Wednesday, October 31, 2012

PowerRetail Say Aussies Use Social Media to Vent Customer Service Annoyances

"In the new digital age, online viral attacks on a brand can spiral out-of-control with consumers quick to use social media networks as a way to vent their frustrations toward retail and service providers."

Jessica Benton - PowerRetail

Are you monitoring social media for poor feedback against your business? Read Jessica's full report on PowerRetail.

ArsTechnica Get Under The Hood Of Windows 8

"Windows 8's most obvious—and most divisive—new feature is its user interface. However, it would be a mistake to think that the user interface is the only thing that's new in Windows 8: there's a lot that's changed behind the scenes, too."

Peter Bright - ArsTechnica

Read Peter's full commentary on ArsTechnica.

Halloween Special! Lian Li Black PC-X2000F Hot Swap Full Tower Chassis (USB3)

Halloween Special!

You've always wanted a flagship Lian Li case.... NOW is your chance!

Lian Li Black PC-X2000F Hot Swap Full Tower Chassis (USB3)

This superb enthusiast level chassis with hot swap, gothic black styling and thermal isolation zones is available at a SCARILY LOW Halloween price.

Don't miss out!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Assassin's Creed 'Rise' Unchained Oct 31st..... Game On!


The popular cross platform game series Assassin's Creed has the next edition released tomorrow..... Due to the grass roots cross platform development of the title, this series plays best with a gamepad, rather than the traditional gaming mouse and keyboard. Time to consider an additional controller?

Tom's Hardware Compare Windows 7 & 8 Gaming Performance

"Of the 10 games we benchmarked, one one demonstrated a significant difference in moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8, and only on Nvidia's GeForce GTX 660. That game was Borderlands 2, where our average measured frame rate dropped from 86.6 to 81 FPS. But at that speed, the five-frame drop is hardly worth fretting over.

More bothersome was the compatibility issue we ran into in Sleeping Dogs, which affected Windows 8, but not Windows 7. When we chose the High detail preset, most of the in-game models simply disappeared. Fortunately, that geometry shows up again if you dial down the graphics quality. Hardly a favorable solution, but it's what we have for now.

Aside from those couple of idiosyncrasies, performance under Windows 8 is indistinguishable from Windows 7. Any speed-up or slow-down would be almost impossible to identify during game play, and we expect compatibility issues to get patched quickly by game developers."

Don Woligroski - Tom's Hardware

Gaming..... We're passionate about it! Read the full comparison on Tom's Hardware - Introduction & Conclusion.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Noctua Fans Video Review By 3DGAMEMAN


Check out the full Noctua fan range as reviewed by 3DGAMEMAN.

Noctua NF-A6x25 60mm Fan Review On Frostbyte

"Again Noctua have really impressed us here at Frostbyte and continue to deliver fantastic products that, not only perform exceptionally well but look amazing, and being Noctua you know you're in great hands of a company that know exactly what you need and exactly how to deliver it. We here at Frostbyte recommend this product to anyone looking for a great cooling solution with the engineering and hard work and effort to back it! 9/10 Frostbyte Approved."

Noctua NF-A6x25 FLX 3000RPM 60mm fan review by Frostbyte: Full article.

G.Skill F3-2666C11D-8GTXD TridentX Memory Kit Review On Anandtech

"The biggest difference seems to be with respect to WinRAR, where for our 450+ second test the 2666 C11 kit performed 22 seconds faster than a 2400 C10 kit. If that 5% change can be justified in the price for what you do, then this kit could be for you."

Ian Cutress - Anandtech

G.Skill F3-2666C11D-8GTXD review by Anandtech - Introduction & Conclusion.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

3DGAMEMAN Video Review Of Noctua's NH-D14 CPU Cooler


Noctua's NH-D14 CPU cooler is now available!

Slashdot Discussion: The Essence Of The PC Revolution Is Closer To Realization Than Ever Before...

"As tablets and computer-phones flood the market, the headlines read: "The Personal Computer is Dying." But they are only half true: an artifact of the PC is dying, but the essence of the PC revolution is closer to realization than ever before, while also being closer to loss than ever before.

Certainly one way to define the Personal Computer stems from the era of the IBM PC: a gray box with a monitor, mouse, and keyboard (or a laptop). But the idea of the Personal Computer dates back quite a while — back to Alan Kay's Dynabook, the Lisp Machine, etc.

