General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


PC Gaming Week: Maximum PC Editors' Rigs

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 02:36 PM PDT

We invite you in to check out our personal systems

In celebration of PC Gaming Week by our sister publications, we at Maximum PC thought it would be good to contribute to the cause, with an article dedicated to exploring the rigs of our editors. The bunch of us gathered together, and you could tell it was a battle of testies. Truth be told, it wasn't really about who had what system, but rather, why did things get built that way and for what purpose. We hope you'll see how diverse we are in terms of builds, and each build will be accompanied by the editor's comments, on why they put together what they did.

MaxPC Staff

In the media world, people like to talk about how we should remain unbiased. But truth be told, there's some amount of bias in everything. And you know what? That's great, because if you didn't want valuable insights and opinions, you would read an article written by a robot. Bias, under appropriate moderation, allows you as a reader to come away with a level of awareness that help lead you toward either a better buying decision, or a better understanding of what helps and what's just garbage.

We hope you enjoy reading about each of our personal rigs and the insights into why we picked the stuff we have.

If you want to jump to different systems, click one of these links to check them out:

First up: Alex Campbell, Associate Editor

CPU: AMD A8-5600K 3.6GHz
CPU cooler: ARCTIC Freezer 7 Pro
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88X-D3H
GPU: EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 1GB
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3
SSD: Kingston HyperX 3K SH103S3/120G 120GB
HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200RPM x 2, Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 6,200rpm
Audio: Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-Fi
PSU: Rosewill RX850-S-B Extreme Series 850W
Case: CM Storm Scout 2 Advanced
Keyboard: Logitech K800
Mouse: Logitech M310
Display: An unimpressive 1080p display
Accessories: None

Alex Campbell home rig

Alex Campbell's home rig.

My machine at home is a bit of a Frankenstein monster that I built in early 2014, from a combination of new-ish parts and cannibalized bits from my old desktop built in 2010. In early 2014, I was still in school finishing up my bachelor's, which was focused on photojournalism.

In case I turned photography into a business, I needed a new machine to handle some photo editing in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. I also wanted a machine that could handle some video editing. I knew my budget wouldn't be able to handle a 4K load, so I didn't even try to reach that level. Instead, I focused on making sure I had enough storage to keep all the hefty RAW files from my Nikon D90.

I play games, too, so I needed a card that could render decent framerates with a some RTS and FPS games I could find on Steam. Primarily, though, my goal was to create a midrange digital workstation to produce media.

I've been an AMD builder most of my life, so I looked for a decent mid-range FM2 chip to do the number crunching, and settled on an AMD A8-5600K Trinity Quad-Core 3.6GHz. I dropped it into a GIGABYTE GA-F2A88X-D3H that I chose for its price, USB 3.0 ports, and decent reviews on Newegg. The fact that it sports 8 SATA 3 ports was a big plus, as I was planning on packing it full of spinning drives. I transplanted my ARCTIC Freezer 7 Pro Rev. 2 CPU Cooler onto my new chip, and used the stock AMD fan for my old CPU, which is now the heart of a SAMBA file server.

Video is powered by an EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, which was a solid card, and can still play many games at a decent framerate. While it's still a great card for what I paid, the 550 Ti doesn't support many of the latest features of NVIDIA's drivers and software.

I grabbed a couple of 8GB DDR3 1866 GSKILL Ripjaw X Series RAM sticks to run my apps. Sure, 1866 wasn't the fastest speed available, but again, my starving-student budget didn't give me much wiggle room.

Storage was the name of the game for this build, so I nabbed a 120GB Kingston HyperX 3K SH103S3 SSD for my system partitions. The SSD houses both Windows 8.1 and Arch Linux. A pair of 500GB Seagate Barracudas house my "active" video and photo files. One drive serves as the "main" working disk and the other is the backup. In case you're wondering, they're not linked in RAID 1, because RAID is not a backup scheme, it's a drive redundancy scheme. Using the second drive as a backup ensures that if something happens to my work, I can get the next most recent version of my working files back.

Media and personal live on a 1TB Barracuda, which is split between an NTFS partition for Windows and an Ext4 partition for my Linux /home directory.

I threw all of this into a CM Storm Scout 2 Advanced case. The case is nice because the built-in front LEDs have their own toggle switch and the carrying handle on top is quite comfortable to use. When I moved up to the Bay Area, it was much easier to pack into my car than my server was. It also has decent space for cable management on the back panel and plenty of fan-mounting options.

I powered the rig with a 850W Rosewill RX850-S-B Xtreme Series I transplanted from the server box. The power supply is 80 Plus Bronze, which helps with my power bill. The thing is also surprisingly silent, which is nice if I sleep with the computer on in my room.

My storage solution also includes my server, running on a quad-core Athlon X2 Black Edition with two cores unlocked in BIOS. The server's Arch Linux image lives on a 60GB SanDisk SSD. A pair of 2TB Barracudas serve as photo-archive drives. One drive serves as the primary and the other as backup, just like the working drives in my main box. Backups are automated with rsync and cron. The server also has a 3TB Barracuda for NAS use and is encrypted with dm-crypt/LUKS. I really should buy a couple more for a RAID array, though. The server is powered by a 650W Cooler Master GX.

My peripherals and display are rather lackluster and in dire need of replacement, but I do like my illuminated Logitech K800. It's not mechanical or great for gaming, but the backlighting is gentle and fades in and out as you move your hands over it, which is great for working at night, or just adjusting the system volume while watching Netflix from across the room.


