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Cases

Impactics Launches Passive D1NU NUC Chassis In Europe

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 31, 2013 - 04:17 AM |
Tagged: nuc, Intel, impactics, europe, d1nu

Impactics is the latest company to launch its own small form factor case for Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) platform. More heatsink than chassis, the new D1NU chassis sandwiches an Intel NUC motherboard and other internals between two aluminum fin heatsinks. The D1NU measures 170 x 114 x 67mm and weighs 1380g.

D1NU-S_gallery_01.jpg

The D1NU supports Intel's D33217GKE and DCP847SKE motherboards. The motherboard and other components are attached to a solid piece of precision milled 99.99% electrolytic copper (220g), and then to an aluminum heatsink. 

D1NU_gallery_03.jpg

The case seals the components between a top and bottom heatsink and then a 4mm aluminum front bezel and a rear chromium steel bezel with EM shield. The D1NU case/heatsink supports a 25W TDP, and has an MSRP of 99 euros. The front bezel hosts a power button with blue LED and space for a single USB port. The rear of the case can support the outputs of either Intel's Golden Lake or Ski Lake boards. A VESA mount is also in the works. The D1NU comes in silver or black.

D1NU-B_gallery_02.jpg

According to Fanless Tech, the passive NUC case is now available in Europe for €100 Euros from Case King or £87 pounds from Systo.co.uk. No word yet on whether it will show up on this side of the pond, but (although it is a bit pricey) it is certainly a cool NUC heatsink/case (heh)!

Source: Impactics

XFX claims there is something different about their ProSeries 650W

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 27, 2013 - 03:17 PM |
Tagged: xfx, PSU, ProSeries 650W

The XFX ProSeries 650W PSU is mostly modular, with only the ATX connector attached, has a 135mm cooling fan and can send 98% of its total wattage to the single 53A 12V rail.  With four 6+2 PCIe power connectors you will be able to handle multiple GPUs and the 8 SATA connectors should allow you as many storage devices as you need.  Unfortunately [H]ard|OCP discovered something about the 5 year warranty which greatly displeased them; unless you register your PSU within 30 days of purchase, you only receive a 2 year warranty.  If you are strictly concerned about the quality of the power this PSU delivers and are ambivalent towards the warranty, this PSU passed [H]'s torture tests handily which is something not every PSU can claim.

H_xfx650.jpg

"XFX has long and actually very solid history of producing high quality enthusiast power supplies. We have consistently found XFX PSUs worthy of [H] Editor's Choice Awards. Today the XFX ProSeries 650W promises "One Rail, One Setup" in a PSU that is different. Let's see if that is good or bad."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

At the G Institute, PC Gaming is Logitech's Pursuit

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling, Shows and Expos | March 21, 2013 - 03:23 PM |
Tagged: PAX East 2013, PAX East, PAX, logitech

Despite recent incidents with a genetic lifeform and disk operating system, we PC gamers love our science. Yesterday, Logitech claims they renewed their commitment to both PC gaming and science just in time for PAX East 2013.

Let us just hope the pi's not a lie. Hehehe, that rhymes.

While the commercial looks and sounds like the "G" stands for "Gatorade", it really beckons the launch of eight new accessory products: four new mice, two new keyboards, and two new headsets.

  • Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse
    • Wireless
    • 13 programmable controls
  • Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse
    • Weight/balance adjustments
    • Dual-mode scroll wheel
  • Logitech G400s Optical Gaming Mouse
    • "Delta Zero" sensor technology
    • 8 programmable controls
  • Logitech G100s Optical Gaming Mouse
    • "Delta Zero" sensor technology
  • Logitech G19s Gaming Keyboard
    • Full-Color LCD
    • Custom backlighting
    • 12 programmable "G-keys"
  • Logitech G510s Gaming Keyboard
    • Standard LCD
    • Custom backlighting
    • 18 programmable "G-keys"
  • Logitech G430 Surround Sound Gaming Headset
    • 7.1 surround sound
  • Logitech G230 Stereo Gaming Headset
    • 40mm drivers
    • 3.5mm stereo audio and mic

Check in after the break for the official press blast.

