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Podcast #217 - Corsair AX1200i Power Supply, Video Games as Art, Wireless Charging and more!

Subject: General Tech | September 6, 2012 - 01:26 PM |
Tagged: wireless charging, VIVO, thunderbolt, podcast, k90, k60, corsair, black mesa, ax1200i, asus

PC Perspective Podcast #217 - 09/06/2012

Join us this week as we talk about the Corsair AX1200i Power Supply, Video Games as Art, Wireless Charging and more!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

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Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, Allyn Malvantano and Scott Michaud

This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!

A big thanks goes to our friends at ALXTech.net for hosting our PC Perspective gaming server!  Find out how you can get a game server for just $0.65/slot by visiting http://alxtech.net/pcper/!!

Program length: 1:24:36

Program Schedule:

  1. Week in Reviews:
    1. 0:01:55 Corsair AX1200i Power Supply review
    2. 0:09:00 Lucid Virtu MVP for mobile
    3. 0:19:25 Corsair K60 and K90 Keyboard review
    4. 0:28:50 Video Games Do Not Want to be Art?
  2. 0:38:20 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI!
  3. News items of interest:
    1. 0:39:20 Wireless charging is close!
    2. 0:44:13 Western Digital 2TB Thunderbolt MyBook
    3. 0:47:20 Arctic MC101 Trinity based HTPC
    4. 0:48:50 ASUS shows Vivo tablets at IFA
    5. 0:53:30 Ultrabook with 2560x1440 display from Samsung
    6. 0:56:10 Lower Power IVB coming soon
    7. 0:57:30 The ASUS Eee PC line is gone...
    8. 1:02:30 ASUS launches "Powered by ASUS" systems
  4. Closing:
    1. 1:08:00 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
      1. Ryan: Apple iPad HDMI adapter
      2. Jeremy: Almost as long to develop as Duke Nukem but way cheaper and so much better
      3. Josh: $155 for people with patience...
      4. Allyn: Storage Testbed! Z77, baby.
      5. Scott: Wacom Cintiq 22HD (video)
      6. Also -- Arctic Silver 5 -- does it expire?
  1. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
  2. http://pcper.com/podcast
  3. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
  4. Closing/outro

Source: PC Perspective

Cooler autumn temperatures and a new cooler might get you a better overclock

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 5, 2012 - 07:20 PM |
Tagged: NoFan, CR-100A, CR-95C, corsair, Hydro 100, roundup

FrostyTech has updated their "Top 5" list of 20 or so of the best heatsinks on the market for Intel and AMD processors not just in time for the school year but also as the average temperature during the day begins to decline.  They've also changed their definition of a heatsink to include self contained watercoolers such as the Corsair Hydro 100 which now takes the top spot for cooling Intel heatsinks though it does not get as high a rating for AMD.  On the quiet side there is also another newcomer, the NoFan CR-100A and CR-95C which take the top two spots for low noise cooler for both chip makers.  There are quite a few other new coolers to check out in their latest heatsink roundup.

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"Are you looking for the best heatsink for your PC? Perhaps you need a low profile cooler under 45mm tall... in both cases Frostytech's Top 5 Heatsink charts list the Best Intel & AMD heatsinks we've tested in one handy place. Frostytech has compiled a catalog of over 500 CPU cooler reviews and picked to cream of the crop on both Intel/AMD platforms, performance and low profile heatsinks. Frostytech's Top 5 Heatsink chart ranks each cooler by low temperature and low noise output."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: FrostyTech

Corsair K60 and K90 Mechanical Keyboard Review

Author:
Date: September 4, 2012
Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling, Systems
Manufacturer: Corsair
Tagged: mechanical keyboard, k90, k60, corsair

Introduction and Externals

Corsair manufactures a wide variety of components and peripherals for PC enthusiasts. They essentially target the most enthusiastic customers in whatever market they enter – breaking the ice with the coldest and harshest critics who are never above nitpicking faults and flaws. Despite tossing their first generation products to the sharks they perform uncharacteristically well for a new contender almost every time. They look before they leap.

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The Corsair K60 and K90 were launched simultaneously and represent Corsair’s first attempt at producing a mechanical keyboard. Corsair has included media keys, a metal volume wheel, and a Windows-key lock on both keyboards if you find yourself yelling, “I HATE THIS KEY!” at your desktop because your game is now minimized and cannot receive your hatred.

 

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Rubberized when down, not when up -- but stable either way.

I never said I wasn't one of the nitpickers.

