General Gaming Article

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• Need a NAS for Home? Synology Launches 2 New Units
• Asus Intros Slick New ROG Maximus VIII Impact
• Newegg Daily Deals: Sceptre 27-Inch Monitor, Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD, and More!
• Linksys WRT1900ACS Router is Ready for Open Source Tinkering
• Acer Temporarily Slashes Prices on Select Windows 10 PCs
• Dell's $67 Billion EMC Acquisition is Largest Tech Deal in History
• Healthy Rig: 10 PC Maintenance Programs

Need a NAS for Home? Synology Launches 2 New Units Posted: 12 Oct 2015 04:55 PM PDT Storage expert Synology has announced that it has launched two new Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers: the DS416 and the DS216play. The former seems to be built for businesses, packing a "powerful" hardware encryption engine while the latter solution focuses on home media streaming thanks to on-the-fly 4K video transcoding. Synology says that the business-class DS416 includes a dual-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz, 1 GB of RAM, two LAN ports, three USB 3.0 ports (one on the front, two on the back), and drive bays that are both tool-less and hot-swappable . In a Windows environment and set to RAID 5, the NAS is capable of up to 221MB/s read speeds and up to 139MB/s write speeds. The transmission of encrypted data can reach up to 146MB/s (read) and 65MB/s (write). Featuring four drive bays, the NAS can become an all-in-one server, providing a solution for mail, printer and VPN services. The device also provides administration and network tools including "DNS Server, Directory Server, RADIUS Server, DHCP Server, and Log Center." The dual LAN ports include failover and Link Aggregation support, the latter of which allows both ports to work simultaneously, doubling the in/out speed. As for the consumer-class DS216play, this NAS sports a dual-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and 1GB of RAM. On a performance level in a Windows environment using a RAID 1 configuration, the NAS manages up to 107MB/s read speeds and up to 91MB/s write speeds, a bit slower than the DS416. This consumer NAS also includes a floating point unit for quicker thumbnail generation. "The built-in floating-point unit enhances the overall capability of the main CPU and is particularly advantageous in speeding up thumbnail creations when uploading a large amount of photos or videos," the company explains. Sporting only two drive bays, the DS216play supports up to 8TB drives, providing a max storage capacity of 16TB. The unit includes one USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port, and one gigabit Ethernet port. Although it doesn't provide an HDMI port, customers can stream the stored video to compatible devices like HDTVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles and so on. On the pricing and availability front, both units are shipping across the globe now. However, the company doesn't provide pricing. Instead, a list of vendors located in the United States can be found here.

Asus Intros Slick New ROG Maximus VIII Impact Posted: 12 Oct 2015 02:07 PM PDT Asus said that thanks to consumer demand, the company is introducing what it calls its "best Maximus Impact ever," the ROG Maximus VIII Impact mini-ITX motherboard. The company promises that it's no cut-down version of a larger model, packed with plenty of features that allow it to run with the larger mobo crowd. The board also comes bundled with a Fan Extension Card so that customers can tack on more fans than your average mini- ITX solution. "Maximus VIII Impact also has exclusive 5-Way Optimization that sorts all the complex settings with a click, for instant, highly-controllable performance boosts," the company explains. "This exclusive technology dynamically optimizes essential aspects of Maximus VIII Impact-based builds by monitoring real-time use, delivering superb CPU performance, everyday energy savings, ultra-stable digital power, cool and quiet fans and even networking and audio settings that are tailored for the apps currently in use." The Maximus VIII Impact is based on Intel's Z170 Express chipset and LGA 1151 socket, thus supporting Intel's sixth-generation processors. The board includes the company's Pro Clock technology for pushing base-clock frequencies, a vertically-mounted Impact Power III full-scale voltage-regulator module, and support for pushing DDR4 memory modules past overclocked speeds of 4133MHz. The gigabit ports are supplied by Intel, which are in turn managed by LANGuard and GameFirst technologies that prioritize game-based network traffic. According to a list of specifications, the board provides two DIMM slots for up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, an integrated Intel HD graphics processor, one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, four SATA 3 slots, one U.2 slot, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port on the back panel, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port on the back panel, four regular USB 3.0 ports on the back and two USB 3.0 ports mid-board. The Asus motherboard also provides dual-band Wireless AC connectivity and built-in Bluetooth (v4.1, 4.0LE and 3.0+HS). The audio is handled by the company's ROG SupremeFX Impact III technology. "SupremeFX Impact III represents the pinnacle of mini-ITX audio quality, featuring the best gaming-audio inputs and outputs, color-coded LEDs to guide to the right audio jacks, and a collection of carefully-selected professional-grade audio components, including an ESS ES9023P digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with Hyperstream technology, ultra-low-jitter clock, Nichicon capacitors, 2VRMS headphone amp, and Sonic SenseAmp that automatically detects and optimizes any headset between 32 and 600ohms for the purest sound quality," the company says. Asus did not provide pricing or availability, so keep your eyes peeled when shopping for a motherboard on Amazon, Newegg and other Asus distributors.

