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Asus Z77 Roundup When doing all of our Ivy Bridge launch prep we spent a LOT of time benchmarking and testing a whole collection of boards. You guys have seen our reviews of the Intel and Gigabyte boards. When it came time to write about the four different Asus Z77 boards I realized that most of you are not going to want to read through a lot of information that we would cover over and over on each review. We decided to roundup all four of the boards and cover them together. This way we can get to the point a little quicker, saving you time, as well as giving us a chance to talk more about the differences between the variety of boards that we tested.
ASUS P8 Z68-V/GEN3 Perhaps one of the most daunting tasks after making the decision that you do not wish to purchase an off-the-shelf computer is attempting to figure out which components go in the machine.  There are fun aspects, like the graphics card and processor, and then there are the not-so-fun aspects, like the motherboard (at least in my opinion).  Why do I think it is a whole lot of not fun?  There are so many out there to choose from, with all sorts of features.  When shopping you will likely come across the ASUS board that I am going to review today.  Arguably, it is one of the better all-around boards out there, with features like good integrated graphics and killer sound.  But to a gamer that generally does not mean squat.  Does the ASUS P8 Z68-V/GEN3 board have what it takes to function as a serious gaming component?  Read on to find out!
XFX R7750 Black Edition DD Not everyone is looking to spend $500 on their video card, in some cases that is the total budget for a build. When you are up against a wall trying to pack the best performance you can get into a budget build you still want to get the most performance you can out of your video card. That’s where cards like the XFX R7750 Black Edition Double Dissipation come into play. XFX has taken the styling and cooling from their high end cards and combined it with the price of budget cards like the HD 7750. Today we are going to take a look at how those two things do combined in XFX’s  R7750 Black Edition Double Dissipation.
Sapphire HD 7770 Vapor-X   Earlier this year when AMD introduced the HD 7770 we took a look at cards from both Sapphire and XFX. Although we were impressed with the cards performance it was a little ill-timed due to AMD still clearing out discounted back stock. Three months later we are able to revisit the situation with today’s release of Sapphires new HD 7770 Vapor-X. With Sapphires Vapor chamber cooling technology along with a nice overclock over the reference design, the Sapphire HD 7770 Vapor-X could be a great option for a gamer on a limited budget. Let’s take a look.
Motherboard Sizing When we got in a few oddly sized dual CPU motherboards from EVGA and Asus I posted up a few pictures on our forums and on Facebook. The problem was that even though they looked large there wasn’t any prospective. So we tossed in a couple other boards to give everyone a little perspective. This lead us to digging out even more motherboards to put together all of the standard motherboard sizes all together for everyone to be able to see the differences. Along with the picture we also have a breakdown on the dimensions of each size standard; I hope this helps everyone as some point. Sometimes it can be hard to understand all of the different motherboard sizes and how they all relate.
Android to the Maxx, DROID Razr Maxx   The list of different Android based phones available at any time is both overwhelming and frustrating. It’s almost impossible to get good feedback from friends who have the same phone because of this. So it’s rare than you have any one phone that manages to stand out. Doing something different is the only way to do this normally, but most times this ends off coming off as gimmicky or just lame. When Motorola introduced the Droid Razr Maxx it caught my attention right away. This was just before our trip out to San Francisco for the GTX 680 Editors day, what a better way to put the Maxx’s proposed batter life to the test!
Lian Li PC 100 “The Hammer” We have had a few different Lian Li chassis come through the LanOC Offices and there hasn’t been a time that we haven’t been impressed with the new and interesting features Lian Li always seems to slip in. When they wanted to ship over their new case “The Hammer” PC 100, we signed up right away. We had seen the case previewed from a few shows prior and this time around Lian Li took a new perspective with its design, I was very interested to see how their changes worked out. Let’s jump in and see what it’s all about!
Nvidia GTX 670 When Nvidia launched Kepler with the GTX 680 I was impressed with the launch price of the card but even at such a great value it is still out of reach for some people. Just because you can’t afford the top card doesn’t mean you don’t want to experience Kepler’s performance. Of course it was only a matter of time before we saw Nvidia filling in the gaps in their product line, starting first with the GTX 690 then going to the next step down from the GTX 680, the GTX 670. Today we get to have a look to see how the performance compares to both the GTX 680 as well as AMD’s offerings. We are also very curious how it compares to the GTX 580, a card that has found its way into most of our office PC’s.  
ioSafe Rugged Portable So you do the smart thing, you backup your data from your laptop and your home PC to an external or network drive and go on with life feeling confident that you have gone well and above what most people do. For the most part, you did. What about when you’re traveling, have you seen how much abuse a device can take when on the go? For some people, and I know I’m one of them, some of the data you carry with you while traveling is more important than the laptop or device that you actually carry it on. In that situation you need a way to not have to worry about your data, no matter the situation, and to have a guarantee to back it up as well. The folks over at ioSafe focus specifically on this crowd. Not only do they offer products that are according to them build to handle almost anything, but they back it up with data recovery if something does happen.  Today we are going to take a look at that Rugged Portable hard drive to see what all of the fuss is about, without any more buildup, let’s dig in.  
Cooler Master Storm Trigger Just two years ago the only mechanical keyboards you would find were from companies like DAS keyboard trying to create a nitch market. Over the past two years things have really exploded with every manufacture you can think of introducing their own mechanical keyboards. Cooler Master has been especially aggressive with multiple unique designs like their Quickfire series. What they did lack was a full featured mechanical keyboard with full backlighting, until now. Today they officially introduce their Storm Trigger, although it you look around the board was available Globally before now. With full backlighting it falls into a small category of Mechanical Keyboards with very little competition. I am excited to see how it performs.
Cooler Master HAF XM The topic of cleaning your computer out came up last week on our forums and it got me thinking about how often I really need to clean out my computer. As it turns out it’s not very often anymore. All because of improvements in case design like fan filters. You don’t really see them on low end cases yet but they have been slowly trickling down. At CES this year we had a chance to get our hands on one of Cooler Master’s upcoming chassis, the HAF XM. A mid-range case packed with the features we have come to love from their high end HAF line. Today we are going to dig into the final product and see how it came out.
Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H Z77 boards come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and prices. Just about every manufacture has a whole lineup of boards covering the whole range to make sure you can find what you are looking for. Gigabyte is no different; they have a whole selection of boards that will fit your needs. Today we are taking a look at their Z77X-UD3H, one of their budget boards. It may not be a high end board but it is still packed with features. I am curious how it will perform now that the cat is out of the bag with Ivy Bridge. Let’s jump in and see what it’s all about.

