I think I can categorize wireless routers into two categories. Category A is cheap, limited hardware, but with an intuitive user interface. Category B is expensive, great hardware, but more settings than the average user wants to muddle through. While I’m not saying that good middle-of-road options don’t exist, I haven’t seen one that excites me nearly as much as what I just found. I’m not entirely certain when the DIR-869 AC1750 EXO released, but it feels like it just popped up out of nowhere. D-LINK may have offered us the best balance of performance to cost with this one. It turns out that both the DIR-879 and 869 were unveiled at CES earlier this year. While the 879 released in the first quarter, the 869 wasn’t supposed to release until the second one. I’m only bringing it up now because while scouring Newegg for the host of reasons I have to scour Newegg, a banner scrolled this by and I had to find out what was going on. It was the $119.99 price that really caught my eye. Considering this unit has AC wireless, a dual core processor, beam forming and intelligent QoS, the price seems like an excellent deal. The other nice thing about this router is the user interface. I recently purchased a D-LINK DIR-842 in an attempt to not only smooth some online gaming experiences out, but try yet again to get some better wireless coverage in my house. It was the first router that met and even exceeded my expectations. The new user interface is gr...

If there’s one thing we should all know by now, always expect SAMSUNG to outdo themselves. Their 950 Pro NVMe SSDs were already blistering fast, but apparently that wasn’t enough for them. Today, SAMSUNG announced the latest in the SSD lineup, the 960 Pro and the 960 Evo. If being faster isn’t enough, the price on the EVO is looking pretty enticing as well. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw sequential read and write speeds of 3,500 MB/s and 2,100 MB/s respectively. Of course, we’ve come to expect that on the Pro series. I shouldn’t be that surprised, but the Evo line comes in at 3,200 MB/s and 1,900 MB/s! This has been a trend for the Evos for a while, but I’m still slightly shocked how close that performance is to the Pros. The 960 Pro will be available in up to a 2 TB capacity while the 960 Evo will only reach a 1 TB capacity for the time being. What really caught my eye was that starting cost for the Evo. The recommended retail is $130 which is really good for an NVMe M.2 drive. No doubt that will be for the 250 GB option, but if that trend holds pretty closely for the 500 GB drive, we might see a price around $250. That’s really affordable considering the Evo is faster than most M.2 drives on the market right now by a good margin. Needless to say I’m excited about this release. If you want the full details, check out the rest of the press release below. Samsung Electronics Accelerates the NVMe Era for Consumers wit...

Introduction We’re bringing STEELSERIES back to the forefront again, but this time we have a headset to review instead of a mouse and keyboard combo. Even though this company is new to PureOC, they impressed us with some excellent quality and exceptional software. However, sound is a completely different playing field compared to input peripherals. The Siberia 350 has a lot of competition to stand up against so we better take a long hard look at how it does in person. We’ll get right into it soon, after a quick word from the manufacturer. WE ARE GAMING SteelSeries has fueled the gaming industry by creating innovative new products, designed specifically for eSports and passionate gamers everywhere. RELENTLESS INNOVATION Here at SteelSeries, we are obsessed with “firsts”. Dating back to 2001, our company was formed to meet the surface needs of hardcore gamers by introducing the first glass mousepad, the Icemat. Since that original innovation, we created the first mechanical gaming keyboard, the first suspended headband for gaming headsets, the first World of Warcraft mouse and endless other innovations. SteelSeries is dedicated to building products that push professional gaming further than anyone dreamed. Those innovations make gaming more competitive and more fun for gamers everywhere. INSPIRING DESIGN Our fans, customers and professional eSports teams demand the ultimate performance from SteelSeries. We combine the necessity of professional-grade quality ...