Newegg Daily Deals: Sceptre 27-Inch Monitor, Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD, and More! Posted: 12 Oct 2015 01:38 PM PDT Top Deal: If you hook up a $500 PC to Vizio's new 120-inch Reference Series 4K TV, you'll only be looking at spending $130,500! We know, we know, who could pass up a deal like that? Call us crazy, but what if we told you there was a display out there that costs less $100,000? Well, there is, and it happens to be today's top deal -- a Sceptre E275W-1920 27-inch Monitor for $155 with free shipping (normally $170 - use coupon code: [EMCKAKN28]). It has a 1920x1080 resolution, 5:000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 5ms response time, and built-in speakers. What more could you want for less than a hundred grand? Other Deals: HP 250 G4 15.6-inch Laptop - Intel Core i5-5200U Dual-core 2.20 GHz 4 GB Memory 500 GB HDD Windows 7 Professional for $460 with free shipping (normally $503 - use coupon code: [EMCKAKN25]) Samsung 850 EVO 2.5-inch 120GB SATA III 3-D Internal SSD for $55 with free shipping (normally $64 - use coupon code: [EMCKAKN24]) Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5-inch Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive for $45 with free shipping (normally $50 - use coupon code: [ESCKAKN22]) Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (2 x 4GB) Desktop Memory Model for $36 with free shipping (normally $44 - use coupon code: [EMCKAKN23])

Linksys WRT1900ACS Router is Ready for Open Source Tinkering Posted: 12 Oct 2015 11:11 AM PDT Do you scoff at stock firmware? We still regard the Linksys WRT1900AC as one of the best and fastest routers available, though if you're eyeing that model, there's a new version available with more memory and a faster processor. It's the WRT1900ACS, which is essentially an improved version of the WRT1900AC. The new model boasts a 1.6GHz dual-core processor, an upgrade over its predecessor's 1.2GHz chip; 128MB of flash memory (same as before); 512MB of DDR3 RAM, which is two times as much as the WRT1900AC; and eSATA and USB ports. These routers are throwbacks to the fan favorite WRT54G, both in style and in terms of supporting third-party firmware. Linksys said it collaborated with Marvell and OpenWrt.org to ensure full open source support in the latest version of OpenWrt's Chaos Calmer release (15.05) at launch. "We improved on the original WRT1900AC because we were able to incorporate better components such as a faster processor to make the router perform at higher clock speeds and providing more RAM for advanced users," said Mike Chen, vice president product management and engineering for Linksys. "Adding more memory enables our customers to build more off the open source platform as well as enabling us to provide more enhancements in firmware as we innovate and create more features." This is a dual-band router that supports up to 1300Mbps on the 5GHz band and up to 600Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. It also has a built-in 4-port Gigabit switch (pretty common these days), three spatial streams, four external antennas, beamforming support, WPA2 security, and a host of other bullet points. Pricing for the WRT1900AC is set at $230. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Acer Temporarily Slashes Prices on Select Windows 10 PCs Posted: 12 Oct 2015 10:30 AM PDT Why pay full price? Need a new laptop? If so, you might want to check out a few systems that Acer just marked down, the cheapest of which is $550, down from $650. That's the temporary new price for its Aspire Switch 11 V, a convertible notebook with an 11.6-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) display, Intel Core M-5Y10c processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB solid state drive, 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0 and 2.0 connectivity (one each), HDMI output, and a 2-cell battery. The second item Acer marked down is the Aspire V3-574TB-749V, now priced at $800 instead of $900. It's a traditional laptop with a 15.6-inch HD (1366x768) display powered by an Intel Core i7-5500U processor. It also has 16GB of DDR3L RAM, 1TB hard drive, Nvidia GeForce GTX 940M graphics, SD card slot, DVD burner, 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0, GbE LAN, two USB 3.0 ports ,a single USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, and a 4-cell battery. Finally, there's the Aspire R7-371T-70NY, a convertible notebook that's been marked down from $1,500 to $1,300. This one's sporting a 13.3-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display, Intel Core i7-5500U processor, 8GP of LPDDR3 memory, 512GB SSD (2x256GB in RAID 0), 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, a single USB 2.0 port, HDMi output, and a 4-cell battery. It also comes with a stylus. All of the above ship with Windows 10. Fist bump to WindowsCentral for the heads up on the sale, which is valid in the U.S. until October 18. You can find all three systems here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Dell's $67 Billion EMC Acquisition is Largest Tech Deal in History Posted: 12 Oct 2015 09:53 AM PDT An expensive virtual play Michael Dell just made history by orchestrating a deal for Dell and private-equity partner Silver Lake to buy EMC, a cloud and data storage outfit. It's the biggest deal of all time in the tech industry. It was only two years ago that Michael bought back the company he founded for $24.9 billion, also with the help of Silver Lake. He immediately took Dell private so that he could make swift business decisions