The Apple Knowledge Navigator provided a vision of personal computing far more dynamic than that dull gray box. Although still a pale comparison, tablet and phone platforms are beginning to look awfully similar.

The essence of those pre-PC Personal Computers was that of the user controlling the device. You control the data, you control the software; the Personal Computer is a uniquely personal artifact that the user adapts to his own working style. One consequence of this is that creating is as easy (perhaps easier) as consuming content. Another nice side effect is that your data remains private by virtue of local storage."

Unknown Lamer - Slashdot

Read the interesting full post on Slashdot.

The Need For Speed Most Wanted TV Ad..... Is Seriously Cool!


Plays like a spaghetti western with a cameo from Ken Block! You'll see what we mean.....

Great games like this deserve more than a casual play - Immerse yourself within the racing/drags/drifting genres with accessories such as Playseat and a quality racing wheel! In the end, you can only expect to get out what you put in.....

Virtual Festival of Aerobatic Teams 2012 - December 7-8-9 2012!


Passion, skill, esprit de corps & a whole lotta FUN! Demonstrating that you do indeed get more out of your simulation games with the more you put in.... Pilots from around the globe are practising, practising, practising to bring you the most polished virtual airshow to date.

For show details, keep an eye out on the Virtual-Airshows website. To get involved yourself, you'll need a quality flight controller and a TrackIR. Shack!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

How to Buy a PC Case - PCMag.com

"Understanding what the case does, how it works, and why it's designed the way it is will help you make smart buying choices. Will choosing the wrong case destroy your computing experience? Probably not. But the right case has the potential to make a mediocre system okay and a good system great. So why take the chance?"

Matthew Murray - PCMag.com

Read the full article from PCMag.com. Got a better idea of what you require? Great! Then head on over to our chassis range and take your pick!

G.Skill TridentX F3-2600C10D-8GTXD RAM Kit Review By TweakTown

"G.Skill know how to make great RAM and the kit we've got here today is no different as it has the ability to almost reach 2900MHz DDR. G.Skill just makes quality RAM and there's no denying that if you're after something fast, this is exactly the kind of RAM you want to look at buying."

G.Skill 8GB [TridentX] F3-2600C10D-8GTXD RAM review by TweakTown - Full review.

iRacing System Requirements & Controller Recommendations

"One thing you will need is a controller, and there are several options which will accommodate just about any budget. Gamepads, joysticks and steering wheels are all compatible with iRacing.com, so you can spend as little or as much as you want on hardware in order to compete with more than 35,000 iRacers around the world."

So what brand of controller does iRacing recommend? Thrustmaster of course!

Monday, October 22, 2012

New Noctua NF-A4x10 40mm Fan: 'An Astonishing Product' & 'Without Any Doubt 10/10' Says Frostbyte

"The NF-A4x10 is an astonishing product not only because it achieves almost silent running and optimal airflow, but because it is something that we have been waiting for, for a long time, a high level fan that is capable of cooling such things as storage, graphics, networking and is such a versatile and universal product that you know is going to deliver everything you need it to."

Frostbyte

Noctua NF-A4x10 40mm fan review by Frostbyte - Full review.

Noctua NF-A9x14 92mm Fan Review On DVTests

"According to the rotation speed, propeller design and the low profile Noctua NF-A9x14 PWM is with very similar performance/noise ratio to bigger 92x92x25mm fans rotating at around 1700 rpm. It can be used everywhere where the space is precious."

Rumbeza - DVTests

Noctua NF-A9x14 92mm fan review by DVTests - Full review.

Great Performance, Elegant Looks & Maitenance Free - Meet Thermaltake's Water 2.0 Performer

"Combining great performance results, elegant looks, and its maintenance-free design, many would say that the WATER2.0 Performer would make a very good "level-up" component to add to their system. Its relatively low noise operation is another excellent feature to tack on to a product alongside its great test results."

Preston Yuen - APH Networks

Thermaltake Water 2.0 Performer review by APH Networks - Full review.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Swiftech Apogee Drive II Delivers 'Shock & Awe' Level Performance - TweakTown

"I don't really care what system you are building, this is a perfect solution to any water cooling build. I mean, what more do you want from a purchase than to be able to beat the competition? And I mean hands down beat them... the Apogee Drive II integrated pump and CPU water block is just too good to pass up, and will be going into my next build for sure.

Swiftech did a great job with the development, incorporation of ideas and components, and pulled it off to deliver a product that should shock and awe those who thought they had the best CPU block money could buy - that was until they saw this."

