Tenda AC15 AC1900 Dual-Band WiFi Router Review

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.

26 September 201526 September 2015CasesBy Jason Maxfield

Antec GX505 Window SC Mid-Tower Case Review

Antec was kind enough to ship me their GX505 Window SC mid-tower case to review. The Antec GX505 is part of the GX series of cases designed for gamers on a budget. The GX505 is a slight revision of the GX500 case. The main difference is the all new front and top panels, and a built-in fan controller switch.

19 September 20154 June 2016CasesBy Meng Vang

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX SE Case Review

The Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX, released earlier this year, became a very popular case for small water cooling builds thanks to its great features and water cooling flexibility. To make things better, Phanteks announced their new Enthoo Evolv ITX Special Edition case which comes in two colors; black with red interior or white with black interior. Benchmark Reviews will be taking a look at the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX SE in white and black, so let’s go ahead and see what this special edition case has to offer.

14 September 201525 September 2015CasesBy David Shields

SilverStone CS01B-HS Mini-ITX Case Review

Two versions of the anodized black CS01B computer case exist, one with a mesh top and the option to install two 2.5″ and two 3.5″ drives. The second is the CS01B-HS, which removes the pair of 3.5″ drives in favor of six hot-swappable 2.5″ bays. Also included in both models is a single 120mm air penetrator fan, one expansion slot, and a sturdy aluminum construction throughout. SilverStone is not intending this to be used for gaming, but rather for an office environment. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, we will specifically look at the CS01B-HS version, deciding whether or not SilverStone has succeeded in creating such a product, and then deliver an overall rating.

Corsair VOID Wireless Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset

14 September 201514 September 2015AudioBy Greg Schepers

Corsair VOID Wireless Gaming Headset Review

In the world of computer peripherals and hardware, most of us are well aware of Corsair’s existence. This is an organization that has well-earned reputation for producing quality components; components that are going to be high-performing, intelligently designed, and very likely to provide its owners with years of service. Therefore, it is no surprise that when Corsair develops a new product, such as the Corsair VOID Wireless Dolby 7.1 Gaming Headset, it doesn’t take long before it is in high demand.

9 September 2015PeripheralsBy Tom Jaskulka

Mionix Castor Optical Gaming Mouse Review

Mionix, the Swedish manufacturer of a range of gaming peripherals, has a new star in their lineup: the Castor Optical Gaming Mouse. Designed to retain the ergonomic grip of the Naos while still accommodating the three main grip styles (claw/palm/fingertip), the Castor is poised to be a comfortable option for a wide variety of users. Coated in their customary soft-touch rubber coating, the smooth curves and Aurora multi-color lighting identify this newest addition as a member of the Mionix family. Benchmark Reviews was given a chance to take a closer look at the Mionix Castor – will the tales of exquisite craftsmanship, 10,000 DPI optical sensors, zero acceleration and a grip that appeals to everyone… appeal to everyone?

2 September 20153 September 2015StorageBy David Ramsey

ADATA Premier SP550 SSD Review

Founded in 2001, the Taiwanese company ADATA Technology Corporation specializes in memory-based products. A few years ago they branched out into SSDs, and have been competing aggressively on price/performance as SSD prices continue to fall. Benchmark Reviews has previously looked at the ADATA Premier SP550 mainstream and ADATA XPG SX930 performance SSDs; today we have the ADATA Premier SP550. With Hynix TLC NAND backed by a Silicon Motion controller and LDPC error correction, is the SP550 the price/performance sweet spot in ADATA’s lineup?

2 September 20152 September 2015ReviewsBy Olin Coles

Vertagear SL2000 Gaming Chair Review

Much like the beds we sleep in, it’s very important to select the right chair to sit in for a good portion of our lives. I owned a comfortable office chair that followed me around after college, and played several roles at the dining table on occasion. More recently, there was the expensive Embody chair review that stirred controversy. Now we’ve got gaming chairs, bringing style together with luxury. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I report my test results with the Vertagear SL2000 S-Line Racing Series gaming chair.

31 August 2015CasesBy Jason Maxfield

Antec P380 Full-Tower Case Review

In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I’ll be testing the Antec P380 full-tower ‘Performance’ computer case. The aesthetics of Antec’s P380 are a bit different than other cases, utilizing aluminum plates on the front and top of the chassis to give the P380 a very stylish look. The Antec P380 features a versatile front USB hub that can be mounted to face either the right or left side of the chassis, allowing users the freedom to place the P380 however they want. The power and reset buttons of the Antec P380 have thoughtfully been set to both sides of the chassis recessed behind the front aluminum plate, making it easy to turn on your computer from either side of the case.

31 August 20151 September 2015NetworkBy Julian Duque

EnGenius ENS1750 Outdoor Access Point Review

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.

Cooler-Master-GeminII-S524-V2-CPU-Cooler-Mounted-Side-Illustrated

19 August 201525 August 2015CoolingBy Olin Coles

Optimized CPU Cooling with Top-Down Heatsinks

Occasionally Benchmark Reviews looks at a hardware component, and recognizes the value in discussing it beyond the standard product evaluation. Not all that long ago we tested the Cooler Master Geminii S524 Ver 2 CPU Cooler, and noted how well it performed compared to many other high-end heatsinks. We looked at the temperatures, measured the cooling performance, compared it to the original GeminII S524 Heatsink, and then gave our rating of the product. What we didn’t do is discuss the benefits of a horizontal heatsink, and how they might actually help you reach an even higher overclock on your computer system.

