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8/12/2019 Custom PC - March 2014 UK
1/132 W TO:MAKE A RESERVOIR ISSUE 126 MAR 2014 4.50
T- W ,
11 cards reviewed
1080p to 4K
resolutions testedCards for everybudget, from136 to 793
GR APHICS
CARDSGEAR UP FOR THELATEST GAMES
Which Cherrykeyboard switchs right for you?
PLUS
NSIDE:BITCOIN MINING ON THE RASPBERRY Pi
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3March 2014
Welcome to Issue 126Editorial
EDITORBen Hardwidge
LABSMatthew Lambert
Mike Jennings
GAMES EDITORRick Lane
ART EDITORBill Bagnall
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Julie Birrell
CONTRIBUTORSAntony Leather, Gareth Halfacree,
James Gorbold, Jim Killock,Paul Goodhead, Richard Cobbett,
Simon Treadaway, Tracy King
PHOTOGRAPHYAntony Leather,
Danny Bird
Advertising
GROUP ADVERTISING MANAGERBen Topp
+44 (0)20 7907 [email protected]
DEPUTY ADVERTISING MANAGERAdam McDonnell
+44 (0)20 7907 [email protected]
US ADVERTISING DIRECTORMatthew Sullivan-Pond
+1 646 717 [email protected]
Custom PC is published monthly by Dennis Publishing Ltd, 30 Cleveland Street,London W1T 4JD, a company registered in England number 1138891.
Entire contents Dennis Publishing Ltd licensed by Felden.
Copyright Dennis Publishing Limited. Custom PC is a trademark of Felix Dennis.
DONT T RY THIS AT HOMEThe advice and information provided in this magazine is given in good faith.
Dennis Publishing Limited cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, disruption ordamage to your data or your computer system which may occur as a result of following orattempting to follow advice given in the magazine or on its website. If things do go wrong,
take a break. The world tends to seem better after a cup of tea.
The paper used within this magazineis produced from sustainable fibre,manufactured by mills with a valid
chain of custody.
Publishing & MarketingGROUP PUBLISHER
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Dennis Publishing LimitedTel: 020 7907 6000 fax 020 7907 6193DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
Julian Lloyd Evans
MANAGING DIRECTORDENNIS TECHNOLOGY
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CEOIan Westwood
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GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR
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4 March 2014
12HOBBY TECH
Gareth investigates Bitcoin mining
on the Raspberry Pi, reviews the GertDuino
and also looks at some ancient memory.
20EVGA Z87 STINGER
This month, its EVGAs turn in the
spotlight, with a premium mini motherboard
thats massively overclockable.
24PREMIUM HTPC FUN
We check out Steiger Dynamicsgorgeous Origen-based touch-screen case.
CORSAIR HYDRO H75Corsair brings the price of a dualfan liquid cooler down to just 65.
94 ENGINE ROOM CHROMENot to be confused with the Google
browser, Chrome is the fantastically advanced
technology behind Techlands Call of Juarez.
962014 PC GAMING
COUNTDOWN
We have a look at the PC gaming treats thatwill be on offer this year.
100GAMES FOR WINDOWS DEAD
What exactly happened to
Microsofts Games for Windows Live brand?
Rick Lane tracks its history to find out what
went wrong.
106WATERCOOLING THE
RADEON R9 290X
AMDs R9 290X GPU might be ridiculously fast,
but it also gets very hot, which in turn has a
throttling effect on frame rates. Antony
Leather shows how to water-cool it, andmeasures the difference it makes.
11030
cover storY
GRAPHICS CARDS
46
The graphics card world is now one of
the most overcrowded and confusingmarkets around, with many price points
occupied by numerous cards, and a bewildering
selection of model numbers and suffixes. Meanwhile,
a recent host of product launches, rebrands and
price drops has done little to ease the headache
of GPU shopping.
However, with AMDs product reshuffle
complete in the form of the R-series, and
Nvidias GTX 780 Ti also coming out, the
market has settled again. As such, now
is the perfect time for a graphics cardface-off. From the 136 Radeon R9 270 to
the 793 GeForce GTX Titan, weve pitted
the current crop of GPUs against each
other. Weve also looked at what cheaper
options bring to the table, and looked at
Nvidias hardware PhysX features too.
4
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114 96
118
1ssue 126
110GUIDE TO CHERRY
KEYBOARD SWITCHES
We detail the three main types of Cherry
switches used in mechanical gaming
keyboards Blue, Red and Brown to
help you choose the right one for you.
118HOW TO MAKE A WATER
COOLING RESERVOIR
Sometimes only a custom part will do exactly
what you want, particularly when it comes to
water-cooling reservoirs. Antony Leathershows you how its done.
118
46
110
12
12
Reviewed this monthHardware
MOTHERBOARDS20 EVGA Z87 Stinger
22 Gigabyte
GA-F2A88XM-D3H
CASES
24 Steiger Dynamics LEET Reference
28 Antec ISK600
CPU COOLER
30 Corsair Hydro H75
HEADSETS
34 Plantronics RIG
35 SteelSeries Siberia Elite
KEYBOARD
36 Func KB-460
Custom kit42 Divoom Bluetune Bean
42 Startech USB 3 Hard Drive Adaptor
42 Xsories Weye Feye
43 Griffin WoodTones
43 Divoom OnBeat 500
43 Combat Creatures Stryder
Graphics cards Labs test49 AMD Radeon R9 270 2GB49 Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB
50 AMD Radeon R9 270X 2GB
52 Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 2GB
54 AMD Radeon R9 280X 3GB
55 Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB
58 AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB
59 Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 3GB
60 AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB
62 Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB
64 Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan 6GB
Games86 Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag88 Deadfall Adventures
89 Need forSpeed Rivals90 State of Decay92 X: Rebirth
30PRODUCTSREVIEWED
Regulars8 From the editor
10 Tracy King
12 Hobby tech
16 Incoming
40 How we test
72 CPCElite products
84 Cynical hit
94 The engine room
98 Digital rights
129Retro tech130James Gorbold
Community112 For the win!
114 Readers drives
118 How to make a reservoir
124Letters
126Folder of the month
127Your folding milestones
e or
eed: Rivals
ate of Decay
Re rt
5March 2014
86
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Wow, Id better make sure I have an Nvidia card in 2014,
I thought, as I watched The Witcher 3 PhysX demo last
year look it up on YouTube if you havent seen it yet.
This was a key realisation for me. It was the very first time that a
proprietary GPU feature would actually persuade me to go with one
companys GPU over anothers since the 3dfx days.
Graphics card companies have been coming up with these
unique selling points for years. Back in the late 1990s, 3dfx had its
proprietary GLide API, and now AMD is similarly pushing the Mantle
and TrueAudio features of its latest GPUs, while Nvidia is pushing its
new G-Sync tech (which were going to be
having a proper look at next month).
Coverage of these unique features is
always a tough call for tech journalists. We
have to prioritise what we think most people
want, against what we personally might want,
while also giving the features the coverage
they deserve. In the early days, you also never
know whats really going to take off. At the
moment, hardly any real games use Mantle,
for example, but that might change in the future.
Likewise, Ive always had an interest in hardware-accelerated
PhysX as a technology, but until now, I wouldnt have considered
buying an Nvidia GPU just to get it. The snow effects in Batman:
Arkham Origins (see p56) look incredible, but Im not really
interested in that game, or any of the other games that support
hardware PhysX at the moment.
The Witcher 3, however, is a different ballgame for me. I loved The
Witcher 2, and the next game in the series looks to be promising a
Bethesda-style open-world environment, but with the superior
graphics, characters and combat that CD Projekt does so well. Its
the main game that Im really looking forward to in 2014, and havinghardware PhysX support will be a big bonus in terms of realism.
Would you buy an Nvidia GPU just
for hardware-accelerated PhysX?Yes, says Ben Hardwidge
Would I buy a specific GPU just for one game? No, that would be
silly, but I do also know plenty of people who bought a high-end GPU
a few years ago just to play Crysis at its highest settings a game
that was over in around 12 hours. Would I buy a specific GPU that
could play all the games I want, but that also had the added bonus
of hardware PhysX support for The Witcher 3. Yes, most definitely.
But this is the problem. The Witcher 3 is just one game. Im
particularly looking forward to it, but my opinion on games is
completely subjective a vast number of CPCreaders will have
no interest in it at all. Similarly, some people buy a GPU just for
Folding@home, or other distributed
computing projects that use GPU compute,
but others will have no interest in these
applications at all.
Subjectivity is hard to accommodate in
a hardware review thats based on raw
numbers, so the graphics card Labs in
this issue (see p46) has scores based on
performance across four current games, with
features such as hardware PhysX disabled.
However, to help you make your own decisions, according to your
specific priorities, weve also included a look at hardware PhysX in
Batman: Arkham Origins, including benchmarks, and weve also
included both Folding@home and Bitcoin mining benchmarks,
so you can still make your own judgement call, according to your
priorities. What are your priorities when making a GPU purchase?
Id be very interested to find out feel free to tell me at editor@
custompcmag.org.uk
Ben Hardwidge is the editor of Custom PC. He likes PCs, heavy
metal, real ale and Warhammer 40,000.
