General Gaming Article

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• First 4K Ultra HD Laptop Docking Station Now Available
• Meet Maximum PC's New Editor-in-Chief
• Newegg Daily Deals: Seagate 1TB Hard Drive, Acer 29-inch UltraWide LED Monitor, and More!
• Microsoft Keeps Mum on New Plans to Monetize Windows, Will Reveal Strategy in 2015
• Fedora 21 Arrives in Three Different Versions
• Benchmarking Site May Have Spilled the Beans on Samsung's Galaxy S6
• AMD's Year End Gift to Gamers is Catalyst Omega, a Special Edition Driver
• Fractal Design Puts Finishing Touches on Kelvin Liquid Cooling Line

First 4K Ultra HD Laptop Docking Station Now Available Posted: 09 Dec 2014 05:02 PM PST No need to buy a 4K laptop just yet, if you have a 4K monitor The pricing for 4K monitors have been dropping to the point that Acer's B2H6HK 28-inch 4K monitor was retailing for $350 last month on Newegg for a short while. It was a good deal for PC users who might have wanted to dip into the 4K pool. But what about laptop owners who don't want to spend money for a new 4K laptop, but would like to utilize the 4K monitor they already have or want to purchase? Well, there is the 4K Ultra HD Laptop Docking Station from StarTech.com that is now available. The 4K Laptop Docking Station is geared towards professionals, such a graphic designers and animators, who might be looking to edit 4K content or just take advantage of the more highly detailed content that 4K monitors can provide. To that end, the docking station is able to support resolutions up to 3840x2160p while connected to a single DisplayPort via a single USB 3.0 connection. StarTech.com's 4K Docking Station will also allow consumers to turn their laptop into a multi-monitor workspace by letting it connect to a DisplayPort and an HDMI-equipped monitor simultaneously. But that ability will only work for non-4K monitors. Other features that the device has includes an integrated security lock slot, 3.5mm 4-position headset port, Gigabit Ethernet Rj45 Port with Wake-on-LAN, and includes a 2ft USB 3.0 cable. It also has a USB 3.0 fast-charge and sync port that will let users charge mobile devices without the need to be connected to a laptop. The 4K Ultra HD Laptop Docking Station is available for the price of $222.99 in the US, $228.99 in Canada, and £192.99 in the UK and can be purchased from online retailers such as Amazon, Newegg, and PC Connection. What do you think of the 4K Laptop Docking Station? Would you ever use it to connect your laptop to a 4K monitor? Sound off in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Meet Maximum PC's New Editor-in-Chief Posted: 09 Dec 2014 11:42 AM PST Introducing Tuan Nguyen Hi! I'm Tuan, the new Editor-in-Chief for Maximum PC, at your service. I suppose this is an obligatory piece, since I'm supposed to introduce myself and let people know I'm legit. So, here goes. I've been a huge fan of Maximum PC, and boot before it, since the very first issue of boot, way back in 1996. I wrote for Maximum PC back in 2001 and 2002, and never stopped subscribing to the mag. The publication has a very special place in my heart. I've always been a tinkerer. When I was young, I would always open up various electronics and random knickknacks just to try and understand how things worked on the inside. I almost killed myself at the age of 11 by sticking a drawing compass into an AC outlet. What can I say; the risks associated with curiosity. I've been in the industry in various capacities for a good number of years. The one thing that remains constant, though, is my love for the PC platform. It's unlike anything else in the electronics world. The PC