ASRock has gladdened all devotees of small-sized, power-efficient & sustainable PC/multimedia systems by the introduction of a mini-ITX motherboard, entitled N3150DC-ITX. The model comes equipped with a 4-core Intel Atom N3150 CPU, running at 1.6 GHz basic frequency with the possibility to overclock up to 2.08 GHz frequency. Its key privilege is a sparing TDP level – 6 W only.



ASRock N3150DC-ITX boasts a totally passive cooling: the PCB houses a noiseless heatspreader without a fan. Memory subsystem is represented by two SO-DIMM slots which support the installation of DDR3/DDR3L-1600 MHz modules. The PCB teases only top-tier hardware components, including solid-state capacitors, ELNA audio caps, etc.


Storage might be organized due to a pair of SATA III 6 Gb/sec ports and the same number of SATA II 3 Gb/sec ports. A single PCI-e 2.0 x1 slot is intended for an expansion card, while mini PCI-e Express slot – for a wireless network interface module.


Audio subsystem …

Biostar has begun the 2016 year’s history with the launch of a new series of motherboards, entitled Racing. Currently, the lineup includes three ATX models — Z170GT7, H170GT3 & B150GT5 — based on Intel Z170, H170 and B150 chipsets respectively. The triple is compatible with Intel Skylake processors for Socket LGA1151.



Biostar Racing motherboards are developed according to Super 5 Design template. It entails a number of advantages. Among them:

— Super Sound – the employment of a high-quality audio subsystem Biostar Hi-Fi audio;

— Super Face – a unique visual styling of the PCB;

— Super Easy – the implementation of a well-considered hardware layout;

— Super Power – the usage of a reliable power subsystem with super durable ferrite and solid-state capacitors;

— Super Fun – the introduction of additional components for more sophistication (i.e. LED backlight).


Biostar Z170GT7 comes with 4 DIMM slots targeting DDR4-3200 MHz memory …

Leadtek expands its production line with a brand version of GeForce GTX 960 videocard. Entitled WinFast GTX 960 Hurricane, the model is differentiated by factory overclocking and a powerful dual fan cooling system. Initially, the company will launch a 2 GB version but later on there might appear a 4 GB version.



Leadtek WinFast GTX 960 Hurricane is based on GM206 GPU with 1024 CUDA cores, 10 SMM, and 64 ROPs. It runs at 1228 MHz frequency but might be overclocked to 1291 MHz frequency. The integrated 2 GB GDDR5 memory with 128-bit interface operates at 7010 MHz index. Furthermore, this videocard consumes up to 120 W power.


Cooling system consists of two fans and a voluminous heatsink. All integrated video interfaces found their place at the rear panel: three DisplayPort ports, one HDMI 2.0 and one DVI-I. By the way, the nominal delivery set offers a dedicated DVI to VGA adapter.


What is more, similar to other GTX 960 solutions, Leadtek’s graphics card is known to …