7 February 201814 February 2018StorageBy Olin Coles

Samsung SSD 860 EVO Solid State Drive Review

Samsung recently announced their latest 3-bit MLC V-NAND flash technology, which they’ve baked into their new SSD 860 EVO solid state drive series. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the 500GB Samsung SSD 860 EVO, which pairs their 64-cell layer V-NAND and 512MB LPDDR4 DRAM cache buffer with their new MJX controller to produce up to 550 MB/s reads at 98,000 IOPS and 520 MB/s writes at 90,000 IOPS, and compare SATA 6 GB/s performance against the all the leading competition.

5 February 2018PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Tesoro GRAM Spectrum Low-Profile Keyboard Review

Over the last few months, we have seen more and more low-profile mechanical keyboards hitting the market. With the Tesoro GRAM Spectrum, it comes with all the goodies normally seen on a mechanical gaming keyboard. But the feature that sets this one apart from the rest are the low-profile mechanical switches. These switches are known as the innovative Tesoro Agile key switches, which have a 50 million click life cycle and a short actuation distance of 1.5 mm. All of the Agile switches rests on top of a solid metal back plate that doubles as a reflective light distributor and structural backbone. The GRAM Spectrum comes in four variants: A black body with red or blue switches, and white body with red or blue switches. Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Tesoro GRAM Spectrum in black with red switches.

30 January 201820 March 2018StorageBy David Ramsey

ADATA Gammix S10 m.2 SSD Review

Founded in 2001 with only 20 employees, ADATA has made a name for themselves in the memory market, providing RAM and flash-memory based storage for industrial and consumer applications. They’ve recently expanded their consumer m.2 product line and offer a broad range of products based on MLC and TLC NAND. Today Benchmark Reviews is testing the 256GB versions of their mid-range offering, the Gammix S10 m.2 SSD.

30 January 201830 January 2018PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Tt eSPORTS Nemesis Switch RGB Mouse Review

It has been some time since we have seen an affordable gaming mice for FPS/RTS/MOBA/MMO games. With the Nemesis Switch RGB from Tt eSPORTS, it features a patented key switch system for customization to enhance gaming experience. A total of 12 side buttons are present, with eight being the most a user can have at one time. At the heart of the mouse lies the PixArt 3360 optical sensor, which is one of the best gaming grade optical sensors at the time of this review. On top of that, the mouse comes in at a surprisingly affordable price. In this article, Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Nemesis Switch RGB optical gaming mouse.

18 January 201818 January 2018StorageBy David Ramsey

Samsung Portable SSD T5 1TB Review

Solid state memory, while remaining significantly more expensive that traditional mechanical hard disks, continues to encroach on their territory. Inexpensive and high-capacity bus-powered USB external drives are even being challenged by external SSDs, for consumers who appreciate the advantages of much higher performance, smaller size, and greater reliability they afford. Samsung has been a pioneer in this field with their Samsung Portable SSD T3 external drives, and today Benchmark Reviews checks out their latest product, the 1 terabyte Portable SSD T5.

8 January 201817 January 2018CoolingBy Jason Maxfield

Corsair Hydro H150i Pro RGB CPU Cooler Review

Corsair has updated their line-up of Hydro Series series of AIO liquid coolers. The Corsair Hydro H150i Pro RGB 360mm CPU cooler is among their latest offerings. Their new line of coolers includes the Corsair H115i Pro RGB of the 280mm variety, and shares the same functionality with this larger 360mm unit. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I focus on the Corsair Hydro H150i Pro RGB and compare it to some other AIO units I have tested in the past. Let’s find out how well the H150i Pro stacks up to the competition.

8 January 201817 January 2018CasesBy Jason Maxfield

Corsair Carbide Spec-Omega Case Review

The Spec-Omega looks to be an amalgamation of the Spec-Alpha with the tempered glass side panel taken from the Spec-04. The Spec-Omega’s interior is different from either of the previous cases, designed to handle liquid coolers up to 360mm in size, while doing so in a case of roughly the same size as it’s brethren. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we’ll be putting the Spec-Omega to the test with a complete system build.

28 December 201710 June 2023CamerasBy Olin Coles

PAPAGO GoSafe S30 Dash Cam Review

By Olin Coles Manufacturer: PAPAGO, Inc. Product Name: GoSafe S30 Dash Cam Part Number: GSS308G UPC: 840494180013 Price As Tested: $179.99 (Amazon | Newegg) Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Papago. The roads are trafficked with bad drivers, which is why in-vehicle cameras have become a necessity. The streets are a dangerous place for motorists, with heavy traffic congestion and driver distractions adding risk to everything from long trips to short commutes. Defensive driving will help prevent some accidents, but each moment spent in a vehicle is wrought with random chance and uncertainty. It’s never been a question of if you’ll someday be involved in an traffic accident or the victim or violent […]

22 December 201717 January 2018CasesBy David Shields

Fractal Design Define R6 Mid-Tower Case Review

The Define series is best known for quality construction that features customization, sound-dampening, and enthusiast level cooling options. Three years ago we awarded the Define R5 a strong 9.5 out of 10. What has Fractal done to improve and remain relevant as we head into 2018? In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I take a closer at the Fractal Design Define R6 Tempered Glass mid-tower computer case, detailing the latest features.

