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What helium shortage? I have a bunch stored in my HGST drive
Subject: General Tech | March 26, 2015 - 12:32 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: hgst, western digital, helium, hdd
The new generation of helium filled HDD from HGST take their longevity seriously, rating them at 2.5 million hours MTBF. This generation also has 7 disks squeezed into the shell, with current capacities reaching 8TB and a shingled 10TB model currently being tested for release later this year. The increased life and storage density are only part of the benefits that helium brings, 23% lower operating power and temperatures 4-5°C lower than traditional drives will also have an impact on data centre operating costs. In their article The Register did ask how long the HelioSeal will keep the helium contained and while they did not get an exact figure, the 5 year warranty gives you a good idea of a lower limit.
"HGST has announced second-generation helium drive tech after shipping a million gen-1 Helium drives and upping field reliability by 15 per cent."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- LibreOffice heads to the cloud in bid to take on Microsoft and Google @ The Inquirer
- Intel industrial solutions tool aims at faster IoT deployment @ The Inqurier
- TSMC to supply chips for rumored iPhone 6S and 6C @ DigiTimes
- And the prize for LEAST SECURE BROWSER goes to ... Chrome! @ The Register
- Google-gate: 'Toothless' watchdog FTC nibbles furiously on journalists @ The Register
- GTC 2015 In-depth Recap: Deep-learning, Quadro M6000, Autonomous Driving & More @ Techgage
Our first DX12 Performance Results
Late last week, Microsoft approached me to see if I would be interested in working with them and with Futuremark on the release of the new 3DMark API Overhead Feature Test. Of course I jumped at the chance, with DirectX 12 being one of the hottest discussion topics among gamers, PC enthusiasts and developers in recent history. Microsoft set us up with the latest iteration of 3DMark and the latest DX12-ready drivers from AMD, NVIDIA and Intel. From there, off we went.
First we need to discuss exactly what the 3DMark API Overhead Feature Test is (and also what it is not). The feature test will be a part of the next revision of 3DMark, which will likely ship in time with the full Windows 10 release. Futuremark claims that it is the "world's first independent" test that allows you to compare the performance of three different APIs: DX12, DX11 and even Mantle.
It was almost one year ago that Microsoft officially unveiled the plans for DirectX 12: a move to a more efficient API that can better utilize the CPU and platform capabilities of future, and most importantly current, systems. Josh wrote up a solid editorial on what we believe DX12 means for the future of gaming, and in particular for PC gaming, that you should check out if you want more background on the direction DX12 has set.
One of DX12 keys for becoming more efficient is the ability for developers to get closer to the metal, which is a phrase to indicate that game and engine coders can access more power of the system (CPU and GPU) without having to have its hand held by the API itself. The most direct benefit of this, as we saw with AMD's Mantle implementation over the past couple of years, is improved quantity of draw calls that a given hardware system can utilize in a game engine.
Continue reading our overview of the new 3DMark API Overhead Feature Test with early DX12 Performance Results!!
Acer's Latest 15.6" Chromebook Powered By Core i5 (Broadwell-U) Processor
Subject: General Tech | March 26, 2015 - 01:34 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: core i5, Chromebook, chrome os, broadwell-u, acer
Acer is adding an updated Chromebook to its education-focused C910 lineup. The new Acer C910-54M1 ups the hardware ante by incorporating a Broadwell-U based Intel Core i5 processor which will make this the fastest Chromebook on the market (for what that's worth).
This new C910 remains aimed at schools and businesses with a sturdy frame, large (for a Chromebook) 15.6" (up to) 1080p display, and eight hours of battery life. Below the display sits an island style keyboard and a large trackpad. Except for the arrow keys, Acer was able to use "regular" sized keys and did not shrink the shift or backspace keys which can be annoying. A webcam and two large upward facing speakers are also present on the C910.
External I/O includes:
- 1 x USB 3.0
- 1 x USB 2.0
- 1 x HDMI
- 1 x SD card reader
The port selection is about what one would expect from a Chromebook, but the inclusion of USB 3.0 is welcome for accessing external storage.
Internally, the C910 Chromebook is powered by a dual core (four threads with Hyper-Threading) Broadwell-U Core i5 5200U processor clocked at 2.2GHz base and up to 2.7GHz Turbo Boost with a 15W TDP and 3MB cache. This particular processor includes Intel HD Graphics 5500 clocked at up to 900 MHz. Other hardware includes 4GB DDR3 memory and a 32GB SSD. Wireless hardware includes 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.
Acer's new Chromebook is big and powerful, but will the increased hardware provide a noticeably better Chrome OS experience? Intel (naturally) seems to think so with its push to get Core i3 processors into Chromebooks last year. The Broadwell-U Core i5 should be just as fast (maybe even a bit faster with smoother UX and graphics) while sipping power. The alleged eight hours of battery life is impressive as well considering. The downside, because of course there always is one, is pricing. The C910-54M1 will be available in April with a 1080p display for $500.
