General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Newegg Daily Deals: Lenovo IdeaPad 100, WD Red 2TB NAS HDD, and More!

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 11:24 AM PST

Lenovo IdeaPad

Top Deal:

Remember when Steve Jobs tried to declare the post PC era? We laughed, you laughed, and the PC market kept chugging along. Then more recently Tim Cook said essentially the same thing, wondering why anyone would buy a traditional PC instead of an iPad Pro. We laughed again, you laughed again, and the PC market is still chugging along. Assuming you haven't bought into Apple's nonsense mantra, there are some bargains to be had in PC land, such as today's top deal for a 15.6-Inch Lenovo IdeaPad 100 80QQ00E6US Laptop for $360 with free shipping (normally $500). This little HD (1366x768) beauty is toting an Intel Core i5-5200U processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB HDD, and Windows 10 Home 64-bit. Remember when underpowered netbooks used to cost around the same as this thing? Ah, progress!

Other Deals:

WD Red 2TB NAS Desktop Hard Disk Drive - Intellipower SATA 6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-inch for $80 with free shipping (normally $90 - use coupon code: [ESCKNKT22])

Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card for $300 with free shipping (normally $350; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

EVGA 850W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Power Supply for $115 with free shipping (normally $140; additional $30 Mail-in rebate)

WD Blue 500GB Mobile 7.00mm Hard Disk Drive - 5400 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5-inch for $40 with free shipping (normally $45 - use coupon code: [ESCKNKT23])

MSI's CPU Guard Aims to Prevent Skylake Processors from Bending

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 11:13 AM PST

Strengthening Skylake

MSI CPU Guard

MSI has come up with a metal bracket for socket 1151 motherboards that it claims will help prevent Skylake processors from bending underneath heavy heatsinks.

Called "CPU Guard 1151," the metal bracket installs around the socket area. It's designed to strengthen the corners of the CPU to withstand more vertical pressure, as there have been reports of heavier heatsinks bending Intel's 6th generation Core processors.

It's something we experienced firsthand. Intel used a thinner substrate for its Skylake CPUs compared to previous generation processors like Haswell. It's not an imperceptible difference -- you can see with the naked eye that Skylake CPUs are thinner than Haswell when holding the two next to each other.

Intel maintains that even though the substrate is thinner, Skylake CPUs are rated for 50 pounds (22.6kg) of static pressure for mounting coolers, which is unchanged from Haswell.

It appears that some cooler makers might not have stayed within spec, as this was never an issue before. However, there have been multiple reports of Skylake CPUs bending under the pressure of certain heatsinks, most notably in the corners. In some cases, even the pins in the motherboard socket bend out of shape.

Whether not Intel goes back to a thicker substrate remains to be seen. In the meantime, MSI's CPU Guard might be an option if you're worried about bending your Skylake chip. MSI also says it's an appropriate solution for anyone who opts to pop the integrated heat spreader (IHS) off of their Skylake CPU, a practice known as delidding.

"Besides protecting your CPU, the CPU Guard 1151 is also the perfect tool for anyone looking to delid their 6th generation Intel processor," MSI said. "When re-applying the IHS, the design of the CPU Guard 1151 tightly locks the HIS ensuring it will stay in its place and you will never have to worry about optimal thermal performance or it moving."

According to MSI, its CPU Guard was used in a recent overclocking event that helped overclockers break world records with Skylake.

MSI didn't say when the CPU Guard will be available or for how much.

Microsoft Makes Windows 10 Upgrade Seem Mandatory

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 10:44 AM PST

Getting pushy with pop-ups

Windows 10 Upgrade Popup

Some ideas are just bad, there's no two ways about it. One such idea is to splash older Windows systems with popups that implore users to upgrade to Windows 10 with seemingly two options, "Upgrade now" or "Upgrade tonight."

Where's door number three, the one that says, "I think I'll stay put on my current version of Windows, thank you very much," you ask? It's the familiar "X" in the upper-right corner, which closes the pop-up.

Fair enough, or is it? Less savvy users might not realize that clicking the X and dismissing the pop-up is (A) an option and (B) that by clicking it, they won't ruin their eligibility to upgrade to Windows 10 for free sometime later, when they're ready (upgrades to Windows 10 from Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 are free for the first year, and we're only 5 months in).

