open | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:00:11 +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 open | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Thermaltake Core P90 Black Tempered Glass Review – bonkers or brilliant? https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/thermaltake-core-p90-black-tempered-glass-bonkers-or-brilliant/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/thermaltake-core-p90-black-tempered-glass-bonkers-or-brilliant/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2018 09:31:44 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=362517 It's certainly an unusual V-shaped design - but is it actually any use at all?

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It is tricky to describe the Thermaltake Core P90 Tempered Glass as it is unlike any PC case we have ever seen before. That’s a bold statement but a quick glance at our photos and video will confirm we are giving you the genuine low-down as the main part of the chassis is shaped like a giant steel Toblerone. Add four shiny steel poles on each side to support two 5mm thick tempered glass panels and you have a curious structure that can either stand on end using the supplied feet or be laid down … something like a V-angle car engine. Theoretically you could wall mount this chassis on VESA mounts but that seems like a scary proposition as the weight is significant.

In fairness to Thermaltake, they do a decent job of describing this unique new PC chassis when they say it delivers ‘A New Angle on PC Gaming’ — it is also mildly amusing.

As we make clear in our video we cannot really regard the Core P90 Tempered Glass as a PC case and instead think of it more as a platform for showing off your PC hardware. While you might, theoretically, build a gaming PC using this chassis it is very large and bulky and also has no dust filtering whatsoever. If you have pets or small children in the house you can be fairly sure that a finger or nose will end up getting stuck in the wrong place.

On the other hand the Core P90 Tempered Glass is an incredibly visual and striking piece of work and we know this is the sort of thing that appeals to a certain type of PC enthusiast.

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Overview:

  • A New Angle on PC Gaming: Build from a different angle isolating components for proper heat dissipation.
  • 2-Sided Glass Viewing Protection: Surrounded in 5mm thick tempered glass panels to protect and present.
  • Go Vertical: 2-way GPU placement allows vertical GPU mounting (TT Gaming Riser Cable Included)
  • 3-Way Placement Layout: Supporting 3-way placement layouts (Wall-mount, Vertical and Horizontal) angle your PC in multiple ways.

Specification
Type: ATX Mid Tower
Motherboard Compatibility: ATX/Micro-ATX/Mini-ITX
CPU cooler height limitation: 180mm
VGA length limitation: 320mm
PSU Length Limitation: 220mm
Side Panel Windows: 2x 5mm Tempered Glass Panels
Drive Bays:
3x 2.5-inch (HDD Bracket)
2x 2.5-inch or 2x 3.5-inch (Behind the M/B tray)
2x 2.5-inch or 2x 3.5-inch optional
Expansion Slots: 8
I/O Ports: 2x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x Headphone, 1x Mic Ports
Cooling Fan Support: 4x 120mm or 3x 140mm
Radiator Support: 1x 120mm/240mm/360mm/480mm or 1x 140mm/280mm/420mm
VESA Compatibility: 200×200, 100×100, 75×75
Dimensions: 470mm (H) x 470mm (W) x 615mm (D)
Weight: 17.2kg

Full specification HERE

The notes we made while we were assembling a system using the Core P90 Tempered Glass cover a handful of points that illustrate our minor struggles as we came to terms with this new type of case. Sorry, chassis.

This is one of the very few ‘cases’ on the market to come without any fans at all.
The front supporting feet are essential to support the chassis. Those 5mm glass panels are heavy!
There is no support frame for the I/O panel so the solid nature of our Asus ROG Maximus X Formula worked perfectly.
With this case you pay a lot to be different.

Once you have unpacked the chassis you will find there is a certain amount of assembly that you have to perform, which is the opposite of a regular case where you pull off the panels and remove various components such as drive bays. Here you have to install the two brackets that retain your power supply and attach the eight posts that support the glass, and then you have to make a few decisions. If you are standing the chassis upright you need to install the feet, which is fiddly and you will find that life is easier if you use a magnetic screwdriver.

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Following on from that, if you are installing a cooler or some hard drive on the right hand side you will need to install a couple of mounting brackets. Alternatively if you want to lay your graphics card down flat using the PCI Express extension cable you will need to use a different bracket. Once you decide where the graphics card is going you can then install the expansion card support bracket and then you can get on with the motherboard and the rest of the hardware.