EDITOR@CUSTOMPCMAG ORG UK @CUSTOMPCMAG
Plenty of peoplebought a high-end GPUjust to play Crysis at its
highest settings agame that was over in
about 12 hours
GRAPHICSPRIORITIES
8 March 2014
from the editor
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Its just another year before the events of Back to the Future 2 come
true; I cant wait for my Hoverboard. One idea the film predicted
correctly was the emergence of controller-free gaming, with the
hapless McFly scorned for playing a vintage shooting game: You
mean you have to use your hands? Thats like a babys toy! Yeah kids,
hows your Kinect working out? Im not a fan of motion sensor gaming,
but before the Kinect and Wii days, I was an excitable child with access
to many different games. As such, I greeted the news that the Internet
Archive has made a bucket-load of vintage games available with joy.
Using the sites JSMESS emulator system, players can now revisit
Atari, ColecoVision and other games in their
browser, albeit without sound yet. Nostalgia is
powerful and some of the games, such as Pac-
Man and ET okay, not ET are still very
playable. The intent is honourable, to harken
back to the revolution of the change in the
hearth of the home, when the fireplace and
later television were transformed by gaming
consoles into a centre of video game
entertainment. Thats a sentiment I can get behind, but joy and
nostalgia quickly give way to a creeping uncertainty: is this legal?
Copyright is an increasingly difficult area to write about, as
technology makes once-sensible laws unenforceable and businesses
panic at shifting culture. Weve recently seen a panic among YouTube
game reviewers Lets Players - who have been hit by long-overdue
takedown notices for content to which they dont have the rights,
leading to awkward and often angry discussions about whether
enforcing those rights benefits the content owners anymore, and if
monetising someone elses creative content, albeit via your own
interaction with it, is acceptable.
Monetisation, it turns out, is the answer to whether the retrogaming project is legal. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
has an exemption for libraries, such as the Internet Archive, but most
importantly, it has a 2003 amendment that gives a free pass to games
distributed in formats that have become obsolete and which require
the original media or hardware as a condition of access.
As the original consoles are no longer manufactured, for now it
seems safe. Whether the copyright owners will make a legal
challenge remains to be seen, but heres hoping theyll agree that
the historical and educational value of the project outweighs any
commercial concerns.
Finally, aclarification. In Issue 123 I wrote about Dr Angela Tinwells
research cited in a Guardian article, saying
people who display psychopathic behaviour
often are expressionless in the top half of their
face, which sets off warning signals in people
around them. I couldnt find the paper online
and was unable to corroborate the claim, but
Dr Tinwell has been in touch with a copy of her
journal article, Perception of Psychopathy and
the Uncanny Valley in Virtual Characters.
Dr Tinwell has clarified that this article was published in an
academic, peer-reviewed journal, Computers in Human Behavior.
If you read the methodology section youll see that I used an existing
empirical scale to measure psychopathy in humans called the
Elemental Psychopathy Assessment that is a self-report inventory
for assessment of psychopathy based on the five-factor model of
personality authored by Lynam et al in 2011. Two hundred and five
participants were used in this study. Also, the term psychopath is
not used in the journal article, but the medical term, psychopathy.
Gamer and science enthusiast Tracy King dissects the evidence
and statistics behind some of the popular media stories
surrounding tech and gaming TKINGDOLL
A 2003 amendment
gives a free pass to
games distributed in
obsolete formats
IS FREE RETROGAMING LEGAL?
The Internet Archive provides free access
to vintage games, but what are the legal
implications, asks Tracy King?
Sceptical analYsis
10 March 2014
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12 March 2014
The latest tips, tricks and news in the world of computer hobbyism,
from Raspberry Pi and Android to retro computing
hoBBY tech
GARETH HALFACREES
REVIEW: GERTDUINO
If youre a Raspberry Pi fan, you may have
heard of the Created by Gert Van Loo, who
worked on the Pis hardware design. It was
the first add-on GPIO expander announced
for the Pi, although not the first to market.
Initially a self-assembly kit full of tiny
surface mount technology, the
Gertboard was withdrawn and
re-released as a fully assembled
version although without any
changes to its incredibly unintuitive designNow Van Loo is back with a more compact
board dubbed the GertDuino, aiming to
bridge the Arduino and Raspberry Pi worlds.
Designed to sit directly on top of the Pi,
connecting to the GPIO header via a female
socket on the underside, the GertDuino
provides access to an on-board ATmega328
microprocessor, which is compatible with the
Arduino Uno, as well as physical pins that can
accept Arduino Shields.
Well, mostly compatible. As with the
Gertboard, configuring the GertDuino through
its various modes requires jumpers (supplied)
or strap wires (not supplied), with the latter
obstructing any Shield that needs a serial
connection. While this can be resolved using
risers to lift the Shield above the GertDuino, it
then becomes precarious and top-heavy.
There are, however, advantages to the
GertDuino. It includes six user-addressable
LEDs pre-installed, two buttons and an
infrared module at the top edge. This
module is driven by a second microcontroller,
an ATmega48, which is also user-
programmable, and provides the Pi with a
real-time clock (RTC) feature, provided an
optional button-cell battery is inserted into
the holder at the upper right of the board.
assume youll do your compilation and upload
via the command line, without the benefits of
the Arduino integrated development
environment (IDE).
That, thankfully, is optional. Its possible,
thanks to work by Gordon Henderson the
same chap who wrote the BASIC interpreter
for the Fuze to modify the Arduino IDE to talk
to the GertDuino, but even then there are
caveats. I spent an hour diagnosing why I was
getting verification errors uploading simple
sample sketches, before stumbling across
a comment on a web forum that explained
sketches need to be uploaded using the via-
programmer option, rather than directly a
circumstance thats entirely undocumented in
any of the official instructions.
If you can get over the steep initial learning
curve, though, the GertDuino promises much,
especially when you start using the ATmega48
for jobs such as placing the Pi into a low-
power sleep mode and waking it up at regular
intervals. The GertDuino is available now from
CPC(http://tinyurl.com/gertduino) for 22.50
including VAT and delivery.
Theres even a bi-directional level shifter, to
avoid any magic smoke getting out when the
5V ATmegas communicate with the 3.3V Pi.
Sadly, the experience isnt as rosy once you
start working with the GertDuino. As well as
the aforementioned jumpers, which must be
swapped around depending on the chips
youre tying together, the badly organised PDF
manual is hardly written with the beginner in
mind. From installing a hacked and outdated
version of the AVRdude programmer tool, to
setting the default fuses on the ATmega ,
which should really be done at the factory, it
isnt easy to get started. Worse, the examples
The GertDuino promises to bridge the gap between theArduino and Raspberry Pi worlds
The GertDuino is compact although its oversizedrubber foot near the USB ports gives it a slight slant
ve
ho
was
nced
et.
sign.
mpacth
You cant tell, but that LED is blinking as per the Arduino
Blink example sketch. Honest!
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14 March 2014
hoBBY tech
14
To say that the cryptocurrency Bitcoin has
been enjoying a few column inchesrecently is like saying the Pacific Ocean is alittle wet. The hash-based system has
seen its value rise almost exponentially to
a high of $1,000 per Bitcoin at the time of
writing. For those who got in on what its
critics call a classical pyramid scheme,
its a path to riches; for everyone else, a
chance to dream about what could have
been if theyd started mining when
Bitcoins cost fractions of a penny each.
Despite an explosion of interest, its still
possible to mine Bitcoins. The days ofdoing so on your CPU or GPU have passed,however, and even expensive field-programmable gate arrays FPGAs) arentpowerful enough to make a difference.
Now, the game belongs to application
specific integrated circuits (ASICs)
designed specifically for Bitcoin hashing,
and its possible to save on your electricity
bill by running a few from the back of a
Raspberry Pi.
First, however, a quick disclaimer,
which is that its near impossible to
actually make any money at it.
Even joining a pool of miners, where
combined efforts lead to shared payouts,
its highly unlikely that youll ever earn a
large enough fraction of a Bitcoin to offset
the electricity used to run the ASIC and
the Raspberry Pi. Its an interesting
experiment, though, when approached as
a purely intellectual exercise, rather than a
get-rich-quick scheme.
Im using a Block Erupter ASIC,
available from eBay for around 20,
although this is possibly the slowest device
on the market at 300 million hashes per
second (MH/s); a Red Fury manages up to
2,700MH/s with the same form factor and
power draw, although it will cost you
around 150.
Top-end ASIC units can manage
600,000MH/s if you have the cash, but
remember the warning above about the
likelihood of ever earning your investment
back (you probably wont).
BITCOIN MINING ON THE R SPBERRY Pi
01Once youve
purchased a USB-
connected ASIC, the first
step is to make sure you
have the latest software
versions. Open a shell on
the Pi and run the following
command before rebooting the system:
sudo apt-get update && sudo
apt-get upgrade
02Because there are no reliable pre-built
binaries of the cgminer Bitcoin
hashing software for the Pis ARMv6 CPU,
well be compiling our own from source,
which means installing a few prerequisites:
sudo apt-get install libusb-1.
0-0-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev
libncurses5-dev libudev-dev
autoconf automake libtool
03To ensure were running the absolute
latest version of cgminer, well check
out the source code from its GitHub repository
a socially minded site that combines handy
source versioning with easy sharing and
collaboration. Type the following:
git clone git://github.com/
ckolivas/cgminer.git
04Now its time to configure and compile
the cgminer software. This step takes a
little while when compiling directly on the Pi,
G ON THE RASPBERRY P
Mint your own Bitcoins with
a Raspberry Pi but dont
connect it up like this!