Microsoft's pushy pop-up is causing a bit of a ruckus on the web, and understandably so. The popup makes it seem as though users have two choices, which is really just one choice, that being to upgrade to Windows 10. We happen to like Windows 10, but there are legitimate reasons why users might want to stick with an older version of Windows.

Windows 10 Upgrade Now

Not all popups show the same options. On one of my machines that hasn't yet been upgraded to Windows 10, I saw a popup with only the the "Upgrade now" button. There are reports around of the web of others seeing the same thing, which puts an even greater amount of unnecessary pressure on less savvy users.

It's a shame that Microsoft is embarking down such an aggressive path. Yes, Windows 10 is the future and Microsoft is going all-in with what it says will be the last monolithic version of Windows ever, one that unites devices from different product categories. But making it seem as though users don't have a choice in the matter is a cheap tactic that reflects poorly on the company and product.

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Firefox Browser Brings 64-Bit Goodness to Windows in Stable Form

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 10:01 AM PST

At long last

Firefox Downloads

It's taken a long time, but Mozilla has finally released a 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows in non-beta form.

Mozilla had previously offered 64-bit builds of Firefox for Mac OS X and Linux, but this is the first time it's been available in stable form for users of Windows 7 and above.

That said, there are some limitations in transitioning from 32-bit to 64-bit.

"Firefox 64-bit for Windows, by design, has limited support for plugins and users will notice that certain sites requiring plugins that worked in previous 32-bit versions of Firefox might not work in this 64-bit version. As we've shared previously, Mozilla intends to remove support for most NPAPI plugins in Firefox by the end of 2016," Mozilla stated in a blog post.

It's been an interesting road up to this point. Mozilla's been toying with 64-bit flavors of Firefox in Windows for nearly a decade, but none of the previous builds ever graduated out of beta. Some even stalled in alpha, and for a short period in 2012, Mozilla made the decision to stop developing a 64-bit version altogether.

More recently, Mozilla promised to deliver a 64-bit build of Firefox for Windows by the end of the year, and here it is with just over two weeks to spare.

So, what's the payoff for downloading the 64-bit build? Just like the 64-bit version of Windows, Firefox can properly address more than 4GB of RAM. Casual users aren't likely to notice a difference in performance, though in theory, the 64-bit build should allow for more tabs to be open without taking a performance hit.

Beyond that, developers should be able to build more complex web goodies, including games, though for now the biggest payoff is being able to say, "Hey, I'm running a 64-bit version of Firefox!" Awesomesauce.

The 64-bit version is introduced in Firefox 43, which also brings about Private Browsing with Tracking Protection, improved API support for m4v video playback, the ability to choose search suggestions from the Awesome bar, and a few other new features.

Be advised that n-place upgrades will keep you on the 32-bit build. To grab the 64-bit version of Firefox, go the download page and click the 64-bit download arrow next to your language of choice (or just click here for English).

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Microsoft 'Sorry' for Surface Book, Pro 4 Issues

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 06:40 AM PST

Surface Pro 4 Stock

Nearly two months have passed since Microsoft released the Surface Book and Surface Pro 4, and while these devices have received mostly positive reviews from the critics, many customers are flooding Microsoft's forums with hardware and software complaints. The problems are apparently serious and numerous, prompting Microsoft to issue a public apology for the state of the two Surfaces.

"For those of you who've had a less-than-perfect experience, we're sorry for any frustration this has caused," the company said on Friday. "Please know that we're reading your comments and hearing you loud and clear. Your input is incredibly valuable in helping us address your questions with timely updates and fixes."

Over the past several months, there have been reports that some units are experiencing a battery drain while in sleep mode. Other problems include display driver error messages, boot problems, random crashes, and flickering screens. Microsoft has been working to address the issues and has already published a number of updates via Windows Update.

Unfortunately, for those with the Surface Pro 4 and the energy guzzling problem, the fix may not arrive until next year. A Microsoft representative recently said that the company was aware that the device doesn't go into its deepest sleep even before it shipped. Thus until a fix is provided, owners of both devices are given the option of  putting them into hibernate mode to keep the guzzling at a minimum.

