Chino, CA – February 14th, 2012 - Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer today announces an expansion to its top-selling NotePal X Series of laptop coolers, the NotePal X3. It brings the high cooling potential and futuristic aesthetic of the X-themed form factor that is implemented in every NotePal X Series laptop cooler. NotePal X3 is well-equipped to cool laptops up to gaming and workstation desktop replacements and other high processing power systems.

Featuring a design focused on cooling the hottest laptops, NotePal X3 comes with a huge 200mm cooling fan installed. This fan operates at user specified speeds with the integrated fan speed control dial. This works with a metal mesh that is made to increase airflow while still retaining a passive cooling ability. It is height adjustable with two different angles to make viewing and typing more ergonomic. NotePal X3 was created with users with balmy or sweaty hands in mind in that it features a focused airflow to assist in keeping hands cool when things become more intense. By supporting up to 17" laptops and including a blue LED for ambiance, NotePal X3 rounds out its offerings and makes it a smart and affordable buy for any user.

Price and availability will vary based on region. This information is intended for the U.S. and Canada regions only. Please consult your local Cooler Master Representative for more information.

Click here for more details.

Our friends over on the other side of the state just partnered up with ECS Elitegroup to sell their products. That means you will be able to get their boards in your next AVADirect build if you would like! Or you can pick up their products through AVADirect also. 

Click here to read more on their forums 

"We recently partnered up with ECS Elitegroup as an authorized reseller of their products. Founded in 1987, the Taiwan-based computer manufacturer is the fifth largest manufacturer of computer components. Motherboard and graphics cards are the main focus of their company, but recently got involved with notebooks and all-in-one units to create a wide-range of products. The company has had many competitors in the past, but despite the competition, continues to grow and release new and exciting products. These products are what AVADirect will use to create and implement some of the most creative configurations offered to consumers and businesses. We are excited to be a part of the team and look forward to the ventures we create with ECS."

SAN JOSE, CA—February 14, 2012—OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced the Z-Drive R4 CloudServ PCI Express (PCIe) flash storage solution, designed to dramatically accelerate cloud computing applications and significantly reduce operating expenses in the data center. The new Z-Drive R4 CloudServ features monumental data throughput, and raises the bar in performance and capacity.

"The Z-Drive R4 CloudServ PCIe solid state drive delivers game-changing performance and enables clients to process massive data-sets with up to 16TB of storage capacity on a single, easy-to-deploy card," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology. "With this new solution, system architects are able to design more efficient and dynamic cloud computing infrastructures while simultaneously reducing system complexity and the high maintenance costs associated with traditional infrastructures."

With increasing emphasis on cloud computing and the sheer growth in data, PCIe-based flash storage systems have the ability to bypass traditional storage overhead by reducing latencies, increasing throughput, and enabling efficient processing of massive quantities of data. The Z-Drive R4 CloudServ is capable of transferring multiple gigabytes per second and delivering over a million IOPS with a level of concentrated performance that enables system architects to design more productive infrastructures while lowering costs associated with hardware failure, maintenance, structural footprint, and energy consumption.

The latest evolution of the Z-Drive R4, the CloudServ, is specifically designed for the most demanding cloud computing applications with increased capacities and even greater bandwidth capabilities delivering up to 1.4 million IOPS. Melding hardware and software managed solutions with OCZ's integrated Virtualized Controller Architecture™ (VCA) 2.0 and OCZ's SANRAD VXL virtual acceleration caching software, the Z-Drive R4 CloudServ can be employed as a high-performing host-based flash cache that works in conjunction with the VXL to dynamically allocate flash resources to accelerate all virtual machines. This maximizes the performance of critical applications and provides a seamless migration from one host to another without the loss of cache data. As these virtual machines are migrated from one host to another, they must retain full access to the flash cache without loss of performance or interruption of service. OCZ's SANRAD VXL software is the only software that allows for this seamless migration without loss of access to the flash cache.

El Monte, CA – February 13, 2012 – iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce the availability of new Intel Core i7 3820 3.6 GHz processor. New processors are available in new iBUYPOWER systems, including the Chimera 4, Paladin XLC (extreme liquid cooling) and Erebus Custom Liquid Cooling systems.

iBUYPOWER systems running Intel 3820 are faster not only in clock speed compared to the x58-based CPUs they replace, but they're also faster clock-for-clock, and more efficient with power. This translates into a smoother gaming experience and faster load times to get gamers back into the action quicker. Additional advantages include quad channel memory, more PCIE lanes for improved multi-GPU performance and faster hard drive transfer speeds.

