Month: August 2014

Processors

Intel i7 5960X Haswell-E CPU Review

August 29, 2014 Dino DeCesari 22

It’s another release day for Intel, and this time around the new Haswell-E socket 2011-v3 CPUs take center stage. Their flagship CPU for this new release is the i7 5960X Extreme Edition, which is what we’ll be taking a look at today. This is Intel’s first foray into a desktop 8-core processor, and it sits on the new X99 chipset that supports the much anticipated DDR4 memory standard. Does all this new technology warrant upgrading your system? Hopefully, we can help you answer that question. So, let’s get started and see what Intel has in store!

Motherboards

ASUS X99 Deluxe Motherboard Review

August 29, 2014 Dino DeCesari 14

ASUS is usually one of the first manufacturers to market when a new platform is released, and that continues to be the case with the Haswell-E/X99 release. At first look, the ASUS X99 Deluxe looks about as packed with features as I’ve ever seen on a motherboard. In fact, ASUS claims this motherboard is their most feature-rich enthusiast offering to date. It’s time to have a look at the X99 Deluxe and see what ASUS has done with their initial Haswell-E/X99 offering, so let’s get after it!

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Cooling

G.Skill Officially Announces Ripjaws 4 Series DDR4 Memory Kits

August 24, 2014 Dino DeCesari 36

With the rapidly approaching release of Haswell-E CPUs and X99 motherboards to support them, G.Skill has officially announced their entry into the DDR4 memory market. Beginning at speeds of 2133 MHz and climbing up to 3200 MHz, these kits will be available in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB quad-channel configurations. The lower frequency kits will operate at an astoundingly low voltage of 1.20 V, while the higher frequency kits will need 1.35 V. You’ll also be able to choose from three different colors… black, red, or blue.

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Cooling

EK 295×2 Waterblock Review

August 21, 2014 Joe Shields 6

Good day OCF readers! Today, you are going to get a nice treat with a follow up article about the AMD R9 295×2 I reviewed. This time, its about getting it properly cooled. Part of that equation is with enough radiator, but an even more important part is the water block that cools it. EKWB was kind enough to send us their EK-FC R9-295X2, as well as their backplate so that is half of it… and I have more radiator than what came with the R9 295×2. I expect some good things out of this cooler (and card) since it actively cools the VRMs and the memory. Let’s take a look at see how it worked out!

Reviews

Kingwin EZ-Clone USB 3.0 Adapter Review

August 20, 2014 Dino DeCesari 1

In the 20+ years Kingwin has been around, they have provided a multitude of PC accessories, power supplies, and thermal solutions. Today, we’ll be looking at one of their new USB 3.0 hard drive adapters that comes with a special twist. In addition to being a USB 3.0 to IDE/SATA adapter, it can also clone a hard drive without the use of a computer. Sound intriguing? It sure does to me. Let’s find out what this little device can do and whether or not it’ll be a worth addition to your PC peripherals.

Reviews

ASUS STRIX GTX 750 Ti OC Edition Graphics Card Review

August 19, 2014 Dino DeCesari 2

Back in June of this year, we took a look at the ASUS STRIX GTX 780 and found it to have plenty of unique features with an eye on silent gaming. In an effort to offer a STRIX branded video card at a price level affordable by the masses, ASUS has brought to market their newly released STRIX GTX 750 Ti OC Edition, which we’ll be taking a look at today. Even though the GTX 750 Ti GPU is considered one of NVIDIA’s mid-range offerings, that didn’t stop ASUS from adding many of their unique features to this card. Armed with a factory overclock, the DirectCU II cooler, and host of other features, it provides a great first impression. Let’s take it for a spin and find out just how well it performs!

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Reviews

Nanoxia Deep Silence 5 Case Review

August 17, 2014 Ed Hume 0

The Deep Silence 5 is what Nanoxia calls a “Big Tower” case. The DS5 has the sleek looks and internal acoustic padding of the Deep Silence line. It has lots of room for lots of stuff, and room for large motherboards. Is it right for your next build? Let’s find out.

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Reviews

Corsair AX1200i Power Supply Review

August 14, 2014 Justicar 4

Corsair undoubtedly is one of the most active players in the PSU market. Aside from several series and tens of power supply units available, they have a very active R&D department as well. Today we will be having a look at the AX1200i, the second most powerful unit of the premium AX series. Although the AX1200i is only the second most powerful unit after Corsair’s pinnacle, the AX1500i, the price difference between these two units is $150, making the AX1200i a more reasonable choice for anyone who is financially conscious. How well it can perform? We will see that in this review.

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Reviews

HIS R9 290 iPower IceQ X2 OC Video Card Review

August 12, 2014 Joe Shields 4

Remember in a previous review I said you would see a slew of HIS GPU reviews? Are you tired of them yet? If so, too bad! I’m certainly not, and today we have a R9 290 iPower IceQ X2 OC on the test bench. HIS again beefs up the reference 290 on both the hardware and cooling side, along with a pretty unique color scheme and look. Scroll on down the page and see how she performed and see if the appearance tickles your eye!