Tech News
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HiFiMAN Deva with Bluemini @ TechPowerUp
Published: Monday, August 17, 2020 | By: DennisDarren is a big fan of the HiFiMAN line of headphones and has a set on his desk that nobody is allowed to touch. He spent several days breaking them in by playing continual music before even listening to them for the first time. Needless to say he was hooked from the first note and will likely buy another set.
Most audiophiles will agree that anything short of a high quality balanced cable is sacrilege in the headphone world with offenders often dying a horrible death at the hands of their shoddy electrical connection. Knowing this makes you wonder, how would they feel about a bluetooth enabled HiFiMAN??
I'm pretty sure they would lose their shiz!
Well, put on your waders, we are about to have incoming.
HiFiMAN's new Deva is a planar magnetic headphone which doubles up as a Bluetooth headset when you attach the Bluemini device. Currently, the Deva bundled with the Bluemini retails at $299 which also makes it the most affordable of the current planar headphones from HiFiMAN.
Yep, Bluetooth enabled HiFiMAN Deva with BlueMini attachment.
You see the "attachment" part is how HiFiMAN can sleep at night and what keeps the angry mobs at home smokin vapes and planning something sinister for those who use crap headphone cables.
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SK hynix to Expand United States Market Presence with the Launch of the World’s First 128-Layer NAND Consumer PCIe NVMe SSD
Published: Tuesday, August 18, 2020 | By: DennisSeoul, Korea – August 18th, 2020 – SK hynix Inc. (or “the Company,” www.skhynix.com), a global semiconductor supplier based in Korea, announced today the release of its newest PCIe SSD: the SK hynix Gold P31. The latest edition is the world’s first 128-layer NAND flash-based consumer SSD and the company’s first consumer-facing PCIe SSD launched in the United States under the SK hynix brand.
The Gold P31 is intended for all PC users with a particular focus on gamers, designers, and content creators. The drive supports the PCIe NVMe interface based on 4D NAND flash technology and is now available for purchase in 1TB and 500GB capacities on Amazon U.S.
The Gold P31 offers best-in-class read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s and write speeds of up to 3,200 MB/s. The drive is a reliable choice for gamers whose PCs must support long hours of play, as well as professional creators and designers for whom performance and stability is essential. The Gold P31’s reliability has been tested and validated through 1,000 hours of high-temperature operating life tests (HTOL) with mean time between failures (MTBF) reaching 1.5 million hours. The SSD also comes with a five-year warranty.
The SSD market’s rapid transition to the PCIe NVMe interface, and the creation of the Gold P31, highlights SK hynix’s position as an established leader in supplying reliable PCIe NVMe products to global PC OEMs. The newest SSD is one of the fastest and most innovative consumer SSDs on the market, sporting the latest technology from SK hynix.
As a leading manufacturer of memory chips, SK hynix designs, develops, and supplies its own DRAM and NAND flash devices as well as internal SSD controllers. Prior to the addition of the Gold P31 PCIe SSD, SK hynix launched the Gold S31 SATA consumer SSDs, offering the industry’s best-in-class speeds and reliability.
“SK hynix has a rich history as a major supplier to global OEMs, including top-tier PC makers, who have trusted and purchased SK hynix’s SSDs for nearly a decade,” noted SK hynix spokesperson. “Following the successful U.S. debut of the Gold S31 SSDs last year, we are confident that Gold P31 will claim a significant presence in the growing PCIe market backed by industry-leading performance metrics.”
In accordance with SK hynix’s strict commitment to social and environmental value, the Gold P31 SSD is responsibly encased in packaging that utilizes Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, biodegradable plastic bags, and soy ink.
