSD to be activated. Samsung says eventually it'll bring the caching technology to its 840 Pro drive, but for now it's exclusive to the Evo.

Samsung 840 EVO

The Samsung 840 EVO is available in sizes ranging from 120GB all the way up to 1TB.

To test the Evo drive, we attached it to our SSD test bench, installed the beta version 4.2 of the Samsung Magician software, initiated the AS SSD incompressible data benchmark, and went to get a cup of coffee. When we returned, we were lucky not to have been sipping coffee when we saw the numbers because we surely would have done a spit-take. The Evo racked up a score of 855MB/s for reads and 1GB/s for writes, and over 100K IOPS in 4K random writes, as well. As we progressed through our test suite, the Evo laid waste to all the previous drives and became the fastest SSD we have ever tested by a sizable margin, even beating out its big brother, the more expensive 840 Pro. We also tested the drive with Rapid Mode disabled, and it was still extremely fast, making it a supremely competitive SSD that seems to have no weaknesses other than its short three-year warranty.

$650, www.samsung.com

Benchmarks

Google Gifts 31 San Francisco Parks Two Years of Free Wi-Fi Service Worth $600,000

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 07:58 AM PDT

Wi-Fi ParksNo strings attached

Google catches a lot of flak over privacy issues for its various services, but at the same time, the company knows how to create some goodwill for itself, too. Apparently in a giving mood as of late, Google is footing the $600,000 bill to bring free Wi-Fi hotspots to at least 31 city parks, plazas, and open spaces across San Francisco. The installation of free Wi-Fi service will kick off in December 2013 and is expected to be complete by Spring 2014.

The donation comes six years after a deal to cover the city in free Wi-Fi fell through. Google and EarthLink had wanted to blanket San Francisco with Wi-Fi service, but they were unable to come to an agreement with Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors.

This time around, Google is content to cut a check to cover the costs of the equipment, installation, and maintenance of wireless capabilities for two years, SFGate reports. Google doesn't stand to make any money off the deal, and after two years, it will be up to San Francisco to fund the continuation of free Wi-Fi service.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Cooler Master HAF 932 Case, Asus Maximus VI Hero Motherboard, and More!

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 05:52 AM PDT

Cooler Master HAF 932newegg logo

Top Deal:

Just as your clothes are an extension of you, your choice of computer case is an extension of your system's components. The problem arises when you begin shopping higher end cases, the cost suddenly rises, perhaps making you choose between a fancy chassis or, say, a higher end graphics card. What if you could have both? To help get you to the next tier of enclosures without obliterating your budget, today's top deal is for a Cooler Master HAF 932 Advanced Black Steel Full Tower case for $130 with free shipping (normally $155 - use coupon code EMCXNVT35; additional $10 mail-in-rebate). It has a distinct profile, is ready for liquid cooling (supports up to three 120mm radiators), and can house a 3-way SLI or Crossfire configuration.

Other Deals:

Corsair Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $61 with free shipping (normally $72 - use coupon code: [EMCXNVT42])

Asus Maximus Hero VI LGA 1150 Intel Z87 Intel Motherboard for $190 with free shipping (normally $210 - use coupon code: [EMCXNVT243])

Corsair HX Series HX850 850W SLI & CrossFire Ready 80 Plus Gold Certified Power Supply for $150 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [EMCXNVT32]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012 500GB 5400 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5-inch Internal Notebook Hard Drive for $50 with free shipping (normally $60 - use coupon code: [EMCXNVT25])
Posted by Shri Krishna

MMO Updates

MMO Updates

RIFT's Ffinch on monetization and playing incognito

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 10:00 AM PDT

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RIFT's Ffinch on monetization and playing incognito
RIFT senior design director Simon Ffinch spoke to PCGamesN about the fantasy title's free-to-play conversion recently. Ffinch said the switch has "been amazing," and he also offers a few quotables with regard to both F2P discourse and the perils of playing a game you've developed.

"I just hate that word 'monetize,' Ffinch said. "'Let's monetize our players!' They're people and they're playing a game because they want to have fun, they're not a frickin' ATM machine. I don't like that attitude at all, and in the business world you can't help but hear it."

