glass | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:36:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png glass | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 DeepCool CH560 Digital Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/deepcool-ch560-digital-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/deepcool-ch560-digital-review/#respond Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:00:33 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=635474 DeepCool's CH560 comes with 4x RGB fans for barely £100

The post DeepCool CH560 Digital Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
We were excited when we saw the DeepCool CH560 Digital at CES in January 2023, however we did not see it again during Computex and managed to forget about it until our sample arrived for this review. The passage of time means the unboxing was an entirely new experience and we once again got excited about the plethora of ARGB fans, the funky grid pattern of cooling mesh and that cute digital display on the power supply shroud. 

Main features

  • A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
    • The CH560 DIGITAL WH provides exceptional airflow from all sides of the case, from the high airflow front to the hybrid tempered glass side panel, cool air is always available for the modern power-hungry components.
  • HYBRID AIRFLOW GLASS SIDE PANEL
    • A unique tempered glass and mesh hybrid side panel provides a crystal-clear view into the heart of your system while also supplying modern GPUs with additional ventilation: a functional yet elegant design.
  • REAL-TIME DUAL-STATUS DIGITAL DISPLAY
    • Monitor vital CPU and GPU information from the cockpit of your gaming station with the integrated double-status digital screen. Choose between CPU and GPU temperatures, utilization, or both (switches between temperature and utilization in 5-second intervals). A simple to use application will give you control of the display statuses.
  • MAXIMUM COOLING CAPACITY
    • The CH560 DIGITAL WH has a plethora of cooling configurations, from the ability to mount 360mm radiators on the top and front to the three included 140mm ARGB fans up front and a 120mm ARGB at the rear—the cooling configurations are endless
  • STRESS-FREE BUILDING
    • Building and maintaining the CH560 DIGITAL WH is a breeze: the magnetic hybrid panel with an optional security screw, magnetic air filters, integrated GPU support arm, and 26mm of cable management space behind the motherboard tray make life with a computer a little bit easier.
  • BIGGER, BRIGHTER, BETTER
    • Three luminous PWM enabled 140mm ARGB fans come pre-installed on the front of the CH560 DIGITAL WH and introduce an abundant amount of fresh air into the chassis, these fans are mounted outside of the main compartment to provide maximum clearance for the largest of GPUs while maintaining a smaller footprint.
    • The rear 120mm ARGB fan is also PWM enabled and will exhaust the warm air out of the chassis.
  • CONVENIENCE AT ARM'S REACH
    • Everything necessary for daily routines is within reach with a Type-C, one USB 3.0 port, and a hybrid audio port, all conveniently located on the case I/O panel.

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
  • Power supply support: ATX.
  • Expansion slots: 7.
  • Included fans: 3x 140mm ARGB front intake, 1x 120mm ARGB rear exhaust.
  • Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/140mm front, 3x 120/2x 140mm roof, 1x 120mm/140mm rear, 2x 120mm power supply shroud.
  • Radiator mounts: 360mm/280mm front, 360mm/280mm roof, 120mm/140mm rear.
  • 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
  • Internal drive bays: 1x 3.5-inch, 1x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 2x 2.5-inch.
  • Front I/O ports: 1x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, audio.
  • Dimensions: 471mm H x 458mm D x 230mm W.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i7-14700K, GeForce RTX 4080 and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Deepcool CH560 Digital's cooling capabilities.

Test System:

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-14700K
  • CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Pro X
  • Memory: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000
  • Graphics card: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4080 16GB Gaming OC
  • Power supply: Seasonic Focus GX-1000 ATX 3.0 Gold
  • SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 M.2 NVMe
  • OS: Windows 11

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview

As we describe in our video, we pummelled the DeepCool CH560 Digital with a load of 760W-780W at the wall socket, which is 325W for the graphics and 275W for the CPU.

That is a stern test however the DeepCool pulled through successfully. The case fans have a fairly low maximum speed of 1,100rpm for the 140mm  unit and 1,200rpm for the 120mm fan so we found most of the noise came from our 360mm AIO cooler.

Closing Thoughts

Building a PC inside the DeepCool CH560 Digital was straightforward as the design is familiar and the novel features are relatively minor.

There are a couple of quirks such as bizarrely long cables on the LCD panel and RGB hub which suggest these parts have been repurposed. While that is slightly curious, it didn't cause any problems and we finished the job in a happy mood. It would have helped to have a few more millimetres of space in the top of the case, however we know that aficionados of air coolers take the opposite view so we are prepared to live and let live.

Our complaints about the case are minor, such as the fiddly nature of the drive tower and the unimpressive nature of the filter for the power supply.

Put those thoughts to one side and instead gaze upon the tolerably good RGB lighting and the novel Hybrid Side Panel. If they grab your fancy then you will probably admire the DeepCool CH560 Digital just like us.

You can buy the DeepCool CH560 Digital White for £104.99 HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

  • Supplied with 3x 140mm front fans plus a 120mm rear fan.
  • Smart styling with a Hybrid side panel.
  • LCD display is a nice touch.
  • Front fan rack allows you to install a 360mm cooler behind 140mm fans.
  • Low price.

Cons:

  • RGB lighting is rather basic.
  • HDD installation requires you to work with the HDD cage outside the case.
  • Installing a 360mm AIO cooler in the roof is a close fit with the rear fan.

KitGuru says:The DeepCool CH560 Digital is smart, stylish and effective.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post DeepCool CH560 Digital Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/deepcool-ch560-digital-review/feed/ 0
NZXT H1 Review – Mini-ITX done right! https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/nzxt-h1-review-mini-itx-done-right/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/nzxt-h1-review-mini-itx-done-right/#respond Tue, 05 May 2020 09:22:20 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=463979 Looking for a compact, stylish and watercooled mini-ITX chassis?

The post NZXT H1 Review – Mini-ITX done right! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
NZXT H1 is a Mini-ITX chassis that comes complete with a 140mm All In One cooler and 650W SFX-L power supply. All that included hardware makes the price fairly steep at £299.99, however you have very few decisions to make about the components and the build time is very short. We were impressed that would could build a tiny PC using Ryzen 9 3900X and RTX 2080 Super yet it looked neat and tidy and had good cooling performance.

Note: if the above images are not displaying properly, you may need to disable Ad Block as it is known to interfere with our display code

Main features

  • Included components (140mm AIO, PCIe riser card, & PSU) represent $250+ value.
  • The 13.6-litre size supports almost all GPUs on the market.
  • Footprint uses just 350 cm² of desk space.
  • Integrated PSU, PCIe riser card, AIO liquid cooler.
  • Features tool-less SSD tray, easy-to-install riser card, and pre-routed cables.
  • Tinted tempered glass front panel.
  • Dual-chamber layout airflow for GPU, CPU, and PSU.

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: Mini-ITX.
  • Expansion slots: 2.
  • Included fans: 1x 140mm.
  • Fan mounts: None.
  • Radiator mounts: 140mm AIO is included.
  • 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
  • Internal drive bays: 2×2.5-inch.
  • Dimensions: 387mm H x 187.6mm D x 187mm W.

NZXT includes the AIO cooler and SFX-L power supply as part of the package, and these parts are already installed with cables that are neatly routed. This makes assembly of the PC both quick and easy as the motherboard assembly drops in one side and the graphics card goes in the other chamber. It wouldn’t be difficult to build the complete PC from start to finish in half an hour but if you want to really take it slow and double check every step, perhaps allow an hour. This is much faster than any other small form factor PC we can recall and we have to applaud NZXT as their investment in design saves the customer time, money and trouble.

Testing and Cooling Performance

To put this chassis through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU, Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super WindForce graphics card and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the NZXT H1’s cooling capabilities. For stress testing we use AIDA64 and Time Spy to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test system:

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (12 cores/24 threads)
  • CPU Cooler: Included NZXT 140mm AIO
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte B450 I Aorus WiFi
  • Memory: 16GB G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4-3200MHz
  • Graphics card: Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super WindForce 8GB
  • Power supply: Included NZXT SFX-L Gold 650W
  • SSD: 1TB WD Blue M.2 NVMe
  • OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance Overview

Cooling performance for this fully-featured PC is impressively good. AIDA64 took the system close to the limits with the consequence we had to run the fan at full speed and suffer a high level of noise. Time Spy was less stressful and allowed us to slow the fan to 1,300rpm which was fairly quiet and also delivered temperatures that were very acceptable. We are confident that a lower specced PC using, for example, a Ryzen 5 CPU would be both cool and quiet.

Closing Thoughts

NZXT has clearly thought long and hard about the design of the H1. The construction uses steel throughout with a single glass panel and the result is a compact PC that looks understated and stylish while the heavily ventilated panels allow decent levels of cooling. The tool-free design of the panels is good and the fact that most of the components and cables are installed and routed means you have very little work to do. When you position the motherboard assembly you have decent access both from above and from the sides and you have just enough clearance to connect the various cables.

The most obvious limitations of the H1 are the use of the Mini-ITX form factor and the vertical orientation with the rear panel I/O on the bottom of the chassis. You can see why NZXT took this approach, however it either means the H1 makes sense for you or it is unsuitable with very little middle ground. A lesser consideration is the choice of 140mm AIO and the 650W power supply as you are paying for them as part of the hefty price tag. You might grumble about being forced to use NZXT hardware but you cannot buy the H1 as a bare case so on this score you are either in or out.

We can understand that many people building a small form factor PC will want to build something unique or personal and the NZXT H1 prevents that as half the decisions about hardware have been taken and every H1 will end up looking like all the rest. On the other hand, if you are in the market for a Mini-ITX chassis and are more interested in the results than the process of building the PC we heartily recommend the NZXT H1 and applaud NZXT for this clever piece of design.

You can buy the NZXT H1 from Overclockers UK for £299.99 HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

  • Cooling system and power supply are installed at the factory.
  • Good cooling performance.
  • Neat design, panels are tool-free.
  • Rapid build time.

Cons:

  • Motherboard rear I/O is obscured.
  • Only one Type A USB 3 port on the top of the chassis.
  • PCIe riser card is Gen 3 and not Gen 4.
  • Too many stickers on various components!

KitGuru says: NZXT H1 sets a new standard for the PC small form factor chassis.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post NZXT H1 Review – Mini-ITX done right! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/nzxt-h1-review-mini-itx-done-right/feed/ 0
be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/be-quiet-pure-base-500dx-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/be-quiet-pure-base-500dx-review/#respond Tue, 28 Apr 2020 11:00:13 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=464280 Is the Pure Base 500DX worth the upgrade over its predecessor?

The post be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
We saw the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX at CES 2020 where we pointed out this is a tweaked version of the Pure Base 500 that delivers Addressable RGB lighting on a be quiet! case for the very first time, which surely deserves another !… In addition you get a mesh front panel and USB Type-C.

Note: if the above images are not displaying properly, you may need to disable Ad Block as it is known to interfere with our display code

Main features

  • High-airflow intake front panel and top cover for maximum performance
  • Three pre-installed Pure Wings 2 140mm fans guarantee high performance and silent operation
  • ARGB LED at the front and inside the case
  • USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type C for latest peripheral support
  • Water cooling ready for radiators up to 360mm
  • Various options to install up to five SSDs in total
  • Prominently placed installation bracket with integrated cable management for two SSDs
  • Generous space for high-end graphics cards and large coolers
  • PSU shroud and smart cable routing options provide a neat interior
  • Side panel made of tempered glass

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
  • Expansion slots: 7.
  • Included fans: 3x 140mm Pure Wings 2 in front, rear and roof.
  • Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/2x 140mm front, 2x 120/140mm roof, 1x 120/140mm rear.
  • Radiator mounts: 280mm/360mm front, 240mm roof, 120mm/140mm rear.
  • 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
  • Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 3x 2.5-inch.
  • Dimensions: 463mm H x 450mm D x 231mm W.

Building our test PC was slightly fiddly as there is not much space at the top of the case above the rear I/O panel. The fact that be quiet! has added a third fan in this area makes things even tighter so, as we explain in our video, we removed the fans before we installed the motherboard and connected the cables and then slipped the fans back into place. It would be a real help to have more working room in this area.

Another point of annoyance is that we had no need to use the hard drive caddy or the SSD mounting plate however when we removed them we left large holes in the mid-plate and PSU shroud which looked peculiar. In other respects the chassis works well, the construction is solid and we cannot report any significant problems.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super WindForce and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX‘s cooling capabilities.
For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (12 cores/24 threads)
  • CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 4
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi
  • Memory: 16GB G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4-3200MHz
  • Graphics card: Gigabyte RTX 2080 Super WindForce 8GB
  • Power supply: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 750W Platinum
  • SSD: 240GB Toshiba RC100 M.2 NVMe
  • OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance Overview

be quiet! Pure base 500 has good cooling and our Ryzen 9 3900X sat at a steady 82 degrees C under full load with the fans running at maximum speed. That may sound extreme, however the case fans are rated at 900rpm and are very quiet. Slowing the fans to 500rpm made them inaudible and raised the CPU temperature to 85 degrees. We also removed the front panel – but left the filter in place – and only saw a temperature drop of two degrees.

Heading in the other direct we replaced the Mesh front panel with the panel from the original Pure Base 500 and only saw an increase of three degrees. Our conclusion is that the Pure Base 500DX works well and cools successfully with pleasingly low levels of noise.

Closing Thoughts

be quiet! has broken very little new ground with the Pure Base 500DX as they have introduced ARGB lighting in a mesh front panel and have tacked a USB Type-C on the front I/O. These are perfectly reasonable moves, however we have seen these features in a great many cases from other manufacturers so this is more about be quiet! playing catch-up, rather than anything that is new or radical. The most interesting thing about the DX Mesh front panel is that it delivers very similar cooling to the ‘solid' front panel that came with the original Pure Base 500. In fact that panel isn't solid, although it appears at first glance to have little in the way of air intakes.

be quiet! has added mesh while maintaining low noise levels and the outcome is that it is offering its customers a choice of two aesthetic approaches where the Pure Base 500 looks like a classic be quiet! while the DX could easily be mistaken for a case from Fractal Design. Both approaches work well, however the price increase of the DX is so small that the inclusion of USB Type-C and an extra fan make it the compelling choice.

You can buy the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX for £89.99 from Overclockers UK HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

  • Decent airflow and cooling.
  • Low noise levels.
  • USB Type-C on the front I/O.
  • Full Tempered Glass window.

Cons:

  • The top of the case has limited space above the motherboard.
  • We would prefer PWM fans, ideally with a small fan hub.
  • Removing the SSD bracket and drive cages leave holes in the mid-plate.

KitGuru says: Pure Base 500DX is a gentle evolution of the Pure Base 500 and while it is decent, it avoids any radical moves.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/leo-waldock/be-quiet-pure-base-500dx-review/feed/ 0
Deepcool GamerStorm Macube 550 Review – but it’s not a Cube https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/deepcool-gamerstorm-macube-550-review-but-its-not-a-cube/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/deepcool-gamerstorm-macube-550-review-but-its-not-a-cube/#respond Sat, 21 Dec 2019 10:31:37 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=441846 Deepcool's Macube 550 will set you back £80 - does Leo think it's worth it?

The post Deepcool GamerStorm Macube 550 Review – but it’s not a Cube first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
It feels a bit weird to start a review by telling you the Deepcool GamerStorm Macube 550 is not a cube but honestly, with a name like that you could be forgiven for being confused. Furthermore the ‘dragon scales’ in the right hand side panel are not actually taken from a dragon. Just what does this case offer?

As you will have seen in our video, the front panel of the Macube 550 looks very sleek and the tempered glass panel is heavily tinted. Once these panels are removed we are looking at a conventional core chassis that can draw in cooling air from the front while the side panel can either be used in intake or exhaust.

On the downside the Macube 550 is supplied with a single 120mm fan at the rear of the chassis. This is fine if you are using an All In One liquid cooler that comes with fans, however anyone using an air cooler on their CPU will surely have to add a couple of fans at the front of the case.

Main features:

  • Full tower case that supports up to ATX motherboard, and 420mm GPU(when installed vertically).
  • With novel functional designs and concise appearance designs, Macube 550 presents a mysticism and minimalism style.
  • The tempered glass panel with aluminium bar is aesthetic and convenient.
  • The unique dragon scale ventilation holes on the backside panel add on the lingering charm of mysticism.
  • The scale ventilation holes can serve as either intake or exhaust, thereby making the air path of the case flexible and efficient.
  • Structure built with 0.8mm SGCC (Hot Dip Galvanized Steel) steel, sturdy, tenacious and corrosion resistant.
  • The combination of the matte coating and concealed logos brings premium feeling.

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
  • Expansion slots: 8+2
  • Included fans: 1x 120mm DC rear exhaust.
  • Fan mounts: 3x 120mm front, 3x 120mm/140mm side, 1x 120mm/140mm rear.
  • Radiator mounts: 360mm front, 280mm/360mm side, 120mm/140mm rear.
  • 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
  • Internal drive bays: 4x 3.5-inch 3x 2.5-inch.
  • Front I/O panel: 2x USB 3.0, audio jacks.
  • Dimensions: 520mm H x 526mm D x 241mm W.