Source: Logitech

Two Upcoming SFF Cases From Akasa Spotted Before The Official Computex Launch

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling | March 21, 2013 - 01:52 PM |
Tagged: galileo, newton, akasa, nuc, case, thin mini-itx

FanlessTech recently spotted two new fan-less and small form factor cases from Akasa ahead of the official launch. The Akasa Galileo and Akasa Newton are compatible with thin Mini-ITX and Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) motherboards respectively.

Galileo.jpg

Both cases are constructed of aluminum, have VESA mounting holes, and double as a fan-less heatsink for your components. The Galileo is 37mm thick and can cool processors rated up to a 35W TDP. The Newton is a small case with fins around the sides to increase surface area (for better cooling capability), and aesthetic flair.

Newton.jpg

According to Fanless Tech, the two PC cases will be officially unveiled at Computex in Taipei, Taiwan this summer. There is no word on pricing or when they will be available for purchase, however.

Source: FanlessTech

Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite, your next exotic cooling solution

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 20, 2013 - 04:02 PM |
Tagged: annealed pyrolytic graphite, cooling, exotic materials, thermal paste

Efficient cooling has always and will always be a limiter on the power of processors, especially as the processes used shrink and transistor density increases.  Over the years we have seen heatpipes become common and watercooling move into the mainstream with the advent of all-in-one coolers.  Thermal interface material has not changed much, even though we have heard of many developments nothing has been released to market.  Carbon black proved to be too long in development and might be replaced by nanotube forests though there is do it yourself thermal paste doped with diamonds that you can make right now.

From there we saw a project doping thermal paste with graphene, which could provide conductivity of up to 600 W/mK once it becomes available, hopefully in sheet form for easy installation.  Increasing the thermal conductivity of your TIM is a good thing, assuming that the heatsink absorbing the heat can keep up with the transfer which is what makes the news out of FrostyTech so interesting.  Researchers are sandwiching a material they call K-Core Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite in between layers of aluminium and other metals to create a heatsink with a thermal conductivity of up to 1092W/mK in certain situations.  It is not as simple as doping a heatsink with this new material though, it is only efficient at moving heat horizontally. Read on to find out more at FrostyTech.

FT_KCORE.png

"When the thermal conductivity of copper and aluminum heat spreaders just won't cut it, the future revolves around a material called Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite. Let's consider the numbers: where a solid aluminum heat spreader has a thermal conductivity of 126W/mK, the same heatspreader with an Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite core would see thermal conductivity on the order of 1092 W/mK. That's not a typo."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: FrostyTech

A SilverStone PSU so small it uses an 80mm fan

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 14, 2013 - 06:11 PM |
Tagged: PSU, Silverstone, SFX ST45SF-G 450W, SFF, 80 Plus Gold, modular psu, SFX PSU

If you are looking to power a small form factor system and need a fully modular PSU in order to get it into a tightly packed case as well as high efficiency the SilverStone SFX ST45SF-G 450W is a decent choice.  It is Fully modular and is an SFX PSU, which as you might remember from Lee's review means that it lacks a -5V rail, not a necessary feature in today's systems.  [H]ard|OCP granted an award to this PSU, not because it is the best 450W PSU available, which is not, but because it is the best fully modular SFX PSU they have seen and they realize sacrifices have to be made in a PSU which is barely able to fit an 80mm fan inside.  Check out the full review to see if you think this PSU is worth the price premium or if you might just consider a larger PSU for your HTPC.

H_SS450.jpg

"Silverstone is one of our favorite computer power supply builders as the company has a tremendous track record when it comes to high quality and quiet power for our desktop systems. Today we look at something a bit different in terms of scale, a PSU pushing 450 watts of power in a package half the size with its sights on the SFF market."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

A semi-modifiable watercooler from Swiftech

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 11, 2013 - 03:20 PM |
Tagged: swiftech, H220 Compact Drive II, AIO, water cooler

Swiftech has made an All In One watercooler with a bit of a difference, not only will it work straight out of the box, changing the fluid and tubing will not void your warranty like many other AIO coolers.  The 269mm x 127mm x 29mm radiator has a pair of 120mm fans cooling it, an unsealed Fill Port for changing your cooling liquid and two ports for 5/8" outer, 3/8" inner tubing which can also be swapped out.  Pro-Clockers found it to be a decent performer though somewhat outclassed by coolers using 140mm fans but far more flexible and upgradeable.  If you are looking for an AIO cooler that you can add to later on then keep your eyes our for the Swiftech H220 which should be for sale in the very near future.