"We are excited to offer these speedy new CPUs that are faster than the previous generation but more efficient," said Darren Su, Vice President of iBUYPOWER. "Best of all the Intel Core i7 3820 is priced similarly to the slower previous generation, allowing us to pass that savings on to our customers."

Gamers looking to get the most out of their new Intel Core i7 3820 powered rig can choose from exclusive iBUYPOWER products and services like Advanced Pro Wiring, the Harmony Sound Reduction System, Internal USB Expansion System and iBUYPOWER's Specialized Advanced Packaging System with expanding foam inserts to prevent damage during shipping.

Customers with more specific gaming needs can configure a fully customizable gaming PC at iBUYPOWER.com. All iBUYPOWER systems come standard with 1 year limited warranty and lifetime technical support.

Wednesday is here LanOC, along with a truckload of news, it's been a busy week around the offices. With your staff hard at work, its going to be busy around here for the next couple of weeks. Anyways, let get the new rolling! The Midweek Madness sale has two game this week, Hawken closed beta sign ups have begun, how about a new gaming laptop from Maingear? I am almost done with Warhammer 40K: Space Marine and a boat load of news at the end. Buckle up everyone, Gaming News starts now!

Dear Steam Users and Steam Forum Users:

We continue our investigation of last year's intrusion with the help of outside security experts. In my last note about this, I described how intruders had accessed our Steam database but we found no evidence that the intruders took information from that database. That is still the case. 

Recently we learned that it is probable that the intruders obtained a copy of a backup file with information about Steam transactions between 2004 and 2008. This backup file contained user names, email addresses, encrypted billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. It did not include Steam passwords. 

We do not have any evidence that the encrypted credit card numbers or billing addresses have been compromised. However as I said in November it's a good idea to watch your credit card activity and statements. And of course keeping Steam Guard on is a good idea as well. 

We are still investigating and working with law enforcement authorities. Some state laws require a more formal notice of this incident so some of you will get that notice, but we wanted to update everyone with this new information now. 

Gabe

It’s Friday and we are two weeks away from LAN tickets going off sale. Everything is coming together; we have our sponsor list growing, and the rules for our tournaments are posted up! That means by now you should have signed up and told all of your friends, if not take this time to do just that. Once your done I have todays Affiliate reviews for you to check out below. It should help pass the time at work today!

Motherboard

Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 Intel LGA1155 Motherboard Review

ASUS Rampage IV Formula BF3 Edition Motherboard Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Video Cards

Zotac GTX 580 AMP2 3GB Edition Review @ HardwareLOOK

Cases

NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower Chassis Review @ eTeknix.com

AZZA Fusion 3000 Review @ OCC

Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX HTPC Case @MissingRemote

Silverstone Raven 3 (RV03) Full Tower Computer Chassis & Strider Gold 850 Watt Power Supply Combo Review

NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower Chassis - BCCHardware

Input Devices

Corsair Vengeance M90 Review @ XSReviews.co.uk

Cooling

Noctua NF-B9, NF-P12, NF-R8 Fans @ Rbmods

Swiftech H20-220 Edge HD Liquid Cooling Kit Review @ Legit Reviews

PSU’s

Antec VP450 Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets

Spire BlackDragon 400 W @ techPowerUp

Athena Power AP-MFATX40P8 400 W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets

Storage

Kingston Wi-Drive 16GB Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Hitachi Touro Desk Pro 3TB USB 3.0 External HDD Review @ Madshrimps

Seagate Barracuda 3TB 7200RPM HD Review @ HotHardware.com

Other

Toddy Smartcloth Screen Cleaner @ TechwareLabs

Lamptron FC9 Fan Controller Review @ eTeknix.com

ASUS VG278H LCD Monitor 3D Vision-2 Kit @ Benchmark Reviews

Choiix/Cooler Master Mobile Wave Stand Review @ eTeknix.com

GeChic On-Lap 1301 Portable Monitor Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Femont, Calif. – February 8, 2012 –Antec, Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components, announces the One, the latest addition to their Gaming Series. The One is an excellent option for mainstream gamers, new PC builders and seasoned system integrators alike, as it provides user-friendly cooling and convenient features at an affordable price.

Performance Cooling Advantages – The One’s cooling system includes top & rear 120 mm exhaust fans with four additional 120 mm fan mounts. Perforated mesh construction yields additional airflow through the front of the chassis.