At that price point, it is squarely in budget Windows notebook territory as well as high end convertible (e.g. Bay Trail) tablet territory. It will be interesting to see how it ends up doing compared to the other options which each have their own trade offs.
Are you interested in a Chromebook with a Core i5 processor?
Rumor: Intel Is Now Powering Both Surface and Surface Pro
Subject: Processors, Mobile | March 25, 2015 - 09:51 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Intel, core m, atom, surface, Surface 2, Windows 8.1, windows 10
The stack of Microsoft tablet devices had high-end Intel Core processors hovering over ARM SoCs, the two separated by a simple "Pro" label (and Windows 8.x versus Windows RT). While the Pro line has been kept reasonably up to date, the lower tier has been stagnant for a while. That is apparently going to change. WinBeta believes that a new, non-Pro Surface will be announced soon, at or before BUILD 2015. Unlike previous Surface models, it will be powered by an x86 processor from Intel, either an Atom or a Core M.
This also means it will run Windows 8.1.
The article claims, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that Windows RT is dead. No. But still, the device should be eligible for a Windows 10 upgrade when it launches, unlike the RT-based Surfaces. Whether that is a surprise depends on the direction you view it from. I would find it silly for Microsoft to release a new Surface device, months before an OS update, but design it to be incompatible with it. On the other hand, it would be the first non-Pro Surface to do so. Either way, it was reported.
The "Surface 3", whatever it will be called, is expected to be a fanless design. VR-Zone expects that it will be similar to the 10.6-inch, 1080p form factor of the Surface 2, but that seems to be their speculation. That is about all that we know thus far.
Windows Apps Still Smell Like Windows RT
Subject: General Tech | March 25, 2015 - 06:23 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: microsoft, windows, windows 10, winRT, windows rt
Even though I am really liking the Windows 10 operating system from a technical standpoint, I did not mind Windows 8.x, as software, either. My concern was its promotion of the Windows Store for the exact same reasons that I dislike the iOS App Store. Simply put, for your application to even exist, Microsoft (or Apple) needs to certify you as a developer, which they can revoke at any time, and they need to green light your creations.
This has a few benefits, especially for Microsoft. First and foremost, it gives them a killswitch for malicious software and their developers. Second, it gives them as much control over the platform as they want. If devices start flowing away from x86 to other instruction sets, like we almost saw a few years ago, then Windows can pick up and go with much less friction than the corner they painted themselves into with Win32.
This also means that developers need to play ball, even for terms that Microsoft is forced to apply because of pressure for specific governments. LGBT groups should be particularly concerned as other platforms are already banning apps that are designed for their members. Others could be concerned about encryption and adult art, even in Western nations. If Microsoft, or someone with authority over them, doesn't want your content to exist: it's gone (unless it can run in a web browser).
On the plus side, I don't see the rule where third-party browser engines are banned anymore. When Windows 8 launched, all browsers needed to be little more than a reskin of Internet Explorer.
Beyond censorship, if Microsoft does not offer a side-loading mechanism for consumers, you also might need to give Microsoft a cut of your sales. You don't even seem to be able to give your app to specific people. If you want to propose to your significant other via a clever app, there does not seem to be a method to share it outside of the Windows Store unless you set up their device as a Window developer ahead of time.
Why do I say all this today? Because Microsoft has branded Universal Apps as Windows apps, and their strategy seems to be completely unchanged in these key areas. What kept me from updating to Windows 8 was not its user interface. It was the same thing that brought me to develop in Web technologies and volunteer for Mozilla.
It was the developer certification and lack of side-loading for modern apps.
I get it. Microsoft is tired of being bullied with crap about how it is insecure and a pain for the general public. At the very least, they need a way for users to opt out, though. What they are doing with Windows 10 is very nice, and I would like to see it as my main operating system, but I need to prioritize alternative platforms if this one is heading in a very dark direction.
Win32 might be a legacy API, but the ability to write what I want should not be.
Can OCZ's Vector change 180 degrees with their new SSD?
Subject: Storage | March 25, 2015 - 06:04 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Vector 180, ssd, sata, ocz, 960GB, 480GB, 240gb, barefoot 3, toshiba mlc
If you haven't already done so you should start out with Al's deep dive into the new OCZ Vector 180 SSDs, which uses the Barefoot 3 controller with Toshiba A19 MLC flash and suffers similar issues to other drives using these components. Once you are done studying you can take a look at other reviews, such as the performance overview at The Tech Report of this drive which is extremely similar to the ARC 100 and Radeon R7 SSDs. The drives are definitely aimed at the value conscious user, while most are currently not in stock at Amazon, the pricing of 120GB @ $90, 240GB at $185 and 480 at $270 are not bad for initial release. The Tech Report does plan on doing more testing but from what they saw in their testing the new Vector 180 beats the 150 for performance.
