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Intel Corp. may speed up introduction of its next-generation microprocessors based on the code-named “Broadwell” micro-architecture, according to sources with knowledge of the chip giant’s plans. Previously it was expected that the “Broadwell” line of chips will be released sometime in Q4 of 2014. It is now planned that some …

Seagate Technology this week introduced Backup Plus Fast external storage solution that combines high performance, high capacity, portability and relatively low cost. The new drive is aimed at creative professionals and so-called pro-sumers who require performance and capacity, but do not want to pay for business-class solutions. Seagate Backup Plus …

Since the birth of desktop computing there have been adoring Apple fans fighting from one corner, with die-hard PC format proponents in the other and Linux users unwilling to join the fray as they own and operate the “superior” OS. In the contest that engenders this variety of choice comes much …

Sometimes in the third quarter of this year Intel Corp. plans to release its next-generation high-end desktop (HEDT) platform code-named “Lituya Bay” based on the code-named “Haswell-E” central processing units that will rely on DDR4 memory to maximize bandwidth. For those, who will want to get some extra performance out …

The first waves of AMD partner 290 cards are being released this month, and today we follow up on our Gigabyte and Sapphire reviews taking a look at the latest card from ASUS, the R9 290X Direct CU II OC. This card ships with a proprietary cooler and the fastest …

Plextor, one of the most respected brand-names in the consumer storage industry, this week unveiled its new M6 lineup of solid-state drives. The new SSDs come in various form-factors that target different types of personal computers and also sport different interfaces, including Serial ATA and PCI Express. The latter brings …

Think your case is customisable? Think again. The new range of Genesis and Millenium chassis and builds from Origin PC are a whole new ball game. Ever wanted to mount your monitor at 90 degrees from the normal? Flip it round? Rotate it? You can if you give these guys …

Intel Corp. is speedily transitioning its lineup of desktop central processing units (CPUs) to the “Haswell” micro-architecture. Broader availability of newer chips across various price segments ultimately makes Intel’s desktop microprocessor family more competitive against its arch-rival AMD. According to sources familiar with Intel’s plans, the share of desktop processors …

At the Consumer Electronics Show the world’s largest maker of microprocessors – Intel Corp. – demonstrated what looks to be the world’s smallest personal computer based on an x86 microprocessor. Intel Edison is a new Quark-based computer with built-in wireless connectivity housed in a Secure Digital card form-factor. Intel Edison …

AMD fans may have had to wait several months for custom cooled R9 290/x cards to hit the channel, but today we follow up on our December review of the Sapphire R9 290X Tri-X OC with a look at the latest Gigabyte R9 290X OC solution, featuring their excellent triple …

Advanced Micro Devices on Monday finally revealed additional details about its highly-anticipated code-named “Kaveri” accelerated processing unit (APU), the company’s first chip to support heterogeneous system architecture (HSA) that greatly simplifies general-purpose processing using graphics processing units. The new APUs also support new “Streamroller” x86 cores and other latest technologies …

Mushkin, a leading manufacturer of various consumer-class computer components, on Monday introduced its first enterprise-class solid-state drives (SSDs). Since the company is a newcomer to the market of enterprise-grade SSDs, its drives are not aimed at the high-end of the market, but are designed for various workstations that require improved …

Nvidia has been pushing its Game-Stream technology recently, the service originally launched on the Nvidia Shield handheld late last year and was arguably its biggest feature, but now it seems that the graphics chip maker is looking to expand as it has just announced its partnership with several other companies …

Today we are looking at the Cooler Master Hyper 103. Aimed at users on a restrictive budget, the Hyper 103 sports three 6 mm heat pipes, vents to aid airflow around the heat pipes and a 92 mm PWM fan. Retailing for as little as £9.99, can the Hyper 103 …

With the progress that services like Steam, Origin and Netflix are making these days, many think that packaged media is a thing of the past. Despite this, they continue to play an important role in the industry, but not so much that Microsoft didn't consider removing the optical disc drive …