 

Tom McNamara, Technical Editor

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K @ 4.2GHz
CPU cooler: NZXT Kraken X40
Motherboard: Gigabyte GX-Z77-UD5H
GPU: MSI Gaming 4G NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980
RAM: Corsair LP 16GB (4x 4GB) DDR3
SSD: Crucial M500 480GB
HDD: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB
Audio: Onboard
PSU: Thermaltake TPG-675M Toughpower 675W
Case: Fractal Design Define XL R2
Keyboard: Logitech G710+
Mouse: Logitech M310
Display: Dell S2340M 23-inch
Accessories: None

Tom McNamara's home rig

Tom McNamara's home rig.

My overall strategy with this system was to create something that would be fairly quiet, spacious, and understated. I don't go for case windows because they let more noise through, and I get over looking through them after a few days anyway. So, the Fractal Design Define XL R2 fit the bill. It has sound-absorbing panels and three 140mm fans pre-installed.

For the CPU, I wanted something with eight threads, so I went with the Intel Core i7-3770K. It gets me better performance than AMD's FX-8350, and it draws much less power. I cool it with an NZXT Kraken X40, since I'm not going for particularly high clock speeds. I still use the original "Kraken Control" software instead of CAM, because I prefer the simpler interface. The radiator is mounted in the top of the case. The GA-Z77-UD5H motherboard has served me pretty well so far. I might try an Asus board in the future, because I like their fan control software, and I tend to get pretty high overclocks out of them, and with less fiddling in the BIOS. I use low-profile RAM because you never know when you might need the physical clearance, and I don't need fancy heatsinks. DDR3 just doesn't get hot enough to warrant them, in my experience.

I went with the MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G because I wanted something beefy, but not noisy. This GPU is rated to pull around 165 watts under load, so the card's cooling fans don't have to make much noise. I can also add a second 980 without stressing out my 675-watt power supply, whereas two Radeon R9 290Xs would call for about 850 watts.

For storage, I got a good deal on a 480GB Crucial M500, but I ended up running out of room for my Steam games, so I got a 1TB Samsung 840 EVO to give me some breathing room. I was using my 4TB Seagate HDD to copy games over when I needed room; copying them back later is much faster than re-downloading. It's also good to have for system and file backups.

For input, I've been using the Corsair M65 for a while now. Its finish doesn't rub or flake off, which I've had happen with other mice. That flaking makes the texture feel weird and like the mouse is dirty even though it looks fine. I'll probably be trying out the Logitech G303 soon, though, for some variety.

I got a good deal on the Dell S2340M monitor, and I liked it so much that I bought another. The back of it is a bit awkward, though; bulky DVI connectors simply can't fit. It also doesn't do HDMI. The image quality is great, and the bezels are thin, but 23 inches is just a bit too small for my tastes. I'll probably be getting a 2560x1440 monitor soon, now that we're going to be getting things like 144Hz IPS and FreeSync. Unfortunately, the S2340M doesn't rotate into portrait mode, and I don't currently have enough desk space for two of those and a 1440p display. First-world problems.

I've had good luck with Logitech's keyboards, so I bought a G710+ a while back. It has white LED backlighting, Cherry MX brown mechanical switches, and some macro keys that I never use. But it's quiet and hasn't let me down yet. I tried the Corsair RGB keyboard, but I found its keys too springy for my taste. Before this, I was using a Tesoro Durandal G1NL, which is also Cherry MX Brown, but with a reddish-orange backlight similar to the Sidewinder X4 that I had before that. I stopped using the G1NL because it wouldn't initialize until Windows had booted, meaning I couldn't access the BIOS. No amount of tweaking would fix it. I keep hoping that Microsoft will enter the mechanical keyboard fray, but they don't seem to be interested in enthusiast keyboards or mice anymore.

I play a variety of games on this rig. Lately, it's been Cities: Skylines, which some people have described to me as the de facto sequel to Sim City 4. I think it's pretty great, especially for $30. I've also been dabbling with Star Citizen; its very transparent and publisher-free development process has been fascinating to watch. Shadow of Mordor has also been great fun, and I'm looking forward to testing my system's limits with The Witcher 3.


 

Jimmy Thang, Online Managing Editor

CPU: Intel Core i7 3770K
CPU cooler: Hyper 212
Motherboard: Something useful
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB
HDD: Seagate Desktop HDD 4TB
Audio: Creative Sound Blaster Z
PSU: A car battery
Case: Fractal Design Define R4
Keyboard: Razer Black Widow
Mouse: Logitech Daedalus Prime
Display: ASUS VG248QE 24-inch 144Hz

 

Jimmy Thang's home rig

Jimmy Thang's home rig.

At the heart of my current home rig, I'm using a 3770K CPU, GTX Titan GPU, and 16GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM. In addition to gaming, I dabble in photo and video editing, and my i7 processor and 16GB of RAM are good enough for my amateur needs there. I've also got a 4TB Seagate HDD that allows me to store the copious assets. Of course, that isn't my only storage drive. For the OS, I'm running a Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD, which allows my PC to boot up in under 15 seconds. All of this is wrapped in a white Define R4 chassis, which I like because of its clean aesthetics.

Currently, my main display is a 24-inch 144Hz 3D panel from Asus. I don't use the 3D features at all, but I do like having super high framerates (for when 60fps simply won't do). I also have a separate 24-inch IPS display from Dell, which I use as a secondary monitor to help with productivity work. My GeForce GTX Titan may seem overkill for a 1080p display, but I'm also playing around with an Oculus Rift DK2, which has demos render 1080p scenes twice for each eye, and demands experiences be a consistent 75fps. VR games like space simulator Elite Dangerous really put my Titan to work here.

