Enermax gives the AIO cooler mainstream thicker radiators

Cooling, CPU coolers, Preview | | Ľubomír Samák

Radiators on the vast majority of AIO coolers are very similar and… relatively thin compared to what the new Liqmaxflo models from Enermax come with. Additionally, on the 40% thicker than normal radiators, there are fans that are known to achieve high static pressure. And when you factor in the fact that these are still affordable solutions by liquid cooler standards, it’s a good idea to take a closer look at this offering. Read more “Enermax gives the AIO cooler mainstream thicker radiators” »

Blackview MP200: Complete (and cheap) miniature PC

Computers, Extra tests | | Tomáš Brestovanský

The mini PC category is less represented in our country compared to laptops, but occasionally we get a piece from MSI or Gigabyte. When I received an email from Blackview and with it an opportunity to broaden my horizons, I didn’t hesitate and agreed to test their MP200 solution. The compact computer with an 11th generation Core i5 processor got both RAM and an SSD in the package, which is remarkable at a 400-euro price. Read more “Blackview MP200: Complete (and cheap) miniature PC” »

Chieftec Polaris 3.0: Circular grille is still alive

Preview, PSUs | | Ľubomír Samák

Loyalty beyond the grave. This, too, is how one might define the relationship between Chieftec and the circular grille. Unlike other manufacturers, they haven’t shied away from it, and their Polaris 3.0 is the only one of the ATX 3.0 power supplies we’ll be testing with a really proper setup in front of the fan. Naturally this is a minor thing and what’s key is everything behind the grille. Still, the first impression Chieftec’s PSU gives is a really good one. Read more “Chieftec Polaris 3.0: Circular grille is still alive” »

The new Phanteks D30 fan: Extra thickness now in 140 mm

Cooling, Fans, News | | Ľubomír Samák

A few 120 mm fans are already thicker than standard, but now there is one which is also one number larger. And it’s being taken up again by the brand that managed to popularize the 30 mm profile the most – Phanteks. The latest D30-140s come in two designs. In addition to the regular variant, there is also a reversed one with the same blades, but incorporated into the frame for the opposite direction of airflow so that it mainly “looks” good. Read more “The new Phanteks D30 fan: Extra thickness now in 140 mm” »

Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G: Save both power and space

Extra tests, Graphics | | Ľubomír Samák

Catching up where we’re behind, we come to the GeForce RTX 4060. Across designs, these graphics cards represent not only the most efficient and lowest-power across the latest generation of Nvidia Ada Lovelace, but overall (i.e., even compared to the latest Radeons, including the competing RX 7600). The advantage of the tested (RTX 4060) Windforce OC 8G design is in its smaller size and extra compatibility. Read more “Gigabyte RTX 4060 Windforce OC 8G: Save both power and space” »

First games with FSR 3 are out, AMD released AFMF preview driver

Graphics, News | | Jan Olšan

A month ago, AMD announced the arrival of FSR 3, or FidelityFX Super Resolution 3, a technology that adds interpolation-based frame generation to FSR, analogous to Nvidia’s DLSS 3. The feature had its public launch last weekend as FSR 3 was patched into the first two games. Fluid Motion Frames, which doubles the frame rate via drivers even when the game doesn’t directly support it, is now also available for testing. Read more “First games with FSR 3 are out, AMD released AFMF preview driver” »

Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM: Efficient fan on a budget

Cooling, Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

Why spend as much money on one fan as you would on four or five Endorfy Stratus 120 PWMs? There is a clear answer to this, but it may not be interesting to everyone. Especially when the fans are meant to fit well into builds designed with the best possible price/performance ratio in mind. That’s when low-cost fans make sense, and the end-user often dismisses the “imperfections” of the Stratus 120 (PWM) with a wave of the hand. Read more “Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM: Efficient fan on a budget” »

Pure Loop 2, or BeQuiet! renewed the cheapest line of AIO coolers

Cooling, CPU coolers, News | | Ľubomír Samák

In the lower class of BeQuiet! liquid coolers, the new Pure Loop 2 models replace the old (Pure Loop) models in up to four formats. This means that this news may be of interest to users of SFF systems as well as those on the opposite end of the spectrum, with full tower cases. The key changes between generations are the pump upgrade (finally with PWM control) as well as fans with higher static pressure. Read more “Pure Loop 2, or BeQuiet! renewed the cheapest line of AIO coolers” »