If you have plans to use a full custom cooling loop instead of an air cooler or closed loop cooler then you need to step back and consider your plans carefully. As we show in our video, Australian PC modder Stuart Tonks installed the pump/reservoir units on the back of the chassis, which is certainly unusual.

Once the PC is assembled you appreciate how the Core P90 Tempered Glass breaks pretty much every rule in the game. Most of the components are mounted externally where they are on show and the only internal parts of interest are the handful of drive bays. We cannot imagine anyone is likely to build a PC using this chassis with multiple drives, however the option has been provided. At first it seems strange thing that the chassis allows air to flow through from one side to the other but in fact this is an essential feature as you would otherwise find your fans and radiator were mounted against a solid surface, and that is unlikely to end well.

Once you appreciate the way the centre of the chassis works you will quickly appreciate that cable management is a difficult task. The chassis has a large number of mounting holes and slots for installing hardware and a series of large holes for air flow, so the best course of action is to keep the build minimalist and reduce clutter to a minimum.

Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i7-8700K, GTX 1080 and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Thermaltake Core P90 TG‘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: 4.3GHz Intel Core i7-8700K
Motherboard: Asus ROG Maximus X Formula
CPU cooler: Thermaltake Water 3.0 Riing RGB 280
Memory: 16GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3866MHz
Graphics card: EVGA GTX 1080 SC
Power supply: Sea Sonic Prime Titanium 600W Fanless
Storage drives: Samsung 960 M.2 SSD
OS: Windows 10 Pro

Cooling Performance

 

Thermaltake Core P90 Tempered Glass is completely open and allows air to flow through your cooling hardware with near-zero restrictions. The result is CPU and GPU temperatures that are very low, however it is worth noting there will be very little airflow over components such as the VRMs or your liquid cooled graphics card.

Acoustics performance
The only fans in our test system were the two 140mm fans on the Thermaltake Water 3.0 liquid cooler and they were controlled by PWM at low speed. Despite the open nature of the chassis this system was very quiet and was effectively inaudible during our video, despite its close proximity.

Closing Thoughts

In all probability you made up your mind about the Thermaltake Core P90 Tempered Glass during the first minute of our video. It has a unique form factor and is both big and imposing, but whether these are problems or features is entirely a matter of personal opinion. If you want a conventional case that contains your hardware the Core P90 is pretty much hopeless, and the same is true if you want a PC you can take to LAN parties or place discreetly under your desk. In these scenarios the Core P90 is no good at all.

 

On the other hand if you want to build a big, brash and eye-catching system with the hardware on show you will very likely find the Thermaltake Core P5 is a better choice as it is a more conventional shape.

This V-shaped chassis is so unusual that is it suited to a very small handful of builders and modders and that is the reason why we didn’t mention the price during the video as it is irrelevant. Sure it looks expensive at £194.99 (you’ll find it slightly cheaper if you look hard) but £100, £200 or £300 are much of a muchness when you’re talking about something that is unique.

In a similar vein the build quality is the usual Thermaltake thing where the panels are quite flexible and the screws do not feel especially good, but the whole things goes together well enough and does a reasonable job.

If we were comparing the Thermaltake Core P90 with a Fractal Design or Phanteks chassis that would very likely be a damning criticism but it isn’t, not this time. This case is unique and the usual comparisons do not really apply. You either look at Core P90 and immediately develop a plan or wonder what the heck it is all about while walking swiftly in the other direction.

Buy from Overclockers UK for £194.99 inc VAT HERE

Pros:

  • Unique V-shaped configuration.
  • Two hefty 5mm tempered glass panels.
  • Can accommodate a 420mm or 480mm radiator.
  • Open design ensures plenty of cooling air.

Cons:

  • A large chassis that requires plenty of space.
  • You get novel looks but not much else.
  • Installing a custom loop could prove difficult.
  • Cable management is an obvious problem.

