Noctua’s NH-D15 is one of the largest CPU coolers on the market but with comparably-priced AIO water coolers around, it may face some insurmountable competition.
Noctua’s NH-D15 is one of the largest CPU coolers on the market but with comparably-priced AIO water coolers around, it may face some insurmountable competition.
Don't buy your next PC. Build it. The advantages are legion. For starters you have complete control over the build. You'll learn more about your machine by building it. You'll be able to pick components from manufacturers that you trust and you won't waste cash on components that aren't important.
You can build a system that's the perfect size for the space you have; a machine that hits your budget too. Hell, you might even save money.
Combine it with the most beautiful screen you can afford, and plug in the best darn peripherals around and you're good to go. Basically, build it yourself and you can create your perfect PC, as opposed to someone else's concept of perfection.
Of that long list of advantages, the key entry is the fact you get to pick exactly what goes in the machine, and thus tailor it to your needs.
If you want to play the latest games at the best quality settings, then make sure you dump most of your money on the graphics card, because that single component is going to be doing the lion's share of the work. Want to build a video editing system? Then plenty of memory, a beefy CPU and fast storage are all going to do you favours. Just want to build a budget rig? Pick the best value components.
By building it yourself you have complete control over the hardware and your budget.
So where do you start? Your first task is to work out what you actually want to do with the machine. Work that bit out first, and then it's a case of picking the best components your budget will extend to.
For most machines your component list needs to include:
Once you've got your perfect PC list it's time to actually go out and buy it.
It's a truism of modern consumerism, but if you want the best deals, you've got to shop around. There's an important caveat to bear in mind though, and it's a caveat that makes sense of some of the low, low prices you'll find on some of the most sought-after pieces of kit. That caveat is your biggest nemesis in this bargain hunt: postage. Get each piece of kit from a different retailer and any savings you've made will be swallowed up by the shipping costs and then some.
The thing to do is to pick your list of components from several resellers and see which one works out cheapest over all. If there are one or two real bargains (even after including the shipping costs), then it may be worth buying those on their own, but the general rule is to buy everything from one, or maybe two, shops.
Once you've got all of your kit together, you're going to need to actually build it. Take your time, handle everything carefully (you really don't need one of those anti-static wrist straps, by the way) and everything should be fine. If you need a guide as a starting point, then this guide will give you a good idea how to go about things (don't worry that it's about building a Steam machine).
But if that still seems rather intimidating and you'd prefer to have a professional build your next machine, then at least customise the build. Pretty much every system manufacturer these days will let you tweak your system before hitting the buy button.
In the simplest form you should be able to tweak the amount of memory the system has, maybe even the amount of storage on offer. At the other end of the scale though you'll be able to use a motherboard of your liking, select what brand of SSD you want to use, not just the capacity, and even pick a case that works for you.
You do have to show some caution when doing such tweaks. Not because you can somehow screw up and end up with a machine that barely works, but simply because some system builders see such services as an opportunity to upsell.
Go with a reputable system builder. Read the forums detailing people's experiences with the company. As the components are going to be branded, get an idea of how much the kit you want to use costs, and if it's going to cost you much more than you expect at a particular place, then you should probably stay clear.
Or just get your hands dirty, learn about the inner workings of a PC and enjoy the experience and reward of creating your own machine from scratch.
CRYORIG Innovative Product Compatibility Tester Goes Online! CRYORIG, PC thermal solutions innovator is releasing a new Compatibility Tester. The CR Origami testing system allows users to print out and put together a origami structure that will reflects the fin size footprint, heatpipe height limitations for a CRYORIG product and platform of choice. This allows users ...
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Black Friday week is already into day three and TechRadar's deal monkeys have been foraging for the best bargains overnight!
They've come up with a bunch of bargain exclusives for you - deals you won't find anywhere else.
We'll be continuing our daily deals posts with all the latest bargains, but be sure to check in regularly on our main Black Friday page for all the best deals, many of which will be very time sensitive.
