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Corsair Force Series LS SSD Line Announced

Corsair Brings Cost-Effective Solid-State Storage to Notebook and Desktop PCs Corsair®, a worldwide designer of high-performance components to the PC hardware market, today announced the release of the Force Series® LS solid-state drive (SSD) line. Available in 240GB, 120GB, and 60GB capacities, Force Series LS SSDs provide consumers a cost-effective way to upgrade their notebook or desktop PCs to faster, more reliable solid-state storage. The 7mm-high Force Series LS SSDs can be installed into most desktop or notebook PC with a standard 2.5” or 3.5” drive bay (3.5” bays require optional adapter). The drives feature SATA 3 6GB/s support for optimal performance with the latest systems, and are backward compatible with SATA revision 1.0 and 2.0 for maximum compatibility. A […]

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Tt eSPORTS Poseidon Illuminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Introduced

The New Ultimate Gaming Weapon By Thermaltake By optimizing the e-Sports culture, Tt eSPORTS, the leading expert in professional e-Sports gaming peripherals, is officially announcing the POSEIDON Illuminated gaming keyboard for sale. Being no stranger to bringing forth well designed gaming keyboards, from membrane to plunger to mechanical types – Tt eSPORTS decided it was time to make a quality Cherry MX gaming keyboard at an extremely affordable price so that more gamers around the world could have the chance to experience a mechanical keyboard. The design was carefully planned, taking no shortcuts in construction and overall function, to bring out a premium backlit mechanical gaming keyboard without the premium price. With a solid ABS body construction, the POSEIDON Illuminated […]

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Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E.3 Professional Gaming Keyboard Launched

Twelve Macro Keys and Thirty-Six Programmable Commands Enhance Competitive Gaming Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (NYSE MKT: MCZ) announced today the shipping of the S.T.R.I.K.E.3 Professional Gaming Keyboard for Windows® PC. Previously announced at E3 in June 2013, the S.T.R.I.K.E.3 is designed with the competitive gamer in mind, featuring a unique membrane key-bed designed to offer the full tactile feedback of mechanical keys but without the excessive noise or the need to ‘bottom out’ the keys. Darren Richardson, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. stated, “The addition of the S.T.R.I.K.E.3 provides us with an eco-system of keyboards cementing our commitment to passionate gamers with a range that meets their budgets and exceeds their expectations,” […]

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Quickfire XT 45 Degree
PeripheralsBy Austin Downing

CM Storm Quickfire XT Mechanical Keyboard Review

Cooler Master has a full range of keyboards with various prices and configurations, ranging from the fully backlit, full sized Trigger, to the minimalist ten keyless QuickFire Stealth. Adding yet another keyboard into the fray, Cooler Master has introduced the QuickFire XT, a full size companion to Cooler Master’s very popular QuickFire Rapid. The Quickfire XT is a no frills, full-sized mechanical keyboard available with variety of switches depending on a user’s needs. In this review Benchmark Reviews will be evaluating the Cooler Master CM Storm Quickfire XT (model SGK-4030-GKCL1-US) against its rivals in the very competitive mechanical keyboard market.

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AR03 Corner SilverStone SST-AR03 CPU Cooler Heatsink Review
CoolingBy Tom Jaskulka

SilverStone SST-AR03 CPU Cooler Heatsink Review

SilverStone may be known for their cooling, but not necessarily their CPU coolers. As a company, they’ve brought forward many innovations and unique, successful approaches to the ATX case standard with their AP series fans and rotated motherboard enclosures. It’s not that SilverStone is a stranger to CPU cooling – there were the Nitrogen special-application series before the new Argon series, as well as the Heligon high-performance line of heat-sinks. The Argon AR01, AR02, and AR03 are all designed to be more accessible alternatives for enthusiasts, with each model fulfilling a specific purpose. Sporting six 6mm direct-contact heatpipes and a 140mm wide tower-style heatsink assembly, the AR03 is the top option available in the Argon family with the most cooling capacity. Benchmark Reviews will have a chance to find out if the AR03 belongs at the top of the Argon family.

