General Gaming Article |
- Newegg Daily Deals: Four Kingston SSDNow V300 120GB SSDs, Corsair 750W PSU, and More!
- Bah Humbug! Microsoft Turns into Scrooge, Downgrades OneDrive Storage Tiers
- Microsoft Gives OEMs One Final Year to Sell Windows 7 PCs
- Zotac Formally Introduces NEN Steam Machine with Skylake Inside
- Roccat's Modular Kiro Gaming Mouse Uses Hot-Swappable Buttons
- Brand New Star Trek Series Heads to CBS All Access in 2017
- Acer Expands Predator Line of Gaming Monitors
- Head to Head: Nexus 5X vs. Nexus 6P
| Newegg Daily Deals: Four Kingston SSDNow V300 120GB SSDs, Corsair 750W PSU, and More! Posted: 03 Nov 2015 01:14 PM PST Top Deal: It's common knowledge that swapping a hard drive for a solid state drive can significantly improve performance in just about any PC, but what if you have multiple systems to upgrade? You can prioritize the upgrades and tackle them as your budget allows, or check out today's top deal -- it's for Four Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB Solid State Drives for $165 with free shipping (normally $200). Yes, that's FOUR SSDs. The only thing you have to figure out is how to allocate them, be it four different setups, a RAID array, as stocking stuffers, etc. Other Deals: Asus Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1/USB 3.1 LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Intel Motherboard for $195 with $4 shipping (normally $225 - use coupon code: [1101NPOWER04]; additional $25 Mail-in rebate) Corsair 750W 80 Plus Platinum Certified Full Modular Power Supply for $130 with free shipping (normally $160) Asus RT-AC52U Dual-Band AC750 Wireless Router for $60 with free shipping (normally $68 - use coupon code: [1101NPOWER105]; additional $10 Mail-in rebate) Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Intel Core i7 CPU 8GB RAM 256GB Storage 12.0-inch Tablet PC for $1149 with free shipping (normally $1227) |
| Bah Humbug! Microsoft Turns into Scrooge, Downgrades OneDrive Storage Tiers Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:59 PM PST Being stingy with storage Microsoft's already getting into the holiday spirit, I just wish it picked a different character to portray than Ebenezer Scrooge. I'm talking about the version that comes off as a miserable tightwad rather than the merry character that emerges after a visit with various ghosts. Prompting the comparison are changes Microsoft's making to its OneDrive storage tiers. First and foremost, it's reneging on its promise of unlimited cloud storage for Office 365 subscribers and capping them off at 1TB. Why? Well, it turns out that when you offer unlimited storage, some people actually take advantage of it. Go figure! "Since we started to roll out unlimited cloud storage to Office 365 consumer subscribers, a small number of users backed up numerous PCs and stored entire movie collections and DVR recordings," Microsoft lamented in a blog post. "In some instances, this exceeded 75 TB per user or 14,000 times the average. Microsoft isn't interested in aiding a small number of users with "extreme backup scenarios" and instead says it wants to "remain focused on delivering high-value productivity and collaboration experiences that benefit the majority of OneDrive users." Bottom line? Office 365 subscribers will have a 1TB cap beginning "early 2016." Those who've already uploaded more than 1TB will be notified of the change and have "at least 12 months" to find an alternative. Don't like it? Too bad, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Or in Microsoft's words, "If you are an Office 365 consumer subscriber and find that Office 365 no longer meets your needs, a pro-rated refund will be given." On the opposite end of the spectrum, Microsoft is lowering the storage allotment for freeloaders from 15GB to 5GB. The change affects both current and new OneDrive users. In addition, the 15GB camera roll bonus that Microsoft offers will also be discontinued. Finally, Microsoft is doing away with its 100GB and 200GB paid plans for new users. In its place will be a 50GB plan that runs $1.99 per month, which like the rest of the changes will go into effect in early 2016. At least in this case, existing subscribers to the 100GB and 200GB plans can continue forward as if nothing's changed. "OneDrive has always been designed to be more than basic file storage and backup. These changes are needed to ensure that we can continue to deliver a collaborative, connected, and intelligent service. They will allow us to continue to innovate and make OneDrive the best option for people who want to be productive and do more," Microsoft says. Sorry, but I call bullshit. I understand that Microsoft may not have the storage to support a bunch of users uploading massive amounts of data from numerous PCs, but surely one of the bean counters in Redmond told the suits in charge that some users were likely to upload significantly more data than the average person. It feels like Microsoft is feigning surprise. I'm also confused by Microsoft's decision to slash its other offerings, the ones with pre-determined caps that are impossible to abuse (if you're offering 15GB, then it's not an abuse to use the full 15GB). This isn't the end of the world, but at the very least, the timing sucks. OneDrive is one of the key services Microsoft is trying to tie in with Windows 10, so why make it less attractive right as Windows 10 gains some traction? |