"OCZ's Vector SSDs are among the fastest around, and now there's a new one. The Vector 180 combines the company's proprietary Barefoot 3 controller with Toshiba's latest "A19" NAND. We've taken a closer look at the drive—and OCZ's recent reliability rep—to see what's what."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- OCZ Vector 180 480GB and 960GB @ Kitguru
- Crucial MX200 250GB SSD Review @ NikKTech
- Vector 180 SSD @ HardwareHeaven
- OCZ Vector 180 @ The SSD Review
- Crucial BX100 1TB @ eTeknix
- Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 PCIe SSD (480GB) @ The SSD Review
- Synology DiskStation DS3615xs @ Legion Hardware
- Enermax EMK3203 3.5″ Mobile RAID Rack with 2x 2.5″ Drive Bays @ eTeknix
- Western Digital RED 6TB 3.5″ NAS HDD Four Disk RAID @ eTeknix
- Where the SSD Market is Headed in 2015 @ [H]ard|OCP
Introduction, Specifications and Packaging
OCZ has been on a fairly steady release track since their aquisition by Toshiba. Having previously pared down their product lines, taking a minimalist approach, the other half of that cycle has taken place with releases like the OCZ AMD Radeon R7. Today we see another addition to OCZ's lineup, in the form of a newer Vector - the Vector 180 Series:
Today we will run all three available capacities (240GB, 480GB, and 960GB) through our standard round of testing. I've thrown in an R7 as a point of comparison, as well as a hand full of the competition.
Here are the specs from OCZ's slide presentation, included here as it gives a good spec comparison across OCZ's SATA product range.
Standard packaging here. 3.5" adapter bracket and Acronis 2013 cloning software product key included.
About time you provided some in game footage, meet Blood Bowl 2
Subject: General Tech | March 25, 2015 - 02:46 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gaming, blood bowl 2
The teaser trailer for Blood Bowl 2 has been around for a while but was obviously not representative of what the game will look like in match. Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN has posted a new video which does feature a look at the new interface for those who find the NFL nowhere near as violent as they like their football. Cyanide is starting the game out with 8 races so it is possible that some of the more interesting balance issues caused by certain races in the first iteration will be ironed out, hopefully as they include new races they will be available for little or no money for those who purchased the initial release of this sequel. If you enjoy inflicting turn-based tactical trauma then keep your eyes out for this release.
"We've had a little chat with the makers of Blood Bowl II [official site] – and isn't it nice to chat with people! – and peered at a few screenshots and swish trailers. With spring approaching, and therefore the turn-based tactical bloodsport's release, we're at the point in its marketing campaign where we get to see more of the game itself."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Skywind 0.9.6 Video Shows New Details And Weapons @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Space Is The Place – New EVE: Valkyrie Trailer @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition 6-Years Later Review @ OCC
- The Complete History Of Gaming – Part One: Origins @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Discreet fighting man: Battlefield Hardline @ The Register
- Gather Your Party: 10 Minutes Of Sword Coast Legends @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Pillars Of Eternity: The First Half Hour @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
- Elite: Dangerous pays tribute to Terry Pratchett @ HEXUS
- Gaming On Linux With Newest AMD Catalyst Driver Remains Slow @ Slashdot
- BioShock Infinite Is The Latest Game Showing Why Linux Gamers Choose NVIDIA @ Phoronix
Psst, hey buddy I got some nice Android apps for you cheap! They just fell off the back of a truck ya know.
Subject: General Tech | March 25, 2015 - 12:25 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Android, security
If you are running a device with Android 4.3 or earlier you should avoid third-party app stores; arguably all users should but there are times when Google Play does not offer what you need. A security problem with the way that APK files are authenticated during install can allow a seemingly harmless app to be modified, either at the source or while being transmitted, leading to the installation of an app that may not be entirely honest about what it does. Palo Alto Network's testing shows versions 4.4+ do not suffer from this particular problem nor do the vetted apps at the Google Play store. It is unlikely you will encounter this problem unless you usually install things from places like Creepy Ice Cream Van Discount Apps and Malware, but you should be aware of the existence of this issue. More at The Inquirer.
"A FRESH VULNERABILITY CALLED Android Installer Hijacking is making itself known as a threat to almost half of all Android users."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- The New Place Where Linux & Other Open-Source Code Is Constantly Being Benchmarked @ Phoronix
- Adobe Flash fix FAIL exposes world's most popular sites @ The Register
- No, It's Not Always Quicker To Do Things In Memory @ Slashdot
- Australian Company Creates Even Faster 3D Printer @ Slashdot
- First figures in and it doesn't look good for new internet dot-words @ The Register
The perfect laptop; it is every manufacturer's goal. Obviously no one has gotten there yet (or we would have all stopped writing reviews of them). At CES this past January, we got our first glimpse of a new flagship Ultrabook from Dell: the XPS 13. It got immediate attention for some of the physical characteristics it included, like an ultra-thin bezel and a 13-in screen in the body of a typical 11-in laptop, all while being built in a sleek thin and light design. It's not a gaming machine, despite what you might remember from the XPS line, but the Intel Core-series Broadwell-U processor keeps performance speedy in standard computing tasks.