Building the test PC was straightforward enough, however there were a couple of moments that caused confusion. The two 3.5-inch drive bays attach to 120mm fan mounts and fit neatly in the side position, however this is not shown in the (rather basic) user guide. This led to some wasted time as we attempted to stack the bays in the floor of the case.

We also struggled with our initial choice of graphics card which was an Asus ROG Vega 64. This graphics card is a thick 2.5-slot card and has a backplate which clashed with the unused vertical mounting slots. You cannot use those slots unless you shell out £40 for the optional PEC 300 vertical graphics mount and while we were happy to simply ignore the vertical mount, we were less than happy when it caused a problem. We switched to a regular dual slot RTX 2080 graphics card and all was well.

The final annoyance was the job of shimmying the Seasonic Focus Gold 1000FX power supply into place. This is a compact power supply but it took some work and we can imagine some large ATX power supplies may not slide home easily.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 5 3600, RTX 2080 Founders Edition and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Deepcool GamerStorm Macube 550‘s cooling capabilities.
For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6 cores/12 threads, 3.95GHz all cores)
  • Motherboard: Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus
  • CPU Cooler: Deepcool Castle 360EX
  • Memory: 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200MHz
  • Graphics card: Nvidia RTX 2080 Founders Edition 8GB
  • Power supply: Seasonic Focus Gold 1000FX
  • SSD: Toshiba RC100 M.2 NVMe
  • OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview

We know the best we can expect from our Ryzen 5 3600 CPU is that it will run at around 70 degrees C under full load with a clock speed north of 4.0GHz on all cores. In our initial test with the AMD Wraith cooler we saw an absolute temperature of 90 degrees and a clock speed slightly higher than 3.8GHz. Switching to a Deepcool Castle 360EX cooler reduced the CPU temperature by 15-20 degrees and raised clock speeds clock to 4.0GHz. It is certainly possible to make the Macube 550 work well, however you need to use the correct cooling hardware.

Closing Thoughts

We like the look of the Deepcool Macube 550 as it is understated, refined, neat and tidy. The tinted glass is very dark and we would prefer it to be more transparent so you can the PC you have built inside the case. We have already mentioned the vertical graphics mount and the compact nature of the case which both make building the PC slightly more tricky than necessary.

In addition we would like to see Deepcool work on cable management as they have done the bare minimum in this department. While we are OK with leaving cable mess hidden behind the side panel it is a slightly different matter when you consider the side position could be used either for hard drive bays, fans or for a liquid cooler. We don’t like there to be any chance of cables getting caught in fan blades and consider the Macube 550 would work better if the handful of cable tie anchor points were enhanced with two or three hook and loop straps.

During our testing we were surprised to see it didn’t matter whether the Dragon Scale ventilation in the side panel was used to intake cool air or to exhaust hot air. We didn’t have any preconceptions about which approach would work best but were confident that there would at least be a difference between the two configurations.

One thing that did not come as a surprise was the improved cooling that resulted from removing the front panel. It’s fairly obvious that opening the front of the case will allow air to flow in an unrestricted manner however the change in temperatures was not pronounced. This makes it clear to us that Deepcool’s stealth air intakes by the front panel provide both a clean aesthetic and also decent cooling,

When you stand at a short distance from the Macube 550 it looks pleasant and appealing but when you dig deeper you quickly realise this is a conventional case that merely looks the part. Clearly it would be difficult for Deepcool to add features so the easiest way for them to make the case more appealing is to cut the price.

You can buy the Deepcool GamerStorm Macube 550 for £79.99 HERE

Pros:

  • Front panel looks clean with hidden air intakes.
  • Glass panel is retained by magnets.
  • Decent selection of drive bays.
  • Dragon Scale ventilation looks interesting.

Cons:

  • Only one 120mm fan is supplied.
  • Price is too high for a relatively basic case.
  • Glass panel is heavily tinted and obscures the interior.
  • Power and Reset buttons are not labelled
  • Vertical graphics slots interfere with our – admittedly chunky – Asus Vega 64 graphics card.

KitGuru says: Deepcool Macube 550 looks tidy but comes in at a high price considering the hardware on offer.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Deepcool GamerStorm Macube 550 Review – but it’s not a Cube first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/deepcool-gamerstorm-macube-550-review-but-its-not-a-cube/feed/ 0
Phanteks Pro-M Special Edition Review (featuring Gamers Nexus!) https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-pro-m-special-edition-review-featuring-gamers-nexus/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-pro-m-special-edition-review-featuring-gamers-nexus/#respond Wed, 13 Nov 2019 16:40:09 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=435951 Somehow the Phanteks Enthoo Pro-M just refuses to die

The post Phanteks Pro-M Special Edition Review (featuring Gamers Nexus!) first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Describing the Phanteks Pro-M Special Edition is both quick and easy. Take the Pro-M Glass from 2016 (which was an update to the the original acrylic Pro-M from 2015), paint the interior white and add two Halos fan frames to the included 140mm fans at the front of the case to deliver a hefty dose of Digital RGB. Naturally the price increases slightly to account for the extra hardware but the SE premium is actually quite modest. As we say in our video, Phanteks Pro-M is the case that refuses to die.

Main features:

  • Premium design with tinted tempered glass side-panels & premium materials
  • Luxurious interior in striking white
  • Compatible with motherboards up to E-ATX form factor (max. 26,4 cm wide)
  • Three dust filters & two 140 mm fans pre-installed
  • Two Phanteks Halos RGB fan frames for impressive lighting
  • Side-mounted I/O panel with RGB controls. two USB 3.0 ports and HD Audio ports
  • Space for two 3.5″ and three 2.5″ storage devices (2x 2.5″ instead of 3.5″, expandable)
  • Graphics cards up to 42cm, CPU cooler up to 19.4 cm and power supplies up to 31.8 cm

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: E-ATX up to 264mm wide, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
  • Expansion slots: 7.
  • Included fans: 2x 140mm front intakes.
  • Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/2x 140mm front, 2x 120/140mm roof (3x 120mm with ODD cage removed), 1x 120mm/140mm rear.
  • Radiator mounts: 360mm/280mm front, 360mm/280mm roof, 120mm/140mm rear.
  • 5.25-inch optical drive bays: One.
  • Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 3×2.5-inch.
  • I/O Panel: 2x USB 2.0, Audio, RGB control.
  • Dimensions: 480mm H x 500mm D x 235mm W.

For this video we asked a number of fellow tech reviewers and YouTubers to give their input on RGB lighting as whole, so be sure to watch the video to hear their thoughts. We spoke to:

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i9-9900K, RTX 2080 Founders Edition and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Phanteks Pro-M SE‘s cooling capabilities. For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:

  • Processor: Intel Core i9-9900K (8C/16T, 4.7GHz all cores)
  • Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus XI Formula
  • Memory: 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200MHz
  • Graphics card: Nvidia RTX 2080 Founders Edition 8GB
  • Power supply: Seasonic Snow Silent Platinum 650W
  • SSD: 1TB Intel 760P M.2 NVMe
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Custom Loop Cooling:
  • Pump/Reservoir: Phanteks Glacier R220C
  • CPU Block: Phanteks Glacier C360i
  • GPU Block: Phanteks Glacier G2080 Ti and back plate
  • Radiator: Alphacool NexXxos ST30 280mm
  • Fittings: Phanteks 16mm
  • Coolant: Corsair XL5

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview.

Our liquid cooled test PC worked really well in the Phanteks Pro-M SE. Admittedly our aged Core i9-9900K seems to be suffering but the RTX 2080 graphics were as cool as ice, which is what we like to see.

If you choose to use an air tower on your CPU you might want to move one of the 140mm fans to the rear of the case or to add an extra exhaust fan but in our test build the stock configuration worked perfectly well.

Closing Thoughts

Phanteks hasn’t made any significant changes to the Pro-M chassis since 2016 and we noted a few areas where the hardware is starting to look a bit stale. For example the case does not include a fan hub and of course you don’t get USB Type-C. If we are scratching around for areas of complaint we might add also mention that the user guide is fairly basic.

Part of the problem here is that the original Pro-M only cost £60 when it launched which was crazy cheap. Since then Phanteks has gained a solid reputation and UK prices in general have crept upwards while the Pound Sterling has gone down. These changes mean the Pro-M now costs £94.99 and the SE version costs £109.99 which is perfectly reasonable but clearly nothing like that £60 bargain.

Balanced against that Phanteks has constantly moved the goalposts for case design and has essentially helped to beat itself, in particular with the Eclipse range of products. You can buy the Eclipse P300 for £55, Eclipse P350X DRGB for £65 and the Phanteks Eclipse P400 Air for £65, or £85 with DRGB.

That doesn’t leave much room for the Pro-M unless you have a specific need for an optical drive bay or like some other feature of the Pro-M such as the voluminous interior. Pro-M was ahead of the game when it launched in 2015 and it still looks good when compared to a number of competitors in the mid-tower market. While it may be showing signs of its age, there is no doubt this case still works well. You can easily install your hardware and the chassis allows cooling air to flow.

When it comes to the Special Edition features we cannot argue with the white interior as it gives the Pro-M some extra pop and the Halos fan frames are tried and true. We have used Phanteks RGB hardware on a number of occasions and consider it to be among the best that money can buy.

You can buy the Phanteks Pro-M SE for £109.99 from Overclockers UK HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

  • Decent air flow and cooling.
  • Two 140mm fans are included.
  • Traditionalist will appreciate the ODD bay,
  • Phanteks Halos give a superb DRGB lighting effect.
  • Decent range of options for liquid cooling.
  • Good support for multiple drive bays.

Cons:

  • The price makes Phanteks Eclipse very tempting.
  • The elderly I/O panel means no Type-C.
  • Crank up the fan speeds and the Pro-M gets noisy.

KitGuru says: Phanteks Pro-M continues to make a good showing four years after its launch.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Phanteks Pro-M Special Edition Review (featuring Gamers Nexus!) first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-pro-m-special-edition-review-featuring-gamers-nexus/feed/ 0
Microsoft’s Project Silica uses glass for long-term data storage https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsofts-project-silica-uses-glass-for-long-term-data-storage/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsofts-project-silica-uses-glass-for-long-term-data-storage/#respond Wed, 06 Nov 2019 16:49:07 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=434786 Microsoft has worked on some incredible research projects over the years, from desks with holographic displays, to a full room augmented reality effort reminiscent of the holodeck. This time around, Microsoft Research has focused its efforts on new forms of long-term data storage, with Project Silica storing data on quartz glass. Project Silica uses recent …

The post Microsoft’s Project Silica uses glass for long-term data storage first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Microsoft has worked on some incredible research projects over the years, from desks with holographic displays, to a full room augmented reality effort reminiscent of the holodeck. This time around, Microsoft Research has focused its efforts on new forms of long-term data storage, with Project Silica storing data on quartz glass.

Project Silica uses recent discoveries in high speed laser optics and AI to store data in quartz glass. As a proof of concept, Microsoft teamed up with Warner Bros to store Superman: The Movie on a glass panel roughly the size of a drink coaster, coming in at 75x75mm and 2mm thick. The full movie ended up being 75.6GB in size and was also successfully read back once stored, making this a big milestone.


Image credit: Microsoft/Jonathan Banks.

The whole process works by using a laser to encode data in glass by “creating layers of 3D nanoscale gratings and deformations at various depths and angles”. Then, a computer controlled microscope shines light through the glass and reads the data back. A machine learning algorithm is used to point the microscrope in the right direction and then decode data as it is being read. While other forms of optical data storage degrade over time, Project Silica aims to be a more long-lasting form of data storage.

According to Microsoft, this glass can withstand boiling hot water, being baked in an oven or microwave, floods, demagnetisation and other environmental threats. With all of that protection in place, Project Silica seems like the next step for long-term data storage. Warner Bros was particularly interested in getting involved with Microsoft's project, as the studio looks to safeguard historical films like Superman, Casablanca and others currently stored on ageing film reels.

Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Azure’s chief technology officer, labelled the Superman transfer as a major milestone, adding that this proof of concept means “we're now in a phase where we're working on refinement and experimentation, rather than asking the question ‘can we do it?'”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Project Silica is incredibly interesting. Traditionally, we all store our data on HDDs or SSDs and eventually migrate those files over to a new drive once signs of old age start to appear. With Project Silica, the theory is that data would only need to be written once and then the physical glass would last hundreds of years. These are still early days, but this seems like a promising step for future generations of physical data storage. 

The post Microsoft’s Project Silica uses glass for long-term data storage first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/microsofts-project-silica-uses-glass-for-long-term-data-storage/feed/ 0
Phanteks Enthoo 719 Review – It’s Phantastic! https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-enthoo-luxe-2-review-its-phantastic/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-enthoo-luxe-2-review-its-phantastic/#respond Thu, 03 Oct 2019 14:48:19 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=428446 Phanteks is back with the Enthoo Luxe 2 - and Leo loves it!

The post Phanteks Enthoo 719 Review – It’s Phantastic! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The original Phanteks Enthoo Luxe was one of the first reviews I wrote for KitGuru back in 2014, so it is clear that Luxe 2 has had a long period of development. In essence Phanteks has taken the principle of the original Luxe, added in the dual-system function of the Mini XL from 2016 and then topped it off with the aesthetic of the Phanteks Elite from 2017. The headline news with the Luxe 2 is that it supports dual systems (provided one is Mini-ITX), allows you to install a huge array of cooling and a practically unlimited number of hard drives and SSDs. 

Note: if the above images are not displaying properly, you may need to disable Ad Block as it is known to interfere with our display code

Phanteks demonstrated the Luxe 2 at Computex 2019 in three separate configurations.

  • ‘Ultimate Cooling’ showed off a system with four radiators (480mm at the front, 480mm in the side, 360mm in the roof and 360mm in the floor).
  • Ultimate Workstation had dual power supplies, 12 hard drives and 11 SSDs.
  • ‘2-in-1’ had dual systems and dual vertical graphics cards.

As you will have seen in our video, the Luxe 2 provides a great many options, however it may well lead you to buy one or two Phanteks accessories, depending on your chosen configuration. For example you might want a vertical GPU mount or a clever Phanteks Revolt X or Revolt Pro power supply.

We used a number of Phanteks parts in our build which are detailed below:

  • £70 C360i CPU block
  • £130 G2080 Ti GPU block
  • £95 R220C 200ml reservoir
  • £90 D140 distro plate
  • 4x F120MP fans at £11 each (3-pack £26). These are 120mm fans rated at 1,800rpm.
  • £215 1000W Revolt X Platinum power supply

That comes to a significant £750 on top of the £185 asking price for the bare Luxe 2 case.

Specification:

Motherboard support: SSE-EEB, E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
Expansion slots: 8+3+3.
Included fans: None.
Fan mounts: 4x 120mm/3x 140mm front, 3x 120mm/140mm roof, 1x 120mm/140mm rear, 3x 120mm/1x 140mm floor, 4x 120mm side.
Radiator mounts: 480mm/420mm front, 360mm roof, 120mm/140mm rear, 360mm/140mm floor, 480mm side.
5.25-inch optical drive bays: Two (requires accessory)
Internal drive bays: 12x 3.5-inch (4 included), 15x 2.5-inch.
Dimensions: 595mm H x 570mm D x 240mm W.

You will certainly require a number of fans as the Luxe 2 is supplied none. This is a big change from the original Luxe which was supplied with a 200mm intake fan at the front and two 140mm exhaust fans in the roof and the rear. For that matter the original Luxe was supplied with three optical drive bays where Luxe 2 has none, unless you buy the optional mounting bracket.

Luxe 2 does not support 200mm fans and has no support for 140mm fans in the side cooling position so we chose to stick with 120mm units throughout the build.

Phanteks included the D140 Distro plate in the package they sent us, which was welcome. We saw this intriguing accessory at Computex and were keen to see it in action. As you will have seen in our video the use of D140 changes the layout of your PC cooling system significantly.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i9-7920X, RTX 2080 Founders Edition and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe 2‘s cooling capabilities.
For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:

  • Processor: Intel Core i9-7980XE (18 cores/36 threads)
  • Motherboard: Asus ROG Rampage VI Extreme
  • Memory: 64GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3200MHz
  • Graphics card: Nvidia RTX 2080 Founders Edition 8GB
  • Power supply: Phanteks Revolt X 1000W Platinum
  • SSD: 1TB WD Black M.2 NVMe
  • OS: Windows 10

Custom Loop Cooling

  • Pump/Reservoir: Phanteks R220C with EK DDC pump
  • CPU Block: Phanteks Glacier C360i
  • GPU Block: Phanteks Glacier G1080 Founders Edition Ti
  • Distribution Plate: Phanteks Glacier D140
  • Radiators: Alphacool NexXxos ST30 360mm and 480mm
  • Fans: 14x Phanteks F120MP
  • Fittings: Phanteks 16/10mm soft tube
  • Coolant: Corsair XL5

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview

The Luxe 2 cools very well. Clearly the exact figures depend on your chosen PC build(s) and the level of cooling you install however the case flows air very nicely. There are decent openings in the floor, front, side and roof with filters at all those points. If you push your system to the absolute limit you might find it necessary to remove the air filters to increase air flow however we consider this to be most unlikely.