Product Specifications: SK hynix Gold P31
Interface PCIe NVMe Gen 3
Product Type Internal SSD
Form Factor M.2 (2280)
SSD capacity 1TB - 500GB
NAND Flash 128-layer 4D NAND
Controller SK hynix Controller
Sequential Read up to 3,500MB/s
Sequential Write up to 3,200MB/s
Warranty 5 years
TBW 750 TBW (1TB) -
Intel Hit by a Devastating Data Breach, Chip Designs, Code, Possible Backdoors Leaked @ TechPowerUp
Published: Friday, August 7, 2020 | By: DennisYou'll have to read the post yourself but, it seems like we have nothing more than someone posting confidential information in an attempt to damage a company reputation. I'm going to go with AMD fanboi.
The news posting contains comments from intel explaining:
Intel in a comment to Tom's Hardware denied that its security apparatus had been compromised, and instead blamed someone with access to this information for downloading the data. "We are investigating this situation. The information appears to come from the Intel Resource and Design Center, which hosts information for use by our customers, partners and other external parties who have registered for access. We believe an individual with access downloaded and shared this data," a company spox said.
One of the biggest issues any hardware maker has is how they go about sharing information. When a product comes to a reviewer there a general acceptance that in exchange for the opportunity the reviewer will respect the wishes of the company in terms of what data is being released.
Customers are under the same restrictions and often have access to more sensitive information so when that bond of trust is broken there will be consequences.
I remember a story where an Intel representative was accusing a hardware maker of selling "ES" chips and leaking technical data to the press. It is not difficult to track these things down so, just because information gets out doesn't mean that Intel doesn’t know about it. Or, how to handle the fallout.
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MSI MEG Z490 Godlike Review @ Guru3D
Published: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 | By: DennisOne of the most iconic motherboards I have ever reviewed was the MSI X99A Godlike. I talk about this quite often because it was not only a highlight of Computex but changed the face of enthusaist hardware forever. One thing that made the X99A Godlike so great is that nobody else had anything like it.
Sadly, with the Z490 motherboard release it seems everyone shared their pre-production notes.
In this review, we look at the MSI MEG Z490 Godlike. Priced at $749 MSI delivers where most premium Z490 motherboard that has been loaded with features and then some. Animated OLED screen, 10 Gbit LAN, 2.5 Gbit Lan, AX WIFI, and looks that make this board seem like James Bond himself.
I'm not sure I would place the Z490 Godlike at the level of James Bond but I will admit it does come with all the bells, whistles and OLED screens you could ever want.
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EK Expands Quantum Torque Fitting Line With a New Unique Finish
Published: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 | By: DennisLooking to visit space with your custom watercooled gaming PC? Why not get ahead of the curve and swap out your current fittings for the new EK Quantum Torque fittings with the new Satin Titanium finish.
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t has been over a year ago when EK® introduced Torque fittings to the market, and since then, their popularity has only been growing. These fittings became the go-to solution for many high profile modders and enthusiasts. EK, the premium water cooling gear manufacturer, has promised to continue evolving and expanding its fitting lineup with new models and finishes. The latest addition to the Quantum Line fittings, aptly named Satin Titanium, was just introduced. EK has expanded its fitting portfolio with eighteen new products, and more is yet to come since every single extender and new fitting will become available in the Satin Titanium finish.
EK-Quantum Torque Satin Titanium
With a non-intrusive yet striking look, and with NO added branding at all, EK-Quantum Torque Satin Titanium fittings can be complemented by the interchangeable aesthetic color rings. These fittings are an ideal choice for anyone who wants to easily refresh the look of their PC with a new, exciting, and unique finish that is only available from EK.
The compression ring has cutouts in the EK Quantum signature shape allowing for the colored aesthetic ring to be shown. The colored rings are available in many colors and are screwed onto the fitting before the compression locking ring. These aesthetic rings are sold separately.