| Microsoft Gives OEMs One Final Year to Sell Windows 7 PCs Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:18 PM PST Fading off into the sunset PC makers like HP and Dell have until October 31, 2016 to sell PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed. After that, it's Windows 10 or bust. Microsoft quietly updated its Windows Lifecycle page to reflect the new end of sales date, which was first spotted by ZDNet. Under normal circumstance, sales of PCs with Windows 7 pre-installed would have ceased in October, 2014, two years after the release of its successor, Windows 8. However, the response to Windows 8 was lukewarm at best, so Microsoft never set an end of sales date for Windows 7 systems. Well, until now, that is. The Halloween expiration also applies to PCs with Windows 8.1. For PCs with Windows 8 pre-installed, the deadline comes a few months earlier -- June 30, 2016. Once those deadlines pass, businesses and home users wanting to purchase a PC with Windows 8, 8.1, or Windows 7 will have to take advantage of downgrade rights or Software Assurance rights with volume licensing agreements. At last count, Microsoft said there were more than 110 million devices running Windows 10. Though the adoption rate has slowed down since its first month of availability, the overall response to Windows 10 has been positive, giving Microsoft enough confidence to equip Windows 7 PCs with a pair of cement shoes and toss them in the ocean (metaphorically, folks). For good measure, Microsoft also plans to change upgrades to Windows 10 from optional to recommended updates via Windows Update next year. The move is likely to result in a lot of additional Windows 10 installs, as many users have Windows configured to automatically apply recommended updates. |
| Zotac Formally Introduces NEN Steam Machine with Skylake Inside Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:09 AM PST It's about timeZotac, an experienced player in the mini PC movement with its extensive portfolio of Zbox and Nano systems, is claiming pioneer status in the Steam Machine category. According to Zotac, it all began four years ago when Valve's Greg Coomer posted a small form factor build based on Zotac's Z68-ITX WiFi motherboard with onboard mobile graphics. "Runs Portal 2 FAST," Coomer noted in a Twitter post. "It was at this point we contacted Valve to see if they would be interested in Zotac developing a customized solution tailored specifically to become the ultimate fusion of PC and console. Since that day we have been working with Valve, incorporating input from their team and from Steam users to develop a platform to fit their needs," Zotac says. "We are proud to have been an integral partner in turning the rumors into reality, presenting the most powerful small form Steam Machine – the NEN Steam Machine." Zotac provided Maximum PC an early look at the NEN Steam Machine at GDC 2015, though back then it was simply dubbed SN970. Now it gets a formal introduction (Zbox-SN970-P-BE/U/J) as Zotac and gamers alike await the official Steam Machine launch, which is set for November 10. The NEN Steam Machine measures 8.27 inches (L) by 7.99 inches (W) by 2.45 inches (H). That's about twice the size of a standard NUC, though the graphics hardware inside is much better suited for gaming -- it's rocking a GeForcde GTX 960 GPU with 3GB of GDDR5 memory. Zotac also stuffed a quad-core Intel Core i5-6400T processor based on Skylake inside, along with 8GB of RAM (expandable to 16GB via a free DIMM slot) and a 1TB hard drive. Other specs include an available M.2 SATA SSD slot, four HDMI outputs, dual GbE LAN connectivity, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, USB 3.0 Type-C port, two USB 2.0 ports, 3-in-1 card reader, microphone input, and speaker/headphone output. The NEN Steam Box ships with Valve's Linux-based SteamOS pre-installed and comes bundled with a Steam Controller. Previously Zotac said its Steam Machine would sell for $999, though no pricing information was been included in today's introduction. |
