Up-to-date disk stations for home utilization usually employ from a single up to four hard drives of 3.5-inch form-factor. They are intended to offer sufficient storage capacity and an unmatched performance during operation. LinkStation Mini disk server from Buffalo manufacturers is a compact solution for all home-based data storage needs. Currently, the series is represented by four models: in black and white colors and with drives of 500 GB and 1 TB capacity. One should not confuse these models with those released by this manufacturer several years ago, as today's devices have got a completely new hardware platform.



Design


LinkStation Mini is notable for exceptionally compact dimensions (if considering rival disk stations) which equal to 40x135x82 mm. The casing is made of black glossy plastic and can be adjusted in two positions (vertical and horizontal) due to the availability of rubber feet on the two sides of the device. The frontal panel accommodates a …

ASRock, a Taiwanese manufacturer of motherboards, is eager to introduce its new elaboration – motherboard H87E-ITX/ac. The new-comer is designed in a compact mini-ITX form-factor and is destined for the creation of compact desktop systems. Chipset Intel H87 Express in combination with Intel Core (4th generation) LGA 1150 processors provide for utmost stability and high performance in the majority of working modes.



ASRock H87E-ITX/ac houses two slots for RAM memory modules of DDR3 type; the maximal volume of supported memory might achieve 32 GB. The board takes power by means of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors. Digi Power system, featuring DrMOS voltage regulators, allots four phases for providing power supply to the CPU. Expansion of facilities becomes possible due to a single PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot, a single miniPCI Express slot, a single eSATA port, and six SATA III 6 Gb/sec ports.


Network facilities are guaranteed by gigabit Ethernet port, Bluetooth 4.0 module, …

Asus always makes people stare at its gadgets, PC devices, and hardware components. Its latest external sound card, entitled Xonar U3 Plus, is no exception. It boasts a small-sized flash-like design, receiving power via a standard USB port. According to Asus designers, the card is intended for those customers who look for a comprehensive solution for high-quality audio playback and recording.



Asus Xonar U3 Plus is furnished with an in-build amplifier for headphones with a variable gain level, compatible with different audio fittings of less than 150 ohm impedance. Therefore, this amplifier dramatically improves the playback of high and low frequencies, adding dynamics to high-frequency and low-frequency sounds (to reproduce multiple effects: steps, blasts, etc.).


To continue, this model supports microphone recording in real time by means of an integrated digital signal processor; the latter ensures minimal latencies on audio programming. It also boasts the availability of …