Youll need to install severalprerequisites on the Pi before
getting started
The latest cgminer code isalways available from the
projects GitHub page
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15March 2014
CUSTOMISATION
15
GARETHHALFACREEis the news reporter at
www.bit-tech.net, and a
keen computer hobbyist
who likes to tinker with technology.
ghalfacree
WIRELESS WEARABLES
A team of researchers from Nottingham
Trent University and Loughborough
University has released details of a flexible
and water-resistant fabric-based antenna.
Designed for wearable computers and
communication systems, the antenna is
produced using traditional embroidery
machines, modified to accept conductive
threads, which then print the antenna onto
the fabric itself. Monopole antennas are
bulky, heavy and prone to breaking, explained
Professor Tilak Dias. They also attract
unwanted attention for the military during
covert and secure operations. This new
design solves such problems by being small,
lightweight, flexible and weather resistant.
REPRAPPRO LAUNCHES
ORMEROD
Open-source 3D printing specialist
RepRapPro has announced a new, web-
controllable Arduino-compatible printer
dubbed the Ormerod. Claimed to be among
the most versatile on the market, the fused-
filament fabrication system launches with
the ability to print in a single colour of plastic,
with a three-colour upgrade
promised in the near future.
With a build volume of 200 x
200 x 200mm and support forboth ABS and PLA materialsthe company is
expecting thedesign whichis, as with its
other products,
open hardware
to sell well.
Retailerhttpuk.rs-online.comhas priced the kit at 599 inc VAT.
but it does work; just dont be surprised if
youre looking at an apparently frozen screen
for a few minutes. The following commands
will kick everything off:
cd cgminer
./autogen.sh --enable-icarus &&
make
The--enable-icarus option is required to
use Block Exploder ASICs with cgminer. If
youre using a different ASIC, youll need to
enable that instead. Possible values to follow
--enable- are:avalon, bflsc,
bitforce, bitfury, hashfast,
icarus, knc, bab, klondikeor
modminer. If youre not sure what you need,
check your ASIC manufacturers website for
details or just switch everything on with
multiple--enable-options.
05Now its time to connect the ASIC to the
Pi. Dont try to use one of the Pis USB
ports directly (yes, I know Ive done that in the
picture, but I learned my lesson afterwards),
as it draws a full 500mA far more than a Pis
USB port can handle. Instead, connect
a powered USB hub to the Pi, then the
ASIC to the hub. As an added bonus, this
enables a single Pi to run multiple ASICs.
When connected, check that its seen by
the operating system by typing:lsusb
06Finally, we can run cgminer, using
the handy Screen utility to make
sure it runs even when weve closed
down our terminal session. Type the
following to start mining Bitcoins:
screen sudo /home/pi/cgminer/
cgminer -o stratum+tcp://
yourpool.example.com -u
workername -p password
Replace the example URL, worker
name and password with your own details.
If youre not a member of a pool, join one
I use TripleMining athttp://tinyurl.com/
triplemine. To return to your terminal but
leave cgminer running, press Ctrl+A
followed by Ctrl+D; to see how its getting
along later, typescreen -r to resumethe detached Screen session.
e near future.
lume of 200 x
and support for
LA materials,
,
e
This symbol means the command should all
be on one line
The configuration and
compilation stage takes a
while on a Raspberry Pi, so go
and make a cup of tea
Once installed, run cgminer
and you should start rakingin those precious fractions-
of-fractions-of-fractions-
of-Bitcoins. Success!
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NEW HARDWARE
16 March 2014
AVEXIR BLITZ MEMORYCOMES TO UKUK retailerwww.overclockers.co.ukhas announced that its now the
countrys exclusive dealer for Avexir BLITZ 1.1 memory. Designed
for overclockers, the LED-equipped modules are handpicked at the
factory, and start at 1,600MHz versions for 86, but go all the way up
to super-fast 3,200MHz flavours for 720.
We take a look at the latestnewly announced products
STEAM BOXES SHOWN OFFNow that Valves Steam OS beta has kicked off, weve started
seeing a few prototypes of third-party Steam boxes. The
designs range from set-top boxes to innovative designs that
can be attached to the back of the TV. One of the latter comes
from UK firm PiixL (www.
piixl.com), with its Jetpack
Steam box, which doesnt
compromise on graphical
power. According to PiixL,
the machines innovative
approach to cooling, using
centrifugal fans, with the components divided into separate
segments, means the slim box can handle 500W of thermal
headroom. According to PiixL, the VESA-mounted, slim
machine can accommodate an overclocked Core i7 CPU, as
well as a GeForce GTX 780 GPU.
EVGA LAUNCHES GTX 780 Ti K|NGP|N EDITIONNot everyone buys high-end graphics cards for gaming, or even for
compute performance. If youve ever been to an overclocking
tournament, youll know full well that overclocking and record breaking
are also part of the appeal, and EVGA has launched a card for exactly
that purpose, teaming up with K|NGP|N Lucido to create a GTX 780 Ti
card for competitive overclocking. Its ACX cooler includes 100mm fans,
and the PCB features a 14+3 phase power design (14 for the GPU and
three for the memory).
Meanwhile, its XOC voltage modification points, real-time voltage-
monitoring LEDs and three-plug power system (with two 8-pin and
one 6-pin PCI-E power connectors) should offer the power needed
to maintain record-breaking frequencies. In order to break world
records these days, you need some serious hardware, said K|NGP|N,
describing the card as the worlds best overclocking graphics card. He
says youll be able to expect GPU clock speeds at over 1.85GHz with
extreme cooling.
SAMSUNGLAUNCHES 1TBMSATA SSD
Spotting a gap in the market for mini
systems and laptops with plenty of
storage, Samsung has just launched
a new EVO 840 mSATA drive with a capacity of 1TB. To achieve this
feat, Samsung used four flash memory packages, each of which
contains 16 layers of 128Gb chips. According to Samsung, the
new 1TB drive is capable of sequential read and write speeds of
540MB/sec and 520MB/sec respectively. Other capacities of the
drive will also be available, including 120GB, 250GB and 500GB
flavours. The drive is expected to cost around 500.
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34PLANTRONICS
RIG
Game, headset andmatch!
24
STEIGER
DYNAMICS LEET
REFERENCE
Premium HTPC goodness
35STEELSERIES
SIBERIA ELITE
A premium headset,complete with lights
28
ANTEC ISK600
A tiny aluminiummini-ITX cube thats yoursfor 65
36FUNC KB460
Backlit mechanicalkeyboards dont have tocost the earth
20EVGA Z87
STINGER
An overclockable mini-ITXmotherboard
22GIGABYTE
GAF2A88XMD3H
Overclockable FM2+ fun forjust 53
42STARTECH USB 3
HARD DRIVE
ADAPTOR
Access old IDE hard drives
18 March 2014
Our in-depth analysis ofthe latest PC hardware
20
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19March 2014
HOW WE TEST, P40
Corsair Hydro H75We take a look at Corsairs latest
half-height all-in-one liquidcooler, which includes two fans
and costs just 64 30
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20 March 2014
HOW MUCH?
Price173 inc VAT
Supplierwww.scan.co.uk
Manufacturerhttp://eu.evga.com
Model number111-HW-E872-KR
IN DETAIL
ChipsetIntel Z87
CPUsocketIntel LGA1150
Memory support2 slots:max 32GB DDR3 (up to2,666MHz)
Expansion slotsOne 16xPCI-E 3, one mini PCI-E
SoundCreative SoundCore3D 8-channel
Networking1 x IntelGigabit LAN
OverclockingBase clock100250MHz; CPUMultiplier 8-80x; maxvoltages: CPU 2V, RAM 2.3V
Ports4 x SATA 6Gbps, 6 xUSB 2 (Z87), 6 x USB 3 (Z87),1 x LAN, 4 x surround audioout, line in, mic, opticalS/PDIF out, HDMI,DisplayPort, eSATA
Dimensions (mm)170 x 170
his month EVGA steps into the mini-ITX
limelight with its Z87 Stinger motherboard.
It retails for a whopping 173, so it wont be
going head to head against the likes of MSIs
sub-100 Z87i. Instead, it has more in common with
Asus lustworthy ROG Maximus VI Impact.
At first glance, its difficult to see why it costs so
much too. Theres no VRM daughterboard as with
Asus Z87I-Pro and Maximus VI Impact, with the Z87
Stinger only offering six power phases. Theres also
no on-board Wi-Fi, with just a vacant mini PCI-E slot.
However, take a look at the other specifications and
youll see that EVGA has clearly made more of an
investment elsewhere.
The Z87 Stinger apparently has a higher socket pin
gold content, which EVGA claims reduces inductance
and offers better power delivery, while the 10-layer
PCB supposedly improves overclocking stability and
provides better PCB cooling. The VRMs also
have a large heatsink sitting on top of them.
The layout has had considerable effort
poured into its design too. In fact, its the best
mini-ITX layout weve seen. The CPU socket
is nearer to top of the board than usual, and
there are no large heatsinks near it, while the DIMM
slots are located as far away as possible without
knocking the 24-pin ATX connector off the PCB.