The current line of new Satin Titanium fittings consists of:
- EK-Quantum Torque HDC – Hard Tubing Compression fittings, single fittings, and 6-packs
- EK-Quantum Torque STC – Soft Tubing Compression fittings, single fittings, and 6-packs
- EK-Quantum Torque Angled – Rotary Angled Adapters 45°, 90°, and T
EK-Quantum Torque Satin Titanium HDC Fittings
EK-Quantum Torque HDC are hard-tube compression fittings designed for use with solid tubing such as Acrylic, PETG, and glass. They are available in three dimensions compatible with 12, 14, and 16mm outer diameter hard tubing.
EK-Quantum Torque Satin Titanium STC Fittings
EK-Quantum Torque STC are soft-tube compression fittings compatible with PVC, EPDM, Norprene, silicone, or any other type of flexible tubing. They are available in three dimensions compatible with 10/13, 10/16, and 12/16mm diameter (ID/OD) soft tubing.EK-Quantum Torque Satin Titanium Rotary Angled Adapters
The EK-Torque rotary angled adapters have a cylindrical shape. They are made to be very sturdy with a tight revolvable joint to avoid flex, thanks to customers’ feedback. Machined out of a solid piece of brass, they use G1/4? threads and have three variations – revolvable 90° adapter fitting, revolvable 45° adapter, and revolvable T adapter fitting with G1/4? threads that all serve a different purpose. The T adapter fitting can be used for setting up drain ports or for parallel connection between components.EK-Quantum Torque Satin Titanium 6-Pack
The six-packs will simplify the process of choosing the number of fittings needed for a liquid cooling loop. The boxed-up fittings will also bring added safety during transport, and customers will be left with a nice box to store them in. These six-pack fittings come in six different types and sizes – STC 10/13, STC 10/16, STC 12/16, HDC 12, HDC 14, and HDC 16. -
Samsung 870 QVO 1 TB @ TechPowerUp
Published: Wednesday, July 22, 2020 | By: DennisSo here is a handy trick. Send out a press release for a product review and put in the body of the message "Terrible, Do Not Buy" and you are almost guaranteed to get "someone" to read your article.
For me I was curious as to "why" TechPowerUp is saying that as it wasn't so clear in the opening paragraphs. So after flipping through the 100's of benchmarks I think I figured it out.The drive is slow when you make it do a bunch of stuff.
And, according to their historical charts the only drive slower (in most situations) is the Crucial BX500 This is a drive I reviewed a year ago and found it to be pretty good until you started asking it to do "Random" things. Interestingly enough that is what TechPowerUp is testing with the Samsung, and kept doing to hammer it home.
The Samsung 870 QVO is the company's new QLC-based SSD that reaches capacities of up to 8 TB. In our Samsung 870 QVO review we're taking a close look not only at synthetics, but also real-life performance, which is surprisingly weak, especially considering they want $115 for the reviewed 1 TB variant.
I'm not sure total cost should be a decision point considering that 1TB of SSD storage is about $100USD but, I can totally understand the distain for a drive that should perform better and doesn't.
It now makes me wonder if other reviewers noticed the same thing. Esp considering that Samsung doesn't send me anything
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BAPCo Releases SYSmark 25
Published: Monday, July 13, 2020 | By: DennisI have been using BAPCo benchmarks, namely SYSmark, since the inception of Ninjalane and continues to be one of my "go-to" benchmarks when it comes to testing real world performance. Of course, choosing a benchmark depends on what you are trying to test and what you are using to run that test against.
Basically, do your homework when trusting scores online.
There are a number of enhancements with SYSmark 25 and to be honest I'm looking forward to the 1 hour run-time. BTW, if 1 hour seems like a long time consider for a moment that SYSmark 2018 SE takes 4 hours to complete.
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SYSmark® 25, the latest and 25th workload generation of the premier PC benchmark that measures and compares system performance using real-world applications and workloads. The 25th workload generation of the premier PC performance metric features new Productivity, Creativity, and Responsiveness Scenarios.
The new Productivity Scenario has updated workloads and applications geared towards office centric user activities. The new Creativity Scenario features updated workloads and applications geared toward media-centric user activities. The new Responsiveness Scenario models ‘pain points’ in the user experience. These common activities that include: application launches, file launches, web browsing with multiple tabs, multi-tasking, and background application installation.