sparks passion in people, yet in itself is not a living thing. The PC is supremely flexible and is able to be molded in a way that's very personal to its owner. And of course, the PC brings all the benefits imaginable to our daily lives and entertains us at the same time. The PC has come a very long way in a relatively short period of time. Through the years I have upgraded and built countless PCs for my own use. From simple file servers to a crazy machine that used both Ultra320 SCSI and a fiber-channel storage array, to small, compact HTPCs. I always wanted to build around the most cutting-edge hardware. Of course, it's sometimes prohibitive to keep chasing the top, but that's the nature of things in the PC world. My current system at home is a mix of minimalism—if you can even call it that—and excess. Here are the specs: CPU: Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 3970X Motherboard: Gigabyte X79-UD5 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan Black   - With NZXT Kraken G10 bracket + NZXT Kraken X31 Memory: 32GB Samsung "Green" 1,600MHz DDR SSD: 2x Samsung 850 Pro 256GB   - One for OS, one for User folder/Programs HDDs: 4x Western Digital 4TB Blacks, 2x Western Digital 2TB Blacks Network: Intel Pro/1000 MT dual-port Gig-E PCI-e NIC Chassis: NZXT H440 (in black/blue) Display: Dell UltraSharp U3011 Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 Keyboard: DAS Keyboard Ultimate Edition (blank keys, with blue MX switches) Mouse: Razer DeathAdder 2013 Miscellaneous: Dual APC Smart-UPS 1500, Fujitsu Dyna-MO magneto-optical drive Aside from my primary PC, I have an Intel NUC for my home theater duties, a MacBook Air 13 (mid-2013) for traveling duties, and a spare IBM ThinkPad T60 for emergencies. Everything is connected via Ethernet, except for the Air. I also connected the networking gear and home theater stuff to their own APC battery back-up units (Smart-UPS 1000s), just in case. My drawers are filled with PC components. In fact, my kitchen cabinets are stocked with PC hardware: hard drives, memory, add-in boards, etc. Obviously hardware takes priority over any form of cooking. Lastly, I have a 500 megabit synchronous fiber connection to my place. So as far as the PC goes, I have some of my best moments building and configuring. In fact, the truly best moments are often researching and reading. There's a certain joy in seeing what the latest gear is.  Now that I'm here though, I won't preach on about what Maximum PC is all about—as a reader, you probably know that already.  Tuan loses sense of reality. What I do want to touch on is what Maximum PC can be going forward. There's a lot of stuff out there that our team can be doing that you would enjoy, and I'm thoroughly interested in discovering these topics. And I believe you have the ability to steer this ship, too! Through emails, comments, etc., you can help inject new ideas and points of views into what we do.  Contact us. Send in your thoughts. Have an interesting idea? Let us know. Think we can do something better? Sound off! It's important that we remain engaged as a community. I'd like to think that we're open and yet like-minded people. It's a rich ecosystem to be part of, and it just keeps getting better. I think covering as many different things to do with a PC is just as critical as covering the components themselves. Because at the end of the day, the user—you—is what ultimately makes the PC such an amazing platform. And that, really is what Maximum PC is all about. (Shoutouts to the people who made my journey here awesome: SC, JRQ, MH, D "Impulsive" T, BS, JH, AH, JC, SV, TC, WY, TM, JH, DS, TC88, AH—you all know who you are!)