As a frequent traveler that tends to err on the side of thin and light designs, as opposed to high performance notebooks with discrete graphics, the Dell XPS 13 is immediately compelling on a personal level as well. I have long been known as a fan of what Lenovo builds for this space, trusting my work machine requirements to the ThinkPad line for years and year. Dell's new XPS 13 is a strong contender to take away that top spot for me and perhaps force me down the path of an upgrade of my own. So, you might consider this review as my personal thesis on the viability of said change.
The Dell XPS 13 Specifications
First, make sure as you hunt around the web for information on the XPS 13 that you are focusing on the new 2015 model. Much like we see from Apple, Dell reuses model names and that can cause confusion unless you know what specifications to look for or exactly what sub-model you need. Trust me, the new XPS 13 is much better than anything that existed before.
MSI Unveils First AMD AM3+ Motherboard With USB 3.1
Subject: Motherboards | March 25, 2015 - 08:00 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: usb 3.1, usb, msi, amd, am3+, 10Gbps
Last week, MSI launched a slew of new USB 3.1 equipped motherboards. Today, the company is releasing more details on one of the AMD-based products: the MSI 970A SLI Krait Edition. This upcoming motherboard is geared towards gamers using AMD FX (AM3+) processors and supports multi-GPU setups (both SLI and CrossFire). The 970A SLI Krait Edition has a black and white color scheme with rich expansion options and large aluminum heatsinks over the VRMs and northbridge.
The AM3+ processor socket sits to the left of four DDR3 memory slots. Six expansion slots take up the majority of the lower half of the board and include two PCI-E x16, two PCI-E x1, and two PCI slots. Six SATA ports occupy the bottom-right corner with four at 90-degree angles. MSI is using its latest "Military Class 4" capacitors and other hardware along with gold audio traces connecting the rear IO audio jacks to the onboard sound chip.
Speaking of rear IO, you will find the following ports on the 970A SLI Krait Edition.
- 2 x PS/2
- 6 x USB 2.0
- 2 x USB 3.1
- 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
- 6 x Analog Audio
The main feature that MSI is pushing with this new board is the addition of two USB 3.1 (Type A) ports to the AMD platform. This is the first AM3+ motherboard to support the faster standard – up to 10 Gbps using an Asmedia ASM1352R controller – while also being backwards compatible with older USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 devices.
MSI has not yet released pricing or availability, but expect it to launch soon for less than $100.
Josh's Thoughts
Few specifications have been released about this board so far, as well as no timetable for the launch. It is a finished product and should be out "soon" as Tim mentioned.
There are a few things we can gather from the photo of the board. The audio solution is not nearly as robust as we saw with the 970 Gaming motherboard. I doubt it will have the headphone amplification, and the filtering is going to be less due to fewer caps used. The audio is still physically isolated on the PCB, but it has not received the same focus as what we saw on 970 Gaming.
It looks like it is a full 8+2 power phase implementation, as it is taking up more space on the board than the 6+2 unit on the 970 Gaming did. This should allow for a greater selection of CPUs to be used, as well as potentially greater overclocking ability. It does not feature a separate SATA controller, so all 6 SATA ports on the board are handled by the SB950. There are no external e-SATA ports, which really is not a big deal as those are rarely used.
This looks to be a nice addition to the fading AM3+ market. For those holding onto their AMD builds and wish to upgrade, this looks to be an inexpensive option with next generation connectivity. MSI looks to have paid the licensing fee necessary to support SLI, plus they utilize the same AMD 970 chipset on the 970 Gaming that is not supposed to be able to split the 1 x 16X PEG connection to 2 x 8X slots. Some interesting design and chippery are required to that.
Pixar Renderman Is Free for Non-Commercial Use
Subject: General Tech | March 24, 2015 - 09:44 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: renderman, pixar, disney
Well that's a surprise. Pixar Renderman, the software used and developed by Pixar to turn computer-represented geometry into wonderful images, is now free for non-commercial use. This is not quite as free as Unreal Engine 4, which does not require royalties for rendered audio/video at all because the content is viewed without the engine, but free for non-commercial is still a big deal considering what Renderman is. While Pixar is known for their movies, they are very much software engineers.
Thumbs up all around.
Image Credit: Pixar via Animation Magazine
Currently the rendering package integrates with Autodesk Maya and KATANA by The Foundry. Pixar has Cinema4D and Houdini listed as "in development". They also claim to be interested in 3D Studio Max, because of course they are, as well as Modo, Rhino, Lightwave, and Blender.