The latter sits right on the edge, as does the 8-pin
EPS 12V connector and all three of the Z87 Stingers
3/4-pin fan headers. The only niggles are the USB 3
header and four SATA 6Gbps ports, which sit right
above the 16x PCI-E slot, although this will likely
make no difference in the vast majority of mini-ITX
cases. The Z87 Stinger is also one of the few mini-ITX
motherboards weve seen to feature power, reset and
clear-CMOS buttons, as well as an LED POST code
readout, with the latter also acting
as a CPU thermometer.
Theres little to shout about in
terms of audio, however, with no
noise-isolated or discrete sound
cards as weve seen on other mini-ITX boards, but everything else
youd expect is in place, including four rear USB 3
ports, plus four USB 2 ports. You also get Bluetooth in
addition to an Intel Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI port
and a DisplayPort connector. To spruce up the look of
the Z87 Stinger, EVGA has also included an I/O port
bracket that straddles the rear of the motherboard,
and improves the PCBs otherwise basic look.
PERFORMANCE
In our Media Benchmarks, the Z87 Stinger certainly
lived up to its name, recording the fastest image
editing score weve seen from a Z87 motherboard
2,124. This is slightly higher than both the previous top
mini-ITX scorers Asus Z87I-Pro and Maximus VI
Impact. Its video encoding score of 3,691 wasnt quite
top-dog, though, but still matched the Z87I-Pro and
was miles ahead of the MSI Z87Is score of 3,496.
The Z87 Stinger was back to the top of the graph in
the multi-tasking test, though, with its core of 1,747
beating the MSI Z87I and Asus Z87I-Pro by a sizeable
margin, and bettering the Maximus VI Impact by a few
points too. The overall score had the Z87 Stinger just
one point short of topping the graph, with the Maximus
VI Impact retaining its crown. However, the EVGA
board enjoyed a 69-point lead over the Asus Z87I-Pro
and a 177 point lead over the MSI Z87I.
Likewise, in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the Z87
Stinger nearly matched the Maximus VI Impact, with a
minimum frame rate of 97fps, and the two were level
in the Shogun 2: Total war CPU benchmark, with a
EVGA
STINGER
Excellent
layout; superb
stock speed
performance;
brilliant
overclocker
STINGY
No Wi-Fi or
discrete sound
card; expensive
CONSIDERABLE EFFORT HAS BEEN
POURED INTO ITS DESIGN ITS THE
BEST MINI-ITX LAYOUT WEVE SEEN
A superb overclocker,but its a little too pricey
Z87 Stinger
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21March 2014
GIMP IMAGE EDITING
0 650 1,300 1,950 2,600
2,534
2,500
2,424
2,124
2,106
1,972MSI Z87I
Asus Maximus VI Impact
EVGA Z87 Stinger
HANDBRAKE H.264 VIDEO ENCODING
0 1,100 2,200 3,300 4,400
4,321
4,384
4,156
3,691
3,729
3,496MSI Z87I
Asus Maximus VI Impact
EVGA Z87 Stinger
MULTI-TASKING
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000
1,843
1,868
1,736
1,747
1,728
1,663MSI Z87I
Asus Maximus VI Impact
EVGA Z87 Stinger
OVERALL
0 750 1,500 2,250 3,000
2,899
2,896
2,779
2,520
2,521
2,343MSI Z87I
Asus Maximus VI Impact
EVGA Z87 Stinger
Stock speed min Stock speed avg Overclocked avgOverclocked min
Stock speed Overclocked
THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKY RIM1,92 0 x 1,0 80, 16x AF, 0x AA
0 40 80 120 160
fps146
fps150
fps147
fps150
fps137
fps143
fps97
fps108
fps98
fps108
fps91
fps100
MSI Z87I
Asus Maximus VI Impact
EVGA Z87 Stinger
TOT AL WAR : SHO GUN 2DX9 CPU Test
0 11 22 33 44
fps36
fps41
fps36
fps41
fpsfps41
fps29
fps35
fps29
fps35
fps27
fps34
MSI Z87I
Asus Maximus VI Impact
EVGA Z87 Stinger
minimum frame rate of 29fps. Meanwhile, all the SATA
6Gbps ports are controlled by the Z87 chipset, and
produced typical read and write results of 543MB/sec
and 518MB/sec respectively.
We had big hopes for overclocking, and we werent
disappointed. While the EFI wasnt as slick as Asus
systems, the Z87 Stinger booted fine with our Core
i7-4770K at 4.7GHz with a voltage of 1.27V, and raising
the vcore to 1.3V even saw it fairly happy at 4.8GHz,
although it couldnt handle our video encoding test.
However, this wasnt due to temperatures, with
the CPU remaining at around 93C under stress
testing a toasty temperature, but below the throttling
threshold. With more tweaking, and perhaps the
01The CPU socket is nearthe top, with no large
heatsinks near it, while theDIMM slots are located as faraway from it as possible
02Power, reset and clear-CMOS buttons are
included, as well as an LEDPOST code readout, which alsoacts as a CPU thermometer
03The I/O port bracketstraddles the rear of the
motherboard, and helps spruceup the boards appearance
addition of water cooling, this is potentially a super-
fast overclocker. The overclock saw the Z87 Stinger
finally top the overall score graph, recording 2,899
points just ahead of the Maximus VI impact and a
welcome 15 per cent boost over its stock speed result.
CONCLUSION
The Z87 Stinger is fast, very overclockable and has a
superb layout thats more cooler-friendly and less
cluttered than Asus motherboards. It also sports a
mini PCI-E slot something that both Asus boards
lack, although it also lacks Wi-Fi.
Its current price of over 170, though, is 70 higher
than MSIs Z87I, and 50 more than Asus Z87I-Pro.
The highly desirable Maximus VI Impact costs around
the same price, but it offers a plethora of software and
hardware features, most notably a discrete sound card
too. As such, it just edges the Z87 Stinger to the top of
our list, but EVGA certainly deserves a nod for making
such a top-notch motherboard.
AN TO NY LE ATH ER
TEST KIT3.5GHz Intel Core
i7-4770K, 16GB Corsair
Vengeance Pro DDR3
1,866MHz DDR3 memory,
128GB OCZ Vector SSD,
Corsair Pro Series Gold
HX750 PSU, Windows 7
64-bit
custom P
OVERALL
SPEED44 / 45
FEATURES23 / 30
VALUE 14 / 25
MINI-ITX MOTHERBOARD
01
02
03
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22 March 2014
HOW MUCH?
Price53 inc VAT
Supplierwww.dabs.com
Manufacturerhttp://uk.gigabyte.com
IN DETAIL
ChipsetAMD A88X
CPUsupportFM2/FM2+A-series APU
Memory support4 slots:max 64GB DDR3 (up to2,133MHz)
Expansion slotsTwo 16xPCI-E 3 (one at 16x; one at4x), one 1x PCI-E 2 slot, one
PCI slotSoundRealtek ALC8878-channel
Networking1 x RealtekGigabit LAN
OverclockingBase clock100140MHz; CPUMultiplier 8-79x; max GPUfrequency 2,000MHz; maxvoltages: CPU +0.3V,RAM 1.9V
Ports8 x SATA 6Gbps, 8 xUSB 2 (A88X), 4 x USB 3(A88X) 1 x LAN, 4 x surroundaudio out, line in, mic, opticalS/PDIF out, HDMI, VGA, DVI
Dimensions (mm)244 x 244
ts pointless spending more than 100 on
a Socket FM2 motherboard when budget
LGA1150 motherboards can be had for half
the price; for around 250, an equivalent Intel
CPU, motherboard and discrete graphics card will
walk all over an AMD A10-6800K. Keep your choice
of FM2 motherboard within sensible fiscal limits,
though, and you can shave 100 off that price and still
end up with a decent gaming system.
Thats where Gigabytes micro-ATX GA-F2A88XM-
D3H comes in. At just 53, adding an A10-6800K will
mean your entire CPU, GPU and motherboard setup
will cost around 150. It also sports AMDs A88X
chipset, making it one of the cheapest motherboards
to do so, and it will support AMDs Kaveri APUs, slated
for release in early 2014, too. However, cheap doesnt
always mean cheerful, so lets take a closer look.
The PCB sports the familiar brown colour of a
budget motherboard, and the chipset heatsink is the
only cooling system in sight. Meanwhile, the layout
isnt bad but it isnt amazing either, with
both the USB header and CPU fan
headers located some way from the edge
of the PCB. The CPU socket is also quite
close to the DIMM slots, and none of the
SATA ports is mounted parallel to the
PCB. At this price, though, we can forgive
these issues; theres nothing majorly adrift after all.
Thankfully, there are no shortcomings with storage
options, with the GA-F2A88XM-D3H offering eight
SATA 6Gbps ports, all controlled by the A88X chipset.
It also has all bases covered as far as expansion goes,
offering two 16x PCI-E slots running with 16 lanes and
four lanes respectively, plus a further 1x PCI-E slot and
a standard PCI slot a decent collection for a budget
micro-ATX board. Fan headers are pretty sparse,
though, with just two offered in addition to the CPU
fan header. Not surprisingly, theres little by way of
overclocking features, with just a clear-CMOS jumper
and a dual BIOS to aid you.
Meanwhile, the USB ports on the back panel arent
exactly in abundance, with just two USB 3 ports andfour USB 2 ports the total of six is the bare minimum
needed to deal with a modern PCs requirements.
