New GPUs, new APUs, and the same ol' Windows 8 complaints
It's time for Episode #219 of the No BS Podcast! We kickoff with AMD's continuation of its Kaveri APU line and discuss whether or not you need one in your next build. Next, we announce the return of Rig of the Month, a segment where you, the reader, can submit photos of your badass custom PC. After that, we switch gears and focus on Nvidia's new power-saving architecture and share our thoughts of the new GPU code-named Maxwell. We wrap it up by answering your questions, sharing editors' picks and delivering a no BS rant.
If your daily work space is on a mountain top or some other tough terrain, an Ultrabook may not be what you need. Instead, GammaTech offers a line of rugged systems, including its new Durabook R8300, a 13.3-inch notebook that's certified to stringent MIL-STD-810G and IP64 specifications. It can withstand drops, getting wet, dust, temperature fluctuations, and other variables that are likely to occur in hostile environments.
The 13.3-inch laptop comes standard with an Intel Core i7 3555LE or Core i5 3437U mobile processor. It has two DDR3 SO-DIMM memory slots with support for up to 32GB of RAM, quick-release HDD storage capability, a mini-card slot for wireless LAN, USB 3.0, and other amenities.
"It is easy to produce a computer that works well in a climate-controlled environment, where Mother Nature is held at bay," remarked Jen Chen, GammaTech president. "It is something entirely different, however, to engineer a computer to withstand long exposure to wind, dust, rain, and extreme temperatures as well as surviving bumpy rides, drops, and working in sweltering heat or frigid temperatures. Designed specifically for outdoor usage, our new R8300 notebook offers unsurpassed performance, even in the most hostile environments."
There aren't many outlets in the middle of the desert and other extreme locales, and GammaTech claims the Durabook R8300 can last through a full 8-hour shift. In addition, you can install a second battery that boosts battery life to 12 hours while adding hot-swap support.
The Durabook R8300 will be available in the second quarter of this year. No word yet on price.
Tired of slow file transfers? Assuming your PC has a USB 3.0 port, it might be worth upgrading to a USB 3.0 flash drive. Not all of them are created equal, however, though Toshiba just announced its large-capacity TransMemory Pro USB 3.0 flash drive family with high-speed transfers. Specifically, Toshiba rates the read and write speeds at up to 222MB/s and 205MB/s, respectively.
That's not the fastest rating we've seen for a USB 3.0 flash drive, though it's certainly far from pokey, at least on paper (we haven't played with one to see how real-world performance compares with the rated performance). We also like that Toshiba is offering its new line in 64GB and 128GB models, though it'd be nice if smaller (and more affordable) capacities were offered as well.
"Featuring the best performance, highest speed, and largest capacity of any Toshiba USB flash drive to date, this storage device offers blazing fast data transfers while ensuring that all digital information is securely protected," said Maciek Brzeski, vice president of product marketing and development, Branded Storage Products, Toshiba Digital Products Division. "We wanted to create a better on-the-go storage solution."
The TransMemory Pro line comes with built-in EX II Pad Locker security software and encrypted password protection. Using the software, you can create your own private and public partitions.
Toshiba says the 64GB and 128GB models will be available at the end of March for $130 and $200 MSRP, respectively.
Thief reboot and new beta drivers from AMD are both available today
Let's get the bad news out of the way first. In a blog post earlier this week, Eidos confirmed that Thief, which launched today, doesn't have Mantle or TureAudio support at the outset. However, support is coming soon (March), and in the meantime, AMD is serving up its Catalyst 14.2 beta drivers specifically with Thief in mind, though there are other reasons you might want to install the latest driver release as well.
In addition to updating its Crossfire profile and introducing performance improvements for Thief, AMD said it fixed some issues with Mantle in Battlefield 4 so that multi-GPU configurations (up to 4 GPUs) are now supported. AMD also added support for Frame Pacing for dual graphics and non-XDMA configurations above 2560x1600 with BF4 and Battlefield 3, and fixed a few additional issues, such as missing textures in Minecraft and corruption issues seen in X-plane.