Yay Blender!
The above list only considers dedicated plug-ins. Pixar Renderman can also be run as a standalone application that accepts their file format, "RIB", from a command-line interface. There has been many of these for Blender and other 3D suites over the last basically forever. A plug-in is nicer for artists however, and it is good to see Pixar is not afraid of open-source suites to pair with their proprietary rendering package. Also, "Blenderman" is a hilarious name.
In love with smartwatches but want them open source and under $1000?
Subject: Mobile | March 24, 2015 - 07:02 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Android, linux, smartwatch
Linux.com offers you a shopping list of smartwatches which are all less expensive than the fruit flavoured models and run Android or Linux. From familiar models like the Pebble and the older and less impressive Neptune Pine and Omate TrueSmart to leaked models like the Tizen-based Samsung Orbis you have quite a few choices to look through. There is even Monohm's large Runcible that is more of a pocket watch than a wrist watch to consider. In many cases the details are a bit lacking but the model names are known so you can get a leg up on your research for when they are finally revealed with full specifications.
"Much to the delight of Apple fanbots everywhere, Apple has now fully unveiled the Apple Watch. The watch, which was previewed in September, will go on sale April 10 and ship on the 24th. Based on its brand name, styling, accessories, and battery life claims, it will likely be a big hit -- at least as far as smartwatches go."
Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
- ASUS ZenFone 6 Mobile @ Kitguru
- Kingston Technologies Mobile Lite G4 Media Reader @ Bjorn3d.com
- Kingston Technologies Data Traveler microDuo 3 @ Bjorn3d
- Seagate Wireless 500GB mobile storage drive @ Kitguru
- Startech Universal USB 3.0 Laptop Docking Station @ Bjorn3d
- MSI GE62 2QD Apache @ HardwareHeaven
Watercooling your EVGA X99 with Bitspower
Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 24, 2015 - 02:12 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: evga, X99 Classified, X99 FTW, watercooling, Bitspower, THOR EIX99
Now that most of the features once present on motherboards have been moved to the CPU there is far less need to watercool your chipset. However for the extreme overclocker there are advantages to cooling the MOSFETs on the VRM and PCH as well as the CPU itself. Modders-Inc has just reviewed the Bitspower THOR EIX99, specifically designed for EVGA's X99 Classified and FTW motherboards. The acrylic housing for the waterblocks bring a unique look to your motherboard as well as offering improvements to heat management. By installing the cooler Modders-Inc hit 4.5 GHz on an i7 5960X, not too bad for a $160 investment. The installation was simple but if you invest the time to design a custom watercooling loop you can get even more performance out of this kit.
"Bitspower makes various options for water blocks that cover Gigabyte, ASRock, MSI, Asus and EVGA motherboards. Recently, we reviewed the EVGA X99 Classified and that motherboard is designed to push the CPU as high as possible if the cooling equipment allows. Bitspower's THOR EIX99 is specifically designed to cover the EVGA X99 Classified as well as the EVGA X99 FTW motherboard, cooling the critical motherboard components and providing the thermal headroom that the MOSFETs and other parts require for a stable overclock."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
- SilverStone Tundra TD03-E LCS, Water That CPU @ Bjorn3d
- NZXT S340 Steel Mid-Tower Case @ [H]ard|OCP
- Be Quiet! Silent Base 800 Review @ OCC
- SilverStone Kublai KL05B @ Benchmark Reviews
- SilverStone PS11B-Q Mid-Tower Case @ Benchmark Reviews
- In Win 707 Full-Tower @ eTeknix
- BitFenix Prodigy M @ techPowerUp
- Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX @ Kitguru
- SilverStone SG13 SFF Case @ HardwareHeaven
- Raidmax Atomic ITX-107WB @ Benchmark Reviews
Introduction and Features
EVGA has just announced the arrival of two new GS power supplies in their popular SuperNOVA line, the 550GS and 650GS. Both power supplies are 80 Plus Gold certified and feature all modular cables, high-quality Japanese brand capacitors, and a super quiet 120mm cooling fan (with the ability to operate in silent, fan-less mode at low power levels). The 550GS and 650GS are housed in a compact chassis (150mm deep) and are backed by a 5-year warranty. These new GS units are manufactured by Seasonic and will start selling for $89.99 (550GS) and $99.99 (650GS) this spring.
EVGA was founded in 1999 with headquarters in Brea, California. They continue to specialize in producing NVIDIA based graphics adapters and Intel based motherboards and keep expanding their PC power supply product line, which currently includes twenty-two models ranging from the high-end 1,600W SuperNOVA T2 to the budget minded EVGA 400W power supply.
In this review we will be taking a detailed look at both the EVGA SuperNOVA 550GS and 650GS power supplies. It's nice when we receive two slightly different units in the same product series to look for consistency during testing.