Newegg Daily Deals: Seagate 1TB Hard Drive, Acer 29-inch UltraWide LED Monitor, and More! Posted: 09 Dec 2014 11:01 AM PST Top Deal: Perhaps someday, mechanical hard disk drives will be as antiquated as tape drives and other media that's not longer common among most households. But that day isn't today. Yes, we love solid state storage just as much as the next person, but in terms of price-per-gigabyte, you still can't be an HDD. That's our way of saying there's no shaming in buying an HDD, and if you're need of one, check out today's top deal for a Seagate Barracuda 1TB Hard Drive for $55 with free shipping (normally $70 - use coupon code: [ESCWHPA22]). It has 64MB of cache and is backed by a 2-year warranty. Other Deals: PNY Optima 2.5-inch 240GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive for $80 (Additional $10 Mail-in rebate Corsair Force LS Series 2.5-inch 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive for $50 (Additional $15 Mail-in rebate G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory for $128 with Free Shipping (normally $150 - use coupon code: [EMCWHPA47])   Acer B6 29-inch 8ms (GTG) HDMI UltraWide LED Backlight LCD Monitor IPS 300 for $300 (normally $330 - use coupon code: [EMCWHPA46])

Microsoft Keeps Mum on New Plans to Monetize Windows, Will Reveal Strategy in 2015 Posted: 09 Dec 2014 10:40 AM PST Along with a new OS release comes a new strategy to make money Things are going to be different with Windows 10 in a number of ways, and all presumably for the better (or so we're hoping and knocking on wood with Hulk-like force). It's not just the features and design that Microsoft is altering, however, but also its business model. Microsoft COO Kevin Turner spoke at a Credit Suisse technology investment conference recently, revealing that his company is looking at new ways of making money off of Windows. One of the strategies has already been put in motion, and that's the removal of royalties on devices with screens that are 9 inches or smaller. The intention there was to fight back against the Chromebook push and reinvigorate the low-end laptop market with Windows machines. As a result, it's now possible to find plenty of Windows laptops in the range of $200, and a few that even go for half that much. However, giving Windows away for free isn't something we should get used to, as Microsoft has no plans of making Windows 10 a loss leader. According to Hexus.net, Turner revealed that Microsoft will instead make up some of the difference in revenue by looking at other ways to make money from Windows, though he didn't say exactly what they would be. "We've got to monetize it differently. And there are services involved," Turner said. "There are additional opportunities for us to bring additional services to the product and do it in a creative way. And through the course of the summer and spring we'll be announcing what that business model looks like." Turner added that Microsoft's first 39 years was highlighted by "one of the greatest business models of all time built around" Windows, though said that's in the past. Looking to the future, he sees opportunities in "becoming a cloud OS, a devices operating system, having first party hardware light up those experiences," while also providing a dual-user experience (work and play, basically). Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Fedora 21 Arrives in Three Different Versions Posted: 09 Dec 2014 10:18 AM PST The first Fedora release influenced by the Fedora.next initiative Fedora 21 is now available to the general public, representing the first OS release to come out of the Fedora.next initiative, which emphasizes increased modularity and flexibility that go beyond the desktop. It's a new vision for Fedora, in terms of the way it's developed and the types of users it's targeting, and with Fedora 21 come three different variants -- Fedora 21 Cloud, Fedora 21 Server, and Fedora 21 Workstation. "With Fedora 21, we are able to address specific use cases across the desktop, the server room and the cloud, bringing to light new developer tools, enabling specific server roles, and providing a powerful, lightweight host for containerized applications," said Matthew Miller, Fedora project leader. Though the three variants take aim at meeting specific user demands in different areas, each one is built from a common base set of packages -- they contain the same Linux kernel, RPM, yum, systemd, and Anaconda. In other words, the foundation is the same, even though they spread their wings in different directions. Fedora 21 Cloud provides images for use in private cloud environments, like OpenStack, and Amazon Machine Images for use on Amazon Web Services. It also has a base image to enable creation of Fedora containers. The Server version introduces three new technologies to handle the management and installation of discrete infrastructure. They include Rolekit (provides a Role deployment and management tooklit for admins), Cockpit (web-based user interface for configuring, managing, and monitoring servers), and OpenLMI (remote management system built on top of Distributed Management Taskforce -- Common Information Model for scripting management functions across machines). Finally, Fedora 21 Workstation offers a streamlined software installation, experimental Wayland support, and DevAssistant to automate the setup process for a larger number of language runtimes and integrated development environments. You can find out more about each one here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Benchmarking Site May Have Spilled the Beans on Samsung's Galaxy S6 Posted: 09 Dec 2014 09:42 AM PST A possible look at Samsung's Galaxy S6 specifications The Galaxy S6 could end up being Samsung's most important smartphone release in quite some time. There's certainly a lot riding on the release -- faced with lower than expected revenues from the Galaxy S5 not selling as well as the company hoped, a few heads in management rolled during a recent restructuring effort. Samsung chief J.K. Shin managed to avoid the axe and was given another chance, though his job could be on the line if the Galaxy S6 doesn't turn things around. With that in mind, we have some possible specs of the Galaxy S6 to share. According to Forbes, online benchmarking site AnTuTu showed for a short time showed details of a new smartphone believed to be Samsung's next flagship handset. The specs have since been removed, though as we always say, there's no undo button on the Internet. So, here's a look: 5.5-inch display with a 2550x1440 resolution Samsung Exynos 7420 64-bit Octa-Core CPU 3GB RAM 32GB built-in storage 5MP front-facing camera 20MP rear-facing camera Android 5.0 Lollipop The model number for the not-so-mystery device was listed as SM-G925F, which is yet another sign that it's the Galaxy S6 in question, based on how Samsung numbers its phones in Europe. One thing that isn't clear is if the alleged Galaxy S6 outlined above is the regular version or Edge SKU with a wraparound display. Either way, how do you feel about the specs? Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