| Roccat's Modular Kiro Gaming Mouse Uses Hot-Swappable Buttons Posted: 03 Nov 2015 10:19 AM PST A switch hitting rodent If you're a right-handed gamer, the thumb buttons belong on the left side, and if you're a left-handed gamer, the opposite is true. Gaming peripheral maker Roccat has found a way to cater to both types with the same mouse without plopping buttons on both sides (though that's an option, as we'll get into in a moment). The mouse is called Kiro and the key to its friendly-for-all approach is a modular design. Roccat includes four side pieces with the Kiro -- two with forward and backward buttons and two that are blank. These are hot-swappable buttons that you can change in-game, should the desire arise. The whole point is to allow gamers to change the handedness of the rodent, though you could also install buttons on both sides for added versatility, or install blank pieces on both sides for a basic rodent. However you choose to configure the side layout is up to you. "Kiro features an advanced, modular build that lets you change the handedness of the mouse right out of the box. Its efficient, high-comfort design comes complete with a catalog of four durable side parts, including both buttons and blanks, that let you customize your layout rapidly and get in the game right away," Roccat explains. Outside of hot-swappable side pieces, the Kiro features a "Pro Optic R2" sensor capable of up to 2,000 DPI, or up to 4,000 DPI when engaging something called overdrive mode. It also features a soft touch finish, 1,000Hz polling rate, 1ms response time, 20G acceleration, Turbo Core V2 32-bit ARM-based MCU with onboard memory, and customizable lighting effects. The Kiro will be available November 27 for $50 (MSRP). |
| Brand New Star Trek Series Heads to CBS All Access in 2017 Posted: 03 Nov 2015 09:41 AM PST Going where no previous Star Trek series has exclusively gone before Right around 50 years after the very first Star Trek episode -- The Man Trap -- aired on television, a new Star Trek series will kick off, though it's mostly going to be an exclusive for online viewing. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new Star Trek series will air its first episode on TV in January, 2017. After that, all remaining episodes will only be available through CBS All Access, the network's digital subscription video on demand (VOD) and live streaming service. "This new series will premiere to the national CBS audience, then boldly go where no first-runStar Trek series has gone before — directly to its millions of fans through CBS All Access," said Marc DeBevoise, executive VP and GM at CBS Digital Media. It's an interesting move considering Star Trek's ginormous fan base. Whether or not fans will be willing to both embrace a new cast and pay $5.99 per month for the privilege of doing so through CBS All Access remains to be seen. Some of the themes will be the same as what Star Trek fans are used to, though the upcoming series will introduce new characters and civilizations. The original Star Trek first aired on September 8, 1966. It only lasted three seasons spanning 79 episodes, though it went on to attract a cult following through syndication. There have been several Star Trek TV series and movies that would follow throughout the years, though the last Star Trek TV show was Enterprise, which last aired an original episode in 2005. Alex Kurtzman is in charge of the new series, which is currently in need of a writer. Kurtzman's resume includes co-writing the 2009 Star Trek movie with J.J. Abrams. He's also co-written and/or produced several other movies, such as Transformers, Ender's Game, and Mission Impossible III. |
| Acer Expands Predator Line of Gaming Monitors Posted: 03 Nov 2015 09:10 AM PST Acer reveals two new G-sync monitorsLooking for an Nvidia G-Sync-based monitor to complement your GeForce GPU? One of Acer's two new Predator XB1 Series displays might fit your bill. Announced today, featuring 27-inch panels packed with exclusive Acer technologies including Eye Protect and GameView, both will be made available at "leading retailers" later this month. First up is the Predator XB271HU, which the company says sports a zero-frame edge-to-edge design, allowing you to focus on what's important and immerse yourself in the game. Featuring an IPS panel, this model provides a 2560x1440 resolution, 100 percent sRGB color gamut, a 4ms gray-to-gray response time, and a brightness of 350 cd/m2. The panel also includes Nvidia's ULMB technology for reducing motion blur and a 165Hz refresh rate. Next up is the Predator XB271HK. Also sporting an IPS panel, this display rocks a meaty 3840x2160 resolution at 60Hz, 1.07 billion colors, and a brightness of 300 cd/m2. The display also features 178 degree viewing angles and a response time of 4ms. The company indicates that customers won't see any smearing or ghosting during dramatic transitions and fast-moving actions. The big news here is that both panels include Nvidia's G-Sync technology. The Nvidia chip mounted inside the display will sync with a GeForce GTX GPU and adjust the refresh rate to match the