ASRock B660 Steel Legend or the cheapest motherboard in tests

Naposledy sme sa zaoberali základnou doskou, ktorá, ktorá je aj vďaka nižšej cene vhodná najmä na použitie s lacnejšími procesormi. Teraz tu máme o zhruba 50 eur drahšiu Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master DDR4. Príplatok tu má jasné opodstatnenie a odzkadľuje sa na lepších vlastnostiach. Napájacia kaskáda je výrazne efektívnejšia, chladiče sú účinnejšie a výbava je celkovo bohatšia, vrátane svetielok.

Audio encoding

Test environment: Audio encoding is done using command line encoders, we measure the time it takes for the conversion to finish. The same 42-minute long 16-bit WAV file (stereo) with 44.1 kHz is always used (Love Over Gold by Dire Straits album rip in a single audio file).

Encoder settings are selected to achieve maximum or near maximum compression. The bitrate is relatively high, with the exception of lossless FLAC of about 200 kb/s.

Note: These tests measure single-thread performance.

FLAC: reference encoder 1.3.2, 64-bit build. Launch options: flac.exe -s -8 -m -e -p -f

MP3: encoder lame3.100.1, 64-bit build (Intel 19 Compiler) from RareWares. Launch options: lame.exe -S -V 0 -q 0

AAC: uses Apple QuickTime libraries, invoked through the application from the command line, QAAC 2.72, 64-bit build, Intel 19 Compiler (does not require installation of the whole Apple package). Launch options: qaac64.exe -V 100 -s -q 2

Opus: reference encoder 1.3.1, Launch options: opusenc.exe –comp 10 –quiet –vbr –bitrate 192


Even a Temperature Sensor Failed to Prevent 12V-2×6 Cable Melting

The new 12VHPWR—later renamed to 12V-2×6— power connector is plagued with persistent reliability issues involving random overheating, melting, and even burning ever since Nvidia graphics cards adopted it. Since then, every conceivable company—that notably not including Nvidia itself—has been trying out various workarounds. However, it seems that the connector’s tendency to fail is so consistent that even thermal protection cannot stop it. Read more “Even a Temperature Sensor Failed to Prevent 12V-2×6 Cable Melting” »

ASRock at Computex: 3200W PSU, unique AIOs and LCP fans

One company out of the big four has been missing from our coverage of Computex 2026: ASRock. This year’s Computex 2026 is tied to an anniversary for ASRock as well, as the company is celebrating the 10 years of its Taichi hardware lineup. The occasion is being marked with new hardware too: ASRock has unveiled new motherboards, graphics cards, power supplies with protection against cable melting, as well as coolers and fans. Read more “ASRock at Computex: 3200W PSU, unique AIOs and LCP fans” »

ASRock Intel Arc B580 Steel Legend 12GB Review: Third in the Game

The Intel Arc B580 is currently the most powerful model in Intel’s new generation graphics card lineup. The ASRock Steel Legend 12GB OC version offers more efficient cooling, very low noise levels, and striking ARGB lighting compared to the base models. Its performance beats the RTX 3060, but it falls behind newer rivals. Compared to cards like the RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT, it stands out more for its larger memory than for its price-to-performance ratio. Read more “ASRock Intel Arc B580 Steel Legend 12GB Review: Third in the Game” »

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