14 August 2015StorageBy David Ramsey

ADATA XPG SX930 Gaming SSD Review

With SSD prices falling under intense competition, and most consumer-level drives bumping up against the bandwidth limitations of SATA 6, how does a vendor distinguish their product? ADATA thinks their SX930 “Extreme Performance Gaming” (XPG) drive can do it, bolstered by features like enterprise-grade NAND, a JMicron JMF670H controller, hardware-based BHC error correction, pSLC cache technology, all supported with free application software and a five-year warranty. Benchmark Reviews runs the ADATA XPG SX930 Gaming SSD through our test suite to see how it performs.

14 August 201519 August 2015CasesBy Julian Duque

SilverStone Sugo SG12 Micro-ATX Case Review

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.

11 August 201511 August 2015PeripheralsBy Greg Schepers

ROCCAT NYTH Modular Gaming Mouse Review

NYTH is billed as an MMO mouse, but ROCCAT is confident that it can be a world-beater no matter what game you are playing. In fact, ROCCAT states that the NYTH possesses, “deep button modularity that fluidly transitions into a MOBA or FPS master tool with ease.” Considering the features and specification that have been equipped on this well-endowed mouse and considering the track record of this company, it is easy to take ROCCAT’s word for it and believe that the NYTH will be another successful addition to what is already considered an outstanding gaming peripheral lineup. I have plenty of ROCCAT devices, so I have no reason not to believe the good folks over there, but still, let’s have some fun, put this mouse to work, and see what she’s made of.

4 August 2015StorageBy David Ramsey

MyDigitalSSD 240GB SATA m.2 SSD Review

As computers become ever smaller, their storage devices shrink as well. The Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), also known as m.2, provides not only a smaller envelope for storage devices to fit in, it defines new PCI-E based interfaces as well as the legacy SATA 6G interface. MyDigitalSSD’s Super Boot Drive is equipped with Toshiba toggle NAND and a Phison PS3109 controller, and is Benchmark Review’s test subject for today.

20 July 2015PeripheralsBy David Ramsey

Tesoro Excalibur Spectrum Keyboard Review

Many enthusiasts probably haven’t heard of Tesoro Technology, which is perhaps understandable, since the company is so secretive their web page doesn’t even have an “About Us” section. Apparently based in Milpitas, California, Tesoro started out making mechanical keyboards a few years ago and has since branched out into mice and headsets, all aimed at gamers. Benchmark Reviews has just received their latest product, the RGB-illuminated and programmable Excalibur Spectrum mechanical gaming keyboard, so let’s take a look at it!

20 July 2015CasesBy Meng Vang

Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Case Review

The Phanteks Enthoo Pro M has a few similarities from both the Enthoo Pro and the Evolv ATX case but in a mid-tower form factor. The front of the case includes just one 5.25″ ODD bay and a large air intake similar to the Enthoo Pro. The interior frame looks almost identical to the Evolv ATX due to the 2.5″ drop-N-lock mounts and the lack of interior HDD bays. Built specifically to target water cooling enthusiasts, the top and front of the case can support up to a 360mm or a 280mm radiator with plenty of space for a large reservoir.

20 July 201531 July 2015PeripheralsBy David Ramsey

Thermaltake Poseidon Z Plus Smart Keyboard Review

As the consumer mechanical keyboard resurgence matures, vendors are looking for ways to distinguish their products. Thermaltake’s “Tt eSPORTS” division has a new idea for a feature: a Bluetooth 4.0-enabled smart keyboard that, in conjunction with an iOS or Android applet on your phone or tablet, tracks and compiles statistics on how you use your keyboard (and your enabled mouse, if you have one) for posting to social media. Benchmark Reviews looks at the Poseidon Z Plus Smart Keyboard in this article.

13 July 201516 July 2015CoolingBy Julian Duque

NZXT Kraken X61 CPU Cooler Review

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.

13 July 201513 July 2015CasesBy David Shields

Thermaltake Suppressor F51 Case Review

Thermaltake has been somewhat under the radar in the custom PC world for a while now, mainly due to a string of underwhelming products. However, with the release of the Core series they’re starting to make a comeback, and their newest product is their first silent chassis design, the Thermaltake Suppressor F51 E-ATX Mid-Tower Chassis

6 July 2015PeripheralsBy Joe Gulczinski

Azio MGK1 Mechanical Keyboard Review

Over the last 15 years Azio has made quality peripherals focusing on the aspects of convenience, entertainment, and accessibility. One of their latest foray in the market is the Azio MGK1 mechanical keyboard, featuring an alternative Kailh Switch set contrasted to the more commonly known Cherry MX switches. What really sets this keyboard apart from the rest is its rock-solid durability, the exquisite gun-metal finish, and a streamlined approach to functionality. Before the detailed breakdown of this “Elegantly Fierce” beauty of a keyboard, check out the rather unique feature set.

1 July 201510 July 2015CoolingBy Julian Duque

NZXT Kraken X41 CPU Cooler Review

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.

24 June 201524 June 2015CoolingBy Julian Duque

Cooler Master Geminii S524 VER.2 CPU Cooler Review

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.

16 June 2015CoolingBy Julian Duque

Noctua NH-L9x65 CPU Cooler Review

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.

15 June 2015AudioBy Hank Tolman

Ozone Rage ST Gaming Headset Review

One of the most critical weapons in any gamer’s arsenal is a good gaming headset. A good headset gives you the ability to isolate outside noise while providing detailed, sharp, and clear sound from all sides. A gaming headset also lets you easily and understandably communicate with the other members of your team. In this article, Benchmark Reviews is looking at the Ozone Rage ST Gaming Headset and compares it directly with other Gaming Headsets to see what sets it apart and how well it performs.