Theres also a dual-link DVI port supporting
resolutions of up to 2,560 x 1,600, and the HDMI port
will actually offer 4K support but only in conjunction
with AMDs forthcoming APUs not its current line-up.
Unlike the G1 Sniper A88X we reviewed recently, there
are no extra audio features either, with just a standard
8-channel Realtek ALC887 on-board sound card.
PERFORMANCE
In our Media Benchmarks, the GA-F2A88XM-D3H
proved to be a little slower than the G1 Sniper A88X,
especially in the video encoding and multi-tasking
tests. Its scores of 2,012 and 980 respectively
compared negatively to the G1 Sniper A88Xs scores
of 2,120 and 1.066 at stock speed, while the overall
scores were 1,423 for the G1 Sniper A88X and 1,353
for the GA-F2A88XM-D3H. Using the A10-6800Ks
on-board GPU, our game tests also showed a slight
disadvantage, with the G1 Sniper A88X holding a 3fps
minimum frame rate advantage in Left 4 Dead 2 and a
1fps advantage in Skyrim equivalent to 8 per cent.
Overclocking our APU proved to be a little tricky, as
we were first hampered by the inability to set a specific
CPU voltage, instead having to add voltage in steps to
eventually arrive at our usual 1.475V. This was no
different with the G1 Sniper A88X, though, and it just
takes a little longer than the usual method. This is
where our test CPU is stable at 4.7GHz and, amazingly,
the GA-F2A88XM-D3H was quite happy with this
600MHz clock speed boost. Sadly, it couldnt hit 4.8GHz
like the G1 Sniper A88X, but it also matched the latters
GPU overclock, boosting the clock speed from
844MHz to 1,050MHz.
This saw the overall score in the Media Benchmarksrise to 1,577 just 44 points short of the G1 Sniper
GIGABYTE
WINGSUIT
Good overclocker;
cheap; support
for future
Kaveri APUs
PARACHUTE
Limited
overclocking
features;
lacklustre
looks; average
stock-speed
performance
IT SPORTS AMDSA88X CHIPSET,
AND WILL SUPPORT AMDSKAVERI
APUS, SLATED FOR RELEASE IN
EARLY 2014, AS WELL
A super-cheap andoverclockable FM2+ board
GA-F2A88XM-D3H
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23March 2014
SOCKET FM2+ MOTHERBOARD
THE ELD ER SCROLL S V : S KYR IM1,92 0 x 1,08 0, 1 6x A F, 0x A A
0 7 14 21 28
fps20
fps25
fps26
fps21
fps25
fps27
fps13
fps18
fps19
fps14
fps18
fps20Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
(2,133MHz memory)
Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H(2,133MHz memory)
GigabyteGA-F2A88XM-D3H
LEFT 4 DEAD 21,92 0 x 1,08 0, 1 6x A F, 0x A A
0 20 40 60 80
fps63
fps67
fps76
fps69
fps70
fps78
fps48
fps54
fps58
fps51
fps54
fps59Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
(2,133MHz memory)
Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H(2,133MHz memory)
GigabyteGA-F2A88XM-D3H
GIMP IMAGE EDITING
Stock speed Overclocked
0 350 700 1,050 1,400
1,170
1,202
1,065
1,085Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H
HANDBRAKE H.264 VIDEO ENCODING
0 600 1,200 1,800 2,400
2,3212,012
Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H
MULTI-TASKING
0 350 700 1,050 1,400
1,2411,277
9801,066Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H
OVERALL
0 450 900 1,350 1,800
1,577
621,353
1,423Gigabyte G1 Sniper A88X
Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H
Stock speed min Stock speed avg Overclocked avgOverclocked min2,133 MHz memory is added at overclocked settings
2,3862,120
A88X, while the Left 4 Dead 2 minimum increased
from 48fps to 54fps, matching the more expensive
motherboard. The same was true in Skyrim, with the
GA-F2A88XM-D3H again matching the G1 Sniper
A88Xs minimum overclocked frame rate of 18fps.
As AMDs APUs see decent gaming performance
benefits from using faster memory, we added some
2,133MHz Corsair Dominator memory to the system.
However, we had to manually input the memory
timings first to get the system stable, with the board
returning overclock errors when we tried running the
memory at its rated frequency. Once wed done that,
the minimum frame rates increased again, to 20fps in
Skyrim and 58fps in Left 4 Dead 2 just behind the G1
Sniper A88X only a little tweaking in the settings
would be needed to make Skyrim playable at 1080p.
Its SATA 6Gbps speeds were good too, boasting read
01All expansion bases are
covered, with two 16x
PCI-E slots running with 16 lanes
and four lanes respectively, plusa further 1x PCI-E slot and a
standard PCI slot
02The heatsink on top of the
A88X chipset is the only
cooling system in sight
03None of the SATA ports is
mounted parallel to the
PCB, but thats forgivable for
the price
and write speeds of 545MB/sec and 501MB/sec
respectively, while stock and overclocked power
consumption were 39W and 75W respectively at idle,
and 143W and 198W under load.
CONCLUSION
Apart from a couple of niggles, such as mediocre
stock-speed performance and having to manually
input RAM timings, theres little to dislike about the
GA-F2A88XM-D3H. Its easy to overclock and there are
no major issues with the layout or features. If you can
put up with its little issues, you can save 30 compared
to Gigabytes G1 Sniper A88X. The latter is a better
board, but the GA-F2A88XM-D3H is exactly what you
want from an AMD APU motherboard its cheap
without compromising on overclocking. With support
for AMDs forthcoming APUs too, we have no
hesitation about recommending it.
AN TO NY LE ATH ER
TEST KIT4.1GHz AMD A10-6800K,
16GB Corsair Dominator
1,600MHz and 2,133MHz
DDR3 memory, 128GB OCZ
Vector SSD, Corsair Pro
Series Gold HX750 PSU,
Windows 7 64-bit
custom P
OVERALL
SPEED39 / 45
FEATURES 21 / 30
VALUE24 / 25
01
02
03
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25March 2014
HTPC CASE
cool air to be drawn inside. In a bid to reduce noise and
vibration, theres a lot of noise-absorbing foam lining
the inside of the case and top panel too, while the panel
itself rests on neoprene-lined slats.
As youd expect in a case this size, theres plenty of
room for hardware, and installation is made simpler
with the addition of a removable motherboard tray. The
LEET supports up to E-ATX-sized motherboards, full-
sized PSUs and it has room for seven expansion slots
too. It can also house three SSDs, plus a further four
3.5in hard disks via two separate mounts, which are
tucked away at the front of the case.
Graphics cards up to 280mm in length are
supported too, and with so many expansion slots
supported, dual or triple-slot coolers are an option
too. Interestingly, Steiger Dynamics suggests the best
option for CPU cooling is an all-in-one liquid cooler,
with space for both a single 120mm-fan radiator in the
rear and a dual 120mm-fan radiator in the side fan
mounts. With an optical drive installed, there isnt
otherwise a lot of space for CPU coolers, although
theres 170mm of available, so our standard case test
cooler, the Gelid Tranquillo, fitted fine.
PERFORMANCE
The 92mm fan was exceptionally quiet, yet still shifted
plenty of air. The lacklustre out-of-the-box cooling
didnt yield terrible results either, with the CPU delta T
of 59C being a long way from the worst weve seen,
despite the low noise. However, a decent air-cooled
case, such as the Corsair Obsidian 750D, knocks
another 10C off this temperature, by comparison.
The GPU delta T of 54C was again not a dire result
either, probably helped by the large vent in the side
panel next to the graphics card. Again, some of the
01The use of 5mm
aluminium all round
means the case weighs in at
over 15kg
02Theres just one 92mm
intake fan included
as standard, with Steiger
Dynamics offering dual radiatorcooling options
03In a bid to reduce noise
and vibration, theres a lot
of noise-absorbing foam lining
the inside of the case
best cases weve seen perform much better, but with
the addition of a couple more fans, the situation would
probably improve considerably.
Besides, these temperatures are still fine, despite
being comparatively high, if youre not overclocking,
and you prioritise low noise over performance, which
is highly likely if youre building an HTPC.
CONCLUSION
The LEET Reference is a difficult case to classify, in that
it has all the hallmarks of an HTPC case but is touted
as a high-end gaming chassis. As such, out-of-the-
box cooling is comparatively disappointing, but you can
easily follow Steiger Dynamics recommendation of
using an all-in-one liquid cooler or even full-on
custom water cooling, which it can offer as part of the
case package. Its remarkably quiet in operation too,
and has an incredible amount of expansion room
compared to other HTPC cases.
You could easily add a high-end TV tuner card and
sound card, and still have room for a full-height, dual-
slot graphics card, several hard disks and SSDs, and
even an all-in-one liquid cooler. These features are
very rare in the world of HTPCs, but the LEET
Reference offers all of them, and still looks awesome
enough to look at home in a premium TV cabinet.
Its undoubtedly for those with lots of space, and a
fair amount of cash to spend on adding all the extras.
However, the possibilities have us drooling like Homer
Simpson over a doughnut.ANTONY LE ATH ER
CPU LOAD DELTA T TEMPERATURE
GPU LOAD DELTA T TEMPERATURE
Lower is better
Lower is better
0 15 30 45 60
59C
49CCorsair Obsidian 750D
Steiger DynamicsLEET Reference
0 15 30 45 60
54C
47CCorsair Obsidian 750D
Steiger DynamicsLEET Reference
custom P
OVERALL
COOLING 19 / 30
FEATURES 18 / 20
DESIGN28 / 30
VALUE 15 / 20
01
02
03
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28 March 2014
HOW MUCH?