Extensive Compatibility and Expandability – The One is equipped with three 5.25” and five 3.5” tool-less drive bays, a bottom-mounted PSU intake with a removable air filter and a large CPU cutout. The enclosure makes it easy for users to install all the necessary parts and upgrade their PC component by component.

“The One is for anyone who has thought about building a PC or for anyone looking for a wallet-friendly, long-lasting case,” said Mafalda Cogliani, Global Marketing Director at Antec. “It’s a great option for system integrators because it has tool-less drive bays and blends well in a home.”

For more information on the Antec One, please visit the product page.

Availability

The One is available on Newegg, Provantage, J&R, Canada Computers and NCIX with an MSRP of $59.95. Antec will also bring two special versions, the One S (MSRP $49.95) and the One S3 (MSRP $54.95), to the market.

Detailed Specifications:

• 10 drive bays:
  • 3 x 5.25” tool-less drive bays
  • 2 x 2.5” drive bays (dedicated)
  • 5 x 3.5” tool-less drive bays
• Motherboards: Standard ATX, microATX, Mini-ITX
• 7 expansion slots
• Maximum graphics card size: 10.5” (266 mm)
• Maximum CPU cooler height: 6.1” (155 mm)
• Cooling System:
  • 1 x 120 mm top exhaust fan
  • 1 x 120 mm rear exhaust fan
  • 1 x 120 mm side intake fan (optional) 
  • 1 x 120 mm front intake fan (optional)
  • 1 x 120 mm / 140 mm bottom fan (optional)
• Perforated front bezel for maximum air intake
• Water cooling support: rear water cooling grommets (support ½-inch tubes)
• Maximum-sized CPU cutout
• Bottom-mounted power supply with intake filter
• Front I/O ports:
  • 2 x USB 3.0 with included USB 2.0 adapter
  • Audio In/Out
• No power supply included
• Unit Dimensions:
  • 17.2” (H) x 8.2” (W) x 19.2” (D)
  • [438 mm (H) x 208 mm (W) x 488 mm (D)]
• Package Dimensions:
  • 18.2” (H) x 9.5” (W) x 20.9” (D)
  • [463 mm (H) x 241 mm (W) x  530 mm (D)]
• Net Weight: 12.5 lbs (5.6 kg)

About Antec, Inc.
For 26 years, Antec, Inc. has been the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Antec remains an industry pioneer and market leader for quiet, efficient and innovative products such as the P280 and SOLO II enclosures, and it has been independently recognized as the power supply manufacturer with the lowest return rate.

Antec continues to push the industry to its limits with many state-of-the art products like the Mini-ITX ISK Series and the functional, efficiently cooled Eleven Hundred gaming enclosure. Antec has also furthered the PSU market with the environmentally-friendly EarthWatts Series, the office-friendly VP Series for efficient, quiet power, and the gamer-specialized HCG and HCP Series for hours of reliable, continuous power. soundscience, a subsidiary of Antec, Inc., was created to manufacture audio and video-enabled lifestyle products, such as the soundscience rockus™ 3D | 2.1 speaker system, for the PC and home entertainment markets.

Founded in 1986, Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with international marketing headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Antec has additional offices in The Netherlands, China and Taiwan. Please visit Antec online for more information.

Follow the official Antec Facebook page www.facebook.com/AntecInc for event updates or visit the Antec blog at http://blog.antec.com/.

With a light dusting snow outside we can hardly call this winter here in Ohio. We are nearly to spring with only a couple small snow storms that show us that it’s even winter.  This year has been one of the most interesting years for weather. Here are the reviews from our affiliates for the first half of the week this week.

Motherboards

GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD7 Motherboard Review  @ Legit Reviews

MSI Z68A-GD65G3 Motherboard @ Rbmods

ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets

CPU’s

Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Processor Review @ Legit Reviews

Cases

BitFenix Raider Mid-Tower

Antec Eleven Hundred Review @ Neoseeker

NZXT Switch 810 White Case Review @ Legit Reviews

NZXT Phantom 410 Case @ TechwareLabs

Antec P280 Super Mid Tower Case Review @ Bigbruin.com

BitFenix Raider ATX case Review @ XtremeComputing

Xigmatek Midgard II Mid-Tower Chassis Review

Cooler Master Cosmos II @ techPowerUp

Antec ONE Preview @ techPowerUp

Rosewill Thor V2 Full Tower Computer Case Review

Fractal Design Define XL Computer Case Review @ Benchmark Review

Thermaltake Overseer RX-I Full Tower Case Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Cooler Master Silencio 450 Mid-Tower Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Raidmax Viper Case @ TechwareLabs