Jimmy Thang's displays

When I'm not running around in VR, I find myself playing a lot of different indie games like Darkest Dungeon or Transistor. I was also really into League of Legends for a while. Yes, these games don't tax my hardware at all, but I'll occasionally play more demanding games, such as Evolve or Shadow of Mordor, and I like knowing that I have a relatively future-proof rig capable of maxing out any game I throw at it. This, of course, will change when I make the eventual move to a 4K monitor (I'm mostly waiting for the scaling issues to be resolved before I dive in).

The accessories I'm using to play these games include Razer's Black Widow mechanical keyboard (I like the really loud and clicky feel of it) and Logitech's Daedalus Prime mouse, which was originally designed for MOBAs with its quick click-actuation time. For audio, I'm using Corsair's Vengeance 2100 wireless headset. It can be a burden to charge every now and then, but the audio quality and sound isolation are great, and I really enjoy the freedom of being able to walk around my room untethered as I listen to music. I'm also using a wireless Xbox 360 controller, which I feel is the best controller for PC gaming at the moment, but that could change with Valve's Steam Controller that's coming out this November.


 

Tuan Nguyen, Editor-in-Chief

System 1, The Workhorse:
CPU: Intel Core i7 3970X
CPU cooler: NZXT Kraken X41
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition
GPU: EVGA 04G-P4-2986KR NVIDIA GTX 980
RAM: Samsung "Green" Low-profile (8 x 4GB) DDR3
SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 256GB x 2
HDD: Western Digital Black WD4003FZEX 4TB x 4
Audio: Onboard + Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1, Astro Gaming A40 headset
PSU: Seasonic Platinum-1000 1000w
Case: NZXT H440 Black/Blue
Keyboard: Das Keyboard 4 Ultimate
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder 2013
Display: Dell UltraSharp U3011 30-inch, Dell UtraSharp 2311h 23-inch
Accessories: APC Smart-UPS 1500 UPS, Fujitsu U2300 Magneto-Optical drive, Logitech C920 webcam

Tuan's workhorse

Gigabyte X79A-UD5 mobo has since been replaced with an ASUS Rampge IV Black Edition.

System 2, The Decapitator: Digital Storm Bolt 3
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K
CPU cooler: Digital Storm HydroLux Liquid
Motherboard: ASUS Maximus VII Impact
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan X
RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum (2 x 8GB) DDR3
SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 512GB
HDD: Western Digital Black WD4003FZEX 4TB
Audio: Onboard + [Below], Astro Gaming A50 headset
PSU: Seasonic Platinum-1000 1000w
Case: Digital Storm Bolt 3
Keyboard: Das Keyboard 3 Ultimate
Mouse: Logitech G502
Display: Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5030UB Projector
Accessories: APC Smart-UPS 1000 UPS, Xbox 360 controller (wired)
Audio: Pioneer Elite VSX-82TXS receiver, Aperion Audio Verus Grand HD speakers

Digital Storm Bolt 3
Tuan's Decapitator: Digital Storm Bolt 3

I've been a gamer for as long as I could remember. I gamed on Atari's old systems, 286 PCs with yellow monochrome CRT monitors, and a huge array of everything available, up until today. I grew up on all the consoles. I actually don't own any of the recent consoles, but I do own a first-generation Sony PlayStation running over SCART RGB video into my receiver—I know, it's pretty nerdy, but I love it. The last console I bought was an Xbox 360. There just aren't enough great games on the current consoles to warrant getting them. But there are many, many great games on the PC. My setup consists of two different PCs for two different purposes, although one could argue that the two systems could swap duties just fine.

The first system is called The Workhorse. It's used for… you guessed it, work. I'd wager though, that it could play games decently, too. I do play a limited number of games on it, but I save the real entertainment for another system.

I went with an NZXT H440 chassis because I enjoy having a minimalistic and clean setup, at least on the outside. On the inside, however, I've crammed just about the best components that I could into the system. It's using a Sandy Bridge Extreme Edition only because I haven't the chance to move into the new CPUs, but the Core i7 3970X is still a beastly six-core CPU. The motherboard is a loaded ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition, and I chose it because I ended up preferring ASUS's EFI over Gigabyte's. Previous to the Rampage, I was using a Gigabyte X79A-UD5 board, which wasn't quite as stable. And honestly, Gigabyte really needs to do a better job with their firmware. One of the photos shows my old Gigabyte motherboard, but the more recent photo of the entire computer shows the ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition.

I'd like to point out that the RAM you see in the photo doesn't look like much. In fact, it may even look like old DIMM sticks before heatsinks became all the rage. In the overclocking community, these Samsung DDR3 sticks are considered the "golden" standard. They run so cool and clock so fast, you don't even need heatsinks. I've never been a fan of decorative heatsinks, instead I prefer simple ones with actual fins that are efficient at removing heat. A lot of the stuff that's out there today is all about grabbing your attention. Give me stability over that any day.

Other than that, the components I picked are what I feel are best in class. From the SSD to HDD, to GPU and PSU, the components I have in The Workhorse are essentially the best. The Dell UltraSharp U3011 was the company's previous flagship 30-incher. Dell now has the U3014, which delivers a 30-inch display backed by LED instead of the CCFL backlighting in the U3011. Still, it's a beauty, but it's not a "gaming" display by any means. It doesn't do any of the faster refresh rates, nor does it have the best response time for some types of games, and it doesn't come with G-Sync either. I use an Acer XB280HK 4K 28-inch display at work that has G-Sync, and I can honestly say, I want G-Sync or FreeSync in all my future displays.