Closing Thoughts

If you approach Luxe 2 as a big and impressive budget case that is aimed at the enthusiast it all makes perfect sense. You can see signs that costs have been cut in a handful of areas such as the thin and flexible steel in the areas where you mount fans and radiators, but the most obvious point is that the case is supplied without any fans. This will surely add £50 to the asking price and may cost you an extra £100 or £150, depending on the hardware you select. That will be a drop in the ocean compared to your CPU, motherboard, graphics card and so on, so we really are not troubled that Luxe 2 does not really cost £185 but effectively costs a good amount more.

The neat details that are sprinkled through Luxe 2 make it a delight to work with. Phanteks includes a superb powered PWM fan hub and the neatest RGB lighting you could ever hope to see. Enthusiasts will love the ability to drop in a 20mm fill port or drain port with the minimum of hassle.

As we say in our video, it would be easier to work with Luxe 2 if the case was wider and had more space for cable management but that would certainly result in a case that was bigger and heavier. It would be a similar story if Phanteks included radiator racks in the front and roof, as well as the floor. These changes might improve Luxe 2 but they would also move it towards the size and shape of Elite, so we can understand the choices Phanteks has made.

This is an intelligent and well designed case that is aimed squarely at the enthusiast who needs more than a mid-tower ATX model. It fills a significant space in the market and scores a solid hit where a number of other companies have had noticeable misses.

You can buy the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe 2 from Overclockers UK for £184.99 HERE

Pros:

  • Loads of options for radiators and fans.
  • Excellent integrated RGB lighting.
  • Stylish good looks and excellent tempered glass.
  • Very good air flow.
  • Supports a monumental number of HDDs and SSDs.
  • Heck, you can even add optical drives (if you buy the accessory unit).
  • You have the option to install dual systems, provided you use a Revolt X power supply.

Cons:

  • Unsupported parts of the core chassis steelwork are rather flexible.
  • Luxe 2 is too tall for many desks.
  • We could use more space for cable management behind the back panel.
  • Managing a great many fans get complicated!

KitGuru says: Luxe 2 is excellent. If the steelwork was slightly more rugged it would deserve 9.5 marks but as things stand it is gets a solid 9 and huge amounts of our admiration.

 

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Phanteks Enthoo 719 Review – It’s Phantastic! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-enthoo-luxe-2-review-its-phantastic/feed/ 0
Antec Torque Review – Like Nothing Else https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-torque-review-like-nothing-else/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-torque-review-like-nothing-else/#respond Fri, 19 Jul 2019 11:00:20 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=418685 It's a bonkers case from Antec, but does Leo rate it?

The post Antec Torque Review – Like Nothing Else first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Antec Torque is an extraordinary open PC chassis that is formed from 3mm aluminium sections and two 4mm tempered glass panels. Our sample of Torque came in grey and red with styling that reminded us of a motorcycle with a kicked up rear end. By contrast the other colour combination of white and black looks like a Lego Bionicle. We are quite sure the styling of Torque will catch your eye and give you pause for thought, however the question of whether you love or hate it might be a different matter.

Note: if the above images are not displaying properly, you may need to disable Ad Block as it is known to interfere with our display code

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
  • Expansion slots: 7.
  • Included fans: None.
  • Fan mounts: 3x 120mm front, 3x 120mm roof.
  • 120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm/360mm front, 120mm/240mm/360mm roof.
  • 140mm radiator mounts: None.
  • 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
  • Internal drive bays: 1x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 1x 2.5-inch.
  • Dimensions: 644mm H x 621mm D x 285mm W.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Antec Torque Review – Like Nothing Else first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-torque-review-like-nothing-else/feed/ 0
SilverStone Precision PS15 Review – A £40 Bargain! https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/silverstone-precision-ps15-review-a-40-bargain/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/silverstone-precision-ps15-review-a-40-bargain/#respond Fri, 17 May 2019 09:48:59 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=413114 It's just £40, but Leo really likes this MicroATX case from SilverStone

The post SilverStone Precision PS15 Review – A £40 Bargain! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
SilverStone Precision PS15 is all about the money and a low price that comes in under £40. The Precision Series of ‘High-value tower chassis’ covers the range from microATX through ATX to Full Tower ATX, however each model is quite distinct from the others with no obvious connection between, say, the PS13, PS14 and PS15. This meant we had very little idea what to expect as we unboxed the PS15 and truth be told, we were very happy with our first impressions. It is a smart and under-stated case with a full tinted glass window and a front panel that is mesh from top to bottom. It was crystal clear from the first moment that PS15 was designed to breathe.

It is a mystery that some case manufacturers think it a good idea to ignore airflow and to instead focus on RGB and other fripperies. With the PS15 is is clear that SilverStone has taken a close look at the essentials, kept the design as simple as possible and has ended up with a really cheap Micro-ATX case.

It would have been nice to see USB Type-C on the front I/O panel in addition to the pair of USB 3.0 Type-A ports and we would have appreciated a fan or two at the front to match the single 120mm fan at the rear. We can see why SilverStone sent us the basic PS15 as any type of upgrade would add significant cost. Indeed, SilverStone offers a PS15-RGB variant with two RGB fans at the front that drives the price up by around 50 percent. That’s still cheap but there are quite a few cases on the market priced around £65 whereas the basic PS15 is in a very select field at £39.98.

Note: if the above images are not displaying properly, you may need to disable Ad Block as it is known to interfere with our display code

Key Features:

  • Mesh front panel & optimized layout for outstanding cooling potential
  • Motherboard back plate opening for quick CPU cooler assembly
  • All black painted interior for stylish look
  • Supports expansion cards up to 12.3-inch (314mm)
  • Chic and simple tempered glass side panel

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
  • Expansion slots: 4.
  • Included fans: 1x 120mm rear exhaust.
  • Fan mounts: 2x 120mm/140mm front, 2x 120/1x 140mm roof, 1x 120mm rear.
  • 120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm front, 120mm rear.
  • 140mm radiator mounts: None.
  • 5.25-inch optical drive bays: None.
  • Internal drive bays: 1x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 3x 2.5-inch.
  • Dimensions: 381mm H x 351mm D x 192mm W.

Building our test system was straightforward once we had selected a suitable microATX motherboard, however there is a notable point when it comes to the CPU cooler as it is limited to a maximum height of 154mm. If the cooler is any taller it simply will not fit inside the case and you cannot install the glass panel. This means you are unlikely to be able to choose a cooler with a vertical 120mm fan such as the Arctic 33 TR. Clearly there are other options such as a down draft cooler or something like the Noctua NH-D9L we selected which has a 92mm fan.

The obvious alternative is a 240mm All-In-One liquid cooler in the front of the case, however the question of whether it will fit very much depends on the length of your graphics card. It may well be possible to install an AIO cooler with the fans outside the chassis, behind the front panel, however the clearances are small and you need to check your specific hardware.

With the system assembled we found there was very little space for cable management and in an ongoing theme we wished there were another few millimetres clearance behind the rear panel. The problem is that if PS15 was 5mm or 10mm wider, taller and longer it would gain a surprising ten percent in volume and would inevitably cost more in the process. Installing the rear panel took a certain amount of care but once it was in place the two thumbscrews locked it down without any trouble.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i7-7820X and an Nvidia RTX 2080 graphics card. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the SilverStone Precision PS15‘s cooling capabilities.
For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:

  • Processor: Intel Core i7-7820X 8 cores/16 threads, 3.5GHz all cores.
  • Motherboard: ASRock X299M Extreme-4
  • CPU cooler: Noctua NH-D9L
  • Memory: 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200MHz
  • Graphics: Nvidia RTX 2080 8GB Founders Edition
  • Power supply: Seasonic Focus Plus 1000W Gold
  • Storage drive: Intel P760 M.2 SSD
  • OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance.

Cooling Performance Overview.

We loaded the SilverStone Precision PS15 with high end hardware and despite this stern test it performed well with temperatures that avoided thermal throttling. It was notable that when we removed the glass panel the CPU temperature dropped by a sizeable 16 degrees Celsius and it is worth remembering this case is supplied without any intake fans.

Acoustics Performance Overview.

SilverStone Precision PS15 is supplied with a single 120mm fan and is very quiet in operation. A more generous description would be ‘near silent.’ If you install extra fans in the front or roof of the case it would certainly cool more effectively and would potentially become more noisy, however in the default configuration it is very quiet indeed.

Closing Thoughts

We like what SilverStone has done with the Precision PS15 and admire the combination of understated looks, full panel glass and mesh front panel. To our eyes the PS15 has a touch of the Fractal Design look about it, and in case you have any doubt we mean that in a positive way. This is, in our opinion, the best looking case in the SilverStone Precision range. If SilverStone brings out a larger version that accommodates ATX we would very much like to see that as well.

Accepting that PS15 is microATX means that we also go along with the compact nature. Nonetheless this case would be improved if it was slightly larger, especially behind the rear panel for an improved cable-management experience.

Alternatively, it might be an idea if the small drive tower was screwed in place, instead of being riveted, and could be removed to free up some space in the main compartment. We built our test PC with an M.2 SSD and installed three SSDs and one HDD. If the drive tower was removed we would have still had the M.2 and two SSDs behind the back panel which gives plenty of options for storage.

In our video you will have seen we also did a build with an AMD APU that did not use a graphics card. Clearly that is not a system that is likely to appeal to the enthusiast, however it is a very good use for this budget case. The next time a member of your family asks for help building a mainstream PC we strongly suggest you put the SilverStone Precision PS15 on their shopping list along with suitably modest hardware and are confident you will be impressed by the results.

You can buy SilverStone PS15 for £39.98 at Scan HERE

Pros:

  • Very low price.
  • Good air flow.
  • Supports one HDD and three SSDs.
  • Main tinted glass panel lends a stylish look.

Cons:

  • The chassis is tight for space.
  • Very little space for cable management.
  • Front panel is tethered by I/O cables.

KitGuru says: SilverStone, please send an ATX version of PS15 as soon as possible.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post SilverStone Precision PS15 Review – A £40 Bargain! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/silverstone-precision-ps15-review-a-40-bargain/feed/ 0
GamerStorm New Ark 90 – Maximum RGB, minimum effort. https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/gamerstorm-new-ark-90-maximum-rgb-minimum-effort/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/gamerstorm-new-ark-90-maximum-rgb-minimum-effort/#respond Tue, 16 Oct 2018 08:59:06 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=389776 The New Ark 90 case from GamerStorm is big, imposing and impressive. Worth a purchase?

The post GamerStorm New Ark 90 – Maximum RGB, minimum effort. first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The New Ark 90 case from GamerStorm is big, imposing and impressive, with a model name that is ever so slightly confusing. Here in the UK the word Ark is a biblical reference to a wooden boat that carries animals away from a flood. Whatever you might think about this PC case, we can certainly agree there is nothing woody or organic about it.

Indeed the lines are very clean and crisp and we can see why GamerStorm describes the New Ark 90 as ‘Black Obsidian’. The case looks incredibly dark and understated when it comes out of the packaging, but of course at this stage you haven’t connected the power or unleashed the RGB lighting that is such a key feature of this case.

With the main glass panel removed you get a good look at the integrated 280mm Captain liquid cooler that adds a good deal of value to the New Ark 90. This cooler is more involved than a regular All In One as it includes a tubular reservoir that is on show at the front of the case. Another part of the aesthetic of the cooler is the way the radiator is mounted on the mid-plate of the case with the fans turned sideways so they are fully displayed in the window. Pretty much every case on the market with RGB fans has them installed at the front so this layout sets the GamerStorm New Ark 90 apart from the mainstream.

Key features

  • Ultra-wide 230 mm tower compartment with extra clearance (25 mm) for cables delivers extreme cooling performance and ease of installation
  • Specially designed Captain Series Liquid Cooling System with 280mm Radiator and 2pcs 140mm RGB fans vertically installed on the side panel, can reduce the impact on CPU heat dissipation performance caused by the graphic card.
  • Graphics card can be mounted vertically to provide the perfect showcase for it with the optional connection cable
  • Specially designed external transparent water-tube with a flow-rotor on the front panel makes the dynamic flow rate of the coolant clearly visible and can also be used with DIY water-cooling systems
  • Tempered glass sections on the top panel, front panel and the whole left side-panel feature the texture of black obsidian
  • The brilliant RGB Lighting System, easily controlled by manual buttons, provides an engaging visual experience

Note: if the images on this page are not displaying properly, you may need to disable your Ad Blocker as they are known to interfere with our display code

Specification:
Motherboard support: E-ATX (276mm wide), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
Expansion slots: 8+2 vertical.
Included fans: 3x 140mm side, 1x 140mm rear exhaust.
Fan mounts: 3x 120mm front, 3x 120mm roof.
120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm/360mm front.
140mm radiator mounts: 280mm supplied.
5.25″ drive bays: None.
Internal drive bays: 3x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 3x 2.5-inch.
Dimensions: 545mm H x 530mm D x 232mm W.

Building a PC inside the New Ark 90 is very quick and easy. There is plenty of space to work with and the integrated cooling system means you just attach the water block to your CPU using the appropriate supplied fitting kit and the job is pretty much complete.

The RGB lighting is part of the case and has no connection to your motherboard, which means you can simply ignore it while you are building your PC. You will have to navigate a certain amount of cable mess behind the motherboard tray as each component of the lighting system has a separate cable that is daisy chained together but in terms of work there is very little for you to do.

If GamerStorm had supplied its accessory PCI Express cable (part PEC 300, cost £25) Available HERE

We might have gone for a vertical graphics card arrangement however we didn’t have the cable and as a result we simply installed our RTX 2080 in the usual way.

When you turn the system on the case is transformed from an inert black slab into a tower of RGB. The lighting system includes all four fans, power supply shroud, the CPU block, the reservoir at the front and a lighting strip along the top of the case. As we demonstrate in our video the visual impact is impressive, however it is clear that only the hubs of the four fans are illuminated and that detracts from the light show. We have seen some truly impressive ARGB systems in recent times and the RGB supplied by GamerStorm is pretty much as basic as you get.

In addition, you cannot integrate the lighting in the case with lighting in your motherboard. Enthusiasts will regard this as a weakness as the lighting effects you can toggle through using the buttons on the case are quite limited. On the other hand newbies may appreciate the fact that they don’t have to worry about the complication of extra software.

Having said that, we dearly wish that GamerStorm had chosen a more sophisticated lighting system with ARGB that would add both value and quality to this case.

Cooling Performance.

Cooling Performance Overview
We fully expected to find problems with the air flow in the GamerStorm New Ark 90 as the intakes on the front and top of the case appeared to be quite restricted. If this was correct it follows that the case and Captain cooler would struggle to maintain low temperatures on the Core i9-7920X CPU.

We carried out more temperature checks with the front and top panels removed and found the temperatures were slightly lower with the increased fan speeds, which suggests the intakes are indeed restrictive. Having said that the case cools well and out recommendation is that you operate the fans at a relatively low speed as that works best.

Acoustics performance.
With the fans running at 900rpm we found the GamerStorm New Ark 90 was reasonably quiet however when we increased speeds to 1,350rpm it was uncomfortably noisy. There is no intake filtration or other material to reduce fan noise so your best bet is to run the fans as slowly as you feasibly can.

Closing Thoughts.

The GamerStorm New Ark 90 is an impressive black glass case that looks good and comes complete with glass on the top, front and side panels. It has an integrated 280mm liquid cooler and a large amount of RGB lighting, and when you take those features together you have plenty that might appeal to a novice PC builder who wants a long list of features and isn’t much fussed about the price they will pay.

That’s just as well as the New Ark 90 is undeniably expensive. Naturally you have to make allowances for those various components and features, including a large amount of RGB lighting, and in particular the Captain 280mm liquid cooler brings a decent amount of value to the table.

Balanced against that we feel that enthusiasts will be disappointed by the closed nature of the RGB system as you cannot connect the New Ark 90 to your motherboard and as a result you cannot use software such as Aura to experience sophisticated lighting patterns.

We have a handful of complaints about the case such as the absence of dust filters on the intakes and the rather olde worlde I/O panel which ignores USB 3.1 and Type C.

The case works well as an enclosure, and that is despite the fact we first assumed the emphasis was on aesthetics, which might mean it didn’t flow air particularly well. The fact that increased fan speeds hurt air flow, instead of improving it, suggests the intakes may indeed be restricted however the temperatures of our mighty Core i9 and RTX 2080 were very acceptable and clearly did not suffer any problems.