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Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

Mad Catz Force Feedback Racing Wheel for Xbox One Announced

Advanced Racing Wheel Brings Professional Build Quality and Customization to Next Generation Gaming Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. (“Mad Catz”) (NYSE MKT: MCZ) announced today the Force Feedback Racing Wheel, a premium quality racing game controller for the Xbox One console. Designed to offer a highly authentic gaming experience, the genuine suede leather steering wheel houses a raft of technology, such as twin next generation Force Feedback motors and a luxury CNC anodized aluminum wheel face which can be removed from the wheel base should gamers wish to replace or upgrade in the future. “As we approach the Holiday season, excitement continues to mount for Xbox One and we’re pleased to announce our second premium product for the console” said Darren […]

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Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

ROCCAT Kave XTD 5.1 Digital Gaming Headset Debuts

“Best Hardware” award: new headset nominated to be put before gamescom jury ROCCAT Studios, German manufacturer of high-quality gaming peripherals, today reveals the ROCCAT Kave XTD 5.1 Digital at gamescom in Cologne (hall 8.1, booth A010). The new device is the successor to the best selling true 5.1 gaming headset in the world: the original ROCCAT Kave 5.1. Based on community and customer feedback, the Kave XTD 5.1 Digital builds on the foundations laid by the original headset by improving existing features and introducing completely new and innovative ones of its own. The Kave XTD 5.1 Digital includes a fully-equipped desktop remote with a built-in premium 5.1 sound card. Also included in the feature-packed remote is ROCCAT Smart Link, a […]

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Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB Gaming Headset Unveiled

Offers Personalized Positional Audio and Enhanced Digital Microphone Razer™, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems, today announced at GamesCom its latest audio product, the Razer Kraken 7.1 Surround Sound USB gaming headset. Built off the same platform as the analog Razer Kraken Pro headset, dubbed the most comfortable headset in the world, the Razer Kraken 7.1 USB gaming headset builds on the success of the familiar platform with immersive, customizable 7.1 virtual surround sound and an enhanced digital microphone. The Razer Kraken 7.1 comes equipped with an advanced virtual surround sound engine capable of ultra-low latency audio processing that simulates a 360-degree surround sound experience that is usually achievable only by incorporating more than one positional […]

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QNAP QTS SMB 4.0 Turbo NAS Operating System Released

QNAP, Inc, a global network attached storage (NAS) company announced the release of QTS SMB 4.0 Turbo NAS operating system, for its business-class Turbo NAS models, featuring advanced functions for SMB users. The QNAP NAS can now easily be expanded to 400TB or more with the newly released scale-up solution. The new intelligent Storage Manager provides a management system that includes advanced features such as flexible volume management with thin-provisioned volume support, SSD caching, and SMART data migration. Virtualization is now more seamless than ever with VMware VAAI, vSphere Plugin, and Microsoft ODX support. The new QTS 4 greatly enhances the efficiency in storage management, expansion, data process, and management in virtualization environments. Intelligent Storage Manager- Intuitive Management System for […]

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ADATA XPG V2 Packaging
MemoryBy Hank Tolman

ADATA XPG V2 RAM DDR3-2400 8GB Memory Kit Review

Some of the most difficult to answer questions in the enthusiast and high-end gaming PC world have to do with RAM, and more specifically with RAM clock speeds, latency, and timings. What differences do all of these make when it comes to better performance and higher frame rates in games? Typically, the answer is that they do very little when it comes to games. AMD has sought to change that answer with the release of their Richland series APUs, which are designed to take even more advantage of RAM speeds and support up to 2133MHz clock speeds. Intel’s Haswell now supports speeds of up to 1600MHz. Now that more is being done to increase the performance gain from higher RAM speeds, let’s take a look at the results. Here at Benchmark Reviews, we have a couple of new high-speed RAM kits to review. In this article, we will be taking a look at the ADATA XPG V2 4GBx2 DDR3-2400 PC19200 AX3U2400W4G11 DRAM Kit.

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Cooler Master Attending PAX Prime 2013

Meet the Pros & Unveiling New Innovations Cooler Master, in what has become a tradition, will be attending PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) West, an annual festival for tabletop, console videogames, and PC gamers, held from August 30th to September 2nd. There, Cooler Master will be taking the wraps off of a new line of chassis that will be a huge step towards forever changing the status quo. New and Innovative Unveiling Visit Cooler Master’s Team at booth #3446 to be amongst the first to see our new case series unveiling. This new case line merges two iconic case lines into an entity that is better and more intuitive. This series is engineered in such a way that it will speak […]

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EA and DICE Battlefield 4 Premium Revealed

DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) studio, today announced Battlefield 4™ Premium, an exclusive membership for Battlefield™ fans that provides a wealth of new content to keep the action going all year long. Battlefield 4 Premium members will receive five themed digital expansion packs: Battlefield 4 China Rising, Battlefield 4 Second Assault, Battlefield 4 Naval Strike, Battlefield 4 Dragon’s Teeth and Battlefield 4 Final Stand; and will also be granted two-weeks early access* to each. With Battlefield 4 Premium, DICE will serve up weekly content and unique personalization options so players can dominate the battlefield in style.

