Julian Duque, Author at Benchmark Reviews @TechPlayboy

16 March 2016

Back in 2011 when Cooler Master introduced their Quick Fire line of keyboards, I was a bit skeptical about their success in the already crowded mechanical keyboard market. Four years later, it could be argued that I was proven wrong, most notably by the wide arrange of models that are available on their website that are displayed as a symbol of how successful the Cooler Master brand is within the mech market. Although the company owes much of this success to the Quick Fire line, today’s release seems to be the beginning of something new with the introduction of the MasterKeys Pro S and MasterKeys Pro L RGB mechanical keyboards.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 4719512049433, 884102027468, Cooler Master, Julian Duque, MasterKeys Pro L, Mechanical Keyboard, Review, RGB, SGK-6020-KKCR1-US

be quiet! Silent Base 600 ATX Case Review

Categories:

7 January 2016

be quiet! is a German company dedicated to making desktop products with exceptionally quiet operation. They are mostly known for their ventures into extremely quiet power supplies and CPU coolers from which they have had a lot of success among silent desktop enthusiasts. Last year they announced the Silent Base case line, their first attempt into entering the case market. Today, Benchmark Reviews takes a look at the second case release from be quiet!, the Silent Base 600.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 4260052184424, ATX Case, be quiet!, BG005, Julian Duque, Review, Silent Base 600

Tenda AC15 AC1900 Dual-Band WiFi Router Review

Categories:

Network

26 September 2015

It used to be a pretty well understood fact that merging to the 802.11ac wireless standard was an expensive task, with just the thought about having to replace both your router and wireless card made anyone’s wallet shudder, but that was back in 2013. Come back, three years in the future, and we encounter devices like the one Benchmark Reviews has in it’s hands today. The Tenda AC15 AC1900 Router is not only AC capable, but it features a Broadcom’s BCM4708 Wi-Fi chipset capable of delivering speeds of up to 1300 Mbps over the 5 Ghz band. Astonishingly, it comes at only $87.99, which is the lowest price tag we have ever encountered on any AC1900 router.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tags: 885397270379, AC1900, Dual Band, Gigabit, Julian Duque, Smart WiFi Router, Tenda AC15

EnGenius ENS1750 Outdoor Access Point Review

Categories:

Network

31 August 2015

If you have been following the wireless networking world then you must be familiar with the advancements manufacturers have made around the 802.11ac standard. It has been quite some time since Broadcom released the BCM4706 chipset which is found in most AC1750 units. To be exact, it entered the market in May 2012, more than three years ago, advertising a total 1,300 Mbit/s data transfer speed on the 5 Ghz band. But just because the AC1750 standard is not the latest it does not mean that it is useless. When EnGenius asked Benchmark Reviews to take a look at the EnGenius ENS1750 Outdoor Access Point featuring the aging AC1750 standard we were a bit skeptical at first, but that all changed as we went along our testing.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tags: 655216007574, AC1750, Access Point, Dual Band, EnGenius, ENS1750, Outdoor, Wireless

SilverStone Sugo SG12 Micro-ATX Case Review

Categories:

14 August 2015

It seems that every month a new Android based HTPC comes out. This comes as no surprise as with the integration of XBMC, these devices keep getting cheaper and more attractive to the low-end market. Instead, SilverStone is trying to target a much different market, a market which many of our readers can feel identified with. SilverStone is a renowned designer of premium cases, offering a wide arrange of designs ranging from bulky full towers to small form factor HTPC cases such as the SilverStone SG12 Micro-ATX enclosure in this review.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 844761012014, Julian Duque, Micro ATX, SG12, SilverStone, SST-SG12B, Sugo