As for Thief, minimum system requirements include a high-performance dual-core or quad-core CPU, 4GB of RAM, AMD Radeon 4800 series or Nvidia GTS 250 or higher graphics card with DirectX 10 support, and 20GB of storage space. Recommended specs include an AMD FX 8000 series or better or Intel Quad i7 Core CPU, 4+ GB of RAM, AMD Radeon R9 series or better or Nvidia GTX 660 series or better graphics card with DirectX 11 support, and 20GB storage space.
As expected, Samsung introduced its Galaxy S5 smartphone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a handset that represents an attempt at returning "back to basics" with a focus on capabilities that consumers want most, the South Korean phone maker said. It starts with a big size display -- a 5.1-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) Super AMOLED powered by a peppy 2.5GHz quad-core processor.
It also wields 2GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot with support for memory cards up to 128GB, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, 16-megapixel rear-facing camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, NFC support, and a spattering of other specs all wrapped in Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
As previously rumored, the Galaxy S5 features a Finger Scanner. However, one rumor that didn't come true is that of a material switch to a metal casing -- the Galaxy S5 is still made of plastic. Instead of using premium materials, Samsung focused its attention on other areas, such as making the Galaxy S5 IP67 dust and water resistant.
For fitness gurus, the Galaxy S5 offers tools to stay in shape, including a personal fitness tracker, pedometer, diet and exercise records, and a built-in heart rate monitor.
The Galaxy S5 will be available starting in April. No word yet on price.
Western Digital continues the trend of color coding its hard drive line by adding a Purple model built specifically for surveillance applications. The Purple line differs from regular hard drives in that they're better suited for 24/7 always-on conditions, whereas standard HDDs are built to run for only short intervals, WD says. In addition, Purple drives can withstand high temperature fluctuations and equipment vibrations inherent in typical surveillance applications.
Outside of ruggedness, WD's Purple family uses AllFrame technology, which helps to reduce video footage loss with a proprietary cache policy management technology that's intended to help improve data flow and playback.
"Different from ordinary desktop hard drives designed for eight hours of daily operation, WD Purple drives have the built-in reliability to operate in Hikvision home and small business system installations so critical video footage is available when it is needed most," said Ying Yang, director of testing, Hikvision. "An additional benefit of WD Purple drives is they support up to eight drives and 32 HD cameras so there is the flexibility to expand for future system coverage."
The Purple line consists of 3.5-inch HDDs with 64MB of cache and a SATA 6Gbps interface. They come in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB capacities ranging in price from $90 to $200 MSRP.
Underneath Origin PC's custom heat spreaders are HyperX modules
Boutique system builder Origin PC has teamed up with Kingston Technology to deliver a line of its own brand memory modules offered in the company's Genesis, Millennium, and Chronos desktops. Though the DDR3 memory kits bear Origin PC's name on the low profile black heat spreaders, they're essentially rebadged Kingston HyperX modules, only they've been factory tested and approved by both Kingston and Origin PC engineers.
Capacities range from 8GB to 64GB. All kits are compatible with Intel XMP auto-overclocking settings and use carefully selected premium chips for maximum performance and overclockability, Origin PC says.
"HyperX is proud to team up with Origin PC to offer our best-selling high-performance system memory with a customized heat spreader featuring the Origin logo," said Lawrence Yang, HyperX business manager. "We built, tested and optimized our special-edition memory specifically for Origin. They are known for high performance, quality and high-end designs that cater to gamers and enthusiasts who want the best-in-class notebooks and desktops. HyperX shares many of the same qualities and we look forward to a long and successful partnership with Origin."
A rose is a rose by any other name, so the question here is, should you care whether or not Origin PC's own-brand memory is built by Kingston? Perhaps there is. Back in December, Puget Systems posted data on component failures and noted that it almost exclusively uses Kingston brand RAM these days because, for them, it's been more reliable than the competition.
While on the topic of Kingston memory, take a look at the company's manufacturing process for RAM and solid state drives.