PC_h220_6.JPG

"Swiftech has been sitting back in the cut watching the market and seeing what to do and what more they can do to make their entry into the lower cost AiO market. That entry is the H220 Compact Drive II CPU Cooler. Gabe and company has release a cooler than is more than “an install it and leave it type” solution. This new cooler can be upgraded in many ways. Meaning you can add water blocks as your system grows, refill with the liquid of your liking, add more tubing to accommodate the added blocks as well as other steps to assure that you have a water-cooling system for a life time."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: Pro-Clockers

Fractal Design Packs USB 3.0 Support Into Core 1000 USB 3.0 mATX Case

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 5, 2013 - 07:57 AM |
Tagged: usb 3.0, mid tower, fractal design, core 1000 usb 3.0, atx case

Fractal Design has announced an updated Core 1000 USB 3.0 Micro ATX case that adds USB 3.0 support to the front panel. The new Core 1000 USB 3.0 chassis measures 175mm x 355mm x 420mm and weighs approximately 9 lbs (4.1 kg).

Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.jpg

The micro ATX case supports motherboards of the Mini-ITX, DTX, and Micro ATX flavors. Further, it can support graphics cards up to 350mm in length and CPU coolers up to 148mm in height. Two optical disk drives, either three vertically mounted 2.5” SSDs or two 3.5” HDDs, and four PCI expansion slots round out the storage and expansion options.The hard drives feature anti-vibration grommets, and the fan spots include dust filters.

Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3_Front IO.jpg

On the outside, the Core 1000 USB 3.0 case is flat black with a large mesh front panel and side panel vent. The right side of the case holds the front IO panel, which consists of:

  • 1 x USB 3.0
  • 1 x USB 2.0
  • 2 x Audio jacks
  • 1 x HDD activity indicator light
  • 1 x Power button
  • 1 x Reset button

The inside of the case is rather spartan. There are no cable routing holes, water cooling grommets, CPU cutouts, or other fancy features. It has an ATX power supply spot at the top of the case, motherboard standoffs, and drive cages. Just enough to get the job done, in other words.

Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3_Angled.jpg

Fractal Design includes a single Silent Series R2 120mm intake fan, but the case can actually support a total of three fans. There are spots for:

  • 1 x 120mm (front intake)
  • 1 x 92mm (rear exhaust)
  • 1 x 120mm (side panel)

There is no word on pricing or availability yet, but expect it to run around $40-50. More photos and specifications are available on the Fractal Design website.

Source: Fractal Design

Is bigger better for Corsair's self-contained watercoolers

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 4, 2013 - 01:50 PM |
Tagged: watercooling, corsair, H90, H110, 140mm

The Corsair H90 and H110 use larger 140mm fans with 140mm and and 280mm radiators respectively.  [H]ard|OCP compared them to also relatively recent H100i and H80i, 120mm based coolers that are controllable with Corsair's LINK technology.  The comparison was rather favourable for the new 140mm coolers, with both new models beating the H100i at stocks speeds and beating their respective cousins on an overclocked chip; perhaps more importantly these two models did so with noticeably reduced sound levels.  If you need serious cooling and aren't crazy about noise, these two coolers should be on your list.

H_h90_110.jpg

"Corsair, once known only for quality enthusiast RAM modules, has successfully diversified its products reaching into cases, power supplies, processor cooling solutions. With the release of the H90 and H110 Hydro Series, we see the first new refresh in its closed loop liquid cooling systems."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Thermaltake Launches Urban S21 Mid Tower Chassis

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 3, 2013 - 10:53 PM |
Tagged: thermaltake, mid tower, case, atx

Thermaltake has released a new mid tower chassis aimed at enthusiasts favoring minimalist designs. Constructed of SECC (Steel, Electrogalvanized, ColdRolled, Coil) steel, the Thermaltake Urban S21 supports ATX motherboards, high-end graphics cards, and both air and water cooling options. It measures 17.2” x 7.5” x 19.6”.

