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7nationarmy

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  1. Agree
    7nationarmy got a reaction from thechinchinsong in Can we talk about the new NZXT case that is basically a PC version of the Xbox Series X?   
    Yeah. The whole bundle isn't cheap but it isn't terribly overpriced. I was expecting it to be more expensive, given the state of the SFF market and it's also NZXT's first entry to proper SFF.
     
    Not the case for me, I prefer more versatile cases like Ncase M1 and Sidearm T1. But I'd recommend it to friends who want to start building smaller PCs. Availability will be it's main advantage, on top of looks, collective warranty and not needing to worry too much about clearances and cable length.
  2. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from Ben17 in Can we talk about the new NZXT case that is basically a PC version of the Xbox Series X?   
    Lets assume $125 for the PSU (it's the SGX650), $75 for AIO (price for M22, the one in the H1 should be more expensive) and $30 for the PCIe riser. That leaves $120 for the case. It's reasonable considering the competition. It's in the ballpark of upper-midrange tower cases and way below boutique SFF cases like the A4, M1 and Ghost S1.
     
    As for standalone, NZXT said they might make one if there is enough demand.
  3. Agree
    7nationarmy got a reaction from TVwazhere in Can we talk about the new NZXT case that is basically a PC version of the Xbox Series X?   
    Yeah. The whole bundle isn't cheap but it isn't terribly overpriced. I was expecting it to be more expensive, given the state of the SFF market and it's also NZXT's first entry to proper SFF.
     
    Not the case for me, I prefer more versatile cases like Ncase M1 and Sidearm T1. But I'd recommend it to friends who want to start building smaller PCs. Availability will be it's main advantage, on top of looks, collective warranty and not needing to worry too much about clearances and cable length.
  4. Agree
    7nationarmy got a reaction from GDRRiley in Can we talk about the new NZXT case that is basically a PC version of the Xbox Series X?   
    Yeah. The whole bundle isn't cheap but it isn't terribly overpriced. I was expecting it to be more expensive, given the state of the SFF market and it's also NZXT's first entry to proper SFF.
     
    Not the case for me, I prefer more versatile cases like Ncase M1 and Sidearm T1. But I'd recommend it to friends who want to start building smaller PCs. Availability will be it's main advantage, on top of looks, collective warranty and not needing to worry too much about clearances and cable length.
  5. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from TechyBen in The pixel smasher - Mi Mix Alpha launched + Mi 9 Pro release   
    Car manufacturers do limited run one-off concepts all the time, which are sold for seemingly absurd prices to those who can afford it. Why is it any different for phone manufacturers? It's more of a tech/art showpiece anyway.
     
     
  6. Agree
    7nationarmy got a reaction from leadeater in DerBauer hardware survey highlights issues with max boost clock on Ryzen 3000 "It's worse than I thought"   
    I am genuinely curious, did AMD mention this anywhere in their packaging, its contents, or anywhere in their Ryzen product page? If there isn't any, they are just setting themselves up for a lawsuit. This isn't about the complexities and factors of achieving boost clocks, which I am pretty sure der8auer is quite knowledgeable in. This is more about the potentially misleading marketing of the 'boost clock' aspect of the CPU, which depending on the answer to my initial question, could have legal weight.
     
    Yes the performance difference is minuscule and won't affect your day to day usage of the PC. Der8auer said that himself and he still recommends the 3600/3900X over the competition. Again, the potential issue is pure marketing. People will find every bit of opening to sue. Not saying AMD is like evil or something if they did not elaborate on how the boost clocks can be achieved, but they can do better in terms of consumer orientation especially when it comes to the average consumer. And also protecting themselves from potential lawsuits.
     
    On another note, I was reading a local forum and saw some people trying to sell their Ryzen 3xxx because of this news and said they should have stuck with Intel. Pretty sure some are just trolling but I think some also aren't. LOL
  7. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to dgsddfgdfhgs in Why did the headphone jack cross the road? OnePlus says it's due to the in-display finger scanner   
    why did no one notice SOUND QUALITY of wireless headphones is much WORSE than wired headphones
  8. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to Rupe in LG Q7 released - the G7's smaller, cooler brother   
    But this is not how it is implemented. It shows notifications and battery and the such but when their is content like a video or game it black bars, so it's just like having an ordinary screen. (Or you can set it so it cuts off part of the image if you prefer)
  9. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to Ryujin2003 in Spyro Remastered on PS4 and XBox   
    Missing everything.  It's a classic in my eyes. And I believe the majority of those who will purchase it probably played it as a child.
  10. Agree
    7nationarmy reacted to mynameisjuan in Are these laptops trends in 2018 really what you expect ?   
    1. Not everyone wants to use public wifi
    2. Some people want thin laptops and not use a crap OS. 
    3. Most laptops are used for browsing or business work (word, internet, excel)
     
