SteelSeries Sensei Fnatic

When someone asks my opinion on a new gaming mouse, I always have to include a SteelSeries Sensei in that short list. Hard core mice enthusiasts will mention that it doesn’t have a “flawless” sensor, but most users would never spot the difference. More importantly, the Sensei has a shape that most absolutely love and you are also getting their SteelSeries Engine software. Those who know me, know I’m a sucker for orange, when I saw the Fnatic Sensei I had to have one to match my orange Siberia v2 headset.

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Corsair H80i

Today we are back with another AIO water cooling solution, this time from Corsair’s award-winning Hydro series. While Corsair has certainly been the king of the mountain for a while in the AIO market, competitors have recently made some quite impressive challenges to the throne.  The H80i promises high performance cooling and unparalleled control via its built-in Corsair Link controller in a package fitting the Corsair name. With integrated Corsair Link functionality and a push-pull fan configuration where will the H80i land on our charts? Read on to find out.

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MSI R9 270X Gaming

One of the best parts about a new video card launch is having the chance to be able to check out the differences between the same models from multiple companies. It seems like every company anymore has their own cooling design and their own names for each of the cards features. One of the companies who has performed well in all of our previous launches has been the Twin Frozr designs from MSI. Today I’m going to take a look at their R9 270X Gaming that features a Twin Frozr cooling design along with a few gaming features that help it stand out.

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Logitech G602 Wireless Gaming Mouse

It was only a short time ago that I was taking a look at Logitech’s new G700s wireless gaming mouse. Not too long after that Logitech actually announced another wireless gaming mouse that would be sold alongside of the G700s, this one is called the G602. Unlike the G700s, the G602 wasn’t an upgrade to a previous model. The G602 a considerably different in design compared to the G700s and it also does not use a rechargeable battery. Logitech did however introduce it with a big promise, they claim 250 hours of gametime in its performance mode, an impressive number for a gaming mouse. Let’s dig into the G602 and find out if their claims have merit and find out what it’s all about.

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ASUS RT-AC56U Gigabit Router

The home network is one of the most consistently neglected things in modern computing, usually relegated to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” category even by most enthusiasts. However, it is also a market with constantly evolving technologies just like everything else and in the current landscape of always online games and every phone and gadget starving for wireless data why wouldn’t you want a network you can rely on? Earlier we reviewed My Net AC1300 from Western Digital and today we are back to put the ASUS RT-AC56U through the same paces. Is wireless AC technology all it’s cracked up to be? We will soon find out.

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Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 3

Now that you know a little more about all of the parts that are going into Lunchbox 3, today we are going to go over how well the installation went and then put it all to the test in a few benchmarks. This is where we can finally see how the part choices work out and talk about any regrets I might have with them. Of course I’m most excited to see how it all performs. Then this coming weekend I can finally put it to good use at a LAN.

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Nvidia GTX 780 Ti

When Nvidia launched the GTX 780 it was an extremely impressive card, and frankly it still is. Even so AMD did come out swinging with the new R9 290X and to counter that Nvidia lowered the pricing of the GTX 780 and GTX 770. Now to go along with that they are filling in the price gap they created with the lower prices with a new product, the GTX 780 Ti. Today I have the chance to check out the GTX 780 Ti and see what it is all about. I expected the GTX 780 Ti to just be a higher clocked GTX 780, but I was pleasantly surprised, read on to find out what’s different.

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Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 2

In my first article about our project build Lunchbox 3, I covered everything that controls how fast the build is. Today I will be following up with all of the parts that support. That includes the power supply, case, and cooling components. These are all critical parts to your PC, but things like the CPU, motherboard, and video card generally get all of the attention. Today we will find out all about why space was such a concern when picking our previous components. Let’s dig in and see the rest of what Lunchbox 3 will consist of.

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Project Build: Lunchbox v3 Part 1

Today starts a small series of articles about our latest project build. If you haven’t noticed, LanOC staff takes a very big interest in LAN events including hosting our own in Northwest Ohio twice a year. Anyone who has packed all of their equipment up to come out to a LAN or two will completely understand why I prefer to build a PC specifically for coming out to events. My main PC the “Fridge” is literally larger than a mini fridge. It is a complete monster and is extremely eye catching, but when it takes two people and a large vehicle to get it out to an event you really start to wish you had something smaller. This is why for the past few years I have been using my “Lunchbox” builds at any event where I just want to kick back and enjoy myself. This project build is for Lunchbox 3, over the next few days I will go over its components and then show off its performance.

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CoolerMaster Glacer 240L

Having recently reviewed a cadre of big block, multi-heat pipe air coolers it is about time to switch things up and today that is exactly what we will do by taking a look at an AIO water-cool solution enthusiasts have been anticipating. Back in July, many were troubled by the news that Swiftech would be ceasing sales on its popular H220 AIO/DIY hybrid cooling kit due to a patent dispute. While some chose to import units, others simply took the news in stride and searched elsewhere for their cooling hardware. Today is the day that all ends as Cooler Master have partnered with Swiftech to bring us a spiritual successor in the form of the Glacer 240L.

