| Valve is Adding Support for 11 Currencies on Steam Posted: 16 Sep 2014 07:22 PM PDT  Five new currencies added today, the rest to follow
Valve has quite a lot on its plate these days. There's the Steam Machine which was delayed to early 2015 so Valve can work on fine-tuning both its Steam Controller and SteamOS. In the meantime, it is releasing updates for its various games and, presumably, is developing sequels to some of its franchises. Then there is a small thing called Steam that, until recently, supported only five currencies. But not anymore. Valve has announced that it is adding 11 additional currencies to Steam over the following weeks. The developer revealed today that it has already added five additional currencies to Steam that includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Meanwhile, support for Canada, Mexico, Korea, Turkey, and Norway will be added in the coming weeks. Until now, Valve's online store has only accepted U.S. dollars, British pounds, Russian rubles, Brazilian reais, and euros while the Japanese yen was added last month. New payment methods will also be added for these new regions. The support of additional currencies is certainly good news for gamers who live in these regions and will, hopefully, remove some of the hassles and hurdles for those who wish to purchase games from Steam with their local currency. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Build a PC: Recommended Builds (September 2014) Posted: 16 Sep 2014 04:32 PM PDT Budget, baseline, and performance PC builds! What time is it? It's time to Build a PC with our Blueprints! This month, we've built three rigs at three approximate price points: Budget Gamer, Mid-Grade, and Turbo. Budget Gamer gets you respectable performance without bruising your wallet, Mid-Grade gets you something beefier and more adaptable, and Turbo is an investment-grade powerhouse. Prices listed here reflect print time and may not match the ones you find elsewhere online. In addition, Newegg has jumped on board to offer packaged deals for each of the builds below in an attempt to offer a better overall value. To see these bundle prices, click the "Buy or get more info at Newegg" button at the bottom of each build. Feedback is welcome. Tell us what you think! Note: Some of the prices/links listed below may not show up properly if this page is ad-blocked. BUDGET GAMER  | Ingredients | | Part | Component | Price | | Case | NZXT Source 210 Elite | $50 | | PSU | Corsair CX500, 500 watts | $30 | | Mobo | Biostar TA970 | $60 | | CPU | AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz | $120 | | CPU Cooler | Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo | $36 | | GPU | Sapphire Dual-X Radeon R7 265 | $153 | | RAM | 2x 4GB Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3/1600 | $86 | | SSD | Crucial MX100 256GB | $110 | | HDD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB | $65 | Total = $710
| Click here to see the live bundle price:  | You could drop the SSD and get a nicer video card. If that's your preference, we'd recommend a Radeon R9 285, or a GeForce GTX 760. We prefer having an SSD, because it makes booting Windows and loading programs super-fast. The huge data transfer speeds (up to 550MB/s in some scenarios) aren't bad either. We've bumped our SSD up from a 128GB Samsung 840 Evo to a 256GB Crucial MX100, because you double your capacity for about $30 dollars. Other than that, we think we have a pretty good balance of price and performance. Some people might scoff at a $50 case, but the Source 210 Elite is actually surprisingly sturdy and roomy for the price. We've changed our RAM due to price fluctuations. MID-GRADE 
| Ingredients | | Part | Component | Price | | Case | Corsair Vengeance C70 | $108 | | PSU | EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G2 220-G2-0850-XR , 850 watts | $100 | | Mobo | Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H | $175 | | CPU | Intel Core i5-4690K | $240 | | Cooler | Enermax Liqtech 240 | $95 | | GPU | Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290X 3GB | $400 | | RAM | 2x 4GB G.SKILL Ares Series F3-1600C9D-8GAO | $72 | | Optical Drive | Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD Burner | $20 | | SSD | Crucial MX100 256GB | $110 | | HDD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB ST1000DM003 | $65 | Total = $1385
| Click here to see the live bundle price: | We're shaking things up a bit and bumping this tier up from about $1,100 to $1,400. That allows us to squeeze in a nice closed-loop liquid cooler like the Enermax Liqtech 240 (scored a 9 in our August issue), upgrading from the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo (which is still a very nice air cooler). We also upgraded from a Radeon R9 280X to a Sapphire Tri-X OC Radeon R9 290. The 280X is a refresh of the last generation, while our 290 GPU is based on all-new silicon. We've changed our power supply from Silverstone to EVGA to accommodate price fluctuations. Previous EVGA PSUs had split 12-volt rails, while its newer units are unified. The latter design makes it easier to deliver lots of power to high-end gear. TURBO 
