EKWB EK-M.2 re-test: Pioneer among SSD coolers after years

You may remember our old tests of SSD coolers, which were topped by the EKWB EK-M.2. The latter was something of a minor miracle five years ago, beside the various unfinished solutions. Given that its production is still ongoing, it’s interesting to see how the once cutting-edge SSD cooler stands up against the current competition. That’s why we dusted it off (a new piece with fresh pads, of course) and sent it into battle. Read more “EKWB EK-M.2 re-test: Pioneer among SSD coolers after years” »

Intel Core i3-13100F: Tailor-made for cheap gaming builds

Within the Raptor Lake-S CPU segmentation, it belongs to the lowest class (Core i3), but at the same time it is the fastest 4-core processor at all. AMD hasn’t had anything that directly competes with the Core i3-1x10xF processors in this segment for quite some time. So Intel, alone in the field, is pushing these processors in small steps, and the Ci3-13100(F) is already a very well “polished” foundation for budget gaming PCs. Read more “Intel Core i3-13100F: Tailor-made for cheap gaming builds” »

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X: More efficient, but much weaker than Core i7

It clearly outperformed its predecessors (including the R7 5800X) and also the Core i9-10900K, which has two more cores. But it can’t compare with the Core i7-13700K in heavy MT workloads, and that’s just a month after its release. In ST loads, however, it’s even performance-wise, as in games, where Ryzen 7 is more efficient. Whether the R7 7700X is worth more than the Ci7-13700K for similar money, however, you’ll have to judge for yourself. Read more “AMD Ryzen 7 7700X: More efficient, but much weaker than Core i7” »

Gelid IceCap vs. more than 40 other M.2 SSD coolers

The number of tested SSD coolers is piling up, and the inter-comparison of different models is already quite voluminous. It includes inefficient structures, simpler (but efficient) and more complex designs. The IceCap cooler, which is the subject of this analysis, is among the more reasonable solutions for a few euros. In short, an inexpensive option to consider when thinking about how to reduce SSD temperature. Read more “Gelid IceCap vs. more than 40 other M.2 SSD coolers” »

Ryzen 5 7600: Raphael in AMD’s most popular series scores again

This time, it wasn’t as long a wait as for the Ryzen 5 5600. On the contrary, the Ryzen 5 7600 came out very shortly after the faster model with the “X” in the name. AMD apparently hurried with this lower-power model also because of dissatisfied reactions that 7600X criticize the worse cooling. With the significantly more efficient R5 7600, the situation with silicon is brighter. Plus it’s cheaper and doesn’t lose all that much in performance. Read more “Ryzen 5 7600: Raphael in AMD’s most popular series scores again” »

Axagon CLR-M2XL: Only one SSD cooler can be the best

The designers have really gone all out with the CLR-M2XL cooler. Some of the details are really surprising for an SSD cooler, but you can see a clear intention – to squeeze the most out of the available material. Finding a more powerful model than the CLR-M2XL in the current offer among passive SSD coolers will be very difficult, with a better price/performance ratio probably impossible. Despite the superior cooling performance, Axagon held back on pricing. Read more “Axagon CLR-M2XL: Only one SSD cooler can be the best” »

“Weaker PCB”, but still (Gigabyte Aorus X670 Elite AX) stands out

Motherboards for the AMD AM5 platform with chipsets without “E” in the designation have weaker connectivity derived from the processor, but if you do not require PCIe 5.0 for the graphics card, you do not really need to worry. And not at all with the Aorus X670 Elite AX board, which defends the “Elite” label without the slightest difficulty. For proper features, but also for the fact that Gigabyte has once again pushed the performance more than usual. Read more ““Weaker PCB”, but still (Gigabyte Aorus X670 Elite AX) stands out” »