Here is what EVGA has to say about the new SuperNOVA GS Gold PSUs: "The EVGA GS power supply lineup has arrived. These power supplies offer superior performance, at extremely low noise levels making these the perfect power supplies for a low noise environment. These power supplies also feature ECO mode meaning that the fan will run only when necessary, further reducing noise level and power consumption.
The EVGA SuperNOVA 550GS/650GS power supply raises the bar with 550W/650W of continuous power delivery and 90% (115VAC) / 92% (220VAC-240VAC) efficiency. A fully modular design with compact dimensions reduces case clutter and 100% Japanese capacitors ensures that only the absolute best components are used. This gives you the best stability, reliability, overclockability and unparalleled control. The EVGA SuperNOVA 550GS/650GS is the ultimate tool to eliminate all system bottlenecks and achieve unrivaled performance."
EVGA SuperNOVA 550 GS and 650 GS Gold PSU Key Features:
• Fully modular cables to reduce clutter and improve airflow
• 80PLUS Gold certified, with up to 90% (115VAC) / 92% (240VAC) efficiency
• Tight voltage regulation (2%), stable power with low AC ripple and noise
• Highest quality Japanese brand capacitors ensure long-term reliability
• Quiet 120mm Teflon Nano-Steel bearing cooling fan
• ECO Intelligent Thermal Control allows silent, fan-less operation at low power
• NVIDIA SLI & AMD Crossfire Ready
• Compliance with ErP Lot 6 2013 Requirement
• Active Power Factor correction (0.99) with Universal AC input
• Complete Protections: OVP, UVP, OPP, and SCP
• Compact chassis only 150mm (5.9") deep
• 5-Year warranty
Please continue reading our review of the EVGA SuperNOVA 550/650 GS Gold PSUs!!!
Getting heavy into HAMR's theory
Subject: General Tech | March 24, 2015 - 12:43 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: HAMR, science
If you are curious just how Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording is able to increase the storage densities of your HDDs then this post at Nanotechweb and the linked article will make a great read. They deal with how plasmonic near-field transducers, which will oscillate in time with the frequency of a light source, as long as the light source's frequency is equal to or less than the plasma frequency. This causes heat but nowhere near as much as if the light was used directly and so avoids potentially damaging hotspots. They also delve into the materials which are being tested to provide more efficient heat transmission; it is not light reading but it is very informative for those curious about HAMR's development and future.
"Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is a leading technology for advancing hard-disk-drive areal density beyond 1 Tb/in2. To reduce the magnetic coercivity, near-field transducers (NFTs) made of plasmonic nanostructures are used."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Hack Air-Gapped Computers Using Heat @ Slashdot
- The Week in Security: BIOS bugs, Amazon flaws, and PoSeidon malware @ The Inquirer
- Got a killer Microsoft or Oracle cloud deal? Start sweating @ The Register
- How to Set Up Your Linux Dev Station to Work From Anywhere @ Linux.com
- Pixar Releases Free Version of RenderMan @ Slashdot
- First Prototype of a Working Tricorder Unveiled At SXSW @ Slashdot
- ARM plans to win 20 per cent of the server market by the year 2020 @ The Register
Reliable high volume storage; the 4TB Toshiba MG04ACA400A
Subject: Storage | March 23, 2015 - 03:47 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: toshiba, MG04ACA400A, datacenter, enterprise
Toshiba's new MG04ACA series are Enterprise class HDDs available in increments of 1TB, from 2TB to 6TB and ship with either 4K or 512B emulation depending on your preference. Mad Shrimps just wrapped up a review of the 4TB model which certainly cannot match a SSD for speed but it is rated for 1400000 hours and workloads of 550TB a year, constant usage. You do pay a premium for enterprise level drives but spinning rust is still far more economical in high densities that flash based drives are. If you are looking for reliable HDDs for your servers, check this review out.
"The new MG04ACA series from Toshiba is composed from drives which are meant for enterprise, mission-critical applications, while sporting higher transfer rates and capacities. The tested sample comes with 128MB of cache and comes in two versions, depending on the applications it is needed for: with 512 sector emulation or strictly with 4K sector. Make sure to choose wisely which drive is for you and your setups in order to bypass any incompatibilities which may arise."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- ASUSTOR AS5104T 4-bay NAS Review @ Madshrimps
- Asustor AS7004T @ techPowerUp
- Patriot Ignite 480GB SSD @ Kitguru
- Kingston SM2280S3 120GB M.2 SATA SSD @ Bjorn3d
Seasonic Snow Silent; if you prefer your PSU meek and pale
Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 23, 2015 - 02:30 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: seasonic, snow series, modular psu, 1050W, 80 Plus Platinum
The ability to deliver stable power is the primary attribute we look for in a PSU but the aesthetics should not be ignored, especially for modders and those with glass cases. The Seasonic Snow Silent Series 1050W PSU is aptly named for its white finish which gives it a unique look in a very crowed market but the exterior does not tell the whole story. With a total of eight 6+2 PCIe plugs and a 12V rail capable of providing 1044W @ 87 amps this PSU will certainly handle Crossfire or SLI and it will do so fairly quietly. TechPowerUp liked the 7 year warranty as well as the performance and look of this PSU, especially considering it is priced roughly the same as the bog standard grey model which does not have the improved fan of this model.
