Tech News
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Keep Your PC Healthy With EK-Loop Connect
Published: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 | By: DennisA Fan, Pump, and an Addressable D-RGB controller unit that is designed from the standpoint of an enthusiast. With this control hub you can easily set your desired RGB lighting effects with just a few clicks, as well as optimize your cooling performance, and noise levels through a simple PWM chart or pre-defined profiles. That’s not all though, as you’ll have the option of using external temperature sensors, flow meters, and coolant level probes.
The EK-Loop Connect is one of, if not the most powerful, mainstream fan and LED controller available on the market, topping off at 170W of total power delivery. It’s capable of delivering 20W per each 4-pin fan header, combining up to a total of 120W. The industry-standard, non-proprietary addressable D-RGB headers can each handle 8W of power.
With six PWM fan headers, capable of delivering a total of 120W, the user can connect several dozen fans, as standard PWM splitter cables can also be utilized. The same applies to the D-RGB headers since they can deliver up to 50W of power in total. Each header can be used to connect multiple D-RGB products by using an EK D-RGB splitter cable. To put it into perspective, that’s enough for ~20 EK-Quantum Vector D-RGB water blocks. For specific EK-Quantum D-RGB water block power consumption check the table on our blog.
It’s safe!
An LED overpower protection system will make sure you will not damage the controller unit or your addressable D-RGB LEDs. If by any chance, you manage to overload any of the D-RGB headers, the unit will automatically set the color of all the LEDs attached to a red color. A static red color is using only 1/3 of the total power draw and also acts as a warning color for the user to take action and reduce the number of LEDs attached.
EK Connect D-RGB Controller
EK-Loop Connect is connected to the motherboard via an internal USB 2.0 header and is powered by a single Molex cable. In the package, you receive a Molex -> dual SATA power adapter, if you prefer not to have Molex cables in your modular PSU.
Technical Specification
Dimensions (L x H x W): 126 x 18 x 70mm
Power Output for Fans: 20W per header
Power Output for LEDs: 8W per header
Mounting Holes: 2.5? drive mounting holes -
CORSAIR Hydro X Series XD3 Pump/Reservoir Combo @ TechPowerUp
Published: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 | By: DennisI got to see some of this gear during Computex and was really impressed with what they came up with. Sure the system is larger than it needs to be and the RGB can be way over the top but, it moves water and that is all most people will care about.
CORSAIR adds to their Hydro X series of custom watercooling products with their second pump/reservoir combo. The all-new Hydro XD3 uses a Xylem DDC and a lower profile form factor to complement the taller Hydro XD5 that used the Xylem D5, and adds more RGB while sticking with the same excellent installation options.
I do like how they elected to use the DDC and D5 pumps in their pump/res combo. That makes flow and head pressures easy to evaulate and replace if needed.
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Lexar Presents the Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD
Published: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 | By: DennisTiny shock-resistant design for ultra protection, SL100 Pro comes with blazing fast read and write transfer speed over USB Type C, available in sizes from 500GB to 1TB
San Jose, California, February 25th, 2020 – Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is pleased to announce the Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD is currently available at major US retailers.
There is no doubt that users need larger storage devices for transferring and storing all types of data from audio, photos, and videos to office files and programs. The Lexar SL100 Pro Portable Solid-State Drive (SSD) is crafted for on the go (laptop and tablet) users who need high transfer speed and excellent reliability. The pocket-size drive comes wrapped in a brushed aluminum housing and features a shock and vibration resistant design for ultra protection. The SL100 Pro provides users the blazing-fast data transfer speed of up to 950MB/s read and 900MB/s write.
Reliability means everything
SL100 Pro is developed with a small form factor military-grade brushed aluminum case for an understated elegant style with ultra protection. This shock and vibration resistant design intends to avoid damage when the drive is dropped and mitigates the potential risk of data loss.
For added security, SL100 Pro comes bundled with an advanced security software solution featuring 256-bit AES encryption and a password-protected vault for safeguarding the most private and sensitive data against hacking, corruption, and deletion. More importantly, when data is deleted it will be removed from the vault and will be securely erased and unrecoverable.