Mad Catz® Announces Licensed Call of Duty®: Black Ops™ Accessory Range For Consoles & PC

Range to Include PrecisionAIM™ Controllers, ProGaming™ Headsets, OptiCOM™ ProGaming Glasses and

Stealth Mouse & Dog Tag USB Bundle

San Diego, June 15. 2010

 

Mad Catz® Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz” or “the Company”) (AMEX/TSX: MCZ), a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider today announced a full range of licensed Call of Duty®: Black Ops™ accessories for Microsoft® Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and Nintendo® Wii™ video game systems and the PC, which are expected to ship world-wide alongside the release of one of the year’s most anticipated games in November 2010.

 

Products expected to ship as part of the range include:

 

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops PrecisionAIM Controller – Xbox 360

 

Armed with a host of features designed to enhance the in-game experience, the          Call of Duty: Black Ops PrecisionAIM Controller features ‘military inspired’ Rubber Grips and soft-touch finish, ideal for extended gaming sessions.  Two newly updated Combat Buttons located on the rear of the controller allow gamers to enter ‘Precision Aim’ mode, slowing down feedback from the Analog ThumbStick and allowing gamers to obtain the perfect shot during heated play.  In addition, gamers can use the Combat Buttons to re-map Action Button or ThumbStick commands, empowering players to shift melee or sprint to the rear buttons in order to maintain full motion control of the analog sticks.  Immersive Backlighting bathes the Analog ThumbSticks in a red glow, enhancing in-game atmosphere while Dual Vibration Feedback allows the gamer to experience every shot and explosion.  Available in dual ‘Stealth’ or ‘Tiger’ designs and complete with fully braided connection cable providing a robust and latency free connection with the console.

 

MSRP: $49.99

 

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Wireless PrecisionAIM Controller – PlayStation 3

 

The Black Ops Wireless PrecisionAIM Controller utilizes a secure 2.4 GHz wireless link to connect with the console for accurate wire-free action.  Similar in features to the Xbox 360 Combat Controller, the PlayStation 3 variant features a built-in Rechargeable Battery that allows for charging directly from the console’s USB port and provides up to 60 hours of game play from a single charge.  ‘Military inspired’ Rubber Grips and soft-touch finish feature along with the unique Combat Buttons allowing gamers to enter Precision Aim mode or re-map Action Button and ThumbStick commands.  Immersive Backlighting bathes the Analog ThumbSticks in a red glow for enhanced in-game atmosphere and the Wireless PrecisionAIM Controller for PlayStation 3 is again available in dual ‘Stealth’ or ‘Tiger’ designs.

 

MSRP: $49.99

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Controller Pack – Nintendo Wii

 

Ideal for complete Wii gaming, the Black Ops Controller Pack features all you need for authentic Call of Duty action.  Compatible with all official Remote and Nunchuck devices, the Black Ops Controller Pack features separate ‘Wii Remote’ and ‘Wii Nunchuck’ style controllers, both of which fashioned in authentic Black Ops ‘Stealth’ design graphics.  Comes complete with Black Ops Rubber Gripz and collectable lanyard.

 

MSRP: $39.99

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops OptiCOM ProGaming Glasses – Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3

 

Powered by GUNNAR Optiks i-AMP® lens technology, the OptiCOM ProGaming Glasses integrate performance optics with a high quality chat headset to create a unique gaming experience.  GUNNAR’s specialized lens technology increases contrast and enhances detail, delivering greater visual fidelity and improved focus.  Attaching to the temple of the glasses, the OptiCOM voice communicator provides clear two-way communication when playing online. PlayStation 3 owners connect directly to their console via Bluetooth® and Xbox 360 owners simply plug their voice communicator headset directly into the game controller’s Xbox LIVE™ port.  The unique design allows gamers to choose to use their ProGaming Glasses and voice communicator headset independently should they wish.  (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 OptiCOM ProGaming Glasses sold separately).