    But guess we dont deserve these because YOU dont want them? Battery is great now and with coffee lake, performance is amazing for a laptop. Your logic blows my mind. 
  11. Agree
    7nationarmy reacted to RexinOridle in Apple in Talks to Acquire Luxury Carmaker and Formula One Team McLaren   
    Fuck off Apple fuck off.
  12. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to RazeG3SG1 in Aftershock S-15 Review & Story   
    Hello everyone, a few days ago I bought a gaming laptop from a home brand. So I'm going to do a review of it. I got myself an Aftershock S-15 which is a rebrand of Clevo P650SE. A base model for some other gaming laptops like Venom Blackbook 15. You might ask why is it so special? Well it's the story behind the brand.
     
    Aftershock, the story behind the brand

    Credits: Straits Times
     
     
    Aftershock is a Singapore based custom gaming laptop brand. Founded by brothers, Joseph (left) and Marcus Wee in 2012. The brothers have a strong passion in gaming, back in their college years when they were in Australia, they had to game on laptop due to convenience.
     
    It was then Joseph got tired in working for others and returned to Singapore from New Zealand and the brothers started the business. Gaming laptop were largely dominated by Alienware and Asus ROG, which both brands have fixed hardware and quite overpriced. The brothers decided to be different, allowing maximum flexibility for their products, which is why they rebrand Clevo, the only OEM that can do that. Their debut was the X series which sparked a success.
     
    Their debut was initially flaked by narrow minded people here saying they will fall within 1 year etc as living in Singapore is not cheap! However, the brothers prove themselves that they are a force to be reckon with in Singapore's gaming laptop market. They are so successful that they even expanded to Malaysia, competing with another local brand there called Illegear which also rebrands Clevo gaming laptops. They also expanded their base of operations, which is impressive considering how expensive is Singapore's property.
     
     
    Alright, they are Clevo rebranders like Origin, Venom, Eurocom and Sager, so what sets them apart?
    Aftershock is unique in a way that they don't just offer hardware customization, they also offer looks! Many brands that you might be familiar with like Eurocom and Sager offer very flexible hardware customizations that I actually would like as a consumer but I don't see custom painting except Origin PC. I find that some Clevo rebrands are very inflexible in the configurations notably Venom, which has their configurations fixed.
     
    They allow user to personalize their laptop and they are no slouch in doing so. This is a screenshot of the simulator in their website.

     
    Painting doesn't impress you? Well you can personally contact them through email to make even more complex stuff. Like this!
    That's right, Singaporean professional Dota 2 player VG.iceiceice has his laptop made by Aftershock too. Other than just spray painting or images, they also offer professional wrapping like carbon fiber texture on the backcover.
     
    Another feature would be physical showroom that allows potential customer to try out the laptops. They even have samples of different display and colour calibrations so that one can decided if it is worth the extra.
     
     
    Aftershock S-15 Appearance


    The S-15 is one of the latest generation of notebook from Aftershock. They are the rebrand of Clevo's P650SE and they look exactly the same as Venom Blackbook 15 and Origin's newer EON15-S . Regardless of what configurations, they have an exhaust vent, HDMI port, a USB 3.0 and 2 mini display ports at the left. A vent, power jack and a E-SATA/USB 2.0 port at top and finally, a kensington lock, a Realtek gigabit NIC, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 1 SD card slot, 1 mic, 1 headphone and S/PDIF jacks at the right.



    The dimension of the laptop being 15(W) x 10.6(D) x 0.9(H) inches and weighs about 5.5 pounds. They body is mostly metal constructions consist of what I think is aluminium alloys, the finish is also brushed with options for automobile wrapping. I did regret for not going for the carbon fiber wrap as I didn't expect that fingerprint is so much of an issue. The keyboard is by default white backlit. Though buyers can have the options of changing to other colours by paying US$15.
    Overall, I really like the clean look of the S-15, in fact, I even manged to fool someone saying it was an Acer! Contrary to popular believes (with Singaporean), they think gamers prefer blings that has lots of LED, I think more mature gamers prefer clean look over blings.
    The laptops's power brick is also huge and made by Chicony. I think this can be improved upon as Razer's power brick is pretty small and can power the Blade properly.