without having to answer to a board, which might have otherwise wrestled with the idea of buying EMC for such a hefty sum. Under terms of the deal, EMC shareholders will receive $24.05 per share in cash in addition to tracking stock linked to a portion of EMC's economic interest in VMWare. All tallied, EMC shareholders are looking at a combined consideration of $33.15 per EMC share. "The combination of Dell and EMC creates an enterprise solutions powerhouse bringing our customers industry leading innovation across their entire technology environment. Our new company will be exceptionally well-positioned for growth in the most strategic areas of next generation IT including digital transformation, software-defined data center, converged infrastructure, hybrid cloud, mobile and security," said Mr. Dell. Dell will take EMC private once the deal is finalized. VMware, of which EMC owns a a controlling 81 percent stake, will remain a publicly traded company. This is obviously a big move for Dell. It also underscores just how aggressively Dell is trying to be a leader in the enterprise market with a focus on data storage and security. According to USA Today, this deal makes Dell the third largest enterprise technology firm by revenue behind HP and IBM. "I'm tremendously proud of everything we've built at EMC – from humble beginnings as a Boston-based startup to a global, world-class technology company with an unyielding dedication to our customers," said Joe Tucci, chairman and chief executive officer of EMC. "But the waves of change we now see in our industry are unprecedented and, to navigate this change, we must create a new company for a new era. I truly believe that the combination of EMC and Dell will prove to be a winning combination for our customers, employees, partners and shareholders." Michael Dell will navigate those "waves of change" as chairman and CEO of EMC, replacing Tucci. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Healthy Rig: 10 PC Maintenance Programs Posted: 12 Oct 2015 12:00 AM PDT Ten software solutions for maintaining a healthy PC Over the last several weeks we've taken a look at programs that you should install on Windows 10, along with a number of tools that will keep the Windows platform safe. This time around, we're taking a peek at programs that aim to keep the platforms in peak health. More specifically, the following "maintenance" programs are designed to provide better defragmentation of the hard drive, keep the crap out of your browser, and remove excess junk from your rig's storage. Sure, Windows has built-in tools to handle these tasks, but the following programs promise to do a better job without breaking the operating system. They're all also free to download and use, and lead the way for premium products that provide even more tools for an added price. In our opinion, you should be just fine using the free products, but if you have a little cash burning a hole in your wallet, by all means check out the premium perks. CCleaner We've mentioned CCleaner in software roundups before, a free tool from Piriform that promises a faster computer by cleaning up unused files and unnecessary settings that typically bog down the hard drive. The tool also promises privacy protection by deleting cookies and the search history in your browser, making you anonymous on the Web. This is where users can uninstall programs, edit the startup, restore the system to a previous point, and so on. This is the registry cleaner. Remember to back up your registry before you make any changes. The company offers two premium versions of this tool: the $25 Professional version, which adds real-time monitoring, automatic updates, and premium technical support; and the Professional Plus version, which costs $40, and adds file recovery and disk defragmentation to the menu. Clean Master for PC and Android This is a simple tool for cleaning your machine, such as emptying the web cache and system cache. Clean Master also throws out the video and audio "junk," social software junk (Skype, Facebook, more), other software junk created by your favorite programs like Steam and Battle.net, registry junk, and online games junk. This simple application only has one job; all you have to do is click on the "Clean Now" button.  As the image shows, all the junk left behind by your favorite software can add up! In addition to the Windows PC tool, there's a version for Android that features an ignore list, a one-tap boost for killing "rogue" apps that are running in the background, automatic cache cleaning, an app manager, and antivirus. Disk Defrag Free Here's a free defragmentation solution that promises better management than the default defrag tool offered in Windows. Developed by Auslogics, Disk Defrag Free boasts an "ultra-fast" defragmentation engine. The software also defrags in real time, checks for disk errors and makes repairs, and is capable of defragging a single file or folder. As shown above, users can change the way the cluster map appears in the program. Other features include a customizable disk map appearance, "special algorithms for VSS-enabled drives," and consolidation of free space. The software even optimizes the file system as well, putting those files in the faster part of the disk. Driver Booster 3 Free Developed by IObit, the company says that Driver Booster 3 Free supports over 200,000 drivers and devices from more than 3,000 driver factory brands. This tool's main function is to help users find the correct driver for their GPU, audio chip, network chip, printer, mouse, and so