Let's start with a great deal that we just added to the Black Friday page. It's the Sony KDL-48W585 48-inch LED TV, reduced just for today to just £439.99 on Amazon. If you're looking for a new TV, this could be the deal you're looking for!
Portable phone chargers are hot right now, and they make for great Christmas presents. The Lumsing Harmonica has a battery so juicy it'll charge any smartphone many times over so ideal for weekends away. And we've got an exclusive deal on it for you. Use the code TRBLACKF and you can pick it up at Amazon £5 off for just £16.99.
Just bought an iPhone 6? Better wrap it up in a nice case so it doesn't get scratched! We've got an exclusive deal on the Omaker Air Cushion case. Use our code TDBLACK5 and you'll get £2 off to make the price £5.99 at Amazon.
And while we're on the subject of phones and chargers, we've got a super deal for you on the Omaker Premium 3-way USB car charger. Turn your cigarette lighter into three USB ports! Our code TRBLACK5 will let you grab it for £7.49 at Amazon, everyone else pays £10.
EXPIRED: And how about these AKG K452 headphones? They're currently discounted to just £25 at Amazon - great deal!
EXPIRED: Finally in our main deals section, we've found the AOC I2757FM PC monitor at a great price. It's a 27-inch screen but it costs just £150 at Amazon until the end of the day - miss it miss out!
Star Wars Darth Vader 31in Big Figure - £29.99 at Amazon
Cooler Master NEPTON 280L 28030mm RADIATOR 2x 140 Jetflo Fan Liquid CPU Cooler - £59.99 at Amazon
SONY WIRELESS BLUETOOTH KEYBOARD for PlayStation - £6.95 at Game Collection
Asus VS239NV 23" Full HD IPS LED Monitor - £99.98 at eBuyer
LEGO City 60004: Fire Station - £45 at Amazon
Backtracks Box set, CD+DVD - £7.10 at Amazon
Dyson DC49 Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner - £179.99 at eBuyer
Samsung UE55H6240 55 Inch Freeview HD + Free Samsung HW-H355 120W Soundbar with Bluetooth & External Sub - £899 @ Tesco Direct
SWEDX SuperSlim 42-inch 4K TV - £295 at Amazon
Over the last couple of years, mini-PCs in the ultra-compact form factor (UCFF) have emerged as one of the bright spots in the troubled PC market. Zotac is no stranger to this segment. In fact, their nano xs units came to the market before the Intel NUC, even though the NUC is credited with kickstarting the UCFF trend. Almost all the mini-PCs that we have evaluated before have been based on Intel CPUs. However, Zotac's recently launched 'ZBOX C Passive Cooling Series' of mini-PCs includes an AMD Temash-based SKU, which we promptly requested for review. Read on to identify what AMD brings to the table for the passively cooled mini-PC market.
If you want something more than a tablet, the least expensive options are undoubtedly Chromebooks. These are basically the least expensive laptops you can find, and while we're working on other guides for Windows laptops, we're going to start with Chromebooks. The latest iteration of Chrome OS has true multitasking, more apps, and there are more Chromebook options than ever before, often starting at less than $200. But which one is best?
Alphabetically, there are current Chromebooks for sale from Acer (C720, C720P, and the new 11/13), ASUS (C200, C300), Dell (11), HP (11/14 and 11/14 G3), Lenovo (N20P), Samsung (Chromebook and Chromebook 2), and Toshiba (Chromebook and Chromebook 2). There's also the Chromebook Pixel, but that's nothing like a budget laptop so we won't discuss that here. The names however don't tell you much about the internal hardware.
Starting at the top, Acer's C720 is basically the incumbent other companies have to beat, as the combination of a Haswell Celeron processor (2955U) and the sub-$200 price point gives potential buyers just about everything they might want. Amazon currently has it on sale for $179, and it's still easy to recommend even more than a year after launch. The 32GB model isn't really worth the $50 ($70 right now) price premium in my book, as a 32GB SDHC Card costs a lot less and offers basically the same functionality. Similarly, there's a model with a Core i3-4005U for $350 (again, not worth it in my opinion). The newer C720P also adds a touchscreen and comes stock with 32GB storage, with 2GB and 4GB RAM options, but the $100 premium for the 2GB model is too much (and nearly $400 for the 32GB + 4GB RAM option is out of the question).