Thermaltake Urbarn S21 Front Panel.jpg

The new chassis is all black and features a brushed metal design on the front panel. The brushed metal front door hides the externally-accessible drives. At the top of the front panel, the case features two USB 3.0 ports and two audio jacks. A power LED along with both power and reset button adorns the top-edge of the case. The side panel has space for one 120mm fan as well as a clear window above it that is about the size of a 120mm fan. Four large case feet hold the mid tower above the floor, allowing the PSU intake and an (optional) additional 120mm fan to bring cool air into the case.

Thermaltake Urban S21 Angled.jpg

Thermaltake includes two 120mm fans, but the case itself can support a maximum of five 120mm fans. The Urban S21 case interior features tool-less drive bays for up to six hard drives and three optical drives. Further, it has cable management holes, water cooling grommets, a bottom-mounted power supply, and a CPU cutout.

Thermaltake Urban S21 Cooling.jpg

Thermaltake’s Urban S21 case looks good and has a decent feature set. The case will reportedly go on sale sometime this month, but the company has not yet announced pricing. Here’s hoping the price is right as it is looking like a nice mid-tower case so far! You can find more specifications on the Urban S21 on this product page.

Source: Thermaltake

Enermax replaces their MODU82+ series with ... Triathlor?

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 1, 2013 - 07:12 PM |
Tagged: Triathlor FC, modular psu, enermax, 80 Plus Bronze, 650W

If you ignore the interesting choice of names, the Enermax Triathlor 650W looks good on paper with mostly modular cabling, an 80 Plus Bronze rating and a $120 price tag.  With four 6+2 PCIe power connectors and a pair of 30A 12V rails it will handle SLI/Crossfire of mid range cards but will probably have trouble with multiple flagship GPUs.  Hardware Secrets like the amount of available cabling and the quiet operation of the PSU but unfortunately they were not terribly impressed with the voltage regulation when it was run at full power.  Taking that into account, as well as the fact that similar PSUs tend to cost less than $100, they have difficulty recommending this PSU in the current market.

HS_triathlor.jpg

"The Triathlor FC is the latest power supply series with the 80 Plus Bronze certification from Enermax, coming to replace the MODU82+ series. So far, three models were released: 550 W, 650 W, and 700 W. Let's see if the 650 W model is a good buy."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: Hardware Secrets

Phanteks' new cooler stands tall

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 26, 2013 - 02:30 PM |
Tagged: phanteks, PH-TC12DX

At 126mm x 57mm x 157mm (5" x 2.2" x 6.2") the PH-TC12DX heatsink is tall enough to cause some problems with small cases but is tall enough it will not interfere with your RAM like some other large coolers can.  With only two screws to secure the heatsink [H]ard|OCP had no troubles installing it on the motherboards they tested it on.  When they tested its ability to remove heat they were more than impressed, with a pair of fans this air cooler outperformed Corsair's H80i, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that it operated more quietly as well.  At $60 it is also cheaper and well worth considering on your next build.

H_PH-TC12DX .jpg

"Phanteks has high hopes for its sweetly named PH-TC12DX CPU air cooler. OK, maybe not that sweet, but with a patented "Physical Antioxidant Thermal Shield" and "Cold Plasma Spraying Coating Technology" technology this thing has got to be greatest heatsink and fan combination ever made, right?"

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Tired of single plane shiny metal coolers?

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 18, 2013 - 06:49 PM |
Tagged: prolimatech, Genesis Black

If you are bored of the standard 1 kilogram block of shiny silver metal heatsink in your case, Prolimatech has something for you; the Genesis Black. With six heatpipes and the ability to support up to three 140mm fans, the black finish on the aluminium heatsinks and the unique horizontal and vertical design will make your system stand out.  On many modern motherboards, that second fin should float above your DIMMs and not only give you enough clearance for DDR3 with heatspreaders but the fan should also increase airflow over those fins.  Even better, the test results that Hardware Secrets produced prove this is an effective design as well.

HS_prolimablack.jpg

"The Prolimatech Genesis Black Series is a CPU cooler with two heatsinks, one vertical and one horizontal. It supports up to three 120 mm or 140 mm fans. Let's test it."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: Hardware Secrets

A Crowd Funded Mini-ITX Case, the NCASE M1

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 17, 2013 - 03:51 PM |
Tagged: ncase, mini-itx, mini ITX, m1

We love us some mini-ITX products that enable us to build powerful PCs and HTPCs in smaller chassis and using smaller footprints than traditional ATX and even MicroATX designs.  We have reviewed several mini-ITX motherboards including EVGA's Z77 Stinger and even a couple of mini-ITX based pre-build computers like AVADirect Mini Gaming PC and the Digital Storm Bolt.  All of these products showcase the capability to get incredible computing and gaming horsepower in a small design. 

