9 October 2018Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

UL Releases 3DMark Night Raid DirectX 12 Benchmark

Today we are releasing 3DMark Night Raid, a new DirectX 12 benchmark test for notebooks, laptops and tablets with integrated graphics. Night Raid also has native ARM support for the latest Always Connected PCs powered by Windows 10 on ARM. Night Raid is a free update for all editions of 3DMark. To celebrate the launch, we’re offering 75% off 3DMark Advanced Edition on Steam and the UL Benchmarks website until October 15. DirectX 12 benchmarking for mobile computing 3DMark Night Raid is a DirectX 12 benchmark for laptops, notebooks, tablets and other mobile computing devices with integrated graphics. You can also use Night Raid to benchmark and compare the performance of Always Connected PCs, a new category of devices that […]

11 October 2017Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

3DMark Time Spy Extreme 4K DirectX 12 Benchmark Available

Today Futuremark released a major update for 3DMark today that adds Time Spy Extreme, a new DirectX 12 benchmark test for 4K gaming PCs. Time Spy Extreme is a benchmark for gamers who want to play at the highest settings, system builders configuring 4K-capable machines, and overclockers who are tweaking the latest PC hardware for every last bit of extra performance. Time Spy Extreme is the world’s first 4K DirectX 12 benchmark test, developed with input from AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, and the other members of our Benchmark Development Program. With its 4K Ultra HD rendering resolution and a redesigned CPU test, Time Spy Extreme is the ideal benchmark test for the latest high-end graphics cards and new processors with […]

24 May 201527 May 2015CoolingBy Julian Duque

Scythe Ashura CPU Cooler Review

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.

4 January 2015ProcessorsBy David Ramsey

AMD FX-8320E AM3+ Processor Performance Review

AMD released a slew of new FX-series CPUs in September, 2014, including the FX-8370, FX-8370E, and the subject of our review, the FX-8320E. This is the low end of AMD’s eight-core FX series of enthusiast CPUs, and the “E” suffix marks it as a low-power variant; nonetheless, AMD touts it as a viable CPU for a gaming system. Benchmark Reviews will run this CPU through our gauntlet of tests to see how true this is.

20 October 201427 October 2014CoolingBy Aidan Moore

Cooler Master Nepton 240M Review

In this article, Benchmark Reviews looks at the new Cooler Master Nepton 240M all-in-one water cooling system to determine if it’s performance matches the claims. We compare performance for the Nepton 240M against two other popular dual-fan liquid coolers.

20 October 201420 October 2014ReviewsBy David Ramsey

Lenovo Horizon 2 AIO Desktop Computer Review

The desktop computer is changing, acquiring hardware and software features first seen on mobile devices. As Microsoft works to unify the Windows experience across everything from phones to desktops, vendors work to make their desktops work more like phones, with integrated all-in-one designs, touch screens, and new user interfaces. Today Benchmark Reviews looks at Lenovo’s latest entry in this evolving category, the Horizon 2 All-In-One PC.

2 September 20142 September 2014ProcessorsBy Hank Tolman

AMD FX-8370E AM3+ Processor Performance Review

The newest installment of AMD FX CPUs is finally upon us. September 2014 marks the release of the a few new FX CPUs, including the FX-8370, the FX-8370E, and the FX-8320E. Although I, for one, have been anxious to see a new FX CPU lineup using Steamroller cores, the three CPUs released today follow the same pattern as the last two years worth of FX CPU in using Piledriver cores. With the AMD Kaveri APUs showing up at the beginning of 2014 with Steamroller cores, I thought perhaps the FX series wouldn’t be far behind. Looks like we will be waiting until next year at least. Today, Benchmark Reviews takes a look at the FX-8370 and FX-8370E processors.