To round out the system, I use a Das Keyboard 4 Ultimate for input nirvana. I actually have 3 of these keyboards. Once for this system, one for the entertainment system, and one for my PC at the office. I'm just a really big fan of Cherry MX blue switches. And yes, all the keys are blank on these keyboards.

OK, enough work, let's play.

For my entertainment duties, I was really attracted to Digital Storm's Bolt series of PCs. No only does Digital Storm build really good PCs, they do so with the best components that you and I can buy. Thus exists the Bolt 3.

Digital Storm co-designed a chassis, with Lian Li, that I feel is an excellent fit for the living room—that is, not too big, and looks great laying horizontally. At this point, you might be asking why didn't I just build another rig. Good question. My answer is, this publication is called Maximum PC, not Maximum DIY. I think as fans of PCs, and fans of technology in general, we should appreciate and embrace all types of technology. There are plenty of reasons why someone would choose to build or not to build. Since I've been building all my life, I figured: why not see what's going on the other side? And you know what? It's awesome! Funny how life works.

The Bolt 3 is loaded to the gills with the best parts: an NVIDIA Titan X, Core i7 4790K, Samsung 850 Pro SSD, and more. The best part of the rig, though, is the design. It's sleek, black, and has a huge plane of dark tempered glass covering one side of the system. It's slightly larger than the outgoing Bolt 2, but the slight increase in volume allows better airflow, as well as maintenance. In fact, there's space for two Titan X cards, but I have yet to figure out how to cram that second card in.

Digital Storm Bolt 3

For its duties as a home-theater gaming rid, the Bolt 3 is connected via HDMI to my Pioneer receiver, which in turn is connected to a monster of a projector: an Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 5030UB. This is one of the best prosumer 1080p projectors you can buy. It's extremely highly rated, and outputs a mind-blowingly good picture, even with ambient lighting.

I play (or have played): Battlefield 4, Titanfall, League of Legends, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, World of Warcraft, Supernova (alpha), and a bunch of other titles. Right now though, the game I enjoy playing the most is Ori and the Blind Forest. If you haven't played it, get it. If you don't know it, get it. My game library is a mixed bag of different genres, and we know that different games require different hardware to get maximum fidelity. So, going with a Bolt 3 configured as it is allows me to enjoy any title on the market in my living room without fuss. Of course, we'd be just as happy and supportive if you built your own, too.

Other than games, I use the Bolt 3 for all other duties, such as movie playback, and the occasional web browsing.

And that's a wrap

We hope you enjoyed having a deep look into what we use for our own personal systems at home. We try to keep things varied, and all of us have different things that we do with our PCs. No matter what each of us use though, one thing is clear: we love to build stuff. I'd like to point out though that Alex only showed a photo of his PC from the outside because his system is horrendously dusty on the inside. Awful!

We're interested in what you guys have in your builds, or if you bought a pre-built, what did you configure it with and why? Why one CPU over another? Why 64GB of RAM instead of 32GB? Is there a brand favorite you have and why? And, if you have questions for our editors about their specific setup, hit us up in the comments!

Newegg Daily Deals: Asus Z97-Pro Motherboard, Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 Case, and More!

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 12:44 PM PDT

Asus Z97-Pro Motherboard

Newegg

Top Deal:

New LGA 1150 CPU? Check. DDR RAM? Check. Storage, case, and PSU? Check times three. You're almost there, but you won't get far without a motherboard. Don't believe us? We'll wait.... See? Finish off your build with today's top deal for an Asus Z97-Pro Motherboard for $165 with $1 shipping (normally $185 - use coupon code: [EMCAPNR36]). This board is brimming with features, including a one-click total system optimization button!

Other Deals:

PNY CS1111 2.5-inch 240GB SATA-III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for $85 with free shipping (normally $90 - use coupon code: [EMCAPNR95])

G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2x8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory for $105 with free shipping (normally $120 - use coupon code: [EMCAPNR23])

MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition LGA 1150 ATX Intel Motherboard for $110 with $1 shipping (normally $112; additional $10 Mail-in rebate)

Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 Arctic White Steel ATX Mid Tower Cube Computer Case for $120 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [EMCAPNR39]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

OCZ Vector 180 Solid State Drive Marches Out on a Barefoot 3 Controller

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 12:30 PM PDT

OCZ Vector 180 SSDDid somebody say "flagship?"

Don't look know, but Toshiba's OCZ Storage Solutions division just rolled out a new flagship SATA 6Gbps solid state drive, the Vector 180. It's an "enthusaist-class" SSD that's supposed to deliver rock-solid stability and performance to high-end consumer systems. Armed with an OCZ Barefoot 3 controller and in-house Toshiba A19nm MLC NAND flash memory, the Vector 180 series is rated to read and write files sequentially at up to 550MB/s and 530MB/s, respectively.

It also offers up to 100,000 IOPS of 4KB random read and up to 95,000 IOPS of 4K random write performance. These aren't the fastest ratings we've seen in SATA 6Gbps territory, but they're right up there. Just as importantly, OCZ says its SSD Guru storage management software tool helps users to do routine monitoring and maintenance, thereby unlocking the drive's full potential.

"With the new Vector 180 Series, OCZ is once again raising the bar for high performance client solid state drives," said Ralph Schmitt, CEO of OCZ Storage Solutions. "Vector 180 leverages our award-winning proprietary controller technology and features normally found in our enterprise-class drives, like Power Failure Management Plus, to deliver high-density SSDs with exceptional performance, endurance, and reliability for gamers, enthusiasts and workstation users."

