General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Newegg Daily Deals: Motherboard Madness Edition!

Posted: 07 May 2015 01:48 PM PDT

 

Asus X99-E WSNewegg

Top Deal:

You've lived your life the philosophy of "Go big or go home," right? Hey, we can dig it! We're all about excess, though at the same time, while going big can be pricey, there are still opportunities to save a bit of coin. Case in point, check out today's top deal for an Asus X99-E WS Motherboard for $431 with $4 shipping (normally $507 - use coupone code: [EMCASAV38]). This beastly board is big, bad, and ready to be the centerpiece of your own dream machine.

Other Deals:

Asus Z87-C LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $115 with free shipping (normally $135 - use coupon code: [EMCASAV38])

Gigabyte GA-X99-Gaming 5P LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard for $264 with free shipping (normally $310 - use coupon code: [EMCASAV38])

MSI X99S Gaming 9 ACK LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard for $357 with free shipping (normally $420 - use coupon code: [EMCASAV38]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

Asus X99-A LGA 2011-v3 Intel X99 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard for $217 with free shipping (normally $255 - use coupon code: [EMCASAV38])

AMD Announces 7000 Series Mobile APUs, Cuts Price of Desktop Chips

Posted: 07 May 2015 01:37 PM PDT

AMD A-SeriesNew APUs, new prices

AMD decided to shake things up at its 2015 Financial Analyst Day by announcing new AMD 7000 Series APUs for mobile systems (formerly codenamed Carrizo-L and part of the Carrizo platform in the 2015 AMD mobile APU family roadmap), new Radeon 300 Series desktop graphics cards for OEMs, new Radeon M300 Series mobile graphics, and price cuts for existing A-Series desktop APUs.

Starting with the new Carrizo-L parts, here's a look:

  • AMD A8-7410: 4 cores, up to 2.5GHz, 2MB cache, 1866MHz max DDR3, 12-25W
  • AMD A6-7310: 4 cores, up to 2.4GHz, 2MB cache, 1600MHz max DDR3, 12-25W
  • AMD A4-7210: 4 cores, up to 2.2GHz, 2MB cache, 1600MHz max DDR3, 12-25W
  • AMD E2-7110: 4 cores, up to 1.8GHz, 2MB cache, 1600MHz max DDR3, 12-15W
  • AMD E1-7010: 2 cores, up to 1.5GHz, 1MB cache, 1333MHz max DDR3, 10W

These are all System-on-Chip (SoC) designs that combine CPU, GPU, AMD Secure Processor technology, and system I/O on a single chip. AMD intends for these SoCs to end up in laptops and all-in-one systems.

The company didn't talk too much about its new M300 Series and 300 Series Radeon graphics, though it did list new prices for existing for A-Series desktop APUs. Here they are:

  • AMD A10-7850K: $127
  • AMD A10-7800: $127
  • AMD A10-7700K: $117
  • AMD A8-7650K: $95
  • AMD A8-7600: $85
  • AMD A6-7400K: $60
  • AMD A4-7300: $42

These are suggested retail prices, meaning it's still up to individual vendors to price them accordingly.

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Gigabyte P55K is First in a New Line of Gaming Laptops

Posted: 07 May 2015 01:11 PM PDT

Gigabyte P55KLet the games begin

Gigabyte is tapping into NVIDIA's newest mobile Maxwell GPUs to power its P55K, a 15.6-inch notebook that's the first of a new generation of "powerful gaming laptops." In this instance, Gigabyte chose the GeForce GTX 965M with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory. Combined with the other parts, including an Intel Core i7 4720HQ processor (Haswell), up to 16GB of RAM, and a storage scheme consisting of an mSATA SSD up to 512GB paired with up to a 2TB hard drive, Gigabyte says the P55K tops 7,000 in 3DMark 11 (Performance).

The 15.6-inch display sports a Full HD 1080p resolution. Other features include a DVD or Blu-ray burner, four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and D-Sub output, GbE LAn port, headphone jack, SD card reader, two 2W speakers, HD webcam, Kensington Lock, and a full-size keyboard with backlight and 2.2mm of key travel.

We're seeing gaming laptops shrink in size, and while this one isn't quite sitting in Ultrabook territory, it's not a behemoth at 15 inches (W) by 10.6 inches (D) by 1.1 to 1.3 inches (H).

The P55K starts at $1,249. No word yet on when it will be available.