Longtime readers of Maximum PC might remember a $500 build-off challenge several years pitting then Senior Editor (and now Deputy Editor) Gordon Mah Ung against former Associate Editor David Murphy. The build-off is memorable because Murphy neglected to factor in a case, choosing instead to house his components in a cardboard box. So yes, it can be done and you can skip a case if you really, really want to (and don't expect a visit from the fire marshal). Otherwise, have a look at today's top deal for a Corsair Carbide Series 500R Black ATX Mid-Tower Case for $80 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCPHHW57]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). It has USB 3.0 ports, side air ducts, a multi-channel fan controller, and best of all a price tag that isn't too much higher than a fancy cardboard box!
The third and final wave of War Thunder's closed beta for its Ground Forces expansion has begun. Eager tank drivers who have completed the November challenges or have purchased the game's starter packs can now join the battle. Open beta will then commence right after this closed beta concludes, with starter pack owners getting a head start as well as rare tanks.
But that's not all the War Thunder news today. Gaijin Entertainment announced that the biggest game update to date will go live this spring with a plethora of goodies planned for players to enjoy. Update 1.39 will introduce user-generated content tools that will enable players to not only create their own planes and unique camouflage patterns but locations and missions as well. On top of that, there will be 18 new planes to choose from, new squadron features (like Squadron vs. Squadron battles), the ability for planes to overheat, and an improved UI. Check out images of the new planes and more in the gallery below.
What reason could Blizzard possibly have for the $60 price tag on World of Warcraft's upcoming level 90 boost? According to the studio, it's so that the accomplishment of actual leveling isn't devalued. Ion Hazzikostas, WoW's lead encounter designer, told Eurogamer that the idea behind selling the boost separately was so that players didn't have to buy additional copies of the Warlords of Draenor expansion to take advantage of the included free character boost to level 90 on multiple characters. So instead of spending the $60 on an expansion and juggling multiple accounts, players can spend the same amount and use it on a toon on their existing account.
At the same time, the team didn't want to diminish the hours and effort that players have invested in leveling nor create a world where no one levels. Hazzikostas explained, "If our goal here was to sell as many boosts as possible, we could halve the price or more than that -- make it $10 or something. And then hardly anyone would ever level a character again." Instead, the aim is to allow those who want a second or third alt but don't have time to level it because of other real-world commitments the chance to have it.
Massively Speaking is experimenting with a new technology that will change podcast recordings each and every time you listen to them, offering an unlimited array of opinions and branching conversations. Maybe this time you'll hear Justin sing, or Bree rant, or special guest star Snoop Dog offer keen insight into Middle East politics. You'll never know! And the best part is that you can listen to it again... and again... and again!
This week we've invited several Massively staffers on board to answer a few roundtable questions, a couple of pieces of news, and an interesting mailbag query.
Get all of our opinions and analysis on the most important stories of the past week right here on Massively Speaking, the industry's leading MMO podcast. And if you have a comment, question, or topic for the podcasters, send an email to podcast@massively.com. We may just read your email on the air!
Get the podcast: [RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly. [iTunes] Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. [Stitcher] Follow the podcast on Stitcher Radio. Listen here on the page:
Although there is no official word on Diablo III's site, Senior Producer Alex Mayberry tweeted that patch 2.0.1 will be going live today. The major feature of this patch, also known as Paragon 2.0, is that it adds more end-game character advancement and replayability with the updated Paragon leveling system. The changes include removing the level cap for earning Paragon experience, making Paragon levels account-wide, and allowing players the freedom to allocate Paragon Points however they want within the category (defense, offense, core, or utility) that each specific level's point is awarded. Catch more details about Paragon 2.0 on the official site.
After long months of planning, preparation and manipulation, Scarlet Briar finally made her move on what appears to be her ultimate target: Lion's Arch, the central hub city of Guild Wars 2. Zhaitan's rise flooded it, Risen attacked it, and everything from dead kings to Karka have destroyed its landmarks, but an overwhelming air raid finally reduced L.A. to rubble. In the upcoming GW2 content release, Battle for Lion's Arch, it'll be up to the good people of Tyria to rally, avenge the fallen, and try to reclaim their city.