Acer has two newer Chromebooks as well, the Chromebook 11 (11.6" 2GB Bay Trail N2830 with 802.11ac) is a $199 Best Buy exclusive, while the Chromebook 13 (13.3" 2GB Tegra K1 with 802.11ac) is on sale for $233 at Amazon.com. There's another variant of the 13 that includes a 1080p display, 4GB RAM, and 32GB of eMMC that retails for $380. While the TK1 and N2830 CPUs are both generally slower than the Celeron 2955U, at least the graphics in the TK1 is faster than Intel's GPU; unfortunately, finding places where having the faster GPU is truly useful can be difficult. I personally like the 13.3" screen and form factor, as it gives my fingers a bit more room. Finally, the CB13 is also fanless and being able to get 13 hours of battery life (11 on the 1080p model) makes the CB13 the top Chromebook in terms of battery life.
ASUS uses the Intel Celeron N2830 with 2GB RAM and an 802.11ac WiFi solution, with the Chromebook C200 using an 11.6" display while the Chromebook C300 has a 13.3" display (both are 1366x768). Both ASUS offerings come in two variants, the less expensive is currently on sale for $199 and has 2GB RAM and 16GB internal eMMC storage, while the upgraded model has 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC storage and is currently on sale for $249. (Both are $50 off during Black Friday week, it seems.) They're also available in a variety of color options, which can be an added bonus if you want something a bit less staid.
Dell's Chromebook 11 continues the trend of offering 11.6" displays, and it ends up being very similar to the Acer C720 (Celeron 2955U with 2GB RAM and 16GB eMMC). It costs $279 on sale, with an option for an upgraded Core i3-4005U and 4GB RAM for $379 (on sale). The added cost probably isn't worth it for what is otherwise a standard Chromebook configuration; build quality on the Dell Chromebook 11 however is a bit nicer than some of the other options.
HP has been doing Chromebooks for a while, as reflected in the naming of their Chromebook 11 G3 and Chromebook 14 G3. The previous generation of HP Chromebooks is also available, but I'd give them a pass at this stage. The new models feature the Celeron N2830 in the CB11 and the Tegra K1 in the CB14, with the ubiquitous 2GB/16GB RAM/storage configuration and prices of $246 and $270, respectively.
The Lenovo N20p has something unique to offer, in that it borrows a bit from the Yoga line and features a 300 degree hinge that allows the device to function as either a standard laptop or in "stand" mode. The N20p also features a 10-point touchscreen, though the remaining specs are similar to other Chromebooks: Celeron N2830 CPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB eMMC storage. Pricing is also a bit higher than the competition, with the N20p currently on sale at Amazon for $310, but this is the least expensive touchscreen Chromebook right now.
Samsung has two Chromebook options right now, the 2012 model Chromebook with an Exynos 5250 is well past its prime and the price of $209 doesn't really help, while the newer Chromebook 2 is $230 and comes with a Celeron N2830 processor. Both models feature 11.6" displays, 2GB RAM, and 16GB eMMC storage. (And yes, I feel like a broken record.)
Last but not least is Toshiba, with two models as well – old and new. The earlier model Chromebook has a Celeron 2955U processor while the Chromebook 2 has a Celeron N2840 (which is the same as the N2830 except the maximum Turbo is 2.58GHz instead of 2.41GHz). Both models have 13.3" displays with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage (again), though there's an upgraded version of the newer model with 4GB RAM. Prices are $260 for the original and $249 for the new revision, or $329 for the 4GB version that apparently has an IPS display (according to the Amazon listing).
I don't think I'd go so far as to call any of the Chromebooks "bad", though a few are certainly priced higher than I'd be willing to pay. It's also a bit difficult to say any are "great", with poor quality LCDs and generally low-end components, but they are certainly inexpensive. There are many similarities among the various Chromebook models, with a few that stand out as better options mostly thanks to a combination of pricing and/or features.
