MSI could not resist the temptation to officially introduce a pair of new gaming mainboards: the X99S Gaming 9 ACK and the Z97 Gaming 9 ACK. The key distinction of new-comers from analogue models without ‘ACK’ attribute lies in the implementation of dedicated gaming network controllers: Qualcomm Atheros Killer 1525 and Killer E2205. The first one is supposed to support 802.11 ac standard that guarantees 867 Mb/sec throughput bandwidth; it also ensures less data deference. This provides for a faster network traffic processing and, as a result, — for a huge advantage in online gaming.



The E-ATX MSI X99S Gaming 9 ACK motherboard is based on Intel X99 chipset, estimated for Intel Core i7-5000 CPUs with Socket LGA2011-v3. The model features 8x DIMM slots for DDR4-333 MHz memory (4-channel operational mode) of up to 128 GB capacity. Storage subsystem offers eight SATA III ports, whereas expansion facilities are ensured by means of five PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots. The list of …

Plenty of innovative devices were presented at the Computex 2017 exhibition. For instance, the PowerColor Company has demonstrated a new external docking station for a graphics adapter, called Gaming Box. At present only few particulars are known, however, we may suggest, that its set of functions will resemble those ascribed to the original Devil Box.



Surely, PowerColor recommends to use Gaming Box with its own series of Red Devil/Red Dragon Radeon RX 500 family cards, but we should remark, that this novelty is compatible with different graphics accelerators, including such advanced samples as the RX 400/500 series, R9 Fury/Nano series, GTX 10-series, and TITAN Xp. The Thunderbolt 3, 40 Gb/s, connection pairs the enclosure to the host system, for example to your PC or laptop. With this aim in view the manufacturer supplied its product with three USB 3.0 Type-C ports and a Gigabit Ethernet connector. The 550 W internal power supply unit has two PCIe (6+2 pin) connectors and is …

Enermax, one of the outstanding players in the PSU and cooling market, has recently paid great attention to the development of other hardware pieces, including chassis and cases. Its Fulmo series vindicates that the company has plenty of shot in the locker to beat competitors and marvel customers. Enermax Fulmo ST ECA3270 is probably the most interesting model within the series, with a bit strict, aristocratic design but rich internal layout. But, is that truly so? Let’s find it out.



Design Peculiarities


First of all, it should be mentioned that Fulmo ST ECA3270 comes in two color variations: black and dark-gray. Color is not the only feature that diverges the couple, since black version is furnished with fan backlights. Upon the whole, the model is designed in mid-tower standard and features 244x485x513 mm dimensions. The frontal facet is covered by a steel grid, which hides a non-removable air filter. The facet is blind, except for three grid-like plugs for 5.25-inch …