GX Gaming SP-i250G Speaker Review

We talk a lot in CPUabout good audio setups for gaming, movies, and music on your PC; there are some great headsets and 2.1- and 5.1-channel speaker sets with surround sound, subwoofers, and the whole nine yards that will take your PC leisure time to the next level. But what if you are away from your PC and need more than the sound coming from your notebook, tablet, or phone’s tiny, underpowered speaker(s)?

GX Gaming, a company that by the way makes some of the aforementioned headsets and speakers (see our review of the GX Gaming Mordax headset elsewhere in this issue), has the answer. The company’s SP-i250G portable stereo gaming speakers will put your notebook or mobile device’s speakers to shame and are both eminently portable and simple to use. Together they weigh less than half a pound, and each of them measures less than 3 inches across and just over 1.5 inches high, so you won’t have any trouble finding a nook or cranny for them in your laptop bag/backpack/gym bag. GX Gaming provides a carrying pouch for each speaker, as well.

GX Gaming designed the speakers to charge via USB, but you can connect them to your favorite device’s 3.5mm audio out jack for playback. (The single cord bundle, which ends in gold-plated plugs all the way around, also includes the USB plug for charging, and branches off into two lines ending in Mini-USB plugs for the speakers.) You turn each speaker on individually by twisting the middle portion of the speaker module clockwise. You can adjust the volume by twisting further or tone things down if need be by twisting the unit counter-clockwise. Of course, your device’s volume control has a big role to play, as well.

Once everything is connected and playing, the 3-watt SP-i250G speakers gamely do their job, pumping out a great deal more sound than your phone or tablet is capable of, and in many cases producing more sound than even a pair of laptop speakers. We tried them out in a variety of usage scenarios, including a few types of music and several phone and tablet games, and although you’re not likely to confusetheir sound with that of GX Gaming’s SW-G2.1 or SW-G5.1 speaker sets, they provide plenty of highly portable sound and did a great job of boosting the sound of several popular mobile game apps.

GX Gaming also provides a bit of a light show; the diminutive speakers sport thin LED rings that run all the way around them just above the base and just below the rotating middle cover/power and volume control. When the speakers come on, the light rings randomly cycle through several colors. Finally, there’s a red LED power indicator on each unit to the left of the Mini-USB charge/aux in port that comes on when the speakers are low on power or are charging; this light goes off when the 
speakers are fully charged.

GX Gaming recommends using its SPi250G portable stereo gaming speakers with handheld gaming systems (Sony PSP, Nintendo DS), iPhones and other smartphones, iPads and other tablets, 
notebook PCs, and MP3 players.

Specs:Drivers: 40mm neodymium; Frequency response: 100Hz to 20kHz; Signal-to-noise ratio: 80dB; Controller: power and volume controls on each speaker; Connector: gold-plated USB for charging, gold-plated 3.5mm audio plug; Battery capacity: 470mAh

PNY LEGO USB Flash Drive Review

We have reached peak LEGO. The evidence is overwhelming: The plastic brick factory hauled in $2.03 billion in the first half of 2014, putting it a 1x1 brick ahead of Mattel as the top toy maker in the world, and earlier this year “The LEGO Movie” grossed almost half a billion dollars on a meager $60 million budget. That’s good news for the LEGO Group, creative children, creative man-children, and Chris Pratt. It’s probably even a positive development for those weirdos who actually prefer Mega Bloks.

But we digress. PNY, hoping to capitalize on LEGO mania, recently introduced a 16GB USB flash drive that hides within the confines of a standard 2x4 LEGO brick. Naturally, the PNY LEGO USB Flash Drive has a cap-less design; a slider underneath the drive summons the USB connector (this particular USB drive does its business over a USB 2.0 interface) when you need to connect the drive and shuffle your data this way and that. When you’re all done, the USB connector retreats back into its shell,and the LEGO USB Flash Drive returns to looking almost exactly like an unassuming LEGO brick. (There’s a small plastic loop on one end of the block to attach the included lanyard if you want to add this flash drive to your keyring.) PNY also includes a bonus 2x4 LEGO brick, a $0.30 value.

Because we are who we are, we decided to test this little flash drive masquerading as plastic masonry. We plugged the LEGO Flash Drive into a test system featuring Intel’s new Core i7-5960Xwunderchip, a GIGABYTE GA-X99-UD5 WIFI, and 16GB of DDR4-2133. We started by running CrystalDiskMark’s Sequential Read and Write tests, since the vast majority of a flash drive’s typical workload will be sequential. Then, we ran a couple of timed file transfers—the first being a monolithic Ubuntu ISO (984MB), and the second being a 2.5GB folder stuffed with an assortment of Office docs, images, and videos. These files were stored on a 240GB Intel SSD 730. 