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Build It: Putting Together a Haswell-E Box

Posted: 07 May 2015 10:56 AM PDT

It may not seem it at first, but Intel's Haswell-E "Lite" is a sweet deal and a solid foundation for a build

Length of Time 2-4 hours | Level of Difficulty: Medium

The Mission

We've found there are really two kinds of PC builders today. Those who are content with Intel's "consumer" LGA1150 socket, and those who always go for the big-boy socket. Yes, these are the folks who opted for an LGA1366 instead of LGA1155, and when faced with LGA2011 or LGA1150, they went for the larger pin- and core-count again. For you, the LGA2011-V3 and Haswell-E means it's time get building with Intel's "bargain" Core i7-5820K part. This $390 chip gets you six cores without paying the $560 premium pricing Intel applied to its previous six-core processor.

With DDR4, a new chipset, and a new socket, it's time to run you through the steps and know-how you need to build a new Haswell-E rig. And what do you know, we just built and overclocked one for this month's cover story, so we decided to show you how we did it.

Not a Budget Box

This is a six-core, fire-breathing enthusiast machine meant to keep your computing needs satiated for the next 36 to 48 months. And just as you don't buy a Mercedes with manual-crank windows and AM radio, we didn't skimp here. We outfitted this rig with very nice components befitting its six-core royalty. Yes, there are ways to cut costs. If we really wanted to budget-out this baby, we could have used a cheaper case, cut the SSD size, and gone with RAM without a heat spreader. We could also notch down the GPU and ditch the optical drive, too. At that point, you might as well have built a Pentium K box.

So, we've established our intention to build a nicely configured machine, but here's the thinking behind a few of our choices. Of all the parts here, spending $60 on an optical drive may seem extravagant, but as it may be the last optical drive you own, it might as well do everything, including burning BDXL discs. The other part sure to get attention is the 500GB Samsung 840 EVO drive. With a 3TB HDD in the box, do we really need to spend that much on the SSD? Yes. With the prices today, we believe the 500GB mark is the new "normal" for primary storage.

1. LGA2011-V3 What?

E-Box step 1

Here's the PSA for folks who don't follow current events: LGA2011-V3 is not, repeat, NOT, compatible nor the same as the previous LGA2011 socket. You may snicker, but there will be people buying mobos and CPUs that are incompatible and not realize it until they've trashed the motherboard. Installing the LGA2011-V3 part isn't all that different from its predecessor. Unlatch both arms on the socket, remove the plastic cap, and line up the chip by referencing the small triangle in the corner of the CPU with the triangle on the socket or motherboard. The notches in the CPU should also line up. Now, lower the CPU into the socket without sliding it around or touching the pins in the socket, and latch it in place. Don't throw away the plastic cap. You'll need it if you have to return the board for service.

2. Because It's One Better

E-Box step 2

You don't have to put RAM in with the motherboard outside of the case, it's just a lot easier. DDR4 is the new hotness and offers eventual higher capacity and higher speeds, too. As Haswell-E features a quad-channel memory controller, you should consult your motherboard manual on which slots to put your four DIMMs in. On boards that feature latchless connectors on one side, you need to ensure the RAM is fully seated; we've botched installs by not fully seating the RAM. There is a slight curve in DDR4 modules to aid seating it, but you should still make sure RAM is fully seated—it's the typical rookie builders mistake. You should also now install the back plate that comes with the cooler, too.

3. Put In Your Foundation

E-Box step 3

You're now ready to install the board. First, install the I/O shield in the case firmly. Now, count how many mounts are in the case and make sure they are properly torqued down and cannot unscrew. The mounts should match the number of holes in your motherboard. Screw down the motherboard and begin connecting fans to available fan headers and the like. With this motherboard in particular, plug the wire from the I/O shield into the nearby header for it. This powers the nifty blue and red LEDs integrated into the I/O shield. If it bugs you, you can control this LED from within the Gigabyte utilities in the OS, which let you turn it off, turn it on, or even have it blink. You should also plug in the rest of the umbilicals you need, such as USB 3.0 and frontpanel controls. You should install your PSU now, too.

4. SATA Confusion

E-Box step 4

One of the most common mistakes is to use the wrong SATA ports. Unlike that gimpy X79 chipset that only had two native SATA 6Gb/s ports, X99 has all SATA 6Gb/s ports. Still, rooks will plug into a third-party SATA port that isn't as fast or isn't even on. We prefer to run off of the native chipset ports first because they generally perform the best and there's no need for drivers for most OSes. On this board, there's also a SATA Express port that shares the SATA ports. Don't worry about it. We haven't seen a SATA Express device yet, and storage vendors seem pretty blasé, so for now, don't sweat it. As with RAM, we recommend basic RTFM protocol before plugging in any drive. We also recommend installing the GPU after plugging in and running the SATA cables, as the card will block access to the ports.

