When 2 Dawn Games contacted us about doing a review on their first title, Ravaged, I was both excited and nervous.  Excited because I really enjoy indie games and playing stuff developed by small game companies. Indie companies are not restrained by being too large. They are able to listen to their fan base and give players what they want (to an extent) and it often leads to some really cool and enjoyable features in game. I was also nervous however because Ravaged because my experience with class based shooters has been very polarized, they are ether amazing or a total flop. Let’s hope that being an Indy game will help Ravaged be one of the great games. With that being said, I head into the post-apocalyptic storm ravaged world that is Ravaged.

One of the best parts about CES is that we get the chance to catch up with companies like Cooler Master and take a peek at what they are toying around with behind the scenes. This year they had an interesting case that at the time they called a LAN case. This struck a tone for me because of a fundamental issue I had with the case being for LAN use, its size, and I let them know it. Over 10 months later the HAF XB is sitting here in the office, with an improved design and a more appropriate focus. The HAF XB is considered a case / test bench. Those of you who like to tweak and play with your builds may have just perked up. The HAF XB is a completely new form factor for Cooler Master; considering their past win’s this should be interesting. Maybe even game changing?

Today we are taking a look at one of In Win's more recent offerings, the Mana 136. Not too long ago we had the opportunity to check out their Dragon Rider full tower case and came away pretty impressed. This time around the case is white. We have seen white being used from just about every manufacture, Is it a passing fad or is it hear to stay. Since most manufactures now offer at least one case in white, it is safe to say the demand must be sufficient. On the other hand, that means it is hard to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Today we are going to take a look at the Mana 136 White and see if In Win has produced a product to capture the attention of today's consumer. 

Those who have been to one of our LAN parties know that our location is central to many larger cities, Fort Wayne being one. We’ve attended a few LAN events in that area, including one hosted by member Reaper from Fort Wayne Gamers. It was exciting enough to hear that John had volunteered his coding expertise for an indie game studio just on the heels of releasing their first game, but we were even more so when we learned the studio was local, operating out of Fort Wayne. We quickly made contact, and were invited to sit in during one of their weekly meetings.

We have looked at products from the CM Storm line up before. Most recently we took a look at the CM Storm Scout 2 case. We also took a look at the CM Storm Sirius not too long ago. Of course we know that headsets are a key part of any gaming setup – what is the point of having a pretty kick-ass rig if you can’t hear the guy sneaking up behind you? Really it is more than just gaming; personally I listen to a lot of music via my headset, so that is also high on my list of qualifications. The Sonuz might just fit the bill – today we are going to find out.

It’s difficult to write about items themed around Diablo III and resist the urge to write about the success (or lack thereof) of the game itself. There are plenty of opinions about the game, but one thing we can agree on is that they stem from high expectations created from such successful franchise. Love it or hate it, you most likely remain a fan of the series.  SteelSeries has a line of peripherals inspired by Sanctuary to help scratch your Diablo itch.

The GX-7 is the first CPU cooler in GELID's 'Gamer' product line, the same line which the DarkForce mid-tower we recently covered belongs to. It is however only their second tower cooler, the Tranquillo occupying the 'Silent' product family along with a handful of compact and low profile coolers. Though we generally enjoyed GELID's maiden chassis voyage, the GX-7 is relates more to the company's cooling roots, and we're looking forward to seeing how their newest cooler performs.

Noctua’s products have always been considered quiet, high quality, and innovative cooling solutions. Noctua’s NF-F12 is no exception. The NF-F12 stands for Noctua focused flow 120mm premium fan. This fan is an improved version of the popular NF-P12 model. Noctua refined there new design over a two-year development cycle. This might seem excessive for a fan; however, the features Noctua has incorporated into this fan are impressive to say the least. The focused flow system is intended to force air through heatsinks or radiators more effectively, due to the fan’s static pressure. Noctua's contentious attention to noise reduction has led to a few new implementations on this front as well. The Noctua NF-F12 was built to perform, so without further a due, let’s see how this premium fan fairs.

Those that know me best are aware that my passion for electronic gaming goes behind just playing them. I’m an advocate for video games and the industry they are born in. Amidst a society that is constantly looking for scapegoats, the bright side of that industry is often masked by constant, unjustified blame. This is one of the many reasons I get excited when I see groups such as Child’s Play and Extra Life using video games as a means to raise money for very worthy causes. One that hits very close to home for my family is the fight against breast cancer.

My first computer chassis was the Cooler Master Cosmos, a behemoth I lugged proudly from home to LAN party and back again. Large, full towers are what first come to my mind when I think of Cooler Master cases, despite transplanting my LAN rig into the Cooler Master Scout, which coincidently is used as an HTPC when I’m home. Cooler Master has offered the Elite 100 as a mini ITX HTPC solution, but its thin, vertical form factor prevents it from dual-serving as a LAN rig. Can the Elite 120 Advanced meet both needs?