     
     
    Maintenance
    It is very easy to access the battery, hard disk, RAM and heat sinks as everything is right underneath the panel.


    Even the keyboard looks pretty easy to remove by just removing two screws. You don't need to open the panel for that.
    Since one can access pretty much everything, I think I can say this can be the easiest laptop I'll ever repair should it fail.
     
    Build Quality
    This is just solid! The screen doesn't flex when opening it. The whole laptop is well built too. The only thing that I foresee may spoil is the hinge. The hinge design is okay but not those that are unbreakable.
     
     
    Display
    15.6 INCH FHD Matte Display with AHVA Wide viewing angle technology and Wide Colour Gamut. You may ask what's that. Basically, it makes your screen's viewing angle super wide and the colour much more vibrant. I compared it with the normal one, I think it was as good as comparing to TN vs IPS, so I paid more for this display and colour calibration. Very glad I actually went that.
     
     
    Performance
    Config:
    Intel i7-4720HQ
    16GB Crucial 1600 DDR3L RAM
    GTX 970M 3GB
    1080p AHVA matte display with Professional calibration
    480GB OCZ Vector 150 + Hitachi 1TB HDD
    Windows 8.1 Pro
     
    I have to say, this thing can keep up with my desktop, which is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll just brief through gaming performance since they can be found everywhere. I can run Shadow of Mordor with all settings at High and get an average 66FPS. Temperature wise is quite impressive, the 970M's max temp is 74 degree Celsius while the CPU is 77 degree Celsius. Acoustic wise, even at High performance mode with both CPU and GPU hit their max temp, the fans are quiet, not silent. It is quiet enough to even blend into the ambient noise while maintaining the temperature.
     
    As many of you have known, gaming laptops that are big tends to have great thermals and acoustics but trades it with portability. I mean good luck trying overheating an Alienware or Asus ROG G751. While the slim ones will have worse like Blade 14 can overheat and Gigabyte's P34W which is notorious for its fans. Linus' comment on the Blackbook 15 is exactly what I would say for the S-15, a perfect sweet spot.
     
    When it is at the max temp, the typing area of the laptop does not feel hot at all. You can feel that the keyboard area starts to get slightly warmer, whereas the wrist rest area is cool. It's only the power switch area that is hot. Overall, gaming on this laptop is comfortable.
     
    Battery life wise, S-15 like all gaming laptop eats a lot of power. I can go at most 3-4 hours by browsing the internet, Powerpoint slides and watch videos at high performance mode. Which is better than my aged Acer.
     
    Config wise, there is an option to go for 980M and a 3K display. Thus it is recommended to go for 980M if one wants to play at such a high resolution.
    Softwares
    Software wise, it is identical to Venom Blackbook that Linus had reviewed. Though there are modes like Gaming which allows you to tweak some setting under that mode. Do take note that by turning on Power saving mode from the command center (FN+Esc), it turns off the wireless by default. It also has built in macros which you should not be using if you want to be good in games. It is an insult to one's skills IMO.



    Aftershock's laptop also has 0 bloatwares installed. You don't have to reformat the system. Even if you do, Aftershock has their drivers for all their lineup zipped and available for download from their website.
     
     
    Competitions
    Even today, gaming laptop market in Singapore is still dominated by Alienware. However, new additions like MSI GS60 has picked up in popularity, thus making it one of the community favourites. And so I'm going to compare the S-15 with GS60's most ideal and identical specs.
     
    GS60 (US$2400):
    -Intel i7-4710HQ
    -GTX 870M 3GB
    -1080p display
    -16GB RAM
    -256GB M.2 (128+128 RAID 0) + 1TB HDD
    -Intel Wireless AC7260
    -Killer E2200 NIC
    -Windows 8.1
     
    S-15 (US$1930):
    -Intel i7-4720HQ
    -GTX 970M 3GB
    -1080p display + Professional calibration (Assuming it needs that to be identical with MSI's display. I didn't managed to find both samples to compare side by side, it costs very little to go for it anyway)
    -16GB RAM
    -256GB M.2 (128+128 RAID 0) + 1TB HDD
    -Killer 1525 AC Wireless
    -Realtek NIC
    -Windows 8.1
     
    The reason why I went to the S-15 as you can see, it just doesn't worth that much. The only thing that I can see GS60 having an edge is its weight and thinness. Also, the flexibility in the hardware configurations allows me to ditch away stuffs that I don't need. I saved much more by ditching away the M.2 SSD and stick with the 8GB, I used my salvaged RAM to upgrade it too.
     