NZXT Kraken X61 CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

13 July 2015

Aside from the inclusion of a variable speed pump, the NZXT Kraken X61 improves from it’s predecessor by including a massive 280 mm radiator with a desner fin array which accounts for 36% more surface area. NZXT has also given the Kraken X61 extended tubing to ensure compatibility with all installation environments. Included with the Kraken X61 are two FX140 V2 PWM fan which according to NZXT are more powerful, quite, and durable than the inclusions of it’s predecessor. Most importantly, the Kraken X61 has a 6 year warranty, which just goes to prove how confident NZXT is of the Kraken line.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 280mm, 815671011954, All-in-One, Julian Duque, Kraken X61, Liquid Cooling Solution, NZXT, Review, RL-KRX61-01

NZXT Kraken X41 CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

1 July 2015

Aside from the inclusion of a variable speed pump, the NZXT Kraken X41 improves from it’s predecessor, the Kraken X40, by adding a thicker radiator with a more dense fin array which accounts for 36% more surface area. NZXT has also given the Kraken X41 extended tubing to ensure compatibility with all installation environments. Included with the Kraken X41 is a FX140 V2 PWM fan which according to NZXT is more powerful, quite, and durable than it’s predecessor. Most importantly, the Kraken X41 has a 6 year warranty, which just goes to prove how confident NZXT is of the Kraken line.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 140mm, 815671011947, All-in-One, CPU Cooler, Julian Duque, Kraken X41, Liquid Cooling Solution, NZXT, RL-KRX41-01

Cooler Master Geminii S524 VER.2 CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

24 June 2015

The GeminII series from cooler master has a very unique design that allows not only the CPU to be cooled, but also the memory and power delivery components located near the socket of the motherboard. Another key point of the GeminII series is compatibility, the Cooler Master S524 Version 2 borrow from it’s predecessor by keeping ram compatibility with modules up to 47.06 mm in height, as well as with cases that allow for 105.4 mm of height, making the GeminII S524 Version 2 adequate for small cases like the Haf Stacker 915F.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 884102026942, Cooler Master, CPU Cooler, GeminII S524 Ver.2, Julian Duque, Review, RR-G5V2-20PK-R1

Noctua NH-L9x65 CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

16 June 2015

Noctua is an Austrian company most commonly known to enthusiasts for making class leading silent cooling solutions which is not normally what we expect from a small cooler, as they are usually the opposite. The Noctua NH-L9x65 is a step forward in Noctua’s line of small profile coolers and thus it comes into this review with high remarks.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tags: 842431012517, CPU Cooler, Heatsink, Julian Duque, NH-L9x65, Noctua

Scythe Mugen Max CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

1 June 2015

The Scythe Mugen Max is compatible with most modern desktop motherboards coming from both AMD and Intel with the exception of the AM1 platform, which you will most likely not need this cooler for. Included with the Mugen Max is a 140 mm Scythe GlideStream fan that has been adapted to have 120 mm hole spacing. Unfortunately it only comes with one and a second one of that same model can not be easily purchased inside the US, but we have managed to get one for our noise tests.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 894092005247, CPU Cooler, Julian Duque, Mugen MAX, SCMGD-1000, Scythe

Scythe Ashura CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

24 May 2015

If you are the type of person that prefers to buy products from experienced companies then you won’t be hard-pressed by the manufacturer of the product in this review. Scythe has been around since 2002, that is thirteen years that sets them as one of the oldest and most experienced companies in the DIY PC market. This week, they have allowed Benchmark Reviews to take a look at some of their latest high performance coolers and today the spotlight falls on the Scythe Ashura, a compact 120 mm cooler which Scythe claims will pass our tests with flying colors.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 4571225051987, Benchmark, CPU Cooler, Julian Duque, Performance, Review, SCASR-1000, Scythe Ashura

Cryorig R1 Ultimate CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

11 May 2015

It is always great to hear about small companies making the headlines in the computer market, but we have seemed to miss a note here. Although Benchmark Reviews has been around long enough to review cooling solutions from most manufacturers in the market, this is the first time we look at a product from Cryorig; a company that has gotten a lot of momentum since it’s first release back in 2013. Today, we take a look at the Cryorig R1 Ultimate, Cryorig’s first attempt of impressing us with a product they claim is an accumulation of years of design and research.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 4719692700001, CPU Cooler, Cryorig, Julian Duque, R1 Ultimate, Review