Antec Three Hundred Two Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

Video Cards

Sapphire VID-2X Review @ OCC

ASUS GTX 560Ti 448 Cores DirectCU II 1280MB Video Card Review @ Hi Tech Legion

HIS Radeon HD7970 3GB Review @ Vortez

AMD Radeon HD 7950 CrossFire & TriFire Review @ Neoseeker

Club 3D SenseVision CSV-2000D USB to DVI Graphics Adapter Review @ eTeknix.com

AMD Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card Overclocked

Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB OC Video Card in CrossFire

Memory

G.Skill Ripjaws Z 2133CL9Q-16GBZH Memory Kit Review @ Madshrimps

Patriot Memory Division IV Viper Extreme 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 Quad Channel Memory Kit

Kingston HyperX Limited Edition DDR3-1600 4GB Dual Channel Memory Kit Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Mushkin Blackline PC3-17000 (994015) 16GB Quad Pack Memory Kit Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Input Devices

ROCCAT Isku Illuminating Gaming Keyboard Review @ HardwareLOOK

Corsair Vengeance M90 Performance Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Madshrimps

Cyborg GLIDE 7 Gaming Surface Review @ eTeknix.com

ROCCAT Alumic Mouse Pad @ techPowerUp

Audio

Phonak Aud PFE232 +mic In-ear Headset @ techPowerUp

ROCCAT Kave 5.1 Headset Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Microlab M700 2.1 speakers Review - XSReviews

Network

Synology DiskStation DS212 2-Bay NAS Server Review @ Bigbruin.com

Synology DS-212 Two-Bay NAS Review @ Tweaknews

Storage

Diablotek SSD to USB 3.0 SATA Adapter @ TechwareLabs

OCZ Synapse Cache 64GB SSD Review@ HardwareLOOK

Intel 520 SSD Review (Round Two) - RAID Testing at 1.5GB/s With Highpoint 2720SGL RAID Controller

Intel 520 Series 240GB Solid State Drive Review @ eTeknix.com

OCZ Technology Octane 128GB Solid State Drive

OCZ Synapse Cache 64GB Solid State Drive Review @ ThinkComputers.org

Meet Intel's Cherryville: 520 Series 240GB SSD Review @ Techgage

Intel SSD 520 Series 240 GB Solid State Drive Review @ Hardware Secrets

Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB Retail Solid State Drive Bundle Review

Intel 520 Series 240GB Review @ OCC

Intel SSD 520 Series Solid State Drive @ Benchmark Reviews

Intel's 520 Series solid-state drive

Intel 520 'Cherryville' Series 240GB SSD Review in RAID 0 @ Legit Reviews

Intel 520 240GB SSD Review (Round One) - Intel Releases Amazing SATA 3 SandForce Driven SSD

Intel SSD 520 Series Solid State Drive Review @ HotHardware.com

Samsung's 830 Series solid-state drive

MyDigitalSSD 'Bullet Proof' 128GB mSATA SATA 2 SSD Review

Seagate Barracuda 3 TB Hard Drive Review @ Hardware Secrets

SSD performance scaling across the spectrum

Corsair Performance Series Pro 128GB Solid State Drive Review

Kingston DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 Thumb Drive Review

Kingston SSDNow V+ 200 120GB SATA III SSD (Upgrade Bundle Kit) Review

Cooling

Alpenföhn K2 CPU Cooler Review @ Vortez

Cooler Master Gemin II Review - XSReviews

Kingwin 120mm Fan Review @ OCC

Xigmatek Prime SD1484 Review @ OCC

Noctua NF-F12 Focused Flow Fan Review @ Ninjalane

SilenX Effizio EFZ-120HA5 CPU Cooler Review

Cooler Master GeminII M4 CPU Cooler Review @ Madshrimps

Prolimatech Genesis CPU Cooler @ TechwareLabs

Enermax ETS-T40-VD CPU Cooler Review @ eTeknix.com

Gaming

Unstoppable Gorg Review - The Aliens Are Coming! @ Techgage

Need For Speed: The Run PC Review @ eTeknix.com

Systems

Razer Blade 17.3-inch LED Gaming Laptop Initial Impressions Preview

Scan 3XS FT03 ROG SLI System Review @ Vortez

Razer Blade Switchblade User Interface Panel Hands-on

Other

NEC MultiSync EA273WM-BK 27-inch LED Monitor Review @ HotHardware.com

Asus BW-12B1LT Internal 12X Blu-Ray Writer Review @ Tweaknews

Vaja Libretto Limited Edition iPad 2 Case Review @ Madshrimps

Tt eSPORTS Battle Dragon Bag Review

AC Ryan Veolo @ techPowerUp

ARCTIC MC001-BD Review @ Vortez

Contests

Corsair Vengeance M60 FPS Gaming Mouse Contest @ Legit Reviews

Chino, CA – February 7th, 2012 - Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer today unveils the Elite 361 rotatable chassis. A formidable Mini-Tower contender, Elite 361 focuses on versatility and expandability within a compact enclosure.