In CrystalDiskMark, the drive posted 19.36MBps and 9.72MBps reads and writes, respectively. We 
transferred the ISO from SSD to flash drive in 1:00.13 (minutes:seconds, 16.36MBps), and then transferred it back in 1:51.51 (8.82MBps). Our folder of mixed files flew from the SSD to the flash drive in 5:47.23 (7.78MBps) and made the return trip in 10:58.15 (4.11MBps).

So, the LEGO USB Flash Drive works just fine as a USB 2.0 thumbdrive, but let’s be honest: Throughput isn’t the reason you buy a drive like this. You do buy a drive like this because now you 
can actually download the Death Star plans to your LEGO Star Wars Tantive IV. That’s this flash drive’s real piece of resistance.PNY’s LEGO USB Flash Drive might be the first bricked drive we wouldn’t mind owning. 

Specs:Capacity: 16GB; Interface: USB 2.0; Dimensions: 0.22 x 0.5 x 1.2 inches (HxWxD)

Test system specs:CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X Extreme Edition; Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-X99-UD5 WIFI; RAM: 16GB Crucial DDR4-2133; Graphics PNY GeForce GTX 780 Ti Customized Overclocked; Storage: 240GB Intel SSD 730; Windows 8.1 Enterprise

MSI Interceptor DS200 GAMING Review

We all know that when it comes to PC gaming, input matters. If you’re going to spend a weekend at a LAN party with a mouse, for example, things like precision, comfort, and the ability to customize the device to your liking become more than just marketing bullet points. And if you’ve ever shopped for a gaming mouse, you probably also know that there are some really great gaming mice out there, and there are also a bunch of “gaming” mice whose only qualification is a backlit logo or an edgy color scheme.

Within minutes of getting our hands on MSI’s Interceptor DS200, we knew that it was the real deal. 

First off, it’s extremely comfortable to use. The DS200 has the perfect combination of angular control surfaces and smooth, rounded contours that make it effortless to move with precision but so comfortable that you will never find yourself thinking about it. Like the best gaming mice we’ve used (including a few that cost a couple times more than this one does), within the first couple hours it becomes an extension of your hand.The silver underside houses welldesigned skid pads that let the mouse glide quickly where you want it, and the outershell on top has just a hint of texture so that it won’t slip. MSI packs a separate container in the box that holds eight 2.4g weights (there’s a compartment on the bottom of the mouse that contains eight matching receptacles), so you can finetune the DS200’s weight until it’s just right for you. All nine of the mouse’s buttons are within easy reach. MSI even put in overtime designing the scroll wheel, giving it a rubberized texture that makes it grippy and soft at the same time.

Second, let’s talk precision: The DS200 is so ridiculously precise that it will make most users’ current mice seem unbearably slow and sloppy by comparison. MSI gave it an 8,200dpi multi-setting sensor that you can adjust on the fly with the arrow buttons at the top of the mouse. You can also adjust the DS200’s polling rate from within the included configuration software, with options ranging from 125 
to 1,000Hz.

Last but not least, the Interceptor DS200 is fully customizable. You can program specific functions for each of its nine buttons, you can program or record macros for specific in-game functions, and you can choose from a wealth of color options for each of its RGB LED-litsurfaces. (You can choose a different color for each backlight on the mouse if you want to, and there are several.) All of these settings are available in the easyto-use configuration utility, which also lets you create a custom set of any and all of these settings options and then save it to one of five profiles. In other words, you could choose the speed and polling rate you like best for your favorite FPS, record a few crucial macros, and then assign that particular profile a custom color combination so you will recognize it at a glance. Then you can do the same for your favorite MMO, your favorite RTS, etc.

Other nice touches include the MSI Interceptor DS200’s braided nylon cord, its gold-plated USB plug, and its ability to bind a number of Windows functions to its buttons, so that even when you’re not gaming, this mouse can save you time and effort. In short, this is one of the most comfortable and useful mice we’ve used in a long time, and at a price that frankly surprised us. If you’re in the market for a quality gaming mouse, be sure to give this one a look before you buy. 