Recently I came across a thread in the /r/hardware sub-reddit discussing crowd funding for a new kind of mini-ITX chassis design.  In what started as a discussion on the HardForum has resulted in a design ready for prototyping and tooling. 

ncase1.jpg

That is where the community comes in!  The designers have started an Indiegogo.com project to help get funding from users like you and me to enable prototype units to be built and tested.  I already tossed in a chunk of money from PC Perspective and I think once you see what they have designed you'll be interested as well.

The NCASE M1 is a new Mini-ITX case that raises the bar in performance, versatility, and design for SFF PC cases. With support for 12.5” GPUs, water or air cooling, and a variety of drive mounting options, the M1 offers unparalleled power and flexibility for its surprisingly small footprint, all wrapped in an elegant, minimalist aluminum exterior.

We've spent months perfecting the design using feedback from [H]ardForum community and Lian Li's engineers. Our goal is to take this design to production, and we need your help.

The next step before production is to test a prototype of the M1. The funding goal is the minimum we need to produce a prototype plus a small components budget to test fitment, thermals and noise.

The more funding we're able to raise, the more hardware configurations we'll be able to test for, which leads to a better product. If we achieve our funding goal, don't let it stop you from backing us! Every little bit will help make the M1 better.

ncase2.jpg

Just look at the projected specifications and device support:

Dimensions: 240mm x 160mm x 328mm (250mm tall w/feet), 12.6L
Motherboard Support: Mini-ITX, Mini-DTX
Expansion Slots: 3
GPU Support: 12.5” (slot 1 & 2) or 11” (slot 3)
CPU Cooler Support: Up to 105mm tall; 120mm and 240mm radiators also supported
Drive Support: 3 x 3.5” HDD mounts; 3 x 2.5” drive mounts; 1 x slim slot-load optical drive mount
Power Supply Support: SFX or ATX (up to 140mm non-modular, or longer w/short GPU)
Fan Support: 2 x 120mm side & bottom mounts; 80/92mm bottom & rear mounts
Front Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, headphone and microphone

A chassis design that is built not just but a single engineer in Taiwan but rather by actual users that want to perfect a product based on the input from the community DIRECTLY - it is an incredible goal! 

I have included some additional images below but you should make sure you head over to the Indigogo.com project page and learn about the NCASE M1 and contribute any amount you can to make this a reality.  Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future we'll be able to pick up one for ourselves and showcase it on PC Perspective!

ncase3.jpg

ncase4.jpg

ncase5.jpg

Source: reddit

A mid-weight PSU from Seasonic, the Platinum 660W

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 14, 2013 - 05:47 PM |
Tagged: rosewill, PSU, Platinim 660, modular psu, 80plus platinum

If the 1000W Rosewill PSU that Lee just reviewed is more power than your system needs, [H]ard|OCP has a slightly less powerful 660W 80Plus Platinum PSU you could consider that Lee has also looked at.  At $150 it is fairly expensive for a 660W PSU, but a 7 year warranty and a Platinum efficiency rating do not come cheap.  With four 6+2 PCIe connectors and up to 55A on the 12V rail and an unparalleled peak change of 0.01v this will solidly power several GPUs.  [H] was so impressed that they couldn't think of a PSU to contrast against, this unit is miles ahead of the competition when it comes to the purity of the voltages provided.

H_rosewill660.jpg

"Seasonic's new SS-660XP comes to us boasting high end PSU features in what we can consider a smaller wattage package than what we are used to seeing. This PSU has a fully modular design, great efficiency, optional Hybrid fan control allowing fanless, silent, and normal cooling modes. Does Seasonic have another winner?"