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Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

LG Display Quad HD LCD Panel for Smartphones Introduced

New panel will deliver optimal viewing experience on larger smartphone displays LG Display [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220], a leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that it has developed the world’s first Quad HD AH-IPS LCD panel for smartphones. At 2560X1440 with 538ppi, the new 5.5-inch Quad HD panel is the highest resolution and ppi (pixel per inch) mobile panel to date, and provides a glimpse at what’s next after current Full HD smartphone panels, critical given the growing trend towards larger displays. “LG Display, which pioneered the high resolution mobile market with introduction of the world’s first Full HD smartphone panel in 2012, again opens new possibilities with the successful application of QHD technology,” said Dr. Byeong-koo Kim, Vice […]

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Thecus Updated N2560 2-bay and N4560 4-bay NAS Announced

Thecus® is proud to announce the release of the latest incarnations of its ground-breaking line of home- and SMB-targeted NAS solutions. The 2-bay N2560 and 4-bay N4560 feature the latest Intel Atom SoCs, increased RAM, as well as all the hardware that made the original models such a success. Thecus® has also striven to improve functionality and productivity through the inclusion of the T-OnTheGo™ remote accessibility feature and the unveiling of the NAS Application Center online. With improved power and performance along with cutting-edge features, the N2560 and N4560 are pushing the boundaries in home and SMB networking. “To make the world first even better, we looked first at what made our breakthrough possible: the SoC heart of the NAS. […]

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Battlefield 4 “Paracel Storm” Multiplayer Trailer Video Revealed

Watch intense and dramatic naval combat on swelling seas and stormy oceans, with 64-player action in the Battlefield 4 “”Paracel Storm”” map. Pre-order BF4 to get the China Rising expansion pack: https://bit.ly/19GY5Io Battlefield 4™ is the genre-defining action blockbuster made from moments that blur the line between game and glory — moments found only in Battlefield. With dynamic destructible environments, epic vehicular combat, and the chaos of all-out war, Battlefield 4 gives you the freedom to do more and be more for an unrivaled entertainment experience.

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EA SPORTS UFC Game Revealed in Alpha Gameplay Video

Today at gamescom, the world’s largest trade fair and event for interactive games and entertainment, EA SPORTS™ unveiled the first ever pre-alpha gameplay footage for the highly anticipated EA SPORTS UFC. Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE, players will “Feel the Fight” as the action, emotion, and intensity inside the Octagon™ are brought to life in ways that were never before possible in a video game. The next generation of fighting begins in the Spring of 2014 when EA SPORTS UFC is released for the Xbox One® and the PlayStation®4.

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NVIDIA GeForce 326.80 Drivers Debuts In Time For Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Today NVIDIA released their 326.80 Game Ready driver, offering the best gaming experience for Splinter Cell: Blacklist. It is also a recommended driver update for the Windows 8.1 Preview. GeForce R326 drivers also provide performance increases for a variety of different games. An essential update for gamers sneaking into Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist, today’s driver ensures maximum performance and system compatibility in the brand new stealth title, which is jam-packed with PC-exclusive features and technology, including NVIDIA HBAO+ Ambient Occlusion, NVIDIA TXAA Temporal Anti-Aliasing, out-of-the-box NVIDIA SLI support, and much much more. For a full rundown, head on back to GeForce.com tomorrow when we’ll detail all of Blacklist’s impressive tech. New in GeForce R326 Drivers Performance Boost – Increases […]

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Lian Li PC-V360 M-ATX Chassis Introduced

Slim Mini Tower with Side Mounted Radiator Support Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd today announces a new slim brushed aluminum M-ATX chassis with side mounted radiator support, PC-V360. While having a small and slim profile, the PC-V360 allows DIY builders to assemble an enthusiast level system with support for AIO liquid cooling systems. Side Mounted 240mm Radiator Support A hinged bracket directly across the CPU allows DIY builders to install a 240mm radiator in the PC-V360. The bracket secured by thumbscrews can be swung open on its hinge to allow for easy access of the internal components. The bracket can also be removed for fan/radiator mounting as well as taken off completely if not being used. Full Hardware Compatibility in a […]

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G.SKILL Ripjaws Series High Performance DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory Announced
Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series High Performance DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory Announced

– Up to DDR3 1866MHz 16GB (8GBx2) high performance kit with ultra low 1.35V voltage– G.SKILL International Co. Ltd., the leading high performance memory designer and manufacturer, adds a brand new DDR3 SO-DIMM Series to its product line, named “G.SKILL Ripjaws DDR3 SO-DIMM Memory”. First-Class Quality Besides using only highly selected components, every G.SKILL Ripjaws SO-DIMM memory kit is 100% validated with G.SKILL rigorous burn-in tests. It ensures every Ripjaws SO-DIMM kit delivers perfect stability, performance, and quality for your notebook and PC. 1.35V Low Voltage Requiring only 1.35V, the G.SKILL low voltage SO-DIMM memory kit consumes less power and generates less heat than typical SO-DIMM. It is the perfect memory solution to extend your laptop’s battery life and lower […]