     
    Conclusion
    Okay, now we have reached the end here. So what is my rating on this? I say overall is positive, I never get so satisfied for gaming laptop, Aftershock's S-15 has what I need and even flexible enough to allow me to do whatever I like. I have not much that is not satisfied for to be honest, so I'll just have to nitpick.
     
    Pros:
    -Flexibility (You want power? You can have it, if you have deep pockets of course =P)
    -Very balanced with thinness, thermal and acoustics
    -Cheap
    -Low profile looking
    -Easy to perform maintenance
     
    Cons:
    -Brushed aluminium finish = Fingerprint magnet (This can be avoided if you go for other cover options, which clearly I regretted)
    -Driver disc (Which year is it guys? S-15 don't even have a DVD drive built in. Not everyone has external)
    -60Hz (As someone who games on 144Hz, so this is kinda a con for me.)
     
    Alright that's all. This is my first ever review, I hope is detailed and properly done, leave a comment on what I can improve on. Thank you.
  13. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to silberdrachi in Lenovo ruined the thinkpad   
    Holy necro batman
  14. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to Majinferno in 5000mAh Power bank by xiaomi for only $8   
    I doubt Xiaomi, a credible Chinese based company that has shown time and time again to operate with low prices, will sell a potentially gimped explosive to their customers. Way to dismissive without any research into the company imo.
  15. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from dalekphalm in Greatest Crowdfunding Campaign imo   
    A little bit of update:
     
    The Vietnamese tourist apparently did not want to receive money more than what he lost. He said through a translator: "I don't want to take more than what I lost. I don't deserve it." An unnamed businessman apparently gave him $550 prior to the crowdfunded money, the exact amount of what he lost, so he refused to take more. 
     
    From what I understood, he only took some local specialities (food/snacks) bought with some of the collected money. He also refused to take the Iphone bought using the crowdfunded campaign. In the end, the tourist and the campaign starter decided to sell the Iphone, and donate all the collected money (USD 11500, minus the snacks cost) to a charity of the tourist's choice. 
     
    I guess that is fair.
  16. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from DaRk0 in Jonsbo W2 - Cube Case dark horse?   
    So chiphell reviewed this case called the Jonsbo W2. Some of you might not be familiar with the brand, but their cases actually sold under different brand name in US (Rosewill) and EUR (Cooltek). Fits up to XL-ATX mobo and 320mm graphics card. Yes this review is in Chinese. I dont understand a thing but they took good shots so yeah 
     
    Link to review: http://www.chiphell.com/article-11665-4.html
    Link to product page: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_25_1.html
     
    Some pics: 
     
     


     
    I love the clean look. Aesthetically I actually prefer this to Air 540 (not as classy), and Node 804 (footprint too wide). The windowed panel might be better if it is like the Corsair/Node instead of bolted on, but that is not too bad. I am a little skeptical about the cooling department though. Good looking solid aluminum panel =  no front/top vent. 
     
    What do u guys think?
  17. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from HellaflushMcSwaggins in Jonsbo W2 - Cube Case dark horse?   
    So chiphell reviewed this case called the Jonsbo W2. Some of you might not be familiar with the brand, but their cases actually sold under different brand name in US (Rosewill) and EUR (Cooltek). Fits up to XL-ATX mobo and 320mm graphics card. Yes this review is in Chinese. I dont understand a thing but they took good shots so yeah 
     
    Link to review: http://www.chiphell.com/article-11665-4.html
    Link to product page: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_25_1.html
     
    Some pics: 
     
     


     
    I love the clean look. Aesthetically I actually prefer this to Air 540 (not as classy), and Node 804 (footprint too wide). The windowed panel might be better if it is like the Corsair/Node instead of bolted on, but that is not too bad. I am a little skeptical about the cooling department though. Good looking solid aluminum panel =  no front/top vent. 
     