SilverStone Tundra TD02-E CPU Cooler Review

Categories:

1 May 2015

Spring signals the fore-coming of summer, but to Benchmark Reviews, it also means time for some cooler reviews. The first manufacturer in our 2015 list is SilverStone. Last week, we reviewed the SilverStone TD03-E, a 120mm all-in-one CPU cooler which served as an update to the already aging TD03. Today we take a look at it’s bigger brother, the SilverStone Tundra TD02-E, an astonishingly stylish 240 mm all-in-one CPU cooler.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 4710007221976, All-In-One CPU Cooler, Review, SilverStone, SST-TD02-E, TD02-E, Tundra Series

SilverStone Tundra TD03-E CPU Liquid Cooler Review

Categories:

26 April 2015

Summer is approaching us, and with temperatures expecting to get hot it means that Benchmark Reviews is evaluating what CPU cooler manufacturers are bringing forward in 2015. In this article, the spotlight will be on the newest SilverStone Cooler, the Tundra TD03-E, the successor of the TD03, and the smaller brother of the TD02-E. As expected from any SilverStone product, expectations are quite high, even if this is merely the first update to SilverStone’s Tundra series, which made it’s debut back in 2013.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Tags: 4710007221754, CPU Liquid Cooler, Julian Duque, Review, SilverStone, SST-TD03-E, Tundra TD03-E

SilverStone Kublai KL05B-Q Case Review

Categories:

29 March 2015

SilverStone is at it again, but this time they are looking to mix things up by venturing into unprecedented areas. Lately, it seems that the competition has shaken the sub-$100 case market, and SilverStone is not willing to stand down. Mostly known for their premium cases and their innovative ideas, SilverStone has taken a different approach this time from their top notch designs and instead released the SilverStone Kublai KL05B-Q Mid-Tower case, which Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at today.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 844761011857, Julian Duque, Kublai KL05, Mid Tower, Quiet Edition, SilverStone, SST-KL05B-Q

SilverStone Kublai KL05B Mid-Tower Case Review

Categories:

22 March 2015

If you have ever bought a SilverStone case, you would probably agree that the price can be easily justified by the over-the-top build quality and the unique designs that can only be obtained by buying one of the many cases that SilverStone has available. It has been over a year since SilverStone last released a member of the Kublai series, and when they mentioned to Benchmark Reviews that they were updating this line with the Kublai KL05B-W, we immediately asked for a sample.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 844761011864, Julian Duque, Kublai KL05, SilverStone, SST-KL05B-W

Raidmax Atomic ITX-107WB Review

Categories:

8 March 2015

Back in 2005, it was almost unthinkable to build a small form factor system due to the existence of a major trade-off between performance and efficiency. Nowadays, the market for small form factor systems has catapulted itself, and has gotten as far as to make companies like Raidmax to adapt and introduce itself to this market. A month ago, Benchmark Reviews took a peak the Raidmax Hyperion, the first Micro-ATX case from a company mostly known for their aggressive looking Mid-Towers. Today, we take a look at the Raidmax Atomic Mini-ITX Case, an even smaller case, with a lot of potential.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 854190107007, Atomic, ITX-107WB, Julian Duque, Raidmax

ASUS GeForce GTX 960 Strix Video Card Review

Categories:

Graphics

22 January 2015

It is clear what NVIDIA’s message is to the enthusiast community, they are willing to be competitive. To further confirm this claims, the release price of the GeForce GTX 960 is just $199 for the basic models, a bit more for the feature packed ones like the Asus Strix sample that we will be reviewing today. In comparison to it’s predecessor, the GeForce GTX 960 comes in at around 20% cheaper than it’s predecessor, the GeForce GTX 760.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Tags: ASUS, GeForce GTX 960, Julian Duque, Review, Strix, Video Card