I've spent a fair amount of time with both the Acer Chromebook C720 and the new Acer Chromebook 13, and both deserve recommendations for different reasons. With the current sale price of $180, if you're not sure if a Chromebook is right for you, the base model C720 is a great starting point. It's the least expensive option and it actually works quite well. In many tasks the Celeron 2955U in the C720 is still faster than newer Chromebooks with Bay Trail or Tegra K1, thanks to its Haswell architecture, and I can pretty much guarantee that if you're not happy with the Chrome OS experience on the C720 a different Chromebook isn't likely to change things.
The Acer Chromebook 13 on the other hand delivers the most battery life and thanks to the Tegra K1 it's fanless; the overall design is also quite attractive with the eggshell white chassis. The price is also lower than the competiting HP Chromebook 14 that also has TK1, giving Acer the win. The TK1 also packs more graphics processing power than other options, though this mostly ends up being a minor benefit as there aren't a lot of games for Chromebooks right now. I believe the TK1 is also the only Chromebook processor certified for HD Hangouts, if that's a draw for you.
The ASUS C200 and C300 warrant a mention as they offer 4GB RAM and 32GB storage for just $249. The added storage isn't extremely important but it can be useful, while the doubling of RAM helps keep Chrome from swapping tabs out of memory as often. Then you can decide between a larger or smaller Chromebook, with no price penalty for going either direction. And if you want a touchscreen, Lenovo's N20p has a 300 degree hinge at a reasonable price.
Of course the others are all close enough that if you can get any of them at a competitive price, they're going to be about as good as any other Chromebook. It's the old adage: "there are no bad products, just wrong prices". We're also looking at a relatively narrow price range of $200 to $300, and if you're willing to pay more for a Chromebook where you like the looks more, you can certainly do so.
Wrapping things up, the question has to be asked: can you live with a Chromebook as your primary laptop, or would something like an HP Stream be a better option? It's important to understand precisely what it is you're getting with a Chromebook. There are limitations inherent to Chrome OS, and while you can work around some of them, others are basically just the way things are.
As an example, I recently spent a few hours trying to do some mundane spreadsheet tasks using Google Spreadsheets on a Chromebook instead of using my usual Windows laptop, and let me tell you: it was an exercise in frustration. Something I could have done in 15 minutes using Excel ended up taking me over an hour. Reading the web, this is hardly an isolated incident; things have improved since Chrome OS first launched, but there are still a lot of rough edges to the experience.
There are counter examples as well. I have a daughter in middle school that uses a Chromebook for her classes on a regular basis, and she hasn't ever complained about missing features – it's what she's been taught to use, and it fits the requirements of the school district. And sometimes, that's all you really need from a laptop.
Of course you can always use Chrome Remote Desktop with another PC to basically get a lightweight and inexpensive way to work with your home PC while on the road. And it can surf the web natively and handle light office and email duties as well. Google has also demonstrated Android apps running natively on Chrome OS, and there will apparently be an increasing number of supported apps in the future.
As is often the case, what it really boils down to is a question of compromise. Chromebooks are not the fastest or best built laptops, but they can boot up the OS and get you on the web far faster than any other $200 class laptop. You also have access to all your tabs and shortcuts if you move between computers, though using the Chrome browser on any PC or tablet basically gives you that same functionality.
What you're really getting with a Chromebook is an alternative to a moderate tablet that has the benefit of providing full keyboard functionality while being quite a bit bulkier than any tablet. But if you're typing anything more than a few sentences that's a tradeoff I'd personally be more than happy to make. Then again, I'd much rather have full Windows laptop functionality.
Whenever we talk about processors and silicon, one of the key major points is efficiency and performance per watt. One issue to consider is that while that new CPU uses 10W less, it makes little difference if the motherboard or other components eats up the difference. To that end, MSI previewed their ECO range at Computex, promising a power reduction over the normal but primarily aimed at various business customers with a green and white color scheme. We got the B85M ECO and a few low powered Haswell CPUs in to test the claims.
