Tech News

• Cooler Master Introduces the Hyper 212 EVO V2

  Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 | By: Dennis

  LOS ANGELES, CALIF., September 4, 2020 - Cooler Master, a global leader in PC component manufacturing, is introducing the Hyper 212 EVO V2, an enhancement of our legendary Hyper 212 line. The Hyper 212 EVO V2 has improved on all aspects of the earlier editions. Upgraded with an asymmetrical heat pipe design, it now provides 100% RAM clearance for guaranteed compatibility across motherboards. The cooler heatsink profile has been shortened as well, making case compatibility even better. Cooler Master's exclusive Direct Contact Technology, paired with the new SickleFlow 120 Fan delivers the ultimate balance of cooling performance and quiet operation. Additionally, the universal brackets have been improved further, making installation simple and hassle free.

  

  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2

  • Asymmetrical 4 Heat pipe Design - Asymmetrical heat pipe design delivers maximum RAM compatibility and clearance space across various motherboard platforms
  • New SickleFlow 120 Fan - Redesigned curved blades and frame optimizes airflow and static pressure
  • Direct Contact Technology - Exclusive Direct Contact Technology using 4 copper heat pipes delivers exceptional heat dissipation
  • Precise Combination of Air Flow and Heat sink - Stacked-fin array provides low airflow resistance allowing cooler air flow through the heatsink All rights reserved.
  • Quiet Operation - Performance silent fan with minimized vibrations provides noiseless operation
  • Snap and Play - Intuitive bracket design allows for a hassle free installation process

  Availability:
  The Hyper 212 EVO V2 will be available for purchase on 10/31/2020 for a starting MSRP of $39.99. For more information, please visit: http://www.coolermaster.com/

  and.. be sure to check out our review of the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO V2 right here on this website.  You know, this one.

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• EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra @ TechPowerUp

  Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 | By: Dennis

  While Mini ITX might be the motherboard of the future you have to ask yourself what is the video card of the future.  Is it the boring "factory" cards that people have been dying to get or custom cards built with custom coolers and custom PCB design??

  I say custom is the future, stock sucks and even though you cannot overclock modern NVIDIA GPUs and there is no reason to have an oversized VRM or custom PCB layout I am here to say that custom is king!!

  And, Ultra is even better

  

  The EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra is extremely impressive. It is the fastest RTX 3080 we've reviewed so far, thanks to a massively increased power limit. The new iCX cooler works well, reaching amazing noise levels that are better than most other RTX 3080 cards, and fan-stop is included, too.

  Now, if people could stop complaining that they can't buy them that woudl be great.

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• Gigabyte B550i AORUS PRO AX Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers

  Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 | By: Dennis

  Small Motherboard, Amazing results.  Kinda.

  Mini ITX motherboards really are the future of desktop computing.  They have everything a modern computer needs and due to NVIDIA killing SLI there is no reason to have more than one expansion slot.

  That is unless you are an audio enthusiast in which case you need at least two.  So, ya Micro ATX is the future of desktop computing!!

  

  I’ve always been a fan of mini-ITX motherboards. It is still very impressive to me that we can cram so much into such a small motherboard. With the Ryzen 3000 series and upcoming Ryzen 5000 series building a super-powerful small form factor system couldn’t be easier. Gigabyte has the perfect motherboard for you too, the Gigabyte B550i AORUS PRO AX! B550 motherboards lack full PCI-Express 4.0 support, but you will get it on a single x16 slot and an M.2 slot, which means in the mini-ITX form factor you really aren’t losing all that much. Gigabyte’s B550i AORUS PRO AX is loaded with features which include a 6+2 VRM with 90A power stages, USB 3.2 support, dual M.2 slots, WiFi 6, 2.5G LAN, RGB lighting and much more! Is this the ultimate mini-ITX motherboard for Ryzen? Read on as we find out!

  The only drawback is that this board is a B chipset which means no overclocking.