The drive is available in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB and 960GB capacities. Each is backed by OCZ's 5-year "ShieldPlus" warranty, and should something go wrong, OCZ will replace the drive without little-to-no hassle -- just provide your serial number and you'll receive a brand new (not refurbished) advanced product replacement along with a pre-paid return shipping label for your faulty drive. You don't even need your purchase receipt. Pretty snazzy.

As for price:

  • OCZ Vector 180 120GB: $90
  • OCZ Vector 180 240GB: $150
  • OCZ Vector 180 480GB: $275
  • OCZ Vector 180 960GB: $500

The higher the capacity, the better than the price-per-gigabyte.

You can find the product page here and the SSD Guru download page here.

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EVGA's Supernova 650 GS and 550 GS PSUs are the Strong Silent Types

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 12:02 PM PDT

EVGA Supernova 650 GSPower supplies a librarian can love

Building a quiet PC isn't as easy as it sounds. The process of putting the pieces together is mostly the same, unless you're custom installing noise dampening material and rubber grommets, but finding the right components can be challenging. This is especially true of the power supply -- if you don't want to trust your system to a fanless PSU, EVGA may have a serviceable solution.

EVGA today announced its Supernova 650 GS and 550 GS PSUs, both of which are supposedly "completely silent when under low loads." They're also actively cooled, though the 120mm Teflon nano-steel bearing fan "does not spin until necessary," EVGA says.

Noise (or lack thereof) isn't the only thing the new Supernova GS units have going them. These are both 80 Plus Gold certified PSUs. They're also fully modular with flat cables, use Japanese brand capacitors, and boast a single +12V rail design with 54A available on the 650W model and 45A on the 550W model.

The Supernova 550 GS and 650 GS will be available soon for $90 and $100, respectively.

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Cougar Dangles Affordable 300M Mouse in Front of Gamers

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 11:41 AM PDT

Cougar 300MLooks can be deceiving

Cougar sent us word today that it's releasing the 300M, a comparatively inexpensive mouse that targets the "mainstream pro-level gamer." We suppose that means regular Joes and Janes that aren't in the pro circuit but have honed their craft nonetheless. Either way, while the 300M isn't anything special to look at (from the pics we've seen), it does have a decent spec sheet starting with a 4,000 DPI optical sensor.

It also boasts seven programmable buttons, a 1,000Hz polling rate, 1ms response, and Omron switches for its main buttons -- they're rated for at least 5 million clicks, so if you're a rapid-fire gamer, go on with your bad self.

There are LEDs on the 300M to let you know which DPI you're in, and using Cougar's UIX software, you can customize the lighting with around 16.8 million different color options. You can also use the software to configure three separate profiles for a maximum of 24 functions, and then save those settings to the 300M's onboard memory.

Cougar says the 300M will be available in late April for $40. That's not bargain bin pricing, but far more affordable than the gaming rodents that command twice as much or more.

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Build It: A Little Devil's Canyon PC

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 11:05 AM PDT

We outfit the compact Corsair 250D with Intel's new Core i7-4790K CPU and a dual-rad closed-loop cooler

Length of Time: 2–4 hours | Level of Difficulty: Intermediate

The mission is simple: We wanted to take Intel's Devil's Canyon CPU as far as it would go in a compact chassis. For those who don't know what Devil's Canyon is, it's Intel's newest line of Haswell-K CPUs, which are specifically designed to be overclocked. Intel reengineered the thermal interface material (aka paste) and packaging used in Devil's Canyon to dissipate heat better than last year's Haswell-K CPUs. We should mention Devil's Canyon CPUs are technically only supported by a limited number of 8-series mobos, but will work in all new 9-series boards.

Intel's Haswell CPUs were introduced almost a year ago now, leaving those always on the hunt for the next big thing with nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs. Let the thumb-twiddling cease, at least for the moment, as Intel's new Core i7-4790K aka Devil's Canyon has been hyped as the second coming of the Celeron 300A. With rumors saying the chip would easily hit 5GHz on air, enthusiasts everywhere are expecting this chip to finally get us to that sweet 5GHz overclock mark that hasn't been seen since the days of the original Sandy Bridge CPUs. Was the wait worth it? We grabbed a freshly minted Core i7-4790K to answer the question. Could we get our Core i7-4790K to our desired overclock? Read on to find out!

Overclocking Goodness

We used Corsair's 250D case as the frame for our overclocking escapade. The cube-shaped 250D is one of the few SFF boxes compatible with dual-rad closed-loop coolers. We opted for Enermax's Liqtech 240 to cover our cooling needs; it's an impressive cooler and kept our Core i7-4790K at an acceptable 69C under multi-threaded workloads. We then grabbed an ASUS Z97I-PLUS Mini ITX mobo, which sports Intel's newest Z97 chipset, and despite its diminutive size, supports a plethora of overclocking features. For RAM, we decided to go with a pair of 4GB ADATA DDR3/2400 modules. Although RAM clocks haven't made huge differences before, using higher-clocked modules with Haswell does aid performance. The GPU duties were covered by an Nvidia GeForce GTX 780, which is fast, quiet, and runs on the cool side. On the storage front, we opted to use a single Seagate 600-Series 480GB MLC SSD. That's enough space to live on, so the rig's hard-drive population is zero. The box has plenty of room for multiple SSDs and HDDs, though. Finally, we supplied the juice through Corsair's RM 650 PSU, which gives us 650 watts of power and modular cabling.