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Corsair updates their self contained watercoolers and not just with an 'i' at the end

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 13, 2013 - 07:20 PM |
Tagged: corsair, Hydro Series, H80i, H100i, watercooling, Corsair Link

The updated Hydro Series coolers, the H80i and H100i both feature all new tubing that might not be much more flexible than the previous models but offers improved flow rates.  As well these coolers are now able to be controlled via Corsair's Link technology, allowing you to either set the LED colour displayed or to use it as a real time temperature indicator.  As you would suspect the H100i is the larger of the two units, the H80i being 120 x 38 x 152mm and the H100i measuring 275 x 120mm x  27mm with both supporting up to four fans via the Link software.  [H]ard|OCP saw an improvement from the previous models which you can read about in their full review.

H_CORSAIRi.jpg

"Corsair updates its aging H80 and H100 performance liquid CPU coolers, with the new H80i and H100i models. Changes include a new cold plate design, smooth outer diameter no-kink tubing designed to further limit evaporation, and newer designed fans claiming better static pressures, and quieter operation."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

21lbs of aluminium from Lian Li

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 7, 2013 - 04:01 PM |
Tagged: full tower, Lian Li, PC-A76

If you need a lot of space for your system the Lian Li PC-A76 is a good choice, at 220 x 585 x 615mm (8.6 x 23.0 x 24.2"), 11 expansion slots, two 5.25" internal drive bays, a dozen 3.5" drive bays and three 2.5" SSD mounting locations.  This is not a case that is going to fit in a small location and if you don't really need the space you might want to consider something a bit less monolithic.  On the other had a quad SLI/Crossfire system with 20TB of storage space would look lovely in this case.  [H]ard|OCP was a little disappointed with the lack of extras in the case but for a professional system this has both looks and utility.

H_lianlia76.jpg

"Lian Li is a name that is surely known inside enthusiast computer hardware circles. The company has produced cases for desktop computer builds nearly as long as there have been builders. Its new PC-A76 is all aluminum, weighing in at 21lbs, and makes you think it should be all that and a bag of chips."

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

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Win FREE Stuff! Seasonic M12II 850 watt and 750 watt PSU up for grabs!!

Subject: Editorial, Cases and Cooling | February 5, 2013 - 12:55 PM |
Tagged: seasonic, PSU, power supply, m12ii, giveaway, contest

We know that our readers love to win free stuff, and who can blame you?  Building PCs can sometimes be a burden on your wallet and we do our best to help that by showing you the best deals and occasionally having contests like this!

Our good friends at Seasonic wanted to offer up a couple of power supplies for our community and we were obviously excited to facilitate!  Here are the goods you can win:

mk12ii-850.jpg

Seasonic M12II SS-850AM 850 watt Power Supply ($130 value - Newegg Link)

mk12ii-750.jpg

Seasonic M12II SS-750AM 750 watt Power Supply ($120 value - Newegg Link)

Seasonic M12II Bronze Series has been the ever-popular power supply series of the semi modular category. Now Seasonic extends the semi-modular series by introducing M12II Bronze 650/750/850 to provide consumers a larger selection in the entry level 80PLUS Bronze certified category.

The M12II Bronze new models have built in a full protection feature including OCP, OPP,OTP, OVP, SCP & UVP and meet worldwide safety and environmental standards. The all-new M12II-650/750/850 units are the new leaders in the 80 PLUS Bronze category and another great addition to the Seasonic Retail power supply family.

If you are looking to build a new PC or upgrade your current system, either of these two power supplies will make a great backbone for all the other components. 

How do you win? 

  1. Visit your favorite PC Perspective pages like our YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter account.  You should subscribe, like and follow us, you know...if you want to.  We'd appreciate it!
  2. Also, stop by the Seasonic Facebook page and give it a look - they are always posting contests and giveaways there!!
  3. Leave a comment here on this post telling us what you would be able to do better if your system was powered by one of these power supplies!

We'll pick a winner on Wednesday the 13th of February, so get your entries in NOW!  A big thank you goes out to Seasonic for supporting PC Perspective and for supporting our loyal readers!

Source: Seasonic

Fractal Design Integrates USB 3.0 Support Into New Core 3000 USB 3.0 ATX Chassis

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 5, 2013 - 09:21 AM |
Tagged: usb 3.0, mid tower, fractal design, core 3000 usb 3.0, Core 3000, atx case

Fractal Design has taken its budget-friendly mid-tower Core 3000 case, and updated it with USB 3.0 support on the front IO panel. The new SKU is aptly named the Fractal Design Core 3000 USB 3.0.