Maximizing Space

Touting a modern minimalist design, Elite 361 is engineered to be accommodating in space restricted work zones. Given its unique structure and airflow design, Elite 361 can be placed either horizontally or vertically within a space. A rotatable Cooler Master logo and four user attachable rubber feet assist in making these transitions. Front panel ports are positioned to be easily accessible in either orientation.

Viewing the interior reveals that Elite 361 supports up to a full-sized ATX motherboard, six 3.5” hard drives while being potentially expandable to a multiple graphics card configuration with its seven expansion slots. Benefiting from innovate enthusiast-grade features, Elite 361 incorporates a removable hard drive cage that, when removed, offers a maximum space of 12.3” or 312mm for graphics card length. A large 120mm top fan and several optional 80mm to 120mm fan ports provides superior ventilation potential.

Elite 361 will be available in February, 2012. Click here for more details.

Twinsburg, OH – February 6th, 2012 AVADirect, a leading provider of custom notebooks, is the first to offer Clevo's P270WM mobile gaming notebook.

The future is here, and AVADirect is readily expanding its offerings with hardware to prepare for it. For those who need ultimate performance on the go, AVADirect can feed your need for mobile speed with the Clevo P270WM. Based off of the Intel X79 chipset and Sandy Bridge-E processors, end-users can expect performance increases as much as 35-50 percent while keeping current and ahead of the curve for their much needed productivity, efficiency, and entertainment. Promising new features give the Clevo P270WM a name and reputation that is surely to leave a lasting impression for those who have it at their fingertips. The industry rookie, relative to age rather than experience, has no limits to its depth of functionality.

The P270WM's design shapes the ground we stand on by creating new standards for mobile desktop replacements. The revolutionary X79-fueled P270WM, being the successor of the world renowned Clevo X7200, supports all of the functionality provided by its older brother. Three 9.5 inch hard drives, with optional RAID, two USB 3.0 ports, SLI support, HD LED screen, HDMI 1.4a support, and the recently re-designed express card slot for third-party expansion are still key features of the newly offered Clevo P270WM Gaming Notebook.

The Nvidia GTX 580M 2GB comes standard in the Clevo P270WM and offers SLI support for gaming duality. The GPU offers 384 CUDA cores, or 768 when in SLI. Furthermore, the victor of desktop replacements offers the Quadro 5010M 4GB for the elitist AutoCAD or developing engineer. Combined with the support of Quad-channel DDR3 SODIMM RAM and speeds up to 1866Mhz, creating a configuration suitable for your tasks is as simple as a few clicks on AVADirect's website. The board features a total of four SODIMM slots expandable up to 32GB. The P270WM includes full 3D support, which has never been provided in a desktop replacement until now. End-users will more importantly be interested in the first-ever backlit keyboard integrated in the P270WM notebook. Clevo has not received outstanding remarks in the past for their lack of aesthetically pleasing designs, but a backlit keyboard changes everything enthusiasts have grown to know about Clevo's design.

AVADirect will begin to accept pre-orders for the X79 high-end gaming notebook as of today. The base price starts at around $3000.00 and will feature the Intel core i7 3930K, GTX 580M 2B, 4GB of DDR3 RAM at 1333Mhz, 750GB 7200RPM hard disk, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

About Us
AVADirect is a privately owned custom computer manufacturer based in Twinsburg, Ohio, (within close proximity to Cleveland) specializing in the design, engineering and manufacturing of personalized high performance computer systems. The systems span the spectrum from Windows or Linux manageable and highly-reliable servers, to high-end workstations and gaming systems, to business PC’s, notebooks and barebones systems and parts, focused on the commitment to meet the everyday demands of the marketplace, while creating a footprint within the industry. 

Fremont, Calif. – February 1, 2012 – Antec, Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components, announces the High Current Gamer M series, a mid-range wattage class of hybrid modular power supplies. The High Current Gamer M series is an extension of the HCG PSU line issued in late 2010 but features hybrid modularity, allowing for cleaner systems by reducing cable clutter behind the motherboard.

