Processors and graphics cards of the latest generations are already available in laptops nicely together, side by side, which also applies to the Asus model series – SCAR 18. We are talking about powerful hardware, or the most powerful, as far as the configuration we tested is concerned. This one features both a top-notch CPU and GPU . Meanwhile, the Scar 18 is a relatively compact laptop considering its high performance. Read more “ROG Strix SCAR 18 or a test of RTX 4090/Core i9-13980HX combo”
Today I would like to introduce another liquid all-in-one cooler from Endorfy. After testing the Navis F240 ARGB and Navis F280, it’s now the turn of the biggest brother of these coolers, the Navis F360. As with the other coolers in the updated Navis series, here you’ll also find the good old Endorfy Fluctus fans. And with a price tag of around 110 EUR, there is again a decent potential for an attractive price/performance/quality ratio. Read more “Endorfy Navis F360 – Third time’s the charm…”
Low-profile fans are often seen as compromise solutions that will not achieve the efficiency of thicker models. This may or may not be true. In practice, the Arctic P12 Slim beats a number of full-size fans. Sure, Arctic’s 15mm fan has many shortcomings, but these are vindicated by the very low price. In the 120mm format, it is one of the cheapest, but definitely not the “weakest” slim fans. Read more “Top price/performance in 15 mm – Arctic P12 Slim PWM PST”
Finally, a 140mm fan that doesn’t wade between the 120mm ones, but has a clear edge over them – even the “best” ones. And it’s a completely different story than its smaller brother, whose biggest negatives are avoided by the 140mm model. But there is one new, rather unnecessary flaw. However, it can be eliminated, with a trade-off. But you might not even notice it, and then you can consider this fan an excellent choice. Read more “BeQuiet! Silent Wings Pro 4 (BL099): A 140mm sovereign”
If you like to monitor the temperatures of your components, we have a tip for you to take your temperature monitoring to the next level. The new CH510 Mesh Digital has a small display on its front to show the current temperature of select hardware. But just monitoring isn’t enough, you also need to take action to lower the temperatures, and in that the case itself falls a little short. Just one pre-installed fan may not be enough. Read more “DeepCool CH510 Mesh Digital: Temperatures right under your nose”
The third and final Intel Core i5-13400F CPU test with measurements beyond standard will add to what the previous two have shown. We ran the two existing steppings – B0 (with Raptor Cove/Raptor Lake P cores) and C0 (Golden Cove/Alder Lake) – through all the games we use to test processors, in four different display setups. In the case of stepping B0 even with modified CPU settings, with E cores disabled. Read more “Core i5-13400F complete gaming tests (B0 vs. C0). W/o E cores too”
With the little (E) cores turned off, the Core i5-13400(F) becomes a 6-core processor with 12 threads in the same way that the older Core i5-12400(F) is. This intergenerational comparison is also a side product of tests main goal of which is to show the impact of E cores not only on computational and gaming performance, but also on operational characteristics. The biggest differences occur in the situations that mainstream PCs run into most often. Read more “When E cores are disabled: Core i5-13400F vs. Core i5-12400(F)”
Fractal Design claims the Prisma models as its most efficient 140mm fans. According to the specs, they are supposed to achieve the highest airflow at a lower noise level than the Aspect 14s. However, this is physically impossible due to the constructional differences of the two fans. The title of the article has a bit of a pejorative tone and while the Prisma AL-14 PWM is a decent fan, it already has a superior from its own ranks. Read more “Prisma AL-14 PWM: The best 140mm fan by Fractal Design?”
In the vast majority of Intel Core i5-13400F processor tests (including ours), you’ve studied the results of the variant built on the Golden Cove cores from the Alder Lake generation. But there is also an iteration from Raptor Lake (with Raptor Cove cores). However, this processor is harder to get hold of, its availability is considerably weaker, but it is obtainable. You’ll find out if it’s worth the extra effort from the comparative analysis. Read more “Not every Core i5-13400F is the same: Raptor (B0) vs. Alder (C0) lake”
Blade length is always the “topic”, but will be more common with 140mm fans than smaller variants. Some bet on long blades for preference of selected features, the other manufacturer on short ones. And such (short) and overall more robust blades are also used by the 140mm Aorus fan. From certain points of view this is quite a big advantage, but for which something had to be sacrificed. It’s a quid pro quo. Read more “Gigabyte Aorus 140 ARGB: Short/quiet and lighted (blades)”
The Aquafusion ADV 240 is the first AIO cooler from Enermax that I have the pleasure to test. The subject of today’s review is also the interesting white design variant, which in combination with the RGB backlighting of the fans and the infinity mirror effect on the cooler block looks really premium. The price of this cooler comes out to an affordable 105 EUR, which could provide a solid price-performance ratio if it performs well in tests. Read more “Enermax Aquafusion ADV 240 – Pretty liquid cooler with big noise”
We analyzed the “Light Wings” fan fairly recently, but that was in the 120 mm format. BeQuiet! approached the 140mm model a little differently. Although the frame is only proportionally enlarged, the shape of the rotor is already significantly different. It relies on long, curved blades, which look great in this cross-section, but there are some design caveats. Still, in some applications, this fan excels. Read more “BeQuiet! Light Wings (140 mm): Different size, different geometry”
Many people look down on SSD coolers with fans, saying that “a proper heatsink must be enough in this power class”. But it’s a bit more complicated than that. Direct fan cooling of the fins makes sense for SSD coolers as well. However, this is only sometimes the case, it depends on the environment in which the SSD is operating. And when it fits yours, you can’t overlook Axagon’s cooler (CLR-M2FAN) when deciding. Read more “Axagon CLR-M2FAN: Active SSD cooler for closed off spaces”
Starting with the Fractal Design Aspect 14 RGB PWM test, we are starting to build a database of 140mm fan results. These may have a smaller market presence due to poorer compatibility, but compared to the 120mm models they have the makings of higher efficiency, which is why they are more popular among many users. The Aspect 14 RGB PWM fan, in addition to its aerodynamic qualities, also fights for customer favour with its lighting. Read more “FD Aspect 14 RGB PWM: Larger rotor, higher airflow per dBA”
Network storage is primarily used in enterprises and server farms, but it can also be used in a home. After all, who among us doesn’t have hundreds of photos and videos on our smartphones or cameras. Also not to forget regular backups and external HDDs, which are not really practical in this regard. But what to do if you’re looking for an affordable and quiet NAS, but with premium connectivity and six slots? Read more “Qnap TS-435XeU – compact and quiet NAS for 1U rack”
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