Component

Today we are going to take a look at the Gigabyte F2A88XM-DS2 motherboard, aimed at those looking to build an AMD APU based system with a limited budget.  This particular motherboard is a bit of a departure from the usual high end product we are used to receiving from Gigabyte …

Last year ASUS enjoyed both public and critical success with their Xonar U7 USB sound card. For the enthusiast user demanding higher grade sound quality, adding an external DAC can be a good investment. Driving an expensive audiophile grade pair of headphones from the basic sound chip on a motherboard …

Intel Corp. said it had decided to postpone equipment move-in at its fab 42 cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing facility. The move, which is aimed to improve utilisation of capital at the world’s largest maker of microprocessors, will leave the company without one fab capable of making next-generation chips using 14nm manufacturing …

With Intel continuing to commit ever larger amounts of die space to graphics, AMD's decision to acquire ATi in 2006 and begin fusing the CPU with the GPU, looks like a smart one. UK specialist system builder, YOYOTech, has wasted no time in getting a full range of Kaveri-powered gaming …

When KitGuru first spoke with AMD's Developer Relations guru Nic Thibieroz, back in May 2011, he had just taken over as point-man for the chip designer's drive into the hearts and minds of the developer community. Things have changed a lot over the past 32 months. We got the chance …

Mining of virtual currencies is getting more and more popular among PC hardware enthusiasts since this is not only fun, but can bring actual income. IBuyPower, a leading PC maker from the U.S., on Tuesday introduced two systems designed specifically for crunching numbers and mining virtual currency. IBuyPower’s Mine series …

Even though video streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix are growing rapidly these days, the majority of consumers still prefer movies on good-old optical media, such as Blu-ray disc (BD) and DVD. As a result, sales of Blu-ray movies hit another record last December in the USA. A recent …

Although the press mostly reports about high-end chip solutions designed for leading-edge electronics and made using state-of-the-art process technologies, the market continues to need very low-cost products that are far from being technological breakthroughs. On Tuesday ARM Holdings and United Microelectronics Corp. announced partnership to enable such devices. ARM has …

Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday officially began sales of its highly-anticipated A-series accelerated processing units (APUs) code-named “Kaveri”. The new chip features a pack of AMD’s latest technologies and are expected to show high performance in applications that can take maximum advantage of its heterogeneous system architecture (HSA). Starting today, …

With so much of Haswell’s performance being related to on-chip parameters, many users are quick to question the relevance of a high-end motherboard. Does MSI’s Z87-G43 Gaming act as proof that an entry-level board can compete with the high-end contenders on the Z87 chipset? Featuring support for two-way CrossFire (albeit …

Solid State Technology has been dropping in price steadily for the last year and today we look at the latest product from Plextor – the M6e, a PCI express solid state design. This product is designed for the enthusiast audience who demand the fastest speeds possible. The M6E incorporates the …

Today we are taking a look at the CM 690 III. Following in the footsteps of the CM 690 II the latest revision supports up to ten 2.5″ drives, graphics cards up to 423 mm in length and CPU coolers up to 171 mm in height. Retailing around £85, is …

Intel Corp. may speed up introduction of its next-generation microprocessors based on the code-named “Broadwell” micro-architecture, according to sources with knowledge of the chip giant’s plans. Previously it was expected that the “Broadwell” line of chips will be released sometime in Q4 of 2014. It is now planned that some …

Seagate Technology this week introduced Backup Plus Fast external storage solution that combines high performance, high capacity, portability and relatively low cost. The new drive is aimed at creative professionals and so-called pro-sumers who require performance and capacity, but do not want to pay for business-class solutions. Seagate Backup Plus …

Since the birth of desktop computing there have been adoring Apple fans fighting from one corner, with die-hard PC format proponents in the other and Linux users unwilling to join the fray as they own and operate the “superior” OS. In the contest that engenders this variety of choice comes much …