Antec‘s new desktop PSU series provides quiet, efficient power in 400W, 520W, and 620W models, accommodating casual gamers, home office and corporate consumers. The High Current Gamer M Series is the perfect combination of power and cabling that supply extreme levels of power and superb efficiency.

Maximum Efficiency – As one of industry’s mainstream 80 PLUS® Bronze certified PSU, the High Current Gamer M series offers an ideal combination of industry-leading reliability, guaranteed Continuous Power and up to 87% energy efficiency to help reduce electric bills.

Whisper Quiet – A simple 135mm two ball-bearing fan controlled by Antec’s renowned Thermal Manager and CircuitShield™ operates with minimal noise even at full load.

Premium Components – High Current Gamer M employs 4 fully-protected High Current +12V rails with high load capabilities to ensure maximum CPU and GPU compatibility. It’s designed with 100% Japanese capacitors, ensuring maximum DC stability and regulation. It also offers stealth wires for minimal visibility inside the chassis and a 10-pin modular socket for High Current Flexibility.

Black mesh cable sleeves – All wires darkened for minimal visibility in chassis

Safety Precautions – Patented Circuitshield™ includes voltage, current, power, under voltage, and short circuit protection which automatically shuts down the PSU to prevent further system damage.

All HCG-M power supplies are covered by an Antec five-year parts & labor warranty.

“Antec has succeeded with providing consumers with quiet and efficient power supplies to choose from,” said Mafalda Cogliani, Global Marketing Director at Antec. “And now we want to provide the same type of power and convenience via hybrid modularity power supply that will help with energy reduction.”

Availability
The HCG-M PSU series will be available in the US on Newegg, ASI, Ma Labs, Amazon, J&R and Buy.com and in Canada on NCIX and Canada Computers in early February.

Detailed Specifications:

•    620W Continuous Power
•    80 PLUS® BRONZE certified - Up to 87% efficient
•    10-pin modular sockets
•    135mm double ball bearing fan with long lifetime
•    All-black wires for minimal visibility in chassis
•    All Japanese Heavy-Duty Capacitors
•    Advanced low voltage fan control for optimal heat & noise management
•    92.9% +12V - Output for maximum CPU & GPU support
•    2 PCI-E connectors for multiple GPU support
•    AQ5 - Antec Quality 5 year warranty and global online support 24/7
•    Industrial grade protections:
          o Over Current Protection (OCP)
          o Over Voltage Protection (OVP)
          o Under Voltage Protection (UVP)
          o Short Circuit Protection (SCP)
          o Over Power Protection (OPP)
          o Surge & Inrush Protection (SIP)
   
**taken from HCG-620

Power Supply Connectors:

Fixed cables:

1 x 24(20+4)-pin main connector
1 x 8(4+4)-pin ATX12V/EPS12V

Modular cables:
2 x 8(6+2)-pin PCI-E
1 x FDD + 3 x Molex
3 x Molex (1 each)
2 x SATA (3 each)

**taken from HCG-620

About Antec, Inc.

For 26 years, Antec, Inc has been the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets. Antec remains an industry pioneer and market leader for quiet, efficient and innovative products such as the P280 and SOLO II enclosures, and it has been independently recognized as the power supply manufacturer with the lowest return rate.

Antec continues to push the industry to its limits with many state-of-the art products like the Mini-ITX-made enclosures, the ISK Series, and the functional, efficiently cooled Eleven Hundred gaming enclosure. Antec has also furthered the PSU market with the environmentally-safe EarthWatts Series, the office-friendly VP Series for efficient, quiet power, and the gamer-specialized HCG and HCP Series for hours of reliable, continuous power. soundscience, a subsidiary of Antec, Inc, was created to manufacture audio and video-enabled lifestyle products, such as the soundscience rockus™ 3D | 2.1 speaker system, for the PC and home entertaining markets.

Founded in 1986, Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with international marketing headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Antec has additional offices in The Netherlands, China and Taiwan. Please visit Antec online for more information.

Follow the official Antec Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/AntecInc for event updates or visit the Antec blog at http://blog.antec.com/.

February 1, 2012, Taipei, Taiwan – Genius, a leading maker of computer peripherals, today announces DeathTaker, a professional laser gaming mouse designed for MMO and RTS gamers. The DeathTaker is the debut product of the GX Gaming Series which will be unveiling throughout the coming months.