AMD's Year End Gift to Gamers is Catalyst Omega, a Special Edition Driver Posted: 09 Dec 2014 09:19 AM PST Performance improvements and bug fixes galore Between the holiday sales and promotions that have been going on lately, your wallet or purse is probably significantly lighter than it was a month ago. Hey, tis the season for spending, right? Or perhaps it's giving, which the mood AMD is in these days. Closing out the year in style, AMD just released its Catalyst Omega special edition driver, which it describes as the biggest and best software upgrade it's released this year. "It's our of way of saying 'Thank you' and Happy Holidays," AMD stated in a blog post, though it's much more than that. Catalyst Omega represents a new era in driver design for AMD, one what will see major updates overflowing with new features, performance enhancements, and bug fixes, in addition to the regularly scheduled releases that are usually game-specific in optimizations. In a way, it's sort of like rival Intel's tick-tock schedule for CPUs, though instead of die shrinks and architecture changes, AMD's minor and major Catalyst releases will feature enhancements and feature-packed upgrades. In this particular case, installing the special edition Catalyst Omega driver will introduce featuers like 5K (5120x2880 at 60Hz) monitor support; Virtual Super Resolution (VSR), which renders games at a higher resolution and then displays them at a lower resolution with the supposed intent of delivering 4K-like visuals on a 1080p monitor; support for Alienware's Graphics Amplifier; Frame Pacing enhancements for dual-graphics setups; and lots more. All tallied, there are over 20 new features and 400 bug fixes included in Catalyst Omega, plus a bunch of performance improvements. To give an example of the latter, AMD says Radeon R9 290X graphics card owners who install the special edition driver will see up to 19 percent faster gameplay in BioShock Infinite. Likewise, the driver boosts performance for A10 7850K APU owners by up to 29 percent in Batman: Arkham Origins. You can read more of what AMD had to say in its blog post, and if you're sold, you can download Catalyst Omega here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Fractal Design Puts Finishing Touches on Kelvin Liquid Cooling Line Posted: 09 Dec 2014 08:40 AM PST A new player enters the liquid cooling scene Fractal Design is best known for its computer cases, though it also offers products like power supplies, case fans, and various accessories. One thing that's been noticeably absent from its catalog, however, is liquid cooling. That is, until now. Fractal Design made its intentions of entering the liquid market known earlier this year, and today those plans become a reality with the new Kelvin T12, S24, and S36 coolers. These are all open-loop DIY options that Fractal Design says are simple to install and offer silent, powerful performance. They're also expandable with a ceramic pump that can handle component upgrades, like tossing a GPU block or additional radiators into the same loop. "The Kelvin Series water cooling systems are constructed from enthusiast class components. Both the CPU block and the radiator are made from pure copper, for maximum performance and an increased product life span with zero maintenance required," Fractal Design says. Radiator size and the number of fans they can fit are what mostly separate the three offerings. In addition, the entry-level T12 uses durable nylon material in combination with copper in its construction and is intended for compact systems, whereas the S24 and S36 both use all-copper. The Kelvin T12 ($149), Kelvin S24 ($179), and Kelvin S36 ($209) will be available in January. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

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MMORPG News

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• Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan Review In Progress #1
• Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft: Goblins vs Gnomes Goes Live
• H1Z1: Early Access Begins on January 15th
• Destiny: A 10-Year Plan That Includes a Sequel
• Dragon Age: Inquisition: How BioWare Tells Their Tales
• General: Why Nostalgia is Necessary
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Release Date Pushed Back to May 2015
• General: Banner Saga 2 Announced
• Guild Wars 2: Let’s Get Evil!