Price65 inc VAT
Supplierwww.overclockers.co.uk
Manufacturerwww.antec.com
IN DETAIL
Dimensions (mm)260 x 369x 195 (W x D x H)
MaterialAluminium, steel
Available coloursBlack
Weight2.95kg
Front panelPower, reset,USB 3, USB 2, stereo, mic
Drive bays1 x externalslimline optical, 3 x internal3.5in, 2 x 2.5in
Form factor(s)Mini-ITX
Cooling1 x 120mm fan(fan included)
CPU cooler clearance170mm
Maximum graphics cardlength315mm
ExtrasIlluminated front
panel
eing no stranger to every case form factor
thats around at the moment, were surprised
that Antec hasnt jumped a little further onto
the mini-ITX bandwagon. Its made the odd
case in the past, but in recent years, most of its mini-
ITX cases have been focused on the HTPC and office
PC segments. However, thats all changed this month
with the release of its new mini-ITX cube, the ISK600.
Its decidedly on the small side, although not quite
as small as Cooler Masters Elite mini-ITX cubes.
However, the ISK600 is made almost entirely from
aluminium, with the rest made from 0.8mm steel,
meaning it weighs less than 3kg and has an exquisite
feel that only this type of metal can bring to a PC case.
Of course, this also means a small hike in the price
tag, which stands at 65, while Cooler Masters steel
Elite 130, for example, costs less than 40.
The ISK600 also lacks a 5.25in slot, in
order to keep the height to a minimum,
but Antec has at least included a slimline
optical drive mount. Below this mount
theres also an odd strip that stretches
from either side of the front fascia, and this adds a little
pizzazz by way of a blue backlight powered by a SATA
power connector. Its very subtle, though, and it doesnt
look garish, even in darkened rooms.
Below this strip youll find a USB 3 port and a USB 2
ports, plus the obligatory mini-jacks, and power and
reset buttons. The rest of the exterior is pretty bare,
apart from side vents in the front fascia and the larger
vents in the one-piece removable top shell.
Cooling-wise, theres a single 120mm fluid dynamic
bearing fan, and this is all youll be able to install.
Thankfully, theres just enough room to use a half
height, radiator-equipped, all-in-one liquid cooler with
a single fan, but anything more elaborate, such as a
custom water-cooling loop, isnt going to be an option
without modification. The one fan sits in the rear of the
case above the I/O panel a sensible setup, as it will
make use of the ISK600s ample air vents.
Meanwhile, the insides are a little abnormal in that
the PSU mount is located at the front of the case, with
the PSU sitting on its side, and an angled power
connector running from it to a standard kettle
connector at the rear. This means theres plenty of
room for modest-sized CPU coolers anything up to
170mm is fine although large tower coolers are out
of the question. Theres room for dual-slot
317mm-long graphics cards too, and the side vent
here means your graphics card wont be suffocated
either. Alternatively, theres room for two expansion
slots, so if you wont be gaming, youll have the option
to use the latest Wi-Fi cards, sound cards or TV tuners.
There are also plenty of storage options. Two
elegant slot-in drive mounts sit in the top, which can
house two SSDs and three 3.5in hard disks without
impeding on the space of another other components.
Installing hardware is fairly straightforward and
surprisingly hassle-free too, especially given the
cases miniscule dimensions. The top-mounted
removable drive mounts mean that all your storage
can be added at the end of the build process, making
cable routing a little easier, and theres some useful
space around the PSU to hide them too. The PSU
mount also sports neoprene padding to reduce
vibration, and there should be no issues with PSU
length or PSUs with modular cables, as you havenearly the entire width of the case at your disposal.
ANTEC
ALUMINIUM
Good build
quality; very
flexible; room for
full-sized graphics
cards; quiet
LEAD
Mediocre cooling;
limited water-
cooling options
THERES JUST ENOUGH ROOM TOINSTALL AN ALL-IN-ONE LIQUID
COOLER WITH A SINGLE FAN
A fantastic aluminium mini-ITX cubefor a great price
ISK600
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30 March 2014
CPU COOLER
HOW MUCH?
Price64 inc VAT
Supplierwww.scan.co.uk
Manufacturerwww.corsair.com
ModelnumberCW-9060015-WW
IN DETAIL
CompatibilityIntel: LGA775,LGA1156, LGA1155,LGA1150,LGA2011,LGA1366;
AMD: Socket FM1, FM2,AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2
Weight1.3kg
Radiator size (mm)120 x 120 x 25
Fan2 x 120mm
Stated noise31dBA
osting just 64, Corsairs new
Hydro H75 liquid cooler sports a
half-height radiator but is equipped with two
SP120L 120mm fans, both of which are PWM-
controlled, using 4-pin fan headers.
Out of the box, the H75 supports all major current
sockets including LGA1150 and LGA2011, plus Socket
AM3+ and FM2.
Corsair has also developed a unique mounting
bracket; its backplate has sliding socket hole pins, so
adjusting it for your specific CPU socket is incredibly
easy, although youll only need this for Intel sockets,
not including LGA2011. AMD users will need to
remove their cooler mounting brackets, with the
H75 screwing into the standard backplate.
We installed the fans in exhaust mode in the rear of
our case easily, although one of the rear threaded nuts
in the backplate started to turn in its mount while
removing it, so we had use pliers to prevent it from
moving while unscrewing the pin from the other side.
Weve seen this problem on numerous other coolers,
though, and thankfully, the H75 was easy to fix.
We connected the H75 with its fans maxed out to
assess its highest cooling potential and noise. It
managed a delta T of 40C in our LGA1150 test system,
which is 2C cooler than SilverStones Tundra TD03
and 3C cooler than Corsairs own H90. It also
matched many large air coolers, such as
Thermalrights Archon SB-E X2.
In our LGA2011 system, the H75s delta T of 47C
again matched the Tundra TD03, although one or two
large air coolers pipped it to the post, including the
Thermalright Archon SB-E X2 and Phanteks
PH-TC14PE. The H75 made a noticeable noise at
these settings, but it wasnt unpleasant. Plus, of
course, using the PWM function on the fans will
make it quieter.
CONCLUSION
While it lacks the SilverStone Tundra TD03s good
looks, the H75 is much cheaper and matches or
betters it at cooling. Its easy to install, bar one hiccupwith the backplate, its fairly quiet and its compact size
means it should have few case compatibility issues Itdoesnt quite better every large air cooler out there, but
if you want an all-in-one liquid cooler for less than 65,
this is the one to buy.
ANTONY LE ATH ER
CORSAIR
HYDROPHOBIC
Great cooling;
cheaper than the
competition; easy
to install
SOAKED
Slight issue with
backplate; some
large air coolers
are better
A great liquid cooler for less than 65
Hydro H75
scores: lGa2011
scores: lGa 5x
results
85custom PC
OVERALL
COOLING34 / 40
DESIGN25 / 30
VALUE26 / 30
FITTING EASY
85custom PC
OVERALL
COOLING33 / 40 DESIGN25 / 30
VALUE 27 / 30
FITTING EASY
Lower is better
Lower is better
INTEL LGA1155
0 12 24 36 48
40C
42C
40CCorsair H80i (high)
SilverStoneTundra TD03
Corsair H75
INTEL LGA2011
0 12 24 36 48
47C
47C
45CCorsair H80i (high)
SilverStoneTundra TD03
Corsair H75
ed with two
ch are PWM-
or current
, plus ocket
ounting
I
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35March 2014
GAMING HEADSETS
HOW MUCH?
Price168 inc VAT
Supplierwww.scan.co.uk
Manufacturerwww.steelseries.com
Modelnumber51151
IN DETAIL
Cup typeCircumaural
ConnectionWired, USB or3.5mm jacks
Driver(s)Not stated
Frequencyresponse16Hzto 28KHz
Impedance32 Ohms
teelSeries Siberia range has been a favourite
among PC enthusiasts for close to a decade
now. Believe it or not, the first headset to bear
the frosty moniker was released way back in
November 2004. Competition is fierce in the gaming
audio market now, however, so the range has needed
to evolve to stay relevant. First we had the Siberia V2
(see Issue 118, p74) and now the Siberia Elite,
complete with Dolby Headphone support; a headset
into which SteelSeries claims to have poured every
ounce of its gaming headset know-how.
On the style front, the Siberia Elite is certainly
striking; huge rings of padding around the drivers
give the headset a super-sized appearance, while
illuminated rings on the ear cups can be programmed
to glow any colour you desire. Its all a little over the top
for our liking (although this is subjective, of course),
and while the padding looks arresting, more of it
doesnt automatically equal a more comfortable
headset. In fact, in this case, its arguably
the opposite, as the sheer bulk of the ear
cups and the headsets tightness makes
the Siberia Elite feel overbearing to wear
for extended periods. We felt like we were
strapping on a scrum cap every time we
sat down to indulge in a spot of gaming.