28 May 2014Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

FinalWire AIDA64 v4.50 Benchmark Launched

GPGPU AES-256 Benchmark and Extended Mantle Diagnostics Today FinalWire has announced the immediate availability of AIDA64 v4.50. All four editions of the popular system information software have been updated to the new version, including the award-winning PC diagnostics and benchmarking tool, AIDA64 Extreme, as well as the company’s flagship IT asset management solution for business customers, AIDA64 Business. The new AIDA64 release introduces a multi-threaded OpenCL GPGPU AES-256 benchmark to measure cryptographic processing performance of modern graphics processors and APUs. It also provides extended Mantle API diagnostics for the latest AMD Radeon graphics accelerators, and supports the latest video adapters and storage devices. “Besides our regular updates supporting the latest technologies and innovations, the core AIDA64 features are key to […]

15 May 2014Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

BAPCo TabletMark V2 Benchmark for Touch Devices Released

A cross-architecture performance benchmark targeted specifically for touch enabled devices with support for Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8 RT. TabletMark V2, the new cross-architecture performance benchmark that explores different performance aspects of touch-enabled devices, was announced today by the Business Applications Performance Corporation (BAPCo), a non-profit consortium of leading PC hardware and consumer electronics manufacturers, technical press and software publishers. TabletMark V2 builds upon the original TabletMark by adding the ability to measure battery life. It provides users an automated, objective, and easy-to-use tool to evaluate system performance and battery life across a wide range of activities. TabletMark V2 automates activities into three different usage scenarios: Web, Email, and Notes; Photo & Video Sharing and […]

5 May 201415 December 2014MotherboardsBy David Ramsey

ASUS Z97-DELUXE Motherboard Performance Review

With Intel being the sole supplier of chipsets for their processors, all motherboards with the same CPU and supporting chipset will provide pretty much the same performance at stock settings. Vendors strive to distinguish their products with additional features, which can be as disparate as a clever new BIOS or entirely new hardware capabilities grafted on via custom or third-party silicon. From a performance perspective, ASUS has historically added value with enhancements to standard interfaces, such as their accelerated USB 3.0, and hardware and software features that make overclocking easier, even for the novice. With the Z97-DELUXE they’ve even added entirely new high speed interfaces: M.2 and SATA Express. If you’re looking for a future-proof board for your next rig, this could be it.

24 April 201424 April 2014MemoryBy Tom Jaskulka

Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3 Memory Kit Review

Announced at CES 2014, Kingston has released their replacement of the Blu series of RAM modules. Named “Fury,” the new HyperX series of DDR3 RAM claim to make overclocking even easier by automatically detecting the appropriate speeds and timings for your motherboard, making these modules “Plug and Play” ready. Arriving in 4GB, 8GB single, 8GB dual or 16GB dual-channel kits, the Fury line will have frequencies of 1333 MHz (CL9), 1600MHz (CL9), or 1866 MHz(CL10). A new asymmetric heat-spreader design in red, blue, white or black colors covers a stylish black PCB, adding a distinct look to this newest memory kit from Kingston. Benchmark Reviews received one of the dual-channel 8GB kits for testing (model HX318C10FWK2/8), so let’s see how these modules compare.

17 February 20149 May 2014GraphicsBy Olin Coles

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti Benchmark Performance

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card is designed for mainstream 1080p gaming with moderate settings. GeForce GTX 750 Ti utilizes first-generation NVIDIA Maxwell GM107 GPU architecture with 640 CUDA Cores. The memory subsystem of GeForce GTX 750 Ti consists of two 64-bit memory controllers (128-bit total bandwidth) and 2GB of 5.4Gbps GDDR5 memory. GeForce GTX 750 Ti’s base clock speed is 1020MHz, and features a typical Boost Clock speed reaching 1085MHz. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card using several highly-demanding DX11 video games, such as Metro: Last Light, Batman: Arkham City, and Battlefield 3.