He also drops a few interesting tidbits about his in-game experiences. "I'm in a guild and they don't even know I'm a dev," Ffinch says, before adding that he avoids voice chat but tries to "gently probe" his fellow players for useful feedback. "Some of the responses just make me glow inside," Ffinch explains," but then there's also the other side of it, when they respond with 'I don't know what those devs were doing, they're frickin retarded!'"

MassivelyRIFT's Ffinch on monetization and playing incognito originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raptr hosts Neverwinter dev Q&A, prizes offered

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 09:00 AM PDT

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Raptr hosts Neverwinter Q&A, prizes offered
Raptr, a gaming community that touts it rewards people for playing, is turning its rewarding eye toward Neverwinter players. The site is hosting a Q&A session with Lead Designer Zeke Sparkes, Foundry Producer Rob Overmeyer, and Community Manager Som Pourfarzaneh tomorrow, July 26th, from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m. EDT. Fans wishing to lob questions at these devs about the upcoming Fury of the Feywild module or the Foundry can leave their queries in the Q&A thread starting now. The community can also "like" others' questions, and the ones with the most likes will be answered first.

But wait, what about the reward mentioned? That would be three Feywild starter packs, one for each of the top three questions submitted; these top questions, however, will be determined by the Raptr staff, not the likes.

[Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

MassivelyRaptr hosts Neverwinter dev Q&A, prizes offered originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanguard producer's letter talks Pankor Zhi, bug fixes, and a new network layer

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 08:00 AM PDT

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Vanguard producer's letter talks Pankor Zhi, bug fixes, and a new network layer
Well, what do we have here? Is... is that a Vanguard producer's letter? It is a Vanguard producer's letter!

SOE's Harvey "Rahtiz" Burgess does the honors, and he says that those of you who've been away from Telon for a while will notice some changes starting with a new network layer. "While this won't solve all of the issues that we have had since the launch of Vanguard," Burgess explains, "what it will do is help us track down problematic areas of latency where we will be able to examine and resolve. Before this, we didn't really have an adequate way of troubleshooting these issues."

The Vanguard team has also squashed over 50 long-standing bugs and is also still working on Pankor Zhi, though Burgess notes that it "is definitely going to be a long-term project for us." There's more to the letter, of course, so head to the official Vanguard site to read it all.

MassivelyVanguard producer's letter talks Pankor Zhi, bug fixes, and a new network layer originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GoblinWorks 'solidly on track' to hit Pathfinder's early enrollment goal

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 07:00 AM PDT

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GoblinWorks 'solidly on track' to hit Pathfinder's early enrollment goal
GoblinWorks is breaking up Pathfinder Online's development process into quarterly chunks. These chunks are known as milestones, and the latest dev blog for the fantasy sandbox title says milestone one was completed on April 15th while milestone two wrapped on July 15th.

The first quarter goal involved getting the game's tools and pipeline firmly in place, as well as "switching to the Unity middleware engine." The second milestone involved core game systems as well as the integration of a procedural terrain sculpting tool called Grome, the escalation system for PvE content, and plenty of art and programming work.

So what about milestone three? That's covered in the lengthy dev blog as well, and GoblinWorks' Ryan Dancey says that it boils down to "polish polish polish." He also mentions that the team is "solidly on track to hit our early enrollment goal." You can read the full entry at the GoblinWorks website.

[Thanks Chrysillis!]

MassivelyGoblinWorks 'solidly on track' to hit Pathfinder's early enrollment goal originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do you try to recruit your friends to play MMOs?

Posted: 25 Jul 2013 06:00 AM PDT

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These aren't my friends but rather some random Age of Wushu NPCs
Try as I might, I can't get many of my meatspace friends interested in MMOs. I've corrupted a couple, mind you, but most simply don't get it. Well, let me rephrase. They get what MMOs are, who doesn't, really, but they don't get the appeal.

To be fair, there are days when I don't either, but I still enjoy the genre more often than not, and therefore I'm prone to try impromptu recruiting pitches to random family members, friends, and acquaintances. What about you, Massively readers? Do you try to recruit your friends to play MMOs? How successful have you been?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Do you try to recruit your friends to play MMOs? originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Jul 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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    MMO Family: The many ways video games teach children

    Posted: 24 Jul 2013 07:00 PM PDT

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    MMO Family The many ways video games teach children
    Video games get a bad rap these days, but we've looked at several ways that they do redeem themselves. One area in particular is games-based learning, and there are some great games that are helping bring about a revolution in how we look at education.