Sometimes in the third quarter of this year Intel Corp. plans to release its next-generation high-end desktop (HEDT) platform code-named “Lituya Bay” based on the code-named “Haswell-E” central processing units that will rely on DDR4 memory to maximize bandwidth. For those, who will want to get some extra performance out …

The first waves of AMD partner 290 cards are being released this month, and today we follow up on our Gigabyte and Sapphire reviews taking a look at the latest card from ASUS, the R9 290X Direct CU II OC. This card ships with a proprietary cooler and the fastest …

Plextor, one of the most respected brand-names in the consumer storage industry, this week unveiled its new M6 lineup of solid-state drives. The new SSDs come in various form-factors that target different types of personal computers and also sport different interfaces, including Serial ATA and PCI Express. The latter brings …

Think your case is customisable? Think again. The new range of Genesis and Millenium chassis and builds from Origin PC are a whole new ball game. Ever wanted to mount your monitor at 90 degrees from the normal? Flip it round? Rotate it? You can if you give these guys …

Intel Corp. is speedily transitioning its lineup of desktop central processing units (CPUs) to the “Haswell” micro-architecture. Broader availability of newer chips across various price segments ultimately makes Intel’s desktop microprocessor family more competitive against its arch-rival AMD. According to sources familiar with Intel’s plans, the share of desktop processors …

At the Consumer Electronics Show the world’s largest maker of microprocessors – Intel Corp. – demonstrated what looks to be the world’s smallest personal computer based on an x86 microprocessor. Intel Edison is a new Quark-based computer with built-in wireless connectivity housed in a Secure Digital card form-factor. Intel Edison …

AMD fans may have had to wait several months for custom cooled R9 290/x cards to hit the channel, but today we follow up on our December review of the Sapphire R9 290X Tri-X OC with a look at the latest Gigabyte R9 290X OC solution, featuring their excellent triple …

Advanced Micro Devices on Monday finally revealed additional details about its highly-anticipated code-named “Kaveri” accelerated processing unit (APU), the company’s first chip to support heterogeneous system architecture (HSA) that greatly simplifies general-purpose processing using graphics processing units. The new APUs also support new “Streamroller” x86 cores and other latest technologies …

Mushkin, a leading manufacturer of various consumer-class computer components, on Monday introduced its first enterprise-class solid-state drives (SSDs). Since the company is a newcomer to the market of enterprise-grade SSDs, its drives are not aimed at the high-end of the market, but are designed for various workstations that require improved …

Nvidia has been pushing its Game-Stream technology recently, the service originally launched on the Nvidia Shield handheld late last year and was arguably its biggest feature, but now it seems that the graphics chip maker is looking to expand as it has just announced its partnership with several other companies …

Today we are looking at the Cooler Master Hyper 103. Aimed at users on a restrictive budget, the Hyper 103 sports three 6 mm heat pipes, vents to aid airflow around the heat pipes and a 92 mm PWM fan. Retailing for as little as £9.99, can the Hyper 103 …

With the progress that services like Steam, Origin and Netflix are making these days, many think that packaged media is a thing of the past. Despite this, they continue to play an important role in the industry, but not so much that Microsoft didn't consider removing the optical disc drive …

The Hawaii GPU that's behind AMD's latest R9 series of cards, is clearly among the highest-performing chips available at the moment. However, a new die shot of the chip implies that the graphics processor may actually be more powerful than AMD publicly disclosed. Today AMD sells two graphics adapters based on …

Today we are taking a look at the Aerocool GT-R Black Edition. Aimed at enthusiasts on a budget, the Aerocool GT-R Black Edition supports Micro ATX and ATX motherboards, graphics cards up to 293 mm in length and coolers up to 172 mm in height. Retailing for around £50, can …

Intel Corp., the world’s largest maker of microprocessors, has been selling various system-on-chips for mobile devices for years now. Unfortunately, it hasn't been that successful with the smartphones and tablets market. But the company remains optimistic and has given itself some pretty aggressive targets. This year Intel plans to sell …