Introduction Please give a huge welcome to our new reviewer, Brendan Varik at PureOC! You can welcome him at the forum post for this review. AZZA is a brand that I suspect not too many of you are familiar with. They formed way back in 1996 with three main business philosophies: innovation, performance and growth. When they launched, they were primarily in the motherboard manufacturing business, and was one of the top ten leading suppliers in the 90’s. Today, however, is a slightly different story in the sense that they create mainly gaming cases and are looking to offer you some bang for your buck. In 2009, they were able to restructure and then distribute their products under the AZZA trademark that we see today. They no longer sell motherboards, but instead offer a plethora of computer accessories and components; ranging from cases to monitors, they’ve surely got something for you. Let’s get on with the meat of this review, and discuss what they sent over for us to look at. It is of course, as you probably already guessed by the title of this review, the Storm 6000 gaming chassis. Oh, and it’s the white variant of the two, because (surely) everyone loves the black and white themes that you can create with modern hardware. You can of course opt for the black version instead, which you can tell apart in the naming scheme by it either being the 6000W or 6000B SKU.   Are you looking for a case with eight expansion slots? Perhaps a possibility of vertically mount...

Me and Press Releases have not gotten along well lately. It’s the side effects of being super busy in my real life. Still, the old slogan is better late than never and there were some good releases you might be interested in. Check out the full PR below for one of GeIL’s releases and expect more to come. GeIL Releases EVO SPEAR DDR4 Hardcore Memory for PC Gamers Available in 2133MHz to 3466MHz Frequencies Optimized for Intel Z200 Series & X299 Chipsets Verified by AMD Ryzen Processors and AM4 motherboards  Taipei, Taiwan — Aug. 3rd, 2017 — GeIL – Golden Emperor International Ltd. – one of the world’s leading PC components & peripheral manufacturers announced the latest DDR4 hardcore gaming memory modules, EVO SPEAR Series, and EVO SPEAR AMD Edition Series. Available as single modules and kits up to 64GB, runs as low as 1.2V and at max 1.35V resulting in less power consumption and higher reliability. Featuring a stylish and stealthy standard-height heat spreader, EVO SPEAR Series modules can be used in most case designs including SFF (Small Form Factor) systems and full-sized gaming PCs. The EVO SPEAR Series and EVO SPEAR AMD Edition Series are available in black with a black PCB and are perfect for gamers and enthusiasts who want a cost-efficient upgrade for faster gaming, video editing, and 3D rendering. ​ EVO SPEAR Series available in 2133MHz to 3466MHz frequencies, optimized for the Intel® Core™ X, i7, i5 Processors as well as...

Introduction FSP gave us something new to look at with their CMT210 Chassis, but they included a CPU cooler to review as well. The CMT210 was excellent in addressing tiny details that can cause frustration for someone, especially if it’s a first time PC build. Now we have the Windale 6 to look at and while we’ll be looking at how easily the cooler installs, cooling performance will be an integral point to look at as well. We also won’t forget aesthetics. As always, we’ll get to Windale soon enough, but first let’s look at the company statement again from FSP! Since 1993, based on its professional R&D expertise, enormous production capacity and high Quality Assurance, FSP has achieved an important position in the challenging IT industry. To strengthen the brand image and to provide better service to our customers, FSP built its own brand in 2003. FSP has a good understanding of customer needs, which includes providing products of high quality and reliability, after-sales service and continuous development of new products. It can be prominently seen in such as our products like highly efficient Aurum series and the fanless Zen series. As a result, innovation and high quality are the most important advantages of FSP. In the future, FSP will continue innovating new technology to meet customers’ needs with its professional R&D team and after-sales service. To provide highly efficient and innovative products for all families and enrich...

The past few weeks have been miserable for myself. I had a major work project to get through and while I enjoy projects, the following weeks left my body turning against me with sickness and gout. I’ve felt my enthusiasm die down to a small ember, but sometimes I get to read an article that helps ignite my spark again. I got lucky and caught an article that talked about Threadripper being a spare time project for AMD engineers and I can’t tell you how much I love hearing that. PCGamer had a link on the article and it shows that the HEDT competition from AMD almost didn’t happen. It looks like the Red company didn’t have specific plans to design Threadripper when they did, but their engineers had enough freedom to come up with the design anyways. This indicates two huge things that make me become the biggest AMD fanboy I’ve ever been. For starters, the engineers probably have a huge passion for designing chips. Many people are content to use their spare time to gorge on entertainment, but these people saw an opportunity to take Ryzen to the next level. I not only love seeing passion, but I also see an indication of the freedom AMD’s management is giving to their builders. While this probably comes from the top with Lisa Su, AMD wasn’t afraid to let their engineers loose and try new things. As a result, we have a phenomenal product in Threadripper and a phenomenal company shaping up with AMD. I love hearing about this and even though...

