Our Most Recent Reviews
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.
Available NOW: ROCCAT™ Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard
featuring new ROCCAT™ Talk© technology
Hamburg, 13 September 2011 - ROCCAT ™ Studios, the young Hamburg-based
manufacturer of gaming peripherals, released the ROCCAT ™ Isku Illuminated Gaming
Keyboard in Germany for a suggested retail price of €79.99. By mid- to late September the
Isku will be available all over Europe.
featuring new ROCCAT™ Talk© technology
Hamburg, 13 September 2011 - ROCCAT ™ Studios, the young Hamburg-based
manufacturer of gaming peripherals, released the ROCCAT ™ Isku Illuminated Gaming
Keyboard in Germany for a suggested retail price of €79.99. By mid- to late September the
Isku will be available all over Europe.
The product of intensive research and extensive design studies, the Isku was built specifically to
meet the demanding needs of today’s gamers. The result is a cutting-edge keyboard equipped
with a multitude of advanced macro functions. Plus, the Isku is the world’s first keyboard to
feature ROCCAT™ Talk and Easy-Shift[+]™ – exclusive technologies that can be combined to
take advantage of exciting set bonus features.
The Isku’s 123, medium-height, standard layout keys provide optimum keystroke response and
perfect pressure points. And with six adjustable brightness levels, gamers can always hit the right
key -- even in the dark.
EASY-SHIFT[+]™ GETS ITS KEYBOARD DEBUT
The Isku is the world’s only keyboard to feature groundbreaking Easy-Shift[+]™ technology,
which offers 36 easily-customizable macros strategically positioned in three locations in the easy-
to-find WASD zone. This means gamers can enjoy twice the number of functions for keys in the
zone and can issue orders quickly and easily without ever having to re-adjust the hand position.
What’s more, setting macros with Easy-Shift[+]™ is as easy as typing an uppercase letter. The
Caps Lock key -- normally of no interest to any gamer – is the default Easy-Shift[+]™ key, but
gamers can also use one of the M1-M5 macro keys, or one of the three Thumbster keys
conveniently located below the spacebar. The 28 easy-to-reach macro keys offer up to 180
directly-executable functions. Favorite settings can be saved in five instantly-loadable profiles.
Thanks to advanced anti-ghosting, multiple keys can be depressed simultaneously, while the
1000Hz polling rate ensures ultra-fast keyboard response without any lag.
ROCCAT™ TALK© – SET BONUS
New ROCCAT™ Talk technology allows the ROCCAT™ Kone[+] Max Customization Gaming
Mouse and the Isku to communicate with each other – marking the first time that a mouse and
PRESS RELEASE
Approved for immediate release
keyboard can share information. Among other benefits, this new technology allows a single Easy-
Shift[+]™ key or button to be used for both the mouse and keyboard – greatly simplifying macro
use. A player can choose one of nine keys to use as the Easy-Shift[+]™ key. When a gamer
activates the feature on the mouse via the keyboard, the mouse, as usual, gives visual feedback
by lighting up. During play the mouse and keyboard communicate lag-free for rapid in-game
response.
ROCCAT™ Talk© also allows for more effective use of special functions on the Kone[+] mouse.
For example, for the first time ever a gamer can easily execute critical functions such as Easy-
Aim by pressing a keyboard key – offering the simplest and most convenient way ever to achieve
pinpoint accuracy in sniper mode. It’s even possible to set the
Easy-Shift[+]™ key or button to remain active until toggled off.
ROCCAT™ plans to release more exciting ROCCAT™ Talk© products in the future.
ENHANCED MACRO LIVE! RECORDING
The integrated Macro Live! Recording button makes in-game macro recording simple. After
pressing the Macro Live! Recording button, the new Sound Feedback feature guides the gamer
through the macro recording process, step by step. Users can quickly and easily program up to
500 actions for each of the 36 macro settings. Gamers can also edit recorded macros out of
game using the included Macro Manager software.
AWARD-WINNING MACRO MANAGER
The Isku comes with the incredibly popular Macro Manager program, which gives gamers an
additional way to easily record and edit macros using an intuitive, menu-based interface. Macro
Manager even features presets for top PC games -- as well as several office apps – so users can
get going with their favorites right away. Plus, the new Loop Function makes it possible to repeat
macros up to an incredible 255 times.