Raidmax Hyperion Micro-ATX Case Review

Categories:

21 January 2015

Like many other popular Micro-ATX cases, Raidmax has opted for a dual chamber design. However, note that this is not as wide as others like the Fractal Design Node 804, but still manages to fit plenty of fans, 3.5″ and 2.5″ drives, and they even added a 5.25″ bay. The case is not exactly eye candy, however many HTPC users will find that the overall design is not flashy, but rather elegant and simple. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the Raidmax Hyperion Micro-ATX computer case.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Tags: 0854190102002, Computer Case, Julian Duque, MATX-102WBU, Micro ATX, Raidmax Hyperion

Phanteks Enthoo Mini XL Case Review

Categories:

9 January 2015

Computer Technology Guides

Here at Benchmark Reviews we admire those companies who not only give relentless effort to create the best product designs in terms of efficiency, quality, and functionality, but we also applaud those who try to set themselves apart in what is an already crowded market by bringing forth new ideas and daring to take risks. Surprisingly, this seems to be a trend for Phanteks; the relatively young company that is looking forward to create it’s own market of dual system cases with the release of the Enthoo Mini XL “Super Micro-ATX” Computer Case.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tags: 886523300267, Case, Enthoo Mini XL, Julian Duque, PH-ES414M_BK, Phanteks, Super Micro-ATX

Game Realism Via NVIDIA Enhanced Effects

Categories:

9 December 2014

Earlier this year, NVIDIA introduced the Maxwell architecture and a lot of upcoming features that Benchmark Reviews briefly talked about on the review of the GTX 980 by Olin Coles. These features were demonstrated in detail, but were still pending to be released on actual games, that is until Assassin’s Creed Unity was released earlier this year. Thanks to NVIDIA GameWorks, game developers have the ability to use NVIDIA’s sample libraries and SDKs as well as implementing some of the features mentioned that allow for a more realistic game-play experience.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: Enhanced Effects, Game Realism, GameWorks, Julian Duque, NVIDIA

Tesoro Excalibur G7NL Gaming Keyboard Review

Categories:

20 November 2014

If you attended CES earlier this year you might have encountered Tesoro’s booth which featured many of their upcoming products. The recently established company was trying to bring attention as they have just opened their doors to the USA market, with the objective of bringing their unique gaming designs catered for gamers. In this article, Benchmark Reviews takes a look at one of their keyboards, the Tesoro Excalibur.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 0799430373319, G7NL, Gaming, Julian Duque, Keyboard, Mechanical, Review, Tesoro Excalibur, TS-G7NL

ASUS ROG Gladius Gaming Mouse Review

Categories:

12 November 2014

The ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) line of products is no stranger to gaming peripherals, however recently, ASUS has turned to it’s newer product line, Strix, to release most of it’s gaming oriented products. This made the release of the ASUS ROG Gladius mouse confusing at first, but after realizing that this is ASUS’ premium mouse option it only made sense to put it in ASUS’ most prominent line of products. In this article, Benchmark Reviews takes a look at the ASUS ROG Gladius Gaming Mouse.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 886227807956, 90MP0081-B0UA00, ASUS, Gaming Mouse, Gladius, Julian Duque, Review, ROG

NZXT S340 Mid-Tower Case Review

Categories:

3 November 2014

With the release of the H440 earlier this year, NZXT made it clear what their new approach into the already crammed case market will be in it’s upcoming models. Following this trend, Benchmark Reviews will be testing the NZXT S340, a more “stripped” down version of the already great H440, which still features a similar simple design with a minimalistic design, putting functionality and efficiency above all things.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5

Tags: 815671012111, CA-S340W-W1, Case, Julian Duque, Mid Tower, NZXT S340, Review

Cooler Master Mizar Gaming Mouse Review

Categories:

13 October 2014