| Ingredients | | Part | Component | Price | | Case | NZXT Phantom 530 | $130 | | PSU | XFX P1-1050-BEFX, 1050 watts | $180 | | Mobo | Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H | $175 | | CPU | Intel Core i7-4790K | $340 | | Cooler | NZXT Kraken X61 | $140 | | GPU | 2x SAPPHIRE TRI-X OC Radeon R9 290 | $800 | | RAM | 4x 4GB G.SKILL Ripjaws F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL | $150 | | Optical Drive | LG WH14NS40 Blu-ray Burner | $70 | | SSD | Samsung 840 Evo 500GB MZ-7TE500BW | $260 | | HDD | Seagate Barracuda 3TB ST3000DM001 | $110 | TOTAL = $2355
| Click here to see the live bundle price: | We are bumping this tier up from about $2,000 to $2,500, and we're doing away with the roughly $4,000 "Ultra" build for now. We're not changing very many things, though. The Intel Core i7-4790K is a muscular and well-rounded chip, and 16GB of RAM is for multi-taskers and virtual machines. One change is the CPU cooler. We want to use the NZXT Phantom 530 case's sheer size. That's where the NZXT Kraken X61 comes in. Its 280mm radiator can dissipate heat more quickly than the 240mm rad of the Corsair H100i that we're replacing. The X61's larger fans also move more air with less noise and its six-year warranty is also a nice bonus. The other big change is going from one Radeon R9 290X to two SAPPHIRE TRI-X OC Radeon R9 290s. AMD had issues with micro-stutter in the past when running multiple video cards, but that's mostly solved now. Since a 290 is roughly equal to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 780, two 290s can scale all the way to 4K gaming. |
| AOC Wants to Save Your Eyes Using Anti-Blue Light Technology in Monitors Posted: 16 Sep 2014 12:17 PM PDT  A friendly technology for your eyeballs
Display maker AOC is rolling out a patent-pending technology called "Anti-Blue Light" that's supposed to protect your eyes against the damaging effects of blue light from LED-backlit monitors. Just like overexposure to Ultra-Violet (UV) light waves from the sun can impair your vision, so can shortwave blue light (380-450 nm) from LED-backlit devices, AOC says. The company's Anti-Blue Light technology reduces the intensity and strength of the harmful shortwave blue light by fine tuning the LED backlight. This method reduces blue light by over 90 percent. Compared to other solutions that use filters or software settings, AOC's ABL technology reduces shortwave blue light without dimming or distorting colors so that the monitor can maintain the true color and clarity of your images. Is this a real problem? According to AOC, there are studies showing that long-term exposure to blue light can lead to macular degeneration (AMD), a permanent loss of vision in the center of the eye due to damage of the retina. The company references Dr. Carl Kupfer, former Director of the U.S. National Eye Institute, who predicts that "the prevalence of AMD is expected to rise 6.3 million by the year 2030" and that it will become an epidemic. 
"We believe that any technology that can help protect our users' eyes, without forcing them to change their digital lifestyles will be highly welcome," said Steve Young, AOC Marketing Manager. "AOC's Anti-Blue Light technology leads the industry in protecting consumers against the damaging effects of blue light and providing a safer and healthier workplace." AOC's solution tweaks the blue light emissions at the source by shifting the wavelength peak of the LED backlight from 450nm to 460nm, moving it out of the range that's considered harmful. 
The company plans to implement it's ABL technology into its AOC 76V Series. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft Unveils Universal Keyboard and Wired Xbox One Controller for Windows Posted: 16 Sep 2014 11:45 AM PDT  A keyboard that doesn't play favorites
Microsoft beefed up its hardware portfolio today, and two of the more notable items consist of a universal mobile keyboard that works with Windows, iOS, and Android devices, and a wired Xbox One controller for Windows. For those of you looking for a new rodent, the company also released an Arc Touch Bluetooth mouse and a Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 Limited Edition. Getting back to the good stuff, the universal keyboard sports an OS switch that lets you change from one operating system to another while maintaining a fully functional keyboard. That means you can pair the keyboard with up to three devices and take advantage of each one's unique keys, like the Windows Control key, the iOS Command key, and Android's Home button, all on a single plank. It also sports a built-in cover that doubles as a stand for your tablet or smartphone when opened up. When you flip it open, it turns the keyboard on automatically and initiates a Bluetooth connection. Closing the cover turns it back off. According to Microsoft, the rechargeable battery is good for up to six months of use on a single charge -- if it runs out of juice, it only takes 10 minutes to charge it enough to last a full day. The Universal Mobile Keyboard will be available in October for $79.95 at the Microsoft Store and other places. As for the Xbox One controller, it's now available for the PC. Like the version for the Xbox One, it sports over 40 improvements compared to the Xbox 360 controller. It also comes with a cable so you can enjoy a wired connection and not worry about battery life; it also works wirelessly, but only on the Xbox One, not PC. The Xbox One Controller + Cable for Windows will be available in November for $59.95. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Far Cry 4 Trailer Shows Awesome Power of Elephants Posted: 16 Sep 2014 11:06 AM PDT  "Fun Fact: Elephants crave the taste of human blood!"
