EDGE Memory’s diskGO Pocket USB 3.0 SSD Offers Storage On The Go

Users who travel and need to transfer large amounts of data from place to place may want to check out EDGE Memory’s new portable storage product, the diskGO Pocket USB 3.0 SSD. Smaller than a credit card, the DiskGO Pocket is one of the smallest SSD-based storage products on the market. Equipped with a SandForce controller and able to transfer data at USB 3.0 speeds (up to 10x faster than USB 2.0), the DiskGO Pocket’s mSATA solid-state drive comes in three storage capacities: 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB. Note that if you just want to take an mSATA SSD you already own and turn it into an external storage device to add space to UltraBooks or other systems, you can get a separate diskGO Pocket enclosure and use it with your existing SSD.

GIGABYTE Radeon R9 270 Overclock Edition

If you find most versions of the R9, AMD’s new flagship GPU line code-named “Hawaii,” roo rich for your budget, but you crave Big Red’s cards, you’re probably going to love the R9 270. The 270 is AMD’s most affordable member of the R9 family, and for under $200 it’s in a sweet spot in terms of affordability and power. GIGABYTE’s take on the GPU, the Radeon R9 270 Overclock Edition, squeezes out additional performance by overclocking the GPU to 950MHz (975MHz Boost) and adding the WINDFORCE 2X cooling system. The system includes dual 100mm fans tied to pure copper heat pipes to dissipate heat and provide powerful airflow. The $179.99 card ships with GIGABYTE OC GURU II overclocking software and 2GB of GDDR5 memory, and it requires a 500W power supply.

ASUS ROG SWIFT PG278Q Review

The monitor is one of the handful of components that can make a real, tangible difference for gamers. Qualities such as high refresh rates, rapid response times, and widescreen aspect ratios can help you more easily target your enemies, outpace your opponents, and survey the landscape for exactly the right location and moment to strike. The ASUS ROG SWIFT PG278Q has all of these features, but it’s more than that. ASUS saw fit to initiate this display into its Republic of Gamers, a club that admits no scrubs. How did the pass muster? Oh, how about being the first WQHD 144Hz 1ms G-SYNC monitor in the world? For a monitor, that’s the equivalent of wrestling an alligator . . . while riding a great white shark.

We usually don’t mention the exterior design elements of monitors, but the matte charcoal black finish and triangular and trapezoidal shapes on the back, base, and stand lend theROG SWIFT PG278Q a cool aesthetic that’s reminiscent of other ROG components we’ve tested. The red ring around the monitor’s base pulses with light (yes, you can turn it off), and fussy gamers will also appreciate this monitor’s height, tilt, swivel, and pivot (for portrait or landscape viewing modes) adjustability. 

The 2,560 x 1,440 resolution display ASUS turns to for the ROG SWIFT PG278Q is a high quality 
TN (twisted nematic) LCD panel that’s capable of supporting faster than 60Hz refresh rates. The Turbo Key display button behind the right edge of the screen lets you quickly alternate between 60Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz refresh rates. Although the higher refresh rates enable this display to draw frames at pace with a fast graphics card, the best way to eliminate screen tearing and frame stutter is to use a variable refresh rate, whereby the graphics card effectively dictates how often the screen drawsan image. NVIDIA G-SYNC display technology is how the ROG SWIFT PG278Q is able to manage this bit of technical wizardry. (A GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST or higher is required.) 
If you’ve noticed that this monitor only supports DisplayPort, that’s directly the result of G-SYNC, which doesn’t work over HDMI or DVI. 

When it comes to gaming tech, this monitor is packed with more than an insane number of pixels. It’s also NVIDIA 3D Vision-ready, features GamePlus technology (which can superimpose one of four different crosshairs overlays or an onscreen timer), and supports Ultra Low Motion Blur, which is an imperceptible backlight strobing effect that can cut down on motion blur at the monitor’s lower refresh rates. 

The physical buttons on the back right edge of the screen let you make adjustments on the fly. There’s also a unique five-way joystick that makes moving through the OSD easy and intuitive, so you can get back to your game as quickly as possible. Another feature that’s particularly appealing to 
those of us who play across multiple screens is the ultra-thin 6mm bezel. After several extended gaming sessions, Blu-ray movies, and a handful of hours spent performing other tasks, we can 
verify that this monitor was undeniably built from the ground up to be easy on the eyes no matter what job you have for it. If you’re willing to shell out on a high-end graphics card, you need to pair 
it with a monitor that can keep up. In our experience, the ROG SWIFT PG278Q absolutely can.