    But there are some more subtle ways that video games are teaching our children, too, and Forbes Contributing Editor Jordan Shapiro has put together a list of five types of learning through video games, regardless of whether a child is playing a serious game or is just putzing around. Let's look at the "other" side of learning through gaming, and see how it's perfectly tailored towards kid-friendly MMO experiences.

    Continue reading MMO Family: The many ways video games teach children

    MassivelyMMO Family: The many ways video games teach children originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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      Choose My Adventure: Revisiting Middle-earth

      Posted: 24 Jul 2013 06:00 PM PDT

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      Choose my Adventure Revisiting Middleearth
      The people have spoken, and the people want me to play Lord of the Rings Online! With 449 votes (26.6% of the total vote), LotRO edged out APB: Reloaded to be the game that I'll be playing for the next six weeks in this edition of Choose My Adventure.

      But the question is: How will I play the game? LotRO is one of those classic MMOs with so much content that we won't be hurting for choices. I bought the lifetime option when the game launched, making me a current VIP, so this should open up some additional options.

      For this first week, you'll be choosing how I begin. Should I use an existing character or start fresh? Check out the polls after the jump below while I try to remember my account name and password.

      Continue reading Choose My Adventure: Revisiting Middle-earth

      MassivelyChoose My Adventure: Revisiting Middle-earth originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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        PAX Australia 2013: Aussies on cosplay, World of Tanks, and more

        Posted: 24 Jul 2013 05:00 PM PDT

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        PAX Australia 2013 Aussies on World of Tanks and more
        The PAX Australia 2013 coverage continues as Massively's David "Psykopig" Desi gets down and dirty with the people of PAX. Follow along after the break to catch what some Australians thought of World of Tanks as well as their general impressions of the event as it unfolded!

        And while we're talking WoT, don't forget to check out our interview with Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi.

        Continue reading PAX Australia 2013: Aussies on cosplay, World of Tanks, and more

        MassivelyPAX Australia 2013: Aussies on cosplay, World of Tanks, and more originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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          Creating the DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy character of your dreams

          Posted: 24 Jul 2013 04:00 PM PDT

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          Creating the DDO Shadowfell Conspiracy character of your dreams
          Last week, we sat down with Turbine to look at Dungeons and Dragons Online: Shadowfell Conspiracy's new adventure hub of Wheloon. But running through these special missions and dungeons are only part of the expansion, as your character's growth and build are always at the core of DDO. So for our second sit-down session covering the upcoming expansion, Turbine chose to focus on the three new iconic classes coming to the game and the overhaul to the enhancement system that should make building the character of your dreams a lot easier.

          Prior to adding new enhancements, reincarnations, or epic destinies, DDO had only a meager 250,000,000,000,000 possible builds to choose from. No, we didn't fall asleep pressing the "0" key. But now the choices are even greater, which is why it's of increasing importance that players understand what their characters are capable of doing and how to best build a functional toon. After all, even Turbine admits that many of the 250 trillion builds "are not really great to play with."

          So what will be fun to play? And why should players be interested in rolling one of the new iconic classes instead of sticking with their tried-and-true Bards?

          Continue reading Creating the DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy character of your dreams

          MassivelyCreating the DDO: Shadowfell Conspiracy character of your dreams originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            City of Heroes spiritual successor plans Kickstarter for Sept. 8th

            Posted: 24 Jul 2013 03:30 PM PDT

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            City of Heroes spiritual successor plans Kickstarter for Sept 8th
            One of the candidates vying to be the spiritual successor to City of Heroes will be moving into its fundraising stage come this September. Missing Worlds Media's The Phoenix Project, is preparing a Kickstarter campaign for September 8th. The team says that if all goes well (read: the project gets the moolah it needs), the title could be launched by the end of 2015, although it's hoping to get an avatar creator in our hands by next summer.