With nine buttons DeathTaker gives gamers the ability to customize their gaming experience. Genius' included “Scorpion” UI lets gamers manage macros for up to 55 keys in 5 profiles, as well as a selection of up to 16 million backlight colors. The on-board memory design prevents game block and stores preferred macro settings for ready-to-play action on any computer.

Continuing to show flexibility, the GX Gaming Series DeathTaker has a built-in over-clocking SCGii engine designed for MMO and RTS gamers. Gamers can independently adjust the X and Y axis from 100 to 5700 dpi, and use the removable weight system including 6 metal weights -each 4.5 grams- to get the right heft and balance for any game or hand speed.

DeathTaker is not only completely customizable, but also provides a smooth, stable connection with a comfortable ergonomic design. Incorporated in DeathTaker is the full speed CPU giving gamers 8x faster response time. The high-quality braided cable with a resilient gold-plated USB connector means gamers don't have to worry about interrupted gameplay.

With a reliable 8 million clicks, DeathTaker gives MMO and RTS gamers the flexibility, stability, and comfort they desire for the MSRP of $79.90.

Package Contents:

• DeathTaker gaming mouse
• DeathTaker user interface driver
• Metal weight 4.5g x6
• Weight adjuster manual
• Multi-language quick installation pack

About Genius

Genius is a leading international brand in computer peripherals. Established by KYE Systems Corp. in 1983, Genius offers PC products including computer mice, keyboards, web and security cameras, speakers, gaming peripherals, remote controls, headphones, digital cameras, digital camcorders and digital photo frames. The Genius consumer electronics range includes mobile phone accessories, Bluetooth headsets and iPod speakers. For six consecutive years, beginning in 2005, Genius was recognized as one of Taiwan's Top 20 Global Brands. For more information, you can visit the Genius website at www.geniusnet.com.

Hoping to show off the differences between their Momentus Hybrid drives Vs. SSD's, Seagate sent over this Infograph. I thought it had a few good points. As you guys know I have been saying that Hybrid drives will be the most popular drive in the future for mainstream PC's and Laptops. 

The big news yesterday was AMD’s new HD 7950 video card. With a price point in line with the GTX 580 and performance that out performs the GTX 580 in almost every way it’s no doubt an exciting video card. Here are all of today’s reviews from around the net. There is a long list of HD 7950 reviews, but if that’s not your flavor there are more than enough other reviews to keep you busy reading all day.

Video Cards

XFX Radeon HD 7950 Black Edition Overclocked 3GB Graphics Card Video Review @ eTeknix.com

XFX DD R7950 Review @ Vortez

PowerColor PCS+ HD7950 Review @ Vortez

XFX Radeon R7950 Black Edition Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews

HD 7950 @ Techreport

AMD HD7950 'Tahiti Pro' Review @ Vortez

XFX & Sapphire HD 7950 3GB Review @ OCC

Sapphire 7950 Overclocked Edition Video Card Review @ Techwarelabs

XFX Radeon HD 7950 Black Edition Double Dissipation 3GB Review @ TweakTown

Sapphire HD 7950 OC Graphics Card @ Modders-Inc

AMD Radeon HD 7950 & XFX R7950 Black Edition Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews

PowerColor, Sapphire, XFX HD 7950 Review @ Neoseeker

Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB DDR5 Overclocked Version DX11.1 Video Card Review @ Hi Tech Legion

AMD Radeon HD 7950 Launch Review @ Neoseeker

AMD Radeon HD 7950 Video Card Review @ Hardware Secrets

AMD Radeon HD 7950 Tahiti Pro DirectX 11 GPU Review @ HotHardware.com

PowerColor HD 7950 PCS+ 3 GB @ techPowerUp

AMD Radeon HD 7950 CrossFire @ techPowerUp

AMD Radeon HD 7950 3 GB @ techPowerUp

XFX Radeon HD 7950 Black Edition Overclocked 3GB Graphics Card Review @ eTeknix.com

HIS Radeon HD 7950 3GB @ TweakTown

XFX HD 7970 Black Edition Double Dissipation 3 GB Review @ OCC

Galaxy GT 520 MDT Review @ OCC

Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6670 @ TechwareLabs

CPU’s

AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0 GHz Quad Core APU Review @ Hi Tech Legion

Motherboards

Sapphire PURE Black X79N @TweakTown

GIGABYTE 990FXA-UD5 AM3+ ATX Motherboard @ Futurelooks

Gigabyte Z68XP-UD4 Intel Z68 Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers.org

