Sapphire and motherboards? It’s a thing now. We’ve focused on analyzing a model for the AMD platform—the Nitro+ B850A WiFi7. Just as with graphics cards, “Nitro+” signifies richer features and more premium design, though it still positions itself more in the mid-range. The use of the B850 chipset (AMD B850) also points to this tier, though its capabilities are more than sufficient, even exceeding the needs of many users. Read more “Sapphire Nitro+ B850A WiFi7 motherboard details”
Fractal Design has finally expanded its power supply portfolio to include the latest available power standard (ATX 3.1) at the time of writing. This means graphics cards with the 16-pin 12V‑2×6 connector can be powered directly—without an adapter—and the electrical characteristics are claimed to be more attractive too. You can now examine the most powerful, 1000-watt variant, in detail. Read more “Fractal Design Ion 3: They finally have it—an ATX 3.1 PSU”
The new Meshify 3 (XL) brings a lot of innovation, and from our specialized perspective, the spotlight must go on the new fans the case uses. These are built on an entirely new, efficient aerodynamic design. Naturally, we’ll also take a close look at just how effective the system cooling in the new Meshify (3) XL case really is. The foundation for impressive results is solid. More than solid! Read more “The Fractal Design Meshify 3 XL arrives with new fans”
After some time, we’re returning to tests of larger PC cases – those capable of housing an ATX motherboard and larger tower-style CPU coolers. The first case we’ll review is the FD North XL. Yes, we’ve covered this model before, but this time we’ll provide results using our updated testing methodology. But first, we’ll zoom in on some details – essentially a look at what this large Fractal Design case has to offer. Read more “Fractal Design North XL or kicking off ATX case testing”
Performance testing is still under an information embargo, but today we can unpack the box, look at its contents and introduce the card in detail. and take a closer look at the card in detail. The Founders Edition design is unlike anything we’ve seen before in graphics cards. The design and craftsmanship are precise, and when you look at the dimensions of its dual-slot cooler, it’s hard to believe it can cool the nearly 600W GeForce RTX 5090. Read more “Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 FE unboxing: Ultimate Design”
New B850 motherboards have been released for AMD Ryzen 9000 (and possibly 7000) processors, promising lower prices (compared to X870/E motherboards). Not much was known about the specific models until the last minute. But now we’ll take a look at two, one from Asus and the other from Gigabyte, which we’ll also take a look at in detailed tests later on. So for now, just a little preview. Read more “First look at B850 boards. ROG Strix and Aorus Elite WiFi7”
Patriot continues to expand its SSD lineup and has models for all types of users. We’ll discuss the specs and features of affordable PCIe 3.0 solutions, high-performance PCIe 4.0 SSDs, and the latest PCIe 5.0 models that deliver top-notch performance and innovative cooling. The lineup also includes fast and compact SSDs for space-constrained devices or gaming consoles. Read more “Something for Everyone: A Guide to Patriot SSDs for M.2 NVMe”
Arctic’s new cooler – the Freezer 4U SP5 – is a bit different from the coolers we normally cover. It’s designed for the high-end AMD SP5 platform, which is reflected in its unconventional base. At first glance, it looks like the cooler has two bases, and in fact, its entire structure is reminiscent of two mainstream Freezer coolers stuck together. Such a design makes sense though. Read more “Arctic Freezer 4U SP5 details: A “two for one” cooler”
Close up of the new Noctua NF-A14x25r G2 PWM fan and its first tests. However, consider these as material for a “rough idea”, since as you already know, the pilot 140 mm LCP fans have atypical mounting holes for their format, so their mounting to the wind tunnel was necessarily non-standard. However, a few things can be concluded from these partial measurements as well. Read more “Details of the Noctua NF-A14x25r G2 PWM fan + minitest”
The Fractal Design Mood case, unveiled at Computex 2024, is already in our testlab. And while we won’t look at the cooling results just yet, let’s take a look at the key design elements. Based on these, you’ll get an idea of the broad features of the case, which is designed for Mini-ITX motherboards. This then leads to a focus on maximizing space savings on a desk or elsewhere. Read more “A kind of… SFF tower. Fractal Design Mood in detail”
For coolers (but also cases) with the Digital attribute, DeepCool creates a built-in display. Its implementation is minimalist in spirit, doesn’t increase the price significantly, and can be considered useful. With regard to monitoring CPU temperatures and load intensity, it’s a thematic value added, which we’ll now look at in the context of the powerful AK620 (Digital) dual-tower cooler. Read more “Display on a CPU cooler: DeepCool AK620 Digital preview”
Slowly but surely, the Arctic P14 fan tests are coming up. In a short time sequence we will analyze all models that differ from each other more than the color design. After testing the base model, we’ll look at how the use of ball bearings (instead of fluid bearings) affects the results, culminating with the P14 Max framed impeller. That this fan must be the most efficient? Not necessarily. Read more “In the works: Trilogy of different Arctic P14 variant tests”
DeepCool has modified its successful AK620 Zero Dark cooler in line with the theme of Zoria: Age of Shattering. Thus, we can legitimately talk about a gaming cooler, as long as this designation refers to the visual design. It is literally a work of art, and one of the goals was to make sure that the cooling performance was not degraded in any way after this intervention. It was to remain at the level of the original design, so top-notch. Read more “A gaming cooler? DeepCool AK620 Zero Dark Zoria in details”
Recently, in fact for most of 2023, we’ve been collecting various ATX 3.0 power supplies. In total, twelve have been collected, which is also the final number with which we are now leaving for measurements. Before we start publishing the tests, you can check out a comprehensive overview of all the models. Or leave a comment, which we can eventually incorporate into our analyses. Read more “This is the complete ATX 3.0 power supply test lineup”
The last of the dozen ATX 3.0 PSUs that we’ll be looking at in comparison tests is the Gigabyte GP-UD850GM PG5W. We have this one available in the “rarer” white variant, and if there’s anything else these Gigabyte (UD850GM) PSUs have going for them, it’s an attractive price. It is decidedly the cheapest PSU we will test. And among other things, it also has a smaller footprint with extra compatibility. Read more “Gigabyte GP-UD850GM PG5W: Let’s make it bright!”
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