KitGuru says: Thermaltake Core P90 Tempered Glass is a unique V-shaped PC chassis.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

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Ubisoft’s VR lineup will be hardware agnostic, cross-platform https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/ubisofts-vr-lineup-will-be-hardware-agnostic-cross-platform/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/vr/jon-martindale/ubisofts-vr-lineup-will-be-hardware-agnostic-cross-platform/#respond Wed, 30 Nov 2016 08:54:02 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=313404 Whether you have an Oculus Rift, a HTC Vive or a PSVR headset and tracking solution, you'll be able to play all of Ubisoft's upcoming VR games. Thanks to the launch of Oculus Touch in the next few days, all platforms will have motion controls and should play Ubisoft's new VR titles just fine. Ubisoft has …

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Whether you have an Oculus Rift, a HTC Vive or a PSVR headset and tracking solution, you'll be able to play all of Ubisoft's upcoming VR games. Thanks to the launch of Oculus Touch in the next few days, all platforms will have motion controls and should play Ubisoft's new VR titles just fine.

Ubisoft has three virtual reality titles in the works right now: Eagle Flight, a game that has you play a bird flying around Paris; Star Trek: Bridge Crew, which looks like a digital version of the Space Cadets board game, and Werewolves Within, a virtual reality recreation of the Werewolves party game. Whichever you play though, you can play it on any hardware and better yet, play against anyone on any hardware.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=romB8e5nMp8′]

That means if your friend has a Rift and you have a PSVR, you can play together and the same of any combination of the aforementioned headsets. It's not quite perfect just yet, with Eagle Flight VR not having HTC Vive functionality just yet, but it's coming on 20th December (thanks EG). The other games too aren't quite out yet, with Werewolves Within set to launch on 6th December and Star Trek: Bridge Crew in March 2017.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWBb1LgtITc']

This move by Ubisoft should guarantee it has a larger audience for all of its games, as well as improve the player bases for each title, since they will have a larger pool of players to draw from.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I haven't done much in the way of multiplayer in virtual reality yet, but I could definitely see myself getting behind Werewolves and Bridge Crew. I love those sorts of cooperative, social games on the tabletop.

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Earthquake zone residents urged to leave Wi-Fi open https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/earthquake-zone-residents-urged-to-leave-wi-fi-open/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/security-software/jon-martindale/earthquake-zone-residents-urged-to-leave-wi-fi-open/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2016 14:00:15 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=304324 In the wake of the Italian earthquake which has claimed the lives of several hundred people, local residents of stricken areas are being asked to remove the password protection on their Wi-Fi networks, as mobile networks continue to remain down. The Italian Red Cross put the call out first, as it was struggling to organise …

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In the wake of the Italian earthquake which has claimed the lives of several hundred people, local residents of stricken areas are being asked to remove the password protection on their Wi-Fi networks, as mobile networks continue to remain down.

The Italian Red Cross put the call out first, as it was struggling to organise its various support workers and their expanded teams, with spotty coverage and unstable networks. With open Wi-Fi connections in various areas, that at least gives data access to those who need it (thanks Ars).

Currently some 4,300 rescue workers are involved in the clearing of rubble in a desperate attempt to recover those who may still be trapped beneath it. Coordinating that many people without unified communications tools has proved difficult, but as Wi-Fi networks open up and some mobile coverage is restored, it's hoped that it will become easier.

Of course traditionally it's a very bad idea to leave your Wi-Fi network unsecured. Not only could someone hijack your connection and use it to infiltrate the hardware you have connected to the service, but it could be used for identity theft or even to make you a scapegoat of a crime committed on the network.

In this instance though, the Italian Red Cross suggests that convenience trumps security for the time being.

KitGuru Says: While most of you are unlikely to be able to help out with Wi-Fi, don't forget you can donate directly to the Italian Red Cross which will give them funds they desperately need to continue the rescue efforts. 

Donate here.

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The internet’s creator want’s it to stay free and open https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/the-internets-creator-wants-it-to-stay-free-and-open/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/the-internets-creator-wants-it-to-stay-free-and-open/#respond Fri, 07 Feb 2014 10:07:10 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=176620 One of the founding fathers of the internet and creator of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee has spoken out about the current state of the internet in the March issue of Wired magazine, stating that he doesn't want to see countries developing their own closed off internet infrastructure in order to keep the rest …

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One of the founding fathers of the internet and creator of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee has spoken out about the current state of the internet in the March issue of Wired magazine, stating that he doesn't want to see countries developing their own closed off internet infrastructure in order to keep the rest of the world out.