            In an interview with Polygon, Technical Director Nate Downes said that the project is 25% to 33% done, although the game is being made completely by 136 volunteers who have other jobs or are full-time students. The Phoenix Project is being built using the Unreal Engine, as Epic has licensed the engine to Missing Worlds with no money down until the team gets funded.

            Downes hopes that fans will continue to rally to the cause: "This project has grown out of the community that was left behind when City of Heroes closed, so it's really just a lot of passionate people getting together to rebuild that home for themselves."

            MassivelyCity of Heroes spiritual successor plans Kickstarter for Sept. 8th originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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            PAX Australia 2013: Massively interviews Wargaming's Victor Kislyi

            Posted: 24 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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            PAX Australia 2013 - Massively interviews Wargaming's Victor Kislyi
            Sometimes Australia does get the big names! Massively's David "Psykopig" Desi met up with the Wargaming crew at this year's PAX Australia, and fortunately for you he filmed the whole thing! Wargaming was on hand to talk up its Australian World of Tanks servers as well as elaborate on its plans for a substantial push into the Asia/Pacific region.

            Join us after the break as the infamous Pig interviews Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi on the current state of World Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Warships, as well as what fans can expect in the future.

            Continue reading PAX Australia 2013: Massively interviews Wargaming's Victor Kislyi

            MassivelyPAX Australia 2013: Massively interviews Wargaming's Victor Kislyi originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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              Coming soon to a console near you: MMOs

              Posted: 24 Jul 2013 02:05 PM PDT

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              Console MMOs
              Remember E3 2013? That huge video games conference thing from earlier in the summer? Weeks have passed since Microsoft and Sony squared off in the Los Angeles convention center (while Nintendo posted up at Best Buy and Ouya sulked in the parking lot), but the news made there continues to reverberate through the games industry.

              One curious trend seems to have been missed amid the clashing of proverbial titans: There sure are a lot of MMOs and online-focused games due on consoles this generation. And since MMOs are the business of Massively, we thought it might be fun to compile a quick list of all the ones we can find that are either already available on our current consoles or set for launch on the next batch.

              The list, as it turns out, is pretty extensive.

              Continue reading Coming soon to a console near you: MMOs

              MassivelyComing soon to a console near you: MMOs originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                PlanetSide 2 update brings lattice system to Esamir

                Posted: 24 Jul 2013 01:30 PM PDT

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                PS2 Esamir
                PlanetSide 2's Game Update 13 is now live, and with it comes a major overhaul to the way battles play out on the icy continent of Esamir. The lattice system, added in Update 9 to help direct the flow of battles and make it easier for players to strategize where and when to attack or defend, is now active on the continent's snowy tundras. Esamir's facilities have been enhanced and modified accordingly.

                Sony Online Entertainment's latest PS2 update also includes new premium weapons, Vanu weapon audio changes, a respawn screen chatbox and additions to the game's tutorial. Full patch notes from creative director Matt Higby cover the details. Implants, once planned for GU13, didn't make the cut.

                [Source: SOE press release]

                MassivelyPlanetSide 2 update brings lattice system to Esamir originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  WildStar spotlights Chua and Mordesh celebrities

                  Posted: 24 Jul 2013 01:00 PM PDT

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                  WildStar reveals Chua and Mordesh celebrities
                  The buzz around the WildStar watercooler this past week is all about the final two racial reveals for the game: the Chua and the Mordesh. Carbine thinks that players might relate better to these... odd races if each has a face to put with its name, which is why the studio is introducing us to Mondo Zax and Victor Lazarin.

                  Mondo was the runt of a Chua family who used his brilliance and psychopathic ways to off his family and secure a job as Chief Technologist for one of the Dominion's R&D firms. While crazy and cranky, Mondo has followed his ingenuity to Nexus, where he continues to research horrible tools of mass destruction from an orbital station around the planet.

                  So go figure that the space zombie is actually the more peaceful of the two. Victor is the guy responsible for the Mordesh's undead status, as an eternal life serum he devised ended up cursing his race instead. Victor's been trying to atone for his actions by slowing the contagion and looking for ways to reverse it entirely with the revelations coming out of Nexus.