If you’ve followed my Youtube channel, you may have heard me mention that I’m not a huge fan of unboxings. I guess it’s nice to see a product coming out of the box, but it feels like I’m trying to live vicariously through somebody else’s experience without the satisfaction of owning my own product. Give me information! Still, when a company like Enermax offers the opportunity to do one, it’s hard to say no with how great their other products have been. The GraceMesh feels like a very solid budget oriented case and you can check out the video below to see the full (albeit abridged) details! http://a.co/fXLiGyf

Introduction Building computers is a work of progress. Most of us are happy if our first system turns on and we can successfully install Windows on it. After that we start finding ways to make Windows run smoother, cut the tearing/stuttering out of our gaming, make our cables look prettier, and even risk voiding warranties to overclock our parts for more performance. This is what we can consider the final stages of performance. However, if you’re really into building a PC for the sheer fun of building it, there’s a whole new level that makes a custom PC an entirely different experience. Most of our reviews focus on the straightforward attributes of a component’s ease of use, value, and performance. That frame of mind makes it very easy to give a recommendation on the majority of parts out there, but some companies force the reviewer to change their perspective entirely and gauge a product on a whole new level. That’s what In Win is going to do to us today. Sure, we’re not going to forget the practical aspects of this case, but we also have to consider the “Art” level of the design. This is the ultimate stage where a system becomes more than a high performance machine, but also represents a work of art reflecting the builder’s personal taste. In Win lives here and we’ll soon figure out how well the 301 Chassis fits into that level, right after taking a quick look at the values of this company. IN-WIN Development Inc., ...

The year of Ryzen has turned out to be a very good year indeed. AMD’s new architecture only had some minor set backs to overcome, but now it’s poised to be the competitive champion of the PC market. I’m going to let you google the Threadripper reviews this time, because I’m going to focus on some incredible firsts that basically sum up how great this release is and why Threadripper is demolishing competition. For starters…. Holy Cats! Intel has dominated this chart for ages now, yet there’s a Threadripper at the very top!!! AMD is at the top of the charts!!!!! Wow! I’m sure Intel is working hard to dethrone that, but for the time being, AMD is at the top of the PassMark chart and that’s pretty incredible. However, shock and awe is just beginning….. Are we really seeing this!?! Was that Nvidia congratulating AMD!?!?!?!?!?! What’s going on? Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria! Did we ever see a day where Nvidia and AMD acted…. cordially to each other? But it didn’t end there…… AMD just high-fived Nvidia!!!!!! I’m not saying the future won’t have some sort of confrontation again, it’s just weird to see what what was thought as mortal enemies having such a great exchange. I remember during my sales years that I was told to essentially hate my competition. I think we can prove that you don’t have to hate someone to be competitive with them (all ...

You may remember something about a new input device called the RBT (rabbit) that was supposed to improve the mouse design dramatically. We got the chance to review it and the conclusion was that the button layout worked in a completely surprising way. Even now, in spite of being back on a regular mouse for some time, I still can’t get used to the tension that is so obvious in my neck and should after having the RBT experience. Well if price was a factor, there’s good news. For $55 right now, you can add to the campaign funds and secure an RBT Rogue for yourself. The DPI sensor is going to be quite a bit lower than the gaming version, but if you aren’t the type to set sensitivity to the point that a tiny flinch causes the cursor to shoot across the screen (like me), then the office version might be perfect anyways. Check out the link below because if you’ve ever experienced discomfort from using a mouse, the RBT is well worth the cost. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mouse-no-more-rbt-rebel-rogue-taking-over-esports#/

Introduction Everyone has different priorities for their PC build: Power, silence, size, comfort, lighting, cheap as possible, etc. When you are on a budget, some part of your build is going to suffer. Great power; you sit on the floor. Huge monitor; graphics card tops out at 30 fps. Lots of RGB lighting; keyboard and mouse from the 90’s. This review is for the latter. If you’ve shopped for an RGB keyboard recently, your options are $150+ mechanical or $50 fixed color membrane. Good news! Rosewill built something bright, colorful and affordable. They’ve also built a mouse with RGB as well, though affordable RGB mice have stiffer competition. However, should you buy them? Let’s find out. First, a bit about Rosewill: Rosewill’s mission is to consistently deliver reliable, high quality PC gaming, IT hardware and home products through leading innovation and long-lasting relationships. Rosewill Inc. was established in 2004, founded by manufacturing reliable, high-quality technology products. The first products under the Rosewill brand name included computer components such as computer cases, power supply units, keyboards, mice and cables. Over time, the product line strategically developed and entered new areas of growth, including PC gaming and home products. Under the management of experienced e-retail experts, Rosewill products can be found on all top e-commerce sites, along with product information and reviews. Today, Rosewill currently manuf...

Introduction The gaming mouse industry has been overrun with competition for quite some time now. That doesn’t surprise me, but I am starting to get a little surprised at how many budget cases are being introduced into the market. It seems like computer building is a pretty niche market, but on second thought, the idea that there’s a surge of prospective buyers in the $50 range makes a lot of sense. If you’re new to PC building, you’ve probably allocated a large amount of budget to other components and if you’re just looking to upgrade, pre-built system cases can have serious space limitations. FSP has traditionally been known for power supplies, but they’ve decided to enter the budget case arena with their CMT210 mid-tower chassis. Call me a sucker for punishment, but I still want to find that budget tower that really hits all the marks I think a budget case should hit. We’ll dive into the chassis soon enough, but first let’s take a look at a bit of info from FSP. Since 1993, based on its professional R&D expertise, enormous production capacity and high Quality Assurance, FSP has achieved an important position in the challenging IT industry. To strengthen the brand image and to provide better service to our customers, FSP built its own brand in 2003. FSP has a good understanding of customer needs, which includes providing products of high quality and reliability, after-sales service and continuous development of new pro...