A perfect solution for console gaming and 4K video content
Using the Marvell NV1160 controller, SL100 Pro delivers exceptional sequential Read and Write performance with up to 950MB/s read speed and 900MB/s write with connections over USB 3.1 for the highest transfer speed on the market.
In addition to standard file and 4K video storage, the Lexar SL100 Pro is a perfect solution for an extended storage device on the two major gaming consoles, which can benefit from a fast external SSD when used for installing games. The superior speed of the drive guarantees smoother gameplay and quicker data transfer for both video gaming consoles and gaming laptops. Read and write speeds are critical metrics for computing performance, particularly when launching large files for 4K video editing or 3D animation workload. The SL100 Pro brings the perfect combo using lightning-fast transfer rates, incredible performance, and enhanced multitasking capabilities.
The Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD is available now at an MSRP of $129.99 USD (500GB), and $199.99 USD (1TB). It also comes with a three-year limited warranty.
Feature Highlights:- Superior SSD performance, with speeds up to 950MB/s read and 900MB/s write
- Sleek, understated elegant styling with a premium brushed aluminum finish
- Durable, portable design—resists harsh temperatures and vibration
- Features a USB Type-C (USB-C) port, and includes both USB Type-C to Type-C cable and USB Type-C to standard USB Type-A cable
- Includes DataVault Lite software to protect files securely and backed by a three-year limited warranty
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PATRIOT launches latest P300 m.2 PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD
Published: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 | By: DennisFREMONT, CALIFORNIA - FEB. 13th, 2020 - PATRIOT, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals, and flash storage solutions, is pleased to announce the official launch of P300 Gen3 x4 NVMe m.2 SSD with capacities available from 256GB up to 1TB. The P300 is designed to deliver the most significant all-around performance for desktop and laptop users. Built with next-generation PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe controller and best-in-class components, the P300 is posed to bring out rapid data transfer speeds and best in class reliability for the user. P300 represents a milestone for the next generation of PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe SSD, which can offer 25% higher transfer speeds better IOPs over standard PCIe3 x2 solutions and attribute to its low power consumption is the best solution for laptop battery endurance.
As more and more users have migrated from SATA III to PCIe NVMe solid-state drives, there needs to be diversity to help users pick products that better match their demands and performance goals. The P300 provides a reliable solution for budget-users while still offering exceptional speed at a consumer-friendly price. P300 built on a single-sided M.2 design for space savings and to ensure compatibility with the thinnest laptops and small form factor desktops. The next-generation DRAMless controller, when matched with 3D NAND flash, reduces the build costs without compromising SSD performance and quality. "While the entire PC industry seems to focus on high-end GAMING products, it is easy to overlook the basic needs of the retail consumer, and PATRIOT is rising to the challenge. The P300 is a perfect example of that allowing the budget-builder to have a quality SSD with little to no compromise in performance and quality," said Roger Shinmoto, the Vice President of PATRIOT.Stability and reliability are the key elements for outstanding storage products. The P300’s advanced firmware provides an end-to-end data path protection and powerful LDPC (low-density parity-check) ECC algorithm to ensure data integrity, and for avoiding data corruption, it also allows peak performance is maintained and lowers power consumption in the system.
Supports APST, ASPM, and L1.2 power-saving modes, which can maximize the battery endurance of laptops and offers a secure erase command to clear all user data and restore factory settings. The P300 supports Advanced Wear Leveling to prolong the lifespan of NAND Flash by optimizing write and erase cycles for each of the cells. The drive is designed to strengthen the system’s overall performance by quicker data transfer speed and backed by our 3-year warranty; the PATRIOT P300 delivers one of the most reliable price-to-performance SSD’s on the market. -
GeIL Announces the Availability of EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory in the Americas
Published: Sunday, February 16, 2020 | By: DennisTaipei, Taiwan – February 6th, 2020 – GeIL, Golden Emperor International Ltd. – one of the world's leading PC components and peripheral manufacturers, is pleased to announce the EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition DDR4 Memory, GeIL and ASRock's co-branded DRAM, is now available at Newegg.com and select retailers in the Americas.