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan Review In Progress #1 Posted: 08 Dec 2014 03:27 PM PST Since the first official announcement of Star Wars: the Old Republic, BioWare Austin has not been shy about letting its audience know that story is one of the main pillars that they felt was missing from the MMORPG space. A bulk of their effort developing the game went into creating a richly-told, voice acted story that would ease the pain of the traditional level grind.

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft: Goblins vs Gnomes Goes Live Posted: 07 Dec 2014 05:33 PM PST Blizzard has announced that the Hearthstone expansion, Goblins vs Gnomes, is now live. The expansion brings over a hundred new cards to the game. Anyone logging into the game between now and December 19th will receive three free packs of cards from the expansion.

H1Z1: Early Access Begins on January 15th Posted: 08 Dec 2014 03:49 PM PST Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley has posted to the H1Z1 Reddit that early access will begin on January 15th. The team had originally planned to push H1Z1 out by the end of 2014 but felt it needed more time to give the game more polish. Early Access will not be a full game but is, according to Smedley, a fun game to play. Players can gain access to H1Z1 for $19.99 and "a more expensive one that we will announce here shortly".

Destiny: A 10-Year Plan That Includes a Sequel Posted: 08 Dec 2014 03:02 PM PST In a new interview at IGN, Bungie's David Dague let players know that the Destiny long-term plan includes ten years of content and that character progress from the original game will carry over into the planned sequel. There is no word when that sequel will arrive, but it is a sure bet that it will be built on and include aspects of the first.

Dragon Age: Inquisition: How BioWare Tells Their Tales Posted: 06 Dec 2014 04:10 PM PST Despite protests and endless traffic we made it into Brooklyn this past Thursday for the NYU Seminar on storytelling in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The panel included Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, Lead Writer David Gaider, and actor Freddie Prinze Jr. who does the voice of Iron Bull. The panel ran the full two hours and surprisingly the crew on hand gave a ton of information and advice to the students and press in attendance.

General: Why Nostalgia is Necessary Posted: 06 Dec 2014 04:00 PM PST It's a very common sentiment to hear from people that they want more complex, hardcore MMOs. This is something that even though the age of the hardcore, demanding MMO, where things took forever to happen, where fast travel wasn't happening, and where lines built up around other players or in-game areas for buffs or completion, is mostly locked in player nostalgia these days.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Release Date Pushed Back to May 2015 Posted: 08 Dec 2014 08:47 AM PST CD Projekt Red has sent out a press release to let fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt know that the release date has been pushed back from February 2015 to May 2015. Calling The Witcher 3 "the most important game in our studio's history", the letter indicates that there are still corrections to be made before unleashing it on the world.

General: Banner Saga 2 Announced Posted: 08 Dec 2014 08:07 AM PST During last week's The Game Awards, Stoic announced that it is working on Banner Saga 2, the sequel to one of the year's most heralded RPGs. Banner Saga 2 will feature a brand new race as well. Check out the trailer below.

Guild Wars 2: Let’s Get Evil! Posted: 07 Dec 2014 03:50 PM PST Being a hero in real life is a lot tougher than you might think, mainly because there aren't any Ogres or Orcs running around trying to burn villages. That leaves only 1 other option, I'm not counting charities because you should be doing that anyways! I'm talking about video games. They let us don some flashy armor, equip over the top weaponry, and open up quest after quest.

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