Specs:27-inch (2,560 x 1,440); 16:9 aspect ratio; Pixel pitch: 0.233mm/109 PPI; Brightness: 350cd/m²; 16.7 million colors; Max refresh rate: 144Hz; 1ms response time (GTG); 6mm bezel; Tilt, swivel, pivot, and height-adjustable stand; Ports: DisplayPort 1.2, 2 USB 3.0 ports

Crucial DDR4-2133 CL15 @ 1.2V - Review

Intel’s Haswell-E processors and the X99 chipset are the first consumer platform that can take advantage of DDR4. Compared to DDR3, the new memory standard provides a lower operating voltage and the potential for higher frequencies. For example, DDR4 modules are designed to operate at 1.2V, while the DDR3 standard calls for an operating voltage 1.5V. DDR4 memory frequencies have debuted at 2,133MHz; when DDR3 hit the scene, the fastest speed it could muster was 1,066MHz. Of course, DDR3 kits running at 2,133MHz have been available for years, but let’s give DDR4 a little time. If you check out our X99 motherboard round in this issue, you’ll see that motherboard manufacturers are already preparing for fast frequencies, as all four of the boards supports DDR4-3000.

Crucial’s DDR4-2133 CL15 @ 1.2V (part number CT4K4G4DFS8213) 16GB kit is our first chance to take a ride on the DDR4 expressway. The four 4GB sticks can work with the X99’s quad-channel memory architecture, which gives Haswell-E CPUs simultaneous access to all four modules. Previous benchmarking with Intel’s X79 chipset, which also uses a quad-channel architecture, has shown that quad-channel kits yield a sizeable bandwidth increase over memory kits used in a dual-channel setup.

The modules run at 1.2V to comply with DDR4’s new power requirements, and Crucial indicates that it’s added other efficiency measures to further improve power usage. The end result is a set of memory that’s up to 40% more energy-efficient than comparable DDR3. The reduced power consumption will also help to lower the amount heat that the 
modules generate. Crucial uses 15-15-15-36 timings on the modules, which are on par with other entry-level 2,133MHz kits. 

The sticks are part of Crucial’s DDR4 desktop memory lineup, which uses a plain design without heat spreaders. For a more customized look and tighter timings, Crucial will be offering its Ballistix Sport DD4 line.At press time, Crucial was selling this 16GB kit for $267.99, which works out to $16.75 per GB. Those looking for a larger capacity quadchannel kit can purchase a 32GB kit (8 x 4GB) for $519.99, which is $16.25 per GB.

To test the memory, we installed the Crucial DDR4-2133 kit on a system with Intel’s Core i7-5960X and a GIGABYTE GA-X99-UD5 WIFI. We used SiSoftware 2014 Lite SP1’s memory benchmarks to test the 16GB kit’s speed. The Memory Bandwidth test produced speeds of 42.3GBps (Integer) and 43.13GBps (Floating). In the Cache & Memory Latency test, Crucial’s 16GB DDR4 kit checked in at 41.4ns. Lastly, we ran the Cache Bandwidth test, where the memory produced a speed of 333.92GBps.We used the Crucial DDR4-2133 CL15 @ 1.2V kit in our motherboard roundup, and it was rock solid during all of our benchmarking. If you’re looking for a respectable set of DDR4 to start a Haswell-E and X99 build, this kit is a perfect starter. 

Specs:Capacity: 16GB (4 x 4GB); Timings; 15-15-15-36; Frequency DDR4-2133 (PC4-17000); Voltage: 1.2V; Unbuffered; Non-ECC; Limited lifetime warranty

Test system specs:Processor: Intel Core i7-5960X; Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-X99-UD5 WIFI; GPU: PNY XLR8 GeForce GTX 780 Ti Customized Overclocked; Storage: 240GB Intel SSD 730 Series; OS: Windows 8.1 Enterprise (64-bit)

Deepcool Maelstrom 240 Review

Closed-loop liquid-coolers have rapidly evolved in recent years, and manufacturers often add custom touches to their all-in-one coolers. On the Maelstrom 240, Deepcool includes a pump that uses a closed impeller. The design helps to increase flow rate and reduce vibration and noise. Based on the pump’s impressive 2,800rpm speed, we’d say that the closed impeller certainly helps circulate coolant through the cooler. Deepcool also adds a zirconia ceramic bearing, which has an estimated life span of 120,000 hours, to ensure that the pump will last. There’s more to this closed-loop CPU cooler than its overpowered pump, though. 

With a 240mm radiator, the Maelstrom 240 can easily handle the current crop of high-end processors, and the heat they produce. To dissipate heat from the radiator, Deepcool bundles two of its Gamer Storm GF120 PWM fans that operate from 600 to 2,200rpm. At maximum speed, each GF120 generates an impressive 91.12cfm.

The fans’ noise level maxes out at 39.3dBA, but at 600rpm, their expected noise level is a mere 17.6dBA. Japanese fluid dynamic bearings help reduce fan noise and extend the fan’s life. Deepcool anticipates the fans will last for 100,000 hours.

The rubber fan blades on the GF120 have curved ridges near their edges to centralize airflow, which improves static pressure. Deepcool rates the GF120’s maximum air pressure at 3.71mm/H20. The red blades should stand out inside a case, and if they get dusty, the fan impeller detaches for easy cleaning. Deepcool also decorates the pump with a LED outline of the Gamer Storm logo, which lights up when the PC is running.