“I want a web that's open, works internationally, works as well as possible and is not nation-based,” Berners-Lee said, highlighting examples like Brazil and Iran which are both developing their own internal internet platforms. It's not all of their fault he said, pointing the finger at schemes like PRISM and Tempora as to overreaching that has hugely decreased trust in international, specifically Western, digital business.

berners
Good ol' Berners

However he seems relatively optimistic about the future, suggesting that at least big companies will be unlikely to develop the monopolies that are required for a really restrictive internet, because competition is just too fierce to let that happen. It's self censorship that may come in the wake of NSA spying that does have him worrying though and the fact that distrust between governments over spying may mean the creation of digital iron curtains in places like China.

He also defended Edward Snowden, saying men like him needed protection more than anything: “It's a really important culture, it's important to have the geek community as a whole think about its responsibility and what it can do. We need various alternative voices pushing back on conventional government sometimes.”

KitGuru Says: Any time someone prominent comes out in favour of the an open internet it gives me hope. My career and livelihood is only possible because people around the world can read what I write, but more than that, the internet's international neutrality has the greatest potential to bring us all together, despite the trolls. It lets anyone talk to anyone and that's something that's never been possible in human history. It's so, so important. 

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Jessops set to return with Dragon Peter Jones https://www.kitguru.net/channel/harrison/jessops-set-to-return-with-dragon-peter-jones/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/harrison/jessops-set-to-return-with-dragon-peter-jones/#respond Thu, 28 Mar 2013 15:57:53 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=129946 While his normal role on Dragon's Den involves handing out £10,000 for a new kind of biscuit or £15,000 for a sock that makes your feet smell like buttered toast, Peter Jones is hardly a muppet when it comes to investment. His sudden interest in defunct high street photography brand Jessops could see the old …

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While his normal role on Dragon's Den involves handing out £10,000 for a new kind of biscuit or £15,000 for a sock that makes your feet smell like buttered toast, Peter Jones is hardly a muppet when it comes to investment. His sudden interest in defunct high street photography brand Jessops could see the old girl spring into life any second now. Quiet on set.

With a £5 million cheque in his hand, Peter Jones seems to have compared the market and is upping the stakes for the rights to be Britain's best loved camera supplier.

‘Back in a flash'

This is the message that appeared on the front door of the 30 Jessops stores that this morning re-opened, it’s also the message that is still visible on the landing page of Jessops website.

So could Jessops be the first major high street brand to make a successful comeback or is this flash just a flash in the pan?

Back in January we reported on the shutters closing for Jessops as they headed in to administration with the loss of almost 1,500 jobs and the closure of 187 stores.

But, more importantly, the loss of one of the only national photography chain stores in the UK – following in the wake of the Jacobs collapse. After the demise of Jessops, there were plenty of companies interested in taking a slice of their market, but Peter Jones of Dragons den fame seems to have come out on top after buying the company, its website and all assets, from the administrators for £5 million.

Jones, who is now chief exec and chairman of Jessops is expected to invest a further £5 million in the business this year.

He feels that his unique experience and high-profile style will enable him to get to the Levi Roots of Jessops challenges and turn the business around.

He has downsized the company to just 30 stores with plans to open no more than an additional 20 stores in the UK.  Jones is also putting more emphasis on having ‘online pricing within the stores' to encourage people to visit the high street, knowing that they will be getting the best price possible.

So, with the new direction, new captain at the helm and a focus and vision for the future will Jessops once again become a household high street brand or is this just a last ditch attempt at reviving a lost brand?

Will Peter Jones' focus be sharp enough to bring out the colour in Jessops' financial cheeks?

.

Kitguru says: While Amazon is fantastic for making the final purchase when you know exactly what you want – there is a lot to be said for having a specialist local retailer, with stock on the shelves, who can give you the advice you need. Seven days a week. In KitGuru's experience, ‘hands-on' wins every time where the long lens is concerned.