on. These drivers can be found and installed with a simple click of the mouse, providing a better gaming or streaming experience. This free software will show both your outdated and up-to-date software and drivers. There's also a Pro version of this tool set, which costs $23 and provides a long list of additional features such as an unlocked speed limit (the free version download is locked at a specific speed), the ability to download and install drivers while the system is idle, free technical support on demand, updates for outdated and rare drivers, and more. Eraser Eraser is open-source and free to use under the GNU General Public License. According to the developer, this software completely removes sensitive data by overwriting it several times using "carefully selected patterns." Eraser's settings include the method used to erase data, the default drive, and more. There's not much more to tell about this tool; it's task-based and erases "files, folders, and their previously deleted counterparts." Eraser works on Windows XP (SP3) to Windows 8, and Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012. Take note that this is not a tool for novice users. Glary Utilities 5 Here's another all-in-one tool for cleaning your PC. The suite includes one-click maintenance that keeps the tools up to date including a registry cleaner, a shortcuts fixer, spyware remover, temporary files cleaner, startup manager, and more. The suite also provides advanced tools such as registry repair, a duplicate file finder, an uninstall manager, a context menu manager, and an empty folders finder. Shown above is the Optimize & Improve section featuring a startup manager, disk defrag, and more. Glary Utilities will tell you when software needs to be updated. Want the Pro version? It costs $28 for one year and features free technical support, live coverage running in the background, automatic cleaning, and automatic updates. Recuva This tool is made by the same company that brought you CCleaner. In a nutshell, Recuva will recover files that were accidentally deleted in a Windows environment. Recovery can be made from most devices, including hard drives, SD cards, USB sticks, and so on… even damaged disks. The tool also has an "advanced" deep scan mode that will find undeleted files that are buried on a storage device, and a file erase tool that makes sure a deleted file is gone for good. Recuva offers a simple mode, and an advanced mode for more experienced users. There's a professional version that costs $25, which includes the file recovery as well as virtual hard drive support, automatic updates, and "premium" technical support. SlimCleaner Free This suite by SlimWare Utilities uses what the company calls a crowd-sourced approach. According to SlimWare, the tool "uses aggregated-cloud feedback to recommend optimal settings for programs, start-ups and services." Slim Cleaner is also based on "authoritative ranking," meaning that user ratings are accurate and not fabricated. SlimCleaner's Optimization panel, shown above, can help speed up the Windows startup process. SlimCleaner relies on the community to determine whether your software is the real deal, not malware. This tool includes a disk cleaner, an uninstaller, a software updater, an "intelligent" disk defrag tool, additional disk tools, and an SSD optimizer. There's even a duplicate file finder, several Windows tools, and a scanner that seeks out programs that hijack a computer. Spybot – Search & Destroy We've mentioned Spybot in a few other lists, but we can't help but list this software again, as it keeps your PC running optimally by getting rid of pesky malware and unwanted cookies (munch munch). The free tool scans and eliminates malware and rootkits, blocks malicious websites, and immunizes the system. Other features include startup tools and weekly updates. Spybot offers many tools, including means to delete temporary files and delete tracking cookies. The Home version costs $14 per year and includes live protection, anti-virus, multi-core processor support, and a few other tools. The Professional version, which costs $26 per year, features everything in the Home version and more, such as iPhone app scanning, system registry repair, and a secure shredder. WinUtilities Free Edition Here's an all-in-one tool provided by YL Software. The free suite includes a registry cleaner that gets rid of bad registry entries, a registry optimizer that defrags and rebuilds the registry, and a disk cleaner and a defrag tool to help speed up your system. There's also a memory optimizer, a Windows optimizer, file recovery, recycle bin shredding, and more. WinUtilities privacy and security tools include a browser cleaner, a file shredder, and a way to undelete files. Naturally, there's a Pro edition that includes free technical support, one-click maintenance, and "enhanced" tools like a duplicate file finder, a file recovery utility, and more. A personal license costs $23 per year or $33 for a lifetime license. The company also provides family and corporate licenses. That's it for our list of maintenance tools. You've likely heard of a few listed here and hopefully have discovered a number of new, useful tools. The good news is that if you want to go with a premium version of any of these packages, the pricing isn't totally insane. That said, this is by no means an exhaustive list of PC maintenance software, but we wanted to share some of our favorites. Is your favorite not covered in our list? Tell us about it in the comments.

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