Both keyboards are built around an aluminum chassis with a nonslip coating to each key. Each keycap has a sharply defined edges compared to the more round edges found on a Razer Blackwidow and other similar keyboards. Neither keyboard has rubberized tips on their ergonomic flaps although slipping has not been an issue in my testing.

Check in after the break to learn more about Corsair's first mechanical keyboards.

Corsair's new Neutron family of SSDs with the brand new LAMD controller

Subject: Storage | August 27, 2012 - 06:31 PM |
Tagged: Link A Media, LAMD, corsair, neutron, neutron gtx, ssd, LM87800

We have certainly seen a lot of new versions of SSD controllers from companies well established in the market but there haven't been any new companies join the market until earlier this month.  Corsair unveiled their new Neutron series of SSDs, featuring the new  LM87800 controller from Link A Media.  Both models contain a pair of Samsung DDR2-800 128MB DRAM cache for a total of 256MB of cache, the difference is in the flash, with the GXT sporting eight 32GB modules of Toshiba Toggle Mode 24nm NAND while the non-GTX model has sixteen 16GB modules of synchronous Micron 25nm NAND.  Check out SSD Reviews article to see how that effects the performance.

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"It is always an exciting time when a new controller makes it’s way on to the SSD scene. It is like seeing a new contender in any sporting event and predicting their success based on the balance of strength and inexperience. Our analysis today examines the new Link A Media (LAMD) 6Gbps controller found within the Corsair Neutron and Neutron GTX SSDs. Watch as the Neutron delivers a first round knockout."

Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:

Storage

Source: SSD Review

Slay the cable kraken? Corsair's oddly advertised HX850

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 24, 2012 - 07:44 PM |
Tagged: corsair, modular psu, HX850

We have seen a wireless streaming graphics card which reminded the crew at PC Perspective of Cthulu, but we have not yet released the Kraken.  That was up to Corsair and their HX850 PSU which [H]ard|OCP recently reviewed.  A single 12V rail is capable of delivering up to 70 amps which is a good thing on a PSU with six 6+2 PCIe power connectors but it still wasn't enough to really impress [H].  This PSU has essentially been released to refresh their current model and while it does match the performance of the previous model it does not really improve upon it.  This is what lead to [H]'s disappointment, the PSU passes the tests but has not really improved from the model Corsair was selling years ago.  Still it is a decent choice for a system builder who plans on using multiple GPUs.

H_HX850.jpg

"Corsair, a brand we have come to trust when powering our enthusiast desktop PC systems, brings to us an 850 watt power supply unit that touts quiet operation, a modular configuration, and "gold" rated power efficiency. How does the new Corsair HX850 fit into Corsair's current power supply lineup?"

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Corsair's Accelerator ... cache me if you can!

Subject: Storage | August 22, 2012 - 06:49 PM |
Tagged: ssd, Nvelo Dataplex, Intel SRT, corsair, cache, accelerator series

Forget Intel SRT, the Corsair Accelerator Series cache SSDs and the Nvelo Dataplex software which come with them will give you the best of both your HDD and SSD and increase both read and write speeds of commonly accessed data.  Part of the effectiveness of these drive comes thanks to the fact that they move frequently access data blocks and not entire files, ensuring only the bits you need to read quickly end up on the SSD and it is not filled with tag along data that is accessed infrequently.  [H]ard|OCP found themselves more impressed with these drives than they expected to, seeing boot times that matched an OS installed on an SSD after only two reboots as well as improved launch speeds on their most used programs.  As you can pick up the 60GB model for $70 after MIR and the 30GB model for $45 the price per gigabyte might not match larger SSDs but the actual cost is so low it makes it a very worthy upgrade.

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"One of the hottest applications for consumer SSDs is using data caching to accelerate the performance of traditional spinning hard disks in your PC. We look at Corsairs Accelerator Series of caching SSDs to test the performance of these value-centric approaches to providing you a better computing experience."

Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:

Storage

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Corsair Acquires Raptor Gaming

Subject: General Tech | August 15, 2012 - 12:44 PM |
Tagged: raptor gaming, mechanical keyboard, gaming mouse, corsair

We haven't heard much about Raptor Gaming on PC Perspective, mostly because their products are sold in Europe and only infrequently seen in North America.  That hasn't stopped Corsair from acquiring the company and their intellectual property which will extend Corsair's peripheral business worldwide.  Raptor also holds patents pertaining to gaming keyboards, mice and other peripherals which should allow new innovations to start to appear in Corsair's next refresh of their gaming mice and keyboards.