Comment

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Sandia Lab opens its doors on 12th September https://www.kitguru.net/channel/science/harrison/sandia-lab-opens-its-doors-on-12th-september/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/science/harrison/sandia-lab-opens-its-doors-on-12th-september/#respond Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:18:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=107322 Born from the radioactive dust of the Manhattan project, Sandia started life for real in 1948 as a focused laboratory whose prime area of interest was to support/create/develop the parts of nuclear weapons that were not nuclear. While other labs would focus on increasing the power of warheads etc, Sandia was looking at things like …

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Born from the radioactive dust of the Manhattan project, Sandia started life for real in 1948 as a focused laboratory whose prime area of interest was to support/create/develop the parts of nuclear weapons that were not nuclear. While other labs would focus on increasing the power of warheads etc, Sandia was looking at things like safety, reliability and future disposal. On 12th September, it will open the doors on its present research projects – but what will we find?

It was Robert Oppenheimer who first suggested that the non-nuclear parts of nuclear weapons should be dealt with by a separate organisation. In 1945, its forerunner, Z-Division, was born and by 1949 the name had changed to Sandia and it had its first permanent buildings. For almost 80 years, Sandia has been recruiting some of the world's smartest minds and, as its mission evolved, it has achieved some notable milestones.

During weapons testing, parts of the product under investigation could end up being spread across a huge area of the test site. Sandia scientists developed techniques to help track down the missing parts, and some of these techniques are still being used today by crash team investigators.

All of this work required huge compute power – and Sandia has pioneered a lot of clever projects in this area.

For example, in 1977, the US government decided that it needed to find ways for multiple research labs to share work and data – and the SLATEC open source library for Fortran was born – enabling scientists to draw upon more than 1,400 pre-written routines.

Sandia's love for powerful processing systems has meant that, several times, the world's most powerful computer has been sitting one of its labs. For example, in 1996, Sandia worked with Intel to create the world's first Teraflop computer – known as ASCI Red. It was so far in advance of anything else the world had ever seen, that it remained the fastest computer on the planet for more than 3 years. What was more remarkable, was that ASCI Red was built from components that were readily available in the market.

When you check Sandia's achievements, you get a real sense of ‘geeks gone wild' – pushing back the frontiers and seeing what's possible – purely from a research point of view. For example, when the Sandia chaps decided to do work with X-Rays, they naturally created the world's largest X-Ray generator, known as the Z-Machine. When fired, this device can – for a fraction of a second – generate more electricity that the rest of the planet combined. Not just ‘more', but 80x more. 290 trillion watts. Impressive stuff.

Here's a little list of other interesting stuff/innovation that Sandia has managed to deliver over the years:-

  • First successful tracking and impact-point prediction for an asteroid hitting the Earth
  • Injecting single-cell organisms into nano-structures to alter the design during building
  • Shoulder-length Kevlar gauntlets to protect soldiers while firing weapons in battle
  • Airbags to allow spacecraft to successfully crash land on other worlds
  • Super-microscopes that allow doctors to see, in detail, why human cells fail against some diseases while successfully fighting off others
  • Development of a process to allow for safe disassembly of the USA's nuclear stockpile

KitGuru was curious to know more about the Sandia open day event and what will be shown. Here's what we know.

Sandia President and Laboratories Director Paul Hommert will open up some of his organisation's latest work to the public at the Embassy Suites in Albuquerque on 12th September. There will be four main areas: Cybersecurity, Energy Security, Nano/Micro-Science and Water.

The Sandia web site's front pages include a lot of pro-USA rhetoric, but as an organisation it seems to do a good job of taking the ‘sideline discoveries' that happen along the way – and turning them into ‘something useful for mankind as a whole'.

The Z-Machine is insulated from the world by 2 million litres of special oil - as well as 2 million litres of water. Which is still not enough to prevent nearly everything outside glowing.

KitGuru says: It gives you an idea of where the world is, mentally, that a lab whose primary function for coming into existence was to provide essential support for the American nuclear weapons programme – but whose latest achievements include de-commissioning of warheads and a big push on water. More power to them.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

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