"A big thanks to all of our customers for your open and candid feedback on Surface Book and Surface Pro 4," the apology says.

A Microsoft spokesperson told Engadget that the company is aware of a "small set" of Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 customers who are experiencing issues. An engineering team has been assigned to get updates out as quickly as possible. The spokesperson said Microsoft will utilize the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book support forums to communicate directly to customers when information becomes available to share.

Technolust: Razer Seiren Pro, Pioneer XDP-100R, and Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2

Posted: 16 Dec 2015 12:00 AM PST

Take your audio to the next level

For Technolust, we tend to feature gear that's slightly out of reach. Even our reach. Hardware that we've come into contact with only briefly or maybe an item we've tracked since it was little more than rumor. The important thing is that we're smitten. 

My first entry into this Technolust is slightly different in that I've actually used it. In fact I've had it on my desk for a while, but I still want one to call my own. The other two items I'm lusting after have also been in the office, but have since been whisked back to their point of origin, leaving a surprising hole in my audio life. 

Luckily, 'tis  the season for presents, so there's a chance some overly generous family member will see this as my festive wish-list. You never know….

Razer Seiren Pro

Seiren Pro

We've looked at the Razer Seiren Pro ($250) in a recent issue of Maximum PC (January 2016, Vol 21, No. 1), so I won't go over the same ground covered by that review. What I will say that I fell in love with it the moment I slid its impressively solid form out of the box. As with plenty of other hardware that we've featured in Technolust, the Seiren Pro gets the end user experience spot on, right from the start. It's reassuringly weighty and solidly built—pretty much an essential attribute for any large peripheral that's going to sit in a prominent place on your desk and handle the knocks and bangs of daily use, as well as online streaming misuse.

As far as quality of recording goes—which, let's face it, is pretty important in a microphone—I don't think I've ever seen anything approaching it at anything like consumer pricing. The different recording patterns help block out unwanted background noise, while the high-pass filter produces a natural, rounded sound bereft of background hum that is so easy to spot on oh-so-many streams.

We managed to grab the Shock Mount and the Pop Filter when we looked at this premium microphone, and it really is the little things that make all the difference here—lifting an already excellent piece of hardware to legendary status. The difference the Pop Filter makes is particularly impressive—cutting out a lot of the background hiss that is present in a busy working office. What I didn't realize though, is how much background noise there is near my home PC. I wasn't aware I was plagued with the hum of fans until I recorded with it present. Once you've recorded with a Pop Filter in place, with the high-pass filter on, it really is hard to go back to a bare microphone.

What does the Seiren Pro do that a normal microphone doesn't?

It's all about quality. I've watched enough Twitch and YouTube streamers to know which ones care about audio and which treat it as an afterthought. The end results always speak for themselves. Good quality audio just grabs you so much more, and when you're trying to keep people watching your stream, it's best not to give them reasons to leave. The fact that the Seiren Pro cuts out a lot of the background hums and annoying noises makes it the choice of pros here.

Pioneer XDP-100R

Pioneer XDP-100R

Of all the subjects that get people animated, audio tends to be a biggie. While many of us make do with whatever audio we can throw at our earholes, there are enough audiophiles out there to keep our sonic appreciation honest. I wouldn't normally count myself in the audiophile segment, but having recently listened to familiar songs in high-resolution audio (HRA) on the Pioneer XDP-100R ($699), I'm beginning to see what all the fuss is about.

If you haven't listen to any HRA yet, then I urge you to do so. It's a similar improvement over standard audio as the CD was to cassette tapes. I still remember the hyperbole at the time—"hear music the way it was supposed to be heard" they said, "every subtle nuance bringing new life to songs you know and love." And for a while the general populace was amazed. Music sounded great, and large sums of money was handed over to get strangely flaky gear that took up a startling amount of space and electricity.

And then everything got cheap and small and MP3s took over. Sure, they didn't sound as good, suffered from over-compression and generally did little for the source it was taken from. But MP3s won out, because they were convenient. You didn't have to anchor yourself to a large pile of gear to get a decent stereo hit, you could throw it on small players, or even your cell and enjoy audio on the go (back to the Sony Walkmans of my youth).