Introduction Alright, everyone! I think I’m getting over the fact that there’s a massive surge of unstoppable gaming mice that are overrunning the planet right now. My anxiety levels are calming down a bit. In that light, I proudly bring to you yet another mouse review. At least this time, we have a different manufacturer from my previous reviews so we can see how well they play their hand at entering one of the most crowded markets in the existence of PC hardware. NIXEUS may not be a name you’ve heard of, but they seem to be on the right track with many of their releases. We’ll see if the Revel Gaming Mouse meets expectations, but let’s tune into a brief statement about the company first. Established 2009 in Los Angeles, California – Nixeus Technology is an American company, brand and manufacturer specializing in computer monitors, peripherals and consumer electronics. Our products are trusted and used by Fortune 500 companies, Financial Institutions, Universities, NASA, and various government agencies. Founded by executives with extensive knowledge and experience in the consumer electronics and PC gaming industry – we are committed to producing premium quality products to create an immersive experience for entertainment, business and productive applications. If you’d like a further break down, follow the link here to see more about NIXEUS.

Introduction LOGITECH has been designing peripherals to help others enjoy a better experience since 1981. They started with the mouse and reinvented it several times over the years. They have since expanded into other devices like webcams. I will be looking at the C920 webcam from Logitech, which is labeled as one of the first webcams to support 1080p for video calling. Webcams can also be an important part of your gaming setup; even as much as a game controller nowadays. Live streaming has become extremely popular making a webcam a welcomed device for more than video chatting. Let’s see if this webcam can handle streaming video, audio, and the quality it claims. System Requirements Compatible with: Windows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 or later Works in USB Video Device Class (UVC) mode: Mac OS 10.6 or later (HD 720p on FaceTime for Mac or other supported video-calling clients; Full HD 1080p video recording with QuickTime Player) Chrome OS™ Android v 5.0 or above (with supported video-calling clients) USB port Internet connection Warranty Information 2-Year Limited Hardware Warranty Package Contents Webcam with 6-foot cable User documentation Technical Specifications - Full HD 1080p video calling (up to 1920 x 1080 pixels) with the latest version of Skype for Windows – 720p HD video calling (up to 1280 x 720 pixels) with supported clients – Full HD video recording (up to 1920 x 1080 pixels) – H.264 video compression – Built-in dual stereo m...

I almost hesitate to even bring this article to life because it’s the kind of thing that internet trolls, with their vitriol of insults, love to flock to. However, I feel like MICROSOFT deserves some praise for what it’s done with Windows 10. At the current rate, 10 might be the best OS to ever happen to the ultra-enthusiasts market since ever! I’m not trying to say Windows 10 is perfect, but from a builder’s perspective who likes fancy hardware configurations, I have a good reason to say MICROSOFT is doing a darn good job. I always have and always will love Crossfire/SLI setups. When I found out I had the chance to merely add a second GPU to my first build, I was ecstatic to try it and quickly fell in love with it. Since then, I’ve always opted to buy two lower end GPUs over one high end one. I work through the bugs I face and can’t get over how nice two strong GPUs look next to each other in my build. This is just the tip of the iceberg for a patch release that had the most minor bug fix description imaginable. In the patch before this last one, the release notes had a tiny phrase that mentioned video display fixes. What is minor in text was huge for me because now, my system no longer hangs when using Crossfire, FreeSync, AND dual displays. My secondary display is a standard 60 Hz panel paired with my adaptive sync one! I even further complicate the matter by having dual SSDs, one for the OS and the other for games and back ups. I k...

If you follow me, you might have heard me say that LEDs make your computer go faster. That’s because it’s a hard cold fact, as long as nobody tries to actually test it or anything. Regardless, I’m huge fan of RGB lighting and seeing it added to with the NZXT Aer fans is pretty fantastic. First off, I love the design on their RGB ring for the Aer. It’s unique in it’s shape, but also looks like it will have a great glow around the entire shroud. The other bonus is the fact that the Aer can be controlled by the Hue+. While a hardware control can be nice sometimes, it also means having access to knobs or buttons that you can access on the outside of your case. The Hue+ allows software access to the lighting, making control a bit easier on top of giving more control options. Check out the full press release below and get excited for more glorious lighting in our PCs! Lighting is in the Aer NZXT launches Aer RGB, premium LED PWM fans Los Angeles, CA – September 13th, 2016 – NZXT proudly announces today the Aer RGB line of LED PWM fans combining premium illumination options with efficient cooling performance allowing users to build powerful and beautiful systems. Operated via HUE+ and fully customizable by using CAM software, Aer RGB fans are easy to install and operate while offering a wide range of lighting options. Furthermore, the fans can be conveniently daisy-chained and assigned to different groups, letting users set up custom illumination...

