| CES 2015: Plextor Puts on Display M6e Black Edition PCI Express SSD Posted: 08 Jan 2015 12:25 PM PST  Fast storage in a sexy package
The fastest SATA 6Gbps SSDs top out at around 590MB/s, and if you want to go faster, one way to do that is by utilizing PCI Express. That's exactly what Plextor has done. Yes, the same Plextor that made a name for itself with high-end optical drives, back when that sort of thing mattered. These days Plextor's been focusing on more modern products, like its new M6e Black Edition SSD. Aimed at gamers, the M6e Black Edition is a PCI Express solution using Toshiba's syncrhonous Toggle NAND flash memory. Plextor rates the drive as being able to sequentially read and write data at up to 770MB/s and 625MB/s, respectively. It also boasts 105,000 IOPS of random-read performance and 100,000 IOPS of random-write performance. Also helping with performance is the company's newly developed PlexTurbo 2.0 intelligent SSD software cache technology. It uses up to 4GB of system memory to boost storage and beef up performance, while containing safeguards against data loss. No word yet on when the M6e Black Edition will be available or for how much. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| CES 2015: Razer Discusses Open Source Virtual Reality Initiative [Video] Posted: 08 Jan 2015 12:01 PM PST  A real look at Razer's virtual play
Whether or not virtual reality has the legs to go the distance remains to be seen, especially since the technology is in the crawling stage at this point. However, what we do know for sure is that there are a lot of companies excited about the potential. Obviously there's Oculus Rift VR, which is the most popular, but now we have Razer as a player. One of Razer's big reveals at this year's Consumer Electronics Show is the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) ecosystem, and we were on hand to discuss the technology with the company. OSVR attacks VR from both the software and hardware side of things. It's also focused on gaming -- it supports popular game engines like Unity 3D and Unreal 4 Engine, along with device plugins from hardware makers like Bosch, Sixense, and LeapMotion. On top of all that, it's designed to support all VR devices, including the Oculus DK2 and Vrvana's Toem headset. The idea is to push VR forward and get it into the consumer space. As such, Razer's designs are open source to encourage partners to run with VR -- Razer doesn't plan on releasing competing core products of its own, though it will likely dabble in related peripherals. Find out more of what Razer had to say in the video below: Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| CES 2015: Mushkin Announces High Performance Striker SSD Line Posted: 08 Jan 2015 11:21 AM PST  Speedy and capacious
Mushkin this week unveiled its new Striker line of solid state drives. The new drives are built for speed and reliability, which largely boils down to the type of controller -- in this case, Mushkin opted for a Phison PS3110-S10 controller, which boasts a quad-core, 8-channel design. It also features 256-bit AES encryption, Opal 2.0, end-to-end path protection, and a few other technologies. The Striker line uses MLC NAND flash memory and is rated for up to 565MB/s of sequential read performance, up to 550MB/s sequential writes, and up to 90,000 IOPS. As you can probably tell from the performance metrics, the Striker line sports a SATA 6Gbps interface. "Mushkin is committed to giving our customers the best performing and most reliable SSDs and our new STRIKER family of drives delivers," said Brian Flood, Director of Product Management at Mushkin. "With an ever-increasing demand for greater performance, the new STRIKER drives provides the ultimate combination of speed and reliability for today's demanding applications." Mushkin was mum on pricing info, though did say it will launch in capacities ranging from 240GB to 960GB in the first quarter of this year. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Mushkin Enhanced Reactor 1TB SSD, AOC 27-inch Monitor, and More! Posted: 08 Jan 2015 09:59 AM PST |
| CES 2015: Up Close Look at Dell's Affordable XPS 13 Laptop [Video] Posted: 08 Jan 2015 09:42 AM PST  Spunky laptop lasts up to 15 hours per charge
Intel's been talking a big game about its 5th Generation Core processors based on 14nm Broadwell, which offers better performance and battery life compared to Haswell. Hardware partner Dell wasted no time putting the new chips to use. At the Consumer Electronics Show, we had Online Managing Editor and video ninja Jimmy Thang check out the new fancy pants Dell XPS 13. The XPS 13 features a virtually borderless display (just 5.2mm on the sides and top), allowing for a 13.3-inch laptop to fit in a frame that's around the size of an 11.6-inch notebook. Dell says it's the result of an exclusive collaboration between it and Sharp. Outside of the display, Dell says it improved every form, function, and feature of the laptop compared to the last generation. There's a lot to like about the XPS 13, even just from a construction standpoint. Dell went for machined aluminum for the chassis and a carbon fiber palm wrest. Dell offers two panel options -- a non-touch Full HD 1080p display, and a touch-enabled QHD+ (3200x1800). These are powered by Broadwell 15W Core i3, i5, and i7 processor options and either 4GB or 8GB of memory. According to Dell, a laptop like this would normally see an entry-level price point of $1,200, though in this case, pricing starts at $800. Find out more in the video below: Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| CES 2015: Dell Shows Off Wicked Thin Venue 8 Android Tablet [Video] Posted: 08 Jan 2015 09:14 AM PST  A 6mm Android tablet with x86 guts
