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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.

RAZER™ PREPARES GAMERS FOR BATTLE WITH THE ARRIVAL OF ITS STARCRAFT® II: WINGS OF LIBERTY™ LINE OF GAMING PERIPHERALS

BlizzCon®, Anaheim, Calif.October 19, 2010 - Razer, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, is pleased to announce the arrival of our line of peripherals for Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™. Just in time for Blizzard Entertainment’s BlizzCon® gaming convention, the entire suite of peripherals designed specifically for the acclaimed real-time strategy (RTS) game is now available for pre-order. The entire line includes the Razer Spectre™ StarCraft II Gaming Mouse, the Razer Marauder™ StarCraft II Gaming Keyboard and the Razer Banshee™ StarCraft II Gaming Headset. It's time to upgrade your equipment and prepare for battle, as these products are fully integrated into the StarCraft II experience.


“We have been anticipating the moment we could get these gaming peripherals into the hands of gamers and StarCraft players,” said Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president, Razer USA. “We could not be more happy with the massive feedback we’ve received over the unique APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System™ feature and remarkable design. This new line offers StarCraft II players a great new way to complement and customize their real-time strategy gaming experience.”


The Razer Spectre, Razer Marauder and Razer Banshee are all packed with features designed to enhance gamers’ play experience. All of the Razer StarCraft II gaming peripherals feature an APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System that provides the gamer with feedback on performance, providing a fully integrated gaming experience that responds directly to the player’s maneuvers and speed. Each peripheral also features a gaming-optimized design with an emphasis on portability for tournament play, and is stylized with design elements from the StarCraft universe.


Razer Spectre StarCraft II Gaming Mouse

Tournament-ready and designed for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the Razer Spectre StarCraft II Gaming Mouse is a lightweight, five-button mouse designed to provide precision and control for RTS gamers. The Razer Spectre features the newly developed APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System with a multi-color LED that provides real-time performance feedback through changing lighting hues and adjustable mouse button force settings for optimal mouse click speed and control. Equipped with a powerful 5600dpi Razer Precision™ 3.5G laser sensor and a 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ 1 ms response time, the Razer Spectre StarCraft II Gaming Mouse gives gamers exactly what they are looking for in an RTS mouse.

PRICE: US $79.99; Europe €79.99; Korea 94,800 WON


FEATURES:

  • Gaming-Optimized Design inspired by the StarCraft universe 
  • Lightweight, Fingertip-Grip 5 Button Mouse
  • 5600DPI Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor
  • Backlit Mouse with APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System
  • Mouse Click Button Force Adjustment
  • 1000Hz Ultrapolling /1ms response
  • Hardware Configuration Utility


AVAILABILITY:

Razerzone.com – November 2010

USA – November 2010

Europe – November 2010

Korea – November 2010

Razer Marauder StarCraft II Gaming Keyboard

Designed for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the Razer Marauder StarCraft II Gaming Keyboard is a full-featured, tournament-ready keyboard maximized for compact design. The Razer Marauder features a multi-color backlit keyboard with an APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System that provides real-time performance feedback through changing color hues to complement the gaming experience. Enhanced with elevated keys for rapid command input and improved gaming performance and a dedicated on-the-fly macro recording system, the Razer Marauder is built with a gaming-optimized design inspired by the StarCraft universe.

PRICE: US $119.99; Europe €119.99; Korea 142,800 WON


FEATURES:

  • StarCraft-inspired Design
  • Optimized Key Travel Distance
  • Backlit Keyboard with APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System
  • Razer Hyperesponse technology
  • Hardware Configuration Utility
  • Optimized Spacing with Laser-etched Keys
  • 1000Hz Ultrapolling /1ms response

AVAILABILITY:

Razerzone.com – November 2010

USA – November 2010

Europe – November 2010

Korea – November 2010

Razer Banshee StarCraft II Gaming Headset

Designed for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, with a focus on maximum performance, comfort and sound isolation, the Razer Banshee StarCraft II Gaming Headset features a newly developed, multi-color APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System™ that provides real-time feedback on player performance. The Razer Banshee is equipped with a configuration utility for customized adjustments of equalizer, pitch and volume. Other special features include a detachable microphone boom for easy transport and a comfortable circumaural construction, all in a gaming-optimized design inspired by the StarCraft universe.

PRICE: US $119.99; Europe €119.99; Korea 142,800 WON


FEATURES: 

  • Gaming-Optimized Performance & Comfort
  • StarCraft-inspired Design
  • Backlit Headset with APM (Actions-Per-Minute) Lighting System
  • Circumaural Design with 50mm Driver Units
  • Built-in Volume & Mic Control Buttons
  • Detachable Microphone Boom
  • Hardware Configuration Utility


AVAILABILITY:

Razerzone.com – November 2010

USA – November 2010

Europe – November 2010

Korea – November 2010


Razer StarCraft II Zerg Edition Messenger Bag

The Zerg Edition of the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Messenger Bag features artwork from the game and is designed to protect gaming gear in style.


PRICE: US $89.99; Europe €89.99; Korea 10,880 WON


FEATURES:

  • Tear-resistant, weather-proof heavy duty 1680D ballistic nylon outer shell
  • Single shoulder sling design for added mobility
  • Easy one-handed release chest clasp enables quick and convenient access
  • Built-in compartments for laptops, gaming peripherals and portable gaming device
  • Padded inner lining protects electronic devices and provides ample shock absorbency while on the road


AVAILABILITY: 

Razerzone.com – November 2010

USA – November 2010

Europe – November 2010

Korea – November 2010


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