7 December 201717 January 2018PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Roccat Kone AIMO Gaming Mouse Review

With so many RGB components flooding the current market, it is difficult to find the right product that offers a wide variety of modern features without compromising performance and functionality. The Roccat Kone AIMO offers just that. Equipped with the Roccat 12000 DPI Owl-Eye (PixArt 3361) optical sensor, the Kone AIMO provides excellent tracking and precision for games and productivity. Through the Swarm software, users can customize a variety of settings and gain access to the AIMO Intelligent Lighting System. This mouse also comes in three colors; black, grey, and white. In this article, Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Roccat Kone AIMO in black. Let’s look at some of its features, specifications, and a quick overview of the product.

7 December 20173 March 2018AudioBy Meng Vang

Corsair HS50 Stereo Gaming Headset Review

Over the years, Corsair has been providing high quality computer peripherals to the consumer market. With the HS50 Stereo gaming headset, it focuses on bringing outstanding comfort, audio performance, and durability without sacrificing performance and quality. It also has an internal metal headband with metal yokes, and memory foam on the two 50 mm drivers and the top headband cushion for added comfort. Not only is it compatible on the PC, it is compatible with modern gaming consoles and mobile gaming devices. The HS50 comes in three different colors, green, blue, and black (carbon). Corsair was kind enough to send Benchmark Reviews their HS50 in green, so let’s take a look at what it has to offer.

4 December 201717 January 2018CasesBy David Ramsey

Zalman Z-Machine X7 Full Tower Case Review

The days of the giant ATX gaming system are behind us, surely. A single-slot mITX system is smaller and less expensive than a full-sized ATX system, and modern video card performance precludes the need for SLI or Crossfire X for the vast majority of users. What, then, are we to make of Zalman’s massive Z-Machine X7 computer case? This is the largest case Benchmark Reviews has seen since the Cooler Master Cosmos: at x by y by z inches and weighing in at almost 40 pounds empty, this glass and aluminum monster will make its presence known with the help of a plethora of RGB fans and lighting effects.

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30 November 201717 January 2018StorageBy Olin Coles

HP SSD M700 Solid State Drive Review

The HP SSD M700 is an entry-level solid state drive, with up to 560 MB/s read and 520 MB/s write speeds from the 240GB SSD M700 model, which utilizes 2D Planar NAND technology to deliver solid reliability. Adding to its appeal is the cost of solid state drive technology, which has doubled its storage capacity per dollar from just one year ago. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we test the HP SSD M700 (model 3DV74AA#ABC) against the competition.

18 November 201717 January 2018CasesBy Jason Vaught

be quiet! Dark Base 700 Case Review

In this article for Benchmark Reviews we test the be quiet! Dark Base 700 mid-tower computer case. The Dark Base 700 is the newest member of the be quiet! high end case family. This midi tower case sports a tempered glass side panel, a fully modular design, and water cooling support. Dark Base 700 also features filtered ventilation, RGB LED illumination, PWM fan hub, and 2 SilentWings-3 140mm fans pre-installed (one in the front, one in the rear).

18 November 201718 January 2018PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Gamdias Hermes M3 RGB Mechanical Keyboard Review

Being the first 87-key RGB Low-Profile mechanical gaming keyboard, the Hermes M3 focuses on fast key response and accurate actuation in a small and compact form factor. An aluminum back plate creates the backbone to the keyboard to give it a premium look and feel, and the compact design does allow for more room for a mouse. This keyboard does come in four variants; blue, brown, red, and black switches. Our friends at Gamdias were kind enough to send Benchmark Reviews their Hermes M3 with blue low-profile mechanical switches for this review. Let’s take a look at its features, specifications, and a quick overview in the next section.

6 November 20173 May 2018CasesBy Tom Jaskulka

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift X Case Review

The premium Enthoo-series mini-ITX case developed as “Project 217” has a new name: the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift X. Initially announced during CES 2017, the pair of small form factor computer cases have finally made their retail appearance in October 2017. Part of the Enthoo Evolv series, the Shift X showcases many of the same design elements in a fresh new form factor. Benchmark Reviews has been given the opportunity to take a closer look at the larger Shift X (Model PH-ES217XE_AG) – with room for custom cooling loops, 280mm radiators, high-end graphics cards and the looks to match, will the Shift X find a spot in your next build? Let’s take a look.