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GELID Solutions The Black Edition

Today we are back again with another multi-heatpipe CPU cooler, this time from one of the larger names in performance cooling. Gelid Solutions has been around since 2008 and have proven themselves to be manufactures of quality cooling products and accessories. Slated for the test bench is The Black Edition, a seven heatpipe air cooler that promises both quiet operation and high end performance. Will this cooler be able to stand up to our tests and impress or be relegated to the bottom self and forgotten? Let’s find out.

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Be Quiet! Shadow Rock TopFlow

Today we take a look at our second cooler from Be Quiet!  and while I was left impressed by a few features and performance found in the Dark Rock Pro 2, the massive size of the cooler left a bit to be desired in the board real estate department. This time around we are looking at a few less heat pipes, one less fan and a drastically different design in the Shadow Rock TopFlow. Will this different design match its sibling in performance and hopefully offer us a bit more space to stuff our components? We shall see.

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Cooler Master JetFlo 120 PWM Fan

Today we take a look at a much more basic cooling component that no build can be without. I am, of course, talking about the simple case fan and whether you are packing your case full with the intent to air cool or just need a few good radiator fans for water cooling there are numerous choices available to you. Cooler Master seems to think they have just the answer you’ve been looking for with their JetFlo 120 and we got our hands on a pair for a quick round of testing.We will see how they stand up once installed and the air starts moving.

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Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro 2

Processor cooling is one of the most important choices a builder can make for their system. While the market is flooded with many options and styles to choose from, one market has always remained competitive and populated with choices year after year. I am, of course, talking about the large, multi-heat pipe air coolers and today we are going to take a look at the Dark Rock Pro 2 from Be Quiet! to see if it holds up through installation and our new testing procedures. Is it worth your money? I don’t know but I hear the Germans make good stuff.

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Splinter Cell: Blacklist

With the success of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series it is easy to forget that they have another widely successful stealth-action series up their sleeve. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell has been around since 2002 when it caught our attention with those ever recognizable glowing green trifocals. While the series hasn’t had the annual release attention since 2006, Ubisoft Montreal still kept the series strong with the release of Splinter Cell: Conviction and this year Ubisoft Toronto take the reins with Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Promising to deliver the same stealth-action we’ve come to enjoy, it is time to take a look at the latest installment in the Splinter Cell series.

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Asus R9 270X DirectCU II Top

Earlier this week I had the chance to take a look at Asus’s Matrix R9 280X Platinum, today I’m going to come back down to earth a little and check out their R9 270X DirectCU II Top. With a price that fits better into budget builds I’m curious how many of the features I saw on the Matrix will carry over into this card. I have high hopes for the card, but after seeing a few R9 270X’s from other manufactures I can say without a doubt that Asus has their work cut out for them. Let’s dig into it and see what it’s all about.

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Tt eSPORTS Cronos Gaming Headset

Thermaltake has churned out a long list of products under their Tt eSPORTS branding this past year and with each offering have displayed unique designs and portability minded function.  Earlier we reviewed the MEKA G-Unit Illuminated keyboard and today we are back with a headset. The Cronos is a mid-range offering looking to deliver on the brands staples while also offering clear audio and voice communication all gamers crave. Join me as I put the Cronos through its paces and see if it is indeed worthy of the Tt eSPORTS name.

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Asus Matrix R9 280X Platinum

When I spoke about the AMD launch of its new R9 cards, I mentioned that most of the cards are rebadged versions of the 7000 Series cards. That doesn’t mean manufactures couldn’t go out of their way to improve on the designs themselves. Asus attempted this with their flagship R9 280X called the Matrix R9 280X Platinum. The Matrix itself brings a lot of amazing features, but the platinum edition is handpicked and equipped with a higher overclock to go with it all. Today I’m going to take a close look at the card to see what sets it apart from the rest of the R9 280X’s on the market.

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Sapphire Toxic R9 270X

When it comes to AMD video card manufactures there really only a few different names that come to mind. At the top of that list for most people will be Sapphire. Those of you who made it out to LanOC v13 will also remember that Sapphire joined us for our event as well. When they offered to let us take a look at their new R9 series cards, I jumped at the chance. Boy was I surprised to see that they had made some significant changed to their product line, especially the Toxic model that we are going to take a look at today.

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Gigabyte R9 270X Windforce

Every new launch means new custom PCB designs from the manufactures. The first to hit our office this time around was an R9 270X from Gigabyte with their Windforce cooler design and an overclock. In the past I have been impressed with Gigabytes Windforce designs for their pure cooling power, I’m excited to see what three cooling fans on a large heatsink will do for keeping the R9 270X cool. But first let’s take a look at the card.

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