It all adds to the weight too; despite a skinny
headband, the headset weighs a whopping 428g
142g more than the Plantronics RIG (see opposite)
and 104g more than our current favourite headset, the
QPAD QH-90 (see Issue 118, p69). This added weight
makes a tangible difference to comfort too, particularly
after a long gaming session.
Given the heft of the headset (and indeed the price),
you would be well within your rights to expect a
revelatory listening experience but alas, that isnt
the case. Sound reproduction is good, certainly, with
oodles of volume on tap, but it lacks finesse. Bass
tones are well represented, so audio doesnt sound
tinny, but the bass is often too dominant, encroaching
onto the mid-tones and confusing them. This was
forgivable when we were creating explosions inBattlefield 4, but it often made music sound imprecise;
we could detect far more definition between
instruments from the better-balanced QH-90.
Its possible to turn to the Siberia Elites excellent
software to iron out some of the balance issues, but it
isnt ideal having to set up a custom EQ to make a 170
headset sound as good as a 70 headset. Here you can
also enable Dolby Headphone, which does its best to
ape a 7.1 setup via signal processing. Weve always
found Dolby Headphone to be a little hit and miss, but
when it works, it functions surprisingly well. However,
weve found its more effective in games than when
watching movies or listening to music
CONCLUSION
SteelSeries has aimed high with the Siberia Elite, but
its audio reproduction is skewed too heavily towards
the bass end of the spectrum. This is fine for its
primary purpose of gaming, but you expect better
audio quality for the money. Unless you exist on a
media diet made up exclusively of explosions and
James Earl Jones monologues, youll be better
served by the cheaper and better-balanced QH-90.
PAUL GOODHEAD
STEELSERIES
DOLBY
Excellent
software; decent
build quality;
looks great
DUBLY
Too bassy; too
heavy to wear
comfortably for
long gaming
sessions;
expensive
THE ILLUMINATED RINGS ON THE
EAR CUPS CAN BE PROGRAMMED TO
GLOW ANY COLOUR YOU DESIRE
Visually striking but ultimatelylacking where it matters
Siberia Elite
scores
OVERALL
SOUND30 / 40
DESIGN 21 / 30
VALUE 17 / 30
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36 March 2014
HOW MUCH?
Price65 inc VAT
Supplierwww.ebuyer.com
Manufacturerwww.func.net
IN DETAIL
ConnectionWired, USB
SwitchtypeCherry Red MX
Cable1.8m, braided
MaterialPlastic
ExtrasWrist rest
unc has been making mouse mats for years,
but its recently been pushing deeper into the
peripherals market. The first example we saw
came in the shape of its MS-3 gaming mouse
(see Issue 116, p44). We loved its simplicity and
performance, so we were excited when the relatively
modestly priced KB-460 landed in the lab.
Not that you would necessarily guess the two
products were related if you put them side by side.
While the MS-3 is all about elegant curves and
swooping ergonomics, the KB-460 has so many
straight lines it looks like its been designed on an
etch-a-sketch. The result is an extremely severe,
businesslike-looking keyboard that wouldnt seem out
of place on a desk in an accountants office.
Only one purely aesthetic design touch
seems to have been incorporated, and
thats the bright red metal plate on which
all the Cherry MX mechanical keys are
mounted. Its a subtle touch, as only
small slivers of the plate can be seen
between the keys, but it looks good, especially when
combined with the red backlight.
The key switches themselves are of the popular
Red variety (see p110), meaning that they have a light,
linear action, making them ideal for gaming, as they
feel direct and responsive. This direct feel is enhanced
by the reassuringly solid chassis, which exhibited very
little rattle or flex.
Feature-wise, youd expect the KB-460 to be
relatively sparsely furnished, given its price point, but
that isnt the case. The board sports a bundled wrist
rest (covered in the same soft touch finish as the rest of
the board), two USB 2 pass-through ports, media
shortcut keys, N-key rollover and a cache of on-board
memory to store the custom settings saved to each of
the boards five profiles.
The KB-460 also boasts an innovative approach to
macros. Up to ten can be created and then individually
bound to any key via Funcs excellent and very clear
software. These are then only activated (and the
Windows key disabled) when you switch the board
into Func mode by hitting the Fn button and F12.
Its a slick system, giving maximum flexibility in
terms of macro key placement, while still enabling
the KB-460 to function as a normal keyboard when
performing more mundane tasks. It does slightly
preclude the use of macros for everyday tasks (such
as entering email addresses and so on), though, as
dropping into Func mode to use a macro, and then go
back out, is overly fiddly, but it works perfectly well for
gaming macros.
CONCLUSION
Theres a lot to like about the KB-460, not least the
price. Were used to seeing mechanical boards that
cost nearer to 100 than 50, but for 65 youre still
getting macro support, a USB pass-through, a wrist
rest, backlighting and excellent customisation
software. The styling wont be everyones cup of tea,
and it lacks the X factor of more expensive models, but
the KB-460 offers superb value for the money.
PAUL GOODHEAD
FUNC
FUNKY TOWN
Great software;
durable; well
priced
FUNKY SMELL
Aesthetically
plain; no on-the-
fly macro creation
THE CHERRY RED MX KEYS HAVE A
LIGHT, LINEAR ACTION, MAKINGTHEM IDEAL FOR GAMING
A well thought-out mechanicalkeyboard for a bargain price
KB-460
OVERALL
DESIGN34 / 40
FEATURES25 / 35
VALUE23 / 25
MECHANICAL KEYBOARD
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40 March 2014
Thorough testing and research is the key to evaluating whether a product
is worth buying, and deciding whether or not theres a better alternative
TESTS:We use theCustom PCMedia Benchmarks, Cinebench R11.5 and Total War: Shogun. We also test the resultant power draw of thetest PC with the CPU installed. These tests reveal a broad range of performance characteristics for the CPU, from image editing to gaming
and video encoding to 3D rendering. We run all the tests with the CPU at stock speed and again when overclocked to its highest frequency.
Graphics cards are mainly evaluated on how fast they are for their price. However, we also consider the efficacy
and quietness of the cooler. Every graphics card is tested in the same PC, so all results are directly comparable.
We judge CPUs on whether they offer sufficient speed for the price. Part of a CPUs speed score comes from
how overclockable it is. Every type of CPU is tested in the same PC, so all results are directly comparable.
The graphics cardwere reviewing
4.2GHz Intel Core
i5-3570K
AMD FM2IntelLGA1150
Nvidia GeForce
GTX 680 2GB
Asus F2A85-M ProIntel
DZ87KLT-75K
120GB OCZ Vector for
FM2 and LGA1150
250GB Samsung
SSD 840 EVO for
LGA2011
8GB Corsair
2,133MHz DDR3
16GB Corsair Vengeance
Pro Silver 1,600MHz DDR3
Windows 7
64-bit
8GB Corsair Dominator2,400MHz DDR3
Asus Maximus V
Extreme
Windows 7 64 bitSP1
Intel
LGA2011
Asus X79-Deluxe 16GB Corsair Vengeance
Pro 1,866MHz DDR3
amd fm2
Intel lGa2011
Intel lGa1150
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HOW WE TEST
41March 2014
Our benchmark suite
simulates how people
really use PCs, and a
higher score is better.
You can download
the suite from
www.tinyurl.com/
benchies2.66GHz Intel Core 2
Duo E6750
2GB of Corsair
1,066MHz DDR2
250GB Samsung
SpinPoint P120S
Asus P5K Deluxe
WiFi-AP
TESTS:By using the fast PC detailed on theleft, we can be sure that any limitations are due to
the graphics card on test. We test the four games
(right) at their maximum detail settings, in their
highest DirectX mode, at several resolutions.
High-end cards should be able to sustain
playable frame rates at 2,560 x 1,440, while 1,920
x 1,080 is more important for mid-range cards;
we also now test at 5 760 x 1 080 for three-screensetups, and 3,840 x 2,160 for 4K monitors. We
also try to overclock every graphics card we test
to assess the performance impact.
Some products are
gloriously over thetop. These items of
excellent overkill
earn our Extreme
Ultra award.
Premium Grade
products are
utterly desirable
wed eat nothing
but beans until we
could afford them.
Products worthy
of the Professional
award make you
and your business
appear even
more awesome.
Approved products
are those that do a
great job for themoney; theyre the
canny purchase for
a great PC.
For those gadgets
and gizmos that
really impress us,
or that we cant live
without, theres the
Custom Kit award.
Motherboards are evaluated on everything from layout and features
to overclockability and value for money. Every motherboard is tested
with the same components, so all results are directly comparable.
TESTS:We use theCustom PCMedia Benchmarks and several games, and also testthe speeds of the boards SATA ports. We try to overclock every motherboard we review
by testing for a maximum QPI, base clock or HTT as well as overclocking the CPU to its
maximum air-cooled level. We run our tests at stock speed and with the CPU overclocked.