The reason I mention all of this is because my brief tryst with Pioneer's XDP-100R brought that transition rushing back. Going from run-of-the-mill ubiquitous audio to enjoying HRA was a revelation. The clarity is amazing. Songs I've listened to for years feel fresh and intricate. Of course, it helped that I was focusing purely on the music again, but having tried out the XDP-100R for a little while, it does bring refreshing clarity even when commuting or going for a head-clearing stroll.

The slightly austere aluminum body feels solid in your hand and packs all the features we'd want from such a player. It features a 1280x720 screen and runs Android 5.1.1. This last point means it supports the likes of Tidal, Deezer, Spotify and Apple Music, among others. Format support is impressive, covering lowly MP3s all the way up to DSD and 24-bit/192KHz FLAC/WAV playback.

You get 32GB of internal storage as standard, but it also boasts a pair of Micro SDXC slots, each one capable of supporting 128GB cards (or even SanDIsk's 200GB little wonders), to give you a maximum capacity of 288GB (or 432GB). Importantly, the XDP-100R will support Meridian's MQA playback after a firmware update in 2016, which means that when the new standard sees widespread adoption, this becomes a great way of listening to all of your music. 

What does the Pioneer XDP-100R do that's so special?

High Resolution Audio is going to be big, and the thing that will make it big is Meridian's MQA, and currently this is one of the few devices that has promised support. There are plenty of other players out there, but this is one of the few I've tried. You will need a decent set of headphones to get the most from it as well though, which brings us nicely on to the next item in my Technolust….

Bower & Wilkins P5 Series 2

Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2

There are plenty of reasons to splash out a decent set of headphones, but getting ready for the high-resolution audio revolution seems as good as any other. We've always tended to favor a proper set of cans over a more gaming-oriented headset here on Maximum PC, simply because the quality tends to be so much better, and all without the heavy accent on bass that seems to ruin so many otherwise reasonable options.

There are a few things that headphones have to get right for me to consider them to be honest—I've tried plenty in my time, and it constantly amazes me how many fall at the first hurdle. In the office I had an aging set of bargain Sennheisers that lasted far longer than they should have, simply because the balance between comfort and sound was really hard to beat. Even in much, much more expensive offerings. I finally had to replace them with a Steelseries headset simply because the Sennheisers finally succumbed to years of abuse.

The Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 are light and surprisingly comfortable—a not-inconsiderable point, because not only do I suffer from having a slightly larger than normal head (lots of headphones simply don't fit), but these are "on ear" headphones, which means that they don't cup your whole ear like some headphones do, but instead press against them. The fact that I found them comfortable is amazing, because I also have large ears and wear glasses, but didn't feel like they were trying to force the arms of my glasses into my head. They're light, too.

While they may tick my comfort box nicely enough, it's the quality of the audio that really has me returning to my current headset with a sulky disposition. The bass reproduction on the P5 Series 2s is particularly wonderful, boasting plenty of power but with a natural clarity and tightness—something that is highlighted even further when listening to a high-resolution source. In fact, I'd go as far to say that the bass reproduction is reason enough to splurge on what is admittedly an expensive set of headphones.

Obviously, the bass is just part of the sound and the overall sound reproduction is really what's important, and here I simply loved what these headphones did for my music. And while $299 isn't exactly cheap, this is honestly not a lot to ask for what is an incredible headset. One recommendation would be to stick with this "wired" set as opposed to the wireless variety, but that's just down to my experience of having audio cut out for the simplest of reasons.

What does the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Series 2 do that's so special?

You've undoubtedly got at least one set of headphones already. I'm sure they do a reasonable job when it comes to listening to YouTube videos and possibly playing games, but do yourself a favor and grab a proper set of headphones to see what all the fuss is about. While audiophiles have long talked about the difference good-quality equipment can make, when it comes to headphones, they're spot on the money. These aren't even really that expensive, especially when it comes to giving your music a new lease of life. Go on, 'tis the season to be jolly and all that.
Posted by Shri Krishna

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