Chad Sebring - TweakTown

Swiftech Apogee Drive II waterblock review by TweakTown - Introduction & Conclusion.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Lian Li PC-Q25 Chassis On XSReviews

"Build quality has always been something Lian Li excels at. Being completely made of aluminium you might expect the case to feel slightly flimsy, this is not the case with the PC-Q25. Everything fits together well; the side panels are held on tightly but are also easy removed."

XSReviews

Lian Li PC-Q25 mini chassis examined by XSReviews - Introduction & Conclusion.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

G.Skill's F3-2666C11D-8GTXD Memory Kit - One Of The Greatest Products Ever Tested!!!

"We’re happy to give G.Skill and their TridentX 2666MHz 8GB kit our Editor’s Choice Award and even with that in mind, we wish we had an award higher than that, as this kit really is one of the greatest products we’ve ever tested, and yes, you can quote us on that."

Andy Ruffell - eTeknix

G.Skill F3-2666C11D-8GTXD review by eTeknix - Introduction & Conclusion.

Tt eSPORTS Level 10M Mouse Review On Vortez

"Thermaltake and BMW DesignWorksUSA have combined to create an eyecatching new mouse which sets an extremely high standard for aesthetic design in the gaming and office professional peripherals market. The build quality is exceptional, and presents a basis ideal for a combination of gaming and office use. Customisation is good, though software needs to be improved to unlock added potential. The Tt eSPORTS Level 10M has a nailed-on Creative Award, and is a very strong overall Silver Award winner."

Tim Harmer - Vortez

Tt eSPORTS (aka Thermaltake) Level 10M mouse review by Vortez - Introduction & Conclusion.

Train Simulator 2013 Deluxe & Lian Li's PC-CK101 Steam Train Chassis!


"Train Simulator 2013 Deluxe Edition is now available worldwide via download on Steam. The sequel to the multi award-winning and best-selling Train Simulator 2012, the TS2013 Deluxe Edition includes the Sherman Hill route from Cheyenne to Laramie, Wyoming, as well as the London-Brighton line and the lively four-lane Munich to Augsburg route, complete with the superb ICE3 express train!"

Railsimulator.com

RailWorks Train Simulator 2012 Deluxe is now available. We have the perfect companion to this awesome new rail sim - Lian Li's jaw dropping PC-CK101 Steam Train computer chassis!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Monday, October 8, 2012

X-Plane 10 Turns 10.10!


X-Plane 10 has been patched to 10.10. Simply run your installer to download the update. Haven't discovered X-Plane as yet? Check the official website for more information.

A game which gives back as much as you put in, you'll want to consider an appropriate flight controller & a TrackIR for this in depth flight simulation.

Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler Review On Vortez

"NH-D14 SE2011 doesn’t disappoint. Noctua continue to give a strong bundle within the packaging; dual cooling fans, thermal paste, low noise adapters, secuFirm 2 and a helpful installation guide tout this as a packaging scheme for others to follow. We’ve been a fan of SecuFirm since the early days as it offers a simple, no-fuss method of installing the cooler to the motherboard. Further to this Noctua pre-attach the mounting screws to the cooler and fan clips to the cooling fans which results in a completely hassle-free installation.

The results on the preceding pages demonstrate that the D14 SE2011 can handle Sandy Bridge-E with no questions asked. The thermal design of the heatsink on its own tackles the problem of heat clearly from the passive results. Let’s not forget Noctua were the first to bring to market the dual-radiator design and these guys know what they are doing."

David Mitchelson - Vortez

Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 review by Vortez - Introduction & Conclusion.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Tt eSPORTS Theron Mouse Review On The OCAU Forums

"one thing I really like about it is that I have no issue using it for tasks other than gaming, which can’t be said about a lot of gaming keyboards. It is one great package for the price, the mouse is just very nice and it feels very high quality. I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a decently priced gaming mouse."

Sin0822 - OCAU Forums

Tt eSPORTS Theron gaming mouse review on the OCAU forums - View full forum thread.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

APH Networks Review Thermaltake's Water 2.0 Pro CPU Cooler

"Combining the performance characteristics of a water cooler and the simple, maintenance free virtues of a traditional air cooler, there is a lot to like about the company's latest foray into the integrated closed loop liquid cooling system market. Or should I say, it blows the competition out of the water, haha. Its relatively low noise operation and proven performance on our charts simply speaks for itself. This is not to mention the WATER2.0's handsome, subtle looks that will blend in to any computer build."