Specs:Sensor: 8,200dpi laser; Polling rate: 125 to 1,000Hz; Body type: Right-handed; 9 buttons; 5 profiles; 16 million color RGB backlight; Weighted: Yes; Interface: USB

STEIGER DYNAMICS LEET Reference Review

Living Room PC

STEIGER DYNAMICS endeavors to bring you the most immersive entertainment experience possible with exquisite, high-end PCs designed for use in the comfort of your living room. This company’s handcrafted living room PCs are much more than your average HTPC. For example, the LEET Reference Living Room PC sent to us features two EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN Z graphics cards. STEIGER DYNAMICS CEO Martin Gossner says, “This kind of graphics horsepower allows for ultra-quality native 4K gaming with constant 60-plus frame rates, and doing this on a large-screen 4K TV with real surround sound is the most immersive form of gaming possible.” Of course, the LEET Reference delivers media center functionality, too, so you can watch live TV and Blu-ray Discs and stream multimedia.

A great living room PC starts with an elegant case. STEIGER DYANMICS engineers its own chassis, and the LEET is a full aluminum case made from a one-piece, 0.2-inch-thick shell. The exterior is hand-brushed, and then all the parts are anodized to produce the final color and striking finish. The unit’s looks certainly blend in with modern A/V receivers and pre-amps. At the front 

of the case, STEIGER DYNAMICS installs a 7-inch screen that runs its LEET Monitor App that you can use to customize the display. It can do things like show movie and music titles or display current CPU and GPU clocks and temperatures.

We installed the LEET Reference into our home theater setup, and from eight feet away, the screen’s text was perfectly clear and readable. For control, STEIGER DYNAMICS includes Media Center remote, and obviously, the rigcan work with a wireless keyboard and mouse, as well. The LEET Reference supports control via smartphone or tablets with a compatible app, such as Remote Pad or Splashtop. STEIGER DYNAMICS even shipped us their Couchmaster Lapdesk for comfortable control of the mouse and keyboard for long gaming sessions. It seems that STEIGER DYNAMICs has a solution for everything, when it comes to remote control.

The case, display, and remote control would be part of any LEET build, but clearly, this is not a basic system. STEIGER DYNAMICS designed this rig provide us with the best possible LEET Reference. And boy, it’s a powerhouse. This rig sports an Intel Core i7-5960X overclocked to 4GHz, two EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN Z graphics cards in SLI, and 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws 4 at 2,600MHz. The 

flagship Intel processor and 16GB ofmemory help to make this LEET Reference a great tool for video encoding and working from your couch. Gossner says that the Core i7-5960X is “especially helpful when converting Blu-rays or editing photos and videos on your 4K TV, which is an amazing and completely new way to work.”

STEIGER DYNAMICS liquidcools all of its LEET PCs, and this build features a custom loop for the processor and graphics cards. The use of liquid cooling is more than just about performance, because STEIGER believes that the most important thing for a living room PC is how quiet it runs. The company co-developed this liquid-cooling setup with Swiftech, and ASUS provides custom UEFIs with increased fan ranges to keep the system nearly silent under most loads.

In our build, STEIGER DYNAMICS uses green tubing, and you can see the entire interior through the acrylic top panel. The internals are also illuminated with purple LED strip lights. We thought 

the purple LEDs looked great when we turned off the lights in our entertainment 

room. You can choose between 11 colors of tubing and five colors of chassis lighting. STEIGER DYNAMICS also custom sleeves the power cables (all cables were sleeved in black in our build), and the sleeved cables were neatly routed for a clean look.

Audiophiles will appreciate the variety of sound processing choices available. All options support lossless audio—even the onboard audio on the ASUS ROG RAMPAGE V EXTREME in this build. There are couple of choices with discrete sound cards, including one with a DB25 connector, if that’s more your style. 

This LEET Reference will make a great PVR, because STEIGER DYNAMICS provided three 3TB Western Digital Red hard drives in RAID 5 for distributed parity. Gossner notes that the drives are certified to run 24/7, “which is perfect for people using our system to replace their NAS or home server.” The OS is installed onto two 120GB Kingston HyperX 3K SSDs configured in RAID 0 for 

blazing load times.Brace yourselves for these benchmark results, as the numbers are like nothing we’ve tested before. Just some of the crazy fast scores include well over 100fps in Metro: Last Light (114.75fps) and Aliens vs. Predator (128fps) when tested at 2,560 x 1,600. 3DMark Professional’s Fire Strike Extreme test delivered a score of 10943, while PCMark 8 generated a score of 5020. POV-Ray 3.7 hit 3220.24 pixels per second. Compare these scores to our X99 roundup, which is a fairly speedy test bench itself, and you’ll see the performance differences.