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• MSI Subsidiary Caught Scalping RTX Cards on eBay @ PCMag

  Published: Thursday, October 8, 2020 | By: Dennis

  Now this is a pretty interesting story.  On one side you have a major hardware maker, building and selling components.  On the other side you have an affilated company who typically sells returned and refurb products selling new goods and following the standard supply and demand rules.

  Most would call that scalping but, it is the world we live in.

  I would be one of the many who find this distrustful but also see it as an honest mistake exploited by dishonest people and not a total shitshow like what the title and YT crowd are making it out to be. 

  Back in the day hardware media was a very well respected source for the latest information on products and news from a variety of hardware companies.  Generating that trust was key and focused on removing bias in an attempt to remain fair to ALL companies.  That also ment we needed to carefully select ads so to not express bias while offering fair product reviews to our readers. 

  

  When a hardware site was caught selling review product that was quickly called out by the community and often started a witch hunt to determine if they could be trusted or was just into it for the money.  The same was true for sites that advertised for companies they also did reviews for. 

  Sadly those days are gone.  We now have YouTube channels hosting public garage sales to sell stuff and other channels flat out complaining when they get hard to find products instead of turning it down like they should.  We all know these are media/review samples and are usually part of an advertising campaign but that doesn’t mean everyone should take advantage, it just shows where companies are spending their money and how dishonest outlets are taking advantage.

  So, what does this have to do with MSI.  Well, it is a story that has been blown out of proportion because it will generate traffic, hits and favoritism with other hardware vendors.  It will pit the consumers against the manufacturer and basically cause major problems over a simple permissions issue.

  After internet users began posting about the suspicious sales in a Reddit forum, MSI admitted today that its subsidiary, Starlit Partner, had indeed sold the graphics cards on eBay. According to the eBay listings, Starlit Partner sold at least four RTX 3080 cards for $1,359 and $1,399 and at least eight to 11 RTX 3090 units for as much as $2,599—far above the normal $759 and $1,589 pricing.

  Some would like to think that this is on purpose and it would be a pretty good scam if the idea was to promote another seller with the same products for less but, that isn't the case.

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• EK Releases a Perfect Cable Management System for RGB Cables

  Published: Monday, October 5, 2020 | By: Dennis

  EK®, the leading computer cooling solutions provider, is introducing the EK-Loop CMS, a cable management system comprised of six touch fasteners and a self-adhesive fabric. These hook and loop fasteners allow you to securely connect RGB (and D-RGB) connectors without any worry about them coming apart later, which is pretty usual during the transport of a PC or regular maintenance and dust removal.

  

  These stylish fasteners envelop the joint connection of the RGB connectors on each side and strap them together. Both cables are pulled through a fastener, connected, and in the end, the fastener is strapped together around the entire joint disabling any disconnection of the header. EK-Loop CMS fasteners are black with subtle grey EK branding on the middle that is visible once the cable management system is in place.

  

  This cable management system provides another self-adhesive strap that is intended to be mounted to the backside of the motherboard tray, and it grabs the main part of the fastener and holds it in place of your choosing. These two together create the cable management system called EK-Loop CMS.

  Availability and Pricing
  The EK-Loop CMS is designed in Europe and produced in China. It is available for order through the EK Webshop or EK Partner Reseller Network.  In the table below you can see the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP).

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• HP Introduces New Era of Virtual Reality for Developers and Enterprises

  Published: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 | By: Dennis

  The world’s most intelligent VR headset¹ with state-of-the-art sensor system captures physiological responses for a unique user-centric experience
  
  Developers can now design applications that adapt to each user and take VR experiences to the next level         

  PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, HP Inc. unveiled the HP Omnicept Solution, bringing the world’s most intelligent VR headset and a developer focused SDK into a single platform, equipping VR software developers with an ecosystem to create new hyper-personalized, engaging, and adaptive VR experiences for enterprises. The HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition VR headset enables real-time human insights that improve training and education outcomes as well as enhance collaboration and design.