The Hawaii GPU that's behind AMD's latest R9 series of cards, is clearly among the highest-performing chips available at the moment. However, a new die shot of the chip implies that the graphics processor may actually be more powerful than AMD publicly disclosed. Today AMD sells two graphics adapters based on …

Today we are taking a look at the Aerocool GT-R Black Edition. Aimed at enthusiasts on a budget, the Aerocool GT-R Black Edition supports Micro ATX and ATX motherboards, graphics cards up to 293 mm in length and coolers up to 172 mm in height. Retailing for around £50, can …

Intel Corp., the world’s largest maker of microprocessors, has been selling various system-on-chips for mobile devices for years now. Unfortunately, it hasn't been that successful with the smartphones and tablets market. But the company remains optimistic and has given itself some pretty aggressive targets. This year Intel plans to sell …

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, two leading manufacturers of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), this week introduced next-generation LPDDR4 memory for mobile devices. The two companies have already shipped samples of the new mobile DRAM to leading designers of mobile system-on-chip (SoC) solutions. Samsung’s and SK Hynix’s first LPDDR4 chips …

Today we are going to look at the Noctua NH-U14S which is a recent addition to the Noctua family of coolers.  This is slim single-tower air cooler which is designed for those users who want to maintain decent RAM compatibility. Noctua are still one of the best respected manufacturers in the …

If you are working with a budget of £180 or less there has never been a better time to buy a graphics card. The Gigabyte R9 270X Windforce OC that we are looking at today for instance is supplied in a preoverclocked state, with a custom cooler and has a …

Today we review the new VTX3D R9 270X X Edition, the second 270X we have reviewed since the launch in November. Should you be shortlisting this card for a new system build early in the New Year? The card we are reviewing today is a new dual fan version of …

AMD fans have been waiting on this for a long time, the eagerly awaited Sapphire custom version of AMD's R9 290X, featuring their cutting edge Tri-X cooling system. Sapphire have not only adopted their impressive three fan cooler, but they have tweaked the core and memory speeds a little, offering …

Today we look at the new customised high end card from Asus, the GTX780 Ti Direct CUII OC. This solution features a customised two fan cooler and out of the box overclocked speeds. We already know the GTX780 Ti is the fastest single GPU on the planet, so how does …

The graphics card wars are heating up again folks, but not just with performance, with features too. Nvidia is gunning for its GSync technology which fixes screen tearing without the need for the performance drop associated with Vsync, but AMD has something potentially more exciting. AMD has Mantle, its DirectX …

In November AMD released their reference R9 290 and while we were impressed with the frame rate performance we certainly didn't find it fun dealing with the noisy, ill performing reference cooler. It has been some time coming, but today we look at the first custom cooled, overclocked card from …

The 4770K offers quite possibly the highest per-clock performance numbers of any consumer-grade processor currently on the market. It’s just that fact which makes Haswell’s multiplier-unlocked Core i7 a plausible option for workstation applications. And with that possible usage scenario comes the requirement for workstation-grade LGA 1150 motherboards. Is ASRock’s …

It's Kingston's turn to take shot at the ultra-high frequency memory market. Can the 2800MHz HyperX Predator kit grab the attention of enthusiast benchmarkers and extreme overclockers? With the vast improvements in memory frequency support brought about by Haswell's powerful IMC, manufacturers took the opportunity to release ultra-high frequency memory …

Today we are taking a look at Fractal Design's Arc XL case. Completing the Arc series of cases, this full tower case boasts support for radiators up to 360 mm in length, up to 10 storage drives and graphics card up to 480 mm in length. The big question is, …

Continuing its refresh of the 7 series generation of GPUs, AMD (and specifically Sapphire) has unveiled another, this time switching out the 7790 OC for its fresh faced alternative, the R7 260X. Performance is likely to be mostly comparable as it was in our reference review, but the cooler has …