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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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LanOC Reviews and News

TP-Link AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter Turns Existing Powerlines into High Speed Networks

(City of Industry, CA) – May 22, 2012 – TP-LINK, a global provider of networking products, today announced its new AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter, providing industry-leading performance, hassle-free set-up, for an instant, secure high-speed network for the home or office. The AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter provides high-speed streams at up to 500Mbps on a line length of up to 300 meters, creating an incredibly fast, robust network. At these speeds, the AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter delivers the performance required for fast, whole home or office solutions to connect all network compatible devices from HD video streaming, online gaming, VolP or any other bandwidth intensive applications.

Verbatim’s Store ‘n’ Go Micro USB Drive and Ultra Rugged Micro USB Drive Plus Now Shipping

Charlotte, NC – May 21, 2012 – Verbatim, the global leader in data storage technology including portable hard drives, USB flash drives, CDs, Blu-ray discs and memory cards, has announced the retail availability of its latest stylish and innovative flash drives – the Store ‘n’ Go Micro USB Drive and the Micro USB Drive Plus. These rugged portable solutions feature a modern design for go anywhere storage that is tough enough to withstand rough handling.

ADATA Adds to XPG Xtreme Series

Taipei, Taiwan, May 16, 2012 - ADATA Technology Co., Ltd announced a boost to its XPG™ Xtreme Series DDR3 lineup with the DDR3-2133X 8GB and 16GB dual channel kits. This new entry to XPG™ Xtreme Series satisfies enthusiasts’ increasingly stringent demands for high capacity and performance DRAM modules.

Corsair Enhances GS Series Power Supplies

FREMONT, California — May 15, 2012 — Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced major upgrades to the GS Series line of high-performance power supply units (PSUs). A new improved design boosts energy efficiency, enabling the new GS Series PSUs to achieve 80 PLUS® Bronze certification while also providing quieter, fanless operation at low power loads. The newly enhanced models are available in three wattage models: the GS600, GS700, and GS800.

Cooler Master - Redesigning Compact CPU Coolers

Chino, California – May 15th, 2012 - Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer, announces a CPU cooler with huge performance packed into a seemingly miniature package. That new compact CPU cooler is the GeminII M4 – a GeminII series cooler.

World's First 120° Wide Angle 1080p HD Webcam - Genius

May 15, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan - Genius is pleased to announce the world's first 120° ultra wide angle 1080p HD webcam, WideCam F100. Able to capture the whole boardroom or entire family within a single frame, this Genius high definition webcam is ideal for both business professionals as well as home users.

Out now: ROCCAT Savu Gaming Mouse

The New King Arrives: ROCCAT Savu – Mid-Size Hybrid Gaming Mouse Out Now

Dear everybody.

Built to reign supreme as the new titan of optical sensor mice, the Savu comes loaded with the world’s fastest Pro Optic engine and introduces an awards and achievements system to the world of gaming peripherals.

Genius Exhibits GX Gaming Series and Two Star Products

9 May 2012, Taipei, Taiwan – Genius today announces that they will be attending Computex Taipei 2012 from June 5 to June 9, 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan. Genius is extending an invitation to all Computex attendees to visit their booth (#L0418 Nangang Exhibition Hall 4F) and get hands-on experience with their latest product offerings.

Rosewill Releases the RHTS-8206

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – May 8^TH, 2012 – Rosewill, the world leading hardware solution provider, announces their latest 5.1 channel vibrating gaming headset, RHTS-8206, that will enhance the Rosewill gaming headset family. The addition of this headset will raise Rosewill’s gaming footprint to new heights by expanding their already extensive gaming components.

Corsair Adds Wireless Headsets and PC Cases to Vengeance Gaming Line

BOSTON, Massachusetts — April 5, 2012 — Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Vengeance® 2000 Wireless 7.1 Gaming headset and Vengeance C70 PC case. The new products are the first wireless headset and first PC case in the company’s growing arsenal of award-winning Vengeance PC gaming products.

"Our Vengeance wired headsets have built a loyal following by giving gamers a competitive advantage with detailed positional audio, reliable voice communication, and comfort that lasts over marathon gaming sessions," said Ruben Mookerjee, VP and General Manager of the Components Business Unit at Corsair. "The new Vengeance 2000 wireless headset relieves gamers from the hassle of accidentally rolling over cables or ripping their headset connector out of their PCs during the heat of battle."

"The Vengeance C70 case was designed in an ammo-box style, with an all-steel exterior for extra durability, and metal flip-up handles for easy transport to LAN Parties," said Ruben Mookerjee. "We also made sure that the case had plenty of cooling and expandability options, so gamers and builders can be assured that the case will accommodate just about anything they can throw at it."

Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 Gaming Headset: Untethered gaming with amazing audio fidelity

The Vengeance 2000 7.1 Wireless gaming headset uses rock-solid 2.4GHz wireless that frees and untangles gamers with battery life up to ten hours and a range up to 40 feet. Whether it’s a 5.1 or 7.1 audio source, the headset’s optimized HRTF positional audio technology gives gamers an edge with precise information about the location of opponents. It also features custom-engineered 50mm drivers and careful acoustic tuning for audiophile-grade sound with superior clarity and tight bass response. For immersive audio and hours-long comfort the Vengeance 2000 employs circumaural, micro-fiber memory foam earpads and a padded headband. The high-sensitivity, noise-cancelling microphone helps ensure effective team play. The headset comes with a Micro-USB charge cable that can also power the headset if the battery runs low.

Vengeance C70 PC Gaming Case: Ruggedized and Portable

The Vengeance C70 computer case has convenient built-in carry handles and a steel front panel instead of plastic for enhanced durability. Eight PCI-E slots give you the freedom for the multi-GPU setups, and dual USB 3.0 I/O ports and six SSD-ready hard drive bays (in two removable drive cages) enable the PC to be tuned for raw performance. The C70 has up to 10 fan mounts, making it a great case for air-cooling, plus the C70 also features room for water-cooling with spots for the Hydro Series™ H100 or other 240mm radiators on top. The bottom hard drive cage can also be removed to install a second 240mm radiator. The case is available in three colors: Arctic White, Gunmetal Black, and Military Green.

See the New Products at PAX East in Boston, April 6-8

The new Vengeance 2000 Wireless 7.1 gaming headset and Vengeance C70 PC case will make their public debut at the PAX East gaming event in Boston, Massachusetts from Friday, April 6th to Sunday, April 8th. For more information on PAX East, visit www.paxsite.com.

Pricing and Availability
Vengeance 2000 7.1 wireless gaming headsets have an MSRP in the United States of $149 USD and are expected to be available in June. The Corsair Vengeance C70 PC case has an MSRP of $139 and is expect to be available in May.

For a complete set of images please visit:

https://corsair.sharefile.com/d/s4967822f6994d9aa

Corsair Vengeance Gaming Peripherals and Audio Products

Corsair's Vengeance line of PC gaming products features keyboard, mice, and headsets tailored to the unique needs of PC gamers. In addition to the newly announced products, the Vengeance lineup includes the Vengeance K90 mechanical gaming keyboard and Vengeance M90 laser gaming mouse, both optimized for MMO, MOBA and RTS gaming; the Vengeance K60 mechanical gaming keyboard and Vengeance M60 laser gaming mouse, tuned for FPS games; the Vengeance 1500 and Vengeance 1300 gaming headsets; and the Vengeance 1100 "behind-the-head" gaming headset.

To learn more about the entire line of Vengeance PC gaming keyboards, laser gaming mice, and gaming headsets, please visit:

http://www.corsair.com/vengeance-gaming.html