Regular CPU Air Coolers may hold the first place in what most casual users and gamers use to keep their systems cool but AIO (All In One) liquid CPU Cooling Solutions are not really that far behind largely thanks to the continuous appearance of such products in the market. Now as you may have seen ...
The post SilverStone Tundra TD02 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler Review appeared first on Modders-Inc, Case Mods and Computer Hardware Reviews.
When it comes to Mini-ITX motherboards people are going to have a wide range of feature requirements. For some, as long as it supports their CPU and it has a x16 PCIe slot they are good to go. Others want to have a lot of the features they would find in their full sized builds ...
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Ever since i got my first “serious” computer system back in 1990 (based on the Intel 80286 CPU) and my first serious gaming only system (the Commodore Amiga 500) roughly a year earlier (which i then upgraded to the 500 Plus model) I’ve always loved playing my favorite games on the largest screen possible. Of ...
The post AOC U2868PQU 4K UHD 28 inch LCD Monitor Review appeared first on Modders-Inc, Case Mods and Computer Hardware Reviews.
Lenovo has announced that it partnered with Intel to produce its own Xeon, the E5-2698A v3. Oracle (the E7-8890 v2) and Amazon (E5-2666 v3) have already announced similar partnerships and it looks like others will follow as well.
The proliferation of SKUs is going to make it more difficult to compare systems directly since these processors are customised for one vendor and the actual specs are not disclosed.
Lenovo says that its Xeon is the highest-performing two-socket server platform - when installed with Water Cool Technology (WCT) - allowing it to reach a whopping 1.083 teraflops.
The chip looks like a variant of the existing E5-2698 v3, a 16-core Haswell based model that is clocked at 2.3GHz with a turbo-boosted speed of 3.6GHz. Lenovo says that its model can only reach 3.2GHz with turbo mode enabled.
Lenovo's new chip will only be available in specially designed servers such as its own NeXtScale system, which it says cuts power consumption at CPU level by six percent and at data-centre level by more than 40 percent.
The launch was done at Supercomputing 2014 where the Chinese company showcased a petaflop computer that is only three cubic metres announced that it was going to open a HPC innovation center in Stuttgart Germany.
Moving up the Xeon product stack, the larger and more complicated the die, the lower the yield. Intel sells its 14-18 core Xeons from a top end design that weighs in at over six billion transistors, and we have had two of the 14C models in for review: the E5-2695 V3 (2.3 GHz, 3.3 GHz turbo) and E5-2697 V3 (2.6 GHz, 3.6 GHz turbo).
Small form-factor builders using AMD’s AM1 Kabini systems will be glad to hear that a slimmer, more silent alternative to the stock AMD cooler is available from GELID. The Slim Silence AM1 is supremely affordable with an MSRP of only 11 USD and 8.65 Euros and is only 26mm tall so it will fit even ...
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Amazon revealed that Intel has built a custom, Haswell-based processor called the Xeon E5-2666 v3, one that will deliver compute-optimised EC2 instances called C4.
The processor runs at a base clock speed of 2.9GHz and can reach clock speeds of up to 3.5GHz. The processor will power instances with a two vCPU count all the way up to 36 with up to 60GB RAM on the latter and 10Gbps network connectivity.
Not much is known about that processor; the 2663 model is a 10-core, 10 thread model with a base clock speed of 2.8GHz. a turbo frequency of 3.5GHz and 25MB L3 cache while the 2667 one has a lower core count (eight) but more threads (16) with a higher base frequency (3.2GHz) and a turbo frequency of 3.6GHz.
Amazon is not the first big custom CPU client Intel has enlisted; earlier in July, the company confirmed that it build a Xeon E7-8890 v2 CPU for database giant, Oracle.
What's interesting with both of those chips is that they contain an onboard FPGA that provides it with a degree of flexibility, allowing the hardware to be tweaked on-the-fly without the need for a reboot. Intel has secured more than 30 custom product wins in 2014, more than double what it achieved in 2013.