26 October 201717 January 2018CasesBy David Shields

Corsair Carbide SPEC-04 TG Case Review

I have had the pleasure to build with many products from Corsair, such as the H100i, Graphite 700T, Carbide 600T, Vengeance memory, HX750 and many more. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review the SPEC-04 TG, a new version of the budget SPEC-04 with a tempered glass side panel. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we’ll look at the features offered by this mid-tower design before doing a quick build and delivering a final conclusion.

24 October 201717 January 2018CasesBy Meng Vang

Raijintek Asterion Plus ATX Case Review

The Raijintek Asterion Plus allows for custom water cooling setups and complex server builds. It comes with a roomy interior to house large 240/280/360mm radiators at the front and the top. There is also enough room for tall CPU coolers up to 180mm and large graphics cards up to 340mm in length. To top it off, the acrylic side panels open up like doors using the provided door handles on each side. This case does come in a black variant, but Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Asterion Silver Plus for this review. Let’s take a look at its features, specifications, and a quick overview of what this product has to offer.

18 October 201727 March 2018PeripheralsBy Meng Vang

Gamdias Hermes P2 Keyboard Review

The Gamdias Hermes P2 RGB is a combination of performance, durability, and longevity. With the use of Gamdias certified optical switches, the switches will not rust or corrode over time as they contain no metal contacts. They are also hot swappable, making customization and future repairs easier for the user. In addition, the Hermes P2 does include the normal gaming features, like RGB lighting, six separate profiles, and a built-in wrist rest. Gamdias has sent Benchmark Reviews their Hermes P2 RGB keyboard with blue optical switches. Let’s take a look at its features, specifications, and an overview of what this product has to offer.

13 October 201717 January 2018PeripheralsBy Joe Gulczinski

Bloody P85 Gaming Mouse Review

A4TECH’s Bloody Division over the last few years has been at the forefront with that is called Light Strike technology, replacing mechanical with optical switches utilizing infrared light. Today we examine the most recent iteration of the Bloody mice series, the P85 Light Strike 5K RGB Animation Gaming Mouse; combining a popular eight button layout with some dazzling light effects.

9 October 201717 January 2018CoolingBy Jason Maxfield

Reeven Naia 240 AIO Water Cooler Review

In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we have Reeven’s Naia 240 AIO Liquid Cooler up for review (model RW-2401). Reeven manufactures a variety of air coolers, fans, cases, and a few other things, but this is their first foray into the all-in-one liquid cooler segment. From the looks of things, Reeven is off to a great start with this AIO unit.

26 September 201717 January 2018CasesBy Meng Vang

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift Review

The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift series bring performance, functionality, and innovative features to the table. At the time of this review, there are two variants: the Enthoo Evolv Shift X and the Enthoo Evolv Shift. They both come with anodized aluminum panels and two large tempered glass side panels. The case may stand vertically as a normal desktop PC, or horizontally as a living room PC. Phanteks has also designed the interior to house an ITX motherboard, dual 120mm AIO water cooled units, and a large graphics card. Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Enthoo Evolv Shift for this article. Let’s go over an overview of what this case has to offer.

25 September 201717 January 2018CasesBy Jason Maxfield

Fractal Design Focus G Case Review

The Focus G offers a host of cooling options, 120mm and 140mm fans, as well as support for 240mm and 280mm radiators in the front or the top (240mm limitation on top) of the chassis. Fractal Design even has a slew of colors to choose from: white, black, mystic red, petrol blue, and the case I received, in gunmetal gray. Included with the case are two Fractal Design SIlent Series 120mm fans pre-installed in the front of the case, which also have white LED’s.

22 August 201717 January 2018AudioBy Jason Maxfield

Corsair Void Pro RGB Gaming Headset Review

Corsair has updated it’s Gaming line of headsets with the Void Pro RGB. Featuring Dolby 7.1 surround with the use of Corsair’s CUE software. The Void Pro RGB has a host of improvements, from the 50mm driver, mesh/memory foam earpads, improved microphone, but is only compatible with the PC. The Corsair Void Pro RGB is a wired version of the new Void Pro RGB Wireless and Wireless SE. The Void Pro RGB ditches the wireless aspect, but maintains all of the features, except for the flip-up muting, which is a feature of the wireless models only. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I’ll be putting the Corsair Void Pro RGB to the test. Will Corsair deliver the goods and improve on last years Void Surround?

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18 August 20177 February 2018StorageBy Olin Coles

HP SSD S700 PRO 1TB Solid State Drive Review

Relative to solid state storage, one terabyte is an enormous amount of near-instant drive space. Adding to its appeal is the cost of solid state technology, which has doubled its storage capacity per dollar from just one year ago. HP suggests top speeds up to 570 MB/s for reads and 525 MB/s writes from their 1TB SSD S700 PRO, which utilizes 3D NAND to deliver impressive storage density and reliability. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we test the 1TB HP SSD S700 PRO (2.5″ SATA model 2LU81AA#ABL) against other solid state drive competition.