Massively got to chat with ArenaNet'sColin Johanson about the Lion's Arch rescue effort, rewards for good behavior, and what L.A.'s feathery neighbors think about all of the screaming, dying, and carrying on. Click past the break to check it out, along with a brand-new teaser trailer!
Ultima Online is looking for a few good men and women to sign up for a tour of duty as a counselor.
Broadswordis bringing back the game's counselor program in the near future to lend assistance to newer and more inexperienced players by pairing them up with vets. The counselor program is looking for players who are 18 or older and "have great game knowledge and a desire to work with others."
In addition to being part of this team, Broadsword said that it will give an additional (work) account to those participating in the program. Interested participants need to email the devs to join.
I liked City of Heroes, obviously. I miss a lot of things about the game. But you know what I miss right now? The economy. I had never thought about how well-balanced it really was, especially considering that it was a late addition to the game... but I miss it just the same. It was spectacular, and now it's gone, and I didn't really appreciate how good it was until now, when it's not around any longer.
We've all got blind spots like that. There are certain things you just don't fully appreciate while they're around; it's only when you realize they're gone that you can keenly feel the loss. Sometimes features are lost because a game closes down; sometimes it's just because they get patched out. So what about you, readers? What did you learn to really appreciate only after the feature was already gone from the game?
Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Star Citizen reached a whopping $39 million in crowdfunding this week amidst controversy over feature creep and the delayed dogfighting module. The next stretch goal will fund an R&D team to look into the possibility of procedurally generating entire planets for players to explore, but this feature will not be coming until after release. Developers on Elite: Dangerous were surprised this week when two games they developed as part of a company game jam event led to $6.2 million in signed publishing contracts on a yet-to-be-named platform.
Blizzard revealed the final details of Diablo III's upcoming Paragon 2.0 update that will provide theoretically endless progression, and players have figured out how to power-level characters with Diablo II style runs. As the release of Path of Exile's first mini-expansion draws near, Grinding Gear Games revealed details of what will be in the expansion, including a strange new Vaal Orb currency that can significantly buff items.
Valve announced that it will be releasing a new feature-length documentary named "Free to Play" next month, which chronicles the struggles of three participants in Dota 2's first ever million-dollar tournament. SMITE's launch event has been expanded into a new GameVid Expo event featuring prominent livestreamers and YouTube celebrities, and old character Agni received a graphical overhaul. And Twitch Plays Pokemon continues to grow in popularity, reaching over 100,000 simultaneous viewers this week and adding new Democracy and Anarchy modes.
Remember Pando Media Booster? No? It was bloatware third-party software that some MMO companies -- notably Turbine and NCsoft -- used to force onto their users' machines, ostensibly to speed up peer-to-peer downloading of launchers and game clients.
Fortunately PMB died a well-deserved death in August of 2013, but those of you who may have unintentionally left it lurking on your machine should be aware of a security risk masquerading as a Pando update. According to Reddit user object404, if you receive a pop-up message offering you the chance to update PMB, what it's really offering is the Sweet Page browser virus, which you can remove by following these instructions.
EVE Online is full of danger. Traveling through the game's low-security systems is an invitation to the pirates and plunderers of the world to take your stuff, and to take it by force. But flying into the deepest depths of EVE's space doesn't have to be a frightening prospect, which is why Massively's Mike Foster is hopping in a rookie ship and daring to test the waters of New Eden's most dangerous systems.
Tune in at 7:00 p.m. EST to see if things go horribly awry.
Game: EVE Online Host: Mike Foster Date: Monday, February 24th, 2014 Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
It finally happened. I've been playing The Secret World since launch, wading through lots of lore, wracking my brains on investigations missions, collecting clothes, and soaking up the amazing atmosphere, among other things. But there is one activity that I have successfully dodged participating in that entire time until the moment came when I could no longer justify evading it. I'm talking about the Gatekeeper.