Jonathan Kwan - APH Networks

Thermaltake Water 2.0 Pro review by APH Networks - Full review.

Noctua Introduces 40, 60 & 92mm A-Series Fans!

Vienna, October 2nd 2012 - Noctua today introduced the first three models of its new A-series of premium quality quiet fans: The NF-A4x10, NF-A6x25 and NF-A9x14 all feature Noctua's novel AAO frames and the series' signature Flow Acceleration Channels for reduced boundary layer separation and improved aerodynamic efficiency. Reference class SSO2 bearing and 6 years manufacturer's warranty make the new models a stand-out choice for all noise-sensitive 40, 60 and 92mm applications.

Would you like to know more? Check out the full press release & our website here.

Thermaltake's Silver & Black Level 10 Limited Edition Chassis


With only 300 units worldwide, the new flagship chassis from Thermaltake called the Level 10 Limited Edition is truly LIMITED - so get yours before they sell through!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Forza Horizons Drops Oct 23rd - Are You Ready?


Forza Horizons drops on Oct 23rd..... We're ready - Are you? Take a look at our range of Xbox360 racing wheels & Playseat racing cockpits.

OCAU Discussion: Joysticks - Anyone Still Using Them?

"Have been thinking about a force feedback joystick. Haven't used a joystick since my old 486 running windows 95, but looking to acheive full nerd level on games that offer that experience."

Check out the full discussion on OCAU. Mittoni offers one of the widest ranges of flight controllers around.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Mining The Most From DiRT....


From the video game to real life, DC & Ken Block took a level out of DiRT3 (the DC Compound), and put on an event at the Battersea Power Station in London for Media and VIP's.....

To get the best from game titles such as DiRT, you'll want to consider some kit - so check out this range: DiRT mining tools.

SimHQ Discussion: How Formation Flying Is Used Tactically & Why Is It Done?

Q: "Can you describe how formation flying is used tactically? We see some fancy formations (parade, diamond, etc.) in the virtual airshows, but I'm really curious to know how formations are used by Real(tm) combat pilots.

A: Good question, but one with a number of answers.

First, we have to define the subject a little. We'll talk fighters, not bombers, transports, etc. Then we define 'tactical' as compared to 'strategic'...that means we are looking at relatively simple, short range conventional weapon missions (both A2A and A2G). And then we have to define the era...are we looking at today's tactical environment...or that of the 60s...WW2...or WW1? Obviously, such a singular focus makes a difference...

A final note before I turn this back to you folks...In my sim flying, I found that the ability to maintain an effective position on another aircraft was a function of three things. One, obviously, the pilot had to know the basics of maintaining position...two, the sim viewing system had to be flexible enough to allow a visual picture of what was going on (perhaps something like Track IR was good for this), and lastly, the pilot's controllers (throttle and stick) had to be able to transmit the fine detail of control need for formation flight."

Read the full discussion on SimHQ's forums. You'll note that when it comes to sim flying, it boils down to three things - pilot skill, a TrackIR and a quality flight controller. We can help you with two of those......

HardwareHeaven Review Tt eSports' Level 10M Mouse

"So that brings us to the performance where the Level 10 M scores particularly well. The mouse feels very fast at 5000DPI (default) and beyond with accurate tracking and good response to precise movements. The scroll wheel could do with a touch extra resistance to clicks but the left and right buttons feel great, balanced perfectly just like the weight of the mouse which makes it exceptionally easy to game with over longer sessions."

Tt eSPORTS Level 10M 8200DPI Colourshift Gaming Mouse review by HardwareHeaven - Introduction & Conclusion.

Kaeyi Dream Video Review Of Logitech's G600 MMO Gaming Mouse


Logitech G600 MMO gaming mouse.

Thermaltake Water 2.0 Pro & Performer Liquid Coolers On ThinkComputers

"Put simply, if you’re in the market for a closed-loop cooler, the Thermaltake WATER 2.0 series should be in your list of considerations... Overall, these coolers are very impressive and ThinkComputers would like to award the Thermaltake WATER 2.0 Performer and Pro a well deserved 10 out of 10 and our Recommended Award!"

Adam Wilson - ThinkComputers

Thermaltake Water 2.0 Pro & Performer review by ThinkComputers - Introduction & Conclusion.