You have two fundamental questions to address before you buy the New Ark 90. The first is whether you require such a large E-ATX case, which is clearly a question of logistics and space. The second is whether or not you might want to water cool your graphics card. There is plenty of room for a second cooling loop but it also adds complication to a case that is clearly aimed at making life easy for the novice PC builder.

This is a visually impressive case that is very imposing but it certainly isn’t aimed at the mainstream user.

Buy from Amazon for £299 inc VAT HERE

Pros:

  • Integrated 280mm CPU liquid cooling system works well.
  • The combination of black glass and RGB lighting looks good.
  • Good selection of drive bays.
  • Plenty of space for upgrades.

Cons:

  • Price is fairly steep.
  • You cannot sync the RGB with your motherboard.
  • No dust filters on front air intakes.
  • I/O panel does not include USB Type C

KitGuru says: New Ark 90 is big, bold and packed with RGB but comes at a high price.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post GamerStorm New Ark 90 – Maximum RGB, minimum effort. first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/gamerstorm-new-ark-90-maximum-rgb-minimum-effort/feed/ 0
Antec DF500 RGB Review – nice RGB shame about the case https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-df500-rgb-review-nice-rgb-shame-about-the-case/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-df500-rgb-review-nice-rgb-shame-about-the-case/#respond Wed, 01 Aug 2018 08:58:50 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380042 The RGB is great, but what about the case itself?

The post Antec DF500 RGB Review – nice RGB shame about the case first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Antec DF500 RGB is a budget PC case that comes with three 120mm RGB fans at the front and a tempered glass panel that shows off the interior of the build. Those are two key features for any case manufacturer that wants to grab the attention of the buying public. Wrap up the package with a reasonably low price and it may well seem at first glance that you have a winner of a product. Let us take a deeper look however.

Note: if the above images are not displaying properly, you may need to disable Ad Block as it is known to interfere with our display code

Features:

  • Dynamic RGB styling
  • Tinted front panel and tinted tempered glass side panel
  • Excellent air flow management
  • Separate Power Supply/3.5” HDD bay chamber
  • Magnetic Dust Filters
  • Supports graphics card up to 380mm
  • CPU cooler clearance 155mm

Specification:
Motherboard support: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
Expansion slots: 7.
Included fans: 3x 120mm RGB front intake.
Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/2x 140mm front, 3x 120mm/2x 140mm roof, 1x 120mm rear.
120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm/360mm front, 120mm rear.
5.25″ drive bays: None.
Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 4x 2.5-inch.
Dimensions: 480mm H x 470mm D x 200mm W.

Building our test PC was a struggle in a number of areas. We detail these problems in our video and readily acknowledge that each individual issue looks fairly minor. There is no space below the motherboard, the cable management holes are tight, it is tricky to install the power supply, the number of cable anchor points is limited and the three fans lack PWM control. The two options for controlling the fans are to either find three separate fan headers on your motherboard or to use the constant power Y cable that is provided in the accessory pack. Both solutions are workable but neither is ideal and we would have been happier should Antec have provided a PWM hub. Better yet, the fans could have had PWM control and perhaps more LEDs in the hub to enhance the RGB experience, and wouldn’t it have been nice if they upgraded the RGB to Addressable RGB?

You can see our train of thought but no doubt you can also spot the problem with our reasoning. Each of those changes would improve the DF500 RGB and would also add to the cost, and at its heart the DF500 is a basic ATX case that ought to be very cheap. We doubt the plastic front panel would have added greatly to the bill of materials, so we have to think it is the three RGB fans that have pushed the price up to £75.

In stock configuration you control the lighting in the fans by toggling the button on the front panel through red, green, blue, orange, purple, neon green and white. This works exactly as you would expect and if you have never experienced RGB before we imagine you will be happy. On the other hand if you know something about RGB you will want to daisy chain the cables together and connect them to your motherboard, just as we did with the Asus Prime X299-A, and then used Aura to control the lighting. The annoyance, as mentioned, is that most people will struggle to connect three front fans to their motherboard and will probably want to add a rear or top exhaust fan to complete the airflow equation.

As you will have seen in our video we installed a custom loop cooling system and found the interior of the case was tight for space. We had little trouble squeezing in the components, however the single biggest problem was the installation of the Seasonic power supply as there is barely enough room to slide it in from the side. The On/Off rocker switch next to the power plug almost defeated us so let us say once again, the DF500 RGB is incredibly tight for space.

Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i7-7820X, reference GTX 980 and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Antec DF-500 RGB’s cooling capabilities.
For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:
Processor: 3.6GHz/4.3GHz Intel Core i7-7820X 8-core/16-thread
Motherboard: Asus Prime X299-A
Custom loop cooling:
CPU block: Aqua Computer Cuplex Kryos
Graphics block: EKWB Copper/Plexi
Radiator: Alphacool NexXxos ST30 360mm
Pump/reservoir: EK X-RES 140 Revo D5 PWM
Fittings: Alphacool 16mm/10mm
Coolant: Mayhems Pastel White

Memory: 32GB G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4-3200MHz
Graphics card: GeForce GTX 980 4GB
SSD: Samsung 860 EVO M.2
Power supply: Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 600W Fanless
OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview
We tested the DF500 RGB on a warm summer’s day and the cooling was unimpressive for a custom loop, however it performed adequately so in that sense the DF500 RGB achieves a passing grade. It is clear the three front fans are struggling to draw in enough air at the front however ‘struggling’ is one heck of a sight better than ‘failing.’

Acoustics performance Overview
Despite a complete absence of sound deadening material and some of the thinnest materials we have seen in a PC case, the DF500 RGB did a decent job. We ran the fans relatively slowly at 800rpm and set the D5 pump to 40 percent so we expected low noise. On the other hand, if you increase fan speeds or ramp up your pump you will hear every extra decibel instantly.

Closing Thoughts

The Antec DF500 RGB clearly started life as a classic budget mid-tower ATX chassis with compact dimensions and thin materials that help keep the price nice and low. Adding the tempered glass side panel should have been quick and easy, and then they were faced with the task of adding RGB.

The chosen route employs three basic RGB fans that have been connected to a hub that is controlled by a dedicated button on the I/O panel. The system is tried and true and works well, and provided you have low expectation about cooling you may well be happy with this case.

On the other hand if you want to install a proper cooling system, whilst retaining the RGB fans, you will doubtless run into the problems that we faced. There is a fine line between cutting costs and going too far, and we simply find it unacceptable when you struggle to install a regular ATX power supply. It all comes down to the 200mm width of the case and the design choices that are forced after that point and we consider it frustrating to say the least.

It is clear that Antec could have chosen to use PWM fans with a PWM hub and this is a simple matter of cost and price, rather than a fundamental principle of the design. No doubt Antec felt they included sufficient cable anchor point and that the cable management holes would do the job. With each one of the many design choices we felt they should have provided more or made them larger or given us more space for working.

We are quite sure that Antec would tell us this would raise costs and that would defeat the object of the exercise which is a budget case with tempered glass and RGB. We agree with that line of thinking however the DF500 RGB isn’t especially cheap. Listed at £76 you can find it discounted to around £60 which is competitive for a case with these features.

The problem for us is that the features seem like a tick box exercise while the rest of the case is sub par. You can find a great many cases on sale for £60 or £70 that include glass and RGB however it is quite possible that Antec has the cheapest case with three RGB fans where, say, the Kolink Punisher only has two and if you want to step up to the Kolink Observatory with four RGB fans you have to spend £67.

The point here is not to argue about the merits of Antec versus Kolink (or whoever) but rather than to point out that if you slice the case market into tiny segments the DF500 RGB sits in a very specific niche with a tempered glass panel and three RGB fans.

Our problem is that pretty much everything else about the case ought to be improved.

Buy from Overclockers UK for £74.99 inc vat HERE

Pros:

  • RGB control works either manually or via motherboard.
  • Tempered glass panel looks good.
  • Ticket price looks appealing.

Cons:

  • Power supply installation is very tight.
  • No PWM hub for the three fans.
  • The fan frames are too large for correct radiator installation.
  • Front panel has restricted air intakes.
  • Cable management holes are tight.
  • Very few cable anchor points.
  • Front filter cannot be used when you install a radiator.

KitGuru says: Antec DF500 RGB needs to be either cheaper or better.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Antec DF500 RGB Review – nice RGB shame about the case first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-df500-rgb-review-nice-rgb-shame-about-the-case/feed/ 0
OnePlus 6 will feature a new glass design https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/oneplus-6-will-feature-a-new-glass-design/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/oneplus-6-will-feature-a-new-glass-design/#respond Mon, 23 Apr 2018 12:20:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=371283 We already know that the OnePlus 6 is due to launch this summer, with eyes squarely looking at the end of the month thanks to previous promotional material. The company hasn’t stopped there, with its latest promo hinting at quality materials that could rival Apple’s flagship smartphones. Over on its official Twitter page, OnePlus tweeted …

The post OnePlus 6 will feature a new glass design first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
We already know that the OnePlus 6 is due to launch this summer, with eyes squarely looking at the end of the month thanks to previous promotional material. The company hasn’t stopped there, with its latest promo hinting at quality materials that could rival Apple’s flagship smartphones.

Over on its official Twitter page, OnePlus tweeted out an image verifying that the upcoming smartphone has been “Designed by OnePlus.” This could hint that the company is taking a similar approach to Apple in its design-led focus, however it doesn’t offer much beyond this tidbit of information.

The caption offers a little more insight, stating that the company will be using “new materials.” It’s been rumoured for quite some time that OnePlus would opt for a ceramic backplate and wireless charging, but an interview with CEO Pete Lau reveals that the OnePlus 6 will centre around a “glass design” like many of its competitors.

There could be more than one version of the OnePlus 6, however as Lau notes, the OnePlus 3 dropped its predecessor’s sandstone black design in favour of a metal frame, making it likely that the company will commit to a single direction rather than producing two vastly different versions.

Beyond the confirmation of a glass design, Lau was adamant on pushing the company’s “honest” approach to its designs. Long term readers will sense the irony in this, after the company has previously been caught in less than honest situations, however OnePlus could truly be turning over a new leaf after its OnePlus 5T has been a huge hit without such controversy.

Its launch date is still undisclosed; however, many eyes are still looking towards April 27th after OnePlus has closely tied itself with the release of Avengers: Infinity War. This, alongside Amazon India releasing its opt-in notification system to let users know of the launch closer to the time indicates that we don’t have to wait too much longer at all.

KitGuru Says: An all-glass design wouldn’t be surprising in the least given the current smartphone trend. While OnePlus doesn’t tend to truly innovate within the smartphone scene, it does push highly competitive prices for the performance it offers, which will truly be interesting to see with the release of the OnePlus 6. Would you like the next flagship to sport a glass design or do you prefer the meal frames?

The post OnePlus 6 will feature a new glass design first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/oneplus-6-will-feature-a-new-glass-design/feed/ 0
Deepcool Quadstellar – Smart case, full tower, four cabins https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/deepcool-quadstellar-smart-case-full-tower-four-cabins/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/deepcool-quadstellar-smart-case-full-tower-four-cabins/#respond Fri, 30 Mar 2018 12:04:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=368667 Its eye catching, expensive and massive. Is this the ultimate 'build crazy' pc chassis?

The post Deepcool Quadstellar – Smart case, full tower, four cabins first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Anyone who is in the market for a PC case that looks utterly unique should pay close attention to the Deepcool Quadstellar. Arranged in four sections with aluminium housings that Deepcool calls cabins, this huge case has RGB lighting, tempered glass panels and Wi-Fi control of the cooling system.

We have never seen anything like this case before and while those of you who think a box with 90 degree corners is just the ticket may want to go and make a cup of coffee before moving on to the next review we say ‘hold that thought.’

By all means make that coffee but do please take the time to watch our video as you owe it to yourself to see what is going on at the outer reaches of case design. Deepcool is pushing the limits with Quadstellar so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Features
Outfitted with 4 independent functional compartments to eliminate heat dissipation interference for different hardware components
Optimized heat dissipation ventilation channels designed using heat dissipation simulation, physical prototype testing, and IR spectrograms.

Smart mobile device APP control for dynamic management of lighting / heat dissipation / active thermal control gates.

Reserved areas for installing high-end separate water-cooling accessories to maximize the gamer vibe and compatibility.

Fitted with 8x 3.5-inch and 2x 2.5-inch drive bays (with additional 3x 2.5-inch bays in the case) to offer a huge capacity for game files or data storage.

Independent graphic card compartment supports up to 3-way SLI/CrossFire cards (for normal 4-way).

Specification:
Motherboard support: E-ATX (305mm x 330mm), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
Expansion slots: 8+6.
Included fans: 4x Deepcool TF120 front, 1x Deepcool TF120 rear
Fan mounts: Front: 6×120mm; Rear:1×120/2×80mm; Side: 2×120mm
120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm/360mm front, 120mm/240mm bottom.
140mm radiator mounts: Not supported
5.25-inch drive bays: None.
Internal drive bays: 8x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 5x 2.5-inch.
I/O panel: 2x USB 3.0, audio jacks.
Construction: Steel, aluminium and glass.
Software: RGB lighting effects controlled by Quadstellar APP (Addressable RGB Sync Supported)
Graphics card maximum length: 380mm
CPU cooler maximum height: 110mm
ATX PSU maximum length: 300mm
Weight: 14.5kg
Dimensions: 493mm H x 538mm D x 483mm W.

Removing the four cabins from the Quadstellar requires a bit of care as you are dealing with a big and heavy case. Once you have it stripped down you quickly realise there is so much space inside that it is going to be easy to install your hardware. In fact the biggest restriction to your build is that you are limited to 120mm fan units and cannot opt for 140mm.

Our chosen E-ATX Asus Rampage VI Extreme looks fairly small inside the Quadstellar and the Deepcool Captain 360 Ex White RGB liquid cooler pretty much vanished in the front of the case. We had to make a decision whether we installed the EVGA GTX 1080Ti graphics card directly on the motherboard but instead decided to use the upper compartment where the connection is made by the supplied PCI Express riser cable.

In the bottom of the case we installed a Sea Sonic 600W Prime Titanium Fanless that looks absolutely tiny and up top where you find eight drive caddies we installed … nothing. The only storage drive in the PC was a single, solitary M.2 SSD but honestly, if we had slipped two or three drives into the caddies the Quadstellar would still have looked half empty.

 

Turning the PC on is fun as the illuminated Deepcool logo doubles up as the power button and then the four covers on the front air intakes do a motorised dance as they open and close twice. After that we went through our own song and dance as we installed the Deepcool app to control the lighting, fans and cooling intakes.

We explain the process in detail in the video but in short you connect your phone to the local router using 2.4GHz, use Scan in the app to find the Quadstellar and then adjust the settings for the case.

Based on our experience you are more likely to have to find the electronic control unit deep inside the case and then press and hold the reset button on the box for six seconds during start-up. After that you ought to be able to make a Wi-Fi connection, and you’ll be fine until the next time the connection is lost.

Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i9-7980XE, EVGA GTX 1080 Ti and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Deepcool GamerStorm Quadstellar‘s cooling capabilities.

For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:
Processor: 3.4GHz Intel Core i9-7980XE
Motherboard: Asus Rampage VI Extreme
CPU cooler: Deepcool Captain 360 Ex White RGB
Memory: 32GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3200MHz
Graphics card: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB
Power supply: Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 600W Fanless
Storage drives: Samsung 960 Pro M.2 SSD
OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance.

In the usual course of things we test temperatures in a room that is kept in the range of 18-20 degrees. The Quadstellar mucked up that routine as it was assembled in an outbuilding and was simply too big and heavy to bring into the warm for testing.

As a result it was tested in a cooler environment of 14 degrees which explains in part why the CPU temperature is lower than you might expect, although the very effective Deepcool Captain 360 was also a factor. The GTX 1080Ti GPU ran at the temperatures we expected to see and overall we were happy with the Quadstellar.

It is surprising how well this case works with the front intakes closed, however you get much more satisfactory results when the vents are open and the case can breath correctly.

Acoustics performance.
We set the seven 120mm fans in the Quadstellar and on the Captain 360 at 500rpm and the system was very quiet.

Closing Thoughts.

The Deepcool Quadstellar is an extraordinary case that has a unique shape. It is a puzzle why anyone would want a case this large or how they might fill even half the space with hardware, however that is a secondary matter. The bigger concern is where you would locate the case as it requires a significant amount of space, along with a table that is good and sturdy.

 

You can build a PC in the Quadstellar that has pretty much any specification you desire as there is enough room to go crazy. In fact you have to go crazy or it looks like you simply are not trying! While you’re at it you had better be sure you include some lighting as part of your build. The RGB front panel looks superb but you need lighting inside the case that can take advantage of all those glass panels. Perhaps the most annoying aspect of the Quadstellar is the control software as the Wi-Fi connection caused us a number of problems. Realistically most people will configure the Quadstellar two or three times and will then probably leave it alone so this may be less of a problem than we imagine.