ASUSTOR Launches New AS6204RS and AS6204RD Rackmount Models Featuring Intel Braswell Quad-Core Processors ASUSTOR launches new AS6204RS/AS6204RD rackmount NAS models powered by Intel Braswell quad-core processors and 4 GB SO-DIMM DDR3L memories. These models are equipped with stable performance and a rich variety of functionality such as comprehensive backup and storage services, seamless integration with virtual environments and simplified management for network administrators, creating an optimal enterprise storage solution. Taipei, Taiwan, September 13th, 2016 – ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, has announced the launch of 2 brand new rackmount NAS models powered by Intel Braswell processors. These 2 new models are the single power supply AS6204RS and dual power supply AS6204RD. Both come with powerful core specifications and a rich variety of expansion interfaces allowing for unparalleled agility and seamless integration in demanding enterprise environments. The 4 high speed Ethernet ports also allow businesses to flexibly deploy network traffic providing stable access performance. Furthermore, the AS6204RS and AS6204RD have passed stringent hard disk compatibility testing, and support the largest hard disks on the market (10TB), allowing businesses to create 40TB high capacity storage spaces. The AS6204 and AS6204RD come built-in with the ADM operating system, which features a simplified graphical user interface that feels ...

ENERMAX Launches the D.F.VEGAS Series with Self-cleaning Function September 13, 2016, Taoyuan, Taiwan – ENERMAX announces the extension of the D.F. series by adding two LED fans, D.F.VEGAS and D.F.VEGAS DUO. The D.F.VEGAS is a single blue color LED fan; the D.F.VEGAS DUO comes with 2-color LED (red and green). Both D.F. LED fans featuring the latest Dust Free Rotation technology can provide not only incredible lighting effects but also self-cleaning solution. Patented Dust Free Rotation (DFRTM) Technology for Self-cleaning The innovative DFRTM technology makes the fan to spin in reverse at the highest RPM set by the user for 10 seconds upon startup before it resumes to the normal operation. The DFR technology offers a smart self-cleaning solution to prolong the product lifetime and reduces the dust on radiator that gradually build-up throughout the time. Patented Adjusted Peak Speed (APS) Design Provides 3 RPM Ranges D.F.VEGAS and D.F.VEGAS DUO are also built with ENERMAX’s patented APS design, which enables users to individually widen or limit the fan’s RPM range according to the system configuration and requirements. The fans offer three different speed modes to provide the optimal cooling performance: Ultra Silent Mode, Silent Mode, and Performance Mode. Within the selected RPM range, the fans are controlled by pulse width modulation (PWM). This intelligent design gives users great flexibility in selecting the preferred fan speed to reach the balance between cooli...

Introduction Wait! Where’s the Zen chips already? Just keep being patient a little longer because the new architecture is coming soon enough. On top of that, Zen isn’t going to replace every budget range when it first releases. Unless AMD has a surprise up their sleeves, we can only expect Zen to target the high-end at first. In the mean time, Piledriver chips will still be filling the other budget slots until the rest of Zen arrives. Today, we’re going to take a look at the FX-6350 and see how it does. Some of you may be thinking that the 6350 has been beaten to death in reviews and that would be pretty close to accurate. However, we do have the new Wraith Cooler bundled with this chip so that will give us a little bit of a new angle to look at. The other thing we want to do differently is abandon the stock clocks. This is Pure Overclock! Who needs stock clocks anymore? Seriously though, the FX-6350 has been around long enough that we have a great idea of how it performs, even overclocked. This will be more of a review in seeing how well the Wraith Cooler does in comparison to some other slightly heftier coolers. We’ll get into those details in a bit so sit back and enjoy a quick word about the philosophy driving AMD. At AMD, we live our core values through our actions. This helps drive our business. Being a socially and environmentally responsible business is an important part of AMD’s culture – The AMD Way. We believe that our employees are m...