GeIL memory has joined forces with leading motherboard brand, ASRock, and its top-of-the-line Phantom Gaming Alliance. Through this partnership, GeIL and ASRock dedicated to building a strong foundation for compatibility and reliability between DRAM and motherboard. The EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory is tested under the strict criteria and validation of the ASRock Phantom Gaming series motherboards. As an excellent result of the cooperation, exceptional stability has benefited. It's available in frequencies from 2400MHz to 3200MHz, capacity for 4GB to 32GB kit, and runs as low as 1.2V and at max 1.35V.
As an influential member of the Phantom Gaming Alliance, the EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory meant to let the visual elements of the modules become one for defining values of the co-branding. The module is built with a ten layer PCB and wrapped by a stealthy black aluminum heat spreader to deliver outstanding signal integrity and heat dissipation for gamers and enthusiasts who require better thermal conductivity for the small form factor systems (SFF). The EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory offers a better choice for a cost-efficient upgrade, the exceptional gaming experience, video editing, and 3D animation rendering.
Backed by the limited lifetime warranty, the EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory is fully compatible with ASRock Phantom Gaming Motherboards, including Intel Z390 Phantom Gaming X/9/8/7/6/4 series, AMD X570 Gaming X/4 series, AMD X399 Phantom Gaming 6 series and more. Most significantly, the EVO SPEAR Phantom Gaming Edition Memory is optimized for AMD platforms and strictly verified across a large number of AMD AM4 motherboards and AMD Ryzen processors to guarantee the best compatibility and stability for all AMD builders.
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Aorus Liquid Cooler 360 Review @ Guru3D
Published: Thursday, February 13, 2020 | By: DennisI saw quite a few "new" AIO cooler designs and one thing that stood out is how they are including graphics on the pump tops. Some were just logos that you could spin around while others were a little more fancy.
This cooler from Aorus is a little "more" fancy. Or it would seem to be at least.
Gigabyte has unleashed a new Aorus cooler, this round with fully addressable aRGB, an and OLED enabled pump. That offers new bling options and really terrific looks. But is it all that it promises it will be?
Keep in mind these are still just AIO coolers. A quick and easy cooling solution with great performance AND very little to make them different except for the bells, whistles and RGB.
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EK Introduces EK-Vardar X3M, The New Addressable D-RGB Fans
Published: Thursday, February 13, 2020 | By: DennisEK Water Blocks, the premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer is releasing a new version of its renowned 120mm EK-Vardar fan. The EK-Vardar X3M 120ER comes with removable rubber dampers on the corners, making sure vibration is not transferred from the fan to the rest of the PC. Aside from that, the rotor has received airflow optimizations, and on the RGB versions, the lighting solution is upgraded to addressable D-RGB LEDs.
The EK-Vardar X3M 120ER (500-2200rpm) is a high-static pressure computer cooling fan built for the highest-performance computer systems. It features removable rubber dampers on corners of the fan to reduce vibration and thus noise. These rubber dampers come pre-installed for use in push orientation but can be removed and mounted the other way for a pull orientation. To further make the sound profile more pleasant, airflow optimizations were made to the rotor.
This fan comes in 4 variants, two with no LEDs and two with addressable D-RGB implementation. The black or white designation on the end marks the color of the rubber corners.
EK-Vardar X3M 120ER (500-2200rpm) – Black
EK-Vardar X3M 120ER (500-2200rpm) – White
EK-Vardar X3M 120ER D-RGB (500-2200 rpm) – Black
EK-Vardar X3M 120ER D-RGB (500-2200 rpm) – White
EK-Vardar X3M rubber dampers can be purchased separately in various color options to match your build. The 6 available colors are red, orange, purple, blue, yellow and green. -
Corsair iCUE H115i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler Review @ ThinkComputers
Published: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 | By: DennisI don't normally post new from sites that use tracking links in their PR correspondence but, I'm trying to get on the Corsair good side. Yes, I know I'm not a TechTuber or a hardcore Twitch gamer but, I do review hardware and when I put my mind to it, I can do a pretty good job.