13 February 2014Manufacturer NewsBy News Reporter

Futuremark Servermark Benchmark Announced

Companies Invited to Join Benchmark Development Program Futuremark® is creating a new benchmark for measuring and comparing the performance of servers. Designed for industry, enterprise and press users, Servermark™ will be a comprehensive benchmarking tool for x86-based servers running Linux and will be especially suitable for testing virtual machines. Servermark will feature a variety of benchmark tests for web servers, file servers, database servers, media servers and other common server use cases. For details please visit https://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/servermark As with all Futuremark benchmarks, Servermark will be developed in partnership with leading hardware companies. Servermark Benchmark Development Program™ members will have the opportunity to provide input at all stages of development in addition to receiving regular development builds and complimentary site licenses […]

10 December 2013CoolingBy Tom Jaskulka

Noctua NH-U12S CPU Cooler Review

The Noctua NH-U12S is one the newest versions from Noctua’s NH-U series of CPU coolers that were first introduced in 2005. For years, Noctua has been synonymous with premium performance cooling and the new NH-U12S model looks to continue the tradition. Designed to be an affordable option for the NH-U series the 120mm NH-U12S and its 45mm wide heatsink promise quiet performance while still clearing RAM modules, even on sockets like LGA2011. Combined with the new NF-F12 PWM 120mm fan and an entire host of cutting-edge trademark technologies from Noctua, can this cooler compete with popular offerings like the Hyper212 EVO? Benchmark Reviews has a chance to review the NH-U12S and see what Noctua has done with the 120mm tower CPU cooler formula.

16 September 201316 April 2018MotherboardsBy David Ramsey

ASUS Z87I-Deluxe Mini-ITX Intel Motherboard Review

It seems full-sized ATX systems are becoming less relevant every day. Increasing GPU horsepower diminishes the need for expensive multi-GPU setups; onboard sound has become good enough for all but serious audiophiles, and inexpensive 8GB DIMMs mean that two DIMM slots is plenty. The ASUS Z87I-Deluxe LGA1150 mini-ITX motherboard is the latest in ASUS’ new line of enthusiast mini-ITX motherboards. If you haven’t considered a mini-ITX build, maybe it’s time you should.

9 September 201316 April 2018MotherboardsBy David Ramsey

ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Dual LGA1150 Intel Motherboard Review

How many new features can you cram onto a motherboard that are both useful and innovative? ASUS is the expert at doing this, and their history of innovations is long: the custom EPU and TPU processors; intelligent fan control, the ability to update your BIOS on a board with no CPU and RAM installed, and so forth. The Z87-Deluxe/Dual LGA1150 motherboard shows that ASUS is not content to rest on its laurels. With new features like Near Field Communications and 802.11ac support, this motherboard has it all.

7 July 201316 April 2018NetworkBy Olin Coles

Diamond Multimedia WR300NSI Wireless-N Repeater Review

Wireless networking has leaped from niche application to mainstream installations in a short matter of years, allowing homes and businesses to implement features like Wi-Fi Internet access and wireless multimedia file storage. The latest 300 Mb/s 802.11n (wireless-N) networks have been a big part of this transition, enabling transfer speeds similar to the cabled Gigabit Ethernet connections. This has made life more convenient, but for many installations range is still a problem. In this article Benchmark Reviews investigates the Diamond Multimedia WR300NSI Wireless Wi-Fi Range Extender. The purpose of this portable device is self-explanatory, and networking can be complicated, which is why we’ll test how well Diamond has kept it simple for the novice consumer in this article.

3 July 201316 April 2018NetworkBy Bruce Normann

ASUS RT-AC66U Wireless 802.11ac Wi-Fi Router Review

The ASUS RT-AC66U 802.11ac wireless router builds on the success of the RT-N66U model that Benchmark Reviews also tested recently. ASUS has been busy looking to the future, and the new IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. While it’s not officially approved, it does appear to be stable, and there are products on the market already from all the serious players in wireless networking. While 802.11n was a step forward, and many of us have been appreciative of the additional legroom that the 5GHz band allows, there is still plenty of room for improvement in Wi-Fi performance. The ASUS RT-AC66U looks great sitting on the shelf, better than the majority of routers on offer today, but it’s the higher throughput and expanded signal coverage that’s going to win over most consumers.