For those who aren't familiar with TSW'sGatekeeper, here' the scoop: He's the giant golden golem that stands between you and the PvE endgame. He's the feature that all players who want to participate in the hardest mode of dungeons and acquire the best purple PvE gear must prove themselves against before being allowed to move their play to that next level. Consequently, he prevents those who are completely unprepared for that level of challenge from getting in over their heads and dragging down their groups in the process. Golden boy is a powerful (and merciless) teacher who can humble those not ready for the fight as well as those who are by really testing their knowledge about the game's combat system and forcing all to face up to their inadequacies.
So I finally faced this Agarthan nemesis, and he was all I expected him to be. And yes, I was initially schooled. But I did end up laying the smack down on him, learning a few important things in the process. And one of the top lessons? I think every single game should have a Gatekeeper!
Do you have the golden ticket? No, not the one to a whimsical and deadly chocolate factory, but the ticket to get into Black Gold Online's upcoming alpha test. If you do, then you've got a few weeks to prepare: Snail Gameswill be starting the alpha "test drive" on March 20th.
The steampunk fantasy title has distributed keys from various giveaways over the past year. Starting now, those in the test can go ahead and activate their accounts on the official website.
The March 20th test will be using an earlier version of the game and will include eight of Black Gold Online's classes.
Massively's Beau Hindman and members of the Mad Otter team are on hand to show off some of the new test features and the new client (with better graphics) of Villagers and Heroes. If you like sandbox gameplay, crafting, and combat, check it out.
Game: Villagers and Heroes Host: Beau Hindman Date: Monday, February 24th, 2014 Time: 4:00 p.m. EST
The latest build on the public test server now gives players the option to bypass the starter islands and the connected tutorial. They can do this by talking to an NPC, after which their character will be taken to a central city.
The starter zones have been subject of criticism by some press and players for being too slow and plodding. According to the patch notes, players who choose to skip it can go back and experience the starter island at their leisure.
Over the weekend Marvel Heroes launched Game Update 2.3, also known as Training Day. This latest update introduced an all-new game mode for players to enjoy. The S.H.I.E.L.D Holo-Sim game mode lets players dive into a high-tech holographic simulation room either alone or with a friend and face waves of enemies and iconic villains; the more waves of enemies defeated, the better the reward.
The update also includes design reviews for both Human Torch and Daredevil (the latter of which also got a snazzy new Noir costume) as well as item, crafting, and loot changes. Full details can be found in the Training Day patch notes.
Games are a bit like children. You work with other people to craft them, to help them go from little more than a twinkle in your eye to something capable of surviving without you. Dean Hall created DayZ, but he's jumping ahead to the part where he metaphorically kicks it out of the house and tells it to get a job. Or he's kicking himself out of the house... the metaphor is a bit tortured, but the important point is that he's leaving DayZ behind.
Why leave a game that's still early in testing and doing well? As Hall puts it, keeping him on the project could eventually lead to his being someone who tells others how things are done rather than adapting along with a changing game and culture. Instead, he's heading to New Zealand with plans of opening a different studio. The changeover is not happening immediately but should take place before the end of the year.
Lion's Arch is a center for both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. It has endured through countless trials. And now it's nothing more than ash and wreckage. Whether you've had a chance to experience the latest patch to Guild Wars 2 or have yet to sift through the damage, you can watch it fall in the latest trailer out of the ArenaNet community team.
Admittedly, the trailer doesn't go into full detail showing the lengthy siege that took place, but you can fill in some of those details yourself. And it's quite a sizable chunk of destruction, razing familiar features across the city and reducing the game's iconic location to little more than rubble. Click on past the break to see the devastation unfold before your eyes.
A tough laptop for outdoor types
Thief reboot and new beta drivers from AMD are both available today
This is Samsung's new flagship smartphone
Purple is the new color of surveillance
Underneath Origin PC's custom heat spreaders are HyperX modules
Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's 