1. Toss out the odd bay.

To get the 250d ready for our build, we needed to first remove its ODD bay. To do this, we removed the top panel to expose the case's innards. Next, we unscrewed the ODD from its perch at the top-front—just four small screws, not a problem. From there, you just have to slide the bay toward the rear a tiny bit and lift it out. We're not using an ODD in this build, as there's little use for one in 2014—with a speedy Internet connection and an 8GB fl ash drive, you can do almost everything that an ODD does. Plus, we needed the space to install the full-size cooler.

2. Install the CPU and RAM.

The installation of our CPU and memory here is pretty standard stuff. You'll fi rst line up the pins of the processor with appropriate ones on the socket and then clamp it into place. There are two notches cut out of the CPU at the top of the die to help guide you. Line up the CPU's notches with the ones on the socket and then fasten the CPU into place with the mobo-CPU latch. Remember to mind the pins: If you bend the pins on the mobo, you'll kill it. To install the RAM, we unlatched the RAM slots, then lined up the DIMM's notches to fit properly into the RAM slot and pushed down gently but firmly on the module until we heard it click into place.

3. Install the cooler's block.

Installing the cooler was similar to most other closed-loop liquid-cooler installations we've done. We first mounted our backplate onto the motherboard with screws and rubber washers. Next, we secured the water block to the CPU by fastening it with four mounting screws. Here's a quick PSA on screw tightening: Always make sure you don't overtighten the water block when installing it, as you could crack your motherboard if you're overzealous about it. We generally recommend tightening the screws in an X-pattern, which should make it easier to mount the block evenly onto the CPU and motherboard. The X-pattern should be used whenever you're installing a heatsink or a closed-loop liquid cooler.

4. Install the mobo and radiator.

Installing the Enermax Liqtech 240 was a bit tricky, to say the least. To get things started, remove the 120mm side case fan. The next step is to install the motherboard into the case, using four motherboard screws. Now comes the hard part, you'll have to wedge in the Liqtech 240 cooler at a 45-degree angle. Once the radiator is safely inside the case, secure it with eight mounting screws. The cooler's clearance above the motherboard wound up being less than 1cm, so it's a very tight fit. We don't recommend newbie system builders attempt an installation of the Liqtech 240 inside a SFF case, as it may be too frustrating. We actually threw around a few expletives ourselves during the cooler installation, so it was definitely a challenge.

 


 

5. Toss in the GPU.

The GeForce GTX 780 slid into the 250D with ease. To get started on the installation, unscrew the thumbscrews that hold the video card bracket into place. Once the bracket is free, slide the video card into the PCIe lane. Once in, you'll need to secure the card in place with its bracket. We like the design of the 250D, as it positions the GPU to exhaust its heat directly out of the chassis. Most cases trap the GPU exhaust heat inside, which can cause thermal issues or disrupt airflow. We should mention that one downside to the 250D is that it only supports two-slot video cards, so if you have a massive three-slot card, it won't fit in this box. Another thing to be aware of is that extra-long video cards won't fit into the 250D, either. According to Corsair's website, the maximum GPU length for a 250D is 11.4 inches.

6. Wire up the system.

To install the PSU, we removed the PSU backplate of the case by unscrewing two thumb screws. We then slid the unit into place and screwed it in securely. Next, we wired up the motherboard for power and plugged in the case's front-panel connectors. Lastly, we wired up the rest of the motherboard connections for front-panel USB 3.0, audio, and finished up by plugging in our fans. The downside to our 250D is that there's little room for us to hide any of our cabling. In a standard midtower, most of the cabling can easily be routed and concealed. That said, we are impressed with the size of the 250D; we love it's short height of 11.4 inches. And we can't really complain about the cable-routing, but hope that some future SFF cases will offer better routing options.

 

1.) The Enermax Liqtech 240 cooler comes with two 120mm fans and a ton of cooling capacity. 2.) This Asus motherboard measures just 6.7x6.7 inches, and it's packed with some high end features. 3.) Corsair's 250d provides us with a front 140mm fan and (amazingly) will take a good sized liquid cooler. 4.) The GeForce GTX 780 still offers awesome performance while running cool and quiet, and even fits in our case, to boot.

Devil's Canyon Brings the OC Heat -- But Not Enough

Frankly, we weren't very blown away with the overclocking performance of the Core i7 4790K. After hearing tales of 5GHz on air using a busted heat sink from a Pentium III, we expected more.

We were able to get the chip stable at 4.7GHz using 1.35 core voltage, but anything beyond that was BSOD heaven. In November 2013 we tested the Falcon Northwest Tiki, which sported an Intel Core i7-4770K overclocked to 4.7GHz, so our 4.7GHz overclock isn't a spectacular accomplishment. Since that was the limit, we backed it down just a notch at 4.6GHz to try to tame the somewhat loud noise the cooling was making.

Our Devil's Canyon box beat out our Zero-Point in a few benchmarks, producing wins in ProShow Producer 5.0 and Stitch.EFX, which it did by an average of 18.5 percent. In multi-threaded workloads such as Premiere Pro and X264 HD 5.01, even the ancient Sandy Bridge-E part with six cores could beat out the Devil's Canyon part.

We also compared our rig to Digital Storm's micro-tower Bolt II, which sports a Core i7 4770K overclocked to 4.5GHz. It was pretty much a tie in the CPU tests, but the Titan Black in the Bolt II trounced our GeForce GTX 780 big time. In 3DMark 11 and Batman: Arkham City we took a beating by 25 percent and 54 percent, respectively. We won't even mention the Falcon Tiki Z reviewed this month, with its dual-GPU Titan Z. Of course, our entire build cost about two-thirds what just the GPU in the Tiki Z sells for, so you might want our Devil's Canyon rig, after all!