27 June 201316 April 2018MotherboardsBy David Ramsey

Intel DZ87KLT-75K LGA1150 Desktop Motherboard Review

Until a few years ago, Intel motherboards were, well, boring: reliable, sure, and well-made, but without any really interesting features that would appeal to enthusiasts. That started changing around the time of the Z68 chipset, and although Intel has announced they’ll stop manufacturing desktop motherboards in the near future, the Z87-based DZ78KLT-75K makes a good swan song.

25 June 201316 April 2018GraphicsBy Olin Coles

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Graphics Card Review

NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 760 video card is built from the 28nm Kepler GK104 graphics processor, featuring 1152 CUDA cores that are clocked to reach 980 MHz and reach 1033 using NVIDIA Boost 2.0 technology. GeForce GTX 760 also comes with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory, clocked to provide a 1502 MHz graphics frame buffer. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests and compares the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 graphics card using several highly-demanding DX11 video games, such as Metro: Last Light, Batman: Arkham City, and Battlefield 3.

11 June 20139 September 2013MotherboardsBy David Ramsey

ASUS GRYPHON Z87 mATX Intel Motherboard Review

It’s new Intel CPU time, and with the switch to the LGA1150 socket comes a slew of new motherboards. Today we have an interesting item: the ASUS Z87 GRYPHON mATX motherboard. What makes the GRYPHON interesting is that it’s the first micro-ATX member of ASUS’ TUF family of motherboards. Let’s see if this tiny motherboard can hold up the TUF banner.

4 June 201315 December 2014ProcessorsBy Hank Tolman

AMD A10-6700 APU Richland Processor Review

AMD has a pattern when it comes to processor releases. They release a new processor, run it through its paces for a while, then they release more of the same die with higher clock speeds. Generally, though, the new processors release at something closer to the release price of the first series of processors. That is the one part of the equation missing from this summer’s AMD APU releases. The AMD A10-6700 is the second processor coming out in June 2013 with an MSRP of $142. In this article, Benchmark Reviews is taking a detailed look at the A10-6700, especially its differences from the unlocked A10-6800K.

4 June 201315 December 2014ProcessorsBy Hank Tolman

AMD A10-6800K APU Richland Desktop Processor Review

So far, it seems that the early summer of 2013 is destined to be full of Intel Haswell coverage. Rather than consigning themselves to the shadows, AMD is quietly releasing two new members of their APU family. The next generation of APUs is being represented at the top by the A10-6800K and the A10-6700 Accelerated Processing Units, codenamed Richland. It has been about eight months since AMD released the last generation, Trinity APUs. When that happened, AMD took back the performance lead from Ivy Bridge in the sub-$150 CPU price range. This has been AMD’s bread and butter for a while now, especially with their ability to pair discrete level graphics with their CPUs that totally decimate the onboard capabilities of their opponent. Haswell may change things, but for now, we’ll see where AMD is setting the bar for entry-level performance. In this article, Benchmark Reviews takes a hard look at the third generation of AMD APUs with the top end AMD A10-6800K Richland Processor.

1 June 20139 September 2013MotherboardsBy David Ramsey

MSI Z87 MPower MAX Motherboard Review

Intel’s new Haswell CPUs bring with them a new socket, LGA1150, and a new supporting chipset, the Z87. MSI’s new Z87 MPower MAX motherboard is the first of third-party Intel Z87-Express desktop motherboard we’ve had the opportunity to test. As a member of MSI’s “MPOWER” motherboards, the full-sized ATX motherboard is a high-end product stuffed with features aimed at enthusiasts and gamers. Let’s take a look at it!

1 June 201315 December 2014ProcessorsBy David Ramsey

Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell Desktop Processor Review

After months of rumors and speculation, Intel’s 4th generation Core CPUs, code-named Haswell, are here. Haswell CPUs are a “tock”– that is, a new microarchitecture– in Intel’s “tick-tock” annual release cycle. Based on the same 22nm fabrication process and 3-D transistors introduced with last year’s Ivy Bridge CPUs, Haswell brings with it a new socket 1150, which means that you can’t just drop it in to replace an Ivy Bridge or Sandy Bridge CPU, since you’ll need a new motherboard. But what new features and performance does Intel’s Haswell processor bring with it? Let’s find out.