Corsair has been in the all-in-one (AIO) cooler game for years, constantly changing up their products for improved performance and aesthetics. We have looked at many of their AIOs in the past, most recently the H115i RGB Platinum. Today we are back with an AIO from Corsair’s latest lineup of iCUE RGB PRO XT coolers, the H115i RGB PRO XT Liquid CPU Cooler. This new AIO pairs Corsair’s latest waterblock and pump design with addressable RGB lighting, a 280mm radiator, and two 140mm ML fans for quiet cooling performance.
Of course the golden ticket is when Corsair flies you out to Computex in Taipei Taiwan just to attend their "Computex Bash" and then shove you in a super small hotel suite so that professional journalists cannot even get a meeting to see the new hardware.
Ya, that happened once. I showed up anyway and got a FULL tour despite being told I couldn't go. The party was pretty fun too and the Techtubers who attended (cause they had to) all looked miserable.
so, that is a thingOh, and while I was ranting about the whack marketing practices of Corsair I totally dissed on the Thinkcomputers review of the new iCUE liquid cooler. This is one of their standard AIO coolers that we have seen over and over again. I'm sure it is a super good cooler, now the new memory, that is something to dr00l over.
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ASRock Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming OC 8 GB @ TechPowerUp
Published: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 | By: DennisDare I say Navi?? The fabled GPU from AMD that someone "might" be able to buy!
ASRock's Radeon RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming comes at AMD MSRP of $200, yet features a solid cooler with a metal backplate, idle-fan stop and very low temperatures. 8 GB GDDR6 give the card a performance advantage over the 4 GB version, even at 1080p. Is future-proofing worth it?
For the AMD fan I'm sure one of these cards is on your list and will be a primary purchase this shopping season. I'd say get them while they are hot because when they cool down they aren't working.
(Just a little heat joke there)
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Cooler Master Launches New MasterBox MB311L and MB320L Cases
Published: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 | By: DennisCooler Master Launches the MasterBox MB311L ARGB and MasterBox MB320L ARGB Desktop Computer Cases
Includes Two ARGB Fans and Tempered Glass Side Panel for $59.99LOS ANGELES, CALIF., FEB. 11, 2020 – Cooler Master today announces two mATX ARGB Towers: the MasterBox MB311L ARGB (Mesh Front Panel) and MasterBox MB320L ARGB (Acrylic Front Panel). Following in the principles of the award-winning MB Series, versatility is paired with presentation to ensure that any gaming system built inside the MB300 series looks as good as it performs.
MasterBox MB3LL ARGB: Mesh Front Panel
The MasterBox MB311L ARGB is a Micro-ATX airflow PC case pre-installed with two ARGB fans and made to be built with the latest gaming hardware. The front panel’s façade is made entirely of Fine Mesh, placed between two honeycomb vents on either side to maximize airflow.
MasterBox MB320L ARGB: DarkMirror Acrylic Front Panel
The MasterBox MB320L ARGB is a Micro-ATX PC case with two pre-installed ARGB fans and honeycomb mesh ventilation on either side of the DarkMirror front panel. The DarkMirror acrylic front panel is smoked a shade darker to sharpen the contrast of the ARGB fans pre-installed behind it, highlighting its best features.
Tempered Glass and ARGB on-a-Budget
The case includes a tempered glass side panel and two pre-installed 120mm ARGB fans for $59.99 – ideal for builders on a budget.
Pricing & Availability
The MasterBox 311L ARGB and MasterBox 320L ARGB are available for preorder on Amazon for $59.99.
For more information, please visit:
MB311L ARGB: https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterBox-Airflow-Tempered/dp/B0842TKK19
MB320L ARGB: https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-MasterBox-Airflow-Tempered/dp/B0842T2KWZ?th=1