 

Our goal for this build it was to get a Devil's Canyon part up to 5GHz, but didn't achieve this overclocking feat with our rig. Not that anyone with a Core i7-4770K would likely be considering an upgrade, but news fl ash: Don't bother. If you've held onto an Ivy Bridge or Sandy Bridge part for the past few years, and you're looking for good time, Devil's Canyon is a good fit for you. The Core i7-4790K currently has the highest base and turbo boost clock speeds of any i7 desktop part, and it costs the same as a Core i7-4770K, so new builders should rejoice.

This article was taken from the December issue of the mag. 

 

Intel's Broadwell-Based Core i7 5775C and Core i5 5675C CPUs Rumored to Launch in Q2

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 09:07 AM PDT

Intel SignBroadwell for the desktop is in sight

Intel is reportedly planning to launch a pair of processors based on its 14nm Broadwell architecture sometime in the second quarter of this year. One is the Core i7 5775C and the other is the Core i5 5675C, both of which are unlocked parts, though you'll notice the usual "K" designation for an unlocked Intel chip has been replaced with the letter "C" -- no reason for the change is known at this point.

Citing a Chinese-language report by VR-Zone, WCCFTech says the Core i7 and Core i5 parts will feature a 65W TDP and the latest Iris Pro Graphics 6200 integrated GPU. That's the one with 64MB of embedded eDRAM cache for faster memory performance versus tapping into system RAM. It also has 48 Execution Units and a 128-bit memory bus.

The Core i7 5775C will come clocked at 3.3GHz with a Turbo frequency of 3.7GHz. It's a quad-core chip with Hyper Threading, 6MB of L3 cache, and support for DDR3 memory rated at 1600MHz.

Intel's Core i5 5675C is also a quad-core CPU but lacks Hyper Threading, according to the reports. It will be clocked at 3.1GHz with a 3.6GHz Turbo frequency and feature 4MB of L3 cache and DDR3 1600MHz memory support.

It's expected that most existing socket LGA 1150 motherboards will support the new chips, though they'll probably need a BIOS update.

Launch prices for the Core i7 5775C and Core i5 5675C are expected to be around $350 and $250, respectively.

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BenQ Gives Stylish EW2440L Monitor a Golden Makeover

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 08:37 AM PDT

BenQ EW2440L GoldGold is best!

The fascination with gold colored electronic devices isn't unique to Apple, nor is it limited to mobile devices. Need proof? Check out BenQ's newly minted gold version of its EW2440L monitor. BenQ swapped the casing on this 24-inch panel for a gold colored version that's most noticeable on the bottom strip, while the other three sides offer a soft accent due to their slim design.

From the pictures we've seen, we'll admit that it offers a nice contrast to the brushed black aluminum base, but looks will only get you so far. As for the specs, it's a Full HD 1080 (1920x1080) monitor with a 3,000:1 native contrast ratio 20,000,000:1 dynamic), 72 percent coverage of the NTSC color gamut, 250 cd/m2 brightness, 178-degree viewing angles (horizontal and vertical), 4ms response time, and inputs consisting of D-Sub and two HDMI, one with MHL support.

One unique feature of the EW2440L is a Speaker Only mode. This allows users to plug audio devices into the monitor's built-in speakes to pipe out audio without turning the monitor on. We suppose that could come in handy in a pinch, though why anyone would want to rely on monitor speakers for audio is beyond us.

The EW2440L also features BenQ's ZeroFlicker technology that supposedly eliminates traditional LED flicker issues using a direct LED-backlight system. Users an also lower the monitor's blue light output via hotkeys to counteract eye fatigue.

BenQ says the EW2440L in gold is available now for $269 MSRP.

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MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Runescape: 200th Quest Added to the Game

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 07:25 AM PDT

200th Quest Added to the Game

Jagex has sent word that it has reached a milestone by adding the 200th quest to Runescape. The quest sends players back to an alternate Gielinor, a dimension of disaster, where they have never existed. While there, characters are reset to level one as they journey through the quest line. Not to worry, though: All experience and equipment still exists in the 'real' Gielinor.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Bring Along Geralt's Razor -- Things Will Be Getting Hairy

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 07:20 AM PDT

Bring Along Geralt

According to several published reports, Geralt's beard will grow over time in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Unless one's character wants to be unkempt, Geralt will need to visit the barber every few days for a spa treatment.

General: Miscellaneous Mid-March Musings

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:35 PM PDT

Miscellaneous Mid-March Musings

As I write this on Sunday, March has already brought quite a bit of interesting news, information, rumors et al. Right off the top, we had the latest iteration of the Game Developers Conference, which overlapped with the first day of PAX East. Other notable happenings included researcher SuperData's release of some thought-provoking new tidbits of market data, and more F2P conversions from NCsoft.

Crowfall: 3-Faction Ruleset Added to the Core Module

Posted: 24 Mar 2015 05:05 AM PDT

3-Faction Ruleset Added to the Core Module

In celebration of the $1.4M stretch goal, the Artcraft team has added the God's Reach 3-faction ruleset to the core game module that also brings the Artifacts and Relics system on board.

Bloodborne: Forget Dark Souls, This is Better

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 10:35 AM PDT

Forget Dark Souls, This is Better

Bloodborne is the not-quite-sequel to Dark Souls II that PS4 gamers have been dying for since it was first announced. But can From Software and Sony Japan Studio's hardcore action RPG live up to the hype? From the very start, developers and press alike have been claiming that Bloodborne has the chops to be even widely praised than Dark Souls and Demon Souls. So, after dozens of deaths... is it any good? Read on for our full review.