    What do u guys think?
  18. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from Rekx in Jonsbo W2 - Cube Case dark horse?   
    So chiphell reviewed this case called the Jonsbo W2. Some of you might not be familiar with the brand, but their cases actually sold under different brand name in US (Rosewill) and EUR (Cooltek). Fits up to XL-ATX mobo and 320mm graphics card. Yes this review is in Chinese. I dont understand a thing but they took good shots so yeah 
     
    Link to review: http://www.chiphell.com/article-11665-4.html
    Link to product page: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_25_1.html
     
    Some pics: 
     
     


     
    I love the clean look. Aesthetically I actually prefer this to Air 540 (not as classy), and Node 804 (footprint too wide). The windowed panel might be better if it is like the Corsair/Node instead of bolted on, but that is not too bad. I am a little skeptical about the cooling department though. Good looking solid aluminum panel =  no front/top vent. 
     
    What do u guys think?
  19. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from JoaoPRSousa in Jonsbo W2 - Cube Case dark horse?   
    So chiphell reviewed this case called the Jonsbo W2. Some of you might not be familiar with the brand, but their cases actually sold under different brand name in US (Rosewill) and EUR (Cooltek). Fits up to XL-ATX mobo and 320mm graphics card. Yes this review is in Chinese. I dont understand a thing but they took good shots so yeah 
     
    Link to review: http://www.chiphell.com/article-11665-4.html
    Link to product page: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_25_1.html
     
    Some pics: 
     
     


     
    I love the clean look. Aesthetically I actually prefer this to Air 540 (not as classy), and Node 804 (footprint too wide). The windowed panel might be better if it is like the Corsair/Node instead of bolted on, but that is not too bad. I am a little skeptical about the cooling department though. Good looking solid aluminum panel =  no front/top vent. 
     
    What do u guys think?
  20. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from TestedMATTIA in Jonsbo W2 - Cube Case dark horse?   
    So chiphell reviewed this case called the Jonsbo W2. Some of you might not be familiar with the brand, but their cases actually sold under different brand name in US (Rosewill) and EUR (Cooltek). Fits up to XL-ATX mobo and 320mm graphics card. Yes this review is in Chinese. I dont understand a thing but they took good shots so yeah 
     
    Link to review: http://www.chiphell.com/article-11665-4.html
    Link to product page: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_25_1.html
     
    Some pics: 
     
     


     
    I love the clean look. Aesthetically I actually prefer this to Air 540 (not as classy), and Node 804 (footprint too wide). The windowed panel might be better if it is like the Corsair/Node instead of bolted on, but that is not too bad. I am a little skeptical about the cooling department though. Good looking solid aluminum panel =  no front/top vent. 
     
    What do u guys think?
  21. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from godsarmy in Jonsbo W2 - Cube Case dark horse?   
    So chiphell reviewed this case called the Jonsbo W2. Some of you might not be familiar with the brand, but their cases actually sold under different brand name in US (Rosewill) and EUR (Cooltek). Fits up to XL-ATX mobo and 320mm graphics card. Yes this review is in Chinese. I dont understand a thing but they took good shots so yeah 
     
    Link to review: http://www.chiphell.com/article-11665-4.html
    Link to product page: http://www.jonsbo.com/en/products_25_1.html
     
    Some pics: 
     
     


     
    I love the clean look. Aesthetically I actually prefer this to Air 540 (not as classy), and Node 804 (footprint too wide). The windowed panel might be better if it is like the Corsair/Node instead of bolted on, but that is not too bad. I am a little skeptical about the cooling department though. Good looking solid aluminum panel =  no front/top vent. 
     
    What do u guys think?
  22. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to sof006 in More Mass Effect teasers   
    People are still crying over ME3? 
     
    It wasn't even bad, in fact its probably the best mass effect I ever played. 
     
    I am extremely excited for the new mass effect games, going to be amazing!
  23. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to Brandonsr in More Mass Effect teasers   
    I understand that people are upset with Mass Effect 3, but this game will have a fresh new start. So I have pretty high hopes for it.
  24. Like
    7nationarmy reacted to Izaya Orihara in The Z97 motherboard that makes no sense...   
    fixed it for you 
  25. Like
    7nationarmy got a reaction from ProKoN in What is your most Liked \ Disliked Z97 Board?   
    EVGA Classified! Too big tho so if I am to buy one will be the MPower, Gigabyte Black or Stinger for ITX
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