framerate the GPU is dishing out. That means screen tearing and lagging are reduced, providing much smoother gameplay. Both monitors come with an HDMI port, DisplayPort v1.2, five USB 3.0 ports (one up, four down), and two 2-watt speakers. As previously stated, they also come with Acer technologies including Eye Protect, which consists of a "flicker-less" blue-light filter. There's also low-dimming tech for decreasing eye fatigue during long gaming sessions. Acer says its GameView tech, also included in both monitors, allows the user to toggle between modes and customize them without having to hassle with the OSD Menu. Settings include a black level adjustment, aim-point assistance for those who need a little help in first-person shooters, and means to adjust the on-screen refresh rate. Available this month, the Predator XB271HU will cost $800 and the Predator XB271HK $900. |
| Head to Head: Nexus 5X vs. Nexus 6P Posted: 03 Nov 2015 12:00 AM PST Battle of the NexiSince 2010, Google has released its flagship Nexus phones at roughly a yearly cadence. Although there are tons of Android phones out there, Google's Nexus line exemplifies the company's vision for what a stock Android phone should be. This year, Google has graced us with not one Nexus, but two Nexi: The Nexus 5X, which is the true successor to the original 2013 LG-made Nexus 5, and the larger Nexus 6P, which is made by first-time Nexus manufacturer, Chinese company Huawei. The Nexus 5X (left) vs. the Nexus 6P (right) While the phones are made by different companies, they share a number of similarities. Both ship with Android 6.0, code-named Marshmallow, both offer a new fingerprint scanner on the back side, both use USB type C ports at the bottom for fast charging, both use Nano SIM cards, and in traditional Nexus fashion, both are unlocked. But for all their similarities, there are some distinct differences, too. Which device is for you? We've put the Nexi Head to Head to help you find out! DesignAt 5.2 inches, the Nexus 5X's display is a little bit bigger than the 4.9-incher of the original Nexus 5. If you've got large hands, you could probably single-hand it for most applications. It helps that the the device is still pretty light at 136 grams. In terms of audio, it features just one speaker as opposed to its bigger brother's two-speaker setup. The audio can get decently loud, but it sounds a little flat—you won't be mistaking it for high-end Bluetooth speakers. Moving to the Nexus 6P, the phone isn't as big as last year's Nexus 6, but at 5.7 inches, it is too large to use with a single hand. Fortunately, it's very thin at 7.3mm, which makes it thinner than the Nexus 5X's 7.9mm chassis. There is a horizontal bulge at the top back side of the phone, though, which Google calls "the visor." It's used primarily to house the camera's large 12.3MP sensor. The "P" in 6P stands for "premium" in Google's high-end phone. Both Nexi feature a fingerprint scanner on the back middle, which can be used to quickly unlock the phone. The front of the 6P looks a lot like an iPhone 6+, sans the circular fingerprint scanner. The dual speakers at the top and bottom of the phone sound fantastic. They offer a decent amount of volume and are arguably the best phone speakers we've ever heard. What really sets the 6P apart from the 5X is its build quality. Because we've never used anything from Huawei before, we were very curious about how the company would do with Google's top-end product, and found that the CNC-machined "aeronautical-grade" aluminum indeed feels more premium than the 5X's more plastic body. While the Nexus 5X is a little more portable and comfortable to hold, we're giving the 6P the edge here because of its more premium build quality. Winner: Nexus 6P DisplayThe Nexus 5X's 5.2-inch display uses a 1920x1080-resolution panel, which is the same resolution as the previous Nexus 5. Even with the slightly bigger screen compared to the 2013 model, the PPI is still quite high at 423 PPI. LG also employs Gorilla Glass 3 to protect the screen from scratches, and there's a smudge-resistant coating, although we were still able to see a small amount of smudging on our unit. While the screen looks nice, whites look a little more tan than they should. We have nothing negative to say about the 6P's larger 5.7 inch screen, however. With its 2560x1440-resolution AMOLED display, it's got a super high PPI of 518. It also uses Gorilla Glass 4, as opposed to the 5X's GG3 equivalent. Colors here looked vibrant and accurate. Because of this, it's easy to give the nod to the 6P. Winner: Nexus 6P SpecsThe Nexus phones have never really used the fastest components on the market, and that's still true with these Nexi. Fortunately, however, the tech specs here are more than good enough for today's Android environment. The Nexus 5X features a 64-bit 1.8GHz hexacore