EXTRA-LARGE WRIST REST FEATURING THUMBSTER KEYS
The Isku offers an Integrated Extra-Large Granular Wrist Rest, which allows for fast yet controlled
movement and a secure and solid grip -- all thanks to its special surface texture. This makes it
perfect for comfortable gaming, even during extended sessions. Plus, three freely-configurable
Thumbster keys built into the wrist rest can be assigned individual functions -- letting gamers put
their thumbs to optimum use.
PRESS RELEASE
Approved for immediate release
IMPROVED PROFILE MANAGEMENT
Players can save their favorite gaming configurations in one of five game profiles -- and link them
to various games and apps -- allowing button configurations, lighting preference, DPI settings,
etc. to be loaded automatically and instantaneously when a game starts. The Isku also offers
ultra-fast profile switching and even features five LED status lights that clearly indicate the profile
in use. Plus, when a gamer finishes playing, the Isku automatically switches back to a Windows
profile, quickly loading all the previously-selected default settings.
On top of that, the famous ROCCAT™ Voice announces every profile change, thanks to
exclusive Sound Feedback technology.
BLUE KEYBOARD ILLUMINATION
ROCCAT™ has equipped the Isku with an intelligent illumination system offering six adjustable
brightness levels -- so gamers can hit the right key in any lighting. The Light Timer function also
lets gamers configure energy-saving settings -- and will even switch off the keyboard illumination
after a user-determined amount of time if no keys are pressed.
8 MEDIA & HOTKEYS + 12 CONFIGURABLE F-KEYS
The Isku features a row of eight fully-configurable media keys optimally positioned at the top of
the keyboard -- for quick and easy access to 25 handy functions. It also features 12
programmable F-keys, for a full range of customization options.
INTEGRATED CABLE CHANNELS
Cable channels under the keyboard ensure optimal desktop cable management. Headset and
mouse cables can now be easily tidied away, signaling the end of that all too familiar problem of
cable mess.
The ROCCAT ™ Isku Illuminated Gaming Keyboard is available now for a suggested retail
price of €79.99 in Germany. By mid- to late September, the Isku will be available all over
Europe.
PRESS RELEASE
Approved for immediate release
Print-quality photos, product video and product information:
http://www.roccat.org/Downloads/PressKit/ROCCAT_Isku_Press-Kit.rar
ROCCAT™ Isku HD product video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMQgWTUihQU
What’s behind new ROCCAT™ Talk© technology:
http://www.roccat.org/Products/Gaming-Keyboards/ROCCAT-Isku/#crb_3
Product Features:
Blue key illumination with 6 brightness levels including off setting
Easy-Shift[+]™ for simple key duplication and activation
3 Easy-Shift[+]™ zones featuring 28 easy-to-reach macro keys, including 5
doubly-programmable dedicated M-keys and 3 doubly-programmable Thumbster Keys
Macro Live! recording button for in-game macro setting; 180+ macros in 5 profiles
8 media & hotkeys; 25+ assignable functions
Medium-height keys; optimum keystroke; advanced anti-ghosting
ROCCAT™ Driver & Macro Manager, incl. macro presets for games, multimedia & office
apps
Integrated Extra-Large Granulated Wrist Rest with optimized surface texture
Cable channels for better device organization
Non-slip base with lock-on keyboard feet
Fast profile switching; 5 Profile-Status LEDs
ROCCAT™ Talk©: Set Bonus by combining devices
Further information:
ROCCAT™ Studios Hamburg, Gasstraße 6b, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
Kathrin Bachmann
+49 (0)40 309 9495 112
kathrin@roccat.org
Michael Schmidt
+49 (0)40 309 9495 133
michael@roccat.org
PRESS RELEASE
Approved for immediate release
About ROCCAT™ Studios
Founded in 2007 in Hamburg, Germany, ROCCAT™ Studios produces innovative,
high-quality products for today’s ambitious computer gamer. Always operating in close
collaboration with the gaming community, the company’s advanced input devices, headsets and
accessories offer extreme precision, first-class ease-of-use and unique, eye-catching design.
ROCCAT™
high-performance device that still ranks as one of the world’s premier gaming peripherals. A
long list of international awards attests to the world-class quality and ingenious design of
ROCCAT™ products.
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