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X2 Aurel Audio Headphones Unveiled

By Spire We are proud to introduce to the X2 product lines, premium quality audio headphones and the soon be launched Gaming headphones. The X2 Aurel series audio headphones are designed with style, functionality and genuine audio in mind. The X2 Aurel will go with you wherever you go, the over-ear cups will deliver excellent quality sound that will blow your mind. Easy fitting and comfortable twisting the ear-cups, even when wearing down in relax mode or on your neck. The headphones are made out of lightweight yet strong materials and are easily packed when folded flat. Noise cancellation (passive) technology will deliver superb and crystal clear sounds every single time. Supplied with a gold plated audio cable including microphone […]

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TP-LINK Tether App for Network Management on Android and iOS Devices Launched

TP-LINK, a global provider of networking products, today announced its Tether network management app, which provides an easiest way to access, manage and share TP-LINK router resources on iOS and Android devices. From setup, to parental control, to media sharing, the TP-LINK Tether provides a simple, intuitive user interface to see what the status of the router is, who’s online and what their privileges are. Unique to Tether, from PC-based web management tools, is its DLNA® compatibility, which allows users to stream media from a flash disk connected to their router onto their client devices. The app is compatible with iPhones, iPod Touch and iPad devices running iOS 5.1 or later as well as Android devices running Gingerbread 2.3.3 or […]

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AR01 Corner SilverStone SST-AR01 CPU Cooler Heatsink Review
CoolingBy Tom Jaskulka

SilverStone SST-AR01 CPU Cooler Heatsink Review

SilverStone may be known for their cooling, but not necessarily their CPU coolers. As a company, they’ve brought forward many innovations and unique, successful approaches to the ATX case standard with their AP series fans and rotated motherboard enclosures. It’s not that SilverStone is a stranger to CPU cooling – there were the Nitrogen special-application series before the new Argon series, as well as the Heligon high-performance line of heat-sinks. The Argon AR01, AR02, and AR03 are all designed to be more accessible alternatives for enthusiasts, with each model fulfilling a specific purpose. The SilverStone SST-AR01 is designed to be a price/performance leader in the market, and is the cooler that Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at today.

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ZyXEL Partners with QNAP for 10G Ethernet Powered NAS Solution

Joint Solution Offers SMBs and Data Centers Operators the Best in Connectivity, Capacity and Value By QNAP ZyXEL Communications, a leading provider of secure broadband networking, Internet access, connected home and routing products, today announced a partnership with QNAP, a leading commercial Network Attached Storage (NAS) provider, to create affordable, high performance 10G Ethernet powered NAS solution packs for small to mid-size companies (SMB). The solution packs include ZyXEL’s XGS1900 series Web-managed smart 10G Ethernet switches and QNAPs TS-870U-RP NAS appliance. Constrained by limited resources, many SMBs utilize affordable virtualization technology to improve operational efficiency and maintain data security. Leveraging virtualization enables SMBs to make better use of their resources — both infrastructure and staff. For example, virtualization allows organizations […]

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Sony XAV-602BT Smartphone Connected In-Dash AV Receiver Announced

Sony-exclusive App Remote™ Technology Makes Two-Way Communication with Your Smartphone Convenient in the Car Sony today introduced the new XAV-602BT smartphone connected in-dash AV receiver making it easier and more convenient to experience music, navigation and smartphone applications while in the car. In addition, Sony announced the optional XA-NV300T navigation module with access to TomTom®’s intuitive user interface and mapping technologies. The new devices will be demoed at MERA Knowledgefest in Dallas, TX between August 17th and 22nd at booth #505. Sony will also display two vehicles including a 2008 Mercedes Benz CLS600 and a 2010 Mazda CX-7. Sony-exclusive App Remote Technology for AV Receivers The new XAV-602BT AV receiver features Sony-exclusive App Remote™ technology for AndroidTM and iOS® devices, […]

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MyDigitalSSD Super Cache 2 mSATA III 6Gb/s SSD Introduced

With FREE FNet HybriDisk Caching Software Code By MyDigitalSSD MyDigitalSSD delivers where others cannot – Our all-new Super Cache 2 SSD is the world’s fastest low density Cache Drive and/or Boot Drive that delivers up to a 50X boost in performance over a standalone HDD starting at less than the cost of a couple of Blu-Rays. Get a 24GB for $39.99, 32GB for $42.99, 64GB for $62.99, or 128GB for $99.99. Features include: • The brand new PHISON S9 controller delivers high speed at lower density with a 24GB-128GB sweet spot. • Toshiba original 19nm Toggle (Sync) MLC NAND Flash for transfer speeds up to 550MB/s. • A FREE license code for FNet HybriDisk caching software is included with each […]

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