Snapdragon 808 processor, 2GB of low-power DDR3 RAM, and an Adreno 418 GPU. In terms of storage, SKUs come in 16 and 32GB varieties. We wish Google would do away with the 16GB SKU, as it's much too small for the average power user. Compatibility-wise, it supports 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, GPS and the like. Both the Nexus 5X, seen here, and the Nexus 6P offer a variety of color options to choose from. With a sharper screen, the Nexus 6P is going to need a beefier SOC, so Huawei packed this bad boy with a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor coupled with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM. For graphics, the 6P uses an Adreno 430 GPU. It also has the same Bluetooth and NFC bells and whistles that its smaller sibling supports. Because it has beefier components, it was able to best the 5X in all of our benchmarks from 14–59 percent! Still, don't let the numbers fool you. Both phones, coupled with Android Marshmallow, were buttery smooth and snappy in our real-world tests. Winner: Nexus 6P Battery LifeBattery life was arguably the weakest aspect of the original Nexus 5 with its 2,300mAh brick, so LG went ahead and threw in a bigger 2,700mAh model in its stead. Coupled with Doze, which is Marshmallow's battery-saving sleeping feature, the Nexus 5X improves upon its predecessor, but it's still not the longest-lasting phone out there. Google says you should be able to get nine hours of Wi-Fi time out of the device and our actual use-case scenario was very close. Through heavy real-world usage—watching videos, running benchmarks, surfing the web, using apps—we were able to go for eight hours and 45 minutes before the phone keeled over. It's certainly not bad, but won't last you all day. While Google's numbers may be fairly accurate there, the company also says that you'll be able to get four hours of use out of 10 minutes of charging over USB type C. With 10 minutes of charging, we were able to go from a two percent charge to a 17 percent charge. That's not bad, but we think you'll be hard-pressed to get four hours of real-world use out of just 15 percent. Because the 6P has the bigger chassis, it's able to squeeze in a huge 3,450mAh battery. As a result, we got a noticeable longevity boost over the 5X with our phone lasting roughly 12 hours and 45 minutes in our real-world tests. That's great, but it won't get you through an entire day of streaming Netflix non-stop, if that's what you're seeking. Going from one percent battery life and letting it charge for 10 minutes over USB C got us a 13 percent boost. In case you were wondering, it takes roughly an hour and a half to charge the 6P completely. Even though the 6P's bigger screen soaks up battery at a faster clip than the 5X's, its bigger battery makes up for it in brute strength. Winner: Nexus 6P CameraAnother area where the Nexus phones are often criticized is in the camera department. Unfortunately, neither the 5X nor the 6P have optical image stabilization. This might not matter much for still photos, but if you try to shoot video with either phone as you're walking, you'll notice how shaky they look. If you can ignore that, both cameras are fantastic and actually use the same innards. Both phones use a 12.3 megapixel sensor from Sony and feature an f/2.0 aperture. Word on the street is that the sensor was originally meant for a discreet camera and not a phone (this would explain the camera bulge on both devices). Both cameras can also shoot 4K video at 30fps and slow-motion video at 120fps. Compared to the original Nexus 5's camera, both the Nexus 5X and 6P produce much more vibrant and accurate colors. Both cameras also work better in low light, though there is still some noise when shooting at night, which is to be expected. Because both phones effectively use the same excellent camera, this category ends in a tie. Winner: Tie ConclusionIf you want a phone that runs a pure version of Android, then these Nexi fill the bill, but which one should you get specifically? Honestly, you can't go wrong with either, as they're both excellent devices and Google promises at least 18 months of updates on each one. If you're a little strapped for cash and want something you can use with one hand, than the Nexus 5X (which starts at $380 for the 16GB model) is a good choice. If you don't mind the larger size and ponying up the extra cash for the Nexus 6P (which starts at $500 for the 32GB model), than the 6P is the obvious choice. The Nexus 6P is Google's best Nexus phone yet. At the end of the day, both phones are well designed, offer a ton of features, have good displays, solid specs/battery life, and great cameras. Overall, however, we're giving the Nexus 6P the win because it pretty much does everything the Nexus 5X does, but slightly better. |
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