ASUS P9X79 WS Workstation Motherboard @ Benchmark Reviews

Cases

Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus (RC-431P) Mid Tower Case Review at Overclockers Online

MSI Nighthawk Case Review @ Hardware Secrets

NZXT Switch 810 Case Review @ HotHardware.com

GELID Solutions Darkforce PC Case Review @ Legit Reviews

Lian Li PC-90 HPTX Chassis Review @MissingRemote

Corsair Carbide 500R Arctic White Edition Review @ Madshrimps

NZXT Phantom Enthusiast Full Tower Case Review @ Real World Labs

Akasa Venom Toxic Full Tower Chassis Review @ eTeknix.com

NZXT Phantom 410 Chassis Review

MSI Nighthawk Case Review @ TechwareLabs

Cooling

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler Review @ Tweaknews

Prolimatech Lynx CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets

NZXT Havik 120 Review @ OCC

Danger Den DD-M6 Waterblock Review @ Ninjalane

Cooler Master GeminII M4 Review @ XSReviews

Deepcool Gamer Storm Dracula VGA Cooler Review @ Legit Reviews

Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler Review @ Hi Tech Legion

ARCTIC Freezer i30 CPU Cooler Review

Noctua NF-F12 PWM Fan Review @ Vortez

Alpenföhn Civetta CPU Cooler Review @ eTeknix.com

PSU’s

Antec EarthWatts Platinum 650 W @ techPowerUp

NZXT HALE82 750-watt @ TweakTown

Thermaltake Smart 630 W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets

Enermax Platimax 1200 W @ techPowerUp

Storage

Samsung SSD SM825 400GB Enterprise SSD @ SSDReview

OCZ Nocti 128GB SATA 2 mSATA SSD @SSDReview

ADATA S396 30GB Value Solid State Drive @TweakTown

Kingston SSDNow V+200 120GB Upgrade Kit Review @ Real World Labs

Verbatim Store'n'Go 1 TB USB3.0 Portable Hard Drive reviewed in Metku.net

Network

Synology DS212 2-Bay NAS @ TweakTown

ASUS RT-N56U Dual-Band Wireless-N600 Gigabit Router Review @ Bigbruin.com

Edimax WD-1000TR Wireless WHDI Caster Review @ eTeknix.com

UEBO M400 Wireless Media Player - BCCHardware

Input Devices

QPad MK-80 Mechanical Keyboard Review @ eTeknix.com

Roccat Isku Keyboard @ Rbmods

QPAD MK-85 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard @ techPowerUp

SteelSeries World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse Review - Legendary Edition @ Legit Reviews

CM Storm Xornet Gaming Mouse @ Rbmods

Memory

GeIL Enhance Corsa PC3-12800 1600MHz 16GB Quad Channel Memory Kit Review @ Madshrimps

Gaming

Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR) PC Review

Other

Powerbag Backpack Review @ TechwareLabs

CyberLink PowerDVD 12 Review @MissingREmote

Thermaltake Dr. Power II ATX Power Supply Tester Review @ Tweaknews

Alienware's X51 SFF Gaming System Lands at HH, Autopsy and Benchmarks Ensue

ASUS VG278H LCD Monitor 3D Vision-2 Kit @ Benchmark Reviews

Deepcool Gamer Storm Dracula VGA Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets

Dell XPS 15z Notebook PC Review

The Internet Stratification: Tales of an Unequal Web @ Techgage

NuForce uDAC-2 Digital-to-Analog Converter Review @ TechwareLabs

Playstation 4 Delayed again

PC gaming in 3D stereo: 3D Vision 2 vs. HD3D

Westone 4R In-ears @ techPowerUp

I have been waiting for this anouncment for a LONG time. Today Steam introduced their mobile app for iOS and Android. With the app you can chat with your steam friends and buy steam games. That means no missing out on sales because your away from your PC. We should be taking a closer look at the app here soon to see what else its capable of doing, stay tuned!

It should also be noted this is still in beta. The only way to sign up is to download and try to sign in. Some people will get to try it right away, others will have to wait a little longer

http://store.steampowered.com/mobile

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/01/25/blizzcon-2012-cancelled-will-return-in-2013/

Blizzard have announced that their massive annual convention won’t be happening this year. Instead, they’ll be devoting more time to finishing their many projects. “In light of our jam-packed schedule, we’ve decided to hold the next BlizzCon in 2013,” Blizzard say in a statement on Battle.net, mentioning that they’re currently “heavily focused on getting Diablo III, Mists of Pandaria, and Heart of the Swarm into players’ hands as soon as possible.”