What does the world's thinnest tablet look like? You won't find the answer to that question by hanging out in an Apple store, not unless someone from Dell happens by. That's because Dell's new Venue 8 measures a scant 6mm, making it the thinnest tablet around, and we got a chance to see it in person at the Consumer Electronics Show. It's a x86 slate that runs Android, along with a few other snazzy features. One of those is the inclusion of an Intel RealSense camera. It's made up of three different cameras -- an 8MP lens and two 720p cameras that provide depth to your shot. Used in conjunction with Dell's gallery program, you can change the effects of photos by sliding your finger over certain parts of photos, adjust the focal point of a picture, and more. The tablet boasts an 8.4-inch OLED display with a 2560x1600 resolution powered by an Intel Atom Z3580 quad-core processor and 2GB of LP DDR3 RAM. It also has 16GB of eMMC storage, Intel HD Graphics (Imagination PowerVR G6430), 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 2MP front-facing camera, micro-B USB 2.0 port, headphone/mic combo jack, microSD card reader, and Android 4.4 KitKat. Dell's Venue 8 is available now starting at $400. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| CES 2015: Talking Broadwell with Intel [Video] Posted: 08 Jan 2015 08:38 AM PST  The skinny on Intel's newest CPUs
We got our first look at Intel's Broadwell architecture when the Santa Clara outfit launched its Core M parts last year. However, those were mostly aimed at fanless 2-in-1 hybrid devices and other similar form factors. At the Consumer Electronics Show this year, Intel announced its 5th Generation Core CPUs based on its 14nm Broadwell micro-architecture, so we sent Online Managing Editor and expert chip taster Jimmy Thang to see if he could squeeze any more information out of the company. Intel didn't seem too interested in talking about its desktop plans for Broadwell, saying that it will hold a separate event for that. Instead, Intel talked up its current Broadwell CPUs, including the just-launched U parts (Core i3, i5, i7), which have more transistors than Haswell and offer a bit better performance. According to Intel, one of the advantages of 14nm is greater flexibility for OEMs to decide between "reasonable" battery life in systems that have a smaller batter and weigh less as a result, or much longer run time in the neighborhood of 15 hours by using a larger battery. Check out more of what Intel had to say below: Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| CES 2015: Alienware Showcases New 17-Inch and 15-Inch Gaming Laptops [Video] Posted: 08 Jan 2015 06:22 AM PST  Thinner and lighter Alienware laptops
Several years ago, it was vogue to gobble up boutique builders -- Dell acquired Alienware, HP grabbed Voodoo PC, and OCZ (now owned by Toshiba) snagged HyperSonic. Out of those, only Dell has consistently kept its enthusiast brand active with new product releases, and at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Dell brought along a couple of new Alienware 17-inch and 15-inch laptops to display. Let's have a look. These won't compete with Ultrabooks or any other ultra thin laptops for thinness and weight (these are desktop replacements, after all), though they are slightly slimmer from the previous generation models, which Dell achieved primarily by removing the optical drive. Combined with some internal tweaks, Dell says it was able to shave away 20 percent of the thickness. Inside you'll find some high-end hardware, including optional Intel Core i7 quad-core processors, up to Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of HDD or 512GB SSD. As for the display, Dell went with a Full HD 1080p resolution, though there will be a 4K option on the 15-inch model. Why no 4K option on the 17-inch version? That's a question Online Managing Editor and alien abduction survivalist Jimmy Thang made sure to ask, and according to Dell, there aren't as many 4K panel options in the 17-inch space as there are in smaller categories, and that's especially true in the IPS space, which is a feature Alienware wants to stick with. Pricing starts at $1,499 for the 17-inch and $1,199 for the 15-inch model, both of which are available now. More info in the video below! Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
