| Rig of the Month: Visible Contrast Posted: 24 Oct 2014 03:46 PM PDT  The slickest side panel you've ever seen
If you look closely at the thumbnail, you'll see what looks like the Windows Start Menu overlaid on some computer parts. Your eyes aren't deceiving you. This month's Rig of the Month is centered around an incredibly basic, but undeniably awesome idea. Chris "Mosquito" Albee from TheModZoo.com installed an LCD panel—minus the backlight—into the side of a white NZXT H230 case. The result is simply incredible. It's not the most practical idea, but it looks spectacular and makes us want OEM cases with embedded LCD screens. Chris says that the modded display is transparent when displaying white pixels and can act as a regular case window if needed. Lighter colors are still slightly see-through and the combination of light and dark creates a stunning effect. This contrast between opaque and transparent was the inspiration for the mod's name: Visible Contrast. "One fun use for the transparent LCD panel is the ability to use a utility like Rainmeter to overlay usage and temperature data directly over the various components of the case," Chris says. "It's also a pretty cool conversation piece as well in its own right; especially when you have a black and white video looping on it." Inside the case, an Intel Core i7-4770K running at 4.8GHz sits alongside 16GB of G.Skill Sniper RAM, an MSI GTX 650 Ti Boost, and a terabyte of total storage. After some internal modifications, Chris also managed to stick a 240mm radiator inside to support a custom water cooling loop for the CPU. Have a case mod of your own that you would like to submit to our monthly feature? Make sure to read the rules/tips here and email us at mpcrigofthemonth@gmail.com with your submissions. |
| AMD Brings Out the Shears, Cuts Prices on A-Series APUs Posted: 24 Oct 2014 12:07 PM PDT  New build, anyone?
AMD has been putting the word out that it recently slashed prices for select A-Series desktop Accelerated Processor Units (APUs). Some of them are fairly significant reductions in price, and they're not just for Kaveri-based APUs, either -- they also include savings for a few Richland and Trinity chips. While Intel's Haswell architecture might have the upper hand in performance, the price cuts combined with superior integrated graphics help AMD stay in the game. Let's have a look. Starting with Kaveri, here's a peek at the price cuts: - A10-7850 (3.7GHz/4GHz, dual-core, 4MB L2 cache, 8 graphics CUs): $143, down from $180
- A10-7800 (3.5GHz/3.9GHz, dual-core, 4MB L2 cache, 8 graphics CUs): $133, down from $166
- A10-7700K (3.4GHz/3.8GHz, dual-core, 4MB L2 cache, 6 graphics CUs): $123, down from $160
- A8-7600 (3.3GHz/3.8GHz, dual-core, 4MB L2 cache, 6 graphics CUs): $92, down from $110
- A6-7400K (3.5GHz/3.9Ghz, single-core, 1MB L2 cache, 4 graphics CUs): $58, down from $85
As for Richland and Trinity, AMD slashed prices on another five APUs. They include the A10-6800K ($112, down from $140), A8-6600K ($92, down from $100), A4-6300 ($34, down from $48), A4-5300 ($31, not currently listed as retail boxed chips),and A4-4400 ($27, not currently listed as retail boxed chips), according to The Tech Report. These aren't temporary price cuts, but permanent ones that should be appear in retail e-tail stores soon, if not already. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft Posts Record Revenue, Surface Shows Signs of Life Posted: 24 Oct 2014 08:45 AM PDT  Third time's the charm for Surface Pro
Back when Microsoft introduced its first Surface tablets, the company didn't really know how best to market the devices. That left consumers confused and largely interested, resulting in a stockpile of unsold inventory. Fast forward to today things are different. Microsoft is pitching the Surface Pro 3 as a tablet that can replace your laptop. It's a message that consumers are embracing, and as a result, Microsoft's Surface sales have doubled in the past year. Microsoft reported Surface revenue of $908 million during its fiscal first quarter of 2015, compared to around $400 million in the same quarter a year ago. The Surface Pro 3 is a legitimate mobile device, and it comes without the confusion of comparing Windows RT to Windows 8/8.1. Overall, Microsoft generated revenue of $23.20 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2014, along with operating income of $5.84 billion and diluted earnings per share of $0.54. "We are innovating faster, engaging more deeply across the industry, and putting our customers at the center of everything we do, all of which positions Microsoft for future growth," said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft. "Our teams are delivering on our core focus of reinventing productivity and creating platforms that empower every individual and organization." Looking ahead, Microsoft warned of several factors that could negatively affect revenue, including "intense competition" in each sector the company competes in, adverse results from legal disputes, cyber attacks, and the list goes on. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| CyberPowerPC Offers Up Affordable Fangbook III HX6 Laptop for Gamers Posted: 24 Oct 2014 07:42 AM PDT  Fangbook III HX6 packs a bite
Gone are the days when the only gaming laptops on the block are the ones that carry ultra-premium price tags. These days you can get gaming goodness on the go for relatively cheap, at least compared to what these systems used to cost. Such is underscored by CyberPowerPC's new Fangbook III HX6, a 15.6-inch laptop for gamers equipped with an Intel Core i7 4700MQ processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics, and starting price of $1,100. CyberPowerPC says its latest Fangbook comes with some features of special interest to gamers. These include an automatic kickstand that deploys when the notebook is opened to prop up the rear edge of the laptop to allow air to flow freely through the intakes, and shortcut keys to adjust cooling, backlight settings, and to underclock the CPU. In addition to the Core i7 4700MQ CPU and GeForce GTX 860M GPU, the new Fangbook model sports 8GB of RAM (expandable to 16GB), 1TB hard drive (7200 RPM), 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and Windows 8.1. A few upgrade options are available, including SSD solutions and faster CPU choices. CyberPowerPC's Fangbook III HX6 is available now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: AMD Athlon X4 860K Processor, Asus 27-inch LED Monitor, and More! Posted: 24 Oct 2014 06:43 AM PDT |