There is surely only one reason why any case would have 14 expansion slots or eight drive caddies and that is to do something with all that space. In other words it seems that Deepcool started with an unusual structure for the Quadstellar and then found ways to use all that space by delivering a list of features that is as long as your arm.

In a way we quite like that as the Quadstellar is clearly crazy bonkers but it looks great and we like it a great deal. Yes, the price is very high but we expect that and do not really mind. In fact our single biggest complaint is more of an observation that Quadstellar is big, heavy and deeply impractical.

Pros:

  • Dramatic styling.
  • Integrated lighting and fan control.
  • Huge amounts of space for E-ATX and full size PSU.
  • Glass panels are retained by magnets.

Cons:

  • Quadstellar is big and heavy.
  • Liquid coolers are limited to 120mm fan units.
  • This case requires a good deal of lighting to fill the cavernous interior.
  • Wi-Fi connection for light/fan control app is flaky.

KitGuru says: Deepcool pushes the limits with the mighty Quadstellar

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Deepcool Quadstellar – Smart case, full tower, four cabins first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/deepcool-quadstellar-smart-case-full-tower-four-cabins/feed/ 0
Corsair Carbide 275R Review – The Case for Stormtroopers https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-carbide-275r-review-the-case-for-stormtroopers/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-carbide-275r-review-the-case-for-stormtroopers/#respond Tue, 06 Mar 2018 19:21:21 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=365995 Corsair's latest case costs £79.99 - but does it have enough features to justify the price?

The post Corsair Carbide 275R Review – The Case for Stormtroopers first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Corsair has launched the Carbide 275R which is a mid-tower ATX case that promises good airflow as well as support for a 280mm or 360mm radiator in the front and a 240mm cooler in the roof. In addition you get a tempered glass panel that shows off the interior of your new PC, and as the main compartment is open and unobstructed you get a good, clear view of your components.

On paper the Carbide 275R sounds superb, however this is a relatively expensive case that is competing in a white hot sector of the PC case market. We have to hope that Corsair has brought its ‘A game' and isn’t merely relying on its reputation to rack up the sales and shift the boxes from the warehouse.

Features:
Stunning Tempered Glass Window: shows off your system in style. (Acrylic Version also available)
Full Window Side Panel: Edge-to-Edge full window side panel shows off your system in style.
Clean and Minimalist Design: Clean lines, curved edges with soft accent lighting.
Builder-Friendly Internal Layout: Simple and intuitive internal layout enables easy and quick building.
Versatile Cooling Options: Room for up to 360mm radiator in front, 240mm radiator at top and 120mm radiator in the rear.
Expansive Storage Space: Rugged-construction steel drive tray provides ample of room for additional drives.
Built-in Cable Routing: Dedicated cable routing compartment enables effortlessly clean builds.
Direct Airflow Path Cooling: Cool air is directed to the hottest components, without any interference from drive cages.

As you will see in our video the initial impression of Corsair Carbide 275R is a sleek, smooth PC case with a tempered glass panel that closes off the main compartment. The bag containing the user guide also provides a 4mm Allen key which is required to remove the four screws that secure the glass. These screws are slightly stiff to remove and do not fit especially well, and above all they add a level of complication that is hard to explain. Why, for goodness sake, could they not have simply used thumbscrews?

Once you pass that minor obstacle, remove the other side panel and pull off the front panel you quickly realise the core chassis looks amazingly familiar. It has a fixed power supply cover with a small drive cage positioned in front of the power supply and two SSD caddies on the rear of the motherboard tray. The I/O panel is on the top of the case and provides two USB 3.0 ports along with headset jacks and Power/Reset buttons. There are two basic Corsair SP120 fans installed in the case and underneath the front panel a short strip of white LEDs provides a gentle under-glow. It is a simple fixed light that cannot be controlled or varied, which will either please you with its simplicity or annoy you with its lack of functionality.

Specification:
Motherboard support: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
Expansion slots: 7 + 2 vertical.
Included fans: 1x 120mm front intake, 1x 120mm rear exhaust Corsair SP120.
Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/2x 140mm front, 2x 120mm roof, 1x 120mm rear.
120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm/360mm front, 120mm/240mm roof, 120mm rear.
140mm radiator mounts: 140mm/280mm front.
5.25-inch drive bays: None.
Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5-inch/2.5-inch, 2x 2.5-inch.
Dimensions: 455mm H x 460mm D x 225mm W.

Building our test PC was straightforward, although it took a certain amount of effort to pack away the cables from the Corsair RM 1000i SE power supply as there is very little room in front of the power supply. For that matter, it requires some precise sliding and swivelling to install the power supply in the first place. This is one of those situations where a basic, cheap PSU with fixed cables will be considerably less hassle than a modular power supply.

The other fun and games was the need to use low profile Corsair Vengeance LPX memory in order that we could install the H100i v2 cooler in the roof of the case. Corsair specifies the need for low profile RAM in this configuration but even so it was a very close fit. The easier move was to install the cooler in the front of the case but we didn’t really want to remove the stock fan, and thus we persevered with installing the cooler up top.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of a Core i5-8400, EVGA GTX 1080 Ti and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Corsair Carbide 275R’s cooling capabilities.
For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:
Processor: 3.8GHz Intel Core i5-8400
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming
CPU cooler: Corsair H100i v2
Memory: 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3200MHz
Graphics card: GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB
Power supply: Corsair RM 1000i SE 1000W
Storage drives: Samsung PM960 EVO M.2 SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro

Cooling Performance

 

Temperatures were slightly higher than we would ideally like to see which suggests the intake of the case is restricted, but we had no major complaints. The case works well and we doubt many people will install a high end CPU and GPU combo in this budget chassis, so overall we have no concerns.

Acoustics performance
The Corsair Carbide 275R has nothing in the way of features to reduce noise levels so we were pleased to see (and hear) that leaving the Corsair H100i v2 on its ‘standard' profile worked well and was very quiet. If you use a cooler that works less successfully we can easily imagine the Carbide 275R might get rather noisy.

Closing Thoughts

We like the look of the Corsair Carbide 275R but cannot understand why anyone felt the world needed yet another compact mid-tower ATX case in a market that is already packed with similar models. It is tight for space on the inside, and while we doubt you will have much difficulty with your build it is likely to take a while longer than you might otherwise hope.

The lack of any novel or compelling features makes the Carbide 275R a tough sell as it is simply impossible to get excited about two USB 3.0 ports or a short strip of white LEDs. The way that Corsair has secured the glass panel with four cap head screws is both unnecessary and annoying, and appears to be a cost-cutting measure. That leads us to our other gripe about the Carbide 275R which is that the price seems quite high. It's not completely wallet-crushing but you are certainly paying for that Corsair logo.

On the bright side, the Carbide 275R looks smart, works well and is built to a decent standard. It just doesn't offer anything new, and in this cut-throat market, it doesn't stand out.

You can pre-order the 275R for £79.99 from Overclockers UK HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

  • Smart styling.
  • Good support for fans and radiators.
  • Supports four storage drives.
  • I/O panel is fixed to the core chassis.

Cons:

  • Glass panel is secured with cap head screws
  • Tight for space above the motherboard.
  • Very little room for PSU cables.
  • There is no noise deadening material.
  • The price is uncompetitive.

KitGuru says: Corsair Carbide 275R is far too expensive to threaten the competition.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Corsair Carbide 275R Review – The Case for Stormtroopers first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-carbide-275r-review-the-case-for-stormtroopers/feed/ 0
Corsair Obsidian 500D Chassis Review – intended for adults! https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-obsidian-500d-a-case-that-is-intended-for-adults/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-obsidian-500d-a-case-that-is-intended-for-adults/#respond Thu, 22 Feb 2018 14:00:42 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=364775 It's the new Corsair Obsidian 500D. It's got no RGB lights. Wait, what?

The post Corsair Obsidian 500D Chassis Review – intended for adults! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The first thing we did after unboxing the Corsair Obsidian 500D was to wonder when we last reviewed a Corsair Obsidian case. A quick check of the KitGuru archives told us it was the Obsidian 450D back in February 2014 which is a massive gulf of four years. As we say in our video, the 450D and 500D model codes suggest the new Obsidian may have a certain amount in common with the previous 450D however a lot of water has passed under that particular bridge. Both cases are black in colour and mid-tower ATX in size, and that is pretty much the end of the matter.

The new 500D dispenses with optical drive bays, gains a power supply cover and has a clean, open interior that promises superb air flow, while the outside is finished with a pair of tempered glass doors with aluminium panels. You would need to have a heart of stone to deny the Obsidian 500D is a smart and attractive case, and we have no doubt some Luddites will applaud the absence of RGB lighting. As we say in our headline, this case is intended for adults.

Features

  • Sharp, Black, and Beautiful: Iconic Obsidian series styling combines clean exterior lines and smoked tempered glass side doors.
  • Built Better: Aluminium front panel, top plate and door handles add a refined feel and premium look.
  • Superb Cooling: Direct Airflow Path design channels cool air where your PC needs it most.
  • Removable Fan and Radiator Trays: Installing fans and radiators is now easy with removable trays that can hold up to five 120mm fans or four 140mm fans.
  • Expansive Storage Space: Easy-to-use mounts for up to two 3.5in HDDs and three 2.5in SSDs.
  • Future-Proof Front I/O: Featuring a super-speed USB 3.1 Type-C port and additional connections for all modern peripherals.
  • Cable Routing Made Simple: Hide your cables behind the motherboard tray to keep your build looking tidy with the included PSU cover and rear cable cover.
  • Removable, Built-in Dust Filters: Keeps your build looking and running clean, inside and out.

Specification
Dimensions: 502mm (L) x 233mm (W) x 508mm (H)
Maximum GPU Length: 370mm
Maximum CPU Cooler Height: 170mm
Maximum PSU Length: 220mm
Expansion Slots: 7
5.25-inch Drive bays: None
3.5-inch Hard Drive Bays: 2
2.5-inch Drive Bays: 3
Cooling Layout: Front Fan Tray: 3x 120mm or 2x 140mm (1x 120mm included), Top Fan Tray: 2x 120/140mm, Rear: 1x 120mm (included)
Radiator Compatibility: 360mm – Front Only, 280mm – Front or Top, 240mm – Front or Top, 120mm – Front, Top or Rear
Dust Filters: On all Intakes
Front I/O Panel: USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.0 ports, Headphone and Microphone jacks, Power on and Reset buttons.
Warranty: 2 Years

Installing the main components of your PC inside the Obsidian 500D is both quick and easy. The two glass doors simply lift away, although you need to be careful the case doesn’t topple after you remove the first door as they are heavy. That lays the interior bare and ready for the build. The motherboard stand-offs are already in place and you can slip the power supply under the shroud from the right hand side without difficulty. The fact the power supply cover is riveted in place does not cause any complications and there is sufficient room at the front of the cover to conceal the cables.

It takes a couple of minutes to get to grips with the fact that the front and top panels are fixed in place. You slip the magnetic dust filters out to the side and then remove the front and top cooling frames, depending on your plans for the build. We chose to move the front frame with its single SP120 fan to the top which entailed flipping the fan over to change it from intake to exhaust.

After that we installed the 280mm Corsair H115i All In One in the front of the case and were pretty much done. The details took a while longer as there is very little space below the motherboard for USB and audio cables, which is slightly annoying. It would have helped to have more cable management holes in that area, but no doubt that would detract from the clean looks of the 500D and would also add fractionally to the cost.

Connecting the two SP120 fans to our chosen ASRock X299 Taichi XE motherboard, along with the H115i, highlighted the basic nature of the 500D. It does not have a fan hub, you only get two basic SP120 fans and there is zero RGB lighting.

We have little doubt that Corsair hopes customers for the 500D will rush out to buy various Link accessories such as a Lighting Node along with a pack of RGB PWM fans, which means the asking price for the 500D is only the starting point. Your finished PC build could potentially end up costing a painful amount of cash.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i7-7820X, Sapphire Nitro+ Vega64 and an SSD.

This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Corsair Obsidian 500D‘s cooling capabilities.

For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:
Processor: 8-core 4.0GHz Intel Core i7-7820X
Motherboard: ASRock X299 Taichi XE
CPU cooler: Corsair H115i
Memory: 16GB G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4-3200MHz
Graphics card: Sapphire Nitro+ Vega64 8GB HBM2
Power supply: Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 600W Fanless
Storage drive: Samsung 960 Pro M.2 SSD
OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance.

Cooling Performance summary.

Corsair Obsidian 500D has such an open interior that it effectively works as an open test platform. The case is fully filtered and the two glass doors close tightly but even so the air flow is superb and appears to be unhindered. The result is that temperatures for our 8-core Core i7-7820X and mighty Sapphire Nitro+ Vega 64 were very low.

Acoustics performance.
The lack of PWM control for the SP120 fans was a hindrance as the ASRock could not keep them as quiet as we would have liked. In addition the open nature of the 500D and the tiny amount of noise deadening material means this is a noisy case. We could hear a constant drone from the fans that became slightly annoying.

Having said that, we have little doubt that installing some proper PWM fans would help the noise levels. As things stand this is a noisy case.

Closing Thoughts.

The new Corsair Obsidian 500D looks smart and has a pair of impressive glass doors that transform the cosmetic appeal of the case. Whether you want heavily tinted glass or a glass panel on the right hand side of the case is, obviously, a different matter. The core chassis of the 500D is based on the 570X that has clear glass on the front and top, as well as both sides so in a sense the 500D is the more reserved option. Even so, we feel many potential customers will choose a more basic case with a single glass panel.

The design has some neat touches such as the use of interchangeable fans trays in the top and front of the case. Having the front and top panels fixed in place seems like it might be an inconvenience however it works well in practice and those magnetic dust filters are very clever. Just think of all the times you had had to clip a filter in place or slide it into specific slots, when all along magnets could have done the job.

Inside the main compartment the interior is clean and open, and when you head round the back you will find three SSD mounts and two HDD bays, which promises the best of both worlds, although we found the 12V CPU cable ran directly across one SSD bay. The cable cover is slightly fiddly to install but does a good job and the final result is a PC that looks very clean and tidy. Even so, the glass panel on the right side is effectively opaque so there has to be a question mark over that particular decision.

Our biggest gripe with the Corsair Obsidian 500D is the way that is seems to have been designed to keep costs low, yet the final price is rather high. Add in the likely need to purchase further Corsair parts and accessories and the 500D starts to look rather expensive.

There is no doubt in our mind the Corsair Obsidian 500D delivers good cooling, clever design and neat cosmetics but we are equally clear this is a case that will appeal to a particular slice of the market, rather than the mainstream.

Buy from Overclockers UK for £149.99 HERE.

Pros:

  • Excellent cooling.
  • Magnetic dust filters are simple to clean.
  • Clean, open main compartment.
  • Front panel includes both USB 3.0 types A and C.
  • The two glass and aluminium doors look good and lift off easily.

Cons:

  • The two 120mm Corsair SP120 fans are rather basic.
  • Lack of space below the motherboard hurts cable management.
  • High price.
  • The downside of good airflow is constant noise.

KitGuru says: Corsair Obsidian 500D delivers excellent cooling and zero RGB. Yay.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Corsair Obsidian 500D Chassis Review – intended for adults! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/corsair-obsidian-500d-a-case-that-is-intended-for-adults/feed/ 0
Phanteks Eclipse P300 – Tempered Glass and RGB lighting Chassis https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-eclipse-p300-tempered-glass-and-rgb-lighting-chassis/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-eclipse-p300-tempered-glass-and-rgb-lighting-chassis/#comments Mon, 13 Nov 2017 09:59:55 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=354051 Its only £55, and its actually surprisingly good, even at the price. Another winner for Phanteks.

The post Phanteks Eclipse P300 – Tempered Glass and RGB lighting Chassis first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
When Phanteks released the Eclipse P400 case early in 2016  they set a new standard with a cheap case that looked good, performed well and also had a decent list of features. Since then the P400 has been updated from an acrylic window to tempered glass yet the price is still only £65. So we were impressed to learn at Computex 2017 that Phanteks had plans for an even cheaper case called Eclipse P300. This seemed like a bold move yet Phanteks assured KitGuru they could deliver a budget case that was well constructed and that offers a bunch of features including RGB lighting, all for £55.

Specification:

  • Motherboard support: E-ATX (up to 275mm wide), ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
  • Expansion slots: 7.
  • Included fans: 1x 120mm rear exhaust.
  • Fan mounts: 2x 120/140mm front, 1x 120/140mm roof, 1x 120mm rear.
  • 120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm front, 120mm rear.
  • 140mm radiator mounts: 140mm/280mm front.
  • 5.25″ drive bays: None
  • Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5”/2.5″, 2x 2.5” (one included).
  • Dimensions: 450mm H x 400mm D x 230mm W.