"Seasonic released a special version of their Platinum offering with 1050 W capacity; it comes with a while paint job and is equipped with an FDB fan and a relaxed fan profile for less noise output, which will thrill users looking for a quiet high-performance PSU."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
- SilverStone Silver Strider 750 Watt PSU @ Bjorn3d
- Silverstone Strider Plus 700W @ Kitguru
- FSP Aurum Pro 1200W Power Supply Unit Review @ NikKTech
- Enermax Revolution X't 730 Watt @ HardwareOverclock
- VisionTek 800W 80 Plus Bronze Modular Power Supply @ Bjorn3d
- Enermax DigiFanless 550W @ Kitguru
Corsair Releases Dominator Platinum DDR4 3400MHz Memory Kits
Subject: Memory | March 23, 2015 - 02:08 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: overclocking, Dominator Platinum Series, ddr4-3400, ddr4, corsair
Speaking of components at the $999 price point, Corsair has just released a RAM kit aimed at the serious overclocker. The Dominator Platinum Series 16GB DDR4-3400MHz kit now holds the record for fastest overclock at an impressive 4365.6MHz achieved on the Gigabyte X99-SOC board; you will be seeing more of both the motherboard and these DIMMs on this page in the near future.
If you are looking for RAM that operates well using LN2 and serious overclocking these Corsair DIMMs are currently the best in class on the market.
Platinum Series DDR4 3400MHz 16GB memory kits which debuted at CES in January. The new kits are performance tuned to run air-cooled at an incredible 3400MHz and beyond on the Gigabyte X99-SOC Champion motherboard. The memory and motherboard duo together create one of the highest performance enthusiast PC platforms currently available.
Dominator Platinum Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 3400MHz DDR4 Memory
The fastest DDR4 memory available from Corsair, the Dominator Platinum 3400MHz 16GB (4x4GB, 16-18-18-36) memory kits have a striking industrial with an orange anodized heat spreader that matches the color scheme on Gigabyte SOC motherboards. Like all Dominator Platinum memory modules, the new kits have patented DHX technology for cooler operation, user-swappable colored "light pipes" for customizable downwash lighting, and Corsair Link compatibility for real-time temperature monitoring. Dominator Platinum memory is built with hand-screened ICs, undergoes rigorous performance testing, and incorporates state-of-the-art cooling for reliable performance in demanding environments.
"Each Dominator Platinum 3400MHz DDR4 memory module is built with hand-picked ICs and tuned timing parameters to achieve blistering performance on Gigabyte's X99-SOC Champion extreme overclocking motherboard," said Thi La, Chief Operating Officer at Corsair. "Achieving insanely fast memory clock speeds is just the beginning. We can't wait to see the incredible high-performance machines that PC enthusiasts create with them."
"Our Gigabyte X99-SOC Champion is engineered with highly optimized trace paths between the processor and DIMM sockets to enable incredible memory clock speeds," said Colin Brix, Director of Marketing of Gigabyte's Motherboard Business Unit. "We worked with Corsair to tune an exceptional edition of Dominator Platinum DDR4 that can help overclockers push the X99-SOC Champion to reach unprecedented memory speeds."
World Record for Fastest DDR4 Memory Frequency
On March 20, professional overclocker Hicookie set the world record for fastest DDR4 memory frequency using the Corsair Dominator 3400MHz DDR4 memory and Gigabyte X99-SOC Champion motherboard. Using liquid nitrogen, Hicookie established a record-breaking speed of 4365.6MHz.
Looking for an Android emulator?
Subject: General Tech | March 23, 2015 - 01:08 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: DuOS, Android
Be it for development reasons or a serious addiction to a certain game, there are those who find themselves wanting to run Android on a device larger than a phone or tablet. For a mere $10 you can pick up DuOS, a supported Android emulator which will run on a PC, or at least a modern Intel powered machine as the emulator uses VT-x to run properly which is a shame for AMD users. It will not run on ARM hardware but it is ARM v-7 compliant so you can use applications designed for the chip that most mobile hardware runs on with DuOS. The footprint on your machine is tiny, 16GB maximum and you can root the installation very quickly if you are looking to test your modifications to the Android OS before installing them on your phone. Techgage does mention that there is no help menu and you will need to update the application manually so plan to spend some time on the DuOS forums if you will be making use of this software.
"With so many devices out there, on many different operating systems, deciding which one you should purchase can be difficult. DuOS helps lessen that burden by providing an Android tablet experience on your Windows computer. Does DuOS step beyond the barriers that currently divide these OS's, or are we still locked into one OS per device?"