Gigabyte M32UC: 4K at 160Hz on curved 32 inches

Monitors at the moment are probably dominated by 27-inch models, which is logical given their price and availability. The next step in the evolution are 32-inch models, which include the tested M32UC from Gigabyte. This one is very similar to the recently tested G32QC. However, appearance is the only thing they are similar in, as the M32UC is a bit of a “different animal”. 4K at 160Hz and KVM are just the tip of the iceberg of what the monitor offers. Read more “Gigabyte M32UC: 4K at 160Hz on curved 32 inches” »

In-depth analysis of Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4

After the Z790 motherboards for the Intel LGA 1700 platform, models with cheaper B760 and H770 chipsets are also coming out. In this test, we’ll take a detailed look at the Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4 motherboard, which takes full advantage of what the new chipset (B760) brings. You’ll also get a general idea of how the Core i9-13900K processor performs with DDR4 memory compared to the faster DDR5 modules. Read more “In-depth analysis of Asus ROG Strix B760-A Gaming WiFi D4” »

DeepCool AK400 Zero Dark Plus – The golden middle way

At the end of this year I have prepared a review of the DeepCool AK400 Zero Dark Plus cooler. This is an interesting mid-range cooler with a modern design. The Zero Dark and Plus attributes refer to the black edition of the cooler and the second fan in the package respectively. I’m also quite interested to see how the AK400 Zero Dark Plus will fare against the Fera 5 and Fortis 5 coolers from Endorfy, with which it competes both in price and advertised TDP. Read more “DeepCool AK400 Zero Dark Plus – The golden middle way” »

SilentiumPC Spartan 5 Max tests under higher load (125 W)

We’ve already tested the SilentiumPC Spartan 5 Max CPU cooler, but with a fairly low-power processor. Its results thus merged with the simpler (Spartan 5) model without the “Max” in the name. On more powerful CPUs with more thermal output, however, the situation changes somewhat. How does the Spartan 5 Max compare to other coolers on a processor with 125 W, i.e. at the TDP level of Intel’s “K” models? Read more “SilentiumPC Spartan 5 Max tests under higher load (125 W)” »

Genesis Irid 505F: On to cooling with five fans

Among new cases, the Polish company Genesis is also making a statement by upgrading the older Irid 503 and Irid 505 cases. One of these new models, which we will now focus on in our tests, is the Irid 505F. This one is remarkable in that it comes with as much as five fans, which is quite unusual. Especially in the class of cheaper cases to which the Irid 505F belongs. Read more “Genesis Irid 505F: On to cooling with five fans” »

BeQuiet! Light Wings (BL072): Sturdy rotor with ARGB LEDs

Illuminated fans from BeQuiet! have the advantage over many competing models in a more robust rotor design. This is also due to the fact that it is not made of “light conductive” material and therefore some may not like the Light Wings fans, but aerodynamically they have the edge over other models. This is not only because of the choice of raw materials and their robustness, but also the overall shape of the blades. Read more “BeQuiet! Light Wings (BL072): Sturdy rotor with ARGB LEDs” »

Sonnet Echo 11 TB4 and Echo Dual NVMe docks dual-test

Modern docking stations look a little different than they did years ago. Firstly, no more proprietary connectors, and for another, they allow you to connect a large number of accessories thanks to the very high-bandwidth Thunderbolt interface. A port in a laptop itself is a good start, but it doesn’t mean “anything” on its own and needs a little help to branch out. And that, in the context of this test, is the task of Sonnet, the docking station specialist. Read more “Sonnet Echo 11 TB4 and Echo Dual NVMe docks dual-test” »

MSI MEG X670E Ace: A truly extreme motherboard that… has it all

We haven’t tested modern motherboards for AMD platforms so far and all attention has been paid to boards with Intel chipsets. That will change now, at least for a while – more AMD X670(E) and B650(E) boards will be added to the tests, but the bar will be set high. We’re starting with MSI’s top-of-the-line MEG X670E Ace motherboard, which won’t be beaten by any other board “just like that”. Read more “MSI MEG X670E Ace: A truly extreme motherboard that… has it all” »

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