While it is true the £55 P300 isn’t much cheaper than the £65 P400, once you take VAT, shipping and packaging costs out of the equation, that £10 represents a significant percentage of the cost of manufacture. As we say in our video, part of the explanation is that Phanteks has manufactured the main part of the chassis from a single sheet of steel, instead of adding a power supply cover as a separate part as they did with the P400.

To the best of our knowledge this is the first time a case manufacturer has taken this approach and it makes a good deal of sense. The structure of the core chassis is rigid and doesn’t move around when the panels are removed and the bill of materials is reduced, which makes the P300 cheaper. Balanced against that, if you prefer a removable power supply cover you are out of luck.

Phanteks has also cut costs by supplying a case with a sensible minimum level specification, rather than all the bells and whistles. For example you get a single SSD Drop ‘n Lock mount and if you want extensive RGB lighting you need to invest in a Phanteks LED strip and perhaps a Halos illuminated fan frame or two.

It is worth mentioning that you get a single rear 120mm fan, which is standard practice in a budget case. If you choose to install an air cooler on your CPU, rather than an All In One which has fans on the radiator then you will probably want to install another fan at the front of the case.

Building our test PC was relatively straightforward however there were a few factors to consider. Our chosen Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 750W uses a modular design that proved a tight fit in the lower compartment of the case. We found it easiest to remove the two drive bays and their supporting brackets to open up the front section of the case. We also found the chunky, high quality cables used by Sea Sonic were a tight fit passing through the cable management holes, despite the fact the holes have no grommets.

Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen 7 1700, GTX 980 graphics and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Phanteks Eclipse P300’s cooling capabilities.

For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Test System:
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 1700
Motherboard: Asus Prime X370-Pro
CPU cooler: Noctua NH-U12S
Memory: G.Skill FlareX DDR4-3200MHz RAM
Graphics card: GeForce GTX980 4GB
Power supply: Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 750W
Storage drive: Samsung SM961 SSD
OS: Windows 10 Professional.

 

Cooling Performance.
We added a Noctua 120mm fan to the front of the case to ensure the 120mm Noctua tower cooler got a decent supply of air, and the result was a case that worked very nicely indeed. Our Ryzen 7 CPU and GTX 980 graphics card were both operating at very acceptable temperatures with plenty of headroom for overclocking.

Acoustics performance.
The case doesn’t have any noise deadening material however the front air intake is baffled, which reduces noise, and the perforated top section of the case is covered by a magnetic dust filter.

In our build we had three 120mm fans; the stock rear fan, one on the CPU cooler and one at the front of the case. All three fans ran at moderate speed and the result was a quiet PC that was utterly inoffensive.

Closing Thoughts.

Phanteks Eclipse P300 is very good indeed and sets new standards for a case at this price point. There are minor annoyances such as the external screws for the PCI Express expansion slots and the tight cable management holes but these are direct consequences of the drive to reduce the materials used and to keep costs to a minimum.

Balanced against that Eclipse P300 looks sleek and stylish with a tempered glass window that shows off the inside of the PC. It is quite easy to build a neat PC as the cable management is good and the power supply cover hides a certain amount of cabling and mess. On the other hand if you use a beefy power supply you might struggle to retain the lower drive bays. This is a small case and there is not much room for the hardware you will surely wish to install so care is required when you choose your components.

If you upgrade the Eclipse P300 with an RGB LED strip or some Phanteks Halos frames it has the potential to look very good indeed.

Buy from Overclockers UK for £54.95 inc vat HERE

Pros:

  • Very low price.
  • Good cable management.
  • Tinted tempered glass panel works well.
  • Basic lighting is included and can be connected to an RGB motherboard.
  • Fully filtered.

Cons:

  • The overall dimensions of the P400 are small for an ATX case.
  • Lower compartment is tight for space in front of the power supply.
  • Front panel looks reversible but only mounts one way up.

KitGuru says: Phanteks Eclipse P300 is a winner in the budget case division.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Phanteks Eclipse P300 – Tempered Glass and RGB lighting Chassis first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-eclipse-p300-tempered-glass-and-rgb-lighting-chassis/feed/ 2
Cooler Master Cosmos C700P – the 22kg MONSTER! https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/cooler-master-cosmos-c700p-the-22kg-monster/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/cooler-master-cosmos-c700p-the-22kg-monster/#comments Thu, 28 Sep 2017 13:04:10 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=348018 Cooler Master Cosmos has an epic legacy that stretches back 25 years so it pleases us hugely to see the Cosmos C700P uses aluminium rails top and bottom that instantly remind us of the original design classic. Naturally enough Cooler Master has brought the design screeching up to date with a tempered glass panel and …

The post Cooler Master Cosmos C700P – the 22kg MONSTER! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Cooler Master Cosmos has an epic legacy that stretches back 25 years so it pleases us hugely to see the Cosmos C700P uses aluminium rails top and bottom that instantly remind us of the original design classic.

Naturally enough Cooler Master has brought the design screeching up to date with a tempered glass panel and a bunch of RGB lighting features. No high end case is complete without glass and RGB in 2017 however that is only the beginning of Cooler Master’s ambitions. There are two main thoughts behind the design of the Cosmos C700P that cause a certain amount of conflict. On the one hand it has interior panels that cover the drives and cables to keep the build immaculate and to focus your eyes on the motherboard, CPU, RAM and graphics. Balanced against that you can flip the interior over to enhance the cooling so your motherboard is mounted on the left side of the case and the GPU ends up above the CPU.

Specification:

Motherboard support: E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX.
Expansion slots: 8.
Included fans: 2x 140mm front intake, 1x 140mm rear exhaust.
Fan mounts: 3x 120mm/140mm front, 3x 120/140mm roof, 1x 120/140mm rear, 2x 120/140mm bottom.
120mm radiator mounts: 120mm/240mm/360mm front, 120mm/240mm/360mm roof, 120mm rear, 120mm/240mm bottom.
140mm radiator mounts: 140mm/280mm/420mm front, 140mm/280mm roof, 140mm rear, 140mm bottom.
5.25″ drive bays: 1
Internal drive bays: 2x 3.5”/2.5”, 2×2.5″.
Dimensions: 651mm H x 639mm D x 306mm W.

In our video we show the process of flipping the motherboard to the opposite side of the chassis, much like the be quiet! Dark Base 900. The fundamental difference is that you can use the be quiet! motherboard tray to build your system outside the chassis whereas the C700P doesn’t work that way so it is purely a way of inverting the cooling system. As you will see in our video the flipped graphics card looks peculiar the wrong way up and every component ends up in an unfamiliar location. Cosmetically the system would be improved by a custom cooling loop as that would help the graphics card and also although precisely the correct lengths for coolant hoses.

You will note the Cooler Master logo on the power supply cover is inverted.

The basic mechanics of the flipping process were straightforward however the use guide is of minimal help. When we installed parts in their new locations it was clear the chassis had flexed slightly despite its apparent strength as a result some of the interior panels didn’t neatly fit in place.

Our single biggest gripe with this process is that the control unit for the fans and RGB lights could not simply be installed behind the motherboard tray as the lower RGB cable would not reach neatly. We instead moved the unit to an SSD drive bay. As a secondary gripe the screws for the PCI Express blanking plates were completely obscured and we were forced to use a very long screwdriver to install the graphics card.

There is another option for cooling where you rotate the motherboard 90 degrees to use what Cooler Master describes as the Chimney Effect. With the I/O panel in the roof of the case you are obliged to use an optional accessory to blank off the rear of the case. This panel will to cost 10 Euros and to be available in a couple of weeks. After our flipping experience we consider it unwise to offer an opinion on the Chimney Effect until we have tried the case in that configuration.

Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X CPU and GTX 1080 Ti graphics card with an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Cooler Master Cosmos C700P‘s cooling capabilities.

For stress testing we use AIDA64 to stress our CPU and GPU to create the maximum amount of load our system is ever likely to see.

Test System:
Processor: 3.4GHz-4.0GHz AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
Motherboard: ASRock X399 Tachi
CPU cooler: Fractal Design Celsius S24
Memory: G.Skill FlareX DDR4-3200MHz
Graphics card: EVGA GTX 1080 Ti 11GB
Power supply: Cooler Master MasterWatt Maker1200W
Storage drives: SanDisk Extreme SSD
OS: Windows 10.

Cooling Performance.


We were impressed by the cooling performance of Cosmos C700P as it effectively worked like an open test best. The size of the case, combined with the open structure and massive amount of airflow was exemplary.

Acoustics performance.
We only had three fans in the case; the two Fractal Design 120mm fans that come with the Celsius S24 and the stock Cooler Master 140mm fan yet the system was fairly noisy under load. The front cover appears to baffle air flow and noise at the front mesh panel however the top panel is effectively open to the elements and the side panels have no sound deadening material. The smart move here is to use an extensive liquid cooling system that allows you to run the fans low and slow.

Closing Thoughts.

We had high hopes for the Cooler Master Cosmos C700P however we ended up with a slight sense of disappointment. We have little doubt you can use this case as a super duper version of MasterCase 5 and would be very pleased with the finished result and that fabulous curved glass main panel. When you stand a short distance from the Cosmos C700P there is no denying it looks impressive. The obvious problem is that you pay a high price for that privilege.

We ran into problems when we decided to use the case in its more interesting mode with the motherboard flipped to the other side of the case. Removing the hardware was complicated by the cabling for the lighting, fans and I/O panel and it seemed the user guide was written without any reference to cabling and the fiddly details that are part of a PC build.

Re-installing the components in their new locations was not straightforward and generally seemed like more trouble than you might expect. In the main we were happy but strongly recommend you use this case with a custom loop cooling system. Also, as general advice, anytime you feel the need to perform maintenance inside your PC or perhaps make a change to the system you might want to give some thought to those inner covers. Yes, they shroud the drives, cables, power supply and cooling system, however that also means you will be obliged to remove the covers to gain access to any of those components.

Pricing is set to around the £250 mark in the United Kingdom.

Pros:

  • Impressive curved glass panel.
  • Integrated RGB lighting.
  • Option to flip the motherboard tray to the opposite side.
  • Very good cooling.

Cons:

  • Flipping the motherboard complicates your build.
  • If you run your fans fast this case gets noisy.
  • Expensive.
  • Design is let down by small but important details.

KitGuru says: Cosmos 700P looks superb but is far from perfect.

 

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Cooler Master Cosmos C700P – the 22kg MONSTER! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/cooler-master-cosmos-c700p-the-22kg-monster/feed/ 11
Phanteks Enthoo Elite (£800 mega case / dual systems with liquid cooling) https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-enthoo-elite-800-mega-case-dual-systems-with-liquid-cooling/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-enthoo-elite-800-mega-case-dual-systems-with-liquid-cooling/#comments Sat, 17 Jun 2017 10:56:25 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=338155 Its big, its bold and its hugely expensive. But is this the best case money can buy?

The post Phanteks Enthoo Elite (£800 mega case / dual systems with liquid cooling) first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
In our video we suggest the Phanteks Enthoo Elite might be the most expensive PC case in the world, completely forgetting the In-Win H-Tower costs £1,999. Well OK, fair enough, if we discount cases that have motorised panels the Elite is the most expensive case in the world. The price is significant but the main point is that Phanteks Enthoo Elite is a huge case with aluminium panels and a massive glass door that offers the longest list of features we have ever seen.

And we have checked that point. And it is correct.

If you can't see the picture gallery then you need to disable your ad blocker!

Specification:
Form Factor: Extreme Full Tower
Materials: Anodised aluminium panels, powder coated steel chassis, tempered glass side panel
Colour: Gunmetal Grey
Motherboard Support: E-ATX, EEB, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini ITX
Front I/O: 4x USB 3.0, 2x Mic, 2x Headphone, 2x Reset button, RGB control wheel, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.1 Type-C
Side Window: Tempered glass
PCI slots: 10
Internal 3.5-inch bays: 13x (6 included)
Internal 2.5-inch bays: 6x (4 included)
Fan Support:
Front – Up to 4x 140mm/120mm (3x 140mm installed)
Top – Up to 3x 140mm/4x 120mm (1x 140mm installed)
Bottom – Up to 3x 140mm/4x 120mm
Mid plate – Up to 3x 140mm/120mm
Side – Up to 2x 140mm/3x 120mm
Rear – Up to 2x 140mm/120mm (1x 140mm installed)

Radiator Support:
Front – up to 560mm/480mm
Top – up to 480mm/420mm
Bottom – up to 480mm/420mm
Mid plate – up to 480mm/420mm
Side – up to 360mm/280mm
Rear – 140mm/120mm

Clearance: 210mm CPU Coolers, 554mm VGA Cards, 291mm PSUs, 65mm Top Radiator
Net Weight: 33kg
Warranty: 5 Years
Dimensions: 270mm (W) x 750mm (H) x 615mm (D)

Phanteks offers a broad range of cases for the enthusiast PC builder that currently starts below £60 for the Eclipse P400 and will soon be joined by the even cheaper Eclipse P300. At the high end you can spend just over £200 for the Enthoo Primo which is a tall tower that offers massive support for extensive liquid cooling, so you may wonder what the heck is Phanteks thinking by offering the Elite for one penny under £800.

Even if we allow, say, £100 for the flight case used to package the Elite along with freight and handling of this 33kg (bare)/47kg (packaged) case, there is no denying the Phanteks Elite costs a huge amount of money.

In return you get a case that supports a massive range of cooling and drive bays, along with a great many accessories that are packaged in two separate boxes. You get 2x SSD caddies (to add to the two inside the case), 6x drive caddies, the side mounted 5.25-inch cage, a vertical GPU bracket, an 8-pin cable extension and a box of fasteners. The second package contains a Mini-ITX tray, side radiator mount and silent top panel.

The headline features are support for dual E-ATX and Mini-ITX systems using either one or two power supplies. When it comes to cooling you can install a 480mm/560mm radiator in the front and 480mm/420mm radiators in the top, bottom and on the mid plate. You can also add a 360mm/280mm radiator on the side panel and a 120mm/140mm radiator in the rear. Broadly speaking the message here is that Phanteks Enthoo Elite will support any liquid cooling you care to use although you will find that one large radiator is likely to overlap with the space required for another large radiator if they meet in a corner of the case. This clash is more likely if you use radiators thicker than 30mm.

Phanteks supplies 5x 140mm fans that are divided between the two PWM fan hubs so by default the front three fans operate with one system and the upper and rear fans operate with the secondary system. In total you can install 20x 120mm fans or 17x 140mm fans, which is pretty remarkable, although the two hubs can only control 12 fans between them.

To test the Phanteks Enthoo Elite we built two systems inside the case.

The main system with orange coolant uses:
CPU AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
Memory G.Skill FlareX DDR4
Motherboard Asus Prime X370-Pro
SSD Samsung M.2
CPU block Alphacool Eisblock XPX frosted
Radiator Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 copper 280mm
Fans 2x 140mm Noctua NFA14-ULN
Graphics card GTX 1080 with Phanteks Glacier block
G1/4 fittings Phanteks Glacier
Pump EKWB D5
Reservoir EKWB 150mm x 60mm
Power supply Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 850W
Coolant Mayhems Pastel Orange

The secondary system with red coolant uses:
CPU Intel Core i7-5820K
Memory G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4
Motherboard ASRock X99E-ITX/ac
SSD SanDisk Extreme II
CPU block EKWB EK-Supremacy EVO with ILM plate
Radiator Alphacool NexXxoS ST30 copper 420mm
Graphics card GTX 1080 with Alphacool NexXxoS GPX block
G1/4 fittings Alphacool
Reservoir unit Singularity Computers Protium pump top, 200mm x 60mm reservoir and pump cover
Pump Alphacool VPP755
Power supply Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 750W
Coolant Mix of Mayhems Pastel Red and Aurora Red

Building the PCs (plural) takes a while but isn’t especially difficult as there is so much space inside the case. You have to make some major decisions about which components you use and where they go and as we discuss in the video it was probably a mistake to locate the main system D5 pump in the lower compartment. It would have been considerably more tidy if we had installed the pump in the main upper compartment in a combined pump/reservoir unit, however that would have left a huge amount of unused space in the lower compartment that cried out for another radiator, a bunch of hard drives or some other feature.

We also have to hold our hands up and say that soft tubing doesn’t cut the mustard with the Elite. It needs hard tubing to get the look and feel of a build inside the Elite just right.

In terms of noise, cooling and performance, there are so many variables that it seems pointless to produce graphs or to talk about temperatures. The Phanteks Elite flows air like a champ and has so much space inside you should have no problems with cooling. If you should happen to hit a problem you can simply add more fans or another radiator. With our chosen set-up of the five stock 140mm fans plus two Noctua 140mm fans the 420mm and 280mm radiators did a superb job and the PC was whisper-quiet.

Closing Thoughts.

Phanteks Enthoo Elite is a 750mm tower case that employs a steel core with aluminium panels and a glass door. It is an extreme case that offers an heroic list of features, options and extras. In particular we applaud the combination of excellent design, high quality construction and top notch cosmetics.