 


 

5. Yolanda, What's Fonzie Like?

E-Box step 5

To cool this rig, we recommend mounting the radiator first so as not to put undue pressure on the hoses and motherboard. To do that, though, you'll need to put the cooler in the top of the case and hold it in place with one hand while screwing down one of the corners. Keep the rest of the screws handy, too. Once you have one corner of the rad in place, put a screw in the opposite corner from the first point you mounted it. Only after you have done this can you remove your hand from the radiator. Now, just mount the pump and cold plate to the CPU and plug it into power. As this cooler is "smart," you'll need to plug it into an available USB header and download software from NZXT's website for it, too.

6. Bezel Removal

E-Box step 6

This normally wouldn't be a step we would bother mentioning, but just this once, we wanted to let those of you who are running optical drives in your Obsidian 750Ds know how to remove the bezel. If you're like us and can't read the manual, you might be tempted to pry off the front of the case, but hold back a sec as it's actually easier than that. The bezels are held in place rather tightly but can be removed by reaching inside the case and squeezing the two arms that secure it while pushing it out. It may seem like overkill but it's better than bezels that pop out every time you look at them too hard. With it out, just slide in your ODD. Also add your SSD and HDD and plug them into power and data.

7. Overclock It

E-Box overclock

With this CPU and a nice liquid cooler, there's simply no reason not to overclock it. To start our overclock, we first consulted the Internets to get an idea of what others were getting from their retail CPUs and what methods they were using. Haswell-E has an additional "gear" or "strap" that allows you to run the b-clock at higher than a standard Haswell chip's 100MHz, such as 125MHz. We, unfortunately, didn't get very far with that method and so, with the clock ticking on our build, we fell back on a basic Turbo Boost overclock. To do that, we went into the Advanced CPU Core settings in the UEFI and manually set the turbo ratios based on the core loads. To hit our overclocks, we also increased the core voltage to 1.296 volts.

8. Validate!

E-box validate

Validation of an overclock's stability is always an open debate. Is running your favorite game enough? We initially reached for our old standby: Prime95. We know board makers don't recommend it as it's "too stressful," but, for a quick test that gets you into the ballpark, we rely on it. However, it was too stressful on Haswell-E within a few minutes. Still needing to vet our settings, we used AIDA64 Extreme set to FPU mode and completed multiple runs. We'll note a recommended AIDA64 by some is 12 hours. When you're looking at 100MHz increments that means days of testing. We instead erred on the side of caution. We think Haswell-E can go further, but we wanted to be realistic about it, too.

Intel's "Lite" Is a Heavyweight Contender

First, let's point out something. The predecessor of the six-core Core i7-5820K is the four-core Core i7-4820K, which cost $325. When you factor in that you're getting the same core count of the $580 Core i7-4930K, this Haswell-E "Lite" is looking pretty damned good. To find out just how good, we took our zero-point system with its Sandy Bridge Core i7-3930K CPU overclocked full-time to 3.8GHz (on air) and its GeForce GTX 690 and put it against this month's build.

The result was pretty impressive. Remember, this is not a six-core chip wailing on a fourcore part—the Core i7-3930K is a six-core chip that set you back $580 in its heyday and is no slouch in multi-threaded tasks. In the singlethreaded tasks we saw the Build It with a 17 percent and 22 percent advantage. In multithread tasks the margin opens up further with a 27 percent advantage in Premiere Pro CS6 and a 29 percent advantage in the x264 HD 5.0 encoding test.

Part of that is from the clock-speed advantage. We are pushing the Build It PC to 4.2 to 4.6GHz depending on loads, which is around a 14 percent clock-speed advantage. The rest of the difference comes from the greater efficiency of the Haswell cores versus the older Sandy Bridge cores.

In gaming, the single GeForce GTX 690 is a dual-GPU card that's basically the equivalent of two GeForce GTX 680 cards in action. You can view this two ways: Man, that GeForce GTX 980 is fast if it can basically nip at the heels of a dual-GPU card that's still recognized as one of the fastest cards in town. Or, of course, you can also say: Man, that GeForce GTX 690 still packs some heat if it's faster than the GeForce GTX 980 card.

The real question is: Is it worth an upgrade? That depends on your needs. If cutting your multi-hour encodes down by a third is money saved and you want a modern chipset in X99, then yes. For many people who put down nearly $600 for a six-core Sandy Bridge part, though, that is still a viable part.