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Cisco uncovers PoSeidon malware targeting point of sale systems @ The Inquirer
- Gmail-Friendly Email Clients Available on Linux @ Linux.com
- The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Introduces the Doomsday Dashboard @ The Bulletin
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subset: commoncrawl


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Oni Sakti Artist/Painter
Olive OModel Female Minot, North Dakota, US
My Website: http://www.facebook.com/mmiumiu
Mayhem # 2260767
About MeIf I friend request, I've looked through your profile and I love everything! I hope to find some amazing people to work with through MM.
Back on MM after a long break...life took off and I took my profile down. I usually shoot in Chicago, L.A., and Minneapolis. I recently moved to ND for work and yes, I'm bored out of my mind :p I want to create art. I hate stock photos, though I've done a lot more studio shoots lately. I want to create shots that inspire or haunt and warrant more than a second glance.
I usually run up to Winnipeg a couple times a month, so I'm open for shooting there when I'm in town.
Oni Sakti Artist/Painter
Image Group Photographer
dan santoni Photographer
tristen Starr Model
Cristina Peterson Model
Kissfrenchy Photographer
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Police Surround Hutchinson Dillons for Second Day in a Row
Posted: 08/29/2007 - Hutchinson police have surrounded a Dillons store for the second day in a row, after an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat to the business.
Posted: 08/29/2007 - Hutchinson police have surrounded a Dillons store for the second day in a row, after an anonymous caller phoned in a bomb threat to the business.
Updated: 08/28/2007 - Open to boys & girls ages 6-12 Applications due Aug. 31st, 4PM
Posted: 08/27/2007 - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation Monday after months of draining controversy drew expressions of relief from Republicans and a vow from Democrats to pursue their investigation into fired federal prosecutors.
Updated: 01/17/2008 - When you have an injury, all you want is relief from the pain. Well, pain relievers aren't always in pill form. Sometimes, simple hot and cold can ease those aches.
Posted: 08/27/2007 - Get ready for aweekend fun of fun in Seneca, all to benefit some great causes.
Posted: 08/27/2007 - Owen Wilson was reported in good condition Monday, a day after he was taken from his home by ambulance, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Posted: 08/27/2007 - Britax child safety announced the recall of their Decathlon child restraint with model number E9L47 on seats made from February 12, 2005, through July 31, 2007.
Updated: 08/27/2007 - A Topeka woman who was struck by lightning earlier this month has died.
Posted: 08/23/2007 - Saturday, August 25th
Updated: 08/22/2007 - One person was killed and another was critically injured when they fell 30 feet from a scaffold. The men were doing electrical work.
Posted: 08/21/2007 - The Community Blood Center needs your help in "A Race to Save Lives."
Posted: 08/21/2007 - The army is working to bring home a Fort Riley soldier from Iraq that's because his nine-year-old daughter was killed last night in a fire at their apartment.
Updated: 08/20/2007 - The latest method to find nine-year-old Michael Zapletal will be to lower the Kansas River through the Army Core of Engineers. They hope it will help them find the boy's body sooner.
Posted: 08/17/2007 - HUNTINGTON, Utah - The desperate underground drive to reach six trapped miners was suspended indefinitely Friday after a cave-in killed three rescuers inside a mountainside mine.
Posted: 08/17/2007 - Two of Michael Vick's alleged cohorts in a grisly dogfighting case pleaded guilty Friday, and one said the Atlanta Falcons quarterback joined them in drowning and hanging dogs that underperformed.
Posted: 08/16/2007 - Saturday, Aug. 25th
Posted: 08/15/2007 - A Massachusetts company is recalling thousands of pounds of frozen turkey products that are not declared on the lable.
Updated: 08/14/2007 - The extreme summer heat has cut down on the number of blood donors but the Topeka Community Blood Center is trying to change that.
Updated: 08/14/2007 - Police are investigating the discovery of a decomposed body near the Target Distribution Center
Posted: 08/13/2007 - Officials in Osage County are investigating what caused a train to derail west of Olivet.
Posted: 08/13/2007 - Karl Rove, President Bush's senior political adviser, will voluntarily step down from his White House post at the end of the month, senior administration officials said Monday.
Updated: 08/10/2007 - The accident happened on the South side of Topeka at the I-470 and U.S. 75 exit.
Updated: 08/09/2007 - The man who was given probation after being convicted on 17 counts of raping a 14-year-old -- has had that probation revoked and will now serve his original sentence of nearly 13 years.
Posted: 08/08/2007 - The Council Oak Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Kansas Historical Society will uncover a one-hundred-year-old steel case buried at the historic Council Oak in Council Grove.
Posted: 08/08/2007 - British health and safety agency says it believes that the latest outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease might have started at a lab four miles away.