  The VR landscape evolves to keep pace with how people interact with technology and the world around them to stay and feel connected. Facial expression and body language account for up to 50% of effective communication and with 25% - 30% of the workforce projected to be working from home in 2021, new immersive tools are required for better remote collaboration in design and development workflows. HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition and the Omnicept SDK are designed to curate more human and personal experiences with technology. Since pre-Covid, there has been a 35% increase in the use of tech in training and VR is proven to significantly increase retention rates for learning and training. The HP Omnicept Solution is transforming how developers drive change and increase efficiency in enterprises by adding data for more insightful analysis.

  “We’ve designed a powerful, adaptive VR solution to dramatically accelerate the use cases for VR, its potential to transform society, and the way we interact with technology,” said Jim Nottingham, general manager and global head, Advanced Compute and Solutions, HP Inc. “The HP Omnicept Solution will open new possibilities for VR development and its impact on enterprise training, remote education, collaboration, research and development, and specialized wellbeing. This type of data-driven approach will be fundamental to creating user-centric experiences for better VR in the future.”

  

  The HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition is built with a highly secure pipeline for protecting end-user privacy. The headset’s firmware safeguards the sensor data at every moment of capture and no data is stored in the headset.
  
  HP Omnicept-powered applications help ensure the capture and transfer of data comply with general data protection regulation (GDPR) requirements and keep user data confidential.

  HUMAN CENTERED VR EXPERIENCES
  Personalized experiences based on analytics and actionable insights increase retention rates for training and learning and improve wellbeing. Sensors on the headset, including eye tracking, heart rate, pupillometry, and face camera, enable the HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition to capture physiological responses. The integrated Omnicept SDK, powered by advanced machine learning algorithms, then interprets the data and allows developers to create a user-centric VR experience that provides actionable insights into how end users engage and respond during the experience.

  With this end-to-end intelligent platform, experiences built by product designers and developers for training, design, wellness, and research become data-driven, adapting to users in real-time via objective metrics vs. subjective feedback. HP Reverb Omnicept Editions features include:

  • Reverb G2 DNA: Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition builds on the foundation of the Reverb G2, the highest resolution VR headset among major vendors⁵, delivering cutting-edge optics, inside-out tracking, spatial 3D audio, and improved controllers with natural gestures.
  • Eye Motion and Gaze: Understand how the user is responding to content based on their focus area and understanding engagement levels, based on where they instinctively look.
  • Facial Expression: Enables naturally expressive avatars while collaborating around 3D designs for more natural and engaging conversations, helping enable faster and more efficient outcomes in a cross-functional development processes.
  • Heart Rate: Understand how a user is responding to an experience or training, based on their heart rate. For example, practitioners can adapt wellness treatments in VR-based on their specific client’s reactions.
  • Foveated Rendering: With integrated eye tracking, this HMD is able to discern the user's gaze direction⁶, enabling a reduction in GPU load and improved image quality within the user's foveal region, enhancing VR realism.

  HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition Pricing and Availability

  • The HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition is expected to be available in Spring 2021. Pricing will be shared closer to product availability.
  • HP Omnicept SDK is expected to be available in Spring 2021 and will include a flexible business model. To view options and learn more, visit developers.hp.com/xr.
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• Realtek Second Generation 2.5GbE Provides an Advanced Ethernet Solution for Modern Demands

  Published: Wednesday, September 30, 2020 | By: Dennis

  Upgrading to 2.5GbE brings comprehensive upgrades to commercial applications, entertainment needs and meets the demands for new remote work environments

  HSINCHU, Taiwan – September 30, 2020 – As people around the world make the shift to a longer-term remote work environment caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for more Ethernet bandwidth to meet the needs of companies and their employees is rising. To help accelerate the upgrade of network environments and improve performance for the enterprise and gaming communities, Realtek Semiconductor, the market leader in integrated circuits (IC) for the past 30 years, has launched the second generation of its 2.5GbE chip.