Dragon Age: Inquisition: XBox One Version of Jaws of Hakkon DLC Out NOW

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 07:50 PM PDT

XBox One Version of Jaws of Hakkon DLC Out NOW

XBox One players can get their hands on a copy of the first Dragon Age: Inquisition DLC, Jaws of Hakkon, right now, nearly a day ahead of schedule. The DLC will cost $14.99 and can be purchased via the Marketplace. The PC version of Jaws of Hakkon will cost the same and be available via Origin tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24th.

H1Z1: One Million Steam Copies Sold Since Janauary

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 07:42 PM PDT

One Million Steam Copies Sold Since Janauary

Daybreak Games Studio President John Smedley has proudly tweeted that H1Z1 has sold over a million copies since debuting digitally on Steam in mid-January.

Pathfinder Online: Influence System to Deploy on March 26th

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 06:27 PM PDT

Influence System to Deploy on March 26th

The latest Pathfinder Online blog has been posted that lets Early Enrollment players know that the Influence System will be deployed with the March 26th update. Influence is gained when progress towards an achievement is earned and it can be used by Companies to gain control of or construct Holdings.

World of Warcraft: New WoW Token Info - Rolling Out in Americas Soon for $20

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 06:20 PM PDT

New WoW Token Info - Rolling Out in Americas Soon for $20

The World of Warcraft community site has been updated with new information about the recently announced "WoW Tokens". Tokens can be bought with real world currency and resold in-game via the Auction House for gold. Purchasers of the tokens in game can then turn around and use them for subscription time and sellers can obtain gold through Blizzard-approved means.

Landmark: Copper Removed as Claim Upkeep Currency

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:24 PM PDT

Copper Removed as Claim Upkeep Currency

The Landmark team posted a nice wrap up of last week's news with the fantastic news that copper used for maintaining one's ownership of a claim has been removed. The contention was made that it was never the intention to support the copper mining industry within the game. To replace "rent", players will need to log into the game at reasonable intervals to keep their claims active. As long as they do so, claims will remain 'as is' without reverting to available status.

Defiance: Developer Q&A Addresses PvP Requirement for Max EGO

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 05:07 PM PDT

Developer Q&A Addresses PvP Requirement for Max EGO

The Defiance team took to the airwaves today to answer a grab bag of questions from players. Topics included whether or not more mutant animals like Pows would be added (not at this time), why player characters literally flip out of vehicles (not on purpose!) and whether or not the PvP requirement for maximizing EGO rating was going to be addressed.

Trove: Fish 'N' Ships Preview Prepares for March 31st Release

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 04:57 PM PDT

Fish

The Trove site has been updated with a mini preview of the next game update called Fish 'N' Ships. In the preview, players get a good look at least one of the ships that players will be able to craft or Mastery. Players need to beware, however, in that ships can be sunk by those scurvy denizens of the high seas, pirates!

Rift: Budgie Madness Through March 25th

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 04:52 PM PDT

Budgie Madness Through March 25th

A little late to the party but never too late to get your Budgie on is the news that players can earn Rift in-game currency to saddle up a budgie thanks to the return of Budgie Madness. Taking part in daily races and saving up bird seed will allow players to take home one of these fine feathered friends.

Guild Wars 2: Traitors In Our Midst

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 11:14 AM PDT

Traitors In Our Midst

This week, Jason ponders the social repercussions of Mordremoth's rise and how the other races of Tyria could or should react to the "threat" of rogue sylvari.

Dragon Age: Inquisition: UPDATE: Jaws of Hakkon DLC Announced, Patch 6 Notes Posted

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 11:05 AM PDT

UPDATE: Jaws of Hakkon DLC Announced, Patch 6 Notes Posted

Bioware has posted a teaser image for a new trailer for a Dragon Age Inquisition DLC called "Jaws of Hakkon". The DLC will be available on both PC and XBox One when the trailer is released on Tuesday, March 24th. Also, the Patch 6 notes for Dragon Age: Inquisition. Most notably, support has been added for PC players using a mouse with multiple buttons. Several stability issues have been addressed as well as bug fixes affecting quests and other game play problems.

Neverwinter: The Lore Behind Elemental Evil

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 09:56 AM PDT

The Lore Behind Elemental Evil

Last year Wizards of the Coast aligned their league play, game releases, books, and the MMORPG Neverwinter to support a single event that spanned most of the year. Continuing that trend earlier this month beginning with their adventure's league WotC started the Elemental Evil season. Elemental Evil will make its way to Neverwinter in April and we had the Cryptic team answer some questions regarding the lore behind Elemental Evil. Read on to see what they had to say.

General: Hounds: The Last Hope Closed Beta Revealed

Posted: 23 Mar 2015 10:07 AM PDT

Hounds: The Last Hope Closed Beta Revealed

NetMarble is set to unleash the closed beta for it's RPG-Shooter hybrid, Hounds: The Last Hope. To set the stage, both a teaser trailer and a game play trailer have been released.

General: 5 MMOs That Have Lost Their Mojo

Posted: 22 Mar 2015 09:42 AM PDT

5 MMOs That Have Lost Their Mojo

With hundreds of titles available and in development, the MMOG space is more competitive than ever. Accordingly, most don't gain much attention from either the player community or the media. Even for those that do, maintaining visibility, awareness and brand image over the long term can be a struggle, especially after the shiny newness wears off. Listed in order of age, here are some still-live games that retain little or none of the market mojo they once had.

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