It will be apparent from our video that we are deeply impressed by the Elite however it is not perfect. Clearly it is very expensive and it is also very heavy however the biggest annoyance is that it is also very tall at 750mm. It is tempting to suggest that Phanteks should produce a model called Enthoo eLite with the lower compartment removed, which would reduce the height to about 550mm. The snag is that idea would reduce the number of options on offer from ‘huge’ to ‘many’, reducing the number of drives you can install and limiting the front radiator to 420mm instead of 560mm.

If we accept that Elite has to be huge then our list of complaints becomes vanishingly small; it would help if the hinge pins made it easier to install the heavy glass door and anyone who decides to use those drive bays will beg for some cable management channels.

We would be satisfied if Phanteks simply paid more attention to the mid-plate area as it looks a bit messy when you install a secondary Mini-ITX system. Once you accept the Phanteks Enthoo Elite is necessarily big and tall you can admire the craftsmanship and enjoy the classy touches such as the integrated RGB lighting that can be connected to Aura, or the way the power button is dual press – left for system 1, right for system 2.

It is worth pointing out that our dual system build didn’t require a single cable tie as the integrated cable straps did all the work. That may sound like a tiny detail but it is unusual when you build a small, basic PC and in our experience is unheard of for a complex build. That is pretty darned impressive going by Phanteks and sums up our Enthoo Elite experience to a T.

Good job Phanteks.

Buy from Overclockers UK for £799.99 inc vat HERE.

Pros:

  • Stunning looks, fabulous aluminium and glass construction.
  • Plenty of space to install any cooling system that you can imagine.
  • Supports dual systems; E-ATX plus Mini-ITX.
  • Vertical GPU mount looks superb.
  • Excellent integrated lighting system.
  • Cosmetic aluminium plates cover the main water pump/reservoir mounts.

Cons:

  • Phanteks Enthoo Elite weighs as much as a small planet.
  • This 750mm tall case is unlikely to fit under your desk.
  • Phanteks does not include their power supply splitter accessory in the package.
  • The mid-plate area looks untidy when you install a secondary Mini-ITX system.
  • Very expensive.

KitGuru says: Phanteks Enthoo Elite is an epic case that offers a unique set of features.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Phanteks Enthoo Elite (£800 mega case / dual systems with liquid cooling) first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/phanteks-enthoo-elite-800-mega-case-dual-systems-with-liquid-cooling/feed/ 4
BitFenix Aurora Case Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/bitfenix-aurora-case-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/bitfenix-aurora-case-review/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2016 16:24:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=307119 BitFenix Aurora is a mid-tower case that aims at the enthusiast market with support for custom loop watercooling and a number of options for lighting, including connection to the Asus Aura system. Both side panels are tempered glass, with the main panel being tinted and the rear being opaque in order to hide cables. The …

The post BitFenix Aurora Case Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
BitFenix Aurora is a mid-tower case that aims at the enthusiast market with support for custom loop watercooling and a number of options for lighting, including connection to the Asus Aura system. Both side panels are tempered glass, with the main panel being tinted and the rear being opaque in order to hide cables.

The photos and text in the BitFenix press information pack promise clear glass, however we have now learned that the panels will indeed be tinted, just like the panel in our video and photos. The back panel is opaque black and completely hides any cabling mess that you choose to tuck behind the motherboard tray. That’s a neat touch and effectively turns the back panel into a black mirror.

bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front-left-34-unbuilt bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front-right-34 bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-top-ports-and-buttons

bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-rear-right-34 bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front-left-34-frame bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front-right-34-frame bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front-frame

bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-side-view-open-unbuilt bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-side-view-open-unbuilt-no-backplate bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-side-view-open-built-reverse-tray-side bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-rear-right-34-built

bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-open-side-on bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-open-rear-34-left-on bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front-left-34-built-on-open bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-front-left-34-built-on

Specifications:

  • Colour: Arctic White
  • Motherboard: E-ATX/ ATX/ Micro-ATX/ Mini-ITX
  • Graphics Card Length: Up to 400mm
  • Power Supply Length: Up to 220mm
  • Storage Capacity: 5.25-inch – None, 3.5-inch – 4, 2.5-inch – 3
  • Cooling Capacity: Front 2x 120mm/140mm, Rear 1x 120mm (Included), Top 2x 120mm/140mm
  • Radiator Capacity: Front 120mm/240mm/280mm, Rear 120mm x 1, Top 120mm/240mm/280mm
  • Front I/O: USB 3.0 x2, USB 2.0 x2, RGB 7 Colour Cycle button, HD Audio MIC & Headphone
  • Dimensions: 215mm (W) x 490mm (H) x 520mm (D)
  • RGB Functions: BitFenix Chroma Controller & BitFenix SSD Chroma – Aura Certified, 7 Colour Mode + Pulse function
  • Cable Management: 20-25mm Cable Management Space

You get a good deal of space inside the Aurora. Despite its relatively modest dimensions, we had no problem installing an E-ATX Asus Rampage V Edition 10 motherboard. The next step was to decide on a cooling system, and while we seemed to have many options, this wasn’t entirely the case.

It would have been easy to install an air cooler on the CPU or an All In One in either the front or the roof of the case, but that would be missing a trick. BitFenix supplies a reservoir mounting bracket that can go in either the front or top, so it made sense to go with a custom loop that would show off the Aurora to its full extent.

bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-featured-650

The problem, as we explain in our video, is that there isn’t space above the motherboard to mount a reasonably thick radiator so it had to go in the front of the case. This meant the reservoir went in the roof, and as we were unhappy using a combined pump/reservoir at the top of the case, we went for a separate D5 pump in the floor.

The result looks good to our eyes and works well but meant we removed two drive cages. One cage sits on the floor of the case and the other goes where you usually find an optical drive, although the Aurora doesn’t have an opening for an optical drive in the front panel and instead accommodates two 3.5-inch drives in that space.

bitfenix-aurora-large

It would have been a nice touch to have rounded off the build with an integrated lighting system, however we weren’t using an Asus Aura motherboard and neither did we have any BitFenix Alchemy 2.0 Magnetic RGB LED strips that are compatible with the Aurora. Instead we went with a Phobya FlexLight controller and LED strips that show how the case looks when it is illuminated.

We might have used the BitFenix SSD Chroma to light our OCZ Vector 180 SSD however it was mounted on the rear of the motherboard, rather than in the main compartment, so that wasn’t an option.

Testing

To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Xeon E5-1620 v4 processor (140W TDP), EVGA GTX 980 4GB graphics card and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the BitFenix Aurora‘s cooling capabilities.

For stress testing we use AIDA64 and FurMark to create the maximum heat output to stress our CPU and GPU.

Test System:

  • Processor: Intel Xeon E5-1620 v4 3.5GHz/3.8GHz
  • Motherboard: Asus Rampage V Edition 10
  • CPU cooler: Alphacool and EKWB custom loop
  • Memory: 32GB Corsair DDR4-3200MHz LED
  • Graphics card: EVGA GTX 980 4GB (watercooled)
  • Power supply: Seasonic Titanium Prime 750W
  • Storage drives: 240GB Toshiba OCZ Vector 180
  • OS: Windows 10

Cooling Performance

temps

With the hardware we chose the Aurora did a fine job of cooling our quad core Broadwell-EP Xeon and GTX 980. This chassis comes with a single 120mm fan at the rear of the case and we added two 120mm Alphacool fans on the Alphacool radiator. So while there was clearly sufficient airflow, we didn’t have howling gales of air moving through the case.

On the other hand, it is worth pointing out we had pretty much gutted the case of drive bays and had devoted most of the available space to accommodating our custom loop hardware.

Acoustics performance

With the D5 Vario pump turned down low, the hardware inside the BitFenix Aurora was essentially silent. During our video the PC was running, albeit idling on the Windows desktop, and made the bare minimum of noise.

Closing Thoughts

On the face of it, BitFenix Aurora has a great deal to offer. Two tempered glass panels, lighting control, a light system for your SSD and a connection to Asus Aura all sound impressive. Added to that, you get a mount for a coolant reservoir that can go either in the front or top of the case, which is a handy bonus.

The problem with installing a custom loop is that you will likely have to remove most of the drive bays, just as we found in our video. If you want to get the most from the lighting you need to buy an expensive Asus motherboard along with some BitFenix LED strips.

We would have much preferred to have a main glass panel that was crystal clear and not tinted, but this is indeed a personal preference.

bitfenix-aurora-review-on-kitguru-conclusion-650

While we were happy with the end result, we found it took a fair amount of effort to build a custom loop in the Aurora. The quality of the chassis was generally good although one of the threads for an SSD mount was very tight.

The biggest issue we found, apart from the tinted glass panel, was that we needed to buy extra components to get the most from Aurora. If it came with some LED lighting which could be extended, that would be fine. But instead you need to start from scratch.

Overall, BitFenix Aurora is a success however it ends up costing a fair amount and could be improved if it came with some LED lighting. There look to be better options from the likes of Phanteks at this price point.

overclockers-logo7

The BitFenix Aurora is available for £86.99 inc. VAT at Overclockers UK.

Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.

Pros:

  • Tempered glass panels on both sides.
  • Reservoir mount goes either in the roof or front.
  • Black glass panel hides cabling.
  • Support for E-ATX motherboard.
  • Two drive mounts each support two 3.5-inch drives.
  • Three 2.5-inch drive mounts.

Cons:

  • There isn’t enough space in the roof for a chunky radiator.
  • You get a reservoir mount but no pump mount.
  • No LED lighting is included, not even on the fan.
  • Price is fairly high.

KitGuru says: BitFenix Aurora comes close but ends up missing the mark.

kitguru-worth-considering

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post BitFenix Aurora Case Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/bitfenix-aurora-case-review/feed/ 2
Apple to ditch aluminium and go back to glass for 2017 iPhone https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-to-ditch-aluminium-and-go-back-to-glass-for-2017-iphone/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-to-ditch-aluminium-and-go-back-to-glass-for-2017-iphone/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:34:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=289795 The iPhone has been through plenty of iterations over the years, starting off as a plastic-cased device, then making the jump to glass with the iPhone 4 and then switching to an aluminium build with the iPhone 5S/iPhone 6. However, it looks like the company will be switching back in 2017, as analysts claim that …

The post Apple to ditch aluminium and go back to glass for 2017 iPhone first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The iPhone has been through plenty of iterations over the years, starting off as a plastic-cased device, then making the jump to glass with the iPhone 4 and then switching to an aluminium build with the iPhone 5S/iPhone 6. However, it looks like the company will be switching back in 2017, as analysts claim that the iPhone will have its next major re-design with an all-glass enclosure and possibly an AMOLED display.

We already know that Apple and Samsung have hammered out a deal for future OLED iPhone displays, though this report suggests AMOLED, which could be a possibility. According to KGI's Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's major iPhone re-design won't be coming in 2016 with the iPhone 7 but rather, in 2017.

iPhone concept image by Martin Hajek (via Forbes)

As more and more Android device makers switch to metal-cased phones, Apple's switch back to glass could help it stand out from the crowd once again in terms of design. Specifics about the new 2017 iPhone design weren't mentioned but it is said to be more akin to the iPhone 4.

The obvious downside to all of this is that if true, Apple will be breaking its traditional tick-tock cycle, meaning the 2016 iPhone 7 won't be too different to the iPhone 6S but next year's iPhone should see some major improvements and changes.

KitGuru Says: While we still have this year's iPhone to look forward to, a lot of reports seem to be focussing on what is going on next year instead, indicating that this year's release may not be that exciting. Are any of you currently using an iPhone? I'm still on my 5S at the moment but it doesn't sound like the 2016 iPhone will be too tempting. 

The post Apple to ditch aluminium and go back to glass for 2017 iPhone first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/matthew-wilson/apple-to-ditch-aluminium-and-go-back-to-glass-for-2017-iphone/feed/ 2
Google shuts down Glass social media accounts https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-shuts-down-glass-social-media-accounts/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-shuts-down-glass-social-media-accounts/#respond Mon, 25 Jan 2016 19:07:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=282021 While we do know that Google is still working on its Glass concept behind closed doors and plans to bring its smart glasses to enterprise customers this year, it seems that Glass name could be no more. This week, Google finally shut down all of the Google Glass social media accounts left over from the …

The post Google shuts down Glass social media accounts first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
While we do know that Google is still working on its Glass concept behind closed doors and plans to bring its smart glasses to enterprise customers this year, it seems that Glass name could be no more. This week, Google finally shut down all of the Google Glass social media accounts left over from the consumer-oriented ‘Explorer's Program'.

According to a report from 9to5Google, the company is currently working on Project Aura, which encompasses a few devices, including what we know as Glass Enterprise Edition. However, the move to shut down Google Glass social media accounts could signify a further change in direction for the Glass concept.

google_glass

Right now, Google hasn't publicly spoken about a new Google Glass for some time but we do know that some of the company's enterprise partners have been using the Glass Enterprise Edition since early last year. The company also allowed a set of FTC filed images to go public back in December so while Glass is technically out of the public eye, Google seems to be allowing more information to get out there.

KitGuru Says: If Google does bring a new consumer version of Glass to the table, it will be interesting to see if it does so under a new brand name, particularly since the Glass social media presence is now dead. 

The post Google shuts down Glass social media accounts first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-shuts-down-glass-social-media-accounts/feed/ 0
Google patents picture taking gesture for Glass-like devices https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-patents-picture-taking-gesture-for-glass-like-devices/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-patents-picture-taking-gesture-for-glass-like-devices/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2015 20:43:18 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=258406 Google may have taken Glass back to the drawing board earlier this year but it definitely hasn't given up on it. Earlier this week we learned that the company could be gearing up to launch Glass Enterprise Edition for business use at some point this year and now we are getting a peek at potential …

The post Google patents picture taking gesture for Glass-like devices first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Google may have taken Glass back to the drawing board earlier this year but it definitely hasn't given up on it. Earlier this week we learned that the company could be gearing up to launch Glass Enterprise Edition for business use at some point this year and now we are getting a peek at potential gestures for future versions of the smart glasses.

Using Glass can be a bit of an awkward affair while out in public, after all, nobody wants to walk down the street talking to their glasses to activate commands and I imagine hand gestures would be worse for many. However, that isn't stopping Google, as a new gesture suggests that the company wants you to create a frame with the fingers in order to take a picture with a Glass-like device.

google

As you can see from the patent illustration, we can see the glass lens, the camera on the side and the hand gesture that would activate the camera. Orientation of the image could be based on the position of the hands making the gesture as well.

We may end up seeing a new Google Glass later on this year, although it may not be for consumer use. The new model is apparently set to be powered by an Intel Atom CPU and use a larger prism display.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: These sorts of gimmicky gestures are common in smart devices these days, the problem is, not many people actually want to use them. That said, for a device like Google Glass, something like this does seem to make sense.

Source: US Patent Office

The post Google patents picture taking gesture for Glass-like devices first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-patents-picture-taking-gesture-for-glass-like-devices/feed/ 2
Google Glass may extend in to a product family https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-glass-may-extend-in-to-a-product-family/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-glass-may-extend-in-to-a-product-family/#respond Mon, 18 May 2015 18:55:38 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=249914 Google Glass may not be being developed out in the open anymore but that doesn't mean we aren't learning anything new about Google's plans for the wearable. A new report is suggesting that Glass will extend in to a range of products, rather than just being the one wearable. The Glass team is currently recruiting, …

The post Google Glass may extend in to a product family first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Google Glass may not be being developed out in the open anymore but that doesn't mean we aren't learning anything new about Google's plans for the wearable. A new report is suggesting that Glass will extend in to a range of products, rather than just being the one wearable.

The Glass team is currently recruiting, with some job postings suggesting that there may be other Glass related projects going on. According to Business Insider, Google wants its new recruits to work on smart eyewear alongside “other related products”.

google_glass

The statement itself is pretty vague so we don't actually know what else Google could be thinking about cooking up. However, whatever else Google is playing around with would probably be quite interesting.

Google will likely continue to take an augmented reality approach with Google Glass in order to compete with Microsoft and its upcoming Hololens, which has managed to garner up tons of interest since its reveal back in January.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Google is still hard at work on reinventing its Glass wearable. Not many people were impressed with the initial incarnation, so it will be interesting to see what Google comes up with next now that the wearable has been pulled back behind closed doors. 

The post Google Glass may extend in to a product family first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-glass-may-extend-in-to-a-product-family/feed/ 0
Luxottica CEO says company is working on Google Glass 2.0 https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/luxottica-ceo-says-company-is-working-on-google-glass-2-0/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/luxottica-ceo-says-company-is-working-on-google-glass-2-0/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2015 17:17:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=246577 The development of Google Glass was brought back behind closed doors at the start of this year, with the project now being taken up by a small team inside of the Google X labs. However, it looks like progress is being made and Google is even bringing other companies on-board to help out. Luxottica, an …

The post Luxottica CEO says company is working on Google Glass 2.0 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The development of Google Glass was brought back behind closed doors at the start of this year, with the project now being taken up by a small team inside of the Google X labs. However, it looks like progress is being made and Google is even bringing other companies on-board to help out.