7b.jpg

The new case is essentially an upgrade to the Core 3000. It is a black case with white accents on the drive carriages and PCI expansion slots. The front panel of the case features two optical disc drive bays and a dust filter covered by a mess grill. The top of the case holds an exhaust port and a new front IO panel. The IO panel includes two audio jacks, power and reset buttons, power and hard drive activity LEDs, two USB 2.0 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports.

Fractal Design Case.jpg

The Core 3000 USB 3.0 case has room for two 5.25” drives and up to six 3.5” or 2.5” drives (with the top drive cage being removable). Seven PCI expansion slots, a CPU cutout, and cable management/routing holes are all standard features of the Core 3000 USB 3.0 case.

On the cooling front, the mid tower chassis comes equipped with three Silent Series R2 fans out of the box along with a total of seven fan cutouts. By default, there is one 140mm 1,000 RPM intake fan in the front, one 120mm 1,200 RPM exhaust fan in the back, and one 140mm 1,000 RPM fan attached to the top of the case.

7c.jpg

The available fan positions are as follows:

  • Front of the case:
    • 1 x 120mm fan
    • 1 x 140mm fan
  • Top of the case:
    • 2 x 120mm or 140mm fans
  • Rear of the case:
    • 1 x 120mm fan
  • Side of the case:
    • 1 x 120mm fan
  • Bottom of the case:
    • 1 x 120mm fan

The Core 3000 USB 3.0 case has a MSRP of $74.95 in the US. All in all, it looks to be a decent case for the price. You can find more information on the product page.

Source: Fractal Design

Tranquil PC Launches £99 Fanless Case For Intel NUC Platform

Subject: Cases and Cooling | February 3, 2013 - 06:14 AM |
Tagged: tranquil, nuc, fanless, case

Tranquil PC, a case manufacturer and system integrator based in the UK, recently announced a new aluminum chassis for Intel’s NUC motherboards. The new chassis acts as a heatsink and will keep your NUC system running cool without needing case fans. Tranquil is offering two versions of the case – the NUC-BY and NUC-YE – which are compatible with both the D33217CK (Thunderbolt-equipped) and D33217GKE (Gigabit Ethernet-equipped) Intel NUC boards respectively.

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The two Tranquil NUC cases are nearly identical, but they differ in the IO cutouts offered (naturally). The cases measure 110 x 164 x 47mm and resembles a black heatsink with its horizontal fins and brushed aluminum design. The chassis is reportedly able to keep the Next Unit of Computing (NUC) system 5 to 15 degrees centigrade cooler than the reference Intel NUC case that uses an active fan. Hopefully, the case-as-a-heatsink design will help to mitigate the overheating problems that many reviewers (including PC Perspective) have run into when performing network transfers to the SSD over Wi-Fi.

 

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It is a streamlined design with port only the expected port cutouts and a rubberized power button on the rear of the device. No LED-lit logos or extra buttons to speak of. You can, however, have Tranquil laser-engrave a custom message onto the chassis for an additional fee.

The front of the case features a single USB port while the rear IO will depend on your particular NUC board. The D33217CK board includes one Thunderbolt, one HDMI, two USB 2.0 ports, and a 65W DC power input jack. On the other hand, the D33217GKE motherboard has a DC-in jack, two USB 2.0 ports, two HDMI outputs, and a single Gigabit LAN jack. Additionally, the Tranquil cases have a cutout for an externally-mounted Wi-Fi antenna (as the aluminum casing is not well-suited to housing an internal antenna).

 

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Both Tranquil NUC cases are available now for a base price of £99. A VESA mount adds an additional £17. Further, VAT and shipping charges may apply depending on where you are ordering from. In USD, the Tranquil cases have a base price of $155.62. While I do not get charged VAT, I do have to pay shipping, and it is not cheap at approximately $33 to ship to the mid-west US. In my case, ordering one NUC case and having it shipped to Illinois would cost $207.41. Ouch.

The Tranquil PC NUC case with its brushed aluminum and fanless design is extremely nice. Unfortunately, that build quality does not come cheap, and will add to the overall cost of putting together your NUC system. If you have the money for it though, it looks to be one of the best cases available for the new 4” x 4” NUC motherboards.

More information is available on the Tranquil PC website.

Source: Fanless Tech

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