What’s new in SYSmark® 25:
- The 25th workload generation based on new Productivity, Creativity, and Responsiveness Scenarios
- Updated third-party applications
- Shorter install and run times
- Dark mode support
- A streamlined “click-and-run” user interface
- Results consolidated into a single file
- Localized GUI support for nine languages
- All new updated applications: Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, Adobe Lightroom Classic CC, Adobe Photoshop CC, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Audacity, AutoIt, Corel WinZip 24.0 Enterprise, Google Chrome (v 81.0), Microsoft Excel 2019, Microsoft Outlook 2019, Microsoft PowerPoint 2019, Microsoft Word 2019, Shotcut. SYSmark 25 uses only unmodified, retail versions of real-world applications for measurement
- New Productivity Scenario which has updated workloads and applications geared towards office centric user activities
- New Creativity Scenario which has updated workloads and applications geared toward media centric user activities
- The new Responsiveness Scenario models ‘pain points’ in the user experience. These common activities that include: application launches, file launches, web browsing with multiple tabs, multi-tasking, and background application installation.
- Improved results (FDR) formatting. New combined, single results PDF. Automatically generates results as PDF
- Allows active Internet connection during benchmark installation and execution
- Energy Consumption feature which records energy usage in watt-hours during the workloads. Requires a Watts Up Pro meter (buy @ the BAPCo Store). Compatible meters include: Watts Up PRO, PRO ES, and .NET models. Watts Up meter is suitable for connection only to 120V, 60 Hz power. Not suitable for Europe (230 VAC 50 Hz)
- Minimum system requirements ensure that SYSmark 25 runs on broader categories of PC systems
- CPU: 2015 or newer x86 processor (Intel 6th Generation Core or AMD 7000 series APU)
- RAM: 8 GB
- HDD/SSD: 25GB of free space on the primary drive
- Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 10 64-bit version 1803 (RS4) or higher
- Resolution: 1280×800 or 1366×768
- Graphics: DirectX 10 compatible, 2GB of VRAM
- Supported Languages on Windows 10: English (US)
- Additional languages to be added in future update: Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Spanish (SP)
- Approximate Running Time: 1 hour (1-iteration)
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Creative SXFI GAMER Headset: REKT Everyone Else
Published: Thursday, July 9, 2020 | By: DennisSuper X-Fi Gen2 Ultra-Realistic Holographic Audio Set to Stun Beyond Limits with All-New BATTLE Mode and CommanderMic
Milpitas, Calif. July 9, 2020 – Creative Technology has launched its flagship gaming headset, the Creative SXFI GAMER. Powered by the exceptional BATTLE Mode audio profile, a brand-new CommanderMic with professional-grade clarity, wired through a Kevlar-reinforced USB cable and topped off with a stunning RGB light design, SXFI GAMER is simply the ultimate weapon for complete gaming immersion and domination.
Gaming Sounds Real Like Never Before
Having snagged 23 best-of-show awards over the last two editions of CES 2019-2020, users and critics have been blown away by the next-generation realism of Super X-Fi headphone holography.
Since the start of this year, Super X-Fi products have been upgraded to Gen2, an improved and expanded version of Super X-Fi which incorporates key enhancements like higher accuracy in personalizing a user’s audio profile, extending more details in the surround sound configuration, better audio positioning and fidelity.
The SXFI GAMER incorporates all of these and goes one step further with BATTLE Mode, a specially-designed audio profile which optimizes Super X-Fi to a perfect fit for FPS games – environmental imaging, audio cues, distance projection and directionality are all enhanced with unprecedented levels of accuracy for the competitive gamer’s benefit, while preserving the essence of the award-winning holographic audio experience.