  While most companies continue to upgrade their wireless routers to Wi-Fi 6 with 2.5GbE ports, this solution falls short of truly increasing connection speed. The entire environment, including bridges such as internet cards and switches, needs to be equipped with Ethernet connections faster than 1Gbps to reach 2.5GbE speeds. Realtek’s second generation 2.5GbE, part of its RTL8125B series for business applications, provides original equipment manufacturers and enterprises with rapid development, while offering home entertainment enthusiasts, gamers, streamers, and audiovisual specialists quicker, more stable, and diversified interface solutions.

  Key features of the Realtek second generation Ethernet solutions include:

  • Eco-friendly, smaller design: The surface area has been reduced by 64% and power consumption by 50% compared to the first-generation models. Thinner and more energy-efficient, the 2.5GbE lowers the amount of power lost for long-term and large-scale transmissions, making it even more environmentally friendly.
  • High compatibility and stable transmission: The Realtek RTL8125B series is compatible with existing network cables, and it does not require switches for connections under 110 meters. It is also capable of providing stable uni- and bi-directional transmissions (uploading and downloading) even when combined with multiple brands of switches. It provides enterprises and users with an high-speed network environment out of the box, giving them a stable and fast network for teleconferences, data recovery, file transmission, gaming and video streaming.
  • Unique bandwidth-regulating software: The included ‘Dragon’ network bandwidth management software developed by Realtek can be used to assign packet priority. Smart distribution of bandwidth ensures that users most essential applications will not lag. 

  Ethernet is still the most stable method of network transmission. With demand for high-speed network environments on the rise, Realtek’s Second Generation 2.5GbE solution can be widely applied to motherboards, external PCIe cards, and USB network extenders. In addition, other network-related products including web cameras, online hard drives, servers, routers, cable boxes, printers, and base stations can all make use of Realtek’s network solutions, satisfying the need for stable, high-speed network environments from enterprise and network users.                                                                                      

  For more information about Realtek’s 2.5GbE solutions, please visit https://www.realtek.com/en/.

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• The Nvidia RTX 3080 eBay Debacle Exposed a Scalper Bot Civil War @ Gizmodo

  Published: Friday, September 25, 2020 | By: Dennis

  By now most of you will have heard or "seen" what happens when scalpers do that they can to scam you out of something.  I went to PAX Prime a couple years ago, the show sold out in like 30min and yet there were 10+ scalpers selling day passes to the show and buying passes from folks who were leaving.

  That isn't right but, it is the world we live in.

  Well, when the NVIDIA RTX 3080 launched it wasn't the consumers who won but the botnet placing fake orders with the intent they would resell them on ebay where another set of bots would place fake bids to get people to pay way more than what the card was worth.  What more, these bots would shove the price up high enough that someone who thought they had lost would actually win the auction because the bot retracted their inflated bids.  Talk about bait and switch and a great way to ruin your ebay reputation.

  Gizmodo set out to uncover the botnet world after reading a post on the NVIDIA forums from a user who created a counter bot just to mess with scalpers.

  Now RTX 3080 GPUs are being listed on eBay with bids that exceed $10,000. But those ridiculously high bids might be the result of bots created by fed-up potential buyers. After I wrote about who in the hell would buy a RTX 3080 for $70,000, I quickly received dozens of messages from people pointing me to a post on the Nvidia forums where a user claimed that they wrote a bot to inflate scalper prices. The post on Nvidia’s forums has since been removed, but I was able to connect with the post’s author

  Super crafty and reminds me of an article I wrote about "traffic pumping" or more specifically how to inflate web traffic for fun and profit.  It is a thing but rarely used these days.