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Cologne, Germany — August 15, 2012 — Corsair®, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the acquisition of certain assets of Raptor Gaming, a maker of high-performance PC gaming peripherals headquartered in Heinsberg, Germany. Established in 2004, Raptor Gaming has a strong retail presence in Germany, the largest market for video gaming in Europe, with products widely available in major chains including Media Markt, Saturn, Real, Kaufland, and Conrad.

As part of this transaction, Corsair receives Raptor Gaming's full product portfolio of keyboards, mice, headsets, and accessories, which will form a new series of gaming products alongside Corsair's existing award-winning line of Vengeance® PC gaming products. Raptor Gaming executives CEO Dirk Schunk and COO Heinz-Dieter Ludwig will remain engaged with Corsair to facilitate a smooth transition.

"Corsair and Raptor share the same goal, bringing best-in-class PC hardware to gamers around the world," said Andy Paul, President and CEO of Corsair. "Raptor Gaming's strong retail presence will allow us to offer a wider range of PC hardware to gamers across Germany."

"As gamers ourselves, we formed the Raptor Gaming business to create high-performance PC gear to give gamers the absolute best gaming experience," said Dirk Schunk, CEO of Raptor Gaming. "Corsair's strong global brand and worldwide distribution will open up Raptor Gaming products to a wider audience of gamers around the world."

Source: Corsair

Corsair's Obsidian 550D is great for fans

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 9, 2012 - 04:11 PM |
Tagged: corsair, Obsidian 550D

Corsair's new mid-sized Obsidian 550D is a good home for any mATX or ATX build and is deep enough to use enthusiast heatsinks and long enough to fit almost any graphics card.  A pair of 200mm fans and a single 120mm provide good airflow without creating an excessive amount of noise. [H]ard|OCP really liked this case even though they encountered difficulties installing either of Corsair's self-contained watercoolers.  For those looking for a decent aircooled case this is a good deal; watercooler users and modders might want to look elsewhere.

H_obsidian.jpg

"Corsair was once synonymous with only quality RAM. Today we find Corsair’s diversification of its product line tremendously successful. Its focus and execution with the desktop PC enthusiast has lead to a great PSUs, SSDs, and cases to house all your high end equipment. Its Obsidian 550D case is another great product."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Buzz bugging you buddy? Hack your speakers and get rid of it for good

Subject: General Tech | August 8, 2012 - 05:42 PM |
Tagged: audio, corsair, corsair sp2200, DIY, hack

Some people you know might refer to your favourite music as noise, but you know better; what is worse than that is when you can hear noise in your music.  The annoying intermittent buzz/crackle coming out of your speakers is something a lot of us have experienced and it has a wide variety of sources, from bad cables to electronic noise effecting the signal sent from your onboard audio to defects in your speakers ... and many more reasons.  At Hack a Day is a good solution to rid yourself of noise that is caused by the speakers, this guide is specifically aimed at the Corsair SP2200s but could be applied to a wide range of speakers.  Follow along with this step by step process to use the headset amp as a pre-amp and clean up your music.

HaD_sp2200.jpg

"[Michael Chen] liked the sound he was getting out of these Corsair SP2200 computer speakers, with one big exception. They were giving off some unpleasant crackling sounds. He figured this might be as easy as replacing a faulty potentiometer, but soon found out the fix was going to be more complicated than that. All said and done he ended up reworking the design of the speakers’ amplifier board."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Audio Corner

Source: Hack a Day

The pensive supply unit decides if it will give you power ... and tells you about it

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 7, 2012 - 07:52 PM |
Tagged: corsair, Professional Series AX1200i, PSU, modular psu, kilowatt

The reason that Corsair's new Professional Series AX1200i is called a digital power supply is due to the presence of a digital signal processor inside the PSU.  The advantages are likely to due with the reduced complexity of the internal design than due to the DSP being a miracle, however there is more to it than just smooth voltages.  With the USB Corsair Link interface you can use the bundled software to monitor the three main voltage rails, the 24-pin connector's 12V line, the AC voltage at the wall socket and there are current trackers for all of the PCIe power connectors as well.  If you obsess over power management and happen to need more than a kilowatt of power, check out Corsair's latest offering at The Tech Report.

TR_monitoring.jpg

"Corsair's new Professional Series AX1200i uses digital circuitry to convert AC to DC power. We take a quick look at the PSU and the software enabled by its DSP."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: The Tech Report

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