LaCie, a reputable French manufacturer of premium storage devices, has updated its award-winning NAS, codenamed LaCie 5big, filling it with a bunch of cutting-edge options. The greenhorn is targeting corporate field and intended at a problem-free data backup, 4K video editing, joint and remote access to data, etc. The storage is housed in a solid aluminum chassis and counts five drive bays. Nonetheless, it features 173x220x196 mm dimensions only, which makes it the most compact NAS with the largest storage capacity in the market.



LaCie 5big will be available in three versions with the maximal capacity of 10 TB, 20 TB and 30 TB. The most outstanding peculiarity pertained to the model is the support of high-speed Thunderbolt 2 interface, represented by two ports. Initially, the storage presupposes the integration of five 6 TB hard drives, designed by Seagate, with the 7200 RPM spindle operation.


All the drives might be joined into RAID 5 configuration for a better …

The inventory of motherboards designed by ECS is quite ample for the user to get confused. There are various series with a number of models in each, and each of these series is replenishing with new products at enviable frequency. Still, 'Black' series differentiates itself from all other lines by an eye-catching design and remarkable performance. Motherboard ECS Z77H2-A2X is an outstanding representative of 'Black' series that is notable by premium design, premium implementation, and premium performance.



Design and Layout


The first thing that stands out a mile is the delivery box which features goldish coverage and speaks of the motherboard's high-end destination. The board itself is packed in an antistatic box, while all other components found their places in a separate box. This box contains DVD with dedicated software and drivers, user's manual, I/O shield, LucidLogix Virtu MVP Technology usage guideline, a set of plugs for USB and video sockets, six SATA cables with …

Gigabyte has surfaced a budget-oriented mini-PC of Brix series, entitled Brix GB-BPCE-3350. The new-comer is designed on Intel Apollo Lake CPU (14 nm) and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 500 graphics core. The Intel Celeron N3350 operates at 1.1 GHz frequency but might be overclocked up to 2.4 GHz (TDP – 6 W). The GPU runs at 200-650 MHz frequency.



Gigabyte Brix GB-BPCE-3350 comes with a pair of SO-DIMM DDR3L memory modules which operate at 1866 MHz frequency (maximum of 8 GB). Storage subsystem is introduced by a single SATA III port and microSD card-reader. The availability of a single M.2 2230 slot ensures the model’s expansion facilities. Initially, this slot is occupied by Wi-Fi + Bluetooth adapter (Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168).


To continue, this mini-PC employs a couple of controllers – Realtek ALC255 & Realtek RTL8111HD – which take care of audio and network subsystems. The front I/O panel offers a pair of USB 3.0 ports, one D-Sub port and one 3.5-mm …