Myst to Make a Return (as a TV Series on Hulu)

Posted: 07 May 2015 10:44 AM PDT

MystBlast from the past

I remember back when optical drives were new (and expensive), there was a game called Myst that helped drive sales. The point-n-click adventure game was just too massive to fit on floppy, so if you wanted to play it, you needed a CD drive. This is the early 1990s I'm talking about here, back when adventure games were as popular as FPS titles are today. Would it surprise you that Myst is coming back? It is, just not as a video game.

According to Deadspin, Hulu has snagged the rights to Myst and is using the IP for a new drama series. Matt Tolmach (producer of The Amazing Spider-Man and Sinister) and Evan Daugherty (Divergent writer) are said to be involved in Myst's return.

The first episode will show a man waking up on an island with no recollection of who he is, where he is, how he got there, and so forth. Not exactly an original plot, though one that works with Myst.

It will be interesting to see how much interest the show attracts. Myst, while known in the geek community, particularly old school gamers, isn't a franchise that most people are likely to recognize. However, the franchise seems to be in good hands, so we'll cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Now, if only someone would pick up the rights to Sam & Max and create a TV show around that!

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Google Lets Slip Forthcoming Android M Announcement

Posted: 07 May 2015 09:39 AM PDT

Android M&MAndroid M is just around the corner

It's not really a secret that Google uses its Google I/O convention to unveil major versions of its mobile operating system known as Android. In case you were in doubt anyway, for a brief period, Google's schedule for Google I/O later this month included a mention of Android M. The sultan of search has since pulled any reference to the next Android build, but as we often say, there are no mulligans on the Internet.

The quick-fingered folks at ArsTechnica captured a screenshot of the listing before Google had a chance to yank it offline. Before it was pulled, Google's reference to Android M fell under a section titled Android for Work Update.

"Android M is bringing the power of Android to all kinds of workplaces. This opens huge new markets for hundreds of millions of devices to workers at small business, deskless workers, logistics, and warehousing jobs; all be empowered by adoption of Android devices at Work (Note: This Sandbox talk will be offered twice throughout the event. Check the schedule to confirm timings," Google wrote.

The big question is, what tasty treat will Google M be named after? So far we've had Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, KitKat, and Lollipop. It isn't known if Google will partner up again with a player in the candy industry like it did with KitKat. Perhaps Android M&M, a candy that's seen quite a bit of TV time lately.

Beyond the name, there's of course the question of what Android M will bring to the table, and unfortunately Google didn't leak out any details. So, we'll have to wait and see.

Google I/O is scheduled to run from May 27-29.

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Linksys EA8500 is First Wireless-AC Router to Support MU-MIMO

Posted: 07 May 2015 09:10 AM PDT

Linksys EA8500For multi-device networks

Linksys today announced the availability of what it claims is the industry's first MU-MIMO (multiple-user, multiple input, multiple output) enabled 802.11ac wireless router, the EA8500. Or if you prefer long product names, you can also find it listed as the Linksys Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router. No matter what you call it, the point of interest here is the router's ability to treat multiple devices as if they're all connecting to their own dedicated router.

There are routers on the market that claim they're MU-MIMO-ready, but to the best of our knowledge, all of them are still waiting on official firmware to support the feature. That's not the case with the EA8500 -- it's ready to go right out of the box.

Supporting MU-MIMO is an important part of the evolution of routers. According to Linksys, the average home now has more than eight connected devices. The router you're using now can only accommodate one of those devices at a time, meaning all the others have to get in line. You might not notice it much, if at all, because single-user MIMO routers are fast, they're just not as speedy or efficient as MU-MIMO enabled routers. Where it's probably most notable is watching a streaming video -- if the video temporarily degrades or hiccipus and there are several other devices in your home connected to the Internet, this could be a reason why.

By way of MU-MIMO, the EA8500 can dish out bandwidth to all your devices at once, so it's like they're all connecting to their own router, provided your devices also support MU-MIMO. If not, well, we suppose the EA8500 amounts to future-proofing your home network, at least to the extent that home networks can be future-proofed.

Linksys rates the EA8500 as an AC2600 router, though as we always feel the need to point out, the rating is a bit of marketing fluff because it combines the speeds of the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies -- up to 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz channel and up to 1,733Mbps on 5GHz, or 2,533Mbps. Apparently that rounds up to AC2600, but aside from that, you can't combine the total bandwidth of both channels. We're not picking on Linksys here, as all router makers have adopted this way of marketing their devices.

Other specs and features include a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU, beamforming support, four removable external antennas, four Gigabit ports, USB 3.0 port, and a combo USB 2.0/eSATA port for cloud streaming and sharing data across a network.

The Linksys EA8500 is available now for $280 MSRP.

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