                  MassivelyWildStar spotlights Chua and Mordesh celebrities originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Chang'e, Faerie of the Moon dances into the SMITE fray

                  Posted: 24 Jul 2013 12:30 PM PDT

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                  SMITE Chang'e
                  Hi-Rez's latest SMITE patch brings a host of stuff to the game including skins, voicepacks, new ranked queues, and a variety of item and ability tweaks. Most importantly, the new update marks the entry of Chang'e, Faerie of the Moon into the SMITE arena, along with her adorable jade rabbit minion.

                  Chang'e can purchase and sell items remotely by sending the jade rabbit to pick them up, similar to a courier in Dota 2 except that only one item can be carried at a time. All of her abilities are based in some way on dancing, and she receives a 25% movement speed bonus when using them. Chang'e is a support character, boasting evade mechanics, a stun, and ways to heal mana and hit points.

                  Check out the Chang'e reveal trailer after the break.

                  Continue reading Chang'e, Faerie of the Moon dances into the SMITE fray

                  MassivelyChang'e, Faerie of the Moon dances into the SMITE fray originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                  Leaderboard: How excited are you for EverQuest Next?

                  Posted: 24 Jul 2013 12:00 PM PDT

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                  Leaderboard - How excited are you for EverQuest Next?
                  So, EverQuest Next is a thing. A rapidly approaching thing, given that SOE Live and the sandbox title's world premier is less than a fortnight hence. We can't really tell you what we know about the super sekrit sequel just yet, but we can indulge in a little bit of speculation.

                  Actually, we've been doing that already, and today's Leaderboard is as good a place as any to continue that tradition. So, assuming that EQN follows EverQuest II's lead in deviating substantially from its predecessor, how likely are you to play it? Let's even say, for the sake of argument, that EQN is incredibly different not only from EverQuest and EQII, but from most other MMOs as well. Would you still be itching to play it? How excited are you for EverQuest Next? Vote after the break!

                  Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!

                  Continue reading Leaderboard: How excited are you for EverQuest Next?

                  MassivelyLeaderboard: How excited are you for EverQuest Next? originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                    World of Tanks 8.7 update rolls into Europe today

                    Posted: 24 Jul 2013 11:30 AM PDT

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                    World of Tanks update 87 rolls into Europe today
                    Two weeks ago we brought you news of World of Tank's upcoming 8.7 update. Today, European players logging in will get to experience the new branch of British self-propelled guns, the new winter map of Severogorsk, and other visual revamps and post-World War II prototypes. North American players will gain access on July 29th and Korean players will have access on August 1st.

                    Want to scope out the Birch Gun, Bishop, FV3805, Loyd Gun Carriage, Sexton II, and more? Check out the various new machines and the new zone in the gallery below. Then catch the update trailer after the break.

                    [Source: Wargaming.net press release]

                    Gallery: World of Tanks 8.7 update

                    Continue reading World of Tanks 8.7 update rolls into Europe today

                    MassivelyWorld of Tanks 8.7 update rolls into Europe today originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      Neverwinter test shard gets new zone and more in hefty patch

                      Posted: 24 Jul 2013 11:00 AM PDT

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                      Neverwinter test shard gets new zone and more in hefty patch
                      One of the great things about test servers is a chance to see what's coming up in your favorite games -- that, and hopefully squashing any bugs before going live, of course! And the Preview Shard for Neverwinter got quite a patch with plenty of goodies for players to experience. Want to explore a new zone? There's Sharandar for the level 60 adventuring crowd. How about upgrading a max-ranked companion? For the cost of some Astral diamonds, you've got that, too.

                      If you prefer to immerse yourself in the Foundry, a whole new suite of assets is coming with the release of Fury of the Feywild, including costumes, encounters, an Elven city interior, maps, objects, and more. The Foundry, however, will be disabled for the first part of the expansion play test.

                      Other odds and ends of this patch include changing the reset time for daily quests to a standard 6:00 a.m. EDT, new items, and class adjustments along with a fair amount of tweaks and bug fixes. Catch all the details in the full patch notes.

                      [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]

                      MassivelyNeverwinter test shard gets new zone and more in hefty patch originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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                      Posted by Shri Krishna
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