Our test LEET Reference is a performance dynamo, and we love the look and great functionality STEIGER DYNAMICS integrates into the chassis. The LEET Reference is ideal for gamers looking to take more advantage of the big screen and comfy couch in the entertainment area. It’s also a good fit for HTPC users with discriminating tastes, thanks to the refined appearance and media center functionality. And, of course, you can custom configure the build to match your budget and exact multimedia and gaming requirements. Once you getthis system set up, we think the hardest part might be getting away from the couch.

Specs:Processor: Intel Core i7-5960X @ 4GHz; Graphics Cards: EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN Z; Motherboard: ASUS ROG RAMPAGE V EXTREME; Memory: 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4-2600; Storage: 120GB Kingston HyperX 3K SSD (2x; RAID 0), 3TB Western Digital Red (3x; RAID 5); PSU: Seasonic SS-1250XM; OS: Windows 8.1 Professional with Windows Media Center

GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK REVIEW

Let’s face it, power users can be very tough on their components, especially the motherboard. We use big-time hardware that generates a lot of heat, then we overclock it, generating more heat. We ratchet up voltages, overclock more, and hope that everything holds together. It goes without saying that the motherboard, ground zero for this punishment, needs to be tough.

The GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK is part of GIGABYTE’s impressive Black Edition lineup. To gain entry into this club, the motherboard had to pass a 168-hour stress test. Of course, this Z97-based motherboard also boasts GIGABYTE’s Ultra Durable components. The GAZ97X-UD3H-BK isn’t just about durability, though. GIGABYTE adds SATA Express and M.2 connectivity, network traffic management, and a rear audio amplifier to support highquality headphones.

We’ve talked about GIGABYTE’s Ultra Durable technology at length in the past, but a quick refresher never hurt. High-quality capacitors are one of the key Ultra Durable components. GIGABYTE uses black solid state capacitors that can operate at maximum efficiency for at least 10,000 hours. GIGABYTE also loads this motherboard with twice the copper found in typical PCBs, so it’ll be able to handle higher power loads and better dissipate heat.

GIGABYTE makes sure the sockets and ports are protected, 
too. For instance, the CPU socket is gold-plated to avoid corroded pins. 
GIGABYTE guards the USB and LAN ports from electrostatic discharge by including a dedicated protection filter. The PCB’s integrated circuits also feature anti-surge protection. Now, onto the fun stuff.

If you’re planning on a multi-GPU setup, know that the GA-Z97XUD3H-BK supports three-way CrossFire or two-way SLI. The bottom PCI-E x16 slot shares bandwidth with the board’s three PCI-E x1 slots, and when that bottom PCI-E x16 slot is populated, all of the x1 slots will be unavailable. 
The PCI-E x1 slots are nicely arranged. There’s one x1 slot above the top PCI-E x 16 slot and two below it. This slot layout should ensure that two of the x1 slots are always available, even if you install two dual-slot graphics cards. GIGABTE also throws in a legacy PCI slot.

If you have high-speed DDR3, you’ll be able to use it on the GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK. The motherboard can handle up to 32GB DDR3 clocked at a staggering 3,100MHz. Of course, GIGABYTE also provides support for Intel’s XMP memory configurations. For storage, you’ll find six 6Gbps that support RAID 0/1/5/10. And, as previously mentioned, you’ll be able to use a SATA Express or M.2 storage device, but not both at the same time; on the GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK, the two interfaces share bandwidth. When you install an M.2 SSD, the motherboard will disable the SATA connectors 4 and 5, which are the ports co-opted by the SATA Express port.

To give you more control over your network traffic, GIGABYTE provides cFos Speed, which is an application that works hand in hand with Intel’s Gigabit LAN controller. GIGABYTE indicates that the cFos Speed app functions like a network driver, so it’ll work with specific applications to optimize network performance. According to GIGABYTE, cFos should help reduce ping times, which is crucial for online gaming.