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• GeIL Announces the Co-branded ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory with ASRock

  Published: Wednesday, September 23, 2020 | By: Dennis

  Fully compatible with latest ASRock Phantom Gaming Motherboard, Frequencies from 2666MHz to 3600MHz, and capacity for 8GB to 64GB kit

  Taipei, Taiwan - September 22^nd, 2020 – GeIL, Golden Emperor International Ltd. – one of the world's leading PC components & manufacturers today is proud to announce the partnership with the motherboard leader, ASRock, in expanding Phantom Gaming product line and launching the co-branded ORION Phantom Gaming Edition DDR4 Desktop Memory. This new product provides frequencies from 2666MHz to 3600MHz with higher capacities up to 64GB (2x32GB) to deliver better performance to hardcore gamers, video content creators, and PC builders.

  

  Since the successful collaboration on the EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory in 2019, the next chapter is the ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory. This new product comes with Intel and AMD package versions, as well as tested and optimized on the latest AMD and Intel platforms separately to ensure optimal performance. Per a strict validation process, ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory is fully compatible with the ASRock Phantom Gaming Motherboard, including the latest high-end B550 PG Velocita, Z490 PG Velocita, Z490 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB3 and more.

  ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory is designed to accelerate system gaming responsiveness when the system is full-loaded and satisfies content creators who are thirsting for extra performance. 

  Available as single 32GB modules or dual module kits with a maximum capacity of 64GB. The ORION modules offer speeds up to 3600MHz at CL16 with voltages ranging between 1.2V and 1.35V depending on module selection.

  

  The meteor shower pattern design stands out against the understated Charcoal Gray heat spreader design, allowing modules fit in most case design and color theme. To avoid collision with CPU coolers, ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory features the approximately standard height heat spreaders and is compatible with most PC cases on the market.

  "GeIL has been in partnership with the ASRock Phantom Gaming Edition for years. Today, we are so excited to announce the ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory, which compatible with ASRock's high-end PG Velocita Motherboard and the Phantom Gaming Motherboard. We ensure our creative engineering results trusted quality for our customers." said Jennifer Huang, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at GeIL.

  "GeIL has worked closely with ASRock and launched EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory last year. The new ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory has brought our partnership to the next level, and provided another option which enables the gamers to build a unique Phantom Gaming PC,” said Chris Lee, General Manager of ASRock Motherboard & Gaming Peripherals Business Unit. “The Phantom Gaming Alliance keens to provide the gamers not only unquestionable performance, compatibility, and exterior design, but also a unique gaming experience.”

  Backed by GeIL's lifetime warranty, ORION Phantom Gaming Edition Memory is available in frequencies from 2666MHz to 3600MHz and various kit capacities from 8GB to 64GB. Also, it is fully compatible with the ASRock Phantom Gaming Intel and AMD Ryzen^TM Motherboard for excellent quality and reliability.

  Official Webpage:
  ORION Phantom Gaming Edition: http://www.geil.com.tw/product/?id=54
  ORION Phantom Gaming AMD Edition: http://www.geil.com.tw/product/?id=53

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• Microsoft now owns The Elder Scrolls, Fallout and Doom @ PCGamer

  Published: Monday, September 21, 2020 | By: Dennis

  So, this seemed to have come from left field.  How is it that NVIDIA buying ARM could be leaked 6 months before it happened and yet Microsoft buying the parent company to one of the better game developers on the planet slip by me??

  Well, I blame stock market insiders for the NVIDIA thing and it seems I need more tipsters to stay on top of the Microsoft thing.  Come to think of it, I don't get many tips anymore which is sad since that is how you get the juiciest stuff. 

  Bethesda’s games have always had a special place on Xbox and in the hearts of millions of gamers around the world," he said. "Our teams have a close and storied history working together, from the amazing first DOOM, and its id Tech engine, innovating games on PCs to Bethesda bringing their first console game to the original Xbox, the groundbreaking The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Over the years I’ve had many deep conversations with the creative leaders at Bethesda on the future of gaming and we’ve long shared similar visions for the opportunities for creators and their games to reach more players in more ways.

  
  
  Xbox boss Phil Spencer

  Lets hope they make things better for Bethesda with even better game titles and something "new" instead of just re-skinning games to take advantage of the GTA effect.

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