The newest trailer for Ubisoft's forthcoming Far Cry 4 game plays out like a horrific documentary on elephants, one in which you learn the purported "fun fact" that elephants crave the taste of your blood. That probably isn't true in the real world (we certainly hope it isn't!), but in Kyrat, the fictional Himalayan region that serves as the setting in Far Cry 4, you better believe it's true. It's also true (in Far Cry 4) that elephants never forget when it comes to vengeance, or so we're told by the voice-over in the trailer. Don't concern yourself whether that translates into the real world as well, the lesson here is that these 7-ton animals are awesomely powerful and it looks like we're going to have a lot of fun using them against the enemies. Of course, that assumes the elephants are on your side -- if not, you better get out of the way. Far Cry 4 is scheduled to launch on November 18, 2014, for the PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: NZXT Phantom 410 Mid-Tower Case, Corsair 760W Platinum PSU, and More! Posted: 16 Sep 2014 10:38 AM PDT |
| Microsoft Schedules Windows 9 Event for September 30 Posted: 16 Sep 2014 09:01 AM PDT  Microsoft is finally ready to talk about its next version of Windows
Up to this point, we've mostly had to rely on leaked photos and videos of Windows 9, codenamed Threshold, to understand what Microsoft has in store for us beyond Windows 8. Well, the wait for official information is almost over. Microsoft has begun sending out invitations to members of the press for a "Windows event" it plans to hold on September 30, 2014, in San Francisco. "Join us to hear about what's next for Windows and the enterprise," the invitation reads. This falls in line with previous rumors that had Microsoft pegged to talk about Windows 9 at the end of September. It's also been rumored that Microsoft will release to the public a Windows 9 Technical Preview either at the end of September or in early October. It's not known if Microsoft is planning to do that at its upcoming press event, though we'll soon find out. According to The Verge, Joe Belfiore (Corporate Vice President, Operating Systems Group at Microsoft) and Terry Myerson (Executive Vice President of Operating Systems at Microsoft) will lead the discussion around the future of Windows. The event will be geared towards enterprise and Windows power users. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Micron Unveils High Speed, Low Power M600 SATA SSD, Comes in Different Form Factors Posted: 16 Sep 2014 08:27 AM PDT  Comes in more than a dozen capacities and form factors
Micron, the memory chip maker based in Boise, Idaho, announced its M600 SATA solid state drive. According to Micron, the M600 represents a next-generation design that sets a new bar for low-power, high-performance storage for PCs. There are 13 different variations to choose from ranging in capacity from 128GB to 1TB and in 2.5-inch/7mm, mSATA, and M.2 single-sided form factors. The M600 sips less than 2mW in sleep mode and averages 150mW during active use, compared to a typical laptop hard disk drive, which chugs 130mW in sleep mode and 1,400Mw to 2,000mW when active. On the performance side, the M600 boasts random reads up to 100,000 IOPS and sequential reads of up to 560MB/s for all capacities. Random write performance is rated at 88,000 IOPS while sequential writes top out at 510MB/s, which is again for all capacities. According to Micron, the M600 benefits from using its unique dynamic write acceleration technology to deliver consistently high write performance regardless of SSD capacity. This technology switches NAND cells to behave more like higher-grade flash (from MLC to SLC) on-the-fly, which in turn creates a cache that is sized according to what the drive needs rather than sacrificing user capacity for a permanent cache. Micron says this method reduces power and improves write performance by as much as 2.8 times compared to non-cached systems, while leading to greater longevity to boot. The M600 SSD is currently in production and is sold directly to OEMs. You can look for the M600 to show up in a variety of products, including Ultrabooks, tablets, video capture systems, and performance-oriented PCs. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