One of the more inventive additions to the Maelstrom 240 is a fan hub that controls up to four PWM fans. The fan controller is particularly useful if you plan on installing the GF120 fans above the top vent of your case. This configuration often requires you to route fan cablesthrough openings far away from available fan headers. The fan hub’s extension cable will help you to reach those previously 
inaccessible fan headers and give you some extra PWM fan connectivity.

The Maelstrom 240 is compatible with current Intel and AMD processors, thanks to a universal backplate and multiple mounting brackets that support a variety CPU sockets. We installed the CPU cooler onto an Intel Core i7-4790K (Socket LGA1150). After removing the existing CPU cooler, the installation was quick and easy: It took us only five minutes to get the Maelstrom 240 up and running.

We monitored temperatures on the Maelstrom 240 using Core Temp. At idle, Intel’s Core i7-4970K (running at stock clocks) ran at a maximum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. Next, we pushed the processor by running POV-Ray 3.7 on all cores for 10 minutes, which produced a maximum temperature of 82 C. Finally, we ran Prime 95’s Small FFT test on all cores and threads; the CPU hit a maximum temperature of 96 C in this demanding benchmark.

The Maelstrom 240 operates extremely quiet in idle, and the included fans pick up plenty of speed to deliver performance cooling when your PC is under load. We like the look of the Gamer Storm logo on the pump, as well as the red fans. This CPU cooler would go well with the red and black color schemes found on many gaming motherboards. Deepcool even backs the closed-loop cooler with a five-year warranty, so you’ll have some peace of mind to go along with the quality performance. 

Specs:Materials: Copper (waterblock), aluminum (radiator); Socket Compatibility: IntelLGA1150/1155/1156/1366/2011, AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2/FM2+; Pump: 2,800rpm, 12V; Fans: 2 120mm PWM (600 to 2,200rpm); Radiator dimensions: 27mm x 274mm x 120mm (HxWxD); Warranty: 5 years

Test system specs:Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K; Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK; GPU: PNY GeForce GTX 780 XLR8 Overclocked Series; Memory: 8GB ADATA XPG V2 DDR3-2400; Storage: 128GB Crucial RealSSD C300; OS: Windows 8.1 Enterprise (64-bit)

Tesoro Tizona Elite Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

Very few of us will ever find ourselves competing in the League of Legends World Championship. Most of us will never reach the top rungs of the StarCraft II ladder. And that’s OK. Being a pro is not a prerequisite for using prolevel gear; when we’re on the field of battle, we want to have every possible competitive advantage. Victory can still be sweet even without a dump truck of cash waiting at the end of the match. Tesoro wants you in the W column and sends the Tizona Elite Mechanical Gaming Keyboard to help get you there. 

Spanish literature buffs might be familiar with the name “Tizona.” According to the epic poem, “Cantar de mio Cid,” Tizona was one of the swords El Cid used when he fought during the Moorish invasion of Spain. The other sword? Colada, the namesake of the Tesoro keyboard we reviewed last month. Basically, El Cid preferred to dual-wield for PvP—if Tesoro wants to name its peripherals after this guy’s blades, you won’t hear any argument from us.

You also won’t hear much noise when typing on this keyboard. Our Tizona’s gaming-grade mechanical keyswitches are of the Brown variety. For quick refresher, Brown keyswitches give you a tactile bump without the ear-splitting report of Blue switches. We like the Brown switches well enough, but “the best” mechanical keyswitch is a matter of personal preference. Thankfully, the Tizona also comes in Black, Red, and Blue keyswitch variants. 

As far as performance is concerned, typing or gaming on the Tizona is solid. It takes a few minutes to get used to the lack of a numeric keypad (more on that in a minute), but once our fingers adjusted, 
they were flying across the board. The tactile feedback was exactly what we expected from Brown mechanical keyswitches; the action was crisp, quick, and clean as we typed. The Tizona was equally responsive for gaming, and with keyswitches that are rated for 50 million keystrokes, you’ll be gaming on this keyboard for a long time before they wear out.

A trio of thumb keys just below the Spacebar add versatility. For general PC use, you can quick-launch IE, media playback software, and email, respectively. When you toggle Game Mode, those thumb keys function as “/,” “*,” and “-,” giving you a few extra keybinds to work with. 

Our Tizona didn’t include a numeric keypad, but check out the keyboard’s right edge. Tesoro makes a matching numpad ($39.99, or $109.99 if you buy two together) that mates with the USB 
port on this edge; it’s a simple but so, so sensible implementation. Attach the numpad during business hours, then remove it when it’s LAN party time. This way, you can have a small, portable keyboard when traveling, and then you can clamp on the numpad when you want a full-sized keyboard.

The Tizona is exactly like the sword it’s named after—precise, effective, deadly. You want a weapon like this by your side. 

Specs:Interface: USB; Cable length: 5.9 feet; Switch type: Mechanical (tactile, quiet), 6-/N-key rollover; 1,00MHz polling rate; One-year warranty