Luxottica, an Italian eyewear company, is apparently working with Google on reinventing Google Glass. Now this isn't entirely unusual, Luxottica is a major company, owning the Ray-Ban and Oakley brands. It also made the frames for the original Google Glass.

google_glass

Vian explained that while his company is currently working on “version 2”, there is actually a third Google Glass model also in the works and right now, Google is undecided on what it wants Glass 2.0 to look like.

Aside from that though, we don't know much else about Google Glass. The eyewear is no longer being flaunted around in public and it won't be shown again until it is good and ready. Rumors previously suggested that Intel would be helping promote the next version of Glass, while also supplying the SoCs but there is no confirmation of this.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Now to me, augmented reality glasses make more sense than something like a smartwatch. Unfortunately, Google jumped the gun when it released Glass to the public and the reaction wasn't too great. It will be interesting to see if the company can rekindle interest with Glass 2.0. Hopefully the eyewear gets a tech and design overhaul.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

The post Luxottica CEO says company is working on Google Glass 2.0 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/luxottica-ceo-says-company-is-working-on-google-glass-2-0/feed/ 2
Google X head says Glass got too much attention https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-x-head-says-glass-got-too-much-attention/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-x-head-says-glass-got-too-much-attention/#respond Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=240782 Did Google give its Glass smart glasses too much public attention? The head of the company’s X division appears to think so. While he agrees that the explorer’s program was a good idea, the company drew too much attention to it. Speaking at SXSW this week, Google X head, Astro Teller said: “We made one …

The post Google X head says Glass got too much attention first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Did Google give its Glass smart glasses too much public attention? The head of the company’s X division appears to think so. While he agrees that the explorer’s program was a good idea, the company drew too much attention to it.

Speaking at SXSW this week, Google X head, Astro Teller said: “We made one really great decision and one not so great. The great decision was to do the Explorer program. The thing that we did not do well is that we allowed, and sometimes even encouraged too much attention to the program”.

M_Id_435245_Google_Glass

In a not so surprising move, Google chose to bring Glass development back behind closed doors earlier this year, despite rumours pointing towards a Glass 2 coming this year, with Intel on-board to help with the hardware.

Google is now taking a new approach to the development of its wearable and won’t be showing it off again until it is good and ready. The company also learned a lot thanks to the public reaction to Glass.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Not many people were overly keen on Google Glass in its current form. Do you guys think Google made a mistake bringing so much attention to its wearable during the prototype phase?

Via: Mashable

The post Google X head says Glass got too much attention first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-x-head-says-glass-got-too-much-attention/feed/ 0
Google Glass 2.0 to be re-designed from scratch https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-glass-2-0-to-be-re-designed-from-scratch/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-glass-2-0-to-be-re-designed-from-scratch/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2015 18:43:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=234247 A while back Google made the decision to end production on the current Google Glass model that we have come to know since its launch back in 2013. The company has since taken Glass development behind closed doors and will be redesigning the next model from scratch. Speaking to The New York Times, sources close …

The post Google Glass 2.0 to be re-designed from scratch first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
A while back Google made the decision to end production on the current Google Glass model that we have come to know since its launch back in 2013. The company has since taken Glass development behind closed doors and will be redesigning the next model from scratch.

Speaking to The New York Times, sources close to the project have said that the Glass team are planning a total redesign of the wearable tech. Additionally, the unit won't be released until its complete, taking a step back from the open development the original Google Glass went through.

google_glass_2

The Google Glass project is now being overseen by the creator of Nest, Tony Fadell. Back when Google stopped producing the original Glass wearable, Fadell said: “early Glass efforts have broken ground and allowed us to learn what's important to consumers and enterprises alike… I'm excited to be working with Ivy to provide direction and support as she leads the team and we work together to integrate those learnings into future products.”

Prior to this move, Intel was rumored to be partnering with Google on a Glass 2, which was due to launch this year. While Intel may still have some involvement with Google behind closed doors, it is unlikely that we will see a Glass 2 anytime soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Google Glass fizzled out over 2014. Hopefully when Google eventually launches Glass 2, it will be everything people hoped Glass 1 would eventually become. 

Source: The New York Times
Via: TechRadar

The post Google Glass 2.0 to be re-designed from scratch first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/google-glass-2-0-to-be-re-designed-from-scratch/feed/ 2
Lian Li announces the release of it’s PC-O Series chassis https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/brendan-morgan/lian-li-announces-the-release-of-its-pc-o-series-chassis/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/brendan-morgan/lian-li-announces-the-release-of-its-pc-o-series-chassis/#respond Fri, 19 Dec 2014 08:32:26 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=227170 Lian Li has been posting photos of it's new line of under development PC cases since September, and now it is ready to reveal the final products. There are four cases in the range so far, the PC-O5, the PC-O5S, the PC-O6S, and the PC-O7S. These range from the very small PC-O5 which fits mini-ITX motherboards, to the PC-O7S which …

The post Lian Li announces the release of it’s PC-O Series chassis first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Lian Li has been posting photos of it's new line of under development PC cases since September, and now it is ready to reveal the final products. There are four cases in the range so far, the PC-O5, the PC-O5S, the PC-O6S, and the PC-O7S. These range from the very small PC-O5 which fits mini-ITX motherboards, to the PC-O7S which has enough room for an ATX or SP-ATX board.

The cases themselves are all made of aluminium, with a large tempered glass window that makes up the entire side of the case, showing the internals in all their glory. They are also all wall mountable, but can of course be used in the standard horizontal and vertical orientations that you would expect.

Lian Li PC-O7
 Someone might want to let Lian Li know that this PC needs RAM and a SATA cable.

As you can see these are some good looking cases, that do an excellent job of showing off any components inside. With plenty of space for cable management as well, an ugly mess of cables shouldn't be an issue.

While the smaller PC-O5 and PC-O5S do require a small, SFX PSU, the larger PC-O6S and PC-O7S cases use regular ATX PSU's. You can also see that the PCIe graphics card is not actually mounted directly to the motherboard, instead it is attached with a ribbon cable that is included with the case, with the GPU itself mounted on the floor of the chassis. Unfortunately this also rules out using these cases with any kind of SLI, or Crossfire setup. All models feature several USB 3.0 ports and HD audio on the front of the case, along with a slimline disk drive bay.

The only real problem here is going to be the price, as something this good looking is going to cost you. With pre-orders starting at around £190 for the PC-o5 and heading north from there this puts them firmly into the premium price range. We should know more when Lian Li announces final pricing and availability details. Hit the source link below for further information on the range.

Update: Leo has just posted his review of the PC-O5S for us to enjoy!

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While these cases do look amazing and seem like they are well designed and built, I'm not sure I can justify spending almost £200 or more on a case that has a limit of one PCI-e card. Maybe if it came with those awesome red lights I would be tempted…

Source: Lian Li

The post Lian Li announces the release of it’s PC-O Series chassis first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/cases/brendan-morgan/lian-li-announces-the-release-of-its-pc-o-series-chassis/feed/ 0
Intel teams up with Luxottica for premium smart eyewear, wearable gadgets https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-teams-up-with-luxottica-for-premium-smart-eyewear-wearable-gadgets/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-teams-up-with-luxottica-for-premium-smart-eyewear-wearable-gadgets/#respond Thu, 04 Dec 2014 20:24:19 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=224852 Google Glass 2 will not be the only smart eyewear based on silicon from Intel Corp. as the company has just signed a multi-year deal with Luxottica Group, a company that owns multiple premium and luxury eyewear brands. Starting next year we could see Google Glass-like devices from brands like Burberry, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Oakley, …

The post Intel teams up with Luxottica for premium smart eyewear, wearable gadgets first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Google Glass 2 will not be the only smart eyewear based on silicon from Intel Corp. as the company has just signed a multi-year deal with Luxottica Group, a company that owns multiple premium and luxury eyewear brands. Starting next year we could see Google Glass-like devices from brands like Burberry, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Oakley, Prada, Ray Ban, Versace and other.

The two companies will jointly research and develop luxury and sports eyewear with various smart technologies. Intel emphasized that development of smart glasses does not necessarily mean creation of various head-mounted displays akin to Google’s Glass. The key idea of the alliance between for Intel is to anticipate what smart technology for eyewear will look like in the future. For Luxottica, it is important to create smart, fashion-forward products that are meaningful and desirable to consumers, which will help the company to stay ahead of any rivals on the market of eyewear.

intel_luxottica_bvlgari_bulgari_catene_glass_glasses_smart_eyewear_jennifer_lopez
Bulgari’s Catene sunglasses by Bvlgari, a Luxottica brand, feature in J. Lo’s new album's promo video “Worry No More”

The two companies did not reveal a lot of information about what technologies they plan to incorporate into smart glasses, but it is highly likely that many elements of these technologies have not been announced yet.

Google Glass-like head mounted displays with rich capabilities and augmented reality (AR) technologies will likely be based on Intel Quark system-on-chips, appropriate electronics (perhaps, even communication chips) from Intel as well as Google Android Wear or Tizen software. Still, there will be a lot of relatively simple smart devices that will not require PC performance, but will still provide capabilities not possible today. It remains to be seen what kind of chips and software they will use.

“Through our collaboration with Luxottica Group, we will unite our respective ecosystems and bring together Intel's leading-edge silicon and software technology with Luxottica's design innovation and consumer expertise,” said Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel. “We expect the combination of our expertise to help drive a much faster pace of innovation and push the envelope of what's possible.”

google_glass_6
Google Glass

One of the main problems with today’s wearable computing devices is that they are not stylish, bulky and not feature-rich. Intel, with its vast financial and R&D resources, is one of a few companies in the world, who can develop both hardware and software for ultra-portable ultra-low-power electronics. Luxottica and designers of its eyewear brands are leading producers of glasses in the world, they can develop smart eyewear which actually looks good.

“Together with Intel, we will continue to develop the potential of wearables, expanding the limits of what eyewear can be,” said Massimo Vian, chief executive of Luxottica Group. “We'll lead the change to create frames that are as intelligent and functional as they are beautiful. Products that consumers will love to wear.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: At present it is hard to predict what kind of capabilities to expect from Luxottica smart eyewear, but given the scale of the alliance it could be everything from the simplest prescription glasses that track heart rate and/or blood pressure to highly-sophisticated products akin to Google Glass. Still, a big question is what kind of software to expect from products by Intel and Luxottica. Theoretically, the agreement between the two companies could be a big win for Google Android or Tizen, or even both.

The post Intel teams up with Luxottica for premium smart eyewear, wearable gadgets first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-teams-up-with-luxottica-for-premium-smart-eyewear-wearable-gadgets/feed/ 0
Steve Wozniak criticizes smart-watches, praises Google Glass https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/anton-shilov/steve-wozniak-criticizes-smart-watches-praises-google-glass/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/anton-shilov/steve-wozniak-criticizes-smart-watches-praises-google-glass/#comments Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:56:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=201359 Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple who foresaw the emergence of the upcoming iWatch several years ago, claims that smart-watches have too limited functionality and too small displays. At the same time, he praises Google Glass. While the former partner of Steve Jobs does not really admire wearable computing devices now, he hopes that when …

The post Steve Wozniak criticizes smart-watches, praises Google Glass first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple who foresaw the emergence of the upcoming iWatch several years ago, claims that smart-watches have too limited functionality and too small displays. At the same time, he praises Google Glass. While the former partner of Steve Jobs does not really admire wearable computing devices now, he hopes that when the iWatch hits the market, it will show the right direction for their evolution.

“I want my smartphone here, but I really want the whole thing,” said Mr. Wozniak in an interview with Xconomy. “I don’t want just a little Bluetooth connection to the smartphone in my pocket because then it’s just an intermediary, an extra thing I buy to get what I already have and have to carry anyway.”

samsung_gear2_gear_fit_galaxy_s5

While smart-watches primarily designed as health and fitness tracking devices make a lot of sense, they cannot really replace smartphones in the vast majority of cases.

In fact, even classic mechanical wrist-watches were not common about a hundred of years ago. The majority of gentlemen at the time carried pocket watches. The wrist-watches became mainstream after the First World War when soldiers needed to know time, but could not use pocket watches since their hands were busy, so they wore wrist-watches instead. The same thing could happen to smart-watches these days. If people are unable to comfortably use smartphones , certain common functions will migrate to smartwatches.

Although Mr. Wozniak does not really like smartwatches, he is confident that Apple’s iWatch will show everyone how they should be made.

“If 30 companies are doing the same thing, you know it’s wrong,” said Mr. Wozniak. “When one company does one thing very strikingly different, and everybody says this company got it right, this is the way of the future. In the past, it’s been Apple a number of times, not always. So I’m really hoping that Apple’s the big breakthrough.”

google_glass_4

It is noteworthy that the legendary co-founder of Apple seems to be more satisfied with Google Glass smart eyewear. For Mr. Wozniak the Glass seems to be more useful than any smartwatch.

“It may not be that useful, just like smartwatches may not be useful enough to get the critical mass they need to really go ahead,” said the Woz. “But everything I’ve done with Google Glass, I actually kind of liked playing with it.”

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While Steve Wozniak has no influence of Apple’s product roadmap, from time to time he expresses rather interesting opinions regarding new technologies. In some cases his views turn out to be predictions, but in many cases they remain his own views only. In this particular case it is interesting to note that the Woz likes Google Glass more than smartwatches.

The post Steve Wozniak criticizes smart-watches, praises Google Glass first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/anton-shilov/steve-wozniak-criticizes-smart-watches-praises-google-glass/feed/ 2
Google unveils project Tango tablet: Tegra K1 inside, $1024 price-point https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/google-unveils-project-tango-tablet-tegra-k1-inside-1024-price-point/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/google-unveils-project-tango-tablet-tegra-k1-inside-1024-price-point/#respond Fri, 06 Jun 2014 22:59:18 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=197141 Google this week introduced a new tablet for software developers that belongs to its family of devices supporting the project Tango technologies. The mobile device has Nvidia Tegra K1 application processor inside as well as advanced sensing capabilities that help it to create a 3D model of the environment around it. The specs of the …

The post Google unveils project Tango tablet: Tegra K1 inside, $1024 price-point first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Google this week introduced a new tablet for software developers that belongs to its family of devices supporting the project Tango technologies. The mobile device has Nvidia Tegra K1 application processor inside as well as advanced sensing capabilities that help it to create a 3D model of the environment around it. The specs of the slate give a glimpse on requirements of the Tango technology.

The goal of Google’s project Tango is to give mobile devices a human-scale understanding of space and motion. While the side benefits of the project Tango are advancements in research of robotics and computer vision (something necessary for Google’s self-driving cars), the target applications of the project are mobile devices as well as, hypothetically, wearable computing devices. The Tango is expected to enable multitudes of useful applications for a broad range of needs.

The Project Tango devices feature special hardware (an RGB camera, a motion tracking camera, IR depth sensor(s), motion sensors [gyroscope, accelerometer, speed detection sensor, etc.] as well as special chips/algorithms to process such data efficiently) and software designed to track the full 3D motion of the device, while simultaneously creating a map of the environment. According to Google, the sensors allow the device to make over a quarter million 3D measurements every second, updating its position and orientation in real-time, combining that data into a single 3D model of the space around the device.

google_project_tango_tablet_development_kit_nvidia_tegra_k1

The project Tango tablet development kit is based on Nvidia's Tegra K1 processor and comes with a 7” display with 1920*1080 resolution, 4GB of LPDDR3 memory, 128GB of NAND flash storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 LE as well as 4G/LTE connectivity. The development kit is designed for professional developers interested in exploring the future of mobile 3D sensing.

Nvidia hints that the project Tango tablet devkit utilizes GPGPU [general-purpose computing on GPUs] compute technologies to create 3D environmental models. At present the company’s Tegra K1 with 192 stream processors based on the Kepler architecture that supports OpenCL is among a few mobile SoCs with GPU-compute capabilities. Given that Google already encourages developers to use GPGPU technologies, it looks like the project Tango-based devices will require powerful graphics processing units.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTL1IXTDH30′]

The Project Tango tablet development kit goes on sale later this year for $1024.These development kits are not a consumer device and will be available in limited quantities (some believe that only 4000 units will be made). As usually, Google does not indicate when the project Tango evolves into a commercial product.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Google’s project Tango is a yet another promising technology from the company. While the project Tango definitely has a lot of potential, just like in case of the project Loon, the Google Contact Lens and other, it is completely unclear when it is set to become a product. Perhaps, the first devices featuring elements of the project Tango will emerge already next year. Or maybe in three years from now? No one knows that for sure.

The post Google unveils project Tango tablet: Tegra K1 inside, $1024 price-point first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/google-unveils-project-tango-tablet-tegra-k1-inside-1024-price-point/feed/ 0