 

MSRP: $99.99

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Controller Faceplates – Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3

Depicting official artwork from Black Ops, the highly collectible Controller Faceplate allows gamers to customize their official Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers in style.  Highly durable and featuring a high-gloss finish, the safe and removable Controller Faceplate attaches in seconds to the official controller and features authentic artwork to support the game (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 Controller Faceplate sold separately).

 

MSRP: $14.99

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Stealth Inductive Charger – Nintendo Wii

Utilizing innovative electromagnetic induction technology, the Black Ops Stealth Inductive Charger comes complete with two rechargeable battery packs which fit both official and Mad Catz Wii Remote’s to provide up to 15 hours of gaming between charges.  Rapid and safe recharging of up to two Wii Remote’s is carried out simply by placing the Remote on the Inductive Charging Unit with no need to remove the battery pack, silicon skin or Wii MotionPlus™ device before charging. NiMH rechargeable battery packs feature ‘Sync Button’ pass-thru allowing gamers to sync their remote without the need to remove battery pack and the Inductive Charging Unit features a high quality 3D lenticular design depicting official artwork directly from the game.

 

MSRP: $39.99

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops PrecisionAIM Mouse & USB Dog Tag Bundle – PC

Powered by Mad Catz Cyborg® R.A.T. technology, the Black Ops PrecisionAIM Mouse features a new generation “twin eye” 5600DPI gaming grade laser sensor that reads each axis separately for pinpoint accuracy.  Highly ergonomic and adjustable for sustained gaming, the Black Ops PrecisionAIM Mouse features interchangeable palm rests allowing for comfort and bespoke feel.  Gamers can program four DPI settings which can be instantly recalled via an integrated toggle switch, affording the option to strategically switch DPI settings mid game, programmable all the way up to 5600DPI.  Precision Aim button allows gamers to temporarily slow down cursor movement and reduce sensitivity on the fly, or alternatively, can be re-programmed to imitate any keyboard stroke or mouse button operation.  5 programmable buttons combined with a 3-position mode switch allows for a total of up to 15 user definable commands to be available to the gamer at any one time.  Fashioned in unique ‘Tiger’ camouflage design, the Black Ops PrecisionAIM Mouse also ships with a highly collectible Call of Duty USB Dog Tag which conceals a fully working 2GB USB Flash Drive, containing bespoke Black Ops profiles for the PrecisionAIM Mouse.  The Black Ops PrecisionAIM Mouse & USB Dog Tag Bundle is compatible with Windows™ 7, Vista™ and XP™.

 

MSRP: $99.99

 

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Stealth Gaming Surface – PC

Powered by Mad Catz Cyborg technology, the Black Ops Stealth Gaming Surface features a high density, low profile design which provides exceptionally detailed and accurate mouse feedback for the serious gamer.  Tactile silicone material securely adheres to the desk for rock-solid stability even during heated combat.  Low friction design allows for effortless arm and mouse movements while the ultra smooth 11.5” by 15.5” surface texture allows for precise tracking with laser or optical mice.

 

MSRP: $19.99

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops Stealth Controller – PC

 

For those who enjoy gaming on their PC but prefer the feel of a gamepad over a keyboard and mouse, the Black Ops Stealth Controller provides a comfortable and highly ergonomic method of play.  Featuring full analog control and ‘military inspired’ Rubber Grips, the Black Ops Stealth Controller features ‘plug-and-play’ operation, using native Windows® drivers to ensure maximum compatibility with Call of Duty: Black Ops software.  Fashioned with authentic game artwork and complete with a complement of four Action Buttons and four Trigger Buttons as well as a stable eight-way D-Pad, the Black Ops Stealth Controller is pre-programmed for Black Ops controls though also ships with software allowing gamers to customize their button commands and configurations.  The Black Ops Stealth Controller is compatible with Windows™ 7, Vista™ and XP™.

 

MSRP: $29.99

Alongside the accessories listed above, Mad Catz expect to ship two all-new TRITTON powered Call of Duty: Black Ops Pro-Gaming Headsets, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii video game systems and for PC.  Promising a feature rich specification and a multitude of class-leading features, the Pro-Gaming Headsets are expected to set a new benchmark in gaming audio headsets, with further information to be disclosed in due course.

 

Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, “We are excited to build on our relationship with Activision through the announcement of this new range of licensed accessories.  This year we are showcasing our R.A.T. gaming mice and TRITTON professional gaming audio headset technologies. By integrating them into Call of Duty: Black Ops licensed accessories range, we can provide premium gaming products to both the Call of Duty fan and the dedicated gamer. Our range blends leading technology and gamer focused products to produce a highly exciting proposition for gamers everywhere.”

 


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