Look, Feel and Talk like a Pro Gamer
Besides its sharpshooter audio quality, the SXFI GAMER performs in various ways befitting bona fide pro gamers.The CommanderMic makes its debut in a completely new acoustic design which includes an integrated pop filter. It sports Creative’s latest SXFI inPerson microphone technology, which uses a special algorithm to enhance speech pick-up while suppressing ambient noise effectively.
The SXFI GAMER also ups the cool factor with its custom-designed, Kevlar-reinforced USB cable, which is meticulously engineered for strength and durability as it drives high-speed data transfer to deliver its maximum potential for gaming. The new RGB lighting design on the earcups, which allows users to customize their combat get-up with 16.7 million colors to choose from, provides the finishing move for the SXFI GAMER’s assault on gaming headsets.
Creative’s CEO Sim Wong Hoo said, “Gaming has always been entrenched in our DNA, since the earliest days of Sound Blaster more than 30 years ago.
“After we successfully created Super X-Fi, which critics have hailed as the holy grail of headphone technology, we did not rest on our laurels. We went ahead and spent a great deal of effort and resources to further improve Super X-Fi, especially targeting the gaming sector. The BATTLE Mode is here, and together with the CommanderMic and other features, the SXFI GAMER truly embodies the culmination of our very best technologies in a gaming headset.
“At the same time, the SXFI GAMER allows you to communicate with others as if they were in front of you, and also they would be able to hear you clearly. Hence it would be a great tool to Work-Learn-Play from home with.”
Pricing and Availability
SXFI GAMER is priced at US$129.99 and is available at Creative.com.For more information, visit us.creative.com/sxfigamer.
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Lexar Announces New SL200 Portable SSD
Published: Tuesday, June 30, 2020 | By: DennisSan Jose, USA, June 25, 2020 – Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, today announced the new Lexar® SL200 Portable SSD.
Key Features:
- SSD-level performance – with speeds up to 550MB/s read and 400MB/s write1
- Sleek, slimline styling with a premium finish
- Durable, portable design—resists harsh temperatures and vibration2
- Includes an advanced security solution with 256-bit AES encryption
- Features a USB Type-C port. Includes a USB Type-C to USB Type-C and USB Type-C to standard USB Type-A cable
- Three-year limited warranty
The family line of SSD products continues to expand and grow stronger with this latest addition to the SSD portfolio. This portable drive lets you take your data on-the-go, so you're covered in the field or the office. To keep your data secure, it's drop-, shock-, vibration-resistant, and features an advanced security solution with 256-bit AES encryption. The sleek SL200 has a premium finish available in 512GB and 1TB of storage space. It also displays more than adequate transfer speeds of up to 550 MB/s and a write speed of up to 400 MB/s1. It's easy to connect to your system using the included USB Type-C to USB Type-C or USB Type-C to Type-A cable, and it's ready to use.
Lexar® SL200 Portable SSD is available this month for purchase online at Adorama and B&H at an MSRP of $89.99 USD (512 GB,) followed by the 1TB at $159.99 USD in July.
All Lexar product designs undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with more than
1,100 digital devices, to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability. For more information
visit www.lexar.com
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Thermaltake AH T600 @ TechPowerUp
Published: Sunday, June 28, 2020 | By: DennisOne of the stragest case designs to come out of Thermaltake during CES 2020 the Thermaltake AH t600.
From a design perspective, the Thermaltake AH T600 is a bold chassis. Thermaltake utilizes an almost insane material mix with heavy inspiration drawn from modern military helicopters to create a large full-tower chassis with all the capabilities one looks for in a liquid cooling case.
Thermaltake has been caterig their case builds to be exclusively for Watercooling, it helps sell their watercooling gear and puts their caes in the spotlight whenever someone posts a build. The one issue I have with the case is that it is very different from a traditional chassis and what might look cool may not be the best chassis to build in.
Then again, TT wasn't looking for a ground breaking chasis but rather one to show off what they can do. Think "S-Frame"