If you’re a gamer (or anyone would appreciates good sound, really), you should like the audio capabilities integrated into the GA-Z97XUD3H-BK. It all starts with Realtek’s ALC1150 high-definition audio codec. The ALC1150 codec supports highquality voice capture, as it can work with 
microphones that use echo cancellation, beamforming, and noise suppression technologies. A high-capacity amplifier is built into the GA-Z97X-UD3H-BKto drive up to 600-ohm loads for crisp, clear sound with professional headphones. The GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK minimizes audio distortion, too, thanks to a dedicated section of PCB for the audio components. GIGABYTE has even separated the left and right audio channels to eliminate crosstalk between the stereo channels. 

The GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK muscled through our bevy of benchmarks with no problems. We tested the motherboard with Intel’s new Core i7-4790K, 8GB of ADATA XPG V2 DDR3-2400, 
and a PNY GeForce GTX 780 XLR8 Overclocked Series. The motherboard posted good marks in processor-intensive tests, including 891 points in Cinebench 15 and 1796.04 pixels per second in 
POV-Ray 3.7. In our game tests, which we ran at 2,560 x 1,600, the GA-Z97XUD3H-BK delivered 51.8fps in Aliens vs. Predator and 49fps in Metro: Last Light. 

Thus far, we’ve been impressed with GIGABYTE’s lineup of Z97 motherboards. The GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK is built to last, and there are plenty of features to please gamers and enthusiasts alike. Priced at $169.99, the GA-Z97X-UD3H is well within reach for most power users. If you have Devil’s Canyon is on your radar, then you’d better put this motherboard there, too.

Specs:Max memory: 32GB (DDR3-1600; DDR3-3100 max OC); Slots: 2 PCI-E 3.0 x16, 1 PCI-E 2.0 x16, 3 PCI-E x1; 1 PCI; Storage: 1 SATA Express, 1 M.2, 6 6Gbps SATA; Rear I/O: 1 HDMI, 1 DVI-D, 1 VGA, 1 Optical S/PDIF, audio I/O, 4 USB 3.0, 4 USB 2.0, 1 Ethernet, 1 PS/2; Form Factor: ATX; Warranty: 3 years 

Test system specs: Processor: Intel Core i7-4790K; GPU: PNY GeForce GTX 780 XLR8Overclocked Series; Memory: 8GB ADATA XPG V2 DDR3-2400; Storage: 128GB Crucial RealSSD C300; OS: Windows 8.1 Enterprise (64-bit)

GX Gaming Mordax Review

The gaming headsets we’ve reviewed in the past several months all ship with either a USB connector or a phono plug connector. Powered amplification, LED lighting, and some virtual surround sound features are possible with the former headsets. With the latter, you aren’t restricted to only using them with a PC. GX Gaming’s Mordax universal amplified gaming headset stands apart thanks to its inclusion of both connector types.

The dirty little secret for most of us is that, while we love PC gaming, we are also big fans of games in general, regardless of the platform. The Mordax is unique in that we can use it with a PS3, Xbox 360, Mac, and, of course, PC. When plugged into a PC or Mac, the Mordax uses the USB connector to transmit audio and power the internal amp. If you want to use the phono plug witha smartphone, tablet, or other analog audio device, you’ll need a power source for the headset’s USB connector. RCA cables and a 2.5mm headphone cable are also bundled for connecting the Mordax to a game console. 

When it comes to sound quality, the powered amp really delivers. The 40mm drivers in the Mordax absolutely hum with deep bass, and midrange and higher frequency sounds come across with a rich clarity you’ll not get with an unpowered headset. Frequency response is a wide 20Hz to 20kHz, and sensitivity is rated at 117dB. The omnidirectional flexible mic is detachable and has a 100Hz to 10kHz frequency response and a -54dB sensitivity (+/-3dB). 

The Mordax features large oval cans with pleather-covered foam cushions. Thepadded headband is similarly outfitted, and you can add about an inch of length to either side with a gentle tug. Both cans have a shiny black plastic finish, with the GX Gaming logos and a U-shaped piece of green plastic to add some color. The unit is comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions. We also like the in-line volume and mute controller. This part also features a PC/GAME switch, which 
lets you switch between USB-based or analog audio sources. 

If you’re looking for a headset that can do double duty for a game console or PC, out of the box, then the GX Gaming Mordax should be at the top of your list.

Specs:Drivers: 40mm neodymium; Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz; Sensitivity: 117dB; Impedance: 32 ohm; Mic sensitivity: -54dB +/-3dB; Mic frequency response: 100Hz to 10kHz; In-line volume control; Cable length: 10 feet; Connectors; USB, phono; Extras: Removable flexible microphone, built-in amplifier, RCA cable, 2.5mm phono cable