Intel Core
i7-4770K
Intel Core
i7-4960X
Motherboardon test
Motherboard
on test
16GB CorsairVengeance Pro Silver1,600MHz DDR3
6GB Corsair VengeancePro 1,866MHz
Motherboar AMD A10-5800K Motherboardon test
16GB Corsair
Vengeance Pro
Silver2,133MHz
Nvidia GeForceGTX 680 2GB*
120GB OCZ Vector Windows 7
64-bit
Windows7
*Please note: We test AMD FM2 motherboards using the on-board graphics, not the Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 2GB 3GB
Intel lGa2011
amd fm2Intel lGa1150
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ADAPTOR CABLE
STARTECHUSB HARD DRIVE ADAPTOR If you use old hard disks for backup or archive storage, or work with old PCs
professionally, youll know it can be a chore to connect old hard disks to modern
motherboards, as many dont have IDE ports anymore. Thats where thishandy Startech adaptor comes in, enabling just about any hard disk to behitched up to a high-speed USB 3 port thanks to its SATA, IDE40-pin and IDE 44-pin connections. Setup is a breeze, asit works without drivers, although the need for anexternal power brick to power the hard disk isan annoying necessity that means youllneed to be working near a spare wallsocket. At only 27, this a sound
investment if you find yourself
handling lots of different
disks regularly.PGPARALLEL PORT USB 3
rice 27 inc VATSupplierwww.dabs.comanufacturerwww.startech.com
, or wor w t o
disks to
42 March 2014
Custom KitWe check out the latest gadgets, gizmos and geek toys
Written by Paul Goodhead
Seen something worthy of
appearing in Custom Kit?
Send suggestions to
BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
DIVOOMBLUETUNE BEAN
01The Bean, which is just larger than an egg, occupies
the ideal niche for a Bluetooth speaker; its cheap
enough to take to the beach or festival without overly worrying, but
not so cheap that wed rather remove our ears than listen to anything
played through it. Its fine for use used outdoors too, with a thick rubber
exterior to soak up everyday knocks, and a bundled karabiner
for clipping it to a bag or belt hook. The charging port is alsoweatherproofed under a chunky rubber tab. Predictably, audio
lacked bass, and distortion rears its head at higher volumes, but
its surprisingly good for a speaker of this price and size PGHAS BEEN MAGIC BEAN
Price25 inc VATSupplierwww.amazon.co.uk
Manufacturerwww.divoomusa.com
PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESSORY
XSORIESWEYE FEYE
03The ingenious Weye Feye isnt much
larger than a Zippo and, once
connected via USB, it enables a a DSLR to be
controlled remotely via a tablet or phone
running the free Xsories app. You get a live
video feed from the camera, and the ability to
adjust various settings. It even has its own
on-board battery, so it wont unduly drain your
cameras juice. Its all incredibly slick, with
time-lapse and touch-to-focus functions
that wouldnt be available on many old
cameras otherwise. Some lag is apparent
between the camera and the on-screen
image, but it was never enough to bother us or
ruin a shot. Its perfect for wildlife photography,
and while 200 may look expensive, its a lot
cheaper than the professional gear with which
its competing PGSNAPS PHOTOS
Price195 inc VAT Supplier www.amazon.co.ukManufacturerwww.xsories.com
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BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
DIVOOMONBEAT 500
05At 80, and around the size of a housebrick, the OnBeat 500 is more of a
living-room (or hotel) speaker than a ruggedtravel companion, although its eight-hourbattery means its portable. Its party piece isbuilt-in NFC compatibility put an NFC-equipped phone on the OnBeat and it will
instantly enable Bluetooth, pair the devicesand start streaming music. However, audiooutput is simply good rather than great. Thesound gets muddled beyond 70 per centvolume, and the tonal balance is bass-heavy,making music sound a touch lifeless. Theresa lot of technology here for 80, though, if youprioritise convenience over sound quality PGON HEAT ONBEAT
Price80 inc VATSupplierwww.amazon.co.uk
Manufacturerwww.divoomusa.com
CUSTOM KIT
43March 2014
ATTACK ROBOT
COMBATCREATURESSTRYDER
06Strutting loudly across the office like a miniatureMonkeylord (if this confuses you, go and play Supreme
Commander immediately), the Stryder patrolsits territory, fending off trespassers with aflurry of darts. Its all rather impressive; youcan tilt the weapon up and down, andswivel the body independently from thelegs, meaning no direction or angle issafe. Theres nothing tame about theweaponry either the darts travelaround 30 feet, meaning they come outof the weapon at a fair old lick. You canalso duel if you have two of them, withthe first robot to sustain three hitsautomatically powering down. Of course,its around five minutes of fun, and then tenminutes of trying to find where all the dartswent. Maybe someone should invent a dart-gathering robot next PGHUMAN OVERLORD ROBOT OVERLORD
Price40 inc VATSupplierwww.smythstoys.comManufacturerwww.combatcreatures.com
HEADPHONES
GRIFFINWOODTONES
04Given the sea of plastic, steel
and aluminium that currentlyreside in our lab, its easy to see whythe Griffin WoodTones caught oureye. Available in walnut, sapele(pictured) or beech, we wereinstantly smitten with the styling,which struck just the right balancebetween chintzy old-world charmand modern elegance. Theysound brilliant too, with a lovelybalanced audio profile that we
found refreshing, given howmodern commercial headphones
tend to prioritise bass over all
else. As a result, theWoodTones tackled everythingfrom orchestral pieces tometal tracks with aplomb.Chuck in the fact that theyre
comfortable and lightweight and,at 75, theyre a bargain PG
BALSA MAHOGANY
Price75 inc VAT
Supplierwww.griffintechnology.co.uk
Manufacturerwww.griffintechnology.co.uk
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ver the past few years, the graphics card market hasbecome one of the most overcrowded and confusingmarkets around when it comes to PC components.Theres now a massive variety of price points occupied
by numerous cards, which have a bewildering selection of model
numbers with a variety of suffixes. Meanwhile, a host of product
launches, rebrands and price drops in recent months has done littleto ease the headache of GPU shopping.
Nevertheless, with AMDs product stack reshuffle now complete in
the form of the new R-series, and Nvidias GTX 780 Ti also having been
launched, the market has settled again. As such, now is the perfect
time for a graphics card face-off. From the 136 Radeon R9 270, up to
the 793 GTX Titan, weve pitted the current crop of GPUs against
each other. Weve also looked at what cheaper options bring to the
table, and investigated Nvidias hardware PhysX features too.MATTHEW LAMBERT AND MIKE JENNINGS
We test all the latest and greatest PUs to findthe ideal candidates for your next upgrade
46 March 2014
GRAPHICSCARD
SHOWDOWN
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48
48How we tested
49AMD Radeon R9 270 2GB
49Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB
50AMD Radeon R9 270X 2GB
51 Is it worth buying a cheap GPU?
52Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 2GB
54AMD Radeon R9 280X 3GB
55Nvidia GeForce GTX 770 2GB
56 Inside Nvidia PhysX
58AMD Radeon R9 290 4GB
59Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 3GB
60AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB
62Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB
64Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan 6GB
66Feature table
68Results graphs
47March 2014
HOW WE TESTED, PAGE 48
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48 March 2014
how we test
All our graphics tests are performed on
a high-end Ivy Bridge system, which
features an Asus Maximus V Extreme
LGA1155 motherboard and an Intel Core
i5-3570K running at 4.2GHz. Alongside these
components is 8GB (2 x 4GB) of Corsair
Dominator 2,400MHz DDR3 RAM and a
256GB Samsung SSD 840 Pro SSD.
Meanwhile, power comes from a LEPA
G1600 1,600W PSU, capable of powering up
to four high-end graphics cards in SLI or
CrossFire configurations.
We tested each card in four separate
games. Our Battlefield 4 test uses a
60-second sequence from the start of the
single-player campaign mission Tashgar,
while Crysis 3 is tested using a custom
60-second, macro-recorded play-through
from the single-player mission Red Star
Rising. For BioShock Infinite and Batman:
Arkham Origins, we use the games built-in
benchmarks, recording a 40-second and
60-second sequence respectively.
Although these benchmarks feature their
own frame rate counters, we record every
test using the freely available FRAPS tool to
ensure accuracy.
Typically, each game is tested at its highest
detail preset with v-sync disabled, although
there are some exceptions. We disable anti-
aliasing in all games in the 4K (UltraHD)
tests, as at this resolution it otherwise
becomes too demanding for any cards to
achieve meaningful results, and the high
pixel density makes anti-aliasing largely
unimportant anyway. We also leave anti-
aliasing disabled at all resolutions in Crysis
3, again because its overly demanding, and
leave hardware PhysX disabled in Arkham
Origins since its a feature exclusive to Nvidia
cards (see p56).
SCORING STANDARDS
Following on from our previous graphics
card Labs (see Issue 119, p58), we adopted a
weighted scoring system for GPU group tests
thats designed to highlight meaningful and
real-world performance differences. The
Performance component of the final score is
calculated through a point-based system,with points allocated according to the
minimum frame rate achieved in each test.
We focus on minimum frame rates, as its
these that youll really notice when your
games slow down.
We consider 30fps to be the minimum
target for games to remain smooth and
playable. As such, a minimum of 30fps or
more is worth three points at 1,920 x 1,080,
two points at 2,560 x 1,440 and one point at
both 5,760 x 1,080 (AMD Eyefinity/Nvidia
Surround) and 3,840 x 2,160 (4K). If a
minimum result exceeds 60fps, we award
0.5 bonus points on top, while a result of
between 25fps and 29fps (which weve
consistently considered to be borderline
playable) receives half of the 30fps points
for the appropriate resolution.
We use these points to calculate the final
Performance percentage, which is weighted
towards 1,920 x 1,080 and 2,560 x 1,440, the
most popular mainstream and high-end
gaming resolutions respectively.
Meanwhile, multi-moni