Sapphire RX 7800 XT Nitro+: Radeon can be quiet too

Extra tests, Graphics | | Ľubomír Samák

We start our mid-range Radeon 7000 tests with a more powerful model with a fully enabled Navi 32 GPU. The RX 7800 XT is mainly a competitor to the GeForce RTX 4070, which is a more expensive but also lower-power (and efficient) graphics card. However, Sapphire handled the relatively higher power draw exceedingly well, and if you have experience with “noisier Radeons”, that won’t be the case with the RX 7800 XT Nitro+ at all. Read more “Sapphire RX 7800 XT Nitro+: Radeon can be quiet too” »

Intel plans: 2nm processors next year, 1.8nm Panther Lake in 2025

News, Processors | | Jan Olšan

Intel took a symbolic “step into the future” by unveiling Meteor Lake processors now, for the first time using TSMC-manufactured silicon as well as advanced chiplet design with 3D Foveros technology. Meteor Lake will come out at the end of the year, but Intel has also revealed a roadmap of processors for PCs and laptops, showing what will come after it. Three new generations or families of “lake” processors are coming in 2024 and 2025. Read more “Intel plans: 2nm processors next year, 1.8nm Panther Lake in 2025” »

BeQuiet!: Cases for gamers – What are the important features?

PC cases, PR article | | Editors

We’ve got hold of a document that is a sort of list of features that BeQuiet! thinks you should think about when choosing a case for a gaming PC build. To what extent one can agree with it is probably individual (users’ priorities are different and some people have very specific requirements). In any case, these are materials that also give an insight into what a leading case manufacturer considers important and what questions they ask when designing. Read more “BeQuiet!: Cases for gamers – What are the important features?” »

Valkyrie Vind SL125 – Interesting synergy of two fans

Cooling, CPU coolers, Extra tests | | Pavel Sekerka

Last time we took a look at an interesting all-in-one cooler from Valkyrie and today we’ll loosely follow up on that theme with a review of the Vind SL125 air cooler, which is the only air cooler model Valkyrie has in its lineup so far. The Vind SL125 air cooler combines a single dense fin bundle with a pair of mirrored fans. So I’m curious to see how this interesting combination performs in our stress tests. Read more “Valkyrie Vind SL125 – Interesting synergy of two fans” »

Intel unveils Meteor Lake processors: 4nm, tiles, Xe LPG graphics

News, Notebooks, Processors | | Jan Olšan

Meteor Lake is Intel’s first processor manufactured on in-house 4nm node, an important milestone. It is also, paradoxically, Intel’s first processor manufactured at TSMC, as many of its parts are outsourced in this way – a milestone too. This is the first mainstream Intel processor to use chiplets (or tiles) and advanced 3D packaging. It’s almost and extra beyond that, that there are new CPU cores, new GPU, and a new NPU for AI acceleration. Read more “Intel unveils Meteor Lake processors: 4nm, tiles, Xe LPG graphics” »

15× Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM fan in vibration tests

Extra tests, Fans | | Ľubomír Samák

Same model, different pieces. Differences in vibrations can be dramatic. Especially if they are cheap fans with high manufacturing tolerances. While most Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM fans have some vibration, you can also come across “golden” samples that don’t vibrate at all. This is admittedly a very rare but existing situation. The variance of vibration is much greater than you might think. Read more “15× Endorfy Stratus 120 PWM fan in vibration tests” »

MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi: Axe for “expensive” and “weak” boards

Extra tests, Motherboards | | Ľubomír Samák

If you don’t want to skimp on a motherboard for an AMD CPU, but also don’t want to pay more than you need to, the MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi appears to be an attractive option. The price is well under two hundred euros and yet it can handle even the Ryzen 9 7950X without any power limits. Although there are also things calling for improvement, the cheapest MSI B650 board in ATX format defends its position in a lower-budget gaming build. Read more “MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi: Axe for “expensive” and “weak” boards” »

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